Love and lust in the same package.

“The Scot Beds His Wife” is the 5th book in the Victorian Rebel Series by Kerrigan Byrne. I received an arc from Net-Galley and publisher for an honest review; thank you both for introducing me to this talented author. This is the first book of Ms. Byrne that I have read and I am hooked. I will definitely read the other books in this series. She has created an authentic cast of complex flawed characters who interact with dark intrigue, blatant lies, tragic misunderstanding, staunch loyalty, blunt truth, lack of trust, sensual lust and hilarity, set in the Highlands of the past. In this book, she has crafted a marvelous tale where lives and history are entwined among several families damaged by malicious evil. Some rise above the evil in their past and some are corrupted with no chance of redemption.

What is in a name? With titles, nicknames, stolen names, nefarious legends and pet names, the confusion causes a series of comic scenes of Shakespearean mistaken identity. Many secrets are hidden in the present and the past of these star-crossed lovers and their families.

Samantha Masters, a young woman, with a past she cannot escape, seeks sanctuary in Scotland. She has promised Alison Ross that she will fight to keep the land which the Ross family owned in Scotland, in exchange for a safe hiding place. Gavin St. James, The Earl of Thorne, who is a scandalous rake is her competition and he uses all the powers and seductive techniques in his possession to win the land and get Sam in his bed, too. Who is going to be the winner?

Samantha is a strong-willed fiery American woman who swears like a sailor, can rope and ride and outshoot any Highland Earl. Not at all the lady that Gavin was expecting to seduce into giving up her land. Gavin is a man who has overcome his past by hiding behind an emotionless arrogance that has frozen his heart and caused him to divorce his family and change his name. The chemistry between Sam and Gavin sizzles on the page and keeps you wanting to read what happens next. How are they going to trust each other when there are so many secrets that could turn their love to hate?

The minor characters are also a large part of the comedy, romance, adventure and mystery in this delightful romp of a historical novel. You love to hate the villains and you love to laugh at the antics of the sidekicks. You also can see several budding romances in the future to be read in the series. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out.

Ms. Byrne pulls you I with he writing. She always writes an entertaining story to keep you engaged, however at some point in the story it starts to drag a tad bit then picks up again. Her characters are intriguing and and complex enough to keep you entertained. I really enjoyed this book.

I received this book for an honest review.

'He was no barbarian. And certainly no gentleman.'

Complex situations, begat by desperation, lies, bad choices, childhood abuse and oh so many other factors dog the pages in this very different story in the Victorian Rebels series. I keep thinking Annie Oakley meets a Scots Celtic god, whose soul holds close hidden horrors a la Dorian Gray. Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne's emotional burdens weigh him down. Although there is no painting in the attic, Gavin has suppressed regrets and terrible memories, that he's spent a life time attempting to forget by cutting a path through the bedrooms of the rich and needy using his exceptional charm.
Samantha Masters was part of a gang including her husband and his brother who are train robbers. This time the robbery goes awry and in the ensuing confusion and aftermath Sam commits murder and exchanges places with an heiress, Alison Ross, and flees to the Highlands, having taken on Alison's persona.
Well of course this cattle herding, fast shooting Amaerican gal comes as a complete shock to Gavin who had plans of frightening her into selling her lands to him ... or marrying her. Whichever will work.
Naturally both of their pasts manage to catch up with them, not before a last resort wedding, unexpected attacks from angry westerners pursuing Sam, sexually charged situations, and a whirlwind of emotional angst.
I loved the secondary characters, the gruff shepherds and other members of the clan who take Sam into their hearts.
Certainly a highland historical Victorian era novel with a difference. I am still unsure about the Wild West confrontation with the Highland Warriors but if anyone can pull it off its Kerrigan Byrne.

A NetGalley ARC
(October 2017)

I always enjoyed the books of this author. However this one didnt catch my interest like her other books. I did n't love the extremelly use of foul language. It was very distracting and giving an armosphere of modern times. A little disappointed with this one.

Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne has come from a difficult past, one that he preferred stay dead and buried. With only his best friend beside him, he tries to make a new life for himself, separate from the Mackenzie clan. When his path crosses with that of Samantha Masters, his world is turned upside down. She's running from her past and Gavin is all too willing to keep her safe and protected.
This book captured me from the first page and the writing is so well done, that you feel as though you've traveled back in time. A story filled with tragedy, romance, and action! I'm definitely starting this series from the beginning!

The Scot Beds His Wife is a historical romance novel written by Kerrigan Byrne. It is the fifth book in the Victorian Rebels series. I thoroughly enjoyed her last book- The Duke- and I was very excited about reading this newest addition to the series.

Samantha Masters made some bad choices in the Wild West. Very bad choices. So when a chance encounter leads to an opportunity to travel to Scotland posing as an heiress to an estate, Samantha jumps at the chance to leave town and hightail it to the Highlands.

Gavin St. James, the Earl of Thorne, happens to live on the neighboring estate, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to get that land for himself. Usually, it is not very difficult for him to get what he wants from women, but his well-practiced seduction techniques are useless against this brash American.

This was an amazing book. I’ve only read one other book in the series, but it’s clear that Byrne specializes in tortured heroes. Gavin is struggling to overcome his abusive childhood, and distance himself from his family. He is fiercely loyal to the people he loves, and is willing to do anything for them. Likewise, Samantha is also trying to overcome her past, and her experiences have taught her that there are few people who can be trusted.

I have to say that Samantha is one of the most original heroines I have ever encountered in my 15+ years of reading romance novels. She was an absolute delight, and it was a lot of fun seeing Gavin absolutely flummoxed by her. There’s definitely a slow burn, as Samantha and Gavin start off feuding; this is definitely not a case of insta-love. The tension and chemistry are palpable, and once they decide to stop hating each other, wow just wow.

I would absolutely recommend The Scot Beds His Wife. I think this book functions well as a standalone; I haven’t read the book in this series featuring Gavin’s brother, and I was able to follow along without difficulty. This book was every bit as enjoyable as The Duke. I’m already looking forward to seeing what Byrne comes up with next, and I’ll have to catch up on the rest of the series in the meantime!

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne has built quite a reputation in the Highlands over the years. He has been making a name for himself to separate himself as far away from his demon of a father as possible. He has one last thing he needs to complete to achieve everything he’s been working for. When the opportunity drops into his lap, he just can’t resist.
I absolutely LOVED this story. Samantha was probably one of my favorite female characters in a historical book ever. I loved the inner workings of Gavin’s character and the interactions with Samantha were spot-on. My only problem is the repeated mentioning of Gavin’s being a rake. I don’t particularly like it when authors make one of the main characters a rake anyways, but this was brought out a lot throughout the entire book. However, it didn’t deter from the main story. I highly recommend.

This was a roller coaster of a book for me. There were a lot of interesting elements that were unique to this series. I have read every one of these books, and Kerrigan keeps finding ways to make them feel fresh and not formulaic. I liked that we begin to see some of the history of the American West. As in some of the previous books, the prologue starts off with an emotional punch. But even though this books starts with high intensity, emotion, and drama, the two characters' stories were so different, the beginning also felt disjointed for me. But by about 40%, I was all in. Everything was connecting and working for me, the relationships were intense, and I was loving the direction the characters and couple were headed. I do have to say, I had my own frustrations with the heroine at times. Certain secrets were kept for too long into the book. I usually don't mind this, but I think the heroine pushed it too far.

Kerrigan is the author who first made me realize I could love this genre. While this wasn't my favorite of this wonderful series, I still enjoyed reading it. Also, the developments toward the end had me excited for several possibilities for the future books. I can't wait for the next one!

Kerrigan Byrne is one of the most exciting writers of historical romance writing today and she is back with a sensuous, captivating and sumptuous tale of secrets, passion and adventure guaranteed to hold readers in thrall from start to finish!

Gavin St James, Earl of Thorne, is a man who has it all: brooding good looks, wealth and property. He is a man who always get what he wants and who is not averse to using his menacing charm to secure anything he wishes – even another man’s wife. No woman can resist the devastatingly handsome Gavin St James – and a wedding ring has certainly never been an obstacle for him! However, the time has come for this notorious Lothario to put his shady past behind him and to settle down with a wife of his own. When he stumbles upon a feisty lass who is the heiress to a piece of land he is absolutely desperate to secure, Gavin thinks that he has found the perfect solution to his predicament. But little does he realise that he is about to unleash a surfeit of emotions that is going to turn his whole life upside down!

Samantha Masters is no shrinking violet waiting for a man to take charge of her destiny. Having returned to Scotland from the Wild West with dangerous secrets aplenty, Samantha sees one way out of the mess which she has found herself in: marriage! She needs the protection of marriage to keep her safe from danger and away from harm and when Gavin St James proposes, she finds herself with no other option but to jump at this chance. But does she know what she has let herself in for?

Samantha and Gavin’s convenient marriage quickly gives way to an all consuming passion that simply cannot be denied. With dangerous enemies intent on destroying everything which they hold dear to their heart, does their fledgling romance stand any chance of surviving in a world that seems intent on tearing them apart? Or is their love simply not meant to be?

Kerrigan Byrne certainly knows how to spin a tale and The Scot Beds His Wife is a sexy, spellbinding and highly enjoyable novel full of adventure, intrigue, emotion, desire and heart that is certainly not for the faint-hearted! Her characters are wonderfully fleshed out, flawed and believable, her writing crisp and evocative, the love story touching and tempestuous and the sexual chemistry simply off the charts!

An outstanding historical romance from a writer who is breathing new life into the genre, The Scot Beds His Wife is the latest keeper by Kerrigan Byrne!

Alison Ross returns to the Highlands of Scotland to save her family's stead from Gavin, Earl of Thorne. Going by Sam, and using subterfuge to conceal her true identity as Samantha Masters with the full support of the real Alison Ross, she has the skills to run a ranch. The Earl wants the Keep and will do almost anything to have Sam surrender the land to him, and to have her, too, is not beyond his needs.

Sam's cowgirl and outlaw past is about to catch up to her, with her life on the line and that of her baby, she decides to take the protection offered by Gavin by marrying him and unintentionally passing the pregnancy as his child. Together they find love and passion, and for once Gavin has a reason to open his heart which has been closed since childhood.

Eventually, the truth will out, and the fury of Gavin combined with the danger she's in, will divide this couple. They will have to overcome a lot to find a way back to each other--but have too many lies from the past come between them?

This passion-driven novel is unputdownable! A must-read!

**received ARC from publisher through NetGalley**

4.5 stars. The Scot Beds His Wife, despite its unfortunate title, reinforces my love of the Victorian Rebels series. It had all the elements that I loved in the four earlier books - loads of angst, electric chemistry between hero and heroine, heart-pounding action, dark bad-boy heroes, and plucky heroines. What Scot has more of that the others don't is the lightness of humor balancing the heaviness caused by all the tragedies that are constantly befalling the Rebels and their loved ones. I also love the foul-mouthed, gun-toting heroine Sam as well as the rogue of an earl Gavin. Lastly, I adore the secondary characters- from Callum, to Eleanor to Calybrid and Locryn, even The Rook. I am super excited about the next three (???) coming books in the series.

I am not even sure where to start as my emotions were all over the place with this story. I struggled to like Gavin as he was just so cut off from his emotions after his terrible childhood, and Samantha who had so many secrets. I liked that Samantha was such a strong woman and didn't back down to Gavin!

She was tough and even though she had a terrible childhood, she was open to love, but she sure made Gavin work for it! It was great that she wouldn't put up with his charm and fall at his feet like all the other women. That part of Gavin really turned me off so I could understand Samantha's attitude toward him.

I respected her when she cared enough about a stranger that she would shot and kill her outlaw husband which lead her to Scotland. I really lost respect for Samantha when she tried to pass off her pregnancy as happening after her marriage. I could understand Gavin's pain but somewhat annoyed with him that he would not even listen to Samantha for an explanation.

The best part of the book - whether I liked or disliked the person - was that it made me feel so many emotions and there were so many ups and downs of emotion throughout the book. I sure hope that the bits about Callum and Alison were leading to a book for them! I was also glad that Gavin's mother finally found love!

I loved The Scot Beds His Wife. It’s romantic, captivating, and the principal characters are charismatic and well-matched. Readers familiar with earlier books in the series will enjoy a return to Wester Ross (in the Scottish Highlands), and getting to know Lord Gavin, the Earl of Thorne, whom we caught brief, tantalizing glimpses of in The Highlander (he’s half-brother to the eponymous hero of that book). Unfortunately, despite my wholehearted enjoyment of the story and its principals, the frequent use of profanity is totally off-putting. I’m no prude, but FFS (wink!) this novel is so overly full of “shit”s and “fuck”s, it distracts and detracts from the story, and it’s the primary reason I can’t give this novel an A grade. Swearing has is place, but although it works some of the time here, it began to border on the ridiculous. That criticism aside, The Scot Beds His Wife features two characters with dark secrets, fiery temperaments and painful pasts who find refuge and forgiveness in each other and I couldn’t put it down. The novel marks a nice return to form for Ms. Byrne after the misfire of the last Victorian Rebels novel, The Duke.

Twelve-year old Gavin stands with his two older brothers and their father, the cruel and evil Laird Mackenzie, watching a naked and restrained prostitute writhe on a bed for their entertainment. Grant is aroused until the Laird pulls out a whip and lashes it across the woman’s back. He then insists the boys do the same or he’ll do it for them; Grant flinches away in disgust and is only ‘saved’ from lashing the sobbing prostitute when his older brother Liam, whom he loved with all the gentle ferocity his young body could contain, says he’ll do it. Six lashes. Six long, hellish, screaming eternities. But the horror of the evening doesn’t end after the whipping, or after the other unspeakable things he’s forced to do to the woman. Filled with shame, Grant flees to his mother and confesses what happened. She comforts him, pleading “Do not be his son. Do not be a Mackenzie,” when they’re violently interrupted by the Laird. Gavin attempts to defend his mother from her husband’s brutality and is thrown out of a window and forced to listen to it instead.

Twenty-four years later, Gavin has made one last gamble to free himself of the Mackenzie clan. He’s selling his portion of the Ravencroft Distillery and has a plan in place to buy the abandoned Erradale Estate and its cattle. As soon as the crown grants him the emancipation he’s also requested, he’ll no longer call himself a Mackenzie.

Samantha Masters didn’t have a choice – she had to shoot her husband to save an innocent stranger, Alison Ross. Orphaned as a toddler and raised by a strict mormon cattle ranching family, Samantha married Bennett Master in order to escape an arranged marriage. But that freedom came at a cost. Bennett and his brothers are violent criminals; what should have been a routine train robbery has turned into a massacre. Unwilling to watch her husband kill the innocent woman/witness she befriended earlier in the day, Samantha kills him. When a shot rings out in the train compartment – Bennett’s brother Bradley, shooting from his horse – Samantha grabs her gun to shoot back when Alison stays her hand,

“I know a way to keep your neck out of a noose,” she said, her blueberry gaze surprisingly steady through the tears. “But we’ll have to … to get rid of the body.”
The women push the body off the train which stops Bradley, and Alison pulls Sam – terrified, convinced she’ll either be killed by the surviving Masters or the hangman’s noose – to sit beside her.

“Where I come from, in my country, saving a life is no small debt. Also, in my savage part of the world, from the time we’re very, very young one law is paramount to all others. Tha an lagh comraich.”

“Comraich?” Samantha blinked rapidly at the lovely, obviously wealthy woman. Either she’d gone mad, or Alison was speaking in tongues.

“It means sanctuary.”
She quickly asks Sam if she was telling the truth about her childhood on a cattle ranch – “You can shoot, obviously. Can you ride, herd cattle, work figures?” and then asks a bewildered Sam if she’s ever been to Scotland.

When I started writing this review, I was reminded of Shannon’s review of The Highlander,

Have you ever read a romance novel that feels like it was spliced together from two different ideas into a single super-story? This is a lot like that.
Well, so is The Scot Beds His Wife. Gavin St. James’ childhood destroyed him, and since then, he’s kept himself closed off from anyone who tries to get close. His older (estranged) brother Liam became the Demon Highlander in an attempt to deal with his past; Gavin turned to women and vice. He’s handsome, strong, intelligent and guarded. He finally believes luck is on his side when he offers to buy Erradale from the long absent Alison Ross and he’s waiting for her when Samantha Masters, disguised as Alison, steps onto the train platform. Orphaned as a child, Samantha lived a hard life with an adopted family and then an abusive husband. She’s a foul mouthed, tough sharpshooter, and after learning that Alison’s father was killed in a duel by Hamish Mackenzie, she has no intention of allowing Erradale to fall into Mackenzie hands. Erradale is her chance to build a new life for herself, and no matter how handsome he is, Gavin St. James won’t stand in her way.

I struggled a bit to get into this story – Ms. Byrne has to do a quite bit of jumping around to bring our principals together – but once Gavin meets Samantha on the train platform, the novel soars. He tries a few different approaches – flirtation, domination, seduction – and she delivers vicious set downs whilst demonstrating she’s no shrinking violet, and the sexual tension between them simmers. He’s naughty and wicked and sexy; she’s a total badass with a foul mouth and an excellent aim, and she masterfully runs the Erradale estate – in breeches.

There’s quite a bit happening in this awesome story (which I’ll let you discover for yourself), but eventually, Gavin and Samantha are forced into a marriage of convenience, and eventually, to reveal their flawed pasts to each other. The penultimate scene – wherein Gavin learns just who his wife really is – is moving and masterful. The Scot Beds His Wife, much like the first two Victorian Rebels books, is sexy, intense – and dark and Ms. Byrne is does a terrific job balancing all three elements. Her heroine is flawed but fierce, and Gavin is masterful, protective, though surprisingly tender and gentle in love. Theirs is a steamy, sexy love affair (OMG the sex scenes are EXCELLENT), and I loved spending time with this pair, in and out of bed. The secondary characters – and a second chance love affair – add great depth (and laughter) to the relationship, and I’m torn over whose story I want next!

The Scot Beds His Wife is a terrific addition to the Victorian Rebels series, and is a wonderful reminder of why I fell in love with this author and this series in the first place.

Having never read Kerrigan Byrne previously I was very pleasantly surprised, I really did enjoy the storyline of this novel, it is different. The way America comes to the highlands is gripping and keeps you reading. I found having a woman who could look after herself and others proficiently very entertaining. I hope the next book gives us Alison and Callum's story.

A seductive earl who has never met a woman he couldn’t charm meets his match in a spitfire American in The Scot Beds His Wife. Kerrigan Byrne’s fifth Victorian Rebels novel is an energetic enemies-to-lovers tale with a delightfully unconventional heroine.

Sam grabbed my attention from the start. She’s full of spirit and strength that I just adored. Sam has had a hard life and at the beginning of The Scot Beds His Wife she makes a split-second decision that changes her life forever. Sam makes difficult choices and takes on the consequences of her actions. She doesn’t back down, but she’s not invulnerable. Life has never given her reason to trust, to hope, and I wanted her to find the home and love she yearned for with Gavin. Speaking of said hero, Gavin was a bit harder for me to like. He’s a man who goes through women like water in order to mask his pain. Like Sam, Gavin is seeking home and he has a childhood that just broke my heart. I understood his determination to get his hands on the land he believes Sam owns, though I wasn’t always keen on his attitude when he was denied. I will admit Gavin’s anger toward his brother Liam also put me off him at times. I tried to see things from Gavin’s point of view, but as I am attached to Liam after reading and loving his book, The Highlander, I just couldn’t work up much sympathy for Gavin and his hostile attitude. To be clear, he isn’t a bad hero. He’s protective and caring of those he lets in his heart and he does develop into a great match for Sam over the course of the story.

Ms. Byrne excels at delivering passionate romances that are just bursting with emotion. For me, Gavin and Sam didn’t quite match up to the previous Victorian Rebels romances in this respect. There was lust between them and definite sparks, but both Gavin and Sam have significant secrets. Sam in particular holds onto her secrets for so long that it drags the romance down a bit because she and Gavin are unable to be truly open with each other. That being said, I did like them together quite a bit even when they were at odds. They’re a fiery pair and by the epilogue I was smiling at their interactions.

While the story never drags, much of the action in The Scot Beds His Wife takes place in the last quarter of the story. And what a final act it is – I was practically glued to the book. Everything I love about Ms. Byrne’s stories comes into play; there’s action, danger, emotion, and a satisfying happily ever after. So while The Scot Beds His Wife may not be my favorite story in the Victorian Rebels series, I still really liked it and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC,.

Loved this one of a kind scorching hot love story. Cowgirl meets Scot = Thrilling romance!

The Scot Beds His Wife
by Kerrigan Byrne

Let me start by saying that if YOU haven’t read a Kerrigan Byrne novel, well let’s just say you’re seriously missing out! This was by far such a great story, so much going for it i loved Samantha she’s such a wonderful fiery spunky woman. She’s no wilting flower there’s drama, some angst witty banter lots of high paced action and so many secrets. And let’s not forget the electrifying chemistry between Gavin and the notorious spitfire Samantha. But in true Kerrigan Byrne fashion everything comes to a wonderful soul satisfying ending. I highly and I mean HIGHLY recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

In respect to the Duke this book was excellent, but compared to the first three it was just pretty good! :)

Gavin is the younger brother of Liam (hero in The Highlander) and he's been abused by their father too, but differently from Liam his mother loved him and gave him a reason to be a better person.
This better person is hidden deep inside Gavin, who does everything to escape the MacKenzie's name. His relationship with Liam is tenuous at best. I would have thought it would be warmer, since Liam did everything in his power to shelter Gavin! But Gavin doesn't see it that way... unfortunately...

Our heroine is Samantha, but she pretends to be Allison Ross who inherited the land Gavin wants, but is in fact wanted by American law because she's a member of bank-robbers band and because she killed her husband to prevent hm of killing an innocent woman. That woman is Allison, who doesn't want to return to Scotland to claim her inheritance and thus offers Samantha a way to escape and have a new life. Samantha obviously accepts even if she's devastated by the realization that she's married a killer...

Samantha is a produt of the Wild West and her vocabulary, manners and behaviour respects that. She swears, rides astride, works hard, wear trousers...

Gavin is first attracted to the idea of claiming the land, but when they marry and start their life together, realizes that Samantha is what he ever wanted in a woman.

Samantha is attracted to Gavin, but doesn't want to surrender her hard won freedom and she makes Gavin aware of that with harsh words and when that is not enough with gun too! LOL

The writing is very flowery and borders on purple prose, but I didn't mind it too much since the story was intriguing and I admired Smantha's strenght of character!

The one thing that I felt was a minus here is that Samantha kept her secret far too long. I could understand Gavin when he reacted badly when it came out!

But still, the story is interesting, and I think it deserves 4 stars fully!

I'm looking forward to the next one and hope it will be about The Rook's story! :)

Kerrigan byrne is a new favorite historical read for me. Her books touches on new subjects /storyline that are refreshing and deep. Another definite winner!

This was an enjoyable read but I felt that there was a disjoint between the main characters. There was more lust than connection. The characters just needed a bit more growth.