The Scot Beds His Wife ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by
Kerrigan Byrne

Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, son of the notorious Hamish MacKenzie has inherited the MacKenzie clan and land. Gavin was not raised on the land he now finds himself their laird. Consequently, he is quite resented by most of its people. Hamish was a ruthless leader, he deprived his clan of many things because of greed. Gavin sees how the clan has suffered and strives to improve conditions for all.

When Gavin has his eyes on a piece of land adjoining his clan land he sets his mind to make an offer to purchase it. The owner Alison Ross resides in America but sets off to Scotland to set her finances straight and prevent selling her land to any MacKenzie. It is on the train across the States a train robbery occurs. Samantha Masters is one of the robbers but passes herself off a a passenger. When Samantha realizes the robbers plan to kill all he passengers she defends Ms Ross and kills her own husband one of the robbers.This murder is witness by her husbands brother another robber. Ms Ross now urges Samantha to switch places with her and go to Scotland disguised as Alice to flee from the other surviving train robbers.

Samantha/Alice are greeted at the station by Gavin and his entourage. He believes once he makes his offer she will accept and return to America. How wrong he was in this assumption. He is confronted with a head strong woman. She is running for her life and has no plans to return to America.

Both characters I found complicated and simple at the same time. Each holding their cards close to the vest. I love this author and all the stories of have read by her but this didn't do it for me. True it did show murkiness and violence but the darkness of plot complications was not there. Ms Byrne has a gritty style that just was not here. I, however, would still recommend this book and still continue to follow one of my favorite authors.
A Book Obsessed Review Team Selection

3.5 stars

I didn't realize this was book 5 in a series but for the most part it didn't pose a problem reading the story. I was able to dive right in and for the most part I enjoyed the story. Samantha was a fun character and not the typical heroine I'm used to reading. Gavin took a bit longer for me to take a shine too but he eventually won me over as well.

Both characters have a sad back story and neither are what you might consider upstanding citizens in either of their respective worlds. Despite that we see them both struggling to escape their pasts and forge a new life but their past continues to dog their heels. Gavin turned me off a bit in the beginning because despite having just read about his horrible childhood his attitude about getting what he wants no matter who he has to use turned me off. I'm glad that Samantha calls him on it at one point saying how he doesn't care that he leaves a strings of broken hearts behind and makes himself feel better by saying the women he seduces know what he's there for. I also was turned off by his attitude towards his brother Liam. Maybe I'm missing something because I didn't know Liam already had his own book that I haven't read but despite being called the Demon Highlander he didn't seem so bad. It seemed like he always looked out for Gavin, he loves his wife and overall seems to treat his people well. So I didn't get the level of animosity Gavin showed towards him for most of the story.

The other minor turn off for me was the amount of swearing used throughout the story by Samantha. I normally don't mind swearing when it fits the story but in this case it seemed to be thrown in willy nilly as a sign of the uncouth American woman. It seemed like a cheater's way of showing how un-lady like and "American" Samantha was. Also I'm not a linguistic expert but it just seemed out of place for this time period as well. Maybe it's because I don't think I've ever read another historical romance in which the heroine, no matter her background, has ever said the f-word so often. It's something I'm more used to contemporary romance characters using.

So those few things kept this from being a 4-4.5 star read but I definitely enjoyed it enough that I need to go back and read the other books in the series. I also can't wait to read Alison Roth's story! I'm hoping that is coming out next.

This was a fun book to read. I love highlanders and brooding highlander who know what they want. Gavin has always wanted Samantha and when she falls into his lap he wants her. This was a fun book that fun to read. The two main characters are enjoyable to read about and their journey was exciting to follow. This author knows how to do historical romance well.

Kerrigan Byrne’s books just get better and better. Her books are not quick reads as they are packed with emotion and overcoming the difficulties that life throws at you.

Gavin St. James is the Earl of Thorne from his mother’s side, but he’s a Mackenzie by birth. His father was an evil man and Gavin does not want to use his name. He wants to buy the abandoned Erradale Estate near his land to raise cattle. The owner, Alison Ross lives in America so he assumes she would be willing to sell her land.

In Wyoming, Samantha Masters is unhappily married to a train robber. Passenger Alison Ross is commiserating with Samantha over their childhoods spent on cattle ranches. When Bennett Masters threatens to kill Alison, Samantha shoots him. To save Samantha from the law and Bennett’s brothers, Alison has Samantha use her name and sends her to Scotland to run Alison’s estate. Alison is engaged to an American and has no wish to return to Scotland.

Gavin tries to buy the land from her and she refuses. He wants the land, but he also wants her. When trouble comes to her, it’s Gavin who helps her. This is a very good story with complex characters and many things going on at the same time.

Although not part of the main story, I loved that his best friend’s father, Eammon, loves and watches out for Gavin’s mother who was beaten by his father. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Release date is October 3rd.

What’s it About? Gavin St. James, the Earl of Thorne has done everything he possibly can to erase his past and he presently lives a shady but profitable life that he wants to put aside. When he meets the woman who owns the land he has his eye on, Gavin sees the chance to do just that. However, Samantha Masters isn’t just another woman. She’s from America, on the run, in hiding, and she needs a husband so that she can have some kind of protection for when trouble finds her. Gavin and Sam’s marriage will be one of convenience but with the attraction between them and the danger coming for her, they may need to rely on each other for more than just convenience.



Overall reaction to the story? Kerrigan Byrne does it again and this time I think she’s written the best book of the series! She doesn’t waste time creating a dangerous, challenging, and powerful atmosphere for her characters to grow and develop in. The set up took off like a shot and didn’t let up until the end. I loved the complex nature of the characters, they’re not completely good and they’re not completely bad but they have had to do bad things that have changed them. All together, The Scot Beds His Wife is an enthralling tale of revenge, passion, survival, and recovery.



Describe the hero in five words: Charming. Deadly. Wounded. Protective. Lost.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? Gavin hid his dark, ruthless side behind a wall of charm, affability, and seduction but at the same time he was so broken, lonely, and in need of the softer emotions in life that he was dangerously close to becoming like the one person he hated most: His father. Which can I say that it’s a wonder Hamish Mackenzie only had one son that became a monster like him. That cruel monster fathered so many kids and some of them with unwilling women that I wasn’t exactly surprised at the violence that lived in Gavin. I was just waiting for him to completely lose it and come to grips with his lineage and the fact that his hatred of his father was ruining his life and his hatred of his elder brother was misplaced. I enjoyed Gavin’s growth and how he was born into a violent life, shaped by it, and then brought to his knees by love in a way that also helped him really see his life as it was instead of how he perceived it to be.



Describe the heroine in five words: Scrappy. Intelligent. Brave. Vulnerable. Caring.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Sam was just so much fun. She had to fight and claw her way through some tough situations but she was so determined to survive and I admired that about her. She was so terrified to be in a strange country with no one to lean on yet she didn’t throw herself into Gavin’s arms even when it would have saved her a lot of hardships. I loved that she could back up her words with actions. She was a crack shot and not afraid to use those skills to protect herself or to warn Gavin that she wasn’t messing around when she said to get off her land. She could cuss like a sailor and ride a horse like a champ. I just loved her because she was so brash and honest and had a way of saying things that made me smile. Out of all the heroines in this series, Sam is the most entertaining, most capable, and most likable.


Let’s talk about the romance: Gavin and Sam don’t get off to a good start. He thought he could charm her out of the land and she basically told him where to shove his charm. Multiple times. And some of those times with a gun. But while these two locked horns so to speak, they were also aware of the simmering attraction that was building between them. What really made them a superb couple was how Sam carried her weight as a partner and a capable woman. She worked the land just like Gavin, she could ride better than Gavin, and when it came to their physical relationship these two were equals. Gavin never made her feel like a silly girl who didn’t know anything, he gave and she surprised him a few times by her blunt approach to life. I would definitely describe them as a power couple.



How about that supporting cast? One thing I was wanting to see in The Scot Beds His Wife was Gavin’s reconciliation with his brother Liam. These two were just like two wolves fighting over who was top dog with Gavin hating Liam for things that weren’t his fault and Liam ham-handedly trying to turn Gavin from adversary into his brother. I got that reconciliation and a lot more by way of Gavin’s friend Callum, who was super mysterious and pining for someone, and an elderly couple that just loved to bicker and had a taste for stating the obvious in a blunt way.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. The Scot Beds His Wife has everything that makes up a dangerously delicious romance between a tortured Scot and a lady gunslinger from America.

Kerrigan Byrne has delivered another amazing installment in her Victorian Rebels series!

The blurb for this book doesn't even begin to skim the surface of this book and in my opinion is a tad misleading. Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne is a man-ho - he is a gorgeous man and takes full advantage of his effect on women. He uses his "wiles" to get what he wants and right now he wants Erradale and the only thing standing in his way is Alison Ross.

When Samantha Masters met Alison Ross traveling to Scotland was the last thing on her mind, after all, it isn't every day that you rob a train and kill your husband. Desperate to get away, she agrees to Alison's outrageous scheme. Go to Erradale, assume Alison's identity and prevent Gavin from claiming her lands. Alison doesn't' really want Erradale, she just doesn't want Gavin to have it or an Mackenzie for that matter - understandable considering Gavin's father killed hers.

It is impossible to give an in depth review of this book without spoilers, so all I am going to say is - READ THE BOOK! The writing is stellar, the story flies, there are secrets upon secrets, steamy love scenes, heartbreak, deception, betrayal, life and death moments, a heroine with a very dirty mouth and a hero who likes it. There are wonderful secondary characters, cameos from Liam and Mena and the introduction of "the Rook" - who may or may not be another brother - but after reading about him, I am going to re-read the Highwayman to see if I can find the connection! The book is a little dark, but not as dark as some of the previous books and of all the heroes she has written, Gavin is the only one that I would consider "reformed" at the end of the book.

I can't recommend this series highly enough - this book is the fifth book in the Victorian Rebels series, but it could be read as a stand alone title, however, you will enjoy it much more if you have at least read the previous book "the Highlander".

Having been thoroughly entertained by previous books I couldn't wait to see what the author had in store for the youngest Mackenzie brother and yes you need to go back to the beginning if new to this series.
Gavin wants nothing to do with his family and is determined to strike out on his own. The chance to purchase land that has been neglected consumes him but the owner seems determined to ignore him. Well that all changes when Alison arrives in the Highlands to prove her ownership but all is not exactly straightforward and the abrasive lassie quickly causes Gavin to rethink his plans!
I love all the characters that this author brings to glorious life on the page and this book is no exception. Gavin locks away his feelings, hides behind a facade and yes he's a complicated mixture of bravado and kindness. Sam ( Alison) is a breath of fresh air with her brash confidence and determination to do the right thing. There is no doubt a very strong mutual attraction from their first meeting but dear lord I got a little tired of Sams incessant thoughts about just how beautiful Gavin is ! If honest I nearly stopped reading and only my memories of just how good the previous books were kept me going. Ok I needn't have worried because yet again we get supporting characters to tickle my funny bone, a very passionate couple who actively enjoy all manner of encounters! Oh and then finally action that felt a little overdue and of course repercussions for all the secrets and lies that brought this couple together. Plus definite hints of what's to come so even though it's not my favourite in the series still a book that I heartily recommend to lovers of romance.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I have enjoyed Kerrigan's series - so dark, such great dark, tormented heroes and strong heroines! - and this one did not disappoint!

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

This is a great example of a historical romance that thinks out the box. Exciting, dangerous, and hot to trot.

3.5 - 4 stars

As you can see I'm a little undecided on the rating. This is because it had a fantastic early part, some lulling in the middle where my attention wandered and a great final 30%. Overall this is a good read but it didn't hit the spot quite as much as some of her others.

Lord Gavin Thorne is something of an arrogant, conceited lead male. He's got the kind of childhood you recoil reading about so there is some rationale for his distance from most connections and his hedonistic and determined goals in life. He considered himself irresistible to the opposite sex and he used this to get what he wanted. Initially, this is a turn off to the reader but you cannot look away from him.

"He'd eschewed a waistcoat or cravat, deciding instead to dress informally in only trousers, riding boots, his shirtsleeves-purposely left open a few rebellious buttons-and a vest beneath his long wool coat."

Sam was a great heroine, strong, single-minded and crass. I liked her and her life prior to Erradale was compelling, tragic and stirred all my empathy. Nevertheless, her duplicity was difficult to swallow and the secrets left me hanging on for the reveal, hanging on quite long. These two had undeniable chemistry and whilst there was back and forth, I could wait for them.

Kerrigan Bryne did a great job of secondary characters in THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE. The band of rough scuffs at Erradale were endearing and funny. I am pretty desperate to see Callum's story with great hopes that it intersects with Alison's.

I am here to follow this series wherever it goes and also to follow Kerrigan Byrne's writing anywhere. This might not be my favourite in the series but it is still a good read.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

This review will post 10/10/2017 as part of the blog tour and giveaway. I've only added the review portion below, The full post will include a summery, buy links, giveaway information and author bio. I will add link when review posts.

Kerrigan Byrne has fast become an auto-buy, favorite author for me in the Historical Romance genre. While I do love a sweet, fun, easy Regency romance, I also can’t resist a darker read. And this author does dark so well. Every time I open a new book in this series I have to mentally prepare myself because I know that the first chapter is going to be tough to get through. In this case, the scene that sets the stage for Gavin’s backstory is one we’ve seen before, just from his point of view. He is after all the Demon Highlander’s younger brother, and Liam’s story was told in book three, The Highlander.

I wasn’t sure what to think about this couple at first. Gavin is such a douchey douche. He survives his childhood and then basically decides to become the opposite of his father and brothers. He uses his charm and good looks to get through life, rather than brute force and violence. He has a way with women and apparently has used his way with women many, many, many times over the years. Of course after the brief look into his childhood and what he endured, I knew that all of this was a façade to hide the darkness inside. He is absolutely, 100% determined to separate himself from the MacKenzie name and clan. He has a plan and it involves acquiring a neighboring property which he plans on using as grazing land for cattle. The only problem is the woman who inherited the land absolutely does not want to sell to anyone from the MacKenzie family. So he decides to use his notorious charm on her to get his way… and it does not work out like he expected.

"With tendrils of her dark hair escaping the braid and wildly floating about her fierce expression, she could have been the Celtic Queen Boudicca facing General Suetonius.

Gavin had never tried harder in his life not to be impressed.:

Sam, our heroine, has her own dark backstory. Not quite as dark as Gavin’s, but not a bed of roses either. I liked her immediately. She is bristly and in your face with her insults, brutal in her honesty and doesn’t know any other way to be but herself. She rides and shoots just as well, if not better, than any man and knows it. She is no one’s fool, despite feeling duped by her first husband. In an impossible situation, and with her future on the line, she tries to resist the charming and handsome Lord Thorne. She tells so many lies, and then keeps those untruths to herself long after I thought she should, but I can’t say I didn’t empathize or understand with why she did it.

It took me some time to enjoy them as a couple. I’m not sure exactly why, maybe because they are so different, or maybe I felt like Gavin was bullying Sam into liking him and I wanted her to resist as long as she could. I loved his reactions to her capableness, but I couldn’t help but want Sam to keep resisting and for Gavin to have to change his set in ways to win her affection.  But, as with any book, there is a scene where something bad happens and Sam is in peril and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I wanted that reaction from Gavin that proved he cared more than he wanted to admit. I knew this particular scene would be a turning point in their relationship. The big moment when things changed for them.

The other thing Kerrigan Byrne does well is bring the heat in her love scenes. All that self-confidence and experience Gavin has in the bedroom is utilized once he and Sam fall into bed. Their relationship turns from antagonism to lust and then to love. Yes, there is a big climax at the end where all of Sam’s secrets finally come out which forces Gavin to face some uncomfortable truths and requires him to man up and admit his feelings to his lover. It was a satisfying conclusion and I liked how they achieved their HEA. The epilogue was a nice look into Gavin and Sam’s future and there’s even an interesting hint at which character might be appearing in the next book in the series.

The Scot Beds His Wife is another well written, enjoyable read in the Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne. I’m already looking forward to the next release.

Favorite Quote:

She’d stolen into love with Gavin St. James in small, imperceptible shifts of the cosmos.
Demons and all.

I really liked that the storyline of this book wasn't the usual Scottish romance. Samantha isn't your usual damsel in distress either. She is a strong and smart female lead that I wasn't expecting.

This story is a wee bit lighter than the other stories in the series. But do not get me wrong, it is full of angst but with some humor thrown in. You know when you are reading a physical book and you have to slam it closed because it is too much, well that is this book. I was so worried about what would happen that I had to “close the book” a few times. Gavin definitely is hiding behind humor and sex and Samantha is just hiding. I did love that Samantha is American and added a different flavor with her Americanisms. There are secrets galore in this story and you did not know when they would come out. Calybrid, Locryn and Callum are wonderful characters and added their own bit of humor. Again Ms. Bryne’s writing is beautiful and the story flows well and the characters are fantastic.

We get another glimpse of The Rook. What is his game and who is he? I have my suspicions but will keep them to myself. Also, the reveal at the end really threw me. I had no idea it was coming. Ms. Byrne, please write faster.

<i>She'd never expected that the chains threatening her freedom would be made of velvet instead of steel. That the one place that truly never belonged to her was the one place she'd never want to let go of.</i>

So I did a bad thing that turned into a good thing. Can GR now be a confessional? Forgive me, Byrne, for I have sinned.. I saw reviews written by people I don't know (should've been a clue) before reading your latest and as a result I had some low expectations going into this one. Except THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE blew me away. Chalk it up to expecting the worst? No, I can't. I must've just read a different book.. or maybe they did. Who can say.

"<i>I suppose you're.. not wrong.</i>"
"<b>And that's almost like being right.</b>"
"<i>Don't push it.</i>"

I love this author. I discovered her two books into the series (I think?) so she's still kind of new to me. But every installment in her <i>Victorian Rebels</i> has been good (THE HIGHLANDER) or great (all the rest). Yet I never thought she'd top THE HUNTER because, for me, I think that's been my favourite. But lookee here! We have a new winner, folks.

<i><b>He</b> was supposed to be seducing <b>her</b> with all the practiced calculation he'd garnered over decades. So.. why in the name of all the bloody Scottish saints had he been the one with the unsteady knees?</i>

I've loved Byrne's twist on historical romance. I love that she's plumbed the darker, twistier, depths of this genre and given us some pretty damaged and bleak men to swoon over, to watch them find themselves, to live with their pasts, their demons, and love. In the fifth installment of this series, however, she travels a more familiar -- yet still impressively unique -- HR-path; a little less intense, a little less obviously dramatic, than some of the previous books and yet with the classic Byrne flavour we've come to expect. Especially at the end of it all.

"<i>I've seen all there is of humanity, and you know what I learned?</i>"
"<b>What's that?</b>"
"<i>It's better.. to just live alone in a cave.</i>"

I loved these characters. I loved their struggles, their backgrounds, their lies, their pretenses, their attempts to battle our their attraction and their opposition. I honestly don't want to go into much of their quirks or the events that surround them because I forgot to reread the synopsis on this one before picking it up and I loved discovering it all as it came about.

"<i>You still live with your ma?</i>"
"<b><i>She</i> resides with <i>me</i>. In <i>my</i> castle.</b>"

And boy did we discover some doozys in this one. Damn, Byrne, as happy as I am that these two got their happily ever after you've simultaneously got me all tied up in knots now. I need the next book! And this damn thing isn't even out yet. Arrrrrg the curse of the ARC. We do it to ourselves.

"<i>I don't think I believe in villains. Heroes either. Just people. People with agendas and the things they're willing to do to get what they want.</i>"

But seriously, readers, I'm sorry this review fails to break down the fun, the snark, the swoony, that encapsulates these two leads. I'm sorry this review fails to express the devastation our hero, Gavin, endured, like all the Mackenzie men, and how he focused his energies in a way completely unique to this beleaguered family of accomplished, feared, infamous, charming, misfits. I'm sorry I didn't go into any detail about how interesting Sam's American way of life was, how enjoyable it was to see her adjust to the Highlands and the men who live in it. I'm sorry I haven't gushed over the brilliant cast of secondary and tertiary characters, some familiar and some not, that made appearances.. and who will again in the future. I'm sorry I can't give you a hint as to how fiery and delicious the chemistry is between these two (spoiler : it's fiery and delicious). I'm sorry this review is basically wrapped in apologies. But just know that when you do read it, when you get the chance, <b>you</b> won't be sorry. You'll be thanking me. And so I say to you : you're welcome.

4.75 "Samantha decided right then and there to learn Gaelic. it was apparently a lovely language for cussing" stars

A lusty, down-to-earth, no frills encounter between a girl from the American West, and a brawny Highlander. The physical attraction between these two is strong, and they will work out anything that gets in the way of getting into bed together.

I disliked this book. This was a historical, yet the heroine Samantha really did not act the part to me, all she did was curse and lie, yeah not a good person. Then we have hero, who was just in lust, wasn't romantic to me. Story dragged, I will probably not read anymore books by this authors. Sorry folks.

The Scot Beds His Wife was my introduction to author Kerrigan Byrne and what a pleasant surprise! This fifth installment in the Victorian Rebels series is absolutely gripping in its storytelling and can be read as a stand alone book, which was the case for me. While the title leaves a bit to be desired, the writing is fluid and riveting to the point that it was easy to become immersed in the plot. Wild West meets Wild Scot would accurately describe the relationship of the main characters, Sam and Gavin. Raised on a ranch and married into an outlaw lifestyle, Sam seeks asylum with the help of a kind stranger and ends up in the Scottish Highlands, never suspecting her hardest battle would be with the neighboring earl, Gavin. The exchange of saucy words and gunfire keep the reader on their toes throughout this story, while endearing them to the painful pasts of all the characters. I dare any reader, once finished with The Scot Beds His Wife, to not go back and read the series in its entirety. That, of course, is my plan and I will anxiously await the next book.

I received this advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Scot Beds His Wife is the fifth installment in this wonderful and riveting Victorian Rebels series that this author has brought to us. I would like to point our first and foremost, that this author has a very unique style. A writing style in romance that has died the past few years. Her writing voice is tough, emotional and packed with characters that are flawed, but so very realistic. Each character you can see being real especially in this time period. I feel like the Regency/Victorian era has come across has light and fluffy but I feel that there is another side to this era most authors never talk about. However, Kerrigan Byrne doesn’t sugar coat her romances. These stories are filled with men and women that make mistakes, that suffer injustices but somehow turn out to have hearts of gold. In The Scot Beds His Wife we have the story, of Liam’s brother Gavin. Liam was our hero in book three “The Highlander”. So it was such a delight to finally have Liam’s story. I was crossing my fingers that this lovely author would writes his book so I couldn’t wait to pick this one up.

This story sets off with our heroine, who lives out in the American West. She has had to make some tough choices in life, and made a easy choice to marry a man more appealing than a old lecher who had multiple wives. Before she knew it, she was robbing trains instead of a quiet life out on the coast like she dreamed and was promised. But when her husband was going to murder an innocent woman, she killed him and made a friend for life. This friend offered her a chance for a fresh start in Scotland. To take her name, and take her property and never allow a Mackenzie to keep it. So she agrees and heads over to Scotland and right on the train station, she falls into the arms of a handsome yet dangerous Scot who makes her feel in ways she never felt with her late husband. But then she learns that he is Gavin, the man who wants the land that she came to claim. But the past will come back to haunt them both, and they may lose each other just when they find a love worth fighting for…

What a action packed and sexy filled romance that this story turned out to be. I instantly fell in love with this book, and I easily read it in one sitting and had more than my share of fun with this one. There are so many things to really love about this one. What was unique was the characters. You would think that they would make a good match at all. Our hero Gavin, is a rake and a scoundrel. He is used to getting what he wants and has the money to do it. Our heroine, is no pansy. She is tough, she prefers riding horses and can rope cattle. She swears on ocassion and has no talents for music or sewing. And she has spunk and isn’t afraid of Gavin. She stands up to him constantly and I loved seeing her put him in his place. It was pretty entertaining, seeing these two go at it so much. At first they don’t like each other very much, they want the same piece of land. They do have some sizzling chemistry, and boy this author can write some smexy scenes here. But soon this chemistry they have, turns these enemies into lovers. Two people that learn to admire and respect one another. They have some bumps along the way of course, but boy this author definitely knows how to keep me fascinated, enthralled and spellbound in this powerfully portrayed story that will tie you up in knots and keep you thirsty for more!!

Gavin is part of an important clan, the MacKenzies. He is the third son to a man who is a terrible man. His two older brothers are becoming just like their father. Their father is willing to do what ever suits him and whatever suits him involves abuse of anyone who is weak and powerless. Gavin has vowed he will withdraw from the MacKenzies. He has inherited the title of Earl of Thorne and he intends to change his name and separate himself from anything to do with the MacKenzies. He will start a new life as soon as he purchases some neighboring land and starts a cattle operation.

Samantha is pretending to be Allison. Allison is the woman who actually owns the land Gavin covets. But, Allison does not want to leave her life in San Francisco. She sends Samantha in her place to take control of the land and prevent Gavin from purchasing it at any cost. Samantha is running from her past so she is quite willing to cross an ocean to begin again. She grew up in the western part of the States. She ran away from an abusive situation and married a man who said he loved her. It turns out, he did not really love her, but he needed her to help commit robberies. He and his brothers were bandits who swore they never really harmed anyone. When he was about to kill someone, Samantha shot him to death and also shot one of his brothers.

She is a good shot, rides astride like a man and knows all about raising cattle. She is brave, intelligent and capable of holding her own in any challenging conversation. She also holds her secrets very close. Gavin lusts after her in part because of her wit, her many unexpected skills, her humor and the way she looks in a pair of tight fitting pants.

Gavin has a history of being a womanizer. His reputation is less than sterling. Sam never really tries to appear to be Allison.

This book is part of a series, but reads well as a stand alone.

Ms Byrne has created an interesting plot with many twists and turns. Not much of what we see is exactly as it appears.

Gavin and Sam are not my favorite characters. Although they are attracted to one another and become involved in a relationship, neither one tells the truth. I understand that trust is sometime a difficult quality, but after a time, I felt at least some truth should have appeared between the two of them. I understand about the past coloring the present for people. But, eventually it seems this relationship simply cannot create honesty between the two of them. After a time, the lies seemed to go on too long..

There are secondary characters who add a great deal to the story. There are two elderly men who are wonderful. Gavin's best friend, Callum, is a fascinating man who is much more than he appears to be on the surface.

The language was a burden for me. Yes, I understand about using the “F” word for emphasis, but at times I felt this became overkill.

Ms Byrne writes wonderful characters who lead interesting lives. And this reader wants to go along to find out what happens.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.