Shame on me! This is my first Kerrigan Byrne book, and I feel I have cheated myself by not reading anything else before this. OMG (<—- I don’t use that lightly in a book review) it’s SO GOOD! You’ve got this devil of an alpha and a wounded dove with a backbone of steel. Throw in some amnesia, piracy, lost brothers, dead brothers, hidden treasure, and a passion that is off the charts. It’s gold ... or worth its weight in salt. ;-)

Wow, this book was amazing. I started this journey with Ash and Lorelei and couldn't put it down. I laughed and cried and at the end found a new author to love. I went ahead and bought the first book in the series before i was halfway through this book. It was that good. I really hope Veronica's book is next as she was such a fun and entertaining supporting character. Whoever's book is next i can't wait for but luckily i have a whole series ro read and get caught up with in the meantime.

I just finished The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo. Well worth the wait. I love how the author brought in characters from previous books, I can only imagine what it was like for Ash to totally forget everything from his life prior to his attack in Newgate. Enter the young 14 year old Loralai, the ever loving and always giving to others. Her caring nature allows her to not only take care of Ash but for both of them to grow closer through his healing. Enter 20 years of separation and trying not only to get to know the one you love but also you past and your life as a young child into young adult. Kerrigan Byrne is great at making you feel like you are right there with the characters. I am able to pull myself into the scene and feel like a part of the story. A book well worth the wait.

This is the sixth book of the series but can be read as a stand alone. This is totally a pirate adventure. A lot of set of memories. Unlikely friends. The meaning of the treasure. This book kept moving- both emotionally and physically. Lots of things happening. Good reading!

Kerrigan Byrne is back with another lush and lyrical historical romance that will take your breath away! Sensuous, engrossing and magical from start to finish, The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is a sumptuous romantic read you will simply not be able to resist.

The Rook is a man with no name and no recollection of his past. Known only by his sobriquet, The Rook is a man without a single memory who does not remember anything or anyone from his old life. His origins are shrouded in mystery and he is a complete enigma. He does not know how he came to be in the mass grave from which he awoke nor does he have any idea what the dragon tattooed on his muscled forearm signifies. Yet this tattoo could hold the key to uncovering the secrets of his past, however, with this being the only clue, will The Rook ever manage to discover where he came from? Survival and salvation are foremost in his mind and, as luck would have it, he is rescued by a beautiful stranger with a gentle soul who nurses him back to health and who manages to bewitch him. Yet, the Rook knows that he has nothing to offer his angel of mercy, so he disappears, taking a piece of her heart with him. Will the paths of these two lost souls ever cross again?

Forgetting a man like The Rook is easier said than done and nobody knows this better than Lorelai, the woman who had nursed him back to health. Lorelai had never met a man as masculine or as handsome as The Rook and she had fallen head over heels in love with him from the very first moment she clapped eyes on him. The Rook had awakened feelings deep within her which she had never experienced before….or since. Having been crippled as a child, Lorelai never thought that she would ever fall in love, but The Rook had managed to get under her skin and capture her heart. Many years passed since they were last together and Lorelai never thought she would see him again, but fate does have a way of pulling the rug from under one’s feet- as she discovers when The Rook saunters back into her life again!

The Rook has returned with a mission to protect Lorelai and avenge all those who had wronged her. Despite the fact that he had been branded a thief and a killer, The Rook has only Lorelai’s best interest at heart. But can she trust a man with such an abominable reputation? Lorelai’s head might be telling her to be wary and to approach The Rook with caution, yet her heart is telling her to throw all caution to the wind and surrender to his seduction!

Drawn together by an attraction that simply cannot be denied, is a future for Lorelai and The Rook possible? Or are there simply too many obstacles standing in the way of their happiness?

Nobody writes historical romance like Kerrigan Byrne! Sparkling with daring, danger and desire, her historical tales are rich in action, suspense, sensuality and romance and sweep readers away to a world which holds them captive from beginning to end and The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is certainly no exception! A rip-roaring romantic adventure packed with passion, intrigue, mystery and skulduggery, The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo features an enigmatic Alpha hero who will make you swoon and a resourceful heroine you cannot help but cheer on to get the happy ending she deserves.

A wonderful historical romance from a gifted and talented writer, in The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo, Kerrigan Byrne pushes the envelope and delivers an unforgettable tale that has got keeper written all over it!

In keeping with the theme of this series, The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo features a hero and/or heroine who are "damaged." The h in this story was abused by an evil brother, but she remained kind and sweet; however, the H is seemingly beyond saving with all that he has experienced and the horrible things he has survived. There is an underlying "Florence Nightingale" theme that connects the two as the young teen-aged h "saves" the not-quite-a-man H when she discovered him brutalized, left for dead, and with no memories of how he came to be there or what happened to him other than a mysterious dragon tattoo. Enter the evil brother again who separates the two via deceit, and it is 20 years until the H finds his way back to the "light" and the lady he credits with not only saving him but giving him a reason to live.

I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys some mystery, intrigue, angst, and steamy goodness in their historical romances as Byrne delivers on all counts!

EVERYTHING about this book is amazing.

The Rook is one of those Historical Hot Heroes who ignites the page, making you wish you were there in your corset and undergarments and Victorian finery, all flushed and ready to be ravaged.

Lorelai is a heroine who immediately grabs your heart and makes you wish you were there to be her best friend and show her unconditional love and support.

The friendship and romance between The Rook and Lorelai are beautiful and lusty. When he promises that he will always come for her? YOU WILL SWOON.

The action scenes make you feel like you are there with these people, escaping this, thwarting that, overcoming all the things.

The mystery keeps you riveted: who is The Rook? What is his true relationship with some of the supporting cast?

And then - AND THEN, dear readers - there are the sexy times, which are delightful and delicious and deliver the quiver.

I can't believe it took me so long to discover Kerrigan Byrne. But I'm never letting go. Never.

I read this a couple of months ago. I've read so many books since then but I can still see this books scenes in my head. Such an emotional, angtsy journey. I'm going to stay spoiler free so this has to be short. This book has moved to my NUMBER ONE fave of the series! Be ready with tissues!

It can be read alone but why would you want to!! Pick up the Highwayman and start your incredible journey with these Victorian Rebels!!!

ALL THE FEELS!!! Thanks, Kerrigan!!!

A solid historical by Ms. Bryne. I liked how the story progressed. Good characters and dialogue helped it along .

Please excuse me while I repeat myself but Kerrigan Bryne is my hope for the future of historical romance. Since I read The Highwayman, I’ve been yelling her name from the rooftops and each book has just gotten better. Historical romance is my first love and my one true love and the genre I turn to for comfort.

I approached this book happiness and a little sadness. It’s always sad when a favorite series ends but I am happy with the ending. I cannot wait to see where we go next.

I don't DO Historicals. Why? I've never read one that interested me. The speak, the time in history, it's never drawn me in enough to grab me to pull me in. Until this one. This sixth installment of a series I had absolutely NO IDEA about until a favorite author of mine recommended it. Funny how the only thing that actually caught my attention were the words Dragon and Tattoo. I didn't even see Duke in the title. LOL. So I rolled up my sleeves and dove in to a sixth installment, not knowing what to expect, but already worried that I wasn't going to like it. WRONG!!! I'm 100% in love with this particular style and the way this author writes. I'm a PNR lover and this actually felt like I was in another world, not another time!!!

*please excuse my grammar and terminology when referring to these characters and their titles. I'm a Historical virgin.

Lorelai is the daughter of an Earl (or was it a Duke?). Anyway, her father, although the eldest in the household, isn't exactly authoritative. That's been reserved for her brother. The one who isn't exactly a man either. The one who's rude, mean, cruel and often abusive. But, she has her animals that she saves and heals, which is all she cares about. Until one day, when the family rides by a man bleeding to death under a tree. Saving the man, she ends up healing this creature much like her animals. Except this is more. This is different. This is....love?

This man, this creature that Lorelai found on the road can't remember anything. He's been badly beaten, broken, bruised and burned. But her voice draws him back toward the light. The light that he thought was dimming toward death. She single handedly brings him back from the dead. She's his angel. His peace. That is until she's taken away from him by her brother. And he'll do ANYTHING to get her back. But is twenty years to long? Is he the same boy that was taken from her?

I don't typically quote from the book in my reviews, but this one pretty much sums up the story for me. "It's not that I merely missed you...You are not a hole IN my heart, you are the whole OF my heart." (Swoon)

This pirate traveling, heartwarming story had me from the very beginning. Some would say that this dark. I've read dark, it's not dark per se. Maybe in the Historical world, but I found this to be perfect. The drama, the anticipation, the love...just perfect.

So this is the sixth installment huh? Are they all like this? Dang it...I guess I have some catching up to do.

reviewed by Chris

4.5/5*

I requested a copy from netgalley so thank you so much in advance.

This book delivered the romance, adventure, suspense, drama. You name it, it’s probably on that list since I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Though you can feel the emotions and dynamic between Lorelai and Ash, there is a battle of identity with ash as to he was before in the past and present and what will he become in the future with Lorelai and it plays a huge role with them.

I highly highly recommend this book as it’ll definitely takes you on an adventure one will never forget

“A name is important, you know. It has power.”

I loved everything about this book! This historical romance series is one of my favorites and I love the way the author writes. The Rook and Lorelai is a 20 year story in the making, which is my favorite kind. I loved reading about all they had to endure and overcome for love. I loved seeing past characters come back for parts of the story. I highly recommend this amazing book!

Wow, that book took me on a ride!
When The Rook comes to claim his woman, a long time has passed - too much time? He isn't the young man he once was and Lorelai, well, not much has changed for her otherwise but it is difficult to feel the same for someone who doesn't resemble his former self anymore. Is it?
The Rook is formed by those years that separate them, he is harsh and hard, a pirate, a killer - and he has one weakness: Lorelai. Will that be enough? And will he ever find out who he really is?

I really loved Lorelai and the way she cares for those around her and how she opens her heart to those in need. Her brother being a brute of the kind that lives in your nightmares and her father being too weak to protect her, she is used to abuse and suffering but she never gives up and she never loses hope.
The Rook and her, they belong together and I loved to see them fall (back) into love while they slowly unravel the mysteries of his past - and not just those of the past!

The story captivated me right from the start and I enjoyed every page of it. There were some minor aspects that made me go for four stars instead of five though.
Considering her age and the fact that she lived with her brute of a brother all those years, Lorelai hasn't aged. Twenty years later she is still the same and she still sounds like the young girl of fourteen that she was when Ash left her. And I must admit that I felt that the fact that The Rook is so hard and that he can't feel and ....well, all that, was stressed a bit too much. Add the fact that he and his friends who finally turn up everywhere (at least it feels like that) all got up in the world and became people of consequence in one way or another, well, that was a bit too much for me.

Despite that, I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to find out, hopefully, about Veronica and her groom in the next book!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I repeat: FIERCELY. LOVED. IT.

Why, oh why have I never read this author before?? After my long hiatus from the genre, I'm always on the lookout for new (to me) historical romance authors to read. I'm happy to report that Kerrigan Byrne has instantly claimed a spot on my auto-read list. I couldn't have enjoyed this book more; it was everything I look for in the genre and then some. I haven't read the other books in the series before, but there was never a moment of confusion despite not being familiar with any of the characters past events.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo begins in Newgate prison where a young man is beaten and burned, and left for dead in a mass grave. With no memory due to his severe injuries, his only clue to his past is a mysterious dragon tattoo on his arm that's half gone, and a feeling that his memories would probably be better left in the dark for his own peace of mind.

Lorelei, her brother, and her father have come across this injured boy on the side of the road near death, and decide to take him in and nurse him back to health. From your first impression of the Weatherstoke family, you see the very dysfunctional and unsafe situation that the heroine is forced to live with. You hate Mortimer with a passion for his evil glee, his sociopathic enjoyment of hurting her for his own entertainment. The way he treats Lorelei is so despicably evil there aren't proper words to describe how bad he is. With every hate filled word he spews, and physical and emotional abuse he carelessly bestows on Lorelei, you see that there are no depths he's not willing to sink. Her father sits by idly as she suffers his cruelties, which makes his weakness as good as an accessory to her torture. For a teenage girl living in that time, there is no escape from a dangerous home life, it must simply be endured. My heart really went out to her, and the courage she displayed with the cards she was dealt.

Lorelei and Ash (as she would come to name him) quickly grow a protective bond with each other. Both badly broken and alone in their own ways, a young love grows as she is nursing him back to health. She looks at him like he's her savior, like he's the first sign of light piercing a lifetime of darkness. But what she didn't know was that she was giving him the same thing. She was too innocent to see the horrors in his eyes that are all too real, even if he can't remember what he escaped.

And then Ash was gone. After vowing to always come for her, he had stayed gone for twenty years for reasons beyond his control, leaving her to her twisted fate. He was her one happy memory that she could hold onto when she had nothing at all to smile about. Through the years he had changed into a dangerous man, one that she could scarcely recognize when he stormed back into her life. But one thing didn't change and never would: she was his obsession. His world.

Many historical romances build the hero up to be a scoundrel, rake, or "devilish" type, and it tends to be a bit of an exaggeration in a lot of cases. Make no mistake, this hero is truly all of these things when he reenters the story. If there was a darkness in him before, it's magnified by a hundredfold now, and he makes no apologies for it. He's accepted the criminal cloak that he was forced to wear in order to survive. Survival was imperitive in order for him to honor his vow and return to the woman who captivated him so long ago. There were brief points where I wondered if this man who was reborn as the Rook was too far gone to find that part of him that was once Ash. Because once aboard his pirate ship, Lorelei realizes that her daydreams of him all of these years don't come close to the nightmare that shows his face in reality. However, whatever misgivings I had were fleeting, and the author easily drew out my empathy for him as his heartbreaking history was revealed.

What I loved about her was that she never cowed down to him, or became a doormat. Lorelei has character that's been strengthened through her years of hardship, and she's not too shy to put him right in his place. There is an innocence to her, and a softness, but don't mistake that for weakness. She witnesses some pretty traumatizing things, and is completely out of her element after being kidnapped, but faces it all with aplomb. I think her biggest struggle was accepting the change in Ash, and having the patience to teach him what love and respect feels like.

There were a few revelations that I'm sure fans of the series will be excited to learn. The unpredictable plot had me flying through the pages so fast, I almost read this in one sitting. Not to mention the incredibly romantic prose sprinkled throughout, and the addictive quality of the couple's love story. There were pirates, a treasure hunt, plots, murder, and a second chance romance chock full of angst. Trust me when I say there won't be a minute of boredom.

If I had one complaint, it's that the previous books won't have the same impact on me now because I read the series out of order. But obviously, that's on me, and has nothing to do with the author. I'm kicking myself for not jumping on the bandwagon from the very start.

This is the kind of book that you greedily devour, hold to your chest, and sigh when you're finished. Half in satisfaction, half in disappointment that it's over. I couldn't get enough of this Victorian Rebels world, and I know without a shadow of a doubt I will be making some time to catch up on the other couples in the series as soon as possible. If you're like me, and you're new to the series, that needs to be rectified immediately. Highly recommended!

I really loved the first part of the story where the young Ash is rescued by Lorelai. I instantly liked both characters and I couldn't put the story down. I really liked Lorelai as she is such a sweet, innocent but abused girl with a heart of gold.
I didn't particularly like Ash's character as the Rook. He seemed to have no protective feelings for Lorelai the way he did when he was younger.
I'm not a huge fan of the pirate kidnapping trope as it inevitably leads to the heroine being locked up in the captain's quarters awaiting her fate of being raped. I'd prefer there to be plot than this.

I've read the earlier books in the series and loved them. This was not my favourite.

[TW: rape mentions, abuse]

Honestly, I don't know how to review this book. It was slow to start but gripping enough to hold my attention, and by the time I finished the book I could say that I loved it, but I'm still uncomfortable with some parts of the story.

Let me break it down into the good and the bad.

THE GOOD:

I'm not usually a fan of books that start with the main characters meeting as children, but I was surprisingly fine with that happening in this book, even when that covered the first four chapters (Chapter 5 began with a twenty year gap). The author did a great job showing a strong bond between fourteen-year-old Lorelai and the boy she rescued from the side of the road, whom she named Ash since he suffered from amnesia and couldn't remember who he was. I was as devastated as Lorelai when Ash disappeared.

Lorelai is the queen of my heart. I love her so much. She has a kind heart (she rescues strays and injured animals and nurse them back to health), she is loyal to her loved ones, and she has a strong spirit. It is a wonder how she could still remain resilient in the face of adversity considering her brother crippled her as a child and continued to torment her until adulthood. I also love her relationship with her sister-in-law, Veronica.

Honestly, I stayed for Lorelai. She and Veronica carried this story for me.

THE BAD:

Having read almost all the books in Victorian Rebels, I'm familiar with the violence in these stories. The main characters in Victorian Rebels are the unluckiest people; they suffered a lot of pain and abuse, and some of them did heinous things to survive their ordeal. Lorelai and Ash were no different.

That being said, I didn't remember being this wary of the heroes in the previous books but I did with Ash, who finally returned to Lorelai not as Ash but as the notorious pirate and wanted criminal, The Rook.

For context, Ash disappeared while on an errand with Lorelai's brother one day, and Lorelai never saw him again until twenty years later when an unknown man appeared on her wedding day, murdered her brother, and kidnapped her.

There were many questions raised as the story progressed: who in Hades was "Ash"? What really happened to him on the day he left? How did he become The Rook? These questions were also the reason I stayed throughout the story, I couldn't stand not knowing. I sure as heck didn't stay for The Rook because he didn't impress me at all. He forced Lorelai to marry him on his ship, kept threatening to consummate their marriage and saying shitty things like "One cannot rape one's wife", wouldn't let her and Veronica (yes, he kidnapped Veronica too) go free no matter how many times they begged.

Yes, The Rook was an asshole who milked "I'm a big bad pirate, I have no mercy, you might as well obey me" for all its worth.

// "I can offer more than money, you know." Casually, he lifted his arms to scrub at his hair.

Lorelai made a rude noise. "You have no past, no country, no family, no compassion. No kindness. You won't even claim a name. Just what do you have that could possibly entice me?" //

Lorelai took none of his shit.

Sure, he didn't actually carry on his threats, even made a deal that he wouldn't come to her unless she made the first move, but that didn't make him less of an asshole.

Overall, it would have been a solid 4 star read had The Rook not do and say some things he did and said. I did end up rooting for the romance in the end, though, but I decided on a 3.5 stars because I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

Funnily, The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is my favourite out of all the books (so far; I still haven't read The Scot Beds His Wife, so there's still a chance this might not be my favourite) despite its shortcomings. You don't need to have read the previous five to be able to enjoy this book because it works as a standalone but I reckon it will give a higher emotional impact if you have at least read the first book because many things are revealed in this one.

A historical romance with a different flavor - and I liked it! The hero is scarred and determined, battling any number of obstacles, the heroine has her own scars and is determined in her own way. I loved watching them together as teenagers and then again later in life.

Awesome Victorian, historical romance that grips the reader and has the reader looking forward to learning what the tatoo was all about. Lorelai is a teen when she stumbled across a young man, Ash, who was beaten and burnt. She spent a long time nursing him back to health. Lorelei was abused by her brother. They parted then are brought back together many years later. Lorelei hasn't changed much but Ash is now the pirate Rook. The story take you on a the ups and downs the characters suffer through. I received a complementary copy of this book via Net Galley and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by Ms. Byrne.

Lorelai Weathestoke finds a man half dead in a mass grave. She nurses him back to health and calls him Ash as he has no memory. Lorelai lives in fear of her horrible brother who is mean and cruel and a father who is afraid of his son. Once Ash is healed he sets of with her brother Mortimer to get a job and promises Lorelai that he will return.
Its twenty years later and Ash returns, he is no longer Ash he is The Rook a feared pirate on the seas. The Rook returns and kills Mortimer on her wedding day in front of her and her sister-in-law and kidnaps them. Once on his ship she realizes who he is and marries him to save her sister.
The Rook is a man bent on revenge, and only came for Lorelai once she was being taking from him by marrying. He has had plenty of opportunities to get her but he chose to search for a link to his identity. This leads to The Rook being betrayed and Lorelai in danger. He eventually finds out who he is and they are happy.
Lorelai and Ash fell in love as children. They have to learn to love who each other is as adults, and learn to live with the consequences. The story was great and humorous characters who didn’t live up to the reputations they earned.