This was my first Byrne Kerrigan's book, and won't be my last. This is the first book in he Devil You Know Series. OMG! I love this dark historical romance! All the characters are great. Alexandra is a beautiful and strong character. Her past is heartbreaking. I love Piers. He is handsome, bossy, alpha, but also loving, caring and protective. They are perfect together, and their chemistry is strong. Alexandra's friends, Cecilia and Francesca, are beautiful. I love their friendship. The storyline is absolutely captivating, filled with mystery, and secrets. This book is also available in audiobook, and I would love to revisit it this way. I highly recommend this story. Now, I'm looking forward for the next book in the series, and for more books written by this author.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for introducing me to a new author and the delightful start of a new series. How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is a wonderful historical romance, taking place in the late 1800’s, when things were starting to become a little more modern but women were still expected to know their place. This is a tale that is full of laugh out loud humor and seriously sexy scenes (and a Duke, sigh!), but a story that also deals with some very somber issues in a sensitive, realistic manner. Something terrible, unspeakable, happened to Alexandra at the young age of 17 and, at least in her eyes, it has ruined her life forever. She has a very successful career in a field usually reserved for men doing work she loves, many casual friends, and the love, trust and undying friendship of the two schoolmates who were there when the horrible event occurred and who share her secret. But as for men, that’s another story. They bring nothing but trouble and heartache and Alex has no intention of opening her heart to one. Besides, if her secret ever comes out no one will ever want her anyway, and the lives of her friends Cecilia and Francesca will now be ruined because of her as well.

But enter Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, brave and strong (and sullen and angry), once breathtakingly handsome but now known as the Terror of Torcliff due to a disfiguring accident. What follows is oh so funny and sweet and also sad and thought-provoking and dangerous and scary. This isn’t just a story about lords and ladies and how true love should conquer all; there is a real plot and storyline and some excellent writing in How to Love a Duke in Ten Days. The characters are well-developed and interesting, with deep backstories and motivations. And the danger feels real. It’s complicated and as the story moves along you aren’t sure who is in danger and why. What seemed obvious isn’t obvious at all.

After some very exciting events and some fun and romance How to Love a Duke in Ten Days arrives at a very satisfying conclusion, with just enough tidbits left hanging to whet your appetite for what will hopefully be two more books in the series about Cecilia and Francesca.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I loved it, highly recommend it, and can’t wait for this entertaining story to continue.

I am such a huge fan of the Victorian Rebels series that when a new Kerrigan Byrne series-starter was announced for the anticipated August release instead of Inspector Morley's story, I was slightly disappointed. That feeling didn't last long because this new Devil You Know series promises the same intensity and vivid imagery that made me love Kerrigan's books from the first moment I started reading them in 2015.

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days introduces five (?) of the compelling characters in this new series: Alexandra and Piers, Cecelia and Case, and Francesca. (I have a suspicion about who Francesca's partner will be. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the book yet, but I'm pretty sure it's someone from her past.) A close friendship, hair color, and shared secrets bind the three female leads while familial ties connect two of their love interests. Kerrigan drew each character so distinctively, I can picture them in my head clearly.

She did the same with the book's many locations and action sequences, so much so that it has the feel of a gothic screenplay. There's plenty of violence -- from the shocking Prologue to the dramatic denouement. There are also tender moments in between wherein Piers and Alexandra learn one another on their way to falling in love. Instant chemistry, mutual interest in exploration, and emotional connection make these two work as a couple. After suspicions, misunderstandings, secrets, and threats to their lives, their happy-ever-after is well-deserved.

Both are heavily scarred. Piers physically, from a skirmish with a jaguar, and emotionally, from a negligent mother and an unfaithful lover that colored his opinion of women. Alexandra's sexual assault when she was a teenager and the tragic events afterward forever changed her personality. Fear, shame, and guilt warred within her despite accomplishing so much from her archaeological pursuits. Their coming together is a miracle only a romance novel and a talented author who wrote it can achieve.

The use of male names for the female characters, an abundance of villains, and the over-elaborate language are some of the elements I didn't fully appreciate, but aside from these, I really liked this book and I'm extremely excited for All Scot and Bothered --Cecelia and Ramsay's story.

This book contains a richness of characterization, plot and immediate love story. Not only do we see Alexandra and Piers (a duke, naturally) fall in love, we learn her painful backstory, meet her friends (the Red Rogues and future heroines) and discover an over-arching murder mystery that we are dying to see resolved. This is masterful storytelling from Kerrigan Byrne as this first in a series lays out not just the story of this couple, but foreshadows future love stories as well as the broader story that gives the tale its depth.
All of it starts with wonderful leading characters. Lady Alexandra Lane is a heroine who has suffered — the opening of the book is shocking and will be difficult for some -- and the Duke of Redmayne is swoon-worthy, but marked by physical and internal scars. They both have difficulties from the past that have to be worked through and that journey to trust and love is not easy. Yet their story is just one thread in this complicated story, and the resolution of the love story leaves much to be uncovered, which is why we can't wait for the rest of the series. Great first installment. (I received a copy on NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

Just wow!
This story had me feeling so much that I couldn’t take a break while reading it.
In the usual great writing, we have a marriage of convenience that becomes more that that in just ten days. Why ten days you want to know? Well, you gonna have to read the book to understand because I won’t give any spoilers on this story.
I loved everything about it, from the long time friendship and the secret that bounds them together, I had my heart broken in million pieces at the beginning of the book and it may give some triggers for some readers, but you have to read it all to understand everything. The duke is like the Beast that finds himself unable to fall in love with his wife and the mystery and suspense they get through while in their honeymoon will keep you up all night for sure.
I can’t wait to read the next stories of this series.
Don’t walk, run buying this book!

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne is an excellent historical romance with well-developed characters. The author handled a trigger subject very delicately. This is a must-read book that will check off all the must-haves in a historical romance.

With “How to Love a Duke”, Byrne tones down the drama a bit from her previous novel (“The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo”). There is still plenty left, with the back stories of the heroine and her three friends amounting to more adventure than three young boarding school friends should have accumulated in 17 years. But this all makes for a good story for Alexandra, and her newly found Duke, aka the Terror of Torcliff. Alexandra keeps her closely held secrets for most of the book, despite their becoming increasingly heavy to bear alone. Her duke, a physically and emotionally scarred man, yearns to be her defender, while shying away from the intimacy that involves.

Overall, a roistering read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another awesome read by this author! I loved Alex and Piers and can't wait to get my hands on the next two books in the series. No surprise that I read this in one sitting and stayed up long into the night to finish. It was everything that I love in a romance and left me feeling happy and in love. A re-read is in my near future, this time slower to really submerge myself in Alex and Piers' slow and sweet fall into love.

This book had a beautiful romance between two people who have given up on love and think to settle for a marriage of convenience instead. It was fun to see them both immediately feel drawn to each other and then how some omissions lead them a merry chase to trust and love each other unconditionally. I loved Piers for being a strong, protective, compassionate hero. He was a bit broody and a bit stubborn but Alex was always the exception. He was the sweetest when he was being charmed by his bluestocking bride. Then there's Alex, she was a heroine to root for. She was fun and smart and her straight forward and logical manner will charm you. She made me laugh, she broke my heart, but she always surprised and impressed me. I loved these two and their story was sexy, heart-warming and romantic.

The Red Rogues was also an awesome part of the story. The friendship between Alex, Cecilia and Francesca was the best kind. They were supportive of each other, loyal and as close as sisters. Each one has trials they have lived through but together, they draw the strength to move beyond that and lead lives that are fulfilling and that make them happy. I loved Cecilia and I'm already rooting for big and gruff Cassius to woo her next! Francesca is the outspoken one of the group but also has a big heart. I hope her story is just as amazing!

Bottom line, this was a winner and I loved it!
Would I recommend? This is the second book by this author I've read and loved. Both were ARCs but I now have physical copies of both on my top favorite shelf. Would definitely recommend.

Since I read a variety of romance with now mysteries in there too I do include historical romance too. Sometimes they are so adventurous you have to catch your breath a time or two as I had to in this one.
Alexandra has herself in a pickle with it also her family too is soon to be in one she comes up with a plan. This is what has us stick with her to see if it actually works.
Piers too has a plan with it involving a lady so when these two come across each other that is when it really gets interesting. The thing is these kind of plans always lead to some good entertainment and a back fire on what is they think. When the sparks start we can already see that they will be goners somewhere in the future.
With a bit of danger too this gives spice. It also has come to light some things that goes with this as the why's need their place. But it also lays the foundation on why Alexandra goes the way she does. Anyways this is also a picture of how love does aid the healing of the heart. This is one not to be missed for sure.

This book was brilliant! Why?, you may ask. Let me explain.

First of all, Alexandra made the choice to marry Piers. It wasn't an arranged by other people marriage, which I hate in historical romances. (Yes, I get it. It was a thing back then. But one of the reasons I dislike so many HR books is the treatment of women like property. Factually speaking, there were plenty of women in real life who were strong and independent. I enjoy reading contemporary romances primarily because they aren't bogged down in outdated behaviours.) Her logic for going through with it when she has her powerful demons is beautiful and shows her courage and strength of character. Her intelligence comes in handy while she's trying to push past the trauma.

Piers was great. He was aware enough to know that he and Francesa were not a great match, and he had no stubbornness to insist on marrying her to fulfil an old agreement. Sure, he was a bit blind to Alexandra's issues, but he did have his own demons that he was grappling with. Don't we all look at situations through lenses coloured by our life experiences?

Together they were a perfect match. They shared a love of adventure and exploration. They'd both been wounded - him physically and her more mentally (but also some physical) - and yet they didn't allow those wounds to hold them back from living their best lives. And when they came together it was So. Damn. Hot. But he was careful with her, even before knowing the full extent of her issues. And she saw past the scars to the heart within his gruff demeanor.

And, oh my word, the emotions. Seriously, have tissues on hand because my heart ached for Alexandra. When Piers is learning about what happened, when she voices the full story ... I died. I was dead. The author killed me.

The mystery didn't really add anything for me. I think the book would have still been incredible without that extra layer of "suspense" or tension. And towards the end it got a little coincidental for my liking. (Seriously. I imagined Colombo saying, "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here today.) But this is a little quibble that is more a pet peeve of mine than a serious problem with the book.

Let me tell you, fellow readers, this ain't your mom's historical romance. I feel bad that I've only now discovered this author. This is, however, mitigated by the fact that I've now got an extensive backlist to keep me entertained whilst I wait for book #2 in the series. I just know Cecelia's story is going to be a joy to read!

4.5*

Review will be posted at Romancing Romances closer to publication date.

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

Trigger warning: (view spoiler - Alexandra was raped, and she killed her aggressor)

I think there are few HR authors (from time periods I like) out there whom I have not yet read, and Kerrigan Byrne was one of them. After hearing such high praise about this author, and having been given the opportunity to read How To Love A Duke In Ten Days, I couldn’t refuse. And at the end of this book, I said to myself: why did I wait this long?!

This book has such a strong friendship between the heroines of this series. I always love a book where female friendship - well, any friendship, really - is championed. They support each other, they are always there when needed, and they don’t judge. Isn’t that wonderful?

Alexandra had a traumatic event in her teenage years at school, and Francesca (Frank) and Cecelia (Cecil) - her friends, and fellow red-heads - helped her hide what happened, and at the same time supported her with her feelings and the fear she - rightfully - developed after such an event. Now that Alexandra had a secret that needed to be kept with their lives, Frank and Cecil wanted to assure her their loyalty, and so the three friends told each other powerful, damaging secrets, so that they would all be connected by something stronger their school years.

Alexandra became a doctor through the Sorbonne, an archaeologist, in reality. She buries herself in work, and her only true connections are with her school friends. One day, she received a note from Francesca, saying she was getting married, and she was needed. The cryptic note was especially odd since the three women had sworn never to get married.

Frank is supposed to marry Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne. When Alexandra gets reaches the station and awaits her friend Cecil, she meets a huge, strong horse - a man to, and the description fits just as well! - and she manages to calm the horse down, and the man, whom she believes to be a man that worked at the stables, is the first man to arouse her in a certain way.

Due to her past, she believes no man can ever be trusted, and they must be feared, but with this man she doesn’t really feel afraid. Even though he was a very large man that could pick her up easily, she feels he’s more of a protector than anything else.

Believing she won’t see him again, Alex and Cecil go to the castle of the Duke of Redmayne, and meet with Frank in their rooms. And out of the window, Alex sees the man from the station, and she assumes that he works at the castle. I’m sure you already know, dear reader, that he was indeed the Duke of Redmayne.

Frank is worried because she believes that someone wants to hurt her, or her friends, and she doesn’t want to marry Redmayne.

Alex is also being threatened in a way - she was being blackmailed. She didn’t know who it was, but they knew what she and her friends had done. And she wanted to protect them at all costs, but her family doesn’t have any more money, so she decides to make a trade: she’ll marry the duke, he’ll protect them, without knowing what had happened at school. Frank and Cecil don’t want her to do that, but she persuades them that Piers is a good man, and she somewhat trusts him. And she wants to be a mother, so she knows she’ll have to overcome her trauma for that to happen.

The book happens is a small time frame - the 10 days, give or take - and that doesn’t really give the characters a lot of time to connect with one another. I did like Piers - even though he was a bit too rough for me personally - but I get that Alexandra liked that part of him, because he could protect her, and at the same time he was a good man and so he wouldn’t overpower her.

I really liked the way Kerrigan Byrne dealt with such an important, difficult, traumatic issue, how she described it and its impact on the life of the characters. It shaped some of it, but the love that develops between Alex and Piers showed that it didn’t have to rule her life.

There’s some mystery, and sometimes a bit too much happening, but it was a great book, a great start with this author, with romance, friendship, strong and interesting characters. What more could I ask for?

What a fabulous start to this series! Piers and Alexandra are two tortured souls, but find love despite the odds.

I will say the prologue is hard to read and some readers may have a hard time with it. It sets the scene for the story of Alexandra and her two friends though.

This book will hook you from start to the very last sentence which took me a minute to realize it tells you what to expect from the next book. I can’t wait for Cecil and Frank’s books. This is my first time reading this author, but I’m a fan now.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I loved it so much, this is the first book in a new series and it's a little bit darker than her other books!Kerrigan Byrne delivers an emotional,raw story with a heavy romance!

“If there is a battle to fight, a villain to face, I beg you to allow me the honor. Because the cruelest thing you could do, is sentence me to a world without you in it.”

I fall in love with both characters and I find their relationship interesting and intense!Alexandra and Piers were addictive!I couldn't get enough of them!I could feel their pain and my heart was aching for them!Such a great characters!

This story starts with an awful scene depicting what happened to our heroine, Alexandra, when she was eighteen. It's tough to get through, but it's necessary to understand what she deals with in the years that follow and why she behaves the way she does. We also find out she's being blackmailed over what happened all those years ago, and she's about to run out of the money she so desperately needs to keep her secret safe. So when she meets the scarred and brooding Piers Atherton, the Terror of Torcliff, who is in need of a wife to beget an heir so his nasty cousin doesn't inherit the dukedom, she makes a rash proposal of convenience. Piers readily accepts, but for him this marriage will be very real. He's already half in love with the beguiling, bookish beauty who attempts to hide herself from society's prying eyes.

Alexandra is frightened by her attraction to Piers. Understandably afraid of sexual intimacy, she presents him with a list of rules for their time together in the bedroom. Piers is puzzled by her reactions, but he's determined to prove his skittish wife can trust him, though as time goes on he grows frustrated that she won't open up to him. But they soon have bigger problems as a series of mysterious "accidents" that nearly get one or both of them killed on their honeymoon leads Piers to believe that someone is determined to stop him from siring an heir, while Alexandra thinks her blackmailer has grown bolder and is prepared to resort to murder. As the chasm of mistrust between them deepens, the danger around them intensifies. When Alexandra's secret is revealed, can Piers finally prove to her that she can trust him? Or will the villain determined to destroy them put an end to their happily ever after before it even starts?

I've had mixed feelings about the previous books I've read by this author, but I keep reading because Ms. Byrne can write. She creates wonderfully flawed and compelling characters; I've just found her stories to start off strong and fizzle out. I'm happy to say that's not the case here. This story has a strong plot right up to the last page. Of course there is a little over-the-top melodrama involved, but that's okay.

Alexandra is smart and brave, though she is very guarded--understandably so. The banter between her and Piers is delightfully witty. Piers is truly romantic and swoon-worthy...until he isn't. When the "big misunderstanding" comes between them, he behaves pretty abominably, though fortunately that doesn't last long. The scene where he finally puts the pieces together and understands what his wife has been through was heart-wrenching and had me in tears.

I will say I was not a fan of the epilogue. In most cases, I really enjoy an epilogue and get annoyed when one is missing, but I didn't like the content of this one and it unnecessarily spoiled the ending of book two in the series. I also didn't find either of Alexandra's friends as compelling as she was, so I doubt I'll be reading the other books. But this book gets big props for taking on such a sensitive issue, for pulling at the emotional strings from beginning to end, and for pairing two souls who complement each other so perfectly.

4.25 stars. Ahh, this was a great book! How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is Alexandra/Alex and Piers's book. Alex is an archaeologist who also was a sexual assault victim as a teenager and because of that has vowed to never marry. She and her two best friends are all spinsters with a secret they share from the past. In school, Alex, Cecilia and Francesca, all red heads, formed a secret club called the Red Rogue Society, where they snuck off and enjoyed pleasures normally denied to young ladies. Now, years later, Alex is surprised to be summoned to the announcement of Francesca's engagement to Piers, the Duke of Redmayne, because she too vowed to never marry. When she arrives though, she finds that Francesca has no intention of marrying the Duke, with who she was betrothed to as a child. Neither have any feelings for each other, barely having ever met. But Francesca has a mystery which must be solved, so she is pretending to go along with the engagement. Meanwhile, Alex's family has fallen on hard times and are penniless, so she offers herself up in replacement to marry the Duke, with whom she has an instant chemistry. So begins the relationship and the falling in love of Alex and Piers.

This book was so good! I loved Alex and Piers. They were both very unique, interesting characters with lots of layers. They made a great match. I loved that Alex was an archaeologist (a doctor!) and a spinster. Piers was fascinated with her from the moment they met and grew to adore her. I enjoyed the way Alex's past rape was handled and the way she healed from it. I love Ms. Byrne's writing. This was a fantastic start to a new series and I can't wait for more from the Red Rogues in future books.

Overall, this was such a good read. I loved Alexandra and Piers's relationship. I am looking forward to much more from Ms. Byrne in the future!

I absolutely LOVED Alexandra and Piers' story! The prologue was a shocking jolt, forging a friendship between three schoolgirls who’ve stuck through thick and thin together. Ten years later Alexandra and Cecelia have been called in by Francesca to Castle Redmayne. Without any details they know it’s a matter of some urgency, and despite Alexandra having her own troubles she and Cecelia drop everything and go. Little does Alexandra know that her life is about to change in a way she never imagined possible.

Piers, the Duke of Redmayne, aka the Terror of Torcliff, is set on revenge and in need of a wife to carry out his plans. Meeting Alexandra doesn’t really fit into those plans, but she basically bewitches him from the first meeting, and then (as the book description states) Alexandra proposes they marry for both their benefit.

Alexandra comes off as fearless and independent in some respects, but also skittish and naïve in others. Piers is an imposing man; big and fierce, Alexandra never thought she’d feel protected by such a man, but his presence makes her feel safe, and something even more shocking, Alexandra feels desire!

The chemistry between Alexandra and Piers leaped off the pages from their first meeting on! Trust is not an easy thing for either of them, both have been severely betrayed by people that should’ve looked out for them, so it’s a slow, step by step process between them and I relished every inch gained! It was two steps forward, one back sort of thing at times, and it tugged on my heart strings! But oh, I loved the irresistible pull between them, and their encounters were filled with heat and passion! Oh, my!

This is the first-time reading Kerrigan Bryne, and I was impressed! Her writing was lovely, and I was captivated from the first page. I’m eagerly anticipating the next story in this series, Cecelia’s romance, All Scot and Bothered, but until then I’ve downloaded one of Ms. Byrne’s backlist, The Highwayman, and I can’t wait to dig in!

I'm completely blown away by this book!

The story starts as it means to go on - rather dark, with plenty of suspense that had me reading with one hand over my eyes. Even when I knew what was going to happen, it was difficult to read but impossible to put down. Alexandra is one tough cookie, having endured and achieved so much more than anyone could expect of a teenage girl. And then things really kick into high gear when she meets Piers ... cue all the swooning!

This book gave me such a book hangover! The writing is exquisitely on-point throughout, never letting up or losing focus. It ends with a hard-fought HEA and a beautiful epilogue that will make you sigh with contentment. This is the kind of story that we hope every historical romance will be. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

4.5 stars
This was an absorbing read. Three school friends, Alexandra, Cecelia and Francesca, each have a secret concerning past events. After leaving their finishing school, they keep in touch. I liked their characters, also Piers, Duke of Redmayne. The aftermath of the trauma that Alexandra experienced, was dealt with understanding and sympathetically. There are a number of events that happen and a mystery or two to solve. This will keep you reading until the end and I certainly want to read Cecelia’s and Francesca’s story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another wonderful fun read with plenty to swoon about in this historical romp, well worth reading I loved it.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

What I liked: I don't read a lot of historical romance novels. I was pleasantly surprised by How to Love a Duke in Ten Days. The main female characters were not timid creatures driven by the rules society deems appropriate. Lady Alexandra Lane attains a respectable profession and becomes independent. Likewise, the Piers Atherton the Duke of Redmayne is not a stuffy aristocrat. He feels more at home away from the other nobles and is not looking to gain more prestige.

At its heart, this book is the story of a woman reclaiming peace after a horrible experience causes severe PTSD. *Warning, anyone who has a trigger involving sexual abuse should tread cautiously.* Alex finds a way to overcome her fears of intimacy and comes out better in the end. Her journey is profound and inspiring.

What I didn't like: In a nutshell, secrets. Misunderstandings, when one could have just been completely honest from the beginning, does not endear me to the characters. I felt the decision to hold things in so long really drew things out unnecessarily. I will say that it opened up room for character development, so I get where it came from.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this early copy of How to Love a Duke in Ten Days. I could easily recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good historical romance