I hadn't read the first book in this series but I had really expected to enjoy this one based on the description. I really like Cecelia's character, and how independent and educated she was. I also really liked the mystery element to the story. However, I disliked, and sometimes even hated, Ramsay. For this being a romance novel I was actively rooting against the two of them getting together for the entire book. I didn't buy his redemption, I found it to be too quick to be believable. He treated Cecelia horribly throughout the book, and everything was just brushed aside after he promised never to be cruel to her again. I definitely won't be reading any of the other books in this series.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book because I liked a lot of the commentary happening here, but I didn't love the execution.

Essentially, this book is about Cecilia who has suddenly inherited a gambling house and a school for girls/women and the man who is determined to ruin her business (because he's convinced that she's selling young girls to rich white dudes). Said man, Ramsey, is, um. He hates women. He says he doesn't hate women, he just doesn't trust them, but like, same difference in execution. And that... is difficult to read. Furthermore, the only specifically noted character who is a person of color and the only person who is not straight are villains, which is... not great.

It's fascinating because as the book unfolds there are truly fantastic lines of social commentary that fit with the times then, but ring equally true today. I did worry a little that these lines rely a little too heavily on an understanding of gender as a binary rather than a spectrum, but ultimately, those lines are what really held the book together for me. Sarah MacLean likes to talk about romance as fighting the patriarchy and this book feels like Ramsey, with all his starchy, rigid, and unbending ways, personifies so much of the patriarchy and Cecilia destroys him with her softness and kindness and understanding. This is not to say that she doesn't get angry that Ramsey can be a complete brute with no compassion (literally, the man thinks being without mercy is a good trait to cultivate), but ultimately, she is constantly referred to as soft and kind and good.

So, for me, there are several aspects of this book that had so much potential and are ultimately what kept me going, but were also consistently shoved aside for Ramsey to wax on poetically about how feelings are bad that kept me from enjoying the book in the end. Furthermore, the suspense plot was great, but wrapped up much too easily, ultimately, and we missed some of the best parts of the tropes employed. I think there were just several aspects of this book where the balance was off, but all of that is to say that I think this book is 100% a your milage may vary type of thing. If you aren't going to get invested in the suspense aspect of the book because you don't like the hero, you'll absolutely do better with this than I did. And if you can tolerate a hero who doesn't like women, but is inexplicably falling for THIS woman, you'll definitely do better than I did.

As for Cecilia, I liked her a lot and she's a big piece of what kept me reading. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, I think.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to read and review this book!

No one can describe a scene like Kerrigan. I see visions in my mind with I read one of her books. They are intense, passionate and always twisted and satisfying. I adore her stories and eagerly dig into her next one. This is a story of realizing you are worthy and can be loved for who you are. London society is judgmental of people's actions and roots. Sometimes those who are accepted have overcome much to be who they've become. This is a story of two such individuals who discover it's alright to be together.

Cecelia Teague is one of the Red Rogues, three girls who met in school and bonded despite their very different positions in society. Cecelia was rescued from a cruel abusive Vicar father by an unknown benefactor. She's a mathematician and an independent woman seeking acceptance in a man's world. We enter the story as she has just learned her benefactor was her mother's twin sister Henrietta who has passed. She's inherited Miss Henrietta's School for Cultured Young Ladies that also houses a gambling establishment. It is a place for displaced women and their children to get an education and learn employable skills to support themselves. It is paid for by the profits from the gambling establishment that also provides jobs for some of them. Upon arriving to tour her new inheritance they are raided by the Vicar Of Vice, Lord Chief Justice Cassius Ramsay. He suspects the establishment to be a cover for a ring of smugglers who are disappearing young ladies off the streets.

Cassius Ramsay the Lord Chief Justice, is a judgmental grump. He lives his life piously with no vices so he can be seen as living for truth and justice by society. He was hurt by a woman ages ago and has become hardened and narrow minded in his digging for truth. The first time he meets Cecelia is at a social function of his half brother Piers, the Duke of Redmayne is having celebrating his marriage to Alexandra, one of the Red Rogues. His reaction to her is intense and physical making him incredibly uncomfortable. They see each other often and he fights his visceral reaction to her. Cecelia is in disguise when they meet again when he raids the school as the Duke of Vice. Later when the school is bombed and Cassius rescues her he discovers the truth and is conflicted. The resolution of their conflict and his eventual softening of his heart is a well crafted and believable journey. Mysteries abound: someone is out to destroy the school, who is the Crimson Council and what secrets did Henrietta hide in her Codex? Read and find out.

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

Lord Chief Justice, Cassius Gerard Ramsay, is a man determined to bring down London’s most notorious gaming hell. Feared by many for his ruthless and determined nature. Yet when he meets Cecelia Teague, he is soon captivated. What he doesn’t realise is that this innocent young woman who he is drawn to is actually the new owner of the gambling establishment. When Cecelia’s life is threatened, Ramsay will do everything that he can to keep her safe, yet will his pride accept that she may not want to change all that she stands for.
Both Cecelia and Ramsay come from quite traumatised backgrounds. This explains the nature of Ramsay who is quite highhanded and a times grumpy, yet Cecelia is a delight, captivating Ramsay with her compassion and strength. However, Ramsay did grow on me as he begins to reveal his past and shows his tender side when dealing with Cecelia’s ward. Overall, Kerrigan Byrne has successfully interwoven a delightful romance between two strong characters, whilst trying to uncover a plot to kill Cecilia, with great execution. Another great book by this author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne is the second book in Kerrigan Byrne’s Devil You Know series. I did not enjoy this book as much as the first book in the series, How To Love a Duke in Ten Days, as I found the descriptions of the hero, Lord Chief Justice of the High Court, Cassius Gerard Ramsay, to be repetitive and not necessary, he’s fierce I get it… it was tedious that they were repeated every time he appears in the story, and the love scenes were flowery and overdone more humorous than steamy because again excessive description. The heroine Cecelia Teague, however, was delightful, and I loved that she stood up for herself and was not willing to settle. She’s intelligent, strong, resourceful and definitely a heroine worth fighting for. I found the plot intriguing, with lots of twists and turns. Medium Steam. Publishing Date: September 29, 2020 #AllScotAndBothered #KerriganByrne #StMartinsPress #StMartinsPaperBacks #HistoricalRomance #OppositesAttract #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

1.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved How to Love a Duke in Ten Days, so I was excited when I got invited by the publisher to review All Scot and Bothered. However, a review from a friend poined out various problematic elements in the book, some falling in line with my criticisms of Kerrigan Byrne’s previous work romanticizing alphahole heroes and toxic behavior, and some being much more troubling, such as racism and homophobia.

The characters in question are an Indian man and a queer woman, both of whom serve as villains, and are unceremoniously killed off. While they don’t really come into play until the very last chapter, the fact that they are there at all says a lot about the lack of real effort on the part on all levels of production, from writing to editing and beyond, to ensure that this was avoided, especially amidst constant talks about diversity and pledges to do better.

As for the rest of it, I can see why it would hold appeal for some readers. But Ramsey…I wanted to throw him to the same pit of wolves with a couple of the Victorian Rebels who I couldn’t stand yet somehow everyone else is in love with. Is he objectively worse than, say Dougan Mackenzie/Dorian Blackwell? I’m going to say so (to an extent), because for most of the book, he is the most massive misogynist, alternately lusting after the heroine and wanting to take her and her companions down because they engage in sex work. And the reason he hates women and has such a rigid moral code? His mother was “a whore,” in the sense she was loose with her favors, not in the sense that she actually engaged in sex work (as far as I could gather). Why do authors all think that men with issues with their parents that would be better resolved with therapy make good love interests, and then of course have the heroine solve everything?

Not to mention, he’s the Victorian era’s example of a Bad Cop. I give a lot of leeway to historical cops, as the landscape was different back then (I did so with Byrne’s previous cop hero), but this lovely gem from Mr. Lord Chief Justice made me facepalm so hard:

“…why would ye feel the need to defend yerself from the police if ye’re not breaking the law?”

I just can’t with this. Throw the whole man away.

Cecelia was who I was looking forward to getting to know, giving I loved the new direction this series was taking with fleshing out the women and giving them issues too, instead of making them just mere morality chains for the men. And at times I did like her, especially when she was calling Ramsey out on his BS. However, as the story goes on, she begins lamenting how her own situation makes her unsuitable for him, and I just wanted to scream at her to leave him, but of course she wouldn’t because he makes her feel all hot and bothered.

And that brings me to the only perfect character in this book, Jean-Yves, and if he weren’t older, I would have picked him to be with Cecelia instead. He’s constantly reassuring her of her worth, and even calls out Ramsey for not seeing it.

Apart from that, Byrne’s writing style is its only saving grace, and one of the few things that has me continually giving her chances, even as her tendency toward Old School archetypes continues to disappoint me. I’m not sure if I’ll check out book 3 or any future romances from her at this point (it depends on the blurbs and advance reviews).

I do feel this book will please her more ardent fans, as I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the alpha-hero fantasy. I just hope that those readers also keep in mind the objectively toxic tropes this book is perpetuating, with this book is choosing to uplift an arguably emotionally troubled straight white guy while demonizing a POC and queer person, something even books that pay homage to Old School romances should move past in 2020.

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. What a dramatic story! Characters that are different from each other and yet, so much of the same backgrounds. No matter what you think of someone else, or yourself, there are others around you who see the real you, feel the real you. Very well written and definitely will keep your focus.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne.

Cecilia Teague had a rough childhood and went through some traumatic experiences. She was a sympathetic character. I think the way she responded to certain situations show how her past had affected her but also showed her courage.

Cassius Gerard Ramsay also had a difficult childhood. He’d succeeded despite his past.

He is very focused on bringing down the gaming hell that Cecilia had recently inherited. He tends to view things as right or wrong with no in between.

I think Ramsay and Cecelia make an interesting pairing. They complemented each other. They each had skills the other didn’t. Emotionally they helped each grow and open themselves to love.

There was enough going on in the story to keep me reading with some twists I didn’t expect. Overall it was enjoyable story.

I was not sure whether I would like Lord Chief Justice of the High Court Cassius Gerard Ramsay as the hero but thankfully, Kerrigan Byrne worked her magic and I loved this couple. The story included lots of action, adventure and mystery with surprises throughout. I am looking forward to more novels by Kerrigan Byrne!

All Scot and Bothered is the second book in Kerrigan Byrne's sublime Devil You Know series. This story stands alone fine, but you will want to read the first book. The main reason is because it's awesome, but also you won't want to miss anything about the history of the Red Rogues, the trio of women who are the heroines in this series. Looking for a sweet historical romance? Keep on looking. But if you love strong women, fierce damaged men and more steam than you can shake a stick at, read on. You will be hooked. I swear.

I don't see any reason to go over the book's synopsis here. You can go read a description of it for yourself. What I must tell you about are the absolutely wonderful characters here, our hero and heroine of this story. Cecelia and Ramsay are in the exalted group of my favorite couples. Cecelia overcame a hideous childhood and self-esteem issues to become the most loyal of friends and a total math genius. I can't add without a calculator; I was in awe of her intelligence. She loved truffles and champagne and would not deny herself either. There was nothing waif-like about this woman - she was tall with overly generous curves. She would do anything for her friends. And she could overlook the barbaric tendencies of her hulking Scotsman and see the soft filling inside. (Sorry. Thinking about those truffles.)

Ramsay was a damaged hero. Sigh...my favorite type. He was big and ruthless and expected everyone to adhere to perfect standards. Ramsay, too, had a horrid childhood which drove him to be a perfectionist. There was nothing soft about him...until he met Cecelia. Then again, he was still hard as a rock, but she managed to pry his frozen heart open. What was his best character trait? He found Cecelia to be the most beautiful, perfect woman. He craved her curves. Women who aren't overweight truly cannot understand what a rare thing that is. There was no, "You're pretty, but shouldn't you lay off the truffles?" Be still my beating heart. The attraction between these two was beyond incendiary. The descriptions of intimacy were not behind closed doors, but were in no way gratuitous - they were perfection.

Of course, even the best of characters cannot lift a so-so story. Thankfully, the storyline was just as exciting as our hero and heroine! I loved the mystery of Cecelia's inheritance and the ominous Crimson Council. Not only was there sadness that made me weep, mayhem, lovemaking and the most engaging side characters herein, but there was also humor that made me smile. This story has it all and is one of my favorite books I've read all year. Here's hoping there won't be a horribly long wait for Francesca's book. Tomorrow would ne nice, but I'll try to be patient!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Even though I enjoy the first book in the series, I didn't enjoy this one. I found myself skimming the book halfway through. For me, the book seemed to be more tantalizing than suspenseful. Lord Ramsey spent much of the book lusting after Cecelia than investigating the gambling establishment that she inherited. Cecelia also spends lots of time lusting after observing a gratuitous scene and viewing a few pages of a risqué book. The book was also less suspenseful for me because I guessed the villain early on. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I was not a fan of this book, but I open to reading other books by this author. This book was just not for me.

3.5 stars

I definitely like the vibe that Kerrigan Byrne brings to these stories and her character creations. ALL SCOT AND BOTHERED was a good second instalment in the Devil You Know series but I liked it a little less than book one.

Cecelia and the Red Rogues found themselves a little more separate in this story but Cecelia and Ramsey took up that space nicely. Cecelia’s character felt a little ellusive to me throughout this read but I did like her, I just wanted to feel a little more immersed in how she thought rather than just how she acted. She was a feminist, a carer for others, but also naive. Ramsey, the stubborn, hard-headed and arrogant hero was also strangely likeable despite his thick skull.

"But he knew that if he relented, her flames could prove to be hellfire, consuming everything good about the life he’d built from nothing."

The story wandered from London to the lowlands of Scotland but I didn’t get the feels for Scotland in this one and I longed for that a bit. Nevertheless, Scotland did bring an impasse of understanding between these two, a place to be on the same page. Jean-Yves and Phoebe were sweet side characters who enriched the narrative.

"What would a lifetime of her smiles do?"

I really liked the story in the background for the first three quarters but that lost a little traction for me in the last quarter. All that said, it was a very satisfying story and I’ll definitely be here for the next book in the series. It was easy to read over a weekend and brought some welcome escapism.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the early review copy.

All Scot and Bothered
Series: Book 2 in the Devil You Know Series
Rating: 2.5 (rounded up to a 3) stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

First of all I am a huge fan of Kerrigan Byrne. I loved the first book in this series, but this one just fell flat for me.
All Scot and Bothered was so close to being a DNF book for me. As I started reading it I had a difficult time getting into it. Ramsay's constant morality inner dialogue was really off putting for me. To be honest it, I really didn't get to really like him. His feelings for Cecelia were so back and forth. He had been hurt in the past and now judged all women same, which was very unfair for Cecelia. His feelings for her from the first time they met were very physical. He even went to the extent of avoiding her because he was afraid of her bringing down those walls he had built around himself.
I think Cecelia deserved better especially after how much she went through when she was younger. They both suffered of being lonely, but Cecelia put on more of a brave face than Ramsay. I'm glad that she refused to change for him.
It did have some good parts, but sadly it was mostly just an okay read.

I will continue with the series because I want to see Francesca find her HEA.

Kerrigan Byrne's second book in the Devil You Know series and my first book by the author and an introduction to the Red Rogues. 

I appreciate the author has chosen to write a character like Cecelia as the heroine. She's a woman who is refreshing in mind, body, and soul; articulate, intelligent and charming. As an orphan, she benefited from a stellar education, paid for my her mysterious benefactor. As an adult, she's thrown into an unknown world and encounters Cassius Ramsay, yet he's her enemy for reasons she's yet to discover.  

Cassius Gerald Ramsay, also known as The Lord Chief Justice of the High Court isn't someone you want to cross and neither does he want to be crossed. That's until he meets Cecelia Teague, a woman unlike any he has met before. However, she's a person of interest in his current investigation into a gaming establishment, which conflicts with his carnal desires for this young woman. Yet, when she needs to escape from danger, he's the one to offer her shelter, revealing his true persona, hidden under his steely reserve.  

This was a slow burn read for me as neither of the protagonists caught my attention when we're introduced to them. However, as their personalities and backgrounds are revealed, I warmed to them as individuals because I'm someone who champions an underdog and Cecelia and Cassius are two such people who have had to forge their way in life after challenging childhoods. As a couple, their attraction and then lust for each was more complicated. Ultimately it works but not before drama conflicts with mixed feelings and desires. 

I jumped into the series full of expectations due to reader recommendations. Admittedly, it took time to settle into this intriguing narrative, but the more I read, the more I became absorbed into these characters. There's a lot going on and as someone unfamiliar with the series, I might have fared better had I read book one first.  

Overall, it's an action-packed historical romance leaving me with a desire to read the whole series to fully appreciate the connection between the three women known as The Red Rogues.  

***arc generously received courtesy of St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley***

The story has two main interests, one is the missing girls and the second is the budding relationship between Ramsay and Cecelia. Ramsay, the Vicar of Vice, has determined that Cecelia has taken over where her aunt was suspected of being involved in the missing girls. The problem is, she is causing him to feel and want things he hasn’t wanted in years, namely Cecelia and a family. The story is full of romance and danger as there is a secret organization who wants a book that belonged to Cecelia’s aunt and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. I loved the interaction between Ramsay and Cecelia and how he fought his attraction for her but surrendered in the end. Some characters are not as they appear, some good are actually bad and some bad are actually good. It is a great read and I would highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and are voluntarily leaving a review.

Omg, I loved Cecilia and Cassius, how on earth she managed to keep things separate in those days .... well, mind it didn't last long and secrets always come out in the end. This story is exciting and will keep you on edge. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, mind Kerrigan Byrne stories tend to do that to you.

Cassius Ramsay, the Lord Chief Justice is a man of impressive control, hard and unyielding until he meets Cecelia Teague and finds himself unraveling. Whilst Cecelia discovers and loses a relative, gains a ward, inherits a fortune, a gambling hell, a school plus deadly enemies all in one day. To my mind the storyline was compressed into too short a period and felt rushed. Getting to understand her inheritance, become closer to Phoebe and develop feelings for Ramsay could have taken place over a period of weeks rather than days. It didn’t hold my attention as much as Book 1 (which I highly recommend) but I still want to read the next book in the series.
Can be read as a standalone.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved the characters and the story. There was a great slow burn and the love scenes were written really well. I liked it so much, I bought the first in the series and pre-ordered the next one. Kerrigan Byrne has a new fan!

4.5 STARS!

All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne is the second installment in the Devil You Know series and follows Cecelia, the bespectacled, wallflower of the Red Rogues.

Lady Cecelia Teague discovers she's the sole benefactor and heir of Henrietta, her recently deceased aunt. She's a mathematician wiz, demure but also passionate when it comes to her beliefs and defending those she cares about most. Now, Cecelia must become her aunt's predecessor and run a gambling house and school for cultured young ladies.

Cassius Gerard Ramsay, Lord Chief Justice of the High Court is investigating the inner workings of London's notorious gambling establishment. He's bewitched by Hortense Thistledown, the Scarlet Lady who currently owns the manse (mansion). He cannot forget her rogue lips but his sole purpose is to incriminate her and bring her establishment down. A giant brute Scotsman, loyal in his principles but also stubborn and inflexible. He's had a dark and hard upbringing, which plays alot on his insecurites.

Together, they're explosive. Two kindred spirits. Though they do fight their feelings at every turn, their relationship was beautiful and perfect to behold–Be still my beating heart!

All Scot and Bothered was filled with intrigue and suspense. I loved the sweet and tender moments mixed with angst. You won't know what hit you!! Kerrigan Byrne, once again, captivated my heart with her grumpy hero and fierce heroine. Gimme book three, I cannot wait for Francesca's story!!


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Whoa! So not where I thought the book would go! I knew Ramsay and Cecelia would get together, how could they not after that beginning, but I had no idea it would end like that. The only reason it took me a couple of days to read it was because I was busy and I certainly wish I could have been reading instead! Now I really can't wait until we get Frank's story, I don't know how it can possibly top this one!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.