Kerrigan Bryne has done it again. I can never say enough. She writes with so much feeling I am transported into an emotional journey that will involve great struggle and angst. This story is not as dark as her previous, but if you like a more light hearted love story I wouldn't suggest Bryne, but I haven't disliked a story of hers yet.

Ramsay and Cecelia are both struggling to find a place in the world in which they can be happy. Through friends and family they first meet and there is an instant connection, but it isn't until they meet again disguised that the attraction becomes more. I loved how Cecelia became more confident throughout the story and how Ramsay always reassured her that he liked her just the way she is. With her trademark snarky dialogue this was easily another winner.


If there was one thing I could say that I didn't like as much it would be the cover. While, I love the colors and the couple's position I didn't feel like Cecelia was rightly shown. She is a heroine with more to love and I wanted to see a cover honor that character. I thought after seeing two previous historical romance covers that featured a more curvy heroine that was becoming more normal.

This book became less and less enjoyable the closer to the end I got - I really enjoyed the first quarter, but my interest quickly began to wane. Cecelia inherits a gambling hall (the profits from which funds a school for girls) from an aunt she never knew about; the man she's most drawn to, Ramsay, is also known as the Vicar of Vice and has a vendetta against Cecelia's dead aunt. Ramsay is determined to see Cecelia hanged, and Cecelia is determined to get to the bottom of a complex mystery her aunt died trying to solve.

At first, I was hopeful: Cecelia defends Ramsay, who's Scottish, when a French nobleman says that Scotsmen are savages and brutes. Plus, Cecelia has inherited a gambling den, is a talented mathematician - I was looking forward to some unabashed girl power reading.

Unfortunately, that ended pretty quickly. Despite Cecelia's early defense of Scottish people, she almost immediately starts constantly referring to Ramsay as savage, brutish, and so on - and talks a lot about how she as a woman, no matter how independent she thinks she is, will always need a savage male to protect her. She's also pretty sex-work-shaming for someone who has inherited a place staffed by sex workers, and Ramsay is even worse. Ramsay calls Cecelia some really cruel names and hurls a lot of insults at her (and says he wants to see her hanged!), and he just gets away with it. The mystery Cecelia's aunt left behind comes in and out of the plot, and it turns out her aunt may not have been a nice person.

Finally, in the last pages, the book introduces the first sapphic character and the first character of color, both of whom are involved in the conspiracy behind some heinous crimes in the book. Not all representation is helpful - in a book of white, straight characters, it sends a powerful message when the only characters who differ from the norm are conscience-less villains. It's damaging, and alienating.

So, no, I won't be recommending this, to anyone. This felt like if an author took themes from Sarah Maclean's books, then decided to de-fang the them, so that a feminist heroine doesn't challenge any status quo and only works to preserve systems that oppress her.

Melt-your-Kindle hot and a great romantic story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

"When you grow, you are going to devastate men."

Cecelia Teague's early days broke me. I cried for her - like ugly cried for her. I could feel her fear and loneliness, her anguish and self-doubt. Thank God for the woman who swooped in and saved her, a woman Cecelia never met, but one who'd been friends with her mother. Cecelia was sent to a boarding school, which nurtured her penchant for math and her love of learning. There she met her life-long friends and other members of the Red Rogue. Soon after graduating, Cecelia learned her benefactor had willed her a gambling hall. But it's not just a gambling hall, there are secrets within its walls that yearn to destroy her, and the women she desires to protect.

"She'd an air of softness he'd never before witnessed, and it boggled the mind how he could be both aroused and comforted by her all at once."

Ramsey's character is not easy to love at first sight. He's arrogant, condescending, and sanctimonious. His honor and image are so important to him that they sometimes cloud the truth. When we learn of his childhood, everything made sense; his trust issues, his need to be viewed as respectable and worthy. When he met Cecelia, his brain scrambled right from wrong. All he could think about was her and being with her. Any time she was in danger, he was there. He was her savior and protector. Even though he felt doing so was against his morals. He fought so hard to maintain his view on the world that he almost lost Cecelia to the truth.

"She haunted him. Nay, she possessed him like a demon that refused to be exorcised."

The chemistry between these characters was dynamic. Their push and pull created great banter and sexual tension.

I appreciated the growth both of these characters experienced. Ramsay learned to be vulnerable and trust, and Cecelia, while she'd always been caring, learned to trust herself and fight for herself and others. Her 'take me as I am' attitude was honorable.

I've not read a book by this author that I didn't love. She writes about strong women and redeemed men. Her stories are always romantic and always hope-filled.

All Scot and Bothered, was passionate, dynamic, and inspiring.

I love Kerrigan Byrne’s books and this one was no exception. The characters were interesting and the setting and story line kept me reading. I was surprised at the end of the story at who the actual “bad guy” was. 5 stars.

I usually "doona" like uber-soapy romances, but Kerrigan Byrne has a talent for weaving crazy plots, intense passion, insane villains, amazing heroines, and the alpha-iest of heroes into a magical sense-making saga that just sings. Without giving too much away or wandering into too many subplots, shy bluestocking Cecelia and stern Lord Justice Ramsay, aka the Vicar of Vice, are magnetically drawn to each other but it turns out she's inherited a notorious gambling hall with ties to child traffickers that Ramsay has sworn to take down. Betrayal, child abandonment, violence, loneliness, undercover agents, found family, murder attempts; this has it all.

And in this year of hellish pandemic and politics, I wasn't sure if I was up to the task of plowing through Cecelia and Ramsay's problems. Turns out, Cecelia is bluestocking to the core, 1891's original Nasty Woman. Her logic feeds itself beautifully to her rage.

All Scot and Bothered is an adorable title, but a more accurate title would have been The Fall of Ramsay. The poor Scot never stood a chance against Cecelia. He not only fell, he fell hard for all of Cecelia.

That leads to the greatest disappointment of this book: the cover. Where is Cecelia? While Cecelia was tormented about her weight since childhood, Ramsay is gaga for her voluptuously heavy body. She openly savors her sweets and he adores her curves.

She, pudgy, bespectacled Cecelia Teague, tempted the Vicar of Vice to the brink of his iron will.

So where is our curvy girl on the cover? Boo to the publisher for not giving Cecelia her due. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed Cecelia and Ramsay's story; can't wait for Francesca's story and another appearance from "Armediano".

I devoured this book. I had a feeling I would, since I did the same thing with it’s predecessor.

If there was ever a book that represents “the grumpy one falls for the sunshine one,” this is it. On steroids. With all the angst and emotion my heart desires.

The story is beautifully written and well paced. The conflict(s) felt organic, not like they were just thrown in for the sake of shock value. The twists and element of mystery/suspense were *chef’s kiss*.

Ramsay and Cecelia felt tailor-made for one another, filling in all the gaps in one another. I mean, a man of justice and a woman who owns (granted, newly) a gambling hell? The way each of their circumstances growing up (insert broken heart emoji here) molded and shaped them in two *very* different ways? These were key elements in what made them click, in my opinion.

My goodness do I adore the friendship/sisterhood between Alex, Francesca, and Cecelia. I’m already itching for The Devil In Her Bed!

*I’m hoping there will be an epilogue in the final copy, because I just couldn’t get enough, and would love a peek into their future, maybe one that takes place just after the HTLADITD epilogue??*

Kerrigan is an amazing writer! I love her writing style and I can't say enough good things. I've loved everything she's ever written including this one. I love all the angst, all the emotions, the feelings, the hurt, the joy, and how true and Deeply the characters love one another. I also love me a big strong and handsome scot, and this book has one which makes it a win win.

This book started off hardcore in the angst department but as I continued to read I noticed that this book felt different. This book is softer and lighter on the heart compared to her other books. But that didn't change a thing because this book grabbed me by the heart and I easily connected with the characters. I loved that heroine wasn't teeny tiny. She had meat on her bones, and is curvaceous. She felt undesirable, insecure, and felt that her boobs were too big but he couldn't get enough. He made her feel wanted, made her realize that she was beautiful no matter what. One of my favorite lines is, "she was-she is -like a flower forever starved of rain. If you show her one drop of kindness, of love, she will bloom for you".

With that being said there is one thing that remains the same. The love scenes! They are still extremely intense and scorching hot as usual. Every love scene she has ever written has always been a 5 stars in my eyes. She has never failed me in that department.

I hope you take a chance on this read this book. I have a gut feeling you'll enjoy this book as much as I did.

I recieved this advance copy for an honest review, much thanks to Netgalley.

just love Kerrigan Byrne's writing! The story flows and builds and pulls me into a whole different world (which is the whole point of reading). After reading the first book in this series I was very excited to dive into Ramsey and Cecelia's story.

I love that Kerrigan writes diverse characters. The heroines aren't all dainty, perfect ladies. Cecelia breaks all the molds for women of her time. She is tall, soft and curvy. She is intelligent, independent, and fiercely loyal to those she loves. Cecelia doesn't want to marry, because she doesn't want to change herself to fit a man's ideal. When she suddenly inherits a notorious gaming hell from her mysterious benefactor is when all hell breaks loose.

Ramsey is a man on a mission. He's a man who has quite literally pulled himself up by his boot straps. Abandonment, loneliness and determination are things he understands well. He's a hard man who holds himself to impossibly high standards. He's fighting to save young girls from being kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder, which leads him to Cecelia's newly inherited establishment.

Cecelia and Ramsey have to team up to find the people responsible for the missing girls. Ramsey doesn't trust women and with good reason, so to watch Cecelia break down his walls is just so beautiful. She is not without her own struggles with loneliness, but she doesn't let that stop her from loving with her whole heart. I love a hero who is a big grumpy bear, but really has a tender soft heart under his tough exterior. 😍😍😍

They found the cure to their loneliness within each other. As with all other Kerrigan Byrne books the mystery/suspense is well written and so worth it in the end. I won't spoil that for you 😉. I love the angst, emotion and steam in all her books. Cecelia and Ramsey are just my new favorite. I'm anxiously awaiting for the next installment.

CW: child abuse, child abandonment, sex trafficking, death on page, some body shaming language, violence (sexual and other)

The second in the Devil You Know series, this is one of those books that most readers will either love or hate. I found myself a bit on the fence.

The book starts with a traumatic scene from the heroine’s past including fat shaming, abuse and being locked in the cellar for an extended period of time. It paints a vivid picture of the formative years for a woman who is brilliant, sunny, and surprisingly untortured by the abuse she experienced as a child. Some of that is because, we learn later, she has been educated and formed strong friendships.

Rescued by a mystery woman and man, Cecelia is whisked away from her childhood home and the abuse of her father.

After that, the first quarter was really draggy, purple prose-y, and focused on building up animosity and tension between the two MCs.

The hero is slightly older, at about 40, and is dead set on denying himself any earthly pleasures while making it his mission to rid London of crime. He knows Cecilia socially, but worlds collide when her inheritance puts her in the Lord Chief Justice’s cross hairs. And he is frigid, bordering on mean most of the time.

There is some violence and action from those initial interactions, and then a race to solve a deadly mystery that has the MCs banded together in a secret location in the countryside. Both MCs are determined never to marry, for reasons tied to their traumatic pasts, but they still find themselves drawn to each other and fighting feelings. The romance element is strong, passionate and I think interesting because you wonder how they will resolve some very deep seeded issues.

There are several intimate scenes throughout, although they are pretty much on the steamy vanilla side being not too graphic. Byrne definitely writes with a flowery pen (or finger on the keyboard) which I found myself getting lost or resorting to skimming. However, I know that other readers like more description and details, so this may be your catnip.

Characters, action, and plot also have a fair amount of angst which you really have to be in the mood for. And I probably, honestly, wasn’t. So it at times felt over the top or exhausting. Other reads may find it engaging or just the right amount of drama to sweep them away into the story.

The ending had a nice twist, and was wrapped up into a fairly lovely HEA or at least HFN, so it definitely delivers on that score…particularly if you are a fan of enemies to lovers.

I recommend this for Regency Readers looking for angst, action, and enemies to lovers.

★★★★★★ 3.75 out of 6 Enemies to lovers, this features high stakes mystery

This was engaging and I read it fast. It's still serious, but doesn't feel as dark as the first one.

I did really like the characters. Cecelia is easy to like. She has had a really rough life, but is still kind and optimistic. Ramsey is kind of a grumpy hero. I didn't fully connect with them, but they were well-developed. There are also great side characters-I particularly liked Phoebe. She was adorable.

There's a mystery element with danger that pushes them together. I guessed a lot of the mystery reveals. The ending also felt rushed with that. But maybe things will be more deeply explored in the last book.

I'm still not really sure Byrne's writing is for me. In additional to having trouble connection, I'm often confused and have to re-read. I'm not confused about the larger plot-it's more during individual scenes.

This is the second book in The Devil You Know Series. Cecelia’s story is filled with twists and turns and is really fantastic.
Content warning for child abuse.

You don’t necessarily have to have read How to Love a Duke in 10 Days to understand this book, but you should read both!

I can’t wait for book #3!

This book took me a while to get into. There wasn’t much action the first few chapters and there was too much description instead of action for my tastes. The romance was almost too sudden and there wasn’t much build-up to the initial feelings between the two characters. The last half of the book was better in that I could feel the tension both in the plot and the dynamic between the two main characters.

This was a great enemies to lovers romance with some mystery and action!

This one took me a little longer to get into than the first book in the series and I wasn't sure if I was going to like Ramsey. Cecilia was fearless and awesome along with the rest of the Red Rogues. I really enjoyed the twists at the end and little Phoebe. Things wrap up quickly in the end and was fairly predictable but also very enjoyable.

Two good to their core, stubborn, smart, and principled main characters make this an engaging read. I have a soft spot for rough-hewn Scottish men. And the side characters are interesting enough that it made me want to read the other books in this series. I'm not sure what sets this book apart from other romance novels of the same ilk, but I am not sure it matters. It lives up to its tropes.

Wow so much steamy! But I really could not like Ramsay or the count. They were such asses! The book brings another story of the 3 red heads. Their friendship is fun to read. They have each other's backs. This story is Cecelia's story. She inherits a gaming home with so much more. But she is just not the type of gal to feel comfortable with that. And the place is raided then bombed shortly after she goes to view her inheritance. They why and how is a good mystery with a good ending. I liked the story just not some key characters.

The Red Rogues are back! The infamous trio who all have varying shades of red hair and their own demons to bear. All Scot and Bothered is Cecelia’s story. Cecelia may not look the part, but she has had a very troubling and dark past. Not having known her mother and being raised by a pious and domineering father who blames her for all his shortcomings and for his hatred towards women, she has endured a childhood filled with punishment, solitude and darkness. She is finally saved by her maternal aunt and is able to be educated and cared for. She meets her two best friends and confidantes at a boarding school in Switzerland and they never part from that day forth. After Alex, one of the trio, marries the Duke of Redmayne, Cecelia meets his half brother Cassius Gerard Ramsay.

Ramsay is the Lord Chief Justice of the high court and has made it his mission to punish anyone whom he deems unlawful. He has distanced himself from all vice and lives a completely pure life. A life above reproach. It has been seven years since he last slept with a woman but upon seeing the lovely and curvaceous Cecelia he can’t think of anything else but claiming her. And as if fighting his urges wasn’t enough of a punishment, Ramsay finds out that his last case may very well be linked to the beautiful mathematician.

Kerrigan Byrne does it again! She gives us a heroine that is not only strong, smart and independent but she’s also vulnerable, fragile and sweet. A hero that isn’t your conventional Prince Charming, but who is a monster and brute to the outside world and a protector and champion to the woman he loves. The chemistry, as always, sizzles and burns and leaves you breathless with every page you turn. Can’t wait to find out what awaits Francesca!! A marvellous read!!

I enjoyed this new book in the series that can be read as a stand-alone. Cecilia is stunned to finally discover her mysterious benefactor is her maternal aunt who runs a gambling hell and school for women to learn trade. It appears she also loves to collect secrets on influential people and it may have gotten her killed. Cecelia inherits it all, including a seven year old child, just as Ramsay comes through the door to accuse her as the owner of helping sell girls and getting them murdered.

Eventually, they work together to solve the mystery leading to their romance. Ramsay struggles to work out his feelings for Cecelia and she is the same as they both never thought to marry. They both have horrible childhoods and that helps them understand one another.

As with the first book, I love how the author kind of tells you what the next story will be without really saying it. I look forward to Francesca’s story and her hero that we meet in this book. It is a stand-alone, but if you’ve read the first book, you can figure out who the hero will be. Well done.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

A few pages into “All Scot and Bothered” and I think I should warn you; read that first book first because although the romances in each book are independent stories, there’s another subplot, one of a mystery that starts in the first book and is still going in the second (and probably in the third as well) so please read “How to Love a Duke in Ten Days” and then read this one. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Sometimes it is hard to leave the past behind. Especially when your past is a traumatic one, a childhood ruled by a religious fanatic of a father who sees sin in everything you are and everything you do. One who puts you in a dark wet cellar until you pay for crimes that are not really yours but rather done to you. Such is the story of Cecelia Teague, who, at 13, was rescued by a friend of her late mother and who is told that the man she thought to be her father didn’t sire her. Cecelia has a guardian angel who looks after her from a distance, she’s told that she’s to inherit a fortune and she’s sent to school in Lake Geneva where she meets Francesca and Alexandra and realizes that she’s never to be alone anymore; she becomes ‘Cecil’ one of the infamous ‘Red Rogues’ trio.

Many years later Alex (Alexandra) marries Piers, the Duke of Redmayne, and that’s how Cecelia gets to meet the groom’s brother, Cassius Ramsay Lord Chief Justice of the High Court and also a Scot. Lord Ramsay has been living the monk’s life for nearly seven years but on meeting Cecelia… he’s become a walking erection (uhm yeah). The instant sexual attraction Ramsay feels for her is more of a problem than a happy thing. She's beautiful, luscious, endearing, tempting and, something he doesn't know on meeting her, she's extremely smart and has a privileged mind for mathematics. Nobody knows she’s an heiress so all the ton sees her as an outcast, a childhood friend of the Duchess… and Ramsay is not different from them

Due to a past dealing with risks and debauchery he is now a sober man, strict, cold and workaholic. The very opposite life choice to that of the charming and spontaneous Cecelia who instead of living as her vicar ‘father’ meant her to, decided to indulge in pleasures and endeavors that are shameful in a woman of the time, such as education, independence and, yes, sexual freedom. The sinless and the sinful change paths.

They are bound together by a plot, a web of sex trafficking that involves them both. He as the law crusader fighting sin and vices and she as the heiress of her aunt’s, who leaves her a gambling and pleasure den which is also a school for young women who are likely to end up as sex workers, beggars or killed. She also inherits her aunt’s pseudonym ‘The Scarlet Lady’ so he, believing that she is the mastermind behind the plot, doesn’t know that the powerful woman is actually Cecelia. She will help him find the truth and unveil the criminal web to clear hers and her aunt’s names and to help the young girls at risk of being abducted and sold.

I’ve read several books written by Kerrigan Byrne and there are a lot more to be read in the near future. She’s one of my favorite writers because her books are so much fun to read, and yet she’s not afraid of digging deep into serious matters. She can do both at the same time, and succeed. Reading Kerrigan Byrne‘s romances makes your day(s) brighter, trust me. Her heroines are fantastic her heroes are charming but the best about her is her style. She conquers you with her writing, no matter how hard you fight it, it’s her spontaneous humor, it seems so effortless, so wicked… she makes you her accomplice, her partner in crime and the crime is one of love, fun and fantasy. She’s everything you’re looking for in a writer, she gives you dreams to dream. Especially when there’s a Scot in the game, and in this case we have one particularly stiff Scot with his strict ways and narrow views at the beginning. So narrow that you want to be the one to broaden them, you want to be Cecelia an kick the Scot in the shin and make him realize that indulging in pleasures is… A PLEASURE indeed.

Kerrigan Byrne really knows how to write to keep her readers coming back .
I’m a big fan of the highwayman. I have found all her works truly touch base every woman is looking for . Love , lust , to be recognized.... to feel safe .

This book is the second of the red rogues. I feel that yes , you could start with this book , but I would definitely start at the beginning to get the full experience.

The red rogues are three young women , all with a version of red hair , to join forces in friendship over their many hardships and tragedies in live . This is the story of cecelia .

Cecelia was raised by a cruel man . Her mother was a whore. Typical life at this time. Cecelia was saved early on by a female benefactor and was taken to be raised in comfort . You will learn , Cecelia is so much more than a pretty face . Her brain , her cunning and wit will keep you Turing pages.

Ramsay is a bull headed scot with a nose for right and wrong . But he has it so bad for Cecelia. Their meetings are pure fire and we will have yet another piece of the mystery that lies within each book revealed.

Happy reading