Member Reviews
Devil in Her Bed is the last of the Red Rogues series and is my favorite. It is a tale revenge, mistaken identity, love and pain. Once again, it is tempered by friendship and loyalty.
I am giving it four stars and it only loses a star because of it's pat ending. Also, there is something that's missing. I may re-read it to make sure of my feelings
Byrne can write a prologue like no other. Just makes you want to consume to the whole entire book, Without going to into spoilers, this book follows the last Red Rogue and her mission for revenge. The main hero in this is very dark and broken but Byrne just makes it work so good. I just REALLY wanted a long epilogue at the end.
What a Magnificent story! Gripping and Suspenseful and heart-rendering.The third in the series brings the characters who found a place in your heart are back in The Devil in her Bed. The story is weaved from beginning to end with threads of mystery, suspence, diaboic villian and sizzling passion. Kerrigan Byrne has given readers a book that is beautifully written, characters that are well thought out and each one came to life and you find yourself drawn into their story, heartfelt dialogue and with strong plot that bring this read together perfectly!
Devil of Dorset comes from a dark background with deep emotional scars that will keep him in the dark and battling the monster within him. Francesca traumatized as a young girl will devote her life seeking revenge against those who killed her family and the boy she loved. From the moment the Devil of Dorset meets Francesca eyes across the ballroom they felt a pull for one another that neither could denigh. Both have secrets but will they be able to share them with one another? Soon they find themselves spiraling down into a vortex of turmoil and danger in this heart stopping love story as the conspiracy unfolds, mistakes are made, lives are in jeopardy and as the tensions escalates the suspense builds and uncertainties abound that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
He lives in Secret Service for the Crown.
They call him The Devil of Dorset. He does not know he has met his match until Francesca roars into his life.
Francesca and the Earl of Devlin make a different sort of couple in this mystery romance.
Kerrigan Byrne has written an amazing book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4.5 stars rounded up. I've been looking forward to Francesca's story ever since she shared her dark secret at the beginning of the series, and The Devil in Her Bed does not disappoint! Finally exploring Francesca's plot to avenge her murdered parents and close friend -- the real Francesca Cavendish -- was everything I hoped it would be. I like how Kerrigan Byrne is not afraid to show the characters' dark sides, both Francesca and Declan. Francesca has become hardened by her search for justice and is willing to do whatever it takes, regardless of the emotional or physical cost to herself. She has trained extensively to carry out her mission and is single-minded in her focus, often shutting out her friends and placing herself in dangerous situations if it means taking out her enemy. Chandler, meanwhile, has devoted his life to serving the Crown as a spy of many faces in order to (in his mind) make amends for his past failures. Together, they both reminded me a bit of Dorian/Dougan from The Highwayman.
The slight deduction from 5 stars is mostly for Declan falling a little short of my expectations as a love interest for Francesca. I loved the concept of the two of them reconnecting after all those years and after believing each other had died in the attack on the Cavendishes' estate, but his dismissive comments about Pippa (not realizing that "Francesca" really is her) and his rejection of her when he finds out the truth were harsh and a bit immature (and hypocritical after what we learn about him). He seemed to let his personal drama get in the way, leaving Francesca/Pippa on her own to deal with the aftermath instead of supporting her.
Overall, though, I loved the story and am sad to see the Red Rogues' stories end!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!
Another wonderfully written story with interesting characters and fun filled scenes. Page turning and unputdownable.
This was a great addition to the Devil You Know series. We finally get answers about the mysterious dark organization that's been building throughout the series, and more importantly you get answers about Francesca's family's demise.
I loved Francesca- strong, smart, full of secrets, refuses to fit into society's box just because she's a woman. Chandler was a man of mystery and as his secrets unfolded you just wanted to give him a hug.
I loved the mixture of romance and mystery. It's full of emotion, steam, and intrigue. I just wish when climax happens with the Crimson Council, it was on page instead of hearing about it after. It was kind of a let down to not get to witness it after the mystery has been building for so long.
Overall I enjoyed it though, it was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy! 3.5 stars
This was a great conclusion to the Red Rogues/Devil You Know series.
We learn more of Frank/Francesca's childhood, and how her actions now stem from them.
And we have met the Devil of Dorset in the earlier books, but wow how their stories intertwined.
I loved the bickering and banter between this pair, but sheesh, could someone tell the truth at some stage. I was waiting for the shoe to drop and was wondering what reactions would be.
I loved seeing more of the Rogues and their dashing men.
I look forward to what Ms Byrne brings us next.
This is the story of Francesca, also known as Frank with the Red Rogues. I loved the first two books and it was wonderful to see both Cecilia (Cecil), Alexandra (Alex) and their husbands, who’ve formed a family where they all support each other. The men are beyond protective, but they love their headstrong women. It was nice to see the men support Francesca even though she was placing herself in dangerous situations.
Francesca has spent her life traveling and learning numerous things like self-defense, all in the name of searching for who murdered her family. She wanted revenge and would not allow anyone to keep her from her plans.
It was easy to figure out who Chandler was and when you look back at the time before the murders, you knew he had some struggles as a young man but you don’t know the depths of his misery until later in the story. I don’t recall it being mentioned how Chandler came to have so much money and homes, unless his special skills paid that well.
Francesca has inherited money and property but even while she dresses and attends events, it’s all part of her plan to find those responsible for the loss of her family. When you read about her childhood and then the horrendous event, it’s amazing how anyone can move past such heartache.
Francesca is hardened in some ways and quite fierce. While she loves her friends, she doesn’t let their concerns stop her. At times, she seemed a little over the top and especially her actions during that time period. There are some very intense and suspenseful scenes and some disturbing events with The Crimson Council and this was a darker story that the previous two.
The chemistry was so strong between Francesca and Chandler but she has plans to complete and they both know the other is hiding something. Chandler, thinking back on his childhood feelings for Francesca and Pippa, isn’t my favorite when he makes certain comments. He finally redeemed himself at the end, but I was not happy with him.
I love anything Ms. Byrne writes but would have loved to have an epilogue sometime into the future for the three couples. I’ve read several of books in her various series and she has such a talent to bring history to life, write compelling characters and storylines, and plenty of angst for the main characters to overcome.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Byrne’s books.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Lady Francesca Cavendish, the Countess of Mont Claire, is not who she appears to be. Purported to be the sole survivor of the Mont Claire massacre years ago, she is actually Pippa Hargreaves, the daughter of the butler and cook, and best friend to the slain Francesca. Thinking she was the only person who came out of the estate alive, she took on her friend's identity to help her gain revenge, and make those who slaughtered everyone she loved, including her friend and crush Declan Chandler, pay. She's growing closer to finding out just who, alongside the disgraced Lord Chancellor, are in the Triad, ruling over the Crimson Council, when a mysterious man comes into her life. He seems to know a lot about Francesca - the real Francesca, and is a ghost, working with the Secret Service to take down the Crimson Council himself, and he won't let anyone, not even someone he's attracted to as much as he is Francesca, get in his way.
I've been so intrigued by Francesca's revenge since she revealed the truth about herself right back at the start of book 1. She may appear to be a countess, but she cares only for her fellow Red Rogues, Cecelia and Alexandra, and making those who killed her family suffer. To the rest of society, she appears to be a scandalous spinster, sleeping with many a man who later has his downfall, but really she drugs them, discovers their secrets, and flees without ever touching them. The more men she seduces, the closer she gets to the truth, and it seems that the Earl of Devlin may be the key to it all. But then the mysterious 'Marquess Drake', a man of many faces, identities and accents, who intrigues her and she may just lose herself to. I don't want to spoil anything about who he was, but I guessed early enough, and the truth about his parentage, but the whole back and forth between our couple was phenomenal. I don't like their romance as much as I had Alex and Piers, or Cecilia and Ramsay's, but still it was an epic read. What made the whole story even more enjoyable was the family aspect that ran through it all, with Piers and Ramsay being pseudo-brother like figures to Francesca, and the five of them all being there for each other, even when it was dangerous. Solving the puzzle of the Crimson Council, and just why the Mont Claire estate was attacked and razed all those years ago was extremely well written, with twists and turns that kept me hooked, and forced me to read the book all in one sitting, without putting it down until I discovered if all our favourites survived, and had their HEA. A really fantastic ending to the entire series - I can't wait for Kerrigan's next story.
A twisted tale of lies, betrayal, lost love, and revenge that keeps readers enthralled as we follow two survivors whose only goal is to find out who slaughtered their family and why. Passionate and bold, Bryne remains an auto-buy for me.
This is a sit on the edge of your seat end of the series book! It’s full of deceit, mystery and a wonderful love story. Francesca is just amazing how strong and devoted she is to her loved ones and her cause. Together her and Chandler find out who has cause all the trouble in their lives.
Kerrigan Byrne is out here consistently writing the most fun and action packed historical romances. I never fail to have fun when I read a Kerrigan Byrne HR. As much as I love HR in its many forms, sometimes it can just be a lot of ballrooms and sitting rooms. That is not the case with Kerrigan's books - they are the high octane equivalent, and they are a delight! And to make it even better, the quality of writing is superb. Sometimes when HR romances try to do too much the writing suffers, but that is never the case with her books.
Full review to follow. I was provided with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review by the publishers via NetGalley.
5 stars
At the end of my review for Book 2 I wondered if the Count would get a book of his own. Well he's in this one but if you blinked you would probably miss the reference. This is the third/last in this series and it follows Franscesca's story. She is not what she appears and our hero believes she's an imposter. The story follows on from book 2 in as much as it's the continual story of the three almost 'Charlie's Angel' friends but could be read as a standalone. Frank is tracking down the villains of a "Hellfire Cub" as is our hero in his own way. There's lots of secrets but the romance and passion scenes are down well.. Our heroine is her own woman fiesty without being annoying, brave and skilled in combat and seduction. Our hero is a bit of an idiot at the end but luckily there's a happy ending. I really enjoyed this book and I will eagerly look for more books by this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you ever had a love so deep that it consumed you for years or even your entire life? What if that love was unrequited? Or perhaps they simply just didn’t know how you felt. Sometimes love makes us do kind of crazy things.
The story is multi faceted; built on deception, revenge, secrets, friendship, even some suspense and intrigue. The story has so many emotions running around it. I really feel for Francesca but yet you think just get it over with. Tell him how you feel! She did make me a bit nuts a few times!
The author takes us down a wild path. Deep into a dark and crazy world that you don’t think is possible in these times, but it makes sense. Who can you trust and is it the man you gave your heart to years ago? Will he ever forgive you for the deception?
Powerful and captivating, with an ending that you will hold your breath for, Byrne captures the intensity of passion and deep searing love perfectly.
A pretty solid 3.5, but definitely not my favourite by Kerrigan Byrne. I have yet to read a Kerrigan Byrne book that I don't like - I know when I read something by her it's at least going to be a solid read.
There were some things in this book that really annoyed me - mainly how long it took for Chandler to discover the truth about Francesca - I really wish that happened sooner!
I found the hero and heroine very likable in this book but the whole storyline going on outside of the romance really bored me. The last half of this book I very bored and just wanted Chandler to discover the truth already! A pretty slow read compared to others that I've read by this author.
While I did guess the "twist" at the beginning of the book, it didn't take away from my enjoyment.
There's just something special about this trilogy, and the third book was a good conclusion.
The Devil in Her Bed brings two friends back together after tragedy and loss. The Devil of Dorset is a ghost in the shadows, able to become anyone, and one of the top spies for the crown. Childhood tragedy has set the devil on a mission of revenge and a little pretender is in his way. Francesca Cavendish has played fast and loose with her reputation to gain access to the men in power of dark cult and she will have her own revenge. An undeniable attraction, leaves the devil and the temptress crossing paths full of danger and secrets as they find their way to a HEA. Action packed and full of sin, this book is a page turning, action packed adventure of a historical romance. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Really enjoyed this one! A very unique concept that was well executed. I would pick up other novels by Ms. Byrne.
This book was given to me to read and review by NetGalley.
I have been excited to read Francesca’s book since book one. I knew I would be rooting for her to get revenge on those who killed her family and I certainly did. I also had a pretty good assumption about who the hero would be. What I didn’t expect was to not love him or the romance. I like the romance and the tension between the two of them, but I also felt it was like they were in love with who they were years before, not as they are in the present time. Almost like a fantasy. Like what you hoped it would be like if this person who you have loved for so long loved you in return. I really felt like the hero (no names to avoid spoilers) was in Francesca’s way. She is fierce and filled will determination. Don’t get in her way. Then the hero kept stopping her or getting in her way. He was kind of extra so it made the romance not as solid as I hoped. The hero was in love with the idea of what Francesca was like years ago, but I don’t think he really loves her and accepts as she is in the present day. He was also a bit of a hypocrite and I really don’t like how he responded when her secret was revealed as if she is the only one with secrets. Don’t get me started.
Ramsay was the total older brother and I love the support of her friends and their husbands. I love the friendship and understanding that passes between them. They have all been through so much and deserve happy endings. I’m glad I was able to enjoy this series but I still think Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebel series is more consistent with how much I enjoyed those books.
Romance was fine but felt like it wasn’t built as two equals in a relationship but all just tension which wasn’t bad but I had hoped to fall in love with the romance. The plot was really good but it felt just a tiny bit anticlimactic. I loved Francesca and feel she deserves someone to love her entirely as she is now, not how she was years before.