Member Reviews
This is the second book in the Goode Girls series and takes place right after Seducing a Stranger with some throwback scenes between Titus and Nora at the beginning. I'm going to say this right now I'm such a slut for Kerrigan Byrne's books. I love the stories and all the sex between the heroines and heroes. This one was no exception and I loved how the class differences between them didn't stop them from falling in love when they were younger. Of course, there are obstacles to them being together but in the end, they do end up together.
You do need to have some knowledge of the Victorian Rebels series to follow this spin-off series as all the characters from the Victorian Rebels are in these books. So yeah definitely read that series first before you read this one. This series is great so far and I can't wait to read the other two books.
This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. WOW, WOW, WOW!! I cannot think of enough adjectives for this book! So magically different from so many books. The characters are flat out amazing, the story gloriously told AND the best part, there are more to come!! I love a great series so I can't wait to continue reading about the lives of this fantastic family!! You REALLY NEED to read this (and the others). I don't give out many 5 star reviews but this one absolutely earned it.
This book picks up where A Dark and Stormy Knight(renamed Seducing a Stranger) ended, with Honoria “Nora” Mosby, Viscountess Woodhaven lying in a pool of blood after being shot by her deranged husband while saving her sister Prudence. As she lay barely clinging to consciousness, she begs Pru to take her to Dr. Titus Conleith.
Titus and Nora have a long history and this would not be the first time he has saved her life. But they parted ways years ago when she brutally broke his heart and married William Mosby. Now she is back in his life and widowed, he plans to stitch her up and send her on her way, but with her husband’s enemies come looking for something William stole from them; Nora isn’t safe anywhere but with Titus. He tells himself he no longer wants her and will simply keep her at arm’s length. But nothing between Nora and Titus has ever been simple and when their passion ignites once more it seems like this might finally be the time for them, but reality slaps Nora in the face and once again she willingly sacrifices her happiness for the ones she loves. But will Titus let her push him away again?
This was a very well written, emotional story that kept me hooked until the last page! I love how the author picked up at the end of the previous book, but took us back in time to when they first met and let us peek at their young love and their tragic heartbreak. She then brings us back to the present along with a lot of familiar faces from the Victorian Rebel series, as well as introducing some new characters. The book is not a light, fluffy read, no, it is gritty and raw and at times heartbreaking, but it is also passionate, steamy, exciting and intriguing. I loved Titus, he is every thing you could want in a hero and then some, his love for Nora is unconditional and so strong – even when he wanted to hate her, she was his love and always would be. And after reading A Dark & Stormy Knight, I wasn’t sure I would like Nora, but after reading her backstory, I realized I completely misjudged her in that book and she truly was nothing like I thought. This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone, but I would strongly recommend reading the books in order for the best reading experience.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. *
Nora is definitely trouble. Forced into a brutal marriage to an abusive husband who kills the male prostitutes she beds and who is shot to death only after he has shot his wife. She recovers in the care of a doctor 3 years younger than her who was her childhood sweetheart and lover. Add in some gangsters, a brutal unloving father, and a lost/stolen chest of gold, and a tense plot unfolds. Can there possibly be an HEA in the midst of all this tension? Of course, although the path is crooked and unsure. Passion will out in Kerrigan Byrne’s world. How could a good man say no? Never.
This book had everything I love about reading romance! The writing was fantastic - the characters, and pacing moved the story and never dragged. I enjoyed the format of using a backstory; which really added extra attraction for the reader and the characters. I did read the first book in the series, but it wasn't absolutely necessary as the author gave you enough details without bogging down the unfolding romance between the hero and heroine. I am really looking forward to the next installment and appreciated the preview at the end of this book.
For the first time, I was hesitant about reading a book by Kerrigan Byrne. Honoria Goode nudged me the wrong way in the prior book in this series so I was prepared to skim through just for the sake of the series. If you're like me in that respect, stop.
Ms. Byrne wove the story that connected Honoria Goode and Titus Conleith so well, it took me by surprise. Why I'm surprised by Ms. Byrne at this point is beyond me.
Honoria Goode, or better know as Lady Woodhaven or Nora, at first seemed to be a bored aristocrat who seemed to keep track of the notches on her bed post. It was refreshing to have the heroine not an innocent, naive female but almost rake-like. Pair that with Titus Conleith, or Doctor Conleith as he's deserving of the correct title, and their history and the book drags you in.
The journey in which Honoria and Titus overcome past mistakes, present obstacles and the ever present scrutiny of the ton will take you on a whirlwind but I promise it'll be a book you'll pick back up!
Stable boy Titus Conleith fell in love with the Baron’s daughter, Honoria Goode aka Nora, until she threw his love in his face. He emerges a stronger man after his family all died, went to work for the baron and then he became an apprentice to the local doctor and then went off to war and emerged from his time as a battlefield surgeon. Nora has been the dutiful daughter she married as her father directed or her siblings and Titus would suffer the consequences. Now widowed and she lay wounded she request for Dr. Titus Conleith a man she has not seen in ten years. Titus never though he’s ever see Nora again especially on his operating table. I love this second chance at love romance. These two wore torn apart but her hurtful father, she was sent to live with a cruel and unforgiving husband and with his death she has been shot and it’s up to Titus to save her life for the second time and maybe they’ll both have a second chance at love and a lifetime of happiness. I have voluntarily read and reviewed these excellent story.
I am a HUGE fan of Kerrigan Byrne's books. When I read A Dark and Stormy Knight I was very intrigued and excited to continue the rebellious adventures of the Goode Girls. Technically Courting Trouble is the 2nd book in that series with A Dark and Stormy Knight serving double duty as Book 7 in the Victorian Rebel series and Book 1 in the Good Girl series.
Honoria wasn't a particularly likable character in the previous book, but by the end readers discover there is more than meets the eye. The climactic ending of A Dark and Stormy Knight leads us right into Courting Trouble. The book itself is a bit shorter than I expected, however I found it to be a complete story with complex characters that are fully developed within its pages.
There's a bit of flashback before we return to "present day." It really helps not only understand Honoria's character but more about her sisters and parents' personalities, which I'm sure will be relevant in later books as well.
I also loved learning more about the other Goode sisters and am excited to read their stories in upcoming books! If you enjoy historical romance and in particular if you have fallen in love with Kerrigan's previous books, definitely add this to your list.
It was a quick and easy read for me, and I finished in a matter of hours. Yes, I would have liked the book to last a bit longer (because it was so good) but the story wasn't really missing anything, and I sincerely loved it. If it was just a tad longer (more story is always great for us ardent fans) I would have loved it even more :)
While the writing was well done in the latest Goode sisters story, it was difficult getting past my first impressions of Nora from the previous book. If Titus or Nora's sisters were made aware of the hand her father played hand in the cruel words she had to use to send Titus away, I could have been more receptive to her but the fact that it took so long was disappointing.
Titus captured my exact thoughts during this encounter:
"You. Decided,” he bit out. “Because that’s what you do, isn’t it? You make the decision and I have to abide by it. I don’t get a say. I don’t get a choice. You just run away without trusting that I might know better than him. That we might form a solution together.”
Later, when her sister compared her to the hero in romance novels, I actually started to get behind Nora a bit more but by that late point in the book, it was too late to fully come around.
I am eagerly awaiting the next story as the younger Goode sisters are hilariously charming.
A wonderful second-chance historical romance riddled with miscommunication, Courting Trouble is the second book in the Goode Girls series but can totally be read as a standalone. The story begins when Nora is taken to Dr. Titus Conleith with a gunshot wound. Titus is stunned to see his old love wounded and in his clinic. He’s never gotten over his first love and still feels the sting of rejection.
When Honoria, or Nora, wakes up in the clinic of her first love, she learns that her horrible husband is dead and she is free. However, her husband’s shady dealings, as well as her father’s unforgiving demands, haunt Nora. When Titus offers to keep her safe, Nora must face her past and confront the obstacles in her present before she can move on.
I love the romance between Nora and Titus. Their feelings for each other span years and their love is strong. Neither really emotionally moved on after their break-up, and their desire to be together is palpable. However, neither feels worthy of the other. Titus because of his non-noble standing in society, and Nora for her questionable past. She doesn’t excuse her behavior but feels tremendous guilt over how her actions detrimentally affected others. Titus tries to remain impassive and unaffected by Nora’s presence, but his life-long love for her is hard to squelch and ignore. Their chemistry is fantastic, and it is clear that they are made for each other.
The flashbacks, which detailed Titus and Nora’s relationship when they first met as teenagers and into their late teens, add so much depth to the characters and the story. You can understand why Nora feels so compelled to follow her path. You also realize how deeply Titus loved Nora and continues to love her. Theirs is a love that’s enduring and true, and the flashbacks show where that love began.
This is a quick-paced and captivating historical romance with dynamic characters and a fascinating and complex mystery. Danger, thievery, potential death threats, and more make for an intriguing read, as do the well-developed characters. I’m excited to read future books in the series to learn more about the Goode sisters and the shady events that they become unintentionally embroiled in. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Gnarly Woods Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Courting Trouble is book 2 in the Goode Girls Romance series and another stunning story by Kerrigan Byrne.
I enjoy reading second chance romances especially ones that are angst ridden and full of undeniable passion. They were never of the same class but that didn't stop them falling in love when they were young. She has to reject their love to save his life and future as a Doctor.
They cross paths again almost 10 years later when he has to save her from bleeding out on his operating table. And then begins their second chance... I was engrossed from the start in this wonderfully crafted story. Titus and Honoria were wonderful characters and deserved their happily ever after.
*Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
This was such a delicious addition to The Goode Girls series. I was so intrigued by Honoria and Dr. Titus after finishing Dark and Stormy Knight/Seducing a Stranger earlier this year. I am so happy to have more Kerrigan Byrne that is coming out through another avenue. I am loving the feel of it and getting to see more of my Victorian Rebels characters.
This book was too quick for me but it was also filled with so much deep back ground for the characters. This books starts where the previous one ended, with Honoria injured and her horrible husband dead. She awakens in the care of her star-crossed love. Dr. Titus Conlieth. The man whose heart she broke when she broke her own.
He used to be a stable boy and they had fallen in love when she returned from finishing school. She was far above him but she craved his touch. She spent 3 months with him, enjoying pleasure and giving it in return and then she was whisked away to marry a Peer and he went off to school to be a doctor. She made the sacrifice to save his career, but he never knew.
Now she is in his care and Titus is doing everything he can to ignore the pull he feels towards Nora, the debutante he craved and had but lost in just a few cruel words from her lips.
Now he is the most successful and progressive doctor of his time. Consultant to the Black Heart of Benmore. And he cannot forget the beauty who was so far out of his reach.
I enjoyed their story so much. It was split between their time before and after. I anticipated the break up, and luckily we had the hope of them being back together. The angst was so real and I loved every second of time I spent with them.
Honestly my biggest complaint was that this was more like a novella. This series has been really short for both entries and I just want more!!!! But that is an authors prerogative and I understand wanting to have some series of various length. I just enjoy the story so much and I want it so much more.
I was happy to see the character growth in such a short book and I believed that we have two characters who are just tired with where they have ended up.
4/5 Stars for me
I wasn’t sure how much I would love this book because I wasn’t the biggest fan of our heroine, Honoria. Then, of course, Kerrigan Byrne flips the switch and I can’t help but feel so sorry for her and her struggles. She has had a horrible life being suffocated by her father then her husband. Her father cares more about appearances than his own daughter or daughters since I’m sure all four of them have suffered or will by his hand. Then her late husband, William, well if you had read Prudence’s book you know exactly the kind of man he is. Honoria before this book seemed uncaring, selfish and honestly wasn’t a really great sister to Pru. This book changes all of that for me. I just want to give her a hug and remind her she does deserve happiness.
Then there is Titus who was treated horribly and basically invisible to all. A disposable servant. Like poor guy. He worked hard in his life as a surgeon and reunited with Honoria in the worse sort of way. I was so glad for them to clear the air and reunite even if it wasn’t under the best circumstances. It was all necessary to finally get to their happy ending without the interference of her father.
Now I’m super excited to read Mercy and Felicity’s books. Each completely different than her twin and I can’t wait for their stories! I hope we get to see more of those brother gangsters because I’m intrigued.
A second chance love with two people who suffered twelve years apart . A happy end for the two of them .
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a really nice read.
Second chance romance with class differences - I was a little nervous about reading Honoria's story after first meeting (and disliking) her in A Dark and Stormy Knight, but she was very likable in this book!
I feel like parts of this book were a little rushed and I could have used more time getting to know the hero and heroine. Was this a novella? I'm not sure.
I read this in one sitting - overall very good with the amazing writing that I've come to expect from a Kerrigan Byrne novel!
Can we get Earl on a Train now?!?!?!
Picking up where we left off in A Dark and Stormy Knight, Honoria Goode, Nora to her friends, has been shot by her husband. To save her life, she is disked off to the best surgeon in London, Titus Conlieth, who happens to be her first love!
Soon we are sent back in time to the being of Nora and Titus’s romance, where they meet while he is in service as a coal boy for her household. His quick action and diligence and up saving hNora’s life when she contract Typhus and set him on the path of medicine and puts the wheels in motion for their love and heartbreak.
As I have found with Kerrigan’s work, this is a fast paced story that keeps you riveted and turning pages. I could barely put this book down until the last page!
This book had a good amount of steam and the character have great chemistry. The mixing of classes is done well and Kerrigan does. Great job depicting the grittier side of London life in contrast to the glittering life of aristocratic London. I also love seeing past characters for the the series showing up throughout the book.
This was a great historical romance that has you rooting for a second chance for Titus and the fallen Nora all the way! With the flashbacks, this can totally be read as a standalone.
Courting Trouble by Kerrigan Byrne is scheduled to release December 8th, 2020.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Oliver Herberts Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#CourtingTrouble #KerriganByrne #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads
I haven't (yet) read the first book in this series, but I will be doing so, as I really enjoyed this one. I love second chance romances, and don't care for stories that are too angsty, and this one fit perfectly into my lane. Titus and Nora's story was never dull and I was so caught up in it that I finished it in one day. Bring on the next book, I'm ready! I received and ARC for my honest opinion.
Set in Victorian England, this steamy romance definitely satisfies. Opening with the shooting of our heroine, the novel jumps back in time to set up the story then fast-forwards once the reader is completely hooked by the main characters. Courting Trouble is a thoroughly enjoyable read, all the way through social issues like spousal abuse and women’s suffrage to a satisfying conclusion.
I have to start off this review by saying that Kerrigan Byrne is one of The BEST historical romance authors out there. Her books are always so amazing and the writing is absolutely phenomenal. I literally devour her books!! Courting Trouble is among those amazing heartfelt angsty books she has written to date.
It is the 2nd book in the Goode Girls series. Honoria Goode was introduced to us in the first book as a very selfish spoiled princess, but nothing is what it seems and looks can be very deceiving. The book begins with her being shot by her crazy husband. A bullet that was meant for her sister, but she heroically jumps in front of her and takes the bullet instead.
As her life flashes before her, all she can think of is her first and only love,Titus Conleith. A decade had passed since she had seen him, but all she can think about is righting the hurt and pain she had caused him.
This book is truly a favorite of mine. You will root for Titus and Nora's love. I was so moved by their star crossed lover storyline and how circumstances beyond their control forced them apart at such a young age.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.
Another great story of the Goode sisters. Ms Byrne never writes bland books, I thought perhaps I am biased to her writing, but no. Having read several authors in the historical fiction/romance genre, she certainly engages in great story telling, formidable and flawed characters and takes her readers seriously. Glad to have writers of such calibre.
This is the story of the oldest Goode sister, of whom we had a introduction in ‘Dark and Stormy Night- story of Carlton and Prudence Goode, grab it if you are yet to read the book). She is bought to Dr Titus Conleith after being shot by her husband in a stand off. Dr Conleith and Honoris have a back story of almost 15 years ago. Honoria Goode now, dowager Viscountess has a rough life throughout her married life with a weak almost sadistic husband. She makes no excuses for the way she has led her life. Although she is plagued with the fact that her extra marital affairs with five men led to their deaths, she is not apologetic of these affairs. This is a pretty straightforward story, here the characters and their emotions is more of the story line.
We are introduced to perhaps the next protagonist to the series in the Sauvage twins?! Even Villains turn altruistic guys for a good cause. Not all thieves are villains.
There is a happy ending to the story of course, but the journey is not without its angst.
A good book for the winter reads.