Kerrigan Byrne hits it out of the park yet again!!!

Mercy and Raphael have explosive chemistry from the first moment they are introduced to us and the BANTER!!!!!
Give me all the banter.

I truly enjoyed this work.

Let's backtrack a bit though. Raphael and his brother Gabriel are dangerous smugglers and Raphael is being accused of murder but Mercy KNOWS he didn't do it and she can prove it with a little sleuthing of her own.

Mercy and Raphael were both low key annoying to me with Raphael trying to sacrifice himself and Mercy putting her little bluestocking nose where it doesn't belong but honestly, they are quite the pair.

The romance happened a bit too fast in my opinion but when you're planning on "dying" then I can see how that would put you a bit on an accelerated timeline. It's understandable but I do feel there would have been some merits to taking it a step down.

All in all, it was an enjoyable work and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

London 1881
A Goode girl and a career criminal. What are the chances they would make a romantic pair? Well in Dancing with Danger, the danger does surround Mercy and Raphael.

Raphael and his brother Gabriel are deep into criminal activity and Raphael the leader of a notorious gang. He really wants to get out of the life and keep his brother safe, but that is hard when you are in so deep.

Mercy Goode, loves solving mysteries and in fact, she and Raphael meet at the scene of a murder. Well meet, is too tame a word. When Mercy was being abused by the law officer, Raphael appeared as an avenging angel.. Or "A gangster bequeathed with all the masculine beauty of Eros himself." . To say they are on opposite sides of the social scale is a truth but they are quickly attracted none the less.

As usual, with this author's stories, it captures you quickly and keeps you interested until the end. Now on to Gabriel!

4.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

Ugh! I loved this and I need Felicity’s story NOW!!!!!!

Mercy and Raphael are EVERYTHING. The audiobook is done in duet and is SO GOOD. I only wish it was longer, but idk if I could have handled any more.

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

As the bold twin Mercy has always looked out for her timid sister, Felicity. Raphael similarly has always acted in the stead of his disfigured brother Gabriel, as the figurehead of their father's underworld organization. Now Raphael wants out, but he has one last task to do, and that is to help Mercy find out who killed their mutual friend, and why, so that he and his brother can finally live in peace. The more time they spend together, it becomes apparent that walking away from Mercy when this is all over will be impossible.

An exceptional read!

I really enjoyed everything about this books; Great storyline, loved the characters and very well written. The passion and connection between Raphael and Mercy was so wonderful to read and they as individuals were great characters.

Another job well done by Mrs, Byrne. I absolutely cannot wait for Felicity and Gabriel’s book!

Although I was anticipating Mercy and Raphael’s story, I think this book moved very quick. They fell in love in 2 days which was a bit unrealistic. Coupled with the high stakes plot, it felt the romance was fueled from that. Would they still be together if it weren’t for the danger? Alternatively, it felt like it was setting up for the next book rather than flesh out the romance.

Received ARC

4.25 criminally steamy stars

Dancing with Danger is the 3rd book in the Goode Girls series, and while this story could technically be read as a stand alone, I would highly recommend reading the other books in this series for the optimal enjoyment of this story as both the H and h recur in those earlier installments.

Mercy Goode has always been admired for her golden hair and fine looks, but when she opens her mouth and expresses one of her many opinions, potential suitors tend to flee... which is fine with her as she most definitely does not need a man to feel complete as a woman. She is no simpering miss, and she would much rather attend a rousing discussion of the latest murder mystery book than a ball where she has to pretend to me someone she isn't. So when she discovers the dead body of a woman she was trying to help escape the danger she was in, Mercy promises the victim that she will find her murderer and make things right.

Raphael Sauvageau has spent most of his life trying to find a way out of the criminal enterprise he was born into. He is a smuggler, a killer, the leader of an empire that is as likely to follow his orders as to stab him in the back... and he wants out. He is convinced he has found a way to escape that will leave his brother Gabriel free to live the life their past would never allow him, and the cost may well be Raphael's own life. But he is more than willing to pay it to give the man that always looked out for him, to his own detriment, a chance to wipe the slate clean. In fact, Raphael has everything all planned: until Mercy Goode crosses his path and makes him second guess everything. She infuriates him by continually putting herself in the path of danger, but she intrigues him with her strength, determination, and spirit... all the things the men in her past have looked upon her with disdain are the very things Raphael is enthralled with..

Though Raphael is still resolute in his desire to give Gabriel the life he deserves, Raphael cannot bring himself to leave this life without tasting heaven in the form of the beautiful and intelligent Mercy. Will she allow him a no-strings rendezvous to experience the pleasure she has heard of but has no desire to wed to experience? Can either of them keep their hearts from becoming tangled together? And even if they are somehow able to escape the danger closing in on them, is there any hope for a future between a criminal and a Goode girl?

What I liked:
--- The main characters were intriguing and fun to unravel
--- We got some more information about the mysterious Gabriel (& I cannot wait to read his story!)
--- Danger and mystery kept me flying through the pages to see what happened next
--- HOLY OFF THE CHARTS CHEMISTRY leading to some serious steamy goodness

What I didn't like as much:
--- Some of the story was a little rushed - it helped that they met at least once before this book, but that meeting was very brief, and there wasn't anything between that time and when this book started (about 6 or so months from the end of book 2); I felt like some expansion of the timeline (maybe where they encountered each other a time or two even briefly between then and now would have made things seem a little more believable with how quickly they went from 0 to 60)

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read as both of the main characters were multi-dimensional (& combustible together). I am really looking forward to Gabriel and Felicity's story next!

Plot --- 4.25/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Cast --- 4.5/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- nothing graphic (general descriptions of the murdered woman at the beginning; a fight scene towards the end with some bloody moments and threats of violence; nothing of a domestic nature or possible triggers)
Language --- some
POV --- 3rd

*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all

I RARELY give out 5 ⭐️ to romance books but this book was amazing. I received this arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review and I am so so glad I did.


From the moment I read the first chapter, I was hooked. I have been in one of the worst reading slumps and this book has taken me out of it. The banter, the chemistry. Everything about this book was what I love about historical romances.

Danger, intrigue, interesting characters and amusing anachronistic dialogue are found on the pages of this book. While I have read and enjoyed several of the authoress's books, I had not read another from this series. Nevertheless, enough backstory about the Goode family and the other main characters from the other books is provided to make it readable as a stand alone.

Mercy Goode lives in the wrong time period for her. While beautiful, she is opinionated, willful, argumentative and does not suffer fools, not the kind of personality that noblemen find attractive. Who does find her attractive is underworld criminal Raphael Sauvageau. Mercy is involved in both the Duchess of Trenwyth's Lady's Aid Society and the Detective Edward Sharpe Society of Homicidal Mystery Analysis. These two worlds collide when she finds Mathilde, a women who they were helping to escape her abusive husband, dead and she uses her detective skills to find the murderer. Raphael is also looking for the murderer. But more is at stake. There is a war brewing in the underworld, and Raphael is ready to sacrifice himself for his older brother, just as Mercy would do for her twin Felicity. Neither ever thought that they would find a match, but their attraction, really messes up Raphael's plans.

I am finding more and more anachronistic speech in historical romance novels lately. This is nothing new, Mark Twain used it, but I had to laugh out loud, when Mercy came out with a very Jack Bauerish "Do it. Do it now".

I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I have a complicated relationship with this author. Typically, her books a re fine but I don't fall in love with them. Until her last book. I adored it, so I thought I'd read some more.

Unfortunately, this one just did not work for me as well. Even though the two met in a previous time, they fell in love way too quickly and she shifted everything for him. There are issues that felt unresolved anf things that felt inauthentic to these characters.

I am a big fan of Romance books and I found this one to be a very enjoyable read. I will be looking for more books from this author.

Two brothers in love with the twin sisters. What are the odds? Lmfao! Oh my goshhh! Raphael left you. So what? Not the end of the world. Get over it! I loved the couple's bickering with each other. Cute! This was my first read of this series but didn't really feel much lost. Okay, I admit it! I liked this book! I liked that the ladies didn't really gossip around with each other about the titles and etc. I liked Raphael too. He wasn't really ashamed or afraid to admit his feelings either. I would say it was a cute historical romance. There was a bit violence in the end. I hated Trout for laying his hand on a woman. B*stard! Anyway, you can totally give this book a try if you like! 😊

Mercy is a delightful character. She certainly does not care what people think of her and does not care if she ever marries. Then bad boy Raphael enters. There is a price on his head and his kisses turn Mercy inside out. He asks for one night with her and she curiously takes it. But one night is not enough, but it may be Raphael's last night on earth until Mercy steps in.

Dancing with Danger is the first book I have read by Byrne, and I’m definitely going to read others. This is the third book in a series that is a spin off of another series. Feminist Mercy Goode and crime lord Raphael Sauvageau are each caught up at a murder scene and arrested, and share a kiss in the back of the police transport. After that, they can’t seem to stay away from each other, but each is determined to solve the murder first, as well as protect the other.

This is a fantastic story, a fast-paced read filled with danger and romance. I loved both main characters, Mercy with her intelligence and outspokenness, and Raphael with his naughty talk and bad-boy aura. My favorite thing about the whole book was how beautifully Byrne showed that a strong woman can be an equal to a strong man. Raphael reveled in the person that Mercy was through the entire book, and never let her think she needed to apologize for having and using her brain. I can’t wait to read the next installment of this series.

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

This is the third book in a series, so there was some context for this couple in the previous books that I missed because I haven't read them. But I will say, though, that I still read this just fine,everything made perfect sense.
Mercy Goode was making plans to help her friend disappear when she finds her friend's body. The woman was killed and there at the scene of the crime Raphael Sauvageau, our love interest. Mercy has hard evidence that he didn't kill her friend, but they both have get arrested regardless. Mercy will have to solve the murder, find out about Raphael's plans and in the process save his life and his heart.
I was attached to everyone in this book, it was ridiculous how much I cared. Mercy and Raphael deserve the world, they were so good together. I loved how feministic this book was, and there was diversity there too. Awesome brotherly and sisterly bonds. I know the next book is about Felicity and Gabriel and I can't wait. Also, I hope the Duchess will get her HEA, she is lovely and deserves everything.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so looking forward to reading this book after Honoria's story. It did not let me down. Brothers Raphael & Gabriel are amazing ♥ I'm also very interested in the next book with Felicity and Gabriel.

Mercy Goode wants to get justice for her recently deceased friend. It's clear someone killed her, but the bumbling detectives on the case don't seem to care. When Mercy angers one of them, she finds herself being carted off to jail, alongside the notorious Raphael Sauvageau. Unfortunately, they're the number one suspects since they are both at the scene of the crime.

Raphael has plans and they don't involve Mercy. He needs to get revenge for a friend's murder and help his brother start a new life. Unfortunately, Mercy is there at every turn, and she's getting harder and harder to resist. Will she be his demise or his savior?

To be honest, author Kerrigan Byrne's GOODE GIRLS series has been on my TBR list, but book three, DANCING WITH DANGER is the first book I've read. I plan to remedy that situation very soon. DANCING WITH DANGER is expertly crafted. The characters are so complex and the story is so compelling. I can't wait to read more about them. Fans of historical romance won't want to miss this one.

This was an enjoyable read, but didn't quite hit the spot for me. It has a lot of things I'd usually very much enjoy - a competent, feminist heroine, a strong fraternal bond, a sapphic plot twist, an examination of what makes female victims of violence and murder considered worthy of attention and compassion - but somehow those things didn't all come together as well as I'd have liked them to. Mercy is so adamant about being not like other girls that it comes across very, well, not-like-other-girls. It tries a bit too hard to emphasize how unusual and special she is. It's also dizzyingly fast-paced, such that I felt the bond between the two MCs was rushed and didn't properly deepen. Considering the short space of time the book covers, it felt rather insta-love-y.

That being said, I did enjoy Rafael's plot line, and his devotion to his brother. Someone more invested in the series would be very interested to see what comes of the seeds planted for Gabriel's story. Though the inception of Mercy and Rafael's affair was quite unusual and contributed to the feeling of their union being rushed, I did like how it showed her agency and how unconventional arrangements could happen. I also liked the ending, and how it dived headfirst into how the life Mercy was expected to lead wasn't ultimately for her long-term. It did feel like a fitting resolution for her and Rafe.

Those who are invested in the series and who enjoy murder mysteries and whirlwind romances will enjoy this more than I did.

It just shouldn’t have been this short! Because Mercy and Raphael had potential. Their story would’ve been so good if it wasn’t moving so fast. Ans if they hadn’t fallen in love within only two days! I don’t know what is it about this series, it’s different from the other books I read by the author. It kinda feels like reading an author’s debut, if that makes sense, which is weird since this is her newest release. Those books are just so short and they move so fast. I would’ve wanted a chance to get to know Mercy and Raphael on a deeper level, because as I said their story had potential.

This author is a hit or miss for me and this was definitely a miss. Too rushed, too short, not much depth, it almost seemed like it was written to fit a mold, check all the points and be done with it. Not bad writing but it felt more like homework (you know, like when you had to write an essay and make sure you include everything you have learned about) than a truly felt story.