All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne (Website, Twitter, Goodreads)Also by this author: A Dark and Stormy Knight, Courting Trouble
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on September 29th 2020
Genres: Fiction, Historical, Romance, Scottish, Victorian
Pages: 260
He is first and foremost—at everything. A man who's made his own way in the world through ruthless cunning and sheer force of will. A strong and imposing Scot who can turn on the charm but does not suffer fools. His title: Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. His name: Cassius Gerard Ramsay. His mission: To investigate the goings-on at London's most notorious gaming hell, owned and operated by one of the most intriguing and desirable women he's ever met.
IN THIS GAME OF LOVE, THE RULES DO NOT APPLY
Cecelia Teague was an orphan facing a rather dire future—until a secret benefactor from her mother's scandalous past swept into her life. Sent to prestigious boarding school and later to university, Cecelia believed high society was at her fingertips...Then, from out of nowhere, she became the inheritor of a gambling establishment. Now Cecelia must live two lives: one as a proper lady who finds herself undeniably drawn to Lord Ramsay and the other as a savvy gaming hell owner trying to save her business from the very same man. He has no idea she is both women...and Cecelia would like to keep it that way. But what happens when consuming passion and escalating danger threaten to reveal the truth?
Book two in the Devil you Know series did not disappoint – I love the Red Rogues!
This book is Cecelia’s story and while I didn’t actually recall if he was in book 1, Redmayne’s brother Ramsey takes the lead as Lord Chief Justice of the High Court who happens to be drawn to Cecelia but also at odds with his feelings because of who he is and what he has found out she has inherited. In the same day that she inherits a gaming hall, Cecelia is confronted by the Lord Chief Justice regarding missing girls and he vows to take her down…without knowing that the Scarlet Lady is actually now Cecelia in disguise. When he eventually finds out, Ramsey is definitely not happy.
Ramsey is most definitely a brooding hero and comes across as intimidating but for some reason, Cecelia isn’t afraid of him. They are a case of opposites attract as well – she enjoys life’s pleasures and he does everything he can to avoid them. She is soft and he is hard…I could go on here but you get the idea.
Byrne does a fantastic job of building out the backstories of Cecelia and Ramsey and it’s great to see how both have overcome the challenges they have had. Both are familiar with loneliness though and maybe they recognize something in one another…whatever it is, it made a great addition to their story. As Cecelia finds her purpose (with the impact the gaming hall had on the women/staff), she also challenges Ramsey to figure out what is important to him.
As always, Alexandra and Francesca are involved in the story but I liked that they both took a backseat to Cecelia this time and with that said, I can’t wait to see how Francesca’s story goes. I have an idea we will get to see more of a certain character introduced in this book and I can’t wait!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
About Kerrigan Byrne
Whether she’s writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, USA Today bestseller Kerrigan Byrne uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in every book. She lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her handsome husband and three lovely teenage girls, but dreams of settling on the Pacific Coast. Her Victorian Rebels novels include The Highwayman and The Highlander.
Recent Comments