The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo

4.25 Stars Fourteen year old Lorelai notices a naked corpse at the side of the road, the corpse then moves. The young man is taken back to Southbourne where Lorelai nurses him back to health. They share a kiss & then he leaves for an interview to be an apprentice never to return.He took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after twenty years he’s returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. This is the sixth book in the series but is easily read on its own, however I’d start with book one as this series is so very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & read in under a day, the pace of the story is good & the characters well portrayed. I liked both Ash & Lorelai & found their teenage romance very endearing. I’m so glad that Ash has at last had his story There were twists & turns along the road to their HEA, I’d love to read Victoria’s story too. I know the title is out of the author’s hands but personally would have liked a simpler title maybe The Pirate My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Slow Burn, sweet and sensual romance Kerrigan Byrne has become one of my favorite writers in historical romance. Once again she delivers a story rich in character and description in The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo and what an amazing experience reading Ash and Lorelai’s story. Though Ash is the name Lorelai gives the man who is found horribly beaten and half dead near an Ash tree, his identity remains a mystery throughout the book until towards the end when his memory is jolted awake. It is unbelievable what happens to this young man who is imprisoned, beaten, and left for dead. Lorelai who is 14 at the time, nurtures him to back to health, and both develop strong feelings of love and friendship. But Ash’s fate is heartbreaking and the time with Lorelai is cut short when her cruel brother, Mortimer, sells him to merchant seamen. Twenty long years and still without his memory of the past, an amazing story unfolds around this man who is known as The Rook. The story is complex and engrossing. We really don’t get that much romance until almost the end, but it is worth the wait. Throw in a hunt for treasure, tales of becoming a duke and amassing wealth, and a mutinous crew of pirates, and you get one heck of a story. Ms. Byrne’s storytelling is imaginative and rich in descriptive detail which makes it fascinating. I love how this ties to the other characters, Dougan and Argent, in the Victorian Rebels series. I received a copy from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I’ve had a bit of an up and down relationship with this series, but this was a title and premise that intrigued, so I’m giving it a go. And, for the early part of the book, until about the halfway point, I was all in: the stories were intriguing, the blush of young love was refreshing, and the nod to (while often ignoring) conventions of the time showed a sense of Victoriana while not reverting to the overall stuffiness that often surrounded and stifled interactions. But both Ash and Lorelei are wonderfully drawn, and despite both having horrible pasts, gentle and open with one another. And then, Ash left and Lorelei was left, at fourteen, at the hands of her dastardly brother, with few to no options and constant psychological abuse, put downs and a helplessness and near hopelessness where changing her future was concerned. Twenty years have passed, her brother has run through all the money (including her dowry) and terrorizes his own wife in ways unimagined, well, if Lorelei wasn’t privy to most of aftermath. Her only options are penury and the abuse, or marriage- a marriage to another distasteful man, arranged by the brother. On her wedding day, one that she’s dreaded yet accepts with her usual equanimity – keeping everything close to her chest except from those who know and care about her best: her sister-in-law. But, circumstances align and she and her sister-in-law are taken from the church, her bother is murdered and her fiancé is a no-show – and the culprit – The Rook, is to blame. The Rook is Lorelei’s Ash, some twenty years later- a harder, more threatening, twenty years too late Ash. The power play between these two, with Ash’s inability to find his humanity and the words to explain just how important Lorelei is to him, how he fought through being shanghaied and repeatedly sold from one ship to another, waited to build experience and fortune, killing and looting- all to reclaim her. But, he still is no closer to knowing who he is, only that he must possess Lorelei, have her close to hand simply because she brings him peace. The revelations from Ash’s past, including his name, his history and the semblance of family he created as a young street urchin are dramatically, and thoroughly revealed, as Ash comes to learn of his past, his memories returned, and Lorelei at his side. The stories here are heartbreaking and horrible: Ash’s trials, Lorelei’s struggles and everyone’s amusement at Ash’s cluelessness with regard to his feelings for her. Emotions are palpable, with Lorelei’s heart and fierce protectiveness shining through. A lovey story that has some intriguing and clever moments woven into the story of lost and broken things finding hope and happiness, and a new start. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.