These men are dark, bold, and brave. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees...
HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS
by KERRIGAN BYRNE
Series: Devil You Know It #1
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Genre: historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin's
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Synopsis
Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.
LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.
Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.
LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.
Praise for How To Love a Duke in Ten Days:
"[Tantalizes] readers with the couple’s teasing and building passion." - Publishers Weekly on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"An un-put-down-able story that combines sensuality, tenderness . . . and memorable characters." - Kirkus starred review on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"In this brilliantly conceived start to her captivating new Devil You Know series, Byrne once again delivers the beautifully nuanced characters and seductive storytelling her readers have come to expect, while at the same time deftly conjuring up the spirit of Victoria Holt’s classic gothic romances," - Booklist on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"An amazing story of how two broken people find a way to heal each other . . . even when some scars can’t be seen. [...] A beautifully written historical romance that was impossible to put down." - Affaire de Coeur on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"An un-put-down-able story that combines sensuality, tenderness . . . and memorable characters." - Kirkus starred review on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"In this brilliantly conceived start to her captivating new Devil You Know series, Byrne once again delivers the beautifully nuanced characters and seductive storytelling her readers have come to expect, while at the same time deftly conjuring up the spirit of Victoria Holt’s classic gothic romances," - Booklist on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"An amazing story of how two broken people find a way to heal each other . . . even when some scars can’t be seen. [...] A beautifully written historical romance that was impossible to put down." - Affaire de Coeur on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
Excerpt
Chapter One
Maynemouth, Devonshire, 1890
Ten years later
Alexander,
Accept the invitation to Castle Redmayne. I’m in danger. I need you.
—Frank
Alexandra Lane had spent the entire train ride from Lon- don to Devonshire meticulously pondering those fourteen words for two separate reasons.
The first, she had been unable to stop fretting for Fran- cesca, who tended to give more than the appropriate amount of context. The terse, vague note Alexandra now held was more of a warning than the message contained therein.
The second, she could no longer afford a first-class, pri- vate railcar, and had, for the last several tense hours, been forced to share her vestibule face-to-face with a rough- featured, stocky man with shoulders made for labor.
Alone.
He’d attempted polite conversation at first, which she’d rebuffed with equal civility by feigning interest in her cor- respondence. By now, however, they were both painfully aware she needn’t take four stops to read two letters.
It was terribly rude, she knew. Her carpetbag remained clutched in her fist the entire time, except when her hand would wander into its depths to palm the tiny pistol she always carried. The sounds of the other passengers in ad- joining vestibules didn’t make her feel safer, per se.
But she knew they would hear her scream, and that provided some relief.
For a woman who’d spent a great deal of the last ten years in the company of men, she’d thought these painful moments would have relented by now.
Alas, she’d become a mistress of manipulating a situation so, even if she had to endure the company of men without a female companion, there would be more than one man. In the circles she tended to frequent, people behaved when in company.
It had worked thus far.
Alexandra braced herself against the slowing of the train, breathing a silent prayer of relief that they’d finally arrived. She’d been terrified that if she’d glanced up once, she’d be forced into conversation with her unwanted companion.
Rain wept against the coach window, and the shadows of the tears painted macabre little serpents on the conflicting documents in her hands. One, a wedding invitation. The other, Francesca’s alarming note.
A month past, she’d have wagered her entire inheritance against Francesca Cavendish’s being the first of the Red Rogues to capitulate to the bonds of matrimony.
A month past, she’d assumed she’d had an inheritance to wager.
Their little society had seemed destined to live up to the promise they’d once made as young, disenchanted girls to never marry.
Until the invitation to an engagement masquerade— given by the Duke of Redmayne—had arrived the same day of her friend’s cryptic and startling note.
The invitation had been equally as ambiguous, stating that the future duchess of Redmayne would be unveiled, as it were, at the ball. Included in Alexandra’s particular envelope was a request for her to attend as a bridesmaid.
The subsequent plea for help from Francesca—Frank— had arrived in a tiny envelope with the Red Rogue seal they’d commissioned some years prior.
Alexandra hadn’t even known Francesca had returned from her romps about the Continent. Last she’d heard, the countess had been in Morocco, doing reconnaissance of some sort. Nothing in her letters had mentioned a suitor. Not a serious one, in any case. Certainly not a duke.
Francesca had a talent for mischief and a tendency to interpret danger as mere adventure.
So, what could possibly frighten her fearless friend?
Marriage, obviously, Alexandra thought with a smirk.
A risky venture, to be sure.
From How to Love a Duke in Ten Days. Copyright © 2019 by Kerrigan Byrne and reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Paperbacks.
About the Author
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.
How To Love A Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne3.5 out of 5 stars
This is only my second book so far by Kerrigan Byrne. After reading The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo and falling in love with the author's writing, I was thrilled to be starting a new series from her. It will be centering around a group of three best friends who went to school together and called themselves the Red Rogue society. Red because each of them have their own striking shade of red hair, and Rogue because they like to push the boundaries of what's expected of females at the time. I really loved the bond between these three women right from the start. They had a loyalty and camaraderie that was very evident and natural. There wasn't any jealousy or agendas between any of them, just a pure friendship that evolved into that of something closer to family. Francesca and Cecilia were both well developed in their backstories and personality, so much so that I'm already eager to read both of their HEAs in the following stories.
Dr. Alexandra Lane is an archaeologist who's considered a spinster and bluestocking by many, but that doesn't faze her in the least. She's respected in her field, travels abroad, and is content with her place in life. She doesn't have the slightest desire to ever wed, a sentiment that has always been shared with her best friends. However, Alex has more reason than her career for her lack of interest in marriage. After a sexual assault occurred, she's convinced herself that she has moved on from the trauma. But ten years after the horrible day she has never dealt with the emotions that have welled up inside her. So they've been festering and infecting her life through flashbacks, fear and anxiety of being alone with men, and being intimate. All of this she avoids if at all possible, and she's done a pretty good job of it until her sudden trip to Castle Redmayne.
There's a bit of a mystery regarding an unknown person who keeps making "accidents" happen around the heroine. There are several possibilities as to whom it could be, but it's assumed to be tied to Alex's dark history. In order to keep her dangerous secret hidden for these past ten years, she's had to pay a hefty price. Now that funds have run out, her freedom could be slipping away as well if she can't come up with a new plan.
I was really enjoying the first interactions between Alex and Piers. They had a great chemistry together and I loved seeing her through his eyes. This highly intelligent, witty woman was brave and skittish all at the same time. She was an enigma that he couldn't stop thinking about. As for Alex, she experienced an attraction that was completely new to her. She never sought out men's attention or paid it a second thought. But with Piers she was finding herself strangely drawn in and fighting uncomfortable feelings. Piers was a good man with a lot of love to offer. He could have turned irrevocably bitter and angry over the betrayals he suffered, but when Alex walks into his life, he opens the door for new possibilities.
Had anyone even searched? Or dared to brave the layers of her prickly intellect, her dowdy garments, and furrowed frowns to find the sensuous potential within the prim spinster? Apparently not. All that exquisite softness had gone unnoticed. Untouched. Unkissed. Until him.
“They say time heals all wounds, don’t they?” She expelled a caustic breath, her own fork idly scraping across the plate. “And I suppose that’s true to a point. But there is no mistaking the scars…”
I was super intrigued by Piers' brother Ramsay. He will be getting his full story next with Cecilia, and the potential has been laid for an exciting story. I did love the characters introduced here, the backstories were well drawn, and the pace was nice and smooth for the length. Of course Kerrigan Byrne's beautiful writing style was just as enchanting as it was the last time so no complaints there. A solid start overall despite my issues which don't seem to be a problem for others. I love reading about strong women breaking society standards in historical romance, and these three most certainly fit the bill.
They were perfect for each other. Two restless souls that would never be still. And would no longer have to wander alone.
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