The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo (Victorian Rebels, #6)

by Kerrigan Byrne

He’s known only as The Rook. He remembers waking up in a mass grave with rage dissolving his soul. He has no memory of his past. His family. His sins. His name. And when his escape from the grave leaves him collapsed, he is rescued by the most beautiful young woman he’s ever laid eyes on. A woman who could maybe, just perhaps, heal the broken parts of him. If only he knew who he was.

Lorelai Weatherstroke is comprised of three monumental days in her life. The day her cruel brother shattered her leg and left her crippled for life. The day she rescued the broken, dark angel beneath the Ash tree as at the age of sixteen. And the day he left her house, her care, and her heart, never to return again. But even twenty years later, she recognises Ash, The Rook, instantly, as he comes surging back into her life to avenge her tormentors. But he has more enemies than the Devil waiting to hunt him down. Ash has already claimed Lorelai in his heart, but can he win back her love as he keeps her safe?

• ISBN13: 9781250122568
• Publish Date: 1 September 2018 (first published 28 August 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Imprint: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250122568

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!

It went too bloody fast. You do a walk... and listen. You bake some muffins... and listen. You drive to pick the boys up from school... and listen. You chill at the end of the day... and listen. Next thing I knew, there was only an hour left. How could I do this to myself? Where do I go from here? Should I go back and listen again? I should have spread them out ... AND NOW I HAVE NOTHING!!

Sorry, probably a little overly dramatic but I'm absolutely kicking myself for rushing through this series.

When each of the Rebels finds their perfect woman who loves them scars, nightmares and all, it's no wonder they become possessive, territorial, and protective. In The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo, Lorelai Weatherstoke loved her Rebel before he was even a fully evolved Rebel. He was just a Rebel in the making but already had a body full of scars and enough nightmares for a lifetime. In some ways, this made Lorelai love him even more. If he had scars, maybe he wouldn't judge her for her own.

This story was one of the saddest because we finally know all of the Rebels and how their horrible childhoods affected their futures. There are scars that each Rebel wears, some with honour and some with shame. Their nightmares haunt them and the reminder of the worst times keeps them wary of trusting the good times. I loved that it was their women who helped them see past their preconceived ideas and judgements and learn to enjoy the good times.

My favourite part of The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is seeing all of the connections and puzzle pieces falling into place. By listening to this series one straight after the other, the flow was perfect. There was no trying to remember who did what, when or how, it was all fresh and clear.

Derek Perkins again made this listening experience perfect and I loved his portrayal of the characters.

I do have one left, but I only recently read it so it's still fresh in my memory. Give me a couple of weeks, and I will HAVE to listen to that one too.

*************************************

I smiled when his knife hit its mark…

I know my credibility must seem questionable but I am legit telling you that THIS story was splendiferously, amazingly, awesomely, HISTORICAL ROMANCE NIRVANA. Well, nirvana in a Kerrigan Byrne historical romance kind of way.

Seriously, this author writes for me. OK, she doesn’t literally write for me, it just seems that way. Her heroines have struggled but still manage to have a strength that I couldn’t help but admire. The storylines grab my attention and keep it enthralled until the last page is turned. The settings are described in a way that comes to life for me. There’s this grittiness that can sometimes bring a tear to your eye, but there’s a reality to it, that it probably could have happened back in the day. But, the best part, Kerrigan Byrne creates the most amazing heroes. Strong, tortured, gruff and growly men who have seen the worse life has to offer but find a light in the women they love.

A few times while reading I had to put my Kindle down to absorb the giddy feeling of reading a superb book. You know that feeling when you finally find out a secret you’ve been dying to know? Well, I did the goofy smile of satisfaction when things finally became clear. It’s not like I start each book in the Victorian Rebels series hoping to finally find out the secret. When things came to light in The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo, I was gobsmacked. I got answers to questions I didn’t even know were questions. It just buffed up the diamond to sparkle even more. How cool is that?

As you might have noticed, I don’t share quotes in my reviews. Mostly, because I’m too lazy to check on the final copy to make sure they’re accurate. In this case, I really don’t want to share the best parts. You have got to experience this story yourself. Sure, I’m going to share that it’s good, but I want you to meet the characters, live through their heartbreak, share their highs and lows. I don’t want you to brace for the bad parts or recognise the funny one-liners you’ve seen before. I know that quotes have a great place in reviews, but I really think you would enjoy this one with fresh eyes…just my opinion.

Am I a bad person that I smiled at some of the violence? Sure, it couldn't have happened to a better person, but, you know, I tell my children that violence is bad. For a gritty read, there were some very funny scenes that had me cackling and reading them aloud to hubby and even he was chuckling. That is a BIG DEAL!! He normally gives me that fake smile, you are so weird face. So, it’s funny, but it’s also heart-poundingly emotional, extremely sexy and chock block full of action and adventure.

Yeah, I know I’ve said it before but THIS is Kerrigan Byrne’s best work by far. If you haven't started this series, you must start at the very beginning. Honestly, I don’t think you will enjoy this story half as much if you haven’t read the other books in the Victorian Rebels series. You probably could read it as a standalone, but I think you would enjoy the experience more having read the other books.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo does not shy away from violence, keeps to the realities of the time and you can bet your bottom dollar that you won’t be sighing in romantic bliss for a wee while of the story. This is what makes Kerrigan Byrne’s books so entertaining. You, along with the hero and heroine, have to earn your HEA, happy, giddy…The hills are alive… feelings. But, geez, it’s SOOOOOOO worth it.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

[chymerra]

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo was unlike any historical romance that I have read before. Why do I say that? A few reasons. This book was a lot darker than your usual Victorian romance. The author chose to explore themes that were taboo in that era. She also chose to make the book violent. I can count on one hand where I read a Victorian romance that had violence in it. Usually, those types of books are all sunshine and rainbows. Not this one. This one showcased the darker side of the human nature. And guess what, I loved it!!

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is the story of Lorelei and The Rook (also known as Ash). Ash was left to die on the edge of a road as a teenager. Lorelei, her father, and her brother happened to be riding by in their carriage when Lorelei spots him. He was horrifically injured, lye poured over him. The only thing unmarked was a beautiful dragon tattoo. The stranger, who has no memory of who he is, is renamed Ash by Lorelei. One day he leaves with her older brother, never to return. Instead of saying goodbye, he tells her: "There are only two indisputable facts in this world: The sun will set in the west, and I'll come for you. Always." His leaving means that she is now at the mercy of her abusive older brother, who had crippled her as a child. Ash does come back for Lorelei...20 years later. He is not the same boy that Lorelei fell in love with. He is a man with scars on his soul and no memory of who he was before he met Lorelei. He has done horrible things. He has exacted his revenge on the people who held him captive for 15 years. Can Lorelei help Ash regain his memory and heal? Or will she fail to drive out his demons?

Ash was damaged. He wasn't a good guy by any means. He did some pretty awful things in the 20 years he was separated from Lorelei. Even when they were together. But, the author made me feel pity for him. His reaction to Lorelei wanting to be with him was heartbreaking. As was the nightmares that he had. I wanted to reach into the book, hug him and tell him it was going to be ok. I enjoyed watching his interactions with Lorelei but I did feel frustrated with how he treated her at first. My frustration went away in the middle of the book when his internal monologue showed me how much he loved her. By the end of the book, Ash was still as damaged as he was in the beginning. But he was healing and that made me smile.

I liked Lorelei. Her rescue of Ash and her help in his recovery was excellent. I could see why Ash fell in love with her. An older Lorelei was amazing. She had been shaped by her life with her brother. Instead of turning into this fearful woman, she was someone who stood up to people. She was the one who made her father and brother stop the carriage. She had a hand in Ash's recovery. So, I wasn't that surprised when she discovered that she still had feelings for Ash. She fought for him, which I loved. It wasn't that she had to compete with another person for his affections. Instead, she fought his demons for him.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo had some pretty hot sex scenes that weren't between the main characters. There was intense sexual tension between Veronica and Moncrieff. That whole scene when she was watching him have sex with another woman was insane. Especially when she was getting turned on. Which is why I was surprised when the storyline took the turn it did. I was expecting something different. 

Speaking of sex, Ash and Lorelei's scenes were insanely hot. Mainly because you could taste the emotions when they were having sex. Everything Ash wouldn't/couldn't say came out when they had sex. The sexual tension between them was insane too. It didn't go away when they had sex. Instead, it was even more turned on, if that makes sense.

I wish the storyline that involved Ash's memory loss had been resolved earlier in the book. I felt that the conclusion to it was rushed. Which leads into the other storyline about the treasure. I didn't like the way it went in the end. There was a twist that I should have seen coming but didn't. A twist that made me go "Shut up" when I read it.

The end of the book was fantastic. I'm not going to go much into it but I will say this. I burst into tears at the last sentence of the epilogue.

What I liked about The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo:

A) How realistic Ash and Lorelei were

B) The storyline. Loved it!!

C) The sex scenes

What I disliked about The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo:

A) Ash's memory loss storyline being resolved when it was

B) Mortimer

C) Moncrieff

I gave The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo a 4-star rating. This is a dark romance with plenty of sex. I was able to connect to both characters. I felt that the memory loss storyline could have been ended sooner. Other than that, this was a book that I enjoyed reading.

I gave The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is graphic violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Paperbacks, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. 

All opinions stated in this review of The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

[thebookdisciple]

4.5 stars! Loved it!