The Devil You Know Series by Kerrigan Byrne: Red Rogues Meet Their Matches / Historical Romance Book Series

The Devil You Know series by Kerrigan Byrne is a short three-book series that packs in loads of drama with tragic prologues for everyone involved. I recommend reading this one in order since you find out about our three friends’ backstory in the prologue of Book 1.

How To Love A Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne (2019)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 1 of the Devil You Know series. As expected, there was a huge amount of drama and emotional turmoil in this book. We start with a tragic prologue where Alexandra is attacked by her school headmaster, defends herself, and then needs her friends to assist her in covering things up. To help her feel better, her two best friends reveal their own tragic secrets. As expected, the two friends will make up the main characters of the other two books in this series. Chapter one starts ten years later when she’s on her way to a duke’s masquerade ball where her friend is supposed to be announced as his fiancee. What follows is a series of near-death experiences, blackmail, family destitution, and a fearful pull that Alexandra has towards her friend’s intended, Piers. Don’t worry though, her friend is not in love with him at all and it was a marriage contract from many years past. When she finds out about the allowance the future duchess will receive, she proposes that the duke marry her instead of her friend. And then we have even more drama with Piers’ backstory with his family history, being attacked and scarred, being ditched by his fiancee for his cousin, and mistrust of women. These two people have their own reasons for not trusting one another but somehow feel safe and protected when they’re together. Loved seeing them start to slowly melt towards each other.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne (2020)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 2 of the Devil You Know series. This is the type of book that makes most sense when reading in series order, but still works perfectly well on its own. The prologue starts with Cecelia as a child being cruelly punished by her vicar father (who turns out not to be her father). Cecelia gets locked in an isolated cell and deprived of food and water. She ultimately gets rescued and taken away and sent to school by a mysterious benefactor. This is where she eventually meets her friends who make up the rest of the lead characters in the other books of the series. The other main character of the story is Ramsay, the older brother of the duke from Book 1. He’s also had a harsh childhood and eventually has become one of the most powerful lawmen of England. He’s very much attracted to Cecelia, but refuses to give in or to trust her. Suddenly, Cecelia inherits a gambling hell/slash women’s school from her aunt and is also accused of abducting young girls by our Lord Ramsay (even though he doesn’t know it’s her at first). These two end up in an antagonistic relationship with Ramsay being overly accusatory, but also protective at the same time. There’s eventually a need to escape the city and hide for protection and a dramatic subplot with a seven year old ward that Cecelia has also inherited. High drama, but in a good way.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne (2021)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 3 of the Devil You Know series. We start with another tragic prologue telling us about the Mont Clair Massacre, where the entire household was slaughtered and burned. It seems that Pippa (the cook’s daughter) has survived and now assumes the identity of Francesca (the new countess) and is seeking revenge. As she gets deeper into infiltrating her enemy’s lair, she catches the attention of a spy, Chandler, who is also targeting the same enemy. It turns out that Chandler is her childhood friend who she loved and saved her, but he was in love with Francesca and believes her to have truly survived the massacre. It’s a tangle of lust and secrets here and slightly heartbreaking for the woman who is actually in front of the man she loves.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.