Buy-book link:
Synopsis:
These
men are dark, bold, and brave. And there is only one woman who can bring them
to their knees...
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.
Author Bio:
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.
Elizabeth's Review
4.5 Stars - One of the Best
Review Copy Provided by Publisher via Net Galley
I think I may have just found my favorite historical of the year (so far at least).
Ms Byrne took a very timely modern issue and gives the reader a glimpse of what a woman facing the same issue 150 years ago would have gone through.
We meet three young ladies at 17 when secrets and tragedies take a strong bond and make it unbreakable. We meet them again 10 years later when issues threaten to resurface. How to Love a Duke focuses on Alexandra and the unusual deal she makes with Piers to address issues they both face.
Piers comes to the arrangement with his own wagon load of baggage. It was fascinating to watch these two spend time together and watch them try to figure each other out given the context of the things they were both struggling with. There were so many potential misunderstandings because of the context with which each person was framing the information received.
Ms Byrne uses elements of intrigue to craft a story that lets us watch this unique couple learn lessons in communication and honesty while figuring out how to be friends and ultimately grow a greater relationship. This is a well written exploration of how shining the light on some issues allows us to stop living in the shadows along with the importance of a strong support system.
Yes - I am being purposely vague in this review, there are parts of the story that I don't want to give away. I do want to stress that this is an impactful story that I think anyone who even slightly enjoys historical romance should read. Alexandra is a strong heroine who I would love to be friends with. Piers is a wounded bear of a hero that is impossible not to like once you get to know him a little bit. Add in their friends and the intrigue of the story and you have the makings of something I struggled to put down. I am very much looking forward to books for Alexandra's two friends.
View all my reviews
How
to Love a Duke in Ten Days Blog Tour Q&A
Q: What inspired you to write How to Love a Duke in Ten Days?
A: I’ve
always been one of those women who have enjoyed fierce female friendships. I
think that soulmates, even for heterosexual women, can be just as necessary
with other women as with men, and a real hero must not just love and respect
you, but also your tribe. I wanted to write a series where historical heroines
could truly have it all, education, dreams, businesses, wealth, genius,
revenge, hot sex, AND true love. Where the sacrifices were made on their behalf
instead by them, and where their heroes learn to lift them up in all ways, heal
their pains, calm their fears, become their best friends, and protect them with
what I hope is a great balance between alpha hotness and progressive
sensitivity.
Q: Is there one thing you would like readers
to take away from this story?
A: That’s tough because I packed a lot in
there! I would say the one thing from this book, specifically, is that
happiness is attainable against the odds, even when overcoming the worst that
people can do to one another. Even though I’m a grown up and a cynic, I still
like to write books that remind me that true love conquers all, because that
love can come from so many people.
Q: Can you describe your typical day writing
this book?
A: This book was especially difficult for me
to write, so I spent a great deal of time in my bathrobe. I would get up, my
fantastic husband would make me coffee, I’d call my critique partner and we’d
do a bit of brainstorming, and I’d write and rewrite for hours, stress, cry,
throw things, walk the dog, eat, snack, eat some more, facebook way too much,
and then finish under word count, binge a tv show or a book until I stared at
the ceiling into the wee hours. Oh, and there was drinking in there at regular
intervals.
Glamorous, I know!
Q: Describe the hero and heroine of How to Love a Duke in Ten Days in three
words each.
A: The Duke of Redmayne: Wary. Wounded. Wicked.
Lady
Alexandra Lane: Brave.
Brilliant. Beautiful.
Q: What is the one thing that the heroine,
Alexandra, can’t live without?
A: She cannot live without her two dearest
friends in the entire world, Miss Cecelia Teague, and Lady Francesca Cavendish.
They literally buried a body for her, and would defend her to the death.
Q: What was your hardest scene to write in How to Love a Duke in Ten Days? Your
favorite?
A: As with many (most) of my novels, the
prologues are the hardest to write, and read, I suspect. Usually I take the
characters to the very edge of their breaking point, often times pushing them
over so they have what seems like insurmountable conflicts to overcome both
internally and externally. So, for this book, Alexandra’s assault was the most
difficult thing to get through, and boy did I enjoy being able to help Piers
put her back together, because he was just the perfect hero for her. Tender,
empathetic, a good sense of humor, and a large dose of protective alphaness.
Q: Why do you write historical romance?
A: I’ve
always romanticized the past. I can’t help it. I love the pace and the
aesthetic, the gowns and the suits and the manners and the manors. I love to do
historical research and it’s so fun to see how much we are influenced by the
past and how, even though so much has changed through the centuries, people
really haven’t. Also, it’s fun to play with language, mystery, and sex in a
time when a scandal was still possible. *wink.
Q: Is there another particular author that
inspires you or that you enjoy reading?
A: There is a LIST! I would say in historical
romance, though, it’s always always Lisa Kleypas. She has a grasp on the
characterization of historical folks that I can never hope to attain. I’m just
in awe of her every word.
Q: Where do you go or what resources do you
use to make sure your novels are historically correct?
A: I love to find books about a time period at
B&N or my local bookshops. I go to Harper’s Bazaar for fashion, and a slew
of Victorian references for the time period. I do read blogs and sometimes
consult with historians and experts.
Q: Did you learn anything surprising while
researching for this novel?
A: Many things! I learned how truly difficult
it was to attain an education as a woman as little as a hundred years ago. It’s
really incredible how far we’ve come in a century.
Q: What do you do when faced with writer’s
block, if you ever are?
A: Oh man. I often am. I usually try to shake
it loose with a brainstorming conversation with a few friends I have who always
seem to be able to unstick me. I rely heavily on the creativity of others as
well as my own.
Q: How did you feel the first time you
realized one of your books was a big success?
A: I didn’t believe it. It seems surreal every
time I truly realize that a story I wrote entertained another human. Let alone
more than one. I’m like… they paid to read it? WHAT?
Q: What’s next for the Devil You Know series?
A: I’m especially excited for the next book
ALL SCOT AND BOTHERED because it’s about Alexandra’s best friend the curvy
vicar’s daughter, Cecelia Teague. She inherits London’s most infamous and
successful brothel, and one imposing, surly Scottish enemy along with it. She
and Lord Ramsay, the Lord Chief Justice with an axe to grind against her
establishment, can’t be in a room together without the sparks flying. I can’t
think about this book without smiling.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: I hope you enjoy this trio of roguish
redheads as much as I enjoyed writing them!
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