They
are a dangerous duke, a fierce lord, and an infamous earl—dark,
bold, brave men who know exactly what they want. And there is only
one woman who can bring them to their knees...
He
is first and foremost—at everything. A man who's made his own way
in the world through ruthless cunning and sheer force of will. A
strong and imposing Scot who can turn on the charm but does not
suffer fools. His title: Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. His
name: Cassius Gerard Ramsay. His mission: To investigate the
goings-on at London's most notorious gaming hell, owned and operated
by one of the most intriguing and desirable women he's ever met.
IN
THIS GAME OF LOVE, THE RULES DO NOT APPLY
Cecelia
Teague was an orphan facing a rather dire future—until a secret
benefactor from her mother's scandalous past swept into her life.
Sent to prestigious boarding school and later to university, Cecelia
believed high society was at her fingertips...Then, from out of
nowhere, she became the inheritor of a gambling establishment.
Now Cecelia must live two lives: one as a proper lady who finds
herself undeniably drawn to Lord Ramsay and the other as a savvy
gaming hell owner trying to save her business from the very same man.
He has no idea she is both women...and Cecelia would like to keep it
that way. But what happens when consuming passion and escalating
danger threaten to reveal the truth?
Kerrigan Byrne's second book in the Devil You Know series and my first book by the author and an introduction to the Red Rogues.
I
appreciate the author has chosen to write a character like Cecelia as
the heroine. She's a woman who is refreshing in mind, body, and soul;
articulate, intelligent and charming. As an orphan, she benefited
from a stellar education, paid for my her mysterious benefactor. As
an adult, she's thrown into an unknown world and encounters Cassius
Ramsay, yet he's her enemy for reasons she's yet to
discover.
Cassius Gerald Ramsay, also known as
The Lord Chief Justice of the High Court isn't someone you want to
cross and neither does he want to be crossed. That's until he meets
Cecelia Teague, a woman unlike any he has met before. However, she's
a person of interest in his current investigation into a gaming
establishment, which conflicts with his carnal desires for this young
woman. Yet, when she needs to escape from danger, he's the one to
offer her shelter, revealing his true persona, hidden under his
steely reserve.
This was a slow burn read for
me as neither of the protagonists caught my attention when we're
introduced to them. However, as their personalities and backgrounds
are revealed, I warmed to them as individuals because I'm someone who
champions an underdog and Cecelia and Cassius are two such people who
have had to forge their way in life after challenging childhoods. As
a couple, their attraction and then lust for each was more
complicated. Ultimately it works but not before drama conflicts with
mixed feelings and desires.
I jumped into the series
full of expectations due to reader recommendations. Admittedly, it
took time to settle into this intriguing narrative, but the more I
read, the more I became absorbed into these characters. There's a lot
going on and as someone unfamiliar with the series, I might have
fared better had I read book one first.
Overall,
it's an action-packed historical romance leaving me with a desire to
read the whole series to fully appreciate the connection between the
three women known as The Red Rogues.
***arc
generously received courtesy of St. Martin's Paperbacks via
NetGalley***
