The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne

The man known only as The Rook has a past that he can’t remember beyond the moment he was rescued by Lorelai Weatherstroke and her family. He was found badly beaten and damaged near a roadside Ash tree and Lorelai willed him to live through her loving care and sweetness. As he recovered, she gave him the name Ash, which he embraced at the time. When the cruel machinations of her brother separated them for almost twenty years, he abandoned the name and became known as The Rook, a brutal pirate cloaked in ambiguity and secretiveness. He decided to return and claim her only after her brother decided to force her into a disastrous marriage.

I’ve been intrigued by this man since he kept mysteriously popping up in earlier books, especially the last one. There was a teeny little hint of his connections but I wasn’t prepared for the actual explosive reveal. You’re gonna love it so I’ll leave that for your personal discovery. His return to Lorelai was full of the drama I expected but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment. In fact, it set the stage for everything else to come as these two reunited but as very different people. The Rook had hardened and Lorelai’s struggle to find the young man in this new one was heartbreaking. You could feel her despair and hope at the same time. His resistance to embrace what was once a real part of him gave way to the revelations of the past twenty years, though those before Lorelai were still elusive.

I absolutely loved this story! The revelation of The Rook’s identity was startling enough but there were more seismic ones to come. Lorelai is such an innocent but that didn’t mean she was a shrinking violet. She went toe to toe with The Rook, never backing down from her demand that he own his humanity that lay deep within him. There were new secondary characters introduced that I’m not finished with so I’m sure the author isn’t either. And, other secondary characters we’ve already met play a crucial role as well. This continues to be a great listening experience, too, as Derek Perkins delivers another wonderful performance. I loved how the story developed and the direction it took near the end. Now, I’ve got to pause and wait for the next book’s release in two months!

Book Info

• Release Date: August 28, 2018
• Series: Victorian Rebels #6
• Narrator: Derek Perkins
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 59 minutes
  Publisher: Tantor Audio

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo