Mena escapes from a mental institution she'd been involuntarily committed to by her abusive husband. She travels to Scotland to be the governess of Liam MacKenzie's two children. Normally I'm not a fan of governess stories, but the governess part was not as annoying a I usually find them.

Liam courts her and is strong and has a violent past, but he doesn't treat anyone violently in the book except in defense of himself or those he loves. They both feel unworthy of each other, her for lying and him for killing people (though he was a soldier he doesn't use that to excuse his actions.)

I enjoyed the interactions of the characters and I liked how the household was described. A very absorbing and well told story. ( )

The Highlander
4 Stars

Kerrigan Byrne's Victorian Rebels series is rapidly turning into a favorite. She does not shy away from the darker and harsher aspects of the time period, and her characterization is realistic and consistent.

Mena and Liam's opposites attract romance is wonderful. They have breathtaking chemistry and complement each other so well. Liam is a domineering man with a tremendous capacity for violence, but Mena with her incredible strength, courage and resilience softens his hard edges just as he provides her with the safety that she needs to build up her self confidence.

The only problematic element is the keeping secrets trope at the heart of the story. Nevertheless, Byrne handles it well, and it does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

The hints at stories to come are intriguing and I look forward to the rest of the series.
( )

A Very Solid!
5 Stars!

Gloriously Steamy Adult scenes.
Fantastic Mystery I was not expecting!
Great world and character build.

I absolutely adored it.
Fantastic read. ( )

This story wasn't as engaging or memorable for me as the first two in the series. It had a dramatic start, but didn't maintain that interest. The villain felt sort of Scooby-Doo. Mild spoiler- I find it unlikely that someone who's been cowed for years by her own husband and in-laws would suddenly go toe-to-toe with a large stranger who terrifies most soldiers. And having her cower occasionally makes that even less likely, not more so. I felt like I missed the part where they fell in love, they weren't- and then suddenly they were soul-mates. (It seemed mostly based on physical attraction to me). =/ And I didn't find her bonding with the children that organic either. Nothing was horrible, but this book was definitely much weaker than the first two.

2nd read- I still support the points I made in my first impression. Adding to that, there are many nice parts in the story. You can really feel the couple being pulled toward each other (it still feels more physical to me than anything grander, but that's fun too). And I like that both leads have dark pasts, not just the hero. Things do get a little slower and wonkier in the later part, but it doesn't ruin the book or anything. I'm a fan of this darker-sort of historical romance. ( )

I wouldn't call this series the best certainly. Though I haven't finished, I'm fairly certain that for me one of those is The Brothers Sinister

I would call this entertaining, fun to read, and at times: Beautiful. And really, most days that's enough. Kerrigan Byrne does a good job showcasing both characters strengths and vulnerabilities, and this book was certainly no exception. I have to binge these a bit--as I received an ARC--and that's not my preferred mode of consumption, but I'm not struggling with it here.

This book felt a bit different in that Liam is slightly less of an anti-hero. Tortured, sure. But he doesn't slot in the anti-hero mold for me. I absolutely adored him despite this. His little flare of temper while remaining basically controlled were just fine with me. His form of retribution was just fine with me...his appreciation of Mena, also completely fine. His angst? Totally fine. He also has some swoony moments, between his children and his declarations. He's not perfect (rush to judgement, trouble trusting, bad temper) and that is PERFECT for me.

Mena didn't suffer in his shadow, however, and her patience and persistence is showcased wonderfully as she pretends to be (or acts as? ) a governess for Liam's children. As her sweet manner consistently does, she wins over the children both at once in in parts. She's a perfect example of through fear, people have courage, and I just loved watching her come into her own. When she makes sure Liam and others don't assume what she doesn't know by putting them in their place, it's fun to see how smart and confident she is.

In contrast to the prior, [b:The Hunter|25398324|The Hunter (Victorian Rebels, #2)|Kerrigan Byrne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436215907s/25398324.jpg|45151102], this felt more relationshipy. I appreciated that,because it's pretty much why I read romance. Still, this hero doesn't quite hold the allure compared to the fascinating and cold Argent (or Blackwell's calculating power) it doesn't take away from him being one of those very fine romance heroes. It's just put them in a room together (wait, she did!) and I can't decide who to climb first. It's fair to say I enjoyed that little power struggle.

If I have one issue with the outcome (well, there are a couple), but if I have one, it's that Liam isn't sure of Mena on his own in the end. I find this a little irrational, given that Mena has faced a very dark past with men, yet knows she's able to trust Liam. His faith in her was shaken too easily despite the fact she had secrets being quite open. And if there's anyone who wouldn't trust a peer, I think it'd be Liam. If it was momentary, ok, but the fact remains that Dorian declared Liam would have to hear it from the source--I'm a little befuddled by that and I find the characterization annoying and a bit inconsistent.

The final declarations are delightful and wonderful, and overall I really gobbled up this book with no problems. ( )