Enjoy!
ISBN-13: 9781250318862
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: 9-29-2020
Length: 416pp
Devil You Know #2
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound
ADD TO: GOODREADS
Overview:
All Scot and Bothered is the second book in the stunning Devil You Know series by USA Today bestselling author Kerrigan Byrne!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 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 a 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?
"With the Devil You Know series, Byrne once again delivers the beautifully nuanced characters and seductive storytelling her readers have come to expect."—Booklist
Read an excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
Castle Redmayne, Devonshire, 1891
Seven years was too bloody long for any Scotsman to go without tupping a woman. Or was it closer to eight?
Cassius Gerard Ramsay, Lord Chief Justice of the High Court, convinced himself the extended abstinence had to be why he was currently plagued with a physical malady he hadn’t suffered since his adolescence.
An unwelcome, agonizing public erection.
He’d be forty before too long. Surely he was immune to such afflictions at this age. Indeed, he’d trained such weaknesses out of himself years ago.
Life had taught him a man must rein in his appetites with an iron fist and unshakable self-mastery lest he be controlled or irreparably damaged by them.
And yet here he was, a captive to his cock, posturing to hide his body’s instant—nay, violent—reaction to the sight of the buxom and mystifying Miss Cecelia Teague licking truffle chocolate from her ungloved fingers.
In the middle of a soiree at Castle Redmayne, no less.
Despite his stern inner admonishments to keep his notice elsewhere, his gaze was tugged back to her by an invisible rope over and again to linger at her heart-shaped features.
He needn’t waste time wondering why. She was exactly the sort of women he’d always found himself drawn to. One with more curves than straight lines. Lush. Luxurious, even. Her skin the color of rich cream, her lips the hue of his favorite cordial.
All wrapped in a silky violet confection that contrasted with her extraordinary copper ringlets shining in the luster of the chandeliers.
Her azure gaze was a paradox. Wide and candid … but mercurial.
Damned if he didn’t find that the most intriguing combination.
A living sin, was Cecelia Teague. A wicked brew of both innocence and indulgence. The female equivalent of a truffle.
The tip of her finger disappeared into her mouth as she sucked the last bit of flavor from her skin.
Ramsay swallowed a tortured groan, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood as he crossed his legs. Uncrossed them. Shifted positions and crossed them in the opposite direction.
Seven. Fucking. Years.
Or is it longer? The entirety of his thirties seemed to be one long endless span of labor and loneliness, bereft of the splendid visual feast that was the naked female form.
And what a delectable morsel Miss Teague would make, after all the laces, ruffles, and ridiculous contraptions were peeled away, leaving only honest curves, intriguing dimples, fine hair, and supple, pillow-soft skin.
How had he gone so long devoid of the warm weight of a woman’s thighs testing the strength of his shoulders as he brought her to shuddering completion?
Long enough to nearly forget the feel of a woman’s sex. The secret moisture, the yielding, intimate flesh, the unholy pleasure.
Cecelia Teague bent to select another truffle from the crystal dish, affording him a view of her more than generous décolletage. Every wicked thing he’d done, every act he’d fantasized about or even conceived of flashed through his mind in a heart-pounding storm of lust.
Sweet Christ, those breasts would tempt a saint. They’d spill over his hands like fresh cream.
A trickle of sweat slid from his nape into his collar as he inhaled sharply, imagining the warm, inviting scent of the downy skin in the cove between them. The salt of it under his tongue, the unbearable softness—
“May I offer you a taste, my lord Ramsay?”
It took him an eternity to process Miss Teague’s casual suggestion. Finally, he blinked and eloquently inquired, “Er—pardon?”
“You were staring as though you desired them.” Her spectacles magnified her curiously dark eyelashes as they lowered shyly across her cheek. “And I grant you, they taste every bit as good as you’re imagining they would. Creamy and rich, with a hint of salt. You’ve never had better, I’d wager my life on it.”
All the moisture abandoned Ramsay’s mouth. His gaze flicked down to her breasts and he swallowed, dragging them back up to her earnest expression.
Copyright © 2020 by Kerrigan Byrne
Castle Redmayne, Devonshire, 1891
Seven years was too bloody long for any Scotsman to go without tupping a woman. Or was it closer to eight?
Cassius Gerard Ramsay, Lord Chief Justice of the High Court, convinced himself the extended abstinence had to be why he was currently plagued with a physical malady he hadn’t suffered since his adolescence.
An unwelcome, agonizing public erection.
He’d be forty before too long. Surely he was immune to such afflictions at this age. Indeed, he’d trained such weaknesses out of himself years ago.
Life had taught him a man must rein in his appetites with an iron fist and unshakable self-mastery lest he be controlled or irreparably damaged by them.
And yet here he was, a captive to his cock, posturing to hide his body’s instant—nay, violent—reaction to the sight of the buxom and mystifying Miss Cecelia Teague licking truffle chocolate from her ungloved fingers.
In the middle of a soiree at Castle Redmayne, no less.
Despite his stern inner admonishments to keep his notice elsewhere, his gaze was tugged back to her by an invisible rope over and again to linger at her heart-shaped features.
He needn’t waste time wondering why. She was exactly the sort of women he’d always found himself drawn to. One with more curves than straight lines. Lush. Luxurious, even. Her skin the color of rich cream, her lips the hue of his favorite cordial.
All wrapped in a silky violet confection that contrasted with her extraordinary copper ringlets shining in the luster of the chandeliers.
Her azure gaze was a paradox. Wide and candid … but mercurial.
Damned if he didn’t find that the most intriguing combination.
A living sin, was Cecelia Teague. A wicked brew of both innocence and indulgence. The female equivalent of a truffle.
The tip of her finger disappeared into her mouth as she sucked the last bit of flavor from her skin.
Ramsay swallowed a tortured groan, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood as he crossed his legs. Uncrossed them. Shifted positions and crossed them in the opposite direction.
Seven. Fucking. Years.
Or is it longer? The entirety of his thirties seemed to be one long endless span of labor and loneliness, bereft of the splendid visual feast that was the naked female form.
And what a delectable morsel Miss Teague would make, after all the laces, ruffles, and ridiculous contraptions were peeled away, leaving only honest curves, intriguing dimples, fine hair, and supple, pillow-soft skin.
How had he gone so long devoid of the warm weight of a woman’s thighs testing the strength of his shoulders as he brought her to shuddering completion?
Long enough to nearly forget the feel of a woman’s sex. The secret moisture, the yielding, intimate flesh, the unholy pleasure.
Cecelia Teague bent to select another truffle from the crystal dish, affording him a view of her more than generous décolletage. Every wicked thing he’d done, every act he’d fantasized about or even conceived of flashed through his mind in a heart-pounding storm of lust.
Sweet Christ, those breasts would tempt a saint. They’d spill over his hands like fresh cream.
A trickle of sweat slid from his nape into his collar as he inhaled sharply, imagining the warm, inviting scent of the downy skin in the cove between them. The salt of it under his tongue, the unbearable softness—
“May I offer you a taste, my lord Ramsay?”
It took him an eternity to process Miss Teague’s casual suggestion. Finally, he blinked and eloquently inquired, “Er—pardon?”
“You were staring as though you desired them.” Her spectacles magnified her curiously dark eyelashes as they lowered shyly across her cheek. “And I grant you, they taste every bit as good as you’re imagining they would. Creamy and rich, with a hint of salt. You’ve never had better, I’d wager my life on it.”
All the moisture abandoned Ramsay’s mouth. His gaze flicked down to her breasts and he swallowed, dragging them back up to her earnest expression.
Copyright © 2020 by Kerrigan Byrne
Reviews:
"Hot romance and tantalizing intrigue...Readers will be delighted." - Publishers Weekly starred review on All Scot and Bothered"Will ensnare readers with its soul-searing, richly sensual love story, expertly spiced with just the right dash of dry wit and generous measure of thrilling danger." - Booklist starred review on All Scot and Bothered
"Byrne crafts a smoldering romance that combines an enticing, well-matched couple with an original storyline about the underbelly of Victorian society that keeps the readers guessing." - Library Journal
"[Tantalizes] readers with the couple’s teasing and building passion." - Publishers Weekly on How To Love A Duke in Ten Days
"...Byrne’s writing comes to vivid life on the page, plopping you in the middle of piratical scheming with such verve you’ll swear you can feel the sea spray on your face. ...Byrne weaves in such undeniable thrills and a sweeping sense of all-consuming passion that you may just end up falling for the story against your better judgment." — Entertainment Weekly on The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo
"Another winner in a stellar series." — Library Journal starred review on The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo
"Everything about this deliciously dark and dangerous historical romance is done to perfection." — Booklist starred review on The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo
Book 1 available now
About the author:
Kerrigan Byrne lives with her husband on the coast of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula in a Victorian-era town almost frozen in time. When she's not writing, you might find her on the beach with her dogs, lounging at a local vineyard or brewery, or buying things she doesn't need at antique stores. Her novels with St. Martin's Press include the Victorian Rebels series (starting with The Highwayman) and Devil You Know series (which begins with How To Love A Duke in Ten Days).
Kerrigan Byrne lives with her husband on the coast of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula in a Victorian-era town almost frozen in time. When she's not writing, you might find her on the beach with her dogs, lounging at a local vineyard or brewery, or buying things she doesn't need at antique stores. Her novels with St. Martin's Press include the Victorian Rebels series (starting with The Highwayman) and Devil You Know series (which begins with How To Love A Duke in Ten Days).
That title is super cute and catchy!
ReplyDeleteHers always are Ali :)
DeleteI read my first Kerrigan Byrne last year and loved her writing. I need to keep going with more of her stuff. The title cracks me up, too.
ReplyDeleteOh you're better than me she's still on my list LOL
DeleteDebbie, I listened to this until 4:11 am last night. It was sooo good. I met this author at Book Bonanza and love this series on audio!
ReplyDeleteOh Now that's really good to know I need to use some audible credits that are expiring thanks Kim
DeleteI'm always up for a Kerrigan Byrne book and I'm a sucker for a hot Scot so this one is going on my 'must read' list.
ReplyDeleteSimply Angela
oh yes Angela all you have to do to get my blood heated is roll some rrrrs ;-)
DeleteI do like my Scots
ReplyDeleteYes you do :)
DeleteAm I the only one who has not read this book? :) It seems I am missing out.
ReplyDeleteno I haven't either but it's on my list :)
DeleteFantastic title and Scots are always a winner in a romance.
ReplyDeleteallllllways :)
DeleteNever met this author, but her work seems totally fabulous, and what a catchy title! Hugs and hope you are well! RO
ReplyDeleteI know right, hugs back
Delete