How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publish Date: August 27, 2019
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.
Disclosure: ARC provided for an honest review. #partner
I was drawn to the title of Kerrigan Byrne’s latest, How to Love a Duke in Ten Days. The idea of a quick-marriage scheme appealed to me, and when I started reading? It was so much more. I’m new to Kerrigan Byrne, but when the wonderful ladies at St. Martin’s Press recommends a book to you, you listen.
Before I continue, a trigger warning: The beginning scene contains rape. It was hard to read through. I understand the basis of the scene, because it’s what shapes the main character. From reading the dedication, “To every survivor. #metoo” I had an inkling of the content of the story. And I will say, that while the nature of the scene in the beginning, and while normally it’s hard to read through, the story behind it and the positive outcome was something that I appreciated.
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is unlike other historical romance stories that I’ve read. For one, I don’t normally read stories with rape in it. It’s hard to feel those onslaught of emotions. It’s hard to take those emotions from the character and not take it to heart on such a deep level. It’s hard, period. And because of the scene in the beginning, it sets the tone of Alexandra Lane’s life, bringing her to a life of secrecy and avoidance.
I enjoyed getting to know Alexandra, or Alexander as her friends call her. What she makes of her life despite of what happened to her didn’t define her much. She was affected, as many of can be, but she made the most of her life to make herself as happy as she allowed herself to be. And I think that’s where Kerrigan won me over. Alexandra as an individual is kind and loyal, which catapults us to the premise of this book. She finds herself agreeing to marry a Duke, mostly for the sake of financial reasons, but to help her friend solve a mystery (can’t discuss because spoilers!).
Piers is a beast of a man, and that’s mostly figuratively. He was scarred from a few years back due to an animal accident. He then becomes this brogue of a man, uncaring and unloving. But because of a marriage agreement, agrees to marry Alexandra. The romance has an awkward start, but mostly uncomfortable. It’s a realistic moment that Alexandra relives her past. It is also horrific that as one party feels one thing, the other feels the opposite. It’s truthful and harsh, but that’s how it really is.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was a topic that I was invested in and was extremely glad with how everything played out. There wasn’t a bubble of happiness, because Kerrigan really brought the fears and horrors to the surface. And again, I really appreciated it.
*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*