4.5 Stars
Kerrigan Byrne’s take on the sunshine and the grump trope! I love it SO MUCH. This book follows the bright and cheery Cecelia and the grump/actual jerk Ramsey. Ramsey is Cecelia’s best friend’s brother-in-law. So they know each other socially… until Cecelia’s life takes a turn when she unexpectedly inherits the gambling establishment. The same gaming establishment Ramsey is trying to take down, making them adversaries.
Once again Ms. Byrne’s writing takes center stage in this fast-paced, dark, sometimes funny, and sexy book. It’s an age gap, enemies to lovers, hidden identity (whew!) romance. The banter, unique plot, and incendiary sexual chemistry has put this book at the top of all the historical romances I’ve read so far this year.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if Ramsey could be redeemed. He was SUCH a pious nightmare, especially when he’s in Chief Justice mode. I forgot how completely head over heels Byrne makes her heroes fall. Let me tell you now, it was a DELIGHT to read.
Cecelia was EVERYTHING. Incredibly smart, tall, and plump. Sure, she has the same body insecurities many women have, but, for the most part, she embraces her self and her worth. It’s a gosh darn inspiration, and I would like to be her best friend. The scene between Ramsey and Cecelia right after she inherited the gambling establishment made me want to give her a huge high-five.
The plot did feel a little rushed at the end, especially how Ramsey and Cecelia could make it work as a couple after all the drama died down. I wanted to know more! I also thought Cecelia was SO well developed and enjoyable as a character, Ramsey sometimes fell flat in comparison. But he’s still a big sexy scot, and I love him, so how much dimension does he really need?
Overall, this was an incredibly quick read, mostly because I couldn’t put my kindle down from start to finish. With this new series and her Victorian Rebels series, I believe Kerrigan Byrne has established her place in the upper echelon of historical romance authors. I wouldn’t hesitate to put her work up with Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Beverly Jenkins, and Eloisa James.
**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 
Kerrigan Berne is one of my favorite historical romance authors. For me she is in par with Elizabeth Hoyt, Judith Ivory, Mediterranean Duran, Courtney Milan, Minerva Spencer, and Sarah MacLean just to name a few of my favorite authors of genre. I love her books. Except I did not like All Scot And Bothered as much as I did other books. I liked it enough to finish reading. It must be just me as it got as good reviews as her other books.
Thank you.
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