Courting Trouble by Kerrigan Byrne (Website, Twitter, Goodreads)Also by this author: A Dark and Stormy Knight, All Scot and Bothered
Published by Oliver-Heber books on December 8th 2020
Genres: Fiction, Historical, Romance, Victorian
Pages: 224
Doctor Titus Conleith emerged from his time as a battlefield surgeon with a mysterious fortune, a lethal secret, and a demon on his back. Ruthlessly intelligent, he was able to lift himself from his beginnings as a coal-stained bastard through merciless discipline and inexhaustible skill. Alone by choice, he swore never to open his heart to another. Not after Honoria Goode. The heiress who shattered his hopes and then tread upon the shards of his heart with her bejeweled slippers. The beauty with whom he shared his first taste of passion before she gave her hand to another.
The woman whose life he just saved from bleeding out on his table...
Honoria's life as a Viscountess has been nothing but a misery she'd brought upon herself with her own cowardice. Trapped for years in a loveless marriage to a cruel rake, she has been widowed by the consequences of his villainy. Now, she must face the man with the blazing golden eyes of the boy she once worshiped, and the dark past they both share.
As their passion reignites with the same fervor of their youth, Honoria can't help but begin to wonder...
Will he allow her the second chance she doesn't deserve?
As soon as I heard Kerrigan Byrne was writing a series on the Goode girls, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. I loved Pru in the last Victorian Rebels (or first Goode Girls) book and am so glad we get to know more about the rest of them! Nora is the main focus in Courting Trouble but I love that we get to learn more about Mercy and Felicity too.
This book picks up with the end of Pru’s story with Nora getting shot and Byrne does a fantastic job of weaving in Nora and Titus’ history to get the reader up to speed with what happened with them and why things are a bit strained in current time. Nora is an interesting character and I couldn’t help feeling such sadness for her. As the eldest daughter, she is taught early on that she must marry well and not do anything to negatively impact her family’s reputation. It’s definitely a lot of pressure on her to “do the right thing” all the time.
Titus…I really loved him. He comes from nothing and found himself working in the Goode household when he loses his family. As a servant, he isn’t really recognized in the household but when Titus fills in to light the fires one day, he finds Nora delirious with fever and this has a huge impact on his life. Not only does he stay and help the family doctor to save her life, but the experience creates a path for him to apprentice with the doctor and become a surgeon in the future. When Nora comes home after having been gone for a while, Titus can’t help being drawn to her again and this time, Nora finally notices him.
Nora and Titus together are great but when Nora’s father finds out about them, and threatens Titus and her, she agrees to a marriage that isn’t what she wanted. Unfortunately, because of her desire to protect everyone else, not only does she suffer for her decision but Titus is pushed into a life he didn’t even get a voice in. She absolutely thought she was doing the right thing and had every hope that he would find happiness without her. Knowing his character, he would have fought for her regardless of what her father said or did and it was unfortunate that she didn’t talk to Titus about what was happening.
When Nora and Titus finally come back together in the current time, Titus can’t help but still care about her, regardless of what he had decided years ago, and as they end up in a familiar situation he refuses to let her martyr herself. It’s also helpful that Mercy and Felicity are also there to direct Nora to do what will make her happy.
Byrne does a fantastic job of bringing the past into the current story. I love a good second chance romance and the way she built the romance between Titus and Nora was great. I always appreciate when we get to revisit with characters from other books by the author and not only do we get Morley and Pru but Dorian Blackwell makes an appearance or two as well.
If you’re looking for a great new historical romance series, look no further. Kerrigan Byrne is an auto-buy author for me ever since I started her Victorian Rebels books but trust me, you won’t be disappointed by any of her books so if you haven’t read them yet, go grab them all and read them now. I’m absolutely looking forward to Mercy’s book next and can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
About Kerrigan Byrne
Whether she’s writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, USA Today bestseller Kerrigan Byrne uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in every book. She lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her handsome husband and three lovely teenage girls, but dreams of settling on the Pacific Coast. Her Victorian Rebels novels include The Highwayman and The Highlander.
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