All Scot and Bothered

I was lucky enough to get an E-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a wonderful follow up to the first book in the series.
Kerrigan Byrne has done is yet again!

I truly love how the Red Rouges have risen from the trauma of their childhood with the kind guidance of Jean-Yves and have gone on to continue to be their accomplished.
In book 1 we saw Alex marry her grumpy, scarred duke so it only makes sense that his large grumpy Scotsman of a brother falls for her soft yet strong friend Cecelia.

I loved the fact that we really got to delve into Ramsey's backstory and how his parents have failed him led to him being this rigid man who sees life in black and white and lives in a way to be seen as above reproach.
In contrast, Cecelia's backstory and hardships have made her even more open and loving and kind.
Sunshine + Grump = sparks.

Their conflict is as much about his perception of her and the world of vice she has inherited as it is about their complicated feelings about love, family and abandonment.

They don't spend much time apart in this book which is very necessary to propel Ramsey's personal growth. Cecelia is a fleshed out person with her own desires and direction and so as much as this story is about their love, Ramsey is the one that has to do the most of the emotional work on page to believe himself worthy of love and also that their conflicting lifestyles can mesh together.

The intimate scenes were also banging. The barely restrained passion he had coupled with her eagerness to touch and be touched by him? Explosive.

All in all, it was a wonderful read and I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

CW for book: mention of past rape, murder on page and mentioned in the past, kidnapping, mention of past suicide, mention of alcoholic parent