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zeemonodee's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I was all set to write a glowing review of this one as I started and read along - the fact the Scarlet Lady is revealed to be Cecelia fairly early in the plot make me go 'Yay!' because then, it wouldn't be a case of the blurb already giving away 2/3rds of the book, and thus there was much left to be discovered in the rest of the book. This worked out fairly well...until they got to Scotland, and the pace just nose-dived for me, getting so slow and sluggish. I get that it was probably done to establish the romance developing between Ramsay and Cecelia, but the pace took a huge hit, and it was like everything else that was supposed to be the plot for this story just got brushed aside in a sort of 'Plot? What plot?' manner that fairly grated - and then the rushed conclusion when the 'plot' returned in full force just felt too jumbled and forced.
That could've killed just one star from my review...but then we get to the atrocious butchering of the French language in there! It seems a bit hard to believe the author and all the people at the publishing house don't know someone who knows French and could've checked the few French phrases and words in there to make sure they were spelled right and with the right masculine/feminine construction the language requires (example, bonbon is masculine, never mind if you're using it as an endearment for a woman or a man - it's always written the masculine way mon petit bonbon and never ma petite bonbon That this was also uttered by a man who is supposed to be French was even more cringe-worthy! Sadly looks like the whole team of author and editor and publishing house barely went beyond Google Translate for the French (and actually, even Google Translate gives the accurate construction!)
I was all set to write a glowing review of this one as I started and read along - the fact the Scarlet Lady is revealed to be Cecelia fairly early in the plot make me go 'Yay!' because then, it wouldn't be a case of the blurb already giving away 2/3rds of the book, and thus there was much left to be discovered in the rest of the book. This worked out fairly well...until they got to Scotland, and the pace just nose-dived for me, getting so slow and sluggish. I get that it was probably done to establish the romance developing between Ramsay and Cecelia, but the pace took a huge hit, and it was like everything else that was supposed to be the plot for this story just got brushed aside in a sort of 'Plot? What plot?' manner that fairly grated - and then the rushed conclusion when the 'plot' returned in full force just felt too jumbled and forced.
That could've killed just one star from my review...but then we get to the atrocious butchering of the French language in there! It seems a bit hard to believe the author and all the people at the publishing house don't know someone who knows French and could've checked the few French phrases and words in there to make sure they were spelled right and with the right masculine/feminine construction the language requires (example, bonbon is masculine, never mind if you're using it as an endearment for a woman or a man - it's always written the masculine way mon petit bonbon and never ma petite bonbon That this was also uttered by a man who is supposed to be French was even more cringe-worthy! Sadly looks like the whole team of author and editor and publishing house barely went beyond Google Translate for the French (and actually, even Google Translate gives the accurate construction!)
librarydancer's review against another edition
2.0
2 1/2 stars
A lot of little plot holes and overnight changes of personality added up for me.
A lot of little plot holes and overnight changes of personality added up for me.
oceanelle's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Big incel vibes tbh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
vickimcosta's review against another edition
2.0
This was... ok.
The hero really irritated me and I feel like he didn't do enough groveling.
The hero really irritated me and I feel like he didn't do enough groveling.
mvbookreviewer's review against another edition
2.0
The second installment in the Devil You Know series; All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne turned out to be anticlimactic in many ways. This series which focuses on three women who meet and forge an unlikely friendship and bond at boarding school, which continues to be a huge part of their lives even after, often reads like a cliched manuscript for a women’s rights advocacy group.
Cecelia Teague spends her most formative years undergoing emotional and at times physical abuse at the hands of her father until she is rescued and given all of those things which she never would have thought possible. However, the one constant in her life remains – loneliness, which has never truly left since those dark days long in her past.
Cecelia’s path crosses that of Cassius Gerard Ramsay, when one of her friends gets married to Ramsay’s half brother. Ramsay is a stickler for due process, understandable given his profession as the Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. Furthermore, Ramsay is a man who believes abstinence is key to a life that is not ruled by vices. However, in Cecelia he finds a woman who tests his resolve for the first time in seven long years.
Even so, fate does not treat these two ever so kindly at first, with Cecelia forced to assume responsibility for something that Ramsay loathes with his very existence. When danger comes calling and in pursuit of Cecelia and those whom she holds dearest, Ramsay does not waste any time in taking her to safety until they are able to get to the bottom of it.
As these two battle out their mutual attraction to one another, the truth that emerges from the past maybe a much heavier price to pay than either of them bargained for. But reconcile they must, and acceptance is key to a shared future, if Ramsay and Cecelia are ever so inclined.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my review, this book turned out to be such a let-down in many ways. I found the story bogged down with tedious detail and cliched in many ways that I often left comments expressing my dissatisfaction with the undertones in the story. I am all for strong heroines who go out of their way to fight for and carve out their rightful place in society. But I do dislike stories that rather than impart important messaging along those lines with subtlety, goes to include preachy dialogue that just falls flat, given the time period, circumstances, and characters in question.
My biggest disappointment was how Ramsay turned out to be. He was such a formidable character from the very first installment in the series. His presence alone had a vibe that I liked, something that sent delicious shivers running up and down my spine. But alas, his character seemed to deflate like a balloon that loses air in small degrees, as Ms. Byrne attempted to make Cecelia stand strong and true to her values.
I agree that Ramsay was an ass ofttimes and held such strong opinions of his own regarding women’s place in society and how his life should be. In a way I don’t blame him given the job title which he holds, which comes with a lot of moral and ethical responsibilities attached to it. It is not just his own self and actions that would be under scrutiny but those whom he considers his family and friends as well.
So Cecelia in her high handedness refusing to see that was part of the problem for me, while Ramsay’s stubbornness also was unacceptable. But then in truth, that is what humans are like, and I would have expected them to find a way to be together because their love was worth it. As women, we don’t have to push feminism and women’s right to the extent that we are unwilling to bend and compromise for what is important in life. Love requires compromise, a future built on mutual trust and other values requires compromise – show me a successful marriage and/or relationship that does not include compromise as the number one keyword for their success and I will reconsider my opinion.
So Ramsay’s character, needless to say, was butchered in a way that was unacceptable in my opinion. He was initially the very definition of compelling. I keep wondering as to whatever happened to Ms. Byrne’s will to write ruthless heroes that made my senses go haywire. I wonder what happened to the writer who was willing to go where her characters took her, even when they were often difficult roads to travel on. But we as readers appreciated that darkness to her characters which few authors tend to risk writing. I wanted so much more for Ramsay and Cecelia – a plot that just sank in the middle was not it.
Recommended for die-hard fans of Kerrigan Byrne and fans of the series! I am not entirely certain that I would be reading the next installment, given the reviews that show that readers were more or less let down once again!
Final Verdict: What a sore disappointment this turned out to be, me with my high hopes smashed to smithereens by the overly preachy and cliched overtones on feminism & women’s rights interwoven into the story.
Rating = 2/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
Cecelia Teague spends her most formative years undergoing emotional and at times physical abuse at the hands of her father until she is rescued and given all of those things which she never would have thought possible. However, the one constant in her life remains – loneliness, which has never truly left since those dark days long in her past.
Cecelia’s path crosses that of Cassius Gerard Ramsay, when one of her friends gets married to Ramsay’s half brother. Ramsay is a stickler for due process, understandable given his profession as the Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. Furthermore, Ramsay is a man who believes abstinence is key to a life that is not ruled by vices. However, in Cecelia he finds a woman who tests his resolve for the first time in seven long years.
Even so, fate does not treat these two ever so kindly at first, with Cecelia forced to assume responsibility for something that Ramsay loathes with his very existence. When danger comes calling and in pursuit of Cecelia and those whom she holds dearest, Ramsay does not waste any time in taking her to safety until they are able to get to the bottom of it.
As these two battle out their mutual attraction to one another, the truth that emerges from the past maybe a much heavier price to pay than either of them bargained for. But reconcile they must, and acceptance is key to a shared future, if Ramsay and Cecelia are ever so inclined.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my review, this book turned out to be such a let-down in many ways. I found the story bogged down with tedious detail and cliched in many ways that I often left comments expressing my dissatisfaction with the undertones in the story. I am all for strong heroines who go out of their way to fight for and carve out their rightful place in society. But I do dislike stories that rather than impart important messaging along those lines with subtlety, goes to include preachy dialogue that just falls flat, given the time period, circumstances, and characters in question.
My biggest disappointment was how Ramsay turned out to be. He was such a formidable character from the very first installment in the series. His presence alone had a vibe that I liked, something that sent delicious shivers running up and down my spine. But alas, his character seemed to deflate like a balloon that loses air in small degrees, as Ms. Byrne attempted to make Cecelia stand strong and true to her values.
I agree that Ramsay was an ass ofttimes and held such strong opinions of his own regarding women’s place in society and how his life should be. In a way I don’t blame him given the job title which he holds, which comes with a lot of moral and ethical responsibilities attached to it. It is not just his own self and actions that would be under scrutiny but those whom he considers his family and friends as well.
So Cecelia in her high handedness refusing to see that was part of the problem for me, while Ramsay’s stubbornness also was unacceptable. But then in truth, that is what humans are like, and I would have expected them to find a way to be together because their love was worth it. As women, we don’t have to push feminism and women’s right to the extent that we are unwilling to bend and compromise for what is important in life. Love requires compromise, a future built on mutual trust and other values requires compromise – show me a successful marriage and/or relationship that does not include compromise as the number one keyword for their success and I will reconsider my opinion.
So Ramsay’s character, needless to say, was butchered in a way that was unacceptable in my opinion. He was initially the very definition of compelling. I keep wondering as to whatever happened to Ms. Byrne’s will to write ruthless heroes that made my senses go haywire. I wonder what happened to the writer who was willing to go where her characters took her, even when they were often difficult roads to travel on. But we as readers appreciated that darkness to her characters which few authors tend to risk writing. I wanted so much more for Ramsay and Cecelia – a plot that just sank in the middle was not it.
Recommended for die-hard fans of Kerrigan Byrne and fans of the series! I am not entirely certain that I would be reading the next installment, given the reviews that show that readers were more or less let down once again!
Final Verdict: What a sore disappointment this turned out to be, me with my high hopes smashed to smithereens by the overly preachy and cliched overtones on feminism & women’s rights interwoven into the story.
Rating = 2/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance