A Dark and Stormy Knight by Kerrigan Byrne

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Victorian Rebels, #7

Release Date: June 2, 2020

Since his appearance back in the first book The Highwayman, I have wanted to see Sir Carlton Morley get his HEA – we have had glimpses of the man and with each new book, it became clear that there was way more to Carlton Morley than meets the eye and in the last book The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo – big revelations about Morley came out. So, FINALLY we get Carlton’s story!! Long overdue and yet worth the wait!!

Chief Inspector Sir Carlton “Cutter” Morley is a complex man with humble roots, born to London’s streets, he had plans to change his life and that of his best friend Dorian Blackwell and his twin sister Caroline. But tragedy changes everything, Cutter is laid to rest and Carlton is born. Seemingly dedicated to upholding the law, Carlton leads a double life – upstanding officer of the law by day, vigilante by night. His nighttime activities have been noticed and papers call him the Knight of Shadows. It is in that guise that Carlton follows a lead about a cold case and finds himself in a garden surrounded by men and women taking their pleasure. He is contemplating his options when he is mistaken for a “Stag of St. James” by a very lovely woman. This encounter leads to a night of passion with a complete stranger that Carlton has never allowed himself and will be a night that changes him forever!

Prudence “Pru” Goode is to be married and has just learned that her fiancé George, the Earl of Sutherland doesn’t love her and needs her dowry to shore up his finances and provide for his bastard children! Determined to find pleasure for herself, she seeks out the Stags of St. James, men who for a price will give a woman pleasure for a night. And pleasure is exactly what she finds with her masked lover. She shares a night she will never forget with Carlton and they part, never expecting their paths to cross again. But three months later, they do cross when Carlton is attending the wedding of his superior’s daughter. Moments before the ceremony is to begin, Carlton is called to the back of the church – the groom has been murdered and he walks in to see his garden lover, dressed in a wedding gown, covered in blood and clutching a knife, while standing over a dead man!

When Carlton learns that Pru is pregnant with his child, he immediately takes charge – he marries her and will do whatever is necessary to save her. Pru is intrigued by her new husband, but wonders what happened to the lover she knew. These two will have much to overcome before they find their HEA, but when they do – WOW, just WOW!

I have loved every book in this series, some more than others and The Highwayman is still my favorite, but Carlton’s story is every bit as good as the other books and I loved it. Carlton is a good man, his past shaped him, but amazingly, didn’t break him, he has a deep sense of right and wrong and will give his life to protect the ones he loves. Pru is also a wonderful person, loving, giving and gracious to all and the chemistry between her and Carlton is incendiary. The book is well-written, perfectly paced, has wonderful characters, cameos with Ash, Farah, Dorian and Argent, steamy love scenes, betrayal, murder, secrets, locked doors, a villain that gets his due and an HEA with a sweet epilogue. While I did love this book, I do wish that we learned what happened to Honoria and I really, really wish the author would take the time to learn proper use of titles and formal address of nobility. Other than those minor things, I loved this book and I would happily recommend it! It is the seventh book in the series and could be read as a standalone – but I would strongly recommend reading the series in order for maximum enjoyment.