Crying Wolfe by Kerrigan Byrne Series: Goode Girls #5
Published by Oliver-Heber Books on April 19, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Victorian
Pages: 216
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
A brand-new deliciously wicked romance series from USA Today Bestselling Author Kerrigan Byrne. The Goode Girls aren't simply good, they're stunning.
Elijah Wolfe is just as ruthless as his name suggests. Born in the slums of New York to immigrant parents, he used his sharp wits and sharper fists to fight for survival... One day he struck gold, literally, but being one of the richest men in the world still leaves his heart empty of trust and his world full of enemies.
Birthed into scandal, Rosaline Goode is having the worst season possible. Women gossip behind their fans and men don't offer a dance, let alone marriage. Just as she's beginning to find a foothold in society, she's caught, nearly naked, in the home of the famously unscrupulous American whose name is on everyone's lips.
Her lips, however, have captured his dangerous interest, and Rosaline finds his kiss impossible to resist... that is until she learns that he is her family's most bitter enemy, and his quest for revenge leaves no room in his dark heart for love.
I enjoy fast books, and I usually adore Kerrigan Byrne’s writing but this one flew by and I ended up feeling a bit disappointed. Crying Wolfe is entirely focused on the characters; no side mystery or plot to zhuzh things up or distract from the budding relationship. That can be lovely, but it also puts a lot of stress on the characters to deliver. I really enjoyed Rosaline and Eli was amusing in his stereotypical “American West” gruffness. Out of the two, I was most drawn to Rosaline.
Byrne takes extraordinary care and thoughtfulness with mental illness in her writing. It lends an authenticity to her characters that some books miss out on and those tugged heart strings stay tangled long after you are done reading. This is certainly the case with me when thinking about Rosaline.
During times of stress, Rosaline has an irresistible urge to steal things. She manages it through complicated, OCD rituals but occasionally the urge is too much. This time, Rosaline is caught in the neighbor’s observatory by the new owner, Elijah as she takes a small unimpressive bowl/vessel. Elijah is understandably pissed that someone stole something from him and gives chase, leaving the two to get caught in dishabille while Eli demands his item back.
Dear Eli, the grizzled American that has built his fortune with his own two tanned, calloused hands that are now nicknamed “Midas”. With a bit of backstabbing and gold-digging individuals in his past, Eli has written off all types of love. He is crude, foul-mouthed, with a quick-temper. You know, your typical upstart American barging his way into high society.
Reading that, it’s clear that I loved Rosaline and tolerated Eli in their own stories. So… what’s the deal? Ultimately, I needed more depth from the romance and story. Rosaline was so young and naive, and while I loved the layers that were developed… I had a hard time with the insta-love/lust after a single kiss with Eli who was essentially a stranger at that point. After being convinced things will be okay after the forced nuptials, Eli ghosts her until the wedding day. Readers are left with a blank space between: “THIEF!!!” to “Oops, I swear this isn’t what it looks like” to next day “Oh my, that was some kiss, everything is going to work out” “crickets” – Eli ghosting because he is an old man (mid to late 30s) disturbed by his intense physical reaction to his young intended and nobody has time for getting to know their future bride anyway. We have a bejeweled goblet to track down. Then the misunderstandings continue to mount.
For a novella length story, the development is on point because it is near impossible to get the rich, complicated characters I’ve come to expect from Byrne in 210 pages. And, truly, I enjoyed reading Eli and Rosaline’s romance. It just didn’t give me the big swoony feelings I look for in a romance. Kerrigan Byrne is still an auto-buy for me and I am eager to pick up the rest of the Goode Girls series!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About Kerrigan Byrne
Kerrigan has done many things to pay the bills, from law enforcement to belly dance instructor. Now she’s finally able to have the career she’d decided upon at thirteen when she announced to her very skeptical family that she was going to “grow up to be a romance novelist.” Whether she’s writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, Kerrigan uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in almost every story.
She lives in a little Victorian coast town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State with her wonderful husband. When she’s not writing you can find her sailing, beach combing, kayaking, visiting wineries, breweries, and restaurants with friends, and hiking…okay…wandering aimlessly clenching bear spray in the mountains.
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