Kate Bateman

I chose this book because of the reference to a Russian princess and of course I love watching a confirmed bachelor lose his heart to a strong woman.

Princess Anastasia (Anya) Denisova aka Anna Brown is a cunning and take-charge heroine who will do anything to survive including living a life way below her means to avoid a traitor determined to marry her for her fortune. Her ease of making friends no matter their class is admirable and a testament to her wonderful character.

The tall, dark, show more and brooding Lord Sebastien Wolff, is a force to be reckoned with. He is a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, a Bow Street Runner, co-owner of the Tricorn gambling hall, and the last of the “Unholy Trinity” rogues considering his two best friends are married.

Anya and Seb are a challenging pair with instant chemistry between them. I love Anya’s quick wit and sharp intellect which are a great complement to Seb’s sarcastic jibes and demanding demeanor. Their first meeting in the brothel is memorable, but it’s their first intimate assignation in his bedroom with Seb in the chair and Anya in control that is extraordinarily sexy and unforgettable.

In addition to the wonderful characters, I was intrigued by the references to Russian cuisine, superstitions, and traditions. I don’t think I’ve read anything involving a historical Russian heroine in a very long time. In fact, I rarely, find a romance set in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo.

Overall, I enjoyed this captivating historical romance filled with charming characters, intrigue, and documented events. Recommend highly! show less

What a sweet, funny, utterly charming story. I was captivated beginning to end. Alex and Emmy are so much fun. Cat and mouse, wordplay and innuendo, sexy, steamy interludes. It is just delightful to go along on the ride to see who figures out what, who catches who, who realizes first they are in love and does something about it.

Throughout the book Emmy loves to discover foreign words that have no direct translation in English. Author Kate Bateman says in the Author’s notes that the show more Japanese phrase Koi No Yokan is perfect for Emmy and Alex: “The sense of inevitability upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.“ She is exactly right. We all know it. When Alex and Emmy met in the past they felt it, but timing can be everything and the timing wasn’t right. And when they meet again, not only does the timing not seem ideal, they are on opposite sides of the law and family is at stake. So how is that ever going to work out? Take the journey with them, see if they can work it out, if they are able to accept the inevitable despite the barriers and bumps and those who would stop at nothing to see them harmed. It’s a trip well worth taking! Read To Catch an Earl. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of To Catch an Earl via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. I highly recommend it. show less

If you love snappy banter, witty characters, and a deep abiding love both characters have kept hidden for years, then you’ll love this book. The Montgomery and Davies families have been in a feud for centuries. While the earlier family members kidnapped each other, stole from each other, and saw to each other’s demise, the current family members' enmity is of a much more benign nature. Shux – the feud might even be considered over since two couples of the feuding families have married show more each other. Now, could there possibly be a third?

Harriet Montgomery and Morgan Davies have been challenging each other, daring each other, and besting each other since they were children. They’ve also secretly loved each other for that long as well. They each know nothing could come of it because they are sure the other sees them as nothing more than an enemy to taunt and challenge.

Growing to adulthood has a way of changing things for us – and that is certainly what happened with Morgan. As he grew to adulthood, he knew he loved Harriet – and after his experiences in the war, he knew he’d do what it took to make her realize she loved him too.

Morgan certainly put his training in battle strategies to good use in wooing and winning Harriet, but it was a near thing. Not that she didn’t love him – she did. It was that she was always looking for his ulterior motive. What did he have up his sleeve? What trick was he playing?

Harriet was vehemently opposed to marriage to a sailor. She wanted a husband who would be home and sharing her life every day and not just occasionally when he was home from the sea. How will Morgan get past that? His solution is perfect and I know you’ll love it.

So, why didn’t I rate it a 5-star read like I did the first two books? That is a bit hard to explain, but I’ll try. I was looking for more adventure – more excitement – more villains out to wreak havoc, etc. Harriet wanted adventure and I wanted her to have it, but it just didn’t materialize. Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautiful romance, it just wasn’t an exciting, on-the-edge-of-your-chair kind of adventure on the way to the romance. I know it couldn’t be like the first book of the series – now THAT was adventure and romance. No, we couldn’t have them trapped in underground tunnels while being chased by smugglers and discovering gold – but gosh – we could have more than some nut with a gun covering just a few short pages.

I loved the story and you couldn’t ask for a more enticing, romantic lead character than Morgan. He was witty, handsome, caring, honorable, intelligent – I mean – goodness – what isn’t to love about him? The same goes for Harriet. I loved her spunk, her wit, her intelligence – and she was exactly perfect for Morgan. They totally complemented each other in every way. I hope you’ll love the story as much as I did. Now – we’re going to have to wait for Rhys, the last Davies male standing, to find his Montgomery love. Can’t wait!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less

It’s Kate Bateman. Read it now. End of review. Okay, just kidding. I’ll give you a few more words. But, really, if you’ve read even one of this author’s books you know before you crack it open that it will be wonderful and you will love it. No one can take the Regency Era and what we think is a very well-known, predictable plot and turn it on its ear like Bateman can, or give you characters that are such a mess, so blind, so stubborn they don’t see what is obvious to everyone else. show more Sometimes their behavior is so ridiculous that you can’t stop laughing, but they are also strong and heroic and brave and clever – and sweet and caring and so afraid that love is going to slip right out of their grasp.

In A Wicked Game, the third in the Ruthless Rivals series, the Davies and Montgomerys are at it again. They’ve had a feud going forever, but somehow a couple of them always manage to fall head-over-heels and have their HEA. We suspect Morgan and Harriet might be headed down that same hilarious path, but they don’t make it easy. Grew up together, fighting, teasing, playing tricks and absolutely never going to acknowledge that little flutter in their heart when the other is near, because they are certain those feelings are not and never will be reciprocated.

Captain Morgan Davies was shipwrecked and imprisoned because of an incorrect map, and he’s come back to London to make the man who made that map pay. Except that man is Harriet. And to make things really interesting, they had a bet before he sailed off: three kisses if he survived the war and returned home. She pretended not to care but hoped winning the bet would motivate him. It did, but what really kept him going was just the thought of her. We see how they feel, their friends and family see how they feel (even if they don’t know about this spicy, forbidden bet!) but Harry and Morgan are clueless. And that’s why this story is so much fun. He’s not about to declare his feelings because of course he knows she doesn’t feel that way. What he is about to do, though, is collect on those kisses – on his terms. She pretends to be aloof but she’s as eager as he is to get to the when, how and where (especially the where) those kisses will take place.

A Wicked Game has it all: rival families, enemies to lovers, dares, bets, teasing, flirting, danger, adventure – and some very serious feelings and lots (and lots and lots) of steam. I really enjoy Regency Era stories because of all those rules. Rules that seem foolish to us now but could have ruined a lady for an action we would consider insignificant today. But does Harriet feel ruined? Not hardly. More like she’s finally been brought to life. And she’s going to fight to keep that feeling.

I said at the beginning that Kate Bateman is the author is all you need to know. If you’re not completely convinced yet, read how Harriet felt after Morgan’s first kiss: “She didn’t care. Knowledge was power. This was power. She could feel it. Drugging her, coursing through her veins, making her weak and strong at the same time. She knew how to kiss this man. It was as if she’d kissed him a thousand times before, a path so familiar she must have walked it in another life.” If this doesn’t give you chills, make you swoon, and have you running, not walking to get this book, there is no hope for you. I received a free copy of A Wicked Game and am voluntarily leaving this honest review. I highly recommend this and every other thing Kate Bateman has written, will write, or is thinking about writing. She takes that familiar trope and twists it up to make it original, entertaining, and amazing. Every single time. All opinions are my own. show less