Sophie Reads YA: Kate Bateman

Waiting On Wednesday: Second Duke's the Charm (Her Majesty’s Rebels #1) by Kate Bateman

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2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: A Wicked Game (Ruthless Rivals #3) by Kate Bateman

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A Wicked Game
Series: Ruthless Rivals #3
Author: Kate Bateman
Published December 27th 2022 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

Goodreads Synopsis
If there’s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it’s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .

A teasing bet.

Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an incorrect map, Captain Morgan Davies has returned to London to exact sweet revenge on the cartographer responsible for his suffering. He’s also vowed to claim the winner’s prize―three kisses―in the bet he made with his long-time nemesis, the prickly, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. His incarceration has clarified his feelings for her, but convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her is going to be his greatest challenge yet. When Harriet’s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package. . .

A dangerous enemy.

Harriet’s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he’s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked games with a dastardly Davies―however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan’s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all . . .
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finding his way back home after being shipwrecked and imprisoned on a Caribbean island, Captain Morgan Davies is out for revenge. It's only down to a badly drawn map, or intentionally misdrawn one, that his ship ran aground, and he and his men found themselves captives. So when he discovers that the cartographer was none other than Harriet Montgomery, his nemesis and the woman who gets his heart racing, he can't get revenge but instead works with her to try and draw out the French spy.

This book was everything I wanted it to be, and so much more. Harriet and Morgan's chemistry has always jumped out in the previous books, and I loved how much they grew as individuals, and as a couple over the course of this book. Though they've both hidden and denied their feelings in the past, since they were young, they've had a tendre for one another, and it simply grew as adults. With Morgan having a lot of time to think while at sea, and held captive, Harriet was one of his only thoughts - so much so that his men knew about her, which was cute when she met some of them in London. On his return home, he had only two intentions - find the cartographer and make him pay, and get Harriet once and for all. I loved that he let go of his revenge when he realised it was Harriet, and moved to proving his worth to her, and showing his love. Harriet was so strong, but she also had her moments of weakness, and Morgan was there to help her through it. She might be related to the Montgomery's, but her father was a poorer relation, and with his eyesight failing him, Harriet has had to step up greatly. I think this one might be my favourite of the trilogy, but, honestly, they've all been great. Kate has created a wonderful series here, and I love how all three couples were about to get their happy endings!

Dates Read:
October 24-25, 2022

Rating
5 Stars

A Wicked Game

Waiting on Wednesday: A Wicked Game (Ruthless Rivals #3) by Kate Bateman

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2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: A Daring Pursuit (Ruthless Rivals #2) by Kate Bateman

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A Daring Pursuit
Series: Ruthless Rivals #2
Author: Kate Bateman
Published May 24th 2022 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

Goodreads Synopsis
The Davies and Montgomery families have been locked in an ancient feud. But it’s a thin line between love and hate in Kate Bateman's A Daring Pursuit.

TWO ENEMIES

Carys Davies is doing everything in her power to avoid marriage. Staying single is the only way to hide the secret that could ruin her—and her family—if it was revealed. For the past two seasons she’s scandalized the ton with her outrageous outfits and brazen ways in a futile bid to deter potential suitors. Outwardly confident and carefree, inside she’s disillusioned with both men and love. There’s only one person who’s never bought her act—the only man who makes her heart race: Tristan Montgomery, one of her family’s greatest rivals.

ONE SCANDALOUS BARGAIN

Wickedly proper architect Tristan needs a respectable woman to wed, but he’s never stopped wanting bold, red-headed Carys. When she mockingly challenges him to show her what she’s missing by not getting married, Tristan shocks them both by accepting her indecent proposal: one week of clandestine meetings, after which they’ll go their separate ways. But kissing each other is almost as much fun as arguing, and their affair burns hotter than either of them expects. When they find themselves embroiled in a treasonous plot, can they trust each other with their hearts, their secrets…and their lives?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

For Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery, their family's have been at war for as long as they can remember. Since childhood, they've always annoyed each other, but each has a secret - they've secretly been in love with the other for just as long. But Carys is the wild child of the family, whereas Tristan is very proper and buttoned. Tristan is returning home to the house party his newly married sister, Maddie, is hosting, and the closeness to Carys is nearly too much, especially when she challenges him to show her why she should get married. After their agree that they will spend a week together, in secret, before going their separate ways, it's soon clear that forgetting about the affair is easier said than done.

Well, this book just blew me away. I adored the first one, and knew there was a story between Carys and Tristan, and couldn't be happier with this book. Because they were from rival families, it was always assumed that they hated each other, but while they enjoyed annoying the other person, both had always harboured strong feelings, which they had tried to keep hidden from everyone. Carys' kept up her reputation as the wild child partly for her own sake, but also to hide the secret she had, and the fact she was being blackmailed. Only Tristan was the one who could see she was hiding something, and during the party, he discovered the truth. As a war hero, and respected architect, Tristan was expected to marry well, but he couldn't find himself looking at anyone other than Carys, who wouldn't be right - or would she? Clearly, the idea of having a week long affair, exploring the positive of intimate relationships, and being vulnerable to one another was doomed to fail before it had even began, but it was perfect to read, and we learn so much about the couple that they've kept to themselves. The mystery was a great secondary plot line, and I don't know about you, but I'm desperate for book 3, A Wicked Game. Kate has written another fantastic book!

Dates Read:
April 30, 2022

Rating
5 Stars

A Daring Pursuit

Waiting on Wednesday: A Daring Pursuit (Ruthless Rivals #2) by Kate Bateman

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2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: A Reckless Match (Ruthless Rivals #1) by Kate Bateman

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A Reckless Match
Series: Ruthless Rivals #1
Author: Kate Bateman
Published September 28th 2021 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Synopsis
The first in a new regency romance series about two feuding families and reunited childhood enemies whose hatred turns to love.

Maddie Montgomery's family is in debt, and her hope rests on the rival Davies clan missing their yearly “pledge of goodwill,” ceding the land that separates their estates. With Maddie's teenage nemesis, Gryffud “Gryff” Davies, Earl of Powys, away, hope is in reach.

But then, Gryff shows up and is stunned that the tomboy he once teased is now a woman. When Gryff and Maddie discover contraband on their land, they realize it can benefit both families. But they've also uncovered a dangerous plot, and they need to work together to get out alive. Soon, their hatred for each other starts to feel more like attraction.

Kate Bateman brings crackling banter, steamy romance, and a dash of adventure into the first book in the Ruthless Rivals series.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Since there was a Montgomery and a Davies living on bordering estates, there's been a feud between them. The history of the families goes that a wayward sheep was to blame, but no one knows, and following one too many skirmish, an area of land between the estates was created, and yearly, a delegation from each family has to go and physically shake hands, or else they cede the land to the other side. For Maddie Montgomery, she hopes beyond all hope that the new Earl of Powys, Gryff, has forgotten about the pledge, as her family is nearly destitute, and she's facing being forced to marry an abhorrent gentlemen to save them all. But, Gryff remembered, and it's the first time the two have met since childhood, and the sparks are flying. They fight their attraction, but as they are thrown in danger together, stopping a smuggling plot on their land and discovering gold, can they honestly say they still hate each other?

Now, I've been waiting - somewhat impatiently - for this book since I finished Kate's previous book, The Princess and the Rogue, and learning that there would be a enemies to lovers plot line made me even more desperate. So when I was approved for A Reckless Match as I was finishing work, I immediately went home and devoured the entire book in just a few hours. Both Maddie and Gryff are products of the feud, and their entire childhood was fraught with mischief and mayhem against each other's family. But then Gryff left, and Maddie was struck by lightening, and they had to grow up. But they've never forgotten each other, and Gryff in particular, can still remember his attraction to Maddie, so seeing her now, as an beautiful woman, is strange and confusing to say the least. I loved the way we saw the animosity between the pair, and then the mutual respect grow as they found the hidden cache on the border land, and where thrown together in more and more difficult situations. It was a real romance that grew and blossomed, and wasn't wholly based on physical attraction.

The plot line, too, was so well fleshed out. We have the backstory of the two families, before meeting the hero/heroine, and then the discovery of the smuggling plot, and all of the danger that entails. There wasn't just Maddie and Gryff who were important, either. There's also Maddie's cousin, Harriet, who appears to have an eye on Gryff's brother, Morgan, and then Gryff's sister, Carys, and Maddie's brother, Tristan. I really hope the other books in the series are about them. A Reckless Match was a fantastic introduction to the series, perfect in itself, but also setting the scene for the rest of the Ruthless Rivals series. I can't wait for more!

Dates Read:
May 10, 2021

Rating
5 Stars

A Reckless Match

Waiting on Wednesday: A Reckless Match (Ruthless Rivals #1) by Kate Bateman

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2020 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Princess and the Rogue (Bow Street Bachelors #3) by Kate Bateman

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The Princess and the Rogue
Series: Bow Street Bachelors #3
Author: Kate Bateman
Published December 29th 2020 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

Goodreads Synopsis
A princess in disguise is forced to live with a rogue in order to protect her from danger in this fun, sexy regency romance.

Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, doesn't believe in love―until a passionate kiss with a beautiful stranger in a brothel forces him to reconsider. When the mysterious woman is linked to an intrigue involving a missing Russian princess, however, Seb realizes her air of innocence was too good to be true.

Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as plain 'Anna Brown'. With a dangerous traitor hot on her trail, her best option is to accept Wolff's offer of protection―and accommodation―at his gambling hell. But living in such close quarters, and aiding Wolff in his Bow Street cases, fans the flames of their mutual attraction. If Anya's true identity is revealed, does their romance stand a chance? Could a princess ever marry a rogue?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

In The Princess and the Rogue, we follow the final 'Bow Street bachelor', Sebastien Wolff, as he meets his match in hidden princess, Anastasia Denisova. Anya is hiding in London, living next to a brothel no less, after her brother Dmitri was killed at Waterloo, and the wicked and traitorous Count Vasili Petrov claims he will marry her, no matter what, so she can't use Dmitri's evidence against him. Finding a job as a dowager duchess's companion, she is finally happy, but when a handsome stranger propositions her in the brothel, thinking she's one of the girls, and then it's revealed he's the dowager's grandson, and the Earl of Mowbray, Anya's luck just might be running out. Seb is drawn to Anya, and when she is nearly abducted while travelling to his grandmother's estate, he becomes her protector, and finds himself falling for her - still not knowing her true identity. When the truth is revealed, will Seb still be willing to help, and can they stop Petrov from his wicked aims, once and for all.

To say I love this series would be no lie. I binged the entire trilogy in the last week or so, and have found myself falling in love with Kate's stories and her characters. This time around, it's no different, and I found Anya a complete breath of fresh air. She's feisty, and won't take anything lying down, and was extremely resourceful. Considering she's a princess, and cousin to the Russian Tsar, you wouldn't expect to find her in Covent Garden's, teaching prostitutes to read and write, and working for a living, but she took what life had given her, and worked with it. Being propositioned by Seb in the brothel was not in the cards, but she couldn't hide her attraction, especially not when she was taken to the Tricorn Club for her protection. Her and Seb clashed, and picked at each other, but like Alex and Ben told Seb, you need to find a woman you can't be without, but also makes you want to strangle her at times. Really, they were perfectly made for each other, and were one of the best regency couples I ever read. It took Seb a little longer to accept his fate, having fought against matrimony for so long, and lambasting his friends for their love, but he couldn't deny his feelings, not as the action ramped up more and more. The plot twist and climax of the action took me away, and I'm so happy with how the entire series has ended. Here's hoping Kate has a new book out soon!

Dates Read:

August 18-19, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

2020 New Release challenge

Review: To Catch an Earl (Bow Street Bachelors #2) by Kate Bateman

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To Catch an Earl
Series: Bow Street Bachelors #2
Author: Kate Bateman
Published June 30th 2020 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Synopsis
A case of secret identities finds reunited lovers on opposite sides of the law in this fun, flirty Regency romance.

There's only one case Bow Street agent Alex Harland, Earl of Melton, hasn't cracked: the identity of the mysterious woman who stole a kiss from him before he left for war. He's neither forgotten--nor forgiven--her for leaving him wanting. When he starts investigating the Nightjar, an elusive London jewel thief, he keeps running into the alluring Emmy Danvers, who stirs feelings he hasn't felt in years.

Even though Emmy's loved Alex for years, she can't risk revealing her heart, or her identity as the Nightjar. With Alex on her case, Emmy knows that her secrets are in danger of being discovered. Their cat and mouse game heats up with every interaction, but when Emmy's reputation--and life--is at risk, will Alex realize that some rules are made to be broken for love?
Goodreads

Review
In To Catch an Earl, we follow Alex Harland, the new Earl of Melton, as he works for Bow Street to discover the identity of the master thief and criminal, the Nightjar. For years, no one has been able to identify the thief, who has worked across the continent - though not during the war - and seems to be recovering jewels from the lost French Crown Jewels, and has never once been close to capture - until now. Alex visits the crime scene of the latest theft, and recalls a scent of a mystery woman he danced with before heading to war, and his subsequent injuries. If he finds the woman, will he find the thief? Emmy Danvers is the granddaughter of Camille, a displaced French comtesse, and since her father's death, has assumed his mantle of the Nightjar, and the mission to recover all of the lost jewels to return to the restored monarchy. She remembers when she met Alex before he left, and knowing he's the one hunting her makes the job even more exciting. However, there's another displaced French noble who is out for revenge on the D'Anvers family, and unless Emmy, with some help from Alex, gives him the whole of the jewel cache, her brother Luc will be killed. Will Alex be able to reconcile himself with the women he loves being the person he hunts, or will Emmy be doomed to her fate as a thief?

Recently, I read another book similar to this, The Heart of a Hellion, and though there were similarities, they were different stories that I loved all the same. Emmy was such a fabulous character, who knew she was doing wrong by stealing, but her view of it was that she was just re-stealing something that didn't belong to her 'victims', and doing her patriotic duty to her homeland. Still, she didn't want to be at odds with Alex, who has always been someone she's cared about, and when they finally grow close, it's difficult for her to fully let herself be happy, when she knows she's at risk time and time again, of being imprisoned, and either hung, or transported, for her crimes. Alex never expected to discover who it was who kissed him at the ball before he and his friends, Seb and Ben, headed to the continent. When he realises she's one and the same as the jewel thief, he's conflicted, but the chemistry and attraction is there, and I loved the scene's between them when they both knew the other knew, but didn't want to fully open themselves to the pain of falling for someone they couldn't have.

One thing that I wasn't expecting about this book was how humorous it was! The interludes between the whole cast, but especially Camille, was everything you could want. The Danvers family were one who had dealt with their lot as exiled nobles, but were loving, and it was refreshing to see. Plot wise, there were a ton of twists and turns, and I really didn't know how the fact Emmy was a criminal who could be convicted for her crimes would be dealt with, especially when she and Alex proclaimed their love for each other. The conclusion was just what I wanted, and I'm even more excited to finally read Seb's story in The Princess and the Rogue.

Dates Read:

August 12-13, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

2020 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: This Earl of Mine (Bow Street Bachelors #1) by Kate Bateman

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This Earl of Mine
Series: Bow Street Bachelors #1
Author: Kate Bateman
Published October 29th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Synopsis
Introducing the Bow Street Bachelors―men who work undercover for London’s first official police force―and the women they serve to protect. . .and wed?

WILL A FALSE MARRIAGE

Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. All she has to do is find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her, and she’ll be free. What could possibly go wrong?

LEAD TO TRUE AND LASTING LOVE?

Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him―and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together…until actual death do they part?
Goodreads

Review
Independent shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed has absolutely no intention of marrying, especially when everyone who seems interested is only out there for her wealth. When her slimy cousin Josiah comes crawling, she hatches a plan with her Pieter, a father figure and friend to the family, for her to marry a convicted felon, scheduled for the hangman's noose or a transport ship, and then claim herself to be a widow and never have to worry. The intended bridegroom was hung before the wedding took place, so Ben Wylde was substituted in the last minute, and though Georgie knew he was a criminal, he still appealed to her. The funny thing is, that Ben is not a criminal at all, but is in fact a lauded war hero, working with Bow Street, and the second son of an Earl. When they meet again at a ball, and Georgie realises her 'dead' husband is in fact alive, they work out an agreement that would suit both parties - Georgie needs a 'reputable' husband to help her keep her freedom, and Ben needs a wife who can give him access to higher society in order to help with any future cases, and the current one.

This was my first of Kate's books, but every since I heard of the series, I've been wanting to read them. Georgie and Ben were wonderful main characters, very different, but so relatable, it was a joy to read. Georgie, as the eldest daughter of a shipping magnate, had been raised in luxury, and her father had always appreciated her knowledge and her love for the company. When he died, she was made owner of the firm, and has run it perfectly in the intervening years, but the fortune hunters have always been hanging around. Even though her younger sister, Julia, is the one lauded as beautiful, Georgie's wealth is what draws most in, but when she tells them that all they will get from a marriage to her is a small amount, and no access to her funds, most run away with their tails between their legs. It's only when Josiah appears more and more desperate, and Georgie is worried he will force her into a marriage that she hatches this plan, which would've been perfect, if not for the fact Ben was never going to be transported. Ben is not penniless, per se, but he and his elder brother inherited a range of debts from their father, and the family estate is only hanging on by a thread. After returning from the continent following Napoleon's imprisonment, Ben and his two best friends - Alex and Seb - bought the Tricorn club, a gaming hall where all levels of society are welcome, and serves as a way to help them in their investigations with Bow Street. Meeting Georgie was unexpected, but was the best thing he needed to help him re-assimilate to normal life, and be more like the real Ben. As much as Ben wanted to keep Georgie away from any danger in the most recent case involving a stolen vessel, her knowledge and expertise was invaluable to helping them defeat the criminals, and stop the plot to free Napoleon. Their relationship came on gradually, though the flirting and witty banter was there right from the beginning. I love these two together, and the way that the wicked Josiah was dealt with was perfect! I'll be starting To Catch an Earl straight away!

Dates Read:

August 10-11, 2020

Rating
4 Stars