DNF. I'm not even sure I should count this book as one of my reads of 2020 and probably won't; I got through so little of it before deciding to put it down.

I don't know why, but I have been striking out, it seems, with HRs recently, particularly books from new (or relatively new) HR authors. I'm consistently finding that these books, to me, feel so forced! As if they're written by people who have been reading romance books forever, and then thought they would go ahead and write one; I can best compare it to when you see a TV show or a movie and you don't believe the actor's role, because you can feel that the actor is acting—you don't perceive them as the character, but as someone playing the character. That's what it feels like with these books, as if these authors think they just need to combine certain ingredients and boom.

This is my first book by Kate Bateman and I probably won't pick up another one of hers. From the beginning I was wary and thinking I was maybe going to have to DNF, because the book starts with the heroine approaching the hero at a masked ball and asking him to dance. She's basically never met him, but she's in love with him.

He's never met her, can't see her face, and they talk for a hot second (there's probably 5 lines of dialogue exchange, even though apparently they're dancing a waltz from beginning to end), but he's totally into her. Sure, maybe he's just horny, but that's not how it's setup—no, there's just something about her!!!

They go into the garden, makeout for a bit, and they'll both never be the same.

I'm sorry, but WHAT??

"I want to breathe you in and keep you in my lungs forever. Does that sound mad?" Umm, let me answer that for you: YES!!!!!! Sounds like it would be a hot and romantic line 75% into the book, but not in the fucking Prologue.

And then the book is back in present day and although it's four years later, our hero is still thinking of her, because she is "the woman of his dreams. A woman who'd not only excited him physically but challenged him mentally " (emphasis my own). Either he's dumb as rocks and mental stimulation comes from basically any human interaction, or it's a stupid line. They barely exchanged a word. She was flirty. That's it.

I'm firmly on the DNF train nowadays; the "too many books, too little time" adage is just too true to waste time reading a book I'm not enjoying.

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

He stole a kiss at a masquerade ball, she stole his heart without leaving a hint to who she was. Now it is years later and he is determined to find her; she is determined to evade him even though she has a huge crush on him.
"Sometimes the chase is such fun that the catching is quite a disappointment." she took another bite of teacake. "One the other hand, sometimes being caught is only the start of the adventure."

In To Catch and Earl, the second book of the Bow Street Bachelors , Emmy asks for a dance and ends up dancing away with Alex's heart. Problem #1 she is a notorious Jewel thief. Problem #2 he is an agent of Bow Street and is looking for her secret identity the Nightjar. Problem #3 she is being blackmailed and needs to steal some very famous gems in the next few weeks or her family will be ruined.

I very much enjoyed this book. Emmy is a lot of fun. She sneaks around stealing things and has an aunt who is pushing her into finding a good time with a rogue, or even a pirate would do, but a man in uniform is preferable. Emmy's father was once a great jewel thief and on his death left the great task of reuniting the French Royal Jewels to their original home. She could possibly let that all go if it wasn't for the blackmailer. She has also loved Alex Harland from afar for years.

Alex is an easy man to like as well. He is smart and catches on right away to the fact Emmy is more than she seems. Still the chase is on and he can't decide what he will do with the woman once he catches her. The Agent in his says to turn her in, but the man... Well the man has other plans for her.

There are some fun characters and good times to be had along with a few inventive heists, all a win in this reader's book.

A cat and mouse game that is witty, intriguing, intelligent and sexy. Kate once again gives us a tale that will captivate and keep you reading well into the night. Could not put this book down. She draws you into the story of a thief and a straight-laced Bow Street Runner. Alex and Emmy are perfect foes. There is no lack of intelligence on either of their parts and when they start dancing around each other I was right in the middle of their story. I have read all of Kate’s books and this one is tied as my favorite. I loved it.

Alex Harland has never forgotten the mysterious woman he met at a ball before he left for war. Emmy Danvers has been intrigued by Alex for years and now he is home. Can a game of wits between a jewel thief and a Bow Street runner lead to a lasting love?

This fun Regency novel combines a second chance romance with an enemies to lovers twist. To Catch an Earl is the second installment in The Bow Street Bachelor's series but can easily be read as a standalone. As always, I enjoy flirty banter in my romances and this book did not disappoint. It's also steamy! The sparring with words in an opposites attract trope is always entertaining. I also enjoyed the secondary character Sally. Emmy and her family came off as rather naive thieves (ie her perfume) and the villain aspect seemed a bit weak. However this was a fast-paced story with a great final chapter. I recommend this to historical romance fans and look forward to the next book in the series. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Goodreads for a copy

Jewel thief for a higher cause!

Bow Street Inquiry agent Alex Harland, the Earl of Melton, is struck by a perfume he can never forget. I must admit this idea of a perfume being the secret to the identity of a thief is not new. This of course I s a huge flaw in an otherwise successful thief's armour. (And really even though this is the hook for unravelling the mystery from Alex's viewpoint, I just felt Emmy's determination to wear a distinctive perfume just doesn't sit well over against the clever woman she is supposed to be. I guess I wasn't buying the premise.)
'Emmeline Louise d’Anvers, the daughter of Europe’s most elusive jewel thief', aka as Nightjar, herself a notorious jewel thief is fulfilling a family commitment 'to recover the French crown jewels and store them until the Bourbon monarchy can claim them. The stolen jewels that have all been broken from the stolen crown one by one and refashioned into other stunning settings. Can one be accused of stealing that in itself is already stolen? All the jewels have been re-taken, excepting three—a white diamond, a blue diamond, and a ruby.
Alex, a consummate rake was enticed, maddened and besotted with Emmy. He knew she was the jewel thief but catching her presented him with a gigantic headache.
Alex surprised himself by the hunger he felt for her. An emotion returned. (Despite those kisses that left them both senseless, I wasn't feeling the lurve. Still I loved the idea of senselessness!)
Emmy knew that Alex was aware of her escapades. She wants to stop. Unfortunately it becomes apparent that the son of an acquaintance of her father's is now blackmailing the Danvers family to continue the thefts and they can see no way out without being exposed.
The future shows no promise. Danger and exposure surrounds the family. There appears there is no alternative but to follow the blackmailer's demands. The last of the stones must be retrieved. Alex and Emmy's relationship and the d’Anvers family seem doomed!
A lightweight romantic regency jewel thief mystery that brings a slightly different take to that genre.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

To Catch an Earl was an awesome read. I enjoyed it. I loved the chemistry between the characters and the fact that they were both on different sides of the law so to speak. I loved that Emmy was unconventional. I enjoyed watching them fall for each other and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was completely enthralled by Alex and Emmy’s story! It seems impossible for them to have a happy ever after, despite their extreme attraction.
Emmy is a strong, independent woman and Alex is an alpha male who thinks he’s in control. What could go wrong?
I can’t wait for the last Bow Street Bachelor to fall in love.
5 stars for Alex and Emmy!!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman is the second book in her exciting Bow Street Bachelors series. It can be read as a standalone. Just before he left England to head off to war Alex Harland, now the Earl of Melton shared a kiss at a masquerade ball with a mystery woman that continues to haunt him. Emmeline Louise D’Anvers (Emmy Danvers) too is haunted by that long-ago kiss because now that he’s returned from war a hero and working for Bow Street, she can never have Alex as he is the law and she is a thief. Blackmailed into taking up her father’s mantle of The Nightjar a famous jewel thief known for being able to complete seemingly impossible thefts and leaving a black feather behind as a calling card, Emmy plays a dangerous cat and mouse dame with Alex. Lots of adventure, nasty villains, excellent banter and strong supporting characters make this book a delight to read. Medium Steam. Publishing Date June 30, 2020. #ToCatchAnEarl #KateBateman #NetGalley #bookstagram #historicalromance #StMartinsPress

This was such a fun and unique historical read!

Emmy and Alex are both entertaining characters that I enjoyed getting to know and found myself rooting for them to figure things out. The secondary cast is small, but equally fun. I loved that Seb (Alex’s friend) was openly rooting for Emmy when she did the unexpected and crossed Alex.

The overall plot is engaging and builds the conflict throughout the story. Emmy is a heroine who is not afraid to use her wits and intelligence to accomplish her goals. The fact that this brings her to cross swords with her long time crush is a bonus. I wondered how Ms Bateman was going to bring these two too the same side and I was very pleased when she did! It was a moment that was true to who they characters were and fit very well into the flow of the story. On a romantic front, the push pull between Emmy and Alex was fantastic. The tension between the two radiated off the page.

How to Catch an Earl was a book that I very much enjoyed. I am looking forward to seeing how the trilogy surrounding the Tricorn owners wraps up with Seb’s story.

To Catch an Earl (Bow Street Bachelors, #2) by Kate Bateman This is the second book in this series and I enjoyed it as much as the first one and I am looking forward to the next one. There is family love, friendships, intrigue, danger, and lots of steam to get us to a very HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed Easy-to-read Entertaining Funny Great world building Happily Ever Afte rIn rmative Page-turner Romantic Steamy Wonderful characters

3.5 Stars
There were many elements to this story that I enjoyed and a couple that I struggled with.

I loved the exciting thrill of duplicity and stealth involved in the jewelry heists. It was equally exciting and nerve-wracking. The connection between Alex and Emmy was also fun. On numerous occasions, there were some fun tête-à-têtes between the two while Alex tried to wheedle out the truth from Emmy.

All in all, the the story line, Alex and Emmy, and the secondary characters were entertaining. What made me a little uncomfortable or not completely complicit with the romance was Alex’s sexual pursuit of Emmy. At times is was sexy and exciting, but at other, it didn’t sit right with me. Watching Alex lust after Emmy because he lured in by her craftiness and duplicity, felt kind of ugly to me. Most pointedly, when she was essentially his captive. It became almost Stockholm syndrome-esque.

Beyond the questionable connection of the H/h, I enjoyed the premise and the heroine’s thieving prowess. On that end, I think I would have enjoyed a little more cat and mouse action and a less ambiguous romantic build-up.

This is the kind of book that keeps me reading romance. Both the heroine and the hero are fully fleshed out characters that you can empathize with, plus the story is brilliantly paced and somewhat believable.
A game of cat and mouse between a notorious gentleman burglar, Emmy, and a Bow Street runner, Alex, that always gets his man get complicated when the man in question turns out to be the mysterious woman Alex has been dreaming of for years.
It's just the right amount of out there to keep me turning pages and wondering where things could possibly go next. Not to mention that Bateman definitely gets extra brownie points for some extremely well done, steamy sexy times.
Consider me a Kate Bateman fan!

Many happy thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this wonderful read.

This was an entertaining, well-written historical romance. Emmy has secrets, and now she's come to Alex's attention. He's determined to solve the puzzle and she's determined to keep her distance. The story moved quickly and it was hard to put down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman

Alex and Emmy first met at a masquerade ball several years prior to the main events of the book, and Alex has been thinking about the mysterious young woman with the unique scent ever since that night.

Now, Alex is working as a Bow Street Runner, along with his friends, and Emmy is the elusive jewel thief that he’s trying to catch, so a romance between these two personalities seems impossible.

The irony of the situation is that Alex and Emmy encounter each other socially in addition to the cat-and-mouse game they’ve been playing. Naturally, the lines between these two worlds begins to blur as the stakes increase.

I loved Emmy. She’s resourceful and clever, and I loved how she was able to outwit Alex at almost every opportunity. Likewise, Alex is the perfect foil for Emmy; he’s stalwart and a bit serious, and he's determined to catch this elusive thief, especially once he realizes that Emmy is the jewel thief.

The book is fairly light in tone, but not so much that the tenser moments felt out of place. I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I didn’t feel “lost” at any point; it’s fairly easy to pick up on the rapport between the friends.

I would recommend To Catch an Earl. This book was a lot of fun, and I’ll certainly keep an eye out for more of Bateman’s books in the future.


I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Harland, the newly minted Earl of Melton, never pictured himself as an agent of inquiry. But the thrill of investigation is a challenge he now embraces. When he’s asked to pursue the Nightjar, a notorious thief who is reclaiming France’s crown jewels, the case throws him into the path of the beautiful and equally elusive Emmy Danvers, reminding him of the only puzzle he’s never solved: the identity of the mysterious woman who once stole a kiss from him four years ago and left him wanting so much more. The daughter of a thief, Emmy learned long ago how to keep her secrets safeguarded—and, as the notorious Nightjar, her love for Alex Harland is one of them.
This is the second book in the series & could easily be read on its own. Another well written & very well researched book by the author. I loved both Alex & Emmy who were like two sides of a coin but fit perfectly together. A fast paced story that drew me in from the start & had me sighing at the conclusion. I loved the road to their HEA which certainly wasn’t smooth. I also loved the historical facts that are part & parcel of the author's books which help raise them above the parapet. I can’t wait for Seb to fall!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Well, these two were delightful. After devouring the previous book in this series, there was no way I was going to skip this one.

I loved Emmy and Alex. They’re both so smart and so stubborn and really good people. Their button pushing was fantastic, especially when it was so thinly veiled as flirting and the chemistry between them was fantastically out of control. Emmy’s grandmother stole every scene she was in and I can’t wait to see the girl who knocks Seb on his ass.

Plot wise, it was good. I enjoyed reading the thefts and how detailed the family got with planning. I could have done with a bit more regular conversation between Emmy and Alex, but this wasn’t a regular relationship and even Alex mentally notes that they need to learn about each other.

Overall, it was another great story, with very little angst and a whole lot of irritation and I was here for all of it.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing the arc free of charge**

I received this book for free through Netgalley to give my honest review. I loved the idea of this book but I wasn't buying the love story between Alex and Emmy. There wasn't enough there for me to believe their love story unfortunately. The idea of stealing jewels was fun and the rivalry was believable and fun to read along with. I liked the added bonus of romance between Emmy's brother Luc and Sally. I also enjoyed going through the process of planning and carrying out said plan to steal the different jewels and the story behind WHY they were stealing them as well. There was just something missing in terms of their romance, which is why I can only give this book 3 stars.

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

A lady jewel thief and an Earl hired to bring her to justice? To Catch an Earl has a fun premise and strong beginning, but for me the later part of the book was less than I hoped for, though readers who like alpha-male heroes may have a better experience.

Alex Harland is an Earl and an investigative agent. His latest assignment? To catch the infamous jewel thief known as Nightjar who has recently come out of retirement. Emmy has loved Alex for years, but secretly she is carrying on the work of her father, the original Nightjar with a mission of stealing back all the French crown jewels and returning them to the people of France. So begins the cat and mouse game that leads to a romance.

I found the early part of the book to be very fun and I liked Emmy as a smart and cunning woman who outsmarts men who assume the thief must be male. But once things began to heat up between her and Alex, I was less of a fan. He's very much an alpha male character which I don't prefer and the power dynamics surrounding their physical relationship made me uncomfortable. The first time they sleep together, he has caught and identified her and plans to turn her in the next morning. While the author tries to be clear that Emmy is actively consenting, I still didn't like the way that came together and it kind of tainted my view of the hero. I loved Emmy, but wasn't convinced Alex was her best option.

There are also some great side characters such as Emmy's unconventional grandmother, her brother, and some of her friends. So I might try something else from this author in the future, but a strong start didn't pay off in the end for me. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book took some time to read and it's not like I did not try.
The plot just did not made me feel the story and the romance was kind of off.
That was me. You might be different.

Pretend. Just for a few moments. Pretend we’re enemies who kiss. Pretend we’re not enemies at all.

A fantastic and super enjoyable follow-up to This Earl of Mine! I truly enjoyed this adversaries-to-lovers romance—it was ripe with tension, banter, a strong, smart heroine, and a swoony hero, and kept my attention from beginning to end.

The suspense level in To Catch an Earl was well maintained—though it was a touch slow in places—and the dance around Alex’s role as The Law and Emmy’s role as The Lawless was executed with aplomb. So much so that even a couple of small missteps didn’t detract from my overall notable of this book.

Looking greatly forward to the next installment in the Bow Street Bachelors series!