A fun series starter, the book combines some great romance tropes: childhood frenemies-to-lovers from feuding families, Gryff and Madeline, must work together to catch a band of smugglers. In the meantime, Madeline is trying to hide her family's bankruptcy from Gryff, although it could mean that she has to marry a rich old lecher to save them. For his part, Gryff is learning how to be the head of his family after his father's death. Maddie's interest in archaeology is a welcome addition to the book. While the third act conflict is a bit predictable, its resolution was satisfyingly enjoyable, and left us ready for the rest of the series.

4 stars (enjoy Maureen Driscoll, Elisa Braden, Sophie Jordon, Samantha Holt, Stacy Reid)

The development and interest in main characters and secondary characters was enjoyable. I really did like the H/H for this book; very well paired as a couple.

I loved the writing around the women empowerment (it wasn’t over the top for me). Badass women rock…she eventually came into her own.

writing style is easy to follow, laugh out loud humorous moments, the give and take dialogue enjoyable; Modern vocabulary.

Romantic/sexual content (kissing, oral, love making scenes) was throughout the book. Nothing over the top; again nicely intertwined in the story. 1.5/5 hotness and steam, romance 3.5/5.

I love series around family members or a group of friends. I love the series even more when the author intertwines those characters throughout the book series (it’s a pet peeve when authors don’t do that because what’s the point of the series and introducing the characters if they are not going to interact throughout the series).

You are introduced to the upcoming series book characters…seems promising.

would recommend this book and series.

A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman was a lovely, easy romance between two neighbors meant to be together. I love a book with a family backstory. These two rival families along the welsh border have a longstanding rivalry but ultimately want the best for their families. It was easy to root for the main couple to get together. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and will definitely read all of the next books in the series!
Thanks #netgalley

This was just so much fun! It's got childhood rivals with fabulous chemistry, secret mystery underground tunnels, a brief appearance by some literal pirates, some spatterings of random Welsh history, and a delightfully bonkers "welp, if we're stuck in this collapsed cave until we suffocate, then we might as well bang!" climax that shouldn't work but TOTALLY DOES.

It's just a fabulous time all around. There's even enough genuine care from the get-go that our enemies-to-lovers dynamic feels organic and well-developed - which is sometimes hard to find in this summer's enemies-to-lovers trope trend!

(There's some set up for the next book here, where it looks like the couple will be this heroine's older brother and this hero's younger sister, and so far I firmly do NOT ship it - but that's not this book's problem! And maybe I'll be proven wrong!)

One of my favourite tropes! Childhood enemies (secretly crushing on each other) to lovers (finally!) Think a very easygoing Romeo & Juliet style romance :) Kate Bateman is such a good writer and her experience & knowledge within antiquities always shines through (which I love as I always pickup little tidbits of facts).

Maddie & Gryff are from longtime warring families sharing land borders and therefore are childhood neighbours. They have a simmering crush for one another but never act upon it till they finally meet to shake hands to honour a family pact. This leads onto a passionate kiss, smugglers and many an adventure.

A fast paced & passionate romp with no over the top drama. Great if you are looking for an easy and quick read. Kate Bateman keeps on delivering and I can't wait for the rest of the series to unfold :)

*Thank-you Kate Bateman, Netgalley & St Martin's Press for the ARC.

This historical romance isn't an enemy to lovers, more besties who really liked each other, but the families are at "war" because they don't have anything better to do. To keep the peace, someone from each household must arrive at a certain date, at a certain time to keep the peace. This time, the friends, Maddie and Gryff, of the past meet on the bridge. Both are instantly realizing the glow-up of the other, and the feelings that were simmering are not simmering anymore.

There is a small mystery of smuggling in a cave and cave shenanigans.

This is the first in a series, which promises more couples from warring families.

Tropes:
"Enemies" to Lovers
Warring Families
Smuggling Mystery

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my personal review.

Perfect amount of heat, intrigue, adventure and romance. Kate knows how to write a captivating story.

3.5

This is my first time reading a Kate Bateman book and I'm a fan!

First off, I read the premise for this book and knew immediately that I had to read this. Regency times, childhood enemies, siblings, a mystery to solve, mostly set in beautiful Wales - I was sold.

My favourite parts were definitely the character interactions. I loved the banter between Maddie and Gryff, the Aunts were so entertaining, and I cannot wait to see more of the other Montgomery and Davies siblings. These two families have so much history and it deserves to be explored some more. If I could request one thing from Bateman - it would be to throw in some childhood flashbacks into the future books. Please and thank you.

I really enjoyed Maddie and Gryff's pairing. Bateman did a good job building this relationship from just rivals to more <spoiler>....even though, it became obvious that they had been in love with each other for ages already </spoiler>. In terms of what didn't work for me, I do have one thing to note: There were a couple of instances where I didn't particularly like Gryff that much. 1) Relatively early on, he came on too strong for my liking. <spoiler>He didn't ask for consent when he first kissed her.</spoiler>. 2) There is a part in this book where Gryff is very judgemental and rude to Maddie. <spoiler>He calls her a whore, who is selling herself to an older man for a few new ball gowns</spoiler>. Obviously, this is very much NOT OKAY, especially since he doesn't know of Maddie's financial situation. I cringed when this happened, but I fully expected an apology from Gryff when he learned about everything. Only...that didn't happen and it's not brought up again. If this had been addressed, I'd have definitely rated this book higher.

But that being said, I still really enjoyed reading this (hence, the "problematic-fave" shelf). I hope the future books in this series show us everything we missed since before the epilogue!

<em><strong>I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. </strong></em>

This is a 3.5 stars for me. I admit, when I read the blurb I fell in love with the story; perhaps I was expecting something really amazing. On the contrary, the story was ok but I had the feeling that the plot never really advanced and developed until almost at the end. The first part is all about winks and implied sentences but nothing more. The end becomes more and more involving but it's quite a shame because if the author had added something more enthralling at the beginning of the book, I wouldn't have waited with eagerness the end of the story. That being said I confirm that this is only my personal opinion and I always reiterate that books need to be read regardless of reviews that are not thrilling.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy for my honest review.

Loved this book!!! The second regency romance I’ve read and I’m hooked.

Due to a long standing feud, a member from each of the families must meet to shake on a deal to maintain peace. After their shake, they share a quick kiss. Unexpected but liked, feelings begin to grow, feelings that they each have had since childhood. As circumstances keep throwing them together, will they continue the feud or put the past behind their families and finally have lasting peace? A fun romance to read!

This is a wonderful book loosely based on Romeo and Juliet. The the Davies and Montgomery are a family that hates each other. Few hundred years of hate develop over a pig. Now It's become more of a childish pranks. against other family. I'm looking forward to read more in this series. If you like enemies to lover story read this book.

What an adventure Ms. Bateman can write. There were no glittering ballrooms with sultry fan waving, no but there were a lot of sultry looks and suggestions. This is the first in a new series and there is nothing that will disappoint. The adventure, humour, and excitement had me turning the page. So many escapades that had me wondering what is going to happen next. I found it hard to put down and do the housework. I also loved how the characters were being set up for the rest of the series. The characters as usual were wonderfully written with unique characters. There was a long sex scene that this reviewer skipped but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book and now wait with batted breath for the next one. I received this as an ARC and freely give my review.

A Romeo and Juliette-esque retelling set in 1800’s wales. This enemies to lovers romantic comedy has a little bit of everything.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an early review copy

Two warring families, the Montgomerys and the Davies have been forced into a truce by the crown, the terms being that once a year they have to send a member of each family to shake hands at noon on neutral ground or relinquish all their lands to the opposing family. Madeline Montgomery goes for her family, and this year Gryff Davies comes for his. They’ve been enemies since childhood… or have they?

A surprising discovery binds them together for the adventure of a lifetime and passions start to flare between them. This book was so fun, I was obsessed from the start and finished it all in one sitting. It was funny, sweet, and steamy! The characters hatred turned attraction was so well written and even the side characters were great fun, I’m assuming they’re all getting their own books and I can’t wait to get my hands on them.

I really have no critiques of this book. It was exactly what I love about historical romance all in one, and I really liked that the author jumped right in to the characters lusting after one another, sometimes it’s drawn out and I like a bit of spice in my romance (haha). Seriously though, if you like historical romance, this one is great. Check it out :)

This is about two rival families who have been feuding for years. It started with a pig, or a woman. No one is sure. Maddy and Griff should be enemies, but are they really? I ejoyed the banter between them. The pacing was a little slow at first, but it was a fun read. I thought some more attention should have been spend on the ending.

An engaging historical romance story set in 1815 on the border between England and Wales. Two families, who have had a dispute spanning generations, have the opportunity to lay it to rest. Can a mutual attraction between two of the involved parties be the solution that has eluded them for years? It is a delightful chase with a mutually satisfying outcome.

I enjoyed the story and have rated it 3.5 stars. It reminded me of the Hatfield and McCoy feud, without the violence, that took place in the vicinity of where I was raised as a youngster.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank you net galley for sending this arc for an honest review!

DO YOU LIKE ENEMIES TO LOVERS??? Because this my friends was the epitome of a historical enemies to lovers. I literally COULD NOT get my eyes off this book. I’m so in love to the point I’m gonna buy a physical copy. I’ve slowly been reading historical romance and it’s become one of my fave things ever. This book sets aside the idea of family’s whom are enemies who both happen to have spawns who are supposed to “hate” each other but keep seeking out this passionate desire between the two. Highly recommend this book to all because I just wanna wear a ball gown and run to some earl now lol

I LOVED IT!! This is one Fantastic story I was not expecting at all! I love when a book grabs you right from the start and takes you on a heart-stopping journey as in A Reckless Match. Kate Bateman weaves a story from beginning to end with threads of intrigue, smugglers, family fued and danger. It's an unforgettable steamy romance that brims with tension-building twists and turns, remarkable emotions, characters that come off the pages and pull you into their emotional ride that keeps you involved until the very end, great and witty dialogue and with one fantastic plot and and leavese you eagerly anticipating the next in the series.

Kate Bateman's book about enemies turned lovers is quite fun. Maddie and Gryff's families have feuded for generations and every year a representative they meet on the equinox to share a handshake and prevent the loss of disputed land. As Maddie and Gryff explore tunnels near their homes, they find smuggled goods and get involved in a plan to stop the smugglers. This plotline is pretty significant to the novel but it's a nice deviation from what can be found in books of this genre. This also brings Maddie and Gryff closer, friendlier, and more trusting of each other. As the story progresses, you meet Gryff's brothers Rhys and Morgan and his sister Carys, and Maddie's brother Tristan and cousin Harriet. It's a great set up for future books in the series and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

I do love an enemies to lovers story! Madeline’s and Gryff’s families have been feuding for ages. When they are forced to work together to defeat a common foe, they discover a strong attraction that they can’t deny. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for my honest review.

This is the first novel in the Ruthless Rivals series and it was wonderful! It was witty and action packed with many entertaining characters. I loved the interactions between Maddie and Gryff as well as their relationships with their families. Kate Bateman included some locations I haven't read about before and that was refreshing and absorbing. I am looking forward to reading what happens with everyone in the rest of the series.