If you enjoy plenty of action and suspense mixed in with steamy historical romance, you are going to love The Bachelor Betrayal. It's the second book of a series but stands well on its own, though I will definitely be going back to read book one, The Bachelor Bargain.
Michaels tossed me straight into that action from the first pages of this fast-paced story and didn't let up until the final, breath-stealing conclusion. I loved that Kat was as skilled, confident, and fearless as Marcus. In fact, in many ways she was more so, as he soon learned. She had been trained by her uncle since childhood, after all, but she was more than a one-note weapon. The author did a good job of allowing her emotions to evolve, showing a softer side without losing that finely-honed edge.
Marcus is a man with baggage. A lot of baggage. He's also a man on a mission and isn't about to be led off course by a slip of a woman. Until he encounters Kat, all grown up and not willing to take a back seat to anyone when it comes to avenging her uncle's death. I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two, the snappy banter, how they challenged one another, and ultimately became a formidable team. I loved how Marcus came to respect Kat's abilities, how he desired her, fell in love with her, but never diminished her. How they worked together, each taking the lead at different times.
The mystery facet of this book was tightly plotted, with numerous twists and turns along the way that kept me guessing right up until the final reveals. I'm not easily stumped when it comes to mysteries, but Michaels did an outstanding job of keeping me on my toes. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there came another twist and off we went again with a new suspect. I loved it!
This was my first book by Maddison Michaels. It certainly won't be my last. I very much enjoyed her writing voice, characters, and romance mixed with danger and suspense.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

The Bachelor's Betrayal is an entertaining mix of historical mystery, intrigue, and a sizzling romance between two spies, who are both on a hunt for the deadly assassin. Marcus Black and Lady Kaitlyn Montrose are hunting the elusive Chamelion, who is responsible for the deaths of Marcus's wife, Kaitlyn's beloved uncle, and many others. They decide to work together to unmask the killer's identity and catch him.

I loved both characters, Marcus and Kat. Kat was independent, fearless, highly skilled in combat, and a perfect match for Marcus, one of Her Majesty's spies. Their banter and the battle of wills were very entertaining. The mystery of the assassin's identity and the murders was very clever. I didn't guess who the killer was until the end. Also, several delightful secondary characters added layers and funny moments to the story. The Bachelor's Betrayal was my first book by this author, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

has a female lead that is out of this world fierce!!! Kat's upbringing has been quite different than most Earls daughters, as a trained spy she is as smart and tough as they come. Bent on revenge for her late uncle she learns she must join forces with Marcus Black, Earl and fellow spy. Marcus doesn't recognize Kat at first but does recognize the fire for vengeance inside her. Marcus has faced his own share of loss from the chameleon but unsure if teaming with Kat is safe for his heart. An action packed yet emotional story that also has a bit of 🔥🔥

I haven’t read many Regency romances, but after reading 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥, I think I may have been missing out! Besides being filled with tense, hot romance, this story has tons of action and suspense. I love that Kat is a strong, independent woman - I mean she’s Lady Kaitlyn during the day, and a deadly spy by night, you go girl!

Thank you to @entangeled_publishing @Maddisonmichaelsauthor and @tlcbooktours for a spot on tour and a gifted ebook.

I really enjoyed this book!! Sebastian's character was just the right amount of rough and sweet. Livi was super strong which I loved. I do wish they had gotten to their hea with a little less angst.

Since the age of four, Kat has been raised by her uncle, Victor, to be a weapon. She didn't have a normal life, every day was spent training in hand-to-hand combat, throwing daggers, shooting, and lock picking. She killed at the age of 12. As an adult, she and Victor were spies for the Crown until Victor is killed by the mysterious Chameleon, Europe's most wanted assassin. Kat vows to find and kill the Chameleon. Marcus's cheating awful wife was killed by the Chameleon also and his brother died in a bombing while being framed for treason. Both having been trained by Victor and working for the War Office, they decide to work together to achieve their goals. Even knowing Kat's background, Marcus has a little trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that Kat isn't a frail female. Like her friend says, she kneed him in the nether regions and won their first battle. I thought the wrap up of the storyline was a little convoluted. And Samuel, her poor young nephew. He wasn't very fleshed out as a character. When he went through a terrible trauma, Marcus asks Kat if she wants to return home to be with Samuel. No, she says, I'll go with you! Be ready for an unusual heroine, fun banter, spies, murders, and surprises.

I love the historical romance/spy genre, and this has a decently twisty plot--though a bit convoluted--but it fell flat for me. Primarily this was because the characters weren't fully fleshed out; I didn't feel an emotional connection to them, which is important on some level for me to enjoy a book, even something that's written in "turn your brain off, beach read" mode. The h is gorgeous, indestructible, doesn't need a man, etc. What I call the "Mary Sue meets Alias" type found in many current historical action/romances. She looks beautiful in a ballroom and kicks butt against multiple male attackers. She never breaks a sweat or bleeds, of course. The H is an alpha-ish guy who goes around growling and brooding and threatening to spank h when he wants to keep her in line (one time with this silly threat is enough for me, twice is pushing it). As expected, the action scenes stretched suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, and the standard tropes make an appearance (carriage make-out scene, bad-weather-abandoned shack make-out scene, etc.). The Big Misunderstanding scene did blow over quickly with a discussion between the MC's, so that was a relief. But the reasons for the secret didn't make logical sense.

Maybe the biggest problem for me is that the MC's relationship is consummated way too early. I like romantic tension and smart banter before the H/h start breaking out the rubbers. I love it when an author is creative and an H finds ways to keep the h--and the reader--panting leading up to the final act. I also have to note that, for a woman who won't marry because she wants to preserve her freedom, the h is quite naive and emotionally immature about the repercussions of possible pregnancy. A 26 year old virgin of that time period would have been well aware of how a pregnancy could impact her life and livelihood. Her aggression toward the H just didn't fit for the time period.

A last nitpick: One big grieving and yelling scene from the h in a book is all I need. This h spends a lot of time yelling. There are also occasional editing errors (the term "most favorite" is used a couple times. Sorry, grammar stuff like this bugs me).

I read an advanced copy of this book and my review is voluntary. My opinions are my own. Review posted to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/edit?asin=B09QJP3SBZ

The Secrets, Scandals and Spies series is so far super engaging, quick and fun. This is the second book in the series and overall is a good Victorian era romance. It’s a little lighter on the swoon and heat than I prefer in a historical romance. More mystery and spy fun at times. But the witty banter and intrigue was enjoyable, and I zipped through the book easily. If you want a little more from your historical romance, these are for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Strong female lead, spicy romance, revenge, and a mystery to be solved. What more do you need? I loved everything about this book. Usually in regency romances, the romance is all I really care about. Not only did I loved the main characters and romance, I also loved following the mystery behind the murders. The plot kept me interested and there was plenty of action to keep the pace moving nicely. Banter between the romantic interests is always important to me, and I really enjoyed it between this couple. They complimented each other well and kept each other on their toes the entire time. I didn’t guess the villain but I loved the reveal.

I have found a new (to me) regency author!

Thank you @entangled_publishing @maddisonmichaelsauthor and @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy!

There are three threads to this story. The part of that braid that we are introduced to first is the revenge story, as Kat Montrose watches her guardian and beloved uncle die on the street after an attack by a foreign agent known only as “The Chameleon”. The second strand of that braid is the instant attraction between Kat and Marcus Black – an attraction that is as inconvenient and inappropriate as it is irresistible.

Last but not least, the central thing that ties those two pieces together is the “Great Game” of power, politics and general one-upmanship that was conducted between the British Empire and the Russian Empire in places and with proxies all around the world, but most especially in Central and South Asia.

It’s the playing of this game of lives, fortunes and futures that eventually resulted in World War I. But at the point of this story in 1884-85, it’s mostly a spy game. A spy game in which Kat, Marcus, Kat’s late uncle AND the Chameleon have all played their parts.

Kat, formally Lady Kaitlyn Montrose, is a spy, a member of Her Majesty’s War Office. So is Marcus Black, the Earl of Westwood. Both were trained by her late uncle in the work. When he was killed, Kat began her search for the Chameleon, intending on taking “an eye for an eye”, the Chameleon’s life for her uncle’s.

But the Chameleon has been avoiding people like Kat for years, all too successfully. No one has ever been able to discover the identity of the elusive assassin. Kat needs a bit of assistance in tracking the Chameleon down. Assistance that she expects to garner in the form of the Earl of Westwood, who should want to avenge her uncle – his mentor – as much as she does.

Westwood has been hunting the Chameleon for far longer than Kat has been looking, and Victor’s death only adds to the reasons for his pursuit. He doesn’t want Kat getting in his way – or honestly working the case at all. Nor does he have any hope of stopping her.

Which doesn’t keep him from trying for entirely too long.

But the Chameleon is working through a hit list of the highest echelons of the War Office. Kat and Marcus will have to work together to stop the decimation of Britain’s intelligence services while war looms on the horizon.

Too bad they’re spending so much time fighting a war with each other to find the source of the threat before it’s nearly too late.

Escape Rating B: I loved the opening of this. The whole idea of a female spy in Victorian England had the potential to be so much fun! And the first scenes, with Kat burgling some papers then decimating the thugs who try to stop her – was fantastic. That Kat has a burning line of snark for such circumstances was icing on the cake.

But the cake turned out to be more of a cupcake.

Kat is still an utterly fascinating character, and she does continue to kick ass and take names throughout this story. I especially loved her friendship with Livie (heroine of the first book in the series, The Bachelor Bargain) and Etta, and their joint publishing venture to take down the unrepentant asshole noblemen who abused women and didn’t think they’d have to pay for their perfidy. That was excellent. (I haven’t read the first book – yet – but didn’t feel like I’d missed anything essential. Just that I might have missed a good reading time!)

And I can’t say that I didn’t like her budding relationship with Westwood, because that certainly had oodles of passionate potential, which it mostly fulfilled. What fulfilled less, at least for me, was the degree to which he just plain refused to accept that Kat was NEVER going to submit to his protection and was not under any circumstances going to hold herself back from the investigation. Marcus wants Kat to be safe, and takes much too long to acknowledge that safety was about the last thing that Kat was built for.

If he hadn’t been aware of how she was raised and trained – and intimately aware at that because he was trained by the same person – it would have made more sense. His behavior would have been the expected thing for that time and place. But he went into this mess knowing that Kat was absolutely NOT the expected thing so treating her as if she was was going to get him nowhere but an argument. The repetition went on too long, and Kat in particular was a bit too angsty about her developing feelings. She was portrayed as a person of action at every turn and the moody angst just didn’t “feel right”.

On the other hand, the case was a cracking good one – and the solution was nothing like I expected at all. The Chameleon was both clever and totally unexpected, adding a frisson of danger and temptation to the scenario that made the whole thing that much more diabolical and entertaining.

In other words, mixed feelings. The way the romance worked didn’t quite fit the characters of Kat and Marcus as they were drawn, but I was certainly sold on them being meant for each other. I certainly liked this more than enough to consider picking up the previous book in the series, The Bachelor Bargain, the next time I’m in the mood for a romantic spy story.

Another fun, sexy read by Maddison Michaels!

Lady Kaitlyn (Kat) Montrose, an earl's daughter, has been trained since childhood to be a fighter/amateur spy, by her uncle. When her uncle is killed by an assassin known as the Chameleon, Kat vows to get revenge for his death. She gets assistance from her childhood friend, Lord Marcus who has his own vendetta against the killer, as The Chameleon killed Marcus's wife and he wants this assassin brought to justice. Now, Kat is pretty fierce and really doesn't need Marcus's help, but he is determined to be involved. I really enjoyed the mystery/spy parts of the book. I found the plot interesting and enjoyed Kat and Marcus getting close to each other, as they got close to catching a killer. I took off a star because I felt the sexy times were put in just to have, and didn't flow well with what was going on in the story. For instance, lets chase a killer through the woods, almost get shot, then dash back to the house party only to get caught in the rain and have to detour to a small lodge. (insert sexy times.) And again we almost catch the killer, lets go home and regroup, but while we are traveling a few blocks home in the carriage...sexy times. I also found that Marcus just happened to show up one minute too late, too many times to count. Overall, I did really enjoy and look forward to more from this author. Kat was a great heroine and I am really excited how the book set up the next couple!

I am really enjoying this series! After finishing The Bachelor Bargain I quickly picked up The Bachelor Betrayal.
I have to give it to Maddison Michaels, she knows how to write a fierce female lead. Kat was such a bada** who could keep up with the men in all aspects of her life. Marcus was a great lead for her, kind of broody, I’ll never love again kind of guy but who will protect you with his life kind of character.
This one was definitely more of a mystery with lots of surprises. It wasn’t as slow of a burn as the first one and that carriage scene was 🔥. Im still blushing!
And now that I’m finished I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy. I have got to know what happens to Etta And Lucas, I see an epic friends to lovers, spy games edition!

Lady Kaitlyn (Kat) Montrose, an earl's daughter, and spymaster's niece has been trained from childhood along with other spies her Uncle mentors. When her beloved Uncle is murdered by the mysterious assassin, the Chameleon, she teams up with Lord Marcus Black to find the man that killed her Uncle and his wife.

The characters of this book were really well-drawn. Kat is pretty badass and fearless. It's somewhat frustrating when Marcus comes in and feels the need to protect her. I love that she spends most of the book proving him wrong and that she rescues herself. Too often authors will write strong female leads then fall back on outdated gender roles. Michaels doesn't do this which makes their banter and the cat and mouse game they play so enjoyable to read.

I have to admit I didn't really care about the Chameleon storyline. Towards the end, it got a bit convoluted and I had a hard time keeping the players straight. But the story between Marcus and Kat is so strong and they get together pretty early in the book so there's not a whole lot of will they or won't they. Overall, loved it and can't wait for the next book!

The Bachelor Betrayal, by Maddison Michaels. Well this book had it all for me. There was romance, sensual naughty moments. It had action. It had thrilling suspense.
There was twisted betrayal and murder. In the middle of this there was bad a** Kaitlyn and her handsome Duke Marcus. Cheers to Kaitlyn’s character written as a independent woman who could think, make decisions and take care of herself even in hand to hand combat. Her character shows this all through the book. Hands down Kat is my favorite Heroine out of all the historical romance novels.
I liked her sharp tongue and her intelligence. Marcus character is almost the same as Kat’s, but he tries to defer from being a raging bull running into a China shop committing chaos in his wake, then ask questions, while rounding up suspected felons. Through the book Marcus holds dear to his hart how much he cares for Kat. I like how the writer had Marcus fight with himself over his feelings for Kat. As the book progresses Marcus comes to an understanding of what is important to him in his life.
I will admit that the book is a bit long. After the first couple of chapters I finally was able to really connect with the book. Having the action and fight scenes helped out with that. The writer did a great job with providing details to the most important points to the story. I thought that the plot to the story was spelled out clearly for me as a reader.
I really enjoyed the emotional and heartfelt moments that the writer touched on. As I read these moments, it was as though you could feel what the character was going through. The romantic moments were amazing. I could have gone for a couple of more tumbles in the sheets with this book, but I was able to settle with the few four that the writer added in. I give this book two snaps and a twist.
Until next time my fellow readers… read on!

The Bachelor Betrayal by Maddison Michaels is the second book in the Secrets, Scandals and Spies series. We first meet Lady Kaitlyn “Kat” Montrose in the Bachelor Bargain with enough of a teaser that I wanted to learn more about her. And Maddison Michaels doesn’t disappoint as the beginning of The Bachelor Betrayal introduces Kat in a dramatic fashion that set the tone for the rest of the book.

The next time we see Kat in the book she is out for vengeance, she is looking for the person who murdered her uncle. She is engaged in an action that Kat believes will further her quest to avenge her uncle. This is where she meets, or rather re-meets her youthful crush Marcus Black, the Earl of Westwood who is on his own quest, to prove his brother innocent of treason. As it turns out, Kat and Marcus are both seeking the same prey, the Chameleon albeit with different end goals. From the moment we see Kat and Marcus together and in action I was invested in this couple. I loved their banter, their daring and truce, well that comes up a bit later.

We get to revisit characters from the Bachelor Bargain and a few new ones that propel the story along. The book is full of action, intrigues, suspense and mystery. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I don’t think I will ruin anything by saying that Kat and Marcus find their attraction and their hearts intertwined. Even when it appears that a misunderstanding will pull the couple apart it is quickly resolved and they return to seeking out the Chameleon.

Kat and Marcus initially physically spar but then it becomes verbal sparring which is thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. They are both guarded with themselves and their heart, they let very few people in their inner circle, so it is interesting to watch their story unfold. Once I started reading I couldn’t put the book down, there were several storylines to follow that all ended at the same point. And I fell in love with Kat just with the small introduction in the previous book and I fell more in love with her and with Marcus in this book. And well just as a teaser, there is a Dowager Duchess that I adore who reappears in The Bachelor Betrayal. I highly recommend The Bachelor Betrayal to anyone who enjoys intrigue, romance and a rollicking great story.

I received a NetGalley ARC of The Bachelor Betrayal by Maddison Michaels and read the book voluntarily.

Lady Kaitlyn Montrose is a trained by her uncle how to protect herself and to be a spy for england. She is there when her uncle is killed by the Chameleon.. Which sets Kaitlyn on a path with another one of her uncle's ex-student Marcus Black. He's after the Chameleon cause the chameleon killed his wife and set up his brother as traiter. The Chameleon also killed his brother Nathanel. Marcus has watched Kaitlyn grown up but never thought he would fall in love with her. i love the twist and turns in this book I just reviewed The Bachelor Betrayal by Maddison Michaels. #TheBachelorBetrayal #NetGalley
[NetGalley

The second in the Secrets, Scandals, and Spies series, I was almost apprehensive to read this one because I liked The Bachelor Bargain (first in the series) so much. I wasn't sure how Michaels could top the first book, but boy was I wrong. Kat wants to avenge her uncle at all costs, and Marcus wants to clear his brother's name. Both are well-trained spies trying to achieve their goals separately until their paths cross and entwine, and their missions become increasingly aligned. What I love about this love story is how Michaels portrayed our main couple. Marcus is kind, ruthless, and strong enough to be proud of Kat's training and strength rather than threatened. While Kat holds her own and does not diminish her skills for a man, she's also soft at times. The author layers this complex character to demonstrate that she isn't all revenge and fight scenes, and shows how this brutal world impacts her and those she cares about. At its core, this fast-paced, plot-driven story is about finding love when it's most unexpected. Michaels builds a relationship between our main couple built on loyalty and trust, and it's a relationship we can all root for joyfully. I truly enjoyed this installment in the series, and I hope that the author will continue it soon-- there are more stories I hope to read in this breakneck world! Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was very fun to read.

Basically after her uncle was murdered by a famous assassin, she makes it her life goal to caught and kill the assassin. The only thing that seems to be standing in her way is the Earl of Westwood who works secretly for the Queen and country (he is a dangerous spy). She finds herself very attracted to him but she must first find out if he is the famous assassin.

Simply loved it.

2.8 stars 🤔

The Bachelor Betrayal is the second in a series, and I enjoyed the first book very much. Compared to the first book, this one suffers a tiny bit. (Perhaps it needs just a little more thought?) In a broad sense, I liked this novel. It checked a lot of my boxes: strong heroine, suspense, action, romance. But there was something uneven that got worse in the last third of the book.

At first, my only gripe was how frequently Marcus imagined spanking Kat, and I don't mean in a kinky way. For all that the author does to show us how utterly capable and confident Kat is, Marcus seems intent on making her sound like a recalcitrant child. It wasn't enough for my that he interspersed these thoughts with legitimate awe; Kat deserves more than to be considered a plucky little girl.

Later, the plot gets muddied up by too many characters plagued by too many assassinations. References to "the Chameleon" eventually become rather obvious. I caught on pretty early to where the author was going with the mystery assassin. In the first book, I felt the red herrings were done well, but here, I feel like the author cheats us a little by substituting a large cast of possible villains for a well-constructed red herring.

The third book in the series--Etta and Lucas'--is also dangled in front of us for a good portion of the book. I'm looking forward to it, though I hope it's a smoother ride than this one. (Even though it brings us back to the Gazette, which was the part of book 1 that turned me off.)

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

Loved this so much! The first few chapters I read through a fever fog so I had to go back and re-read them but when I picked it up again I flew through the chapters. I loved these characters and they had great banter, not only with each other but all the other characters they interacted with, the Dragon Duchess, one of my faves.

The Chameleon reveal was a great surprise. I honestly did not suspect anyone specifically but there were a lot of secrets Kat learned before it was all over.

Getting glimpses of Etta and Lucas' interactions was fun and I can't wait for their book.

Lady Kaitlyn Montrose has made it her mission to avenge the death of her beloved uncle. While gathering information to identify who was behind his death, she bumps into Marcus Black. The Earl of Westbrook is a deadly threat when he needs to be, she knows because her uncle had a hand in his training. He also happens to be looking for the same person, who he knows is responsible for his brother's death.

Now they'll have to work together to find their common enemy. Their growing attraction is proving to be distracting until Kat makes a suggestion that Marcus isn't crazy about.

Thanks so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.