The second book in Kate Bateman’s Ruthless Rivals series once again finds members of the Davies and Montgomery families at odds. Carys and Tristan have enjoyed nothing more than arguing, disagreeing, and altogether needling each other since they were children. Neither seems to realize that it’s less about disliking each other and more about wanting the other person’s attention, no matter what the reason. But when Tristan offers to prove to Carys that just because she has no interest in marriage, it doesn’t mean she wants a life without passion, they’re forced to confront their preconceived notions about each other.

This is one of my favorite tropes, two people who think they know all there is to know about each other and the shock and pleasant surprise when they realize just how wrong they really were. Carys thinks Tristan is overly serious and not passionate about anything, while he thinks she’s all wild behavior and rash decisions – but there’s so much more to both of them, and the idea that they can spend a week seducing each other and then move on with their lives once they’ve uncovered what the other is really like is laughable. They complement each other so perfectly, whether they’re arguing or flirting or having a suddenly heartfelt conversation.

The main characters’ banter and chemistry carry the novel for sure, but there are fantastic side characters from both their families, the history of their family feud, blackmail, and the uncovering of a treasonous plot creating a well-rounded overall story. Oh, and a pet bear. Not often I get to mention a bear named Buttercup in a review. And I have to admit that it’s refreshing to find a male character in an historical novel who not only doesn’t shame a woman for having a romantic past, but defends her to those who do. It’s not a major focus of the book, but it’s there, and I appreciate it.

So far, each book in the series gets a little bit stronger, and I can’t wait to see what Bateman creates next!

Another fabulous addition to the Ruthless Rivals series. I cannot express enough words to say how much I enjoyed this book. The passion and fire between Cary’s Davies and Tristan Montgomery is electric. I am a true fan of the enemies to lovers trope, and Kate Bateman writes the rivalry of these two families with expert skill. The chemistry is palpable! The constant banter between these two is both hilarious and telling, The fact that they have loved each other for so long is truly blind only to them. The saying “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”, comes to mind to describe them perfectly. There are so many scenes that stand out as the best moment, but truly the entire story was the best scene. With so many laugh out loud moments, you can never grow bored. The final scene with Gryff had me rolling on the floor. The family dynamic in the Davies clan is so beautifully written, you can feel the love they have for each other. I could go on and on, but that would give away too many spoilers. Read this book! An epic portrayal of enemies to lovers bliss!

A Daring Pursuit is the second book in The Reckless Rivals series. This is the first book I've read by Kate Bateman and I was pleasantly surprised. The author is witty and draws you in with well written characters.
Carys Davies is the only sister of the Davies clan and makes her own rules. She's fought to earn her reputation and to be educated as her brothers were. She's wildly unique and boldly colorful in the pastel flavors of the Ton. She's dealing with an unsavory experience from her past and is desperate to put it behind her. When her frenemy figures out the quandary he supports her in an unexpected way. Is she willing to trust him with more than her secret?

Tristan Montgomery is the epitome of the English Lord. He is utterly poised with never a hair out of place and unflappable even when pressed. His one weakness, Carys. Although he's able to present a calm exterior she has always lit a spark inside him and when faced with a challenge of replacing a dismal experience with a truly amazing one he's completly on board. One week in the country to tuck away the passion for someone he ultimately thinks would not be a good match but lights him up nonetheless. As they navigate their tryst they stumble upon danger and realize they work well as a team and ultimately may balance each other in ways they didn't expect.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I truly loved this book.
The Montgomery and Davies families have been feuding for centuries.
While Carys brother and Tristian's sister have married the feud continues.
When Trisitan finds out why Carys refuses to marry, he is determined to show her what she would be missing out on for the rest of her life.
I love the enemies to lover trope in this book, especially since they both already are attracted to each other.
The slow seduction and lessons were perfect
I really liked everything about this book and am excited for book 3.

Kate Bateman has become one of my go-to authors, because I know she's going to deliver. A Daring Pursuit was another excellent story.

With some enemies to lovers as well as opposites attract vibes, Tristan and Carys's romance brought the heat. I loved their banter, their chemistry, their connection. They had it all.

Throw in a little intrigue and the entertainment that was Carys's brothers, and it was pure enjoyment.

I can't wait for the next installment of this series.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

Received an advanced copy from the publisher.

I was vibing with the first book in this series after previously DNFing my first Kate Bateman book and I really enjoyed this one as well! Carys and Tristan were a delight and I had a great time watching them dance around each other (amazingly foreshadowed by the previous book). I don't *love* a hero who is icy and disapproving of a woman because he's attracted to her and scared of his feelings, but the amount of Tristan's perspective that we got helped smooth this trait out and it was abandoned fairly early in the story. Carys was a great main character and the main plot driver was a classic "when will these two crazy kids just realize they should marry each other" which was wonderfully low stakes and charming.

This is a fantastic story. The epic rivalry between the Davies and the Montgomery families is not cooling down despite a marriage between the siblings. Carys is the only female sibling in the Davies family and she has learned what it is to be tough. Despite a setback in her debut she is determined to control her fate. Tristan is the Montgomery heir and he takes his role seriously. He has seen the terrors of war and is now only looking for stability. The characters are magnificent and detailed. They are in parts witty, charming and funny. The author has masterfully created characters that the reader can’t help but love and cheer on. Tristan becomes the knight to Carys as he charms and protects her. They find that falling in love with your enemy is spectacular.

*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and the author for an ARC of this title.*

This book was absolutely charming and delightful. I was having some bad luck with the historical romances I was reading recently and A Daring Pursuit just swept in and won the day! I had a great time with the first book in this series about Maddie and Gryff and I was very interested to see what their siblings were up to in this next installment.

Carys Davies has a secret shame that is slowly stealing her joy. Too afraid to tell her brothers and have them be disappointed in her, she has put on a persona of a flirt and brazen to scare off any respectable marriage offers. She has no desire in them anyway and she would much prefer to stay at home and be with her menagerie of beautiful rescued animals. She definitely doesn't have time for one of the Montgomery men to be sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.

Tristan Montgomery is on track to be an extremely successful architect and he is on the hunt for a proper wife to compliment his plans and Carys is most certainly NOT that woman for him. Even though bantering with her is stimulating in more ways than one. Even though, when he finds out she wants a little teaching in the ways of men and women after a bad experience, they start having some clandestine meetings. And kissing and touching her doesn't feel anything like he has ever experienced before.... Even when she just might make him have... fun.

I love a "teach me" romance and this one had a very clever way of going about it. The chemistry and banter between Tristan and Carys was electrifying. I could not put the book down. Somehow these two had me laughing, swooning, and gasping all in one scene. And in the midst of a treasonous plot by some horrible men, rogue bears and a family feud.... they find a love that will shake the rafters.

I really loved these two together and I loved watching them both come to the realization that maybe they weren't ever meant to be rivals at all... even if they still want to argue and cross swords together... forever.

3.75/5 stars

In book two of the Ruthless Rivals series we see two other members of the Montgomery and Davies families: Tristan and Carys have known each other for years, we find out soon enough that they've also been pining for each other for those many years, mostly denying it to themselves, they of course cannot do anything about it as their families have been feuding for a long time, until Tristan Montgomery overhears a conversation involving Carys Davies he shouldn't have and from that moment on the lines start to blur and they get only closer and closer.

Now what I appreciated about this book is how much page time they have together that really helped make their relationship believable; another thing I enjoyed is how progressive, for that time, the characters were… for the most part: for example the protagonists spent a lot of time by themselves and no one ever said anything, Carys often wore trousers and no one objected. Tristan too was always supportive and protective of Carys without ever becoming possessive or even thinking he could order her around, more of that, please.
A personal preference of mine is short chapters and this book has them so the narration flowed very smoothly and naturally for me. I once complained about the exaggerate use of the word “Whore” in another book by this same author and I'm glad to say it only appears once in this novel, I'm confident the word will not be present at all in her future works.

I wish the author'd played a little more on their enmity, wish she'd dived a little deeper in those feelings, their animosity didn’t feel that strong because it wasn’t backed up by anything other than “Our families have been enemies for centuries”. There were grounds for deliciously tension-filled moments, if only she'd drawn them out a little, I feel like the author didn't make the reader “work for it”, didn’t make us struggle or make us hold our breath much, despite this I really liked them together, their chemistry was enjoyable, believable and their steamy moments were the perfect length.

Now what I didn't love at all was the unnecessary use of the words “feminine” and “masculine” near nouns that don't really need to be gendered to make their meaning fully clear, let me quote <i>“A rush of purely feminine satisfaction”</i>, <i>“He made a sound of masculine contentment”</i>… what was the need?

By now I'm fully invested in this series so I'll definitely be reading what comes next, though there's also room for improvement.

A Daring Pursuit is a fantastic enemies to lovers tale between Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery, whose families are continuing a long-held feud. Their life-long rivalry and witty conversations will keep you turning the page to read what they are going to do next. Their lessons or the ‘bargain’ is steamy and fun. I love it when they both begin to admit to themselves each cannot live without the other; so why not make it for a lifetime. Carys’ respect for animals is a charming part of her personality. Then, throw in a missing bear or two to add to the confusion. And, there are still more Davies and Montgomery family members to keep the ‘feud’ going!

REVIEWED ON BEHALF OF VERVE ROMANCE

I have so much love for Kate Bateman—an underrated author, in my humble opinion—and that love has spilled over into A Daring Pursuit. Hardly surprising, given the charm that oozes off Tristan and Carys as they spar with one another while dealing with interpreting families, marriage prospects, scandal, and treason.
Gah! The banter in this book is of the exact type I need in my enemies-to-lovers romances—touched with a flirty undertone, cutting but not cruel, and akin to the best kind of foreplay. I couldn’t get enough of it, pausing my reading only long enough to sing this book’s praises to whoever would listen.
I loved the first book in this series, and while it was heavier on the suspense than this installment, they are on par in swoon-worthiness, intrigue, and likability. (Side note: reading A Reckless Match is not a requirement to enjoy this book, but it’s worth your time and your money.)
Did I say likability? I meant, loveability because that sums up perfectly how I feel about this Daring Pursuit—and its talented author.

What I really like about Kate’s books is that they are fun and easy reads. They are written in a way that draws you into the story without forcing the story on you. This story started out with a bang. The snarky comments, the witty banter and the enemies to lovers trope are some of the things I love in books. About 60% in I got bored. Not enough angst and too sweet. Then around 80% it picked back up again. It ended on a high note and Kate’s writing is so delicious. Can’t wait for the next book in this Hatfields and McCoys styled series.

I absolutely loved the first book in this Ruthless Rivals series, which was an enemies to lovers story featuring members of two families who had been feuding for centuries. This second book in the series involves another Montgomery-Davies pair - Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery. They've had a long time love-hate thing going, but when Tristan finds out that Carys is being blackmailed by a guy who talked her into giving up her virginity and then dumped her entirely for someone else, he offers to show her how good intimacy can be. They set up some clandestine hook-ups during a house party at the Davies estate, where Carys' brother and Tristan's sister, now married, are living. I definitely enjoyed this, but it wasn't my favorite Kate Bateman. One of the things I really love about her books is the thread of adventure that runs through them. In this case, the adventure is there, but really concentrated at the very end of the book. I wish it had been paced a little better in that respect. Still, I liked the romance and the relationship that developed between the two was charming and full of witty banter that I enjoyed. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman is an excellent story. This historic romance is a story full of romance, drama, intrigue, and blackmail moments. Carys has a secret that she can not let the ton know about. She dresses in scandalous outfits and flirts, and she does not wish to marry. Tristan is a strait-laced architect but has always wanted Carys. These two have chemistry but there is rival between their families. Can their feelings for each other be real? Can they overcome their issues? Read their story to find out the answers.
Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lady Carys Davies is being blackmailed by a man she thought she loved and believed she would marry, but instead he left her ruined and married another, and then had the gall to demand she pay him if she didn’t want the ton to learn of her fall from grace. Carys would rather pay than let her brothers learn of her ruin and has decided to either remain a spinster or agree to a white marriage with her friend Lord Ellington. And besides that, the only man she really wants is the one she could never have, Tristan Montgomery, her neighbor, and lifelong enemy.

Tristan is everything that Carys is not, he is restrained, proper, and meticulous, in short, her complete opposite. But despite his outward disdain for her, Carys is never far from his thoughts and though he would never admit it, she inhabits many of his dreams and fantasies. However, she is not someone he would ever consider marrying, he needs a “proper” wife and he has already found the woman he plans to court. But when Tristan learns Carys’s secret, it changes everything between them and activates his protective instincts. And when the blackmail takes a turn into treason and Carys’s life is in danger, Tristan realizes that “proper” isn’t what he needs after all, but has he missed his chance?

What a fun, well-written, fast-paced read this was! Carys and Tristan are wonderful, relatable, and very likable characters who fill the pages of this enemies-to-lovers book with witty banter and barely contained passion. The book has secrets, blackmail, bears, treason, steamyish love scenes, lots of witty banter, great secondary characters, a couple of nail-biting, run-for-your-life moments, and finally a very satisfying HEA. Personally, I thought the villains got off a little easy, but overall, this was a fantastic read and though it is the second book in the series, it could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

THE pining! I have so much love for this book. Great characters, who you really connect with. Enemies to lovers trope, perfectly executed.This book gives you everything you want from this genre.

This book was SO GREAT! I loved it even more than book 1, and Tristan and Carys were magic together!

Carys Davies thrives on making the ton talk. She wears scandalous outfits, and flirts with abandon. She has no plans to marry, as she's keeping a secret no one can ever know. There's only one man she's ever really been interested in anyway: Tristan Montgomery. But he's the only one who is never impressed by her persona. AND, he's part of a rival family, with whom her family has had a feud for generations.

Tristan Montgomery is an architect, and is as straight-laced as they come. But, for one thing: He's always wanted Carys Davies. She's brash, and bold, and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. He's always thought he needed a "respectable" wife, and Carys could never fit the bill. But, he's starting to wonder if he cares about any of that anymore, when she proposes a liaison between them that he can't refuse.

Carys and Tristan had a love/hate, push-pull dynamic that I loved, and their banter was top notch. The Hatfields and McCoys vibes between their 2 families have died down some, since 2 of their siblings married each other in book 1. But the underlying tension remains, and it's HOT. Their chemistry was undeniable, and I adored watching them both constantly wondering if all the things they felt for each other could truly be real.

There were a few side plots here that were interesting, including some blackmail action and related fallout, Carys's animal menagerie, and Gryff and Maddie's (the couple from book 1) house party, to name a few. All of these were woven into the story perfectly, and added to my enjoyment.

But, the stars of the show here were definitely Tristan and Carys, and I adored every minute of their opposites attract deliciousness! This story was HIGHLY enjoyable, and I recommend it, along book 1 in the series!

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Top-notch enemies to lovers romance. The characters are well developed, the historical setting is accurate, and the dialogue is excellent. I love romances, but this one has the added bonus of a really good foil, a fun supporting cast (who I am sure will get their own books soon), and an actual menagerie of animals.

The transition from enemy to lover was as realistic as any romance is :)

I look forward to the next book in the series!

*A super fun 4.5 out of 5 stars*

This was such a fun read!! I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did but here we are!! I'm gonna be honest: I can only handle enemies to lovers in very small doses... however, this was just the dose I needed. I absolutely loved Carys but like FULL ON ADORED Mr. Handsome architect Tristan. The chemistry between them was sizzling - the banter, the kissing, the steam... chef's kiss.

*BUT I would have appreciate more steam, to be honest. If we're gonna do the friction between our love interests, I want all of that friction as they grow frustrated with their clothes or with their *ahem* in the sheets, thank you so much.*

I'M SO EXCITED FOR HARRIET AND MORGAN!! I feel like their romance is gonna be my favourite of the series!

I am definitely going to buy "A Daring Pursuit" when it comes out May 24!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Very pleased to say that I enjoyed this book SO much!! In this latest installment in the Ruthless Rivals series, Kate Bateman gives the reader a biting and witty enemies to lovers romance that was thoroughly entertaining until the very end. Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery are from rival families and have always been each other's greatest weakness. When Carys jokingly asks Tristan to show her what she would be missing if she chooses to remain single, he surprisingly takes her up on the offer. The two begin a lesson in seduction, but neither of them were prepared to fall even further for the one person they should steer clear of.

Carys and Tristan were a great heroine and hero. I enjoyed them both as individual characters and loved them even more when they were together. Carys was a fiery and outspoken heroine which is my favourite kind. Even better is the cheeky hero that not only finds the heroine’s confidence attractive, but genuinely admires her for it and not in spite of it. That’s something I always appreciate in historical romances given the societal norms of the time. I’ll admit I just LOVE a man that is obsessed with the heroine and Tristan definitely was!

The banter. The BANTER! The chemistry and flirtatious banter between these two seemed so natural and playful and I absolutely adored it. Every time they interacted, I could really feel their deep feelings and angsty pining. I loved them together and I really appreciated the development and pacing of their romance overall. The friendly banter was so good, but even hotter was the deep sensuality of their intimate scenes which always left me REELING. Seriously, the chemistry was SO well done here.

I cannot wait to read the next book in this series now because this one was truly a delight!!