This is book 2 in the Ruthless Rivals series. Carys Davies is trying everything so that she doesn't have to get married and expose her secret. The one person who ruffles her feathers is Tristan Montgomery, her family's great rival. Can he break through her shell and can they trust each other enough to fight the battle ahead of them?

The first 25% was a struggle. The storyline was great but it had my least favorite trope ( not good enough to marry).
I would recommend this book for enemies to lovers' fans.

Enemies to Lovers give them all to me!

I love the family feud between the Davis and Montgomery, in my own way I want so much more of these two families in my reading life. The tension between Carys and Tristan is off the flipping charts, I wish I could have bottled it up. It burns off the pages which is harder than you would think when it comes to historical romances. I enjoyed the sub plot also, which are normally hit or misses for me. This is a must add to your summer reading list.

this checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Must read. Historical fiction oh yeah. Love me some of this.

A Daring Pursuit is an enemies to lovers trope with a lot of heat and moderate angst. Carys and Tristan are polar opposites, but that doesn't stop the passionate attraction. Throw in a few villains and a group of wild animals and you'll have an amusing tale.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really really liked the first book in the Ruthless Rivals series and I somehow loved this one even more. This romance is the story of Carys and Tristan, the siblings of Gryff and Maddie from the first book. The pair have been butting heads for years and when Carys lets her scandalous past slip to Tristan the pair begin a scandalous adventure of their own while trying to keep their hearts from becoming involved. Their story is fun, steamy, and deeply romantic
I loved both Carys and Tristan. Both were complex characters and it was just wonderful to be in their heads and read all of their interactions. I loved Carys love of animals, her family, and ultimately Tristan. I loved Tristan subconscious love of Carys that had him creating a perfect place for her at his side without even realizing it. I loved the pairs lack of judgement for each other about the important things. They were just a wonderful romance couple with fun subplots that kept the two having to work together. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Loved this second book in the Ruthless Rivals series. Carys Davies is a wonderful female lead with just the right amount of sass & spunk. Tristan Montgomery is perfect as her foil. The two of them produce sparks that are hot enough to have steam coming off the pages. This is a great historical romance. I enjoyed reading their story & seeing a little of the other Davies & Montgomery crews. Looking forward to book three in this fun series. Highly recommend this book.
Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Carys Davis and Tristan Montgomery have continued the feud of sorts between their families even though their siblings Gryff and Madeline have married. Now Carys is in a tough spot, having done one inappropriate thing that could sink her marriage chances and she's being blackmailed by the rat. Tristan, who likes her more than he wants to admit, comes to her aid but only after they make a bargain, an unusual one for the time and place. And it turns out, they find they like one another, they really really like one another. Bateman has a good way with the steamy scene as well as with dialogue. This is an easy, trope-y read that I found myself totally caught up in! Don't worry if you missed Gryff and Madeline's story- this stands just fine on its own. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good fun read.

After a promising first installment I find I’m back to being heavily disappointed with A Daring Pursuit. It has crumbs of potential, which kept me reading, but overall, I was highly underwhelmed, and found it hard to read without my critical lens on a lot of the minute details.
The characters are…ok. Carys is the more interesting of the two, as she had a bad first sexual experience with a scoundrel who is now blackmailing her. She’s a good balance of bold and brash, with the outfits to match, tempered by vulnerability due to being taken advantage of when she was young and curious. While I have other issues with her character, I mostly felt she was the best part of the book.
Tristan is all right. I was excited to read about him being an architect in the blurb, but he’s still a member of a prominent family with all the privilege it affords him. He is, however, decent and solid, for the most part, so I can theoretically see how he’s a good foil for the wild Carys.
And I did appreciate that the woman Carys’ ex married was also cognizant of what a monster he was. There’s a lovely moment between the two, and it seems like she’s found her own path to happiness in her own way, while encouraging Carys to grasp hers.
The first bit of confusion for me is that the families still hate each other…but are getting together because two members are getting married. I know, old habits die hard. But given it was more about upholding the “tradition” of hating each other than any actual enmity, why keep up this weird facade?
And Tristan and Carys very much play up their enmity for each other, while admitting their lust for each other. There’s even an exchange where Tristan informs Carys that you don’t have to like the person you sleep with, and the asexual in me rolled my eyes. Again, I get the concept theoretically, and they do have great banter and sexual chemistry. I also like that he does care about her well-being in regards to the blackguard who ruined her and is now blackmailing her. But if that’s the bare minimum to be expected, and there’s no other substance to their bond?
I also found Carys’ gender expression rather troubling. When she disguises herself as a man at one point, she compares herself to Shakespeare’s Rosalind and Viola, saying she “dressed as she wished to be: as confident and liberated as a man.” However, beneath this, she still wears women’s undergarments. And there’s never any effort to discuss or unpack gender identity or queerness in a serious way, it’s just a means to an end, as many books before with this trope have been. While it could easily be read as a comment on the barriers cis women faced at the time and still do to an extent, queer (including trans) people have always existed (and queer readings of Twelfth Night in particular exist), it’s disappointing to see yet another rendering of this tired trope in 2022 to reinforce how “edgy” and “modern” this historical heroine is, when it will only resonate with cishet women readers (and likely only a certain subset of them who aren’t pearl clutchers), instead of something that interrogates the trope beyond “being a man = more freedom.”
And for a book with a blackmail plot, it was…boring? I kept checking to see if I was getting any closer to the end, and nope! And typically, with all the issues I had, I’d bail, but a combination of the little I did like and wanting to see how weird it got made it hard to look away…until real life events took up my time so I found I didn’t even miss the book (a rare occurrence, indeed!).
After this disappointment, complete with the reinforcement of problematic tropes, and the fact that the previous relative win was preceded by a stinker of a series I stuck out with for some improbable reason, I’m inclined to be extra careful considering whether to read Kate Bateman’s work in the future. Trope issues aside, it’s becoming clear she doesn’t often write books that work for me. And while I can’t say I personally would recommend these, historical romance readers who enjoy books with “unconventional” heroines, staid heroes, and high sexual tension may enjoy it.

I loved the banter and chemistry between Tristan and Carys. Enemies, a scandalous bargain and an affair that builds in passion and heads non stop to love. Great story plus great characters makes for a very worthwhile and satisfying read.

Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery have been adversaries since childhood. Growing up as next-door neighbors with a generations long family feud will do that. What they are about to find out though, is that each of them has always been in love with the other.

This quick-paced, enemies-t0-lovers romance will sweep you up in their passionate affair. There's just enough plot and adventure to keep the book interesting (at one point they are being chased by a bear!) and enough open-door, steamy scenes to satisfy.

I highly recommend ANY of Kate Bateman's books, they have never disappointed me. Her heroes are always dashing and dreamy and her heroines strong, smart and confident.

This is the second book in her "Ruthless Rivals" series but can be read as a stand-alone with no problem. I can't wait to see what comes next for the Davies and Montgomerys!

Carys and Tristan were adorable together. No shocking insights and the plot was simple and overall straightforward but this was nonetheless a enjoyable childhood enemies to lovers trope. Villains were villainous. I loved the girl power component and the female solidarity was excellent.

My 2nd Kate Bateman book has cemented my "fan" status. The author gives readers Tristan and Carys - two very likable, complex characters that readers grow to love. Knowing their long history as childhood neighbors and watching them become reacquainted as adults who spend most of their time involved in verbal sparring was extremely entertaining. Carys is one of a kind and Tristan is by far the only man she knows who appreciates her unique beauty and fearless approach to life. Tristan is the complete package with brains, brawn, wit, humor, chivalry, total loyalty. I loved the deep romance that grew over time and the heated encounters they shared along the way. Watching their relationship unfold as they gradually reach their very satisfying HEA makes this an exceptional story. For this reader, this book has it all: outstanding characters, excellent dialog, angst, heat, romance and a large group of surrounding characters that will hopefully get their own stories in the future. HIGHLY recommend!

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I have to say I quite liked her writing style! I'm a huge fan of regency romance so there are lots of times when I feel like I'm reading the same book again (not that I mind, this is my comfort genre so I go in expecting the same tropes lol!) but I found this one to have a few pretty unique aspects which is always exciting!

First off, we have a main female character who purposely wears scandalous outfits to every ball she attends (LOVED this - thanks to good writing, I had a mental image of each stunning outfit!). She does this to avoid marrying anyone due to a secret that we learn about pretty early in the book (though I won't go into details for those who wish to remain surprised). Carys was a fun, layered character who always seemed so good-natured, yet bold and unafraid. Tristan is more reserved and proper, yet he can't help but be intrigued with Carys's salacious disregard for the ton's rules. These two are such a great match. Both complement each other's personalities, both are intelligent and caring, and both are in love before they even realize it.

Overall, the plot here was great, the supporting characters (including Carys's animals!) were all fantastic, and our main characters were a perfect match. Though there is an element of blackmail, it takes a backseat to the romance between Carys and Tristan which is ok, just something to note! I'm looking forward to what comes next in this series, and will definitely be going back and reading the first one!

It's really rough when the boy you've always had a crush on but never been able to actually flirt with (because his family is your family's sworn enemy) comes back from his time away (1.) Hot; (2.) Successful in his profession; (3.) A war hero; (4.) Completely indifferent to you. Of course, that's what Carys thinks of Tristan. He's tried to rid himself of an equally unwanted crush on her for literally years.

Once he gets back to town and they get thrown together again, he discovers her most shameful secret. It has to do with sex because OF COURSE it does. But don't worry, he wants to prove to her that sex can be good with the right guy - and he's willing to sacrifice himself to do so.

They also manage to uncover a treasonous plot, save some wild animals, and fall in love in the meantime. This is a real romp, despite what could be difficult subject matter (Carys's previous lover wasn't just bad in bed, he's also blackmailing her and threatening social ruin). Bateman tackles it with a light touch. We had a great time reading this one!

Oh. Wow!! Kate Batemen DELIVERS the “ruined” heroine making “Please-teach-me-your-sexy-ways” deals with a grumpy hero to perfection!! I am here for it, and I simply cannot get enough.

Bravo!! I’ll take the next book please!!

Even though I am a fan of some of this author's other stories, I struggled to get through this one.

On one hand I enjoyed the way Carys didn't back down from Tristan. She had a fire to her that was refreshing, and when she and Tristan were sniping back and forth, purposely trying to annoy each other, I found myself laughing out loud. I do think that her form of dress came across as completely inappropriate and out of place given the time period and the fact that she was supposed to be an unmarried, virginal, lady. Her reputation would have been ruined by the way she dressed and flirted alone without having any help from the villain who was blackmailing her.

However, I wish there had been more by the way of "flashbacks" showing Tristan and Carys over the years to give some sense of when and how they started to have feelings for each other. We hear a lot about it, as well as the family feud that has been raging for centuries, but we aren't really shown anything especially where these two are concerned. I don't see them being enemies the way they claim to be. I don't see them particularly being friends. The lust between them? Absolutely. After all, they did enter into a pack to sleep with each other for a week so that Tristan could introduce her to all the ways of lovemaking.

Sadly, once they actually started exploring those areas, I felt the story lost most of what made it enjoyable.

To begin with, although Tristan knows full well that Carys was taken advantage of by Howe, so do we. And I didn't particularly care to have his name brought up every time Tristan did something new to/with her. Yet despite this, they still fall in love with each other? How? When? Of course it is explained away as something that had always been there, just made more obvious by their physical connection, but again we are told these things instead of being able to experience them alongside the characters.

One near-death experience later and he's ready to marry her. Which I mean, isn't all that uncommon, but I would definitely have liked to have seen her brother make him squirm just a little bit.

However, what didn't work for me will undoubtedly work for someone else, and I do plan to read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This was the first in the series for me, but super easy to get all caught up on everything. This was such a good read and such a great use of the enemies to lovers trope! Our hero and heroine had just the right amount of sass and it was super to see them recognise pretty immediately that there was more than dislike there. And I super loved that neither wanted to change the other in any way!

Disillusioned with love by a bad first experience, Carys Davies is determined to be so bold, so brazen that she scares any potential suitors away. She can't afford to have her secret exposed or her family will be ruined. When quiet, reserved Tristan, from the rival Montgomery family, accidentally learns her secret, he steps up to save her . . . in spite of the ongoing feud between the Davies and Montgomerys. Carys and Tristan have sparred for years while both secretly harboring deeper feelings for each other. In the midst of a one week gathering and truce between families, the pair discover a raging sexual inferno blazing between them that won't be denied. At the risk of being forward, Carys suggests an indecent proposal to Tristan knowing he'll turn her down. He has one week to teach her why she will enjoy being married, including all bedroom acts - no holds barred. Why it's simply scandalous! Tristan accepts the challenge. Buckle up, readers! It's about to get very hot in here!

I simply adore the characters, especially these two, in The Ruthless Rivals series! Bateman excels at rendering characters that you either love or love to hate. The banter, the chemistry, the plot line all combine to make a fantastic read that I finished in mostly one sitting. Support characters include those from book one and while A Daring Pursuit can certainly be read as a standalone, I highly advise you not to cheat yourself out of reading A Reckless Match as it is also exceptional. Bateman cranks up the heat in A Daring Pursuit as the flirting, courting and bedroom scenes explode from the high heat radiating off Carys and Tristan. If you love a good enemies to lovers story with a ton of sexual tension, this one's for you. It's Regency Romance at its best!

Carys and Tristan's story is a highly entertaining enemies to lovers, opposites attract delight! I knew their story would be fun to read as these two sworn enemies circled around each other in the first book of this series, A Reckless Match. So when it was announced that their book would be next, I was very excited!

Carys is fiery and passionate, a total scandal to the ton that dictates the etiquette of the time. Tristan is cool and collected, everything in his world is orderly and predictable. It really was no wonder these two are fascinated with each other. But their families have been in this centuries long feud, and not even the marriage of Cary's brother to Tristan's sister seems to have assuaged the feud.

When Tristan stumbles upon a scandalous secret Carys has been keeping for years, an unlikely proposition is offered up, and the story takes off on a steamy romp that I couldn't get enough of. Along the way, Ms. Bateman does an impeccable job of delving deep into both characters and I couldn't help but fall in love with both of them. I was just dying for them to throw propriety to the wayside and get past this family feud once and for all and succumb to what was so obvious to everyone but them.

I loved the menagerie of animals Carys kept at Trellech Court, and I especially loved the danger filled element towards the end of the book that kept me glued to the pages. This story was a delightful addition to The Ruthless Rivals series. I'm on pins and needles to see whose story will be up next. Will it be Morgan and Harriet? It's clear there's more than meets the eye there with those two. Or perhaps Rhys? Who knows, I just know I'm coming along for the ride!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.