This was such an entertaining enemies to lovers book. The chemistry between Tristan and Carys, the push and pull was very well done. The pace was perfect: always engaging and .moving along the plot, but allowing time for their feelings to evolve. I love the juxtaposition of a very modern storyline: "friends"" with benefits, but made within the societal constraints of the time period. Very well done! I will certainly keep an eye out for Moe from this author.

I have loved every single thing I've ever read by Kate Bateman. Enough so that I'm starting to begin her books with doubts about how good they could possibly be. She continues to write some of the best historical romances out there and prove me wrong in every single one, with A Daring Pursuit possibly being the best yet.
If you like enemies-to-lovers, good banter, incredibly sexy fun, and a solid plot backing it all up, then you're going to love the story of Carys and Tristan. They're both such strong personalities that they practically leap off the page with how real they feel, so seeing them slowly open up to each other even while denying their feelings even to themselves was a delight.
I'm happy to say that you can totally read this second volume in the series as a stand-alone and not feel like you were dropped in the middle of the story with no background info. I would recommend reading A Reckless Match just because that's another note-perfect historical romance, but it's not necessary to enjoy this one.
It's also a really quick read that flew by too quickly, with the delightfully perfect for this couple HEA closing off the antics with a marvelous flourish.

Extremely happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the phenomenally romantic read!

✨Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this wonderful book!✨

I learned two things about myself from reading this book and the first book in this series:

1. I am a complete HO for a Welsh accent and need more romances with Welsh main characters.

2. Kate Bateman is an author I should have been reading for a long time.

I loved Carys’ spirit and determination. She found herself in such a difficult situation for a woman of her time and refused to let it dampen her spirit. I loved her and the relationship she had with her brothers. I totally understood why she felt the need to protect them from the ramifications of her mistake. I also loved how passionate she was about being her own woman and saving animals. The BEARS! I loved that part of the plot. 🥰 🐻

Tristan was a perfect rake, who held himself back, even though he had watched Carys from afar and wanted her. He didn’t think anything was possible between them because of their families’ feud and he saw her as spoiled and superficial. I loved watching him slowly peel back Carys’ layers and FINALLY see her for the badass with a heart of gold that she is.

The writing and pacing were perfect. I have no complaints at all, and I already can’t wait for the next book in the series. Kate Bateman is quickly moving up the ranks to Favorite Author status!

Blackmail, traitors, gold, birds and bears, but the most outrageous person is Carys Davies. The fued between the Davies and Montgomerys isn't what it use to be when Carys' brother marries a Montgomery. Tristan Montgomery overhears the conversation of a blackmailer and Carys. He makes a her promise. What started as a straight forward seduction is more than expected. All these years they were attracted to each other, but tried to deny it. In the mist of their affair, a bear reveals a wagon of gold and traitors to England. Tristan and Carys need evidence and are determined to find it. Love the banter and the sexual tension between Carys and Tristan. It is HOT!!!
Heat level 4 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I have a love/hate relationship with the first book, but I loved the characters, and I wanted to see where the author takes this story next.

It can easily be read as a standalone, but it's always nice to have a better feel of some characters.

That being said, I adored this book. The characters, their traits, their interaction and even the slow burn fire made me turn the pages faster and faster.

It's hilarious, suspenseful even, and the chemistry was felt throughout the chapters.

I’m looking forward to read the next books in the series.
🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Lady Carys Davies is being blackmailed by the man she thought she'd marry. After losing her virginity to the scoundrel Christopher Howe, he doesn't offer for her hand in marriage but marries another for money. Christopher then blackmails Carys to keep the indiscretion between them or he'll ruin her and any hope for her to find a husband. To avoid the marriage bed, Carys pretends to be carefree, and let's everyone knows she has no desire to marry, Christopher, and his fumbling in the act of love making was disappointing, and Carys has no interest in repeating that type of physical activity.

Tristan Montgomery, who wants a proper wife, and not one of scandalous behavior has always been attracted to the wild Carys. Tristan overhears Christopher blackmailing Carys, and vows to help her. He also offers to show her the delights of love making, which Carys agrees to. As this couple falls in love, they discover the treasonous plan of Howe assisting Bonaparte in the war by shiping gold to help his cause. Will Tristan, and Carys be able to stop Howe, and declare their love for each other or will they lose their chance at happiness for the protection of England?

Wonderful, fabulous, melodramatic tale of virtue lost, and redemption found. Throw in mimic ravens and a music loving bear, and don't forget the enemies to lover's romance. All this and a mystery and humor too. The villain doesn't get his just deserts, but he at least gets taken care of. "A Daring Pursuit" is a great escape - Enjoy!

Carys Davies has a secret that could ruin her life and her family if it ever became known. For this reason, she is doing everything in her power to avoid marriage, but all she is doing is scandalizing the ton and intriguing those who would be her suitors. In her first season the man she thought loved her, married another. The experience left Carys heartbroken and she decided she could live very well without a man, thank you very much. Except for one man who, from childhood, has tormented and intrigued her.

The feud between the Davies and Montgomery families has been going on for centuries. But last year a Davies married a Montgomery ending the feud, but definitely not the animosity between the families. Tristin Montgomery has long admired Crays Davies for her beauty and her spirit, but being a somber sort, he is looking for a wife who is levelheaded and respectable to advance his architectural interests. But Carys calls to him like a siren at sea, sure to lead him to his destruction. When they happen to meet in a most scandalous manner, he offers to show her everything she will be missing if she doesn't wed. A bargain is struck, and an affair is begun. What neither of them bargained for was falling in love.

My thanks to St. Martins Paperbacks, Publisher, and Kate Bateman, author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

This story kept me turning pages. Carys was such a delight in her disregard for people's opinion of her but very much wanted to protect her family's reputation. I loved her protectiveness of animals, caring for them, and loving them. I fell in love with Tristan and his back and forth with Carys. A family rivalry made it harder for them to see the truth. With a little action on the side, runaway bears, treason, and lots of sneaking about, I very much truly enjoyed this story and recommend it highly.

I received an ARC through Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, and this is my unsolicited review.

Kate Bateman's books are so much fun! A joy to read! A 5 on the entertainment scale! Wonderful escapes from life's everyday pressures. I'm loving this series! More, please!!!

I received an advance reader copy. These are my own opinions voluntarily given.

After falling in love with these families in A Reckless Match I knew I was going to love the latest installment in this series and I was not disappointed!

Carys and Tristan have been enemies since childhood but when fate throws them together sparks begin to fly. Add in some hilarious animals, some blackmail and laugh out loud banter and A Daring Pursuit checks all the boxes for a perfect historical romance.

You don't have to read book one to understand this book, it will provide some background to the feud between the Davies and Montgomery families. If you are looking for a bit of adventure in you Historical Romance I highly recommend this series and I cannot wait to read the rest of Kate Bateman's back list.

The Davies and Montgomery families have been feuding for centuries. Lady Carys Davies is outwardly bold and carefree but is hiding her past and uncertainty. Tristan Montgomery is a former soldier turned architect trying to stay aloof despite his growing feelings towards his childhood enemy. When Carys makes him an outrageous proposal in a bid to spark a reaction, these two will discover the meaning of "enemies with benefits."

This book was a delight! I adored the banter and developing relationship between Carys and Tristan. The story had blackmail, action and intrigue plus verbal sparring and unexpected passion with lots of steam.

Although it's the second book in the Ruthless Rivals series, it can be read as a standalone. Having a good part of the novel set in Wales was a nice change for an historical romance. I enjoyed the scenes with Carys and her brothers and look forward to more books in this series. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

This is a great addition to Kate Bateman's Ruthless Rivals series! I'm a sucker for the enemies to lover trope and I love a bold heroine. Carys was a fantastic main character and I loved learning more about her and the brave facade she put on. Tristan is a great hero and I enjoyed watching the two of them grow together and discover each other underneath the facades they both wear. This book also had a wonderful amount of steam, exactly what I was looking for! Kate Bateman does it again and I can't wait to continue reading the rest of the series. I'll be (impatiently) waiting for the next book!

Thank you to the publisher, Kate Bateman, and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Book #2 in the Reckless Rivals series. An enemies-to-lovers trope.

I am loving this series! This 2nd book follows Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery, their families being bitter enemies since the dawn of time. They both feel an immense attraction towards one another, had for years, but pursuing anything more would be scandalous. Besides, even with Carys multitude of admirers she has no intent on marrying anyone, EVER. But then a slight mishap happens when Carys, waiting inside another man’s carriage, is surprised by not only Tristan opening the door and stepping in, but also proposing a tryst with her! Unbelievable right?!?

When Carys lets a troubling secret slip to Tristan he offers to help. They strike up a scandalous bargain and it goes from there.

Their chemistry is smoldering.. pining intense.. and their banter is delightfully entertaining! I loved the addition of Carys large menagerie of animals that she cares for, including a bear she’s raised since he was a cub, Buttercup. It’s heart touching when she sees a traveling show bear living in very poor conditions. Of course, being an animal lover.. she springs into action to save it. There’s also a very dangerous situation involving treason that comes into play.

As with the 1st book in this series (5⭐️), this is also very quick to read, it’s all kinds of FUN and highly ENTERTAINING. Out now.

*I received an arc from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Opposites is a perfect way to describe Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery. It fits. Their families have been feuding for as long as anyone can remember. Carys is a bit wild and likes to shock society (a little bit). No one realizes the behavior is a response to a hurt in the past, and she is being blackmailed. Tristan is a straitlaced, upright architect. They would never admit it; they bicker and fuss, but there is an attraction between them. They agree to, and think, a week-long affair will get them out of each other’s system. Yeah, maybe that will work. This is an enjoyable romance with humor, secrets, blackmail, treason. It doesn’t sound like much fun, but it is, and there is a happy ending. The characters are great. The villains deserve to be hated. Tristan, Carys, their friends and family are all likeable, some huggable. A great addition to the series.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I tried to get into this book, but it just was’t for me. I read the book before it in the series and liked it and expected to like this one as well. About the time I would get interested something like bears would throw me off,

One of the best books I've read in awhile! Loved the enemies to lovers story. Carys and Tristan were the perfect enemies and have a history of loving to bait each other. Watching them interact and the sparks that flew kept me entertained the whole story. I have to say my favorite line of the book was near the end, "Let me be your favorite enemy." That could sum up the book perfectly for me! Thank you for the advanced copy, it was a pleasure to read this!

4.5 stars!

Seeing how much I adored this novel, I cannot believe I waited this long to read my first Kate Bateman book! This was a brilliant historical romance that contained everything I love about the genre, all wrapped up in an amazing romance between two long-time frenemies. Tristan and Carys are both members of two feuding families, the Montgomerys and the Davies, who love needling each other while hoping to disguise their long-standing attraction for one another. As they agree to a week-long lesson in seduction, they slowly begin to realize how deep their attraction runs and how far they are willing to go for one another. I just loved their budding romance! Tristan was a possessive sweetheart, while Carys was truly an original. I am so glad I finally read a KB novel, and I cannot wait for Rhys and Morgan's books next ♡

Tropes: frenemies-to-lovers, illicit affair, lesson in seduction, compromised heroine, opposites attract, feuding families

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy and held my interest. I wanted to find out what would happen next. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I genuinely loved this book. It gave me serious Darcy and Elizabeth - Pride and Prejudice vibes. I loved that Carys has this crazy menagerie of animals she’s rescued. I loved how uptight but then wickedly not uptight Tristan was once he let himself. Carys predicament got me right in the feels. All of the periphery characters were warm and amazing. These two big families are just lovely with their epic feud - enemies to lovers shenanigans.

Trigger warnings - kind of rape (not from hero) she says ok but isn’t really into it. It does not appear to be traumatic for her but she has to hide that it happened. Blackmail.
High steam.

Fantastic read! Check this one out asap.
5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tristan Montgomery and Carys Davies are sworn enemies yet are passionately attracted to each other. Carys is vivid and outrageous, and Tristan is cool and respectable. After a tragic experience, Carys has sworn off love and marriage. Tristan offers to show Carys what she has been missing.

Tristan and Carys are both solid, stand-out characters. At times I felt Carys outshone Tristan in personality. It also seemed I experienced more of Carys’ point of view than Tristan’s. You can’t help but love Carys! The plot was fast-moving, energetic, and eye-catching. It was a page-turner. The writing breathed personality and depth into each character and scene. I loved Tristan and Carys’ relationship. The journey the couple takes from enemies to lovers is delectable!

A Daring Pursuit is the second book in the Ruthless Rivals series. The series focuses on two families who have been at odds for centuries. Each couple must break the cycle of mistrust and dislike to find love. Kate Bateman has created romance magic again! I couldn’t put the book down. I love all the nuances in each character. This passionate romance is full of fire, entertainment, and a heart-warming happily-ever-after.

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