I love a good family feud.

This series has followed the Davies and Montgomery families as the feud is over ruled by love, time and again. Harriet Montgomery is dedicated to her family and especially her father. She is sharp, observant and doesn't mince words. She is not afraid to speak her mind. She also has a secret that the British government doesn't want to get out.

Morgan Davies is strong, strategic and enjoys a good bout of fisticuffs if the occasion calls for it. He takes family very seriously and is close to his siblings, though they will occasionally pounce on his last nerve.

These two have been dancing around each other for years. To just about everyone around them, they are perfect for each other. It isn't until Morgan faces possible death that he is finally able to put a name to his feelings-love. Harriet is a bit slower on the uptake. It is wonderful watching them circle around, make jabs, have a pointed conversation or two, walk away and circle back around.

Ms. Bateman has a wicked sense of humor and her characters are beautifully written. I truly adore Morgan's siblings, they add more humor and pokes at Morgan. Ms. Bateman has created strong women that are able to go toe to toe with the men they fall in love with. The introduction of cataracts as an ailment was well written. The villainous twist was brilliant!

Disclaimer: I chose to read this and leave an honest review.

I adore this series and I am glad to know this is not the last book. The feud between the families is quickly becoming a thing of the past. These two have secretly pined after each other since they were teenagers. Witty insults is there foreplay. A great book to go along with the first two books; exciting, romantic, and funny.

A Wicked Game is a fun enemies to lovers (or more frenemies to lovers) romp following Captain Morgan Davies, recently returned to London after being captured and held captive, and Harriet, a mapmaker and Davies’ nemesis (whom he can’t stop thinking about). Prior to Morgan’s capture, he and Harriet had made a bet that, if he won, would allow Morgan to claim three kisses - and boy is he ready to claim them!

I absolutely adored the banter between Harriet and Morgan. There is a fine line between love and hate so it is said and Bateman’s banter between these two characters displays that they’re far more inclined on the love side of things then hate - in fact they both desperately want each other but aren’t quite sure how to quit the banter to get at it. I found it hilarious how Morgan so desperately wants to convince Harriet to marry him but at the same time can’t stop teasing and needling her like he used to prior to his departure with the army. Old habits die hard I guess. The tension between the two characters could be cut with a knife - you are just itching for their conversations and also their kisses!

The romance in this one is great and is what kept me reading. There isn’t many other “obstacles” outside of the main romance - theres a rival mapmaker mentioned and a Frenchman out for revenge but overall these plot points are fairly neatly wrapped out without really affecting the hero and heroine overmuch or distracting from the romance, which is really the main plot.

I will say I wish I had known this was a book in a series. I wasn’t aware when I first started reading and I was a bit thrown off by the prologue as you dive HEAD FIRST into the story without much background. I figured out the necessary background details through the rest of the book but it’s definitely perhaps a series to be read in order, rather than a standalone that can be read on its own. There were also some historical inaccuracies such as when Captain Davies mentioned bedding Harriet in front of her aunts - I can’t imagine that would fly in the regency period, but so long as you aren’t reading this for historical perfection it is enjoyable.

My biggest complaint was Harriet’s obtuseness at the end - her refusal to believe that Morgan loved her. It just seemed rather a silly plot obstacle after everything and it didn’t seem believable that someone as intelligent and witty as Harriet would draw a rather stupid assumption.

Overall, I enjoyed this one, mostly the banter and tension between the two main characters! I love a good enemies to lovers story so I was able to ignore some minor issues because that trope was so well done here.

THIS BOOK. I've not been able to stop thinking about it since I put it down. Kate Bateman is phenomenal at creating memorable love stories, and this is a top-tier romance in every way.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2023/01/06/a-wicked-game-by-kate-bateman-review/

Such a great book! I love Kate’s writing. Always has romance and excitement. I love the history between them and that they’ve known each other all their lives. Sets them up for a deep relationship that lasts a lifetime. I’ll be reading all of Bateman’s books.

“She’d also been the shore to which he’d navigated. The X on the map that marked treasure. His star. His guiding light, the one fixed point by which he’d set his course. Home”.
I can’t begin to say how much I loved this book. It’s even better than the previous one of the series, which was the first from Bateman I read. The characters are gorgeous, their banter is hilarious and their chemistry impossibly high, permeating all the book. Morgan is so hot and loving! He knows what he wants and he wants Harriet. I could have bashed her on the head when she dithered! I loved the mapmaking theme, with the frequent analogy with the characters’ life. I underscored many a quotation and I think I’ll cherish them from now on. The plot is simple with tiny bits of suspense every now and then, and I love when a book is centered mostly on the love story between the characters, provided that said story is well developed. And this is certainly the case.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very entertaining read. Enjoyed the jab/banter and the witty remarks of these two. It is like Romeo and JUliet but with a closer connection. Was slighlty puzzled by the Captain's tactics but it was revealed during the course of the story and seemed convincing enough Always enjoy the realism in stories and of course the HEA.

Their story is a page-turner, though low angst and a weak villain. Note there are steamy scenes thus for mature readers only.

I had received a copy of this story fro,m Netgally and am leaving an honest review.

4.5 stars

Did I read the first two chapters of my ARC and then immediately order the book? Yes, I did. Do I have any regrets about that decision? No, other than the fact that I have no room for more books. It's okay though; it will be worth it because this books is amazing and I needed it in my hands.

I loved the bets! I loved the characters! I especially loved that we went into the book and immediately knew that Morgan wanted to make Harriet his wife, but he knew he had to convince her that they would be great together. I could not put this book down! It was so well written and amazing! I honestly cannot think of a single thing I disliked about the book. I highly recommend this series! I am now a Kate Bateman fan and will be devouring the rest of her books as soon as I can.

Another great addition to this series. I enjoyed their banter and eagerly awaited when these two would finally share scenes.

A bet made before he shipped off to fight in the war, leads to a very steamy wicked game of dare. When Captain Morgan Davies returned all he could think about was the bet he made with Harriet Montgomery. She owes him three kisses and he's ready to collect.

He also whats to find out who produced the map that left him incarcerated in a foreign prison. It also made it very clear to him that Harriet is the one for him and he plans on marrying her. When he finds out that she's the mapmaker he seeks he decides to up the ante and use their bet to seduce Harriet.

Harriet has always been attracted to Morgan but she knows he's looking for a wife. So, he's constantly surrounded by women at parties, but he always manages to seek her out.

Things are also dangerous as someone from his past is in London looking for the mapmaker also.

Thanks so much to the author and SMPRomance for this ARC to review.

Enjoyed this fun and flirty childhood frenemies to lovers romance! The Davies and Montgomery family feud has taken a few hits lately with some intermingling marriages and now it's time for Morgan and Harriet to reconcile their own attraction. Harriet is a mapmaker (I loved that aspect of the story!) and has been drawing misleading maps to trick the French, only Morgan got caught in the deception leaving him imprisoned for several months and vowing revenge on the mapmaker (only discovering to his dismay that it's his kind-of- nemesis Harriet). Before he'd left to fight, she'd promised him 3 kisses upon his return and Morgan is determined to claim his prize. I loved their banter and their growing realization of the feelings they have for each other. It's a fun ride and it's been a great series so far.

This delicious book is perfectly named! These two are playing a very wicked game of dare you. I love this type of romance where they H/h snipe at each other but the chemistry between them is off the charts. Captain Morgan Davies has lived next door to Harriet Montgomery forever. As children they played together even though they were enemies from centuries of feuding between the families. Now there have been two marriages between the Montgomery's and the Davies' and it looks like the feud is pretty much put to rest. When Morgan returns from captaining a ship in the war with Napoleon he's a chanced man and ready to collect his three kisses from Harriet for staying alive. He spent six months in a Martinique prison under French occupation when he was shipwrecked by an incorrect map. He wants vengeance against the mapmaker and to make Harriet his wife! Little does he realize she was the mapmaker and it was on purpose to mislead the French. He got the map from a French ship when his were destroyed.

Harriet Montgomery has pretty much taken over her father's mapmaking business as he's almost blind from cataracts. He refuses to take a chance on surgery so Harriet is taking care of him. When Morgan returns the sniping between them begins again but it's different now being adults. Morgan loves to bait her to see her sparkle and come alive. When he learns she was the mapmaker he has to make peace with that but his jailor from Martinique is in London looking for the mapmaker Crusoe. He's a dangerous man and it's rumored her hid away a fortune in gold that was for Napoleon's escape funds. He's searching for it but needs the Crusoe map. The more time Harriet and Morgan spend together as he collects his three kisses after winning their last bet, the steamier their relationship gets. This was a fun and satisfying adventure to read. I can't wait for Rhys' story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great addition to the Ruthless Rivals series. I loved the relationship and banter between Morgan and Harriet. It was very entertaining. It was fun to see the characters from the other novels and I loved the new characters in this story. I know I can depend on a captivating novel from Kate Bateman and this one met that expectation!

Book three in the "Ruthless Rivals" series sees Morgan and Harriet getting their story in yet another match between the Davies and Montgomery families. Adventure, danger, humor, and romance add up to another strong entry, with a peek into the next installment at the end.

Cute

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: The Ruthless Rivals
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading Rhys' story.

I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a sucker for a good "enemies to lovers" book and this entire series is basically just that. With budding relationships between the feuding Davies and Montgomery families, it's the perfect setup for this series. I've enjoyed each and every book up until now....always thinking that I can't like the next one any better. Well, A Wicked Game changed that. I absolutely LOVED Morgan and Harriet's story the most.

When you dig into their history and realize they've "tortured" and dared one another since they were young, it's obvious that their feelings for one another have been brewing for years. That's a great deal of pent up romantic frustration just bubbling. When Morgan comes back after being gone for two years with the Navy, Harriet owes him a prize for returning alive - - three kisses to be taken wherever he wants - - on her. Yep. Anywhere. Their dance of denial begins. It's evident he has fallen in love with her and you know that he wants to marry her but he can't decide how to get her to take him seriously. Meanwhile, she thinks she's just a casual fling before he finds a woman to wed. Their communication is definitely lacking but their chemistry isn't.

A Wicked Game was a fun and satisfying read. These two were explosive together.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I chose to voluntarily read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I had trouble picking my first book for 2023 because I feel like the first book of the year just has to be perfect. And I am glad I chose A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman. A Daring Pursuit was my first book by her and it got me back into reading historical romance.

A Wicked Game exceeded my expectations. It had all the ingredients for an enemies to lovers romance. There was banter, adventures, fun, scandal, and the moment where the enemies finally realize when they love each other. But in one person's case, they loved the other since they were a teenager. I didn't want to give away who here and spoil the fun of that discovery. There were mentions of characters from the other two books, but you can still read this out of order if you're like me and find series right in the middle.

There are also some steamy chapters, but I liked how it wasn't just about that it was about the plot too.

This book also instantly sucked me in with the writing pace and I love it when that happens. Kate Bateman is becoming an auto buy or an auto read author for me. I've loved everything I've read by her so far.

There was a quote that I loved, but it was the ARC version and I didn't have a final copy to compare it to. It was about how love isn't about grand gestures, it's about the little things that add up. I love that message because grand gestures aren't the key components for relationships at all.

A Wicked Game was a five star rating and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves enemies to lovers, or if they just want to read a historical romance for the first time or if they are getting into it again.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Morgan was a fabulous hero. This was the best book of the series! I loved how he knew what he wanted and had his priorities straight. I will continue to champion and recommend Kate Bateman and I cannot wait for her next book.

Smiling the whole time reading “A Wicked Game” by Kate Bateman!! Book three of the Ruthless Rivals series is about oneupmanship and a teasing rivalry to keep the 500 year animosity between the neighboring Davies and Montgomery families alive. However, Mapmaker Harriet Montgomery and Captain Morgan Davies, to put it nicely, are childhood frenemies who pine for each other!!

Their teasing banter is delicious!! Both Harriet and Morgan have a quick wit. Neither wants to concede to the other. They do call a truce when one needs help from actual enemies.

Before the war, Harriet and Morgan made a bet, three kisses granted if Morgan survived. He absolutely made it back home to collect. Just to torture Harriet, he warns her the lip locking will be anytime and any place on her person.

If you love rivals to lovers, enemies to lovers, then this book is for you! We anticipate and are tortured alongside Harriet as to when and where the kisses will be, driving the book to be a fast read with the comfort of knowing Morgan’s swoon worthy intention!!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Wow! This book was absolutely fantastic. I have fallen deeply in love with this series by Kate Bateman and I think with each installment I have been able to watch her writing grow and strengthen beautifully. With each new novel I find a new favorite. A Wicked Game is the third installment in the Ruthless Rivals series that finds two rival families finding multiple happily ever afters with each other. Kate Bateman has definitely put her heart and soul into each of these novels. Bateman's care of her characters is apparent of every page, she is able to develop the perfect amount of yearning and sensuality to build the chemistry perfectly. This novel from page one swiftly drew me into the story, I fell in love with both characters and I could not wait for them to find their ultimate happily ever after. Kate Bateman is not to be missed! This series is a great place to start if you have never explored her works, I can not recommend her enough!

In this mutual pining novel we see the clever banter and playful teasing that sparks Davies and Harriet's relationship. These two have a deep and abiding chemistry that Bateman brings so beautifully to life. Their relationship and dynamics with each other is a beautiful driving force that keep these two always aware of the other. I fell head over heels for Davies as the perfect swoon worthy hero who is finally ready to make Harriet his. He has had fun challenging her and playing along with her, but now he must grow and show her that he is the perfect man for her, and Bateman does this beautifully. The tension and attraction between these two is so rich that I felt so immersed in their love story. Harriet is also a delightful heroine, she is smart, a mapmaker, she longs for adventure and she is ready to take her own growth as a woman into her hands. Through the exploration of physical romance, we are able to see Harriet and Davies fully trust the other and show the other their deep inner feelings. This mainly character driven novel has some fun and intrigue around a dastardly enemy that becomes the catalyst showing the strength of their relationship and how they both work together beautifully.

I loved Davies and Harriet's love story. If you are looking to be swept up into a well plotted, character driven romance that is full of sensuality and a stunningly beautiful love story, that A Wicked Game is a must read! I can not wait for the next installment in this delicious series!

Captain Morgan Davies’ ship ran aground near Martinique, causing him and his crew to be imprisoned by the French for eight weeks, all thanks to a faulty map. Now that he’s back in London, Morgan is eager for his revenge on the incompetent cartographer, almost as eager as he is to claim the three kisses promised by his lifelong nemesis, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. He had plenty of time while in prison to contemplate his feelings and is sure she’s the woman he wants to marry but convincing her will be even more challenging than his naval assignments. When Morgan realizes Harriet is also responsible for his faulty map, he decides his revenge must take on a more seductive angle.

Harriet has always desired Morgan and that hasn’t changed in the two years he’s been away. Unfortunately, she’s been too busy caring for her father, whose eyesight is failing, and keeping at bay a rival cartographer who’s copying her work. She doesn’t have energy left to play games with Morgan, even if she is sorely tempted. But when Morgan’s naval service becomes a threat to them both, Harriet learns that she and Morgan are far from the enemies she thought them to be.

This was such a cute, light-hearted read. I loved that both the hero and heroine had been in love with each other since their adolescence and just a bit slow to realize it, all the while hiding it under a veneer of animosity. The sexual tension in that dynamic was huge. Harriet did worry me for a bit with how quick she was to doubt Morgan, but she came to her senses, and he persisted in a delightful way. I loved that he was the first to realize he was in love with her and set about a campaign to subtly woo her. The pining was delicious, and I loved that Morgan was so ready to admit his feelings and go after the life he wanted with Harriet. She may have been a bit harder to convince, but she was also mature enough to listen to both her own feelings and Morgan’s and I loved these two as a couple. I both listened to and read this on audio and Beverley Crick's Welsh accent for Morgan made him even more delightfully charming. This entire series has been a delight for me, and this addition was no exception. I’m very much looking forward to Rhys’ story now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and it's audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.