Eleanor Jane Law is the daughter of Sir Edward Law, the Lord Chief Justice. Together with her friends Daisy and Tess they own and run King & Company, London’s most successful private investigation firm. Since they are women, they must keep their identities hidden so they use the name Charles King as the "man" in charge.

While at a stakeout, Ellie is approached by a man who claims to be Charles King. Since Ellie knows it's a made up name, she knows this man is trying to con her....what a scoundrel! He ends up telling her his name is Henri Bonheur, the Comte de Carabas. It seems Henry would like the services of King & Company but on the down low to prove who he really is. Ellie, Daisy and Tess agree to help Henry if he would help them with another case. William Bullock, the owner of Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly would like to hire King & Company regarding a theft case, but he wants to speak directly to Charles King. Overhearing this conversation, Henry joins in and introduces himself as Charles and thus begins the job of finding the missing artifact.

All the time Ellie and Henry spend together, feelings start to become involved. Ellie knows Henry is hiding something from her but she just can't help herself....she wants Henry to bed her. She knows she is going to end up a spinster and she may as well have some fun. What Ellie doesn't realize is that Henry is falling for her, but he cannot do anything about it until his past is figured out once and for all. Just when it looks like Ellie and Henry are going to get their happy ending, the past comes crashing in. Ellie figures her time with Henry is over, but suddenly realizes that it isn't....that it always has been her!

I just adored this historical romance with a fun adventure thrown in. Ellie was such a perfect heroine. She was strong, smart and didn't realize her true worth. Henry was the best scoundrel. He may have led a life of crime, but that is all in his past. Together they complimented each other well during their story. Now I can't wait for Daisy's turn!

The series continues to charm, Kate Bateman always hits the spot when I'm in need for a lighthearted historical romance (with a plot), and How to Fall for a Scoundrel is no difference. Centering around a detective agency set up by the series heroine trio, I'm glad to report there's indeed a lot of sleuthing incorporated within its narrative—and the case is a densely layered one, cascading like Dominoes with 1 case leading smoothly into the next (I do have to overlook a few logic gaps, but they don't hinder the overall experience). The romance is cute (if not overly dramatic/emotional), primarily due to the snappy banters, but it does lose a bit of momentum in its last stretch—the third act conflict feels muted and halfhearted, more like a prerequisite to get to a novel-length page count rather than a necessity for its romance arc. Still, How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a solid entry to the series, and I can't wait for the third book!

As most of you know, Regency-era romances are one of my favorite genres to read. And, if you have been following me for a long enough time, you know that I love Kate Bateman’s books. So, when How to Fall for a Scoundrel came across my email, it wasn’t even a question of me reading the book. It was an automatic acceptance on my end.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in the Her Majesty’s Rebels series. You can read it as a standalone, but I highly suggest reading book one first. It provides a more in-depth background of the main characters and how their detective agency started.

The main storyline of How to Fall for a Scoundrel is centered around Ellie and Harry. Ellie is 1/3 of the owner of King & Co., a detective agency that the Queen uses. Harry is an ex-con who wiggled his way into her life by claiming to be her fictional boss, Charles King. Ellie and Harry are forced together when King & Co. is approached and asked to find a stolen priceless manuscript. But Ellie isn’t aware that Harry has secrets that revolve around his past. What happens when Harry’s secrets come to light? Will their fledgling relationship be able to withstand them?

I loved the chemistry between Ellie and Harry. I wasn’t expecting that because it was an Instalove-type deal, and usually (in my experience), Instalove doesn’t have the chemistry that these two did.

I liked Ellie. She certainly didn’t take any shit from Harry, that’s for sure. I loved watching her interact with him. It was a healthy blend of skepticism, lust (later love), and amusement.

Harry was an enigma. When he introduced himself as Henri, my attention was caught from the beginning. The author did an excellent job of keeping his identity a secret, but I wasn’t surprised when it was revealed. I also liked that Harry was very much in tune with his feelings. He acknowledged what he felt for Ellie before she even began to admit it to herself. And for a Regency-era man, I thought that it was refreshing.

The storyline with the manuscript was exciting, but it was more of a backdrop for Ellie and Harry’s romance. I liked the shenanigans that they got into, and I loved watching them fall for each other.

Toward the end of the book, a secondary storyline revolves around Harry. This interesting storyline involved Harry’s eyes (he had heterochromia). Other than that, I can’t get into the storyline because there are some major spoilers, and I don’t want to give anything away.

The end of How to Fall for a Scoundrel was a HEA. I liked how the author wrapped up Ellie and Harry’s love story, solved the manuscript mystery, and solved the secondary storyline with Harry. I cannot wait for the third book in this series to come out!!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Kate Bateman for allowing me to read and review this ARC of How to Fall for a Scoundrel. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I enjoyed this book even though I found the premise a bit too ahistorical and the heroine rather blah. Supposedly Ellie and her two good friends have founded a private investigation firm headed up by a fictional man, Charles King. Think of Charlie’s Angels except that Charlie doesn’t exist. What I don’t buy is that these young ladies can still be respected members of the highest society while everyone knows about their detective business. One of the other ladies is a duchess and the other is the daughter of a duke. Ellie is the daughter of a respected lawyer in London although we never meet him or her mother.

They meet the mysterious Henri Bonheur who is the real reason to read this novel. He freely admits to Ellie that he is a retired thief and that this isn’t his real name. He’s charming, witty, and intelligent while also possessing super skills as a pickpocket and card cheat. He worms his way into their business by pretending to be Charles King and starts helping Ellie solve several mysteries. These mysteries seem to be solved way too easily and with too much serendipity.

Ellie is very suspicious, but she’s won over by his charm and good looks. He keeps telling her how smart she is, but I don’t see much evidence of that. He provides the brains in solving most of the mysteries in the first half to two-thirds of the novel.

I found that the other single lady in their business seemed much more interesting, but maybe she’ll have her own romance in the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

When bluestocking Ellie meets Henry she knows he is a scoundrel. When they team up to solve some cases together the attraction is undeniable. Can a daughter of a chief justice trust a liar and a thief with her heart? Can Henry reform his wicked ways? I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.

Mystery, Mayhem and Romance
An intriguing romance adventure story with charming characters.
We visit the three ladies from the King and Company detective agency which is really a false front.
Another case appears of the rise, but it looks like a shady new partner will be joining the ladies.
This turn out to be a fun story with many twists that kept me on my toes along with some blooming attraction between
Ellie and Harry that has the pages smoldering at times.
A fun and sexy escapade that is quite entertaining.

Another cute and fun historical read in Kate Bateman's line up. I love everything she publishes and this one is no exception. I can't wait for the others in the series!

I guess he didn't feel like much of a scoundrel.
The romance felt really forced, which is funny to say when the first book started with them kissing as "strangers" and then being in love immediately. A little too insta-lovey for me, and I think that I understand the characters even less now.

Another romp from Kate Bateman. The King & Company detective firm, secretly run entirely by three brilliant women, has another case to crack, and this time, they have to decide whether to partner with a known scoundrel.

I’ve really enjoyed Kate Bateman novels in the past, so I was excited to read this newest one!

How to Fall for a Scoundrel was so much fun! I enjoyed the banter between the hero and heroine that starts in the first chapter. I liked the mystery component surrounding who the hero was in the first half, and then the added adventure of them finding a way to prove it.

I also really enjoy that this series is surrounding a group of female detectives! It’s a unique spin on your typical histories romantic suspense plot, where it’s typically the hero who’s working for Bow Street (or something similar). It reminds me a bit of Miss Scarlet and the Duke, which I also enjoy a great deal!

The romance was cute, if a little fast developing. I enjoyed seeing them fall for each other while running around trying to solve mysteries and be sneaky with their undercover work.

I wouldn’t say this book is a sweepingly romantic historical, but it was a fast-paced, entertaining, fun time and I’d definitely recommend it!

Though I had already preordered a copy of this, I do want to give a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Although this is book number two in the series, I don't think anyone would have an issue picking it up and reading it as a stand alone. It is easy to see that the three women behind King & Co are not only highly intelligent, but also very close friends and I was pleasantly surprised to see how easily "Harry" fit in with the group. I also liked the way he kept Ellie on her toes, although sometimes it felt as if their banter bogged things down more than moved them along.

As for the mystery portion of this novel, I will admit I struggled a bit as for the most part? It just seemed to easy. A book is stolen from the museum, and the first clue arrives almost immediately after (although I can see how that was done to show off how useful "Harry" can be to the company). And then a visit to an all-too-happy-to-help tailor later, and they have their man. No muss, no fuss. From there, it was too too easy for them to gain access to the man's house and find the stolen property.

From there, we focus for a bit on the romance between "Harry" and Ellie. Now, I will admit they did have an undeniable chemistry together, and while I did see a bit of my least favorite trope (instalove) rear its ugly head, I also enjoyed the little moments between them while they were investigating the different cases that I wish would have been used instead.

Of course, what is a romance novel without a little drama, and this one comes in the form of Hugo (first introduced as "Harry's" mentor) accidentally lets it slip that "Harry" is actually Henry. An Early that has been "missing" for years. And he needs help proving he is in fact, who he says he is.

As the rest of the novel unfolds, King & Co finds a way to not only help Henry in his quest, but also recover a stolen gem as well. All while Ellie tries to resist her attraction to the man because she "knows" it won't end well. And honestly, that was another thing that annoyed me, but it's more a pet peeve of my own than a fault by the author. Why can't heroines ever believe that a man wants them? In this case it was because she had no connections, and no dowry, etc etc, but hadn't he already proven to her that he appreciated her mind above all else?

All things considered, I hope I get a chance to read the third novel in this series just to see if Daisy meets the highwayman I think she will in her story. And even if she doesn't? The fortune teller from the first book hasn't been wrong thus far so her story will still, no doubt, be interesting.

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.

I just loved getting to enter this world. I just loved getting to meet these characters and see what they are currently getting themselves into. This book was just a really fun read. I just lost myself in this great story and I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I love this series! The romance is spicy, the mystery is intriguing, and the characters are amazing! I loved the romance between a reformed thief and an amateur detective. It was so sweet and spicy and I loved it! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a good book! The characters were enjoyable and the storyline moved quickly. It was easy to fall in the love with the main characters and root for them. Can't wait for the third book!

He’s a reformed thief, she co-runs a detective agency. They meet due to him kissing her, and it just gets better from there.

I absolutely adored Harry, and together he and Eleanor “Ellie” were terrific.

It was lovely to read them coming together, Ellie letting go of her preconceived notions, as the two fall for each other. Swoon and sigh.

I loved How to Fall for a Scoundrel and tried my best to not read it too quickly because I wanted to savor the storyline.

This was my fourth time reading the author’s work and I’m definitely a fan ❤️ Kate Bateman writes engaging stories that are both highly enjoyable and fun to read.

You could read this as a stand-alone, but you’d be missing out. Recommended series (and author)!



Thank you to St. Martin’s Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC

In the early 1800's, Ellie and her two best friends are doing well running King & Company Investigations. When they ago to a ball while on assignment, Ellie meets a rogue named Harry, who wants to hire them to find something. Ellie is both disgusted and enthralled by this man but she can't afford to turn down a case.
This book is the perfect summer beach read that is both cute and fascinating. You will love it!
I have loved reading this series and can't wait for the next one!

What a delightful historical romance! Harry was completely charming and Ellie was so sweet; I very much enjoyed their interactions. I was hooked on the story from the jump and never felt bored. It was especially fun having more than one mystery that needed solving in this book. This series has been really great so far and I'm looking forward to the next one so much.

I am halfway into How to fall for a scoundrel and I sadly cannot get into th
is book. I've loved all of the other books I've read by this author. This one is slow to me and I DNF at 55 percent. I tried.

Thanks for the chance to read and review.

Another great book in the series by Kate Bateman that follows childhood friends turned investigators. Of course, we are in the 1800s, so the agency must be run by a secret (read: nonexistent) man. Harry is a man of many identities, a reformed runner of scams, who jumps in to help out. The story evolves as we learn what Harry wants and as we see who Harry wants (and who wants him!). The book started a bit slow for me, but by the end I was totally engaged and loving the story and the couple. I'm excited to read the next book in the series where the third friend will find her match!

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a fun, light hearted historical romance with elements of mystery and a light heat level. Ellie started King and Co. with two of her best friends and business is good as they become the top private investigators in London. More and more of the clients are wanting to meet the fictional Mr. King. Enter Harry, thief and scoundrel extraordinaire willing to play at Mr. King but wanting the investigators to help him with something of his own. Harry and Ellie start with great chemistry that just builds throughout the story. The mystery is not too heavy and just adds to the fun for an enjoyable HEA and another great Kate Bateman romance. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.