How to Fall for a Scoundrel has everything you could want in a regency romance… a charming hero, fun banter and good chemistry between the hero and the heroine with some sleuthing mixed in.

This is book 2 in the Her Majesty’s Rebels Series and although it reads fine as a stand-alone, I would have preferred to have read the first book before diving into this one to get to know these characters from the start. Having said that, I enjoyed How to Fall for a Scoundrel very much without having read the first book.

This was a fun one, I liked Harry and Ellie and they complimented one another well. The chemistry between these two was nice and I really enjoyed the slow burn romance. I’m not too big a fan of the secret identity trope but I enjoyed it here as Harry won me over with how well he treated Ellie.
Tess and Daisy run the private eye company with Ellie and the author weaves them in and out of the story nicely so that you get to know about them also without having to read the first book in the series. I loved the ending, I thought it was so cute and the story is left open for the next installment.

This was my first time reading Kate Bateman and I would read her work again. I enjoyed the writing, fun storyline and the romance. How to Fall for a Scoundrel was a fun regency romance with a smart independent heroine and a dashing hero who keeps surprising you, but in a good way. Lastly, the cover is perfect and is taken from a scene in the book. So cute.

Kate Bateman never disappoints!! She mixes romance, passion, intrigue, and adventure together very well. I loved the chemistry and banter between the main characters and how they worked so well together. Beyond excited for the third book ahead too :)

An overlooked wallflower and a charismatic thief make the perfect pair in How to Fall for a Scoundrel.

Ellie meets Harry at a society ball, and neither is what they seem. Harry plays the role of charming rogue just returned to England from a decade on the continent. Ellie is part owner of a female-led investigation service with a pretend male figurehead so as to attract clients. Harry inserts himself into the women’s current investigation into the robbery of a precious book that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. What we later learn, is that Harry was testing Ellie and her female partners, to see if they would be the right investigators to help him solve a problem of his own—how to confirm his identity and assume his position of Earl. Through both investigations, they find things about the other that make them seize upon their sizzling attraction and fall in love.

Kate Bateman hits all the right marks in this lively and delightful historical romance.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in the Her Majesty’s Rebels series, though can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just like all her other marvelous hsitorical romances, Kate Bateman once again serves a brilliant love story that gives you all the feelings and with igniting chemistry between the hero and his heroine.

This second book in the Her Majesty's Rebels series stars Eleanor Law. Ellie and her two best friends Daisy and Tess have formed King & Company, a most successful private investigation firm. However, they are about to lose the chance at a lucrative investigation for a missing valuable book because they can't introduce their prospective client to Charles King, their fictional boss.

In steps "Henri Bonheur" who claims to be Charles King. Ellie has met Henri at a ball and is very taken with him even though she knows he is a scoundrel and thief and a man who won't share his real name. He does prove his worth in the investigation into the lost manuscript. But Henri, or Harry, has a problem of his own.

He wants to hire King & Company to prove that he is Henry James Charles Brooke, the twelfth Earl of Cobham. He was taken to the Continent at age fifteen after the deaths of his parents by his uncle Hugo. There is a large change of appearance between fifteen and twenty-five and most who know him have passed away.

Luckily, Harry does have one unique feature - his eyes are two different colors. He was studied by an optometrist who wrote about his eyes in an article published in the Royal Society's annual book. They need to track down the optometrist to find his notes because his paper doesn't name Harry.

All along the way, as they search for missing manuscripts, win back a famous jewel, and try to find out the proof of Harry's claim. Ellie and Harry are falling in love.

This was an entertaining historical romance set in 1816. I liked the characters.

I loved “How to fall for a scoundrel”! Eleanor Law and her friends started a private investigation business with a make believe man as the boss. “Henri Bonheur” meets Eleanor at a party and pretends to be said make believe boss. He claims he’s a reformed con man and wants to go straight. He convinces her to let him help with one of her investigations and along the way they fall for each other. Their journey to love is filled with adventure and danger and I loved every page of it! There are twists and turns and strong, well written characters. Everything I like in a romance.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a captivating historical romance novel that is both well-written and entertaining. The story is fast-paced, with short chapters that keeping me engaged from start to finish. The novel features a strong and intelligent female protagonist who is easy to root for, as well as a kind and caring male protagonist who adds depth to the story. The banter between the characters is engaging, filled with wit and humor that adds to the overall charm of the book. In addition to the romance, the novel also includes elements of mystery and intrigue that keep me on my toes. The chemistry between the characters is sizzling, leading to a heartwarming romance that culminates in a happily-ever-after ending.

Eleanor Law is one third of London’s premiere female-lead investigation firm, King & Co. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, Ellie knows he’s lying. However, accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking a new case.

This is the second book in Her Majesty's Rebels series. Studious Ellie is the daughter of the Lord Chief Justice and follows in his footsteps the only way she can: as an "assistant" to the pretend male figure "Charles King." Secretly, she and her two friends are the brains and investigators of the agency but, occasionally, persistent clients refuse their business if they cannot meet Mr King in person. Enter mysterious stranger “Henri Bonheur” or “Harry” as he asks to be called.

Ellie and Harry meet under the mistletoe at a ball. The attraction and intrigue begin immediately, as Harry claims to be King to a potential client. Can Harry be trusted despite his sketchy past...? The ladies of King & Co decide to give him a chance, eventually helping him to solve his own situation. While the events of the original case came together a bit too easily for me, I like how it led into Harry's backstory and investigation. As always, Bateman's writing is fun and engaging and kept me sucked in until the end! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Mistaken Identity

Steam: 4

This one was a fun one. We know I’ll read any Kate Bateman - I wish it had slightly more of a dual POV, though I understand why it didn’t, for the stake of the plot. This still didn’t quite have the magic of her two other series for me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the signature banter, tension, and all around fun that I know that I’ll always get with Bateman.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Will always dive head first into a regency romance! This one is sweet and the characters genuinely spark a friendship immediately which I love. Kate Bateman is up there with Julia Quinn for me!

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a return to form for Kate Bateman, and a fun, romantic read!

I'm a big fan of Kate Bateman's writing, and while I didn't love the first instalment in the Her Majesty's Rebels series, Second Duke's the Charm, I liked the overall premise, and I'm happy to report that this second entry in the series feels more like a vintage Kate Bateman romance.

I think part of what helps this second entry in the series stand out from the first is that the hard work of world building has already been done in Second Duke's the Charm, to the benefit of How to Fall for a Scoundrel. As well, the combination of bookish Eleanor and devil-may-care Harry is a really winning one, and I particularly love how often Harry's charm fails to win Ellie over early in the book, to comedic effect:

His laugh made her stomach somersault. "You have an excellent vocabulary, Miss Law. Are words with three syllables your favourite?"

Ellie glared at him. "Not at all. In fact, here are some shorter ones: Explain, you fraud."

I also love when there is a good spark between the leads which doesn't devolve immediately into instalove, as well as books where our main characters have to work a bit for their relationship; while there is pretty immediate attraction here between Harry and Ellie, their path is not so smooth that all the interesting bits get filed off, which I really liked. My only real critique is that this is quite a short book, and had it been a bit longer, the various plot developments would have benefitted from some additional room to breathe; that being said, nothing in the book felt cut short either.

Overall, the mystery which Ellie and Harry are jointly investigating is ultimately resolved in a satisfying way, the evolution of their relationship is charming and had me cheering their happily ever after, and by the end of the book, I was eagerly anticipating the release of the third book in this series. As a quick, charming romance, How to Fall for a Scoundrel is definitely worth a read!

I received an ARC for this book from St. Martin's Press; all opinions expressed here are my own.

I can always depend on Kate Bateman to deliver a solid historical romance read. And this one was no different. Great characters with good chemistry and an enjoyable plot. This one was set at a really nice pace to where I easily finished in a day! Can’t wait for the next one!

This is the Kate Bateman I adore. I was surprisingly disappointed by the first book in Her Majesty's Rebels, but I've enjoyed many other of this author's works so I had to give How to Fall for a Scoundrel a chance.

Ellie and Harry did not disappoint. They had chemistry, attraction, banter, teasing, mystery and intrigue all rolled up into a fast, easy read. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm highly anticipating Daisy's story next.

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

Intrigue, entertainment, romance—this book has it all! I was captivated from the first page by Ellie and Harry, their blossoming feelings, and also the cases and mysteries they solved! I love that this series features such clever women, and the men who admire them for their brains as well as their beauty!

I'm withholding my review of How to Fall for a Scoundrel in solidarity with the #SpeakUpSMP boycott. Please visit https://r4acollective.org/about/ for more information.

Kate Bateman consistently provides quippy dialogue, sensual romance, and characters you can care about. I love the premise of a thief trying to get one over on women who have been playing shadow games with the ton for a while. An excellent pairing of characters!

The three friends of King and Co are back, and this time Ellie is approached by a scoundrel that piques her attention. With witty banter and loads of chemistry, they work on a case together that leads him to reveal his true identity. It’s a fun read and I look forward to reading the next installment with Daisy’s story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

Kate Bateman is officially on my "I will read whatever she writes always & forever until the end of time" list. The ladies of Charles King & Company are at it again and this time it is bespectacled Ellie who her man. Bateman's characters are always interesting and engaging and Henri/Harry is no exception. A charming rogue with a mysterious past? I mean what's not to love?! I have thoroughly enjoyed the built in mysteries in the series and so much. I can't wait for Daisy's story and to revisit these characters in the next book.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

There's nothing Eleanor Law loves more than proving she's just as intelligent as any man. She and her two closest friends are the founders of King & Co., London's most successful PI firm. While they tell everyone the real work gets done by their boss, Charles King, the girls are the brains and muscle behind the operation. So, when a mysterious man claims to be their fictitious boss, Ellie knows he's lying, but his fib could help them crack their latest case.

Harry has had many names throughout his life, his most recent being Henri Bonheur, but what he wants more than anything is to regain his real name. Harry is ready to ditch his criminal past and reclaim what's rightfully his, but to do so, he needs proof, and for that, he needs Ellie. The pair come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, and soon, their proximity leads to a desire that can't be snuffed out. There's no way Ellie can let herself fall for a conman, but will her feelings change once Harry's past comes to light?

Kate 👏🏻 Bateman 👏🏻 never 👏🏻 misses. She's one of my top histrom authors for a reason. Every time I pick up her books, I know I'm guaranteed a good time. Everything from the writing to the characters to the banter is always on point. I was living for how cheeky Harry was. He was a perfect balance of playful and caring. I loved how he loosened Ellie up a bit. It wasn't hard to piece together his backstory, so I didn't find his big reveal all that dramatic, but it was fun watching it all play out. Another thing I love about this series is the friendship between our three MCs. Ellie, Tess, and Daisy are friendship goals, and I love watching them solve crimes and be total badasses together. If you're looking for a fun, steamy new historical romance series to get into, I can't recommend this one enough.

I read this whole thing in a day and I loved every minute, it was hard not to fall for our MC’s and who doesn’t love a regency romance?!