I really enjoyed this spicy (🌶️🌶️) historical romance. I loved the instant connection of Ellie & Harry. I loved the mystery of Harry. This book hooked me right away and i finished it one day. I can't wait to read Daisy's story.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel has to be one of my favorite Bateman books! I loved how the story started right away with Harry pretending to be Charles King. Also, I loved how he was trying to become a reformed thief and how that affected Harry and Eleanor’s relationship. When you do find out who he really is, I was shocked! I loved seeing all the characters again and the mysteries they involve themselves in. I can’t wait for the next book!

4.5 stars! This was so much fun!! I absolutely adore Kate Bateman’s romances and this was no different. Mystery, a dash of danger, flirty banter, and an irresistible hero? What more could you want??

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in Kate Bateman’s Her Majesty’s Rebels series and while this is not my favorite series by her, I am having a fun time with it.

Eleanor and her friends are the co-owners of King & Co, London’s most private investigation company and their days are full of inquiry and detecting. One day, Eleanor meets Harry, a former con man who wants to retire and come work with the girls at their company. He argues that no one can solve crimes better than a former thief.

It’s been a while since I read book one, but I do know that I enjoyed this one better. I actually listened to the audio for this one which I think helped my enjoyment. My favorite part of definitely the romance because of how sexy it was. I’ve come to realize that spy/detective plots aren’t my favorite in historical romance, but I enjoyed this one. I will be reading the next one just so I can finish the series. I can’t wait to continue when the next one comes out!

I received this as an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Kate Bateman is an autobuy author for me and if she's not for you...you're missing out. When I saw the summary for How to Fall for a Scoundrel I was excited to see that we were going to get Eleanor's story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed book one and actually am looking forward to the next one too, but I loved how this one came together.

As one of the founding members of King & Co., Eleanor enjoys proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. When a con man pretends to be her fictional boss Charles King, Ellie knows he is lying but he surprisingly pulls it off. Now she has to decide if she's willing to accept his offer of help to recover a priceless manuscript while also taking care to not fall for his games and seductions.

“Henri Bonheur”—or “Harry” claims his criminal past is behind him and he actually has an ulterior motive for seeking Ellie out but he needs to win her over but he didn't really count on falling for her at the same time. As Harry and Ellie work on the investigation together, their relationship pulls them together and when Ellie finds out what really is in Harry's past, she needs to figure out if she can trust him...and can she really love him if she doesn't truly know him?

I have to say that I loved these two together. Harry kept pushing Ellie outside of her comfort zone and she wasn't afraid to take on the challenge. Harry's backstory was an interesting twist and how it all came together was well done by Bateman. As I mentioned, I am looking forward to the next book in this series and if you haven't started this book/series, you should definitely consider picking it up!

Love this series and the Ladies.
Ellie is part of a private investigation team she gets involved with a case with Harry .
Some tense moments ,adventure and romance.
A good historical mystery romance .
Love Ellie and Harry.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Want an enjoyable read? How about “How to Fall for a Scoundrel” written by Kate Bateman. A thief and a scoundrel, Harry, is the lead male character in this story. He is charming, handsome, well dressed, and has the stickiest fingers in England. He inserts himself into an all female investigation company. Harry is totally smitten with bluestocking investigator Ellie Law. Ellie and her two best friends, Tess and Daisy, created King and Co., run by a fictitious Charles King. Harry takes on the role of Charles King as easily as he slips into other roles that serve his purposes. Harry and Ellie join forces in King and Co. endeavors and are pulled even closer. In the back of her mind, Ellie is concerned with Harry’s true identity and his motives. Once a thief always a thief? The story takes us on a merry hunt for a book, a jewel, and a name. The banter, steam, and building relationship between Ellie and Harry take center stage. The secondary players, Tess, Daisy, and even the aging scoundrel Hugo round out the well paced, well written story. This Regency romance is definitely recommended. Yes, there is a happy ever after and yes Harry’s identity is revealed so all is wrapped up by the very last page.

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGallery, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

I’m such a sucker for historical romances. I can’t get enough of them. This was another I enjoyed. It was a nice break from all the adult fantasy I’ve been reading lately.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is book 2 of the series, which revolves around the trio of ladies who started an investigative/fixing agency, but because of the mysogynistic nature of Society at the time, they must hide behind the fictional owner and figurehead of the agency, Mr. Charles King.

Eleanor Law, one of the founding members of King & Co. is a studious, bluestocking with a laudable family history steeped in jurisprudence. Despite being more than capable, her gender prevents her from being able to become a barrister, so she fights crime through her work with King & Co.

Imagine her surprise one night when a charming scoundrel accosts her at a social function, and proceeds to introduce himself to a potential client as the fictitious Charles King, and then boldly proceeds to proposition Ellie with a bold plan. Henri Bonheur, or Harry, as the rogue names himself, is a self-professed rogue and retired professional thief, who is seeking an occupation and offers to work with the ladies as the figurehead of the company. Eleanor, despite his handsome charm, is more than skeptical of the scoundrel, but the trio of the company decide to give him a chance, when they are hired, thanks in part to Harry, to recover a valuable artifact.

To do so, Harry draws Eleanor out of her studious shell, and they work together, giving Eleanor a greater taste of his charm and attraction, which coupled with a growing desire to explore their physical attraction, and the headiness and excitement of danger and excitement as they play out the roles needed to achieve their ends, cause Harry and Eleanor to fall into a passionate affair.

But he adds a new twist to his story when he opens up to the ladies; that he is really a long lost nobleman, who was whisked away to the continent as a young child, and returning to reclaim his title, and needs for the ladies to prove his claim. So what is he - really the consummate conman trying to fake his way into wealth and nobility? Or is he really a lost peer seeking to reclaim what is rightfully his?

But if he really is a lost peer, what does that mean for his and Eleanor's relationship? Is she prepared to be left behind when he claims his title - despite her family's notable reputation as lawmakers, she would still too low on the social ladder for a titled nobleman.

This is a fun read with lots of intrigue and excitement that brings me to mind of a mix of shows like the 80s Charlie's Angels and Remington Steele. Harry really is a handsome, charming rogue, who while he is a reformed thief and conman, is also likeable scoundrel with what seems to be a heart of gold who falls for Ellie, seeing her warmth, intelligence, and beauty and falling for it.

Just a fun, lovely romance mixed with intrigue and charming roguishness with a Cinderella like happily ever after. I fell for the scoundrel too - but frankly, I *LOVED* Remington Steele as a girl... and Harry in my mind's eye was my Regency Remington.

4 stars out of 5

This story revolves around Eleanor Law (Ellie), a young woman who solves crimes with her friends in a time when women weren't allowed to, and Harry (Henri), a career criminal who wants to solve crimes instead of committing them. The book is interconnected with other characters but written in a way that I was not lost without reading the previous book.

I like the premise of the book, go badass women! But Ellie annoyed me throughout a lot of the book. She almost had a reverse Superman thing going on - puts ON her glasses and she's beautiful. I liked Henri's character and definitely would have fallen for a scoundrel myself.

I enjoyed reading the book and liked the individual aspects of the book - characters, interpersonal relationships/friendships, solving crimes, intriguing past, etc. I didn't think it necessarily missed out on anything but I just wanted....more. I thought there were a lot of fun, interesting parts of the story for nothing to really happen or it was resolved very quickly. Also, Ellie and Henri's "bedroom talk" made me verbally cringe. Which was probably the point.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Bateman
Her Majesty’s Rebels series #2. Historical Detective agency romance. Alternating POV. Can be read as a stand-alone however the couple from the first book are included as minor secondary characters and the case is referred to in the epilogue.
Eleanor Law delights in secretly proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. She’s shocked while refusing a potential new client access to her fictional male boss when a charming con man introduces himself as the head of the private investigation firm. The women created the name from a dog! What does this man think he’s going to gain by declaring himself someone else?
Forced to work with Harry Bobheur to find a missing manuscript, Ellie finds herself intrigued by the skills, knowledge and adaptability of the man. He’s glib and polished and charming and relatable all at the same time. It’s making Ellie a bit flustered. The longer they work together, the more she knows there are many layers under the surface he’s always careful to mask.

This was a delightful story with witty banter, a slight mystery and two personalities that click tightly together to capture the readers attention. Unlikely coincidence but one that you will fully buy into. With a slight leaning into benevolence, loved it.
Captivating and charming.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

A Regency Romance that gives you intriguing mystery along with a swoon worthy scoundrel.
The main characters have lovely chemistry.
I really enjoyed the humorous banter.
Enjoyable and steamy read.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #HowtoFallforaScoundrel by Kate Bateman in exchange for an honest review.

Kate did it again! This book is a great edition to the Her Majesty's Rebels series. I adore a good con-artist trope and this one delivered on that very well. I loved how Harry had his rules and he used them throughout his life to no more crime but in assisting Ellie in fighting crime instead. I am so looking forward to the next book in the series because we get to see even more of Daisy and I am loving everything about her. Bateman does a great job of giving you some fun lighthearted moments with an interesting plot that keeps your attention.

Wow! What an exciting and delightful love story. I enjoyed the complex and strong-willed witty characters. This was very entertaining and well written with delicious steam. I highly recommend reading!

Intriguing story. The mystery, or should I say mysteries?, are simple but cute (I would have preferred something more complicated), but I really loved the interactions between the main characters, their banter, their chemistry. Henry is such a seductive scoundrel! And of course he’s perfect for steady, serious Ellie. The lovemaking is stellar and the yearning very real. I liked the choice to keep Henry’s POV to a minimum because it added an aura of mystery to his character. And I love the friendship between the three women investigators!

Ellie and her friends run a detective agency under the name Charles King, but a man with multiple aliases pretends to be him. Call him Harry, he's charismatic, and they band together to find a missing document.
But, Harry has a conundrum of his own, and he enlists the help of Ellie for himself. Should she believe him, and if it's true, how do they prove it? So much at stake.
As they work together, the attraction is strong, but there are more questions than answers, and trust is an issue, especially with her heart. 
A devilishly fun read I highly recommend!

Secrets and surprises everywhere!

Harry is so bold, so brazen, and so much fun to watch! He has such a devil-may-care attitude, but eventually we get to know the man underneath the façade and he's an absolutely delightful hero.

Ellie has always lived her life by the book - she really never had much choice - until Harry shakes up her view of the world and forces her to consider life beyond her own experiences.

I loved the way he inserted himself into the King and Company investigation team, how he brought his unique skills to the table to help their cases, and how it was all to position himself to be able to gain their assistance in the investigation into his own life. All the pieces of this fascinating story were laid out so perfectly and fit together so precisely as the whole picture came into focus.

I loved their HEA, their extended families, their shared connection and chemistry. Every bit of this book was simply perfect and I'm looking forward to reading the next in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This book was so utterly adorable and fun that I could not Put it down. Ellie works with her friends at their investigative agency behind a mysterious, but fake, man. While her work is her way to have freedom for her future, her friends are higher up in the ton. They get caught up with the mysterious Harry, who Ellie can’t seem to resist the banter and investigative work into Harry’s background is so delicious that you won’t be able to stop reading, in the fact that the friendship between the women is supportive and you have a great story. I will not lie. I’ve been waiting for Daisy‘s book, but Ellie’s book surprise me by how much I loved it. Harry Is the best kind of hero and he will definitely become one of your favorites. loving the series and book 3 now

London - 1816

Eleanor (Ellie) Law, daughter of Sir Edward Law, Lord Chief Justice, works along with her friends Daisy Hamilton, daughter of the Duke of Dalkeith, and Tess, the Duchess of Wansford. They run the private investigation agency called King and Company. Charles King is the proposed owner of the company but he doesn’t exist. The ladies appear to work for him, but they do the actual work.

While at a ball, Ellie is standing in a corner when a man comes up to her and seeing her standing under mistletoe, he brazenly kisses her. He calls himself Henri Bonheur,.Comte de Carabas. Chatting her up, he tells her that he wants to work for Charles King. He admits that his past has been rather dicey as indeed he is a rich man with a criminal past, but wanting to go straight and work with the ladies. Learning that there is no Charles King, the ladies allow him to help with finding a rare and valuable Book of Hours once belonging to Napoleon that had been stolen from a collection.

As Ellie and Harry, as he now calls himself, work together on some scary cases that take them on the edge of the law, she becomes fascinated by this dashing man and he finds her very appealing.

I have read a number of this author’s books and have enjoyed them. This story started out quite interesting with a bit of humor. However, it soon became much too steamy for my tastes If you like that sort of story, enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A charming scoundrel introduces himself to the three ladies of King & Company, London's most discreet investigation agency. Using different names, he freely admits with a smile, he's a thief and a card shark with an interesting past. Offering his assistance as a front for the ladies agency, he proves that he can be "trusted." Ellie Law is not so sure, but she's attracted to the scoundrel with his passionate kisses. When he reveals his real name, he makes a bargain with the ladies of King & Company to prove his identity.
Once his identity is revealed, where does that leave Ellie in love with the scoundrel?
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.