Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I love Kate Bateman’s books—the characters, the plots, and quite frankly, the overall writing. I was sad when this one ended. I highly recommend it.

Daisy, the last of the three friends to found King & Co. who hasn’t found a husband, isn’t even looking for one. Sure, she’s long had a crush on her older brothers’ friend, Duke Lucien Vaughn, but she’s haunted by his rejection when she was coming out. She attended a party meant to serve as a send-off for him and her brothers before they went to war. It was a hedonistic party, and she wasn’t supposed to be there, but since it was a masquerade, she felt safe from detection. Of course, the moment Lucien spotted her from across the room, he knew exactly who she was, and he was furious. He grabbed her and pulled her to his office. There, he berated her foolishness and said she should be grateful he’d found her. Then, he kissed her and pushed her away, and she interpreted that to mean that he wasn’t interested in her. Over the years, she’s relived that kiss repeatedly, but has used the memory of him pushing her away as a reminder to keep her distance. If only she knew, he dreamed about her whenever he ran into difficulties during the war.

Daisy takes on an assignment with King & Co. She has promised to halt the elopement of Violet to Peregrine, and the best way to do that is to intercept their carriage on the way to Gretna Green. She’s looking for a carriage with a crest of a lion, and stakes out a place in the road to intercept it. However, brigands stop the carriage, and she’s forced to do what she can to stop them. Imagine her surprise to discover the carriage actually carries Lucien, who insists that she ride with him in pursuit of the lovers. He gives her little choice in the matter, and we quickly find out that he has a secret: Peregrin is his nephew, and he’s following them to make sure they arrive in Gretna Green unscathed. He knows Daisy will be furious with him when she finds out, and she is:

“Fury was bubbling through her veins, but Daisy pushed it down, conscious of not making a scene in such a public place, even as she wanted to scream at him like a fishwife. Then fillet him like a fish.”

But Lucien wants to spend time with Daisy. For some reason, he has decided she is no good for him, or perhaps, he’s not good for her, but he can’t fight the attraction he feels. Daisy hates him for how he embarrassed her, but she secretly still desires him. As they travel together, the heat between them simmers. But Daisy wants to marry for love, and she doesn’t believe Lucien will ever love her. The reader, of course, knows that he will.

The banter and, in general, interactions between Daisy and Lucien are riveting. The reader knows, long before Lucien or Daisy, that they actually make a perfect match. So, it’s rewarding when they acknowledge it as well. But Lucien and Daisy, ever the rebels, each in their own way, can’t get married in the “normal” way. And that’s fun too. Daisy’s best friends Ellie and Tess, along with their husbands, play a role. The girls help Daisy to recognize that love isn’t just visible through words, but through actions. And as Daisy lists Lucien’s actions, she realizes his actions are all of the ones she’d look for from someone who loves her.

ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)

This was cute. I wish they had more of a backstory and more flash back scenes though. Plot went a little sideways once the road trip was over. I would read more by this author

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook.
There are few things I enjoy more than Kate Bateman’s books and this one did not disappoint. I devoured it on a single plane ride and am excited to reread it.

One thing Kate Bateman nails on the head every time is banter and chemistry, which for me are the ingredients that make romance books so enjoyable to read. This whole series was amazing, and "Road Trip With a Rogue" was the perfect ending. I can't wait to read her next series, whatever that may be!

Kate Bateman has done another outstanding job with Road Trip With a Rogue. This is the third book in Her Majesty's Rebels series. I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC from Netgalley. Daisy Hamilton, the third partner in the investigation firm of King and Company, has taken on a case to prevent two young lovebirds from eloping and marrying at Gretna Green. On the wsy there, she is waylaid by highwaymen and encounters Lucien Vaughan, Duke of Cranford, during the hold-up. Together, they try to catch up with the two runaways. Daisy has had a love infatuation with Lucien since she was 18. Lucien has been to war and has the scars and memories to show and bear. He, too, has always had Daisy on his mind, whether during war, or while suffering the consequences of war, and she is the only person he looks forward to sharing a life with. This is an amazing story of two people who care deeply for each other, not realizing the depth of emotion the other also carries. This story was especially worth reading for because of the absolutely amazing ending. A must read story!

A perfect end to a perfect series. I've been looking forward to Daisy's book since the beginning of Her Majesty's Rebels, and this book was absolutely worth the wait.

The pace of the book is established immediately, opening with Daisy on the case, hired by the father of an heiress, to stop an elopement, and encountering her brothers' friend (and her longtime foil/object of desire/one time kiss) Lucien on the same route. What the reader knows (from the book description) that Daisy does not know is that Lucien is the uncle of the groom whose elopement Daisy is attempting to stop. Daisy begrudgingly accepts Lucien's assistance in catching up to the lovebirds quicker, and from that point we are on a fast-paced, nonstop route of adventure, romance, and comically frequent delays that fall into their path throughout the trip. A few moments of more stressful mishaps do occur, but not so much as to take away from the general caper quality of the story.

The true star of the story is the chemistry between the two romantic leads. Daisy and Lucien embody one of my favorite tropes: mutual attraction that doesn't realize it is mutual attraction. The back and forth of flirting, longing glances, physical contact, and romantic flashbacks lends itself to a perfect swoon worthy pairing. Another element I appreciated with the story was Lucien's continued acknowledgement of Daisy's talent, skills, and intelligence. He is a man who deeply admires this woman, and it's wonderful to watch as he realizes that he has to convince Daisy of just how much he adores her, and immediately gets to the task of doing so. Daisy, meanwhile, is on parallel journeys of believing in herself not only as someone who is helping to run an investigative business, but also as someone who can match the man she admires. Her self-worth is something she works for, but ultimately earns independently, with it being strengthened by Lucien's love and admiration, but not dependent on that.

I cannot wait to start this series all over again. A true treasure from start to finish.

This is a wonderful new historical romance that pulls you in immediately and moves at a clipped pace.

I’ve never read this author’s work before, so I was hesitant going in, but I shouldn’t have been. The writing was is well done, and I wasn’t missing out on too much by starting the series with book 3 (though yes, I did feel like I was missing some of the context).

The story has so many of my favorite tropes (brother’s best friend, age gap, second chance) and microtropes (only one bed, only one horse, touch her and die). It’s dual POV, which I also always appreciate.

I like both the FMC and MMC in equal measure. The FMC, Daisy, is no shrinking violet, and I like that she eschews convention, yet never falls into the pitfall of being “not like the other girls.” The MMC, Lucien, is tall, dark, scarred, and handsome, with sarcastic humor and a long-simmering secret love for the FMC. They make a great histrom couple.

My only qualm would be that I think that the book could have done with more meat on its bones. It’s a quick read, and more background could have been added, such as additional scenes in the past featuring the main characters.

If you love historical romance, you’ll find this a familiar but welcome new story, but if you’re new to the genre, the fast pace and tropes make it a good entry point.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! all thoughts and opinions are my own ✨

what a great ending to this series. road trip with a rogue was fun, flirty, tender, and witty—everything that makes for a solid historical romance. this instalment follows daisy as she races against the clock to stop a young, impressionable couple from eloping. on the way to scotland, she encounters lucien vaughan, the duke of cranford, in all of his smug, stoic glory. various shenanigans ensue.

bateman did a nice job of establishing the banter and tension in this novel. though daisy and lucien’s relationship moved relatively quickly, surprisingly, it didn’t feel rushed whatsoever. you could tell that they delighted in verbally sparring with each other and genuinely enjoyed the other person’s company.

the last third of the book fell a little flat—it seemed like the author had run out of ideas and was just coasting on the prospect of imminent scandal to keep things moving. i would have liked to see a bit more of daisy and lucien readjusting to life in london after the events of their impromptu road trip. also, a bit more of tess and ellie, because when it comes to female friendship, you can never have too much.

but aside from those minor criticisms, this book was a pretty good time! i’ve always enjoyed daisy as a character, so it was nice to get in her head and watch her love story unfold. sidenote: lucien vaughan? yeah, that’s a man right there. i can’t even blame daisy for succumbing to his charms, because she lasted a lot longer than i would have 🧎🏻‍♀️

Daisy and Lucien's story was oh so delightful! I knew that Daisy's paramour would have to be equally as feisty and headstrong as she was or it would never have worked.

I loved the premise of the book, how Daisy had been hired to stop a young heiress from eloping and how Lucien was secretly doing all he could to make sure the two young lovebirds made it to Gretna Green and were married. I was intrigued with the events of the past that have now made Lucien someone that Daisy wants to stay far away from. Too bad her plans are foiled, and she is stuck with Lucien in close quarters for almost a week.

Daisy is very quick witted and quite progressive for a young lady of the ton, and also quite headstrong which Lucien was very quick to challenge at every turn. It was wonderful that these two could verbally spar and challenge each other's mindsets, which was so refreshing for Lucien that Daisy was probably the one woman in London who didn't fall at his feet with just one look.

It took me a bit to warm up to Lucien, he took their enemies to lovers' storyline a bit far for my liking, and a few times he just annoyed me. In the same token, when the rubber met the road at the end of the book and it was so obvious to everyone but Daisy that Lucien was head over heels in love with her, her obstinance and stubbornness went on for a little too long for me and I wanted to shake some sense into her. But overall, their finally hot the happily ever finally they truly deserved. I'm not sure if we'll be gifted with anything more from this series since there are just the three ladies, but if we don't I'll be a bit sad since we only got to see Daisy and Lucien together and happy for the merest of seconds before the book ended, so I would really love to see more of them, and how their married life is doing and how many children graced their lives. So, if you read this Kate, we want more!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Kate Bateman has done it again! A truly satisfying conclusion to a very fun series. This time with action, adventure, hijinks, and highwaymen. And it wouldn’t be a Bateman book without the MCs having the best spicy times of their lives! Thanks to St. Martin’s for the ARC.

What a whirlwind! I absolutely LOVED Daisy’s Fire. She was a force to be reckoned with and honestly I want to be like her one day - stubbornly independent, strong, kind, loyal, funny, and beautiful!

The banter between her and Lucian made my toes curl and the butterflies in my stomach go crazy! Their chemistry was off the charts from the word go and I am obsessed! Not to mention the wonderfully dashing rogue of a man - Lucian - could just about make any woman swoon with a flash of his smile!

I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’ll just say this - they are an enemies to lovers that everyone will fall in love with! There’s one bed. Multiple days in a coach together. Secret pining. Who hurt you. Forced proximity. And the absolute best side characters you could ask for.

AND THAT ENDING 😍

Just. Obsessed. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!!

I really enjoy Ms. Bateman's novel and this one was no exception. The tension between Daisy and Vaughn was a constant throughout the book until they finally realized maybe, just maybe, they may get along better than they think. There was no villain in the story. It was more about two people finally being honest with their feelings and what they want. The plot moved along at a good pace. When they finally got their HEA, I was thrilled for them both. This was a well-written and entertaining book.

Road Trip with a Rogue had the usual banter and sexual tension that Bateman is so good at portraying. I loved how the main characters met again by trying to stop highwaymen and the TENSION they had. When we were finally told why Daisy didn’t like Lucien and the interaction they had in the past, my jaw was on the floor. This was Bateman’s best scene yet!

I’m so sad that this series is over with, but can’t wait to see what Bateman has in store for us next!

An addictively sexy romp of a road trip! Kate Bateman outdoes herself again! I loved every book in this series, but this one was by far my favorite. I devoured it in a day. The chemistry just bubbled off the page.

Daisy is the third member of the female detective agency and a duke's daughter. Lucien Vaughn is a scarred war hero, a duke (of course) and the Rogue mentioned in the title. Most of all, they are both incredibly kind people and easy to cheer for. After secretly pining for each other for five years, they meet again when highwaymen attack Vaughn's coach. Daisy intervenes thinking the coach belongs to an eloping couple she is meant to stop and instead finds the smoldering Vaughn. Oh, the banter! Oh, the sexual tension! No one writes it like Bateman.

They decide to team up to track the couple. She's after the reward money and he's got a secret agenda of his own and also wants to keep her safe. That leads to a road trip of many one-room inns and one-horse rides, a dramatic rescue, and of course help from the other couples in the series to achieve a HEA. This just hit the spot for me. It was compelling, entertaining and wickedly spicy. If someone wanted to make millions of dollars they would adapt these books into a miniseries. There is woefully not enough spicy or sweet historical romance to watch in the world.

DNF at 51% because I couldn't stand Lucien as a hero

I really enjoyed Kate Bateman's previous book in this series, and I was so excited for this one but...Lucien needs to go to horny jail and stay there.

Evidence:

- "They would ruin you. And it would feel so fucking good"

- "Being wicked, he hadn't bothered to deny himself the temptation of touching her while she slept."

- "I was still a virgin," "Only in body. In spirit, you were a shameless wanton."

- "I wanted to kill every man who looked at you."

Lucien's one (1) personality trait was how much he wanted Daisy while also keeping his true intentions for the road trip a secret - lying to her - and refusing to call her by her preferred name. There was nothing redeeming about him, nothing making me want to stick around to see if he and Daisy could work out a HEA (she DESERVES BETTER) and once they had sex and it was clear that couldn't even save the couple for me, I was done.

There was a distinct lack of female friendship in this installment as well - due to the road trip plot - which is something I feel Bateman excels at. And I also found the chapter breaks to be very sudden, which lent to the pacing being off.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC! I really wish I could have enjoyed this.

This book was deliciously messy in all the right ways. I live for a second-chance romance where the yearning practically crackles off the page, and Daisy and Lucien? They had it in spades. She’s sharp, stubborn, and armed with a knife, and he’s broody and infuriating in that very specific historical-romance-duke way that makes you want to scream into a pillow. Their banter was razor-edged, the tension was mouthwatering, and the slow-burn payoff was everything. The road trip setup added such a fun, chaotic energy, and I loved how it balanced the swoony moments with real emotional grit. I could read ten more books just about these two circling each other forever.

I absolutely adored Daisy and Lucien. This was a fun read and I enjoyed every minute of it. The back and forth between these two and that bad boy charm of Lucien made this a fun historical romance. It felt modern in some ways which I liked. I loved getting to see Tessa, Ellie, Harry, and Justin. I’m sad the series is over but it definitely went out with a bang! I can’t wait to see what Kate Bateman puts out next!

4.25 stars. A fun conclusion to a fun series. Daisy and Lucien had fire chemistry and were a great fit for each other. Daisy was just a bit too obtuse towards the end, which hampered my enjoyment. Great banter, great spice, a fun road trip. It was a good time. Can’t wait for Bateman’s next series!

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC!!

What a fun adventure! We start with our main character, Daisy, about her work for King and Company, trying to stop a young eloping couple from making their trek to Gretna Green, which is famously just across the border into Scotland and all it takes to be married is to visit a blacksmith (yes, this is true!)

Unfortunately, highwaymen stop the carriage she's waiting for, and she gets involved ... only to find out that the passenger in the carriage was none other than the Duke who crushed her heart years ago!

Hijinks ensue, with Daisy and Lucien racing to get to Gretna in time ... or are they both working towards the same goal??

I really love Kate Bateman's writing and stories, particularly her knowledge that enhances the historical romance genre. Her characters evolve over the course of the novel - in this case, it was Daisy dragging her feet to get married for pretty legitimate reasons, and Lucien did some self-discovery to realize he loved Daisy, and had for a long time. Once he comes to this realization, he doesn't really hold back or try to talk himself out of it (which I find is all too common in historical romances.) I only wish he'd done a bit more grovelling after his perfidy is discovered ...

I'm sad to see the end of this series and the delightful doyennes of King & Co.! It was a unique premise that allowed for interesting storytelling.

4.5 stars! Woooo, who needs a cold shower after that?! The chemistry in this book was off the charts good from the first page.

Read if you’re a puddle of mess for:
***Historical romance
***Brothers’ best friend
***Fierce longing
***Only one bed
***Steam, steam, steam!

Daisy and Lucien’s story had me from page 1. I love the backstory of this, and loved how everything played out. This is the 3rd in a series, but absolutely can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.