Female counterfeiter, criminal underworld, vicount spy hottie all thrown together to navigate London is of course full of intrigue, danger, firey passion and delicious HEA.

I absolutely loved Sabine and Richard's story! You have two very strong individuals that complement each other very well. Bateman is masterful with her dialogue and the bantering between the H/H had me riveted to the page. This was a great addition to the Secrets and Spies series!

I raced through this book, part romance and part adventure/spy story, in a record-breaking two days for me. I find Bateman's books so fun to read, and though I tend to have criticisms after the fact, the actual reading of them is always a highlight to my day.

In this third book in Bateman's Napoleonic spy series, the brother of the first book's hero is the focus. Richard Hampden is not as domineering and alpha as the first brother, but he does take some warming up to, as he is distrustful of and standoffish with nearly everyone except a small cohort of close family and friends. It's fair to say here though that he does have reason to be distrustful of the heroine. Sabine de la Tour is a major player in the world of counterfeiting, and Richard has been tracking her for years, though always in the belief that she is a he.

It's also safe to say that Sabine is an obsession for Richard and when he finally meets her, it is at her convenience and timing rather than his. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is that Sabine calls the shots most of the time, for which I am so grateful. One of my least favorite tropes in romance writing is the capture and control of women by the story's hero. Here though, despite Richard's attempts to blackmail her into residing in his home for the short period of a month, he never succeeds in containing her. She escapes when she feels like it; she plays outrageous and genuinely funny pranks on him to distract others from her comings and goings; and she ultimately decides when they will become lovers. And yet, despite all of her autonomy and independence and internal strength, I still felt a few qualms at how much power Richard could have over her as a wealthy, powerful, and titled man. There is a significant power imbalance in this novel that really only worked for me because of Sabine's ability to maneuver around him successfully. In the end too, Richard's power is reduced because of his love for Sabine, and I think the author does a very nice job of showing how he eschews his morals and professional responsibilities in the name of love.

There are a few threads in this story that get lost in the story though, and the lack of tighter editing was a little frustrating. For instance, a big point is made of Sabine's nearsightedness as an Achilles heel, but the idea is virtually dropped by the second half of the novel. A French nemesis follows Sabine to London and appears to be a genuine threat to her but his role in the story practically vanishes. Also, much is made of the fact that Sabine is a virgin and Richard has a firm policy never to have a sexual relationship with one. So, Sabine lies to him and he never finds out, oddly. She never tells him and that thread vanishes too. Additionally, there are some pacing issues in the final half that bothered me a bit. Once Sabine and Richard become lovers, the novel shifts to the adventure story and the romance is on the back burner until nearly the end. As a romance reader, I always want the romance to remain central and so I did feel that the novel missed opportunities to show what Sabine and Richard mean to each other once the relationship is a sexual one.

I am stilling giving this four stars though because I was fully engaged from start to finish. I also always appreciate a well-crafted heroine who more than holds her own in a man's world. This is very much a novel where the heroine is on top and I loved that.

After reading the third "Secrets and Spies" book, I still have difficulty believing K. C. Bateman is a new author. Her books about the Hampden families, spies one and all, are refreshing. Each has a very different plot, drawing from the previous books. Regency spy novels are among my favorite genres to read. A Counterfeit Heart does not disappoint. It is fast paced, full of danger, intrigue, and great "warring" characters. Sabine and Richard's confrontations are legendary, they truly dislike each other at first and don't trust each other at all, but just can't help being attracted to each other. Only family responsibilities kept me from reading it start to finish at one sitting. I sincerely hope more books are forth coming from this very talented author.

If you are interested in intrigue, you might like this book. It has blackmail, counterfeit money, threats, spies, danger, passion, and a happily ever after.

It didn't hold my interest, but I prefer angst/drama over action/danger in my romance novels.

ARC given to me in exchange for an honest review

This was a new author for me, and I have to say that I will be reading more of her books. The story was a complex and well-written. The characters were also complex and very interesting and likable. This story had intrigue, drama, suspense, humor and romance. I got into the story very quickly and it held my interest right up until the last page. Very well done! I highly recommend this book.

I was provided an ARC copy for a review but all words are my own. A counterfeiter, Sabrine de la Tour, must leave France or face the guillotine.
She is finished with that side of her like and wants to go to England. Viscount Lovell, Richard Hampden, has been hunting for Philippe Lacorte for a long time. Imagine his surprise to learn Lacorte's true identity . A lot of suspense and romance. Well written.

Resourceful strong woman has always interested me and this book shines with the primary female character of Sabine de la Tour. The opening chapter does a lot to setup Sabine for the reader and throughout the book the reader will be enthralled by her multi-faceted personality. Her interaction with Richard Hampden, Viscount Lovell, is filled with twists and turns keeping the reader engrossed in the story.

Poor Richard he thinks he is in charge but throughout the book Sabine sends him on a merry chase causing him to finally meet his match. Of course, I do like when a strong alpha man is thwarted occasionally and his frustration of losing control is priceless. The reader is given a glimpse of what makes him tick so they understand why he is so insistent about Philippe Lacorte helping the English.

Both primary characters are well developed and the constant verbal sparring between them will make the reader smile in anticipation of how or if they will unite. For this reason, I give it 4 stars.

I enjoyed this book very much. I found that the book was not only entertaining by keep me wanting to read it. Richard and Canines characters seem to jump off the pages. I have put a review of this book on Amazon.

Sabine de la Tour wants a fresh start away from her past. Sabine has worked as a talented counterfeit agent for Napolean, but wants to change, to improve herself. She never wanted to be who she has become, but certain circumstances left her no choice. So along with her closest friend, they leave France and leave for England for a time. Sabine has a plan, a plan which if it works will leave her with more than enough funds to make a fresh start, but there is one problem, she must work with Richard Hampden and he is not making it easy. Richard doesn't trust Sabine, especially with her record of being a criminal, but the more they work together, the more Richard starts to weaken his resolve against her and he realizes how much he admires her and her strength and desire to keep her by his side.

I was swept away by this book, and I wasn't really expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. Even the writing isn't five star reading for me, it was still engaging and I really enjoyed the set up of this story. Our hero having worked as a spy, and our heroine having worked creating counterfeit money for Bonaparte....it definitely adds a unique mix of chemistry and tension for sure. And even though these two are enemies of sorts, it also wasn't as angsty as I thought it would be and I was relieved by that. Their relationship seemed to progress so smootly, and we also see them grow quite a bit. Our hero learns compassion and understanding and our heroine learns about making the right choice and standing up for what she believes in. Sabine especially learns quite a bit about herself as well. I believe that this story really focused quite a bit on her journey. Sabine isn't hardened or cynical, and even though she does like her rebellious side, and seeing who she can trick at times, she is also wanting to better herself. She didn't have it easy, and was left an orphan as a teenager, and had to find her own way to survive. With the history surrounding France around this time, and we also see that she hasn't liked what she has had to do and wants to find a new way of life.

The romance that builds between Sabine and Richard was quite fun to read, I will admit. These two had me laughing so very hard. Richard is so serious all the time, and Sabine has a playful side to her character. And she tends to play tricks on Richard especially when he gets all alpha he male on her. Yeah makes for a lively and entertaining read for sure. Her counterfeit talents definitely gives her an edge in certain ways that I reveled in. It is quite entertaining to see them go at it, and the way they just work and fit so well together. Their chemistry is pretty explosive, and man can Richard make a girl swoon. Some of these scenes between them were sexy as sin and I just wanted more of this author when I finished this one.

The story is pretty exciting though, on top of the actual love story, we also have a solid suspense and dangerous plot line, dealing with criminals wanting to destroy England which definitely adds a certain edge to this book that creates a finalizing touch that is just right!! My first read by this author, and it won't be the last, I can't wait to read the previous books.

Although I enjoyed reading this at the time, writing this review a week later, I can remember very few details. Sabine was quite the different type of historical heroine with her worldly experience in some things, and Richard was a good match for her.

I loved the first books in this series, so I was surprised that I was not able to connect with the heroine in this one. For some reason, I just didn't like her, at all. For this reason, I have decided not to finish or rate this title.

I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the next title by this author!

Thanks,
laura

I had a hard time putting this one down, the author had me hooked within the first pages, and I submersed into this world very happily. Although I did not read the other books in this series, this book holds up well – even though I know a couple of the characters from previous books made an appearance in this one. This book will leap off the pages, and you will find yourself enchanted.

This book by Ms. K.C. Bateman seemed a little daunting to me because of the content and the fact that it was part of a series. Funny I say that because I have read similar books in this time period of course none about counterfeiting and I have read books out of sequence before. When I first started this book the story seemed a little slow and the characters despite being fully developed plus three dimensional didn’t really appeal to me. Of course as I read more into the book I couldn’t help but slowly fall for the male protagonist even though I didn’t really like him and the female protagonist I didn’t trust but couldn’t help but like anyway. Amazingly so the book can also stand alone wonderfully without having to read the others in the series because I haven’t read the others myself. Ms. Bateman wrote a fairly captivating engaging story filled with spies, action, secret agents, deception, betrayal, mistrust, counterfeiting which is a little new for me since I haven’t read about it in the Regency/Victorian period and love. The verbal banter between the characters was witty the story was not only fresh but exciting. Ms. Bateman is one author I will keep an eye on and will definitely read more books from her.
Sabine de la Tour burns most of her counterfeited bank notes while in Paris promising herself that she will get out of counterfeiting bills for a living. Sabine then leaves Paris with a good friend going to one of her worst enemy’s Viscount Lord Lovell Richard Hampden in London England. Richard’s main goal is to find the elusive Philippe Lacorte and when Sabine offers to work for Richard since she intimately knows Philippe in fact she is Philippe. Richard is instantly intrigued the more he works with Sabine and she with him. Richard and Sabine feel a strong attraction unfortunately neither of them trust one another. Are both of them willing to take a chance on the greatest risk of all or is the challenge even to great for them.
As I stated before I didn’t really like Richard in the beginning he seemed a little arrogant, proud, very intimating and snobbish. Maybe it was because he was a lord and nobility sure eventually I did like him but it sure was a definite roller coaster for me. One moment he was okay then the next he didn’t trust Sabine of course I didn’t really trust her either. Still most of the time I either wanted to shake him or slap him telling him to lighten up. Maybe it’s just because Richard took himself entirely too seriously of course I did kind of fall for him in the end. Sabine was an interesting strong willed intelligent woman. She knew how to play to her strengths and could play Richard which even though I didn’t trust her I still couldn’t help but admire her. Even with the rocky courtship of them both it was sure a wonderful ride and a joy to read. I will have to read the rest in the secret and spies series and other books by Ms. Bateman. I know that my friends that love to read Regency/Victorian will love Ms. Bateman’s stories and I can highly recommend this book to them!

4 helms

Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages (www.vellumvoyages.com)

Congratulations to K.C Bateman on another sensational novel!! A fast paced read with a great heroine with an unusual occupation. The final novel in her Secrets and Spies Trilogy is full of adventure, a heroine who can stand on her own two feet and a poor unsuspecting hero who has no chance against such vitality! <i>Parfait!!</i> :D

Sabine de la Tour is the infamous Phillipe Lacorte, a highly sought after and elusive French forger. Sabine and her friend Anton Carnaud (who is often mistaken for Phillipe) work as a team for Napoleon, counterfeiting a small fortune for him. After Napolean is imprisoned, General Jean Malet who oversaw their counterfeiting is the one other person who knew about the fake currency and wants the whole fortune for himself. After their home is ransacked in France, they realise Anton's life is in danger and they must leave France. Burning most of the fortune and keeping some for emergency purposes, they hatch a plan to enable Anton to buy passage to America and Sabine free to build a new life for herself, leaving behind their criminal ways.

"Three months, no longer. No wives. No virgins. No exceptions" is the rule Richard Hampden, Viscount Lovell lives by. He is wealthy, titled, handsome and oh yes, also an English spy. He is passionate about his country and has been trying to track down the elusive Phillipe Lacorte to procure his services for the English government for quite some time but has never had him within reach. He is also due to choose his next mistress, as his most recent contract has come to an end and the ladies are practically throwing themselves at him.

Sabine has spent her entire life staying a step ahead of Richard, but for the sake of Anton and her future, she must sacrifice her identity and forge one last time, this time for England. Sabine's clever plan is to give herself up and her services as Phillipe Lacorte to Richard, for the princely sum of ten thousand pounds which enables great freedom for herself and Anton after this final job. Close to midnight, Sabine turns up alone on Vicount Lovell's doorstep handing his butler a note, confident that Richard will want to meet with her hear what she has to stay. Unravelling a perfectly forged invitation with his signature to meet with him at his home, Richard is intrigued with what he sees and what the butler tells him. Assuming this is a ploy chosen by an eager young woman to gain his affections as his next mistress, he invites her in to hear what she has to say. Sabine breezing in and announcing herself as Phillipe Lacorte is not what he had expected and neither was her outrageous blackmailing demands of ten thousand pounds for her forging services.

Richard realises his predicament and gives in to her demands, as she threatens to otherwise release her fake currency into England's economy. But, this doesn't mean he is defeated, as he wants to use her services to wheedle out a group of French sympathisers in England. Yes, she comes at an exorbitant price but he doesn't plan to make her life easy despite his attraction for her. He will give back as good as he gets and damn the attraction between them! With Jean Malet hot on Sabine's heels and other complications that arise within the criminal underbelly, Sabine and Richard try to fight the attraction between them while learning to trust each other and working together to achieve their mission.

What an adventurous book this was to read! Sabine and Richard have great chemistry between them and the storyline moved at a rapid pace. These two were such great characters who butted heads and verbally duelled so well that it leaves you laughing out loud and rooting for them both! Raven and Heloise <a href="http://www.vellumvoyages.com/a-ravens-heart-by-k-c-bateman/">(A Raven's Heart #2)</a> also make a reappearance which was lovely and Raven's brotherly ribbing of Richard was highly amusing.

K.C Bateman's witty dialogue is always entertaining and her writing style is a pleasure to read. Her experience and knowledge with antiques and art really shine through in this book which I absolutely loved reading about! Not only are you getting a great romance but mini lessons in arts and antiques too! I LOVED LOVED the story but I did give only four stars overall as I noticed a few hiccups along the way. The dialogue was really anachronistic at times and I felt like I noticed it more so in this book than the previous two. Also, Sabine never reveals that she is a virgin to Richard and there was no mention of him realising either! I thought it would be fun when she finally reveals that she is a virgin, duping him at his own rigid rules! Sabine is also meant to have difficulty with her eyesight which was mentioned quite haphazardly throughout the book without consistency. I haven't read many books where the heroine has difficulty with her vision and this was a nice touch and I was a little disappointed it wasn't expanded on. These are obviously very minor issues as the story transcends above all flaws and intrigues the reader immensely!

*Thank-you K.C Bateman, Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for the ARC.

Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept and netgalley for this ARC.

This series never lets you down. Its the perfect novel for reading in bed. Exciting, sexy, and full of fun.

I find the times around the French Revolution very fascinating. I haven’t read a lot of books, romance and otherwise, that even touch upon it. If I do happen to read a book in that time frame, references are given but nothing is really talked about. So, when I read the blurb for A Counterfeit Heart, my attention and interest were immediately caught. I was also really happy to see that it was book 3 in the Secret and Spies series. Having read A Raven’s Heart, I was curious if Richard would get his story and who his love interest would be. I wasn’t disappointed.

The plotline of A Counterfeit Spy was surprisingly action packed. Mostly, when I read a historical romance, it follows a set plotline and this one deviates from that. Which made it very enjoyable for me to read. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love a historical romance that is standard…meaning that the heroine is sweet but weak, the hero is strong and tortured and there is a dastardly villain that is easily defeated thrown in. With this book, though, those stereotypes are rewritten. The heroine is most definitely not weak and thinking about it, she really wasn’t sweet either…lol. The hero is strong but I wouldn’t say that he was tortured. He held guilt over several incidents in the past but, for the most part, they didn’t carry over into the present day. The villain was not easily defeated either. He was actually carried over from the 2nd book and I believe he started in the first one (didn’t read it).

Sabine, I liked. For that time, she was an anomaly, a woman who didn’t need a man to survive. She only went to Richard because she needed the money to escape to America and build a new life for herself. She was also very sassy and wasn’t afraid to put Richard in his place. She also was very secretive but she needed to be. She had some pretty powerful people who were after her alter ego, Philippe Lacorte. I thought it was pretty refreshing to read about a heroine who was a criminal and who was honest about it. I mean, she did approach Richard about working for him and had no shame about admitting about her criminal past.

I couldn’t get that into Richard in the beginning of the book. I think it was because he came across as so harsh in the beginning of the book when Sabine appeared on his doorstep. But he did grow on me as the book went on. I think the reason I didn’t really like him was that he was so intense, so focused on getting that group arrested but he wasn’t afraid to use Sabine to make that happen. But he did grow on me during the book. I could tell that he had growing feelings for Sabine and that his actions were being influenced by them.

The romance between Richard and Sabine was a slow burn. I mean, you know that it was going to happen but I love how the author chose to stretch it out. Feelings were conveyed with a look and a touch. Everything was built up so that when they finally kissed (and had sex), my pages just about combusted. And it didn’t stop with that one scene. Every scene after that was the same way and I was pretty impressed by that. It is very rare that an author can have sex scenes that are as good as the first one.

The end of the book kept me on my toes. So much went on in such a short amount of time that I did have a small issue following everything. There were a couple of plot twists. One I saw coming and one took me by surprise. But still, even with the twists, I was very happy with the ending.

How many stars will I give A Counterfeit Heart: 4

Why: A wonderfully written historical romance that had a great plotline and relatable characters.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and sex

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Richard Hampden, Viscount Lovell, has been taking risk to safeguard England from the horrors of the French Revolution. He’s been chasing the famous counterfeiter who has destabilized the continent and turned scoundrels into rich men. Sabine de la Tour aka Philippe Lacorte is the greatest counterfeiter in Europe if arrested is facing the guillotine. She shows up in England to strike a deal with the very spy she’s spent her career outrunning. Richard is quite dumfounded to learn the counterfeiter he’s been chasing is a beautiful woman and more than a little aroused and intrigued by her. He quickly proposes his own deal to safeguard England. Richard and Sabine play a dangerous game of cat and mouse as the plot and counterplot intertwine with blackmail and coercion. As Richard and Sabine become ever more involved with each other their passions flame the flames even as they struggle to trust one another. A wonderful captivating story with two strong independent characters!!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher.

I counted K.C. Bateman as one of my “discoveries” of 2016 after I read her terrific début novel, To Steal a Heart, an action-packed, sexy, adventure story set in Napoleonic France. The book boasted many of the ingredients l love in historical romance – a central couple forced into proximity by circumstance, lots of sexually-charged and very funny banter, an intriguing plot, chemistry off the charts and a charming, deliciously dangerous hero. Ms. Bateman followed that with A Raven’s Heart and delivered another fabulous adventure story, this time featuring a couple who have loved each other for years, but have never owned up to it for fear of rejection. In A Counterfeit Heart, the third book in the author’s Secrets and Spies series, the action takes place almost entirely in England and the story draws on some of the real life plots made by Napoléon to destabilise the English economy by flooding the country with millions of pounds worth of forged banknotes.

Richard Hampden, Viscount Lovell, has appeared as a secondary character in the previous books, and we have learned that, like his brother Nicolas (To Steal a Heart) and his closest friend, William Ravenswood (A Raven’s Heart) he works for the British government. Even though Napoléon has been defeated, he still has many sympathisers who would like spark a revolution in England, and for the past few months, Richard has been tracking a group of anti-monarchists in London who are part of the old network of spies placed in England by the French. Richard has been trying to locate the elusive forger, Philippe Lacorte, with a view to engaging him to forge letters from Napoléon to his English sympathisers in order to lure them out, but Lacorte remains stubbornly hard to pin down and all Richard’s efforts to find him have so far been unsuccessful. Imagine his shock, therefore, when a young woman, a lovely, elfin creature, arrives at his London home late one night, introduces herself as Sabine de la Tour – and promptly announces that she is Philippe Lacorte.

For years, Sabine’s friend and partner, Anton Carnaud, acted as go-between for her and the man who had overseen Napoléon’s counterfeiting operation, General Jean Malet. With Napoléon now imprisoned on St. Helena, Malet is the only man at large who knows about the fake fortune Bonaparte had amassed – and he wants it for himself. Sabine’s home has been ransacked and Anton, as Malet’s only link to Lacorte, is in danger. Sabine decides to flee to England; the English have been trying to engage Lacorte’s services for months, and with the money she can earn working for them, she will be able to afford to buy passage to America for Anton and to make a new life for herself wherever she wants to go.

Stunned by Sabine’s announcement though he is, Richard is no fool and is naturally suspicious of her claim. Being young, handsome, wealthy and in possession of a title, he is used to women throwing themselves at him and at first suspects that some sort of entrapment scheme is afoot, but when Sabine writes a note in a perfect copy of his own hand in front of his very nose, he can’t deny that she’s who she says she is and demands to know what she wants in exchange for her services as a forger.

Even though desperation has led her to Richard Hampden’s door, Sabine is not naïve enough to believe that he will meekly agree to her ten-thousand pound price. She is well aware that she is facing a wily, clever man, and calmly explains that she is still in possession of the half a million pounds in forged notes with which Napoléon had planned to flood Britain, and that if Richard does not agree to her terms, then she will put the counterfeit notes into circulation.

What ensues is a sexy game of cat-and-mouse between two equally sharp-witted, devious opponents whose intense attraction to each other burns up the pages. Sabine is brave and smart, matching wits with Richard every step of the way and holding her own against him in their battle of wills, while he, having believed her at first to be a blackmailing baggage, is surprised to find himself utterly captivated by her sneaky, conniving brain every bit as much as he lusts after her body. The chemistry between the couple is scorching, and Ms. Bateman once again proves herself a master of the art of sexually-charged banter and saucy double-entendre. Both protagonists are strongly drawn and well-rounded, and I enjoyed the way Sabine is gradually disabused of her belief that Richard is little more than an arrogant, self-entitled aristocrat, discovering that he is also incredibly resourceful, useful in a fight and not above getting his hands dirty – literally and metaphorically – when the need arises. As the story progresses, the real Richard emerges as a deeply loyal and honourable man who is dedicated to rooting out evil and protecting his countrymen and who will stop at nothing to protect his country and those close to him.

The other main relationship in the book is the one between Richard and his brother-in-law, Raven, which is characterised by sharp insight and brotherly mockery as Raven watches his friend finally succumb to the thrall of the one woman stubborn and infuriating enough to capture his heart. It’s nicely written with just the right amount of teasing on Raven’s part and sardonic denials on Richard’s, and there’s no question that these two will always have each other’s backs.

If I have a criticism, it’s that in the early stages of the story, the relationship between Sabine and Richard relies rather too heavily on insta-lust; the pair of them are pretty much panting for each other from the off, which felt rather overdone. But that’s really the only thing that didn’t work for me; the romance is otherwise well developed, with Richard and Sabine gradually coming to recognise and value the person behind the prickly forger and the haughty aristocrat as they get under each other’s skin and allow themselves to be emotionally vulnerable in a way they have done with no-one else.

A Counterfeit Heart is a treat of a read for anyone who enjoys a well-plotted romantic adventure featuring a plucky heroine and a dangerously sexy hero who match wits and fall in love while foiling dastardly plots and rooting out the bad guys. I have enjoyed each book in the Secrets and Spies series and am looking forward to reading more by this talented author in the near future.

Grade: 4.5 stars/B+