4 Modern Thinking Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Sometimes when you read a blurb and you decide to snatch the book up, you just have to go with it...Buy into the premise and let the author tell her story. Kate Bateman decided to create a woman who had a lenient father. A father who made his fortune in shipping. He loved this older daughter so, he would teach her everything he knew about the business. By the time she was of age for the marriage mart, Georgiana Caversteed was not some simple mind girl willing to smile and put up with titled men who bored her.

Now her father has passed and as things went, the house and monies were inherited to the mother and younger sister with the bulk of the company and finances going to Georgiana. She had been running the company for a while and loved her independence but a certain cousin has been making advances and plans to force her to marry him. She has no intention of doing so...Everything would then become his...

No, that will not do.

Instead, Georgina has hatched a plan to save her independence and solve the marriage problem. She will marry a convicted felon who has been sentenced to hang or leave to Australia. This way she becomes a Widow and problem solved. Even her father's manservant/bodyguard has agreed to help her.

Georgiana finds herself with her escort down at the prison and the man whom she was supposed to marry died before she could get there. Instead, she is advised to marry another...a man hairy beyond belief, in torn and disgusting clothes and scheduled to take that voyage immediately after they say I do's.

Benedict William Henry Wylde may be hairy, stink to high heaven and be in prison but he is there not to be punished but to find out information for the British government. The one who died was a suspect in an attempt against the government and Wylde was there to get him for his crimes. Now the man is dead and Wylde will have to find another way. The guards have no idea he is working with the government so they pull him to marry Georgiana.

Both of them are put off and the marriage does take place with Wylde not really understanding why a woman as beautiful as Georgiana is...would do all of this. It is only after she has him sign a contract does he understand what exactly is going on...that she is the infamous Georgiana Caversteed, heir to one of the largest fortunes in the Ton.

Despite the surroundings and the awful conditions of Wylde when they married, Georgiana is shocked that she actually has been thinking about this man. She is wondering if he will survive the ocean journey. She wonders how he had such a beautiful scrip and the ability to read when he was a prisoner. Georgiana's mind was full of many thoughts about this man she would never see again and it bothered her.

The mother and younger sister beg Georgiana to take them to a ball so that they can be seen in town. It is time for the sister to consider marriage options. They go and as they tour the floor, Georgiana's eye catches a glimpse of a man who had the same broad shoulders and blackest of black hair...and when he starts to cross the floor towards her, she cannot believe her eyes...it is him...
The man she married, cleaned up, shaved and hair cut. He is the second son of an Earl...known as a rake and a rogue.

Oh, this is not good, not good at all...

Well, Benedict William Henry Wylde isn't thrilled either. He never wished to be married and now he planned to get untethered from this woman. He approaches and soon the mental games begin for he is very interested in her...and she is surprisingly intrigued too. The problem is his reputation as a scoundrel, her sister's need for an appropriate marriage and no scandal to ruin any of them.

This story asked for you to believe Georgiana could do all the things the author had her doing during these specific times...I decided to buy in and enjoyed the ride. With the mindset of forward thinkers through the ages, there had to be women who broke the mold.

The main couple had chemistry and seemed smitten enough for all the pleasure they shared.

This is the beginning of a new series with the secondary characters having their own romances and escapades.

Loved the funny, witty dialogue in this book. Great, fun Regency read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A lot of information in the first few pages.

One: Ew, her cousin. Two: You know it's bad when a dirty criminal is the better option.

I learned something new.

The first time a man has been disqualified as a suitor because he's too healthy.

I hope this marriage is legal.

Yikes, is that true? It's much easier to get an annulment now.

Ha, "squashy lumps"...

Is he above umbrellas?

Poor Simeon. Yeesh.

I hear you, Ben.

This is so cool! And I love how she appreciates it.

Shoot, she should get a medal.

For the love of Pete! She knows about scurvy prevention but can't figure out that her husband's handwriting has changed?

Revenge is hers!

Hopefully her mother will calm down when there are grandchildren.

Poor couple keeps getting cock-blocked.

Take that, ton!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

THIS EARL OF MINE – Kate Bateman
Bow Street Bachelors – Book 1
Perfect 10
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN-10: 1250305950
ISBN-13: 978-1250305954
ASIN: B07NCW262R
October 29, 2019
Historical Romance

London – 1816

At twenty-five, Georgiana Caversteed, a very rich woman who inherited her tradesman father’s business and used her own business acumen to accrue more money, needs a husband. Her cousin Josiah is trying to force her into marriage to get control of her wealth. Many men in the ton do the same. To escape this, she plans to marry a prisoner due to be hanged at Newgate Prison. Then she will legally be a widow who can control her own life. Pieter Smith, one of her family’s retainers, once her father’s right-hand man, drives her in a nondescript carriage and protects her in this effort. At the prison she finds the intended man has already died. The jailer she has paid to help her find a husband tells her others are available. She finds the one selected both compelling and disgusting, but he will leave for Australia tomorrow. She promises the prisoner, Ben Wylde, five-hundred pounds to marry her. He accepts.

Benedict William Henry Wylde is the younger brother of John Wylde, the Earl of Morcott. Their father died leaving them in heavy debt. Ben tries to help his brother keep the estate together by working. He and friends Seb and Alex have opened a gambling establishment. Their friendship was cemented during the war with Napoleon in Spain and France, which left its mark on all three men. They also now work for Alex’s uncle, the Magistrate of Bow Street, as runners. Ben is in Newgate on the magistrate’s orders and will ‘disappear’ tomorrow before the assigned prisoners board a ship to the prison colony. By stealth he investigates a rumor that a group of smugglers are planning to rescue Napoleon from the island of St. Helena. Ben never expected to end up married but sends the five-hundred pounds to help relieve his brother’s debt.

THIS EARL OF MINE follows the course of Georgiana and Benedict’s relationship once they meet again at a ball given for the ton. The story is filled with great description and quippy dialogue as the two fight their growing attraction. Georgiana insists on helping Benedict capture the traitorous men. Ben thinks the bold, smart, and attractive Georgiana believes him more interested in her money than in her as a desirable woman. Georgiana worries what will happen if news of how her marriage took place leaks to the ton and how the gossip might affect her mother’s attempts to find her younger sister a titled man to marry. While Ben is not an earl and does not want his brother’s title, the story’s title creates another interesting facet. It is an intriguing story filled with bits of mystery, danger, romance, and suspense about how everything works out.

One point I want to mention is he doesn’t become and Earl until the end and his older brother is still alive and titled. That said it was a great story with adventure, drama, romance and mystery. Can’t wait for more from this author and more of this series.

I really enjoyed this book the story plot was different and it made the book more interesting. This book definitely had twist and turns. I can’t wait to see what the next book will entail. I will have to look for more books by Kate Bateman.

What a splendid historical romance. It was an intriguing storyline and solid writing. Good characters. First I've read by Ms. Bateman

Sizzling hot! What a read, I absolutely love it. I couldn’t put the book down until I reached the end and even then I was looking for more. Everything about this book is great, great characters great storyline, just great. A must-read, folks, it's sweet and I don’t mean simply sweet no it is sexy sweet and highly sensual decadent even, yes, that’s it. A memorable and delicious story.

This Earl of Mine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Kate Bateman

When Georgiana Caversteed plans to enter a clandestine marriage with a death row prisoner from Newgate thinking he would be dead in 24 hours, she thought her plan was perfect. She needed to be married to protect her fortunes from her cousin.

As luck would have it, she marries a man she thinks to be on his way to prison colonies. This man, however, turns out to be an undercover spy for the Bow Street.

Some time passes, she thinks her plan worked perfectly but she spots him across a ballroom and learns he is a rogue named Benedict Wylde.
This begins your roller coaster ride with Ms Bateman. Wylde is penniless but sparks an interest in Georgie. The witty conversations are priceless and make this an enjoyable read.

A good light read. A clever shipping heiress getting caught in her own plot to remain unattached.

I congratulate the author coming up with a different plot line of marrying a condemned man and also where the woman takes the lead in a historical novel.

Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed marries a man condemned to death so that she control her shipping empire an save from her wastrel of a cousin. Her plot turns on her as she finds the husband is not a criminal but an undercover agent.

The story has lot witty dialogue and the author keeps the story interesting. I would definitely recommend this book for a light fun read

4.5 Stars

“He craved her when he’d never craved anyone or anything before…”

Shipping heiress Georgiana “Georgie” Caversteed was raised by her father to be strong, independent, and to not settle for anything less than marry for love. After the tragic passing of her father, Georgiana knows that when a suiter looks at her, he sees nothing beyond the wealth she brings, but flees the second he sees that her father has a marriage contract clause that allows her the bulk of control of her finances. If that wasn’t enough, Georgiana has a devious cousin that will stop at nothing to gain control of her fortune. Taking matters into her own hands, Georgiana heads to Newgate prison with a plan to thwart her cousin and any other would be fortune hunter…marry a man sentenced to hang and become a widow. What could possibly go wrong?

Benedict Wylde, second son of the late Earl of Morcott, is part of the Bow Street investigators and currently undercover as a prisoner at Newgate. When brought before a beautiful woman with an offer he can’t refuse, Wylde finds himself newly married to one of the richest women in the ton...and her left thinking he is one of the soon to be exiled prisoners.

When a lie to protect becomes a lie to possess, Georgie and Wylde find themselves partners in a cat and mouse game of seduction…one where the winner gets something far greater than gold.

This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman is a delightful historical romance I devoured! Look forward to reading more of this series and highly recommend!


**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

This is a good introduction to the Bow Street Bachelors. It has a pull that invites to see what happens next.

Benedict has fought in the war against Napoleon. Being a spare heir, he has to earn a living. Not that there is much to be add in the Earldom. In fact quite the contrary.

Georgiana is quite the opposite. She is the heiress to a shipping company and is fed up of would be suitors who are more interested to get their hands on her money instead of her.

After her cousin tried to put her in a compromising position, she takes matters into her own hands. She marries a convict who is facing a death sentence or being sent to Australia. There, just what she wanted. Being a widow or having an absent husband. She is rather shocked to see him at one of the ton's soirée and he shamelessly approaches her because he doesn't want to be married either, and intends to do something about it. The thing is that he enjoys her company, and feelings start to materialise on both parts. Can she trust that he is not a fortune hunter? Being out of her league, can he convince her that they can have a life together?

Benedict might be a rogue, but compared to other members of the ton, he is quite the gentleman. After all, he abandons his mission to save a damsel in distress. Georgiana is a capable business woman and very supportive of her family despite their quirks. There are some danger and suspense in the story, but it quite rightly focuses on the romance. The interactions between Benedict and Georgiana kept me guessing. It's an entertaining read.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

I thought this was great! A very well written, witty historical. I loved all of the characters and especially the twist in the book! Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

After I read this, I read the reviews. I'm a little surprised by all of the bad reviews as I found this charming and relatively novel in its approach. I was especially happy that the characters weren't cookie cutter-in so many of romances you could slot one character in for another and that wasn't the case here. Ok, the plot is a little far-fetched but not so much more than any other typical regency plot.

So, to sum up in positive terms: great characters, cool plot, kept you reading far past your bedtime.

This was my first Kate Bateman novel, and it didn't disappoint! The heroine and hero are unique. The period descriptions are believable.

Great, fast read.
Georgiana is a wealthy heiress who is being sought after by eligible men simply for her wealth, the most persistent being her cousin. In order to maintain control of her money and property, she decides to go to the local prison and marry a criminal about to be executed. Then she will be a widow and can control her own fortune.
But, marrying Benedict Wylde doesn't go as planned, and soon Georgie is faced with the hard truth that her husband is not only alive, but handsome and full of adventure. Can the two find a way to join their very different worlds and live happily ever after, or will they be forced to deny their attraction? Enjoyed this book, kept me engaged from cover to cover.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book. Georgie and Ben had so much chemistry between them. I could feel the crackle as I read. I loved the fact that he had no money and she had more than she knew what to do with. A true tale of love conquers all. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I loved the two main characters, Georgie and Benedick. I loved their relationship and how it developed. I loved how Georgie was a strong woman, running her own company. And I loved that Benedict wasn't afraid to work in order to get out from beneath his father's debts.
What I didn't like was there were too many story lines. There was too much going on: Georgie and Benedick with her cousin Josiah, Georgie and Benedick and the submarine and then there was her sister Julia and Simon. As a result the book got bogged down a little bit in the middle.
Also the title confused me until the last page. I felt like that was thrown in there and totally unnecessary.
I thank netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Heat Factor: Warm
Character Chemistry: Have you heard? He’s not romantic, and that makes him extra desirable
Plot: Convoluted
Overall: A promising beginning, but there was too much going on for me to really settle in

Georgie is extraordinarily wealthy. When her father died, he left her his fleet of merchant ships; instead of resting on her laurels, she has spent the last 5 years running the business and fighting off fortune hunters. After her odious cousin attempts to compromise her, she decides that what she needs is a husband. Preferably a dead one, so that he won’t gain control of her money and run the business into the ground. Widows can’t be compromised and no one blinks an eye if they do things like live alone.

The solution? Marry a condemned convict. Due to a confluence of circumstances, she ends up getting married to one Benedict Wilde, who is scheduled to be transported to Australia the next morning.

Imagine Georgie’s surprise, then, when she runs into her husband at a ball. Because, as it turns out, Benedick Wilde is not a petty criminal at all, but was actually in prison while working to uncover a nefarious plot. He’s actually an impoverished second son - the biggest fortune hunter of them all. An aristocrat, if a slightly scandalous one.

Benedict needs money. Georgie still needs a husband who can’t access her money. They both want to avoid a scandal. What’s a secretly-married couple to do? Why, have a fake relationship, obviously. Here’s the plan they hatch: Georgie will pay Benedict to court her during the season. They will get married (again), and then live separate lives. Everyone gets what they want. What could go wrong?

Well…the first thing that goes wrong is that there’s a bunch of extra plot beyond the fake relationship.

There’s a bit where they decide it’s also a good idea for Benedict to teach Georgie about sex. They’re already married, after all.

But also, there’s the nefarious plot that he’s working to uncover. Georgie helps because she wants adventure in her life.

But also, Georgie gets kidnapped, in a side adventure unrelated to Benedict’s sleuthing.

But also, Georgie and Benedict steal a submarine and bring it to the Royal Navy, so that it can’t be used to rescue Napoleon.

But also, both Georgie and Benedict have tons of angst about whether or not the other person cares for them, because this relationship is obviously fake and the other person deserves better.

As you can see, it’s a lot. Because there’s so much plot, I felt that the characters didn’t really settle into themselves or a consistent dynamic. For example, the idea that Georgie wanted adventure in her life was introduced about a third of the way into the book; this component of her character is necessary to explain some of the later decisions she makes, but it seemed to come out of nowhere based on the way she is portrayed early in the story. It was really too bad, because the opening sequence was particularly well done, and Georgie and Benedict have excellent banter as well as several thoughtful conversations about gender and wealth.

One thing that I found particularly interesting while reading This Earl of Mine was the question of romance, and what is and is not “romantic.” Bateman includes a side plot about Georgie’s sister, Juliet, who wants to marry Simeon, a poet; their mother does not approve of the match. Simeon writes really bad poetry, but more importantly, he serves as a foil for Benedict. Benedict and Georgie have an explicit conversation about how he’s not like a hero in a romance - he won’t woo her with courtly (read: chaste) kisses and flowers and poetry, but rather with **manly** things like sweaty animal sex. Benedict will never write Georgie a sonnet, unlike poor, hapless Simeon, who also does things like stand mournfully in the rain making sad puppy eyes at the front door of the townhouse. (Georgie to Simeon: “There is nothing romantic about the ague, I assure you.”)

That “not romantic” stuff got me thinking…romance novel heroes are NEVER what we think of as “romantic” in the sense of reading poetry or sending flowers. That’s what foppish fellows do, and our heroes are different from those foppish fellows. It’s like the romance novel equivalent of the “cool girl.” (Yes, I know that beta heros are a thing. I’m making generalizations here.) There’s this idea in society that women want flowers and poetry and romantic gestures but that’s not what we get at all in this particular medium that is all about feminine wish fulfillment, and Bateman makes this fraught dynamic explicit.


I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I was provided with an ARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Georgie is trying to escape the grasping marital clutches of her revolting cousin and keep control of the shipping empire her father left behind. She comes to the conclusion that the easiest way to accomplish her goals is to marry a convict sentenced to transportation. She'll then have the protection of her married status with none of the interference or headache.

But her chosen quarry has been imprisoned under false pretenses - and he doesn't disappear. Instead he shows up at the edge of a ballroom, intent on claiming his bride. Georgie is forced to renegotiate their deal.

Together, Georgie and Benedict embark on a grand adventure to rescue England from Napoleon's machinations, and fall in love despite being kidnapped, shot at and subjected to the worst poetry imaginable.

The lightning fast repartee, the hilarious innuendos, the steamy intimate scenes, and the effortless character portrayals reeled me in completely.