Georgiana Caversteed is a very wealthy heiress to her father’s shipping empire. In just a few weeks’ time she is set to inherit all of it. Being this wealthy has made her the object of affection by many gentlemen in the ton looking for a way to marry into money. No one is more determined than her cousin, he will stop at nothing to marry her. Georgiana doesn’t want a loveless marriage and instead wants to be an independent woman in charge of both her life and the shipping company. She has to do something fast to keep her cousin from compromising and forcing her to marry him. She comes up with a plan to marry a criminal on death row, that way she will be a widow and free to live her life on her terms.

Georgiana ends up marrying Benedict Wylde. Although he wasn’t on death row he is being shipped to the America’s in a just a few days. Benedict isn’t who they think he is. He is a Bow Street runner, a detective if you will, and is only in prison to get information from a man on death row.

When Benedict gets out of prison he seeks out Georgianna. As the marriage is valid they form a plan that will allow them to save face with the ton and still get the independent life they both want. The best made plans just don’t always turn out how you think they will.

This is a great new series from Kate Bateman. I was draw in by the story and the characters right away and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend if you enjoy Regency Romance books.

I really enjoyed this story!

It was very well written and it really had a bit of everything to keep me gripped - there was action, adventure and romance and there was something happening on practically every page to keep me fully engaged and engrossed in the plot.

I thought that the characters were well developed and I enjoyed the setting and location for the book too. The author's writing style really suited this one. It was a really good all round book

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was an excellent story - very highly recommended!!

Georgie has to take the desperate step of looking for a husband in prison who would not have a say in her fortune or her future. She marries Benedict Wylde and believes they will not meet again. You will follow Benedict as he has to weigh up the life of running a club with 2 friends which he uses to support the family estate. Or take a chance on life with Georgie and all the exciting new adventures to come. This is a fast pace story with plenty of characters you may see in future stories.
I was given an Arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A story with an intriguing premise and filled with quite a few twists.. I enjoyed the banter between Georgie and Benedict, Juliet’s clumsiness and amusing romance as well as the cunning contemptible cousin all add a dash of levity. The subplot with the submarine adds an interesting historical aspect to the story. Great characters and well developed plot.

Omg!! This book was so good. Loved how Georgie took control of her own future and did what needed to be done. Strong and fierce throughout the whole book. Ben was also a great character. Their interactions were awesome. Can't wait for the next book!!

Great love story about Georgia and Ben a prisoner whom she married thinking he would never be seen of again.
Love the banter the connection they had with each other from the beginning.
A really good romance with some drama and suspense.
A great fun read.
Voluntarily reviewed.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed Georgiana’s unusual job. Her passion for ships and modern views for bettering the lives of her employees stood out, but I also liked her natural curiosity and zest to experience life. She was easy to like and not shy in expressing herself.

Benedict was a charming devil and I thought his pragmatic nature was refreshing for the time setting. His loyalty and support to his family and close friends was admirable. When that same loyalty extended to Georgiana, he may have made my heart skip a beat or two.

While I felt Benedict’s job as a runner kept the mystery in the forefront, pushing the developing romance into the background, I think it worked out for the best. The details that gradually emerged allowed me to get to know both characters and what made them tick, so by the time the romance aspects really kicked in, I was fully invested in the end result.

This Earl of Mine is the first book of the Bow Runner series from new author for me, Kate Bateman. Georgiana and Benedict start off under false pretenses and a marriage of convenience from prison; what follows is a very modern romance, with open-minded viewpoints for the time. Not that that’s a bad thing, because I enjoyed the the story, but I concede I had to stretch credibility a few times :) Overall, I thought the story was pretty good and plan to read the next book in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book Netgalley and St. Martins. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm not sure where to start with this book. It covers a lot of ground and requires a lot of suspended disbelief, but it was also pretty enjoyable once you did that. Warnings for spoilers in the rest of this review - I couldn't adequately describe the book without them.

When I say covers a lot of ground I mean it includes all of the following situations: bribing a prisoner into marriage, oops he's secretly the son of an Earl, guess we're foiling a Bonapartist plot now, stealing a submarine, kidnapped by my evil drug addict cousin, my new brother-in-law has a surprise gold mine, and finally happily ever after with more marriages and also some new Earldoms.

So, really, a lot of suspension of disbelief involved. Some people may feel similarly about the heroine. Georgiana asks her suitors to sign prenups! She wants to take a lover and live independently, and takes steps to do so. It's a bit Not Like Other Girls and some may find her anachronistic, but I found myself enjoying her character a lot, she was definitely the main draw of the book for me.

It does include a lot of genre-typical stuff that I'm not fond of, including a heroine who's never known pleasure until the hero ~shows her how~ and several rape threats (from villains at least), but I liked it, more than I expected to.

I had never heard of Kate Bateman before getting this book. I had zero expectations but the book summery sounded nice, different and like something I would really enjoy.
And I sure did !!
The story was well written. I really enjoyed Georgie and Benedict. Yes they liked each other on the spot (which usually doens't really work well for me) but their romance was never a given and it wasn't boring at all.
I hope more books get written (Alex ??). I'm definitely keeping an eye on this author.

I found this first book in Bateman's new series to be fairly bland and unmemorable. It starts with an unlikely scenario in which heiress Georgie pays off prison guards at Newgate to find her a husband in name only in order to prevent an annoying male family member from coercing her into marriage. Believing that she has found a prisoner who is set to be transported, she coerces the hero of the story into marrying her. The hero, however, isn't really a prisoner at all but instead is a Bow Street runner posing as a prisoner. Benedict doesn't want to be married off but can't risk his cover, and so in the first pages of the book, he and Georgie, two complete strangers, enter into a marriage-in- name-only. As a longtime romance reader, I'm accustomed to farfetched plots that exist merely to bring two people together. This plot though is among the sillier ones. Alas, as the book progresses, it doesn't get much better.

Once Benedict is back in society, he seeks Georgie out to harass her about forcing him into marriage. As the two debate their options, it turns out that they will need to live with their marriage. However, for confusing reasons that I never quite understood, Georgie wants Benedict to pretend to court her so that society takes her seriously. Both swear up and down that they are not interested in being an actual married couple at all. I gave up trying to figure out why. Then they decide they really are attracted to each other and so they might as well seal the deal and enjoy a secret sex life-- as long as they don't confuse sex with deeper emotions. Yawn.

In the midst of this confusing romance is a mystery that might be even more confusing. Benedict is on surveillance duty over a gang who might be involved in trying to free Napoleon. Georgie is bored and would love an adventure and because she is a shipping heiress she knows much about ships, and so she talks Benedict into allowing her to help him with his case. The actual mystery really only exists as a means to bring the two further together, and it serves the purpose of introducing Benedict's two best buddies, who are surely destined for their own books -- two identical men with no distinguishing traits that I could determine, I might add. To say that I'm bored at the thought of reading their stories is an understatement.

I liked the main characters well enough, and I thought they had a rapport and were kind to each other. On the other hand, I've read most of Bateman's books and have enjoyed them, but this one was dull.

A perfect read for those nice lazy summer afternoons... Not much angst but packed with action and laughter.. You have Georgiana Caversteed as the shipping heiress who gets this crazy idea of going to Newgate prison to marry a convicted felon just to get away from her cousin who wants to get his hands on her fortune. Enter Benedict Wylde, who happens to be an undercover Bow Street agent and the “lucky guy“ chosen to marry Georgie. Instead of a “Rich man, poor man“ story, you get the reverse-“Rich woman, poor man“ which made for such a great change from the usual books you get to read. It’s fast paced and doesn't drag at all.
ARC provided by NetGalley, Ms. Kate Bateman and St. Martin’s Press.

Having never read any novels by this author, this is first on my bookshelf from Kate Bateman. This Earl of Mine (Bow Street Bachelors #1) is a historical romance story of two individuals who engage in a thrilling adventure and find love in the process.

Ms. Georgiana Caversteed is at her wits end and wants to chase off a distant relative who wants to compromise her and take her fortune. She is a very wealthy heiress, having inherited her father’s shipping company and now sought after by men of the ton…however they’ve proved the worst of fortune hunters as is her distant relative. As a last resort, she resigns herself to finding a husband in prison and one who is as close to demise as possible in order to continue independent life and remain a woman in charge of her own life after she turns twenty-five. After arriving at the prison, she ends up marrying Ben Wylde who has been slated to be put on a ship, sent away, and never to return. This would allow Georgie to one day proclaim herself a widow and live a life of freedom.

Benedict Wylde and his friends are ex-military and they all work for Bow Street when not running their well-known gaming establishment. He is the second son of the Earl of Morcot who wants to help his older brother rid himself of the debt left by their father. While working undercover at Newgate, he meets the lovely Georgiana Caversteed. Unfortunately, to keep his cover as a criminal, circumstances had him wed Georgie. In any case, he figured that once he was done with his work, he would find her and dissolve the marriage…however, Georgie was distraction that he could shake from his mind. He was very intrigued and found an attraction to the woman.

A few months after their marriage, Georgie spots her supposedly long-lost husband attending the same ball and is surprised to learn that he is one of the owners of a well-known and profitable gaming establishment in town. The owners were second sons and infamous rogues. Ben and Georgie try to find ways to dissolve their marital connection without scandal, but none would do.

The story is well-written, and I enjoyed each character. Although they had their own notions of true love, Ben found a smart and adventurous wife and she an honorable and trusting husband. There is visible attraction between the two. Having the story draw them together to uncover a mystery, just adds to the melting pot of intimacy and deepens the love between the two. I thought the story was also fun and captured me at the beginning. It is a charming historical romance.

I would like to thank the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5-Stars

I would rate this a solid 4 stars! This story had all the elements needed in a good romance novel …first, and foremost: a good story plot, romance, humor and a bit of suspense to tie it all together. The major characters had such chemistry between them that they were absolutely charming. The secondary characters were quite entertaining.....I do hope Alex and Seb get their own story lines”! I enjoyed Ms Bateman’s style of writing …there was a nice flow to her words. I would definitely look for more of her work in the future.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this novel.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review. This book is different from most romance novels I’ve read; the characters take time to get to know each other and are 100% real with each other to avoid any unnecessary conflict. This makes the romance more believable to the reader, and it brings things together in a totally different light. I enjoyed the mystery intertwined as well. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of this series will bring, as this is the first book in the series.

This book was so incredibly lovely!!! I adored every second of it, and finished it in almost one day with a huge, happy grin on my face all the way through.

Her idea of romance wasn't a man composing her sonnets. Romance was a strong man standing aside, letting her fight her own battles, and only stepping in if she needed help.

Which, in all fairness, means that probably everyone but me will find it boring.

Things I really really loved:
- The hero and heroine (two of the nicest fictional characters I've had the pleasure of reading about in a long time) were honest to each other from the beginning. They volunteered information before it could create unnecessary drama and actually talked about their differences. Which resulted in:
- NO UNECCESSARY ANGST OR DRAMA! And thank goodness for that.
- Slow burn romance that allows time to develop both characters, for them to get to know each other and learn to appreciate each other. I've read reviews where people think that the mystery that brings them together overshadows the romance, but I happen to love it if a romance doesn't just happen overnight and the characters spend quality time together getting to know each other before anything happens.
- RESPECT. I cannot say this loudly enough. Both characters don't go around making snap judgements or try to change each other. They know their own limits and are not afraid to ask for help. These two complement each other in a way I find incredibly moving and admirable. They are truly equal partners in crime. Both are strong people in their own right, but they give each other time to shine and only lend a hand if it is needed. I would kill for more stories like this, and I just hope this trend continues in the rest of this series!

True, the premise of the book is a bit strange, but once you get to know Georgie and realize she is just so accustomed to her wealth that throwing money at a problem is simply how her world works, I think it works. Her strange plan to gain control of her fortune is only in the first chapter after all, and it just got better with every page, until you (or at least I) forget how they originally met.

I really cannot say how much I adored this story, and I am so looking forward to reading about Benedict's friends!

This book was so much fun! From the unique set up for the characters meeting to the way the characters trusted one another to be capable in their own areas of expertise.

My first for this author. Georgie is a heiress wanting to be independent so she marries a man in prison who she hopes to never see again. little does she know he is undercover and shows up months later in a ballroom. I really enjoyed the romance between the two. I also like her sister Juliet and her love of her life. I cant wait to read more of the bow street men.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 1 in a new series call Bow Street Bachelors. In this book we have Georgiana a shipping heiress that needs a husband to protect her fortune from her crazy wastrel cousin. In order to do that, she decides to find a husband in Newgate someone that is going to die that way she can be a widow and protect her fortune. Little does she know that the man that is picked for her is actually a gentleman of the ton undercover. I enjoyed the premise and seeing how their relationship evolved. This was a great start to a new series and I cannot wait to read more.

I completely adored this book!

I loved the marriage of convenience trope where the heroine goes to prison to find her next husband. I loved that the heroine was comfortable in her own skin as an entrepreneur. I loved that the hero respected her and admire her work. I loved the whole spy storyline.

This book is going to be one of my favorites of the year.

4 stars

I enjoyed this book. An heiress, Georgiana, comes up with a scheme to prevent her cousin getting the family wealth and marries a convict that she believes will be shipped to far lands. Benedict is not who he appears and its with a mixture of relief and trepidation that she finds she's married to our healthy virile hero.

There was a good mix of romance and adventure and a secondary romance for her sister. I expect there will also books for Ben's friends Seb and Alex. Kate Bateman was a new author for me so I will look our for other books.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.