To Catch and Earl by: Kate Bateman

I enjoyed To Catch an Earl, the premise was very clever and entertaining. I read this book basically in one sitting and was left wanting more! I really loved how the roles were reverse in this book, the heroine is a jewel thief and the hero is a straight and narrow bow street (an officer of the law) who is on the mission to catch said thief.
Can’t wait for the next installment to this series.

Thank You to Netgalley and St Martin’s Paperbacks for allowing me to read an ARC for an honest review.

This is another goodie from the talented Kate Bateman. Emmy is devoted to her father's memory and his ideal of returning the French Royal Jewels to France. Her Grandmother and brother also support this effort and encourage Emmy to continue although Emmy often has reservations about each theft.
Alex Harland fell in love at first kiss with Emmy at a masquerade ball and has been searching for four years for the elusive woman. Now that he has found her will he find out about her theivery?

I liked Alex, he was especially good at his Bow Street investigations. Emmy and her family were very likeable also. The blackmailing villain was ruthless but didn't make sense to me. It just seemed that he could have been dispatched easily enough. All together this was a riveting read. Try it, you'll like the unique plot.

I love this synopsis of this one as I'm still enjoying the Bow Street Bachelors series. Alex an agent of inquiry and Emmy the notorious Nightjar thief (trained by her father). I loved the whole plotting of stealing all the France's jewels to give them back to the country and the underlying reason Emmy has to do it. Loved seeing AIex and Emmy's relationship develop through this whole situation while Emmy is keeping her second life a secret. I'm also looking forward to the next in the series.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

While smoothly written, the story did not wow me. It was ok, but not very memorable. Some aspects I've seen before, such as a thief leaving "calling card", here it is a feather. Also, the heroine has taken over her deceased father's "mission" and jewel burglar persona. It brought Hitchcock's classic To Catch a Thief to my mind. Eye-roll worthy is her use of her unique perfume, which gets on those feathers she leaves behind. As far as the romance goes, not very memorable.
I read an advanced copy supplied by the publisher; the thoughts expressed are my own.

I’ve read the first book in this series by Bateman and I love that she she gives us a flair for the unexpected. This book is showcases exactly the unexpected, along with some awesome twists.

Normally it’s the guy who is the bad boy, but in this instance, it’s the girl. The story is beautifully crafted and includes so much interest and history that you are involved from the beginning.

Plus, her character development is delightful and so intense. It’s bold and it’s sexy. It’s a heated cat and mouse game and you honestly have no idea where the author is going in order to bring us to a happy conclusion.

With amazing artistic flair, we are given a book that is fun, smoldering, sexy, clever, and just an all-around perfect read. I hope you take a chance on a historical romance like this one.

I received an early release copy from#NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this cat and mouse romance. Alexander Harland is a Bow Street Runner and former member of the Rifles. Emmeline Danvers is an amazing jewel thief. Their paths cross again and again as Emmy steals more than jewels.

The main characters and minor characters are well defined and enjoyable. I especially like Luc and Sally as a nice sub-plot. Kate Bateman does a great job leading us through their development.

The first half of the book is really enjoyable. Straight up cat and mouse. Very playful banter between the characters.

The middle of the book has the steamy scenes that make a heart flutter.

And it's somewhere after this that the book loses something. Maybe it was a little too long for me personally or I wanted resolution sooner than it arrived.

Once we get to the end of the book, the climatic finish occurs. I won't ruin the ending, but it is well worth the wait.

I am looking forward to the third installment of the series.

4.5 stars - What an adventure! Four years ago they met and shared a kiss that fueled fantasies for them both. Fast forward four years and she’s a cunning, though reluctant thief. He’s an earl and a bow street runner. She sends him on a merry chase, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve too. Them falling for each other is inevitable and so satisfying. To Cath an Earl is a very a gratifying read.

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

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love love this book. The characters, the story, everything was perfect. I loved the first book in the series but this one was even better. Emmy is a full developed character and definitely not boring. Emmy is the infamous Nightjar after her fathers death, vowing to steal back jewels stolen from the French king. Alex is a solider, turned bow street runner who is tasked with catching the nightjar. The back and forth between the two was great. The plot was fast paced and never dragged. I want the next story now. After the progression between book 1 and 2 , 3 has to get even better right?

I received an advanced reader’s copy of To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Emmy and Alex had great verbal exchanges. Alex is conflicted with regards to Emmy because he’s a Bow Street Runner and she’s a thief. Emmy has always had an attraction for Alex but she doesn’t see a future with him because of her crimes.

Emmy might have been getting away with stealing jewels but I don’t think she was an exceptional thief. I think she got lucky until Alex was assigned the case. Alex does the proper investigative work to confirm she’s the criminal but he didn’t have to expend much effort. Alex being aware Emmy was the thief did add to the tension and conflict between them.

I found the story to be entertaining overall and I’m eager to read the next book in the series.

I was really looking forward to read this book because it featured a jewel thief heroine. While I enjoyed the beginning of the book, I have to admit that I ended up skimming much of the second half.

The first half of the book introduces us to the heroine and her family and we learn why the heroine becomes a jewel thief in the first place. The hero is a Bow Street Runner and quickly focuses on the heroine as the suspect. The cat and mouse game between the two was fun and interesting.

For someone who was supposed to be such a brilliant thief, the heroine did some really dumb things and played a much more passive role than I expected. I was disappointed at how easily the heroine gets caught and the story just kind of went downhill after that.

This was a light, quick read. But I wish the second half of the book had lived up to the potential of the first half.

To Catch an Earl is a perfect combination of sexy and funny, with two main characters in Emmy and Alex that manage to find each other irresistible and exasperating. Emmy takes on the role her father left with his death - stealing jewels in England that are crown jewels of France - not because she wants to but because her family is being threatened if they're not handed over. Alex, Lord Melton, is working for Bow Street trying to catch the thief and quickly comes to the conclusion that it's a woman that captivated him before he left England to fight Napoleon. The cat and mouse game between the two escalates as their attraction becomes stronger, and the battle of wits that results is both sexy and just plain amusing. The prologue of this one felt awkward and off balance, but the rest of the story was engaging and enjoyable.

YES YES YESSS!! This book was sooo fabulous. It was like walking though a fresh spring meadow and just breathing it all in, can we please just take a flower scented moment to appreciate the beauty and loveliness that is this book.

First off this book starts with a masquerade ball (so I am already invested deeply), second of all Emmy is a jewel thief (badass), and thirdly Alex is the scoundrel we all did not know we needed in our lives.

I mean THE MEET CUTE is UTTER PERFECTION. The BANTER is EVERYTHING *chefs kiss*. I mean this whole book was just a bottle of lemon zest sprinkled all over my life that makes you feel invigorated and alive with every flip of the page. I mean the smoldering looks, the sneak away make out sessions, the whole idea of it being forbidden because Alex is assigned to catch the wanted jewel thief…. the book is just sexy my friends.

I mean can we just take a moment to talk about Alex. He is the tall broody 1800s give me all that drooling over a man in a suit vibes. I absolutely loved him and Emmy. The whole book was a verbal sparring match. Think circa Thomas Crown Affair but set in the 1800s and the thief is the women instead of the man… 😉

And lets not forget about Emmy. She is a fabulous MC. I loved how she stayed true to her family (her brother is adorable by the way and loved the sassy grandmother) even though being a thief is not the life she would have choose and also how she was SO sneaky. Lets just say I never knew what she was going to do…and neither did Alex haha… which is what keep you and this whole book on its toes!!

I loved the back and forth, the chemistry, and the characters!! I am definitely left wanting MORE from this author! I miss Emmy and Alex already 😦 For lovers of historical romance, snarky banter, hot steam, and a game of cat and mouse this is the romance book that is just casually waiting for you to grace it with your presence! You will not be disappointed!

I loved this book. The characters are relatable and you find yourself rooting for them. The whole story is engaging and it was hard to put the book down. I can't wait to read more from Kate Bateman!

I really wanted to love To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman, but I found it to be extremely hard to get into. It took me almost two weeks to finish, which is nearly unheard of for me.

I found Emmy to be a frustrating character. First of all, if you have a very distinct, personalized perfume, why on earth would you wear it before stealing something extremely valuable?? It was just a TSTL move, and I was smacking my face. It was like she wanted to get caught. She kept doing things like that, just revealing herself over and over again.

I also didn't like her crimes, which weren't "crimes for noble reasons" but rather just straight up thievery. I didn't find them to be charming. I also thought the chemistry between the two MCs was lacking. It just felt forced.

To Catch an Earl never grabbed me, and, unfortunately, it was a unmemorable read for me.

To Catch An Earl ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Kate Bateman

I have read several of Ms Bateman’s novels and always find them to be enjoyable reads.

This story brings back the Bow Street runners with Alex Harland. Harland meets Emily or should we call her the mystery woman years earlier at a mascaraed. They meet they kiss and the kiss is never forgotten by either of them.

Emily has long loved Alex but her involvement in thievery or shall we say the Nightjar thefts has presented a problem. Alex is prime investigator on the case of apprehending the culprit.

As Alex closes in, he sees a connection but also sees blackmail by a mystery person. This is a complex story as well as a love fulfilled story.

I found this a good read and would recommend it.

Loved this romance. Interesting heroine. I found her "occupation" intriguing. I would recommend this title.

Likely many of us will be coming out of self isolation at the end of June when “To Catch an Earl” by Kate Bateman is released. It will be the perfect antidote for readers wanting a fun historical romance featuring a strong female character to inspire their summer reading. The Nightjar is a compelling and crafty thief who may be in over her head but knows exactly how to leave her mark. Bateman crafts a playful slow burn romance that leaves you wanting more while rooting for the characters. It’s a playful opposites attract story and highly satisfying.

What a great story. I loved the playfulness and banter between Emmy and Alex. She’s a fugitive and he is bow street. They tangle all the way through the book. Really made the romance fun.

-- This review, and others, are also available on my blog www.hookedbythatbook.com –

Emmy is living a double life – in the one she is Emmy Danvers, a respectable English lady of French descent, living with her grandmother and her brother, and in the other one she is the Nightjar, a highly successful and elusive jewel thief. Emmy has taken up her father’s mantle and is in the process of repossessing the French crown jewels with the original intention of returning them to the French. But Emmy isn’t very keen on her profession and she is only executing these heists under duress from a blackmailer.

On the side of the law we have Alex Harland, the recently minted Earl of Melton, who has been tasked with apprehending the Nightjar and recovering the jewels. But Alex is also harbouring a secret desire for Emmy, whom he met a number of years earlier at a ball. Will Alex’s sense of justice and morality prevail, or will he succumb to his feelings for the intriguing thief?

The story starts off very Cinderella-esque, and Emmy and Alex were introduced to the reader very effectively within the first few paragraphs. Alex is really torn apart when he realises that the woman he suspects of being the Nightjar is also the captivating masked lady who passionately returned his kisses in a dark garden years before.

I found Emmy interesting. She is smart, meticulous, and secretly enjoys the excitement of being a successful thief. She also had great fun poking at Alex and his sense of right and wrong. She is mischievous in that sense and very entertaining to read. Alex is more serious, and he takes himself very seriously as well. He threw a lot of notions and convictions out the window when he became more involved with Emmy.

The plot surrounding the blackmailer wasn’t the best, but he did prove to be a very convenient scapegoat in the end. I was wondering at the start how on earth Emmy was going to get out of this situation.
I enjoyed the writing style and the story. It flowed well and everything was tied off neatly at the end. The secondary characters were also interesting.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for giving me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emmy and Alex are as different as night and day, but that doesn’t stop Emmy from wanting a chance to be with him for at least on dance before he ships out to war. Their brief interlude leaves both wanting more. Fast forward a few years, the war is now over but Alex is just as straight laced as can be and now he’s working as an aide for the Bow Streert Runners. Unfortunately, Emmy is just as daring as before due to her nefarious activities as the Nightjar thief. When Alex is asked to lend a hand with the case he quickly figures out what is going on and who the culprit is. There’s a lot of tit for tat banter and sexual tension between the two which makes for some heated moments but the early discovery by Alex of the thief’s true identity threw off my like for the two leads. There is another side theft story that does come in to play and lots of interesting side characters but the tempo was a little off. 4 stars. I received an arc copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review.