To Catch an Earl was a much-needed dose of joy and exciting tit for tat romance with two characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. Also, this installment of the Bow Street Bachelors proves that I don't always dislike second chance romances! Buttoned up, straight-laced Alex and all his black and white views are challenged by the force that is Emmy. Right from the beginning it was clear she took what she wanted and I think Alex needs that challenge in his life.

I adore historical romances with atypical heroines and Emmy delivers on all fronts. Taking up the mantle of Nightjar for... reasons that are mostly good?... Emmy prides herself on being an exceptional thief. The heists were so much fun, particularly once Alex was on the case. The cat-mouse game between the two fanned that delicious sexual tension to a fever pitch. A fantastic blend of action, swoon-worthy tension, and banter between equals.

I definitely recommend for fans of Tessa Dare and Maya Rodale. It is important to note that this is a very particular brand of historical romance that may not appeal to all readers. There is quite a bit of action and Emmy won't fit the mold of typical regency miss. She is a thief after all. For my part, I adore the Bow Street Bachelor series and Bateman's brand of humor and I'm excited to read book three when it comes out!

**Shortened reviews will be posted to retail sites (Amazon, B&N, and Kobo) during release week
**Full reviews will appear on Dream Come Review (Blog) and Book Bub starting June 9

I give this book three stars for a couple of reasons. Primarily, it had to do with how easy the plot was. The hero discovered the heroine's secret identity within three chapters of needing it? No wonder as all the hints seemed to have been sitting in plain sight. I understand it wasn't the main point of the story, but it was a little too easy.

Otherwise, Alex and Emmy were charming and had their adorable moments. The dialogue was snappy and moderately clever. I finished the book and was glad I hadn't missed it, but don't feel any pull toward reading it again as I did its predecessor.

4.5☆
Loved it!

What I liked:

The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Bow Street Bachelors
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I was happily reminded of an old Audrey Hepburn/Peter O'Toole film 'How to Steal a Million' as I read Kate Bateman's 'To Catch an Earl'. There was the same wit and engagement between the main characters, in this case Alex and Emmy. Devotion to fathers played a prominent role in the story, as well as the film. I could have done without the steaminess of this book, I think it detracted from the otherwise delightful love story. This is one of a trilogy, and I look forward to the conclusion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions express in this review are entirely my own.

This was such an entertaining read. Loved the fact that the thief was a woman. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read a historical romance with a kickass heroine.

A cat and mouse caper, catch me if you can kinda story! A fast paced, humorous, and danger mixed with hot sexiness to create a great romance story. A smart, brave young woman versus a clever and determined man in this cat and mouse game they are both determined to win. A wonderful regency romance!!
I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley for reviewing.

I love stories like this! They’re not exactly enemies to lovers but more like hero and villain in a sense. She’s a thief and he’s a Bow Street Runner set out to capture her, only he doesn’t know it’s her. When he realizes it is, that’s when things get fun.

Their chemistry was off the charts. But it’s hard to stay on the right side of the law when you’re falling for someone who’s on the wrong side. These two were made for each other. It was so fun watching their game of cat and mouse.

And of course the side characters are always a nice addition. I look forward to their stories as well.

Book 2 Bow Street Bachelor's series. Took a bit to get into it, but eventually did.
Story of a thief, the Nightjar, and a bow street runner.
Romance, thief, bow street runner, encourageable French grandmother, handicap older brother, blackmailer

"To Catch an Earl" was a thoroughly enjoyable book. At a masquerade ball, Emmy Danvers, not one to follow society's rules, utilized the mystery of the masquerade to finagle a dance and multiple kisses from Alex Harland, her secret fantasy for years and someone she considered unobtainable more generally. Four years later their paths would cross again when Alexander Harland, Earl of Melton, was tasked with finding and capturing the infamous jewel thief, the Nightjar, who had just stolen a diamond belonging to the Prince Regent. The Nightjar had originally been Emmy's father, who was trying to steal back the crown jewels of France so they could be returned to France once Napoleon was gone and the Bourbon dynasty restored. However, four years after her father died, events outside her control forced Emmy to assume the mantle of the Nightjar. The French head of police had provided information to the British government indicating suspicion that the Nightjar might be Louis d'Anvers (Emmy's father), but as d'Anvers had died four years ago, he could not be responsible for the recent theft, causing Harland and his associates to consider whether the son might have taken over the role. Observing the family at a society soiree, Harland quickly determines that the son, Luc Danvers, cannot be the Nightjar, but the behavior of Emmy, staying in the shadows, cataloguing the exit points, raises the possibility that she could be the thief. Emmy notices Harland's attention and arranges for her family to leave early [All of this information is revealed in the early chapters, so not really spoilers.]

Thus begins an enjoyable game of cat and mouse, as Harland looks further into Emmy and her family, and Emmy continues her efforts to obtain the final crown jewels, aware that Harland likely suspects her, but obligated to finish what her father started. Emmy and Harland's paths cross repeatedly, sometimes accidentally and sometimes intentionally, and they both go out of their way to annoy and unsettle each other. They also both develop stronger feelings for each other, which is disastrous, as Emmy cannot stop being a thief, at least not yet, and Harland, once he can prove Emmy is the Nightjar, is duty and honor-bound to turn both her and the jewels over to the authorities. This will create quite a conundrum for both of them when opportunities to explore their feelings materialize.

The author has created great characters in Emmy and her family and Harland and his best friends/business partners. Emmy and Harland are great foils for each other and their dynamic enhances the quality of the story. The plot and subplots are creative and well-crafted. If you like a little spice in your romance scenes, the book has that as well. There are also some rather amusing incidents and conversations in the book. "To Catch an Earl" was well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Interesting characters and a suspenseful plot. Alexander Harland earned an earldom for his actions against Napoleon. Even so, he works with Bow Street, solving crimes in order to keep occupied. The most recent crimes he is involved in are the thefts of pieces of jewelry that were originally part of the French crown jewels.. The perpetrator is supposedly a famous thief known as the Nightjar. Emmy Danvers is the daughter of the man known as the Nightjar. She is being compelled by a blackmailer, after her father's death, to steal the jewels, using her father's alter ego. She and Alex meet and are attracted to each other. Emmy knows she must keep her identity secret and Alex begins to suspect her secret early on. Figuring out how they work things out and foil the blackmailer makes for a good story.

Alex Harland is assigned the case of the Nightjar, a jewel thief that no one has been able to catch. His search leads him to Emmy Danvers.
Alex recognizes/suspects Emmy was the mysterious woman who kissed him before he left for the war however he also suspects that Emmy might be the Nightjar.
Alex is correct on both accounts. Emmy has long since held feelings for him however she knows nothing can come of it.
She is a thief while Alex is a Bow Street agent.
But as Alex tries to catch her out in the act, their game of cat and mouse heats up and it isn't long before they're forced to confront their feelings for each other.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the action behind the romance as well as watching Alex and Emmy try to get ahead of the other.
Kate Bateman has a knack for creating stories that have more that just romance and I am absolutely here for that!

I love this couple! I love their banter with words and actions. The conflict between thief and runner was perfect and I loved seeing how the crimes were committed. This is the 2nd book in the Bow Street Bachelors series. I have not read the 1st book in the series yet and that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. Now I have the 1st book to look forward to while I'm waiting on book 3. Great fun!

I total enjoyed the cat and mouse play of this book, was a combo of friends to lovers and second chance, two of my favorite genres......was a great book and love Kate’s writing.

What Can I say about Harland and Emmy other than, oil and vinegar, the are opposite sides of thing but also compliment each other perfectly. Emmy has secrets and Harland prides himself at being great at figuring secrets out, but this secret can destroy their chance of happiness. Emmy has been in love with Harland from before he even knew who she was and he has wanted to figure out who his mystery woman is since she stole his heart many years before. But will finally figuring out the answer and revealing who she really is fix things for them or will it make it worse? These are the questions you beg to know the answers to the as you read this book. These are the things that keep you devouring page after page. And I was no different. I couldn't wait to know what was going on. Even during the middle of trying to read as I work from home during this pandemic, books like this is what helped keep me from missing a visit with friends or just an outing with family. This book kept my mind from panicking, because if Harland and Emmy could find a way during the darkest moments then we all can. Entertainment and relaxation is what this book gives you. You cheer on the characters and hope that things work out great for them. You ask for a solution that will not break your heart and you pray that it all works out in the end. I loved this book.

I give this book 5 kisses...

Happy reading... Adri

I fell in love with this premise. Badass lady thief outwits the detective/agent that's after her but they also fall in love. Enemies to lovers of my dreams! And the detective is fighting with his morals and everything he's ever known to decide whether his love is stronger than his need to lock her up.

Holy hell, it's everything I love.

What I actually read was not as great as I expected. It was fine. A perfectly okay story, but not as fast-paced and thrilling and romantic as I expected.

Alex figures out who Emmy is quite early in the story and that kind of put a damper on the book for me. I was expecting much more secretive behavior and a huge conflict near the latter half when he finally finds out. That's, unfortunately, not the case.

I also wish Emmy wasn't being coerced into stealing. The synopsis makes it sound like this is her jam, but it's more something she took up to save her family.

I also, sadly, enjoyed the supporting characters more than Emmy and Alex. Alex's friends were hilarious and Emmy's family was funny and brilliant. I feel like the wrong characters were given the main story.

But I still enjoyed the sleuthing and the way Emmy and Alex worked together in the end.

I am giving To Catch an Earl 3 out of 5 stars.

To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman comes out on June 30, 2020

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fun and entertaining read. Emmy and Alex kept me turning the pages to find out how they would deal with all the problems they faced.

The other characters added a lot of depth and humor. I especially enjoyed Sally and Camille.

Have fun getting to know these great characters.

Where should I start, I loved loved loved this book. The book starts 4 years earlier where the heroine meets the hero at masked ball. Emmy comes from a family of thieves, she was taught to only touch what she was going to steal. Emmy breaks that rule by not only touching Alexander but also sharing a kiss with him a kiss neither is able to forget. The book then takes us 4 years later where Emmy is forced to steal some jewels and Alexander is now the Bow Street Runner in charge of catching this jewel thief. Both being on opposite sides of the law makes for an interesting read. The banter between the two is engaging, and their unique circumstances makes this book a page turner. I could not put it down. Kate Bateman is a new author to me and I will definitely be looking for more of her work.

I was given an advanced reader copy from net galley for an honest opinion.

Second book this week that has not done it for me, which again makes me sad. So we have a jewel thief that wasn't planning a life of crime however she is blackmailed into it. She also happens to be in love with Alex but can not admit that she not only loves him but that she is the thief since he so happens to be a bow runner. Alex is wondering who the jewelry thief is and to find out who was the lady that gave him a kiss awhile ago thinking they are two people, not one. I didn't find them to have chemistry, I actually found this story to be lackluster, but hey maybe it is me.

This was another hit by Kate Bateman. I love the cat and mouse game between the hero and heroine. I love the jewel thief storyline. This series gets better and better with each book.

Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.....

Oh me likey "To Catch an Earl"....... This was Emmeline and Alex's tale. Not all fun and happiness but I guess I found that refreshing. Alex was a bit of a tough nut to crack !!!. I was routing for Emmy to blast him with her kind (but strong) heart. Quite the scandal of a thief and an Earl falling in love. I found Kate's great character's and how she developed the story line from chapter to chapter left me very entertained throughout this read.........

Splendid historical romance !! Great work Kate and many thanks for this opportunity x

Later peeps xx