I really enjoyed this story, packed with wonderful characters and an original plot, complete with unexpected twists and turns. Kate Bateman does a great job of getting into her characters' heads and exploring their emotions, conveying them to the reader, and making the reader feel for the plights of Alex and Emmy.

Alex works for Bow Street as a freelance investigator of challenging crimes. Emmy is an elusive jewel thief, but not by choice. Although their feelings for one another are undeniable, they are adversaries and neither can see a way in which they might end up happily together. I loved the realizations each had regarding the other—that the unrelenting attraction they feel for one another is partly due to their adversarial roles. They both love the game and they respect one another. Neither gets too caught up in societal expectations, another thing they have in common, and they love pushing the other to “up” their game.

Alex obsesses over Emmy, convinced she is the thief, though as of yet, unable to prove it. In his head, he thinks of her with such terms as “little Miss Miscreant” and “the pestilent woman,” as close to terms of endearment as he will allow himself to come. After kissing her, he thinks of “the satin softness of her sweetly lying lips.” The banter between the two is quite amusing, reflecting a humor and intelligence they both recognize in the other.

“Backpeifengeisicht,” he supplied.
“Bless you,” she said, straight-faced.
“He shot her a chiding sideways glance. “It means ‘a face badly in need of a fist.’”

Meeting someone unexpectedly in the conservatory, Alex explains away his presence with Emmy by saying:

“...She is an ardent horticulturist.”
Emmy managed to murmur an earnest agreement. An ardent whore was more like it.

Prinny makes an appearance, and although stories abound regarding his inappropriate behaviors and outrageous actions, I found it hard to believe he would speak in colloquialisms and slang. The dialogue almost looked like something you’d expect from the lower classes in London at the time. It distracted me from the story.

I was hooked from the first line: “Only touch what you’re going to steal.” Emmy broke that rule the night that she touched Alex. During that first scene of the book, Emmy and Alex share a kiss. “God, you taste so sweet,” he groaned against her lips. “Smell so sweet. I want to breathe you in and keep you in my lungs forever. Does that sound mad?” It’s clear she has already stolen his heart, and has given him hers in return. It just takes a long time for them to realize it.

I love the author’s note at the end:
“Emmy loves discovering foreign words that have no direct translation in English. I didn’t use this in the story (because I thought it implausible that Emmy would have found out about it in 1816) but there’s a wonderful Japanese phrase that’s just perfect for her and Alex: Koi No Yokan. The sense of inevitability upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.” I fell in love with this story.

Action packed, sexy, fun and highly entertaining journey filled with interesting and engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and passionate adventure. Really enjoyed this emotionally thrilling adventure.

This was an enjoyable historical romance. The characters were interesting and there was a lot of chemistry between them. I was not a fan of the jewel thief aspect of the plot. It did not seem realistic.

To Catch an Earl
The Bow Street Bachelors #2
Kate Bateman
St. Martin’s Press, Jun 2020
330 pages
Historical Romance
Provided by Rep via NetGalley
4 Stars

The cover is striking with the royal crimson of the woman’s gown and the purple of the bedding. The two dark-haired figures are rather striking as well. All in all, I think this is an eye-catching cover. If the couple and the colors don’t do it, the text on the cover certainly will.. Her biggest secret, His greatest passion… Sounds like something for the big screen. Sort of like To Catch a Thief only with better acting.

And the story is rather like that, too, only Emmy’s the thief stealing back particular jewels for a family secret. And the Earl is the copper trying to track her down and then save her life. She leads him a merry chase.

Definitely recommended. And I have the last one in this series to read, which is due out at the end of December, The Princess and the Rogue

Rating 4.25

Nightjar, is Europe's well known jewel thief that has alluded being caught. Earl of Melton, Alex Harland has been asked to assist the Bow Street runners in the investigation and capture of Nightjar.

Emma Danvers has been attracted and fascinated by Alex Harland. One night at a masked ball the two met and shared a very memorable kiss. Alex never did find out who the woman was he kissed, before he headed off to fight in the war.

Years later the two are thrown together and become entangled in a game of "to catch the thief". I loved how these two interacted. The chemistry and attraction jumped off the pages as they danced around each other and eventually couldn't resist the pull any longer. But as the layers of their relationship unfold the truth of who Emma is revealed and now the two have to figure out how to make their love and relationship last and achieve their HEA.

I loved the development of Alex and Emma's relationship. The intrigue and complexity of who each individual character was added to the excitement and pull of their love story. How Alex came to terms with how Emma became who she was and his wanting to rescue her. Emma being drawn to Alex when she knew it could be her downfall in not just the breaking of her heart but a possibility of imprisonment as well. But the two do find their HEA.

I’ve discovered a new favorite author. Great read. Well developed characters give dimension and heart,

Unfortunately, for my older books requested I was unable to review probably. They were never read, not because they weren't great, but because I ended up sick. I am just now getting back into the swing of thinks. Thank you, Netgalley.

I really loved the idea of a woman jewel thief. Especially during the 19th century, add in the act that she eluded police and I was looking forward to this read. That being said, I had a difficult time getting into this book. I'm not sure if was the characters or what but in the end this was just didn't do it for me. The idea of the story is great and it made be the next best read for some.

Ratings (out of of 5):
Enemies to Lovers: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Banter: 👄👄👄👄
Sexual tension: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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Emmy Danvers is the daughter of the notorious thief. Secrets are the family trade and she keeps one very close - her infatuation with Alex Hartland, a man she kissed in disguise before he left to fight. When he returns from the war scarred and half blind with a new title as the Earl of Melton, Alex begins working for Bowstreet as an investigator. His new case is to find the Nightjar, who has been thieving the French Crown Jewels. As his investigation progresses, he begins to wonder if the young woman who stole a kiss at a ball four years ago is keeping more than her identity secret. You know what they say - keep your friends close and your enemies closer... perhaps even in your bed.
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Don’t we all just love a good enemies-to-lovers trope? Of course we do. Especially when it has all of the best elements of Tom and Jerry... if Tom wanted to boink Jerry’s brains out in the back of a carriage. The enmity-fueled sexual tension in this book is a true thing of beauty and will keep you flipping pages as fast as you can.
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I loved Emmy as a heroine. She’s a bird-bone, sure, but I can’t really hold that against her. After all, she’s got a razor sharp wit and intellect and a mouth to match, is as kind as she is clever, and can hold her own. Alex is our classic, scarred Napoleonic war hero with demons that haunt him but don’t debilitate him. He’s also got a wit and their banter is delightful. Also a sexy person.
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There’s so much to like about this book, from the trope to the characters to the plot to the dialogue - it’s all quite strong. Bateman sweeps you up as the story glides along. It’s rompy, sexy, and oh-so-much fun. I will definitely be picking up the next book in series to see how the “never gonna marry in a billion years” rake eats his words. Among other things, I’m sure....
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Kiss and Tell:
This book has all of your favorite vanilla samplings - Kissing, hand play, oral, and p&v penetration - all done VERY sexily indeed. The sexual chemistry is off the charts in this book and the tension makes it all the more satisfying.

Alexander Harland, the Earl of Melton, has a rather interesting life. Of course he is a known rake, and has more money than he can spend and quite a reputation for his actions around London. But he is not one to merely spend his life at his clubs (even the one he's part owner of), or partaking in the activities of most lords of his day, He and his two best friends engage their talents investigating the most sensitive cases of the Bow street runners. That is what brings the reader into this story. Once again there has been a burglary by an infamous jewel thief who goes by the moniker of "the Nightjar". The search is on for this character as this most recent theft has cut a little too close to the throne and has greatly angered the Prince Regent. Evidently, a smart jewel thief does not steal a gem intended for Prinny's mistress.
Melton begins to look into the case that yields so few clues, except one glaring trademark left at each of the Nightjar's crime scenes: a single black feather.
Meanwhile the young and beautiful french girl, Miss Emmy Danvers, lives in London with her brother and her grandmother Camille, the Comtessa de Rougemont. They are emigres from France who came to live in London after the French terror. Emmy, whose beloved father is now deceased, is following in his footsteps with the help of her brother and her very colorful grandmother. Because Emmy has a secret talent herself.
As the story goes one it becomes filled with intrigue, romance and it is definitely one of those you read to the end without putting it down.
I loved this story and the characters and would highly recommend it to those who love a regency romance with mystery, heat, humor and a bit of action. Very well done.

To Catch an Earl features an amazing romance between a jewel thief and a Bow Street agent.

When Alex Harland, Earl of Melton, begins investigating an elusive jewel thief known as the Nightjar, he finds himself continuously running into the beguiling Emmy Danvers. Emmy has loved Alex from afar for years, but she knows revealing her identity as the Nightjar would put more than her life at risk. But when someone discovers her secret and threatens everything she holds dear, she finds herself turning to Alex. With Emmy in danger, Alex is left with a choice. Catching his thief or saving the woman who has stolen his heart?

Emmy was a wonderful character. She’s smart, clever, and incredibly resourceful. The methods and plans she comes up with for her thefts are unique and incredibly interesting to watch play out. Emmy is very close with her family which I liked and it was great seeing them all work together on the thefts. Alex is a great partner for Emmy as he can match her in wits and has the ability to come up with clever plans of his own. He definitely has all the makings of a great Bow Street agent and I loved that while intrigued by Emmy right away, he also caught onto the fact that she was hiding something.

Emmy and Alex’s relationship was amazing with tons of flirting and an element of second chance romance due to a secret kiss they shared years before the story started. The chemistry and banter between the pair was simply fantastic and their attraction is immediate. Their cat and mouse game during Alex’s search for the Nightjar was a ton of fun and I really enjoyed how Emmy would bait Alex into trying to catch her. After Emmy revealed she was in trouble, I liked that Alex didn’t hesitate to help her despite his misgivings about their relationship due to being on opposite sides of the law. Thankfully, the two work through their differences pretty quickly once Alex becomes aware of the reasoning behind Emmy being the Nightjar. Ultimately I liked the way the Nightjar situation was resolved and I was happy with how Emmy and Alex’s story wrapped up.

Overall To Catch an Earl was a fantastic read and I’m looking forward to Sebastien’s story, The Princess and the Rogue, releasing later this year.

I also won on Goodreads a physical copy and I read twice. Kate Bateman makes me read her books twice. The first time because I just devour the book and the second time I savor the book. I love her Historical Romance books!

To Catch an Earl by Kate Batman is the second intense installment for the Bow Street Bachelors. I loved every minute of this read. A place where secrets, desires and duty all clashed. It takes a strong woman to make a bow street bachelor such as Alex to bend the rules and submit to his desires. It also takes a tougher man like Alex to find the truth, catch the really bad guy, and hold onto a woman such as Emmy. Emmy grew up in a family with a legacy of stealing precious jewels. She wants to be normal. But then, a bad man comes around threatening to inform society about them if certain jewels are not stolen for him. This puts Emmy's family at high risk especially with a particular bow street runner. Alex complicates things for Emmy. Emmy is tired of the chase and is happy when caught. The game is over, or so she thinks. Alex has never forgotten the woman who brought him to his knees. Emmy and Alex were bold, intelligent, and fun to follow. Overall, Kate Bowman knows how to write the perfect romance with plenty of action.

Full review appeared at Reader's Edyn on June 28, 2020

Emmy is a thief, though not by choice and not without morals – if the two can be reconciled. Thrust into the profession by her late father, she believed her days of burglary far behind her following his passing. Unfortunately, an evil nemesis by the name of Danton has forced her back into the dangerous lifestyle. If she refuses to comply, she and her family will be implicated in the past thefts and sent to the gallows for sure. Reluctantly she dons the disguise she had thought retired for good. But a wrench appears in her plans when Alex Harland heads up the Bow Street investigations surrounding the missing jewels. The one man who fires her blood; whom she stole a kiss from those many years ago; who she always wanted but could never have. She really has no choice but to find some bit of fun within this predicament by taunting Alex at every turn. But he’s closer than she suspects and suddenly her pursuer becomes her savior. However, she has still committed crimes and with both of them sitting on opposite sides of the law, their endgame remains unclear.


Alex is caught up in every aspect of his investigation. The thrill of the chase and knowing he always gets his man is a rush like no other. But when a sensory slap from the past and deep longing for the one who got away suddenly intertwines with his missing jewel case, he is pummeled with conflicting emotions. And even then, the excitement proves too great to resist. Hot on Emmy’s trail and certain she is the one he is after, he pursues her relentlessly, trying to get a leg up on her because the minx always proves one step ahead of him. Not to be outdone, he makes his move. But the details of her actions are not what he expected and before he knows it, Alex is struggling with his ingrained honor-bound reputation and desperately wanting to protect Emmy. But how to protect her after the threat is neutralized will mean diving deep within himself and realizing just how profound his feelings for Emmy have become. Or maybe they always were. But convincing Emmy of his plan to save her and her family once and for all will require laying every single confession on the table – including the impact from that fateful night several years before.

Eeeeeep! This book is fricking fantastic! I have not read anything from Ms. Bateman before, so I also have not read the first book in this series. And glory be, I didn’t need to either. There were slight references to the previous book, but absolutely nothing that interfered with my ability to completely immerse myself within this book. Sure, the concept is a bit far-fetched. A lady of society moonlighting as a thief. Unlikely. But it was so much fun and I absolutely adored the characters. So ultimately, I didn’t give a fig whether it was a likely scenario or not. I adored the introduction and melted during the final chapter. The characters were phenomenal and I enjoyed getting to know every single one of them, except for Danton, of course – the dirty rat! Benedict was not a very big part of the story, so I didn’t get to know him very well. However, his brief interaction was on the marl and displayed the great friendship between the men. And Seb, well, he was immediately likable and I look forward to his book. Rounding out this fun cast, was the Danver family and their saucy maid, Sally. She happens to be quite skilled in several areas that help Emmy and Luc facilitate their thefts. It’s all quite exciting. Luc is the ever protective brother, but also key to helping Emmy complete her “jobs”. Injured in battle, he is somewhat limited in his abilities but is sure to help in whatever capacity he can. And then there is the unforgettable Camille. Grandmother to both Luc and Emmy and as fantastic as they come, Camille knows her own mind and while some views are rather unconventional, she isn’t afraid to let her thoughts be heard. She’s also sharp as a tack and tends to get straight to the heart of things rather than beating around the bush.

I also adored Emmy’s penchant for learning words in other languages that have no direct translation in English. Emmy already had quite a few entertaining words to share and, of course, Alex added a few of his own to her unique, but brilliant collection. Overall, this was a super fun read, packed full of humor, and just a bit of suspense. I loved the continual game of advance and retreat that Alex and Emmy played throughout the story, each wanting to gain the upper hand, yet scheming to keep their cards close to their chests. They couldn’t give up every secret initially, and so they would lunge and parry with one another, trying to outdo the other. Being on opposite sides of the law also helped to add a bit of flair to the plot. When everything seems insurmountable, love still prevails. And with Emmy continually leading Alex on a merry chase, she clearly emerges as the singular woman who would be able to hold his interest even after he captures her. Neither Alex nor Emmy would be content to live a rather bland life, but together the thrill they inspire in one another makes for a rather tantalizing future. Despite Emmy being a thief and Alex a man of the law, they both stole one another’s hearts long before they acknowledged it. Ms. Bateman is a fantastic author and I cannot wait to experience her work again! I am quite looking forward to Seb and the woman who will capture his cynical heart. Within the space of these tantalizing pages, Ms. Bateman has instantly become a must-read author that I plan to enjoy as many times as possible. Lovers of historical romance are sure to fall in love with this author and these memorable characters instantly.


Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St.Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman is a delightful take the to catch a thief theme with an interesting twist as the present thief is a woman. The body of the work concerns Alexander Harland, the Earl of Melton, trying to catch a thief, who believes is a man, who has been robbing jewels from British society. The latest robbery has occurred at the Royal jewelers and a jewel belonging to the Prince Regent as been taken. The thief call Nightjar is the culprit and a black feather has been left as a calling card. The prologue has introduced Alexander and a young woman, who at this point is unknown, meeting at ball 10 years previous, as Alexander is leaving England to fight Napoleon. The present setting has Alexander remembering the woman who he still has no idea who she was but still has him intrigued ten years later. The story continues with who Nightjar is, why are the jewel are being stolen, and how the thefts are being committed. Alexander finds the woman, Emmy, who had peeked his interest all those years ago and his thief and now has to learn to help instead of capture Nightjar. The tale comes to an exciting and satisfying ending. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is one of those exciting books that keeps the reader guessing how it will end. The Prologue did an outstanding job of setting up the storyline that is part of the main story.

Emmy's character is exciting and fun. Her commitment to family and keeping promises is commendable. I do find it interesting how she accomplishes all the Nightjar feats set before her and yet she still contains her personal belief system intact.

Luc, Emily's brother plays a key part in this book as he helps her navigate through the danger to their family caused by an unknown blackmailer. His character is well developed and sensitive to his physical limitations due to being wounded at Trafalgar. His frustrations to help due to this physical limitation is handled in a manner that is believable for this reader. For me it was done to perfection.

By far my favorite character in this book is the tortured Alex, he is quite mercurial due to his life experiences and it makes him very desirable. The author does a stellar job of portraying his personality growth changes throughout the book creating in the reader a desire for both he and Emmy to have a HEA.

For me the plot moved smoothly and didn’t have any areas that lacked interest. I was curious to see if Emmy would have the strength to do the right thing and this kept me on the edge of my chair as I read the ending,

This is a book worthy of reading and I give 4.5 stars.

Emmy and Alex share a perfect evening together prior to his leaving for war. Now that he has returned, he is working for Bow Street and Emmy has taken over for her father as the notorious Nightjar jewel thief.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me right away and I could hardly put it down! I loved cat and mouse relationship between Emmy and Alex. The heists that Emmy and her family pull off were fun and inventive. The plot was really well paced and I just loved how it all came together. I read the first novel in this series and I like this one even more.

Alex and Emmy. Emmy is stealing jewels to fill her family's obligations and Alex is working undercover to catch the thief. I feel the same about this story that I felt about the first book. It's okay, nothing stood out. Not a lot of humor which I prefer in my historical romances. There's something about the Bow Street Bachelors that I'm not totally hooked on the series. I need more angst, more sexual tension and more groveling.

Kate Bateman is my new Lisa Kleypas, I can't get enough of her books. I devoured the first book in this series, This Earl of Mine - and this one was no different.

Emmy is a notorious jewel thief. Alex is a Bow Street runner trying to uncover the identity of The Nightjar - he doesn't know Emmy is being blackmailed and needs to steal a set of valuable gems or risk her family being destroyed. It all makes for a delicious historical romance and the perfect escape!

For Alex, what starts as trying to catch the famed jewel thief Nightjar turns into his finding the one mystery woman who fours years earlier had captivated him. Emmy and her family are being blackmailed to steal the last three French gems in order to save themselves. There is a lot of danger in this story and a great romance between Alex and Emmy. It is a great story that is well written, entertaining and holds your attention. I enjoyed the story and would highly recommend it as a great read.