If you are in the mood for a fast-paced, adventurous historical romance, this is the book for you! Emmy has had her eye on Alex, the Earl of Melton, for years. After an encounter at a ball, Alex is equally smitten despite not having any idea who she is. Flash forward four years and Emmy has taken her father's place as the Nightjar, a thief with a noble mission, and Alex has returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and is filling his days tracking down criminals for Bow Street. Emmy and Alex go head to head as they try not to fall in love as they attempt to outwit each other.

Y'all, this book was so fun! I am really into lady spy/thief novels right now, and this is one of my favorites so far. Emmy and Alex had wonderful chemistry and such fun banter that I found myself smiling throughout the entire story. I may have even literally LOLed at one point. The secondary characters surrounding our Hero and Heroine are equally delightful. I cannot wait to read Seb's upcoming book, or to go back and read Benedict and Georgiana's book. Another thing I really enjoyed about To Catch an Earl is the amount of random trivia I learned. As a current French student, I picked up several phrases and vocabulary words that I am going to work into this week's session with my mentor. As a history major, I particularly enjoyed learning about the history of The British Museum, and also what "diamond of the first water" meant in relation to the Ladies of the Ton. To Catch an Earl will be a wonderful read for a cozy, heavily air-conditioned afternoon as we enter the worst of summer!

You will need 5 full cups of tea for this amazing new release! To Catch an Earl, the latest in A Bow Street Bachelor’s series by Kate Bateman is sure to take the romance world by storm! This book will take you on the twistiest, up and down ride of your life! Not only is it filled to the brim with deep romance and sensual passion but it’s also filled with intrigue, wonder, and mystery!

We first meet Emma Danvers and Alexander Harland at a masked party where they kiss in the garden and Emma (Emmy) leaves Alexander in a dash but he can’t ever forget that kiss and nor can she. Sometime later, Alexander who works for the Bow Street Runners and runs a club with his two friends, Benedict Wilde and Sebastian Wolff is in search of the NightJar who has been stealing precious jewels and unbeknownst to him the NightJar is his beloved Emmy. When investigating a break-in he smells the perfume she wore on the night of the masked ball and he knows it’s her! As things progress he soon connects with her and they begin to have feelings for one another but he also knows what he must do right by the police and that Emmy and her family should stand trial. However, there is a man who is putting a monkey wrench in everything with a threat to Emmy’s family and also there is a reason behind why Emmy steals the jewels. Emmy’s life is soon in danger and it is Alexander who comes to her aid and saves her; however, will he turn her over to the police or will he soon become her husband?

This story just kept me glued from the very beginning and I loved the chemistry between Emma and Alexander, the buildup to their awakening romantic feelings were so sweet and yes some passionate scenes but not like in other books, this book is a true romance and not just erotica claimed as romance, no, this is a deep story that you are going to want to dive into! Bateman’s writing is impeccable, her splashes of mystery and thrill mixed with deep emotions and romance are just truly unique and an amazing gift! I’d most highly recommend To Catch an Earl and the whole series!

This was my first book I read of Kate Bateman’s and I can’t wait to read more. Emmy is an absolute delight to read and so is Alexander. The chemistry between the two is evident from the very first chapter at the masquerade. I love how different the story is from others I have read. Emmy has the take over as the Nightjar, a famous thief who steals jewels that once belonged to the French Crown, who once was her father before he died. Alex is asked to investigate the thief's and soon suspects Emmy. An epic adventure of cat and mouse ensues. You won’t be disappointed.

I was highly, highly anticipating this book after being so pleasantly surprised by This Earl of Mine. And while there were parts I really enjoyed, overall I was actually pretty disappointed. I think the main thing for me was that I didn’t understand why the hero and heroine loved each other. The book opens with this amazing line from the heroine about how her father taught her not to touch anything she wasn’t going to take, but she couldn’t stop herself from touching the hero, and details a scene about how she disguised herself at a masquerade in order to dance with him. And while I didn’t need all of the details then, I never actually got the details of why she was so in love with him that she had to dance with him in the first place? And then the two of them start falling in love in the current timeline, but they literally never talk to each other, so it’s kind of more of the idea of each other that they’re falling in love with? I just really wanted to see the relationship between the two of them develop, and they didn’t actually spend enough time together in this book for that to actually happen.

That said, I did like how quickly Harland figured out that Emmy was the thief, so they both knew what was going on with each other and didn’t really have to keep up any lies. And the cat and mouse game between them was a lot of fun. I’m just disappointed that if you asked me at the end of the book why they were in love with each other and why they were perfect for each other, I couldn’t answer that question. I genuinely don’t know, because I don’t think they know each other all that well. I actually think the book might have worked better if they’d been playing cat and mouse for a while, and then something happened that forced the two of them to work together a lot sooner than they did, because that would have thrown them together more and we would have actually seen a relationship develop, instead of them more falling in love with the idea of the other person and just experiencing insta-love. Idk. I do still think this is a mostly enjoyable read, and I think a lot of my disappointment is that I had such high expectations that this book didn’t meet. If you’re just looking for a fun detective/thief romance, I think this is a good choice.

After reading This Earl is Mine, I've been eagerly awaiting this second novel in the Bow Street Bachelors series. I adored Georgiana and Benedict's story, a difficult act to follow, but I admit, to enjoying this one a little bit more!

Emmy Danvers is a thief, a detail only known to her family. Unknown to the outside world, she is the Nightjar, a wanted criminal and someone the Bow Street Runners are trying to capture. So far, she has evaded capture, but with Earl Melton, Alex Harland on the case it's a bitter-sweet fact because the tall, handsome gentleman is the one who stole her heart four years ago.

Alex Harland never forgot the kiss he shared with a woman at a masquerade ball four years ago. She's invaded many of his dreams over time and a constant source of irritation to the fact he didn't know who she was. As he begins to investigate the case of a missing diamond, the work of the notorious Nightjar, he gets a whiff of a perfume triggering memories of his mysterious love. Is she, the criminal he must hunt and capture?

Like the previous Bow Street Bachelor book, the narrative is a well thought out, brimming with fascinating facts and details along with an agreeable band of secondary characters. It's refreshing to meet engaging protagonists, from equally intriguing backgrounds, come together in uncommon circumstances. The banter between Emmy and Alex is humorous and electrically charged with smouldering lust as the pair circle each other, knowing one is the hunter, the other the prey.

The outcome is a happy one as Alex finally meets his match, a strong-willed and intelligent woman. We learn Benedict is blissfully happy with his adored, independent wife. Sebastian Wolff remains the only bachelor of The Tricorn Club to meet his match… I can't wait to discover who that'll be!

***arc generously received courtesy of St. Martin's Press via NetGalley***

While I loved the premise of this book, I just could not believe the attraction between the couple as I t felt overly forced. 3/5 stars

My first Kate Bateman novel definitely did not disappoint! This was a really solid enemies to lovers (like actual enemies to lovers given that he’s a bow street runner and she’s a jewel thief) historical romance. I enjoyed Alex and Emmy, and their banter/chemistry was so good!

I will say that the pacing at some points was kind of slow and I could have used a bit more romance and a little less of the whole jewel plot. Other than that, I would recommend checking this novel/author out if the plot interests you!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!**

This story had my heart and soul, captivated from the word go. So deliciously fantastic. Highly entertaining, action packed, full of intrigue, heat, attraction with a captivating and unique storyline. I loved everything about these characters and this story.

Emmy Danvers had always stayed away from Alexander Harland, even though he had been her secret fantasy for so long. She was wary of his reputation and his intelligence. Afraid that he would see right through her demure wallflower act she played in public to the reckless criminal beneath. Until she heard that he was leaving to fight against Napoleon. That night at a masked dance she shamelessly approached him, asking him to dance with her. Although she never meant to steal anything that night, she broke the one rule of her mother’s “only touch what you are going to steal” and possibly stole Alexander Harland’s heart.

Alexander Harland, now known as the Earl of Melton, after being rewarded with an Earldom for his work with Bow Street, was now investigating the Nightjar a renowned jewel thief that had been stealing gems for over a decade. Alexander has never been able to forget the woman of his dreams, who got away and even dreamed of her still. A woman who’d not only excited him physically but challenged him mentally. A woman whose husky laugh and intoxicating scent had wrapped around his heart and had given him the perfect kiss, then disappeared. But when he starts running into to Emmy Danvers at every turn through his investigations to catch this thief, his sizzling awareness of Emmy may just be her undoing. Will opposites attract and give love a second chance? You don’t want to miss every sizzling, heart pounding moment!!

Received a early copy through the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman. (Bow Street Bachelors #2). 3.5 stars

This the the 2nd book in the Bow Street Bachelors series after last year’s This Earl of Mine. And it features Alex, Earl of Melton. This series focuses on a trio of younger son who went off to war and survived. After the war, they formed a partnership and operates “The Tricorn Club”, a gambling club. But making money isn’t enough, so they challenge themselves by working for Bow Street.

We first meet Alex at a ball; he is getting ready to travel to his regiment. He meets a mystery lady who steals a kiss from him and is instantly intrigued. This mystery lady will be a puzzle that will remain unsolved for years. We leap to the present day, where the head of Bow Street assigns Alex to find a jewel thief - The Nightjar.. The Nightjar is a notorious jewel thief that leaves a black feather at the scene of the crime. The Nightjar was active for many years, but went on hiatus until the most recent theft of a large diamond from Rundell and Bridge. News from an informant names a French nobleman as the Nightjar. However, the nobleman is dead, but he had a son, Luc and a daughter, Emmy.

This begins a game of cat and mouse between Alex and Emmy. I found the heists imaginative and daring. Some of the interactions between Alex and Emmy was vey entertaining. But there are parts in the book that were a little uncomfortable, because of the power dynamics between Alex and Emmy. I enjoyed the book on the most part and look forward to Seb’s book - The Princess and the Rogue in December.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After the generally lackluster (in my opinion) first book in the series, I had some trepidation when it came to To Catch an Earl. However, the detective/spy aspect of the first book did give me some hope for the series trajectory, and the main attraction of this one was the fact that the heroine was involved in thievery, and the hero the honorable one out to catch her (although he doesn’t know it initially).

And while it’s a great premise and one I enjoy objectively, I feel like this one was a bit flawed in its execution. I mean, theoretically, Alex and Emmy work: while they are on opposing sides, both are committed to their own respective forms of justice, even if Emmy’s is a bit unorthodox.

However, while there’s an obvious spark between them, I just didn’t get what it was that drew them together in the long-term. And while the author’s note does attempt to bring it all together with the explanation of koi no yokan, or “the sense of inevitability upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love,” I just didn’t buy it. YMMV, but I prefer a bit more substance than that.

This was kind of just…ok, which sucks, as it was off to a pretty good start. I do think others will like it, as Bateman does have a consistently engaging writing voice, along with crafting a pretty good external plot, and again, the feelings about the romance aspect are primarily a matter of taste.

You can’t hide forever. Emmy knew that she wanted Alex Harland from the very moment that she saw but she will lose everything if she gives him. Alex can’t believe that he has looked for her for the last four years only to find out that she is a jewel thief. But can he really turn her in? Will they give in to their desires when they both have so much to lose? Emmy has to think of her family before anything else. What choice to either of them have? Will they be able to find a way through this together? Does Emmy deserve Alex’s trust after everything she has done? A great enjoyable read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

To Catch An Earl is the second book in the Bow Street Bachelors series. This said, even though it's part of a series, it can also be read as a standalone. It's an enjoyable historical romance with a fairly light and easy storyline. I thought it was creative and different. I liked the interaction between Alex and Emmy. From their initial meeting at the masquerade ball to their banter and verbal sparring years later, the chemistry between these two is evident. The gradual build of their attraction was believable and enjoyable.

The only time I became a little uncomfortable with the storyline occurred when Alex pursued Emmy sexually while he had her in custody for a crime. To me, it walked a fine line. As a reader, I knew Emmy was truly attracted to Alex, so it wasn't really a problem. But in the storyline, how did Alex "know" that Emmy was truly attracted and didn't feel manipulated because he was an authority figure. That is my only complaint. Everything else worked for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

To Catch An Earl, by Kate Bateman, is available at booksellers on 6-30-2020. Catch is book 2 in Ms Batemans A Bow Street Bachelors series. The premise is 3 army friends back in London and working for Bow Street, believable enough but not likely. Runners were most often rough men, some former criminals themselves which made them good at their jobs. These runners are now titled gentlemen, thanks to Prinny, involved with the government somehow, and Bow Street, and the ton and run a gambling establishment. It's too much to wrap my head around.

Alex is nice enough, handsome, straight arrow kind of guy. He gets bored easily by his new life out of the service & is always up for the hunt and chase of a new case. Emmy is completely unbelievable as a regency woman. She is so much more 20th century, with a good head on her shoulders, running around alone, and is a darn good cat burglar. Admirable lady. The story is fine, the characters are fine, it's not overly long but dragged in several places.

#KateBateman #ToCatchAnEarl #BowStreetBachelors #Netgalley #StMartin'sPaperbacks

To Catch an Earl is a really fun book, like all the books in the series so far. Both main characters are charming and lovely. I really liked it.

I find myself at a loss to really write this review as I just couldn't seem to really immerse myself in this book. The characters lacked any real spark as nor they or the storyline were developed enough to truly capture and hold a readers attention. I would say that this was a so so read that ws mildly enjoyable. I was given this book to review by Netgalley. This opinion is my own and is freely and voluntarily given.

Emma Danvers and Alex Harland first met at a society event in a garden where they exchanged an unforgettable kiss. Alex subsequently went off to war and came back a changed man.  Emma has also grown up. She's now masquerading as the Nightjar  her father's nom de plume to steal priceless jewels to keep her family safe.  What a chase Emma leads Alex on as he tries to reconcile the kiss he's never forgotten with the intriguing jewel thief who's stealing his heart.  
Alex is titled, rich and has an assignment from the Prince of Wales to recover a jewel stolen from him by the notorious Nightjar. Emma Danvers and her tantalizing perfume evoke memories that he can't put his finger to and he's having a hard time reconciling that the beautiful innocent might be his jewel thief. Especially since she seems to have a talent of getting through the most impossible odds to get her jewels.  
However he is both smart and patient and starts to think a few steps ahead and is able to finally catch Emma in the act.  Instead of arresting Emma, Alex is determined to also scratch the itch that she's incited in him. Also when he finds out that she's being blackmailed he determines to save her and her brother from royal justice. 
This is a fast paced story full of romance and mystery. A great read.

I loved this clever take on To Catch a Thief. Emmy Danvers is a jewel thief -- not for profit, but her family has a mission to restore the royal jewels of France. Alex Harland, Earl of Melton, is a Bow Street agent, tasked with bringing the thief to justice. These two had met anonymously and shared a sensational kiss. Now they are caught in a cat-and-mouse game while facing their intense attraction. Will he catch her? What will he do with her? We have the age-old honor vs. love conflict.

The writing was bright and clever. Both characters were very smart and that added to their attraction. It was a completely enjoyable read. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

The premise of this book was very exciting but the execution was a bit off for me. There were many scenes of the book that I really enjoyed but there were also parts that were drug out for reasons I couldn't fathom. A lot of superfluous detail went into certain aspects of plot while the romance and banter between the main characters never really caught a solid momentum. But those little glimpses of fun and mischief between the two were really great and worth reading this through until the end.

I love the idea that Kate Bateman had here with a thief and a man of law and how the two danced around each other despite that glaring problem between them. The cat and mouse game between them was definitely a fun chase and cleverly plotted. The author's writing kept me engaged for most of the time. Although in some circumstances, as I stated, the details became mundane. The strength and freedom of the heroine though was quite admirable and once you saw that through the heroes eyes it made the connection more real.

DNF. I'm not even sure I should count this book as one of my reads of 2020 and probably won't; I got through so little of it before deciding to put it down.

I don't know why, but I have been striking out, it seems, with HRs recently, particularly books from new (or relatively new) HR authors. I'm consistently finding that these books, to me, feel so forced! As if they're written by people who have been reading romance books forever, and then thought they would go ahead and write one; I can best compare it to when you see a TV show or a movie and you don't believe the actor's role, because you can feel that the actor is acting—you don't perceive them as the character, but as someone playing the character. That's what it feels like with these books, as if these authors think they just need to combine certain ingredients and boom.

This is my first book by Kate Bateman and I probably won't pick up another one of hers. From the beginning I was wary and thinking I was maybe going to have to DNF, because the book starts with the heroine approaching the hero at a masked ball and asking him to dance. She's basically never met him, but she's in love with him.

He's never met her, can't see her face, and they talk for a hot second (there's probably 5 lines of dialogue exchange, even though apparently they're dancing a waltz from beginning to end), but he's totally into her. Sure, maybe he's just horny, but that's not how it's setup—no, there's just something about her!!!

They go into the garden, makeout for a bit, and they'll both never be the same.

I'm sorry, but WHAT??

"I want to breathe you in and keep you in my lungs forever. Does that sound mad?" Umm, let me answer that for you: YES!!!!!! Sounds like it would be a hot and romantic line 75% into the book, but not in the fucking Prologue.

And then the book is back in present day and although it's four years later, our hero is still thinking of her, because she is "the woman of his dreams. A woman who'd not only excited him physically but challenged him mentally " (emphasis my own). Either he's dumb as rocks and mental stimulation comes from basically any human interaction, or it's a stupid line. They barely exchanged a word. She was flirty. That's it.

I'm firmly on the DNF train nowadays; the "too many books, too little time" adage is just too true to waste time reading a book I'm not enjoying.

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

He stole a kiss at a masquerade ball, she stole his heart without leaving a hint to who she was. Now it is years later and he is determined to find her; she is determined to evade him even though she has a huge crush on him.
"Sometimes the chase is such fun that the catching is quite a disappointment." she took another bite of teacake. "One the other hand, sometimes being caught is only the start of the adventure."

In To Catch and Earl, the second book of the Bow Street Bachelors , Emmy asks for a dance and ends up dancing away with Alex's heart. Problem #1 she is a notorious Jewel thief. Problem #2 he is an agent of Bow Street and is looking for her secret identity the Nightjar. Problem #3 she is being blackmailed and needs to steal some very famous gems in the next few weeks or her family will be ruined.

I very much enjoyed this book. Emmy is a lot of fun. She sneaks around stealing things and has an aunt who is pushing her into finding a good time with a rogue, or even a pirate would do, but a man in uniform is preferable. Emmy's father was once a great jewel thief and on his death left the great task of reuniting the French Royal Jewels to their original home. She could possibly let that all go if it wasn't for the blackmailer. She has also loved Alex Harland from afar for years.

Alex is an easy man to like as well. He is smart and catches on right away to the fact Emmy is more than she seems. Still the chase is on and he can't decide what he will do with the woman once he catches her. The Agent in his says to turn her in, but the man... Well the man has other plans for her.

There are some fun characters and good times to be had along with a few inventive heists, all a win in this reader's book.