Member Reviews
I received an advanced reader's copy of The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman.
I enjoyed this novel. The suspense surrounding Princess Anastasia kept me turning pages. There were a few situations that were predictable or I wondered why a certain action was taken. Despite this, I was entertained and engaged in the story.
Both characters were likable. I appreciated that Anya did what she could to survive. Sebastian's a character who's made an appearance in the earlier books of the series and I was excited to finally get to read his story.
❛The Bow Street Bastard and the fairy-tale princess fell in love.❜
❝I'm still waiting to find that gorgeous someone who irritates me enough to want to strangle her. Until then, I plan to enjoy my bachelor status to the hilt.❞
Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, is tasked with figuring out who is responsible for the recent string of murders and discover the link (if any) to a missing Russian princess.
❝I don’t bed virgins. Ever. I bed wenches. Actresses. Widows. Tarts.❞
While he's not new to the charms of women (he visits the brothel to get his 'needs' met), Sebastian doesn't believe in love. But a passionate encounter with a stranger who runs away has him chasing a future he never considered.
Russian Princess Anastasia Denisova is on a mission to stay undercover so as to not bring harm to her door. She's living an unassuming life as the assistant to Dowager Duchess of Winwick and tutor in the brothel next door to her home. Getting involved with anyone is risky, but the alluring Earl of Mowbray has her questioning if the risk is worth it.
This story is filled with passion, tension, teasing, and exploring.
❝She circled him and he regarded her warily, like a wolf trapped in a snare, unsure whether she meant to free him or dispatch him.❞
❛Princess and the Rogue❜ was a passionate slow burn romance with off the charts sexual tension.
Anya is a Russian princess who’s undercover- fleeing to England from the bad guy who wants to marry her because he thinks she has proof that he was a traitor to Russia. As his wife, she can’t testify against him. She meets Sebastian who initially believes her to be a brothel worker. I didn’t buy the lust at first sight and why they were drawn to each other. The story was just okay for me but I can honestly see others enjoying it more than I did.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sebastion Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, and Bow Street Runner is tall, handsome, and deep-voiced. He comes to Mrs. Hays for relaxation. He has not been here before but it had been recommended. Mrs. Hays runs an expensive brothel. When he arrives he finds three lovely women and thinks they all three work there. One woman is exceptionally lovely. She won't take his money and he leaves unsatisfied. Princess Anastasia Denisova is the woman he is attracted to. She is a Russian Princess, and she has to flee. Her brother had died while fighting against Napolean and she was the only one left of her family. Vasili Perov had been haunting her to try to get her married to him. He hit women and was one nasty character and a traitor to his country. Elizaveta was her best friend and hopefully, between the two of them, they could keep him away. She wrote a quick note saying she was going to jump into the Seine and then they ran.
I found it to be an exciting read. Vasili was always looming in the background. Her relationship with the Dowager Duchess was a sound and respectful friendship. Sebastion and Anya were very attracted to each other. The dowager wants Sebastion to marry her. They love to argue with each other and banter about it. He believes she is just the prettiest thing he has ever seen and he wants her.
There are a lot of things going on in this tale of spies, princesses, an earl, and the duchess, one attempted kidnapping, and a successful kidnapping. It keeps your attention and the plot is crisp. A truly wonderful book and I highly recommend it.
I received this novel from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
4 likes
I loved this! I haven't read the others in the series but this can be enjoyed as a standalone.
The author does a great job creating drama, mystery and a little romance in The Princess and the Rogue.
Seb and Anya didn't start out as friends but had an immediate connection. As the book progressed these two became so much more and I loved it!
Along with the romance there was a bit of drama that worked to keep the reader interested.
I received this eARC from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
I had just finished the first two books of this series, and was thrilled to receive this one. I was excited to see Seb’s story, and Anastasia is one of my favorite movies, so I felt like this would be right up my alley.
Like the other Bow Street Bachelor novels, this was a lot of fun: an exciting plot, and a surprisingly cute couple. Though, I found the narrative to be more choppy than the other two, and had less of a buildup between Anya and Seb than the other characters in the series. You were told about their budding friendship more than you were shown, but I was still a fan nonetheless. Anya is a badass, and I really do like the friendship between the men.
In the end, I’m glad I didn’t review this immediately, because the more I sat with it, the more I realized I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars rounded up, and Bateman is definitely a new go-to of mine.
OK, a couple of Russian culture fact-check items to get out of the way:
- In Russia, Anya is the nickname for Anna, not Anastassiya. (Russians are more rigid on nicknames than Anglophone readers might be used to.) By the way, it's pronounced ah-na-sta-SEE-ya, not Ann-a-STAY-zha. Actual nicknames for Anastassiya include Nastassya (for the 19th century, which is the setting), Nastya, Nastenka, Nastyusha, Stasya, Tasya, Asya
- The Russian word for a Russian/Slavic princess is knyazhna, and the word for a non-Russian or European princess (or a Disney princess, for that matter) is printsessa. This unfortunately makes a key plot point in this book completely inaccurate.
- A noblewoman's rank is the same as her father's if unmarried or husband's if married or widowed. So Anna, contrary to what she says, would not remain a princess if she married Sebastien.
- She also calls herself a royal princess, but does not seem to be related to the imperial family. Rather, her family likely has the title prince/princess because they are descended from medieval nobility and this is simply the highest rank.
- Anna would not have said her last name was Ivanov, but rather Ivanova. Later, however, Elizaveta's surname is given as Ivanova. Editing?
-I'm not going to touch the superstitions, because those can be pretty localized and I'm not a folklorist who could say when exactly some of these traditions took hold. I would just point out that the Russian nobility of the early 19th century spoke and acted more French than Russian, and would probably have looked down on many of these superstitions. But the author clearly had fun researching all of them.
Anyway, these points aside, this was a fairly lighthearted and steamy romance. I wasn't totally clear on the part about the Russian lawyer knowing Anya was alive, but not telling anyone or giving her money. At one point she thinks the family holdings have been dismantled, then she says she owns a distillery. But I guess we're not to worry about that so much.
I hadn't read the earlier two books in the series featuring the other two friends in the group, but I might check them out now. Za zdoroviye (at least the author got it right that it's za not na!).
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.
I have loved the previous two books of this series, but I'll admit I've been waiting for Seb's book.
I loved Anya. She's smart and can definitely hold her own. Seb has been a gruff delight since the beginning of the series and he didn't disappoint. Together these two have instant chemistry, loads of irritation, and button pushing galore. I truly enjoyed reading them figure things out. And of course, it's always awesome to see the previous couples. Oh, and Seb's aunt stole every scene she was in.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a good amount of tension and even though I knew there would be a HEA, it had me wondering about how we'd get to the outcome. My only complaint (if you could call it that) is that I really wanted an epilogue or a future-take of some sort. Having the story end where it did was a little disappointing, but I know most of that is just me being greedy.
Overall, I know this will be a series I read again because I just love these characters. I can't wait to see what Kate Bateman comes up with next.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Paperbacks for providing the arc free of charge**
I was worried that my review for this would be well past the publication date, so I sat down to write it and realized that it’s not out until December 29, 2020! I sometimes forget that I read a lot of Advance Reader Copies. So, yes, I got this one early through NetGalley.
I have read the other two books in the Bow Street Bachelors Series. They are all well written and I like how the author uses more unconventional roles for her main characters. In this book, the romance is between Anna, a Russian Princess on the run and hiding her identity, and Sebastion (Seb) Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, and Bow Street Runner. He was being moody and lamenting the loss of his best friends to marriage and decided to visit a brothel. Anna just happened to be there visiting and Seb thought she “worked” there and tried to offer money for her services. She was totally offended and left at the perceived insult. However, their first kiss was quite the scorcher and will leave you wanting more juicy details.
Anastasia was Anna’s real Russian name and she soon discovers she is in danger. Seb steps up to protect her. Unfortunately for her, he lives above a gaming hell, which is not the most appropriate situation for an unmarried woman...much less a princess! I love the tidbits of Russian culture woven throughout the story. I love that a lot of the story takes place in the more gritty parts of London and not just glittering ballrooms. Bateman does a nice job with the storyline, the dialogue and all the details. Once you sit down with this book, it will be hard to put down. This will be the perfect book to curl up with during the dark and cold days of winter. You will get your happily ever after and some fun, sexy times along the way. Grab and glass of wine and click that pre-order button 😉🍷
Each of the books in this series has its own merit. The stoyline is just as delightful as the others. The humourous banters take centre stage for me. The interactions amongst the "batchelors" show that there is a solid friendship.
Seb is the last remaining bachelor who has no intention of getting married. At least that's what he thinks until lightening strikes. A most unlikely encounter changes his mind.
Anya is a princess running away from a threat and ends up in London. Here, her life isn't as she knows it. She adapts and blends in, but she still has to look over her shoulder for the past can still catch up with her.
They are both delightful characters. They are total opposites, but then again opposites attract. The unlikely romance makes for an attractive read. It's humourous with enough mystery and suspense. The superstitions are interesting and the tests that poor Seb has to endure are a blast. A worthwhile read.
I received an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.
Honestly - sort of disappointing after the others in the series. I found the hero irritating at best and pedantic at worst. The heroine was also just... very bland. Like Anastasia a century too early but not nearly as badass. None of the fun dynamics of the previous books and too much of a forced couple in my opinion.
The Princess and the Rogue, has the happiest of endings. So much fun too. Anya is a fierce woman. Of course she has to be to draw Seb's attention. I enjoyed reading this book very much.
I love this series so much, and The Princess and Then Rogue is like the icing on a cake! Romance, adventure, humor, and a couple that melted my heart. I judge how much I’m enjoying a romance by the flutters I get in my stomach—this book had too many moments like that to count! Sebastian and Anya sizzle!
Give me everything Anastasia! Secret princess/reluctant bodyguard is an excellent combination of tropes, and honestly, this was delightful fun. Just enough historical information to set the tone and provide stakes, but not so much as to distract from the plot. Anya and Sebastian are brilliant together from the beginning, and though this is the third book in the series and characters from previous books feature, Anya and Sebastian are the clear stars here, without the others taking too much away.
Small spoiler: Shadowing the general fun of the plot was a deep tragedy established earlier on, but that tragedy was undone later in the book, grounding this book firmly on the side of delicious, tropey, romantic, escapist fun.
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman is an entertaining tale. It is filled with danger, suspense, and romance. This historical novel has it all. The danger begins immediately. From there I was swept up into the characters' lives and their story. A princess running away from her enemy. As long as she lives, he can't win. But she will need help staying alive and safe from her dangerous enemy. Greed makes any man dangerous. He's after her fortune and thinks marrying her will be his goose egg. Also, if married to the princess, the enemy has an extra protection against the wicked things he has done. For a wife can't testify against her husband. I love this book and the heroes who made my heart race. Their journey is action-packed, thrilling, and sexy. Now, I want to read more by this clever master writer, Kate Bateman. Her characters are unforgettable.
I'm in love with Sebastian....but I doubt the princess will let me have him! lol Oh wow, what a delicious story and I thoroughly enjoyed every page from start to end. Kate Bateman weaves a story filled with intrigue, mystery, danger, Russian royalty, hot passion, humour and rules....oh yes, the rules and traditions:)
Anya is a Russian Princess hiding in England and Seb is a gambling den owner, as well as a Bow Street Runner. While investigating the murder of a Russian, he meets Anya in a very interesting way....loved it!! Having no clue she's a Russian Princess, but knowing the Russians are after her, he ends up taking her in under his protection. Turn up the heat factor, it gets pretty darn hot!!! All in all, I loved the story, the characters, the plot, the heat and so much more!
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
It’s quite a while since I have read a historical romance and I don’t think I have read any by this author before.
It was a great read all the way through. Enough jeopardy to be a page turner, whilst the 2 main characters had enough depth to make them both very likeable. You always know that there is going to be a happy ever after ending but the adventure they went through made this a great escapist read on a wet, depressing November day.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book which lifted the gloom of this moment in time for a few hours.
I loved this story.
Princess Anastasia Denisova of Russia must flee for her life in the middle of the night. She leaves almost everything she loves behind to try to stay alive and make a life for herself in England. But, after only a year, the danger from her past finds her. Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray , from Bow Street, has begrudgingly agreed to protect her. But when the two are together sparks seem to fly, but a future together is not meant to be. Can Seb keep Anya alive, and then let her go and find a husband suitable for a princess?
I loved the interaction of the characters.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I was delightfully pleased by Anastasia and Sebastian's story. I never read anything before by this author. I am happy to say that this book has kept entertained and enthralled from the start. I give this book a hearty thumbs up! I voluntarily read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is definitely my favorite of the Bow Street Bachelors series! So much fun watching Anya and Seb fall in love. Anya is such a strong heroine, she’s so easy to root for. And Seb - who doesn’t love a reformed rake? Sigh.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.