Member Reviews
Russian princess, Anya, is on the run from a traitor who only wants to marry her, get her riches and then kill her off. Bow Street runner, Sebastian, helps her to lure the criminal out. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.
This historical romance really hit the spot! Having a royal as a main character is my jam, and I was drawn to this book because of the princess. One of the things I especially enjoyed was that she was Russian, and the author was able to incorporate cultural information naturally into the story; I never felt as if I was reading a textbook or that the author was force feeding research factoids.
As interesting as the princess was, a great hero is key for me to a good romance. This hero was excellent. Hello, his nickname is Wolff, and he is not only an earl but a bow street detective. He is also big on swoon worthy rescues, if you are into that sort of thing, and I definitely am!
I was able to read this as a stand-alone, even though it is the third, and I believe final, book in a series.
A fun historical romp. Melt-your-Kindle hot and a great romantic story. Loved this one!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
I have completely enjoyed the Bow Street Trilogy by Kate Bateman, but this one might be my favorite. Sebastien Wolff doesn’t believe in love, per se, even though his friends have found the love of their lives and are now thoroughly off the market. Sebastien is still only into finding a woman to warm his bed for a night or two and moving on until he sees a woman at the local brothel and can’t seem to get his mind off of her and her turning his invitation down. Imagine his surprise when the young lady his favorite aunt has asked him to protect is the same woman from the brothel.
Princess Anastasia Denisova is in hiding in England as Anna Brown. With a Russian traitor hot on her trail she accepts the protection of Sebastien Wolff and his instance of her living in his gambling hell. She can’t breathe when Sebastien is around, she has never felt so alive in her whole life.
This book has it all: laugher, tears, intrigue, suspense and lots of steamy romance. You do not have to read the other in the series to enjoy this one but you will miss out on some great stories if you do! This was truly a fun book to read!
Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Wow, I loved this! My first by this author and it was so good I’m questioning why I haven’t read her before.
Anya was an interesting heroine as she was fierce and yet needed a certain amount of protection. However, she was no weakling that couldn’t do anything for herself, but she recognized her limitations and sought to correct them. For the era, her decision on taking things with Seb to the next level was liberating but she made it with honest introspection for this time period.
Sebastien was pure swoony goodness. He was rather grumpy, definitely protective, and had to fight his reaction to claim Anya when society dictated he could not. I had the best time watching him fall for her, help her through her problems, witness his internal battle against everything that was against them at the end and finally see what a contented Sebastien looks like. I can’t help but wonder if the other heroes in this series are just as swoon worthy.
This is a relatively fun romance with a hero and heroine that kept each other on their toes as well as myself throughout the story. The steam is beyond anything I’m capable of explaining as it left me dry mouthed and turning the a/c down. While there is danger, drama and intrigue interlaced with the perfect amount of light hearted fare, this never felt heavy or bogged down by the issues needing resolution. It was the perfect combination to keep me turning pages.
Definitely recommending this one to those who love their historical romance with a Russian flair!
With a decent grasp on history, I liked this unique and fun spin on a Regency romance. The characters are interesting, with plenty of tension, and I was engaged throughout the novel. Based on this story, I would happily read other books by the same author.
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of this book.
I tend to shy away from books that have royalty as the main character. Thank goodness I didn't avoid this charming, romantic story. Anya is a survivor and a princess. When circumstances alter her status, she moves on and creates a new life in London. Enter Sebastian, who has a drive to right wrongs and solve crimes. Anya and Seb connect. This book nails what so many romances miss. It's an intriguing character-driven story with a beautiful and believable romance. Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with this advance copy. I loved it.
England - 1815 and 1816
Princess Anastasia (Anya) Denisova and her close friend, Elizaveta, are in Paris awaiting her brother's arrival when they hear that he has been killed at Waterloo. As they being to plan their return to Russia, Anya knows that they don't have enough money to pay their transportation costs, so she and Elizaveta destroy her tiara and save the jewels, sewing them into their clothing. What she doesn't reckon on, however, is Count Petrov appearing in their rooms and demanding that she wed him. His threats become dangerous, but Elizaveta smashes a vase on his head and they escape with very little. Realizing that they cannot return to St. Petersburg now, instead they find their way to England where they settle into a tiny flat in Covent Garden.
Sebastien Wolff, the Earl of Mowbray, who assists the Bow Street police, and his partners, Benedict Wylde and Alex Harland, are at the scene of a murder near the docks in London. The victim apparently is foreign, most likely Russian from what witnesses in the pub account. The head of the Foreign Office is looking for a spy who gave the French information on Russian Army plans at Waterloo, ultimately warning Napoleon of their arrival. The three friends, who own the Tricorn Club, a gambling establishment, are all veterans of the French war. With the arrival of many Russians in London, the men decide to try and find a way of spying on the newcomers at their club - if only they knew Russian!
Seb, the only unmarried one of the three, heads to Mrs. Hayes brothel in Covent Garden. When he arrives, he finds a stunningly beautiful young woman and several of Mrs. Hayes' "employees" having tea. Mistaking her for yet another employee, Seb proceeds to offer her an outlandish amount of money to entertain him. Furious, the woman spurns him. Seb is surprised, but still enchanted by the lovely vision.
For the past year, Anya has been tutoring Charlotte Hayes' girls, helping them improve their chances of finding more respectable work. But the arrival of a tall, handsome, devilish man halts their lessons. Startled at her personal reaction to him, nevertheless, the princess part of Anya comes out as she angrily refuses the man's offer. Still, the kiss he gives her leaves her perplexed, but still furious.
When Anya returns next door to her flat, she can't believe what she just experienced. However, she soon discovers that Count Petrov is in London, and he's looking for her. Anya's employer, Dowager Duchess of Winwick, ironically the great-aunt to the very man who propositioned her at Charlotte's house, offers to take Anya out of the city to her estate to keep her safe. Unfortunately, they are set upon by what seems to be highwaymen, until one of them grabs Anya and speaks to her in Russian. To the rescue comes Seb, and, after dispatching the attackers, takes Anya back to the Tricorn Club at his great-aunt's insistence, promising to guard her. What could possibly go wrong? But, she may be able to help with the Russians gracing the gambling rooms.
THE PRINCESS AND THE ROGUE is the final book of the Bow Street Bachelors series with Seb finally coming to grips with the possibility that he can, in fact, love a woman. Anya, independent and brave, may be the one, although how an earl can think of marrying a princess keeps Seb at bay. First of all, he must keep Anya safe, and Petrov isn't one to give up easily.
An excellent story with delightful characters, including Seb's partners, THE PRINCESS AND THE ROGUE is the perfect conclusion to this terrific series.
A very intriguing read!
I enjoyed Kate Bateman's character interactions and the way that the story flowed. The characters were serious yet lighthearted at the same time and I mean who does NOT like Russian spy books? I know I for one love them. They add an air of mystery and confusion not often found else in other cultures.
Обязательно несколько забавных сексуальных персонажей!
Looking forward to more stories by Kate Bateman!
A definite 4 out of 5 stars from me!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feed back. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
The plot hooks you in in the first pages. It is just after Waterloo and Ana is a Russian princess fleeing to England to escape a spy. He follows because he knows only she has the evidence. just after Waterloo. She hides herself as a servant when she meets Lord Sebastian. He is part owner of a gambling hell who has vowed never to fall in love. Will they come together?
The fresh and clever plot hooks you in the first few pages and you don’t want put it down from there. It could easily be a tired retelling of an old trope but instead it is quite engaging. The banter between characters is charming and delightful... and sometimes quite sexy! The characters themselves are quite well drawn and appealing.
I would recommend this book to my patrons.
The Princess and the Rogue
By: Kate Bateman
Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️
- H likable? Yes. Sebastien is handsome, confident, and a loyal friend.
- h likable? Yes. Anya is strong, brave and no damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. She is trying to start a new life in England after she learns her brother had been killed.
- h virgin? Yes
- First time they kiss: 11%
- First time they sleep together: 55%
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Steamy? Yes
- Did I skip pages? Yes
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Cliffhanger? No
- How it ends: HEA
- Recommend? Yes. I liked the premise of a Russian princess hiding incognito in England to escape the scorned suitor. However, it’s insta lust at first sight. Sebastien only thinks of Anya as someone he wants to sleep with when he sees her. There was no tension, or build up of them falling in love. They just decide to act on their mutual attraction. I did enjoy Anya’s employer the dowager duchess and Anya’s friends Charlotte and Elizaveta.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC.
4.5 Stars
Stranded in Paris after her brother’s death, Princess Anastasia Denisova is left unprotected. When the man whom her entire family rejected his offers of marriage attempts to force his proposal, she fakes her death and runs away to England to hide with her long-time companion. Thus the birth of “Anna” and a life in hiding begins.
When Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, mistakes Anastasia for a harlot at a brothel, he never expected to find the woman of his dreams. He can’t get her out of his mind and is shocked beyond belief when he finds “Anna” is his aunt’s companion. With a medaling aunt and an entertaining cast of former rogues, there is no way these two can deny the fire between them.
I love that while she hides her identity, Anastasia never hides her true nature. She’s regal, yet sweet, beautiful, yet humble, innocent, yet passionate. When confronted with the living in Sebastien’s gaming hell in a room next to his, she straightens her backbone and makes it work. Other heroines might wilt or complain, Anastasia knows she must do what she needs to for survival.
Sebastian was a bit of an ass at the beginning, but every girl loves a bad boy! Before he gets himself somewhat under control, we see the raw vision of what most lords were back in this time period. Once the love bug bites, Sebastian is a goner, yet he tries to hide it. That doesn’t last very long. The pair’s passion burns as they search for a traitor and run from a madman.
This Kate Bateman novel is just as compelling as ever. Her intricate plot and entertaining characters bring the Bow Street Bachelors full circle. I know Bateman has more stories waiting to be written and I can’t wait to read every word!
I received The Princess and the Rogue (Bow Street Bachelors, #3) for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman
Undercover Princess & a Rogue and you will have flames galore!! Anya wants Seb, but if he finds out that she is a Russian Princess will he be willing to play patty cake with her? The sexual tension is all but exploding between the two characters!
Kate Bateman has a flair for writing these scenes and the characters seem to leap off the pages!
There was no point in this book that I was wondering about who was what or I wanted to be doing something else! This book had my undivided attention from start to finish!
If you want to know about this adventure I will say that you are going to get informed on Russia, Paris, London, carriages, and gambling halls! Oh, did I mention brothels to!,,,
This book is inarguably a wonderful read!
Enjoy!
Thank you to the author and publishers for hard-work in producing such great books for us the readers!
I received a advanced copy from NetGalley and this is my willingly given thoughts and opinions.
This is the last book of this amazing series. I loved both characters so much. Anya, the princess of Russia, has a courageous soul. Her fearlessness gives her enough strength to leave her glorious heritage behind and restart a new life with humbleness. She is actually running away from a tyrant and traitor, a man who wants to wed her only for her noble origins. In a bustling England she encounters Sebastian, a noble man who has a glorious past as a soldier. Sebastian is attracted too Anya who is hiding her real identity. Sebastian has had the task to protect Anya and his attraction towards her gets more and more intense until their passion one day breaks out . After a series of twists their lives will be in danger but will their love finally come out? A story that will give the reader wanting more. I actually never wanted this book to end. I fell in love with Sebastian, with his stubbornness and passionate soul. I admit, I envied Anya very much. Through her initial disgrace, she luckily fell into the arms of a wonderful man.
Hands down, The Princess and The Rogue is my favorite book of the Bow Street Bachelor series! Anya and Sebastien have amazing chemistry and there was just enough push and pull to lure me in and keep me hooked on their journey! The banter was full of humorous quips and sass, and I got a kick out of the guys ribbing Sebastien while he was trying to sort out his feelings for Anya. The hidden identity element was well played too... I could blather on about all sorts of goodies, but I’ll behave:) It was more than obvious these two were meant to be, especially after the most hilarious meet cute!, and I loved how all the elements came together for a keeper shelf read.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley/St. Martins and this is my honest review.
Bow Street Runner, Sebastien Wolf, isn’t a believer in love. Enter Anya a Russian Princess in hiding. The chemistry between them soon ignites.
This romance has the elements of danger, suspense, laughter and is emotional.
I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All options are my own.
This is the third book in the series and although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my favorite. I still loved the way the characters are written and the storyline was lovely. For me, I missed all the action and adventure the last few books of hers I have read had in them. This was a lovely romantic story and still well worth reading. There were a couple of sex scenes which this reviewer skipped as usual and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. I received this as an ARC and freely give my review.
Title: The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman
Series: Bow Street Bachelors book 3
5 Stars - I devoured this book! Bateman's writing is fantastic. Sebastien is the reluctant rogue who of course never wants to marry, but he's met his match with Anya. Their chemistry was rich and wonderful. The characters were fully developed and I enjoyed watching them fall in love so much. All the extra bits, traditions and superstitions that were woven into the story, just makes it that much more enjoyable! It was heartfelt, funny and sweet.
This series was great, I believe I gave all three books five stars. I can't wait to look at her backlist, and will definitely keep an eye out for anything of hers in the future!
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
~Paragraphs and Petticoats~
This is the third book in the series and it didn’t disappoint, Sebastian and Anya were made for each other and the journey to get there was riveting really couldn’t put it down and yes read it in one sitting , it was intriguing, funny and loving. Can’t wait for more books from Kate Bateman if they are as good as this series.
4.5 stars
Another enjoyable story in the Bow Street Bastards series. Our heroine is fleeing the villain and ends up as a companion and living in Covent garden. The hero, one of the owners of a gambling club, sees her when she is visiting a local brothel to teach some of the ladies to read. He doesn't know this and assumes she's working there. The romance built up nicely with some misunderstandings and the jeopardy of the villain getting closer. I liked the surpise in the rescue, that was neatly done.
I think you will enjoy this book and I heartily recommend it. I wonder if this is the end of the series?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own