Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as Anna Brown after her brother was reported killed in the war and Vasili Petrov is forcing her to marry him so he can have all she has as well as she can’t testify against her husband if he is charged for treason. She took as many jewels as she could to get her and her best friend Elizaveta as far away from Paris as she could and is now working as a companion for Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray’s great aunt. He, however, is unaware of any of this until she is almost kidnapped and he offers his protection unknowing who she is, just that she is lying. I enjoyed every book in this great series. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I enjoyed the story of Anya and Wolfe. They were likeable characters with an interesting backstory. I found myself skimming through some of the introspection to get to the dialogue and action in the story.

A huge thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of this extraordinary historical romance.

The Bow Street Bachelors series is everything I look for in a read. This is the third installment and the chemistry between Anya and Seb ignites the pages.

Anya lives quietly incognito as Anna Brown. She teaches reading, writing and arithmetic to the soiled doves next door. Sebastian catches her in the middle of a lesson and assumes she is also on offer. After an unforgettable kiss that turns her world upside down, Anya refuses his offer.

Sebastian combs every nook and cranny of London trying to locate her - completely unaware that she is under the patronage of his aunt. They are thrown together once again when he rescues her from a botched kidnapping attempt. To ensure her safety, Sebastian proposes that Anya shelter at his gambling hell, The Tricorn.

The enforced proximity only fans the flames higher, and soon both Anya and Seb are faltering through unfamiliar territory. The attraction between them is undeniable, but their need runs far deeper.

I could not put down this captivating read! You'll fall in love with Sebastian's brooding and sweltering and rejoice in Anya's acts of rebellion and defiance.

I really enjoyed the story of Seb and Anya. Bonus points for Dimitri and his story! I loved the part about Anya's interaction with her "next door neighbors"! Thank you for the advanced copy, it was a great read!

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Princess and the Rogue is the third book in Kate Bateman’s delightful Bow Street Bachelors series. It can be read as a stand-alone. To escape being forced into marriage Russian Princess Anastasia Denisova fakes her death, flees Paris with jewels sewn into her clothing and journeys to London as plain Anna Brown where she becomes a companion to the Dowager Duchess of Winwick and teaches the ladies in the brothel next door to where she lives how to read. Sebastian Wolff, Earl of Mowbray can’t believe that the mysterious beauty he met at Haye’s brothel is unavailable to him and the kiss they exchanged continues to haunt him. When a trio of brigands attempt to kidnap Anna, Sebastian rides to the rescue and his Aunt the Dowager Duchess asks him to hide Anna from the traitor who is seeking her at the Gentleman’s club he owns. Reading this story was like diving into a favourite fairytale and I enjoyed it very much with the exception that I am quite tired of the if a woman is in a brothel she must be available to purchase and it’s okay to sleep with your aunt’s companion but when you find out she’s a princess you offer marriage chauvinism, I realize that it is true to the era then but I guess I’m just tired of heroes behaving badly when they think a woman is not a “lady”. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: December 29. 2020 #ThePrincessAndTheRogue #KateBateman #NetGalley #HistoricalRomance #RegencyRomance #StMartinsPress #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

In ‘The Princess and the Rogue’ we meet Princess Anastacia Denisova, or Anya. Anya has been forced to fake her own death and fled to London to escape a very dangerous traitor. In London, Anya is forced to disguise herself and pretend to be someone else. But when Anya meets the handsome Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray it gets harder to keep her secrets. Especially when Sebastien is forced to protect her.

This book was one I really loved right from the start. I thought I would like the book after reading the book description, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I simple devoured this book and read until deep in the night just to finish it. Why? Well because this book is not your average Historical romance, it also had this very unique spin with the whole Russian Princess bit, and I simple loved it.

The chemistry between Anya and Sebastien was amazing, and definitely flying of the pages. I loved how easily Sebastien forgot his ways from the moment he first met Anya. And although Anya is pretending to be only a simple ‘assistant’, her real personality comes to the front a lot. She is definitely a tough female, especially for her time and I really liked her. There were also some pretty fun and hot moments and I simple loved these two together.

Next to the romance, this book also kept me in suspense. The traitor who is trying to find Anya isn’t one to give up easily, and those suspenseful moments kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. I also loved the little Russian traditions we get to read about throughout this read.

Overall ‘The Princess and the Rogue’ was a great read that made me want to read more from this author. Especially the previous two books in this series.

First there were three Bow Street Bachelors, then there were two. And now there’s just one – Sebastien, the cranky one. He doesn’t believe in love and certainly doesn’t believe in marriage. It might be alright for his two best friends Benedict and Alex, but it’s not for him. Even if in his reflective moments he acknowledges they seem rather content with their wives, not at all like the “trapped men” he believes them to be. This love and marriage stuff is just not for him. He’s a handsome, sexy, unattached rogue and he wants to stay that way. The three of them provide service to the crown at Bow Street, and they are also partners in a gaming hell, The Tricorn Club.

Anna Brown is really a Russian princess, hiding from a dangerous traitor who wants to gain control of her fortune and possibly silence her from revealing who he really is. She and her maid escaped to London and are making lives for themselves, but their safety and security is about to evaporate.

Author Kate Bateman has done it again. When the princess and the rogue meet, Sebastien mistakes Anna for one of the ladies of the “house” where she is teaching the women to read. There’s a kiss – of course there’s a kiss! – and everything takes off from there. This is a delightful story, with wonderful coincidences that set up the next hot, steamy, sexy, passionate, dramatic exchange and allow the sparks to fly and tempers to flare and humor to erupt. There is intrigue and mystery and danger and love, just what we have come to expect and love about anything Kate Bateman writes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my adventures with all three Bow Street Bachelors and loved The Princess and The Rogue. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of The Princess and The Rogue via NetGalley for my enjoyment and honest review. All opinions are my own – I recommend this book, this series, this author without hesitation.

Kate Bateman brings us the third and final installment of the Bow Street Bachelors series. Sebastien Wolff, the last holdout from love and marriage, finds himself embroiled with a beautiful woman who turns out to be a Russian princess! Anastasia Denisova is clearly in some sort of trouble. She is living under the name Anna Brown and serves as a companion to his formidable great-aunt. The unlikely pairing of a tough-guy ex-soldier and a princess gives the story an interesting dimension.

Sebastien and Anya were both well developed characters. The readers had been introduced to Sebastien in the previous two books in the series. He was gruff on the outside, but showed a soft heart in his relationship with his great-aunt. Anya might have grown up in luxury, but she is tough and pragmatic. She adapts to her new circumstances with intelligence and determination.

I enjoyed the Russian culture and language enmeshed in this story, especially the many Russian superstitions. The ending was particularly clever. The Princess and the Rogue was a solid read and I am sorry to see the series end.

ARC provided through Netgalley.

I just knew Sebastien would have a great story! Anya is a Russian princess hiding in London from a Russian suitor that she does not want. She believes her entire family is dead and has no one to protect her. Here comes Sebastien, the perfect man to protect her, and perhaps even love her? You know it's a good story when you don't want to put it down and you'll do anything to keep reading it. Perfect read for a cold, winter day in front of a fire, or really any time!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Princess and the Rogue
A Bow Street Bachelors Novel
by Kate Bateman
.
Kate Bateman captivating third installment in theBow Street Bachelors romance

The book starts off as Russian Princess Anastasia Denisova declines to marry the Vasili Petrov.
Vasili Petrov brutish ways gives Anastasia no other option. She does the unthinkable, and takes things into her own hands by cleverly faking her own death.
Leaving behind every one she loves and her country she flees to to London.
Taking on a new identity as Anna Brown, hoping one is the wiser of her true background. Finding lodging is challenging and Anya takes up lodging next door to a brothel. Finding gainful employment with the delightful eccentric dowager Duchess of Winwick. Anya is a kind hearted lady who volunteers to teach reading lessons next door at the brothel. She encounters none other than the tall dark rogue, Sebastien Wolff, Lord Mowbray, while she is giving reading instructions to some of the brothels employees. Sebastien Wolff is one of the Bow Street investigators, who happens to related to the dowager.
This is another stellar, heated romance from the very talented author Kate Bateman.
The writing clips along with suspense and engaging characters that makes for a fast paced storyline. With blush worthy scenes, that will keep you flipping those pages as you are taking along on as the twisty and action packed romance.

Paris - 1815

Russian Princess Anastasia (Anya) Denisova and her friend, Elisaveta, are secreting diamonds from a tiara as they prepare to flee Paris now that Napoleon has escaped capture. Anya’s brother, Dmitria, has been killed and there is no one to protect her. She is being pursued by Vasili Petrov, a vile traitor, who only wants her dowry. When he shows up at her door, Elisaveta hits him with a vase and knocks him out. They flee after Anya leaves a note saying she is going to drown herself because she cannot live without her brother. They then head to England where Anya will call herself Anna Brown and Elizavita will be Lizzie Bennett.

London - 1816

Sebastian (Seb) Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, works covertly for Bow Street along with his friends Benedict Wilde and Alex Harland. Those two men are married but Seb is a bachelor.

Anya and Elizaveta are settled in London now and live in a tiny apartment. Finding work was difficult but Anya accepted a position as companion to the elderly Dowager Duchess of Winwick and Elizaveta is a seamstress. Anya gets along very well with the Dowager and finds the woman to be very sharp.

One evening while tutoring some of the girls in a brothel, Seb walks in and seeing Anya thinks she is a prostitute. He then says he must have her and offers to pay 500 pounds. Even though she is attracted to him, she refuses and leaves.

Anya sees Petrov on the street and realizes she must flee. The Dowager then guesses that she is the Princess that Petrov is seeking and claiming that she is his fiancé. That’s when the woman suggests that they head to her estate, Everleigh, and asks that her nephew, Seb, go with them for protection. On the way, Anya is nearly kidnapped but for Seb rescuing her and taking her to his home.

Together, they learn more about one another but he does not know she is a princess. But more danger lurks. Can Anya be kept safe from the hands of the vile Petrov? Is there love in the future for Anya and Seb?

I really liked this book even thought I’m not wild about cloak and dagger mixed in with romance novels. The author obviously researched this book very well and I learned quite a number of new things because of that. A good romance and two very strong characters. Well done!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Princess Anastasia (Anya) was an intelligent and resourceful lady. She was determined to avoid marriage to a scoundrel, even if this means living in reduced circumstances and working for her living. Sebastian Wolf, Earl of Mowbray, is one of the Bow Street investigators, as well as part owner of the Tricorn Club. Their first meeting is unconventional to say the least, as is their next meeting. They are attracted to each other but given their circumstances, could anything come of it. This story has some amusing banter between Sebastian and his two friends, Benedict and Alex. It also has a misunderstanding, dangerous events and very passionate moments. This was an entertaining read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Princess and the Rogue is book 3 in the Bow Street Bachelors and although I haven't read books 1 & 2 it was fine as a stand alone. After enjoying this book so much I can't wait to go back and read the first two books. Sebastian Wolff is having a great time being a bachelor, even though his two best friends are both happily married he doesn't see that life in his future. While visiting a brothel he meets the lovely Anna Brown who he wants immediately but is disappointed that she is not interested. Anna Brown who really is the Russian Princess Anastasia Denisova is hiding out in London from a traitor who plans to marry her and claim everything. She has been working as a secretary and companion for a rich socialite who she becomes very close too. Also being the lovely young lady she is she develops a friendship with the Madam of the Brothel next to her apartment. She teaches the ladies etiquette and how to read and write. She is immediately drawn to Sebastian and is tempted to take him up on his offer but she does hold back, even though their chemistry was sizzling. I loved Anya from the beginning, she didn't complain about her situation or feel sorry for herself. She learned to survive and take care of herself while also living in poverty. Sebastian was great too and I loved his confusion about his feeling towards Anya. He made some silly mistakes but in the end he made up for them.

Forced to flee Paris and believing it not safe to return home, Princess Denisova flees to London, accompanied by her lifelong friend and what jewels they could sew into their cloaks/dresses and conceal on their persons. Whilst her companion becomes a seamstress, Anastasia/Anya now known as Anna Brown, becomes a companion to an elderly lady but lives in fear that her nemesis will come after her. When her fears come to pass, she is rescued by Sebastian Wolff and taken into hiding.
Highly enjoyable story - loved the snippets of Russian superstition and custom.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sensual and passionate, with an intriguing storyline, this third book in the Bowman Series is one readers will clamor for. Beautifully written, intensely suspenseful, full of danger, secrets, romance and love, it is nothing short of captivating.

Oh these two... I knew before I opened this book that I’d love these two characters and this story did not disappoint.

Sebastian Wolff Earl of Mowbray and Anna Brown who is secretly Princess Anastasia Denisova are delicious together. Their personalities, their conversation, their chemistry...my my my! I was a goner, charmed beyond words. These two are polar opposites, yet their chemistry and attraction is immediate. I was in book heaven, every moment spent with these characters was an ultimate pleasure. This had me practically drooling with anticipation from one page to the next...

The characters are fabulously crafted and gloriously complicated. They seem to live, breathe, and jump off the page. The author balances the dark with a light witty humor and a sexual tension that adds sizzle to every scene. There is such beauty in this love story, such decadent sweetness in their attraction. But there is so much more to this story as it takes the reader on a breath taking adventure from Russia to the manors of England and into the gambling houses, brothels, seedy alleys where danger is lurking. As well as a devil of a Russian traitor.

I have become a huge fan of this author while reading this series. She writes with such intensity and emotion. It lets me believe I have front row seat as these character come alive page after page. Happy Reading!

I received an early copy through the publisher and NetGalley.

The Bow Street Runners series from Ms Bateman has been one I have enjoyed, so I was looking forward to seeing who would be the lovely lady to bring Sebastien up to scratch.
Anya was the perfect counter part for him. I appreciated the strength of character she showed in blazing her own trail when faced with unfortunate circumstances.

Much like the previous Bow Street books, the interactions between Anya and Sebastien were smart and quick witted as they dealt with threats, espionage, and an intense attracion to each other. It was fun to see the layers get pulled back and the feelings develope.

This was a great addition to the Bow Street Bachelors series. We saw just enough of the previous characters to appreciate the continuity of the story, but for this to be a true stand alone read. Now that all three men are pair up, I am curious to see what Ms Bateman will come up with next

I believe this is the final book in the Bow Street Bachelors series and it was definitely a fun wrap-up. I’m the first to admit that I thought the premise of this series was a bit far-fetched – and it is – but it is also delightful and fun and the characters are wonderful. I would have been less skeptical of the premise if the three heroes in the series had been working for the Home Office, but the jobs they performed just didn’t seem to fit with Bow Street. However, none of that matters because I loved the series – just had to really stretch my imagination.

Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, didn’t inherit his title, even though he is the son of a duke. No, his half-brother Geoffrey will inherit the dukedom. Sebastien earned his title the hard way – through service to the crown. He and his two friends served in the Rifles during the war, and they still provide service to the crown through their work at Bow Street. His two best friends, Benedict Wilde (This Earl of Mine), and Alex Harland (To Catch an Earl), also received titles for service to the crown – and they are partners with Sebastien in a gaming hell, The Tricorn Club. Sebastien watched with great merriment as each of those best friends found the women they would love and marry. Sebastien is very, very cynical about love and marriage after watching so many ton marriages provide nothing but misery and unhappiness. I LOVE what Sebastien had to say at one point in the book where his friends were chiding him about finding his match. Alex and Ben had been talking about how much their wives had irritated them and driven them crazy prior to marriage. His friends are convinced Sebastien is more attracted to the lady in his care than he wants to admit – some of that conversation is:

"I thought it was irritation at first," Alex said with a reminiscent smile. "I wanted to throttle her." Benedict chuckled. "Well, then." Seb crossed his arms. "I'm still waiting to find that gorgeous someone who irritates me enough to want to strangle her."

Anastasia (Anya) Denisova is a Russian Princess. She’s also very rich and from a very powerful family. Yet, at the moment she is all alone and virtually helpless. Her brother, Prince Dimitri, is working with a Russian diplomatic group and has made arrangements to meet Anya in Paris. On his way there, Waterloo happened, and somehow Dimitri was caught up in it and lost his life. Before they left Russia, Dimitri had told Anya that he was pursuing information on a traitor and he was sure the traitor was Vasili Petrov, but he didn’t yet have proof. Vasili pays Anya a visit in Paris to try to force her to marry him so she cannot testify against him. He is cruelly attacking her when Anya’s best friend and companion, Elizaveta, managed to bash Vasili over the head and incapacitate him. They knew they had to escape and they had to go someplace Vasili wouldn’t expect – definitely NOT back to Russia. So, they sewed whatever jewels they could into their clothing and headed for England.

Life hasn’t been easy for them in London, but they have learned how resilient they are. Anya is working as a companion to the Dread Dowager Duchess, as she is known among the ton. The Dowager Duchess puts fear into the hearts of most, but Anya really likes her and they have formed a friendship. It also turns out she is also the great-aunt of Sebastien.

I loved the scene where Sebastien meets Anya – and mistakes her for someone/something she isn’t. He can’t forget her, but he knows there is something not exactly true about her. I loved Anya and Sebastian together and I loved watching them come to love each other. It is great fun to watch Sebastien’s friends rib him about his feelings for Anya – especially when he continually denies them.

It is a delightfully fun read that is well-written, excellently plotted, and a lovely wrap-up to the series. I would have loved an epilogue set a year or two into the future with all of the folks from the series getting together so we could see how they and their families have grown.

I can definitely recommend this book and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hot Chocolate Dates With The Princess And The Rogue

The prologue shares her escape from Russia before we arrive in London.

First Date: Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as plain ‘Anna Brown’ and was fortunate to secure a job as a companion to Sebastian’s grandmother, the dowager duchess. The two do not meet there, however, they meet somewhere far more scandalous. Sebastian is busy working a case on the docks involving a dead Russian, but he cannot stop thinking about Anna.

Second Date: It seems Anna cannot escape her past, and the dowager duchess plans to help her by whisking her off to the countryside, but those plans are thwarted. Anna soon finds herself staying in the apartments of the Wolffe. Sebastian lives above the gaming hall he and his friends own. I loved the tension, the knowing, the seduction. It was divine.

Third Date: While others know who she is, Sebastian is shocked and of course sets their relationship back even as he swears to protect her. Swoons, startling discovers and reckons kept me flipping the pages until its conclusion.

I had such a good time with this story. It was a fun reimagining of the Russian Princess. While not historically accurate, the romance was swoon-worthy, and I loved the meddling and teasing from key characters of this series.

While this is the third book in the series, each contains its own romance. Be warned though, you’ll want to go back and read the others. Review first appeared @ Caffeinated Reviewer.

This was a well-written, entertaining historical romance. Princess Anastasia Denisova is hiding in London under the assumed name "Anna Brown." She's being chased by a traitor, and she is offered protection by Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray. Living under the same roof, it's hard to fight the attraction between them. The book was fast-paced and hard to put down. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

We get Seb’s story!!!!

Seb, a confirmed bachelor who refuses to be tied down to any woman of the Ton, decides to visit a brothel that is acclaimed to have the most beautiful girls in the city. His path crosses Anna while she is teaching the “girls” how to read. Seb mistakes Anna as one of the girls working there, after he learns he cannot buy her time for any amount of money he leaves. In the coming days Seb is unable to get Anna off his mind and he has to know who she is.

After Anna escapes from Paris she starts over as a companion to a dowager duchess who just so happens to be Seb’s aunt. When Anna’s past begins to catch up with her, Seb becomes her protector. This is not an easy job for Seb because Anna has a mind of her own and has no problem taking charge of any situation.

I absolutely loved Georgina in the first book and didn't think that I would like another female character in this series more but I really loved Anna. She was strong and truly cared about those people around her. She is not your typical damsel and I love that about her.

I loved the banter from Benedict and Alex. They can see that Seb is in deep no matter how much he wants to fight it. And they give back to him all that he dished out in the first two books.

I really loved this book! If you are looking for a fun enemies to lovers type book I highly recommend this one.