The Bachelor Bargain by Madison Michaels was a fun historical romance with a mystery. Lady Olivia was determined to figure out who killed her best friend. And she’s determined to make all the men pay who were taking advantage of young women. She’s even willing to make a deal with the devil , a.k.a. the bastard of Baker Street. I liked how determined she was and the chemistry between her and Sebastian. It also makes me want to go back and read Kat’s story. The secondary characters were also a great addition to the story. I think my favorite was her godmother. The book mentions that it may cover some tough topics. I didn’t find the book disturbing. I mean in the opening scene one of her best friends has been seduced, abandoned and dies. The question is, did she commit suicide or did someone kill her. Sebastian’s sister was also a fun addition. I am also hoping she may get her own book. Sebastian grew up on the streets and was part of a gang. He currently rules some of the shadier parts of town. He does violent things, but I didn’t feel that they were described in any detail that would make me uncomfortable.
Violence - 3
Sexual content - 3

Good mix of romance and action

The author introduces two unique and captivating primary characters. Within a short period, we become attracted to them and are curious about their future. This book is also about mysteries. The mysteries in this book include murder and threatening rival gang members. With a good balance of romance and suspense, the author maintains your interest throughout the entire book.

All of the characters, not just the main ones, are great.

This novel is for you if you enjoy action, suspense, and sensual romance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
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I'm so, so happy I found this wonderful historical romance, and this is saying a lot because I don't really read HRs anymore, and this was just fabulous.
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I loved Livvie and Sebastian. They will definitely be part of my favorite characters of the year even though Seb was a morally grey character. They were so cute together and they had a good chemistry. Both of them had traumas that were understandable, and I loved that they got their HEA.
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I loved Livvie's Bachelor's Magazine, I liked that the scoundrels had rogues will get their due comeuppance, I just wished the author had fixated more on it.
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I loved Livvie's support group, her friends, family, and her godmother. They're the kind of support everyone needs in their corner. I really hope Kate and Etta have their own stories. I can't wait to read about them!
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I also liked the mystery and crime solving. It was an interesting part of the book, and I was surprised at the culprit.
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I really liked this book and it would be a wonderful read for you if you're a fan of Historical Romance.

What a great discovery!!!
It was an engaging and exciting book to the end,never a dull moment.Interesting characters,both main(whom I loved) and secondary,whose stories I look forward to reading in the future.

The Bachelor Bargain is absolutely captivating read, I am happy I decided to read and review it. This is a great read with loveable characters as well as an amazing story line. I simply could not stop reading it.

3.5 stars for this HR series starter! Olivia and her 2 surviving best friends have decided to start a gazette devoted to exposing the missteps, social and criminal, of otherwise-eligible bachelors. Do do this, she needs a financial backer, and she thinks she knows exactly who to approach: Sebastian Calder, crime lord and successful businessman. Not only is he rich, he has a reputation for protecting women and has a chip on his shoulder about the society he was excluded from as the unacknowledged illegitimate son of a duke.

As they work together to begin the gazette, Olivia falls into the middle of a crime syndicate power struggle. she's also trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of one of her dear friends. This, of course throws them into close proximity with each other. The chemistry between the leads is quite good and develops naturally. If the book feels a bit long at times (there are over 50 good-sized chapters), it's still interesting enough to keep your attention!

Note that the book touches on some dark themes: Olivia's whole reason for contacting Sebastian and starting her Bachelor Bounty Gazette is that one of her best friend's was seduced and abandoned by an unknown cad. Not only that, but the book begins at said friend's funeral. Sebastian, as a crime lord, is a hero on the darker side of the spectrum. He's quite violent and has done unspeakable things to maintain his power and in the name of revenge.

I just loved getting to read this title. It was just so much fun seeing these characters and I just couldn’t get enough of them. I look forward to reading more wonderful stories in this series.

It's not often a story starts off with a lady trapped in a train car with two miscreants that mean her harm...and SHE'S the one that comes out on top! Not to mention the time she goes climbing in moonlight, encounters an unexpected, yet not completely unwelcome, spy of the male persuasion with the same lofty goal for the evening...and leaves him behind in pieces, even if only for a moment, as she escapes with her prize. No siree, this is not a book like you've, or at least I've, read before...and I gotta say, me likee!

Kat is deadly with a dagger, though just as capable with simply her wits and well tailored clothing, thanks to her late Uncle Victor. He's late not by time, but by circumstance...which gives us the plotline for Kat's revenge streak. She grew up unlike most ladies of her station, and yet can blend into any social occasion or situation necessary. She's sharp, and always in control...at least, she was...though the same can be said of the one causing the inner chaos she's trying to tamp down. That chaos goes by the name of Marcus, and he has his own agenda for seeking the shared foe they are aiming for. She wants to make them pay in blood, while he wants to see them pay for the rest of their days. A role reversal for sure, but I can't say I blame either of them, considering the circumstances. The thing is, while their teaming up is the best possible pooling of resources to get their man, they created a new obstacle to overcome as they inadvertently fan the flames of their hearts. Trust me when I say, it's a pleasure to watch because you keep moving towards the inevitable, but you're never left hanging because you're so caught up in the storyline outside of their potential.

All in all, a great read from start to finish, and a series that I for one will be checking out the further adventures of in the near future...because hello, I haven't read the first book and I'm dying to see what happened there! Recommended for adult Historical Fiction fans.

The Bachelor Bargain is the first book in the series Secrets, Scandals, and Spies by Maddison Michaels.

Sebastian Colver, the Bastard of Baker Street, is handsome, reckless, and feared by all that know him. Lady Olivia, thinks herself an unattractive lady that no one would want. And she is trying to solve the mystery who killed her friend and enact retribution. She needs Sebastian's assistance to complete this task. Making a deal with the devil is the last thing Olivia wants to do, but she truly feels this is her only option.

The two together are perfect for each other. They have excellent dialogue and the chemistry is blazing hot. The are ups and downs that will keep the reader entertained throughout. I highly recommend this book.

I was provided a copy for an honest opinion of the material through NetGalley.

I want to start off by saying I did read the second in this series first and the only thing it “ruined” was the ending. Even with knowing how the story ended I loved it. It had the right amount of spice and I love when the man respects the woman. They challenged each other and had good banter at the same time. I loved the mystery that Olivia was trying to solve, it added another element to the romance. Her personality was great, and I loved how she didn’t let her disability stop her. It was a fast read and perfect if you are looking for a regency romance.

Did not like this one. The pacing was so slow, lots of telling or retelling events that happened to another person in the story. So many plot points that were not fully formed. And no chemistry. But the characters sure did think a lot about each other a lot to try and convince us there was chemistry when they were together. But there wasn’t.

This is one of the most enjoyable historical romances that I have read in a long time. I just had so much fun reading this one. The hero and heroine were great characters and I loved them together. Their banter was wonderful. I definitely recommend this one

Thank for this book! I enjoyed it and can't wait to read book two!


Lady Olivia Haliford has had enough. Tired of seeing women lose their reputations, futures, and sometimes even their lives to scandal while the men walk free, she is ready to take back power and stand up for women everywhere. Along with her two closest friends, she’s creating an anonymous publication dedicated to dishing the dirt and exposing the secrets of society’s most eligible bachelors. But it means making a deal with the devil...

The Bastard of Baker Street is feared throughout London as the city’s most notorious gambling den owner and undisputed king of the underground. But while Sebastian Colver’s life is filled with darkness and danger, he’s shocked that the petite Lady Olivia seems anything but frightened of him. And he’ll agree to be a silent partner in the publishing of the Gazette—for a price.

Exposing the secrets of the rich and powerful is dangerous. But not nearly as dangerous as the consequences when a lady falls in love with the king of the underground...

I just finished The Bachelor Bargain and the only word I can think of to write down is Wow! This was so good. Recently I’ve read a few historical romances with heroes that weren’t always good guys and sometimes they felt like anti-heroes. And then Sebastian Colver walked into my life and he is everything I didn’t know I wanted in my anti-hero.
Ok to start off this is my first Maddison Michaels book and it will not be my last. In fact, I’ll be starting The Bachelor Betrayal right away. But I digress, I was so invested in these characters. Lady Olivia is a fantastic, complex character with courage to spare. Sebastian Colver is the leader of London’s “underworld” and he has the power, money and intimidation to prove it.
The story starts off with Olivia grieving her friend and seeking revenge on the man that ruined her. She and her best friends decide to start a gazette and call out the horrible men who use and abuse women. But they need money and they can’t ask their male family members so Livie goes to the Bastard of Baker Street for the financing.
Not surprisingly she’s not afraid of him, he finds that super attractive and he’s the only man who doesn’t treat her differently because of her limp. Craziness ensues before the first paper is even published! There was so much drama that I couldn’t put it down.
I’m going to say it again, this was so, so, so good. It will live rent free in my brain for weeks.

I am so glad I discovered this new-to-me author and this romance series!

This was an entertaining historical romance featuring a grumpy/dangerous hero and a feisty heroine. I especially liked that the heroine was gutsy and boldly started a publication to expose men who compromised women in society.

I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I loved this book. Our heroine, Olivia, is fierce and independent, and our hero, Sebastian, is smoldering and accepting of his woman just as she was. I truly enjoyed the balance of intrigue and romance-- it was very well done by Michaels. They were such a wonderful pairing that their chemistry leapt off the page. As the reader, you know that they belong together from the start. My only qualm was the plotline about how they couldn't be together (not at the end, but throughout), hence it is four stars rather than five. This made complete sense, but that one bit wasn't quite to my taste. Otherwise this was a read I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good romance, as it has it all: a strong love story, a solid, fast-paced plot, and characters you grow to love. I cannot wait for the sequel!

Such a fun, delightful read! I loved it, and I can't wait to read more from the writer. If you want a great romance, you'll love this!

The Bachelor Bargain is the first book in the series Secrets, Scandals, and Spies by Maddison Michaels. It’s a historical romance which is one of my favorite genres, so I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what wickedness awaited me!! Ms. Michaels did not fail to deliver.

Sebastian Colver, Bastard of Baker Street, is gorgeous, daring, and feared by all that know of him. His counter, Lady Olivia, thinks herself an unattractive lady that no one would want…but her attitude definitely doesn’t match what she feels her physical experience shows! And she is on a hunt to find who killed her friend. But with no money to help in the process, she comes along none other than Sebastian himself. Making a deal with the devil is the last think Olivia wanted to do…but she knows she needs money to help find Alice’s killer. And so what if Sebastian is gorgeous? He’d never be interested in her anyway?

The two together are dynamic. They feed off each other and the chemistry is sizzling hot. Twists and turns throughout had me engrossed through the whole read. Can’t wait for the next in the series!!

This is my first book by this author and it WILL NOT be my last! I loved this story with its headstrong and adventurous Livie. In a time period where women were supposed to be of the gentle sex, Livie was unabashedly bold and independent yet without ostracizing her family and friends or being TSTL. Sebastian was an equally delicious H; a ruthless underworld leader with a strong loyalty to his people. I enjoyed Sebastian and Livie’s interactions and courtship with some steam. I even enjoyed the interactions with Livie’s family (there was an especially heartfelt conversation with her father) and friends as well as Sebastian with his close friends, Lance and Rowen. There were some mysteries woven in that culminated nicely. A highly enjoyable read!

Loved this take on this genre. The romance was amazing and I thought very refreshing! I really enjoyed this book and will be checking out more books from this author!