Death of a friend propels Lady Olivia Haliford to approach the most disreputable man in all of London, but actually he might be the richest in all of England. The man is the Bastard of Baker Street, Sebastian Colver. He has been trying to make his business holdings more legitimated. Olivia decides to expose the men that are ruining young women of the ton and walking away with no repercussions. She wants a newspaper to publish their identities and what they are doing. However, she needs money and Sebastian has that expendable cash.

Olivia and Sebastian end up in all sorts of situations which makes this book an absolutely must read. I laughed out loud, but I was also abhorrent at what men do to women and look the other way. If you need one book for a trip or just something to have for your late night break this is the one. However, FAIR WARNING once you start it, you WIll NOT PUT it DOWN!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

This book was fun! It was unique and a fun twist on the virgin/rake trope and I had a really good time with Seb and Livie. In The Bachelor Bargain, a fierce wallflower/spinster wants to uncover the truth of her friend's death and plans to exploit the philandering ways of the men of the ton by creating a society gazette with her close friends. To do so, they need funding, so she seeks out the richest man outside of high society, the Bastard of Baker Street, and strikes a bargain with him.

And let me tell you, the tensions ran HIGH between these two. The back and forth, her refusal to back down to Seb (who had previously always gotten his way), and the whole "I hate everyone but you" thing that Seb had going on???? All of it was *chef's kiss* and I'm so happy I was able to spend time with these two. The story was a lot of fun, it was unique, it was suspenseful, and it was definitely not at all what I expected, but that was a really good thing.

The only thing that really bothered me, though, is that the story started to get a little sloppy. There were a few instances where it felt like sections were added after the fact and not considered in later scenes, or things would happen and then the characters would act like the events had never transpired and instead did the same thing a different way, and it was just kind of strange. Those instances also felt a little bit repetitive, too, since the same plot points or scenes were addressed in different ways, and so it got a little bit tiring, but I was able to get past it pretty easily.

Long story short, kind of hastily thrown in sections aside, this story and these characters were fun, they were spicy, and they were an absolute joy. I can't wait to read more from Maddison Michaels.

Many thanks to Entangled Pub for my review copy!!

Enjoyed the story. Great characters, interesting premise. Good mystery to solve. I received an ARC of this book.

A wonderful story of three girls trying to get justice for their friend and to ensure that bachelor's pay for what they have done. They decided to enlist Sebastion Colver to be a silent partner. But they had to let him know. Lady Olivia had sent him several letters to request an appointment to talk to him. He ignored them. So she went to see him.
Sebastion Colver, known as the Bastard of Baker Street, had a reputation for being evil and people were afraid of him. But he was willing to be a silent partner.
The story was exciting and entertaining. The characters were warm and willing to help. The vile villains were exactly that, Their was so much going on and a few surprises and twists to the book. You found yourself totally engrossed and wondering what would happen next. I loved the novel and appreciative to have been able to read it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you

The Bachelor Bargain marks the beginning of a new series of romances by Maddison Michaels. This is the 1890s version of a romantic suspense. Set in England where the social mores of the mid-Victorian era were conflicting with the burgeoning of women’s rights and labor unions,
Lady Olivia (Livie) Haliford and her friends are mourning for their friend Alice. Alice had apparently committed suicide after falling in love with a bounder who left her pregnant. Livie feels that Alice was murdered. She and her friends decide to unmask the man who ruined Alice by publishing a gazette that will monthly reveal three male members of the ton who prey on women. Their pin money won’t cover the costs, so Livie approaches Sebastian Colver, the king of the underworld. He rules society with the money he has earned, investments made, and the gambling dens he runs. But she’s willing to make a deal with the devil himself to accomplish her goals.

This was a cute read with some steam, the right amount of danger, and a great romance. Livie and Sebastian both have mental/emotional obstacles stemming from their past and must move beyond to establish their relationship.

Olivia and her friends, Kaitlyn and Etta were not the usual ladies of their day. Kaitlyn, in particular has some very unusual skills and had been teaching her friends how to defend themselves. Olivia is determined to discover the truth about her friend’s death. Sebastian is the king of the underworld and is very much the darkness to Olivia’s light. Their romance was not without problems including the knowledge that they would eventually have to walk away from each other. I just hoped they would somehow have a happy ending. There are a number of things happening in this story, secrets to be revealed, mysteries to solve and dangerous situations. I really enjoyed this captivating story, so many things to discover that it kept my interest until the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm not a big historical romance reader, but I love Maddison Michaels novels and was excited to get a copy of her new novel Bachelor Bargain to read.

Bachelor Bargain didn't disappoint, it was a great read with two main characters I really enjoyed getting to know. Lady Olivia Haliford (Livie) is a smart, determined and tough young lady who wants justice for her friend's demise and will go to whatever lengths necessary to get them.

Sebastian Colver, The Bastard of Baker Street is a feared individual and for good reason. He is also a good man, one who cares greatly about others, though he has trust issues even with those in his inner circle, and hides behind his reputation.

Olivia decides it is his help she needs to finance her paper which will call out no good bachelors and enable her to find the man responsible for her friend's death.

I loved the interaction between these two, both from totally different backgrounds, neither of them were prepared for the other in more ways than one. Sebastian certainly didn't expect to catch feelings for this beautiful, strong young woman who put herself in danger in her pursuit of justice far too many times for his liking. Olivia is also not happy about her attraction to Sebastian, but no matter what happens, these two can't fight the chemistry that is between them.

There was plenty of wheeling and dealing, twists galore, humour and of course romance and this novel kept me reading well past my bedtime.

Thank you to Entangled: Amara Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

What a fun time this was! I couldn’t put it down.
I enjoyed the plot a lot. It’s really different from a ton of the historical romance I’ve been reading recently. It was refreshing.
Sebastian was everything I wanted him to be. I love a rogue with a heart of gold. Olivia was also a wonderful heroine. I loved her passion and pursuit of revealing the truth to her fellow women. These two were a dynamic duo and hope they make special appearances in future books.
If you want adventure, dynamic characters and a sweeping romance pick this up!

This is a magnificent way to kickoff a series. Olivia is a a Duke’s daughter and she is focused and determined to let nothing stand in her way to right a wrong. Sebastian is a Duke’s bastard and the king of the rookeries. Meeting Olivia is the one thing he had not planned. The story is a definite page turner as these two characters along with their friends try to unmask a fiend. There are some wonderful characters included in the story that are witty and funny. Olivia and Sebastian steam up the sheets as they find themselves falling in love and looking to start a new life together.

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 Etta & Kat, she plans to start an anonymous publication dedicated to dishing the dirt and exposing the secrets of society’s most eligible bachelors. But in order to do so, she will have to make a deal with the devil. Sebastian Colver, is feared throughout London as the city’s most notorious gambling den owner and undisputed king of the underground. His life is nothing but darkness and danger, so he is shocked when the petite lady gracing his doorstep seems anything but frightened of him. He agrees to be a silent partner in the publishing of the Gazette if she will use her connections to sponsor his sister Charlotte and launch her into Society and away from his dark world.
The start of an eagerly awaited new series by the author & it was well worth the wait. I was captivated from cover to cover. I'm an avid reader of historical romances but also love a good mystery & this wonderful book ticked both boxes add wonderful characters & I was one very happy reader. I loved both Sebastian & Livie, he’s the scarred, ruthless underworld boss & she's the duke's daughter who isn’t afraid to go head to head with him. I adored that he saw past Livie's limp & saw the strong woman she was, after all she's already tamed the Dragon Duchess. The chemistry between the pair was electric & they both fell hard & fast for each other, however their verbal bantering was a highlight. I also loved Livie's family & friends who were loving & supportive, I was in tears when they waltzed. Then there's the mystery of who is targeting Sebastian & especially Livie & I loved the twists & turns, all the time wondering who Sebastian could trust. I highly recommend this book & I'm now eagerly awaiting the rest of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

One of the better historical adventure romance books I have read recently.
I’m half way through and still unable to guess the dastardly villain who causes the death of Alice which is the premise of the book.

Will write full review over the weekend:)

Since I really like historical romance with feisty women, the blurb of The Bachelor Bargain caught my eye. And it really was a treat! Lady Olivia has lost her best friend and she is determined to unmask the scoundrel who was involved in her murder. She is one feisty lady. And although she has a limp, she really knows how to stand up for herself. Including clubbing annoying rakes with her cane. She is absolute fearless and quite witty. And she is in need of money to fund her paper, which will expose all the dirty secrets of those scoundrels, who seduce poor girls. Having found a well protected secret of the Bastard of Baker Street, Olivia is quite certain she can convince him to fund her paper.
Sebastian almost can't believe the nerve of the feisty Olivia (but he can call her Livia, she informed him. As if they are friends) who barged in his office and proposed a lucrative deal. In exchange she promised to keep his family ties to his sister a secret. And so, Sebastian and Livia strike a deal: he will be the silent partner in the paper, and she will ensure his sister is launched into society. But while Livia is running around to uncover gossip and secrets, Sebastian needs to come to her rescue more than once. Because not everyone is happy to be exposed. And Sebastian needs to protect his investment. It certainly doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Livia is one of the few people who actually dares to stand up to him. No, no, certainly not.
A wonderful, exciting read. Livia and Sebastian are wonderful characters and you can't help but admire them. Full with suspense and a mysterious murder. It keeps you glued to the pages. I can't wait for the next book. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

We open on a funeral, the fourth in a group of friends has died under uncertain circumstances after being ruined by an unknown man. 1 friend thinks it was an accident, 1 a suicide but Livie privately believes she was murdered.
Our heroine Livie has a disability, she has a lame leg and needs a cane to walk. Our hero Sebastian is a gangster trying to go straight.
Their first meeting is a clear demonstration of Livie's backbone, she gets tired of waiting for Seb to agree to meet her and invades his office instead, it's instant attraction for both. Livie wants to start a gazette exposing the dirty little secrets of the gentlemen of society that try to prey on innocent young women like her friend who died, but she needs Sebastian's financial aide to get it going, she consistently gets into scrapes and is rescued by Sebastian and they keep finding themselves kissing and being distracted from their goals.
The whodunit part of the plot seems a bit drawn out, but is still twisty enough at the end to be interesting. Steam levels light (in my opinion)
The epilogue was probably one of the most entertaining I've read in a romance.

Read as a suggestion from Net galley. Lady Olivia needs to avenge her friend's death. Sebastian Colver has the money she needs to make it happen. Society would never accept these two as a couple. But can they stay away from each other and keep it strictly business partners. The ending is a twist. Surprisingly, a few twists actually!! Really enjoyed this.

5 stars, I absolutely loved this book. The is a historical romance/suspense. It has great dialogue/banter between Seb and Livie. The sexual tension (and release) was great. The plot was really intriguing (did not guess the ending). Seriously, it had everything I want in a story. I cannot wait for more in this series

I like historical romances where the story is well written and engaging, and this was not it. This story had too many clashing cliches.
The heroine is the relation of a duke, but she could never take because she has a limp and has to use a cane. She has always felt ostracized by the ton because she needs to be perfect to get married and she has a limp. Her dear friend passes away, possible suicide, because she was conned by a rogue and left on her own. The heroine's 2 friend decide to write a newspaper to expose these type of rogues. So she goes to one of her brother's investment partners, a man who is a bastard, but I'd immensely wealthy because he and his 2 friends worked hard and make smart investments. He is the hero and has a scar on his face. She tried to force him to support her paper by outing his half sister but she agrees to have her godmother, a leader (of course) of the ton to bring out his half sister, but no one can know his half sisiter is related to him. This was contrived and cliched through the rest of the book.
It was hard to focus on the story because it was not as well written as Sarah McClean or Elizabeth Hoyt, and the story meanders instead of being a continuous read. The characters were flat and not interesting, except for Kate and she left in the first part of the book. There was no character development and I was so disappointed because I really, really wanted to like this book. It was one contrived idea after another. I give it 2 stars and I do not recommend reading this book, I am sorry. And I even read it twice to make sure it still wasn't up to my standards.

One of Olivia's best friends is dead. Livie is convinced it wasn't suicide, but murder by the man who seduced her best friend and abandoned her for someone else. Livie needs proof. What better way than to print an anonymous publication "to expose those in society who seek to deceive and use women for their own satisfaction and gain," Pin money is not enough to start publishing. Livie goes to the devil himself, Sebastian Clover, Bastard of Baker Street, for financial backing. They make a deal. As business partners they become closer when their lives intertwine. Someone wants Livie dead. A rival gang is trying to kill Seb and take over his empire. Nothing can stop these two finding answers, with unexpected revelations. If you like a strong heroine and an unlikely hero, put this book on your TBR.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book one in a new series. I have to say I loved this a great deal. I honestly couldn’t put this down and hope the next one comes out soon. In this we have a woman named Livie that is trying to solve her best friends murder but in order for her plans to work she has to have money and so she reaches out to the Bastard of Baker Street. He runs the slums and when they come together there are sparks.

While threats bring them together, will their difference keep them apart ...

Wow, just wow!
What a rollercoaster adventure I have been embarking in when I decided to follow Livie and Sebastian’s journey.
Never a dull moment, twists and turns at every turn of a page, all the while the chemistry between the heroes scorches the words.
I just adored Livie short for Olivia, she is no shrinking violet, she is filled with an inner strength, made of studier fabric than the usual society’s miss. And while a limp cripples her way in polite society, she uses it too as an excuse to keep others at arm-length.
When she could be accepted with her dry wits and cleverness, as a Duke’s daughter, she has the perfect background to do as she wants, if she was willing. Yet she chooses a different path, surround herself with a bunch of friends all bordering what is deemed acceptable, more outcasts than gold children.

Sebastian rose from the gutters, an ascension made on violence, one necessary in his world to establish himself as the king of this part of the city. Alas he also had to cut himself from everyone he could have cared or loved, never fully trusting anyone, else he would brought danger to the doorstep to anyone he will love and a position of power leads to jealousy and greediness.
He learned the hard way this lesson and since refuse to go through the same pain and put someone in danger.

So both fed themselves lies about their feelings, preferring to avoid looking too closely to the sentiments they bring out in the other.
They both know and want to believe they can never be, how impossible it is for a duke’s daughter and a man born in the slum of the city to get a future together.
Yet in between murder attempts, kidnappings and other threats, they will unearth emotions they preferred to keep long buried instead to face them and have to make a choice that might alter for ever the life they have.

All along the pages I praised Livie’s courage and strength why I was utterly disappointed when she let the “ what if” sway her mind and deflate her boldness. Hopefully, she gets her pluck back in time.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scene.

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Entangled, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Devastated by the death of her dear friend Alice, Lady Olivia “Livie” Haliford vows to find and punish the man responsible for ruining her and possibly murdering her. To achieve this goal and to protect other women from falling victim to the entitled scoundrels of the ton, Livie, and her two dearest friends, Lady Kaitlyn Montrose and Miss Henrietta Merriweather decide to start a newspaper that will target these men and expose them for the predators they are – but to start a publishing business will require more money than they have, but Livie has the perfect investor in mind – Sebastian Colver, the Bastard of Baker Street or as most of London call him, the King of the Rookeries.

Sebastian is intrigued by the lovely young woman with a cane who stormed his office and uses his biggest secret to try and coerce him into investing in her scandal sheet. He should send her on her way because he has more pressing matters to sort out – like finding out who is trying to take over the Rookeries, but her connections, namely her Godmother the Duchess of Calder, makes her the perfect person to convince the “Dragon Duchess” to sponsor his half-sister Charlotte. He makes a deal if she can convince her Godmother to introduce Charlotte to society, he will be her silent partner.

They strike a bargain, but as they spend time together, two things become clear; one they are attracted to each other, and two whoever is trying to take over the Rookeries has also been hired to kill Olivia. Despite his vow to never love anyone, Sebastian can’t seem to walk away from Livie and will stop at nothing to save her. Can these two let go of past hurts and open their hearts so they can find a way to have HEA or will they let their fears ruin their chance for a love of a lifetime?

This was a very well-written, fast-paced story with a great “whodunit” mystery incorporated into the romance of this unlikely couple. The book has a lot going on, murder, betrayal, revenge, steamy love scenes, some angst, great secondary characters, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I did enjoy this book, but there were some things that kept this from being a five-star read for me, such as formal address/title errors and modern-day idioms and verbiage, and a couple of historical inaccuracies that I simply had a hard time overlooking, that being said, I must stress, these things are personal pet peeves of mine and may not bother other readers. This is the first book in the series that I would happily recommend and will be looking forward to the future installments!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *