A R Match by K. Bateman is book one and a stand-alone in this new series. It's a historical fiction/romance, published by St Martin's Press.
The storyline is set in 1815 and tells the story of Gryff Davies and Maddie Montgomery.
Both families are rivals, nobody knows why or how long, only that tey have to meet once a year, or loose against the other.
And now it's the children's turn.
Gryff just inherited the title, he's back from the field, and Maddie is about to be married, and she takes no joy in it.
Both meet and they have this insta-connection again they already developed as kids. But they are both deeply in denial and love to hate each other.
An entertaining read with just the right amount of danger and drama, a great read, well written, 4,5 stars.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was not particularly in love with this historical romance. While I loved the free spirited, stubborn Madeline I did not particularly care for her nemises Gryff. He is not only arrogant but makes inappropriate passes at Madeline that seems more predatory than romantic. Their generational family animosity made for an interesting twist to their story but Gryff just came on too strong for my taste.

4.5 Stars! I really enjoyed this book! Gryff and Maddie are lovable, most of the time, and I became so invested in these characters. At times, things that Gryff said or did, had me wanting to slap him - he could be a total ‘Richard’ at times! However, I let him slide since I liked him most of the time & well, he is a man, so its ingrained in his DNA to be a ‘Richard’. This book has a mixture of danger, secrets, action, mystery, romance and heated hate/love flirting. I’d classify this as an enemies to lovers with an HEA ending. I 100% recommend this book. And I absolutely can NOT wait for the next book in this series! This can be read as a standalone and is the first book in the ‘Ruthless Rivals’ series.
*I received this book at no charge from NetGalley & I voluntarily left this review.*

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was the first book for me to read by Kate Bateman, but it will definitely not be my last. The story was engaging and adventurous. It took me only a weekend to read. The writing style was witty and fun.

This is book one of a new series. However, based on some references, it seems to be a spin-off series. My guess is that Gryff Llewellyn Davies, Earl of Powys, was introduced in another story. I'm not sure if that would have changed my opinion of him or not, but this was easy to read as a standalone.

The H/h are lifetime arch enemies due to a centuries only grudge between their households. Rather than stay apart, they constantly played tricks on each other as children; yet secretly each had a longtime crush on the other. I don't know how they didn't figure it out, but they each thought he/she alone in the attraction.

I really liked Madeline Montgomery. She was an intelligent and self-educated archaeologist who was also fun, pretty, and loyal. She enjoyed her debut season until it became too repetitive and behaved like a lady with decorum in public. She was not the typical wallflower bluestocking. She just did not feel in a hurry to get married. Unfortunately, her beloved father's debts recently increased the urgency to marry someone with money.

Gryff was also loyal and physically attractive. He was brave and willing to face danger for those he cared about. With a little less detail here and there, I could have liked him. However, I personally could not get over his attitude towards women as sex objects for his pleasure. As usual in HR, he was a rake. He always wanted Maddie, but he sated his lust with many other liaisons instead. He found them empty and unfulfilling; yet he didn't want to get married because as the new earl, he could get the must beautiful and sexually skilled women. He compared Maddie to a whore though she came to him a virgin and waited WAY too long to consider if he loved her.

In spite of the fact that I did not like Gryff, I still enjoyed the story as a whole. Considering authors usually write a variety of heroes and heroines, I definitely plan to try another by this author and will likely continue this series next year. It seems like the next two will also be enemies to lovers stories between the Montgomerys and the Davies.

This is the first book in the new series, Ruthless Rivals, and I am already salivating for the next in the series with the characters we were introduced to in this book.

The Montgomery and Davies families make the Capulets and Montagues look like amateurs. They have held grudges against the other for centuries. Their lands border each other and every year they meet at the border to shake hands, in agreement to keep the peace between the two families. Griff and Maddie are this year's tributes, and immediately sparks fly.

This is a definite enemies to lovers trope, as I assume the next books in the series will also be, and had a very well through out plot. The characters were well developed and you can tell where the next books are heading, which I loved. This was a fantastic read and I highly recommend.

It's low steam but lots of adventure and angst...and when they do get together it's incredible.

This is is a wonderful story of enemies (seriously their families hate each other’s) to true love in the best fashion.

I adored Maddie and Gryff and their story so very much. This was a glorious book of romance and fun and tears and joy.

I cannot wait to read more by this author. I just recommend this book so very much.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have discovered Kate Bateman because of an arc and have been smitten with her writing ever since. This book did not disappoint either. As the start of a new series, it took some time to get into it (up until 40% of the book) but then it was really engaging. The heroine is a bluestocking but luckily not a prude and the hero is a mild bad-boy who would rather still sow his oats for a while but is not adamant about it. There's quite some action in this book (not the sexy kind of action for those who - like me- were hoping) and that is nicely paced as well. My one bone to pick with this story is that with all that sexy talk there is little sex - one scene - and that is in semi-darkness in a cave. Those two (ok, and us lusty readers) deserved a proper wedding night if not an entire honeymoon. And the ending was a bit rushed but that's the case with most romances, I suppose they have to end once the magic words are spoken by both parties.

While I adored Bateman's previous work I did not find myself loving this title. Her new work was on my radar and then I saw this beautiful cover and I was sold. I read this book in one day so it certainly did have my interest piqued, but I think that has more to do with my love for Bateman's previous books and the hope I had for this one rather than Maddie and Gryff's chemistry. For me at least there were one too many actions scenes and therefore not enough moments with our couple, I believe we were to be relying heavily on the fact that they'd known each other for so long because this was quite a fast trip to the "I love you" moment. The actual romance felt like it just needed more and by then it had already wrapped up. I do think this is an easy entry point for non historical romance readers and I also believe it can have great success with people who obsess over the enemies to lovers trope. Overall it was quite average for me given my previous success with her Bow Street Bachelors series, but I believe other will enjoy it and I look forward to seeing where the series goes from her as it so clearly sets up the premise for the other books in the series...quite the family affair!

Madeline (Maddie) Montgomery and Gryffud (Gryff) Davies families are essentially the Welsh version of the Hatfields and McCoy’s with a rivalry that began over a pig…or a woman…depending on who is asked, but they’re not a typical enemies to lovers couple. Oh my word, how I loved these two and their hilarious families!

As the new Earl, Gryff has returned home from battling Napoleon only to find his childhood nemesis has grown in to a lovely woman. Gryff has it all—wit, loyalty, thoughtfulness, and charm, as well as being close to his younger, somewhat flashier siblings, but the thought of settling down hasn’t crossed his mind, at least consciously. So why is it Maddie is bringing forth all these blasted feelings?!

Maddie is a bit of a blue stocking with a love of archeology. She’s in a pickle and trying to find another way to salvage the family coffers without becoming the sacrificial lamb, but never did she figure help would come from the enemy. And no, it’s not a marriage of convenience but something much more unique;)

A Reckless Match was a fun romp through the countryside! There were interesting plot twists, oodles of sizzling chemistry—and I do mean oodles and oodles—and of all things-who’d have thought the dictionary could be a tool in seduction?! I am loving this new series and can’t wait to see where it goes.!!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley/St. Martin’s press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars

An excellent story. A bit Romeo and Juliet in that the Davies and the Montgomery's have been figting for generations. In the past, to keep the fighting down to a minimum, a zone was created between the two lands and each year a representative from each family has to meet and shake hands. If this doesn't happen then the land is forfeit to the otherside. Maddie is the family member selected to meet the Davies representative. She waits a long time and hopes someone will not make it as her family is in debt. Gryff turns up at the last moment and kisses her. Maddie has always been attracted to him and to have him return and take an interest in her is very off putting. There's pot holing, smugglers, nasty blackmailer and a good dose of passion. It's the start of a new series and with Maddie's cousin pining over Gryff's naval brother and Maddie's brother avoiding Gryff's eccentric firsty sister Cerys there's lots of potential for great storylines.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so engaged in Book 1 of the "Ruthless Rivals" as the journey between Maddie and Gryff unfolded from page to page that I had a challenging time putting this book down! Will these two put a lifelong feud between their families behind them for true love or is that even possible? This book was so worth the read and I highly recommend reading this well-written book!

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Sweet and spicy, with one of the more affable heroes and daring heroines I’d seen in a while. Can’t wait to read more from this author

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.
The Montgomery's and Davies has feuded for centuries and now it is Madeline and Gryff's turn.
They have spent ther lives teasing each other but now that Gryff is back from war they will have their own adventure.
Smugglers, treasure, an amazing word game, and happliet ever after. Kind of. The feud still loves on with their families and I can't wait so see who falls next.

I had high hopes for this title, Enemies to Lovers stories are my absolute favorite but this one fell flat. The story started out great, very Romeo & Juliet/Hatfields & McCoys-esq. But there were a lot of storylines going on at once and I don't think they were executed as well as they could have been. Also the ending was a bit lackluster. But overall it was an enjoyable read.

A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman is a great historical fiction romance novel that is the start of what is sure to be an excellent series: Ruthless Rivals.

I really enjoyed this book. The location was part of the wonderful landscapes of Wales.

I loved the cast of characters created amongst the feuding families. Maddie and Gryff were excellently paired. As the main characters, we see them come together, adversity overcome, discontent turns to love. I thought they had excellent chemistry, were likable, and well-developed. There are plenty of secondary characters in which to draw upon for subsequent novels.

I also loved the overall narrative as well. Not just a romance, we have smuggling, mystery, suspense, intrigue, and it all adds to the enjoyment and complexity of the overall plot.

A great read and I look forward to the next in this series.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Since there was a Montgomery and a Davies living on bordering estates, there's been a feud between them. The history of the families goes that a wayward sheep was to blame, but no one knows, and following one too many skirmish, an area of land between the estates was created, and yearly, a delegation from each family has to go and physically shake hands, or else they cede the land to the other side. For Maddie Montgomery, she hopes beyond all hope that the new Earl of Powys, Gryff, has forgotten about the pledge, as her family is nearly destitute, and she's facing being forced to marry an abhorrent gentlemen to save them all. But, Gryff remembered, and it's the first time the two have met since childhood, and the sparks are flying. They fight their attraction, but as they are thrown in danger together, stopping a smuggling plot on their land and discovering gold, can they honestly say they still hate each other?

Now, I've been waiting - somewhat impatiently - for this book since I finished Kate's previous book, The Princess and the Rogue, and learning that there would be a enemies to lovers plot line made me even more desperate. So when I was approved for A Reckless Match as I was finishing work, I immediately went home and devoured the entire book in just a few hours. Both Maddie and Gryff are products of the feud, and their entire childhood was fraught with mischief and mayhem against each other's family. But then Gryff left, and Maddie was struck by lightening, and they had to grow up. But they've never forgotten each other, and Gryff in particular, can still remember his attraction to Maddie, so seeing her now, as an beautiful woman, is strange and confusing to say the least. I loved the way we saw the animosity between the pair, and then the mutual respect grow as they found the hidden cache on the border land, and where thrown together in more and more difficult situations. It was a real romance that grew and blossomed, and wasn't wholly based on physical attraction.

The plot line, too, was so well fleshed out. We have the backstory of the two families, before meeting the hero/heroine, and then the discovery of the smuggling plot, and all of the danger that entails. There wasn't just Maddie and Gryff who were important, either. There's also Maddie's cousin, Harriet, who appears to have an eye on Gryff's brother, Morgan, and then Gryff's sister, Carys, and Maddie's brother, Tristan. I really hope the other books in the series are about them. A Reckless Match was a fantastic introduction to the series, perfect in itself, but also setting the scene for the rest of the Ruthless Rivals series. I can't wait for more!