This book is a wonderful addition to an already delightful series. All three are solid 5 stars and the beautiful covers enhance the experience. The rivals are members of two Welsh families who have been feuding for 500 years. In this generation the rivalry keeps turning to love. Morgan and Harriet spent their youth challenging and daring one another. When she sends him off to sea to fight Napoleon she bets him three kisses that he wont survive, giving him the desire to return at collect on his bet. I love that at the beginning of the book he already knows he is smitten with Harriet. The story is really him wooing her into choosing him. Of course that choice was made as children and neither realizes it.

There is an interesting side story of Harriet being a cartographer and making inaccurate maps to fool the French. She runs her fathers shop and Morgan and his brothers help her deal with someone plagiarizing her maps. This book has playfulness, family feud fun, and steamy passion. I love that there are no angst moments or miscommunications. Just challenges and dares with romance as the theme.

This book can be read on its own but to have background on the families enjoy all three of the stories. The couples, Harriet’s cousins and Morgan’s siblings, make appearances in this story. And the prologue sets up Morgan’s brother as the next one to get a romance. I can’t wait to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Wicked Game is the third book of The Ruthless Rivals series. This book features the Montgomery and Davies Families. These families have been rivals for years but Morgan and Harriet have taken the rivalry to extremes with outrageous bets over the years. Unbeknownst to either of them they each have loved the other since they were young.

Morgan is about to go to war for England against Bonaparte. Harriet decides to make a bet because she is sure that he will live to see the bet thru, this way she ensures he will return from war. But Morgan gets captured, is tortured and jailed before his release. When he returns Morgan is on a mission to find the mapmaker Crusoe which caused him and his ship to run aground due to incorrect data on the map he stole from the French and take his revenge. But he also is looking to collect on his bet the of the 3 kisses from Harriet.

Harriett and her father make maps and were hired by Lord Melville from the Admiralty Offices to draw maps with slight alterations to hinder the French. But her father has lost his sight due to cataracts and she has been drawing them for her father under the Crusoe name. Harriet may be in danger from another source also seeking revenge.

These two characters really stand out. They tease, snipe, wager all the while trying to best one another.
But they are supposed to be sworn enemies because of a family feud, Morgan will have to work hard to prove that he loves her, normal proclamations will just not work with Harriet.

I really enjoyed this book and will now have to read the prior two books in the series. These characters were much more enjoyable due to their strong daring personalities and mutual love for one another.

A Wicked Game is the third book in Kate Bateman’s Ruthless Rivals series — and the first that I’ve read. However, it certainly won’t be the last! I’ve already purchased the earlier books.

I loved Morgan and Harriet, as well as the low-angst mutual pining that was between them. Watching Morgan work to convince his childhood frenemy that he genuinely loved her was a delight! I also really appreciated Harriet’s interest and career in mapmaking, and how it was brought up regularly and influenced her thoughts and actions. Sometimes things like that just feel like character quirks, but it really felt like part of who she was.

The teasing and banter between the two of them was fun and genuine and it was great seeing both characters get flustered as it amped up through the story.

The family relationships — between Morgan and his brothers and Harriet and her father — were also a large part of what made A Wicked Game such a special read. As much as I enjoy a scheming relative, it’s nice to see a relationship built of love and kindness.

I can’t wait to read the others! :)

As a fan of Kate Bateman's writing and her RUTHLESS RIVALS Series, I loved this 3rd book featuring Morgan Davies and Harriette Montgomery. Morgan and "Harry" share many characteristics: both are very likable, intelligent, complex and fearless. Both have also been in love with each other for years but seem to be the only ones who don't recognize just how perfect they are for each other. Watching their relationship unfold as they gradually reach their very satisfying HEA makes this an exceptional story. Readers get outstanding characters, excellent dialog, smart humor, angst, heat, romance and a large group of surrounding characters - some familiar and some new. This one, like the previous two books, also works well as a stand alone. Highly recommend.

I received a complementary copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Wagering can be such fun. Just ask Morgan and Harriet. I loved these two frenemies. Their story is light, fun, and flirty. Their bit of sexiness due to wagering was like a delicious chocolate truffle. You keep savoring it. Anticipation is the name of the game.

Now, Rhys is in big trouble according to the aunts. Why and what is in the horizon for him?

A Wicked Game is a fun, sexy, romantic story of two childhood friends/rivals who have loved one another from afar while teasing and tormenting each other up close. After Morgan, the MMC, returns from war with Napoleon and surviving imprisonment by the enemy, he determines to wed Harriet, the FMC. What follows is a joyful story with twists and turns but always romantic at the core. This was my first book by Ms. Bateman, but it will not be the last.

This is the third book in a series, but I did not feel any confusion or that I was missing context by not reading the prior entries.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are strictly my own.

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Ruthless Rivals series. The Davies and Montgomery families have been rivals for centuries. But it’s a friendly sort of rivalry where the kids played together growing up and mostly just bickered with each other. When Morgan is ready to go out to sea, Harriet gives him a reason to come back, by allowing him three kisses if he survives and returns. A few years later, he survives torture and imprisonment and wants only one thing when he returns: Harriet’s hand in marriage. However, with their history of fighting and dares, he knows that she won’t believe him if he proposes outright, so he plans to seduce her and wear her down. This book was fun and low-angst between our two rivals, aside from a few little brushes with dastardly villains. Overall, I loved seeing Morgan scheme to bring Harriet into his arms and her trying to resist him. And I loved that both of their families were supportive and knew that these two loved each other even before they did.

I can always count on a historical romance to be amazing. This was such a refreshing story, which is nice because I feel like with historicals, sometimes you see the same story line over and over again, but not with this one! I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what Kate Bateman comes out with next.

Harriet and Morgan have cared and loved each others for years but they never got toghter unti now.
Morgan comes up with some dares for Harriet that leads to them admitting how they feel for each other.
There also a little suspense wth some maps.
A good historical romance.
Voluntarily reviewed.

This is the third book in this series and I have read the prior books. I really enjoyed the story of Harriet the map cartographer and Morgan the Naval Captain. The fact that the couple had a relationship as children added to the story. The addition of the maps was very interesting and gave a great background and setting.

I adore this series and the characters! I was really excited for this installment and it did not disappoint! The lifelong playful rivalry between the MCs was everything and I really enjoyed to blend of the present and the past. Their chemistry made for fantastic steamy scenes! There was so much to love: the MMC fell first and had to court the FMC, the romance was not lost in the action, and both MCs had occupations that complimented each other! I did struggle with the overuse of the word “wicked” as I tend to fixate on repetition.

Steam: 🔥🔥

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / SMP Romance for the advance reader copy via NetGalley! All thoughts are my own.

This wasn't as enemies-to-lovers-ish as the blurb would have you believe. A case of unmet expectations for me for sure! But still a good historical romance read. I enjoyed the cartographer element as well.

Kate Bateman has made this series such a delightful read. The Montgomery versus Davies feud continues with Morgan and Harriet. The dialogue between them is sharp and highly entertaining. The dates and the bets are wonderful. Both of them find themselves in danger from the same person. The plot moves quickly as the reader will enjoy moments of fun and hilarity. It is a really great book as another Davis and Montgomery join in holy matrimony.

I love this series and Kate Bateman!

I’ve enjoyed all of the books in the series so far and this didn’t disappoint! Harriet Montgomery and Morgan Davies are part of long feuding families, but two Montgomeries have already wed two Davies. The families grew up together so Harriet and Morgan have been thrown together over the years. They were more frenemies than enemies. Harriet promises Morgan 3 kisses if he safely returns from war.

This series is just so fun! I loved the teasing banter between Harriet and Morgan. Morgan sets his sight on Harriet. He knows he loves her and wants to make her his. I love the little bit of mystery in the series. I loved the build up to Harriet and Morgan getting together. Morgan’s grand gesture was so sweet! I’m really hoping there will be a book for Rhys!

"I Bet You" words to be careful of between a Davies and Montgomery!

Harriet Montgomery, map maker's daughter, care for her aging father and still produces the maps for their shop. Her rival in maple is not much, but in the Davies clan the playful died still continues. The free has calmed over the centuries but they still get jabs to each other.

Morgan Davies, Captain in the Royal Navy, has be the main instigator in the feud since childhood. He has dared Harriet for years just as she has him. He has always kept it like and playful never harmful.

Now as Morgan is joining the Navy, Harriet dares him to return alive. How is Morgan to turn that down but a counter dare.

General Jean-Luc De Caen, mean man with an agenda.

Now as the war with Napoleon ends Morgan is home and wants his rewards from Harriet. What is the reward, you ask? You will just have to read this laugh out loun, sexy, adventure to find out. You can be assured there will be snappy repertoire, dares galore, and family ribbing.

I found this to be one of the best books by Kate Bateman!

Good read! I didn’t read the other books in this series and it wasn’t a problem for me, I wasn’t confused. I liked the characters, the dialogue was good, the story was interesting and fast paced. A must read!

I think this is my favorite in the series so far! Harriet was such a great female lead. I loved the storyline of her being a mapmaker, and how everything tied together in the end (Paradise Court, SWOON). Morgan was awesome too, I enjoyed their banter and teasing - and how the whole time he has been desperately in love with her! But, on the flip side, there’s just something missing. All three books in the series have been three stars, so I think this author just isn’t it for me. Would still recommend though! Especially if you love a light-hearted romance with some exciting and outlandish subplots thrown in on the side. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Morgan and “Harry” are a great couple! I love that they both always wanted each other, but never realized that the other felt the same. I’m truly loving this series, I laugh out loud, cry and cheer when things happen. My heart broke toward the end, but luckily everything turned out the way it should have. When Morgan convinced Harriet’s dad to have the surgery he needed, my heart exploded with joy that he’d be fixed. I hope there are more books coming in the series because I need more of the Davies/Montgomery families!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

I adored this low angst, high tension historical romance. When this series between two feuding families started, I was a little unsure of where it would go, but it's only gotten better as the series has progressed. I loved the longing and the angst between these two characters. I really liked that the conflict wasn't too heavy and that things resolved in a way that moved quickly and felt satisfying. For a light and fun but also page turning read this winter, you need this.

4 stars

The third book in her Ruthless Rivals series, Kate Bateman brings us yet another couple that must conquer the Davies-Montgomery feud (and their own walls) to find their happily ever after. This installment features naval captain Morgan and mapmaker Harriet whose long-repressed feelings for each other come to the surface when Morgan returns from war to claim the three kisses that Harriet bet she would give him if he didn't perish fighting Napoleon.

This book had some really great tropes from enemies-to-lovers to sex bets to mutual pining and and as always, Kate Bateman delivers on the steam and the banter. However, I personally wasn't connecting with the romance between these characters as much as I anticipated and I think part of that had to do with the fact that this book somewhat took for granted the fact that the characters begin the story already having feelings for each other. There was definitely still tension, but I think that not enough attention was paid to the fact that they needed to break their own holding pattern of banter in order to be with each other. All of the relationship conflict really boiled down to was them just not realizing that the other person had romantic feelings for them and it just left me wanting a bit more.

While I felt like the wind had been taken out of this romance's sails a bit, I still found that there was a lot to enjoy in this book and I hope that Bateman gets to finish it off with Rhys' book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!