Kate Bateman’s ruthless rivals series is back with another Davies/Montgomery pairing with A Wicked Game!

This series has been full of enemies to lovers, in this book is just as sweet!. In captain Morgan have been childhood frenemies and now as adults a simple bet has turned into a wicked game of increasingly steamy kisses!

Of the three books I’ve really enjoyed this one since we met the characters earlier in the series and we have a history of their friendship/rivalry. These two love to hate each other and hate to love each other! They are the perfect match!

With a little espionage thrown into the mix, this story was an absolute delight as we watch Harriet and Captain Morgan fight against French spies, but their attraction! -Sometimes the dangerous subplot can take away or distract from the building romance, but I felt it only added and just added a little excitement to the story, while letting their attraction to each other take centre stage!

Lastly- we were given a little teaser that there may be more Davies/ Montgomery pairings in the future!!! I can’t wait!!!

A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman is available today!

Thanks to St. Martins Press for the eBook review copy via Netgalley.

#AWickedGame #KateBateman

"God, they were ridiculous. Why couldn't they simply admit to wanting to kiss each other? But things had gone too far to backtrack now. They were stuck in this cycle of provocative teasing..."
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I love how the fueding families, enemies to lovers trope has evolved throughout this series. It allows for really great bickering and flirting and back-and-forth between our couples, as well as refreshingly honest lines like the one above.

I think Morgan is my favorite of the men so far, I love that he knows what he wants and decides to just go after it (in a totally roundabout way, of course!). The dares and bets between him and Harriet are fun and hot, and the emotional climax is SO good and definitely the most satisfying in the series.

These books have been one of my favorite discoveries of 2022 (yay for random requests on NetGalley!). I love Kate Bateman's writing and she is one of those rare authors who calls a character clever or witty and then actually writes them that way! My appreciation for this feat knows no bounds.

As with any series, there are some repetitive elements throughout the books, which are much more noticeable if you read them all in a row like I did, but this doesn't detract from each book's individual appeal. I can't wait for Rhys' book, especially since we (including him!) haven't met his leading lady yet.

If you love clever banter and teasing, shared history, slightly scandalous bets, a feisty heroine, and a sexy and sweet hero, do not miss this book!
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Thank you so much St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

As much as I loved the first two books in the Ruthless Rivals series, I couldn't wait for Morgan and Harriet's story. And Kate Bateman delivered. A Wicked Game was everything I wanted it to be and more. A unique and engaging plot with fun and feisty characters, I couldn't put this book down. Although A Wicked Game can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the whole series. They have become some of my favorite historicals that I enjoy visiting again and again.

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series, and I LOVE this book! I love that Harriet actually worked using her mapmaking skills to support the Crown during the war...although therein lies the bone of contention between her and Morgan at the outset of this book. Well, besides their LIFETIME of teasing and pestering each other, to include Harriet agreeing to three kisses from Morgan upon his return from the war. Harriet's bit of false intel planted with the French wound up landing Morgan in a French jail. But how was he to know the map he found on another French ship wasn't quite accurate...on purpose? He is quite surprised initially to realize Harriet was the one who created the map, so his planned revenge against the mapmaker at fault will take a most seductive turn (reference the aforementioned three kisses). Morgan's time in jail realized he doesn't want to live without Harriet, but he is unsure how she feels about him. For Harriet's part, she has found no other man who excites her like Morgan does. But that doesn't mean he's marriage material...does it? Does she even want marriage? And just when you thought Morgan's difficulties from the war were over, we find that isn't quite the case, but this time Harriet is also at risk. I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. This book was a joy to read and this series is reread worthy for sure! The chemistry between Harriet and Morgan is OFF the CHARTS, and their sexytime scenes are smoking hot! I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!

4.5 🌟

This series is just so dang good and A Wicked game is no exception! If you love a little sweet, a little naughty, and a little funny - this book is for you!

Morgan Davies and Harriet Montgomery are born to be enemies - their families have been sworn enemies for centuries. They’ve always had good banter and some reluctant attraction between them, but Morgan is off to France with the Navy. Harriet and him make a bet before he leaves, if he comes back alive she’ll grant him 3 kisses. I think you can see where this goes 😉

I loved both Morgan and Harriet. Harriet was me, I was Harriet lol I could totally picture myself in her shoes…kinda nerdy but also sarcastic! This was a low angst dive into a life-long frenemy relationship that develops into something more without one of them even knowing! I loved their journey together - how well they knew each other really made this story for me! There might have been some moments where I was like y’all need to figure your ish out now but that’s romance hahaha Morgan and Harriet’s journey out of the frenemies zone is really the heart of the story but I have to say that I also enjoyed the little intrigue side plot!! Such a fun read!

This was the ultimate romantic journey…sweet, sexy, and fun. Oh how I’ve loved these books and can’t wait to continue reading more from Kate Bateman!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book only slightly more than the other two in the series. They are all pretty low angst but I felt like this one one was especially low. Like, so low that It was almost boring at times. But the characters are well written and they have actual chemistry so that made up for it. Overall a worthwhile read.

4.5/5 stars
A Wicked Game was such an enjoyable read filled with so much witty banter and delicious tension. It has been a while since I’ve read a historical romance, and I forgot how amazingly delightful this genre is. A Wicked Game is the third book in The Ruthless Rivals series about two feuding families who have neighboring properties in Wales.

Captain Morgan Davies has been antagonizing Harriet Montgomery since they were children. Everyone can see how in love with each other these two are (besides them). They light a spark in each other and I really enjoyed the push and pull between them.

After being away for years, Morgan is back and ready to claim Harriet as his bride. He just has to convince Harriet that she wants to say yes. Harriet is so smart and funny. I really loved her character. Morgan was so sweet. I love how he gave Harriet a chance to fall for him instead of just claiming her. The games and dares that they played were super hot!

The side characters are also really fun. I love the nosy gossipy aunts and it was fun to see characters from the first two books. The Davies brothers’ dynamic is hilarious when they are all together. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next. I hope the next book is about Rhys.

A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman brings us into the Montgomery and Davies realm again. This is the third book in the series, Ruthless Rivals. Between the gold mine and the intermarriages, the two families who have been feuding for years until this generation are now making nice. Harriet and her father are mapmakers and live in London. Her father’s eyesight is failing miserably and more of the mapmaking falls upon her shoulders.

Captain Morgan Davies took a map off a French ship he captured and found himself trapped by a nasty character. The map was so wrong that he was captured and the map maker had to answer to him. The map maker was Harriet. Someone he had feelings for his entire life.

Together they find themselves in the midst of forgeries, evil characters and other problems, but Morgan is not giving up this time! A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman was an interesting read with a great love story.

A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman is the third book in the Ruthless Rivals series.

A brilliant and fast-paced regency romance between lifelong, childhood rivals, that turns into a sizzling, passionate attraction. Full of snarky banter, constant competitions, and sparing with one another, that made me want this story to never end. Oh so deliciously wicked, I could barely breathe for the anticipation of what was to come next.

“If there was one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it was a challenge from a Montgomery.”

Harriet Montgomery and Morgan Davies’ mutual animosity for one another had been going on for years while growing up, all the while secretly wanting one another. So when Morgan is about to leave for war, she desperately wants him to return safely so she makes a bet with him… if he returns home unscathed, she will grant him three kisses. Two long years later, after traveling the globe with His Majesty’s Royal Navy, and a stint in prison, Morgan returns back home to London with two goals, to seduce Harriet and to get revenge for being lead astray by the mapmaker H.Crusoe after ending up in prison on the island of Martinique.

“Because imprisonment had granted him a shocking epiphany: He needed Harriet Montgomery. In his bed. In his life. Permanently.”

I adored these two with their quick wit, love of the absurd, a thirst for knowledge and adventures. There is such a delicious prelude to Harriet’s seduction that had my heart pounding at times!

“Their three kisses would be just the beginning - He wanted all of her, body and soul. Nothing less than total surrender would do.”

“Her map had led to his hunger, thirst and exhaustion. He could make her suffer the same torments but with a decidedly carnal twist; she would hunger for his touch, thirst for his kisses, and emerge exhausted from his lovemaking.”

Kate Bateman packed this story full of adventure, intrigue and sensual, sizzling heat. These two melted my heart. I loved how much Morgan wanted and loved Harriet with all of his heart. I also adored seeing all the characters from the previous books. Such a fantastic series. But “A Wicked Game” is now my new favorite. I LOVED IT!

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #AWickedGame by Kate Bateman in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book especially all the pining of both MCs. They had some amazing banter and chemistry as well. I enjoyed the plot outside of the romance too. The way that Morgan proved his love to Harriet was absolutely beautiful and I loved that Harriet saw all the other ways he had showed her he loved her throughout their lives. I hope there is more to this series because I am enjoying these 2 families a lot.

I highly recommend this book.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (one scene was on the shorter side)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes! Lovely humor in the banter
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine

Should I read in order?
You should, only because the entire series is so fabulous! This one is pretty easy to pick up as a standalone. You will miss some light character development and overlap though.

Basic plot:
Morgan Davies leaves for war with the bet that if he comes home unscathed, he gets to collect 3 kisses from his childhood nemesis Harriet Montgomery...

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1815)
- Cartographer heroine
- Soldier (Captain) hero
- Welsh hero/English heroine
- Bargain – they make a bargain before the hero goes to war – if he returns unscathed, he wins 3 kisses
- Rival families/frenemies to lovers feel – these two families have been going at each for centuries, though there’s not true malice between them
- Lots of focus on the main couple
- Scarred hero
- Medium steam (3 full scenes)

Ages:
- Hero is 23, heroine is a year younger (so around 22)

My thoughts:
I will ALWAYS give the lovely Kate Bateman a try! I have been adoring this series so much and this book was yet another book I felt pure delight reading.

Something I enjoy her writing is she slides in her research in the best ways – through her characters. I never feel like I’m slogging through passages of ‘telling’ instead of showing and I adored learning about various cartography history and strategies in this book.

I kind of fell in love with Morgan immediately. He was just charismatic to me, flirty, fun, the banter playful – he’s the kind of man that gives you butterflies to be near, and he did it for me in the best way. One of my favorite scenes that showcases his personality is when he gives Harriet a book of naughty prints – right in front of her father with failing eyesight – and then says “Enjoy your book of prints, Miss Montgomery. I hope you think of me whenever you look at them.

Harriet was a wonderful heroine too. She has taken over the map making aspect in their family’s business. Her playfulness and hesitancy with Morgan was really sweet. They were a couple that’s meant to be together!

I had one of those dopey, in absolute love, smiles on my face the whole time I was reading this story. Their banter is fantastic, the sexual tension was lovely and the butterflies built will make this a reread for me for sure. Such a wonderful read!!!

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was fun, steamy and held my interest. I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is book 3 in the Ruthless Rivals series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Oh, I just adore this story from one of my favorite authors. Ms Bateman writes such witty prose to get the us the reader involved. This is the third in a series, but can be read as a standalone. What a very wicked title for a most enjoyable book which held my interest from the first chapter and never let go.
The characters were fully developed with thoughts an feelings of their own.
Captain Morgan Davies has returned from imprisonment during a voyage which was mapped wrong. He was taken prisoner by a French sadistic general during the Napoleon wars. He was thought dead for a couple of years, but now he's back to get revenge on the map maker who gave faulty information. He also promised one hard headed girl, that he would be back to give her three kisses on a bet he made with her. He thought he would be back sooner, but things didn't turn out like he expected.
Harriet Montgomery has been a thorn in Morgan's side since they were children, but her attraction still lingers on the man. She thought she would die, when Morgan never returned when he said he would, and was heart broken. Harriet now makes maps because her father's eyes are not what they use to be. She also is working for the government making maps to infiltrate the enemy in France by giving false information. That was what happened to Morgan when he got a hold of a bad map.
So now Harriet and Morgan are together again to finish what they started. Morgan wants two things: all of Harriet's kisses and to get the darn woman to marry him. But the stubborn woman has her own reasons for not marrying. Things get hot and heavy when these two give their hearts to each other. Of course, a happy ending is the reason.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

I do love a good pining romance, and this gave it to readers beyond expectations! It's a frenemies to lovers tale, with excellent backstory (which can be hard to come by in books with a time jump) and well developed side characters that had me itching for more stories even while I was reading. I have been keeping up with this series since book one, and with each book, the series gets even better. This is by far my favorite of the three, not just for the couple but the individual MCs themselves. The heroine is brilliant and gutsy without being TSTL, and the hero has a fun sense of humor with patience that rivals a saint. He also falls in love first, which just makes me all giggly inside. We need more men who know their own hearts in romance. I do love a good alpha hero who has to be persuaded into matrimony, but it is exceedingly refreshing to see a hero who has to persuade the heroine instead.

The Montgomery and Davies families have a rivalry that dates back more than one hundred years. It does not do for them to mingle, let alone marry, and yet already two sets of children have found love with each other. Morgan Davies has known since he was a lad of just sixteen that Harriet Montgomery would eventually be his. Ever since a prank gone awry led to her tears, and a twinge in his heart and his conscience came alive, he realized he needed her. At first just in his bed but as he got older, his mind matured and developed a new focus: marriage. Only just as he is beginning to realize this, he is called to fight for his country, and he makes a pact with Harriet. If he returns to live, she owes him three kisses. No mention of location, geographic or...otherwise. Two years pass and they are reunited once more, and since Morgan is very much alive, he has come to collect. Not just his kisses but also Harriet's stubborn heart.

I do love a Romeo and Juliet story with a happy ending, don't you? Shakespeare, take notes. I absolutely adored this couple, with their hilarious banter, Harriet's wit, and Morgan's ever-present smile. It wasn't quite a grump/sunshine situation, but it was close and Morgan was most definitely the sunshine. He took Harriet's snark in stride and found it a fun challenge to make her fall in love with him. Having achieved some experience in the bedroom since last they spoke, he was able to use her lack of experience to his advantage, in a fun way for both of them. Harriet had never been kissed, and she certainly didn't know kisses could be given on other parts of the body. Morgan was delighted to enlighten her. Soon Harriet wanted to see him more and more, and while at first she could convince herself it was simply to experience his kisses, she couldn't hide the truth for long. Her admiration of him matched his own of her, but she still couldn't imagine he truly loved her. After all, he would soon sail away again as a member of the navy. That's when Morgan had to become truly inspired and figure out how to make her see his love was true and lasting. Alongside the romance was some intrigue, which Morgan and his brothers were happy to assist with, and just the image of the three of them standing there in support of Harriet was enough to make a girl swoon.

Readers get a hint of who is next up for marriage, so don't think we've run out of people to marry off in this family. The author has a trick up her sleeve, so get ready.

Cheeky Dares are a Map to Love

Book 3 of Ruthless Rivals makes me wish for book 4! Harriet Montgomery is a brilliant, beautiful daughter of a mapmaker. She alters some maps for the government in order to put some French ships off course. Her attraction to Morgan Davies (of the Davies-Montgomery feud) is delayed when he is a prisoner of war in Martinique due to him using a map meant for the French. One which was made by Harriet. When Morgan returns to England, one of his goals is to seduce her.

I loved that Morgan was so taken by Harriet that it sustained him as a POW. It annoyed me when he went to balls that he let himself be surrounded by women, even though he’d leave when he saw Harriet. It made her feel like she wasn’t worthy of him which was ridiculous. I don’t remember Morgan saying he did or didn’t “have” a woman when he returned to England.

It was very cheeky of Morgan to give Harriet that daring book of sensual delights in front of her half-blind father. The couple had a lightning-strike type of attraction that their last few dares showed. It had some flaming hot scenes.

I received a free copy of this book and I’m leaving this voluntary review.

The banter and delayed gratification of this wonderful historical romance had me on the edge of my seat!

I loved the mutual pining of the main characters, the enemies to lovers dynamic and oneupmanship of their shared childhood, and the extraordinary measures they took to hide their true feelings from one another.

Full review to come on my blog on release day.

OBSESSED. I’m obsessed with this book. I need the other books in this series like, RIGHT NOW! It was a pure delight, so good I want to cry when I think about it. It was just my thing! Get me close-knitted families, a feud as old as the world between two rival families, characters with lots of banter who know what they want and in bonus, amazing spice! What do you get? A book I cannot put down even to go get myself a coffee (I kid you not, it took me an hour and a half, AN HOUR AND A HALF of telling myself: "just one more chapter" before I could get my ass off the couch and take 2 minutes to do my coffee and get back to the book).

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂 - The Davies and Montgomery have been enemies for as long as one can remember. But behind the teasing and banter, love is never far. Morgan Davies is back to London after war. His experiences made him realize a lot and he is now fully aware of his feelings toward Harriet Montgomery. He wants one thing and one thing only: her. And what better way to convince her they are perfect for each other than to use the bet they made to his advantage. 3 kisses, he’s allowed 3 kisses, and he sure plans to use them very carefully and in the most wicked way...

"𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒅𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒊𝒈." This has to be my favourite quote of all time. If you know me, you know I absolutely despise grand gestures in front of an audience and I sooooo hate when the ending of a great book is ruined by it haha. Let me juste say that the ending of this book was PERFECTION.

Anyways, beautiful cover, beautiful story, beautiful characters, BEAUTIFUL EVERYTHING. That’s it.

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5/4 stars
This was a fun ending to the Ruthless Rivals series. Morgan and Harriet are interesting, well-developed questions. I loved the description of their childhood antics and their romance. It was well done and left a vivid impression in my mind. Their banter was fun and entertaining. I enjoyed getting to see Maddie and Gryff – the couple from the first book in the series, as I love getting to see the previous couples throughout the rest of the series. I wish that the mystery/intrigue subplot had played more of a role in the story than it did.

Love Kate Bateman. She writes witty and real characters. For "A Wicked Game" we have a face off of two longtime enemies, he a Davies and she a Montgomery. The family feud is long and historic, but one by one the current Davies clan has fallen for a Montgomery. This enemies to lovers trope could have been ripped from a current rom-com and has many funny and sexy scenes. It is a wonderful read with a touch of suspense.

Since she was 14, Harriet Montgomery has always had a thing for Morgan Davies. Now just what that thing is is hard to define. He is infuriating, noble, brave, handsome and he makes her heart beat faster just being in the same room. On the eve of his departure for war Harriet bets him that if he returns, she will grant him three kisses.

Captain Morgan Davies spent six weeks as a prisoner of war because a mapmaker had incorrectly drawn a map he used. During that time, he came to realize that the little piece of baggage from his childhood is more important to him than life itself. His goals on returning to England is to hunt down and hurt the mapmaker and marry Harriet Montgomery. The first is not a problem, but the second is going to take some work.

Morgan has three kisses to make Harriet fall in love with him. He just needs a plan on where and how to collect on his bet and bring the willful Harriet the most pleasure possible.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

**Thank you to Kate Bateman, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of A Wicked Game in exchange for an honest review!**
I am not a huge fan of historical romances. So when I tell you I loved! this book, you know it means that I truly adored it. I finished it in one sitting. I loved the bet and the tension between Captain Davies and Harriet. They are such a great match, they're great sparring partners but also great friends. The best way to describe their relationship is that they are rivals, they have always been in some sort of altercation or bet with one another. Harriet obviously decides that making another bet for kisses is the most surefire way to make sure that he doesn't die as he goes off with the Navy. I really enjoyed finding out that Harriet was the mapmaker that he was also seeking revenge against. Then it added another level of heat to their pairing, he had already decided that he was going to romance her but this added layer made it so that he also wanted to seduce her. I really loved this book, it was honestly one of the best reads of the year. I was so excited when I saw that there was another book in this series. I am going to read that next, and I really hope others will read these books so that I can talk about them more!!