I love this series! The romance is spicy, the mystery is intriguing, and the characters are amazing! I loved the romance between a reformed thief and an amateur detective. It was so sweet and spicy and I loved it! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a good book! The characters were enjoyable and the storyline moved quickly. It was easy to fall in the love with the main characters and root for them. Can't wait for the third book!

He’s a reformed thief, she co-runs a detective agency. They meet due to him kissing her, and it just gets better from there.

I absolutely adored Harry, and together he and Eleanor “Ellie” were terrific.

It was lovely to read them coming together, Ellie letting go of her preconceived notions, as the two fall for each other. Swoon and sigh.

I loved How to Fall for a Scoundrel and tried my best to not read it too quickly because I wanted to savor the storyline.

This was my fourth time reading the author’s work and I’m definitely a fan ❤️ Kate Bateman writes engaging stories that are both highly enjoyable and fun to read.

You could read this as a stand-alone, but you’d be missing out. Recommended series (and author)!



Thank you to St. Martin’s Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC

In the early 1800's, Ellie and her two best friends are doing well running King & Company Investigations. When they ago to a ball while on assignment, Ellie meets a rogue named Harry, who wants to hire them to find something. Ellie is both disgusted and enthralled by this man but she can't afford to turn down a case.
This book is the perfect summer beach read that is both cute and fascinating. You will love it!
I have loved reading this series and can't wait for the next one!

What a delightful historical romance! Harry was completely charming and Ellie was so sweet; I very much enjoyed their interactions. I was hooked on the story from the jump and never felt bored. It was especially fun having more than one mystery that needed solving in this book. This series has been really great so far and I'm looking forward to the next one so much.

I am halfway into How to fall for a scoundrel and I sadly cannot get into th
is book. I've loved all of the other books I've read by this author. This one is slow to me and I DNF at 55 percent. I tried.

Thanks for the chance to read and review.

Another great book in the series by Kate Bateman that follows childhood friends turned investigators. Of course, we are in the 1800s, so the agency must be run by a secret (read: nonexistent) man. Harry is a man of many identities, a reformed runner of scams, who jumps in to help out. The story evolves as we learn what Harry wants and as we see who Harry wants (and who wants him!). The book started a bit slow for me, but by the end I was totally engaged and loving the story and the couple. I'm excited to read the next book in the series where the third friend will find her match!

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a fun, light hearted historical romance with elements of mystery and a light heat level. Ellie started King and Co. with two of her best friends and business is good as they become the top private investigators in London. More and more of the clients are wanting to meet the fictional Mr. King. Enter Harry, thief and scoundrel extraordinaire willing to play at Mr. King but wanting the investigators to help him with something of his own. Harry and Ellie start with great chemistry that just builds throughout the story. The mystery is not too heavy and just adds to the fun for an enjoyable HEA and another great Kate Bateman romance. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This is one of those books where a serious, all -business lady falls for a light hearted rogue. Ellie is an independent, liberated woman (19th century not withstanding) and has carved out a niche for herself, together with her friends, as private investigators. They've been given the assignment of returning a stolen antique book to a museum. Enter Harry, a dapper former international thief of expensive objects, who's decided to join their group to stave off boredom. It's a fun read. If Harry seems more silly to me than charming and the plot a bit cartoonish, well that's personal taste. It's a good, light, "beach read" that can be picked up and enjoyed without falling too deeply into it.

This is the second installment following the ladies of King & Co, this time focusing on Ellie.
She meets her match in Harry, the reformed thief.

This is a fun, fairly light hearted adventure where the ladies (and Harry) solve several cases - the most important being who Harry really is!

The characters here are engaging and likeable. There is an excellent mix of intrigue and romance that made the story move quickly. The supporting cast is excellent, but not overwhelming in anyway.

While this is the second in a series, it is a complete stand alone. Ellie’s story is independent of Tess’, but there are bread crumbs to encourage readers who missed the first book to go back. I am looking forward to seeing how Daisy’s story plays out.

This was a delight! I didn't realize this was part of a series when I started it, so I'll definitely be going back to read the first book. Still, that didn't hinder my enjoyment! Well-written + interesting women, a reformed rake, and fun banter? Can't go wrong! I did feel like they fell in love a bit too quickly, but who am I to judge? Harry was incredibly charming, so I can't blame Ellie for falling fast.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel has everything you could want in a regency romance… a charming hero, fun banter and good chemistry between the hero and the heroine with some sleuthing mixed in.

This is book 2 in the Her Majesty’s Rebels Series and although it reads fine as a stand-alone, I would have preferred to have read the first book before diving into this one to get to know these characters from the start. Having said that, I enjoyed How to Fall for a Scoundrel very much without having read the first book.

This was a fun one, I liked Harry and Ellie and they complimented one another well. The chemistry between these two was nice and I really enjoyed the slow burn romance. I’m not too big a fan of the secret identity trope but I enjoyed it here as Harry won me over with how well he treated Ellie.
Tess and Daisy run the private eye company with Ellie and the author weaves them in and out of the story nicely so that you get to know about them also without having to read the first book in the series. I loved the ending, I thought it was so cute and the story is left open for the next installment.

This was my first time reading Kate Bateman and I would read her work again. I enjoyed the writing, fun storyline and the romance. How to Fall for a Scoundrel was a fun regency romance with a smart independent heroine and a dashing hero who keeps surprising you, but in a good way. Lastly, the cover is perfect and is taken from a scene in the book. So cute.

Kate Bateman never disappoints!! She mixes romance, passion, intrigue, and adventure together very well. I loved the chemistry and banter between the main characters and how they worked so well together. Beyond excited for the third book ahead too :)

An overlooked wallflower and a charismatic thief make the perfect pair in How to Fall for a Scoundrel.

Ellie meets Harry at a society ball, and neither is what they seem. Harry plays the role of charming rogue just returned to England from a decade on the continent. Ellie is part owner of a female-led investigation service with a pretend male figurehead so as to attract clients. Harry inserts himself into the women’s current investigation into the robbery of a precious book that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. What we later learn, is that Harry was testing Ellie and her female partners, to see if they would be the right investigators to help him solve a problem of his own—how to confirm his identity and assume his position of Earl. Through both investigations, they find things about the other that make them seize upon their sizzling attraction and fall in love.

Kate Bateman hits all the right marks in this lively and delightful historical romance.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in the Her Majesty’s Rebels series, though can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just like all her other marvelous hsitorical romances, Kate Bateman once again serves a brilliant love story that gives you all the feelings and with igniting chemistry between the hero and his heroine.

This second book in the Her Majesty's Rebels series stars Eleanor Law. Ellie and her two best friends Daisy and Tess have formed King & Company, a most successful private investigation firm. However, they are about to lose the chance at a lucrative investigation for a missing valuable book because they can't introduce their prospective client to Charles King, their fictional boss.

In steps "Henri Bonheur" who claims to be Charles King. Ellie has met Henri at a ball and is very taken with him even though she knows he is a scoundrel and thief and a man who won't share his real name. He does prove his worth in the investigation into the lost manuscript. But Henri, or Harry, has a problem of his own.

He wants to hire King & Company to prove that he is Henry James Charles Brooke, the twelfth Earl of Cobham. He was taken to the Continent at age fifteen after the deaths of his parents by his uncle Hugo. There is a large change of appearance between fifteen and twenty-five and most who know him have passed away.

Luckily, Harry does have one unique feature - his eyes are two different colors. He was studied by an optometrist who wrote about his eyes in an article published in the Royal Society's annual book. They need to track down the optometrist to find his notes because his paper doesn't name Harry.

All along the way, as they search for missing manuscripts, win back a famous jewel, and try to find out the proof of Harry's claim. Ellie and Harry are falling in love.

This was an entertaining historical romance set in 1816. I liked the characters.

I loved “How to fall for a scoundrel”! Eleanor Law and her friends started a private investigation business with a make believe man as the boss. “Henri Bonheur” meets Eleanor at a party and pretends to be said make believe boss. He claims he’s a reformed con man and wants to go straight. He convinces her to let him help with one of her investigations and along the way they fall for each other. Their journey to love is filled with adventure and danger and I loved every page of it! There are twists and turns and strong, well written characters. Everything I like in a romance.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a captivating historical romance novel that is both well-written and entertaining. The story is fast-paced, with short chapters that keeping me engaged from start to finish. The novel features a strong and intelligent female protagonist who is easy to root for, as well as a kind and caring male protagonist who adds depth to the story. The banter between the characters is engaging, filled with wit and humor that adds to the overall charm of the book. In addition to the romance, the novel also includes elements of mystery and intrigue that keep me on my toes. The chemistry between the characters is sizzling, leading to a heartwarming romance that culminates in a happily-ever-after ending.

Eleanor Law is one third of London’s premiere female-lead investigation firm, King & Co. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, Ellie knows he’s lying. However, accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking a new case.

This is the second book in Her Majesty's Rebels series. Studious Ellie is the daughter of the Lord Chief Justice and follows in his footsteps the only way she can: as an "assistant" to the pretend male figure "Charles King." Secretly, she and her two friends are the brains and investigators of the agency but, occasionally, persistent clients refuse their business if they cannot meet Mr King in person. Enter mysterious stranger “Henri Bonheur” or “Harry” as he asks to be called.

Ellie and Harry meet under the mistletoe at a ball. The attraction and intrigue begin immediately, as Harry claims to be King to a potential client. Can Harry be trusted despite his sketchy past...? The ladies of King & Co decide to give him a chance, eventually helping him to solve his own situation. While the events of the original case came together a bit too easily for me, I like how it led into Harry's backstory and investigation. As always, Bateman's writing is fun and engaging and kept me sucked in until the end! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Mistaken Identity

Steam: 4

This one was a fun one. We know I’ll read any Kate Bateman - I wish it had slightly more of a dual POV, though I understand why it didn’t, for the stake of the plot. This still didn’t quite have the magic of her two other series for me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the signature banter, tension, and all around fun that I know that I’ll always get with Bateman.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.