Ms. Bateman has crafted an interesting plot to set the stage for a very quick romance. There is a strong supporting cast and the MCs are likable. At times the writing is stilted and there are no real surprises in this spicy love story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC..

This second entry in Bateman's series about what I somehow failed to grasp was a Regency <i>Charlie's Angels</i> story (this volume made it click for me with a throwaway line at the end; I think it's more a me problem than a fault of Bateman's writing) is even more enjoyable than the first. The heroine this time is Ellie, who in a more modern time would have been a lawyer, but since she's living in the early 19th century, she puts her brilliant legal mind to heading up the investigative agency she runs with her friends. Ellie has the lowest social standing (though she's by no means a commoner) and a tendency to hide in plain sight, which is, she believes, just the way she likes it. Then Harry, calling himself by the ludicrous pseudonym Henri Bonheur, enters the scene, and all of her preconceived notions go flying out the window. Suddenly, she finds herself involved with a conman and very much enjoying it, and when he turns out to have a more prosaic identity, well, that's just part of the fun.

Although the plot is definitely on the campier side with overtones of a caper, the characters are so entertaining that it truly doesn't matter. This is escapism, pure and simple, and it reads smoothly and quickly in the way of all the best candy books. Bateman gets bonus points for understanding how women's pockets worked at the time (they weren't sewn into the dress), and my only real complaint is that Ellie is averse to wearing her glasses, because she really seems like the kind of sensible woman who would rather wear them and look like a bluestocking (her words) than not be able to see. You probably ought to have read the first book before picking this one up, but if you liked that one, there's even more fun to be had here.

Kate Bateman is always a sure thing for a great period Romance. I see her name and I request right away. She does the perfect mix of great characters, fun story, clever banter and well written spice. This one is no exception. Love it. Read this sucker in a day!

What a truly entertaining read! This is the first book I have read from this author, but it will not be the last. Great plot to support the romance, the banter was so fun, and the connection was there from the start... although considering the times, i was a little surprised at how quickly she "compromised " herself. I do appreciate that although there was a (small) final conflict, the FMC didn't go crazy over it and complicate they're path to HEA. Prior events were eluded to throughout the story, while they didn't take away from the novel at all, I certainly am interested in reading them to get the whole story.

title: How to Fall for a Scoundrel

author: Kate Bateman

publisher: St. Martin's Paperback

publication date: August 20, 2024

pages: 320

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: Ellie and her friends run a detective agency under a man's name because many people won't hire women, but one night at a party, a handsome stranger first kisser her and then claims to be the imaginary head of her agency. She ends up teaming up with this self-professed reformed thief to solve several mysterious cases. [Note, this is the second book in a series. I read Second Duke's the Charm over a year ago and liked that book, too. I recommend reading the other book first, though this one would stand alone as well.]

tropes:

reformed rake
reformed criminal
lost identity
wallflower who's actually lovely
smart women are sexy

what I liked:

lots of fun banter between the two leads
good mysteries to solve
smart people
good friends

what I didn’t like: n/a

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

What a fun and steamy Regency romp this was! This is my first time reading an historical romance by Kate Bateman, but it definitely will not be my last. I can’t wait to go back and read the first book in this series.

The chemistry for this couple was off the charts, the premise was so witty, and I couldn’t stop reading.

Would definitely recommend for all historical romance lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure I was going to read this because I found out it was an historical romance after I was approved. I ended up really liking it. It was steamy and romantic. I thought the ending was really good. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 from the series where three women run an investigation service a la Charlie's Angels - the 3 of them do the work under a made up male boss, "Charles King" (didn't even realize his name was Charlie until just now - LOL).

In this book, Eleanor Law, daughter of a famous lawyer, meets a man who is looking to prove that he is a missing Earl. He pretends to be "Charles King" and helps them solve a case or two while working towards proving his claim.

Along the way, Eleanor and Harry fall in love. Harry is a great reformed pickpocket/criminal who helps the team while helping himself. The bulk of the story is retrieving a missing aquamarine, and the investigation into Harry's past.

The relationship of the two was kind of typical, but I enjoyed the fact that the story didn't have someone going after a main character or trying to take the Earldom from Harry. It was just basically nonviolent mysteries and discovering Harry's history. Cute story worth a read.

I received a promotional copy and am giving an honest review.

“How to Fall for a Scoundrel” by Kate Bateman
A Fun Read, for sure
For me this was a fun light Regency romp. It kept me well entertained from start to finish, although, I could have enjoyed the story just as well without the details of the spicier scenes. Happy Reading ! !

Sultry Historical Intrigue
Ms. Bateman's tale of three intelligent women finding a way to earn money while keeping their reputations is engrossing/ The ladies run a detective agency, but appear to be assisiants to a man, thus avoiding censure. Ellie ia waylaid by a man with ulterior motives, good thing they are to her advantage too. The story contains sultry scenes, humor and intrigue. I highly recommend.
I received a NetGalley arc gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

This is the second book in Her Majesty’s Rebels series and I enjoyed this lighthearted historical. It’s got a few mysteries, lady private detectives and a spicy romance.

Eleanor (Ellie) and her two friends run a private investigation firm. Ellie is at a ball when a handsome stranger introduces himself as the name they use for their fictional boss (Charles King) and offers to help them with their detective work. Harry is charming and admits to being a thief in the past but he has turned over a new leaf. Ellie doesn’t trust him but he will come in handy as they search for a rare book.

The biggest mystery for them to uncover is proof of Harry’s identity. It’s fun to watch Ellie and Harry as they go undercover and work together to solve mysteries. The pacing slows down when they gaze into each other’s eyes and there are quite a few steamy scenes.

My favorite parts were when Harry uses his con artist skills to help them with their investigations. This is my first book by this author and I thought it stood well alone (even though it’s the second book in the series). Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ellie is part of a 3 women investigative team. She meets Harry by chance while hanging on the sidelines of a ball.Thus begins an adventure discovering a lost book, gems, and finally, the papers to prove Harry is the Lost Earl of Cobham. Along the way, they fall in love. Sweet book!

How to fall for a Scoundrel is book two in Her Majesty's Rebels series and if you're anything like me, after reading Second Duke's the Charm, you've been anticipating Ellie's story! And what a fun one it is!

Ellie is one of the founding members of King & Co- a PI firm the ton would not be happy to know is run by three women. So they've made up a fictional boss 'Charles King'. That is until a mysterious thief steals a kiss from Ellie and decides he's going to play Charles King. They decide to take advantage of the opportunity and work with him on a case. And as Ellie does so, the banter between them soon turns into serious chemistry and lust. But Ellie is sure he's keeping secrets of his own.

I really adored both Ellie and Harry. Ellie is a wallflower with so much more to her than meets the eye. And Harry, that charming scoundrel, he sees that in her and wants to learn more about her. The way he was with her, total swoon. There is definitely an attraction and lust that develops into some great steam. But I loved the verbal sparring that leads us there. These two couldn't be more perfect for one another and it was so fun to see them get their HEA. I really adore the friendships these women have as well and can't wait for Daisy's story!

*I received a complimentary ARC from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley. All opinions are my own and given freely.

vibes: charming fast talker, con artistry, fun and frothy

Heat Index: 6/10

The nerdy Ellie is determined to prove, with the help of her friends and their private detective agency, that women are just as good at investigating crimes as men. She knows that the mysterious man claiming to be her fictional boss Charles King is a con artist, but as she looks for a priceless manuscript, she thinks that he may just be able to help her find it anyway. The only problem is that fake Charles, who's actually Henri "Bonheur" (as if) who really just wants to be called Harry... truly is that charming. And Ellie may be falling for him. For real. Even though she probably doesn't even know his real name.

This was very fun--light, a little silly at times, very much a fun mystery versus a Mystery Mystery, and sexy. It may have been a little TOO light for me at points, but that's totally a taste thing. I am an angst girl. While there is is some "you lied to me!" shit here (naturally) it's very much on the romcom side of things. I mean, this is Charlie's Angels but make it historical (and not the first time I've seen that take--which isn't a bad thing, we should probably have multiple versions of that) and it's meant to be run and a romp.

One thing I really liked about this one was the pacing. It's fucking fast. From the jump, you get this really engaging, snappy repartee between Harry and Ellie. They have a lot of chemistry, they kiss pretty quickly, and they do Other Things pretty quickly too. Largely for fun! Like, they're falling in love, but they're also having. Isn't that nice?

Never does this book take itself too seriously, but the mystery does in fact make sense, and you do still feel your feelings. Could it have gone a little harder? Maybe, but again, that's me.

The Sex:

Similarly to the rest of the book, the sex is light and fun and quite hot. I really enjoyed the virginity loss scene. In so many romance novels, the couple maintains a playful edge everywhere except the bedroom, and this book thankfully avoided that. They stayed consistent! They stayed cute! They stayed sexy!

Also, really love the female friendships in this series and the way they support each other on issues like sex, and get excited when one of them has good sex, and so on. It adds to the sense of girls supporting girls.

This is a quick read and a good time--I have a feeling that it's going to be popular among the historical romance lovers who also enjoy a dash of mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved reading the wonderfully written romance story. Eliie and her two friends are investigators for a company called King & Co with a fictional owner Charles King, and when Mr. Bullock wants to only speak with Charles King, a con man, Henri Bonheur "Harry" pretends to be Charles King. As Ellie and Harry work on the case, the chemistry between the two of them expands. Read the highly recommended and a must read riveting love story.

This regency series centers around King & Company, a London detective agency run by three very good friends; Tess, Daisy and Ellie. Mr. King is their fictitious boss, until someone overhearing a private conversation claims to be the elusive Mr. King. Henri Bonheur, Comte de Carabas seeks Ellie out a ball steals her first kiss and proceeds to steal her heart. This 2nd installment has a few twists, an expected turn and a "where did that come from". Bonheur knows who Ellie is before they meet. He's evasive in his name, occupation and family, but but she falls anyway. The storyline is good, well developed plot, enough backstory to connect the dots and loveable characters.

The friendship between Ellie, Daisy and Tess is present in every thing they do and may be my favorite part of this series. The love, support and grace they show each other is an example we should all emulate and hope for in our lives. They are different in station, but it is no matter, they can tell each other anything and there is no judgement.

This can be stand-alone, but better read in order. Patiently waiting for Daisy's story. .

This book was so good. I finished it in a day; I could not put it down. I just thought both characters were so compelling and it was just an all-around good time. No thoughts, just vibes with this one.

Ellie owns a detective agency with her two best friends. One day, while attending a ball, she stumbles upon Harry, a thief who offers to team up with her to recover a manuscript.


I feel like this is one of those books where the couple is together from the very first page. I loved Ellie and Harry's banter so much. There are lines in this that I kept repeating to myself they were so good. I also really enjoyed the investigation and the writing is one-of-a-kind (it really flows so well). There are whole passages full of details that were just wonderful, like Harry explaining different card tricks, I just liked that the author delves deep into different things just because it's interesting. The only reason I'm giving it four stars is that I feel there was no build-up at all, Ellie and Harry kiss almost immediately. I do appreciate the total absence of angst (the drama comes from elsewhere) but I like a bit of a slower burn. This is top notch, though, I'm always shocked at how much I enjoy Kate Bateman each time I read her.

My endless thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

Kate Bateman's How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a traditional historical romance with a hint of mystery. The story follows Eleanor Law, an investigator and co-founder of London's most successful private detective agency, King & Co. When a charming conman named Henri Bonheur assumes the identity of her fictional boss, "Charles King," Ellie is thrown into a whirlwind of intrigue and undeniable attraction. It is reminiscent of a particular trio of angels with a fictional Charles. The story dives straight into the "fake boss" situation, creating a sense of urgency, but the lack of extensive discussion among the group seems a lost opportunity to get to know the characters better.
Nonetheless, Ellie is intelligent, independent, and fiercely determined. She's not afraid to break the mold of traditional Regency heroines. Henri has a mysterious and shady past but is charming and generous. The story hurries through his past, but despite its colorful nature, it fails to add any intrigue. The pace is fast, and any entanglements are quickly resolved. Perfect for those who like a quick romantic read. This might not be the best choice if you're looking for a book filled with twists and turns, but the romance is lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book for review!

I have amazing luck with Kate Bateman’s books and this was no exception. Ellie works for King & Co., as a private investigator. Harry is a thief with a heart of gold. They team up on various cases while faking for each other more and more.

Like what’s not to love about that?!?! I actually loved both characters. Ellie is so practical and Harry makes her walk on the wild side. While Harry is a bit free and loose with rules but is turning over a new leaf. They truly compliment one another SO WELL.


The plot is filled with missions and this keeps you engaged the whole time. I was just waiting for what happened next. The two of them were also a perfect investigative team!


The side characters are all so good! Harry’s uncle Huge is great and I’m so ready for Daisy’s story.

This is such a fun series!