A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman
Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s Press, September 28, 2021
Setting: Regency England
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 336 Pages
Heat Level: 1 Flame
Rating: 4 Gold Crowns
Book Description:
The first in a new regency romance series about two feuding families and reunited childhood enemies whose hatred turns to love.
Maddie Montgomery's family is in debt, and her hope rests on the rival Davies clan missing their yearly “pledge of goodwill,” ceding the land that separates their estates. With Maddie's teenage nemesis, Gryffud “Gryff” Davies, Earl of Powys, away, hope is in reach.
But then, Gryff shows up and is stunned that the tomboy he once teased is now a woman. When Gryff and Maddie discover contraband on their land, they realize it can benefit both families. But they've also uncovered a dangerous plot, and they need to work together to get out alive. Soon, their hatred for each other starts to feel more like attraction.
Kate Bateman brings crackling banter, steamy romance, and a dash of adventure into the first book in the Ruthless Rivals series.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Match-Ruthless-Rivals-Book-ebook/dp/B08R2JJ2P4
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Vikki’s Musings
Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman. I have voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.
A Reckless Match is a well written Regency novel with endearing characters. The setting put me in the era of the Regency period. The pacing of this tale didn’t keep my attention though, until I was well into the story, which is unfortunate.
Maddie Montgomery is the heroine, and her determination to save her family appealed to me. While the last thing she wants to do is wed the disgusting old lecher, she will do it if she can’t find a way to get the funds to meet her father’s debts. I could feel her emotions going from hope that a Davies would not appear, and her despair when the Earl of Powyes shows up.
Gryff Davies is the hero, and he’s a bit dashing and debonaire. The evidence he doesn’t detest Maddie is obvious when she sees the scarf she’d lost as a young girl. The feud between the families is not strong enough to keep their attraction from surfacing whenever the pair are together.
The romance between Maddie and Gryff is delightful with sexual tension abounding between the pair. I enjoyed watching them fight the forbidden attraction. I wanted the couple to find a way to be together.
This is what didn’t work for me. As I mentioned previously, the pacing took me until I reached the middle of the story. If I hadn’t agreed to read the complimentary copy, I would have given up and not finished the book. However, I’m glad I did because the second half picked up dramatically and pulled into the characters and the plot.
If you enjoy historical romances set in the Regency period with engaging characters, I encourage you to hang in there, because as the story progresses, you’ll fall in love with the hero and heroine. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. Happy reading!
Author Bio:
Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of Regency, Victorian, and Renaissance historical romances. All her books feature her favorite feisty, intelligent heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss...
Her Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, was a 2019 RITA® Finalist for Historical Romance.
Kate wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she'd 'never finish the thing.' She gleefully proved him wrong. When not traveling to exotic locations 'for research', she leads a not-so-secret double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England, and writes despite three inexhaustible children /monsters and a number-loving husband who still owes her that dollar.
Social Media:
Website: https://www.kcbateman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcbatemanauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katebateman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kc_bateman/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kcbateman1/_saved/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-bateman-d2c2c72e-b329-4ed9-afa8-dbe5b9a2291c
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