Her Majesty’s Rebels: Book 2
Publication Date: August 20, 2024
Two unlikely allies team up to solve a case in this novel filled with Kate Bateman’s signature sparkling voice, exciting adventures, and steamy chemistry.
As a founding member of King & Co., London’s most successful private investigation firm, studious Eleanor Law delights in secretly proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, “Charles King,” Ellie knows he’s lying, but accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking her new case and recovering a priceless manuscript.
“Henri Bonheur”—or “Harry” as he asks to be called—claims his criminal past is behind him, but a man who steals and seduces with such consummate ease can never be trusted. As the investigation draws them deeper into danger and desire, Ellie’s infuriated to realize she’s developed feelings for her law-breaking accomplice. How can she love the scoundrel when she doesn’t even know his real name? And what will happen when Harry’s past finally catches up with him?
How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in the Her Majesty’s Rebels series by Kate Bateman. It was an excellent continuation of the series, and I look forward to reading Daisy’s book, the last of the three friends needing her story to be told.
The Rules of a Gentleman’s Scoundrel set forth at the beginning of the book is woven throughout. They are a listing of eight rules that a scoundrel must live by. Harry and his uncle Hugo take the list to heart, as does Ellie and her friends, Tess and Daisy, whom she works with. The items are referred to often and sometimes in jest.
This book puts Ellie and Harry in the spotlight, who have incredible chemistry and great respect for each other. They communicate well, and there are some laugh-out-loud moments and some steamy ones. Harry helps Ellie to come out of her shell and not be a wallflower, and she lends him credibility within society, or does she?
The characters and the storyline have a depth to them, and we get to know them as their layers are pulled back. The story has a good flow, and it’s told at a nice pace with a lot of intrigue and cases to be solved. Several stories are conveyed with many twists and turns and woven together nicely. There is a lovely closure with the epilogue as loose ends are tied together and a surprisingly presented happily ever after.
How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a historical romance set in Regency England in the early 1800s. There are social events and crimes to solve as we’re immersed in London society.
KATE BATEMAN (also writing as K. C. Bateman) is a bestselling author of historical romances, including her RITA®-nominated Renaissance romp, The Devil to Pay, the Ruthless Rivals series A Reckless Match, A Daring Pursuit, and A Wicked Game, the Bow Street Bachelors series This Earl of Mine, To Catch an Earl, and The Princess and the Rogue, along with the novels in the Secrets & Spies series To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart, and A Counterfeit Heart. When not writing novels that feature feisty, intelligent heroines and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss, Kate works as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several popular TV shows in the UK. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England. Follow her on social media to learn more.
