To Catch an Earl - Kate Bateman
Date Read: June 6, 2020
Review: I believe this is the first Kate Bateman novel I’ve read. I didn’t read the first book in this series, and it’s not necessary, but I enjoyed this one enough to want to read more of her novels.
There’s great passion between hero & heroine even when they’re arguing. The secondary characters are interesting. I like that Emmy is always one step ahead of Alex and frustrates him to no end. I liked the camaraderie between Alex, Seb, and Benedict (the Bow Street Bachelors). Alex has been haunted by the woman from his past with a distinct perfume and once he gets another scent of her, he knows who she is and what she’s doing. Loved and hated that part. Loved how it drove him mad but…
Series: Bow Street Bachelors #2
Type: Regency
Heat: 7/10
Tropes: Second Chance, Enemies to Lovers, Wounded Hero, Virgin Heroine, Strong Heroine
Premise: To Catch a Thief
Emmy Danvers (daughter of The Nightjar, an infamous jewel thief) while wearing a mask, dances with Alex Harland before he goes off to the Peninsular War. She’s had a crush on him, and he is immediately smitten with her after their kiss. Too bad he doesn’t know who she is. He’ll be haunted by her distinct perfume.
The meat of the story is a few years later, Alex is back in England, gifted with an Earldom, and now an integral part of the Bow Street Runners. They’re after a The Nightjar, who has resurfaced after years. Prinny has had his diamond pilfered and is most put out. Alex always gets his man, and the Nightjar will be no different. He is bound by duty.
Emmy has been blackmailed into taking over the Nightjar persona from her deceased father. She’s really adept at it, at least the one time she stole something. Proud. Her father stole back the French Crown Jewels to return to France, after all. It was a “noble” cause that is now being tainted by Danton, who is blackmailing her family for all those crown jewels plus 3 more (ruby, diamond, saffire for the French flag) but it seems he wants them for himself. He’s dangerous and he’s the villain here.
Will he catch her? Won’t he? If he does, then what?
The Good:
The Bad: I know Emmy isn’t the Nightjar from way back and she’s only been filling in for her father since the blackmail – but why on earth would a thief wear a distinctive perfume only she owns? That’s counterproductive. “Feeling naked without it” isn’t an excuse. Also, I had to look up what a Nightjar was in the beginning because it made no sense to me. It’s a bird, and that’s revealed later in the book.
Author Website: http://www.kcbateman.com/