rainelle_barrett's review
5.0
The Princess and the Rogue, by Kate Bateman. I am so glad to have read this book. This romance story played with my emotional heart strings and I loved every minute of it. In my mind I kept saying, “more, more”. “Give me more” (wink, wink).
If you read the book, you would know what I mean by this. Hot daum! Kate Bateman, where did you come from? You’re like one of those predators in the jungle at night, stalking their prey. Waiting for that precise moment to jump out and attack. Well I am your prey, and you just gobbled me up with your fantastic writing. It was unrelenting and I loved it. I said it. I L-O-V-E-D it! The writing was crisp.
It was sharp. I was captivated. The writer provided enough drama to keep me hanging on to each word. All the action and the sexual pleasures between Seb and Anya—. Hold up for just a second, before I go on further about the authors writing. Let’s discuss the leading character Seb. Seb. Seb. The man that could be the hero/ savior of any woman’s dream. He moved threw this book with swagger, charm, and dominance. Go on ahead and dominate me! You sexually charged, wicked man you. Where - is - the - release Lord Jesus?! Back to the writing. I enjoyed the witty banter among the characters.
This brought some light hearted moments to the book. The humor is well placed and timed. The suspense. The drama and the high intense romance is wrapped in a neat little bow within this romance story. Anya a princess, who is forced to flee her home country Russia.
She escapes the clutches of a madman and flees to London. She leads a disguised life in London as a companion, hoping that no one recognizes her. Little does she know that someone has been watching her from the shadows. Someone else notices her too. Seb mistakenly assumes Anya is a working lady.
Words are exchanged and things uptick to the next heated level. Later, the two meet again when Anya’s past comes back to lay claim on something that is not his. Anya decides that she must flee again. In her hasty escape with Sebs aunt, mayhem breaks out. Once the smoke clears, Anya finds herself back in London, trying desperately to hide from her past.
Seb believes there something off with Anya , but he can’t put his finger on it. Trying to figure out what to do with Anya, Seb hires her on to transcribe Russian documents for the Bow Street Runners. The action and suspense picks up from there, with mad villains hiring roughings to kidnap and beat people. Documents are stolen and traitors are smoked out from their hiding places. While all this is happening around them, Seb finds Anya utterly irresistible and he absolutely needs her under him.
Anya feels the same way. First of all. Anya, if you are going to make Seb sit in a chair and then order him to hold the back legs of a chair. Don’t sit there in fondle over him! Nooo!
You set the mans male anatomy free. Hop on him and ride like the wind and there is no tomorrow. Like your life depends on your ultimate release woman! Seb and Anya confess their feelings for one another when all heck breaks loose. The dead has arisen, traitors have been scammed, and someone has drunk a heavy dose of sleeping potion.
Oh my! Yes, I recommend this book with two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
If you read the book, you would know what I mean by this. Hot daum! Kate Bateman, where did you come from? You’re like one of those predators in the jungle at night, stalking their prey. Waiting for that precise moment to jump out and attack. Well I am your prey, and you just gobbled me up with your fantastic writing. It was unrelenting and I loved it. I said it. I L-O-V-E-D it! The writing was crisp.
It was sharp. I was captivated. The writer provided enough drama to keep me hanging on to each word. All the action and the sexual pleasures between Seb and Anya—. Hold up for just a second, before I go on further about the authors writing. Let’s discuss the leading character Seb. Seb. Seb. The man that could be the hero/ savior of any woman’s dream. He moved threw this book with swagger, charm, and dominance. Go on ahead and dominate me! You sexually charged, wicked man you. Where - is - the - release Lord Jesus?! Back to the writing. I enjoyed the witty banter among the characters.
This brought some light hearted moments to the book. The humor is well placed and timed. The suspense. The drama and the high intense romance is wrapped in a neat little bow within this romance story. Anya a princess, who is forced to flee her home country Russia.
She escapes the clutches of a madman and flees to London. She leads a disguised life in London as a companion, hoping that no one recognizes her. Little does she know that someone has been watching her from the shadows. Someone else notices her too. Seb mistakenly assumes Anya is a working lady.
Words are exchanged and things uptick to the next heated level. Later, the two meet again when Anya’s past comes back to lay claim on something that is not his. Anya decides that she must flee again. In her hasty escape with Sebs aunt, mayhem breaks out. Once the smoke clears, Anya finds herself back in London, trying desperately to hide from her past.
Seb believes there something off with Anya , but he can’t put his finger on it. Trying to figure out what to do with Anya, Seb hires her on to transcribe Russian documents for the Bow Street Runners. The action and suspense picks up from there, with mad villains hiring roughings to kidnap and beat people. Documents are stolen and traitors are smoked out from their hiding places. While all this is happening around them, Seb finds Anya utterly irresistible and he absolutely needs her under him.
Anya feels the same way. First of all. Anya, if you are going to make Seb sit in a chair and then order him to hold the back legs of a chair. Don’t sit there in fondle over him! Nooo!
You set the mans male anatomy free. Hop on him and ride like the wind and there is no tomorrow. Like your life depends on your ultimate release woman! Seb and Anya confess their feelings for one another when all heck breaks loose. The dead has arisen, traitors have been scammed, and someone has drunk a heavy dose of sleeping potion.
Oh my! Yes, I recommend this book with two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
erinarkin20's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this The Princess and the Rogue (book 3) - Kate Bateman has officially become an auto-buy author for me!
Sebastian and Anastasia are the main characters of this book and I loved their story from start to finish. Anastasia is a Russian princess hiding in London and when she crosses paths with Sebastian...in a brothel no less, things get really interesting. Their story progresses well and there are a few twists and turns that kept me turning the pages.
If you haven't picked up this series...or really any book by Bateman, you should remedy that. The Bow Street Bachelors series has easily become a favorite and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sebastian and Anastasia are the main characters of this book and I loved their story from start to finish. Anastasia is a Russian princess hiding in London and when she crosses paths with Sebastian...in a brothel no less, things get really interesting. Their story progresses well and there are a few twists and turns that kept me turning the pages.
If you haven't picked up this series...or really any book by Bateman, you should remedy that. The Bow Street Bachelors series has easily become a favorite and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
tchien's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
soniajoy98's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, Sexual content, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Drug use, Stalking, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
ialwayshaveabook's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
joanav's review
4.0
Review originally published at Romancing Romances.
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
A Russian Princess and a Bow Street agent – the perfect recipe for a different story!
Anna and Seb didn’t hit it off in the beginning, especially considering that Seb believed that Anna was fooling and endangering his grandmother.
This forced proximity story ticks all the boxes for a romance from… maybe not completely enemies (but close enough) to lovers, with lots of danger, history, and sexy times in between.
Although I haven’t read the previous books in the series, I really enjoyed meeting the characters that formed the original owners/lodgers of the gambling hell where our hero currently lives. It was very interesting to read about Sebastian’s feeling regarding the changes in his life, and how he was dealing with it, which not the most common situation in romances. You might have the teasing between friends saying “you’re the last one, it’s your time to find a partner”, but here we had the hero actually working through his own feelings of, in a way, losing his best friends, even though they are still around.
I really liked Anna, she was very fierce, very determined, very loyal, and very resilient. Not everyone would be able to change lives the way she did. And she took control of what she could!
As they slowly fall in love, we see some romantic gestures, and how each of them pays close attention to one another. The writing was compelling, and the book had a good pacing. An enjoyable read.
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
A Russian Princess and a Bow Street agent – the perfect recipe for a different story!
Anna and Seb didn’t hit it off in the beginning, especially considering that Seb believed that Anna was fooling and endangering his grandmother.
This forced proximity story ticks all the boxes for a romance from… maybe not completely enemies (but close enough) to lovers, with lots of danger, history, and sexy times in between.
Although I haven’t read the previous books in the series, I really enjoyed meeting the characters that formed the original owners/lodgers of the gambling hell where our hero currently lives. It was very interesting to read about Sebastian’s feeling regarding the changes in his life, and how he was dealing with it, which not the most common situation in romances. You might have the teasing between friends saying “you’re the last one, it’s your time to find a partner”, but here we had the hero actually working through his own feelings of, in a way, losing his best friends, even though they are still around.
I really liked Anna, she was very fierce, very determined, very loyal, and very resilient. Not everyone would be able to change lives the way she did. And she took control of what she could!
As they slowly fall in love, we see some romantic gestures, and how each of them pays close attention to one another. The writing was compelling, and the book had a good pacing. An enjoyable read.
nd2712's review
3.0
For me, this is the weakest in the series. The vibes have really run out of steam on what could have been a fascinating novel. I got the vibe that this was supposed to be a bodyguard-style book, but then it was also trying to be enemies to lovers and forced proximity and hidden identity - there's too much going on.
I also worked out that a real issue I have with a lot of historical romance - this one included - is when the protagonist (usually the female) ceases to become the most interesting character and stops driving the action of the book. As a writer, the one thing I always remember is that your protagonist has to be the one making things happen, rather than experiencing things happening to them. As soon as these two had had sex and stopped communicating (god I hate that trope), Anya was no longer interesting. I felt the author dwelled too much on the 'she's so small, he's so big' concept and found Sebastian to be entirely two-dimensional.
I think I just need to...not read historical romance for a while. Because it's all feeling increasingly mediocre and I know it's not.
I also worked out that a real issue I have with a lot of historical romance - this one included - is when the protagonist (usually the female) ceases to become the most interesting character and stops driving the action of the book. As a writer, the one thing I always remember is that your protagonist has to be the one making things happen, rather than experiencing things happening to them. As soon as these two had had sex and stopped communicating (god I hate that trope), Anya was no longer interesting. I felt the author dwelled too much on the 'she's so small, he's so big' concept and found Sebastian to be entirely two-dimensional.
I think I just need to...not read historical romance for a while. Because it's all feeling increasingly mediocre and I know it's not.
bookreaderbeth's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pleasantandminty's review
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
iggyebab's review
4.0
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I was very excited to find out who would knock Sebastien on his ass. Of course, it would take a Princess.
There are so many things that I love in this book: educational kissing, forced proximity, both mistaken and hidden identity, meddling dowagers, and bad proposal.
This author has a thing for unusual words and I am here for it. I love finding these “old” words that I can add to my arsenal.
Anya was bright and brave and definitely a survivor. I loved that there were some surprises and that she is was adaptable.
Seb is strong and sexy and stubborn. His original proposal was abominable and he deserved that no.
Although I did not like this one quite as much as the other two, it was still a good read. I cannot wait to see if there is another book for another man in the near future.
I was very excited to find out who would knock Sebastien on his ass. Of course, it would take a Princess.
There are so many things that I love in this book: educational kissing, forced proximity, both mistaken and hidden identity, meddling dowagers, and bad proposal.
This author has a thing for unusual words and I am here for it. I love finding these “old” words that I can add to my arsenal.
Anya was bright and brave and definitely a survivor. I loved that there were some surprises and that she is was adaptable.
Seb is strong and sexy and stubborn. His original proposal was abominable and he deserved that no.
Although I did not like this one quite as much as the other two, it was still a good read. I cannot wait to see if there is another book for another man in the near future.