This Earl of Mine: A Bow Street Bachelors Novel

Georgiana Caversteed is a wealthy woman in her own right, but should she marry any of the suitors more interested in her fortune than herself, she’ll lose all of the control of her late father’s shipping business: one that she has been successfully running for the last few years. She’s decided that as a married woman she’ll have nothing – but as a widow – she can proceed with her life and run her business, and not take a chance that her actions will damage her younger sister’s chances or reputation. To that end, she concocts a plan with the help of her father’s right-hand man, now hers. She will marry a convict from Newgate, one scheduled to be hanged. The marriage will be proper and carefully orchestrated – and with her new status, she can claim he’s away sailing on one of her father’s ships – and still maintain her life as she wants it. With everything arranged and sorted, she’s presented with an alternative to her original choice: Ben Wylde, and the two are married. Ben is a second son and his brother, the Earl, is struggling to keep the family estates running after their father ran up untold debts. With little to look forward to in terms of allowances or money, Ben joined the military and distinguished himself. When he left, he and his two best friends opened a new sort of gaming hell – one that admits anyone able to pay the price of membership and settle their debts. Ben’s the only one of the group without his own fortune, in fact he sends all he can spare to his brother to help him manage the estate. Because of their connections in society and their skill after warfare, Ben and his friends are also working for the Crown and their efforts are to find and root out continued support for Napoleon in England. But the marriage, with little choice, is something intriguing -made more so by the woman he finds attractive – even if he’s determined never to marry or allow himself to be hurt. The mystery here and the character’s motivations for this marriage of convenience is truly the highlight – Ben needs Georgiana’s ships and business sense, she needs his name to continue her life – while neither expected that, beneath the frustration of things not going as ‘originally’ planned, there is an attraction that is not simply physical. Georgiana is bright and logical, with a head for business that belies what many would think of her sex in the time. And Ben is, despite his protestations, one who wants love and security, especially after Waterloo, and having Georgiana on his side will help with his spying and ‘second job”. With great conversations, a slow burn of romance that pops up unexpectedly after long focus on the ‘mission’, and the characters of Ben and Georgiana being perfect matches for one another, this is an interesting start to a new series. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman Bow Street Bachelors #1 Reading the book description I was taken back to reading a book my father shared with me – a book in which a woman in need of a husband also went to a prison to find a condemned man to marry. The two books diverged from there though neither husband actually bit the dust by the end of the book they starred in. Both men were definitely more than the bride expected and both were fallen in love with by their wives before the end of the stories. In this book we have wealthy Georgiana “Georgie” Caversteed being hounded by despicable cousin Josiah. He wants her money and isn’t planning to take no for an answer. Thus, the reason for the marriage of convenience. Georgie has plenty of money but no desire to wed the men in the ton that she has met already. There was a frisson of interest when Georgie met Benedict “Ben” Wylde but she realized that it was NOT real since...he was a dirty prisoner...until she experienced the same feeling when she ran into Benedict at a ball the next time. This book had the two falling for one another slowly while they also spent time trying to solve a case Benedict and his friends were working on for Bow Street. There is a side story of Georgie’s sister Juliet and Simeon and the lead into the idea that either Seb or Alex, Benedict’s friends, will get their stories in books to come. The book did not stand out to me as something new or different but it was an enjoyable way to spend the day. Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more in the series? Yes Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review. 3-4 Stars

Some books are like an appetizer, some like the main course, some like dessert. This book is a whole buffet. This Earl Of Mine by Kate Bateman is a whole smorgasbord of delightful reading. Ms. Bateman has once more delivered a well-written book and furnished it with a cast of characters that are spectacular. Georgiana is rich, smart and trying to stay out of the clutches of her cousin. Benedict is a second son, war hero and working undercover for Bow Street when Georgiana convinces him to marry her while he's in prison. Benedict and Georgiana's story is packed with drama, humor, action, spice and suspense. I loved every page. The worst part of the book....yes, it ends. But hey, you can always read it again, right? I can't wait to read my next book from Kate Bateman. This Earl Of Mine is book 1 of the Bow Street Bachelors but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger. Now where is the 6th star so I can finish this review? I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.