The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman

In To Steal a Heart by Kate Bateman (Secrets and Spies book 1), Marianne de Bonnard is forced to plant evidence in the offices of France’s most notorious spymaster by a corrupt government minister. But can Wylde convince Georgie that he truly wants to be with her forever? Georgie doesn’t know who he is when she marries him, and later finds out he’s still alive and very much interested in courting her. Enter Benedict William Henry Wylde, a well-known rake and second son of the late Earl of Morcott, who is also working undercover in Newgate prison. Desperate to escape, Georgie concocts a wild plan to marry a condemned criminal in prison and become a widow. In this story, Georgiana Caversteed, a shipping heiress, is tired of men who only want her for her money, including her cruel cousin who wants to force her into marriage. Meet the Bow Street Bachelors, a group of men working undercover for London’s first official police force to protect and serve the women of the city. Kate Bateman Synopses: This Earl of Mine is the first book in Kate Bateman’s Bow Street Bachelors series. All opinions are my own.If You Like Kate Bateman Books, You’ll Love… (Thanks to Recorded Books for my complimentary copy. I enjoyed everything about this and am a bit sorry to see it all end. It was a fitting end for the most stubborn of the Bow Street bachelors and the series. There was also a bit of danger and suspense that made this a more intriguing story and the romance was perfectly developed.

She made it easy for me to imagine Anastasia and others in her Russian sphere. I opted for the audio version and it was a wise choice as the narrator managed a very credible Russian accent for those characters and easily transitioned to English for the others. Anastasia was formidable in her own right, the perfect match for the stoic Seb. I loved her independence, resourcefulness and determination to make the best of her situation.

She shared his feelings but found it too dangerous to reveal her true identity, the secret a real barrier between any potential relationship. It was amusing to see him chafe at their domestication and commitment to their intriguing wives and try to deny his growing feelings for Anastasia/Anna, obvious to everyone else but him. Seb is also a Bow Street agent and the last of his circle of friends still holding on to his bachelorhood. He’s immediately captivated and after a stolen kiss, cannot get her out of his head.

On one occasion, Sebastian (Seb) Wolff, Earl of Mowbray comes for a visit and mistakenly thinks Anna is one of the ladies of the evening. She befriends a brothel owner and regularly visits to help her learn to read. She lands in London with her best friend, using the name Anna Brown. Russian Princess Anastasia Denislova is forced to leave Paris and go into hiding after her brother was reported dead in battle and a treacherous enemy tries to force her hand in marriage.

The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman