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A review by rjordan19
How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Bateman
adventurous
funny
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? No
5.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (one scene had a morning after that was pretty close to the initial scene so I combined flames – might feel a bit hotter than listed)
Humor: Yes, especially some delightful banter
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, not too far in the future
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in e-book form that I am very late on reading
Why I chose this book: I love Bateman’s writing and want to read all her books!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
You can grab this out of order – it’s book 2 of Bateman’s Her Majesty’s Rebels and has some minor character crossover but I found it fine alone! (Three friends run a private investigation business and each has a story)
Basic plot:
Ellie meets the infuriating Harry when he pretends to be his fictional boss and they begin working on a case together.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1816
- light elements of holiday time romance with mistletoe kiss
- working women – heroine owns a private investigator business with 2 friends
- hero with dimples
- thief / pickpocket hero
- hero falls first
- bespectacled heroine
- secret identity
- hero speaks English, French, Spanish, Italian and a bit of Russian and Portuguese
- hero has heterochromia
- he calls her his ‘brilliant girl’
- he trusts her to protect him in dangerous situations
- working together on a mystery
- medium steam – 3ish full scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 22, hero is 26
First line:
Eleanor Law had not expected to kiss anyone at Lady Chessington’s annual Christmas ball, let alone a charming, anonymous scoundrel
My thoughts:
This book was just literal perfection to me!!! I am so in love with how Bateman just keeps delivering me these books that are pure romance catnip to me. I’m grinning like a fool, kicking my feet in happiness, little hearts bursting above my head.
I found this whole book so delightful. I love both mains so much. Ellie is just so sweet and funny and kind and smart and Harry was really her perfect match. The way he falls for her, the way he trusts her, the way he calls her brilliant and uplifts her, while also taking small breaks to whisper naughty things in her ear….
I loved every moment of this story. It was funny and swoony, and such good tension and I am so in love. Love, love, love.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 7
Average rating: 4.57 stars
Favorite book: Oof, this is hard to pick but I think it’s this one?? I really adored her entire Ruthless Rivals series though, immensely...basically any of those 4 are super amazing and my faves!
Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize
“You mean you possess a title?”
“Several. Although I rarely use most of them.”
She almost stamped her foot at his deliberate evasiveness. “What should I call you, then?”
“You latest conquest? You most ardent admirer?” He swept her another extravagant bow.
---
“Of course. I’m sure they’ll see the benefits of having me around.” He uncrossed his legs and stood, and Ellie did the same, trying not to notice how beautifully proportioned his long, lean body was. Or how tempting his lips were.
She’d kissed those lips. She still couldn’t believe it.
---
“Do you see that beggar, in the doorway across the street?”
“No,” Ellie said bluntly.
He glanced down at her with a smile. “Oh, put your spectacles back on, you ridiculous thing. You’re wrong about thinking they make you look less attractive. You’re gorgeous either way.”
---
Harry brought his arms up on either side of her head, his elbows resting against the wall to shield her face. His breath tickled her temple and his nose brushed hers as he bent lower.
“Breathe,” he commanded softly.
Ellie’s heart was pounding with a heady mix of fear and desire. Harry’s lips hovered so close to hers that his warm exhales mingled with her own shallow breaths.
There was scarcely an inch between them.
And then there wasn’t any space at all.
She wasn’t sure which one of them moved, but Harry’s lips touched hers, and she almost swooned in delight.
The kiss was tentative, almost a question. He paused, as if to gauge her reaction, and without thought she pushed herself up on tiptoe, closer, silently encouraging him to do it again.
He muttered something under his breath, possibly in Italian, then leaned in and kissed her again, harder this time, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue.
---
“Will you take me back to Lincoln’s Inn Fields after that?”
The look in his eyes made her stomach somersault.
“If that’s what you want. But, Ellie, if you still weren’t sleepy...then I suppose I could kiss you.”
Her pulse stuttered, but she couldn’t resist teasing him. “To pass the time? Or because your kisses make ladies want to go to sleep.”
He raised his brows. “Did you feel remotely sleepy when I kissed you earlier?”
She bit her lip. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.” He uncrossed his legs. “You could kiss me back. And then I’d strip off that dress you’re wearing – the one that’s been driving me slowly insane all evening – and I’d do what I’ve been dreaming of since the first moment I saw you, which is to take you to bed and make love to you until we were both so exhausted, we’d have to sleep.”
---
He kissed the back of her neck. “I said, Yes, sweetheart. Kiss me.”
“You said something else too.”
He chuckled at her tenacity. “I did. I said, Voglio scoparti contro questo muro finche non urli il mio nome.”
“And what does that mean?”
He moved over her and she caught her breath as the muscled length of him pressed her down into the soft mattress. His larger size was thrilling, his physical power undeniable, and the combination of threat and careful restraint made her stomach somersault with desire.
“It means, I want to fuck you against his wall until you scream my name.”
Ellie gasped, apparently not beyond being scandalized, despire her non-virginal state, and he laughed against her ear.
“That was very rude.”
“It was indeed.”
---
“Have you ever fantasized about making love in a place like this? Somewhere completely forbidden? Because I have.” His gaze fell to her lips and she squirmed in her seat.
She’d be lying if she denied it. The thought of doing something so naughty made her almost quiver with excitement, and she could clearly imagine the thrill of trying to stay quiet while Harry’s hands roved all over her.
“You’d have to be extremely quiet, of course,” he whispered, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “I might even have to put my hand over your mouth to stop you making any noise. I could press you against the shelves and lift your skirts.” His pupils flared. “Or perhaps I’d spread you out on one of these library tables and lick your - “
A cough and the scrape of a chair made Ellie flush guiltily. Dear God, the man was a menace!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some scenes of violence, gunshots
- parental and sibling death (illness)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: Hero pulls out
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? Heroine says she cannot risk having a child, and the hero pulls out during sex. No children or pregnancy mentioned
1% - kiss
38% - kiss
46% - 🔥kisses, oral for her, missionary (v loss for her) followed by a missionary scene the next morning
His lips curved up. “Stop being so clever.”
He rested his hands on her knees, then slid them slowly up her thighs, bunching the emerald-green silk with his palms as he went. Ellie shivered in anticipation.
Instead of kissing her again, he dropped to his knees and caught the hem of her skirts.
//
“I think you were right about book-learning,” she breathed. “There’s no substitute for practical firsthand experience.”
“Does your hand want to experience it?” His jaw clenched as he stroked himself again, slowly up and down, as she nodded.
58% - brief kiss
71% - 🔥hand job for him in the carriage
Their joined hands pumped faster. He gripped the leather strap on the wall with his free hand and arched his spine, tilting his head back on the seat and exposing his throat. The sight of him made her own body thrum with desire, but she was determined to give him this gift. She pumped her hand, and with a groan that seemed dragged from his chest he went rigid, pulsing in her hand.
87% - kiss
95% - 🔥kisses, sex against the wall
She held out her hand, which was only shaking a tiny amount, and he slid the ring onto her fourth finger. She didn’t get time to admire it, or to even marvel at the miracle of a man like Harry wanting a girl like her. The moment it was on there, he surged to his feet and pinned her back against the wall.
“Bloody fantastic,” he growled. “And now we’ve got the formalities out of the way, I’m going to pleasure you up against this wall until you can’t think straight. Agreed?”
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (one scene had a morning after that was pretty close to the initial scene so I combined flames – might feel a bit hotter than listed)
Humor: Yes, especially some delightful banter
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, not too far in the future
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in e-book form that I am very late on reading
Why I chose this book: I love Bateman’s writing and want to read all her books!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
You can grab this out of order – it’s book 2 of Bateman’s Her Majesty’s Rebels and has some minor character crossover but I found it fine alone! (Three friends run a private investigation business and each has a story)
Basic plot:
Ellie meets the infuriating Harry when he pretends to be his fictional boss and they begin working on a case together.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1816
- light elements of holiday time romance with mistletoe kiss
- working women – heroine owns a private investigator business with 2 friends
- hero with dimples
- thief / pickpocket hero
- hero falls first
- bespectacled heroine
- secret identity
- hero speaks English, French, Spanish, Italian and a bit of Russian and Portuguese
- hero has heterochromia
- he calls her his ‘brilliant girl’
- he trusts her to protect him in dangerous situations
- working together on a mystery
- medium steam – 3ish full scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 22, hero is 26
First line:
Eleanor Law had not expected to kiss anyone at Lady Chessington’s annual Christmas ball, let alone a charming, anonymous scoundrel
My thoughts:
This book was just literal perfection to me!!! I am so in love with how Bateman just keeps delivering me these books that are pure romance catnip to me. I’m grinning like a fool, kicking my feet in happiness, little hearts bursting above my head.
I found this whole book so delightful. I love both mains so much. Ellie is just so sweet and funny and kind and smart and Harry was really her perfect match. The way he falls for her, the way he trusts her, the way he calls her brilliant and uplifts her, while also taking small breaks to whisper naughty things in her ear….
I loved every moment of this story. It was funny and swoony, and such good tension and I am so in love. Love, love, love.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 7
Average rating: 4.57 stars
Favorite book: Oof, this is hard to pick but I think it’s this one?? I really adored her entire Ruthless Rivals series though, immensely...basically any of those 4 are super amazing and my faves!
Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize
“You mean you possess a title?”
“Several. Although I rarely use most of them.”
She almost stamped her foot at his deliberate evasiveness. “What should I call you, then?”
“You latest conquest? You most ardent admirer?” He swept her another extravagant bow.
---
“Of course. I’m sure they’ll see the benefits of having me around.” He uncrossed his legs and stood, and Ellie did the same, trying not to notice how beautifully proportioned his long, lean body was. Or how tempting his lips were.
She’d kissed those lips. She still couldn’t believe it.
---
“Do you see that beggar, in the doorway across the street?”
“No,” Ellie said bluntly.
He glanced down at her with a smile. “Oh, put your spectacles back on, you ridiculous thing. You’re wrong about thinking they make you look less attractive. You’re gorgeous either way.”
---
Harry brought his arms up on either side of her head, his elbows resting against the wall to shield her face. His breath tickled her temple and his nose brushed hers as he bent lower.
“Breathe,” he commanded softly.
Ellie’s heart was pounding with a heady mix of fear and desire. Harry’s lips hovered so close to hers that his warm exhales mingled with her own shallow breaths.
There was scarcely an inch between them.
And then there wasn’t any space at all.
She wasn’t sure which one of them moved, but Harry’s lips touched hers, and she almost swooned in delight.
The kiss was tentative, almost a question. He paused, as if to gauge her reaction, and without thought she pushed herself up on tiptoe, closer, silently encouraging him to do it again.
He muttered something under his breath, possibly in Italian, then leaned in and kissed her again, harder this time, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue.
---
“Will you take me back to Lincoln’s Inn Fields after that?”
The look in his eyes made her stomach somersault.
“If that’s what you want. But, Ellie, if you still weren’t sleepy...then I suppose I could kiss you.”
Her pulse stuttered, but she couldn’t resist teasing him. “To pass the time? Or because your kisses make ladies want to go to sleep.”
He raised his brows. “Did you feel remotely sleepy when I kissed you earlier?”
She bit her lip. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.” He uncrossed his legs. “You could kiss me back. And then I’d strip off that dress you’re wearing – the one that’s been driving me slowly insane all evening – and I’d do what I’ve been dreaming of since the first moment I saw you, which is to take you to bed and make love to you until we were both so exhausted, we’d have to sleep.”
---
He kissed the back of her neck. “I said, Yes, sweetheart. Kiss me.”
“You said something else too.”
He chuckled at her tenacity. “I did. I said, Voglio scoparti contro questo muro finche non urli il mio nome.”
“And what does that mean?”
He moved over her and she caught her breath as the muscled length of him pressed her down into the soft mattress. His larger size was thrilling, his physical power undeniable, and the combination of threat and careful restraint made her stomach somersault with desire.
“It means, I want to fuck you against his wall until you scream my name.”
Ellie gasped, apparently not beyond being scandalized, despire her non-virginal state, and he laughed against her ear.
“That was very rude.”
“It was indeed.”
---
“Have you ever fantasized about making love in a place like this? Somewhere completely forbidden? Because I have.” His gaze fell to her lips and she squirmed in her seat.
She’d be lying if she denied it. The thought of doing something so naughty made her almost quiver with excitement, and she could clearly imagine the thrill of trying to stay quiet while Harry’s hands roved all over her.
“You’d have to be extremely quiet, of course,” he whispered, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “I might even have to put my hand over your mouth to stop you making any noise. I could press you against the shelves and lift your skirts.” His pupils flared. “Or perhaps I’d spread you out on one of these library tables and lick your - “
A cough and the scrape of a chair made Ellie flush guiltily. Dear God, the man was a menace!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some scenes of violence, gunshots
- parental and sibling death (illness)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
1% - kiss
38% - kiss
46% - 🔥kisses, oral for her, missionary (v loss for her) followed by a missionary scene the next morning
His lips curved up. “Stop being so clever.”
He rested his hands on her knees, then slid them slowly up her thighs, bunching the emerald-green silk with his palms as he went. Ellie shivered in anticipation.
Instead of kissing her again, he dropped to his knees and caught the hem of her skirts.
//
“I think you were right about book-learning,” she breathed. “There’s no substitute for practical firsthand experience.”
“Does your hand want to experience it?” His jaw clenched as he stroked himself again, slowly up and down, as she nodded.
58% - brief kiss
71% - 🔥hand job for him in the carriage
Their joined hands pumped faster. He gripped the leather strap on the wall with his free hand and arched his spine, tilting his head back on the seat and exposing his throat. The sight of him made her own body thrum with desire, but she was determined to give him this gift. She pumped her hand, and with a groan that seemed dragged from his chest he went rigid, pulsing in her hand.
87% - kiss
95% - 🔥kisses, sex against the wall
She held out her hand, which was only shaking a tiny amount, and he slid the ring onto her fourth finger. She didn’t get time to admire it, or to even marvel at the miracle of a man like Harry wanting a girl like her. The moment it was on there, he surged to his feet and pinned her back against the wall.
“Bloody fantastic,” he growled. “And now we’ve got the formalities out of the way, I’m going to pleasure you up against this wall until you can’t think straight. Agreed?”