This Earl of Mine: A Bow Street Bachelors Novel

Kate Bateman

Oct 2019 · Bow Street Bachelors Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

"Bateman's scintillating first Bow Street Bachelors Regency is full of intense emotions and dramatic twists. Intelligent, affable characters make this fast-paced novel shine, especially for fans of clever women and the men who sincerely admire them. Future installments will be eagerly anticipated by Regency readers." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Introducing the Bow Street Bachelors—men who work undercover for London’s first official police force—and the women they serve to protect. . .and wed?

WILL A FALSE MARRIAGE


Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. All she has to do is find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her, and she’ll be free. What could possibly go wrong?

LEAD TO TRUE AND LASTING LOVE?

Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him—and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together...until actual death do they part?

Ratings and reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Georgie and Benedict’s story in This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman, book one in her Bow Street Bachelors series. This fantastic Regency romance of an heiress and a rogue accidentally ending up in a secret marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes. Desperate to keep her fortune away from her cousin, shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed resorts to marry a condemned criminal in Newgate prison. Georgie is surprised at the heat from the kiss she shared with her scoundrel of a husband. Georgie never expects to see her husband again, so imagine her shock when she spies him across a crowded ballroom. Notorious rogue Benedict Wylde never expected to have a wife, especially while undercover in Newgate, working for Bow Street. In order to keep their marriage of convenience a secret, Benedict courts Georgie in public; but the more time they spend together, the more they enjoy each other’s company. They could have invented electricity considering the way sparks flew between them. Now if only this heiress, who could own the world, find love and happiness with a penniless rake. Ms. Bateman wrote a wonderful story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, witty banter, endearing character, and a swoon worthy romance giving Georgie and Benedict a chance at love, happiness, and a future neither expected. I highly recommend This Earl of Mine to other readers and look forward to reading the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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.

Georgiana Caversteed is tired of all the members of the ton who only want to marry her for fortune, especially her disgusting cousin, Josiah. Georgie comes up with a plan and gets Pieter, her late father's right hand man to help. Georgie will marry a a condemned prisoner who is set to be executed and then she will become a widow and do what she'd like. Too bad the man she actually marries is Benedict William Henry Wylde, the second son of the late Earl of Morcott who is working undercover for Bow Street. When Ben ends up showing up at a ton event, all cleaned up and dressed fancy, Georgie realizes that maybe her husband isn't so bad. Quickly Ben realizes that he really likes Georgie and wants to court his wife. As these two spend more time together they both quickly realize that they have feelings for the other and maybe a real marriage might actually work. When a case Ben is working on puts Georgie in danger, he then admits that he does indeed love his wife. I just adored this story. Georgie is such a great female character....strong, persistent and very caring. Ben may have been known as a rake, but he is fiercely loyal, smart and so alpha......basically perfect! Together these two made a perfect match. The story these two go through to get to their happy ending was so fun. This story has some mysteries, some swooning, and even some laughter to it. Great start to this new series! I just adore Kate Bateman's books!

About the author

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of historical romances, including her RITA® nominated Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, and the novels in the Secrets & Spies series To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart, and A Counterfeit Heart. When not writing novels that feature feisty, intelligent heroines and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss, Kate works as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several popular TV shows in the UK. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England. Follow her on Twitter to learn more.