“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 … 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?
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Too much sex. Not centers on story
I wrote a review on iBooks under Carol R.
12/12/2020 The first sentence of “This Earl of Mine” (nook) had me hooked!!! Kate Bateman is a brilliant writer as is evidenced by this spectacular story. I loved this story and would gladly rate it as 6 (or more) stars.
4 Modern Thinking Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Sometimes when you read a blurb and you decide to snatch the book up, you just have to go with it…Buy into the premise and let the author tell her story. Kate Bateman decided to create a woman who had a lenient father. A father who made his fortune in shipping. He loved this older daughter so, he would teach her everything he knew about the business. By the time she was of age for the marriage mart, Georgiana Caversteed was not some simple mind girl willing to smile and put up with titled men who bored her.
Now her father has passed and as things went, the house and monies were inherited to the mother and younger sister with the bulk of the company and finances going to Georgiana. She had been running the company for a while and loved her independence but a certain cousin has been making advances and plans to force her to marry him. She has no intention of doing so…Everything would then become his…
No, that will not do.
Instead, Georgina has hatched a plan to save her independence and solve the marriage problem. She will marry a convicted felon who has been sentenced to hang or leave to Australia. This way she becomes a Widow and problem solved. Even her father’s manservant/bodyguard has agreed to help her.
Georgiana finds herself with her escort down at the prison and the man whom she was supposed to marry died before she could get there. Instead, she is advised to marry another…a man hairy beyond belief, in torn and disgusting clothes, and scheduled to take that voyage immediately after they say I do’s.
Benedict William Henry Wylde may be hairy, stink to high heaven and be in prison but he is there not to be punished but to find out information for the British government. The one who died was a suspect in an attempt against the government and Wylde was there to get him for his crimes. Now the man is dead and Wylde will have to find another way. The guards have no idea he is working with the government so they pull him to marry Georgiana.
Both of them are put off and the marriage does take place with Wylde not really understanding why a woman as beautiful as Georgiana is…would do all of this. It is only after she has him sign a contract does he understand what exactly is going on…that she is the infamous Georgiana Caversteed, heir to one of the largest fortunes in the Ton.
Despite the surroundings and the awful conditions of Wylde when they married, Georgiana is shocked that she actually has been thinking about this man. She is wondering if he will survive the ocean journey. She wonders how he had such a beautiful scrip and the ability to read when he was a prisoner. Georgiana’s mind was full of many thoughts about this man she would never see again and it bothered her.
The mother and younger sister beg Georgiana to take them to a ball so that they can be seen in town. It is time for the sister to consider marriage options. They go and as they tour the floor, Georgiana’s eye catches a glimpse of a man who had the same broad shoulders and blackest of black hair…and when he starts to cross the floor towards her, she cannot believe her eyes…it is him…
The man she married, cleaned up, shaved and hair cut. He is the second son of an Earl…known as a rake and a rogue.
Oh, this is not good, not good at all…
Well, Benedict William Henry Wylde isn’t thrilled either. He never wished to be married and now he planned to get untethered from this woman. He approaches and soon the mental games begin for he is very interested in her…and she is surprisingly intrigued too. The problem is his reputation as a scoundrel, her sister’s need for an appropriate marriage, and no scandal to ruin any of them.
This story asked for you to believe Georgiana could do all the things the author had her doing during these specific times…I decided to buy in and enjoyed the ride. With the mindset of forwarding thinkers through the ages, there had to be women who broke the mold.
The main couple had chemistry and seemed smitten enough for all the pleasure they shared.
This is the beginning of a new series with the secondary characters having their own romances and escapades.
Kate Bateman has quickly risen to the top of my favorite historical authors’ list.
The writing is great as is her storytelling. I’ve read two of the Bow Street Bachelor’s books thus far and find them very entertaining. Reading about strong women during the time period of the Bow Street Bachelors is so much fun.
The story takes place in London, 1816. Twenty-four-year-old Georgiana (Georgie) Caversteed has a plan. A grand plan to keep her fortune in her control, continue running the ship empire her father left her, and avoid marrying her gold digging cousin, Josiah, at all cost.
One might agree that marrying a stranger headed for the gallows the following day was a clever plan. Telling those who needed to know she secretly married a midshipman on one of her frigates, a mere sailor, was also a clever plan. Surely the prisoner’s demise would leave her perfectly and secretly safe in widowhood.
Not so fast. When things do not go as planned that’s when all the fun and intrigue of Georgie and Benedict Wylde’s escapades begin.
4.5 Stars!
This Earl of Mine features an amazing romance between an unlikely pairing that I enjoyed immensely.
Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is used to men being interested in her money, but her cousin is the worst of them. To avoid being forced into marriage, Georgie comes up with a plan to marry a condemned criminal scheduled for execution so she can become a widow and have more control over her life. But when the man she marries turns out to be working undercover for Bow Street, Georgie gets more than she bargained for when the man shows up very much alive. Soon Georgie finds herself being courted by her charming husband who hopes to convince Georgie to turn their union into a real marriage.
Georgie was a wonderful character and I loved her from the start. She’s incredibly intelligent and knows what she wants out of life. Her knowledge about the shipping industry was impressive and I enjoyed the scenes where she got to talk about it as it’s clear she loves what she does. Benedict was quite charming and I liked that he wasn’t the usual type of hero, someone rich and titled. As a second son, Benedict has had to make his own way in life and now most of the money he makes goes to his brother to help dig the estate out of the hole their father created. The ever present need for money is what leads Benedict to begin working undercover for Bow Street and I found his work to be quite interesting.
Georgie and Benedict’s romance gets off to a bit of a slower start as despite marrying at their first meeting, neither of them expected to remain married to the other. Initially their interactions are spent trying to find a way out of their situation only for Benedict to become smitten with Georgie and him deciding to try and persuade her to stay married. The pair’s chemistry is fantastic and the banter between them was amazing. I loved the buildup in their relationship and when it finally progresses, it’s very well done. In addition to navigating their relationship, Benedict’s work for Bow Street has him searching for a submarine, something right up Georgie’s alley leading to some great scenes of the pair working together.
Overall This Earl of Mine was a fantastic read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, To Catch an Earl, soon.
Charming, entertaining and fun to read.
I happened onto this novel, and it hooked me because the opening scene reminded me of one of my all-time favorites by Kathleen Woodiwiss: Shanna.
Of course, Ms. Bateman’s style and story were completely different, but I found them quite entertaining. I also found myself chuckling at several points in the story, and her characters were lovable and believable. I’m giving this 4 rather than 5 stars just because I would have liked a bit more steamy sex scenes. But even without that, I couldn’t put this book down. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author!
This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased, honest opinion.
This is the first book I’ve ever read by this author so I wasn’t sure about her writing style in the beginning. At times I felt certain scenes seemed the drag on a bit too long. Also the thoughts of characters were sometimes 3-4 pages long so it was hard to keep up with conversations at times because so much happened in their thoughts. The last thing that bugged me was the vocabulary used at times. I feel I’m like the average reader and I had to look up quite a few words throughout the story. With that being said, is that normal for this author or only because this was historical romance? I’m not sure.
Now that I have all the negative thoughts out of the way….I adored this book as a whole. I love Georgiana Caversteed! She was such a great main character!!! Her sense of adventure and knowledge for so many different things was just the best!! She was in a sense, head of her household since her father passed on. Georgiana aka Georgie was very close to her father so she learned a lot about the family business. Her father had been in shipping as a merchant. Georgie picked up the business quite easily and just seemed to have a knack for it.
The other main character was Benedict Wylde. Benedict has been in the military for years but had recently come home with two of his best friends Alex and Seb. Together they owned a gambling hall. Their friendship was so entertaining to read about. They had been through so much in the war that their bond was rock solid.
Benedict and Georgie met while Benedict was in jail undercover on a mission. Georgie wants to find herself a husband so she can stop being hounded by fortune hunters after her family’s money. However, her plans don’t go accordingly when she marries Benedict who isn’t who she thinks he is.
This was such a fun story revolving adventure and finding love where you least expect it. Don’t worry, they are plenty of steamy scenes that go with it!! I definitely enjoyed this story and I’m hoping that this is a series so I can read about Benedict’s friends!!
This is book #1 of the Bow Street Bachelors.
They work undercover for London’s first official police force.
This is the story of Georgiana Caversteed and Benedict William Henry Wylde.
Will a False Marriage
Lead to True and Lasting Love?
Georgiana is a shipping heiress. She is done dealing with men who only want her for her fortune. She even has a cruel cousin who is determined to force Georgie into marriage. Georgie comes up with the inventive scheme to wed a condemned criminal right before he is executed. That way she will be a widow & be able to live her life. She has to find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her so she can be free.
Benedict is the second son of the late Earl of Morcott. He is a well-known rake. He is in prison working undercover for Bow Street. Georgie goes to the prison looking for her bachelor prisoner, and doesn’t realize who Benedict is when she marries him.
A few weeks later, Georgie bumps into her handsome husband at a society gathering. She is in shock since he is supposed to not be alive anymore.
Soon after that Benedict finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to gain her heart as well as her hand. He has to convince the beautiful wife of his that he actually wants to be together til death do they part.
This was the first book i read from this author. The story is very entertaining. I love how they worked together to solve a mystery and to figure out how to save Georgie from the ton and her cousin. Parts of it brought a smile to my face, and there is romance and passion in both of their decisions.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series. I read this book over two evenings.
Before this year I can count how many romance books I have ever read on one hand.
Not that I ever thought that romance books were bad I just couldn’t find the right fit for me. Well as we grow and our reading tastes change we find things we didn’t know we were missing. Well apparently I was missing Regency Romance but I am very specific. I like my women to be more bluestocking and my men to be Rakish. And if you toss some witty banter and hate to love romance in there I am hooked.
I enjoyed this book so much! There was no unnecessary drama just to make the story go on. I liked the more straight forward approach instead of a lot of fluff.
Georgie “finds” a way to ward off her cousin who wants to take her money and keep control of her late father’s shipping company. Become a widow by marrying a condemned man. So what do you do when a few months your husband walks into a ballroom? Well, you will have to read the book to find out lol. I loved the interactions between these two characters. Benedict appreciated the fact that Georgie had a head for business and did not look down on her for it which was very rare for that time. I loved the chemistry between them even though they denied it so much.
I can not wait to read the next book in this series. I really liked all of the side characters and can not wait to get all of their stories.
If you love strong alpha women, you will love this book! She had a task that had to be fulfilled and didn’t like the odds she was facing so she changed the look of it and oh what she got out of it! You will love this first book in the series! Thank you!
Scandalous, seductive, and entertaining!
This Earl is Mine is set in London during 1816 and features the intelligent, wealthy, independent Georgiana Caversteed and the dashingly handsome, womanizer Benedict Wylde as they navigate undeniable attraction, a wedding of convenience with unexpected consequences, and an undercover mission of national security.
The prose is authentic and amusing. The characters are passionate, creative, and mischievous. And the plot is a humorous, mysterious mix of scoundrel behaviour, familial drama, Georgian customs and traditions, desire, yearning, gossip, tricky situations, danger, and romance.
This Earl is Mine isx1b witty, adventurous, engaging, and delightfully steamy. It’s the first book in The Bow Street Bachelors series by Bateman, and if historical romance is a genre you enjoy, then this novel will certainly not disappoint.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica –
Spoiler-Free Review
Kate Bateman is a new-to-me author. This Earl of Mine is the debut in the Bow Street Bachelors series.
As an independent woman running her late father’s shipping company, Georgina Caversteed isn’t interested in romance. She needs a solution to her greatest problem. She’s constantly pursued by those wishing to take advantage of her considerable wealth and her business. When every man who wants to be in her company merely wants something from her, it makes a woman overly cautious, especially since if she married the wrong man, he would be in control of her legacy and future.
I truly enjoyed Georgina’s more mature outlook, slightly pessimistic and cautious, instead of the usual historical heroines who are more worried about balls, looking pretty, and catching a husband. Georgina was in fear of her independence, wishing to lead her own life, so she devises a way to marry that would remove all her worries.
Benedict Wylde is who Georgina chooses to marry in her insane plan of independence. But Georgina underestimates Benedict. He has his own plan, where she doesn’t fit into it in the long-run either, which adds to the romantic tension, banter, humor, and unexpected connection between the pair.
I don’t wish to ruin the storyline with spoilers, because it’s definitely an original story. Both Benedict and Georgina are running parallel games, if you will. Where they truly shine is when they come together for a common goal, while working through their problems, seeking a happier life together.
While the story was a good one, the reason for the 4-star rating is based on my mood, which affected the entertainment value – I wasn’t sure if there was something missing in the book that made me able to put it down and walk away, or if it was my mood entirely. That’s on me.
I thoroughly enjoyed This Earl of Mine, and highly recommend it to historical romance fans. I’m definitely looking forward to more in the series and by this author.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
A delightful read, written with a humorous voice, with endearing characters and a intriguing plot. I read an ARC from NetGalley.com and this is my unbiased and voluntary review. Similar to the old Doublemint gum commercial, this has two romances going on, doubling the pleasure to the reader.
Georgiana Caversteed is her father’s daughter. She inherited his fine business sense, inquisitive mind and sense of adventure. He started teaching her about their shipping business when she was still a young girl and since his untimely death, she has run Caversteed Shipping and increased their wealth. However, it is fortune hunters that she fears, especially her cousin Josiah, who has gambled away his inheritance and wants to control hers. She comes up with a scheme to marry a condemned man, making her a widow. The plan goes awry, when the man dies first and the jailer instead offers her a man who has been condemned to be deported, Ben Wylde, ex rifle-brigade, penniless veteran of waterloo. She does not trust her cousin to wait for another condemned man, so reluctantly agrees.
Benedict William Henry Wylde, second son of the late Earl of Morcott, decorated war hero and now working for Bow Street and part owner of the Tricorn Club, is in NewGate prison undercover, tracking down a rumor of an attempt to rescue Napoleon from St Helen. He is forced to go along with the farce, expecting to undo it, once he is free. With the marriage certificate in hand, she tells her mother, sister and cousin that she married a sailor.
On her twenty-fifth birthday, she finally feels secure, until Benedict Wylde confronts her at a ball. Having concluded that the marriage can not legally be put aside, they decide that he will court her, have a public wedding and then go their separate ways. But as best laid plans often go astray, they both find themselves drawn to each other, despite the constant humorous interruptions, they have similar philosophies of life and Georgie finally gets a real adventure. They get a HEA, which neither ever expected.
Where to start…Oh, right. I’m reviewing This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman as a part of a blog tour put together by the amazing folks at St. Martin’s Press and SMP Romance. The FTC requires this disclaimer even though every person who has ever met me knows that I am way too opinionated for a free book to sway my opinion. Let’s get to this before the coffee runs out!
I was hooked into this book right from the start. The opening scene was all the sketchy a girl could ask for, a cloaked figure, nocturnal sneaking, mystery and intrigue (those are different!), and, marriage for reasons that don’t involve love. Georgiana “Georgie” Caversteed is being ‘hunted’ by her creep-o cousin who wants to marry her for her money and he’s not being subtle about it. Her plan is to marry a man sentenced to be hanged and live her life as the woefully ignored wife of an always travelling husband. Girl, yes! Georgie is kind of next-level if you ask me, in a time where ‘proper’ women basically had to be married, she had her plan all figured out on how to be her own woman. Marry a man sentenced to death, boom! instant secret widow and freedom to do as she pleases! And her husband of (in)convenience? Not actually a ne’er-do-well convict bound for Tasmania in the morning. He’s a war hero, a member of the ton, -coowner of a gambling hell, and an undercover Bow Street Runner. Benedict “Ben” Hyde is given two options from the prison warden, marry mystery lady or die right there. Ben’s Not Happy about this situation and completely dumbstruck when he finds out the identity of his new bride, the wealthiest woman in London. And I am telling you the book, huh? Just slap my name on this book, I love it!
The dynamics between Ben and Georgie are stellar. Ben gives Georgie the ability to be herself, enjoy herself, and have adventures (because adventures should be shared). And, Georgie gives Ben a better sense of self-worth little by little, she shows him how to feel, and she helps him out with his case! Reading this, you can feel the sparks between Ben and Georgie from the start, not the instantaneous ‘love them, gotta have them, be with them forever’ deal, but that warm butterfly feeling that kind of makes you want to vomit but also makes you want to skip everywhere and it quickly gets out of control and OHMIGOSH I LURV THEM! These two understand each other wonderfully and, even when they have a misunderstanding, they don’t flounce off for an eternity and a half or break things off, they talk. They’re magical unicorns.
Character Time! My favourite character aside from our leads has to be either Georgiana’s younger sister, Juliet, or Benedict’s little street urchin friend, Jem. Juliet acts like an airhead, but she’s pretty on the ball. She’s not as fierce as Georgie, but she has no use for the puff-shirts and one of my favourite conversations in this story is between Georgie and Juliet where they ridicule a man, who’s after the Caversteed fortune of course, who has sworn to slay dragons for Juliet. And she’s head-over-heels for a preacher’s kid from their hometown and subtly sticks it to her matchmaking, title-hunting mother every chance she gets it seems. And Jem is just, well, you have to meet Jem to understand. I love that kid. I like Pieter, the right-hand man Georgie inherited from her father, he’s overprotective but also knows Georgie can take care of herself. We love a man who gets that zen balance. I like the teasing camaraderie between Ben and his co-owner friends (and fellow runners), Alex and Seb. My dork babies. My least favourite characters? Georgiana and Juliet’s mother and their cousin, Josiah. Josiah is a drunk, a gambling addict, and so many other creeper things that involve me digging out my taser.
I flat-out snorted at Starbucks while reading one passage. The only thing I’ll say is, Georgie and Ben actually have the same sense of humour. Poor Mother Caversteed, she never stood a chance. There are some things I didn’t see coming in This Earl of Mine and I do love a book that keeps me on my toes. I liked that we had consistent historical accuracy in our content, I’m a trifling little chit about this, I will full-stop on a hist-rom that doesn’t give me accuracy for days. I’m at peace with this aspect of my personality, don’t judge me.
I just really hated Josiah. His entire whole character was human trash. I also learned that reading the word “coitus” just ruins a love scene for me. It’s right up there with “moist”, y’all. I also wish there had been some friendship out there for Georgie. That girl needs a friend.
I’m giving This Earl of Mine four stars and three flames. I enjoyed this book and it was a great series opener and I cannot wait to read the next book! I think I’ve covered everything in my notes, it sure seems like it, so this is the end of my review!
This has been a review from Once Upon a Time, I Read a Book and I hope y’all enjoyed it! If you’re looking for more of them, I’m a dot-com away!
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
This Earl of Mine is a marriage of convenience romance to true love story. Georgiana Caversteed is a very wealthy woman and every man she meets wants one thing, her purse strings. In pursuit of her freedom, Georgiana marries a prisoner bound for deportation only Ben Wylde is an undercover spy for the crown and not going anywhere. Georgiana and Ben’s vows are binding and they make an arrangement to make the best of a situation. The couple work well together even in the pursuit of stopping traitors and the HEA comes as no surprise. With a strong female heroine and swoon worthy hero, the story is totally predictable but sweet just the same and a wonderful pick me up for down days. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
From the very beginning I fell in love with Georgiana Caversteed. She doesn’t suffer fools. Yes she loved spending time with her father. She was just as knowledgeable about shipping and trade as him. That is why she was perfect to take over the business upon his death. Her mother and cousin had other plans. Mother wanted to marry her off to a man with a title and her cousin wanted to marry her just to get his hands on her money. Georgie had other plans. She found a solution to her problem. Benedict Wylde is a spare heir. He joined the military with 2 of his best friends. He now earns money as a Bow Street Runner and from time to time does odd jobs for the government. They should not be compatible but the set each other on fire. Georgie longs for adventure and Ben is willing to take her along with him. Till it becomes more.
I can’t wait to see who is next up.