A Perfectly Crafted Romantic Escape
A Wicked Game
Ruthless Rivals (Book 3)
Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Military Romance
St. Martin's Press
December 27, 2022
ebook, paperback, audiobook
305
A Wicked Game marks the third book in Kate Bateman's popular regency romance series, Ruthless Rivals.
If there’s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it’s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .
A teasing bet.
Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an incorrect map, Captain Morgan Davies has returned to London to exact sweet revenge on the cartographer responsible for his suffering. He’s also vowed to claim the winner’s prize—three kisses—in the bet he made with his long-time nemesis, the prickly, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. His incarceration has clarified his feelings for her, but convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her is going to be his greatest challenge yet. When Harriet’s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package. . .
A dangerous enemy.
Harriet’s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he’s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked games with a dastardly Davies—however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan’s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all . . .
“Morgan fought the urge to laugh. He’d take a slap from Harriet over a kiss from another woman any day.” —A Wicked Game
Right from the first page I was entranced by Kate Bateman’s latest release, A Wicked Game. The third and final book of the Ruthless Rivals series, A Wicked Game follows childhood rivals Harriet Montgomery and Morgan Davies as they spar and bet their way into finally realizing that all their teasing has culminated into what is actually over a decade of foreplay.
I absolutely believe that this is the best of the series. While I whole-heartedly adore each single book of this Ruthless Rivals series, I think A Wicked Game will forever hold a special spot in my heart solely for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” meshed with “The Count of Monte Cristo” vibes that I got while reading. With Napoleon freshly defeated and once again ensconced in prison, Morgan Davies is back in England and ready to take on his next challenge: Harriet Montgomery. Unfortunately-Fortunately for him, his first order of business leads him straight to her door.
“He was the dragon, the sea monster. A kraken, merciless and irresistible, just waiting to drag her down to the depths. And oh, how she wanted to go.”—A Wicked Game
As fate would have it, Harriet has taken over her father’s prodigious cartography business due to his failing sight. In order to keep her anonymity in a special project with the Royal Navy, Harriet has used a pseudonym which has caught the attention and ire of Morgan Davies as well as Morgan Davies’ captor from Martinique.
Between the cat and mouse play of French General de Caen in London coupled with Morgan and Harriet’s games, I was thoroughly enchanted. A Wicked Game is the perfect blend of fast-paced adventures and swoony romanticism which means that it’s the perfect book for a little escapism if you’re ready to bid adieu to winter and take yourself on a whirlwind of a romance.
“And love isn’t about grand gestures. It’s all about the tiny, everyday, seemingly insignificant things that all add up to something big.” —A Wicked Game
A Wicked Game perfectly balances what I love about regency romances and pairs it expertly with Morgan Davies’ maritime career. This is one romance that has me yearning for sun-kissed beaches, salt-scented air, and a map to take me anywhere. Do not miss out on the final book in the Ruthless Rivals series as Kate Bateman has surely written the cherry of a book to finish out a phenomenal series!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
