As most of you know, Regency-era romances are one of my favorite genres to read. And, if you have been following me for a long enough time, you know that I love Kate Bateman’s books. So, when How to Fall for a Scoundrel came across my email, it wasn’t even a question of me reading the book. It was an automatic acceptance on my end.
How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in the Her Majesty’s Rebels series. You can read it as a standalone, but I highly suggest reading book one first. It provides a more in-depth background of the main characters and how their detective agency started.
The main storyline of How to Fall for a Scoundrel is centered around Ellie and Harry. Ellie is 1/3 of the owner of King & Co., a detective agency that the Queen uses. Harry is an ex-con who wiggled his way into her life by claiming to be her fictional boss, Charles King. Ellie and Harry are forced together when King & Co. is approached and asked to find a stolen priceless manuscript. But Ellie isn’t aware that Harry has secrets that revolve around his past. What happens when Harry’s secrets come to light? Will their fledgling relationship be able to withstand them?
I loved the chemistry between Ellie and Harry. I wasn’t expecting that because it was an Instalove-type deal, and usually (in my experience), Instalove doesn’t have the chemistry that these two did.
I liked Ellie. She certainly didn’t take any shit from Harry, that’s for sure. I loved watching her interact with him. It was a healthy blend of skepticism, lust (later love), and amusement.
Harry was an enigma. When he introduced himself as Henri, my attention was caught from the beginning. The author did an excellent job of keeping his identity a secret, but I wasn’t surprised when it was revealed. I also liked that Harry was very much in tune with his feelings. He acknowledged what he felt for Ellie before she even began to admit it to herself. And for a Regency-era man, I thought that it was refreshing.
The storyline with the manuscript was exciting, but it was more of a backdrop for Ellie and Harry’s romance. I liked the shenanigans that they got into, and I loved watching them fall for each other.
Toward the end of the book, a secondary storyline revolves around Harry. This interesting storyline involved Harry’s eyes (he had heterochromia). Other than that, I can’t get into the storyline because there are some major spoilers, and I don’t want to give anything away.
The end of How to Fall for a Scoundrel was a HEA. I liked how the author wrapped up Ellie and Harry’s love story, solved the manuscript mystery, and solved the secondary storyline with Harry. I cannot wait for the third book in this series to come out!!
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Kate Bateman for allowing me to read and review this ARC of How to Fall for a Scoundrel. All opinions stated in this review are mine.