The Princess and the Rogue: A Bow Street Bachelors Novel

Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray is the last of his group of friends to still be single. He believes there is no single woman who could get him to settle down. Enter Anna Brown, aka Princess Anastasia Denisova. Anna fled Russia after word that her brother Dimitri died in battle to escape Count Vasili Petrov, the Russian traitor who wanted to marry her for her money. While in London, trying to keep low, Anna becomes a companion to the Dowager Duchess of Winwick to earn some money. The dowager just happens to be the great-aunt of Sebastien. Anna also spends time at her friend, Charlotte Haye's, infamous brothel helping to teach the girls how to read, write and be a lady. One evening Sebastien enters the brothel looking for some fun and sees Anna. He decides that is the woman he wants. When Anna refuses, they end up kissing and the chemistry is off the charts. This begins the fun chase. Sebastien cannot seemed to get Anna out of his mind but he has no idea who she is until he sees her with his great-aunt when he agrees to accompany them to the country. When Anna's life is threatened, Sebastien takes matters into his own hand and moves Anna in with him at his gaming hall. The more time these two spend together, the closer they get until they can no longer stop their attraction. During this same time, Sebastien enlists Anna's help with the murder of a Russian man. As the mystery of the murder comes to a surprising conclusion, lots of interesting things comes to light.....and Anna and Sebastien find their perfect happy ending. I loved this story. There was the perfect amount of suspense mixed with a great love story. I just loved both Anna and Sebastien. Anna was so strong and gave up so much for her freedom. Sebastien was fun because I love seeing an alpha man falling hard for the perfect woman. Overall, this was a great end to a great series.

Wow, I loved this! My first by this author and it was so good I’m questioning why I haven’t read her before. Anya was an interesting heroine as she was fierce and yet needed a certain amount of protection. However, she was no weakling that couldn’t do anything for herself, but she recognized her limitations and sought to correct them. For the era, her decision on taking things with Seb to the next level was liberating but she made it with honest introspection for this time period. Sebastien was pure swoony goodness. He was rather grumpy, definitely protective, and had to fight his reaction to claim Anya when society dictated he could not. I had the best time watching him fall for her, help her through her problems, witness his internal battle against everything that was against them at the end and finally see what a contented Sebastien looks like. I can’t help but wonder if the other heroes in this series are just as swoon worthy. This is a relatively fun romance with a hero and heroine that kept each other on their toes as well as myself throughout the story. The steam is beyond anything I’m capable of explaining as it left me dry mouthed and turning the a/c down. While there is danger, drama and intrigue interlaced with the perfect amount of light hearted fare, this never felt heavy or bogged down by the issues needing resolution. It was the perfect combination to keep me turning pages. Definitely recommending this one to those who love their historical romance with a Russian flair!

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for a complimentary copy of The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman. I have read and reviewed this book prior to publications. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them. The Princess and the Rogue is a well-written Regency novel with engaging characters and a action-packed plot. From the first exciting scene, the pacing pulled me in and held my attention until the end. Anya, AKA Anne Brown’s character has several facets with personality traits I most enjoy in a romance. Her determination to survive under extremely difficult conditions impressed me. Her loyalty to her friend is also impressive. I ached for her pain of losing her family, and her fear she would be pushed into marriage. Sebastian Wolff is a great hero with the characteristic I most love. He’s dashing, gorgeous and brave. His need to protect the heroine touched my heart. His loss of his hearing during the Battle of Waterloo adds a deeper level to his personality. The romance between Anya and Seb bursts to life from the first meeting, even though neither wants of them desires it. They both fight it, but the overwhelming passion cannot be denied. I wanted them to find their happy ending. If you enjoy Regency romance set in the glittering ballrooms of London, and with characters that will intrigue, then you will love The Princess and the Rogue as much as I did. Although this novel is part of a series, I had no problems reading it without having read the first two. Happy reading!