{"id":29754,"date":"2022-12-29T14:51:40","date_gmt":"2022-12-29T18:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=29754"},"modified":"2022-12-29T14:51:42","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T18:51:42","slug":"review-a-wicked-game-by-kate-bateman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/29\/review-a-wicked-game-by-kate-bateman\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-29754\" data-postid=\"29754\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-29754 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_tc3g49 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_l7a149 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_cnf749 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"982\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/a-wicked-game-kate-bateman.jpg?resize=600%2C982&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-29755\" title=\"a-wicked-game-kate-bateman\" alt=\"a-wicked-game-kate-bateman\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/a-wicked-game-kate-bateman.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/a-wicked-game-kate-bateman.jpg?resize=183%2C300&amp;ssl=1 183w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/a-wicked-game-kate-bateman.jpg?resize=400%2C654&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_hwij49 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold\">If there\u2019s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it\u2019s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .<\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold\">A teasing bet.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">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\u2019s also vowed to claim the winner\u2019s prize\u2014three kisses\u2014in 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\u2019s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package. . .<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><span class=\"a-text-bold\">A dangerous enemy.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Harriet\u2019s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he\u2019s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father\u2019s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked games with a dastardly Davies\u2014however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan\u2019s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all . . .<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_jaiv49 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_g1sy49  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25880 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-diamond-banner-1-2.png?resize=296%2C72&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Dec 27, 2022<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Ruthless Rivals<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>3<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Macmillan<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0St. Martin&#8217;s Press<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $8.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Tropes:<\/strong> Feuding Families, Childhood Friends, Frenemies-to-Lovers, Working Heroine, Soldiers\/Sailors\/War, Revenge, Spy\/Govt Work<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Captain Morgan Davies<\/strong> returns to London after a shipwreck with revenge and kisses on his mind! He and his long-time \u201cnemesis,\u201d <strong>Harriet Montgomery<\/strong>, made a bet, and he\u2019s ready to cash in. But convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her is going to be his greatest challenge yet!<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This is the third book in <em>The Ruthless Rivals<\/em> series, which focuses on family members from the feuding Davies and Montgomery families. Harriet&#8217;s cousin Maddie and Morgan&#8217;s eldest brother Griff is the couple from book one, and they play a role in this story.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Kate Bateman<\/strong> &#8211; and this series &#8211; keeps delivering! The story starts quickly and pulls the reader right into Morgan and Harriet&#8217;s &#8220;I dare you&#8221; friendship. The chemistry sizzles as Harriet had bet Morgan three kisses that he wouldn&#8217;t return home safely&#8230;unfortunately (or fortunately, wink) for her, she didn&#8217;t specify what kind of kisses or where on her body he could place them. Their playful banter was a lot of fun, and I liked that Morgan is the one leading with his heart first.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">There was also an excellent secondary story taking place, and it weaved in beautifully. Harriet has been helping her father&#8217;s map-making business by secretly helping the British Navy with fake maps to use against enemies. A threat from Morgan&#8217;s past catches up to them and a French ex-soldier comes looking for one of the falsified maps, putting them both in danger.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">I was completely engaged in this story and the end, in particular, pushed all the right romance buttons. I hope this isn&#8217;t the end of the Montgomery-Davies feud because I&#8217;d love to see Rhys find a match, too!<\/p><p><em>~ Leslie<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_o6jq49 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3jDKBYL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3VxFJS0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/a-wicked-game-kate-bateman\/1141419642?ean=9781250801593\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/a-wicked-game-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details?id=8ZBpEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there\u2019s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it\u2019s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .A teasing bet.Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,48,59],"tags":[155,305,307,404,405,406,485],"class_list":["post-29754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leslie","category-reviews","category-st-martins-press","tag-5-stars","tag-historical-romance","tag-historicals","tag-recommend","tag-recommended-reads","tag-regency","tag-top-picks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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He\u2019s also vowed to claim the winner\u2019s prize\u2014three kisses\u2014in 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\u2019s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package. . .<br \/><br \/><strong>A dangerous enemy.<\/strong><br \/><br \/>Harriet\u2019s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he\u2019s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father\u2019s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked games with a dastardly Davies\u2014however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan\u2019s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all . . .<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-diamond-banner-1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Dec 27, 2022<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Ruthless Rivals<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>3<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Macmillan<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0St. Martin's Press<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $8.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Tropes:<\/strong> Feuding Families, Childhood Friends, Frenemies-to-Lovers, Working Heroine, Soldiers\/Sailors\/War, Revenge, Spy\/Govt Work<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Captain Morgan Davies<\/strong> returns to London after a shipwreck with revenge and kisses on his mind! He and his long-time \u201cnemesis,\u201d <strong>Harriet Montgomery<\/strong>, made a bet, and he\u2019s ready to cash in. But convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her is going to be his greatest challenge yet!<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This is the third book in <em>The Ruthless Rivals<\/em> series, which focuses on family members from the feuding Davies and Montgomery families. Harriet's cousin Maddie and Morgan's eldest brother Griff is the couple from book one, and they play a role in this story.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Kate Bateman<\/strong> - and this series - keeps delivering! The story starts quickly and pulls the reader right into Morgan and Harriet's \"I dare you\" friendship. The chemistry sizzles as Harriet had bet Morgan three kisses that he wouldn't return home safely...unfortunately (or fortunately, wink) for her, she didn't specify what kind of kisses or where on her body he could place them. Their playful banter was a lot of fun, and I liked that Morgan is the one leading with his heart first.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">There was also an excellent secondary story taking place, and it weaved in beautifully. Harriet has been helping her father's map-making business by secretly helping the British Navy with fake maps to use against enemies. A threat from Morgan's past catches up to them and a French ex-soldier comes looking for one of the falsified maps, putting them both in danger.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">I was completely engaged in this story and the end, in particular, pushed all the right romance buttons. I hope this isn't the end of the Montgomery-Davies feud because I'd love to see Rhys find a match, too!<\/p><p><em>~ Leslie<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3jDKBYL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3VxFJS0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/a-wicked-game-kate-bateman\/1141419642?ean=9781250801593\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/a-wicked-game-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details?id=8ZBpEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29754"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29761,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29754\/revisions\/29761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}