A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman ARC Review!

 

Title: A Daring Pursuit
Author: Kate Bateman
Publish Date: May 24th, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review!

The Davies and Montgomery families have been locked in an ancient feud. But it’s a thin line between love and hate in Kate Bateman's A Daring Pursuit.

TWO ENEMIES

Carys Davies is doing everything in her power to avoid marriage. Staying single is the only way to hide the secret that could ruin her—and her family—if it was revealed. For the past two seasons she’s scandalized the ton with her outrageous outfits and brazen ways in a futile bid to deter potential suitors. Outwardly confident and carefree, inside she’s disillusioned with both men and love. There’s only one person who’s never bought her act—the only man who makes her heart race: Tristan Montgomery, one of her family’s greatest rivals.

ONE SCANDALOUS BARGAIN

Wickedly proper architect Tristan needs a respectable woman to wed, but he’s never stopped wanting bold, red-headed Carys. When she mockingly challenges him to show her what she’s missing by not getting married, Tristan shocks them both by accepting her indecent proposal: one week of clandestine meetings, after which they’ll go their separate ways. But kissing each other is almost as much fun as arguing, and their affair burns hotter than either of them expects. When they find themselves embroiled in a treasonous plot, can they trust each other with their hearts, their secrets…and their lives?

Penelope's Review

This is my first book by this author and I have to say I quite liked her writing style! I'm a huge fan of regency romance so there are lots of times when I feel like I'm reading the same book again (not that I mind, this is my comfort genre so I go in expecting the same tropes lol!) but I found this one to have a few pretty unique aspects which is always exciting! 

First off, we have a main female character who purposely wears scandalous outfits to every ball she attends (LOVED this - thanks to good writing, I had a mental image of each stunning outfit!). She does this to avoid marrying anyone due to a secret that we learn about pretty early in the book (though I won't go into details for those who wish to remain surprised). Carys was a fun, layered character who always seemed so good-natured, yet bold and unafraid. Tristan is more reserved and proper, yet he can't help but be intrigued with Carys's salacious disregard for the ton's rules. These two are such a great match. Both complement each other's personalities, both are intelligent and caring, and both are in love before they even realize it.

Overall, the plot here was great, the supporting characters (including Carys's animals!) were all fantastic, and our main characters were a perfect match. Though there is an element of blackmail, it takes a backseat to the romance between Carys and Tristan which is ok, just something to note! I'm looking forward to what comes next in this series, and will definitely be going back and reading the first one!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!