Series: Secrets & Spies #1
Published by Kate Bateman on May 15, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency, Action & Adventure
Pages: 364
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
A master spy and a beautiful thief find love and intrigue in each other’s arms. . .
Forced to do the bidding of a corrupt government minister, tightrope-walking thief Marianne de Bonnard agrees to plant incriminating evidence in the offices of France’s most notorious spymaster. But when her wickedly handsome target appears—with an outrageous proposition—Marianne’s torn between fear and an unwelcome spark of desire.
Nicolas Valette has plans for his graceful trespasser. Her unique skills make her perfect for his next mission, but she refuses his offer for fear of disobeying her family’s tormenter. When their mutual enemy auctions off her virginity to the highest bidder, Nicolas leaps at the chance to buy her cooperation.
Both Nicolas and Marianne want the same thing: revenge. But perhaps their joint adventures will uncover something even more delicious . . .
Praise for To Steal a Heart
“[To Steal a Heart] is rich with espionage and suspense. Multidimensional believable characters and fast-paced plotting propel the story forward to its moving conclusion.”—Publishers Weekly
“The writing and characterization are superb, the romance is hot, snarky and tender and the hero is delicious. I couldn’t ask for much more in an historical romance”—All About Romance
Perfect for readers who love Loretta Chase, Julia Quinn, Caroline Linden, Janna MacGregor, Scarlett Peckham, Laura Kinsale, Kerrigan Byrne, Lisa Kleypas, Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, Eloisa James, Grace Burrowes, Madeline Hunter, Lenora Bell, Sophie Jordan, Lorraine Heath, Eva Leigh, Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Joanna Shupe, Sarah MacLean, Shana Galen, Stephanie Laurens and Sabrina Jeffries.Keywords: Historical romance, Regency romance, Victorian
romance, action-adventure, sexy, bodyguard, best friend’s sister, enemies to
lovers, friends to lovers, second chance romance, Napoleonic romance, fake
relationship, marriage of convenience, Sexy, spies, Bow Street, spicy, funny,
charming, Bestseller, Kindle, Nook, Ebook.
Today, I am wading out of my ARCs and into my personal library. I’ve read two of Bateman’s previous books and enjoyed them so I was pleased to see she had a new one out! Even better, this one has a female thief.
Set in a fractious period of French history, our heroine made for an intriguing character. A former aristocrat turned cirque performer and thief, Marianne is just trying to get by and protect her younger sister Sophie. Nicolas is an accomplished spy with his eyes set on revenge.
It has been a while since I’ve read a historical romance based outside England so this was a treat. Gritty Paris in the grips of revolution was an interesting backdrop for Marianne and Nicolas. Honestly, Marianne was my absolute favorite. Her sarcasm and snark often made me laugh out loud, especially when Nic has said something particularly obnoxious. The sexual tension between the two and Marianne’s slow acceptance of her feelings proved to be an engaging rollercoaster of emotion.
I was thoroughly engaged and excited for the caper but when Nicolas takes it upon himself to train Marianne the book started to slow for me. Marianne is expected to operate on a need-to-know basis with virtually no information. Sure, he is a spy and I suppose that could be expected but Nic’s enigmatic persona and his high-handedness started to grate on me. While we do get both POV’s I didn’t notice a real pattern to the changes. It wasn’t, one chapter Marianne and the next Nicolas. Readers spent the bulk of their time with Marianne, guessing at Nic’s feelings/position.
Nicolas gave zero tells during Marianne’s POV. Even as an experienced romance reader, I was left feeling cold and unattached. As written, Marianne had no clue that Nic had feelings for her which made his eventual declaration fall flat for me. His pseudo-vendetta against Napoleon was shaky at best. I’m no stranger to alpha characters but this one just didn’t fit the bill for me. The age gap was a bit steep, 19 and 35, and it made the power imbalance pretty much insurmountable.
Overall, I like Marianne and the atypical job she brings to the story. I think Nic could have used a lesson in communication. Even if he received a D, he may have picked up some tricks to bring more to this relationship with Marianne. Not my favorite of Bateman’s but you can’t please every reader.
CW: Violence, sexual assault
About Kate Bateman
Kate Bateman (also writing as K. C. Bateman) wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she'd 'never finish the thing.' She gleefully proved him wrong. Her Regency and Renaissance-era romances all feature her trademark feisty, intelligent heroines, wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you want to both strangle and kiss.
When not traveling to exotic locations 'for research,' Kate leads a double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England and writes despite three inexhaustible children and a number-loving husband who still owes her that dollar.
