Review by Veronica

Series Name: Her Majesty’s Rebels, # 2 

Ellie gave a fake gasp of shock. “She stole something from him? Surely not!”

“I’m afraid so.” He popped the second button and sent her a look from beneath his brows. “She wasn’t nearly as innocent as she seemed.” 

“What did she do?”

“She stole the breath from his lungs with a scandalous dress. And then she kissed him, and stole his wits from his head, as well.” 

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is an easy and entertaining Regency read and a second fabulous installment in Her Majesty’s Rebels series. 

As a founding member of King & Co., London’s most successful private investigation firm, studious Eleanor Law delights in secretly proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, “Charles King,” Ellie knows he’s lying, but accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking her new case and recovering a priceless manuscript.

“Henri Bonheur”—or “Harry” as he asks to be called—claims his criminal past is behind him, but a man who steals and seduces with such consummate ease can never be trusted. As the investigation draws them deeper into danger and desire, Ellie’s infuriated to realize she’s developed feelings for her law-breaking accomplice. How can she love the scoundrel when she doesn’t even know his real name? And what will happen when Harry’s past finally catches up with him? 

I enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was pumped to see the second installment on NetGalley. For those new to the series, you can read each book as a stand-alone, but if you are like me and are always on the lookout for a new Regency series, I recommend diving into this one. Here is a very quick introduction to the overarching plotline in this series. Three smart and feisty friends have formed King & Co. a private investigation firm in London. Ellie, Daisy, and Tess are believed to be employed by Charles King, who is a mystery figure to everyone and is believed to be one to solve any case brought to King & Co. However, what the public doesn’t know is that Charles King doesn’t exist; Ellie, Daisy, and Tess own the business and solve the cases. 

As in the previous book, a mystery element is woven throughout the romance story. In this case, we get two great mysteries; the first mystery is King & Co. are tasked with trying to find Napoleon Bonaparte’s bejewelled prayer diary that has been stolen. The second mystery is centred around Harry; who is this man, and what are his intentions? I liked both mysteries. They were entertaining and interesting. I was surprised that the Napoleon’s diary case was solved so quickly. They found the diary and the culprit about halfway through the book. This had me wondering what direction Kate would take for the rest of the book. The book’s second half focuses on Harry, his past, and the growing attraction between Ellie and Harry, which takes center stage.

 The overall book is well-written. Kate really is a master at creating a story that will engage her readers and have them wanting to turn the page because they need to know what will happen next. All the characters, both main and secondary, are fun, witty, dynamic, and have a surprising amount of depth. Ellie is the bookworm of the group. She is the most guarded and refined in her group of friends. She is always the wallflower, the one to blend into the background. I liked Ellie, and it was great watching her break out from that wallflower mould and live on the wild side with Harry. Her character growth is around learning to live outside of books and take those daring chances. 

Harry, Harry, Harry… what a man. I LOVED his character. He is very different from that typical Regency hero, who tends to be broody, gruff, and standoff-ish. Harry is the complete opposite. He is a big flirt, fun, loud, unpredictable, and a showman. He was such a breath of fresh air, and I loved everything about his character. His unpredictability made his character addictive. You never knew what he was going to say or do. He always seems to have this hidden plan, and you aren’t too sure what his true motivations are. His past was also this big mystery; he alludes to being a thief, but you know that there is more to his story. Even though we get to see inside his head, we still don’t get to fully see the true man until the last bit of the book. He was just such a great character, and I loved that Kate took a chance and broke away from that typical male hero. 

Oh the romance in this book was delicious. I knew I was in for a wild and fabulous ride the moment I met Harry. Ellie and Harry have this great opposites attract tropey feel to their relationship. They are just so different in nature that you just know they are going to be clashing in the most swoonastic way. The banter was on point. These two keep each other on their toes, and I just loved how they challenged each other. Harry instantly knows that there is something different about Ellie. He knows that under that wallflower exterior is a woman who is meant to shine and live. And Ellie knows that she is beginning to feel those big feelings for Harry, but how could she ever fall for a theft and a man who refuses to give her a straight answer about his past. It was such a fun journey watching these two come closer together. Their chemistry was sizzling, and the spice is bound to get your heart racing. 

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.