Now that’s more like it!

The Davies and Montgomery family feud has seen the resurgence of the banter and sparkle that’s been missing from some of her recent books, and has produced some of her best work. A Wicked Game, which takes a unique, fresh approach to that old childhood-friends-to-adult-lovers trope, is the best Bateman I’ve read yet, and the best historical romance I’ve read this year so far.

Captain Morgan Davies and Harriet – Harry – Montgomery have been frenemies since they were small children. In adulthood their teasing has taken on a sexual dimension, but all interplay ends when Morgan heads off to the War of 1812 to battle the French. But before he goes, Harriet and Morgan make a bet – if he comes back alive, she’ll give him three kisses and if she wins she’ll say in public that he’s her favorite Davies. As he notes, that’s like saying he’s her “favorite strain of cholera.”

Morgan serves with honor in the Royal Navy two years, but he ends up following a poorly-etched map (which he not incidentally stole) on a journey that washes him and his crew ashore in the wrong place and results in him being kept prisoner for six weeks in Martinique by a sadistic French general. Subsequently rescued and returned to British soil and having been given plenty of time alone to reflect, Morgan has two things on his mind. The first is claiming revenge on the man who etched the map that put his ship off course. The second is seducing Harriet into marrying him. She does, after all, owe him three kisses. The question is, will Harriet – who doesn’t believe that her childhood rival suddenly loves her – give in to his seductions? Things get very complicated when Morgan figures out that Harriet – who has entered the family business as her father’s eyesight has faded – is the very mapmaker upon whom he’s looking to wreak revenge. Or is she? After all, Harriet has an evil rival who keeps poorly copying her maps, and now someone from Morgan’s dangerous past wants to put an end to both of them…

A Wicked Game sees Kate Bateman back at the top of her form. Filled with banter and a heroine and hero who have excellent, well-earned and well-worn chemistry, the end result is an adventuresome romance that has emotion and a sense of frolicsome passion that will delight the reader.

Harriet wants to get out of London. She’s spent her whole life drawing maps while dreaming of long journeys and adventures in the great wide somewhere. This has given her an independent sense of spirit (sometimes to her detriment, as it’s made her less likely to trust Morgan’s change of heart.)

Morgan is roguish and funny, in the best of ways. He is a sailor who loves the sea and loves Harriet. His inner banter had me smiling, and he’s well-set upon what he wants from Harriet throughout the book.

The combination of long, long history between these two (they remember childhood taunts and rivalries quite clearly, but also the good parts and the secret sacrifices they made for one another) and strong chemistry makes for good, bracing stuff with the right amount of spice.

If you’ve been following along with Bateman’s Ruthless Rivals series you can take comfort in the fact that you’ll be meeting a whole lot of Montgomery cousins and Davies’ siblings as the adventure progresses. The book itself is a great pay off for the many hints we’ve been given over the series about how Harriet and Morgan get along.

This Wicked Game is also a fun one, a deliciously banter-filled romance that was a delight from the very first page. This is, without doubt, one of Bateman’s best romances.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local bookshop

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