A Wicked Game

Written by Kate Bateman

Narrated by Beverley A. Crick

A teasing bet.
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’s also vowed to claim the winner’s prize—three kisses—in the
bet he made with his longtime 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’s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package …

A dangerous enemy.
Harriet’s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he’s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked
games with a dastardly Davies—however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan’s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705039762

Kate Bateman

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is a bestselling author of historical romances, including her RITA® nominated Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, the Bow Street Bachelors series (This Earl of Mine, To Catch an Earl, and The Princess and the Rogue), along with the novels in the Secrets & Spies series (To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart, and A Counterfeit Heart). When not writing novels that feature feisty, intelligent heroines and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss, Kate works as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several popular TV shows in the UK. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England. Follow her on Twitter to learn more.

Reviews for A Wicked Game

[Emily Lassiter Branch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've thoroughly enjoyed this series so far, and this newest addition was no exception. From reading the first two books in the series, I knew Harriet and Morgan's story would show up eventually, and again it was an entertaining read. I always say that with romances, you know where the story is going, it's just a matter of how the author will get you there. And each of the journeys in the first three books of this series has been fun, with enough backstory on the characters to keep them from being two-dimensional heroes and heroines. At the end Bateman leaves us with a nice setup for the next book in the series and I can't wait to see how that one unfolds.
Beverley A. Crick's narration was quite nice and added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media/Recorded Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

[grandmacootie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s Kate Bateman. Read it now. End of review. Okay, just kidding. I’ll give you a few more words. But, really, if you’ve read even one of this author’s books you know before you crack it open that it will be wonderful and you will love it. No one can take the Regency Era and what we think is a very well-known, predictable plot and turn it on its ear like Bateman can, or give you characters that are such a mess, so blind, so stubborn they don’t see what is obvious to everyone else. Sometimes their behavior is so ridiculous that you can’t stop laughing, but they are also strong and heroic and brave and clever – and sweet and caring and so afraid that love is going to slip right out of their grasp.In A Wicked Game, the third in the Ruthless Rivals series, the Davies and Montgomerys are at it again. They’ve had a feud going forever, but somehow a couple of them always manage to fall head-over-heels and have their HEA. We suspect Morgan and Harriet might be headed down that same hilarious path, but they don’t make it easy. Grew up together, fighting, teasing, playing tricks and absolutely never going to acknowledge that little flutter in their heart when the other is near, because they are certain those feelings are not and never will be reciprocated.Captain Morgan Davies was shipwrecked and imprisoned because of an incorrect map, and he’s come back to London to make the man who made that map pay. Except that man is Harriet. And to make things really interesting, they had a bet before he sailed off: three kisses if he survived the war and returned home. She pretended not to care but hoped winning the bet would motivate him. It did, but what really kept him going was just the thought of her. We see how they feel, their friends and family see how they feel (even if they don’t know about this spicy, forbidden bet!) but Harry and Morgan are clueless. And that’s why this story is so much fun. He’s not about to declare his feelings because of course he knows she doesn’t feel that way. What he is about to do, though, is collect on those kisses – on his terms. She pretends to be aloof but she’s as eager as he is to get to the when, how and where (especially the where) those kisses will take place.A Wicked Game has it all: rival families, enemies to lovers, dares, bets, teasing, flirting, danger, adventure – and some very serious feelings and lots (and lots and lots) of steam. I really enjoy Regency Era stories because of all those rules. Rules that seem foolish to us now but could have ruined a lady for an action we would consider insignificant today. But does Harriet feel ruined? Not hardly. More like she’s finally been brought to life. And she’s going to fight to keep that feeling.I said at the beginning that Kate Bateman is the author is all you need to know. If you’re not completely convinced yet, read how Harriet felt after Morgan’s first kiss: “She didn’t care. Knowledge was power. This was power. She could feel it. Drugging her, coursing through her veins, making her weak and strong at the same time. She knew how to kiss this man. It was as if she’d kissed him a thousand times before, a path so familiar she must have walked it in another life.” If this doesn’t give you chills, make you swoon, and have you running, not walking to get this book, there is no hope for you. I received a free copy of A Wicked Game and am voluntarily leaving this honest review. I highly recommend this and every other thing Kate Bateman has written, will write, or is thinking about writing. She takes that familiar trope and twists it up to make it original, entertaining, and amazing. Every single time. All opinions are my own.

[chymerra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was excited when I was invited to review A Wicked Game. I had reviewed the previous two books in the series and wanted to read Morgan’s story. So, I did an odd sort of happy dance in my living room (I was dodging two kittens, two one years old and a six-year-old cat who were very curious about Mom going “Oh yeah, oh yeah” and fist-pumping). I was justified in my excitement about this book. It was the best book in the series.A Wicked Game is the love story between Morgan Davies and Harriet Montgomery. Morgan is a Welsh naval captain who had been captured by the French for years before being freed. Harriet is Morgan’s childhood friend/nemesis. She is also the cartographer who drew the map that led to Morgan’s imprisonment. Now that Morgan is free, he is determined to win Harriet over. But that is easier said than done. Harriet is an independent woman who cares for her blind father and doesn’t trust Morgan. Add the Frenchman who captured and tortured Morgan, has eluded capture, and has been seen in London….looking for the cartographer who drew the map and Morgan. Will Morgan confess his feelings for Harriet? Will Harriet learn to trust Morgan and her feelings? Will the Frenchman find Harriet and Morgan?I had gotten a glimpse into Harriet and Morgan’s characters in the previous two books. From what I saw, I liked them and couldn’t wait to see if they would end up together.Morgan—-I don’t even know where to begin with him. As I mentioned above, I loved him in the previous two books and was looking forward to his story. It didn’t disappoint. I loved that Morgan was open about how he felt about Harriet. Even in the scenes at the ball (where he secured his three kisses), he knew he loved her. But the time spent in captivity brought those feelings more into focus. He was rare for a romance hero; he admitted his feelings pretty early on in the book and then spent the rest of the book trying to convince Harriet his feelings were genuine. That alone made this book so great to read.Harriet—I liked Harriet, but there were times when I wanted to shake her. Like the night when Morgan promised her three kisses. I couldn’t believe that she thought he was joking. Harriet grew up with him. She should have known that he wasn’t playing with her. I liked that the author went in a different direction with her. Instead of making her part of the ton, she was a regular Miss who worked as a cartographer for the British government. It was an exciting change of pace from the usual Regency romances I read, and I loved it.Several notable secondary characters added extra depth to the book. I loved seeing the characters from the previous books make appearances.I am obsessed with Regency romance and can’t read enough of them. A Wicked Game fits perfectly into the historical romance genre. So it is a bonus when a book written in that genre is as well-written as this one was.The storyline with Morgan, Harriet, and their love story was well written. I was 100% on team Morgan and loved that he was so much in touch with his feelings. He was willing to do anything to show Harriet that his feelings were genuine.The storyline with Harriet, the copycat, her working for the government, and the Frenchman was riveting. The author did a fantastic job of showing how Harriet did her job, mainly how she drew the maps that would end up in the enemies’ hands. The author also showed that while she successfully ran her business, it was a male-dominated society, and she had to hide behind a male identity. That led to her issues with the rival printer, and in turn, that led to the Frenchman.This wouldn’t be a good review if I didn’t mention the sex. There are a lot of sex and sexual situations in A Wicked Game. When Morgan started collecting his three kisses, he didn’t say what type. That first sexual situation was out of this world. The other sexual situations and sexual acts were either just as good or better than that first scene. I kept thinking, “Dang, Harriet, he’s a keeper.“The end of A Wicked Game kept me on edge. The author kept me guessing what would happen with Harriet and Morgan (even though I knew they would end up together). She wrapped up all the storylines in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I hope she will write more books in this world.I would recommend A Wicked Game to anyone over 21. There are sex, sexual situations, mild violence, and no language.

[eyes92c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Secrets can cause trouble!Captain Morgan Davies is hell bent on finding the map maker whose map sent his ship aground and left him at the mercy of the French.Harriet Montgomery has drawn her father’s maps as his eye sight has deteriorated. Not only that, but on orders from the government they had produced false maps with a slight degree of difference in the latitudes and longitudes to confuse the French spies who would seek to attain them.Harriet had no idea one of the altered maps would wreak havoc with Morgan’s ship.And then there’s the unrequited tension between the two!Morgan and Harriet have known each other since childhood and a shared kiss was a distant yet startling memory.Neither is aware that the sadistic Frenchman, General Jean-Luc De Caen, is tracking the cartographer who holds the key to his lost treasure.A very different regency historical novel—chaos, murder and a fortune in gold lead the way to the heart’s desire.Thoroughly enjoyable!A St. Martin's Press invite via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[barbararogers-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you love snappy banter, witty characters, and a deep abiding love both characters have kept hidden for years, then you’ll love this book. The Montgomery and Davies families have been in a feud for centuries. While the earlier family members kidnapped each other, stole from each other, and saw to each other’s demise, the current family members' enmity is of a much more benign nature. Shux – the feud might even be considered over since two couples of the feuding families have married each other. Now, could there possibly be a third?Harriet Montgomery and Morgan Davies have been challenging each other, daring each other, and besting each other since they were children. They’ve also secretly loved each other for that long as well. They each know nothing could come of it because they are sure the other sees them as nothing more than an enemy to taunt and challenge.Growing to adulthood has a way of changing things for us – and that is certainly what happened with Morgan. As he grew to adulthood, he knew he loved Harriet – and after his experiences in the war, he knew he’d do what it took to make her realize she loved him too.Morgan certainly put his training in battle strategies to good use in wooing and winning Harriet, but it was a near thing. Not that she didn’t love him – she did. It was that she was always looking for his ulterior motive. What did he have up his sleeve? What trick was he playing?Harriet was vehemently opposed to marriage to a sailor. She wanted a husband who would be home and sharing her life every day and not just occasionally when he was home from the sea. How will Morgan get past that? His solution is perfect and I know you’ll love it.So, why didn’t I rate it a 5-star read like I did the first two books? That is a bit hard to explain, but I’ll try. I was looking for more adventure – more excitement – more villains out to wreak havoc, etc. Harriet wanted adventure and I wanted her to have it, but it just didn’t materialize. Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautiful romance, it just wasn’t an exciting, on-the-edge-of-your-chair kind of adventure on the way to the romance. I know it couldn’t be like the first book of the series – now THAT was adventure and romance. No, we couldn’t have them trapped in underground tunnels while being chased by smugglers and discovering gold – but gosh – we could have more than some nut with a gun covering just a few short pages.I loved the story and you couldn’t ask for a more enticing, romantic lead character than Morgan. He was witty, handsome, caring, honorable, intelligent – I mean – goodness – what isn’t to love about him? The same goes for Harriet. I loved her spunk, her wit, her intelligence – and she was exactly perfect for Morgan. They totally complemented each other in every way. I hope you’ll love the story as much as I did. Now – we’re going to have to wait for Rhys, the last Davies male standing, to find his Montgomery love. Can’t wait!I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Harriet Montgomery and Morgan Davies have been friendly rival since childhood. They have made many bets with each other over the years. When Morgan was sailing off to fight Napoleon, Harriet bet him that he wouldn't come back safe, knowing he'd do anything to make her lose, with a penalty of three kisses. Morgan has come back to London with two goals: first, he wants to find the mapmaker whose inaccurate map caused him to wreck his ship and spend time captive in the Carribean, and second, to find Harriet and claim his kisses on convince her that he wants to marry her. One of his goals is met when he learns that Harriet is the mapmaker and the disinformation on the map was a planned technique to fool the enemy.Harriet has been in love with Morgan for years, but never expected him to return her feelings. It will take a lot of convincing, and a lot of kisses, to bring Harriet around to the idea of marrying Morgan.This was an engaging historical romance with lots of spicy love scenes and lots of strong emotions. There is an element of danger in that the man who imprisoned Morgan is in London and looking for a copy of a map Harriet made so that he can find treasure he stole from Napoleon but focus on the story was on the building romance between Harriet and Morgan.Fans of historical romances will enjoy this latest in the Ruthless Rivals series.

[madison_fairbanks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Wicked Game by Kate BatemanRuthless Rivals series #3. Historical romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. The Davies and the Montgomerys have a long-standing contentious relationship. Morgan Davies and Harriet Montgomery play the role in public, but each secretly have romantic feelings for the other. A bet for three kisses turns their arguments to passion. ? I listened to an audiobook version of this book narrated by Beverley A. Crick. The performance was done with an English / London accent. This narrator is popular in the historical romance genre across many different authors. The diction was clear and easy to understand. Emotions were evident and while male/female voices were relatively the same, it was easy to hear the switch between the two and follow along. I thought the narration was pleasant and easy to listen to although I did push the speed up to 1.5 which is my standard these days for conversational comfort. Engaging and sexy. I loved that the heroine was self supporting, smart and willing to ask for help in support of publishing rights. She was willing to do more than just sit on the sidelines. I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and RB Digital.

[atticusfinch1048 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wicked Game – Stunning DebutWicked Game is an absolutely stunning debut thriller that will take your breath away at its pace, its writing, like me you will be blown away. To think that this book started out as therapy to help him deal with PTSD after working in both the police and army. This is an absolutely breath taking, compelling that will just blow your mind, this sort of work you expect from an experience writer, not a novice. All I can really say is WOW!Robert Finlay is a police inspector with the Royalty Protection team and he is starting to feel his age and with a young family and it is time for him to move on. One thing that he does have is a secret past that neither his employers the Metropolitan Police or his family know anything about. That past is known only to a very select few, he is a former officer of the SAS, was at the Iranian Embassy in 1980 and had served out in Northern Ireland.A police inspector is blown up while on duty and another is shot while cleaning his car outside his house, both former colleagues of Finlay’s from the regiment. Finlay starts to see a pattern, one which his former commanding officer in the regiment tends to support. When Finlay becomes the target he knows the truth will have to be told if he is make sure his family are safe. So begins a game of cat and mouse as Finlay and another police officer also former SAS comrade know they need to find out who wants them dead. With the help of their former CO they track down IRA operatives but cannot do too much. They are trying to avoid their colleagues in the Anti- Terrorist Branch, while trying to stay alive, while they work out who their unidentified enemy is, while being hunted by the police and terrorists alike.Wicked Game is one of the most compelling thrillers that will be read this year, Matt Johnson’s experience as a police officer and soldier brings the authenticity that other thrillers lack. Just like in real life nothing is clear cut, this is an intricate well planned thriller that packs a real punch. It is even harder when the smoke and mirrors tends to put Finlay in further tougher spots.From the first page through to the last the reader is completely hooked and drawn in by the writing and the descriptions, this is such an absorbing and thrilling read. The authenticity of the writing, and the knowledge of what happens in particular situations raises this above other thrillers. This is really a case of the writer having been there, done that, got the t-shirt, his experience searing through the pages. Experience and knowledge always trumps research, because one has been there and the other can only talk about it.Wicked Game really does give you, flash, bang, wallop and like bullets no words are wasted but hit the target every time. Matt Johnson is a new name in thriller writing and with his brilliant writing we have a new star writer.