Unwrapping a Review of TO BED THE BRIDE, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. In an attempt to make up for my neglect, I have been offering up guest reviews for you to enjoy by my dear friend, Connie Fischer. I hope you have been following them.

However, today I am actually sharing my review of a book I actually got to read, thanks to the lovelies at Avon for sending me a print copy of TO BED THE BRIDE, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney—and it only took me three weeks to read. It will take you a lot less time, I promise. TO BED THE BRIDE is releasing November 26, 2019.

***provided to me by the publisher but I am sharing an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for TO BED THE BRIDE:

New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Ranney’s captivating series concludes with a tale of opposites whose attraction scorches a trail from the Highlands to the glittering halls of London—and courts scandal at every turn . . .

Politics has introduced MP Logan McKnight to many fascinating people, but the lady he encounters on the lands bordering his ancestral Scottish home outshines them all. Eleanor Craig of Hearthmere seats a Thoroughbred like a queen, knows as much about world events as any of his colleagues—and is engaged to one of the worst men Logan knows. She also seems lonely, so Logan brings her a friend. Thus should their acquaintance end, yet it’s only just begun.

The puppy Logan delivers is every bit as irresistible as the man himself. How could this stranger sense the isolation Eleanor suffers among her scheming, snobbish extended family and fiancé who control her life? It’s even worse in London—until she begins meeting Logan secretly in a secluded park. Their passionate connection frees Eleanor, body and soul. But discovery threatens disgrace—or worse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My Review:

Eleanor Craig is a lonely woman, unsure of herself, or her place in the world. Her father had instilled in her that family comes first and the family estate, Hearthmere, is of utmost importance and her responsibility. When Eleanor meets a handsome stranger while out on a ride, she mistakes him for a simple shepherd. She is instantly both unsettled and annoyed by him.

MP Logan McKnight has met and encountered many people through politics but none are as interesting, charming, or as smart, in his opinion, as the lovely stranger he discovers is his neighbor in Scotland. Logan is immediately attracted to Eleanor. He admires her horsemanship, intelligence as well as her looks, but can she’s unhappy and lonely. He believes there’s much more to her. With the hope of giving her some joy and possibly bringing her out of her shell, he sends her an adorable puppy.

Initially Eleanor is outraged and then intrigued by Logan and his gift. She decides to return the puppy, but ends up becoming too attached to it. (Who wouldn’t?) After she returns to London, she finds herself more and more trapped by her family—truly nasty and toxic people. When she encounters Logan at her aunt’s house she discovers he is actually an upcoming and coming Member of Parliament. As it becomes more and more apparent how little respect or affection her family has for her and the man to whom she is engaged, the Earl of Westcott, is a despicable creature as well, she turns to Logan for friendship and emotional support.

Karen Ranney does a wonderful job in her historical writing of making us feel as if we are there. I have to say this story touched my heart very hard. Having people around you who belittle, demand of you, and treat you as if you’re nothing is true toxicity. I was easily able to step into Eleanor’s shoes and found her to be a truly heartbreaking and tragic figure. Her aunt and cousins were Cinderella’s wicked stepmother and stepsisters personified.

I do wish there had been more interaction between Eleanor and Logan while in Scotland but then I understand the perceived status separation while there, which did not allow it. Once back in London, their status more the same, their friendship grows and even though they must meet in secret, it’s apparent to both their feelings of friendship are growing to something far more…even as they fear being found out.

TO BED THE BRIDE, the final book in the All For Love trilogy, by Karen Ranney might be my favorite of the three and I’ve enjoyed each one. This one pulled at my heartstrings a bit more and had me hoping Eleanor could have a better life, and had me hoping she could extricate herself from her horrible family and get rid of her fiancé. Logan is caring, charming, and respectful of her even as he wishes her for his own. He’s a great friend and we all know where that can lead. This is an intriguing friends to lovers story with some truly nasty villains.

Each book in the All For Love trilogy can be read as standalones and for those who truly love historical romance, I highly recommend them all, but definitely read TO BED THE BRIDE. Oh…and puppy Bruce is such a delightful treat from Karen. He’s adorable and makes me miss my Marco so much.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

TO BED THE BRIDE, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney, Avon Books, available November 26, 2019 in print, ebook, and audio at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple Books | Indiebound

Books-A-Million | GooglePlay | Target | HarperCollins | Audiobooks

Unwrapping a Guest Review of WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE, a Wagers of Sin novel by Caroline Linden

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that by publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE, a Wagers of Sin novel by Caroline Linden, published September 24, 2019.

Blurb for WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE:

In the game of love…

Georgiana Lucas despises the arrogant and cruel Marquess of Westmorland even before learning that he's won the deed to her friend Kitty's home in a card game. Still, Georgiana assures Kitty the marquess wouldn't possibly come all the way to Derbyshire to throw them out—until he shows up, bloody and unconscious. Fearing that Kitty would rather see him die, Georgiana blurts out that he's her fiancé. She'll nurse the hateful man back to health and make him vow to leave and never return. The man who wakes up, though, is nothing like the heartless rogue Georgiana thought she knew…

You have to risk it all

He wakes up with no memory of being assaulted—or of who he is. The bewitching beauty tending him so devotedly calls him Rob and claims she's his fiancée even as she avoids his touch. Though he can't remember how he won her hand, he's now determined to win her heart. But as his memory returns and the truth is revealed, Rob must decide if the game is up—or if he'll take a chance on a love that defies all odds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s Review:

1819

A group of men are out carousing and gambling one night when one of them, Sir Charles Winston, decides to wager his house. Even though the others tell him he cannot wager property, he insists and yes, he loses it to Robert (Rob) Churchill-Gray, the Marquess of Westmorland, son of the Duke of Rowland.

Georgiana Lucas is visiting in the Derbyshire countryside with her friend, Lady Kitty Winston, of Osbourne House. Charles writes to his wife, Kitty, saying he played cards and a disaster may fall upon them. He tells them that should Westmorland visit, do not allow him to come in. Charles does not elaborate further.

Rob is visited by his solicitor who has delivered a dressing down sent by his mother who is fed up with his appalling behavior of drinking, gambling, and carousing. She is also upset when she learned that he had swindled Charles Winston out of his property. Evidently, this is the story that Charles has been passing around. While knowing this is untrue, Rob decides to head to Osbourne House to settle the matter. On the way, his coach is stopped and he is attacked by highwaymen, and he is left for dead.

Georgiana and her groom are out riding when they see a body in the road. They rush over to help and manage to bring the unconscious and bloody man back to Osbourne House. Although Georgiana recognizes him as Westmorland, she tells everyone that he is Sterling, her fiancé, who had come to visit. With lots of wounds on his head, Rob does not remember who he is. Georgiana takes over his care and strives to keep others from him so his true identity does not become known to the Winston family who would probably throw him out.

When he has healed enough, they both leave and return to their homes, but not before they have fallen in love with one another. Can there be a future for them? Can she break free of Sterling and not have her brother try to stop her?

I liked this story. The awful secret her brother and others are hiding was shocking yet both Georgiana and Rob bravely and creatively found a way to beat him and others at their own game. Well done!!

Copy provided by Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE, a Wagers of Sin novel by Caroline Linden, Avon Books, available now in ebook, print, and audio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. 

Unwrapping a Guest Review by Connie Fischer of HEIRESS GONE WILD, a Dear Lady Truelove novel by Laura Lee Guhrke

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of HEIRESS GONE WILD, a Dear Lady Truelove novel by Laura Lee Guhrke, published September 24, 2019.

Blurb for HEIRESS GONE WILD:

Dear Lady Truelove,

My ward is driving me crazy. I have to marry her off and get her out of my life. There's just one problem…

When Jonathan Deverill promised a dying friend he'd be guardian to the man's daughter, he envisioned a girl in pigtails and pinafores, a child he could leave behind in some finishing school. Problem is, his ward is actually a fully-grown, defiant beauty whose longing for romance threatens to make his guardianship a living hell.

New York heiress Marjorie McGann wants a London season and a titled husband who can help her spend the Yankee millions she's inherited, and she thinks her new British guardian is the perfect person to help her find him. But Jonathan has no intention of letting his friend's fortune be squandered. Under his watchful, protective eye, Marjorie finds romance hard to come by...until one fateful night when her own guardian's devastating kisses makes her wonder if the greatest romance of all might be right in front of her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s Review:

Jonathan Deverill is in the office of the headmistress of the Forsythe Academy in New York to inform Miss Marjorie McGann, 20, of her father’s death at a sanatorium in Colorado. Jonathan and her father had been long-time friends and business partners.

Jonathan was raised in London but came to America to seek his fortune. He is Marjorie’s legal guardian and after he meets with her, he plans to visit London briefly, and then travel to South Africa.

The headmistress feels that Majorie should be with Jonathan’s sisters in London, one of whom is a duchess, and another a viscountess. When meeting Marjorie, Jonathan is surprised to find a beautiful young woman who is now a teacher at the school.

Marjorie is insistent that he take her to London with him. Many of her school friends have gone there seeking titled husbands. She is now a very wealthy young woman and knows that her wealth will attract a highly titled husband. Jonathan wants Marjorie to remain at the Academy especially as she is still in mourning. She tells him that she has not seen her father in many years even after promising her that he would return someday and he didn’t, so mourning for him is unnecessary. When Jonathan returns from South Africa he will then take her to London for a season. Oh, but she has other plans. She wants to go to London with him now and live her life as she wants.

When he leaves her at the academy, he feels he has impressed upon her that she must stay a little longer, however when she shows up in his room on board the ship to London, he is surprised. She informs him that she had saved her money and bought a ticket. She is proving herself to be a very stubborn young lady who knows her own mind.

Onboard, he sees where some charlatans are trying to take advantage of her naivety so he keeps a sharp eye on her. Finally in London, Marjorie is welcomed by Jonathan’s family and introduced to the ways of the ton. As they spend more time together, there is definitely an attraction between them, but Majorie knows he has wanderlust and she refuses to marry a man that will leave her just like her father did. Is there any compromise for them?

I liked the story itself but can’t say that the ending was what I was expecting or hoping it to be. I guess that if two people want to be together, one of them has to bend.

Copy provided by Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

HEIRESS GONE WILD, a Dear Lady Truelove novel by Laura Lee Guhrke, Avon Books, available now in ebook, print, and audio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. 

Unwrapping a Review of HOT WINTER NIGHTS, a Heartbreaker Bay novel by Jill Shalvis

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. In an attempt to make up for my neglect, I have been offering up guest reviews for you to enjoy by my dear friend, Connie Fischer. I hope you have been following them.

However, today I am actually sharing a review of mine of a book I actually got to read albeit a couple of months ago…yay! – HOT WINTER NIGHTS, a Heartbreaker Bay novel by Jill Shalvis.

***print copy provided to me by the publisher but I am sharing an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for HOT WINTER NIGHTS:

Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn't think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn't most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she's been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that — but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once...

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don't mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he's shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly's brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can't believe he's drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who's the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he's ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he's been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My Review:

After being shot on the job, Lucas Knight is eager to get back to work but his boss is being stubborn about it. Still on painkillers, he makes the mistake of mixing whiskey with them and when he wakes in the morning, he discovers himself in bed with the one person who has always been off limits to him—his best friend's little sister, Molly Malone. Worst of all, he doesn’t remember anything—at all.

The brunette was still in his bed.

At the bright light flooding the room, she gasped and sat straight up, clutching the sheet to her chin, her hair a wild cloud around her face.

And not a stranger’s face either.

Molly’s face.

Molly was in his bed and first thought was oh shit. His second thought tumbled right on the heels of that—he was going to die today, after all, slowly and painfully.

So now Lucas has to worry about Joe finding out he spent the night with his little sister while trying to resist her with the added trouble caused because Archer has put him on babysitting duty to watch over Molly as she attempts to help out some elderly elves who claim Santa Claus is a crook. All of this throws them together in far too close proximity. Yes, he begins to feel his life is quickly coming to an end.

Molly Malone has worked for Hunt Investigations for some time now and wants to do more than fetch coffee, answer the phone, do paperwork, and get patted on the head by her brother, her boss, as well as the sexy Lucas Knight and told to run along. She wants to be out there solving crimes and bringing in the bad guy. She’s been watching, learning, and training in self-defense not only because she needs it but it helps her compensate for the pain and numbness in her leg which could be unpredictable and a hindrance. When she broached a case she wanted to work to Archer, he shot her down and to make matters worse, her brother backed him instead of supporting her. So, she decides to work the case off the books and without their help. When Lucas suddenly volunteers to assist her, she wonders if he has ulterior motives but decides something is better than nothing as long as she’s in charge.

I always enjoy Jill Shalvis’s take on people, their pain and conflicts, whether obvious or hidden, because her characters are so three dimensional they could easily be my friends. Lucas and Molly are two such characters. They are both suffering physical pain but each has their own personal pain which they’ve buried deep and are not willing to show to anyone—yet. I love how each of them gains the strength to finally open up from each other. I especially appreciated how Lucas came to Molly’s defense and supported her as the excellent investigator he discovers her to be…even at the risk of turning his best friend and partner against him. That’s a good man.

HOT WINTER NIGHTS is book six in the Heartbreaker Bay series and I know I’m a tad out of order but that’s okay because each reads very well on its own. As usual, the banter is excellent, the sexual tension palpable, and the happily ever after so satisfying don’t be surprised if it brings a happy tear to your eye. I even surprised myself reading a Christmas themed book in the heat of summer. I usually have to be in the mood for holiday-themed stories, but it really was less about Christmas and more about Lucas and Molly getting naughty and nice.

I highly recommend reading HOT WINTER NIGHTS by Jill Shalvis and if you haven’t delved into the wonderful friendships in the Heartbreaker Bay series yet—please do! I think this is her best ever series.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

HOT WINTER NIGHTS, a Heartbreaker Bay novel by Jill Shalvis, Avon Books, available now in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.  

Unwrapping a review of TO WED AN HEIRESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. In an attempt to make up for my neglect, I have been offering up guest reviews for you to enjoy by my dear friend, Connie Fischer. I hope you have been following them.

However, today I am actually sharing a review of mine of a book I actually got to read recently…yay! – TO WED AN HEIRESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney.

***purchased for my own reading but I am sharing an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for TO WED AN HEIRESS:

Rebellion drove Mercy Rutherford to Scotland to escape the possessive grip of her fiancé. But it’s fate that lands her in the crumbling highlands castle of Lennox Caitheart. A dreamer with visions of inventing airships, he’s most certainly mad. Handsome beyond words, he’s also causing an irresistible flutter in her stomach beyond reason. When Gregory arrives to see their arranged marriage to its bitter end, Mercy desperately turns to Lennox with an offer of her fortune—and her hand in marriage.

The Earl of Morton has a reputation for being a daredevil eccentric, but even he is hesitant to engage in such a rash proposition—no matter how utterly beguiled he is by the wildly independent American heiress. And yet, with so much at stake, how can he possibly say no? But when their unconventional union grows into a passionate and inseparable love, more than Gregory’s obsession threatens them. Now, Lennox and Mercy will have to risk more than their hearts to save it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My Review:

Nearly killed by a strange flying contraption upon her arrival in Scotland, Mercy Rutherford was wishing she was back home and safe preparing to do the mundane things of which her life consisted until she made the decision to travel to visit her mother’s Scottish relatives. The inventor of this strange flying boat with sails comes to their rescue when the carriage crashes and she and her maid are injured. She is intrigued by him and him by her until he learns who she is and his sudden change in attitude leaves her bewildered. It isn’t until she arrives at her great uncle’s home and her grandmother basically tells her to go back to where she came from and don’t let the door hit her in the butt on the way out that she learns the problem. Claiming she can’t travel until her maid’s injury is healed, she knows as soon as Ruthie is well, they would return home. In the meantime, her aunt welcomes her well enough and soon she learns Lennox Caitheart, the Earl of Morton is the last of his clan after the death of his brother in a carriage accident which also took Mercy’s cousin. Now she understands the bitter blood between these two families—although, her grandmother doesn’t seem to like anyone.

Before his brother died, Lennox was studying to be a doctor. But with the death of his brother, he became the earl so he left school and returned home only to discover the Macrorys had interfered with several business deals which the former earl had established, and now he was penniless. Worse, the family’s rundown castle was now his to support as well. Feeling life had dealt him a raw deal he had become pretty much a hermit and was attempting to support his family’s estate by selling his inventions. 

Now caught in the middle of a feud, Mercy and Lennox are inexplicably drawn to each other and their banter is even chuckle-worthy at times, even as the antics of Mercy’s family are enough to make anyone crazy. Both stubborn yet passionate about their lives, their freedoms, and rather about each other, neither Lennox nor Mercy will openly admit it. However, when Mercy’s not going to take no for an answer fiancé, Gregory shows up, Mercy knows she’s running out of time. But she does have a solution. She proposes a deal with Lennox—she provides the money he needs to get back on his feet if he marries her. When his pride gets in the way and he refuses, she feels defeated and with her father coming to Scotland, she knows she will have no choice but to return home and marry Gregory even though she knows her happiness lies with Lennox. Will Lennox change his mind? Will he put aside his pride and realize what a gift in Mercy he is losing?

Passionate, headstrong, proud, and wanting more from life than what they are getting, Lennox and Mercy are perfect for each other. Like Romeo and Juliet, they love each other despite their families. This story features some truly likable characters doing their best to survive some rather despicable ones with some secondary characters doing their best to push these two together. There is emotion galore, a few laughs, great banter, some steam, definitely family drama, and a grand romantic gesture which brings them a happily ever after.

I highly recommend TO WED AN HEIRESS by Karen Ranney if you like a strong-minded heroine caught between a rock and hard place but desperately trying to dig her way out, and a hero with a huge heart you just can’t help but fall in love with while wanting to knock him upside the head for being so stubborn. Although part of a series, this story can easily be read as a standalone but well worth the read. Plus…if you hurry, it’s currently on sale for a discounted price. Yay!

Happy Reading Everyone!!

TO WED AN HEIRESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney, Avon Books, available now in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. 

Spotlight for the Blog Tour of WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE, a Wagers of Sin novel by Caroline Linden with #excerpt

 WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE

A Wagers of Sin novel

by

Caroline Linden

Releasing September 24, 2019 and 
available for pre-order now

at

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Books-A-Million | Book Depository | IndieBound

In the game of love…

Georgiana Lucas despises the arrogant and cruel Marquess of Westmorland even before learning that he’s won the deed to her friend Kitty’s home in a card game. Still, Georgiana assures Kitty the marquess wouldn’t possibly come all the way to Derbyshire to throw them out—until he shows up, bloody and unconscious. Fearing that Kitty would rather see him die, Georgiana blurts out that he’s her fiancé. She’ll nurse the hateful man back to health and make him vow to leave and never return. The man who wakes up, though, is nothing like the heartless rogue Georgiana thought she knew…

You have to risk it all

He wakes up with no memory of being assaulted—or of who he is. The bewitching beauty tending him so devotedly calls him Rob and claims she’s his fiancée even as she avoids his touch. Though he can’t remember how he won her hand, he’s now determined to win her heart. But as his memory returns and the truth is revealed, Rob must decide if the game is up—or if he’ll take a chance on a love that defies all odds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Excerpt:

Chapter One

1819

It was to be a bacchanal for the ages.

As Heathercote remarked, a man only turned twenty-nine once. Marlow pointed out that a man also only turned twenty-eight, or thirty, once as well, but they were well used to ignoring Marlow’s odd points of reason, and this one was promptly forgotten.

Heathercote planned the entire affair, inviting the most dashing, daring rogues and scoundrels in London. He declared it to be the invitation of the month, and that he’d turned away several fellows for lacking wit, style, or both. “You mean they aren’t up to your standard of mayhem,” said Westmorland, whose birthday it was, to which Heathercote mimed tipping his hat in acknowledgment.

After a raucous dinner at White’s, they decamped for the theater. The production was well under way when they invaded the pit in search of amusement. By the time the show ended, they had drunk a great deal of brandy, thrown oranges at the stage, and lost Clifton to the company of a prostitute.

Everyone’s memories ran a bit ragged after that, with vague recollections of singing in the streets and Marlow casting up his accounts somewhere in Westminster, but eventually they settled at the Vega Club. It was so late, the manager tried to dissuade them from play. Mr. Forbes knew every one of them could wager for hours, and the Vega Club closed its doors at dawn.

But Heathercote persuaded him to let them in and to give them the whist salon all to themselves. “We’ll leave by noon,” he promised, patting Forbes on the chest as he slid a handful of notes into the man’s hand. His words were remarkably steady for a man who’d been drinking for eight hours. Grim-faced, Forbes let them in, where they commandeered the main table and called for yet more wine.

A few intrepid souls followed them from the club proper. Forbes tried to stop them at the door, but Forester recognized one and waved them in. “We don’t mind winning their money,” he said with a hiccup.

They played whist, then switched to loo. One loser was dared to drink off the contents of his full flask in one go, which he did. The room filled with cigar smoke and ribald language, and the wagers grew extravagant. Marlow won a prize colt off Forester. Heathercote wagered his new phaeton and ended up with someone’s barouche. Sackville won the largest pot of the night, and everyone pelted him with markers.

And then one of the hangers-on spoiled it. He had the look of a country fellow new to London, with an arrogant bluster that was initially amusing but eventually turned annoying. He’d played well enough, winning a bit and losing with colorful curses that made the rest of them roar with laughter. But it became abruptly clear that Sir Charles Winston was in over his head when he wagered his house.

Marlow laughed. Heathercote picked up the scribbled note Winston had put forth and read it with one brow arched. “Can’t wager property, Winslow.”

The man was already ruddy from drink, and now he turned scarlet. “Can so! Your fellow wagered a horse.”

“Horses are portable,” said Forester, his Liverpool accent bleeding through. “Houses are not.”

“Houses are worth more!”

“Aye, too much more.” Heathercote flicked the note back across the table. “Markers.”

“I haven’t got any more markers,” muttered the younger man. For a moment everyone focused in surprised silence on the empty space in front of him. None of them had run out.

“Then fold your hand,” Forester told him. “You’re out!”

Winston’s chin set stubbornly. His mate tried to slide some markers toward him, but he angrily shoved them back. “Give me a chance to win it back.”

“All the more reason to walk away, if you’ve lost ‘em all.” Marlow waved one hand, nearly toppling out of his seat. Mr. Forbes, watching grimly from the corner, came forward. “Forbes, Windermere is done.”

“Sir Charles,” murmured the manager. “Perhaps it’s time to go.”

“Not yet!” Winston scowled at them all, shaking off his friend’s quiet attempts to get him to fold. “Not now, Farley! They got a chance to turn their luck. Why shouldn’t I?”

“Luck is like the wind,” said a new voice. Nicholas Dashwood, the owner of the Vega Club, stepped out of the shadows. “It rarely turns propitiously.”

Winston stubbornly sank lower in his seat. “I deserve ‘nother chance.”

Heathercote slung his arms over the back of his chair. “Well, West? What say you? Shall we let him stay and wager away everything he’s got?”

Lounging in his seat, the Marquess of Westmorland looked up in irritation. “Really ought to go, Winsmore.”

“Wins-less, more like,” snickered Marlow.

Winston sat up straighter in his seat. “Please, my lord.”

“Oh, let him ruin himself,” muttered Forester, shuffling his cards restlessly.

The marquess lifted one shoulder. “Damned if I care.”

“Sir Charles,” said Dashwood evenly, “do not wager what you cannot afford to lose.”

Winston scooped up the scribbled paper and added a line, signing his name with a flourish. “I won’t, sir.”

But he did. Within four hands, he’d won a bit and then lost it all—including the deed. Suddenly he did not look so belligerent or so stubborn. He looked young and quite literally green, staring at the winning hand, lying on the table.

“Should have listened,” said the unsympathetic Heathercote. “Should have left.”

Winston puffed up furiously. “Should have known better than to play with the likes of you!”

“Di’n’t y’know that before you sa’ down?” Marlow’s words slurred together. “Stupid bloody fool!”

“That’s my home!”

“And you risked it at loo!” Heath made a derisive noise. “Idiot.”

Winston was the color of beets. “Don’t call me that.”

Sackville raised one brow. “No? ’S not your home anymore.” He reached out and plucked the scrawled paper from the pile of markers and examined it, although his eyes never quite managed to focus on it. “It ‘pears to be West’s.”

His friends howled with laughter. “He doesn’t need it,” cried Winston. He made a convulsive grab for the paper before his lone remaining friend caught his arm. “He’s got a dozen houses!”

“Set it up as a brothel, West,” suggested Forester. “And give all your mates discounted fees.”

“Free!” yelped Marlow with a wheezing laugh.

Winston drew a furious breath, but instead of continuing the fight he turned and rushed from the room, rather unsteadily; he wrestled with the door, and then almost tripped on his way out, causing more howls of laughter from the table. His friend helped him back onto his feet before the door closed on them both.

“Who invited him?” asked Heathercote in disdain.

“Marlow.”

“Ballocks,” mumbled Marlow, putting his head down on the table. “Never did. Was Forester.”

Forester made a rude gesture. “I vouched for the other man, Farley.”

“Your friends are all bad ton,” said Sackville.

Forester’s face tightened. He rose and swung his wineglass into the air in a toast, spilling some. “Thank you all for a most exciting evening, gentlemen.” Pointedly he bowed only to Viscount Heathercote and Lord Westmorland. Sackville repaid him with a rude gesture at Forester’s back.

Heathercote protested, but Forester waved him off and left. With Marlow asleep on the table and Sackville still giggling drunkenly to himself, Westmorland placed his hands on the table, hesitated as if gathering strength, then heaved himself to his feet. “The carriages, Dashwood.”

Stone-faced, the owner left. Westmorland surveyed the table. “Did I win the last?”

“Aye,” said Heathercote with a wide yawn.

“Credit it all, Forbes,” said the marquess. “God above, I’m tired.”

As expressionless as his employer, the manager stepped forward. With an air of distaste, he picked up the deed promise and held it out. “I cannot credit this, my lord.”

West stared at it. “Damn. Right.” He stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket and staggered out into the morning sunlight with Heathercote, never guessing the trouble that wagered deed was about to cause him.

About the Author:

Caroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard University and wrote computer code before discovering that writing fiction was far more fun. Since then, the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series three FOUR times, which is not related but still worth mentioning. Her books have been translated into seventeen languages, and have won the NEC-RWA Reader's Choice Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, the NJRW Golden Leaf Award, and RWA's RITA Award. She lives in New England.

 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | Goodreads |Pinterest

WHEN THE MARQUESS WAS MINE, a Wagers of Sin novel by Caroline Linden, Avon Romance, available September 24, 2019 in ebook, print, and audio.