This is a collection of three terrific novellas!
A Wager for Love by Donna Hatch
No one ever sees Phillip as more than a duke's younger brother, so when he meets a young lady who doesn't care at all about his familial connections, who is kind and interesting and pretty to boot, he's determined to get to know her better--in fact, he makes a bet with a friend that he'll marry her and sets out to win her heart. That turns out to be more complicated than he anticipated, as Meredith seems determined not to like him. Meredith has been duped before--not once but twice have men pretended to love her when that wasn't the case. Now, acting as a companion to her cousin, Meredith is on the lookout for other men praying on innocent girls, and she definitely won't fall for a charming but deceitful man again. When Phillip, the brother of a duke, seems interested in her, the daughter of a mere factory owner, she knows he must be up to something, and she won't be taken in.
This was a really captivating, well-written story. It drew me in very quickly. I loved seeing Phillip's appreciation for Meredith and how he continued to pursue her and show her his true feelings.
The Final Wager by Heather B. Moore
When an old school enemy enters his club and demands a game of cards, Victor doesn't want to gamble with him--because he knows he'll win, which his opponent can ill afford. As expected, the game goes badly, but things get worse when Victor discovers Southill, deeply in debt, has lost his London home. The honorable Victor travels two hours to take Southill to his family estate--where he meets Southill's lovely sister, Juliet. Victor bets Juliet that she'll garner three proposals and then arranges a house party where she can meet several eligible young men. This might not a be bet Victor wants to win, though, as seeing other men appreciate Juliet leaves Victor wishing his dictatorial father hadn't made clear who Victor must marry if he wants to keep his inheritance.
Another really enjoyable story. I liked seeing Victor and Juliet overcome the obstacles between them--I particularly enjoyed seeing Juliet stand up to her brother and seeing Victor realize he'd been all wrong about marriage.
An Improbably Wager by Michele Paige Holmes
When he's only twelve years old, Eli Linfield, a common servant, bets his wealthy, titled friend Sherborne that he's going to marry Emily Montgomery someday. Years later, Eli is working as stablemaster for the Montgomery family when Sherborne, in need of a bride with a good dowry, returns to his family's holdings in order to court Emily. Emily, although not particularly taken with Sherborne, wants to please her family and plans to go forward with marrying him.
I really liked Eli, who just had this sweetness about him. I liked seeing how this story unfolded--not necessarily the way I expected. I also liked how even the aggravating characters had their redeeming moments.
This is a great collection of stories! They're all well-written and very entertaining. Highly recommend!
I read a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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