BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – A Desperate Wager
AUTHOR – Em Taylor
GENRE – Historical Regency Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – 25 August 2014
LENGTH – 71,000 words
COVER ARTIST – Samantha Holt
BOOK SUMMARY
Nathaniel Spencer, the Fourteenth Duke of Kirkbourne wakes
up with an almighty hangover and a wager note in his pocket stating he has
agreed to marry the Earl of Brackingham’s daughter. And he can’t even remember
ever meeting the chit. Clearly his drinking has got out of hand.
Lady Sarah Steele is horrified when her father announces that the Duke of Kirkbourne has agreed to marry her and even more horrified that her father wagered her hand in a game of cards. Not only that, but the earl has not told the duke of the riding accident that left Sarah paralysed when she was sixteen. But he’s dying and she knows he wants to see her settled before the inevitable happens.
Lady Sarah Steele is horrified when her father announces that the Duke of Kirkbourne has agreed to marry her and even more horrified that her father wagered her hand in a game of cards. Not only that, but the earl has not told the duke of the riding accident that left Sarah paralysed when she was sixteen. But he’s dying and she knows he wants to see her settled before the inevitable happens.
Despite Nate’s drinking and Sarah’s possible complicity in
the earl’s plan, they agree to marry. But when accidents start to happen, the
newly-weds must deal not only with the fact they are practically strangers, but
they must find out who is trying to kill one or both of them. Nate’s drink
problem and Sarah’s disability are only a couple of the hurdles they must face
to find lasting love.
TBR/BUY LINKS
EXCERPT
Nathaniel
Spencer, fourteenth Duke of Kirkbourne groaned and rolled over in bed. A tattoo
beat a steady rhythm inside his skull, his stomach was bilious and the world
spun at an alarming rate.
Last
night he had been in his cups—again. He knew he should take a more moderate
attitude to alcohol but recently, staying sober had seemed somewhat pointless.
Why stay sober if you were just going to end up dead at the side of the
road—another silly young buck who had killed himself in a curricle race?
Damn
Crosby! Why had he made the damned challenge? Nathaniel, or Nate as he
preferred to be called, would never forget Crosby’s lifeless eyes staring up at
him, or the crack of the pistol as a bystander put his horses out of their
misery. And he would never forgive himself for being the man whom Crosby was
racing.
Nate
closed his eyes and willed his stomach to stop churning as he tried to recall the
events of the night before. He had been at White’s for dinner and had moved to
the card room. The brandy had been flowing, and Ormsby had suggested moving on
to a less reputable gaming hell. He remembered the Earl of Brackingham tagging
along for some reason that defied Nate.
He
had no issue with Brackingham, but the earl was at least twenty years the
senior of everyone else in their party. He had been coughing somewhat
alarmingly, Nate recalled. He hoped the old man was not spreading disease
around. The last thing Nate needed was to be laid up in bed—his mother fussing
around him and pouring vile-tasting concoctions down his throat. There was
another thing that took many young, seemingly healthy lives—fever. Curricles
and fever—good reasons to get absolutely foxed if ever he needed any.
Brackingham!
The name seemed to be prodding his tired and very painful brain—waiting for him
to remember something significant from last night. He had a vague memory of
playing vingt et un with him. There
had been a ludicrous bet. Brackingham wagered his daughter’s hand and if Nate
lost, he would have to marry the girl.
Nate
had been on a winning streak. Bravado and alcohol made him foolish. He had a
three and a queen. He sat up as the king of diamonds flashed before his eyes.
God,
damn it.
The
king of diamonds took him to twenty-three. His head swum and he tamped down the
urge to cast up his accounts. Twenty-three. But surely a wager like that was a
joke. It had to be. Brackingham did not expect him to marry his chit of a
daughter, did he? Had he even set eyes on the girl before?
Again,
some piece of information about the girl needled his brain. He had no
recollection of dancing with her at balls. But then he hardly ever danced at
balls. He had no plans to seek a leg-shackle on the marriage mart, so he
steered clear and spent most of the evening in the card room.
God,
he hoped she was at least old enough to have had her come out and this was not
some medieval plan to marry a thirteen-year-old off to him. Eighteen was quite
young enough—too young in his rather jaded opinion.
But
no. He had no recollection of ever having set eyes on Lady… Lady what? He had
no idea.
He
fished in the pocket of his waistcoat, which he still wore, having obviously
been so foxed when he had returned that he had either shooed his valet away or
he had arrived so late the valet had been asleep. There was a note. A wager. He
hoped he owed the man a vast fortune instead.
Marry Lady Sarah Steele.
Dowry - £10,000. Meet Brackingham on 5th day of March to make
arrangements.
Today
must be the fifth of March. Yesterday had definitely been the fourth. Christ,
he had to see if this was a big joke or, if not, was there any way he could
inveigle his way out of it. He had no plans to marry. None at all. And that was
that.
CAT'S REVIEW
"A Desperate Wager" by Em Taylor. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Nate, after losing a card game, is forced to wed Sarah. Unknown to him, Sarah is a cripple. Nate, a Duke, is confident and strong. Sarah, despite not being able to walk, is a strong, independent woman. Watching the relationship grow and each of them overcoming some demons and getting to know each other was a sweet experience. I loved how Sarah would put Nate in his place and his reactions when she did. I enjoyed how, very often, they try to shock each other and they would make the other laugh. There is also some danger and mystery, although I would have liked to have felt a bit more of a sense of danger, I didn't feel the stress that usually comes with it - only when the events occurred. This, however, did not take away from the story of Nate and Sarah, which is really what it's all about. So, if it's historical romance you enjoy, definitely check out "A Desperate Wager".
★★★★
AUTHOR BIO
Em was born and brought up in the Central Belt of
Scotland and still lives there. She was told as a child she had an over active
imagination--as if that is a bad thing. She's traded her dreams of owning her
own island, just like George in the Famous Five to hoping to meet her own Mr
Darcy one day. But her imagination remains the same.
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
GIVEAWAY!!! GIVEAWAY!!! GIVEAWAY!!!
TOUR OGRANIZED BY
 |
| My Family's Heart Book Reviews & Tours |
Thanks for participating in the Tour and for the wonderful review. Victoria at My Family's Heart
ReplyDelete