All Lady Victoria Kirby wants is to dig in the dirt, take notations, and record history. What she doesn’t desire is having to bumble through ballrooms and tolerate the ton’s sly insinuations about her less-than-acceptable appearance. Victoria wasn’t certain what her rather reckless father has in mind for her future. But she certainly isn’t expecting him to gamble her hand in marriage—and lose. After all he witnessed as a child, the Duke of Chase cannot bear to see a woman misused. So when the marquess wagers away his daughter to a lecher of a man, he has no choice but to step in and rescue her. Lady Victoria has a reputation for being as tart as a lemon. He might just have found the perfect wife to keep his age-old promise to never sire an heir. Surely he’d never be tempted to take this lady to bed... Then the duke meets the wild, witty, and intelligent young lady he’s bound to marry. Now trouble is certainly headed his way, and she won’t just threaten the very vow he swore to keep...she might just undo his heart, too. Each book in The Wedding Wager series is STANDALONE: * The Wedding Wager * The Duke's Accidental Bride
From Giller-Prize-winning author Sean Michaels, The Wagers is a wild and magical novel about what it means to not only chase luck, but find it. When Theo Potiris performed his stand-up comedy act on Conan at 25, he thought he’d hit it big. But ten years later, he's still spending his days working at his parents’ grocery store, bicycling to the local open mic, and writing letters to a girlfriend who lives halfway around the world. Theo’s desperate for a break. But when he brings his thirteen-year-old niece to the horse track to place a birthday bet—a Potiris family tradition—the goddess of good luck strikes her instead, in the form of a small fortune. Try as he might to be happy for her, Theo’s shock and envy finally push him out of the family nest, away from his comedy dreams and toward a new calling. First: a mysterious corporation called The Rabbit’s Foot, which carefully quantifies and cashes in on luck. Then: to a gang of vigilantes, who recruit Theo to help them steal luck from those who carry more than their fair share. The Wagers is a literary motorcycle chase, carried by stylish prose and delightful invention. But it’s also an investigation of work and purpose, happiness and art, the randomness of good fortune, and all the ways we choose to wage our lives.
* * * A USA TODAY bestselling romance from Jess Michaels * * * Crispin Flynn has been on a downward spiral ever since he lost the woman he loved and watched his brother forced into a life he never would have chosen. His response has been drinking and gambling his way to utter ruin. One night, deep in his cups, he places a dangerous bet that results in him being forced to marry Gemma, the widow of the Earl of Laurelcross. Gemma once had a passionate side, but has been hiding it ever since her much older husband died during the act of making love. Now she finds herself the much unwanted wife of one of the biggest libertines in London and the subject of even more gossip than ever. Once they determine they cannot escape the marriage, the two begin a slow circling of each other. Passion is easy, but can they overcome mistrust and secrets in order to make the worst night of their lives one of their best? Or are they bound to lose each other before their love can take root? Length: Full-length novel Sensuality level: Hot and steamy This book can be read as a stand-alone novel, but is part of a series (The Notorious Flynns).
The Double Wager is the digital reissue of a previously published and long out-of-print novel by New York Times Bestselling author Mary Balogh. Henrietta Tallant has always preferred the company of her brother and his rough-and-tumble friends to that of other ladies. She rebels at the prospect of making her debut into London society and the great marriage mart. However, when her brother’s friends challenge her to entice the toplofty, unattainable Duke of Eversleigh into offering her marriage within six weeks, she recklessly accepts and wagers her beloved horse. The Duke of Eversleigh, who has always adamantly proclaimed his determination never to marry, is beginning to feel the pull of duty and the need to produce an heir. His friends do not believe he will give in so easily, however, and wager with him that he will not make a marriage offer within a month. When Henrietta deliberately collides with the duke in a London ballroom, then, each is intent upon winning a wager--without any thought to what will happen after it is won.
Three wagers. Three couples. Let the bets begin. A WAGER FOR LOVE by Donna Hatch: For once, Phillip would like to be seen as more than the younger brother of a duke. When he unexpectedly meets the one girl in all London who doesn't give two figs for his rank in society, she won't give him the time of day. Determined to gain her attention, he accidentally tips over her boat and dumps her into a river. Not the best way to convince a lady of worth that he is a gentleman of promise. Frustrated, Phillip makes a rash wager with a friend: he vows he'll not only gain her forgiveness, but her hand in marriage by the end of the Season. The stakes are high in this romantic Regency romp! THE FINAL WAGER by Heather B. Moore: When Victor Roland, Earl of Locken, enters into a game of twenty-one with Lord Southill, the stakes get quickly out of control. Before Victor knows it, Southill is betting the dowry of his sister. While completely illegal, Victor is mostly insulted, so he does what any gentleman of the ton should do. He punches Southill out. Problem is, Southill is in so much debt that he'd been kicked out of his townhouse earlier that day. So Victor is forced to deliver Southill at his estate outside of London . . . only to meet Southill's sister, Lady Juliet, a woman who Victor now wishes he'd bet on. AN IMPROBABLE WAGER by Michele Paige Holmes: Sherborne Alexander Rowley III has come home to marry his neighbor-and solve his financial problems in one fell swoop. Love doesn't figure into the equation, only the need to save his family's estate. The reserved Miss Emily Montgomery seems willing enough, leaving the only possible obstacle to Sherborne's success his childhood friend, Eli Linfield, and the wager they made long ago that Eli would be the one to marry Emily. When the timely birth of a colt, Emily's mischievous sister Sophia, and Emily herself all conspire to ruin Sherborne's plans, one night of mayhem unravels far more than their betrothal. Emily is not as demure as he believed, nor is Eli what he has pretended these many years. Yet the future for all may yet be bright. Sherborne might even wager on it. From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series in Regency Romance, comes WEDDING WAGERS. Featuring bestselling authors Donna Hatch, Heather B. Moore, and Michele Paige Holmes. Books in the Timeless Regency Collections: AUTUMN MASQUERADE A MIDWINTER BALL SPRING IN HYDE PARK SUMMER HOUSE PARTY A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS A SEASON IN LONDON FALLING FOR A DUKE A NIGHT IN GROSVENOR SQUARE ROAD TO GRETNA GREEN AN EVENING AT ALMACK'S A WEEK IN BRIGHTON TO LOVE A GOVERNESS Books in the Timeless Victorian Collections: SUMMER HOLIDAY A GRAND TOUR THE ORIENT EXPRESS THE QUEEN'S BALL Wedding Wagers is a Timeless Romance Anthology(R) book Timeless Romance Anthology(R) is a registered trademark of Mirror Press, LLC
No longer in the first blush of youth and without a marriage portion, Miss Constance Woodley could scarcely imagine why one of the leading lights of London society should take an interest in the likes of her. But under her benefactor's guiding hand she was transformed into a captivating creature who caught the eye of the handsome, charming and ever-so-slightly notorious Lord Dominic Leighton. And before the shocked eyes of the entire Ton, the "nobody" and the rakish viscount showed that even in the heartless world of the marriage mart, when love was at stake, all bets were off….
“Winner gets a neck massage.” “Loser gives winner a candlelit striptease.” “If you win, I’ll wash your car. Shirtless.” This book brings a sense of play and friendly competition to any relationship - and the wager is the best part. The prizes range from the innocent (as in a first date’s friendly wager for a second date) to the gourmet (chocolate-covered strawberries brought to you at work) to the sexy (full body massage) to the racy (a striptease). This book suggests more than 300 romantic couples’ bets in a range of categories, focusing on different activities, such as: which team will win the football game; what family member will be the first to embarrass himself at Thanksgiving; who will come up with the most complex word during a game of Scrabble; and more! This book also includes expert tips for executing the prizes. Plus, each entry has space for recording the bet, wager, and outcome, making this book the perfect keepsake for any relationship!
She wed once for duty but will only wed again for love… For as long as she can remember, Eliza North’s heart has been in the possession of her older brother’s friend, Nicholas Emerson. But Nicholas has always been oblivious to Eliza, and when he bought a commission and sailed to war, she wed sensibly instead. Returned to her brother’s house a widow, she meets Lieutenant Emerson again and realizes neither of their feelings have changed. She accepts his request to chaperone his younger sister, Helena, hoping she might win his attention yet, with the assistance of the mysterious Mrs. Oliver and her guide for seduction. Nicholas Emerson could never aspire to wed the daughter of a duke, especially one so pragmatic as Eliza has always been. That she married for the whimsy love makes him wonder how well he knew Eliza after all. She is still the only woman who captures his attention, but he knows his injuries mean he can never marry. Still, he cannot resist the chance to request Eliza’s assistance with Helena’s second season, and the chance to share her company. Neither of them anticipate Helena’s wild behavior or their necessary alliance to defend her reputation. Entrusted with the manuscript of Mrs. Oliver’s advice on the seductive arts, Eliza puts its counsel to use, much to Nicholas’ delighted astonishment. How can he refuse the woman he loves, even knowing that he can never ensure her happiness? Caught between honor and love, Nicholas must accept his legacy from the war for this pair to have a future—is Eliza the woman who can heal his wounds forever?
A marriage born of passion and scandal turns into something more from the bestselling author of Marry in Secret. When a duke denied . . . The proud and arrogant Duke of Everingham is determined to secure a marriage of convenience with heiress, Lady Georgiana Rutherford. He's the biggest prize on the London marriage mart, pursued by young unmarried ladies and their match-making mamas, as well as married women with a wandering eye. He can have any woman he wants. Or so he thinks. . . ...Hunts an independent lady . . . Lady Georgiana Rutherford--irreverent and unconventional--has no plans to marry. Having grown up poor, Lady George has no intention of giving up her fortune to become dependent on the dubious and unreliable goodwill of a man. Especially a man as insufferable as the Duke of Everingham, whose kisses stirs unwelcome and unsettling emotions . . . ...Sparks are sure to fly The more she defies him, the more the duke wants her, until an argument at a ball spirals into a passionate embrace. Caught in a compromising position, the duke announces their betrothal. George is furious and when gossip claims she deliberately entrapped the duke--when she was the one who was trapped--she marches down the aisle in a scarlet wedding dress. But the unlikely bride and groom may have found love in the most improbable of places--a marriage of convenience.
Sharon Naylor, bestselling author of more than 35 books for brides, offers savvy insight and info for women who want to be brilliant bridesmaids but not break the bank
