Wagering for Miss Blake was written by Callie Hutton, and is the fourth book in her Lords & Ladies in Love series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I haven’t read any of Hutton’s other books, but I am always excited to discover new authors.
Giles is instantly smitten the moment he meets Suzanna, but she informs him that he can’t marry him because she can only consider men with titles. Giles, the third son of an earl, is so smitten that he isn’t particularly offended by this rather mercenary declaration, and he soon discovers that this is her parents’ rule, not necessarily what she wants. Giles, ever the optimist, bets Suzanna that he can make her fall in love with him.
Suzanna feels torn between her feelings and her parents’ wishes. Giles is the first man she has ever felt a connection with, but she knows how important it is to her parents that marry a man with a title. She tries to avoid him, but he is rather persistent in his attempt to persuade her to change her mind about him.
I found myself feeling sorry for Suzanna. It’s clear that her mother is overbearing, and the ironic part is that Suzanna’s father is not titled, so that makes her mother somewhat hypocritical for insisting that Suzanna rule out any non-titled suitors. Giles, for what it’s worth, is a very patient soul. He knows that he can reveal information that would necessitate a marriage, but he chooses to win his wager fairly.
There is, a Big Misunderstanding to create conflict, but it could have been solved quite easily with a simple conversation. I thought the way in which Suzanna handled the resolution was unfair, considering that she created the problem in the first place.
I would recommend Wagering for Miss Blake. This story was cute enough, and it’s fairly light in tone. There is plenty of cute banter, and Giles is a sweetheart. I’m looking forward to reading more of Hutton’s books in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
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