Wicked Wager

Lord Anthony Nelthorpe #2

by Julia Justiss

Lord Anthony Nelthorpe had committed many sins -- not the least of which was his hare-brained attempt to seduce the well-bred Jenna Montague Fairchild into marrying him.

But that was three years past, before the war magnified life's conceit; after Waterloo, he who scoffed at honor, was nursed back to health by the very woman he'd wronged, while her husband, a man of honor, Jenna could not save.

Back in London, Tony seized the chance to shake the wealthy young widow out of her frightening apathy -- even if he was the last man on earth she wanted to see. He hit upon a challenge: since Jenna was the instrument of saving his rascal skin, did she not owe it to all those heroes to make a better man of him?

She would train him until Christmas -- the season of miracles. Now Tony just had to figure out how to win this wager without wanting her all over again . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Regency, Harlequin, Historical Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 24, 2003

About the author

Julia Justiss grew up breathing the scent of sea air near the colonial town of Annapolis, Maryland, a fact responsible for two of her life-long passions: sailors and history! By age twelve she was a junior tour guide for Historic Annapolis, conducting visitors on walking tours through the city that was a hotbed of revolutionary fervor. (Annapolis hosted its own tea party, dispensing with the cargo aboard the "Peggy Stewart," and was briefly capital of the United States.) She also took tourists through Annapolis's other big attraction, the United States Naval Academy. After so many years of observing future naval officers at P-rade and chapel, it seemed almost inevitable that she eventually married one.

But long before embarking on romantic adventures of her own, she read about them, transporting herself to such favorite venues as ancient Egypt, World War II submarine patrols, the Old South and, of course, Regency England. Soon she was keeping notebooks for jotting down story ideas. From plotting adventures for her first favorite heroine Nancy Drew she went on to write poetry in high school and college, then worked as a business journalist doing speeches, sales promotion material and newsletter articles. After her marriage to a naval lieutenant took her overseas, she wrote the newsletter for the American Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Before leaving Tunis, she fulfilled her first goal: completing a Regency novel.

Children intervened, and not until her husband left the Navy to return to his Texas homeland did she sit down to pen a second novel. The reply to her fan mail letter to a Regency author led her to Romance Writers of America. From the very first meeting, she knew she'd found a home among fellow writers--doubtless the largest group of people outside a mental institution who talk back to the voices in their heads.

Her second goal was achieved the day before her birthday in May, 1998 when Margaret Marbury of Harlequin Historicals offered to buy that second book, the Golden-Heart-Award winning novel that became THE WEDDING GAMBLE. Since then, she has gone on to write fourteen novels, three novellas and an on-line serial, along the way winning or finalling for historical awards from The Golden Quill, the National Reader’s Choice, Romantic Times, and All About Romance’s Favorite Book of the Year.

Julia now inhabits an English Georgian-style house she and her husband built in the East Texas countryside where, if she closes her eyes and ignores the summer thermometer, she can almost imagine she inhabits the landscape of "Pride and Prejudice." In between travelling to visit her three children (a naval officer son stationed in Washington, DC, a textiles and design major daughter who cheers for University of Texas at Austin, and a mechanical engineering major son also at UT Austin) keeping up with her science teacher husband and juggling a part-time day job as a high school French teacher, she pursues her first and dearest love--crafting stories.

To relax, she enjoys watching movies, reading (historical fiction, mystery, suspense) and puttering about in the garden trying to kill off more weeds than flowers.

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.65*

Tony, our H, shows us the right way to go about a character growth (over two books). Really commendable and believable with it. An arrogant, self-centered wastrel/rake to a sensitive and sensible man who sees to others above himself.But then, actually he's over vilified. Yes, he tried to compromise this h in the last book (novella) but then never actually does it. Why? Because, he doesn't have it in him. He wanted to but really couldn't and the h's knife is not the only reason he walks away. The scene is not actually shown but the h accepts that she always felt a frisson of awareness when he was around despite her loving (hero-worshiping) another. And they both agree that had he wished to, she would have cooperated. Well...

The h is a strong woman who fell for the om/ her husband (in the last book) as he's a gallant, honorable man - with a broken heart. An irresistible mix to for any woman who'd wish to heal and win him but also to a woman who has spent all her life with her soldier father, first in India then on the peninsula. She marries Garrett, her husband after he realizes that he's not pining after his ex-fiancee, Lucinda (who makes an appearance in this book as well) but loves Jenna, the h. This all comes about after her father dies and the H tries to make a move on the wealthy h (wealth her father made in India). The H changes regiments after the debacle of him trying to seduce/rape/compromise the h and her marrying the om. The war moves to Brussels and the husband dies and the h rescues the H from the battlefield and then she returns to England - widowed and pregnant.

Coming to this book, war and life change him into a man he was always supposed to be before his uncaring and philandering parents got in the way. He comes back to an already tattered reputation of a rake who ran off to avoid gambling debts, to mortgaged estates and an unrepentantly dissolute father. His new war hero image does not make much dent with society. His non-relationship with his mother and sister is sad too. I like the man he's become - one who realizes his past transgressions and feels remorse while trying to be a better person. The physical pain/limp is a constant reminder to him, and us, of these facts.

After the first character driven half, murderous plots take center-stage in the later half. Some one is targeting the h and the H is determined to protect her despite her cool vibes. *Major spoiler* I always hate it when a miscarriage is callously added.
And few other things.
If a viscount dies, the next in line is immediately informed and ascended probably by solicitors, as far as I know (from HRs).Here, even months after her husband dies, the heir is just that. Yes, she's pregnant and that would be a big factor till she delivers but then she writes to/informs only the heir, a lost scientist type and I don't think he informs anyone about her pregnancy - as we do see. So, that's a loose end. What were the solicitors doing meanwhile?
Just like after the H's father (too easily) signs over the management/POA to the H, and goes AWOL. That was weird. As was the H's not actually visiting his estates and seeing to his own affairs after getting the money. Yes, he wished to help the h but I am sure he was running on borrowed time with the problems galore on his estate.

As I say I like the h but I had problems with few of her choices/ actions.
I found her sexual aggression a bit ott and unbefitting of her character. In a role reversal, after one-off sex (where she goes dominant on the H), she then walks away - to an om whom she sees a more fitting choice as a second husband. Why not give the H that chance?
Even at the end, she takes her time to weigh between the two men before going for act two of her dom-sex routine. The hea is slow to come. Yes, mourning period and all but I think the H deserved better.
So, I am cutting some points.

[Tasneem · Rating 4 out of 5]

re-read 25-08-2013 I think on a second reading that I would only give it 3 stars. But, I did enjoy the book and the plot and still loved Tony. Jenna I took time to warm to.
I still found some things troubling like everything seemed too pat. But then, it was meant to be a quick fast read. So in that sense it was all right. Not a bad book, and I must admit I've read far worse. So, a solid 3 stars.

I enjoyed this book. Jenna and Tony are a lovely couple and although the plot was predictable, I mean, it was obvious that Lane was up to no good, it was still an entertaining read. One thing I have to say is that the name of the heroine did not work. Jenna is too much of a common name - no one with real aristocratic leanings would have used it - or at least that's what I have come to learn from reading of that time. But, since she's the daughter of a soldier, it might be possible - still unlikely though.

[Desi · Rating 4 out of 5]

leído en Nov 2012

Un desafío de honor

Protagonistas: Anthony Nelthorpe y Jenna Montague Fairchild

Argumento:

Ella era la única mujer que podría apartarlo de sus malas costumbres...

Lord Anthony Nelthorpe había cometido muchos pecados entre los que se incluía seducir a la distinguida Jenna Montague Fairchild. Pero habían pasado tres años desde entonces y después de Waterloo, él, que tanto se había burlado del honor, se encontró bajo los cuidados de la misma mujer a la que había ofendido. Iba a curarlo a él después de no haber podido salvar a su propio esposo.

De vuelta en Londres, Tony aprovechó la oportunidad de sacar a la joven viuda de su espantosa apatía, aunque sabía que era la última persona a la que ella deseaba ver. Pero la convencería de que era la única mujer capaz de convertirlo en un hombre mejor...

[Sandra R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good writing and historical details, but I found myself skimming, as I was a bit underwhelmed with the story and main characters. Sorry.

[Bea Tea · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK, just OK - a bit of a slow plod that seemed to take ages to read. The titular 'wicked wager' is completely irrelevant to the main plot, which seems to be a 'who-dunnit' attempted murder plot against the heroine. I really liked the hero, who was a genuine loser in the past who fled into the army to escape his debts. War it seems changed this man, and on his return to England he's really trying to be a better man.

The heroine was hard work. Her husband died 2 months ago, and she lost her baby like a few days ago, and so it's hard to cheer on her sex tingles and plans to snag a shag so she can get on with life. She vacillated between near-suicidal/dead inside to planning to get a lover to keep her overwhelming passionate nature well-fed. These two states of being (deadening grief and saucy sexy time) are like oil and water. I thought very little of her for it.

Also - what happened to the plan to buy a farm and take on ex-soldiers and their families? I was expecting the book to be about that, it was being set up so much then dropped like a cup of cold sick. I would have loved our heroine if instead of trying to have sex with multiple men she instead saw through her resolution to do some good with her fortune.

Also, way too many obvious off-the-page red herring characters.

[Judy]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book, and reread it frequently. If I say it is the story of a rogue who after suffering 2 years of soldiering, determines to better himself and saves a woman who helps him redeem himself, it sounds like another cliche. But it's not. The dialogue is really of its time, the hero is immensely likeable, funny and incredibly honest and the heroine is real woman of action, out of her time. And it shows how he changes, step by step in a very believable way. You are cheering for him by the end.

[Mnms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characters and an original story. It almost gets too much with the focus on reformation at times, but the author manages to make it work well within the story