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Love's Glorious Gamble
ACE OF HEARTS
Gloria Daniels was prepared for adventure—her first trip away from home was bound to be exciting. But nothing could have matched the true thrill that coursed through her young body when she first spotted Sterling Caulder. He may have had a reputation as a gambler, but he was like no man she had ever seen before. He walked with an elegant grace and carried an air of sophistication that drew Gloria into his spell. All she wanted at that moment was to experience his embrace, to feel his warm lips against her own, to have him sweep her off of her feet for a night of unbridled ecstasy!
QUEEN OF DIAMONDS
Sterling Caulder made his living by making decent men part with their hard earned money. A gambler and a rogue, Sterling did his job without thinking of the consequences—at least until he met Gloria. Her soft gray eyes appealed to his only weakness—the desire to protect the innocent beauty from the dangers of the world. All he wanted to do was to run his fingers through her flaxen curls, to caress her with a passion that knew no bounds. Making Gloria his own would be a risk, but for a night in her arms he was willing to chance it all in Love's Glorious Gamble
Gloria Daniels was prepared for adventure—her first trip away from home was bound to be exciting. But nothing could have matched the true thrill that coursed through her young body when she first spotted Sterling Caulder. He may have had a reputation as a gambler, but he was like no man she had ever seen before. He walked with an elegant grace and carried an air of sophistication that drew Gloria into his spell. All she wanted at that moment was to experience his embrace, to feel his warm lips against her own, to have him sweep her off of her feet for a night of unbridled ecstasy!
QUEEN OF DIAMONDS
Sterling Caulder made his living by making decent men part with their hard earned money. A gambler and a rogue, Sterling did his job without thinking of the consequences—at least until he met Gloria. Her soft gray eyes appealed to his only weakness—the desire to protect the innocent beauty from the dangers of the world. All he wanted to do was to run his fingers through her flaxen curls, to caress her with a passion that knew no bounds. Making Gloria his own would be a risk, but for a night in her arms he was willing to chance it all in Love's Glorious Gamble
- GenresRomance
443 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1988
37 people want to read
About the author
Dana Ransom
26 books17 followersA pseudonym used by Nancy Gideon.
AKA Lauren Giddings, Nancy Giddings and Rosalyn West.
AKA Lauren Giddings, Nancy Giddings and Rosalyn West.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 24, 2021
To avenge her father's death, a young and naive blonde named Gloria Daniels transforms herself into the vixenish redhead, Glory Dane. She'll cheat men out of their money and seek out retribution while her mentor and sometimes-savior, Sterling Caulder, a notorious gambler, fights his attraction to her. Sterling's been hurt by love in the past. Is Gloria the woman who will mend his heart?
In Dana Ransom's "Love's Glorious Gamble" the hero is no overbearing bully, but a charismatic rogue who shares a great, supportive relationship with the heroine. The heroine is courageous and plucky, all alone in a world that holds mystery and despair. A girl of intelligence and wit, Glory devises a complicated trap in which to ensnare her enemies. Everyone is hiding the truth to some extent in this tangled tale of vengeance.
LGG is an entertaining, emotional romance. As of February 24, 2021, it has an average rating of 4.08 out of 13 readers, with no 1-star votes. Published in 1988 under Zebra's Heartfire imprint this could merit at least 4 stars, especially by the low-quality-standards of Zebra romances.
So why does my official rating stand at only 3 stars, rounded down from the 3-stars-and-a-half shelf it's on?
Two reasons.
#1 - Dana Ransom (real name Nancy Gideon) has written some of my all-time favorite books--not just romances--in particular, Rebel Vixen and Dakota Destiny. Other thrilling epics are Temptation's Trail and Dakota Promises. I've never hated any of Ransom's works I've come across, although some have drawn conflicted emotions, namely, Alexandra's Ecstasy and its predecessor, The Pirate's Captive. "Love's Glorious Gamble" falls short when contrasted with my personal favorites. It's unfair to make such comparisons, I know. I went in with immense expectations only to find an above-average love story with an exciting plot, wonderful characterization, and a few unexpected twists.
Wait.
That doesn't sound bad at all, does it?
Well, here's reason #2 - I had to take a full star rating off this book because... major spoiler ahead: . I really wish that had not been such a significant part of Sterling's background. With any other author, this would have been a complete deal-breaker for me. Due to Ransom's exceptional writing, I was able to avoid tossing the book on the floor in anger and continue.
As I said, that plot-point did color my final opinion of "Love's Glorious Gamble." If I don't dwell on it, I can honestly say that while not perfect, this Zebra Heartfire is worthy of a glowingly positive review. But it did happen so that tempers my overall enjoyment, although certainly not enough to hate it. I just wouldn't put it on my Desert-Island-Keeper list.
However, if you're a more open-minded reader who appreciates the power of love's ability to heal wounds and also looking for a Zebra that doesn't suck, then this may be a romance you'd like to explore.
3 1/2 stars rounded down to 3 (because )
In Dana Ransom's "Love's Glorious Gamble" the hero is no overbearing bully, but a charismatic rogue who shares a great, supportive relationship with the heroine. The heroine is courageous and plucky, all alone in a world that holds mystery and despair. A girl of intelligence and wit, Glory devises a complicated trap in which to ensnare her enemies. Everyone is hiding the truth to some extent in this tangled tale of vengeance.
LGG is an entertaining, emotional romance. As of February 24, 2021, it has an average rating of 4.08 out of 13 readers, with no 1-star votes. Published in 1988 under Zebra's Heartfire imprint this could merit at least 4 stars, especially by the low-quality-standards of Zebra romances.
So why does my official rating stand at only 3 stars, rounded down from the 3-stars-and-a-half shelf it's on?
Two reasons.
#1 - Dana Ransom (real name Nancy Gideon) has written some of my all-time favorite books--not just romances--in particular, Rebel Vixen and Dakota Destiny. Other thrilling epics are Temptation's Trail and Dakota Promises. I've never hated any of Ransom's works I've come across, although some have drawn conflicted emotions, namely, Alexandra's Ecstasy and its predecessor, The Pirate's Captive. "Love's Glorious Gamble" falls short when contrasted with my personal favorites. It's unfair to make such comparisons, I know. I went in with immense expectations only to find an above-average love story with an exciting plot, wonderful characterization, and a few unexpected twists.
Wait.
That doesn't sound bad at all, does it?
Well, here's reason #2 - I had to take a full star rating off this book because... major spoiler ahead: . I really wish that had not been such a significant part of Sterling's background. With any other author, this would have been a complete deal-breaker for me. Due to Ransom's exceptional writing, I was able to avoid tossing the book on the floor in anger and continue.
As I said, that plot-point did color my final opinion of "Love's Glorious Gamble." If I don't dwell on it, I can honestly say that while not perfect, this Zebra Heartfire is worthy of a glowingly positive review. But it did happen so that tempers my overall enjoyment, although certainly not enough to hate it. I just wouldn't put it on my Desert-Island-Keeper list.
However, if you're a more open-minded reader who appreciates the power of love's ability to heal wounds and also looking for a Zebra that doesn't suck, then this may be a romance you'd like to explore.
3 1/2 stars rounded down to 3 (because )
February 23, 2021
This review is of “Love’s Glorious Gamble” by Dana Ransom.
The book begins on the steamboat Independence headed to New Orleans. Among the passengers are Gloria Daniels, 18, the heroine of the book, and her only surviving parent, her father, Tom. (Gloria’s mother, Amy, and unnamed younger brother passed away, earlier). The Daniels’, farmers from Minnesota, are going to Louisiana to buy equipment for a business venture between Tom and Wade Michaels, Gloria’s “fiance”. (This engagement is more business arrangement than love match). Also on the ship is Sterling Caulder, the hero of the book. Sterling is a gambler by trade, and his interactions with Gloria create friction between himself and the Daniels’. This friction will lead to tragedy.
Tom dies on the steamboat; Gloria is told he committed suicide, but she suspects foul play. Gloria blames Lewis Baldwin, owner of the Independence-and Sterling’s boss-for Tom’s death. To help in her investigation, Gloria asks Sterling to teach her how to gamble. He does, and later, they reboard the Independence to set sail again.
On this trip, one of the passengers is Wade, who wants Gloria to leave the ship and her revenge plans and marry him. She refuses, realizing that she loves Sterling and that Wade is very patriarchal. Gloria and Sterling are forced to flee when Baldwin sends one of his hired guns to kill them. They make their way to Natchez, Mississippi, Sterling’s home town, and to his home there. We learn a bit about Sterling’s past. Later, Gloria and Sterling buy their own steamboat, the Queen of Hearts, as part of their plan to get revenge on Baldwin, who has brought pain to both of them.
In the end, Baldwin is brought to justice, Gloria and Sterling reconcile their differences, marry and have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Not much of one.
Downside: I didn’t find Gloria or Sterling to be particularly interesting. Ms. Ransom fell heavily into the “readers are supposed to care”... trap with Gloria. Basically, Ms. Ransom believes readers are supposed to care about her because her father and only living relative was killed. That is not a sufficient reason for me to care about a person, especially when there isn’t really any other efforts made to inspire caring. Gloria became less likeable as the book went on as she became more successful as a gambler, but harder as a person, which is not a good thing.
Sterling was also not an interesting character. Ms. Ransom tried to make him interesting but by the time this effort was made, it was way too late in the game. There is no real storyline beyond Gloria and Sterling’s efforts to bring down Baldwin.
Sex: The few love scenes between Gloria and Sterling are just as flat and uninteresting as the rest of the book.
Violence: Most of the violence is off-screen. On-screen violence of assault, battery, and killings. The violence is not graphic.
Bottom Line: I’m folding on “Love’s Glorious Gamble”.
The book begins on the steamboat Independence headed to New Orleans. Among the passengers are Gloria Daniels, 18, the heroine of the book, and her only surviving parent, her father, Tom. (Gloria’s mother, Amy, and unnamed younger brother passed away, earlier). The Daniels’, farmers from Minnesota, are going to Louisiana to buy equipment for a business venture between Tom and Wade Michaels, Gloria’s “fiance”. (This engagement is more business arrangement than love match). Also on the ship is Sterling Caulder, the hero of the book. Sterling is a gambler by trade, and his interactions with Gloria create friction between himself and the Daniels’. This friction will lead to tragedy.
Tom dies on the steamboat; Gloria is told he committed suicide, but she suspects foul play. Gloria blames Lewis Baldwin, owner of the Independence-and Sterling’s boss-for Tom’s death. To help in her investigation, Gloria asks Sterling to teach her how to gamble. He does, and later, they reboard the Independence to set sail again.
On this trip, one of the passengers is Wade, who wants Gloria to leave the ship and her revenge plans and marry him. She refuses, realizing that she loves Sterling and that Wade is very patriarchal. Gloria and Sterling are forced to flee when Baldwin sends one of his hired guns to kill them. They make their way to Natchez, Mississippi, Sterling’s home town, and to his home there. We learn a bit about Sterling’s past. Later, Gloria and Sterling buy their own steamboat, the Queen of Hearts, as part of their plan to get revenge on Baldwin, who has brought pain to both of them.
In the end, Baldwin is brought to justice, Gloria and Sterling reconcile their differences, marry and have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Not much of one.
Downside: I didn’t find Gloria or Sterling to be particularly interesting. Ms. Ransom fell heavily into the “readers are supposed to care”... trap with Gloria. Basically, Ms. Ransom believes readers are supposed to care about her because her father and only living relative was killed. That is not a sufficient reason for me to care about a person, especially when there isn’t really any other efforts made to inspire caring. Gloria became less likeable as the book went on as she became more successful as a gambler, but harder as a person, which is not a good thing.
Sterling was also not an interesting character. Ms. Ransom tried to make him interesting but by the time this effort was made, it was way too late in the game. There is no real storyline beyond Gloria and Sterling’s efforts to bring down Baldwin.
Sex: The few love scenes between Gloria and Sterling are just as flat and uninteresting as the rest of the book.
Violence: Most of the violence is off-screen. On-screen violence of assault, battery, and killings. The violence is not graphic.
Bottom Line: I’m folding on “Love’s Glorious Gamble”.
June 25, 2023
A decent romance story, being set in the Mississippi River and area.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews