What do you think?
Rate this book
Wager Trilogy #1
Dark Wager
Lucien Bryland distrusts women. Nevertheless, he has fallen in love with Clara Harkham, the woman he has been betrothed to since childhood. He knows her to be a flirtatious and thoughtless woman, though he first believed her to be genuine and true. At the tender age of 16 he gave her his heart, only to have it broken by her careless disregard for his feelings. Of course, Clara has been in love with Lucien since childhood, but Lucien has a maddening way of surprising her at the most indelicate moments--particularly when she is spurning the embrace of a would-be suitor who has come calling. Though the misunderstandings are thick, the two will marry; Clara is determined to find the kind, gentle person she once knew Lucien to be, and Lucien is determined to never let his heart be vulnerable again.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 10, 1997
About the author
Mary Spencer
79 books31 followersThis author also writes under the name Susan Spencer Paul.
When I was a senior in high school, everyone in my graduating class was asked to fill out a questionnaire supposing where we'd be in ten years' time, what we'd be doing and what our accomplishments would be. I put down that I would be a published author and have written the Great American Novel. I was joking, of course, but I really did want to be a writer. Unfortunately, it was ten years before I actually got the opportunity to put pen to paper, after the birth of my first daughter. I had given up my job as a secretary to be a stay-at-home-mom, and found the long hours of baby sleep time to be a big change from my former busy days. To pass the time and break my increasing addiction to the Home Shopping Network, I at last sat down and took a stab at pursuing that old high school dream. Sixteen years have passed since then and I've had the great joy of writing several romances and seeing them published. I may never get around to writing the Great American Novel, but it doesn't really matter. I'm writing books that I love and having the time of my life doing it, and that's an accomplishment that this former high school senior is perfectly content with.
As for the more specific information, I live in a great small town in the Los Angeles suburbs, am married to a wonderful guy, Paul, and have three gorgeous, brilliant (can you tell I'm just a tad bit biased?), fabulous daughters, two terribly spoiled (by me) dogs, and a pampered, long-suffering cat.
When I was a senior in high school, everyone in my graduating class was asked to fill out a questionnaire supposing where we'd be in ten years' time, what we'd be doing and what our accomplishments would be. I put down that I would be a published author and have written the Great American Novel. I was joking, of course, but I really did want to be a writer. Unfortunately, it was ten years before I actually got the opportunity to put pen to paper, after the birth of my first daughter. I had given up my job as a secretary to be a stay-at-home-mom, and found the long hours of baby sleep time to be a big change from my former busy days. To pass the time and break my increasing addiction to the Home Shopping Network, I at last sat down and took a stab at pursuing that old high school dream. Sixteen years have passed since then and I've had the great joy of writing several romances and seeing them published. I may never get around to writing the Great American Novel, but it doesn't really matter. I'm writing books that I love and having the time of my life doing it, and that's an accomplishment that this former high school senior is perfectly content with.
As for the more specific information, I live in a great small town in the Los Angeles suburbs, am married to a wonderful guy, Paul, and have three gorgeous, brilliant (can you tell I'm just a tad bit biased?), fabulous daughters, two terribly spoiled (by me) dogs, and a pampered, long-suffering cat.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 3, 2019
This Regency historical is a testament to the power of the mind and the stories we tell ourselves. In short, the hero in this story decided to mistrust the heroine based on his family history and his fear of being betrayed.
A good offense is the best defense?
Hero’s distrust #1: his mother was some sort of emotional sadist who brought men to the family manor and openly committed adultery. She left with a lover when the hero was a child. His father followed and killed the two lovers and himself. Hero was raised by his uncle who was engaged to the heroine’s aunt.
Distrust#2: Heroine’s aunt jilted the uncle because the uncle wouldn’t promise to give up his mistress. Hero’s uncle lost his mind and went on a round-the-world trip with the hero when hero was a teen.
While all of this was happening, the H/h were seeing each other now and again. First as children and then as teenagers where they kissed and began some sort of romance (that was interrupted by the four year trip around the world). Hero knew they were betrothed from birth, but heroine did not.
Distrust #3: hero sees the heroine saying goodbye to a neighbor (OM) going off to the army. Especially when the OM suggests they are going to be married one day. Since hero has come to think of the h as “his” he is angry and vows to stop loving her – even though he’s going to marry her one day. His heart will never be vulnerable, etc . .
And this is where the story opens with the hero, drunk, at his club with his friends. He is disparaging of the heroine – calls her “peahen” while he is the good looking peacock. His plans are to marry her, impregnate her and then send her back to the country while he stays in London with his mistress. Win-win for him. An American member of the club bets him that he will end up deeply in love with his peahen after six months of marriage and will return to the country with her.
That’s it. That’s the dark wager of the title. Hero knows he’ll never give his heart. The American just inherited a title and needs the easy money. He senses the hero is a beta in alpha clothing and he is proven right.
So – heroine doesn’t want to marry the hero (even though she has always loved him since girlhood) since he’s basically told her he doesn’t love her and never will. She is intrigued by his moodiness, his cynicism, his peacock good looks and lives in hope her love will transform him back to the boy who loved her before distrust #3.
She has no idea about his mistress or the bet-but knows all about his family history, etc. . .
The hero’s mistress is the villain of the story. She is an artist and a free and easy widow. Hero does not support her, but they have been lovers for two years. She is also a caricaturist and has anonymously ruined people’s lives. Hero’s feels a dark kindred spirit with her.
OW does not take it well that hero is marrying and will not see her for two months. Be she is placated with the promise that after two months of trying to impregnate the wife he doesn’t love, he’ll return to her.
Things don’t go as planned since the hero does fall in love with his wife and breaks it off completely with the evil mistress at the two-month mark.
The H/h are enjoying a happy marriage, the hero’s uncle and the heroine’s aunt mend their relationship but the wager and the hero’s mistress hang over the narrative.
It made for some good angst – since the hero’s sanity and happiness is so fragile. Same with the heroine.
So you will love it or hate it depending on:
How you view cheating apologists.
How much 20th century thinking and acting you like in your historical novels.
How many repetitious thinky thoughts you want to wade through.
How many scenes you like with the H and the OW.
How many scenes with the H disparaging the heroine to his friends you can tolerate.
How much you believe a dark rake can change into a domesticated hubby.
On the plus side of the ledger:
I was so pleased this wasn’t part of series. It was great to read a novel where all the side characters threads were tied off. The OW did get her comeuppance on page and she was exiled to Australia. Sorry Australia. You didn’t deserve her.
I never really warmed up to the crazy with love/hate hero or the heroine whom everyone loved. But there was enough OTT drama going on that I kept reading.
A good offense is the best defense?
Hero’s distrust #1: his mother was some sort of emotional sadist who brought men to the family manor and openly committed adultery. She left with a lover when the hero was a child. His father followed and killed the two lovers and himself. Hero was raised by his uncle who was engaged to the heroine’s aunt.
Distrust#2: Heroine’s aunt jilted the uncle because the uncle wouldn’t promise to give up his mistress. Hero’s uncle lost his mind and went on a round-the-world trip with the hero when hero was a teen.
While all of this was happening, the H/h were seeing each other now and again. First as children and then as teenagers where they kissed and began some sort of romance (that was interrupted by the four year trip around the world). Hero knew they were betrothed from birth, but heroine did not.
Distrust #3: hero sees the heroine saying goodbye to a neighbor (OM) going off to the army. Especially when the OM suggests they are going to be married one day. Since hero has come to think of the h as “his” he is angry and vows to stop loving her – even though he’s going to marry her one day. His heart will never be vulnerable, etc . .
And this is where the story opens with the hero, drunk, at his club with his friends. He is disparaging of the heroine – calls her “peahen” while he is the good looking peacock. His plans are to marry her, impregnate her and then send her back to the country while he stays in London with his mistress. Win-win for him. An American member of the club bets him that he will end up deeply in love with his peahen after six months of marriage and will return to the country with her.
That’s it. That’s the dark wager of the title. Hero knows he’ll never give his heart. The American just inherited a title and needs the easy money. He senses the hero is a beta in alpha clothing and he is proven right.
So – heroine doesn’t want to marry the hero (even though she has always loved him since girlhood) since he’s basically told her he doesn’t love her and never will. She is intrigued by his moodiness, his cynicism, his peacock good looks and lives in hope her love will transform him back to the boy who loved her before distrust #3.
She has no idea about his mistress or the bet-but knows all about his family history, etc. . .
The hero’s mistress is the villain of the story. She is an artist and a free and easy widow. Hero does not support her, but they have been lovers for two years. She is also a caricaturist and has anonymously ruined people’s lives. Hero’s feels a dark kindred spirit with her.
OW does not take it well that hero is marrying and will not see her for two months. Be she is placated with the promise that after two months of trying to impregnate the wife he doesn’t love, he’ll return to her.
Things don’t go as planned since the hero does fall in love with his wife and breaks it off completely with the evil mistress at the two-month mark.
The H/h are enjoying a happy marriage, the hero’s uncle and the heroine’s aunt mend their relationship but the wager and the hero’s mistress hang over the narrative.
It made for some good angst – since the hero’s sanity and happiness is so fragile. Same with the heroine.
So you will love it or hate it depending on:
How you view cheating apologists.
How much 20th century thinking and acting you like in your historical novels.
How many repetitious thinky thoughts you want to wade through.
How many scenes you like with the H and the OW.
How many scenes with the H disparaging the heroine to his friends you can tolerate.
How much you believe a dark rake can change into a domesticated hubby.
On the plus side of the ledger:
I was so pleased this wasn’t part of series. It was great to read a novel where all the side characters threads were tied off. The OW did get her comeuppance on page and she was exiled to Australia. Sorry Australia. You didn’t deserve her.
I never really warmed up to the crazy with love/hate hero or the heroine whom everyone loved. But there was enough OTT drama going on that I kept reading.
June 20, 2024
I am rewriting the ending of this one since the author completely missed the mark.
Book comeuppance: The scheming, evil ex-mistress is sent to Australia to get a fresh start in life after a newspaper caricature reveals her to be the culprit behind many ruined, ridiculed lives and therefore no longer welcome in England.
Rewritten comeuppance: The scheming, evil ex-mistress is invited by the Prince of Wales to the Opera. While she curtsies to him, he pushes her over the balcony and she ends up head first into the giant tuba of the orchestra below, bloomers and flailing, skinny chicken legs in full view of the now hysterically laughing audience. Because no one can unstuck her head from said tuba, she ends her days in PT Barnum's circus as the Half-Tuba, Half-Woman attraction.
Book Grovel: The heroine only makes it to a countryside inn an hour away from London before the hero catches up with her and drowns her in his avowals of love, even as he STILL refuses to apologise or take any responsibility for any of the horrible, awful things he did to his future wife prior to their wedding day. Heroine takes him back at hello like a Regency era Renee Zellweger.
Rewritten Grovel: Heroine leaves for America with the hot, virile, loyal, and besotted OM where she obtains a divorce, remarries and founds a loving, close-knit family full of laughing children, sly cats and adorable puppies. The hero spends the rest of his life prostrate on her doorstep without her letting him back into her life, even for a cuppa. He sometimes wanders off to PT Barnum where he gazes with melancholy at his former mistress' skinny chicken legs still frantically flailing away trying to disengage from the rusty tuba.
Now THAT, my friends, would have earned a five star from me!
Book comeuppance: The scheming, evil ex-mistress is sent to Australia to get a fresh start in life after a newspaper caricature reveals her to be the culprit behind many ruined, ridiculed lives and therefore no longer welcome in England.
Rewritten comeuppance: The scheming, evil ex-mistress is invited by the Prince of Wales to the Opera. While she curtsies to him, he pushes her over the balcony and she ends up head first into the giant tuba of the orchestra below, bloomers and flailing, skinny chicken legs in full view of the now hysterically laughing audience. Because no one can unstuck her head from said tuba, she ends her days in PT Barnum's circus as the Half-Tuba, Half-Woman attraction.
Book Grovel: The heroine only makes it to a countryside inn an hour away from London before the hero catches up with her and drowns her in his avowals of love, even as he STILL refuses to apologise or take any responsibility for any of the horrible, awful things he did to his future wife prior to their wedding day. Heroine takes him back at hello like a Regency era Renee Zellweger.
Rewritten Grovel: Heroine leaves for America with the hot, virile, loyal, and besotted OM where she obtains a divorce, remarries and founds a loving, close-knit family full of laughing children, sly cats and adorable puppies. The hero spends the rest of his life prostrate on her doorstep without her letting him back into her life, even for a cuppa. He sometimes wanders off to PT Barnum where he gazes with melancholy at his former mistress' skinny chicken legs still frantically flailing away trying to disengage from the rusty tuba.
Now THAT, my friends, would have earned a five star from me!
February 22, 2015
So usually when the hero is a douche, I can at least love the heroine but she was sort of insipid, I kept hearing about how plain she was and how charming and delightful but was rarely shown that so it just became a repetitive mantra.
It's page 239, Lucien is supposedly in love and he says "I'll not be accountable to you for the things I did before you were my wife". Are you kidding? Because sleeping with another woman while you are engaged, just before your wedding, but claim to yourself you love your bride, isn't her business? And getting up from the "tempestuous" coupling in your mistresses' bed and going to spend the day with your fiancée while she pathetically tries to please you is something that you aren't accountable for? I hated the hero and loved the heroine's honorable military friend who loved her and was ready to protect heroine from the "demented" crowd of hero. She made a dreadful choice in not choosing the good guy. Honestly, the other man (Andrew) was wonderful...he was willing to risk hero's wrath, even to risk his life...he would have done anything to protect the heroine. This book had shades of Dark Angel / Lord Carew's Bride but this heroine chooses the evil, weak man.
And the hero was at the most sympathetic reading a deeply disturbed and demented man, but I really think he was just a whiny bitch. He was vicious and evil as only Valmont from Dangerous Liasons has been. He is a petty prick who doesn't become a better man...he just becomes a petty, vicious prick "in love".
I especially hated how the hero is all enraged at heroine's aunt for daring to break up with his uncle after finding the guy CHEATING a second time during their engagement after promising fidelity, first kissing his mistress rather than a more impersonal goodbye, and then after convincing the aunt that he was really done and would never cheat again, she sees him leaving his mistresses' house in the morning after spending the night...which he tries to explain happened because it was habit!!!! The whole premise of this book is that cheating is permitted for men and irrelevant to their "love" and prohibited for women who must prove their love. Ridiculous all around, even the side couples were gross, author casually showing this poor woman Bella, waiting for her jealous science minded fiancée Wulf who doesn't let her talk to another man, to be ready make the marriage commitment, while he carries on openly with his mistress Yvette (but of course doesn't tell Bella he's cheating on her and give her a choice) while he keeps Bella imprisoned on a shelf and pretends to love her. Are we supposed to believe that these men love these virgins they keep in lock down while they sleep with other women? Have I mentioned that Lucien was a creepy, whiny bitch. I actually felt sympathy for the evil mistress for having to be with him...and she was evil but more likeable than the hero...at least she wasn't betraying someone she cared about and had promised herself to. I had no desire to see Lucien happy.
The hero was such a pig I didn't even care about the stupid bet he made and how even after he supposedly loved heroine he didn't call it off for months. Such an ass.
It's page 239, Lucien is supposedly in love and he says "I'll not be accountable to you for the things I did before you were my wife". Are you kidding? Because sleeping with another woman while you are engaged, just before your wedding, but claim to yourself you love your bride, isn't her business? And getting up from the "tempestuous" coupling in your mistresses' bed and going to spend the day with your fiancée while she pathetically tries to please you is something that you aren't accountable for? I hated the hero and loved the heroine's honorable military friend who loved her and was ready to protect heroine from the "demented" crowd of hero. She made a dreadful choice in not choosing the good guy. Honestly, the other man (Andrew) was wonderful...he was willing to risk hero's wrath, even to risk his life...he would have done anything to protect the heroine. This book had shades of Dark Angel / Lord Carew's Bride but this heroine chooses the evil, weak man.
And the hero was at the most sympathetic reading a deeply disturbed and demented man, but I really think he was just a whiny bitch. He was vicious and evil as only Valmont from Dangerous Liasons has been. He is a petty prick who doesn't become a better man...he just becomes a petty, vicious prick "in love".
I especially hated how the hero is all enraged at heroine's aunt for daring to break up with his uncle after finding the guy CHEATING a second time during their engagement after promising fidelity, first kissing his mistress rather than a more impersonal goodbye, and then after convincing the aunt that he was really done and would never cheat again, she sees him leaving his mistresses' house in the morning after spending the night...which he tries to explain happened because it was habit!!!! The whole premise of this book is that cheating is permitted for men and irrelevant to their "love" and prohibited for women who must prove their love. Ridiculous all around, even the side couples were gross, author casually showing this poor woman Bella, waiting for her jealous science minded fiancée Wulf who doesn't let her talk to another man, to be ready make the marriage commitment, while he carries on openly with his mistress Yvette (but of course doesn't tell Bella he's cheating on her and give her a choice) while he keeps Bella imprisoned on a shelf and pretends to love her. Are we supposed to believe that these men love these virgins they keep in lock down while they sleep with other women? Have I mentioned that Lucien was a creepy, whiny bitch. I actually felt sympathy for the evil mistress for having to be with him...and she was evil but more likeable than the hero...at least she wasn't betraying someone she cared about and had promised herself to. I had no desire to see Lucien happy.
The hero was such a pig I didn't even care about the stupid bet he made and how even after he supposedly loved heroine he didn't call it off for months. Such an ass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2010
"Guilty(!) until proven innocent"
Viscount Lucien Bryland is getting married to Lady Clara Harkhams. The news isn't earth-shattering as everyone knows the two have been betrothed since birth. What they don't know, however, is that Lucien has been in love with Clara for as long as he can remember. He promised her his heart when they were teenagers, but when he returns from abroad many years later, he finds her in the arms of another man. What an idiot Lucien thought himself to be! After the scandalous deaths of his parents by murder/suicide, Lucien managed to hang onto his sanity in the years that followed because he believed Clara loved him. Bloody hell! She was no better than his mother! The mousy little thing. A peahen! That's what she was! And so the nickname was attached to Lady Clara as a private joke between Lucien, his friends, his mistress...and a good portion of the ton.
The story begins...
I LOVED this book! I adored it...the hero, the heroine, the secondary characters, the plot, the premise...everything! Although I'm not a fan of plain-Jane heroines, I got over it after meeting Clara. Of course she has the cliched "inner beauty" qualities, but unlike other plain heroines, Clara has a sh**load of self-confidence. In fact, she has the art of flirting so finely tuned, every man who makes her acquaintance is mesmerized by her. Unfortunately, so is Lucien. He refuses to be cuckolded like his father, however, so he has a plan...
"In for a penny, in for a pound - 10 thousand to be exact"
Lucien wants Clara but he wants revenge as well. So he'll marry her, get her pregnant and within 6 months he'll have her stashed away at his country home. Life as he knows it...the clubs, the gaming hells and the mistress...will continue. His plan is demeaning to himself, degrading to Clara, and quite selfish (pays the ultimate homage to "having his cake and eating it too"). Nevertheless, Lucien thinks it is a brilliant idea...so much so that he wagers several thousand pounds on it's success.
And into the betting books it goes...
"The best-laid plans of men for their peahens often go awry"
As all good romance novels go, the hero, despite himself, falls deeply in love with the heroine...and she with him. Because of Clara, Lucien's frequent dark moods, fits of rage and jealousy, and mistrust of all things female eventually give way to love, happiness and contentment. But wait! We've still got 100 pages left!
"Hell hath no fury like a mistress scorned"
This is what puts Dark Wager on the keeper's shelf...
So many historical romances feature a hero who has a mistress, but after meeting the heroine he gives the mistress the boot. The ex-lover is then relegated to the background and she may or may not be heard from again as the story progresses. Whatever. It's never a big deal..not the heart-stopping, nail-biting scene that I yearn for but never get. Until this book...and Lady Pamela Halling.
For the most part, Lucien played the cookie-cutter hero here. He intended to get married and continue keeping his mistress of three years; however, once he started sleeping with Clara, he had no desire to continue his relationship with Pamela and told her so. Ah! But the stunningly beautiful queen of all bitches didn't want to give Lucien up. She was in love with him (whatevah!) and wanted to take their relationship to the next level. How could he possibly choose that skinny little peahen over her? Lucien warned Pamela to leave Clara and him alone...or else! Ha! Did he think that was going to stop her?
Out comes her big bag of tricks...
"The pen dipped in poison is mightier than the sword"
Kleenex mandatory.
An accomplished artist, Pamela, under the guise Le Chat does caricature drawings that are published in an indie newspaper popular with the ton. Her drawings are well-defined and unmistakable as to intent...usually "ruining" the reputation of the unsuspecting person she has chosen to exploit. Hell-bent on destroying Lucien and Clara's marriage, the drawing she publishes for the ton and a special drawing she gives to Clara in private make for heart-wrenching scenes that you won't soon forget. I doubt there is another ex-mistress in Romancelandia more vicious than Pamela Halling.
"Nothing is certain but a HEA and sequel
Aside from being publicly humiliated, privately mortified, and having her self-confidence shot to hell, Clara seemed none the worse for wear in the end. Lucien groveled well, Clara forgave him for his wrongdoings and they lived happily ever after - or at least long enough to play secondary characters in the next book, Lady Wager.
Dark Wager is a gem. 5++ stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2023
Read:10/8/23
2.5 stars
Meh. An interesting plot that doesn't live up to its potential
2.5 stars
Meh. An interesting plot that doesn't live up to its potential
March 6, 2017
Trash!!! Pure, disgusting, trash! This book clearly implicates that cheating is perfectly normal and acceptable for men and that if the women find out and don't learn to forgive and start trusting them again that they're giving up the best thing that's ever happened to them and that they'll late regret not taking back a cheater. Wtf did I just read?! Are you kidding me?! This is what people call a hero?!
Let's start with the side characters. 11 yrs ago Lucien's uncle Robby, proposed to Anna, Clara's aunt. Anna caught him kissing his mistress goodbye rather than him simply telling her I'm in love, I'm getting married, and will be faithful to my wife. She forgave him even though she had a right to be mad that he kissed her. After that she caught him leaving her house in the morning, unkempt clothes, and a guilty look on his face as he knew he was caught. When he told her she had to forgive him, trust him once again or they had no marriage (after he just slept with his mistress out of "habit") she broke off the engagement and went on to marry someone else. Yet in the whole book Lucien blamed her for his uncle's pain. The uncle never accepts responsibility for what he did making himself to be a victim because she left him. Anna was never at fault! She decided she couldn't trust him after he let her down twice! Yet the blame for his unhappiness is on her?!
Lucien's friend, Wulf has been engaged to Bella for four years and she still hasn't given up on him setting a date. He says over and over that he loves her and clearly shows it when another man comes around her. Yet this douchebag has a mistress Yvette on his lap with his friends around (that know he's engaged) yet joke internally about how the sex is between them and then comparing her to Bella who they keep joking about when he's gonna marry her! No one tells her that the man who "loves" her is sleeping with another woman while she's at home waiting for him to set a date yet no man can come near her!
And finally, our golden couple. Lucien does not get my sympathy for any reason. He let his parents mistakes guide him in life and that messed him up. And why is it that so many historicals always describe the hero as handsome, beautiful, gorgeous, attractive and yet the heroine is just...NOT. She's not ugly but she's not beautiful either she was just average. She's plain but has a lovely personality that draws others to her. She wasn't as pretty as the rest of the ton but had a charming smile and laugh that could win the hearts of many. She'd NEVER be as beautiful as his mistress (who is a cold hearted malicious wench) but has a beautiful heart that made up for it.
Why?! Why do we have to read how plain and unattractive a woman is? Why is she never as beautiful and pretty as a man's mistress? Lucien constantly put her down in his head about how plain she was and her trying to make herself prettier by going all out in her gowns didn't do anything for her because she was naturally unattractive? And he is supposed to be an amazing man for being able to overlook her physical traits? He kept comparing her to his mistress and praised her beauty even though he knew she was a heartless tramp. His inner thoughts alone would break Clara's heart if he had the guts to voice them. Clara's only fault was that she was a flirt and who wouldn't want attention from boys that would give it to her as she was unmarried and had no knowledge of her being betrothed to someone. Nothing wrong with that. Lucien never wrote to her, never sent any indication that he still had feelings for her. She took it as he didn't write, he's moved on, so she did too. What was she supposed to think after YEARS of no contact?
Like his uncle, he made himself out to be a victim when the blame lay only with him. He planned to keep his mistress, told Clara straight up he didn't trust her but would try to before they married and wouldn't give her his heart when she gave hers to him. The wager was cruel and I felt that he never took responsibility for it. He wanted to push it under the rug because he had a change of heart and let the past stay in the past when he punished her throughout the book when he couldn't do the same. He was a hypocrite and a jerk. He was never a hero after he left her when they were younger. She had every right to be mad and hurt when the wager came out and what he originally planned. I still don't understand why she took him back and gave her trust back so easily. These women thought so low of themselves that they take what they can get and basically made it ok for these men to continue doing what they're doing because they know that they'll take them back.
I found this book off a grovel list on Amazon and another reviewer said it had a good grovel. I must have missed it at some point where he refused to let her leave to give her time to think, where he forced her to go out in public to make her humiliation even worse after the drawing was published, or when he took advantage of her when she was down and coerced her using sex to play on her emotions. Cuz there definitely was no groveling in this book but plenty of excuses of why he did what he did and empty promises to get back in her good book until he finds something else to place fault on her.
Let's start with the side characters. 11 yrs ago Lucien's uncle Robby, proposed to Anna, Clara's aunt. Anna caught him kissing his mistress goodbye rather than him simply telling her I'm in love, I'm getting married, and will be faithful to my wife. She forgave him even though she had a right to be mad that he kissed her. After that she caught him leaving her house in the morning, unkempt clothes, and a guilty look on his face as he knew he was caught. When he told her she had to forgive him, trust him once again or they had no marriage (after he just slept with his mistress out of "habit") she broke off the engagement and went on to marry someone else. Yet in the whole book Lucien blamed her for his uncle's pain. The uncle never accepts responsibility for what he did making himself to be a victim because she left him. Anna was never at fault! She decided she couldn't trust him after he let her down twice! Yet the blame for his unhappiness is on her?!
Lucien's friend, Wulf has been engaged to Bella for four years and she still hasn't given up on him setting a date. He says over and over that he loves her and clearly shows it when another man comes around her. Yet this douchebag has a mistress Yvette on his lap with his friends around (that know he's engaged) yet joke internally about how the sex is between them and then comparing her to Bella who they keep joking about when he's gonna marry her! No one tells her that the man who "loves" her is sleeping with another woman while she's at home waiting for him to set a date yet no man can come near her!
And finally, our golden couple. Lucien does not get my sympathy for any reason. He let his parents mistakes guide him in life and that messed him up. And why is it that so many historicals always describe the hero as handsome, beautiful, gorgeous, attractive and yet the heroine is just...NOT. She's not ugly but she's not beautiful either she was just average. She's plain but has a lovely personality that draws others to her. She wasn't as pretty as the rest of the ton but had a charming smile and laugh that could win the hearts of many. She'd NEVER be as beautiful as his mistress (who is a cold hearted malicious wench) but has a beautiful heart that made up for it.
Why?! Why do we have to read how plain and unattractive a woman is? Why is she never as beautiful and pretty as a man's mistress? Lucien constantly put her down in his head about how plain she was and her trying to make herself prettier by going all out in her gowns didn't do anything for her because she was naturally unattractive? And he is supposed to be an amazing man for being able to overlook her physical traits? He kept comparing her to his mistress and praised her beauty even though he knew she was a heartless tramp. His inner thoughts alone would break Clara's heart if he had the guts to voice them. Clara's only fault was that she was a flirt and who wouldn't want attention from boys that would give it to her as she was unmarried and had no knowledge of her being betrothed to someone. Nothing wrong with that. Lucien never wrote to her, never sent any indication that he still had feelings for her. She took it as he didn't write, he's moved on, so she did too. What was she supposed to think after YEARS of no contact?
Like his uncle, he made himself out to be a victim when the blame lay only with him. He planned to keep his mistress, told Clara straight up he didn't trust her but would try to before they married and wouldn't give her his heart when she gave hers to him. The wager was cruel and I felt that he never took responsibility for it. He wanted to push it under the rug because he had a change of heart and let the past stay in the past when he punished her throughout the book when he couldn't do the same. He was a hypocrite and a jerk. He was never a hero after he left her when they were younger. She had every right to be mad and hurt when the wager came out and what he originally planned. I still don't understand why she took him back and gave her trust back so easily. These women thought so low of themselves that they take what they can get and basically made it ok for these men to continue doing what they're doing because they know that they'll take them back.
I found this book off a grovel list on Amazon and another reviewer said it had a good grovel. I must have missed it at some point where he refused to let her leave to give her time to think, where he forced her to go out in public to make her humiliation even worse after the drawing was published, or when he took advantage of her when she was down and coerced her using sex to play on her emotions. Cuz there definitely was no groveling in this book but plenty of excuses of why he did what he did and empty promises to get back in her good book until he finds something else to place fault on her.
January 7, 2021
This is a long overdue reread. I loved this book when it was new, so much drama and angst. It pushed all the right buttons in my much younger heart. Now? Not so much, still full of drama and angst, the older me isn’t as impressed. He’s a mean-spirited rake with mommy and daddy issues. Does he grow up? Absolutely, but she was too kind and forgives too easily. I found the secondary romance more compelling, maybe because it was a second chance romance with an older and wiser couple.
April 14, 2013
I bought this book from an Amazon used book seller. When the book arrived , with it came a small letter. The letter was from the man who had sold me the book, in it he talks about his wife Kathleen. He tells how she loved life, love, adventure and reading of course. That he felt she loved to read romance because she got all of those things that she loved inside of the books. He then goes on to tell how she had gotten ill and passed away, and that he had lost his wife, lover and best friend. He ended the letter with saying that he hoped that I enjoyed the book as much as his wife had as it was one of her favorites.
Well I did enjoy it , very much so. Now it will go onto my keeper shelf and some day when I pass maybe some one will sell it or donate it to someone else with a sweet little note in it.
Lady Clara (h) had known all of her life that she was going to marry Lucien (H), their parents had arranged it from the time she was born. Through the years, as they were growing up, Lucien would come to her house and spend some time with her. She has loved him forever. The happiness in those early years didn't last long though, a horrible incident occurred that killed both of Lucien's parents at the tender age of 13. Though he went to live with a very loving uncle, he was an angry and bitter little boy. He had changed drasticly , and grew into an angry and bitter man.
Lucien had always known that Clara was his and nothing that has happened in the past was going to change that. He would marry her, even if she had changed her mind, and nothing was going to stop him. Not the fact that he didn't love her anymore, not the fact that he hated her now, and not that fact that she was an untrustworthy flirt. NOTHING. He would have her and that was that.
I really liked this book, I liked both the H and the h. I thought that the author repeated that the h was "plain" or "not beautiful" way too many times and the sex scenes, while there, were just brushed over and not really described as I liked which is why I deducted a star.
Well I did enjoy it , very much so. Now it will go onto my keeper shelf and some day when I pass maybe some one will sell it or donate it to someone else with a sweet little note in it.
Lady Clara (h) had known all of her life that she was going to marry Lucien (H), their parents had arranged it from the time she was born. Through the years, as they were growing up, Lucien would come to her house and spend some time with her. She has loved him forever. The happiness in those early years didn't last long though, a horrible incident occurred that killed both of Lucien's parents at the tender age of 13. Though he went to live with a very loving uncle, he was an angry and bitter little boy. He had changed drasticly , and grew into an angry and bitter man.
Lucien had always known that Clara was his and nothing that has happened in the past was going to change that. He would marry her, even if she had changed her mind, and nothing was going to stop him. Not the fact that he didn't love her anymore, not the fact that he hated her now, and not that fact that she was an untrustworthy flirt. NOTHING. He would have her and that was that.
I really liked this book, I liked both the H and the h. I thought that the author repeated that the h was "plain" or "not beautiful" way too many times and the sex scenes, while there, were just brushed over and not really described as I liked which is why I deducted a star.
March 26, 2011
Many of the twists and turns of plot in Dark Wager were refreshingly orignal. Several of the characters are not stereotypic of the genre. Nevertheless, I found the characters themselves made reading the book arduous.
While Clara, the heroine, is repeatedly described as charming, the reader never understands what it is about her that makes others, inlcuding members of the ton, rave about her. Her interests and friendships seem notably limited; she quickly becomes insubstantial whenever she is not speaking to or thinking about Lucien. While fashionable women rush to buy whatever clothing style she wears, the reader never glimpses Clara's uniqueness or her sense of style. In short, the heroine never appears to warrant the universal admiration she receives.
I found the Lucien, the hero, undesirable. It is hard to say something nice about the hero in this book after the beginning of this book portrayed him to be a hateful, rotten, creep. He was all that and more! Not a very nice person.His love for Clara is excessively needy, and seems to have its origins in a difficult childhood and unresolved mental health 'issues.' His penchant for low company (gaming hells, promiscuis women, and a mistress whom he treats poorly) makes the reader slow to realize that he and his fellow night crawlers are among the cream of the English aristocracy.
The atmosphere in Dark Wager is somehow both claustrophobic and empty. The characters appear to have single minded pursuits which throw them together too often, yet I could not perceive the solid surroundings in which they spent so much time together. Instead, the characters appear to finger wineglasses or alight into carriages which materialize whenever necessitated by the plot. I was startled when, in the midst of a detailed conversation between acquaintances, I read that "He turned her about in a neat spin." So little did the press of the crowd, the music of the orchestra, and the exertions of the ballroom intrude into the tempo of their private conversation, I forgot that the couple was supposed to be dancing.
The wager referred to in the title has the power to offend the subtle sensibilites of high society. However, the characters an!d the society in which they move seem rather jaded and hardened which causes the impropriety of the wager to seem insignificant in comparison to the way they conduct their daily lives. This relative comparison remains unaffected by the numerous scandalized references to the wager throughout the book.
I found Dark Wager lacking the charm and romance I look for when purchasing a historical romance. I can't recommend it.
While Clara, the heroine, is repeatedly described as charming, the reader never understands what it is about her that makes others, inlcuding members of the ton, rave about her. Her interests and friendships seem notably limited; she quickly becomes insubstantial whenever she is not speaking to or thinking about Lucien. While fashionable women rush to buy whatever clothing style she wears, the reader never glimpses Clara's uniqueness or her sense of style. In short, the heroine never appears to warrant the universal admiration she receives.
I found the Lucien, the hero, undesirable. It is hard to say something nice about the hero in this book after the beginning of this book portrayed him to be a hateful, rotten, creep. He was all that and more! Not a very nice person.His love for Clara is excessively needy, and seems to have its origins in a difficult childhood and unresolved mental health 'issues.' His penchant for low company (gaming hells, promiscuis women, and a mistress whom he treats poorly) makes the reader slow to realize that he and his fellow night crawlers are among the cream of the English aristocracy.
The atmosphere in Dark Wager is somehow both claustrophobic and empty. The characters appear to have single minded pursuits which throw them together too often, yet I could not perceive the solid surroundings in which they spent so much time together. Instead, the characters appear to finger wineglasses or alight into carriages which materialize whenever necessitated by the plot. I was startled when, in the midst of a detailed conversation between acquaintances, I read that "He turned her about in a neat spin." So little did the press of the crowd, the music of the orchestra, and the exertions of the ballroom intrude into the tempo of their private conversation, I forgot that the couple was supposed to be dancing.
The wager referred to in the title has the power to offend the subtle sensibilites of high society. However, the characters an!d the society in which they move seem rather jaded and hardened which causes the impropriety of the wager to seem insignificant in comparison to the way they conduct their daily lives. This relative comparison remains unaffected by the numerous scandalized references to the wager throughout the book.
I found Dark Wager lacking the charm and romance I look for when purchasing a historical romance. I can't recommend it.
August 17, 2010
Mostly superficial and mind numbingly repetitive. Clara is not beautiful and is unremarkable as a person. This is repeated every other page that had me sighing in irritation. We're told over and over, instead of shown, that she's hugely popular among other men, but she's not beautiful. Again. Some conflict comes up and she thinks it's because she's not beautiful..... The hero wonders whats so special about her, why he's so obsessed with her when she's not even beautiful like his mistress. Jeez, talk about a repetitive book. And you know whats more frustrating? You still don't know the heroine as a person when you're done with the book. Clare was foremost a "very" plain girl who was spineless to stand up for her self, but we're told different instead of shown. I wish the author had spent more time developing her female lead instead of running on and on about her outer appearance.
Hero is obsessed with her but I felt that he was in love with the idea of having someone due to his tormented childhood. I felt he would've loved just about anyone who was named his betrothal.
I loved the sweet scenes but in the back of my mind, I just didn't buy their love story. It just didn't ring true for me.
Hero is obsessed with her but I felt that he was in love with the idea of having someone due to his tormented childhood. I felt he would've loved just about anyone who was named his betrothal.
I loved the sweet scenes but in the back of my mind, I just didn't buy their love story. It just didn't ring true for me.
January 18, 2021
Loved this and all its drama. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
July 13, 2020
Got annoyed with the author always mentioning how plain Clara was. Like, I got it the first time.
February 4, 2019
Lucien falls in love with Clara when they are teenagers. They are betrothed before she was born, but she has no idea. They spend a wonderful summer together, but Lucien leaves and never contacts her again for years.
Clara is a plain girl and assumes she was simply childhood fun to him. She lets him go and almost becomes engaged to another man, except Lucien comes back to find the girl he still loves with another man. Things go poorly after that, but the course of true love never did run smooth.
You can find an E copy of this on Scribd.
I reccomend this book highly even if it's not my typical bodice ripper delight. It does the heart a good turn.
Clara is a plain girl and assumes she was simply childhood fun to him. She lets him go and almost becomes engaged to another man, except Lucien comes back to find the girl he still loves with another man. Things go poorly after that, but the course of true love never did run smooth.
You can find an E copy of this on Scribd.
I reccomend this book highly even if it's not my typical bodice ripper delight. It does the heart a good turn.
May 16, 2015
That was some good book. I read it until 2 in the morning and had to make myself go to bed, and I wasn’t doing anything the next day till I finished it. Very tortured H, very sweet and loving h and very vicious other woman. Excellent writing and a very good story. I can see why so many of my friends like this book. I have read this author once before and I remember I also highly rated that book. I must check out more books by this author, I like her a lot.
June 16, 2020
H was a jerk for most of the book, but a jerk who was obsessively in love/lust with the heroine. And he didn't cheat after they were married. That's why I could get past the scenes with the mistress and the horribly degrading bet he made.
Robby and Anna was another story.
His cheating was not resolved to my satisfaction. Back when they were engaged she asked him to stop seeing his mistress: "... I asked him to be quit of her, and he agreed. In fact, he told me that he'd already decided to put an end to the arrangement before he asked me to marry him."
So he agrees, but she catches him breaking his promise twice TWICE.
First in a "very affectionate embrace" which he managed to explain as their "final parting, during which he'd necessarily felt obliged to reassure his mistress that he wasn't putting her aside because she'd done anything to displease him...she wished to express her gratitude."
Robby apologizes "positively purple with regret. He went so far as to get down on his knees" and promised "that he would never have anything to do with the beautiful Diana again."
But then "I caught him leaving his mistress's house in broad daylight only a few days after he'd made all his grand promises and protestations of innocence...there he was, standing in her doorway, his clothing rumpled...his face unshaven. It was clear that he'd spent the night there, with her."
His (pathetic) explanation was that "He'd been celebrating our upcoming marriage with several of his friends and had gotten drunk enough to be confused about what was what. He took himself off to Diana's out of old habit, he said, because she always took such good care of him."
If it was out of old habit who's to say it wouldn't happen again. This just made no sense to me as a justification.
So anyway, later they reconcile and SHE apologizes for being rash in breaking up with him. And he eventually comes out with the following gem:
"The thing that you must understand, Anna, and believe, is that, regardless of what's occurred in the past, I shall be a faithful husband in every way, and always would have been a faithful husband, and that it would be exceedingly unkind and unfair of you to assume otherwise. I made the greatest mistake of my life in not trying to convince you otherwise eleven years ago."
Infuriating. He gave her reasons to doubt her. He broke his promise. And while he expressed remorse, he never seemed to be remorseful for what he did, but rather that he didn't fight for her when she caught him the second time. Why should she believe that he would magically become faithful once married? I get that this is historical so men didn't really have the same expectation of fidelity, but it just bothered me. Anna actually sums up the why pretty well.
"it was the fact that his promises were really lies that led me to break the engagement. I suppose I could have eventually learned to bear the knowledge of his indiscretions, if he'd chosen not to speak of them, but knowing that he had lied, on his knees, yet, looking right into my eyes...I couldn't marry a man whom I couldn't trust. It was impossible."
Robby and Anna was another story.
His cheating was not resolved to my satisfaction. Back when they were engaged she asked him to stop seeing his mistress: "... I asked him to be quit of her, and he agreed. In fact, he told me that he'd already decided to put an end to the arrangement before he asked me to marry him."
So he agrees, but she catches him breaking his promise twice TWICE.
First in a "very affectionate embrace" which he managed to explain as their "final parting, during which he'd necessarily felt obliged to reassure his mistress that he wasn't putting her aside because she'd done anything to displease him...she wished to express her gratitude."
Robby apologizes "positively purple with regret. He went so far as to get down on his knees" and promised "that he would never have anything to do with the beautiful Diana again."
But then "I caught him leaving his mistress's house in broad daylight only a few days after he'd made all his grand promises and protestations of innocence...there he was, standing in her doorway, his clothing rumpled...his face unshaven. It was clear that he'd spent the night there, with her."
His (pathetic) explanation was that "He'd been celebrating our upcoming marriage with several of his friends and had gotten drunk enough to be confused about what was what. He took himself off to Diana's out of old habit, he said, because she always took such good care of him."
If it was out of old habit who's to say it wouldn't happen again. This just made no sense to me as a justification.
So anyway, later they reconcile and SHE apologizes for being rash in breaking up with him. And he eventually comes out with the following gem:
"The thing that you must understand, Anna, and believe, is that, regardless of what's occurred in the past, I shall be a faithful husband in every way, and always would have been a faithful husband, and that it would be exceedingly unkind and unfair of you to assume otherwise. I made the greatest mistake of my life in not trying to convince you otherwise eleven years ago."
Infuriating. He gave her reasons to doubt her. He broke his promise. And while he expressed remorse, he never seemed to be remorseful for what he did, but rather that he didn't fight for her when she caught him the second time. Why should she believe that he would magically become faithful once married? I get that this is historical so men didn't really have the same expectation of fidelity, but it just bothered me. Anna actually sums up the why pretty well.
"it was the fact that his promises were really lies that led me to break the engagement. I suppose I could have eventually learned to bear the knowledge of his indiscretions, if he'd chosen not to speak of them, but knowing that he had lied, on his knees, yet, looking right into my eyes...I couldn't marry a man whom I couldn't trust. It was impossible."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2020
I put this on my to-read shelf in 2012. I can’t believe it took me so long to read it! STELLAR angst! I adored the insecure, plain but charming heroine, and each of the protagonists’ feelings of love unrequited. The drama was a bit overwrought (like seriously, why did he hate her in the beginning?) but this had many of my preferred tropes. It would have had a higher rating if it was not THE WORST MESSAGING EVER about love. The hero muses about murdering the heroine if she cheated on him, for gods sake! This sick cultural phenomenon of equating possessive fury and barely-restrained violence with passion and love is just HORRIFYING to me. I know I should steer clear of bodice-rippers (and the Twilight books) because of my hatred for that awful message, but I do so love my insecure, plain heroines and angst and groveling. So many mixed feelings! (3.5 stars)
Also, I want Bella and Wolf’s story!
Also, I want Bella and Wolf’s story!
September 28, 2013
Hah....this is how grovelling should be done. So glad the vicious o-w got what she deserved. Even though there is lots of angst, I like how the H and h overcome the trials and tribulation without things being too drawn out. This one is definitely a keeper.
September 26, 2015
Great book.
January 15, 2026
Two romance stories in one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2023
3 estrellas
La historia es hasta cierto punto entretenida, pero los personajes y la escritura dan ganas de llorar y no de buena manera.
Lady Clara ah estado prometida desde la niñez al Visconde Callan, con quién ah convivido algunas veces, los dos se enamoran siendo niños y están felices de casarse, sin embargo Callan tiene un enorme trauma y es que su madre tuvo muchos amantes y el padre de callan termino matandola y después a si mismo, por lo que Callan quedó en manos de un tio quien es bueno y amable, pero como resulta Callan no confía en las mujeres y se niega a ser un enamorado como lo fue su padre, igual se enamora de Clara y sueña con casarse peroooooo todo se va al diablo cuando Callan encuentra a Clara coqueteando con un vecino, y después en otras ocasiones con otros hombres, Callan entonces la odia y aunque sigue con la idea de casarse con ella le pone apodos hirientes toma amantes y se burla de su prometida, Clara en un acto increíblemente estúpido, nunca le aclara las cosas a él y sigue dejando que su amor por coquetear la lleve a momentos incriminatorios, todo a pesar de que ama a Callen, cuando se reencuentran ya para casarse el es un celoso, de sangre fría y ella intenta retractarse pero el básicamente la fuerza a casarse, antes de eso el hace una apuesta pública con un amigo, asegurando que embarazara a Clara y la mandara al campo en menos de 6 meses, mientras el disfruta de su amante Pam, pero bueno ellos se casan y en un intento por luchar por su amor, acuerdan darse una verdadera oportunidad, el se enamora y se da cuenta que aunque a ella le gusta coquetear nunca hace nada más y logran amarse en su matrimonio, el deja a su amante, pero Pam se venga ridiculizando a Clara y pues nada al final todo se aclara y son felices.
La historia tiene altos y bajos, tiene un poco de drama, romance, y enredos, por eso que digo que no es mala y es entretenida, pero no se desarrolla de forma muy inteligente y los personajes no son agradables, no logré conectar con los protagonistas y su historia de amor aunque empieza de forma linda y tierna, creo que termino resultando tonta y absurda, llegó un punto en el que no me importaba lo que pasará con ellos, porque no inspiran ternura, ni amor, me interese mucho más en la tía de ella su hija y su ex novio, creo que el problema no es que los personajes sean desagradables porque no lo son, el detalle es que no están bien elaborados, verás Clara se supone que es una chica plana no hermosa no fea, pero por alguna razón TODOS se enamoran de ella, ( lo que es absurdo) pero además es rarisimo, la autora dice que es encantadora, lista, agradable, que sabe escuchar, pero eso nunca se refleja, solo notamos que es una coqueta, pero no le vemos ningun otro encantó ni en personalidad ni en físico, así que aunque entendemos el amor de Callan el de los demás no se de dónde sale, ni por qué todos la admiran y la idólatran, su sobrina me pareció mucho más interesante y eso que es una NIÑA! Ahora Callan que demonios ! Es interesante por qué es frívolo, medio malo, vanidoso, mentiroso, e infiel, aunque tiene un pasado que justifica parte de eso, y el comportamiento de Clara por más inocente que la autora la quiere volver tampoco es excusable, pero ok Callan es un personaje balanceado y realista hasta cierto punto, sin embargo la autora lo lleva de eso a ser un ángel, arregla sus defectos de un día a otro sin más, haciendo que el parezca la víctima de todo, y dando salidas absurdas a la trama que no me convencieron para nada , lo de la amante fue entretenido aunque su dependencia por Callen jamás lo entendí el era horriblemente grosero con ella y ni siquiera la ayudaba económicamente así que ¿Por qué le rogaría, y ojo yo no estoy encontrá d ela infidelidad creo que es algo que a veces hace de las tramas algo más dramático y si es en una época como la regencia dónde era aceptable, lo permito no le molesta pero aquí no está hecho como le gusta, nuestra heroína lo perdona como a los 5 minutos y se acuesta con el, aun cuando sabe cómo al ridiculizó, es verdad el merecía el perdón pero no así de fácil, ahora los otros personajes en específico los amigos de el simplemente me desagradaron, parecen ser personas complejas pero me parecieron unos idiotas sin más demasiado sosos , en fin no es el peor libro pero tampoco es nada nada grandioso.
La historia es hasta cierto punto entretenida, pero los personajes y la escritura dan ganas de llorar y no de buena manera.
Lady Clara ah estado prometida desde la niñez al Visconde Callan, con quién ah convivido algunas veces, los dos se enamoran siendo niños y están felices de casarse, sin embargo Callan tiene un enorme trauma y es que su madre tuvo muchos amantes y el padre de callan termino matandola y después a si mismo, por lo que Callan quedó en manos de un tio quien es bueno y amable, pero como resulta Callan no confía en las mujeres y se niega a ser un enamorado como lo fue su padre, igual se enamora de Clara y sueña con casarse peroooooo todo se va al diablo cuando Callan encuentra a Clara coqueteando con un vecino, y después en otras ocasiones con otros hombres, Callan entonces la odia y aunque sigue con la idea de casarse con ella le pone apodos hirientes toma amantes y se burla de su prometida, Clara en un acto increíblemente estúpido, nunca le aclara las cosas a él y sigue dejando que su amor por coquetear la lleve a momentos incriminatorios, todo a pesar de que ama a Callen, cuando se reencuentran ya para casarse el es un celoso, de sangre fría y ella intenta retractarse pero el básicamente la fuerza a casarse, antes de eso el hace una apuesta pública con un amigo, asegurando que embarazara a Clara y la mandara al campo en menos de 6 meses, mientras el disfruta de su amante Pam, pero bueno ellos se casan y en un intento por luchar por su amor, acuerdan darse una verdadera oportunidad, el se enamora y se da cuenta que aunque a ella le gusta coquetear nunca hace nada más y logran amarse en su matrimonio, el deja a su amante, pero Pam se venga ridiculizando a Clara y pues nada al final todo se aclara y son felices.
La historia tiene altos y bajos, tiene un poco de drama, romance, y enredos, por eso que digo que no es mala y es entretenida, pero no se desarrolla de forma muy inteligente y los personajes no son agradables, no logré conectar con los protagonistas y su historia de amor aunque empieza de forma linda y tierna, creo que termino resultando tonta y absurda, llegó un punto en el que no me importaba lo que pasará con ellos, porque no inspiran ternura, ni amor, me interese mucho más en la tía de ella su hija y su ex novio, creo que el problema no es que los personajes sean desagradables porque no lo son, el detalle es que no están bien elaborados, verás Clara se supone que es una chica plana no hermosa no fea, pero por alguna razón TODOS se enamoran de ella, ( lo que es absurdo) pero además es rarisimo, la autora dice que es encantadora, lista, agradable, que sabe escuchar, pero eso nunca se refleja, solo notamos que es una coqueta, pero no le vemos ningun otro encantó ni en personalidad ni en físico, así que aunque entendemos el amor de Callan el de los demás no se de dónde sale, ni por qué todos la admiran y la idólatran, su sobrina me pareció mucho más interesante y eso que es una NIÑA! Ahora Callan que demonios ! Es interesante por qué es frívolo, medio malo, vanidoso, mentiroso, e infiel, aunque tiene un pasado que justifica parte de eso, y el comportamiento de Clara por más inocente que la autora la quiere volver tampoco es excusable, pero ok Callan es un personaje balanceado y realista hasta cierto punto, sin embargo la autora lo lleva de eso a ser un ángel, arregla sus defectos de un día a otro sin más, haciendo que el parezca la víctima de todo, y dando salidas absurdas a la trama que no me convencieron para nada , lo de la amante fue entretenido aunque su dependencia por Callen jamás lo entendí el era horriblemente grosero con ella y ni siquiera la ayudaba económicamente así que ¿Por qué le rogaría, y ojo yo no estoy encontrá d ela infidelidad creo que es algo que a veces hace de las tramas algo más dramático y si es en una época como la regencia dónde era aceptable, lo permito no le molesta pero aquí no está hecho como le gusta, nuestra heroína lo perdona como a los 5 minutos y se acuesta con el, aun cuando sabe cómo al ridiculizó, es verdad el merecía el perdón pero no así de fácil, ahora los otros personajes en específico los amigos de el simplemente me desagradaron, parecen ser personas complejas pero me parecieron unos idiotas sin más demasiado sosos , en fin no es el peor libro pero tampoco es nada nada grandioso.
March 19, 2024
Plot
H(Lucien) and Clara) have been betrothed since birth. In their teens, they fall in love with each other until when Lucien’ uncle whose engagement to Clara’s aunt ends badly and Lucien has to travel the world with his uncle. When Lucien returns(he never kept in touch with Clara during this period) he comes across Clara in a passionate embrace with OM who goes ahead to state that he and Clara are in love(Clara never agrees with this and Lucien never seeks her confirmation). Lucien begins to hate Clara since he thinks she’s like his mother who cheated constantly on his father until he committed murder suicide. He then spends the next few years hating and badmouthing Clara to his friends(dubbing her a peahen since she’s plain) and a few weeks to their wedding makes a wager with an acquaintance that he’ll only spend 6 months with Clara, get her pregnant and abandon her at his country estate while he stays in London(with his mistress). He breaks up with his mistress a week to his wedding and arranges to meet her again a week after his wedding. He marries Clara and they reignite their love during their honeymoon so he never returns to the mistress until 2 months after only to permanently end their affair. The mistress is a bitter cruel and vile woman who then publishes an article about H’s wager and things he said behind the h’s back. They overcome this by publicly appearing together and since h is well liked by everyone. The mistress makes one last attempt to ruin h/H marriage but it doesn’t work out.
My thoughts
I enjoyed this. I liked Clara especially more than Lucien. Pamela was so vile a person it made me dislike Lucien because she spent a lot of time(3years) being his mistress, even his friends were wary of her. I liked Robby and Anna’s story too .
H(Lucien) and Clara) have been betrothed since birth. In their teens, they fall in love with each other until when Lucien’ uncle whose engagement to Clara’s aunt ends badly and Lucien has to travel the world with his uncle. When Lucien returns(he never kept in touch with Clara during this period) he comes across Clara in a passionate embrace with OM who goes ahead to state that he and Clara are in love(Clara never agrees with this and Lucien never seeks her confirmation). Lucien begins to hate Clara since he thinks she’s like his mother who cheated constantly on his father until he committed murder suicide. He then spends the next few years hating and badmouthing Clara to his friends(dubbing her a peahen since she’s plain) and a few weeks to their wedding makes a wager with an acquaintance that he’ll only spend 6 months with Clara, get her pregnant and abandon her at his country estate while he stays in London(with his mistress). He breaks up with his mistress a week to his wedding and arranges to meet her again a week after his wedding. He marries Clara and they reignite their love during their honeymoon so he never returns to the mistress until 2 months after only to permanently end their affair. The mistress is a bitter cruel and vile woman who then publishes an article about H’s wager and things he said behind the h’s back. They overcome this by publicly appearing together and since h is well liked by everyone. The mistress makes one last attempt to ruin h/H marriage but it doesn’t work out.
My thoughts
I enjoyed this. I liked Clara especially more than Lucien. Pamela was so vile a person it made me dislike Lucien because she spent a lot of time(3years) being his mistress, even his friends were wary of her. I liked Robby and Anna’s story too .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2019
Started out strong... Hate to Love, but in that case the hero was in love and pretending to hate her.
I loved the tension and anticipation before they got married.
But right after the wedding, it felt flat. Nothing happened until the end around 70% I believe when the evil mistress tried to destroy the couple.
Something I didn't like: the way they kept saying Clara was not pretty, ugh!! I'm sick of ugly heroines getting the hot guy... Why does she have to be ugly? Or plain?
Somewhere the author told us she even looked a bird what the F*ck!?!
If she were that plain and birdlike ugly, then why all the men were in love with her? Just because she knew how to listen? Please, I don't buy it...
Besides, Clara was such a doormat... She took craps from Lucien before she wanted to save him, to bring back the love hiding deep inside him. And the sex was dry between them, like absolutely nothing happened for the reader. "He kissed her and was deep inside her. The end'' ==> That was the typical sex scene between our MC.
I was rooting more for the secondary romance between Aunt Anna and Uncle Robby. They were more interesting than our main couple.
3 stars
I loved the tension and anticipation before they got married.
But right after the wedding, it felt flat. Nothing happened until the end around 70% I believe when the evil mistress tried to destroy the couple.
Something I didn't like: the way they kept saying Clara was not pretty, ugh!! I'm sick of ugly heroines getting the hot guy... Why does she have to be ugly? Or plain?
Somewhere the author told us she even looked a bird what the F*ck!?!
If she were that plain and birdlike ugly, then why all the men were in love with her? Just because she knew how to listen? Please, I don't buy it...
Besides, Clara was such a doormat... She took craps from Lucien before she wanted to save him, to bring back the love hiding deep inside him. And the sex was dry between them, like absolutely nothing happened for the reader. "He kissed her and was deep inside her. The end'' ==> That was the typical sex scene between our MC.
I was rooting more for the secondary romance between Aunt Anna and Uncle Robby. They were more interesting than our main couple.
3 stars
January 2, 2018
The book has a good grovel to it.
H has terrible opinion of women due to mother and h breaks H’s heart so to get back at her he makes a humiliating wager about her. He falls in love with her and regrets his actions and tries to correct his wrong without h finding out. But jealous ex-mistress gets involved and exposes the wager much to h’s humiliation. To fix it H makes h go out in public, despite her not wanting to (boy this really ground my gears), to show that she is stronger than the wager. Just when they are on the verge of reconciliation ex-mistress decides to get one more jab in before she leaves the country in fear of retaliation. h runs, H chases, all is forgiven.
My only gripe is H was particularly terrible when he wouldn’t leave h be after learning about wager. I wanted to smack the living day lights out of him.
Also, I feel like h is a bit lacking in spine. I thinks forgave H too quickly the second time. I would have really liked it had he had to go through her father to prevent a divorce. But maybe I’m just petty.
H has terrible opinion of women due to mother and h breaks H’s heart so to get back at her he makes a humiliating wager about her. He falls in love with her and regrets his actions and tries to correct his wrong without h finding out. But jealous ex-mistress gets involved and exposes the wager much to h’s humiliation. To fix it H makes h go out in public, despite her not wanting to (boy this really ground my gears), to show that she is stronger than the wager. Just when they are on the verge of reconciliation ex-mistress decides to get one more jab in before she leaves the country in fear of retaliation. h runs, H chases, all is forgiven.
My only gripe is H was particularly terrible when he wouldn’t leave h be after learning about wager. I wanted to smack the living day lights out of him.
Also, I feel like h is a bit lacking in spine. I thinks forgave H too quickly the second time. I would have really liked it had he had to go through her father to prevent a divorce. But maybe I’m just petty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2017
Realised that I hadnt left any type of review on this. I read it a little bit ago so hard for me to remember.
In saying that, I do know that I enjoyed this book. I'm not all that big on historical romances but i realy liked this and recommend it. It kept me engaged throughout. I remember there was good OW angst and it was well written. I was kept enthralled through the whole book.
In saying that, I do know that I enjoyed this book. I'm not all that big on historical romances but i realy liked this and recommend it. It kept me engaged throughout. I remember there was good OW angst and it was well written. I was kept enthralled through the whole book.
May 12, 2019
In short, the guy is a crazy stalker, obsessive controlling man-child that needs therapy and the girl is silly enough to be manipulated and mentally abused by this crazy guy, just because she is ugly/plain (this fact is repeated many times by everyone, even him). What is there to like? The only sane people in this story are the uncle and aunt.
November 13, 2018
Such a great book. Thank goodness I still have scribd so I could read it.
August 15, 2019
First part of the book was better than the last. Blanket romance among many characters were incredulous.
March 10, 2023
The author was obsessed with mentioning how plain her protagonist was and the miscommunication trope almost ends me but I prevailed ✨
November 21, 2024
I was surprised by this book, I ddnt expect to read such angst, love every second of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews