What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wicked Wager
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
The infamous rake, Lord Richard Hamilton, has finally chosen his bride—the very appropriate Miss Emma Grey.
The ton approves, Lord Grey is pleased, Lady Grey delighted, and Emma is over the moon, but her uncle, (the blasted) Duke of Arden opposes the match, and Emma is ordered to move to the duke’s estate to think things over.
Richard Hamilton refuses to take things lying down and concocts a plan. A plan that should have brought the lovers together and had them married within a month. It was a simple matter of masquerading as the duke’s gardener, compromising the lady, and then having the duke rush them off to Gretna Green.
Alas, he underestimates the duke’s intelligence and the tangled situation on the estate—never had he imagined that compromising a lady could be so difficult.
His endeavours lead to a comedy of errors, charades, and knotty love affairs. Yet he forges ahead in spite of pesky house guests, a flea bitten mattress, his lovesick best friend, and a blackmailer.
Just when things seem to be going well, someone is murdered (very inconvenient), and he happens to be one of the suspects (extremely inconvenient).
His simple plan for winning the wager suddenly becomes … a tad complicated.
The infamous rake, Lord Richard Hamilton, has finally chosen his bride—the very appropriate Miss Emma Grey.
The ton approves, Lord Grey is pleased, Lady Grey delighted, and Emma is over the moon, but her uncle, (the blasted) Duke of Arden opposes the match, and Emma is ordered to move to the duke’s estate to think things over.
Richard Hamilton refuses to take things lying down and concocts a plan. A plan that should have brought the lovers together and had them married within a month. It was a simple matter of masquerading as the duke’s gardener, compromising the lady, and then having the duke rush them off to Gretna Green.
Alas, he underestimates the duke’s intelligence and the tangled situation on the estate—never had he imagined that compromising a lady could be so difficult.
His endeavours lead to a comedy of errors, charades, and knotty love affairs. Yet he forges ahead in spite of pesky house guests, a flea bitten mattress, his lovesick best friend, and a blackmailer.
Just when things seem to be going well, someone is murdered (very inconvenient), and he happens to be one of the suspects (extremely inconvenient).
His simple plan for winning the wager suddenly becomes … a tad complicated.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2012
1143 people are currently reading
1290 people want to read
About the author
Anya Wylde
68 books304 followersAnya Wylde lives in Ireland along with her husband and a fat French poodle (now on a diet). She can cook a mean curry, and her idea of exercise is occasionally stretching her toes. She holds a degree in English literature and adores reading and writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
August 3, 2016
The Earl meets a girl.
“Bloody blooming roses sprouting out of a fairy’s arse!”
The Earl skidded to a halt, the smile dying on his lips. Who could possess the voice of an angel and curse like a bloodthirsty pirate? He was intrigued.
An eligible, rich girl.
Emma’s father, Lord Grey, was the first cousin of the Duke of Arden and next in line to inherit. The Duke had no other male heirs and was of considerable age; hence, the title was sure to pass on to Lord Grey.
He wins over her family.
Lord Hamilton proved his love and devotion for Emma in the only way a man can prove his worth. Nights out in pubs [with her brothers] with contests as to who could drink more ale followed for the next few weeks. ...A month later, looking pale and worn out, he finally presented his proposal to Emma’s father and was accepted.
They are blissfully happy together.
“For one moment stop thinking about the marriage bed and hear me out,” Emma snapped.
The Earl turned to stare at his fiancée. He should be used to her shocking ways by now . . . but he was not. She continuously surprised him with her boldness. In fact, she had made three dames swoon at the last ball they had attended together.
But the course of true love does not run smoothly.
Yet, the biggest hurdle was still to be faced. The Duke of Arden heard of the engagement, and thus began the most difficult battle the two had ever faced.
Emma nibbled her bottom lip worriedly...."My father cannot afford to alienate the Duke since he is next in line to inherit. The Duke might decide to take another heir if we displease him."
DNF at page 15. Can't think why.
“Bloody blooming roses sprouting out of a fairy’s arse!”
The Earl skidded to a halt, the smile dying on his lips. Who could possess the voice of an angel and curse like a bloodthirsty pirate? He was intrigued.
An eligible, rich girl.
Emma’s father, Lord Grey, was the first cousin of the Duke of Arden and next in line to inherit. The Duke had no other male heirs and was of considerable age; hence, the title was sure to pass on to Lord Grey.
He wins over her family.
Lord Hamilton proved his love and devotion for Emma in the only way a man can prove his worth. Nights out in pubs [with her brothers] with contests as to who could drink more ale followed for the next few weeks. ...A month later, looking pale and worn out, he finally presented his proposal to Emma’s father and was accepted.
They are blissfully happy together.
“For one moment stop thinking about the marriage bed and hear me out,” Emma snapped.
The Earl turned to stare at his fiancée. He should be used to her shocking ways by now . . . but he was not. She continuously surprised him with her boldness. In fact, she had made three dames swoon at the last ball they had attended together.
But the course of true love does not run smoothly.
Yet, the biggest hurdle was still to be faced. The Duke of Arden heard of the engagement, and thus began the most difficult battle the two had ever faced.
Emma nibbled her bottom lip worriedly...."My father cannot afford to alienate the Duke since he is next in line to inherit. The Duke might decide to take another heir if we displease him."
DNF at page 15. Can't think why.
April 20, 2016
No. Nope. Nada. No Way. Not reading a book that contains a line this stupid: "He tilted his head and his naughty ears trembled impatiently."
D. N. F. at 1%
D. N. F. at 1%
January 3, 2013
Synopsis
Emma, daughter of Lord Grey, and Richard, Lord Hamilton are kindred souls, with the same robust appreciation for life and wicked sense of humor. They fall in love and are engaged to marry, but they have to convince Emma's uncle, the powerful Duke of Arden that they shouldn't have to wait a year to marry. When the Duke orders Emma to spend time at his country estate, Richard hatches a plan to masquerade as the new head gardener for the Duke of Arden so he can be near Emma. He also intends to romance Emma as the gardener so that the Duke will look more favorably on him as Lord Hamilton and Emma's true suitor. His plan turns out to be more complicated than he thinks when he has to take on all the head gardener's work for real, deal with the teasing of the other servants, spend time with Emma, and avoid Lady Babbage, the Duke's controlling sister's machinations. He calls in his friend, Lord Raikes to pretend to be him when the Duke invites Lord Hamilton (his true identity) to visit. The plot thickens when Lord Raikes, who is pretending to be him, develops a reciprocated strong attraction to Lady Catherine, the Duke's daughter and Emma's cousin. Lady Babbage turns out to be a blackmailer with lots of enemies among the house party attendees, which will have its own consequences. Richard's little wager with Emma to see if he could get her uncle to agree to a quicker marriage within a month's time, and the ensuing complications, makes for a caper of a read.
Review
The Wicked Wager is a light historical romance with a dash of mystery that makes for an entertaining read. I appreciated the humor, light and sly, with some hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments. While I liked Emma and Richard, I connected more with Lord Raikes and Catherine. They had great chemistry, and while they fought a lot, you could see the tension sizzle between them, as they realize that they weren't supposed to like each other that way. The mystery plays a bigger role towards the end, which made me feel that it should have been more evenly integrated into the story.
The Wicked Wager was a fast-paced, enjoyable novel with some funny comedy of errors moments and engaging characters. Its strength lies in the humorous interactions between the characters, and the romantic tension between Lord Raikes and Catherine. Unfortunately, I didn't feel quite as much chemistry between Emma and Richard, compared to the secondary couple. Additionally, the mystery aspect felt uneven in its execution. It could have been stronger and more consistently integrated throughout the entire novel. Overall, The Wicked Wager is a story that readers who enjoy the Regency period would probably appreciate.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for The Hope Chest Reviews.
http://www.thcreviews.com/cgi-bin/vts...
Emma, daughter of Lord Grey, and Richard, Lord Hamilton are kindred souls, with the same robust appreciation for life and wicked sense of humor. They fall in love and are engaged to marry, but they have to convince Emma's uncle, the powerful Duke of Arden that they shouldn't have to wait a year to marry. When the Duke orders Emma to spend time at his country estate, Richard hatches a plan to masquerade as the new head gardener for the Duke of Arden so he can be near Emma. He also intends to romance Emma as the gardener so that the Duke will look more favorably on him as Lord Hamilton and Emma's true suitor. His plan turns out to be more complicated than he thinks when he has to take on all the head gardener's work for real, deal with the teasing of the other servants, spend time with Emma, and avoid Lady Babbage, the Duke's controlling sister's machinations. He calls in his friend, Lord Raikes to pretend to be him when the Duke invites Lord Hamilton (his true identity) to visit. The plot thickens when Lord Raikes, who is pretending to be him, develops a reciprocated strong attraction to Lady Catherine, the Duke's daughter and Emma's cousin. Lady Babbage turns out to be a blackmailer with lots of enemies among the house party attendees, which will have its own consequences. Richard's little wager with Emma to see if he could get her uncle to agree to a quicker marriage within a month's time, and the ensuing complications, makes for a caper of a read.
Review
The Wicked Wager is a light historical romance with a dash of mystery that makes for an entertaining read. I appreciated the humor, light and sly, with some hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments. While I liked Emma and Richard, I connected more with Lord Raikes and Catherine. They had great chemistry, and while they fought a lot, you could see the tension sizzle between them, as they realize that they weren't supposed to like each other that way. The mystery plays a bigger role towards the end, which made me feel that it should have been more evenly integrated into the story.
The Wicked Wager was a fast-paced, enjoyable novel with some funny comedy of errors moments and engaging characters. Its strength lies in the humorous interactions between the characters, and the romantic tension between Lord Raikes and Catherine. Unfortunately, I didn't feel quite as much chemistry between Emma and Richard, compared to the secondary couple. Additionally, the mystery aspect felt uneven in its execution. It could have been stronger and more consistently integrated throughout the entire novel. Overall, The Wicked Wager is a story that readers who enjoy the Regency period would probably appreciate.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for The Hope Chest Reviews.
http://www.thcreviews.com/cgi-bin/vts...
July 24, 2014
I found this to be long winded and redundant. I lost interest about halfway through. Too many POV and different couples. I thought it had a good premise, but was disappointed with how it played out. I didn't care for any of the characters either. I found some things weird as well. Just wasn't for me.
Content: Pretty clean, some suggestive innuendo.
Content: Pretty clean, some suggestive innuendo.
September 11, 2017
2.5 stars- I liked parts of it. Kindle Freebie
Technically clean/kisses only, however, contains a lot of sensuality, dialogue and a just mentioned MUCH anticipated wedding night.
The rakish Earl, Lord Richard Hamilton prides himself on always escaping a marriage trap. Then he runs into one marriageable miss who wants nothing to do with him. Not if he can help it! Richard manages to convince the lovely Emma Grey to marry him. Her parents approve and Richard can't wait for his wedding night. There's only one problem-Emma's uncle, the Duke of Arden, wants them to wait to marry. Emma must go to the Duke's estate and spend time with her cousin Catherine before marrying the Earl. Richard, not used to being thwarted, comes up with an ingenious plan to get the Duke to agree to a speedy marriage. Plans don't go exactly as hoped and Richard is forced to tweak his plan and involve an old friend who manages to insult Catherine the moment he arrives. Catherine's chaperone, Lady Babbage, also seems to be on the verge of revealing everything to the Duke. Can Emma figure out how to save the relationship and free Catherine from her constricting chaperone?
This story is a hot mess. I enjoyed parts of it but it has an identity crisis. The story is billed as a murder mystery but the murder doesn't occur until 3/4 of the way into the story. It's a romantic comedy, yes, but the central characters Emma and Richard meet cute and get engaged in the space of 2 pages! I didn't feel like they ever got to know each other beyond physical attraction. The secondary romance takes center stage in a very Pride and Prejudice way. I liked that story the best. Then finally we get the murder. It seemed obvious who did it but then it wasn't. The surprise twist came out of nowhere and was a huge shock. There's no way anyone could have known the truth. All those elements make for a very incoherent and unusual story.
I liked Emma. She seemed practical. She knows what she wants and how to get it and doesn't let anyone interfere with her freedom. I liked how kind she was to Catherine and how she stuck by Catherine and tried to help. I didn't like her relationship with Richard. Emma deserves better than a hasty marriage to someone she barely knows.
I wasn't crazy about Richard. He's rather immature and spoiled. His charade was completely stupid and clearly obviously easy to see through. I didn't like how insistent he was on winning his wager. I also didn't get why he loved Emma because he had only spoken to her twice before. The relationship needs a lot of work to be convincing. He does keep a solid head throughout the mystery.
Catherine is very sweet. She is kind hearted, innocent and loving. She is a dutiful daughter and niece but like Emma, knows her own mind. Catherine is not as meek as everyone believes. She just needs to be roused to passion and I loved how that happened. Her relationship with other characters develops well, especially the romance. Her aunt, Lady Babbage, wants what is best for her but Lady Babbage may also fear that once Catherine is wed, her brother will have no more need of her. She may fear a future as the widowed sister of a Duke. Her motivation becomes clear at the end. I think she loves Catherine though. She is a tragic woman.
The Duke and Duchess are an odd pair. He is cautious and stuffy and she is more of a free spirit or more precisely someone who believes in spirits. She adds a lot of comic relief. I liked her a lot.
The other guests at the Arden estate are horrid. Mr. and Mrs. I forget their name already are grasping, greedy and stupid. I didn't like their daughter at first but by the end, I felt sorry for her because of her parents' actions.
I liked William a lot. He does have some Darcy-ish qualities but William is more socially awkward and shy. I loved how Catherine was able to make him recognize his faults. His character develops nicely and I really grew to like him very much-more than Richard.
This story is not for the dedicated Georgian/Regency fanatic. Georgette Heyer this is not but if you want fluff with very little substance and few attempts at any sort of accuracy or plot, this isn't a bad read if you can get it for free.
Technically clean/kisses only, however, contains a lot of sensuality, dialogue and a just mentioned MUCH anticipated wedding night.
The rakish Earl, Lord Richard Hamilton prides himself on always escaping a marriage trap. Then he runs into one marriageable miss who wants nothing to do with him. Not if he can help it! Richard manages to convince the lovely Emma Grey to marry him. Her parents approve and Richard can't wait for his wedding night. There's only one problem-Emma's uncle, the Duke of Arden, wants them to wait to marry. Emma must go to the Duke's estate and spend time with her cousin Catherine before marrying the Earl. Richard, not used to being thwarted, comes up with an ingenious plan to get the Duke to agree to a speedy marriage. Plans don't go exactly as hoped and Richard is forced to tweak his plan and involve an old friend who manages to insult Catherine the moment he arrives. Catherine's chaperone, Lady Babbage, also seems to be on the verge of revealing everything to the Duke. Can Emma figure out how to save the relationship and free Catherine from her constricting chaperone?
This story is a hot mess. I enjoyed parts of it but it has an identity crisis. The story is billed as a murder mystery but the murder doesn't occur until 3/4 of the way into the story. It's a romantic comedy, yes, but the central characters Emma and Richard meet cute and get engaged in the space of 2 pages! I didn't feel like they ever got to know each other beyond physical attraction. The secondary romance takes center stage in a very Pride and Prejudice way. I liked that story the best. Then finally we get the murder. It seemed obvious who did it but then it wasn't. The surprise twist came out of nowhere and was a huge shock. There's no way anyone could have known the truth. All those elements make for a very incoherent and unusual story.
I liked Emma. She seemed practical. She knows what she wants and how to get it and doesn't let anyone interfere with her freedom. I liked how kind she was to Catherine and how she stuck by Catherine and tried to help. I didn't like her relationship with Richard. Emma deserves better than a hasty marriage to someone she barely knows.
I wasn't crazy about Richard. He's rather immature and spoiled. His charade was completely stupid and clearly obviously easy to see through. I didn't like how insistent he was on winning his wager. I also didn't get why he loved Emma because he had only spoken to her twice before. The relationship needs a lot of work to be convincing. He does keep a solid head throughout the mystery.
Catherine is very sweet. She is kind hearted, innocent and loving. She is a dutiful daughter and niece but like Emma, knows her own mind. Catherine is not as meek as everyone believes. She just needs to be roused to passion and I loved how that happened. Her relationship with other characters develops well, especially the romance. Her aunt, Lady Babbage, wants what is best for her but Lady Babbage may also fear that once Catherine is wed, her brother will have no more need of her. She may fear a future as the widowed sister of a Duke. Her motivation becomes clear at the end. I think she loves Catherine though. She is a tragic woman.
The Duke and Duchess are an odd pair. He is cautious and stuffy and she is more of a free spirit or more precisely someone who believes in spirits. She adds a lot of comic relief. I liked her a lot.
The other guests at the Arden estate are horrid. Mr. and Mrs. I forget their name already are grasping, greedy and stupid. I didn't like their daughter at first but by the end, I felt sorry for her because of her parents' actions.
I liked William a lot. He does have some Darcy-ish qualities but William is more socially awkward and shy. I loved how Catherine was able to make him recognize his faults. His character develops nicely and I really grew to like him very much-more than Richard.
This story is not for the dedicated Georgian/Regency fanatic. Georgette Heyer this is not but if you want fluff with very little substance and few attempts at any sort of accuracy or plot, this isn't a bad read if you can get it for free.
September 18, 2012
3.5 Stars
This is a hard book for me to categorize. It's not exactly a historical romance, though it is historical and it centers on a couple's efforts to get together. It's also a bit of a mystery. Maybe a little farce. The author calls it "A Regency Murder Mystery & Romance." A mouthful, but as good of a description as any. Ultimately, it's light and it's fun.
The story begins with Emma and Richard becoming engaged. Unfortunately, Emma's uncle wants them to have a long engagement. Her uncle is a Duke and it's expected that he will one day pass his title to her father, so Emma's family is inclined to give in to his wishes. Richard, however, doesn't want to wait, so he comes up with a convoluted scheme to marry Emma on his own timetable.
Emma has plans to go visit the Duke and Richard decides to pose as a gardener on the estate to stay close to her. He sets out to prove himself wilier than her uncle. He and Emma make a bet that if he succeeds in his ruse for one month, she'll allow him to compromise her so they can get married right away.
What ensues is one difficulty after another in Richard's plan... not the least of which is the Duke's invitation for him to come to the house, more than a week after he has insinuated himself into the household under disguise. That prompts him to call on a friend to impersonate him --a man who promptly falls for Emma's cousin. And then someone tries to blackmail him and it all culminates in an unexpected murder.
I know it sounds like a romance to some extent, but really it's not. Emma and Richard are sealed in the first chapter. It's less about them coming together than about their silly plan and its constant hiccups. But then about halfway through, the mystery part comes in with the blackmail and the death and it sort of feels a little like Clue, but without the slapstick. (OK, maybe there was one scene where someone's pants split in a very revealing way that was both unexpected and funny.)
It's not a deep character piece. I didn't really get invested in any particular character or their feelings, but the pacing is pretty fast and the story is pleasant, with interesting side characters. It wasn't terribly hard to figure out who the killer was, but I didn't get bored during the journey.
Rating: B-
*ARC provided by author for review
This is a hard book for me to categorize. It's not exactly a historical romance, though it is historical and it centers on a couple's efforts to get together. It's also a bit of a mystery. Maybe a little farce. The author calls it "A Regency Murder Mystery & Romance." A mouthful, but as good of a description as any. Ultimately, it's light and it's fun.
The story begins with Emma and Richard becoming engaged. Unfortunately, Emma's uncle wants them to have a long engagement. Her uncle is a Duke and it's expected that he will one day pass his title to her father, so Emma's family is inclined to give in to his wishes. Richard, however, doesn't want to wait, so he comes up with a convoluted scheme to marry Emma on his own timetable.
Emma has plans to go visit the Duke and Richard decides to pose as a gardener on the estate to stay close to her. He sets out to prove himself wilier than her uncle. He and Emma make a bet that if he succeeds in his ruse for one month, she'll allow him to compromise her so they can get married right away.
What ensues is one difficulty after another in Richard's plan... not the least of which is the Duke's invitation for him to come to the house, more than a week after he has insinuated himself into the household under disguise. That prompts him to call on a friend to impersonate him --a man who promptly falls for Emma's cousin. And then someone tries to blackmail him and it all culminates in an unexpected murder.
I know it sounds like a romance to some extent, but really it's not. Emma and Richard are sealed in the first chapter. It's less about them coming together than about their silly plan and its constant hiccups. But then about halfway through, the mystery part comes in with the blackmail and the death and it sort of feels a little like Clue, but without the slapstick. (OK, maybe there was one scene where someone's pants split in a very revealing way that was both unexpected and funny.)
It's not a deep character piece. I didn't really get invested in any particular character or their feelings, but the pacing is pretty fast and the story is pleasant, with interesting side characters. It wasn't terribly hard to figure out who the killer was, but I didn't get bored during the journey.
Rating: B-
*ARC provided by author for review
Want to read
May 30, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/30/2019)! 🎁
May 22, 2016
Big disclaimer this book is funny, humor, comedy. It is set in the Regency period - more or less- but it is far from a traditional Regency Romance
Lady Emma Gray has been extremely frustrated this season, as no men will dance with her, rather than being hideous or offensive she is cursed with three giant brothers who growl away the men with threats of violence. So when she ends up Lord Richard Hamilton in the garden after being called a pea in her green gown by an influential deb - she is more than happy to head for the altar.
They say the rich are different; and in this book they certainly are. While well places in society Emma's father is the heir presumptive to a Duke; who had so sons and who rules her family. The earl decrees that the wedding, originally to be in two months be postponed for a year and that Emma will come visit.
Desperate to stay by her side, Richard decides to disguise himself as a head gardener and take a place in the Duke's household.
Things get sillier and sillier until someone is murdered and everyone is a suspect. Then it is like a Regency version of Columbo.
But the book is cute and clever and the main characters are engaging, while the others are pretty much absurd versions.
I've read this book twice and it was just as good the second time around
Lady Emma Gray has been extremely frustrated this season, as no men will dance with her, rather than being hideous or offensive she is cursed with three giant brothers who growl away the men with threats of violence. So when she ends up Lord Richard Hamilton in the garden after being called a pea in her green gown by an influential deb - she is more than happy to head for the altar.
They say the rich are different; and in this book they certainly are. While well places in society Emma's father is the heir presumptive to a Duke; who had so sons and who rules her family. The earl decrees that the wedding, originally to be in two months be postponed for a year and that Emma will come visit.
Desperate to stay by her side, Richard decides to disguise himself as a head gardener and take a place in the Duke's household.
Things get sillier and sillier until someone is murdered and everyone is a suspect. Then it is like a Regency version of Columbo.
But the book is cute and clever and the main characters are engaging, while the others are pretty much absurd versions.
I've read this book twice and it was just as good the second time around
October 12, 2015
I gave up at 10%. The heroine's father is the heir to a dukedom. Or he is unless the duke becomes displeased with heroine's family and decides to name someone else as heir to the dukedom. Did this author do ANY research for this book. A dukedom and property associated with it is inherited by strict rules of primogeniture which cannot be changed. There may be other property that is not tied to the dukedom that can be left to others, but the dukedom itself goes to the next in line whether the current duke likes the heir or not. Anyone who has read Georgette Heyer knows this. If the author makes this big a mistake this early in the book, I don't want to read the rest.
January 27, 2016
This was interesting. It starts off as kind of a wacky romance - Miss Emma Grey and Richard, the Earl of Hamilton in love and want to be married. Emma's uncle, the Duke of Arden, wields a great deal of influence over Emma's parents and, although he approves, he insists that their engagement last a full year. Emma is going to visit her uncle and his daughter, Lady Catherine Arden, and hopes to soften his stance so they can marry sooner. Richard, who cannot bear the idea of being away from Emma for so long, comes up with the brilliant idea to masquerade as a gardener at the Duke's estate. He manages to get hired as head gardener and disguises himself as an old man.
When the Duke decides to invite Emma's fiance so he can have an opportunity to get to know him, Richard has his friend, Lord William Raikes, come to the estate pretending to be him. Unfortunately, Lord Raikes has trouble pretending to be in love with Emma when he finds himself smitten with Catherine, who thinks her dear cousin is making a horrible mistake in marrying such a flirt. That's the romance part- shades of a Shakespearean comedy!
Mr. and Mrs. Barker and their daughter Prudence are also in the mix, with Mrs. Barker shamelessly throwing herself at the Duke, and Prudence trying to be caught in a compromising position with the supposed Earl of Hamilton. The Duchess, Catherine's stepmother, is apparently mad, seeing apparitions and communing with ghosts. The Duke's sister, Lady Babbage, acts as chaperone to the two girls and is extremely strict. Pickering is the head butler and always seems to be around.
The mystery doesn't emerge until about 3/4ths of the way through the book, when one of the residents of the estate is murdered. As it happens, on the night of the murder virtually everyone is out of their beds for one reason or another, and virtually everyone has some motive to kill the victim. The Duke, who has been mostly absent up to this point, is far more aware of everything that goes on in his home than anyone suspects, and he and his investigator first interview everyone individually, so the reader hears everyone's account of their nocturnal activities. Everyone is then gathered together for a summation of all the clues and the revelation of the culprit- shades of Agatha Christie!
I really enjoyed this entertaining mix of genres. The situation with the two couples is very comical - completely unbelievable, but a lot of fun to read about.
When the Duke decides to invite Emma's fiance so he can have an opportunity to get to know him, Richard has his friend, Lord William Raikes, come to the estate pretending to be him. Unfortunately, Lord Raikes has trouble pretending to be in love with Emma when he finds himself smitten with Catherine, who thinks her dear cousin is making a horrible mistake in marrying such a flirt. That's the romance part- shades of a Shakespearean comedy!
Mr. and Mrs. Barker and their daughter Prudence are also in the mix, with Mrs. Barker shamelessly throwing herself at the Duke, and Prudence trying to be caught in a compromising position with the supposed Earl of Hamilton. The Duchess, Catherine's stepmother, is apparently mad, seeing apparitions and communing with ghosts. The Duke's sister, Lady Babbage, acts as chaperone to the two girls and is extremely strict. Pickering is the head butler and always seems to be around.
The mystery doesn't emerge until about 3/4ths of the way through the book, when one of the residents of the estate is murdered. As it happens, on the night of the murder virtually everyone is out of their beds for one reason or another, and virtually everyone has some motive to kill the victim. The Duke, who has been mostly absent up to this point, is far more aware of everything that goes on in his home than anyone suspects, and he and his investigator first interview everyone individually, so the reader hears everyone's account of their nocturnal activities. Everyone is then gathered together for a summation of all the clues and the revelation of the culprit- shades of Agatha Christie!
I really enjoyed this entertaining mix of genres. The situation with the two couples is very comical - completely unbelievable, but a lot of fun to read about.
October 8, 2012
The Wicked Wager is a book that has romance and a murder mystery in the Regency period.
Lord Richard Hamilton falls for Emma Grey and asks her to marry him. Her parents approve but, her uncle the Duke of Arden wants them to wait a year vs the two months that Richard wanted to wait. Richard makes a wager with Emma about whether the Duke or someone else would see through his disguise as new head gardener or find him in a compromising situation with Emma so they would be forced to marry earlier. Richard discovers that the Duke's sister has been blackmailing people and she tries to blackmail him. To complicate matters the Duke sens for Richard to come for a visit. So, Richard gets his good friend (who has black hair vs Richard's blond hair) to come as Lord Hamilton. Of course, the friend falls madly in love with Emma's best friend and sometimes forgets to woo Emma.
To further complicate matters, the servants quarters are locked and Richard cannot make his way back to them one night and winds up spending the night in Emma's room. It happens that the Duke's sister is murdered during the night and almost everyone is a suspect except the Lord's one servant who was following the real Richard and Emma. The fake Richard is seen going into his "love's room" and the Duke decides both couples must marry as soon as possible.
I have to admit I was looking for the murder much earlier than in actually occurs. I did enjoy reading this e-book. I feel that anyone who likes romantic novels especially in the Regency period would love this book. I am not sure all mystery fans would feel the same way about the mystery happening so late in the work as the characters are well developed and the book is interesting to read.
I was given a free e-book by the author who asked me to write a review.
Lord Richard Hamilton falls for Emma Grey and asks her to marry him. Her parents approve but, her uncle the Duke of Arden wants them to wait a year vs the two months that Richard wanted to wait. Richard makes a wager with Emma about whether the Duke or someone else would see through his disguise as new head gardener or find him in a compromising situation with Emma so they would be forced to marry earlier. Richard discovers that the Duke's sister has been blackmailing people and she tries to blackmail him. To complicate matters the Duke sens for Richard to come for a visit. So, Richard gets his good friend (who has black hair vs Richard's blond hair) to come as Lord Hamilton. Of course, the friend falls madly in love with Emma's best friend and sometimes forgets to woo Emma.
To further complicate matters, the servants quarters are locked and Richard cannot make his way back to them one night and winds up spending the night in Emma's room. It happens that the Duke's sister is murdered during the night and almost everyone is a suspect except the Lord's one servant who was following the real Richard and Emma. The fake Richard is seen going into his "love's room" and the Duke decides both couples must marry as soon as possible.
I have to admit I was looking for the murder much earlier than in actually occurs. I did enjoy reading this e-book. I feel that anyone who likes romantic novels especially in the Regency period would love this book. I am not sure all mystery fans would feel the same way about the mystery happening so late in the work as the characters are well developed and the book is interesting to read.
I was given a free e-book by the author who asked me to write a review.
December 21, 2012
This delightful story was sheer entertainment!
When the Earl, Richard Hamilton, asked the feisty Emma Grey for her hand in marriage, she was delighted. Her parents were very happy with the union, but when the Earl wanted to marry Emma immediately, Emma’s uncle, the Duke of Arden, decided they must wait a year, instead of the two months Richard wanted. He was livid…how dare he be thwarted by a Duke!
So when Emma was instructed to go to stay with the Duke and the family for an extended period, and therefore not see her beloved, they concocted a plan. The Duke needed a new head gardener, so Richard applied (even though he knew very little about gardening), and with some devious help, became the head gardener.
Emma found herself with her cousin Catherine, Catherine’s step mother (who was decidedly a little weird) her uncle, and her uncle’s sister, who was the chaperone for both Emma and Catherine, and had lived with the family for as long as Emma could remember. She was having trouble working out how she could see Richard, without the family becoming suspicious. And of course, she couldn’t tell her cousin, even though they had never had secrets from one another.
Things got even more confusing when the Duke decided to invite the Earl to visit the family, so he could get to know him better….
Murder suddenly entered the mix, and the Duke needed to work out who the killer was, and with such a large number of suspects, would he be able to find the killer before he struck again?
This novel had me laughing out loud in places. The comedy of errors, the diversity of the characters, the murder mystery with a sprinkling of humour thrown in….I was sorry when the story ended.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a regency romance/murder mystery.
I was given this e-book by the author for an honest review.
When the Earl, Richard Hamilton, asked the feisty Emma Grey for her hand in marriage, she was delighted. Her parents were very happy with the union, but when the Earl wanted to marry Emma immediately, Emma’s uncle, the Duke of Arden, decided they must wait a year, instead of the two months Richard wanted. He was livid…how dare he be thwarted by a Duke!
So when Emma was instructed to go to stay with the Duke and the family for an extended period, and therefore not see her beloved, they concocted a plan. The Duke needed a new head gardener, so Richard applied (even though he knew very little about gardening), and with some devious help, became the head gardener.
Emma found herself with her cousin Catherine, Catherine’s step mother (who was decidedly a little weird) her uncle, and her uncle’s sister, who was the chaperone for both Emma and Catherine, and had lived with the family for as long as Emma could remember. She was having trouble working out how she could see Richard, without the family becoming suspicious. And of course, she couldn’t tell her cousin, even though they had never had secrets from one another.
Things got even more confusing when the Duke decided to invite the Earl to visit the family, so he could get to know him better….
Murder suddenly entered the mix, and the Duke needed to work out who the killer was, and with such a large number of suspects, would he be able to find the killer before he struck again?
This novel had me laughing out loud in places. The comedy of errors, the diversity of the characters, the murder mystery with a sprinkling of humour thrown in….I was sorry when the story ended.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a regency romance/murder mystery.
I was given this e-book by the author for an honest review.
November 21, 2012
This regency romance reminds me of "The Importance of Being Earnest" or books by PG Wodehouse. People in stuffy situations, behaving bizarrely, falling in a storybook sort of love and a big reveal at the end.
The story begins with a strange premise and uses that strange, loosely explained background to open the door for odd behavior by the protagonists and, later, a friend. The strange situation and goofy actions by the characters center around "forbidden" love and romance thwarted by circumstances. In a toss-it-all-in sort of approach, the story even includes a closed-door mystery and an all-knowing, all-seeing wrap-it-up answer by the end.
The story was light and amusing. These people would never do these things at this time and in this context, but, I remind myself, it is fiction, comedy, romance, it is not meant to be realistic or plausible.
I must admit, I was a little underwhelmed by the telling of the story. There were no obvious problems and it wasn't confusing or hard to read, it was just missing that extra something that would make me love it.
I should also say that I was offered this book by the author to read and review, though later I saw that it was free on amazon for kindle.
The story begins with a strange premise and uses that strange, loosely explained background to open the door for odd behavior by the protagonists and, later, a friend. The strange situation and goofy actions by the characters center around "forbidden" love and romance thwarted by circumstances. In a toss-it-all-in sort of approach, the story even includes a closed-door mystery and an all-knowing, all-seeing wrap-it-up answer by the end.
The story was light and amusing. These people would never do these things at this time and in this context, but, I remind myself, it is fiction, comedy, romance, it is not meant to be realistic or plausible.
I must admit, I was a little underwhelmed by the telling of the story. There were no obvious problems and it wasn't confusing or hard to read, it was just missing that extra something that would make me love it.
I should also say that I was offered this book by the author to read and review, though later I saw that it was free on amazon for kindle.
October 12, 2015
Just too silly.
I read about half this book. It was just too silly, and I couldn't take any more. Free was too expensive for this ebook.
I read about half this book. It was just too silly, and I couldn't take any more. Free was too expensive for this ebook.
December 31, 2025
DNF’d at 5% (end of chapter 1). December 31, 2025.
The heroine says to the hero: “Still, we cannot marry for a year. My father cannot afford to alienate the duke (the heroine’s uncle) since he is next in line to inherit. The duke might decide to take another heir if we displease him. We must heed his wishes. Can you imagine our third cousin, Mr Barwinkle, becoming the next Duke?”
Anyone who has read historical romances could tell you what is wrong with that sentence.
Plus, the hero kept being referred to as “the Earl” rather than his name Richard.
- “The Earl turned to stare at his fiancée.”
- “That calmed the Earl down.”
- “The Earl scowled,…”
- “The Earl was silent.”
Why are “duke” and “earl” capitalized? Did the computer autocorrect them because they are names?
Yeah, I just can’t continue.
The heroine says to the hero: “Still, we cannot marry for a year. My father cannot afford to alienate the duke (the heroine’s uncle) since he is next in line to inherit. The duke might decide to take another heir if we displease him. We must heed his wishes. Can you imagine our third cousin, Mr Barwinkle, becoming the next Duke?”
Anyone who has read historical romances could tell you what is wrong with that sentence.
Plus, the hero kept being referred to as “the Earl” rather than his name Richard.
- “The Earl turned to stare at his fiancée.”
- “That calmed the Earl down.”
- “The Earl scowled,…”
- “The Earl was silent.”
Why are “duke” and “earl” capitalized? Did the computer autocorrect them because they are names?
Yeah, I just can’t continue.
October 20, 2012
What an interesting experience this was that can only be enjoyed if you don't take it seriously (put away your Sherlock Holmes magnifying glasses and your romantic lace crying hankies)! I jumped into it thinking it would be some sort of light-hearted Regency Romance-style romp and it was that, but it also tossed in a bit of murder and mayhem to really make things crazy like some sort of historical Romantic Murder Comedy.
The story is about a young English nobleman who gets up to all sorts of mischief to alleviate his boredom and avoid any matchmaking woman until he meets his match. He falls for a feisty gentleman's daughter and not soon after, they are engaged. But that's the easy part for Richard and Emma. The trouble begins when her uncle the duke doesn't trust the speed with which they plan to marry and uses the power of the purse strings to force them to slow things down and insists on Emma coming to stay with him and his family to guarantee himself a chance to look into the matter personally.
Richard has no desire to wait the stipulated year so he concocts a scheme to keep the original wedding date for two months out. He bets Emma that he can fool her supposedly astute uncle by masquerading as the head gardener on her uncle's estate for one month without getting caught and in the mean time it will give them a chance to be together. Reluctantly, she agrees to the plan.
But the trouble is that what they cannot factor into the plan is that there are other forces at work on the estate causing the plan to be altered many times to hilarious results that are not limited to further impersonations, blackmail, matchmaking and murder. When it all comes to its zany conclusion, there are more than a few unforeseen events to conclude the matter.
When I speak to the plot, I have to say that my descriptive words of 'crazy' and 'zany' are spot on. This was just over the top fun. I would be terrified if I ever came into contact with a real Richard Hamilton or William Raike as charming as they are just because of the high jinks to which they are capable. For all the fun, there is an actual plot that focuses on a couple of romances and a murder victim that given more than one person motive to bump the person off. One minor thing is that there are a few places where there is a passive voice and we are 'told' and not 'shown' so to speak and seemed to be given to transition things to the next scene. Speaking of voice, there are many points of view used to so that there are scenes away from Richard and Emma even.
As to the historical setting, don't go looking for deep authentic attention to historical detail. Its there to offer mild backdrop stuff and how it sometimes influences character conduct (or at least the intention of influencing it).
The characters while purposely overdrawn were still very personable. I really like Emma's cousin, Catherine and Lord William the best. They played off each other well. And I loved how I reacted to the characters the way I was supposed to (almost offering up audible boos and hisses when the bad folk were present and doing their thing) even knowing that they are all exaggerated to make them comical.
While this story might not appeal to everyone, it was an enjoyable feather-light piece that will brighten a day. Recommended to those who appreciate their murder mixed with romance and comedy.
The story is about a young English nobleman who gets up to all sorts of mischief to alleviate his boredom and avoid any matchmaking woman until he meets his match. He falls for a feisty gentleman's daughter and not soon after, they are engaged. But that's the easy part for Richard and Emma. The trouble begins when her uncle the duke doesn't trust the speed with which they plan to marry and uses the power of the purse strings to force them to slow things down and insists on Emma coming to stay with him and his family to guarantee himself a chance to look into the matter personally.
Richard has no desire to wait the stipulated year so he concocts a scheme to keep the original wedding date for two months out. He bets Emma that he can fool her supposedly astute uncle by masquerading as the head gardener on her uncle's estate for one month without getting caught and in the mean time it will give them a chance to be together. Reluctantly, she agrees to the plan.
But the trouble is that what they cannot factor into the plan is that there are other forces at work on the estate causing the plan to be altered many times to hilarious results that are not limited to further impersonations, blackmail, matchmaking and murder. When it all comes to its zany conclusion, there are more than a few unforeseen events to conclude the matter.
When I speak to the plot, I have to say that my descriptive words of 'crazy' and 'zany' are spot on. This was just over the top fun. I would be terrified if I ever came into contact with a real Richard Hamilton or William Raike as charming as they are just because of the high jinks to which they are capable. For all the fun, there is an actual plot that focuses on a couple of romances and a murder victim that given more than one person motive to bump the person off. One minor thing is that there are a few places where there is a passive voice and we are 'told' and not 'shown' so to speak and seemed to be given to transition things to the next scene. Speaking of voice, there are many points of view used to so that there are scenes away from Richard and Emma even.
As to the historical setting, don't go looking for deep authentic attention to historical detail. Its there to offer mild backdrop stuff and how it sometimes influences character conduct (or at least the intention of influencing it).
The characters while purposely overdrawn were still very personable. I really like Emma's cousin, Catherine and Lord William the best. They played off each other well. And I loved how I reacted to the characters the way I was supposed to (almost offering up audible boos and hisses when the bad folk were present and doing their thing) even knowing that they are all exaggerated to make them comical.
While this story might not appeal to everyone, it was an enjoyable feather-light piece that will brighten a day. Recommended to those who appreciate their murder mixed with romance and comedy.
October 19, 2012
3.5 stars
This book is a fun Regency romance/farce with a bit of a murder mystery thrown in for good measure. The opening grabbed me right from the start: the author had me at the first line - the heroine's creative curse
And so Emma Clearwater and Earl of Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, become engaged. Which starts the romantic farce, because Emma's father is first cousins to the Duke of Arden; the duke's daughter, Catherine, is a close particular friend of Emma's - they've spent the summers together throughout childhood. Emma adores the duke, and so despite Richard's insistence that they be married in 2 months time, the duke insists that they wait for a whole year. Emma's family doesn't want to displease the duke, in case he should decide his title wouldn't pass to Emma's father.
So Richard, exasperated at Emma's going on and on about how wonderful, witty, wise, and exceedingly clever the duke is, makes Emma a wager: Believing that the duke can be fooled, Richard will become the duke's new Head Gardener, donning the disguise of a 60-year old gardener he patterns after his own family's head gardener. Emma will forge a letter from her father to the duke recommending that he hire this specific man to be head gardener. After one month's time, if the duke doesn't uncover Richard's disguise, Emma will appeal to the duke to marry immediately by special license. If the duke does uncover Richard's disguise, Richard promises that Emma follow the duke's advice and concede that the duke is far cleverer than he.
But it doesn't take long for the others at the duke's estate to question why Emma spends so much time with the elderly head gardener. So the duke decides Emma is bored and invites the Earl to visit. Except that Richard doesn't want to give up his disguise, so he convinces his childhood friend, Lord William Raikes, to play him and visit.
In the usual twists and turns, Lord William becomes infatuated with Emma's cousin, Catherine, who is confused and worried about her own feelings for Emma's "fiancee". Catherine's aunt (the duke's sister) tries to blackmail the new Head Gardener (Richard), because she knows he's a young man; she suspects that he's Emma's unsuitable lover. But what other blackmail schemes is she up to?
While a bit more Regency romance/farce than murder mystery, the events do lead to murder. A murder that the duke, as local magistrate, must solve with the help of a detective that he's already hired for other business... business that Richard is concerned means the duke has uncovered his scheme.
During the investigation and subsequent reveal, the duke reveals all... and it's a rollicking good time! A perfect ending to a fun, engaging book.
This book is a fun Regency romance/farce with a bit of a murder mystery thrown in for good measure. The opening grabbed me right from the start: the author had me at the first line - the heroine's creative curse
"Bloody blooming roses sprouting out of a fairy's arse!"
And so Emma Clearwater and Earl of Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, become engaged. Which starts the romantic farce, because Emma's father is first cousins to the Duke of Arden; the duke's daughter, Catherine, is a close particular friend of Emma's - they've spent the summers together throughout childhood. Emma adores the duke, and so despite Richard's insistence that they be married in 2 months time, the duke insists that they wait for a whole year. Emma's family doesn't want to displease the duke, in case he should decide his title wouldn't pass to Emma's father.
So Richard, exasperated at Emma's going on and on about how wonderful, witty, wise, and exceedingly clever the duke is, makes Emma a wager: Believing that the duke can be fooled, Richard will become the duke's new Head Gardener, donning the disguise of a 60-year old gardener he patterns after his own family's head gardener. Emma will forge a letter from her father to the duke recommending that he hire this specific man to be head gardener. After one month's time, if the duke doesn't uncover Richard's disguise, Emma will appeal to the duke to marry immediately by special license. If the duke does uncover Richard's disguise, Richard promises that Emma follow the duke's advice and concede that the duke is far cleverer than he.
But it doesn't take long for the others at the duke's estate to question why Emma spends so much time with the elderly head gardener. So the duke decides Emma is bored and invites the Earl to visit. Except that Richard doesn't want to give up his disguise, so he convinces his childhood friend, Lord William Raikes, to play him and visit.
In the usual twists and turns, Lord William becomes infatuated with Emma's cousin, Catherine, who is confused and worried about her own feelings for Emma's "fiancee". Catherine's aunt (the duke's sister) tries to blackmail the new Head Gardener (Richard), because she knows he's a young man; she suspects that he's Emma's unsuitable lover. But what other blackmail schemes is she up to?
While a bit more Regency romance/farce than murder mystery, the events do lead to murder. A murder that the duke, as local magistrate, must solve with the help of a detective that he's already hired for other business... business that Richard is concerned means the duke has uncovered his scheme.
During the investigation and subsequent reveal, the duke reveals all... and it's a rollicking good time! A perfect ending to a fun, engaging book.
May 27, 2013
Unfortunately, it took several starts and stops before this book and I connected. Even then, I found myself continuously wondering where this was all leading to. The majority of the story focuses on Emma and her fiancé, Lord Richard Hamilton and their concocted scheme to fool her Uncle, the Duke of Arden. I thought their plan was full of holes and it surprised me that they weren’t called out on it immediately. The interesting thing about this story is the more I read, the more curious I became. This story has an Oscar Wilde feel to it. The more Emma and Richard tried to take the situation in hand and control it, the more it got away from them. At every turn, their plan seemed to unravel faster and faster so that it became quite entertaining to see what they would do next.
I mistakenly thought the murder would dominate the story but it was more of an afterthought and an event that exposes Emma and Richard’s scheme to the rest of the household. I found myself amused at the shenanigans of various characters running around the house in the middle of the night, sneaking in and out of bedrooms, searching for clues. I half expected Tim Curry to make an appearance as the butler from “Clue” to solve the mystery in the most elaborate of performances.
Fortunately for Emma and Richard, they end up together, though their plan did not work. I just couldn’t understand why an Earl would go to such lengths instead of just sitting down with the Duke, man to man, and have an intelligent and open conversation. Thankfully, the Duke is not an unreasonable man and all ends well. I thought the murder took too long to occur, initially, but came to realize that the murder was a plot device to wrap up the plot. It also gave me a better understanding of the Duke and an appreciation of how perceptive he really was. The identity of the murderer came as a great surprise, however as well as some other surprises the author throws in about secondary characters.
What started out as just an OK book by a new to me author, ended up being a good book that gives the reader a witty story of romance, murder, mayhem and a little comedy to make things interesting. I am intrigued by and enjoyed this author’s writing style enough to look for her next book. The Wicked Wager ends without loose ends, but I wouldn’t mind revisiting the characters later.
I mistakenly thought the murder would dominate the story but it was more of an afterthought and an event that exposes Emma and Richard’s scheme to the rest of the household. I found myself amused at the shenanigans of various characters running around the house in the middle of the night, sneaking in and out of bedrooms, searching for clues. I half expected Tim Curry to make an appearance as the butler from “Clue” to solve the mystery in the most elaborate of performances.
Fortunately for Emma and Richard, they end up together, though their plan did not work. I just couldn’t understand why an Earl would go to such lengths instead of just sitting down with the Duke, man to man, and have an intelligent and open conversation. Thankfully, the Duke is not an unreasonable man and all ends well. I thought the murder took too long to occur, initially, but came to realize that the murder was a plot device to wrap up the plot. It also gave me a better understanding of the Duke and an appreciation of how perceptive he really was. The identity of the murderer came as a great surprise, however as well as some other surprises the author throws in about secondary characters.
What started out as just an OK book by a new to me author, ended up being a good book that gives the reader a witty story of romance, murder, mayhem and a little comedy to make things interesting. I am intrigued by and enjoyed this author’s writing style enough to look for her next book. The Wicked Wager ends without loose ends, but I wouldn’t mind revisiting the characters later.
April 16, 2018
3.75*
A very nice story!
At first I thought it was going to be a cheesy romance novel, hence I was actually surprised that the main characters got betrothed directly in the beginning of the book. (This is not a spoiler, it is mentioned directly after the prologue.)
The story then turned into this charade which I thought was really enjoyable and humorous. The thrill of whether or not the couple will get detected and the whole charade will be uncovered was good and after the whole situation turned into something darker it was getting really interesting.
***SPOILER***
However, I believe that if I had known that this book was supposed to be a murder mystery before diving into it, I would have been thoroughly disappointed. The murder aspect didn't happen until the last part of the book. Which, for a novel that is stated to be a murder mystery, was too late.
Also, I think Lady Babbage being murdered was too easy - for her. I would have liked seeing her being called to account for all her blackmailing. She gave so many people a hard time. In my eyes she really should have paid for her actions. And even though I believe the Duke did a good job in solving this murder and explaining everyone's innocence first, I didn't think that exactly this person was a suitable delinquent. Of course it was a twist and came unexpected, but her motives were a little too far fetched for my liking.
Moreover, I believe the murder was solved too quickly. I would have preferred if the murder would have happened earlier and the author had taken more time for mysteries and suspicions and finally finding out the truth.
Lastly, I think that the main characters (Richard and Emma) were forgotten a bit in the end. The story was so heavily focused on these two in the beginning and after the murder happened/ was solved we didn't get to see much of them anymore. Surely we had a short scene of them in the epilogue but I wanted more. Maybe some happy emotions of ending the charade and finally being able to show open affection or something along these lines.
***SPOILER END***
All in all, I liked this book! And I liked how Emma and Richard acted with each other. I didn't know that this book was going to be a murder mystery, so I wasn't let down that much. For me, it simply felt a bit rushed towards the end.
A very nice story!
At first I thought it was going to be a cheesy romance novel, hence I was actually surprised that the main characters got betrothed directly in the beginning of the book. (This is not a spoiler, it is mentioned directly after the prologue.)
The story then turned into this charade which I thought was really enjoyable and humorous. The thrill of whether or not the couple will get detected and the whole charade will be uncovered was good and after the whole situation turned into something darker it was getting really interesting.
***SPOILER***
However, I believe that if I had known that this book was supposed to be a murder mystery before diving into it, I would have been thoroughly disappointed. The murder aspect didn't happen until the last part of the book. Which, for a novel that is stated to be a murder mystery, was too late.
Also, I think Lady Babbage being murdered was too easy - for her. I would have liked seeing her being called to account for all her blackmailing. She gave so many people a hard time. In my eyes she really should have paid for her actions. And even though I believe the Duke did a good job in solving this murder and explaining everyone's innocence first, I didn't think that exactly this person was a suitable delinquent. Of course it was a twist and came unexpected, but her motives were a little too far fetched for my liking.
Moreover, I believe the murder was solved too quickly. I would have preferred if the murder would have happened earlier and the author had taken more time for mysteries and suspicions and finally finding out the truth.
Lastly, I think that the main characters (Richard and Emma) were forgotten a bit in the end. The story was so heavily focused on these two in the beginning and after the murder happened/ was solved we didn't get to see much of them anymore. Surely we had a short scene of them in the epilogue but I wanted more. Maybe some happy emotions of ending the charade and finally being able to show open affection or something along these lines.
***SPOILER END***
All in all, I liked this book! And I liked how Emma and Richard acted with each other. I didn't know that this book was going to be a murder mystery, so I wasn't let down that much. For me, it simply felt a bit rushed towards the end.
September 16, 2012
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I was expecting cozy mystery. What I got was very funny and entertaining reading and very little mystery (unfortunately). I fell in love with Richard and Emma and their wager. Living under duke’s roof is not very easy. There are plenty of comic situations.
My favorite teaser ( I hope the author doesn't mind):
The duke finally spoke,
“ Is this a new fashion in London of eating breakfast? One must no longer sit on chairs but stand on them? And what in the world is Mrs Barker doing…I am a little afraid to ask.”
“A mouse, father,” Catherine replied meekly.
“ A mouse? “ he asked, staring at Mr Barker.
Mr Barker turned bright red.
“ And who was asking for cheese?”
“ The mouse, “ Emma spoke, embarrassed.
“ I see, the mouse was asking for cheese.”
The book started with historical romance, fulfilled with funny and silly situations, and then turned into mystery with murder. The mystery part was a little bit Agatha Christie’s style. After so much laughing, I was pleasantly surprised by good old “whodunit” mystery. I wanted more of it, not just the last twenty percents of the book. Richard and Emma, Catherine and Lord Raikes, the Duke himself, I loved the characters. They were all well developed. There was love and pride, jealousy and laughter, blackmailing and hate. Everything under same roof.
This book has it all. Very enjoyable reading. I’m definitely Anya Wylde’s fan now. She did a great job here. It’s her debut novel, and I honestly hope that there will be more books from her in the future.
Who won the wager? I definitely recommend you to read the book.
My favorite teaser ( I hope the author doesn't mind):
The duke finally spoke,
“ Is this a new fashion in London of eating breakfast? One must no longer sit on chairs but stand on them? And what in the world is Mrs Barker doing…I am a little afraid to ask.”
“A mouse, father,” Catherine replied meekly.
“ A mouse? “ he asked, staring at Mr Barker.
Mr Barker turned bright red.
“ And who was asking for cheese?”
“ The mouse, “ Emma spoke, embarrassed.
“ I see, the mouse was asking for cheese.”
The book started with historical romance, fulfilled with funny and silly situations, and then turned into mystery with murder. The mystery part was a little bit Agatha Christie’s style. After so much laughing, I was pleasantly surprised by good old “whodunit” mystery. I wanted more of it, not just the last twenty percents of the book. Richard and Emma, Catherine and Lord Raikes, the Duke himself, I loved the characters. They were all well developed. There was love and pride, jealousy and laughter, blackmailing and hate. Everything under same roof.
This book has it all. Very enjoyable reading. I’m definitely Anya Wylde’s fan now. She did a great job here. It’s her debut novel, and I honestly hope that there will be more books from her in the future.
Who won the wager? I definitely recommend you to read the book.
November 2, 2012
Historical Romances are becoming my new favorite genre and it’s all thanks to books like The Wicked Wager. From the moment Richard and Emma grace the page all the way up to where we find out “whodunit”, I couldn’t put this book down. The characters just leapt off the page and I found myself rooting for people and hoping others would be taken down.
The main hero and heroine, Richard and Emma, were believable, enigmatic and enchanting to read about. Richard, a rake turned monogamous Lord, ignites the laughs time after time with his plans to fool Emma’s uncle, the Duke. With so many little white lies piling up, it’s only a matter of time before the scheme goes terribly wrong. Insert Emma’s cousin Catherine, Richard’s friend Lord Raikes, and a few house guests who wear teapots on their heads and believe they speak to the dead spirits roaming the house and you are sure to be in for a lot of laughs.
Ms. Wylde drew together a wonderful mystery that has just the right amount of thrill and all the romance you could ask for in a novel. I literally could not put this book down and ended up finishing it in a day and a half. Delightfully wicked, you will want to take a chance on this wager!
Bebe’s Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ – Up All Night to finish
Check out my interview with Anya Wylde at my blog, Reading Until I Fall Asleep:
http://www.readinguntilifallasleep.co...
The main hero and heroine, Richard and Emma, were believable, enigmatic and enchanting to read about. Richard, a rake turned monogamous Lord, ignites the laughs time after time with his plans to fool Emma’s uncle, the Duke. With so many little white lies piling up, it’s only a matter of time before the scheme goes terribly wrong. Insert Emma’s cousin Catherine, Richard’s friend Lord Raikes, and a few house guests who wear teapots on their heads and believe they speak to the dead spirits roaming the house and you are sure to be in for a lot of laughs.
Ms. Wylde drew together a wonderful mystery that has just the right amount of thrill and all the romance you could ask for in a novel. I literally could not put this book down and ended up finishing it in a day and a half. Delightfully wicked, you will want to take a chance on this wager!
Bebe’s Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ – Up All Night to finish
Check out my interview with Anya Wylde at my blog, Reading Until I Fall Asleep:
http://www.readinguntilifallasleep.co...
November 18, 2012
At first when I started this tale I was not sure of it. Then as I continued to read I realized that it was not to be taken seriously and once I did that I found myself totally enjoying the froth and fizz of Ms. Wylde's venture in Regency England. The book starts as our heroine, Miss Emma Grey is cursing in the moonlight. She is found by our hero, Lord Richard Hamilton, as he is trying to escape the clutches of yet another eligible young women. He has sworn never to marry. But one look at Emma and he finds himself in love for the first time in his life. He wants to marry and he wants to marry NOW.
Emma's uncle, the Duke feels they should wait so that Emma does not find herself in a marriage that is not going to founded on a solid basis. Lord Hamilton feels he is smarter than the Duke so he arranges to outsmart him with a wager with Emma.
Of course the premise is patently absurd and the plot devolves from there but despite this I just had fun reading the book. I didn't have to think, I didn't have to go and research history, I could just enjoy a light read. There is a touch of a murder mystery at the end and even that was easy on the brain. The book is described as a farce and that is a perfect description. If you just let go and enjoy it for what it is you will enjoy the romp that is The Wicked Wager.
Emma's uncle, the Duke feels they should wait so that Emma does not find herself in a marriage that is not going to founded on a solid basis. Lord Hamilton feels he is smarter than the Duke so he arranges to outsmart him with a wager with Emma.
Of course the premise is patently absurd and the plot devolves from there but despite this I just had fun reading the book. I didn't have to think, I didn't have to go and research history, I could just enjoy a light read. There is a touch of a murder mystery at the end and even that was easy on the brain. The book is described as a farce and that is a perfect description. If you just let go and enjoy it for what it is you will enjoy the romp that is The Wicked Wager.
August 2, 2023
I love a good regency romance, but this wasn't one. It was regency romance, sure, but the author did more telling us that it was romantic than actually showing us romance. It was written in a very matter-of-fact way that didn't put me into the setting at all. I didn't feel the characters, though I do so wish that I had because the characters themselves seemed to be so interesting. Yet I felt like I was being told things about them without ever really getting to know them for myself. It was more like hearing a story from a friend about a random cousin of there's than that I was being immersed in a tale of mischief and romance.
The whole murder mystery aspect felt so out of place, too. It was an interesting premise and a large part of why I read the book: for the promise of romance and murder. Yet the whole murder mystery aspect felt very much the same as the romance: I was told their feelings and their thoughts but not shown them and I certainly never felt them for myself.
By the end, I didn't particularly care whether things worked out for the main characters though it was always painfully obvious that things would work out with zero consequences.
The whole murder mystery aspect felt so out of place, too. It was an interesting premise and a large part of why I read the book: for the promise of romance and murder. Yet the whole murder mystery aspect felt very much the same as the romance: I was told their feelings and their thoughts but not shown them and I certainly never felt them for myself.
By the end, I didn't particularly care whether things worked out for the main characters though it was always painfully obvious that things would work out with zero consequences.
January 20, 2013
Maybe it deserves 1 1/2 stars. The mystery plot had potential but only truly occupied the last quarter of the book and the solution is basically just handed to us without any real detection. The Regency romance plot was absolutely terrible with all kinds of behaviour that was beyond the bounds of believability. A young Earl masquerades as an elderly gardener and 1) no-one misses him from his usual life; 2) no-one notices his hands (and face) are not weather and work-worn; 3) he is able to actually stay employed while spending all his time meeting with his fiance who is visiting the house etc etc.
Then there is Penelope who is trying to become the mistress of any gentleman she can find to avoid scandal about her pregnancy!!?! Obviously she like the author doesn't realize that gentlemen did not take unmarried young women of good family as mistress!
And that is ignoring the chapter which is devoted to the (extremely unlikely) response of the ladies and gentlemen to the intrusion of a mouse into the dining room.
Then there is Penelope who is trying to become the mistress of any gentleman she can find to avoid scandal about her pregnancy!!?! Obviously she like the author doesn't realize that gentlemen did not take unmarried young women of good family as mistress!
And that is ignoring the chapter which is devoted to the (extremely unlikely) response of the ladies and gentlemen to the intrusion of a mouse into the dining room.
October 25, 2015
Lame plot, modern language-she even got the duke's daughter's name wrong. (She should have been Lady Catherine). Most of these things would take five minutes to look up on the Internet. Plot and character development would still have been poor, but at least I would have felt the author was giving it her best shot.
August 28, 2020
Terrible. The plot was completely unrealistic and out of character for the period. The "murder" portion didn't come into it until the last quarter of the book and it was all so ridiculous and not delivered well. Also, the "romance" portion was flat. Waste of time. It was free with Amazon Prime, so at least I didn't waste any money on this.
January 30, 2021
Stopped reading about 10% in
I just could not get into this story! It seemed immature and contrived. They get engaged and he agrees to 2 months but the duke may make them wait a year so his plan is to go in as a gardener and either compromise her or spend more time with her? Sorry, just couldn't read anymore - even the idea of a mystery didn't entice me.
I just could not get into this story! It seemed immature and contrived. They get engaged and he agrees to 2 months but the duke may make them wait a year so his plan is to go in as a gardener and either compromise her or spend more time with her? Sorry, just couldn't read anymore - even the idea of a mystery didn't entice me.
August 18, 2017
.
You will find this story was odd. The humorous experiences were hilarious! One scene made me laugh until I cried. It took quite some time to compose myself enough to continue reading the remainder of the book. Would definitely recommend if you like humorous entertainment!
You will find this story was odd. The humorous experiences were hilarious! One scene made me laugh until I cried. It took quite some time to compose myself enough to continue reading the remainder of the book. Would definitely recommend if you like humorous entertainment!
Want to read
March 6, 2013I was so lucky to be one of the recipients of this book. This is another eBook provided to me by the very generous author,Anya Wylde for free.
September 7, 2015
I LOVED this book! It was nicely handled and I, for one, REALLY enjoyed reading it.
God bless you, Warda, for suggesting it to me!! *-*
God bless you, Warda, for suggesting it to me!! *-*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews