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Rogues to Riches #1
Lord of Chance
Don't wager more than you're willing to lose...
Disguised as a country miss, Charlotte Devon flees London, desperate to leave her tattered reputation behind. In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally make her a respectable debutante. Except she finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-may-care rogue with a sinful smile. He’s the last thing she needs…and everything her traitorous heart desires.
Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.
Disguised as a country miss, Charlotte Devon flees London, desperate to leave her tattered reputation behind. In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally make her a respectable debutante. Except she finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-may-care rogue with a sinful smile. He’s the last thing she needs…and everything her traitorous heart desires.
Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.
267 pages, ebook
First published April 11, 2017
2747 people are currently reading
3794 people want to read
About the author
Erica Ridley
130 books2,195 followersGet freebies and 99¢ deals at: https://ridley.vip
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews
April 24, 2017
I'm a big Erica Ridley fan, but this isn't her strongest work, IMO. Don't get me wrong, this is a very decent, readable story, but there was that special something that was just missing for me.
I love the forced/accidental marriage trope, and Lord of Chance had just that. The two MCs had a pretty uneventful dynamic from the start: though they experienced lots of twists and turns of circumstance together, there is very little relationship drama, which is surprising considering they didn't know each other at all before they were wed. I liked the two MCs together, but they didn't have that tension, that build-up that I usually look for.
The actual plot was engaging, and I loved the backstories of the two MCs. I feel like there were some missed opportunities with each of their histories, but I was really into how each character came to this particular point in their lives.
I had a hard time believing that a life-long compulsive gambler like Anthony would change his ways so quickly. Everything was a bit too convenient for my tastes. Still, I kept being won over by the plot, and it was easy to get wrapped up in the story.
A solid effort by Erica Ridley, though I've read better from her. I'm excited to see where the series takes me.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
I love the forced/accidental marriage trope, and Lord of Chance had just that. The two MCs had a pretty uneventful dynamic from the start: though they experienced lots of twists and turns of circumstance together, there is very little relationship drama, which is surprising considering they didn't know each other at all before they were wed. I liked the two MCs together, but they didn't have that tension, that build-up that I usually look for.
The actual plot was engaging, and I loved the backstories of the two MCs. I feel like there were some missed opportunities with each of their histories, but I was really into how each character came to this particular point in their lives.
I had a hard time believing that a life-long compulsive gambler like Anthony would change his ways so quickly. Everything was a bit too convenient for my tastes. Still, I kept being won over by the plot, and it was easy to get wrapped up in the story.
A solid effort by Erica Ridley, though I've read better from her. I'm excited to see where the series takes me.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
June 29, 2021
3.5 stars
This was a fun romance! Charlotte is the daughter of a courtesan and is looking for her birth father in Scotland. She runs into Anthony, who is currently gambling and sees Charlotte as his lucky charm as he continues to win. Charlotte and Anthony find themselves having to claim they are married, which is enough to legally bind a couple into marriage in Scotland. Anthony, though, is in great debt and his debtors now what everything of Charlotte's if he doesn't pay up. The beginning of this was so fun, but it did get a bit bogged down by the money/debt plot line at the end and I feel like that overpowered the romance. I did enjoy the ending and thought it was fun how Charlotte was making her money. I'm excited to read more from Erica Ridley!
This was a fun romance! Charlotte is the daughter of a courtesan and is looking for her birth father in Scotland. She runs into Anthony, who is currently gambling and sees Charlotte as his lucky charm as he continues to win. Charlotte and Anthony find themselves having to claim they are married, which is enough to legally bind a couple into marriage in Scotland. Anthony, though, is in great debt and his debtors now what everything of Charlotte's if he doesn't pay up. The beginning of this was so fun, but it did get a bit bogged down by the money/debt plot line at the end and I feel like that overpowered the romance. I did enjoy the ending and thought it was fun how Charlotte was making her money. I'm excited to read more from Erica Ridley!
September 22, 2025
A cute accidental marriage story. Not exactly earth-shattering, but quick, easy and with no third-act breakup.
Accidental marriage isn’t a common trope, but Google confirms that Scottish law once considered a marriage legal if both parties admitted to being married and there were witnesses.
Anthony has gambling debts, and Charlotte is the daughter of a courtesan who dreams of being respectable. They must raise a lot of money fast, or he’ll end up in debtor’s prison. There’s some angst over that, but no fabricated drama in their relationship.
I loved their dynamic. Anthony was very sweet and I loved how much respect he had for Charlotte, even after finding out about her origins. From the very beginning, even when they were considering an annulment, her best interest was more important to him than his own, and if that’s not the ultimate book boyfriend quality, I don’t know what is.
This is an open-door romance, but it’s not overly spicy. Also, there’s no third-act drama, which is highly appreciated.
I’ll definitely read more from this author.
Accidental marriage isn’t a common trope, but Google confirms that Scottish law once considered a marriage legal if both parties admitted to being married and there were witnesses.
Anthony has gambling debts, and Charlotte is the daughter of a courtesan who dreams of being respectable. They must raise a lot of money fast, or he’ll end up in debtor’s prison. There’s some angst over that, but no fabricated drama in their relationship.
I loved their dynamic. Anthony was very sweet and I loved how much respect he had for Charlotte, even after finding out about her origins. From the very beginning, even when they were considering an annulment, her best interest was more important to him than his own, and if that’s not the ultimate book boyfriend quality, I don’t know what is.
This is an open-door romance, but it’s not overly spicy. Also, there’s no third-act drama, which is highly appreciated.
I’ll definitely read more from this author.
July 26, 2017
I've given this a C+ at AAR, so 3.5 stars
Erica Ridley’s Lord of Chance is the first in a new series from the author entitled Rogues to Riches . Our rogue this time out is one Mister (not Lord - so what's with the title?) Anthony Fairfax, a charming but rather rackety young man whose appetite for gaming has seen him run up such large debts in London that he has travelled to Scotland in order to try to win enough money to enable him to repay them and return home.
While enjoying a reasonable streak of luck at a small inn not far from the border, Anthony’s eye is repeatedly caught by a young woman whose face is hidden behind a hood, but whose form is pleasing. He nicknames her ‘Lady Fortune’ in his mind, as her presence seems to have helped turn his fortunes. All that changes, however, when she is invited to the table and decides to play. Anthony’s Lady Fortune makes her own luck, it seems, and she cleans him out, winning everything on the table, and in addition, Anthony’s promise to do her bidding for the night ahead. It will come as no surprise when I say that his idea of doing the lady’s bidding all night is rather more lascivious than hers.
Anthony may be a wastrel, but he’s still a gentleman, so when the lady is accosted on their way out of the public room, he steps in and tells her drunken admirer that she is his wife and he should treat her with more respect. The pair then proceed to her room, where Anthony proceeds to make himself useful by ironing and folding her gowns (er… okay) and, in gentlemanly fashion, spends the night on the lumpy sofa.
Charlotte Devon has travelled to Scotland in search of the father she has never met. Her mother is a famous – or infamous – London courtesan, so when Charlotte ruefully reflects that she was ruined before she was even born, she isn’t wrong. Unfortunately, this is an era where the sins of the father were visited upon the children, and her illegitimacy, her mother’s profession and her strong resemblance to her mother all mean that Charlotte has little chance of achieving the sort of respectability she craves.
Judith Devon hinted that Charlotte’s father was a wealthy man, a Scottish Laird, in fact, and Charlotte intends to find him and present herself to him as his daughter in the hope that the kind man her mother recalls will find some space for her in his life, or that at the very least, her being the daughter of a lord will help erase some of the stigma of her birth. To this end, she is wearing a distinctive ruby necklace and pair of earrings that he gave to her mother, in the hope that someone will recognise them and be able to direct her to him.
The flimsiness of this plot point was too much for me to swallow, I’m afraid. I’m supposed to believe that Charlotte is reasonably intelligent, yet she travels all the way from London to Scotland – an extremely difficult and possibly dangerous journey in 1817 – to find a man whose name she doesn’t know, whose place of abode she doesn’t know and whom she has never even seen – hoping that someone will recognise her jewellery?! (The fact that someone actually does recognise it later in the story is by the by – that’s just an overly convenient plot-point and doesn’t excuse such a ridiculous reason for Charlotte being in Scotland in the first place.)
But back to the story. Something both Anthony and Charlotte had failed to take into account is that by announcing they’re man and wife they have become so; this is Scotland and simply by declaring themselves to be married in front of a roomful of people they are, in fact, wed. This creates even more problems, seeing that Anthony is likely to find himself in debtor’s prison unless he can find two thousand pounds with which to pay off his debts (a huge sum) – and because Charlotte is his wife, everything that was hers is now his, and thus can be used to clear part of what he owes.
Anthony is determined not to drag her down with him, however, and thinks that perhaps he can persuade his major creditor – a former friend – to take payment in instalments. To this end, he starts doing odd jobs to earn money, and although the pull to take his earnings to the tables is strong, to his credit, he manages not to do so. There’s one particular passage where Ms. Ridley does an excellent job of showing that Anthony really does have a serious problem, but unfortunately, it just adds to the difficulty of believing, later on, that a man in the grip of such an addiction can turn his back on it and reform practically overnight.
While the overall tone of Lord of Chance is quite light and fluffy, the author does touch on some darker themes. Anthony’s gambling habit is not glossed over (although as I’ve said, he is able to break it too easily) and the situation faced by someone like Charlotte, whose parentage means she is destined to be looked down on through no fault of her own draws the reader’s sympathy. And then there’s Anthony’s family, who live far beyond their means and have no clue how to make the sorts of changes to their lives to enable them to get themselves out of that cycle of being plump in the pocket and then in debt in which they are living.
The author has a talent for writing light-hearted, funny and sometimes innuendo-laden banter, and there’s no question that, but for his gambling habit, Anthony makes a charismatic and rather endearing hero. He’s upbeat, generous and is clearly devoted to his family, no matter that he is pretty much supporting them by whatever means he can and they don’t make it easy for him by being such spendthrifts. Charlotte’s character is less well-defined and I found her fairly dull for the most part, although I did like her pragmatism and could understand her yearning for respectability.
The romance, however, is weak and underdeveloped. I felt like I blinked and missed the part where we saw Anthony and Charlotte actually falling in love; they trade quips and feel attracted to each other, but there is little chemistry between them, and while I’ve rated the book as ‘warm’ in the sensuality stakes, the principal love scene is pretty tame, and honestly, I only used that rating because ‘subtle’ doesn’t quite cover it!
From looking at Amazon and Goodreads, it’s clear that Ms. Ridley has a large following who appreciates her particular brand of frothy, light-hearted historical romance, and I’m sure there are many among them who will enjoy Lord of Chance. I, however, tend to like a little more substance and character/romantic development in the romances I read, both of which are lacking here. That said, the book is well written (in spite of a few typos) and if you’re in the mood for a quick, low-angst story, it might suit your tastes more than it did mine.
Erica Ridley’s Lord of Chance is the first in a new series from the author entitled Rogues to Riches . Our rogue this time out is one Mister (not Lord - so what's with the title?) Anthony Fairfax, a charming but rather rackety young man whose appetite for gaming has seen him run up such large debts in London that he has travelled to Scotland in order to try to win enough money to enable him to repay them and return home.
While enjoying a reasonable streak of luck at a small inn not far from the border, Anthony’s eye is repeatedly caught by a young woman whose face is hidden behind a hood, but whose form is pleasing. He nicknames her ‘Lady Fortune’ in his mind, as her presence seems to have helped turn his fortunes. All that changes, however, when she is invited to the table and decides to play. Anthony’s Lady Fortune makes her own luck, it seems, and she cleans him out, winning everything on the table, and in addition, Anthony’s promise to do her bidding for the night ahead. It will come as no surprise when I say that his idea of doing the lady’s bidding all night is rather more lascivious than hers.
Anthony may be a wastrel, but he’s still a gentleman, so when the lady is accosted on their way out of the public room, he steps in and tells her drunken admirer that she is his wife and he should treat her with more respect. The pair then proceed to her room, where Anthony proceeds to make himself useful by ironing and folding her gowns (er… okay) and, in gentlemanly fashion, spends the night on the lumpy sofa.
Charlotte Devon has travelled to Scotland in search of the father she has never met. Her mother is a famous – or infamous – London courtesan, so when Charlotte ruefully reflects that she was ruined before she was even born, she isn’t wrong. Unfortunately, this is an era where the sins of the father were visited upon the children, and her illegitimacy, her mother’s profession and her strong resemblance to her mother all mean that Charlotte has little chance of achieving the sort of respectability she craves.
Judith Devon hinted that Charlotte’s father was a wealthy man, a Scottish Laird, in fact, and Charlotte intends to find him and present herself to him as his daughter in the hope that the kind man her mother recalls will find some space for her in his life, or that at the very least, her being the daughter of a lord will help erase some of the stigma of her birth. To this end, she is wearing a distinctive ruby necklace and pair of earrings that he gave to her mother, in the hope that someone will recognise them and be able to direct her to him.
The flimsiness of this plot point was too much for me to swallow, I’m afraid. I’m supposed to believe that Charlotte is reasonably intelligent, yet she travels all the way from London to Scotland – an extremely difficult and possibly dangerous journey in 1817 – to find a man whose name she doesn’t know, whose place of abode she doesn’t know and whom she has never even seen – hoping that someone will recognise her jewellery?! (The fact that someone actually does recognise it later in the story is by the by – that’s just an overly convenient plot-point and doesn’t excuse such a ridiculous reason for Charlotte being in Scotland in the first place.)
But back to the story. Something both Anthony and Charlotte had failed to take into account is that by announcing they’re man and wife they have become so; this is Scotland and simply by declaring themselves to be married in front of a roomful of people they are, in fact, wed. This creates even more problems, seeing that Anthony is likely to find himself in debtor’s prison unless he can find two thousand pounds with which to pay off his debts (a huge sum) – and because Charlotte is his wife, everything that was hers is now his, and thus can be used to clear part of what he owes.
Anthony is determined not to drag her down with him, however, and thinks that perhaps he can persuade his major creditor – a former friend – to take payment in instalments. To this end, he starts doing odd jobs to earn money, and although the pull to take his earnings to the tables is strong, to his credit, he manages not to do so. There’s one particular passage where Ms. Ridley does an excellent job of showing that Anthony really does have a serious problem, but unfortunately, it just adds to the difficulty of believing, later on, that a man in the grip of such an addiction can turn his back on it and reform practically overnight.
While the overall tone of Lord of Chance is quite light and fluffy, the author does touch on some darker themes. Anthony’s gambling habit is not glossed over (although as I’ve said, he is able to break it too easily) and the situation faced by someone like Charlotte, whose parentage means she is destined to be looked down on through no fault of her own draws the reader’s sympathy. And then there’s Anthony’s family, who live far beyond their means and have no clue how to make the sorts of changes to their lives to enable them to get themselves out of that cycle of being plump in the pocket and then in debt in which they are living.
The author has a talent for writing light-hearted, funny and sometimes innuendo-laden banter, and there’s no question that, but for his gambling habit, Anthony makes a charismatic and rather endearing hero. He’s upbeat, generous and is clearly devoted to his family, no matter that he is pretty much supporting them by whatever means he can and they don’t make it easy for him by being such spendthrifts. Charlotte’s character is less well-defined and I found her fairly dull for the most part, although I did like her pragmatism and could understand her yearning for respectability.
The romance, however, is weak and underdeveloped. I felt like I blinked and missed the part where we saw Anthony and Charlotte actually falling in love; they trade quips and feel attracted to each other, but there is little chemistry between them, and while I’ve rated the book as ‘warm’ in the sensuality stakes, the principal love scene is pretty tame, and honestly, I only used that rating because ‘subtle’ doesn’t quite cover it!
From looking at Amazon and Goodreads, it’s clear that Ms. Ridley has a large following who appreciates her particular brand of frothy, light-hearted historical romance, and I’m sure there are many among them who will enjoy Lord of Chance. I, however, tend to like a little more substance and character/romantic development in the romances I read, both of which are lacking here. That said, the book is well written (in spite of a few typos) and if you’re in the mood for a quick, low-angst story, it might suit your tastes more than it did mine.
April 10, 2017
Review For: Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley ' Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley is book One in the "Rogues to Riches" series. This is the story of Charlotte Devon and Anthony Fairfax. Anthony is the brother to Sarah Fairfax who was the main female character in "The Brigadier's Runaway Bride" which was book Five "The Dukes of War" series. But you don't have to have read that book to enjoy this one. I just wanted to point the connection out in case you have read that one and would like to read Anthony's story. Anthony is in debit with the possibility of prison. But Anthony is still Gambling and trying to raise money that way to pay his debits when he meets Charlotte. Charlotte to is seeking something but she is trying to find her father. Charlotte has build up a fantasy of sorts about her father and whats to find him. Charlotte meets Anthony at a card table where they played several hands of cards. When Anthony first sees Charlotte she is sitting in view of the card table. There he starts to think she is his 'lady luck' as he keeps wining his hands. But after a few men leave she moves to play and wins all his hands and what money he won. With one last bet Anthony loose to her he must walk her back to her room. Along the way he had to claim to be her husband and then they find there is a problem with her room. This sets in motion for them to join forces to try and help each other meet their goals to get Anthony out of Debit and Charlotte to find her father. "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H... https://www.facebook.com/RomanceBookR... https://twitter.com/soapsrus68https:/... https://www.tumblr.com/blog/romancebo...
gave-it-a-shot
February 25, 2022Listen: I made it a quarter of the way into this thing before I gave up when I'll usually grind through anything I hit 20% on. So that's saying something.
(The something is: this is terrible. The heroine and hero just discovered they're married and I can't follow their logic for an annulment and now the heroine wants to get to know the hero because maybe they'll have a future together or something and also oh yeah he could never be into her for real because of reasons I GUESS????)
(The something is: this is terrible. The heroine and hero just discovered they're married and I can't follow their logic for an annulment and now the heroine wants to get to know the hero because maybe they'll have a future together or something and also oh yeah he could never be into her for real because of reasons I GUESS????)
August 7, 2023
A sweet romance actually. Low steam. Fast plot. Our hero is addicted to gambling and our heroine can't trust him fully. She's trying to look for her dad and she finally finds out who he is...
May 20, 2024
Review from 2017
I've given this a B for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals
In Lord of Chance, the first in Erica Ridley’s new Rogues to Riches series, we are introduced to the handsome, charming Anthony Fairfax, a somewhat rackety young man who supports himself and his family by means of an inveterate gambling habit. Ms. Ridley has already released a number of her books in audio format (her Dukes of War series, narrated by Stevie Zimmermann) but this is the first I’ve listened to and I have to say that the result is a mixed bag. The narration by Marian Hussey is good, but while Ms. Ridley has a deft touch with the humour and dialogue, and she does briefly touch on a couple of darker themes, the story is a little too fluffy for my taste.
In order to escape pressing debts, Anthony Fairfax has left London to try his fortunes elsewhere. He is currently at a small inn on the Scottish border and things are looking up. On this particular night, it seems he cannot lose, and he can’t help but attribute this to the mysterious, cloaked woman he has nicknamed “Lady Fortune”, who is sitting quietly on the other side of the room. But when Lady Fortune is encouraged to join the card game, it seems she makes her own luck, because she cleans Anthony out completely and wins everything on the table.
Charlotte Devon, the daughter of an infamous London courtesan, wants nothing more than to be respectable. Unfortunately, her illegitimacy and her mother’s profession means that Charlotte was ruined before she was even born, and in an attempt to make a different life for herself, she has travelled to Scotland in search of the father she has never met. She doesn’t know his name, or where he lives, which I’d have thought rather large obstacles to finding him; all she knows is that he is a Scottish lord and that he gave her mother a very distinctive ruby necklace and set of earrings while she was in his keeping. Charlotte believes that someone is bound to recognise the jewellery and then, voilà! – she will find her father.
I rolled my eyes at this so hard my vision started to blur.
Moving on. When Anthony is escorting Charlotte from the common room, she is accosted by a drunkard so Anthony steps in to defend her, telling the man that he is her husband and will not see her insulted. Anthony spends an uncomfortable night on the sofa in Charlotte’s room, but the next morning he finds he has greater problems than a crick in the neck. He is confronted by a couple of heavies who are employed by the man – a former friend – who now owns all his debts who inform him he has exactly two weeks in which to find the two thousand pounds he owes or he’ll be hauled off to debtor’s prison.
But Anthony’s problems don’t stop there. The night before, he and Charlotte had failed to take into account that in Scotland, all one has to do to get married is to declare, before witnesses, that they are husband and wife. His chivalrous gesture the night before, in front of a roomful of people therefore means that he and Charlotte are married and that everything belonging to her – the rubies, her winnings from last night – now belongs to him and can legitimately be taken as part payment for what he owes.
Even in the short time they have known each other, Anthony has come to admire and respect Charlotte and is not about to let her get dragged down with him. Thinking he can perhaps persuade his former friend to let him pay off his debt in instalments, he starts taking odd jobs wherever he can, even though the money he earns is little more than a drop in the ocean. Things look pretty hopeless, but Anthony remains upbeat and cheerful even though time is running out. I don’t think I’m giving anything away when I say that he conveniently manages to avoid prison and Charlotte’s distinctive jewellery does – also conveniently – have a part to play in repairing their fortunes.
As I said at the beginning of this review, the book is generally light-hearted in tone, although Ms. Ridley does touch on some darker themes, such as Charlotte’s search for an identity and her desire to rise above her origins and, most notably, Anthony’s gambling addiction. She describes it well, especially in one particular passage in which Anthony is basically experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. The thing is, however, that after that he has no problem whatsoever not gambling and seems to have kicked his habit without the slightest difficulty. In terms of the romance… ‘tepid’ is the word that comes to mind, because while Anthony and Charlotte banter delightfully and clearly become friends, that whole part where they actually fall in love seems to have been missed out. I heard nothing to convince me they were moving beyond anything more than friendship and a kind of acceptance of “oh, well, we’re married, he’s handsome/she’s lovely, we might as well make the best of it”. There is little chemistry between them and the book’s one love scene is rather disappointing.
Marian Hussey’s name as narrator of an historical romance is always going to get me to give it a second look, and she once again delivers an accomplished and satisfying performance. The narrative is well-paced and the dialogue is clearly differentiated by means of a variety of timbre and accent. Ms. Hussey captures Anthony’s happy-go-lucky nature and his sense of humour, but also manages to convey something deeper beneath his façade, letting listeners know that he’s not quite the useless charmer he at first appears. Her interpretation of Charlotte also adds to our understanding of the character because her hopes and fears are clearly present in her voice. The various secondary characters are all portrayed according to sex, age and station, and she employs an accent for the Scottish characters we meet in the early part of the book which is both appropriate and consistent.
Lord of Chance is one of those audiobooks that passed the time pleasantly enough, but which I can’t see myself listening to again. It’s perfectly fine – the narration is good and the story is well-told – but it’s not something I feel able to recommend strongly. If, when it comes to historical romance, your tastes run to the frothy, then it might suit you, but I generally prefer something that packs a bit more of a punch.
I've given this a B for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals
In Lord of Chance, the first in Erica Ridley’s new Rogues to Riches series, we are introduced to the handsome, charming Anthony Fairfax, a somewhat rackety young man who supports himself and his family by means of an inveterate gambling habit. Ms. Ridley has already released a number of her books in audio format (her Dukes of War series, narrated by Stevie Zimmermann) but this is the first I’ve listened to and I have to say that the result is a mixed bag. The narration by Marian Hussey is good, but while Ms. Ridley has a deft touch with the humour and dialogue, and she does briefly touch on a couple of darker themes, the story is a little too fluffy for my taste.
In order to escape pressing debts, Anthony Fairfax has left London to try his fortunes elsewhere. He is currently at a small inn on the Scottish border and things are looking up. On this particular night, it seems he cannot lose, and he can’t help but attribute this to the mysterious, cloaked woman he has nicknamed “Lady Fortune”, who is sitting quietly on the other side of the room. But when Lady Fortune is encouraged to join the card game, it seems she makes her own luck, because she cleans Anthony out completely and wins everything on the table.
Charlotte Devon, the daughter of an infamous London courtesan, wants nothing more than to be respectable. Unfortunately, her illegitimacy and her mother’s profession means that Charlotte was ruined before she was even born, and in an attempt to make a different life for herself, she has travelled to Scotland in search of the father she has never met. She doesn’t know his name, or where he lives, which I’d have thought rather large obstacles to finding him; all she knows is that he is a Scottish lord and that he gave her mother a very distinctive ruby necklace and set of earrings while she was in his keeping. Charlotte believes that someone is bound to recognise the jewellery and then, voilà! – she will find her father.
I rolled my eyes at this so hard my vision started to blur.
Moving on. When Anthony is escorting Charlotte from the common room, she is accosted by a drunkard so Anthony steps in to defend her, telling the man that he is her husband and will not see her insulted. Anthony spends an uncomfortable night on the sofa in Charlotte’s room, but the next morning he finds he has greater problems than a crick in the neck. He is confronted by a couple of heavies who are employed by the man – a former friend – who now owns all his debts who inform him he has exactly two weeks in which to find the two thousand pounds he owes or he’ll be hauled off to debtor’s prison.
But Anthony’s problems don’t stop there. The night before, he and Charlotte had failed to take into account that in Scotland, all one has to do to get married is to declare, before witnesses, that they are husband and wife. His chivalrous gesture the night before, in front of a roomful of people therefore means that he and Charlotte are married and that everything belonging to her – the rubies, her winnings from last night – now belongs to him and can legitimately be taken as part payment for what he owes.
Even in the short time they have known each other, Anthony has come to admire and respect Charlotte and is not about to let her get dragged down with him. Thinking he can perhaps persuade his former friend to let him pay off his debt in instalments, he starts taking odd jobs wherever he can, even though the money he earns is little more than a drop in the ocean. Things look pretty hopeless, but Anthony remains upbeat and cheerful even though time is running out. I don’t think I’m giving anything away when I say that he conveniently manages to avoid prison and Charlotte’s distinctive jewellery does – also conveniently – have a part to play in repairing their fortunes.
As I said at the beginning of this review, the book is generally light-hearted in tone, although Ms. Ridley does touch on some darker themes, such as Charlotte’s search for an identity and her desire to rise above her origins and, most notably, Anthony’s gambling addiction. She describes it well, especially in one particular passage in which Anthony is basically experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. The thing is, however, that after that he has no problem whatsoever not gambling and seems to have kicked his habit without the slightest difficulty. In terms of the romance… ‘tepid’ is the word that comes to mind, because while Anthony and Charlotte banter delightfully and clearly become friends, that whole part where they actually fall in love seems to have been missed out. I heard nothing to convince me they were moving beyond anything more than friendship and a kind of acceptance of “oh, well, we’re married, he’s handsome/she’s lovely, we might as well make the best of it”. There is little chemistry between them and the book’s one love scene is rather disappointing.
Marian Hussey’s name as narrator of an historical romance is always going to get me to give it a second look, and she once again delivers an accomplished and satisfying performance. The narrative is well-paced and the dialogue is clearly differentiated by means of a variety of timbre and accent. Ms. Hussey captures Anthony’s happy-go-lucky nature and his sense of humour, but also manages to convey something deeper beneath his façade, letting listeners know that he’s not quite the useless charmer he at first appears. Her interpretation of Charlotte also adds to our understanding of the character because her hopes and fears are clearly present in her voice. The various secondary characters are all portrayed according to sex, age and station, and she employs an accent for the Scottish characters we meet in the early part of the book which is both appropriate and consistent.
Lord of Chance is one of those audiobooks that passed the time pleasantly enough, but which I can’t see myself listening to again. It’s perfectly fine – the narration is good and the story is well-told – but it’s not something I feel able to recommend strongly. If, when it comes to historical romance, your tastes run to the frothy, then it might suit you, but I generally prefer something that packs a bit more of a punch.
March 27, 2017
THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND ERICA RIDLEY for a copy of Lord of Chance
Huge Improvement!
Writing: I liked the way this story was written. I learned a few new words. Always a huge plus for me. I still don’t think the writing style reflects the correct era, but that’s okay. By the way, I really dislike the cover. It's kinda cheezy. 3rd person narration. 2 POVs.
Characters: I totally fell in love and out of love with Anthony throughout the book. I swooned for his sarcasm, sweet words and hands (Ahem). I disliked him for his poor decision making. Charlotte, (as the saying goes) couldn’t see past her own nose, but with good reason. These two MC’s desperately need each other, but being with each other will significantly decrease their social status in different ways.
Storyline: Charlotte and Anthony meet while they are both on a search. If they find what they are searching for it will increase their status and respectability. And in Anthony’s case get him out of hot water. To their horror, Charlotte and Anthony accidently get married and it is questionable as to who suffers the most from this accidental marriage. During this time getting out of a marriage wasn’t so simple. They both have to work to protect the other and sometimes it was beautiful.
This book was soooo much better than Romancing the Rogue. The storyline was believable and I really wanted to know what was going to happen. I was invested in this story. I also like that Erica didn’t put a pretty bow on their story. Things worked out, but they weren’t living in a mansion on a hill, with 2.5 kids, a dog and a white picket fence.
However, there were a couple of things that left me wondering or felt like a gap to me. One example- there should have been more about Charlotte’s card playing. Erica made a big deal about it in the beginning, but doesn’t bring it up again.
Erotic Scenes: There was one scene that was getting real good, and then I wanted to shake Anthony because his mouth screwed it up.
Overall: I almost didn’t read this one because I was not thrilled with Romancing the Rogue, but I’m so glad I read this. I really enjoyed it.
Huge Improvement!
Writing: I liked the way this story was written. I learned a few new words. Always a huge plus for me. I still don’t think the writing style reflects the correct era, but that’s okay. By the way, I really dislike the cover. It's kinda cheezy. 3rd person narration. 2 POVs.
Characters: I totally fell in love and out of love with Anthony throughout the book. I swooned for his sarcasm, sweet words and hands (Ahem). I disliked him for his poor decision making. Charlotte, (as the saying goes) couldn’t see past her own nose, but with good reason. These two MC’s desperately need each other, but being with each other will significantly decrease their social status in different ways.
Storyline: Charlotte and Anthony meet while they are both on a search. If they find what they are searching for it will increase their status and respectability. And in Anthony’s case get him out of hot water. To their horror, Charlotte and Anthony accidently get married and it is questionable as to who suffers the most from this accidental marriage. During this time getting out of a marriage wasn’t so simple. They both have to work to protect the other and sometimes it was beautiful.
This book was soooo much better than Romancing the Rogue. The storyline was believable and I really wanted to know what was going to happen. I was invested in this story. I also like that Erica didn’t put a pretty bow on their story. Things worked out, but they weren’t living in a mansion on a hill, with 2.5 kids, a dog and a white picket fence.
However, there were a couple of things that left me wondering or felt like a gap to me. One example- there should have been more about Charlotte’s card playing. Erica made a big deal about it in the beginning, but doesn’t bring it up again.
Erotic Scenes: There was one scene that was getting real good, and then I wanted to shake Anthony because his mouth screwed it up.
Overall: I almost didn’t read this one because I was not thrilled with Romancing the Rogue, but I’m so glad I read this. I really enjoyed it.
April 7, 2017
He is far from the typical hero and she is far from a helpless damsel in distress, together they are an adorable and endearing match made in Erica Ridley’s LORD OF CHANCE! Anthony Fairfax is in big financial trouble, after having a very costly run of bad luck gambling. Far from the rogue he portrays, he has family obligations he must meet and as his debt increases, so do the risks he must take to stay one step ahead of his creditors.
Charlotte Devon’s life has been one of guilt by association, being the daughter of a courtesan and now she is determined to find her father, with only some ruby jewelry and a name of the man who never wanted to claim her as his own.
It is at the gaming tables that Anthony and Charlotte meet and not only did Charlotte win his money, she may have won the man in more ways than one. He was only trying to protect her virtue, but the words they declared that night bound them in ways they never could have imagined.
As Anthony stays one step ahead of his creditors and Charlotte gets one step closer to knowing who her father is, their bond grows, as they banter and bicker across the countryside in search of her elusive father.
Looking for a charming Rake with a heart of gold? Want a strong-willed woman who yearns for love and acceptance? Erica Ridley has brought them to life in one of her best tales yet as once again, she blends personality, charm, humor and that electric attraction between two deserving characters who fit together like a hand and glove! From start to finish, this tale from the past is magnetic and these characters carry a passion for life and love that will bring both tears and joys to readers’ faces. Not too heavy, not too stiff and formal, pure reading entertainment from Erica Ridley, again!
I received an ARC edition from WebMotion in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Rogues to Riches - Book 1
Publisher: WebMotion (April 11, 2017)
Publication Date: April 11, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 232 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Charlotte Devon’s life has been one of guilt by association, being the daughter of a courtesan and now she is determined to find her father, with only some ruby jewelry and a name of the man who never wanted to claim her as his own.
It is at the gaming tables that Anthony and Charlotte meet and not only did Charlotte win his money, she may have won the man in more ways than one. He was only trying to protect her virtue, but the words they declared that night bound them in ways they never could have imagined.
As Anthony stays one step ahead of his creditors and Charlotte gets one step closer to knowing who her father is, their bond grows, as they banter and bicker across the countryside in search of her elusive father.
Looking for a charming Rake with a heart of gold? Want a strong-willed woman who yearns for love and acceptance? Erica Ridley has brought them to life in one of her best tales yet as once again, she blends personality, charm, humor and that electric attraction between two deserving characters who fit together like a hand and glove! From start to finish, this tale from the past is magnetic and these characters carry a passion for life and love that will bring both tears and joys to readers’ faces. Not too heavy, not too stiff and formal, pure reading entertainment from Erica Ridley, again!
I received an ARC edition from WebMotion in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Rogues to Riches - Book 1
Publisher: WebMotion (April 11, 2017)
Publication Date: April 11, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 232 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
January 10, 2018
Loved it loved it loved it!
I absolutely adored this book! It's incredibly well written and so much more funnier than many historical romance novels!
The writing really is exceptional and the plot surrounding the story is well executed and very unique
We are introduced to Charlotte Devon. A young woman who desperately wishes to be become a respectable and fashionable woman in her society. But as fate decided, she was born from a prostitute mother. And because of that, the people never wished to know who exactly Charlotte was, a young girl, smart and bright, and shy but strong and courageous. Even more braver to venture to Scotland to escape the harsh words of the Londoners, but mostly to find her father. All her life she has dreamed of meeting him, but with only some precious jewels that he gave to her mother, are the only clues to finding him.
Yet, in this journey of self discovery, she meets the acquaintance of a gambler, Anthony Fairfax. And together they will encounter an unexpected tale to tell.
Anthony is penniless, but he tries to find good fortune at the gambling tables. This is where he meets the delightful yet smart lady, Charlotte. But he doesn't want to get involved with a lovely lady, especially since he has large gambling debts to pay or he will suffer the consequences. But both Anthony and Charlotte are thrown into the fire eventually, and now they must suffer to pay his debts before his time is up. And during this period they will learn to trust one another, to know one another, to suffer together, but maybe more? Could a penniless gambler, and the daughter of a prostitute find happiness in a society that will humiliate them for their status ?
As you can see, this story has major plot ideas, which are intriguing and a delight to read. Once you start reading, you can't put it down. It keeps you turning the pages, wanting to know what will happen to these characters, and I loved every second! I cannot wait to see what else this series has to offer!
Received a copy from the author herself in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
I absolutely adored this book! It's incredibly well written and so much more funnier than many historical romance novels!
The writing really is exceptional and the plot surrounding the story is well executed and very unique
We are introduced to Charlotte Devon. A young woman who desperately wishes to be become a respectable and fashionable woman in her society. But as fate decided, she was born from a prostitute mother. And because of that, the people never wished to know who exactly Charlotte was, a young girl, smart and bright, and shy but strong and courageous. Even more braver to venture to Scotland to escape the harsh words of the Londoners, but mostly to find her father. All her life she has dreamed of meeting him, but with only some precious jewels that he gave to her mother, are the only clues to finding him.
Yet, in this journey of self discovery, she meets the acquaintance of a gambler, Anthony Fairfax. And together they will encounter an unexpected tale to tell.
Anthony is penniless, but he tries to find good fortune at the gambling tables. This is where he meets the delightful yet smart lady, Charlotte. But he doesn't want to get involved with a lovely lady, especially since he has large gambling debts to pay or he will suffer the consequences. But both Anthony and Charlotte are thrown into the fire eventually, and now they must suffer to pay his debts before his time is up. And during this period they will learn to trust one another, to know one another, to suffer together, but maybe more? Could a penniless gambler, and the daughter of a prostitute find happiness in a society that will humiliate them for their status ?
As you can see, this story has major plot ideas, which are intriguing and a delight to read. Once you start reading, you can't put it down. It keeps you turning the pages, wanting to know what will happen to these characters, and I loved every second! I cannot wait to see what else this series has to offer!
Received a copy from the author herself in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
May 19, 2019
3.5 sweet and romantic, I enjoyed this one.
May 24, 2017
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Lord of Chance is a fantastic start to Ridley's new historical romance series. I loved both Charlotte and Anthony, their vulnerabilities were so well hidden they hardly even noticed them anymore themselves.
Lord of Chance showed the backside of the ton, of how it was to try to live up to the ideals of people who could change their mind on a whim. Anthony had fled London for Scotland to escape his creditors. An inveterate card-player, he owed much more than he could win back in time to escape jail. Charlotte was looking for an elusive laird, the one who had left his mother behind before he knew she was with child. And which has let Charlotte's mother make ends meet by being a courtesan.
Both Anthony and Charlotte felt like they weren't worth much as human beings, and Lord of Chance was Anthony's nickname as he sometimes managed to keep his family in riches thanks to playing cards. Now his luck was up, though, and he needed to figure out what to do so he wouldn't end up in jail. To top it all, he ended up married with Charlotte due to a misunderstanding of Scottish law, and I chuckled to myself as the pair tried to make the best of it. All the while falling for each other. And deciding not to consummate the marriage. And thinking they weren't good enough for the other.
Lord of Chance is about second beginnings - not necessarily when it comes to love, but when it comes to life. And Anthony and Charlotte both worked hard to better themselves. To earn their keep in an honest way. And to be worthy of each other. Charlotte was delightful, because she was fighting her attraction with everything she had - lest she end up like her mother. Her logical thinking got society ladies lining up for her advice, though, and Anthony managed to make a business out of that.
Written in third person past tense, the narration shared more than enough with the reader to let me feel like I got to know the main characters well. I was rooting for them so much I wanted to cheer when they made progress.
This particular posting house was a bit dear, given the unpredictable condition of Anthony's purse, but he'd chosen it for that very reason. Rich guests meant higher profits at the gaming tables.
Then again, Fate alone dealt the hands. All the subtle cues in the world were useless without the capacity to win.
Miss Charlotte Devon hefted the three gaming purses in her hands and hesitated. Should she play another round? She wasn't penniless. She wasn't even risking the entire pot. She could afford the wager.
Lord of Chance is a fantastic start to Ridley's new historical romance series. I loved both Charlotte and Anthony, their vulnerabilities were so well hidden they hardly even noticed them anymore themselves.
Lord of Chance showed the backside of the ton, of how it was to try to live up to the ideals of people who could change their mind on a whim. Anthony had fled London for Scotland to escape his creditors. An inveterate card-player, he owed much more than he could win back in time to escape jail. Charlotte was looking for an elusive laird, the one who had left his mother behind before he knew she was with child. And which has let Charlotte's mother make ends meet by being a courtesan.
Both Anthony and Charlotte felt like they weren't worth much as human beings, and Lord of Chance was Anthony's nickname as he sometimes managed to keep his family in riches thanks to playing cards. Now his luck was up, though, and he needed to figure out what to do so he wouldn't end up in jail. To top it all, he ended up married with Charlotte due to a misunderstanding of Scottish law, and I chuckled to myself as the pair tried to make the best of it. All the while falling for each other. And deciding not to consummate the marriage. And thinking they weren't good enough for the other.
Lord of Chance is about second beginnings - not necessarily when it comes to love, but when it comes to life. And Anthony and Charlotte both worked hard to better themselves. To earn their keep in an honest way. And to be worthy of each other. Charlotte was delightful, because she was fighting her attraction with everything she had - lest she end up like her mother. Her logical thinking got society ladies lining up for her advice, though, and Anthony managed to make a business out of that.
Written in third person past tense, the narration shared more than enough with the reader to let me feel like I got to know the main characters well. I was rooting for them so much I wanted to cheer when they made progress.
This particular posting house was a bit dear, given the unpredictable condition of Anthony's purse, but he'd chosen it for that very reason. Rich guests meant higher profits at the gaming tables.
Then again, Fate alone dealt the hands. All the subtle cues in the world were useless without the capacity to win.
Miss Charlotte Devon hefted the three gaming purses in her hands and hesitated. Should she play another round? She wasn't penniless. She wasn't even risking the entire pot. She could afford the wager.
April 24, 2017
Three and a half stars.
Charlotte Devon is the illegitimate daughter of a Scottish Laird and a courtesan. She has fled London (and her mother) to try to find her father. She knows little other than his surname and the fact that he gave her mother a ruby necklace and matching earrings. In a Scottish Inn she stumbles across a group of gentlemen playing three-card Brag.
Mr Anthony Fairfax is a gentleman who has supported his family since he was 14 years old by gambling. Unfortunately, his luck has run dry of late and he has fled north to Scotland to escape his creditors and hopefully recoup some of his losses. His luck appears to be on the turn, something he attributes to the young woman sitting in the corner watching the game.
Unfortunately, Lady Luck knows when men are desperate and a series of unfortunate coincidences result in Charlotte and Anthony being married (it hinges on an ancient Scottish law which means if you state, in front of witnesses, that you are married then legally you are married). Then Anthony's creditors send the bailiffs after him and there is a very real danger that Charlotte could lose her winnings AND her jewels if Anthony doesn't pay his debts within two weeks. The two hatch a plan to annul their marriage whilst still trying to raise £2,000 to pay off Anthony's debts.
At first this dragged a little for me. It was the age old tale of married by mistake but being fiercely attracted to each other and having to resist (although admittedly the reasoning was better thought out than most). But then, just over halfway the book improved immeasurably, Anthony had a come to Jesus moment and realised that relying on gambling to look after his family is a bad idea.
Overall, this was an interesting story, Charlotte's experiences as the daughter of a courtesan were less rosy than other novelists would lead you to believe, less satin and more uncomfortable bruises. Although Anthony's family are spendthrifts they aren't blind to the problems they face and Charlotte realises some hard truths about her mother and father.
After a slow start I really enjoyed this, the story focused more on those struggling to survive on the fringes of society than the ton. Looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Charlotte Devon is the illegitimate daughter of a Scottish Laird and a courtesan. She has fled London (and her mother) to try to find her father. She knows little other than his surname and the fact that he gave her mother a ruby necklace and matching earrings. In a Scottish Inn she stumbles across a group of gentlemen playing three-card Brag.
Mr Anthony Fairfax is a gentleman who has supported his family since he was 14 years old by gambling. Unfortunately, his luck has run dry of late and he has fled north to Scotland to escape his creditors and hopefully recoup some of his losses. His luck appears to be on the turn, something he attributes to the young woman sitting in the corner watching the game.
Unfortunately, Lady Luck knows when men are desperate and a series of unfortunate coincidences result in Charlotte and Anthony being married (it hinges on an ancient Scottish law which means if you state, in front of witnesses, that you are married then legally you are married). Then Anthony's creditors send the bailiffs after him and there is a very real danger that Charlotte could lose her winnings AND her jewels if Anthony doesn't pay his debts within two weeks. The two hatch a plan to annul their marriage whilst still trying to raise £2,000 to pay off Anthony's debts.
At first this dragged a little for me. It was the age old tale of married by mistake but being fiercely attracted to each other and having to resist (although admittedly the reasoning was better thought out than most). But then, just over halfway the book improved immeasurably, Anthony had a come to Jesus moment and realised that relying on gambling to look after his family is a bad idea.
Overall, this was an interesting story, Charlotte's experiences as the daughter of a courtesan were less rosy than other novelists would lead you to believe, less satin and more uncomfortable bruises. Although Anthony's family are spendthrifts they aren't blind to the problems they face and Charlotte realises some hard truths about her mother and father.
After a slow start I really enjoyed this, the story focused more on those struggling to survive on the fringes of society than the ton. Looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
September 20, 2020
This book is exhausting to read. It's a cute idea, the characters are both solid and could be truly enjoyable, if only there was a plot and if they didn't spend endless paragraphs thinking completely contradictory statements. She needs money, she has enough, but she needs it, no she doesn't. He'll never work, but he'll work odd jobs, but maybe as an apprentice, but not really. There's no thought or idea on the part of either character that isn't belabored to death with conclusions that swing wildly back and forth. I found myself wishing they'd both fallen off a cliff by the end of the novel.
The story has potential with it's "accidently married" trope, but hero has a gambling addiction, that is never seriously addressed, except to be solved by the power of love. I hate to tell anyone this, but that's not how it works.
There's also a weird amount of characters falling to their knees in this story. Enough that it really stuck out.
If you're looking for a high heat read, don't bother. There's barely any sexual tension, a bit of making out, and a sex scene that starts at 85% of the way through the novel and is done by 86%. It's also not well written or interesting.
I don't recommend this book to anyone, it drags about ten pages of plot out to novel length, makes anything remotely interesting boring by repeating it forty times, and finally has an ending that doesn't really solve much of anything. The best scenes happen off-page. (Like, the hero is at a masquerade sex party and it's just skipped.) Find something else to read that isn't this.
The story has potential with it's "accidently married" trope, but hero has a gambling addiction, that is never seriously addressed, except to be solved by the power of love. I hate to tell anyone this, but that's not how it works.
There's also a weird amount of characters falling to their knees in this story. Enough that it really stuck out.
If you're looking for a high heat read, don't bother. There's barely any sexual tension, a bit of making out, and a sex scene that starts at 85% of the way through the novel and is done by 86%. It's also not well written or interesting.
I don't recommend this book to anyone, it drags about ten pages of plot out to novel length, makes anything remotely interesting boring by repeating it forty times, and finally has an ending that doesn't really solve much of anything. The best scenes happen off-page. (Like, the hero is at a masquerade sex party and it's just skipped.) Find something else to read that isn't this.
April 9, 2017
Tender and true--in the end!
Not quite a rags to riches story, in fact almost the opposite. When two young people in a Scottish border town discover the distinct disadvantage to having a lack of knowledge about the local laws and customs, their lives change unequivocally.
Inveterate gambler Anthony Fairfax is trying to gain enough money to pay his vowels to a London gambling house. A gentlemanly sense of duty to a damsel in distress and the looming certainty of danger to his person has him falsely declaring their marital state within the hearing of others.
A young woman, Charlotte Devon, daughter of an infamous London courtesan is seeking her lordly unknown father. Desperation has called for desperate measures.
As these two discover each other (well thrown together by chance and mischance really) and each realizes their own self worth, a charming love story unfolds.
Love reforms this gallant rogue and holds him to a steady path. Two people with telling backgrounds find the secret to overcoming their pasts.
A NetGalley ARC
Not quite a rags to riches story, in fact almost the opposite. When two young people in a Scottish border town discover the distinct disadvantage to having a lack of knowledge about the local laws and customs, their lives change unequivocally.
Inveterate gambler Anthony Fairfax is trying to gain enough money to pay his vowels to a London gambling house. A gentlemanly sense of duty to a damsel in distress and the looming certainty of danger to his person has him falsely declaring their marital state within the hearing of others.
A young woman, Charlotte Devon, daughter of an infamous London courtesan is seeking her lordly unknown father. Desperation has called for desperate measures.
As these two discover each other (well thrown together by chance and mischance really) and each realizes their own self worth, a charming love story unfolds.
Love reforms this gallant rogue and holds him to a steady path. Two people with telling backgrounds find the secret to overcoming their pasts.
A NetGalley ARC
February 22, 2022
Although this isn't as good as the other books by the author I've read, it is still a very kind romance, and light on the sex scenes if you're looking for something of that nature. Charlotte is a bit too naive and both characters come with an impressive collection of matched emotional baggage, but their story is sweet - even if I thought I was on the last chapter three times before the book finally ended.
May 5, 2020
2/3 stars!
I love historical romances but unfortunately this one didn't really do it for me. It was a sweet read but I got a bit bored reading this book.
I love historical romances but unfortunately this one didn't really do it for me. It was a sweet read but I got a bit bored reading this book.
February 14, 2019
3.5 - Voto
.
"Vent’anni prima, Judith Devon era stata una delle cortigiane più famigerate di tutta Londra. Ora, era semplicemente… vecchia. Dimenticata dai galantuomini. Perseguitata dalle classi inferiori… da cui provenivano gli unici clienti che le erano rimasti. Negli ultimi ventidue anni, Charlotte e Judith avevano potuto contare solo sull’aiuto reciproco. Le signore e i gentiluomini perbene le trattavano come spazzatura. La società non permetteva mai a Charlotte di dimenticare le sue radici infami. Da quando era grande abbastanza da gattonare, i visitatori di sua madre le lanciavano sempre una moneta dopo aver finito e le dicevano quanto fosse fortunata a essere la copia della sua splendida genitrice. Ma non era una fortuna. Era una disgrazia. Il fatto che tra loro due ci fossero solo quindici anni di differenza significava che, quando Charlotte era cresciuta, la gente aveva cominciato spesso a confonderle per strada. A indicarla col dito. A sputarle addosso. Impossibile negare la sua ascendenza; impossibile salvare la sua reputazione. Era una figlia illegittima. La figlia di una meretrice. Rovinata sin dalla nascita."
.
Con Il Signore della Fortuna inizia una nuova serie dove affascinanti briganti e libertini troveranno l’amore e la loro fortuna. Anthony Fairfax è un gentiluomo che frequenta il ton grazie ad amici altolocati, la sua è una famiglia ben strana, nessuno di loro ha mai fatto un giorno di lavoro e hanno sempre vissuto alle spalle di Anthony. In questo modo, nel corso degli anni, sono passati da grandi case piene di servitù ad altre molto più modeste nei momenti in cui le carte gli sono state ostili. E in questo momento Anthony si trova in Scozia proprio sperando di ritrovare lì la buona sorte, così da poter tornare a Londra con il necessario per pagare i suoi ingenti debiti. Nella locanda dove sta giocando, sembra che la Dea bendata sia a suo favore e sta vincendo una discreta somma, mentre osserva con piacere una dama con una splendida collana di rubini.
Charlotte, la dama in questione, ha problemi pressanti, fuggita da Londra alla ricerca della rispettabilità, che non ha mai avuto, è alla ricerca di quel padre che non ha mai conosciuto e che crede sia un laird scozzese che si chiama Dìodanair: un uomo gentile e nobile che non ha mai saputo che la sua breve storia con una nota cortigiana ha portato alla nascita di Charlotte. Oltre al timore di non essere accettata nella famiglia del padre, Charlotte ha l’impressione di essere seguita da qualche giorno, ed è terrorizzata che le vogliano rubare la collana che porta sempre al collo: l’unica prova che può dare al genitore della sua reale identità. È stato infatti un suo regalo all’amante e proviene da una parure di quattro pezzi, inoltre la giovane si trova con poco denaro, ed è per questo che aveva chiesto di potersi sedere al tavolo da gioco. Anthony ha vinto molto ed è convinto che quella sera niente possa andare male, per questo quando gli altri giocatori rimasti in bolletta si alzano e la giovane chiede di nuovo di giocare, accetta, ma con sua grande costernazione perde tutto quello che ha vinto. Non gli rimangono più neanche i pochi scellini che deve al locandiere, e per questo chiede alla giovane una seconda partita che vede come posta la possibilità che lui sia al suo servizio come schiavo per l’intera notte. Neppure la seconda mano è a suo vantaggio, e Charlotte come ricompensa gli chiede di scortarla nella stanza, dato che la paura che l’accompagna si è fatta più acuta. Ma durante il breve tragitto viene molestata da degli ubriachi, e Anthony, per tutelarla e avere il diritto di accompagnarla in camera senza destare scandalo, afferma di essere suo marito. Una bugia che verrà ripetuta più volte ed espressa anche dalla stessa Charlotte nel momento in cui l’oste pretende che Anthony saldi il suo conto. Quello che nessuno di loro immagina, però, e che in Scozia affermare davanti a testimoni di essere sposati equivale a una cerimonia nuziale con tutti i crismi ed è perfettamente legale e vincolante. Così, il mattino dopo, Anthony scopre con sgomento di avere messo Charlotte in una situazione tremenda, ora che è sposata con lui, infatti, tutti i suoi averi sono del marito, compresa la fantomatica collana e hanno solo due settimane per trovare il modo di saldare il debito prima che lui finisca in prigione.
La prima cosa che vi sorprenderà è come Anthony reagirà alla scoperta di essere sposato, non si erano mai visti prima di quella sera, hanno giocato a carte, per un insieme di circostanze hanno passato la notte nella stessa stanza ed Anthony, dopo aver rivelato una grande bravura nello stirare i vestiti, ha parlato un po’ di se stesso, rivelando che in fondo la sua vita si è sempre basata sull’incertezza della fortuna. Ma fin dal primo momento in cui scopre di avere messo in pericolo e aver distrutto i sogni della donna, che è diventata sua moglie, decide di cambiare in modo repentino ribaltando completamente la sua vita. Basta con il gioco, disposto a fare qualsiasi tipo di lavoro, dal potare al mungere le mucche, e alla disperata ricerca di un modo di renderla di nuovo libera senza creare scandalo. Una volta poi appurato che sciogliere il matrimonio la danneggerebbe ancora di più, cerca con tutti i mezzi di poter trovare un modo di saldare i suoi debiti ed essere un marito degno di lei. E questo senza sapere neanche chi lei sia, dimostrando una grande nobiltà d’animo e di non aver mai pensato che le sue azioni potessero danneggiare qualcuno se non se stesso.
Da parte sua, Charlotte all’inizio è disperata, teme che essere sposata con un mascalzone impedisca a suo padre di riconoscerla, ma ancora di più lo sarà quando, decisa a salvare suo marito dalla prigione, gli rivela il nome del padre. Con sua disperazione, il marito le rileva che Dìodanair in gaelico significa protettore, e che non esiste nessun laird con quel nome.
Prova qualcosa per quel simpatico mascalzone che si è ritrovata per marito, adora che lui le parli come una sua pari e teme moltissimo ciò che accadrà quando scoprirà che sua madre è una nota cortigiana, la cui somiglianza con lei l’ha sempre messa in grande imbarazzo. Ma in questo, e molte altre cose, suo marito la sorprenderà. Si sono trovati sposati per caso, ma entrambi faranno davvero di tutto per aiutare l’altro a essere felice e Anthony riuscirà a farle sentire di essere una persona di valore, e che la sua nascita non dà diritto alla gente di credersi migliori di lei. E quando ormai non sarà più così importante per la sua felicità, Charlotte scoprirà anche chi è suo padre.
Un mascalzone redento, una donna che ha sempre cercato la rispettabilità e una famiglia che l’amasse, per una storia d’amore romantica e tutto sommato originale, anche se il cambiamento del protagonista lascia abbastanza increduli. Non troverete molta azione, non è un libro dai grandi colpi di scena, ma una lettura più che discreta che fa passare con piacere qualche ora. E se il nome Fairfax fa scattare qualche ricordo, Anthony è il fratello di Sarah Fairfax, la donna che il Duca di Ravenwood era intenzionato a sposare ne Il Generale Innamorato della serie I Duchi di Guerra, per impedire che il bambino del suo amico nascesse illegittimo. E cosa molto apprezzabile, pur essendo una serie edita in self, ci sono già le date dei prossimi capitoli della serie e il prossimo appuntamento di rimanda al 1° Marzo con Il Signore del Piacere.
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Lucia63 - per RFS
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"Vent’anni prima, Judith Devon era stata una delle cortigiane più famigerate di tutta Londra. Ora, era semplicemente… vecchia. Dimenticata dai galantuomini. Perseguitata dalle classi inferiori… da cui provenivano gli unici clienti che le erano rimasti. Negli ultimi ventidue anni, Charlotte e Judith avevano potuto contare solo sull’aiuto reciproco. Le signore e i gentiluomini perbene le trattavano come spazzatura. La società non permetteva mai a Charlotte di dimenticare le sue radici infami. Da quando era grande abbastanza da gattonare, i visitatori di sua madre le lanciavano sempre una moneta dopo aver finito e le dicevano quanto fosse fortunata a essere la copia della sua splendida genitrice. Ma non era una fortuna. Era una disgrazia. Il fatto che tra loro due ci fossero solo quindici anni di differenza significava che, quando Charlotte era cresciuta, la gente aveva cominciato spesso a confonderle per strada. A indicarla col dito. A sputarle addosso. Impossibile negare la sua ascendenza; impossibile salvare la sua reputazione. Era una figlia illegittima. La figlia di una meretrice. Rovinata sin dalla nascita."
.
Con Il Signore della Fortuna inizia una nuova serie dove affascinanti briganti e libertini troveranno l’amore e la loro fortuna. Anthony Fairfax è un gentiluomo che frequenta il ton grazie ad amici altolocati, la sua è una famiglia ben strana, nessuno di loro ha mai fatto un giorno di lavoro e hanno sempre vissuto alle spalle di Anthony. In questo modo, nel corso degli anni, sono passati da grandi case piene di servitù ad altre molto più modeste nei momenti in cui le carte gli sono state ostili. E in questo momento Anthony si trova in Scozia proprio sperando di ritrovare lì la buona sorte, così da poter tornare a Londra con il necessario per pagare i suoi ingenti debiti. Nella locanda dove sta giocando, sembra che la Dea bendata sia a suo favore e sta vincendo una discreta somma, mentre osserva con piacere una dama con una splendida collana di rubini.
Charlotte, la dama in questione, ha problemi pressanti, fuggita da Londra alla ricerca della rispettabilità, che non ha mai avuto, è alla ricerca di quel padre che non ha mai conosciuto e che crede sia un laird scozzese che si chiama Dìodanair: un uomo gentile e nobile che non ha mai saputo che la sua breve storia con una nota cortigiana ha portato alla nascita di Charlotte. Oltre al timore di non essere accettata nella famiglia del padre, Charlotte ha l’impressione di essere seguita da qualche giorno, ed è terrorizzata che le vogliano rubare la collana che porta sempre al collo: l’unica prova che può dare al genitore della sua reale identità. È stato infatti un suo regalo all’amante e proviene da una parure di quattro pezzi, inoltre la giovane si trova con poco denaro, ed è per questo che aveva chiesto di potersi sedere al tavolo da gioco. Anthony ha vinto molto ed è convinto che quella sera niente possa andare male, per questo quando gli altri giocatori rimasti in bolletta si alzano e la giovane chiede di nuovo di giocare, accetta, ma con sua grande costernazione perde tutto quello che ha vinto. Non gli rimangono più neanche i pochi scellini che deve al locandiere, e per questo chiede alla giovane una seconda partita che vede come posta la possibilità che lui sia al suo servizio come schiavo per l’intera notte. Neppure la seconda mano è a suo vantaggio, e Charlotte come ricompensa gli chiede di scortarla nella stanza, dato che la paura che l’accompagna si è fatta più acuta. Ma durante il breve tragitto viene molestata da degli ubriachi, e Anthony, per tutelarla e avere il diritto di accompagnarla in camera senza destare scandalo, afferma di essere suo marito. Una bugia che verrà ripetuta più volte ed espressa anche dalla stessa Charlotte nel momento in cui l’oste pretende che Anthony saldi il suo conto. Quello che nessuno di loro immagina, però, e che in Scozia affermare davanti a testimoni di essere sposati equivale a una cerimonia nuziale con tutti i crismi ed è perfettamente legale e vincolante. Così, il mattino dopo, Anthony scopre con sgomento di avere messo Charlotte in una situazione tremenda, ora che è sposata con lui, infatti, tutti i suoi averi sono del marito, compresa la fantomatica collana e hanno solo due settimane per trovare il modo di saldare il debito prima che lui finisca in prigione.
La prima cosa che vi sorprenderà è come Anthony reagirà alla scoperta di essere sposato, non si erano mai visti prima di quella sera, hanno giocato a carte, per un insieme di circostanze hanno passato la notte nella stessa stanza ed Anthony, dopo aver rivelato una grande bravura nello stirare i vestiti, ha parlato un po’ di se stesso, rivelando che in fondo la sua vita si è sempre basata sull’incertezza della fortuna. Ma fin dal primo momento in cui scopre di avere messo in pericolo e aver distrutto i sogni della donna, che è diventata sua moglie, decide di cambiare in modo repentino ribaltando completamente la sua vita. Basta con il gioco, disposto a fare qualsiasi tipo di lavoro, dal potare al mungere le mucche, e alla disperata ricerca di un modo di renderla di nuovo libera senza creare scandalo. Una volta poi appurato che sciogliere il matrimonio la danneggerebbe ancora di più, cerca con tutti i mezzi di poter trovare un modo di saldare i suoi debiti ed essere un marito degno di lei. E questo senza sapere neanche chi lei sia, dimostrando una grande nobiltà d’animo e di non aver mai pensato che le sue azioni potessero danneggiare qualcuno se non se stesso.
Da parte sua, Charlotte all’inizio è disperata, teme che essere sposata con un mascalzone impedisca a suo padre di riconoscerla, ma ancora di più lo sarà quando, decisa a salvare suo marito dalla prigione, gli rivela il nome del padre. Con sua disperazione, il marito le rileva che Dìodanair in gaelico significa protettore, e che non esiste nessun laird con quel nome.
Prova qualcosa per quel simpatico mascalzone che si è ritrovata per marito, adora che lui le parli come una sua pari e teme moltissimo ciò che accadrà quando scoprirà che sua madre è una nota cortigiana, la cui somiglianza con lei l’ha sempre messa in grande imbarazzo. Ma in questo, e molte altre cose, suo marito la sorprenderà. Si sono trovati sposati per caso, ma entrambi faranno davvero di tutto per aiutare l’altro a essere felice e Anthony riuscirà a farle sentire di essere una persona di valore, e che la sua nascita non dà diritto alla gente di credersi migliori di lei. E quando ormai non sarà più così importante per la sua felicità, Charlotte scoprirà anche chi è suo padre.
Un mascalzone redento, una donna che ha sempre cercato la rispettabilità e una famiglia che l’amasse, per una storia d’amore romantica e tutto sommato originale, anche se il cambiamento del protagonista lascia abbastanza increduli. Non troverete molta azione, non è un libro dai grandi colpi di scena, ma una lettura più che discreta che fa passare con piacere qualche ora. E se il nome Fairfax fa scattare qualche ricordo, Anthony è il fratello di Sarah Fairfax, la donna che il Duca di Ravenwood era intenzionato a sposare ne Il Generale Innamorato della serie I Duchi di Guerra, per impedire che il bambino del suo amico nascesse illegittimo. E cosa molto apprezzabile, pur essendo una serie edita in self, ci sono già le date dei prossimi capitoli della serie e il prossimo appuntamento di rimanda al 1° Marzo con Il Signore del Piacere.
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Lucia63 - per RFS
April 20, 2017
ARC REVIEW
First book of Erica Ridley's Rouges to Riches series. As much as I love Erica Ridley I was almost hesitant to read this book, I blame the blurb it just didn't appeal to me, but being I love Erica Ridley I picked it up and read it and I'll be damned if it's not one of the best one of hers I've read. Call me slow, I may or may not have known this beforehand and I just forgot, because I do that sometimes, but Anthony Fairfax is none other than the brother to Sarah Fairfax of The Brigadier's Runaway Bride (2015). It started kind of iffy, Anthony and Charlotte fell victim to the well known in Scotland but apparently not England law that if you announce yourself married boom you are legally married romance troupe. As tired of this troupe that I am this was cute and well executed. This has to be one of the best written books by Erica Ridley I ever read, the ending fell short for me but as a whole this story was really good.
Charlotte is the bastard daughter of a courtesan. She dreamed of a life different than her own, one where people accepted you and invited you places and didn't chant Charlotte the Harlot when they saw you. She also dreamed of having a father who would sweep her away and become a princess. Charlotte above all else wanted her father to love and accept her all she had to go by was what she assumed to be his name and a ruby matched set earrings and necklace. With the name she had she thought him Scottish and after a horrible argument with her mother she left to Scotland and vowed to find him.
Anthony is a well known gambler he started young and helped his family stay in fashion to fit in with the fashionable crowd. It wasn't easy and he was broke more often than he had money but being strapped for cash was never this bad; he owed the accumulative amount of two thousand plus scattered about but his so called friend bought all his vowels and demanded payment or else it was debtor's prison for him. Anthony escaped London to try some smaller venues to try his luck at the gaming table it wasn't until a small town in Scotland did he met up with his Lady Luck.
Charlotte and Anthony play a couple hands and he eventually loses everything to her. At the end of the evening in Charlotte's paranoia of someone finding out who she is she proclaims out loud that she and Anthony are married. It isn't until the next morning do they find out that it is legally binding and Anthony also discovers the severity of his debt. The emotional rollercoaster ride that Charlotte and Anthony go through strengthen the feelings and the bond between them. It shows Charlotte that not every who sees her expects her to be her mother and Anthony learn the his life doesn't have to revolve around a table. Not much action takes place it mostly internal conflict between their insecurities. I have to say that is the best part of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Despite the overall conflict being built up so much and then being solved so easily left me wanting more the romance and the character development was fantastic.
First book of Erica Ridley's Rouges to Riches series. As much as I love Erica Ridley I was almost hesitant to read this book, I blame the blurb it just didn't appeal to me, but being I love Erica Ridley I picked it up and read it and I'll be damned if it's not one of the best one of hers I've read. Call me slow, I may or may not have known this beforehand and I just forgot, because I do that sometimes, but Anthony Fairfax is none other than the brother to Sarah Fairfax of The Brigadier's Runaway Bride (2015). It started kind of iffy, Anthony and Charlotte fell victim to the well known in Scotland but apparently not England law that if you announce yourself married boom you are legally married romance troupe. As tired of this troupe that I am this was cute and well executed. This has to be one of the best written books by Erica Ridley I ever read, the ending fell short for me but as a whole this story was really good.
Charlotte is the bastard daughter of a courtesan. She dreamed of a life different than her own, one where people accepted you and invited you places and didn't chant Charlotte the Harlot when they saw you. She also dreamed of having a father who would sweep her away and become a princess. Charlotte above all else wanted her father to love and accept her all she had to go by was what she assumed to be his name and a ruby matched set earrings and necklace. With the name she had she thought him Scottish and after a horrible argument with her mother she left to Scotland and vowed to find him.
Anthony is a well known gambler he started young and helped his family stay in fashion to fit in with the fashionable crowd. It wasn't easy and he was broke more often than he had money but being strapped for cash was never this bad; he owed the accumulative amount of two thousand plus scattered about but his so called friend bought all his vowels and demanded payment or else it was debtor's prison for him. Anthony escaped London to try some smaller venues to try his luck at the gaming table it wasn't until a small town in Scotland did he met up with his Lady Luck.
Charlotte and Anthony play a couple hands and he eventually loses everything to her. At the end of the evening in Charlotte's paranoia of someone finding out who she is she proclaims out loud that she and Anthony are married. It isn't until the next morning do they find out that it is legally binding and Anthony also discovers the severity of his debt. The emotional rollercoaster ride that Charlotte and Anthony go through strengthen the feelings and the bond between them. It shows Charlotte that not every who sees her expects her to be her mother and Anthony learn the his life doesn't have to revolve around a table. Not much action takes place it mostly internal conflict between their insecurities. I have to say that is the best part of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Despite the overall conflict being built up so much and then being solved so easily left me wanting more the romance and the character development was fantastic.
April 7, 2017
Anthony Fairfax is in a gambling hell, on the border between Scotland and England, where he is gambling. Again. Gambling is Anthony’s way of supporting his family, and the difference between living decently or in the gutter. Anthony had noticed a particularly lovely woman, sitting by herself in a corner and watching. Anthony’s evening was going pretty well, and he surmised it might be because of the presence of “Lady Luck”, Charlotte Devon. Anthony has huge debts in England, and one big win might do it. He invites the pretty lady to join him, and he wagers everything he has. And of course, the silly fool loses everything to Charlotte, who is searching for her father. Then, because of Anthony’s very gallant gesture towards Charlotte, they both end up married. What are the chances that what happened in Scotland remain in Scotland? Not bloody likely!
Anthony really got himself in a dreadful pickle, and then inadvertently dragged Charlotte along as well, the poor thing, as if she didn’t already have enough worries. But what a delight it is to follow these two wonderful characters’ adventures! Charlotte has a fantastic and sad backstory, yet she is the strongest one; she is clever, ingenious, and straight as an arrow. Anthony has a debilitating gambling addiction, which occurred because of his family’s lofty ideals, and the issue is treated very realistically, it is not glossed over; he has to crawl his way out of the hellhole he got himself into. Granted that Anthony is rather impulsive, but I was never quite sure why he blurted out what he did, when he did; it could have been dealt otherwise, but then again, if he had, we would not have had this interesting marriage of convenience story, or rather marriage by accident!
The author mentions that LORD OF CHANCE is an expanded edition of a previously published story, and in certain places, unfortunately it shows. There is a scene, albeit cute, which serves no purpose, and there are several unnecessary repetitions, which is very unusual for Ms. Ridley.
In spite of Anthony being a reckless fool, I loved him so much; he is truly adorable, exceedingly naturally charming, kind, and utterly irresistible. Anthony and Charlotte are opposites in very unusual ways, and I loved the dynamic it created between them; Charlotte is endearing, easy to relate to, but Anthony is one of the best characters I have ever read: I saw him, his gestures, his smiles, his debonair attitude; he has charisma in spades and he felt so real to me, it was uncanny! So much in Anthony and Charlotte’s lives has to do on keeping up appearances, the meaning of family, of love, and it is riveting. And Anthony and Charlottes’s road to romance is absolutely lovely; they are two good people forced into an odd situation, but they are determined to succeed, whatever it takes. The ending was somewhat predictable, but still very satisfying.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Anthony really got himself in a dreadful pickle, and then inadvertently dragged Charlotte along as well, the poor thing, as if she didn’t already have enough worries. But what a delight it is to follow these two wonderful characters’ adventures! Charlotte has a fantastic and sad backstory, yet she is the strongest one; she is clever, ingenious, and straight as an arrow. Anthony has a debilitating gambling addiction, which occurred because of his family’s lofty ideals, and the issue is treated very realistically, it is not glossed over; he has to crawl his way out of the hellhole he got himself into. Granted that Anthony is rather impulsive, but I was never quite sure why he blurted out what he did, when he did; it could have been dealt otherwise, but then again, if he had, we would not have had this interesting marriage of convenience story, or rather marriage by accident!
The author mentions that LORD OF CHANCE is an expanded edition of a previously published story, and in certain places, unfortunately it shows. There is a scene, albeit cute, which serves no purpose, and there are several unnecessary repetitions, which is very unusual for Ms. Ridley.
In spite of Anthony being a reckless fool, I loved him so much; he is truly adorable, exceedingly naturally charming, kind, and utterly irresistible. Anthony and Charlotte are opposites in very unusual ways, and I loved the dynamic it created between them; Charlotte is endearing, easy to relate to, but Anthony is one of the best characters I have ever read: I saw him, his gestures, his smiles, his debonair attitude; he has charisma in spades and he felt so real to me, it was uncanny! So much in Anthony and Charlotte’s lives has to do on keeping up appearances, the meaning of family, of love, and it is riveting. And Anthony and Charlottes’s road to romance is absolutely lovely; they are two good people forced into an odd situation, but they are determined to succeed, whatever it takes. The ending was somewhat predictable, but still very satisfying.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
January 4, 2020
Trovate questa recensione sul mio blog: https://emmablackauthor.wordpress.com...
Di romanzi storici ne ho letti tanti e nel tempo diventano un po’ tutti simili. Così, dopo un periodo di stacco, ho ripreso in mano il genere con questo libro. Una delizia assoluta.
Lui è Anthony Fairfax: giocatore d’azzardo e libertino. Bello, intelligente, simpaticissimo. Una canaglia indebitata fino al collo e con una famiglia da mantenere.
Lei è Charlotte Devon. Occhi azzurri, capelli biondi, un fisico e una testa niente male. Fuggita da Londra, da una vita di amarezza e vergogna, è alla disperata ricerca di suo padre, di cui non sa praticamente nulla.
Complice una partita a carte, le loro vite si incrociano e per una stupida bugia si ritrovano sposati secondo la legge scozzese. Scoprono allora che le apparenze ingannano: lei è la figlia di una prostituta, i rubini che indossa sono l’unico bene che le può fare trovare suo padre e non ha altro piano se non quello. Anthony, invece, oltre a sapere stirare e rammendare, è dolce, premuroso, molto più onorevole di tanti altri blasonati.
Tra i dubbi, le paure e l’ombra scura della prigione che incombe su Anthony, i due iniziano a conoscersi, in un viaggio insieme di ritorno a Londra che sarà anche una rinascita, personale e di coppia.
Un finale meraviglioso e una storia dolce e indimenticabile, scritta meravigliosamente e con dialoghi, ambienti e situazioni credibili, perfettamente integrati nel periodo storico.
Se amate questo genere, ve lo consiglio di cuore.
Di romanzi storici ne ho letti tanti e nel tempo diventano un po’ tutti simili. Così, dopo un periodo di stacco, ho ripreso in mano il genere con questo libro. Una delizia assoluta.
Lui è Anthony Fairfax: giocatore d’azzardo e libertino. Bello, intelligente, simpaticissimo. Una canaglia indebitata fino al collo e con una famiglia da mantenere.
Lei è Charlotte Devon. Occhi azzurri, capelli biondi, un fisico e una testa niente male. Fuggita da Londra, da una vita di amarezza e vergogna, è alla disperata ricerca di suo padre, di cui non sa praticamente nulla.
Complice una partita a carte, le loro vite si incrociano e per una stupida bugia si ritrovano sposati secondo la legge scozzese. Scoprono allora che le apparenze ingannano: lei è la figlia di una prostituta, i rubini che indossa sono l’unico bene che le può fare trovare suo padre e non ha altro piano se non quello. Anthony, invece, oltre a sapere stirare e rammendare, è dolce, premuroso, molto più onorevole di tanti altri blasonati.
Tra i dubbi, le paure e l’ombra scura della prigione che incombe su Anthony, i due iniziano a conoscersi, in un viaggio insieme di ritorno a Londra che sarà anche una rinascita, personale e di coppia.
Un finale meraviglioso e una storia dolce e indimenticabile, scritta meravigliosamente e con dialoghi, ambienti e situazioni credibili, perfettamente integrati nel periodo storico.
Se amate questo genere, ve lo consiglio di cuore.
March 24, 2017
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
I really loved this book, Anthony and Charlotte are wonderful leads - He is charming, funny and supportive and she is loving, smart and practical - together they bring out the best in the other.
Anthony (brother to Sarah from The Brigadier's Runaway Bride) is a gambler and is currently "rusticating" in Scotland trying to win enough money to keep him out of debtor's prison. Charlotte is on a quest to find her father. When these two accidently end up married, it seems like they are doomed.
They agree to work together to find Charlotte's father and try to find a way to pay off Anthony's debt.
When Charlotte's dreams are crushed, Anthony really steps up. He doesn't want to end their marriage, but he doesn't want her to have to give up all she has to save him from prison. He decides to become worthy of her and gives up gambling.
Charlotte is crushed when she finds out the truth about her father, she had fantasied that meeting him would change her life for the better. She adores Anthony, but doesn't think she is good enough for him.
This is the story of two people who do not realize their own worth and don't really know how good their lives already are.
I loved how this story progressed and how it ended - it was really well done and believable.
I am happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to reading the series!
I really loved this book, Anthony and Charlotte are wonderful leads - He is charming, funny and supportive and she is loving, smart and practical - together they bring out the best in the other.
Anthony (brother to Sarah from The Brigadier's Runaway Bride) is a gambler and is currently "rusticating" in Scotland trying to win enough money to keep him out of debtor's prison. Charlotte is on a quest to find her father. When these two accidently end up married, it seems like they are doomed.
They agree to work together to find Charlotte's father and try to find a way to pay off Anthony's debt.
When Charlotte's dreams are crushed, Anthony really steps up. He doesn't want to end their marriage, but he doesn't want her to have to give up all she has to save him from prison. He decides to become worthy of her and gives up gambling.
Charlotte is crushed when she finds out the truth about her father, she had fantasied that meeting him would change her life for the better. She adores Anthony, but doesn't think she is good enough for him.
This is the story of two people who do not realize their own worth and don't really know how good their lives already are.
I loved how this story progressed and how it ended - it was really well done and believable.
I am happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to reading the series!
September 4, 2022
Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley is the first book in the Rogues to Riches series. I enjoy reading books by Erica Ridley but I have not read a lot in this series. The books can be read as standalones.
Charlotte Devon left home to look for her father. She believes he is Scottish and does not know about her. She is desperate to start a new life as she is the daughter of a courtesan. Finding her father might allow her to start again and have a family.
Anthony Fairfax is a gambler. He is running from various people he owes money to. Each time he gets into a game, he thinks he is going to make enough and help his family.
Charlotte and Anthony meet and due to weird circumstances they end up married under an old Scottish law. Just what they didn’t want. Now they need to find a pathway forward and Anthony must stop gambling in order to take care of Charlotte.
The book’s premise was different. I do like how the book ended up but I was not always on board with how they found themselves married. I did enjoy the book. Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley was a good read.
Charlotte Devon left home to look for her father. She believes he is Scottish and does not know about her. She is desperate to start a new life as she is the daughter of a courtesan. Finding her father might allow her to start again and have a family.
Anthony Fairfax is a gambler. He is running from various people he owes money to. Each time he gets into a game, he thinks he is going to make enough and help his family.
Charlotte and Anthony meet and due to weird circumstances they end up married under an old Scottish law. Just what they didn’t want. Now they need to find a pathway forward and Anthony must stop gambling in order to take care of Charlotte.
The book’s premise was different. I do like how the book ended up but I was not always on board with how they found themselves married. I did enjoy the book. Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley was a good read.
November 29, 2021
This was my first book by Erica Ridley and let me tell you, it won`t be my last.
That author can write, i mean - i really liked Charlotte & Anthony. They fit so good together and Anthony was kind, smooth, interesting and funny. Charlotte was a little damsel in distress sort of, but not much it would bother me. She stood up for herself, and saw Anthony for who he was. it was cute.
That author can write, i mean - i really liked Charlotte & Anthony. They fit so good together and Anthony was kind, smooth, interesting and funny. Charlotte was a little damsel in distress sort of, but not much it would bother me. She stood up for herself, and saw Anthony for who he was. it was cute.
October 20, 2022
Won as part of a goodreads give away.
This was a very cute book! It advertises as bridgerton like and it definitely is! Comforting and fun.
This was a very cute book! It advertises as bridgerton like and it definitely is! Comforting and fun.
April 12, 2017
I received an eARC in exchange for a honest review
If I put aside one aspect of this book, I have to say I liked it.
In general, it kept me interested and had a compelling story - an unwanted marriage that puts two people together and made them work towards one goal - separating. This, however, changed and became more than just a facade wedding.
My main problem was with the hero, Anthony Fairfax. He's a gambler, and he does it almost (not to say completely) without thinking. It's very hard for me to believe that he would stop so easily just because of Charlotte - and this is shown in a scene in the book. That made the story quite improbable to me, which made me question the entire plot. As I said, I had an aspect of the book that put it off for me, and this was it.
Apart from that, Anthony is the charming hero type, and Charlotte a strong woman that is looking for her father as a way of helping her and more so to discover herself. They go through several adventures together and he considers her his Lady Luck.
It's a well written book that gives you a good time, but with me not really liking gamblers it just wasn't as pleasant as it could have been.
If I put aside one aspect of this book, I have to say I liked it.
In general, it kept me interested and had a compelling story - an unwanted marriage that puts two people together and made them work towards one goal - separating. This, however, changed and became more than just a facade wedding.
My main problem was with the hero, Anthony Fairfax. He's a gambler, and he does it almost (not to say completely) without thinking. It's very hard for me to believe that he would stop so easily just because of Charlotte - and this is shown in a scene in the book. That made the story quite improbable to me, which made me question the entire plot. As I said, I had an aspect of the book that put it off for me, and this was it.
Apart from that, Anthony is the charming hero type, and Charlotte a strong woman that is looking for her father as a way of helping her and more so to discover herself. They go through several adventures together and he considers her his Lady Luck.
It's a well written book that gives you a good time, but with me not really liking gamblers it just wasn't as pleasant as it could have been.
April 18, 2017
Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley is a most excellent new Regency series. #1 in "Rogues to Riches".
**"The single title 2017 release is an expanded "Author Edition" of the story that first appeared in the Scandal's Daughters anthology."**
Charlotte Devon desperate to leave London and her tattered reputation behind, flees London to Scotland, in hopes of finding her estranged father,. She is hoping his noble blood will finally make her respectable. Anthony Fairfax, a charming rake, with a gambling problem, meets Charlotte, while on vacation. Hoping to find his fortune…and escape his creditors, but he founds himself married to Charlotte instead.
Well written, engaging characters, and the plot is mysterious, enticing and intriguing. A well thought out story of addiction, estrangement, passion, secrets, with laugh out loud moments and romance. Will they be able to leave their past demons behind, find their HEA? Or will all be lost?
A very enjoyable read with characters that will capture your heart and hold you glued to the pages of "Lord of Chance". Anthony and Charotte are definitely flawed characters but they are also lovable and Anthony is redeemable. I can't wait to read Book 2. Strongly recommended. A must read for Regency Romance fans.
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
**"The single title 2017 release is an expanded "Author Edition" of the story that first appeared in the Scandal's Daughters anthology."**
Charlotte Devon desperate to leave London and her tattered reputation behind, flees London to Scotland, in hopes of finding her estranged father,. She is hoping his noble blood will finally make her respectable. Anthony Fairfax, a charming rake, with a gambling problem, meets Charlotte, while on vacation. Hoping to find his fortune…and escape his creditors, but he founds himself married to Charlotte instead.
Well written, engaging characters, and the plot is mysterious, enticing and intriguing. A well thought out story of addiction, estrangement, passion, secrets, with laugh out loud moments and romance. Will they be able to leave their past demons behind, find their HEA? Or will all be lost?
A very enjoyable read with characters that will capture your heart and hold you glued to the pages of "Lord of Chance". Anthony and Charotte are definitely flawed characters but they are also lovable and Anthony is redeemable. I can't wait to read Book 2. Strongly recommended. A must read for Regency Romance fans.
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
April 5, 2018
4.5 stars
What really makes a great novel for me is likable/relatable characters. If I don't care about your characters and their struggle, then chances are that I won't be invested in your novel. But so far, Erica has not let me down. Anthony was the absolute sweetest guy!! When they first meet, he is willing to put his reputation and desperate situation aside in order to salvage hers, even though it ends up complicating both their lives later on. He was also willing to work hard in order to provide for his wife and accepts Charlotte for who she is and not where she comes from. Charlotte was also such a realistic character, and I felt for her so much in everything she's had to deal with. She was willing to put her trust in Anthony and believe in him when no one else did, and vice versa. Their story wasn't perfect and had PLENTY of obstacles, but I like how they were able to lean on and support each other. The ending was satisfying, and I'm excited to continue on in this series!
My Anthony Fairfax, trying to fight the temptation of the gambling tables..
Check out my reviews for LORD OF PLEASURE and LORD OF NIGHT here!
What really makes a great novel for me is likable/relatable characters. If I don't care about your characters and their struggle, then chances are that I won't be invested in your novel. But so far, Erica has not let me down. Anthony was the absolute sweetest guy!! When they first meet, he is willing to put his reputation and desperate situation aside in order to salvage hers, even though it ends up complicating both their lives later on. He was also willing to work hard in order to provide for his wife and accepts Charlotte for who she is and not where she comes from. Charlotte was also such a realistic character, and I felt for her so much in everything she's had to deal with. She was willing to put her trust in Anthony and believe in him when no one else did, and vice versa. Their story wasn't perfect and had PLENTY of obstacles, but I like how they were able to lean on and support each other. The ending was satisfying, and I'm excited to continue on in this series!
My Anthony Fairfax, trying to fight the temptation of the gambling tables..
Check out my reviews for LORD OF PLEASURE and LORD OF NIGHT here!
April 19, 2020
Disguised as a country miss, Charlotte Devon flees London, desperate to leave her tattered reputation behind. In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally make her a respectable debutante.
Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favour. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.
Anthony is charming he’s been living on his winnings for years & always manages to use said winnings to keep his family from dire straits. Charlotte wants to be known for herself not her mother’s daughter.
A very good start to the series. It’s a well written book, the pace is good & the characters are well rounded. I look forward to more in the series
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favour. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.
Anthony is charming he’s been living on his winnings for years & always manages to use said winnings to keep his family from dire straits. Charlotte wants to be known for herself not her mother’s daughter.
A very good start to the series. It’s a well written book, the pace is good & the characters are well rounded. I look forward to more in the series
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
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