Miss Weston's Wager

Brides of Brighton #4

by Ashtyn Newbold

A forgotten past, an impossible wager, and a second chance.

Despite her every effort, Harriett Weston cannot forget the boy she once loved—or the day she banished him from her life forever. Trapped in a wager with her matchmaking sister, she can no longer avoid William forever. She is required to endure three meetings with him, the beginnings of a courtship that could easily undo the determination of her carefully guarded heart.

Matters are further complicated when an opportunity arises for Harriett to go to London for the upcoming season, and William’s return to Brighton leaves him injured and unable to remember his past. When Harriett is credited for saving his life, William is drawn to her, believing that she can help him unravel the mysteries of his lost memory. Even his lost memories of her.

When a wicked force tries to keep them apart, can Harriett and William overcome regret, find courage, and claim a second chance at love?

Don’t miss this installment in Brides of Brighton, a sweet regency romance series. Each story stands alone, but are best enjoyed when read in the order below:

A Convenient Engagement

Marrying Miss Milton

Romancing Lord Ramsbury

Miss Weston’s Wager

An Unexpected Bride

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

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

After meeting Harriett in her sister’s story, Romancing Lord Ramsbury, I was eager to see how her romance played out, especially after it was set up so perfectly. I’m glad I read the precursor book after this one was already released so that I have to wait to find out what happens. Goodness, Miss Weston’s Wager was both adorable and heartbreaking. I’ve never read a romance with an amnesia plot, nor have I read very many stories featuring a second chance for love. Those two tropes combined with a childhood-friends-to-lovers romance made for a thoroughly enjoyable story.

I liked Harriett, but goodness, I fell in love with William. He was just so adorable—so happy, kind, optimistic, and thoroughly endearing. (Not to mention he's a painter. How cute is that?) I loved watching him and Harriett rekindle their friendship and fall in love all over again, despite Harriett's stubborn resistance. Their romance was woven with frequent flashbacks from their fun and imaginative childhood, as well as the events that caused them to separate, which helped us get a complete picture of their relationship. I loved seeing how time, friendship, and love were able to heal the hurts of these characters' past in order to create forgiveness and another chance for love for them; the message about living in the present rather than the past was especially touching. Both Harriett and William experienced such a lovely growth and transformation, all set against the lovely Brighton seaside setting.

While Harriett clung to her dreams of marrying for wealth and title over love a bit too long (seriously, if William was in love with me, nothing would keep me from him!), and the meddling of William’s over-protective mother was annoying, overall Miss Weston’s Wager was delightful. This is definitely one of my favorites by this author. So cute and sweet.

[Rebecca Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too much tension…

I must confess, I didn’t like this one as much as I did the others. The romance is still sweet, but the tension drove up my anxiety and it was a bit too conflicting at times. The story was drawn out, but it was still a good read.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/17/2019)! 🎁

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved William and Harriet’s story! It was so sweet. They were the perfect pair! 😍

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest Ashtyn Newbold, like the others in her Brides of Brighton series, has all the elements you long for in a Regency romance. Cute scenarios that provide a perfect setup for people to fall in love when they were least expecting it, no glaring anachronisms, a light-hearted tone, and genuinely likeable protagonists with well-described motivation.
This one was fun and sweet as usual. The only thing that stilted my enjoyment a bit at the end was the extra level of manipulation that was laid on implausibly thick by the controlling mother. It happens a lot in this genre, but it always feels a little too manufactured to me. Other than that, though, I was as pleased as ever with this author's work!

[Cara H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all the Brides of Brighton Books and have enjoyed all of them. But Miss Weston's Wager might just be the best one yet! A must read for anyone who loves a clean regency romance! The main characters are endearing. The story line is adorable and unexpected. Do yourself a favor, stop reading the reviews and check out this book.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all in this series and absolutely loved this one! William was so endearing. He was so happy and kind and adorable. I thoroughly enjoyed the story because of him.
The whole amnesia plot is always fun in my opinion.
I love Ashtyn Newbolds books and she is a must read for me. Can’t wait for the next one!

[Yara · Rating 4 out of 5]

William and Harriett were just so adorable!! The amnesia trope is new to me so I didn’t know if I would like it, but it definitely added a layer of mystery and suspense that made the book so much more fun to read.

So cute and romantic! Definitely recommend.

4⭐️

[CI · Rating 1 out of 5]

Silly, stupid H - even given the era

The first introduction to Harriet is her thoughts on how jealous she is of her sister who married someone with a nice last name. Not nice because of who his name meant he was, but nice because of the way it sounds. She wants to marry someone with a nice sounding surname, a lofty goal. After the H is hurt, the h is annoyed because his nearly fatal injury is putting a damper on her excitement about having a London season. To be honest, I waited until the H with amnesia re-met the h (who he had known since childhood) and after that scene gave up on the entire book.

[Karen Thornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I read this book out of order and am now planning to go back and read the others! I've never read a regency book with the "amnesia" plot line, and it was thoroughly enjoying! William's carefree nature was infectious, and Harriett's stubborn mind and rebellious heart made for quite the page turner! I was a little frustrated at times with her back story--wondering why a girl would base her whole life and decisions on a brief visit from a cousin when she was 12. But overall, the characters were lovable, the plot line exciting, and the antagonist interesting. Cannot wait to read more!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four in this delightful series. It started right up where the last one left off. Harriett, and Grace, her sister, made a wager. Harriet lost , and as a result must spend three different times in the main company of William. She is worried because the last time that she saw him ,she was still considered a young girl, and she had hurt him deeply. She is dreading their meeting. During a walk, with her friend Rose, they see a large tree blocking the way through the woods, and a rider approaching much to fast. The horse rears up, and the rider falls. and in panic the horse kicks him in the head. It is none other than William, and the ladies scurry to help. This book was charming. William having Amnesia, and not remembering his childhood friend, and past heartache is like his old self. His mother does not want her to have the chance to hurt him again. The story lines weaves the questions if Harriett can live married to a barrister, and not a titled gentleman like her sister has found. How many times will he keep showing her he cares, and how long can she resist. The ending was perfect. I gave it a 5 because the amnesia was a fun way to get two broken hearts together, and she may have lost a wager, but discovered her heart. I wished there would have been an epilogue, so we may have known a little of their future of our couple.

[Ashlee (bookswithnopictures) · Rating 4 out of 5]

William 😍 That's all I can say about that!

His mother's involvement wasn't completely believable. Her abrupt change in her opinion of Harriet was unsatisfactory. Also, I think Mrs. Weston's opposition of William wasn't explained fully. I get the excitement of London, but her acceptance of Harriet's back and forth about going to London seemed a little shallow. Otherwise, this was another great read by Ashtyn. I definitely recommend her books and look forward to what she comes out with next.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet historical romance that I didn't want to put down. I loved the chemistry between William and Harriet. There is a wager between sisters Harriet and Grace, that they had to try to get a man of the other's choosing to court them and give it three meetings before giving up. The only problem with Grace's choice for Harriet is that the man has amnesia....or is it the only problem?

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

highly connected w romancing lord ramsbury

great great book and also highly recommend- just a little slow at first there were times i hated the FMC but she grew so much on me and i loved the ending

premise: girl loses bet and has to court w her ex childhood best friend

tropes:
- friends to enemies to lovers
- a bet
- he loses his memory
- period piece

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loving this series! 😍

This book had lots of happy moments in it for me. Right from the beginning the book grabs your attention at the reunion of William and Harriet. The turn of events surprised me and kept me reading. I love the humor and lightheartedness involved. It’s so true that as we get older our baggage and disappointments can weigh our hearts down. I enjoyed reading about the transformation of Harriet and of William. Just a fun love story.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet and clean entry into the Brides of Brighton series. While I personally wasn't as invested in Harriet and William, it was still an enjoyable read with nice character/relationship development. I look forward to continuing the series as they are published.

[Kathryn Noorani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!!! I really enjoyed this read!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Binged this in a day, cute regency read. Second chance romance is not a usual trope that I go for, but it really hit the spot this time. Also, his mother is a total B*tch. The Woooorrssstt.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star
I liked the characters and the storyline was interesting. Some of the struggle of not knowing what to do got a tad repetitive, but all in all it was an enjoyable read.

[Deon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on #KindleUnlimited

[Lisa McGuire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed with part of storyline

Williams mother is a nut job. I cannot understand her irrational attitude and behavior over something that happened nine years before when Harriet was 12 and her son 14. They were both still children. That whole part of the storyline was incredulous and poorly written. It diminished the book for me.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated PG: audiobook
Narrator: Katherine Anderson👍🏼👍🏼

A sweet series. Thankful for a different narrator.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she was twelve years old, Harriet Weston made a decision that broke William Harrison's heart. Nine years later, she has made a reluctant wager to meet the man three times to prove to her sister that it would be an impossible match. An accident has robbed William of his memory and he is determined to remember Harriet. Will these childhood friends reconcile or had past mistakes made love impossible?

This is a sweet tale. Though a reader could read it without the ones that come before, the previous books do add more dimension to this simple love story. Harriet's family is weighed down with debts, but her uncle has offered to send her to London for the season. It has been her ambition to make an excellent match, but she worries about fulfilling the wager she made with her sister. I found her irritation with everyone who had something to say about her relationship.

William was a kind hero, but it was difficult to pin down his personality because he was in the dark himself. Several characters comment on how different he behaves compared to before his memory loss. This made me uneasy. It is written although his heartbreak was to blame and all would be well once he won his lady. Are we to just ignore how nine years have passed and those years surely meant they both have changed? (Not to mention they apparently fell in love as children?)

Still, this was an enjoyable read for a rainy day. I would recommend it to readers looking for a sweet Regency romance.

[Jessica McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriett is convinced by an older cousin she put aside her childish ways and that happiness is found by marrying nobility. Ha! She has been a regular playmate to neighborhood boy named William. The cousin convinces her to break her friendship with him. She goes to do it and he playfully challenges her resulting in her going into the Ocean to far. She starts to drown and he saves her barely escaping himself. She then says they can’t hang out. He is heartbroken. He becomes more serious and a barrister. He crashed off his horse years later on his way back to Brighton. He loses his memory. Harriett lost a bet to her sister Grace in the previous book and has to meet with William three times. They like each other and William has become more jovial, but still doesn’t remember her or their past. His mother is a helicopter parent 1800s style, and does not like Harriett. Harriett feels like he would not live her if he remembered. He feels it important to find out why he was riding like a bat out of hades. Turns out Grace has written him a letter of their bet and Harriett being available. He was rushing home for Harriett. The mother had taken his letter from Grace when she was carrying for him. He eventually remembers the conversation where he almost drown and Harriett was a snob. They get married.
This one was a rough one for me. I had to listen while engaged in other things as it went slow. It was a creative attempt. Not my favorite series from this author.

[B. D. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other highly competent reviewers have written in some detail about the storyline of this work, so I will not address the story itself. The author recommends reading the “Brides of Brighton” series in sequence. I followed her advice and heartily endorse following her recommendation. I have been blown away by this series. Seldom have I read a series where the author’s opening novel meets all my criteria for a five-star review and then goes on to improve with each succeeding book. [Maybe I need to raise my standards for a five-star award.] Now, as I read the teaser for the next and final book of the series, I discover that we will go full circle and explore a plot element first introduced in the opening book of this series. Ashtyn’s skill as an author of clean regency romance that adheres to Christian standards is unsurpassed. Her writing is bold and refreshing. Her character development is unparalleled. Her storylines are interesting and entertaining. As a matter of fact, she captures my attention so well that I find myself continuing to read until well after midnight, eager to discover where the story will take me. Needless to say, I give my highest recommendation to all my friends to put anything written by Ashtyn Newbold to the top of your “want to read” list.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chance, friends-to-lovers

Harriet seemed somehow superficial in the previous book, but here I understood why. She was trying to escape the emptiness she feels as a result of a huge mistake she made as a child. She and William have a second chance to connect. The story from the previous book continues: Harriet has to fulfill her part of the wager and meet 3 times with William. She dreads this because they haven't spoken in 9 years and she is sure he hates her. When he falls off his horse on his way home, she whiteness the accident and is able to help. But because of the accident he looses his memory. Which as it turnes out, is a good thing because he again becomes the jovial, playful person he used to be as a child... and he is again drawn to Harriet. The mothers of the two play a major role in the relationship between the two and at times they acted as real villains (happily it all ends well).
Narrative: 3rd person following Harriet and William
Religion: none
Sensually: chaste, only a couple of kisses

[c. anne ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I am reading these out of order. No, I don’t care.

I haven’t enjoyed a book this much by Ashtyn Newbold since Mischief and Manours, which remains one of my favourite regencies to this day. Well, this book might join that ever-growing list.

The characters are frustrating, unique, enjoyable, tangible, stubborn and memorable. Harriett is such a mixture of blindness and sweetness, I don’t know whether to hate or love her. William is likeable... I don’t know if I love him. But I enjoy them together, so much.

This may seem odd after declaring my fondness for this story— I believe it’s because the writing, the plot, the characters all work together to form an original twist on a regency childhood friends to lovers idea.

As always, the content is clean, the story intriguing and it’s a light(ish) read that you can honestly just sit down and enjoy.



** i received in arc in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect any opinions stated. **

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book got off to a slow start and the pacing of the whole book is slower than many stories but in the end it was my fav of series so far. I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks but I think they worked here because it allowed the author to show us what had happened instead of just telling us.

I loved William. I loved his cheerful nature despite the difficulties of dealing with memory loss. He was very charming. Harriet I had a harder time liking but I think the real villain in that was her cousin who we don't meet until much later in the story. A 16 year old shouldn't have so much sway and influence over a 12 year old and the unfortunate result was years of sorrow for more than just Harriet. I kept wondering what kind of a marriage/life situation the cousin ended up living in because it would have served her right to be fully miserable.

I'm glad William and Harriet got their second chance.

No sex, language or violence

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typically do not like books about people with amnesia- they have a tendency to resemble soap operas. I liked this one, however. It’s still a bit cheesy and is too easily resolved, but is a nice “fluff” read. And it’s clean. This book seems to be able to be read as a stand-alone. I have not read the others. But the characters from the previous books are mentioned so it might be nice to know more about them. They may also give a better idea of Harriett’s current personality better. I did feel that was lacking in this book a bit.

A tiny spoiler:

I did find it pretty crazy that the mother held something the girl said when she was 12 against her. For years. I mean... she was 12... Let the girl apologize and get over it already. That was a bit much I thought, but there needed to be a “bad guy” I guess. 🤷‍♀️

[Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

♬ (Audiobook Review)
3.5 ⭐ stars

It was cute, but in my opinion the last quarter of the book was a weaker than the rest. Probably to do with some particular characters and the drama they brought. Felt a bit unnecessary or could have been portrayed a bit better.

spoiler: Harriett's cousin was supposed to be a big part of her past, but I felt like the motivations for Harriett to do what she said wasn't quite strong enough. Even if you chop that up to purely a child's admiration for an older cousin, I still found it odd that the cousin just vanishes after the flashback. She could have played a bigger part in the story or replaced with someone else. William's mother was also an odd character, her personality was quite extreme which made her 'remorse' unbelievable.

Still, found the story to be sweet and William was a pleasant male lead.