The Gamble

by Jeanette Collins

High-stakes gambler Allan Rutledge backs the wrong horse at Epsom and has to take the shabby mail coach back to London. At the next stop, he encounters an uncommonly pretty girl, traveling alone. Allan helps her aboard, engages her in conversation and is amused by her attitudes.
Marissa Barrington, anxious and uncertain, reveals she has taken a huge gamble and run away from home to escape an unwanted suitor, the Duke of Ludlow. She hopes to take refuge with an aunt, but in London, the aunt cannot be found.
Allan receives startling news, the Duke threatens, and he and Marissa begin a harried journey across the countryside to evade him. Romance develops, but can either of them take the risk?

Genres: Regency

180 pages, ebook

First published October 26, 2022

About the author

I spent my career as a painter and came late to writing.

I have written contemporary romance/mysteries, and many of those are set in a small community in New Mexico, involving cattle ranchers, horse breeders, artists and writers and others who drift in. Often, a murder must be dealt with, and Sheriff Valdez and two of his deputies figure prominently. 'Elena Chavez' is one of these.

I moved to Regency romance, and 'Found Christmas was published.

In March of 2022 Norah Waverly, a paranormal/time travel romance was published.

This October 26, 2022, The Wild Rose Press will release 'The Gamble', a Regency romance/adventure. It's available for pre-order'
This gets us to October 25, 2023, and the release of 'Fiona and the Sailor', involving French spies, a sudden death, and a great story full of questions, doubts, and a heavy love affair.

I strive to create intelligent, self-aware characters, and maintain a tight story line. I include a cheerful amount of sex.

Read and enjoy. Thanks for your attention

Reviews

[Nabilah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley and The Wild Rose Press, Inc, for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought the blurb sounded good enough to try.

The good:
- A fast read
- Writing is clear

The not-so-good:
- This could be just a matter of preference; writing is easy to read, but the sentence structure is odd.
- The characters' emotions seem to change in the blink of an eye. It gave me a whiplash.
- The characters do not observe the social mores (Marissa getting into the hackney with only Allan inside, Allan bringing Marissa to his bachelor house, and Marissa doesn't mind sleeping at Allan's bachelor house).
- Characters need to be fleshed out more.
- Repetitive. Allan keeps feeling angry about his uncle, and Marissa keeps saying Allan doesn't want her, and the fact that they kept kissing doesn't clue her in?

I wished I could be more positive about the book. The book feels amateurish for a seasoned reader of the historical romance genre such as myself. I believe every book has an intended reader, but this book isn't for me.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a first time read for me by this author. I have to admit I was drawn to the book by the lovely cover and the blurb also caught my attention. I also like reading new authors and possibly adding a new favorite to my list. Although the writing was not quite what I expected, it was still a decent and entertaining read. I liked the premise of the story and while the plot was interesting and intriguing, I did however, find the sentence structure to be a bit distracting, which affected the overall flow for me.
Overall, the story had really good potential, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.