The Earl’s Wagered Bride

Cerise
Deland
Genre: 
Historical

In “The Earl’s Wagered Bride,” the Countess of Marsden has invited every person of standing to her renowned Christmas party, with seven days and nights of frolicking, gossiping and match-making. Her three nieces, the Craymore sisters, who lost their fortune at the hands of their gambling, alcoholic father, are now forced to live at their aunt’s house. Marjorie Craymore has only one wish this Christmas: a new place to call home. She plans to achieve this by gambling against every wealthy guest present at her aunt’s party…and winning. But then Griffith Harlinger, the fourth earl of Madison, shows up, and he is charged with stopping Marjorie’s plans. He makes Marjorie a bet: if she wins, he’ll give her enough money to purchase her dream home. But are the odds in anyone’s favor when both of them are playing with their hearts? 

This is historical romance at its finest, with well-crafted, mysterious, complex characters, a well-researched historical setting, and excellent writing that pulls you in from the beginning. While the focus is on Marjorie, her other sisters get some spotlight time as well, and they might even meet some love interests too…Marjorie will be a favorite character because she has the most personality of all her sisters (maybe because she received the most screen time as well) and because she is a genuinely-caring, loving character who wants nothing more than to give her sisters a new home. 

Majanka Verstraete