In the realm of Regency society, where desire is a dangerous game, One Wanton Wager follows Lady Daphne Summerville and the audacious Earl of Brunsford, Alex Beauchamp, as their clash of wills and magnetic attraction ignite a tempestuous love affair. Amidst stolen kisses and a perilous wager, they must navigate the treacherous waters of their hearts, discovering if a rogue's pursuit can lead to an everlasting love that defies all odds.
In a world where desire ignites with a single touch, the Regency saga of the A Castle Romance series continues with a tale of tempestuous hearts and daring wagers. Delve into the captivating story of One Wanton Wager as passion collides with pride, and love's flames are fanned by the winds of fate.
Daphne the widowed Viscountess Gilford, finds herself ensnared in a web of familial obligations and societal expectations. No longer content to live off the charity of her late husband's family, she resolves to chart her own path. Seeking a husband becomes her mission, though an alluring obstacle stands in her way—a rogue whose charms are as dangerous as they are undeniable.
Alex Beauchamp, the audacious Earl of Brunsford, a man with a reputation for charming his way into the hearts of women. From the instant his eyes meet Daphne's, he is captivated by the fire within her. However, his intentions are far from noble; he envisions her as a willing companion to his illicit desires. But Daphne is no damsel to be swayed by a rogue's empty promises, and she rebuffs his advances with an unyielding spirit.
Undeterred, Alex devises a daring proposition—an irresistible wager that could forever alter the course of their lives. He offers to secure Daphne's future if she grants him the privilege of pursuing her affections, albeit in secret. The stakes are set, the challenge accepted, and the rules each stolen kiss shared between them fuels the spark of a hidden passion.
As their game of hearts unfolds, Daphne and Alex dance upon the precipice of danger and desire. Yet, behind the veil of their entangled hearts, a storm of emotions brews, threatening to shatter the delicate balance they've crafted. With each stolen moment, they risk unraveling the very fabric of their souls.
In One Wanton Wager love's recklessness collides with reason, and the tempest of their emotions threatens to consume them whole. Can a wager born of mischief and longing transform into a love that defies all odds? Join Daphne and Alex as they navigate the treacherous waters of their hearts, and discover if a rogue's pursuit can lead to a love everlasting.
In the game of hearts, desire becomes a dangerous wager, and love's flames are fanned by fate's daring hand. Get ready to be swept away as One Wanton Wager beckons you into a Regency world where passion collides with pride.
USA Today Bestselling, Amazon All Star author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word.
This tension certainly creates a modicum of angst. In fact, one may begin to wonder if the couple will have a future together at all. For such a short story, the characters are well-drawn, and the plot is fleshed out nicely.
For a short story this was packed with highs and lows. I really enjoyed reading this. Lovely plot, although has been done before, but lovely HEA. I do love all these De Wolfe Connected World stories from different authors. 5☆
A really good story with the widow Lady Daphne Summerville and the Earl of Brunsford, Alex Beauchamp. A love affair ensues. Enjoyed this wonderful story. 5☆
As a widow, Lady Daphne Summerville, the widowed Viscountess Gilford, decides to make her own way rather than live off the charity from her deceased husband’s family, so she knows she must seek a husband. She meets Alex Beauchamp, Earl of Brunsford, who has arrived to help the family with some renovations they want to make to the castle. He is a major distraction to Daphne but he is not looking for marriage after a bad experience. He is attracted to Daphne as she is to him and hopes she will give in to his plan to have her become his mistress. Unfortunately for him, Daphne wants more than that. So Alex offers a wager to tempt her. He will provide money for her son’s education if she will allow him to pursue her affections secretly. She accepts the challenge. But at what point will the game they are playing become real as the feelings they are pretending deepen? And will they give in to that reality as they fall in love? Or will pride make them back off and deny what may be waiting for them? The narrator for the audiobook version, Marynn Franklin, brings the “reading” experience alive for the listener. She does a good job with the voices to personalize the story and make it easy for the listener to get an accurate impression of what each character is like. It helps to set the mood, familiarize the reader with the characters, and offers a pleasant way to “read” and enjoy the book.
I really enjoyed this story & the characters were wonderful. Alex LeBec, Earl of Bedford is out hero who is handsome, rich & has lived up to his reputation & nickname as "“The connoisseur of women”. He had been jilted several years ago by a lady he loved deeply & has no heart to return love so spends his time with women that require no connection. However, the first time he met Lady Daphne Sumerville, young widow Viscountess Gilford, he cannot get the beautiful lady out of his mind & knows he will bed her & make her his mistress.
Lady Sumerville has been a widow for over 3 years & realizes she cannot keep accepting charity from her in-laws & her young son, Henry will need to go to Eaton for an education. which will require her to remarry a man with money to pay for Henry's schooling. After meeting Alex, she has to admit that she understands why all the ladies are crazy for him but she also, knows she cannot let herself be fooled as he is not amiable to marriage & that is exactly what she needs.
Their relationship together & Alex's with Henry is so fun, romantic, touching, full of denial but in the end a HEA is found by all. I highly recommend this read to all historical romance readers - it is a quick, entertaining read with some spice towards the end.
"He may be the finest specimen of masculinity she'd ever laid eyes on. It wasn't hard to understand why women threw themselves into his bed." Thus were Daphne's thoughts as Alex, Lord Bedford walked into the room. Geez, talk about turning the pages as fast as I could! Lady Daphne, was a widow and with her son Henry, had decided she needed to take another husband. After all she was living off the charity of her in laws and she did not want to continue to be a burden to them. But when she meets Alex, it is hard for her to focus on anyone else! When Alex first saw Daphne, to say he was enthralled hardly even describes his feelings. He is determined to have her and wants to make her his mistress. But she will not have it. He will not give up and when the idea comes he proposes a wager that Daphne cannot help but accept. Because she knows she will win! Alex will give her money to fund her future if she will allow him to court her. But there is a hitch that may make resistance futile! Prepare to be charmed as Amanda Mariel weaves her delightful prose that will capture you and not let go until the end! My heart is smiling!
Loved Alex and Daphne’s wonderful story of instantaneous attraction, passion and ultimately love. Alex doesn't realise that he is lost from the moment he sets eyes on her. Alex is a rogue who loves women. Daphne is a widowed mum to a young boy and Viscount. Daphne does not want to marry a rogue let alone be attracted to one, but funds are low and her son needs schooling, schooling that she hopes her generous in-laws won't insist on paying for. So remarry she must. Alex wants her, but at what cost to Daphne and her heart and will Alex realise that what he needs is someone he never expected to find before it is too late.
I completely enjoyed the time I spent reading this wonderful romance. The characters are enjoyable and the pretense of the house full of guests is quite imaginable. Lady Daphne Summerville has become tired of accepting charity of her late husbands’ family and would like nothing more that to find a marriage, of love, to a handsome man. But the only man that seems to be interested, she wants nothing to do with. However, her son finds this man to be quite fun and enjoys being with him. Amanda Mariel had provided a wonderful adventure on the road of romance, or maybe not.
Daphne is a widow with a son. Alex is a rake. Alex wants Daphne as a mistress but Daphne doesn't want that type of life. And so a wager is struck. A pleasant story and book two of a series. Filled with old friends and some new ones as well. Characters with depth and no great drama or mystery. Well written with some light banter.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sweet, endearing story of two people, who had never thought of finding true love for the second time, finding ever-lasting love. Easy to read. Did not take too much time to read. Thoroughly enjoyed.
The writing was good, so don't judge my rating on that. It's just that this novella seemed to be plopped right in the middle of an ongoing series and had a whole heap of characters for suuch a short read. I couldn't get into it, sorry.
Thanks to Booksprout for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.
This is book 2 of A Castle romance, and involves the cousin of Camden Beauchamp (from book 1), Alex Beauchamp, the Earl of Brunsford visiting the castle to help Cam and Rebecca renovate Almerry. There, he meets the widowed Daphne Summerville, and is determined to seduce her and make her his mistress.
Daphne, as a young, widowed single mother, is determined to not live on the charity of her in-laws, and plans on marrying again to provide for herself and her son, as her young soldier husband, Roland, the Viscount Gilford, did not provide for them in his death. Despite being attracted to the handsome rake, Alex, she is determined not to fall for his charms, knowing he is not looking to marry.
Despite her determined resistance to his seduction, Alex chases after Daphne, determined to get her into his bed. But as he spends time with her and her young son, he starts to desire something beyond bed sport, not realizing until it is almost too late, that he is falling in love with her.
This was a pretty straight forward romance, with a cute second chance at love story, for Daphne, with a reformed rake theme. It had some steamy heat between Alex and Daphne as they give into their desire for each other and a sweet family element as Alex and her young son develop a relationship. The castle and the legend of it's previous owners are again at play in the background. This appears to be a revamp of a previous book by the same name with what appears to be some reworked names - but I did not read the earlier book by the author so I am not sure if there are other changes.
I've read and listened to a lot of books by this author, and I generally think she does a good job. That's why I picked up this book when I saw it at a book review site, even though I thought the book description was WAY overblown. If it's still the same at booksellers like Amazon, it's not quite as depicted. It's not quite as exciting as all that! It's still a relatively decent story—though not a great one—but I hate it when book descriptions make a book sound much more exciting and over the top than they really are. The wanton wager doesn't feel incredibly wanton to me, though the alliteration is nice and what the author was undoubtedly going for. I loved the relationship the heroine had with her young son. The hero was at his best when getting to know and entertain the little boy. She is a widow, and she is all consumed thinking about protecting her son’s future. She doesn’t want to be a burden to her family; she wants them to make their own way. That's how she gets tangled up in the wager with the hero. But once the wager is truly on, both become a bit uncomfortable with all its circumstances. The hero makes a grand gesture at the end that the heroine rebuffs. I wasn't particularly wild about other story elements that I won't go into. If you're already familiar with this author's work and like it, you will probably enjoy this story even with its faults.
I received a free digital copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Loved. it! Daphne has been a widow for three years, raising her son and living with her in-laws. She knows she must remarry, as she abhors living off the charity of her late husband’s parents, even though she adores them. Enter Alex, a handsome rogue and cousin to Daphne’s sister-in-law’s mew husband. Their attraction is immediate and palpable. But…..having been jilted once, and having his heart shattered, Alex has vowed never to marry, and Daphne will be no man’s mistress. This story will pull at your heartstrings as Daphne struggles with the love she has/had for her now deceased husband, the love she feels for Alex and the need to do right by her son. Alex runs the gamut of emotions until he has an epiphany and comes to his senses. In the meantime, there are hot kisses, sultry glances and a whole lot of steamy thoughts. This is a quick story filled with adorable moments, intense emotions and a delightful ending which tees up the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well written, full of love, drama, emotions, steamy, second chances, fast paced story. Daphne is a widow with a 3 year old son to care for. She wants to find a husband who would be good to her and her son and he able to start a new life. She is just tired of living off her died husband's family. Alex is there visiting family at the castle and sees Daphne for the first time and decides that she would make a good mistress for him. They both have different feelings about the other at first. He offers her a wager which she counters with her own, she thinks in doing this she can win without losing anything. Both feel that they each win win the wager but as time goes on she realizes that she can't win without losing her heart. Alex has issues but doesn't want to lose her or the bet. What can they do about how to win. Glad to read that all works out for them, can't wait for the next book in this series. Would recommend to others.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Daphne Summerville, Viscountess Gilford, is a widow with a young son who is now Viscount Gilford. Unfortunately, her husband left her only a small inheritance. She has decided it is time for her to marry so that she can ensure her son’s education and their future. When Rebecca and Camden return to Almerry Castle, Alex Beauchamp, Earl of Brunsford, and Camden’s best friend comes to help with the restoration. While there is an instant attraction between Alex and Daphne, they are at cross purposes. She is looking for marriage; he is looking for a mistress. Alex offers her a wager that, win or lose, guarantees funds for Henry’s education. Will she accept, take the risk that she can resist him? This is a short steamy romance with likable characters. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Alex and Henry. Is it possible that Almerry’s magic will bring them all a happy ending? I received an ARC of this book via BookSprout and voluntarily reviewed it.
💫💫ONE SPECTACULAR JOURNEY💫💫 Busting brains Bob! Amanda flat brings it with this delightfully salacious, decadently addictive and impressively sinful, tilt-our-world piece of wonder. Bumbling through a minefield teeming with unquenchable drama, unyielding intrigue and unabated suspense as the captivating situations unravel, igniting the spellbinding twists and stunning turns. Entwined, combined and crispy coiled, as the gripping ups and tumultuous downs arise, luring you deeper into this tangled web until nothing else exists. The characters chemistry, temperament and authentic personalities play off one another with such gifted insight so skillfully compelling, bursting this gem to life spectacularly. The scenarios are varyingly descriptive with graphically illustrative scenes that blend smoothly, forming a sensational backdrop so vibrant and adorned it makes the storyline explode. Amazing job Amanda, thanks for sharing this awesome treat with us.
One wanton Wager is a short novella about widow, Daphne Summerville who meets Alex Beauchamp, the Earl of Brunsford while visiting her sister in law's home. She and Alex are almost instantly attracted to each other but Daphne resists the attraction until Alex tempts her with a wager. If she can resist him while at the same time she spends time with him, he will provide money for her son, Henry to pay for his school education. A fast and steamy read which provides both the H and h a second chance at love if they are willing to take it.
I received an ARC from Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review
This is a quick and enjoyable story. Daphne lives with her in-laws with her three year old son. She is widowed, and would like to get out from the in-laws residence. Alex is a sworn bachelor. They meet while Alex is at the residence visiting family. Alex is attracted to Daphne, and he is in the market for a new mistress. The two make a wager, both feel they can win, and neither want to risk losing. I won’t tell the rest of the story, but it has a HEA. It is well written. The characters are well developed and relatable. The narration was excellent. I received a free copy of this audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Viscount’s widow Daphne is attracted to rakish Earl Alex, but she feels there’s no long term future and financial stability in a man who has vowed never to marry, which is what she wants for her and her son. He gambles that he can seduce her with kisses to agree to be his mistress and whether or not he succeeds he’ll pay for Henry’s education. I don’t understand why as the heir Henry isn’t already all set financially unless his grandparents are struggling with money.
Short, steamy, enjoyable story about two people who aren't looking to fall in love. Daphne wants financial independence for herself and her son. Alex wants Daphne in a not so honorable way. Despite the fact that neither is looking for love or commitment they are instantly attracted to each other and as things get progressively heated between them we all know exactly where they are headed.
I thoroughly enjoyed following the evolution of Daphne and Alex's romance. They are two endearing characters. Their relationship takes time to blossom. Even though we are reading a short novel, everything unfolds gradually. Adding Henry, Daphne's young son, to the story adds a lovely touch of enjoyment and depth to the profiles of the two main characters. We value them even more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wonderful historical romance with lots of twists and turns and plenty of heat between the two characters. The road to romance and love mixed in with uncontrollable desire makes her very interesting reading. Like the two main characters both are strong-willed and entertaining to follow along on this journey. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Not a good guy. He’s happy being a rake and adding another notch in his bedpost. Daphne is looking for another husband (not sure why, enjoy the benefits of being a widow). Alexa he’s her a bet so he can enjoy her in secret. Not the best match.
Short read. Alex and Daphne fall instantly for each other. Can she resist him and have him help her? Will he be able to resister her? Steam might jusst take over.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.