Review: Wagering for Miss Blake (Lords and Ladies in Love #4) by Callie Hutton

Print Length: 

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (June 11, 2018)

From Goodreads.com: Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford, is a rake of the highest order and a confirmed bachelor. Yet, marriage-minded-mamas continue to drag their daughters to his attention. He's everything a young lady of the ton could want—handsome, wealthy, charming, and kind. For Miss Suzanna Blake, though, Giles is missing the one thing her parents require in a potential son-in-law—a title. 

 
Giles has a golden touch—investments, horses, connections but when he falls…hard for Suzanna, she turns him away, despite the passion sparking between them. At wit’s end, Giles wagers her that not only will she marry him but he’ll make her fall in love with him. If Suzanna wins, she gains a sizable fortune for her favorite charity but she faces a loveless marriage to a titled man. Though her heart yearns for a true love-match with Giles, she has never gone against her parent’s wishes. All bets are off when happiness lies in losing a wager.

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This is both the third book in the series that I have read (I missed book #2), as well as the third book I have ever read from this author. And in keeping with the theme of three, I'm starting to think that when it comes to this author three is the highest I will be able to rate her work. 

And its actually very disappointing as I believe this author has more potential that I have seen thus far. She has a solid writing style, and often intriguing story-lines. The problem is it because repetitive to the point of tediousness.  Giles takes one look at Suzanna and decides she is the woman he is going to marry. Despite her telling him she will only marry a gentleman with a title, despite her best efforts to actively AVOID him, he continues to pursue her. Now Suzanna really isn't as shallow as all that, in fact it is her mother that wants her to marry into a title, but for all she supposedly loves Giles, she is unwilling and unable to stand up to her mother and argue for her love. 

This is another one of those unfortunate cases where our Hero and herione seem stuck in a perpetual loop. They keep repeating the same thing over and over and .. well you get the idea. Just once I would like to see this author break away from this (as it is something I have noticed in all the books I have read), and take more time to explore these characters. Who they are is important, but so is who they will become. And while watching these two "court" each other (although that's not really the word I would use), was fun, I would have like to have seen more of Giles and his family winning over Suzanna's family (her mother especially). I would have like to have seen her aunt stand up for her, and heaven help me, I would have loved to have seen more of their married life than just the honeymoon.

But that is just me, and I'm sure that on the whole this story will appeal to a lot of those who enjoy historical romance novels. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                          Wagering for Miss Blake is available from Amazon.com