Wager for A Wife
Karen Tuft
Book description from NetGalley:
“William Barlow’s life has been forever altered: his estranged father is dead, and William has inherited the title of Viscount Farleigh. Along with the title comes a neglected estate, an enormous amount of gambling debt, and one astounding acquisition that will turn William’s world upside down . . . It is her first London Season, and Lady Louisa Hargreaves could not be more pleased. She has attracted the attention of the Earl of Kerridge, and the two are on the cusp of an official betrothal. That is, until she learns of a generations-old family debt: her grandfather gambled her hand in marriage and lost, and now Louisa must pay the price. She will marry not the earl but a man she just met, who has taken her freedom in one fell swoop. Even as she struggles to understand the handsome and aloof man she is to wed, Louisa is irresistibly drawn to him—and he to her. But she soon realizes he is harboring secrets, and as her wedding day approaches, she must discover what her future husband is hiding before she makes the gravest mistake of her life.”
Publisher: Covenant Communications
My Review:
This is an entertaining Regency romance by Karen Tuft and the storyline has an intriguing twist to it. Louisa is enjoying all the activities of her first Season. She’s been declared the beauty of the season and finds herself quickly betrothed to the rich and dashing Lord Kerridge. She suddenly finds out that a gambling debt lost by her grandfather to William Farleigh’s grandfather has a direct impact on who she will marry. Her choice becomes a difficult one: Will she marry for position in society or to uphold the honor of her family name?
William finds himself in dire financial straits after the death of his father. Even though he inherits the title from his father, he feels the pressure to provide for the faithful servants who have held his estate together. Marrying Louisa is the answer to his financial problems. Does he take her away from the fulfillment of her dreams? Louisa and William are both honorable people who are faced with difficult decisions that will have an impact on those they deeply care about.
There are other wonderful characters in this book. I loved the closeness that was evident among Louisa’s family members. The dialogue between Louisa and her brothers was amusing and very well written. The servants at Farleigh Manor were delightful and added some nice moments in this story.
This is a clean and sweet Regency romance. There’s no foul language or embarrassing scenes. I review quite a bit of Christian fiction, and I can recommend this book to those readers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The cover is stunning! Your review is fabulous. I need to read this book. 🙂