Can the Ladies of the Wagering Whist Society help an impoverished modiste win the hand of a sought-after Duke?Tina Rowan is beautiful, talented—and wants nothing more than to be free of her past. The illegitimate daughter of a baroness, she is being blackmailed by her own foster-father. She must rely on her flair for designing dresses to earn enough to pay him off. Starting a business dressing … business dressing the ladies of Regency society isn’t easy for a nobody. But Tina has three aces up her sleeve—her own amazing talent, her well-connected biological mother, and the helpful (if meddlesome) support of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society.
The handsome, arrogant Duke of Warwick has grown up schooled in the “proper” way for a nobleman to behave. Rule number one: do not fraternize with people of the lower classes. But when he has to introduce his beloved sister to society, he finds himself completely reliant on the beguiling woman he’s hired as his sister’s modiste. To his astonishment, he finds himself opening up to her and enjoying her company far, far too much.
When Tina discovers the true man behind the ducal title, her heart might very well be lost. But can the duke set aside his façade and allow himself to love the only woman who could possibly make him happy?
It will take the combined efforts of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society to see this difficult hand well played.
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Absolutely beautifully written and the flow of the storyline was superb. Most historical/regency romances have way too much over the top romance but this one was balanced particularly nicely. It definitely kept me turning those pages and I must say that I devoured this in one sitting. Cannot wait to read more. This is without a doubt one of my new favourite authors. I found myself transported through time watching the events as they unfolded as though I was actually there. A mark of a true author. Very immersive with good strong characters that you will grow to love. I will be reading the rest in the series without a doubt.
A new sweet Regency series that is addictive. Written in the classic style, it is entertaining with just the right amount of angst and humor. Meet the ladies of the Wagering Whist Society. These secondary characters are well-written and promise more adventure and a romance per book.
In the series opener, the gruff and proper duke learns a valuable life lesson from the blue-blood seamstress born on the wrong side of the sheets. But when he finally realizes he wants to win her affection, he botches it. Tina and the duke will win your heart and set you up for the next “hand” of romance. Between the clever titles, amazing characters and interesting storylines, this is a must read series.
I enjoyed reading this book. Loved the characters.
Tina Rowen is the illegitimate daughter of her mother, Lady Norman. Her foster father is a greedy bastard who tries to trap Tina into marrying his brute of a son, Caleb. But sneaky Tina outsmarts him. She heads for London and with the help of her mother, becomes a popular modiste among the ton. When she is summoned by the Duke of Warwick to create two dresses for his sister, she’s unsure what to make of the duke. He’s borderline rude and standoffish. But the more she’s around him, the more her feelings grow. She knows nothing can come of it, or can it? When her birth father, whom she’s never met, insists on her coming out and taking his name, the Duke of Warwick proposes. Is he proposing because he loves her or because she’s now considered acceptable? With the help of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society, Tina will discover Warwick’s true feelings.
A Hand for the Duke is a compelling Regency romance with heart. The characters are a delightful mix of the ton with their own backstories. I especially liked the women of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society. The romance between Tina and Warwick is slow-burning and very sweet. A few kisses but nothing more. Emotional read with a realistic view on issues such as infidelity and a baby out of wedlock. Meredith Bond’s descriptive narration transported me to Regency England. The growth of Warwick and his sister added more depth to the story.
I don’t say this often but fans of Pride and Prejudice will love this book. Highly recommend!
Favorite Character/Quote: Tina, hands down. Her spunk and tenacity, not often seen in this era, secured my affection for her. Her talent for designing gowns is impressive and I loved the detailed description of the gowns. She goes through a lot in this book but it’s her spirit which makes her shine. Brilliant!
My Rating: 5 stars
Sweet clean story that I enjoyed reading.
Tina Rowan is beautiful, talented, and the illegitimate daughter of a baroness. She wants to let her past go, but her foster-father is blackmailing her. She earns enough to pay him off by her flair for designing dresses. She has three aces up her sleeves to start a business dressing he women of society: her talent, her well-connected biological mother, and the support of the Ladies Wagering Whist Society. The Duke of Warwick hired Tina as his sister’s modiste before introducing the sister to society. The Duke does not fraternize with people of the lower classes. He, however, finds himself opening up to Tina and enjoying her company far too much. I loved Tina. She was sweet and caring, despite being mistreated by her foster family. Her mother was loving and helpful. Warwick’s sister, Margaret, was kind, and she enjoyed Tina’s friendship. Warwick learned much from his sister and Tina. This is a good story.
I loved these characters and the story line was unique. It’s always so wonderful to be able to slip into that time and feel like you were there.
Truly enjoyed the story
I liked the idea of this book and there were parts that were extremely funny although maybe not realistic. I still really really enjoyed it on a cold snowy diay. I even bought the next book in the series!
Enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Would like a part 2!
This was a very enjoyable book. The heroine of the story was witty and strong.
Cute but predictable
Loved this book and the way illegitimacy was dealt with. A what a twist to wager one’s secrets!
I was captivated from the first chapter and did not want to put the book down.
The copy I read needs some editing/ But the story is great
I was invited to read this book for an online book club and absolutely loved everything about it. I love the genre. I loved the heroine. Other characters in the book were also amazing to watch. The author did a great job describing and developing many of the characters. I watched the heroine overcome great odds. I was very happy for her happily ever after ending.
The plot and characters are well developed. It is a heartfelt story filled with lots of twists and turns that held my interest throughout. It’s a story that’s well worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
My free opinion. Thanks.
A Hand for the Duke
The Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society book 1
by Meredith Bond
This was a really entertaining read, a wagering society for women how fabulous is that! Tina Rowan is a beautiful talented young woman. Her past is forever haunting her, all she wants is to make beautiful dresses. When her blackmailing foster-father demands money she needs ton business and that’s not an easy task. Luck is on her side (in more ways than she knows) and she is hired as the modiste for the Duke of Warwick’s sister.
As Tina and Warwick spend time together they find that there’s more to the relationship than modiste and peer, their chemistry was just amazing to see them develop from a work relationship to friendship to something deeper. I loved the way the author pulled at my emotions. This was an intriguing story with plenty of emotions, misunderstandings and suspense I was fascinated with the descriptive feel of the era, Ms Meredith Bond is a talented author that keeps the reader engaged from the first page. I highly recomend this new series.
I recieved a complimentary copy from the author. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
This is the first book in The Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society. This is a sweet and beautifully written Regency Romance. The characters are great, and the storyline is interesting. Naomi Rose-Mock did a good job with the narration. I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily written this review.