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. 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.
Each book in the Lords & Ladies in Love series is STANDALONE:
* Seducing the Marquess
* Marrying the Wrong Earl
* Denying the Duke
* Wagering For Miss Blake
* Captivating the Earl
more
When I look for historical romances, I typically look for tortured heroes, suspense and lots of action. This book had none of those things. Yet it was truly delightful!
This was a character driven story with a fairly simple plot. By no means does that mean boring, however. Giles is the third son of an earl, and therefore not titled. He is very successful, and things always come easy for him. Susanna is on the marriage mart, and her mother will accept no man for her daughter who does NOT have a title. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Giles meets Susanna and is instantly smitten. That’s a nice change of pace, as it’s usually the heroine who falls so fast.
Titles be damned! Giles knows what he wants and goes for it. Hot kisses and sweet loving commence. However, Giles soon discovers that for once in his life, things will not come easy for him. He’ll have to work, and work hard, for his heart’s desire. “Earn it, lad.”
Sweetness, humor, a bit of heartbreak and steamy love make this an enchanting story.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
I liked that Giles set his path and achieved it. He had a few bumps along the way but overall his mind was set and he did not let naysayers dissuade him. Giles was very likeable and I loved his persuasiveness. Suzanna was what I would think women in that time were like – letting their parents determine their lives for them. She does not speak up like I would have liked but nor does she totally let her Mother ruin her whole life. Giles and Suzanna are a very cute couple and so glad they achieved their HEA.
I have a question though, what happened to Hawk? Will he get a story? I hope so.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
This is my first time reading a book by this author. I loved the book-blurb and was looking forward to the read. I have to say that it was basically an average read. I’ve read the trope before and have seen it done better. Definitely not a bad book, just not as good as I was expecting.
I found the book to be repetitive – constantly repeating the same mantra over and over – different places and times, but still the same thing. He’s going to marry her no matter what she says about it and she’s not going to marry him because he doesn’t have a title. I guess it also bugged me that she didn’t actually tell him why. She said she was only going to encourage and marry a man with a title, but she didn’t tell him that it was her mother’s requirement and not hers. She let him and the entire ton think she was a shallow, title-hunting young woman rather than letting them know the truth. Why? The mother certainly didn’t care who knew it. It could have made for a much more interesting story had she told him and everyone else the truth so maybe they could work together to get around her mother or something.
Another thing that bothered me was that we constantly heard how much her father loved her mother. Say what! That woman was one of the biggest shrews I’ve ever seen in a story, yet he loves her so much that he will throw his daughter’s life away to please her mother. I think not.
Mr. Giles Templeton, the third son of the Earl of Wexford, is the first male Pollyanna I have ever read. I actually liked him, but he seemed like a bit of a wuss. He first sees Miss Suzanna Blake at the wedding of her cousin to Giles friend the Duke of Bedford. Giles knows it is love at first sight and decides then and there to pursue her. She tells him, quite frankly, that she will only encourage the suit of a titled gentleman. He doesn’t believe her and contrives to see her at every opportunity. He knows the attraction is mutual, he’s seen her response to him. Now, all he has to do is convince her to fall in love with him. She left out the fact that it was her mother’s requirement and not hers, so he was operating on false information. He could see where he could change her mind — he had no clue that it was her mother’s mind he needed to change.
Suzanna has always wanted to marry for love, but she’s had it drilled into her since birth that she must marry a title. She is drawn to Giles and finally, is in love with him. However, she can’t go against her parents. I know those were different times, but Suzanna was twenty-three years old and should surely have a little backbone. She could have at least told her parents she wanted to marry for love. Didn’t happen. The scene that really got me was when she, yes SHE, decided to sleep with him so she’d always have the memory. She did it for selfish reasons – never thinking of him. He took her sleeping with him to mean that she had decided to marry him.
The book takes you through misunderstandings, wooing, etc. before we finally get to our HEA. I did like it when he finally had the grand epiphany that he should stop wagering with her and start wooing and winning her.
I will certainly give this author another try.
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
2.5 rounded up
I had a hard time with this book, the first half was very repetitive and the second half plunged headlong into the absurd.
Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford meets Miss Suzanna Blake at the Duke of Bedford’s wedding and falls in love at first sight. He will have her, he never fails…
Suzanna is attracted to Giles, but her mother insists that she marry a man with a title and as a third son Giles is not that man. She fights her attraction and tries to push him away – but he is determined to win her. This is the gist of the first half – him chasing her and her pushing him away – but she never tells him why she is looking to marry a title.
They attend a house party and finally, Suzanna gives into temptation and they make love – in fact, she insists – because you know, she can’t marry the man she loves and wants the memory (eye roll). Giles thinks this means she has finally accepted the inevitable – but she tells him, it changes nothing, she will only marry a man with a title. He then suggests a wager – she will marry him and fall in love with him and if she doesn’t he will donate to her favorite charity. Game on!
When they return to London, Giles steps up his pursuit – but the arrival of her parents brings his courtship to a swift end. When they finally are able to talk alone, she tells him, she wants to marry him, but her mother will forbid it, he tells her he will win and not to worry. But when he misinterprets a meeting between Suzanna and Lord Pemberton (her mother’s choice for a son-in-law), he admits defeat and leaves London.
Weeks go by before he pulls his head out of his backside and decides to fight for the woman he loves, but is it too late??
Honestly, I have read this plot before and it has been done better – it seemed completely contrived and implausible – if they were really in love, they would have eloped – period. And since when is the handsome, wealthy, landowning with an income, son of an Earl “unsuitable” – Seriously?? Her parents where over the top and almost cartoonish, her mother was a complete witch and her father a wuss – I kept hoping they would run away together – just so they didn’t have to have her parents in their lives! And why her father loved her mother so much is a complete mystery to me – her mother flat out said that she would have been happier if she married someone with a title – I almost felt sorry for her lovelorn father. Giles and Suzanna were both likable, but I was annoyed that Suzanna didn’t tell him why she had to marry a title, keeping it from him made no sense and made her look bad – especially after she slept with him. The book has wonderful secondary characters, warmish love scenes and I did enjoy the ending and Giles’ shift from “winning” to “earning” – for me that was the best part of the book. So in the end, the book was OK, but not a keeper. It is part of the Lords & Ladies in Love series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
4.25 Stars
Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford, is confirmed bachelor. 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 especially her mother, require in a potential son-in-law—a title.
Giles has a golden touch with regard to 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 an orphanage, her favourite charity.
I love a romance & this is a lovely romance, no mystery, no intrigue just two people falling in love but with one barrier in their way, Suzanna’s mother. Giles is a lovely hero who we met in the previous book & Suzanna is strong in everything apart from her dealings with her mother. I thoroughly enjoyed it & the teaser about Hawk has me awaiting his story
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I finished it just to see if I liked it more towards the end – perhaps a bit more. But it falters on the premise that she’ll never say why she must marry a title, and how many times it goes unsaid. And again on his misunderstanding, though it provided an opportunity for a swift kick to the derriere.
I really love like this author’s books.
Wagering for Miss Blake is book four in Lords & Ladies in Love by Callie Hutton. This is a wonderfully, romantic story that is filled with absolutely hilarious moments. When Mr. Giles Templeton falls head over heels in love with Miss Suzanna Blake, he finds that he must overcome some especially great obstacles to win her heart and hand in marriage. Is it an impossible task?
I truly fell in love with the character of Giles. He is witty, handsome and determined. “He was dressed in all black except for a pure white cravat and a white silk waistcoat. Loose curls had escaped his combed-back chestnut brown hair to rest on his forehead, only a few inches from his light brown eyes with flecks of gold. Eyes that watched her with hunger.” I can’t wait to read book 5 in the series.
It is nice and a good escape to jump back in time with this author being the vehicle. Romance would be at a different pace but chemistry is chemistry. With the fire and passion this author creates with her characters it is a different speed. Giles and Suzanna take you along in their tale. I so enjoy seeing a “confirmed” bachelor go done all in the name of love. This one also spurred my interest with the wager and curiosity spurs it on as you go. Humor and romance make for good combo. I got carried away by this one forgetting the time with it being a rude awakening when the end I reach it is now.
Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford, is handsome, wealthy in his own right, owns his own estate. When he meets Miss Suzanna Blake at a house party, he is immediately taken with her and very soon decides she is the one he wants to marry. While Suzanna is just as attracted to Giles as he is to her, she refuses his attempts to court her, telling him she wants to marry a man with a title, one thing that he does not have. It’s actually her mother who insists she marry a title (a little sibling jealousy going on there). Giles keeps trying and Suzanna keeps protesting his attention until he wagers that not only will she marry him, but will fall in love with him, telling her “I do not give up on something I want.” Giles had not counted on Suzanna’s mother putting paid to his plans, and it seems she may have won. Can he find a way to stop her mother’s attempt to marry her off and convince her that he is the right man for her daughter? What will happen when Giles’s parents come to his assistance? Can they convince Mrs. Blake that their third son is a man of consequence and worthy of her daughter?
Wagering for Miss Blake is a lovely story, simple and straightforward. Giles and Suzanna are such a good match, you root for them all the way through the story. Both sets of parents are interesting. I especially liked the way Giles’s mother quickly took the whole situation in hand. Suzanna’s mother could be considered the villain in the story, but she is not evil, just badly motivated. This is not a story filled with danger, but one that has some angst, humor, of course, romance. I recommend it for a quick enjoyable read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed it and the comments are my own.
Publisher’s Description:
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
My Thoughts:
A very determined man without a title and a young woman dictated by her mother that she may only marry a man with a title. These are the elements that make up this very engaging romance.
Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford and a confirmed bachelor, however when he spies Miss Suzanna Blake he is determined that she will become his wife even though Suzanna makes it clear that she can only marry a man with a title.
Suzanna is very attracted to Giles in spite of the dictates of her mother. Can this mutual attraction come to anything other than heartbreak for this star crossed pair?
I gave this well written and engaging book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.0 flames. There is a bit of pre-marital intimacy with our hero and heroine but it doesn’t distract from the main storyline.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
This is a very fun and entertaining historical romance. The well written book introduces us to Giles and Suzanna. Giles is handsome, successful and rich even if he is only a third son and has no title. Suzanna has been raised by her parents with the expectation that her whole reason for being is to marry a man with a title. When these two meet the attraction is instant and the chemistry powerful. This begins the back and forth between Giles doing everything he can to woo the woman he loves and Suzanna resisting what her heart is trying to tell her, while trying to do what her parents want and make them happy. An enjoyable read. This is my honest, voluntary review.
Wagering For Miss Blake by Callie Hutton is the story of Giles Templeton and Suzanna Blake.
Giles may not have a title but the town’s mommies still would like him for their daughter but Giles is interested in that…until he meets Suzanna.
Giles is taken with her but Suzanna makes it clear that her mother will only have her marry a title. Giles works to win over her and her mother because he sees no other end for him. Will Suzanna go against her mother…or will Giles when the mother over?
This was a nice romance read…enjoyed it.
Love at first sight, does it exist? Giles Templeton, the third son of an Earl, always gets what he wants. Or does he? When it comes to ladies they have clamored after him. But when he first sets eyes on Miss Suzanna Blake he is stuck with the arrow. Going right toward her to get an introduction, he turns his charm on and knows she is the one for him. As they dance, Suzanna does feel a spark but knows she has to stay away from the handsome Giles. Her mother has declared she can only marry a man with a title and of course Giles does not have one. But Giles is determined and sets to wear her down so she will not care if he is titled or not. What he does not know is it is not Suzanna, but her mother who is adamant and she has no say in the matter.
A whirlwind of house parties, balls and strong pursuit makes Giles more and more attractive but what is she to do? I wanted to just shake Suzanna and have her tell her mother to get over it, but the trail to true love is sometimes long and one can only hope love prevails!
Part of a series, this can be read as a standalone but I am looking forward to reading stories of two friends of Giles in the future!!
Mr Giles Templeton took one look at the beautiful Miss Suzanna Blake and decided she would be his wife. Unfortunately for him the lady and her mother have a far loftier goal in mind than a mere Mr.
Our hero is going to have to work harder than he ever has before to win his prize.
A witty story with lovely characters. A lighthearted, enjoyable and romantic read.