A Wager With An Earl

He’s the most notorious rake in all of London… Which is why every lord of the realm wants to be friends with the Earl of Somersworth. He’s the life of every ballroom and backroom gaming hell alike. The problem? When he needs a fiancée, not one of those so-called friends will let him anywhere near their sisters or daughters because everyone knows he can’t be trusted. So when Viscount Northville practically tosses his niece in Somersworth’s path, he’s suspicious. There must be something wrong with the lady. Sure, she’s beautiful, and built for sin, but she can’t be right in the head to consider him for a husband. Turns out, she isn’t. Considering him that is. The moment they’re alone, she tells him that she would rather die miserable and alone than marry him. But she does have a bargain in mind. She’ll help him clean up his reputation long enough to find a suitable lady and he’ll help her to secretly participate in all the fun that debutantes are denied. She’s got a list: A masquerade ball. A tryst in the library. A moonlight kiss. It’s his kind of deal. The only other problem? Turns out, she’s his kind of lady…

Lord Morley's life will change forever when he wins a game of cards and a family of sisters to go along with it.Miss Standish in none too pleased to have become the responsibility of yet another Lord, even if he is full of charm and goodness. Her responsibilities are to her sisters first. With the repairs on the castle moving forward nicely and concerted efforts in a season in Bath made to find suitors for them all, Miss Standish and Lord Morley must determine where duty stops and matters of the heart take over.Read this warm tale of family, sisters, loyalty and love to get a huge dose of the best part of a regency romance fans of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer would enjoy.

Lord Davenport and Lord Pennella have just made a bet for the hand of Miss Regina Giles. The gentleman she chooses wins the loser’s estate. It’s the most daring wager at White’s, and quite possibly the most foolish. Toby York, the Earl of Davenport, knew it was a mistake to make the wager when Lord Pennella stormed into White’s bragging that he could get any lady he wished. Toby really should have kept his mouth shut. But he didn’t. And now there are only three things he can do to protect Miss Giles. One, he must get her to choose him instead of Pennella. Two, he must make sure she never finds out about the wager. And three, he must quietly break off the engagement so that she is free to marry a gentleman worthy of her. As long as he doesn’t fall in love with her, there should be no problems. Too bad things never work out the way they’re planned.

When straitlaced earl, Will Sutton, is challenged to turn the obstinate American ward of his friend into a biddable lady suitable for the Marriage Mart, he gladly takes the wager. Then has to decide whether the prize--a prime racing stud horse--is worth changing the impudent beauty's temperament he's come to enjoy. Greatly. One headstrong miss. One stuffy lord. One friendly wager. What could go wrong? Will Sutton, the Earl of Grandleigh, believes he can save the family’s impoverished estate by investing in a racehorse, but the price is too steep. His brother-in-law offers him a deal: tutor his American ward in proper English customs, so she’ll be marriage material, and Will can have one of his horses. Maybe Miss Georgia Duvall prefers being a jockey, is obstinate and high spirited, but once she’s cleaned up and presentable, he’ll have no trouble finding her a quality suitor. She might even be quite pretty beneath the racetrack dust. The last thing Georgia Duvall wants is to be married off to an English peer. But she won’t defy her father’s wishes, and sets her cap for the oldest lord she can find—a man who’ll die quickly and leave her alone to manage her inheritance. The Earl of Grandleigh might think he’ll teach her manners and marry her off to someone younger than eighty, but there hasn’t been an obstacle yet Georgia can’t overcome. Including a stuffy, overbearing English lord.

When a proper lady attends a rakish lord's holiday party, the fun and games lead to a gamble for love in a “charming Christmas Regency confection” (Publishers Weekly). Alexander Edgware, Lord Xavier, has quite a reputation for daring, wagering, and delightful wickedness. But the wager before him is hardly his preferred sport: Xavier must persuade a proper young lady to attend his famously naughty Christmas extravaganza—and stay the full, ruinous two weeks. Worse, the lady is Louisa Oliver, a doe-eyed bookworm Xavier finds quite charming. Unable to refuse the challenge, he will simply have to act as Miss Oliver's protector . . . Louisa knows her chance for a husband has passed. But she refuses to retire into spinsterhood without enjoying a few grand adventures. When Lord Xavier's invitation arrives, Louisa is more intrigued than insulted. And once inside the rogues' gallery, she just may teach her gentlemen friends a thing or two about daring . . .

When you gamble at love . . . When Hugh Deveraux discovers his newly inherited earldom is bankrupt, he sets about rebuilding the family fortune—in the gaming hells of London. But the most daring wager he takes isn’t at cards. A wealthy tradesman makes a tantalizing offer: marry the man’s spinster daughter and Hugh’s debts will be paid and his fortune made. The only catch is that she must never know about their agreement . . . You risk losing your heart . . . Heiress Eliza Cross has given up hope of marriage until she meets the impossibly handsome Earl of Hastings, her father’s new business partner. The earl is everything a gentleman should be, and is boldly attentive to her. It doesn’t take long for Eliza to lose her heart and marry him. But when Eliza discovers that there is more to the man she loves—and to her marriage—her trust is shattered. And it will take all of Hugh’s power to prove that now his words of love are real . . .

Some loutish lords are about to learn how to treat a lady: “Witty dialogue…enjoyable reading.”—Publishers Weekly Miss Caroline Crispin is on top of the world. But she’s about to take a painful fall… As the daughter of London’s most in-demand architect, Caro has laughed and danced and pursued her interests with gusto—free from Society’s censure. So when she overhears two lords calling her vulgar names and wagering on whose lover she’ll become, she’s shocked and stung—and determined to teach them a lesson. Though it pains her to ask for help from another brutish lord… Lord Ryland isn’t the man his father wanted him to be. But he’s about to make an excellent catch... Adam, Earl Ryland, just wants to get married and tend his country garden, away from the bucks, fops, and gossips who pester him to box like his late father. When this gentle giant meets his sister’s friend Caro—who parries his flirtations with double entendre that would make a barman blush—he’s smitten. But there’s a problem: she’s looking to him for a different sort of partnership. And it’s a risky one… “Everything But the Earl has everything you could want in a Regency romp.”—Elizabeth Essex, award-winning author of the Reckless Brides series

An OMag.com & Bibliolifestyle Most Anticipated Romance of 2021 A PopSugar Best Romance of April A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Romance of Spring 2021 A witty and moving story from the acclaimed author of A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby, about the lengths to which a woman will go for the love of her child…and the love of a man who knows her worth. Breaking with traditional Regency rules and customs, Vanessa Riley pens an unforgettable story perfect for fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Eloisa James looking for something fresh and stirring! “Bridgerton fans, if you read just one book on this list, make sure it's Vanessa Riley's terrific An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler.” – Popsugar “Elaborate storytelling…a more diverse Regency world than is traditionally found. Well-researched, with a fascinating author's note at the end…A historical romance of impressive heft.” – Kirkus Reviews “Fans of Shonda Rhimes’ adaptation of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books will devour this series.” – Booklist STARRED REVIEW “Move over, Bridgertons. There’s a new set of scandalous aristocrats waiting to take London society by storm.” – Library Journal Masterminded by the ton's most clever countess, the secret society The Widow’s Grace helps ill-treated widows regain their reputations, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time . . . Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was just the start of Jemina St. Maur's nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was separated from anyone who might know her, and imprisoned in Bedlam. She was freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true identity, Jemina’s only chance is to purloin dangerous secrets with help from The Widow’s Grace—which means staying steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to him . . . Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Hope, from his family’s scandalous reputation. That’s why he has dedicated himself not just to the law, but to remaining as proper, upstanding—and boring—as can be. But the closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is tempted to break the very rule of law to which he's deevoted his life. And as ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him, and Jemina, to sacrifice their one chance at happiness? RAVES FOR A DUKE, A LADY, AND A BABY “One of the best historicals I’ve read in years.” —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author “Smart and witty . . . the perfect historical read.”—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Expertly crafted romance.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review “Riley gifts readers a sparkling love story” —Entertainment Weekly