The Marriage Wager

Jena cannot believe her luck. Not only is she penniless and nearly destitute, but now she has been kidnapped by a bunch of drunken lords. What’s their goal, you may ask?  Well, it’s not that sinister, really. It’s just that Lord Havenhurst (Dev to his friends) wants to marry her!  She does her best to dissuade him from it, but the lout proved to be too stubborn!  Although the marriage represents salvation to her, it still gets very complicated when she starts to fall for her husband. For his part, Dev isn’t pleased either.  Marriage to a woman of dubious origins is far from ideal,  but he has a plan to get rid of her. If only he could go through with it…

This is a sweet story about two people unwillingly succumbing to love!  Jena, who must be strong enough to protect those under her care, and Dev, so wary of love that he is unwilling even to consider its good sides. They make a good pair - sparks fly whenever they’re together. The story, however, suffers from a lack of originality. There are so many regency novels filled with rakes unwilling to get shackled and debutantes down on their luck that it struggles to rise enough to make it memorable, even though Jena is something of an exception since she has plans for her future, and doesn’t rely on Dev all the time. There were also moments when the drama was a bit too strong, but the story still reads smoothly.  All in all, a great fit for a reader looking for a  short and pleasant regency romance escape!

Ana Smith