To Wager the Marquis of Wolverstone by Bronwen Evans

Sabine thought her life was going to end up like a fairy tale.  She was in love with Marcus Danvers, the Marquis of Wolverstone, and had high hopes she was going to marry him, which would be a huge jump in station for her.  But they both loved each other and nothing else mattered.  So when Sabine suddenly elopes with a Comte, Marcus is stunned and it quickly turns into anger.  Anger that has simmered for ten years and he has done whatever he can to extract the blond beauty from him mind.  When the lovely widowed Sabine turns back up in London, he is determined to prove to her and himself that they are through.  But when Sabine asks for his help to help avenge her fathers death by winning a card game, he finds himself unable to resist and tosses out his own wager into the mix.  If he succeeds in the card game, Sabine will become his mistress.  As much as Sabine wants to refuse, she has to agree as nothing is more important to her than guarding the secret she holds closest to her heart.  What follows is delightful romance that proves that true love will conquer anything.

Bronwen Evans is quickly become a favorite author of mine.  She seems to have a talent for mixing heated romance with topics that are hard to experience.  As the secret Sabine is hiding is what she believes to be shameful, I thought I had it figured out as the clues were dropped but it still had a bit of a twist to it that I always appreciate.  Sabine has grown into a strong woman that will stop at nothing to protect what is most dear to her and if that means keeping the truth from Marcus, than she will no matter the cost.  Marcus thought he had distanced himself enough from his young love but that is all quickly thrown away when he actually starts spending time with her again.  He tries to uncover the truth about her elopement and it isn't until he is almost hit on the head with the answer before he can see the truth and it just might be too late to save Sabine.  This was another enjoyable longer novella that is filled with passion and heat but also shows how revenge can be sweeter when happiness is achieved instead of a hurtful end.  We get to see a bit of the previous couple from To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield and we get just enough of a glimpse of what is too come in book three, one that I am anxious to read!  If you are looking for a revenge romance that is based on true love and the true love conquers over the revenge with plenty of steam, this is a great novella for you!  4 stars

Thanks so much to Bronwen Evans for providing me a copy with this ebook!

Wicked Wagers series
Not necessary to read in order but you do see the previous couple

One more book to come!

Invitation to Scandal by Bronwen Evans

Rheda Kerrich thinks her days of smuggling are going to come to an end when she is trapped against a tree from her latest smuggle, a barrel of wine.  She is sure one of the men on patrol will find her and question her and then a magnificent horse appears with a mysterious man on his back.  Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, is on the hunt for the elusive smuggling ring leader, Dark Shadow and knows he has stumbled upon a woman who must be in the ring and will surely lead him to the answers he desires to clear his late fathers name.  Being a master of seduction, he attempts to seduce the surely un-innocent woman and is roundly put in his place and Rheda manages to escape without revealing her true identity.  She tries to put the man out of her mind but she finds it hard to do but has a harder time putting the magnificent stallion as he is the last piece of the puzzle she needs to get her horse breeding business going.  Rheda cleverly thinks up a plan to 'borrow' the stallion but is unfortunately caught and forced to agree to a bargain with Rufus, otherwise her latest scandal will be told to her brother.  As Rheda tries to protect all her secrest, Rufus is intent on uncovering them all and at the same time, these two attempt to deny the smoldering attraction between them.  Who is the elusive Dark Shadow and will Rufus and Rheda be able to let go of the past to find a future together?

I really enjoyed this book!  I wasn't sure if I was going to like the whole smuggling aspect of it as that really isn't my preference, but there was so much more to this story!  I loved that Rheda wanted to start a horse breeding business and we got to see a bit of what it takes to do that...and at the same time see the attraction bloom between our couple during a lesson.  Rheda is determined to never be controlled by a man, like her mother was, determined not to fall in love with a man who does not return her love and it has made her bold, impulsive and fiercely protective of her heart.  When Rufus arrives, determined to prove that his father did not betray his country and give his sister and mother back the social standing they lost, she is intrigued and drawn to this dark, protective man but knows that once he knows the full truth of her past, Rufus will want nothing to do with her and her heart will be lost.  There is also a secondary, smaller, storyline that involves the disappearance of young boys that leads to a villain written so vile, it adds another layer to this wonderfully layered story.

Overall, this was a well-written, smoldering, sexy story that was a pleasure to read!  Rufus and Rheda were perfect for each other and overcame the obstacles to their hearts in a true manner, all without jumping into bed together at the first opportunity.  There is humor, heart and plenty of hot action that will leave you flipping the pages long into the night.  The added twist of the vile villain adds a bit of unease but was also unexpected and leaves a bit of an opening for a follow up book that I am eager to read!  Recommended for fans of stubborn heroes and heroines who fall hard for each other, but it takes a life or death situation to bring all the feelings to the surface, mixed with supporting characters that add wonderfully to the storyline with a good dose of passion and some humor.  4 solid stars.

Thanks to Kensington Books, Brava, for providing me with this ARC!

Related book
Not necessary to read beforehand but a few characters make appearances in Invitation to Scandal  

To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield by Bronwen Evans

Lady Caitlin Southall can not believe that her home, her mothers home which is being held in a trust for her, was lost in a card game.  She becomes even more frustrated when she learns the most notorious rake and her neighbor, Harlow Telford, Duke of Dangerfield is the one that won her home and will not return it like a gentleman when he learns of her situation.  Oh no.  Caitlin's temper gets the best of her and she challenges Harlow to the best of three events to see who wins the home--but her loss will come with her losing herself in his bed.

Harlow is troubled when he hears that the home he won was being held in a trust but he has his own personal reasons for needing to own Caitlins home and he has no intention of losing the bet.  He knows what must happen after Caitlin loses and he hopes it will be a win/win situation for them both but in the process he needs to trump the lovely lady in cards, baking and horse racing all while trying to hold on to his heart.

This was my first experience reading Bronwen Evans and I really enjoyed it.  The story worked well with the length, about half the length of a full length novel, and I didn't feel like the romance was rushed.  There is a back story of our couple knowing each other previously and that always helps move a novella along for me.  I really enjoyed Caitlin and her passion for securing her future and her boldness but who I really enjoyed was Harlow.  I don't really want to give away much of the storyline as it came as a pleasant surprise, but I was really surprised at the decenty of him underneath his rakish persona.  Watching the sparks fly between this couple was fun and leads to some very steamy encounters until they finally seal the deal.  However, Harlow is still keeping quite a big secret from Cate and when it is finally revealed it leads to heartbreak and sets up for tragedy.  The only thing that sort of bothered me about the story was the ending.  It has a double whammy that is a bit over dramatic and I'm not sure it needed to be in there.  I understood the first punch but the second tied everything up a little to neatly.  This was the only part where I felt a longer story would have been welcome.

Overall though I really enjoyed this story.  It is fast paced and filled with sharp barbs between our couple and plenty of heated passion all while gradually falling in love with each other and learning to appreciate what the other had to offer .  The supporting characters (two of Harlow's friends whom I hope are the next two books) add a bit of humor to the story as well.  If you are looking for a great way to spend an afternoon, Harlow and Cate's romance is one that is sure to heat up your blood, make you laugh and end with a sigh.  4 stars

A fun quote:

 "Good God, how's a man to concentrate with those staring at him all night?  And I thought I preferred you in trousers.  Well, played Lady Southall."

Wicked Wagers
Two more novellas to come