My Once and Future Duke
The Wagers of Sin
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4.1 • 25 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
What happens at the infamous Vega Club . . .
Sophie Campbell is determined to be mistress of her own fate. Surviving on her skill at cards, she never risks what she can’t afford to lose. Yet when the Duke of Ware proposes a scandalous wager that’s too extravagant to refuse, she can’t resist. If she wins, she’ll get five thousand pounds, enough to secure her independence forever.
Stays at the Vega Club . . .
Jack Lindeville, Duke of Ware, tells himself he’s at the Vega Club merely to save his reckless brother from losing everything, but he knows it’s a lie. He can’t keep his eyes off Sophie, and to get her he breaks his ironclad rule against gambling. If he wins, he wants her—for a week.
Until now.
A week with Jack could ruin what’s left of Sophie’s reputation. It might even cost her her heart. But when it comes to love, all bets are off . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Linden opens a Regency-era series with this poorly characterized but tender romance. Sophie Campbell learned how to be a proper lady at Mrs. Upton's Academy of Young Ladies, and, in Regency England, ladies do not gamble. However, practical Sophie knows that gambling is her only way to survive financially until she can save enough or find a proper husband. Staying respectable while frequenting gaming clubs is a tricky balance, but Sophie is methodical and avoids risks until, abruptly, she taunts Jack Lindeville, the Duke of Ware, and greedily accepts a scandalous bet. Love and passion making people act out of character is common in romance novels, but Sophie's change comes too fast. Jack is the stiff duke responsible for his scolding mother and impetuous brother, but Sophie makes him reckless. Sophie's choice to continue their affair in London is at odds with her usual demeanor, but their spark helps Jack rediscover things that made him laugh, and his reawakening is a joy to read. Even with the whiplash between propriety and scandal, Sophie and Jack's romance manages to be simultaneously tempestuous, funny, and sweet. The supporting cast is not well fleshed out, leaving it unclear where this series is going next.
Customer Reviews
Delicious slow burn
I haven’t read a romance this good in a long time.
I especially loved the tantalizingly slow build-up to Jack and Sophie’s joining. More books just seem to have characters jumping into bed after a few pages, making the rest of the story anti-climactic. But this book was refreshingly different and very romantic.
PS Admired T’s quick wit but she was totally strangle-worthy, like most little sisters LOL
AMAZING READ!!!!
I LOVED, LOVED this new series by Caroline Linden!
I adored Sophie Campbell, she’s such a spirited young woman, she new that she only had herself to depend upon, especially after the way her grandfather treated her. Loved the way she defied convention and was mistress of her own destiny, that is until she gambled everything and lost! And she lost, she lost big (namely her heart) to the Duke of Ware.
Jack Lindeville was everything his younger brother wasn’t, he wasn’t reckless, never gambled and he never created a scandal, but as soon as he met Sophie he became reckless, gambled and created a scandal of EPIC proportions!
Oh how I love Jack, I saw a man that wanted to be loved, a man that wanted to be needed a man who just WANTED! I so enjoyed reading this wonderful, wonderful story of emotions, two hearts that became one, their need for each other so great that even though they had an agreement they chucked it out the window, though they had a misunderstanding to overcome, everything works out nicely and Sophie gets an unexpected surprise visit that helps her situation.
I’m so looking forward to the next story, Eliza and Hasting’s story looks sooo good!
I recieved a complimentary copy from the author and publisher via Edelweiss. This is my honest opinion.