A Lady's Wager

Timeless Georgian Collection, Book 2

De: Arlem Hawks, Josi S. Kilpack, Sarah M. Eden

Narrado por: Kim Bretton

Can a lady wager on love?

In this collection:

• The Diamond of Bristol by Arlem Hawks.
• Women of a Certain Age by Josi S. Kilpack.
• A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Sarah M. Eden.

©2023 Mirror Press (P)2022 Mirror Press

Great narrator performance! Fun, sweet stories!

First off, great job to the narrator, Kim Bretton! I'm pretty picky when I listen to audio books. However, Kim did a very good job, and I would listen to other books she has narrated.

DIAMOND OF BRISTOL by Arlem Hawks

I haven't read many of Arlem's stories, but thought this was cute. Corah and her sister getting roped into wagers (dares) to complete during the next event held that they'll all be at. If they don't fulfill the wager, then there's a price that must be paid (one that is intended to embarrass you); if not fulfilled, then you're shunned by the ladies of the ton. Lieutenant Derrick Owens shows up to rescue Corah during one of the wagers she's trying to complete and things just go from there. It was a cute story and definitely fulfilled the anthologies namesake "A Lady's Wager." However, there was something lacking in the story for me that I can't place my finger on. Hence why I would give this story itself 4.0/4.5 stars.

WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE by Josi S. Kilpack

I've read a few of Josi's stories and they're kind of a hit or miss for me. This one was more on the hit side. Many stories always have the main characters in the 20s and 30s, but this one had the main characters in their 40s-50s. So it was a nice change from what most authors do. You have Etta who's been married twice in loveless marriages, and has helped 12 young ladies find a suitable, "good" match and is helping her 13th (as well as her niece). Then you have Lord Winthrop who was happily married with children and hasn't been to London for years, but all of a sudden shows up and throws Etta off balance. Sadly, I couldn't understand/find what the "wager" was in the story (unless it was something like "does 'true love' exist?"); so I'm not entirely sure how it fits into the anthology. However, I enjoyed the story and growth done by Etta. So I would give this story itself 4.5 stars.

A MOST UNSUITABLE SUITOR by Sarah M. Eden

Julian discovers a bet in the betting book at his club where HE (Lord Westley) is the recipient if the Lady in question does not marry by her 21st birthday. He needs the money and wants to repair the ruined reputation of his title/estate. So he decided that he will try to stall any marriage from happening just until AFTER the Lady's birthday in order to collect his reward. Charlotte is in her fourth season and knows that her father is going to pick someone for her to marry by the end of the season. So she tries to navigate him to the men that she feels she could tolerate a life with. But things become a bit difficult when the handsome Lord Westley is nearby and makes things very awkward all the while losing her heart to him and knowing nothing can come of it. I've read stories by Sarah and have enjoyed each one, and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed Lady Charlotte and Julian (Lord Westley), and the banter they would have together...I especially enjoyed the awkward moments Julian created as they made me laugh (and cringe)...best one was the Italian "languisha" that he said a few times, drawing out the syllables each time, and making Charoltte laugh. This story definitely includes a wager and a bit of a mystery as an added bonus. I would give this story itself 5.0 stars.

Three great novellas

This collection is written by three talented authors, so I knew I’d enjoy it and I did! Josi’s was my favorite, and for novellas they were very enjoyable. All three stories centered around a wager, were witty with fun banter, and engaging. These collections are perfect for listening to when you don’t have a lot of time. The narration was wonderful and Ms. Bretton really brings these stories to life. Highly recommend.

Wonderful

These stories were just splendid and I will listen again! The narrator did a beautiful job! Thank you!

Hooray for Georgian Period Romance!

A Lady’s Wager is Book 2 in the Timeless Georgian Romance Collection. I especially loved these short, clean stories because their settings are during a time period that is often overlooked in the romance genre. (I’m talking about you - Regency and Victorian periods!)

All three novellas were clever and well-researched. But the one that appealed most to me was “A Most Unsuitable Suitor” by Sarah M. Eden. I am definitely a sucker for stories with an unexpected twist at the end, and Eden certainly delivers. I didn’t see that coming!

The narrator often makes or breaks an audiobook for me. Kim Bretton is now on my list of favorite narrators. You will not be disappointed!

Clean Georgian Romances by wonderful authors

I enjoyed this collection of Georgian novellas. It was interesting to read of different traditions prior to the Regency Era, that I'm more familiar with.

Each of these authors are excellent. I felt that each of them brought a little something extra to their story, even though they were shorter than regular books.

I was originally drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover. I purchaed the audio version and listened while I worked. I enjoy the narrator's reading of the stories and the voices she uses for main characters. Sometimes the voices she uses for side characters can be a bit irritating, but not enough that I wouldn't listen to her read other books.

3 novellas, Clean Historical Romance

Stories: 5 stars each story is different and unique, each has earned 5 stars for various reasons.

Narration: 5 stars
Kim Bretton does an incredible job. She has many “voices” in her arsenal and uses them to make each character sound unique! Well acted with good speed and natural-sounding inflections. Her male voice is deep enough to sound believable, so that’s an added benefit.

The Diamond of Bristol by Arlem Hawks (5 stars)

The first meeting of Corah and James is just the cutest! The insults in the ballroom, his trick to get out of the duel and his catching her singing to fulfill the wager he caused her to lose are sweet moments! (Although there was a small editing error in that the song was sometimes called ‘Little Jingo’ and sometimes ‘Little Bingo’, but that error is basically irrelevant to the story.)

As the romance progresses the lovers are a bit star-crossed in that he isn’t sure he can earn enough to support a wife and family and he’s about to be called away to sea to serve in the war.

However, the ending is highly satisfactory!

Women of a Certain Age by Jodi S. Kilpack (5 stars)

I loved this story! Etta’s character arc was amazing…I honestly didn’t like her at the beginning of the story! But as the author has her scrutinize herself and her carefully cultivated public persona, we start to understand why she disguised her vulnerabilities so completely. As she opens herself to the idea of love, she comes to realize that she has longed to be valued her whole life.

It is nice to feel certain that love has found her (even though unsought) in the form of Wynn Firth.

A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Sarah M. Eden (5 stars)
The discovery of a mysterious wager sets in motion a young man’s attempts to keep a young woman from becoming engaged before her birthday.

His attempts are creative and he is careful that they don’t become malicious or embarrassing for the young woman or her suitors, he vows to simply be awkward and at worst, annoying.

An astute observer of her reactions to her possible suitors, he discovers her hidden sense of humor and what a delight it is to make her smile.

Both young people are, unsurprisingly, falling in love. But there are some unexpected twist and turns when it comes to the wager.

great collection of stories

This is a great collection of stories!
The Diamond of Bristol by Arlem Hawks has one of the best "meet-cutes" I've read in a while! Derrick cracked me up multiple times as I was reading. I appreciated the levity, as it was a good balance to the more serious aspects of the story.

I thought it was very interesting that in Women of a Certain Age by Josi S. Kilpack the couple in question were older, rather than the younger characters usually written about in these types of stories. I liked seeing Etta changing a bit throughout the story, becoming more willing to open herself up.

A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Sarah M. Eden was my favorite of the three stories. I just really liked both Julian and Charlotte, and they both were well-developed characters even though it's only a novella. I really enjoyed their interactions (I'm a sucker for good banter!) and their chemistry.

Even though the Georgian period isn't my favorite to read about, that didn't detract from any of the stories. They were all enjoyable and I hope I'll find time to re-read them soon!

I quite enjoyed the narrator; she was very pleasant to listen to.

I read an ARC and listened to the audio version provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A sweet Georgian collection!

The Diamond of Bristol by Arlem Hawkes

Such a charming story about a wager meant for one night, but ends up leading to a reluctant friendship and romance. A second chance love story that readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Women of Certain Age by Josi S. Kilpack

A sweet story about an “old maid” and how she doesn’t want to be part of the society’s norms and stay an old maid. She still wants to find true love and sets out to do so. Such a cute matchmaking romance!

A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Sarah M. Eden

Such a sweet story about an unexpected wager about a young man who will get paid a large sum if he ensures that a young lady does not marry by her 21st birthday. It’s about an unexpected friendship and love story amidst mysteries and chaos. Readers will adore this short story.

The Collection as a Whole & the Narrator

The collection as a whole is so much fun. Each story relates to the title, which is A Lady’s Wager, in that each story includes a wager that is placed for one reason or another. Each author has a unique voice and engaging storytelling skills. And the narrator, Kim Bretton, does an excellent job with the voices of the characters and bringing these sweet Georgian romance stories to life. A fantastic collection that readers will adore.


Series: Timeless Georgian Collection
Genre: historical, Georgian, romance
Publisher: Mirror Press
Publication date:
Number of pages: 303
Audio Length: 7hr 58min
Audio Narrator: Kim Bretton

Other books in the series:
1-Her Country Gentleman by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, & Rebecca Connelly

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

No anxiety reads

These stories were all unique in their own way. I expected to see the title mean one thing and one thing only, it disappointed in that regard, & I’m grateful! I loved each of these stories & characters. They were different without the undue stress & anxiety from the usual pattern of love, assuming, break up, anxiety, conversation, back together. The end. These stories are anxiety free and will put a bounce in your step!

A great anthology

Overall Rating:  4.5 stars

This is an anthology full of amazingly written romances. Each story is unique and approaches love from different viewpoints and circumstances, but linked together because all stories involve the 'marriage mart' time of life. These stories are clean reads and are very well edited.

I was given an advance copy of this book both in written and in audio form. The narrator does an excellent job and I enjoyed her narration style.

My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own. I highly recommend this anthology to Georgian historical romance lovers. The stories were wonderful quick reads and I'm looking forward to reading the next anthology in this series.

The Diamond of Bristol
by Arlem Hawks
Rating: 4 or 4.5 stars

• I liked the witty banter between the characters.

• Corah and Derrick were very interesting characters. Corah had not found any man that she would even consider courting. Derrick was a navel officer, just now realizing there's more to life than the sea.

Women of a Certain Age
by Josi S. Kilpack
Rating: 4.5 stars

• Can you take matchmaking too seriously? What really makes a good match?

• No wager in this story.

A Most Unsuitable Suitor
by Sarah M. Eden
Rating: 5 stars

• This was my favorite story. What a wonderful character Lord Wesley was.

• I just loved the whole premise of this story. I was very caught up in the story from the very beginning until the end.