Miss Suzanna Blake is firmly under her domineering mother’s thumb. And her mother wants her to marry a man with a title. Giles Templeton is the third son of an Earl, and completely out of the running in the matrimonial race by Mrs. Blake’s standards. The problem, of course, is that Giles and Suzanna are in love.

In my opinion, this plot took far too long to develop, and didn’t have enough meat to support a full length novel. I was bored with Suzanna’s dithering long before her mother showed up, and when she finally did, it was something of a relief.

This book may please readers who have patience with period ritual and manners.

Fairly run of the mill historical romance, good characters who interacted well but a standard plot and no great surprises.

I honestly thought that the book would end on page one. Giles was instantly in love with Suzanna and Suzanna was very charmed with him. I didn't think that there was a way to drag the story for 283 more pages, but I was proven wrong. Everything could have been solved faster if Suzanna's mother wasn't so fixed on getting her daughter a titled man. Or if Suzanna had actually told Giles the reason she was refusing him in half the time it took her to do so in this book. It was annoying because both of them wanted to get married and live happily ever after in the countryside, but for silly reasons, they couldn't get it. I would have eloped if I were feeling like they did. I felt sad for Suzanna's father when we got to know him better. He is a man who loves a woman that doesn't love him back and she is taking advantage of him. Suzanna's mother is a close-minded, selfish woman and I never liked her. The book has a lot of cliche moments and I didn't mind a lot hence the 4 stars. It felt a little too modern for my taste that took some of the joy I had when I was reading the book. The characters from the previous books make an appearance or two which was nice. I hope the author will write Hawk's story first instead of Cam's.

The premise of this book was fun and I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed the writing style and I plan to pick up more books from the author in the future.

The hero is stubborn, hardheaded and won't take no for an answer. The heroine is is determined but romantic and she can't help but push her heart away. The story line is well written and engaging.

Giles Templeton is the son of an Earl but has no title of his own. In Wagering For Miss Blake, he instead has a gift for investments, is handsome, charming, and quite eligible.

Mothers of the ton have been throwing marriageable young women at Giles for years now. Who wouldn’t want a good-looking rich husband with a charming personality? He has everything a young woman could desire in a husband.

Everything, perhaps, except a title. Suzanna Blake must marry a title. She doesn’t want to, she couldn’t care less about a title. Suzanna’s ideal husband would be one who loves her and cares for her deeply.

Suzanna, however, has a mother with other ideas. Although she is still back in the country because of an ague that doesn’t mean her dictates can be ignored.

Her mother did not marry a title, and she is quite happy with her husband. Still, she is obsessed with the idea of a title and insistent that Suzanna not entertain the attentions of any untitled gentlemen.

Giles Templeton is determined to make Suzanne his wife. He has even gotten to the point where he bet her that he cannot only win her hand but her heart as well.

If Suzanna wins the bet her favorite charity will get quite an influx of cash. If Giles wins he gets her hand in marriage. Suzanna doesn’t know what she’ll do if he wins. It doesn’t matter what happens, her mother will not allow her father to except any man without a title.

Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place

The author created an engaging story with these two characters. They’re both attracted to each other and so there should be no obstacles, except for the edict of the mother.

It would be shocking to put a bet on the engagement of a young woman. It is even more shocking that she set one herself. I like shocking.

There are many setbacks, and obstacles to be overcome in this story which makes it very interesting. I will definitely be looking up more works by Callie Hutton.

Reviewed for LnkToMi iRead in response to a complimentary copy of the book provided by the publisher in hopes of an honest review.

An entertaining and delightful story about wagers, losers and winners, Giles wagers Suzanna that she will fall in love with him and marry him, and she really wants to but her parents want a titled suitor for their daughter not the third son..

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford, is handsome, wealthy in his own right, owns his own estate. When he meets Miss Suzanna Blake at a house party, he is immediately taken with her and very soon decides she is the one he wants to marry. While Suzanna is just as attracted to Giles as he is to her, she refuses his attempts to court her, telling him she wants to marry a man with a title, one thing that he does not have. It’s actually her mother who insists she marry a title (a little sibling jealousy going on there). Giles keeps trying and Suzanna keeps protesting his attention until he wagers that not only will she marry him, but will fall in love with him, telling her “I do not give up on something I want.” Giles had not counted on Suzanna’s mother putting paid to his plans, and it seems she may have won. Can he find a way to stop her mother’s attempt to marry her off and convince her that he is the right man for her daughter? What will happen when Giles’s parents come to his assistance? Can they convince Mrs. Blake that their third son is a man of consequence and worthy of her daughter?

Wagering for Miss Blake is a lovely story, simple and straightforward. Giles and Suzanna are such a good match, you root for them all the way through the story. Both sets of parents are interesting. I especially liked the way Giles’s mother quickly took the whole situation in hand. Suzanna’s mother could be considered the villain in the story, but she is not evil, just badly motivated. This is not a story filled with danger, but one that has some angst, humor, of course, romance. I recommend it for a quick enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed it and the comments are my own.

I loved this book start to finish. A sweet story with comedy moments. The plot centres on Giles, the third son of an earl with a gift for investment. He falls instantly in love with Suzanna Blake who is only interested in a titled suitor. Giles plans his pursuit and Ms Hutton weaves a lovely HEA romance. Well worth a read.

When I look for historical romances, I typically look for tortured heroes, suspense and lots of action. This book had none of those things. Yet it was truly delightful!

This was a character driven story with a fairly simple plot. By no means does that mean boring, however. Giles is the third son of an earl, and therefore not titled. He is very successful, and things always come easy for him. Susanna is on the marriage mart, and her mother will accept no man for her daughter who does NOT have a title. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Giles meets Susanna and is instantly smitten. That's a nice change of pace, as it's usually the heroine who falls so fast.

Titles be damned! Giles knows what he wants and goes for it. Hot kisses and sweet loving commence. However, Giles soon discovers that for once in his life, things will not come easy for him. He'll have to work, and work hard, for his heart's desire. "Earn it, lad."

Sweetness, humor, a bit of heartbreak and steamy love make this an enchanting story.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

As promised, in exchange for this ARC, this will be a fair and honest review. I have read books by Callie Hutton before and I do enjoy her stories for the most part. This book involves characters which I have met in other stories (a continuation so to speak). She writes well and her heroes and heroines are always so interesting. This tale held all those same attributes.

Wagering for Miss Blake by Callie Hutton was such a beautiful book. I loved with the hero is trying to win over the heroine. Giles knows he wants to get to know Suzanne more. They have a great chemistry together but she lets him know up front that she cannot marry him because he does not have a title.
He challenges her with a wager that not only will she marry him she will fall in love with him. If not, he will donate a sizable amount to her favorite charity.
Their scenes in the ballrooms when he always gets a waltz with her are adorable. The scenes with Giles and his friends are entertaining. They give him quite the hard time but come through for him when he needs them.
Even after their ‘experience’ in the garden she still refuses to marry him. My favorite part was the ending. Yes it is a happy ending as you hope for in a romance but how he goes about it and asked for his mom’s help surprised me and I loved it.
I highly recommend this book. I have already downloaded the book before this one and bought The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

Miss Suzanna Blake knows her parents will never allow her to marry any gentleman without a title, she’s decided to only encourage the suit of a titled gentleman. When Mr. Giles Templeton, the third son of the Earl of Wexford pursues her she turns him down flat and tells him he has no title. Definitely painting herself as a shallow title hunger husband hunter, when that’s true. Giles believes he can win Suzanna and doesn’t give up. This make for an entertaining story, it would have been much easier for her to tell Giles this was all her mother’s idea, especially since Suzanna yearns for a true love-match with Giles he’s everything she could ever want and love. This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Giles Templeton wants Suzanna Blake, but she's looking to marry a man with a title. However, he's not going to let that stand in his way. Getting her to change her mind is harder than he thought, but he's up to the challenge. Will Suzanna see that she and Giles are made for each other or will they lose their shot at happy ever after because she's determined to marry a man with a title?

Having only read one other book of this series, I'm so glad they can be read as a standalone. Really, and this book was such a charming and extremely engaging read where the hero is persistent in his pursuit of the heroine; the heroine is determined to deny her feelings for Giles because her mother is a witch that thinks she knows what's best for her daughter; and the fast-paced plot and riveting dialogue drew me in from the very beginning, as these two dance around each other, but find it too hard to resist their chemistry. What will Giles have to do to win Suzanna's heart?

As for the dialogue, it was entertaining due to the main characters back stories and everything the hero and heroine go through on their journey to happy ever after including the fact that they might never be able to be together since the heroine's mother isn't happy with her own life, so she is determined to make sure her daughter is cared for. However, I liked that these two fought for their chance together because love and happiness is more important than money and being part of top social circles of the ton. Moreover, the heroine is resilient, stubborn and I liked that she couldn't resist the hero because they are so good together and for each other. While the hero, he's confident and I liked that he didn't give up on his pursuit of the heroine, even though there were times when all hope seemed lost for the pair to be together. I also liked that he was strong and brave when it came to getting the one thing they needed to have a chance at a life together -- her parent's permission. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was the tight friendships he shared with his friends and how they teased each other. The hero knows what he wants and nothing his friends can say will make him see that he and Suzanna aren't meant to be together.

Overall, Ms. Blake has delivered a wonderful Historical romance in this fourth book of her Lords and Ladies in Love series where the chemistry between this couple was strong; the romance was pleasing and had me loving that Nick would do anything to be with the heroine; and the ending had me loving the hero's determination to win the heroine's heart because they're meant to be. I would recommend Wagering for Miss Blake by Callie Hutton, if you enjoy Historical Romance or books by authors Lenora Bell, Grace Burrowes, Ella Quinn and Jess Michaels.

Trials and tribulations of a love struck rake!

Out of left field cupid's arrow strikes the 'marriage is not for me' confirmed rake, Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford. A position Giles is thoroughly content with. It gives him room to be himself without the larger responsibilities of being the heir or spare.
The object of his desire is Miss Suzanna Blake, who becomes more attracted to him as time goes on, particularly as he is genuinely a nice person. Early on Giles starts referring to Suzanna as his bride-to-be, completely ignoring the fact that she has already told him she will only marry a 'titled' man. However our hero is not to be deterred! Giles plans his campaign with no stone left I turned, including wagering with Suzanna about her falling in love with him. Giles asks his friend Lord Hawkins to ensure Suzanna is invited to Hawk's mother's house party, the type of event that Giles generally eschews like the plague. The house party is all that one would expect with a few surprises thrown in. The scene where Suzanna becomes stuck in a tree is quite hilarious, leading to the almost farcical.
Unfortunately, Giles, our erstwhile love tactician did not take into account that it's Suzanna's mother who wants a titled suitor for her daughter-- nothing less will do! And Suzanna's mother is quite a nasty piece of work who seems to have decided to vicariously atone for her failure to secure a titled husband through her daughter. So Giles surely has his work cut out for him to have his HEA, even Gretna Green might not beoff the table.
Great read!

A NetGalley ARC

There is not a book from this author I have not liked! Characters and plot were believeable and well written. I would suggest this book to friends and family.

What a fabulous read! Suzanna and Giles's characters are entertaining in every chapter. Comical moments with lots of sentiments, Wagering For Miss Blake is another outstanding read from author Callie Hutton.
Review copy received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Wagering For Miss Blake by Callie Hutton is the fourth book in her Lords and Ladies in Love Series. I see no reason why you can’t read it as a stand-alone. Suzanna Blake’s mother an extremely nasty and bitter person who has decided that her daughter can only marry someone with a title. Take every nasty marriage minded mother you’ve read about previously and double it. Luckily for Susanna her mother has taken to her bed and she is spending the season with her much more agreeable cousin. Mr. Giles Templeton the wealthy and charming 3rd son of an Earl takes one look at Suzanna when they meet at his good friends wedding and decides she is the one for him, alas he has no title. For most of the book Giles is a pompous ass convinced that he just has to announce to Suzanna that she is his intended and she will gracefully bow to his demands. He aggressively pursues her and no matter how much she tries to dissuade him he is convinced that she just does not know her own mind. I did not enjoy reading this part of the book and thought it went on too long and he should have gotten his comeuppance much sooner. I did enjoy Suzanna’s character and was delighted when her father finally took notice and stood up for her.
Quite Steamy Publishing Date June 11, 2018. #WageringForMissBlake #NetGalley

What a great fun read!
I loved the fact that Gilles a man with no title to inherit but everything else he had in abundance....money, looks, and lucrative connections. Any young debutant and their marriage minded mamas would fall all over themselves to be noticed by him. A man not thinking of settling done yet, falls irrevocably in love with Suzanna Blake! The only young lady to not give him the time of day!
But if anything Gilles Templeton isn’t a man to back down from a challenge, and he means to make Miss Suzanna Blake his wife!

In spite of her mother’s dictates Suzanna is terribly attracted to Gilles but knows nothing will come of it, because Gilles has everything she would ever want in a husband except the only thing her mother covets above all else even her daughters happiness and that’s a TITLE!!!

Follow Gilles and Suzanna in their journey to their HEA through heart-stopping kisses and midnight waltzes to a whirlwind of emotions that keep you glued to their very lively banter. Their chemistry just sizzled of the pages! I love reading Callie Hutton’s wonderful books they’re the perfect pick me up any day!
I can’t wait to read the next one!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

in a flip on the usual trope, wagering for miss blake, has the hero tumbling head over heels in love with the heroine three pages into the story. but the course of true love can't run smoothly in a romance novel, and he finds himself thwarted by circumstances of birth. mr. giles templeton is the third son of an earl, but miss suzanna blake's mother wants her to wed a title. and up until now, suzanna has never had any reason to counter this particular parental demand.

knowing what she knows about her parents and what they want for her, suzanna tries to resist giles. she tries to dissuade him of his pursuit. she tells him point blank it will never work. and yet, he persists. but he isn't actually goinog against her wishes, suzanna wants him around. she is in love with him too. she just doesn't see how her parents will ever agree to their courtship and wants to avoid heartbreak.

sometimes it's hard to assess books like this in the #metoo era. you can see how modern views of consent have infiltrated the narrative when there are moments that the hero reflects on whether or not his suit is really welcome. he isn't interested in forcing suzanna to love him against her will. he wants to win her hand in marriage because he believes she loves him as much as he loves her. these are modern thoughts, though they do not feel unnatural in the narrative. it appears to be self-reflection. but at the same time, it helps assuage those problematic bits in how male desire and female agency is portrayed.

**wagering for miss blake will publish on june 11, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (scandalous) in exchange for my honest review.