Easy to get in to - right away this book started off with a big twist. The death of a husband, a young widow left to continue handling all the hardships life has to throw at her while she continues to look after her siblings. A sister who is ready to be presented to society and a brother who has too many faults and too many debts. I enjoyed this book very much. loved the connection between the main characters and their fast but great journey to giving their marriage a chance.

Matilda Madison's "The Baron Takes a Bet" offers an escape into the world of Regency England.
The novel follows the story of Lady Eleanor, a spirited young woman who finds herself in a wager with the enigmatic Baron Alistair. As their lives intertwine, a spark ignites between them, leading to a whirlwind of emotions and challenges.
Eleanor is a strong and independent heroine who refuses to conform to societal norms. Alistair, the brooding baron, has a complex personality and hidden depths.
While the plot may be somewhat predictable at times, the author's writing style and engaging characters make up for this. The pacing is well-balanced, and the story builds to a happy ever after.
Overall, "The Baron Takes a Bet" is an enjoyable enough historical romance.

When I reviewed A Duke Makes a Deal, the first in the Gambling Peers trilogy, I mentioned that a couple of minor secondary characters there were clear sequel bait, and, will you look at that, this here is their very own book!

Okay, I am being facetious, but it's mostly because the premise was fairly interesting to me, and a number of plot threads introduced early on were even more interesting, and then, the execution just didn't hold up at all.

Beware: death of parents, explicit sex, gambling addiction.

Now in her early twenties, Holly Smyth has been taking care of her twin brother and sister since the deaths of her parents, but life hasn't been kind; what with one thing and another, they soon find themselves essentially destitute. One of her neighbors, the elderly Baron Bairnsdale, steps in; he pays for young Jasper to attend Eton, and finds ways to help Holly and Katrina as much as the former will let him--which isn't much, because Holly has a wide martyr streak.

Eventually, with his health declining rapidly, the baron coerces Holly to marry him, as a "death bed wish" thing. He promises Holly that, once widowed, she will have enough funds to restore the family farm and make it profitable again, so her brother has a decent living; as well as the means her sister to have a Season in London--which in Holly's mind means that her sister will marry well and be set from then on as well.

Naturally, Holly is uneasy about meeting the new Baron Bairnsdale; there was apparently some bad blood between uncle and nephew, and she's sure he can't be thrilled with the financial obligations towards her family that he's been burdened with, now that John is dead.

Things get exponentially more awkward when it turns out that the late baron had managed to arrange a marriage-by-proxy between his young penniless friend and his all-but-estranged nephew. But it gets more complicated! It turns out that the death-bed marriage was irregular in more ways than one: it was a Catholic ceremony, which makes obtaining an annulment a lot more difficult, and lengthy.

Despite his own shock, Gavin is very decent about the whole thing, hearing Holly out about her long-standing friendship with his uncle, rather than immediately jumping to the conclusion that she tricked a sick old fool. In fact, Gavin immediately decides to fulfill the promises the late baron made, both about the farm and Katrina's season.

It turns out that Gavin never understood why his uncle never took an interest in him after his parents' deaths, leaving him instead to be raised by John's older sister; by the time he was old enough to attend Eton himself, Gavin had been traumatized by his aunt's bitter disapproval. As the book starts, he hasn't even seen or spoken to her for over five years--though he pays for the house she lives in in London, and all her other bills.

Other than his two good friends Silas (hero of book one) and Derek (hero of book three), Gavin has kept an inviolable emotional distance from everyone else; he was so badly scarred, in fact, that he had determined not to marry, and to let the title die with him.

And now uncle John's manipulation makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?

This setup is the kind of bananapants plot device that can only happen in a genre romance; as such, I was prepared to go along for the ride, because, when well executed, these can be really good fun. You just have to be willing to suspend your disbelief entirely.

My problem was that the writing just wasn't up to the task; the narrative sets up a number of little mysteries, from the old baron's journals--which Gavin was supposed to "read and burn"--to the inconsistency between John's wealth and generosity toward the Smyths, and aunt Marmie's rants about how her brother barely gave her any money to support Gavin; and none of them get a proper resolution.

There are clear indications that John was gay, that his sister threatened him with exposure in order to take Gavin from him, and that her cries of poverty were likely because she was spending money elsewhere--there are hints she may have a gambling problem.

Again, none of this is addressed.

Then there's Jasper and his own gambling addiction, on top of his spoiled whiny entitled brat behavior; Katrina being mostly a plot device to dribble information about Holly to Gavin; Holly's fixation with remaking old dresses rather than let Gavin pay for new dresses for herself and Katrina; the ornery cat that lives in the London house that John specifically left to Holly; the aunt showing up at Bairnsdale House in London--despite having her own Mayfair address!--and Gavin letting her stay rather than sending her packing, even though she's rude to everyone, especially Holly. There are visits to White's, and to the bank, and to the lawyer; both of Gavin's friends, and other characters from the first book, conveniently showing up; a cards game in a bad part of London, and...

Honestly, the only reason I finished the book was because I wanted to know what the blasted journals said. And yeah.

About that.

Gavin doesn't read the journals on page, and his reaction to any off-page reading is never mentioned.

I cannot even with this.

A good content editor needed to point out all the holes in the narrative and not let the book move forward until they were properly plugged. Alas, not what happened here.

The Baron Takes a Bet gets a 6.50 out of 10, and I'm mad, because that glorious cover deserved better.

A quick, light read. I do wish there was a bit more show rather than tell and there were some modernisms that took me out of the story a little bit. I appreciate the cast of side characters.

This entertaining story is a sweet slow burn romance with a close proximity, reverse sunshine-grumpy and slightly different marriage of convenience trope, very likable characters, some LOL moments and a bit of steam.
I enjoyed how their bond and support for each other grew as the story progressed and how Gavin handled Holly‘s conflict with her brother whose rebellious ways became understandable throughout the book. It was also nice to meet some of the characters from the previous installment again.

Despite allusions to events from the previous book in the series, in my opinion this story can also be read as a standalone.

Since the death of her parents, Holly Smyth has been responsible for her younger siblings and the management of her brother’s estate but a few unfortunate events and bad decisions have brought the farm to the brink of ruin.
When her terminally ill friend, Lord John Bairnsdale, asks for her hand in marriage to secure the future of her family, she accepts his offer. John dies shortly after their wedding.
However, when the will is read, she is in for a nasty surprise: she is not John's widow, because John did not marry her himself, but as proxy for his nephew and heir Gavin Winscombe, the new Baron Bairnsdale.

Gavin is also shocked to realise that his uncle has trapped him into an unwanted marriage. Raised by his prudish, cantankerous aunt and estranged from his late uncle after his father’s death, Gavin became a successful businessman who enjoys his carefree and independent life.

Both Holly and Gavin want an annulment, but as time passes they find themselves drawn to each other more and more, the necessary distance becomes harder to maintain and their marriage could give each of them just what they have been missing in their lives...

It is a book for those who enjoy a close proximity story with a male sunshine, a female grump and great character development.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was so excited to find out more about Holly after meeting her in the first book and her story definitely did not disappoint. The marriage-by-proxy idea was an interesting twist on the "forced marriage" plot - I respected how thorough John was in his planning to be sure that Holly and Gavin couldn't easily get out of the marriage. If ever there were two characters who needed to just sit and have an honest conversation about their feelings it is these two. There were so many times I hoped that one of them would be the one to take the chance of opening up, but then this would have been a much shorter book. Although Holly wasn't technically alone since she had her siblings, she still took on a lot of burdens by herself and it was nice to see her finally have some help. I didn't look at it as she needed someone to take care of her, she just needed a partner with whom to share those burdens. And Gavin's stepping up from the beginning showed him to be the type of person who wanted to help others. Holly's brother may have meant well, but his inability to see how his behavior impacted others did make you see why Holly had trouble seeing him as a young man. I'm glad that Gavin got to learn the truth about the circumstances that led to him being raised by his bitter aunt. I can only imagine how his life may have been different had he been raised by John, or at least been able to spend time with him. Maybe he and Holly would have gotten together on their own, but I guess everything worked out in the end. Speaking of the end, poor Mr. Armstrong - Gavin and Holly really owe him big. I would love stories later on to find out what happens with Katrina and Jasper in their own lives as they get older. It was so great to see the characters from the first book (I always love getting to see how previous characters continue to develop as a couple and as individuals). The epilogue sets up the next book nicely- it will be nice to see Derek come out of his shell a little more.

I have read four books by Matilda Madison this year, and I think this one is my favourite to date. I think this came along at just the right time for me and was exactly the type of historical romance I wanted to read.

Holly Smyth is introduced in the first book in Madison’s “Gambling Peers” series, the practical eldest sister who is contemplating a marriage proposal to Baron Winscombe, an elderly neighbour who offers a marriage of convenience to protect Holly and her younger siblings.
Holly agrees to the marriage and Winscombe dies shortly thereafter, leaving Gavin Winscombe to inherit the title and the wife.

This is a “small” story, in which two independent individuals learn to navigate family obligations and the surprise of having someone to care for them. It was sweet, and quiet, and I completely enjoyed Holly and Gavin.

The gambling, which started the story in book one, is the culmination of the plot in book two as Holly’s younger brother has gotten himself in debt and into gambling with the wrong sort of people. The brother does seem to be forgotten about in the epilogue together with the disposition of the family home, so that is one issue I have with the story overall.

I would have liked to have one or two more chapters in which some more on-page story happens; in particular, reading the diaries left by Gavin’s uncle (the former Baron) and further details about the gambling debts / house sale.

While I think Madison excels at betrayals and angst, the emotional exploration of how people process and perceive the setbacks of their lives resonated with me; one can feel the crushing weight of family death, childhood setbacks, and straitened financial means or one can find opportunities and joy in life.

Overall, an engaging historical romance, that I was happy to receive as an ARC. 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the arc of "The Baron Takes a Bet“ by Matilda Madison.

When Holly, an orphan caring for her two younger siblings, gets into financial troubles, her elderly family friends offers to marry her in order to give her financial security. What she doesn’t know is that he married her by proxy.. and Holly is now the wife to her friends' nephew, Gavin Wincombe.

The book was a sweet romance and Gavin was such a gentleman. I really loved the premise of the book and it didn’t disappoint. It was a lovely regency era story and gave me everything I am looking for.

Review of
The Baron Takes a Bet
By Matilda Madison

1. Overview:
In this classical historical romance novel Mr Gavin Winscombe, inherits the Baronetcy and a wife. Married by proxy through the hands of the 6th Baron, the new Baron and his lovely Baroness Holly Winscombe are determined to get an annulment.

2. What did I like:
- It is an easy, light read and a lovely romance storyline
- The plot is interesting and moves at a steady pace

3. What I did not like:
- Although the plot is interesting it needs thickening.
- The only character that stood out to me was Gavin. There is not a lot of depth to the other characters
- The title of the book is detached from the story
- The Epilogue does not round Gavin and Holly’s romance off properly and I felt it was more to pique the reader's interest in the other characters for a follow-up book.

4. Ratings and Final Thoughts:
Sometimes I like reading something light. So if that is what you are looking for I would recommend this book. I would rate The Baron Takes a Bet by Matilda Madison 3 out of 5

Holly has lost both her parents and has struggled to make ends meet. She finally agreed to marry the elderly Baron, who is a dear friend of hers. Only to find out, after the Baron passed, that she in reality married his nephew, Gavin Wincombe, by proxy. I love that Gavin actually didn’t mind being married to Holly. Surprise, yes but hate, no. He really was a gentleman throughout the book. I love that Holly went for the first kiss. I am so happy that she finally laid everything out on the table about how selfish her brother has been. And I love, love sweet Katrina!! I did wish that there was an on page scene with Gavin reading his Uncle’s journal. Overall, this was a very sweet story and romance. I am so excited for the next book in this series.

Thank you to netgalley & Dragonblade Publishing for giving an ARC.

I don’t think the title is fitting to the plot. Yes there’s a bit of gambling involved throughout the book but unless it’s the baron taking a bet on love, the title just doesn’t feel right.

The book itself is a sweet romance where the couple is accidentally, yet purposefully married by proxy courtesy of their friend and uncle. I loved this idea, who doesn’t enjoy a trope of forced proximity? The MC’s quickly decide they are interested, because attraction goes a long way. A lot of miscommunication and misunderstandings later they come together and decide they don’t want an annulment.

FMC and MMC are both intelligent and level headed but I didn’t feel the burn between the MC’s and wanted more buildup. The tension wasn’t palpable and didn’t give me that gut wrenching response. Most of the book I was annoyed with FMC’s little brother - that whole side plot was never resolved and I’m still wondering how FMC forgave MMC’s miscommunication without ever knowing what happened to her families manor. Maybe that will be presented in book 3?

As it happens every single time I read a book by Matilda Madison, I picked this up and couldn’t put it down. I love this trope, marriage of convenience, to distraction and this was even more good, because the characters didn’t know each other at all! It was an unexpected plot and I enjoyed it immensely. The story is intriguing and the characters well fleshed out. I loved that Gavin was instantly very supportive of Holly and understood her and her need to protect her family, while Holly strove to fill the loneliness of Gavin’s life (even if I found her much too stubborn at the beginning!). They are well matched and very passionate when together. Their HEA is very satisfying, but I would have liked to see something more about the uncle’s journals. They seemed such a big deal at the beginning, but then they sort of faded in the background.
I was intrigued by the young brother and I hope we will have his story sooner or later!

Holly and Gavin are two really kind, GOOD people who are lonely and have never really had someone else truly care for them. Holly's been raising her twin siblings and has been so busy just trying to keep her head above water and keep everyone fed. Gavin has been raised by an aunt who did the best she could, but it was not a caring, loving upbringing. Both Holly and Gavin probably think they are doing OK, but once they are thrown into each other company, they realize just how wonderful it is to have someone care about you. And how you never see what you're really missing out on until it's right in front of you.
I loved these two characters and watching them slowly get to know each other and fall in love was a wonderful, cozy feeling. And I'm better for it.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book is such an unusual story which made it so hard to put down. Holly is such a full, rich character. She's taken care of others for most of her life. When she finally lets the Baron, John, marry her before he dies she thinks she might be able to make it. It all depends on the new Baron, Gavin. A very interesting and unusual story!

The Baron Takes a Bet by Matilda Madison, book two of the Gambling Peers series
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Cover: 4.5/5
Story: 4/5
Steam: 🔥 🔥 (+kissing, short scene not counted)
Ending: HEA with epilogue
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Stand Alone or Series: Could be read as a stand alone. I believe Madison's books all take place in the same universe.
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England, Regency (1820s)
Banker turned Baron
Would Be Widow
Marriage by Proxy
Instant Attraction
Difficult Family Dynamics
Protective Hero
He Falls First
Cranky Cat
Only One Bed
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Something I so adore about Madison's books is that she has such a well-developed style of writing style. Truly. It is descriptive and complex without ever feeling too dense. She has a great balance between dialog and action on the page that I find to be incredibly immersive.

Marriage by proxy- how delightful! As if it could get better than that, Marriage by proxy in which neither party was aware that they were Marrying each other only further complicates things. Gavin and Holly, along with their family, were flummoxed, to say the least. It is such a zany plotline that I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. Honestly, it's so slightly bonkers that it feels like something Auntie Lorraine Heath would pull on us! Kudos to Madison.

Although Gavin and Holly do have an instant attraction to each other, I didn't feel this was instant-love. While Gavin has deep feelings of protection and providing for Holly, I didn't think this book relied heavily on the insta-love trope to make us believe their romance. I feel Gavin is saddled with wanting to prove his uncle wrong and feeling genuinely sorry for Holly and her family. Their instant attraction to each other develops into a beautiful romance.

Gavin and Holly have such an entertaining time attempting to fight their growing feelings for each other as they grapple with wanting each other but also thinking that they should seek an annulment of the dubiously contented marriage. They also have many outside factors that are working against their relationship they figure out are easier to handle when they unite as one force.

Overall, I think this was a great second book to the series, and look forward to reading book three. I will also be making a point to catch up on the other books authored by Madison that I have not read.

As for steam, Madison uses largely non-explicit terms. Consent sent is clear. Lower steam read, but the scenes are solid.
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Read as an early reader copy provided by NetGalley, author, and publisher. Thank you!
Honest review left voluntarily.

A historical romance where a generous but sneaky dying man decided to put two people together, without their knowledge. Both our lead characters have family members that they would prefer to hide away or hide away from. That causes a few upsetting moments. Our heroine has had to shoulder a lot of burdens and finds it difficult to accept help.
Frustration for our characters but fun for us is what we get here. It is part of a series but each book is easily read on its own. I have a slight idea who the next heroine will be.
Great fun.

Beauty in simplicity is a very appropriate sentence to describe the plot of this book. It is very straightforward and easy to love. The second book of the “Gambling Peers” series by Matilda Madison opens with a young widow named Holly Smyth and her two seventeen twin siblings, Jasper and Katrina. Before agreeing to marry John, Holly was barely surviving the loss of her parents, the debts and the decay of the farm that her brother is to inherit. John was a gentle man who offered marriage on his death bed so he could help his beloved friends and give her a little hope in form of inheritance. Or that’s what Holly thought.

What John actually did was trick her and his own nephew and heir Gavin, uniting them forever by what’s called “marriage by proxy”. For those who don’t know, in this kind of union, the groom is actually acting as representative of the person who is actually married, in this case John for Gavin, who not only wasn’t in England at the time, he doesn’t know Holly at all. When our two protagonists discover what John has done to them, after the initial shock, they decide to have an annulment only to find out that the cheeky man that was John, had had the ceremony of the wedding following the laws of the Catholic Church, they will need the Pope to consent to the annulment… but that will take time, perhaps long enough for them to fall in love.

In the meantime they have to deal with their respective families and responsibilities, and they somehow naturally approach all that as a team, a perfectly matched team. What could have John foreseen that they couldn’t?

Matilda Madison writes some comfort books in my opinion. This is one of her best books, for it is about two very human characters with their flaws and insecurities, but none of them are too overdramatic about whatever burdens they carry on their shoulders. The plot is unveiled very slowly, although the romance doesn’t fall into the slow burn trope, nor does it go the fast lane. It has romantic moments with the couple that are incredibly tender and moving, beautiful, and sweet. The family moments made Holly and Gavin feel like a couple before they themselves realized. Navigating their struggles with aunts and siblings, their shenanigans… They say that sometimes family puts a strain on a couple’s relationship, in this case, they made them stronger. I devoured this book in two days and now I can’t wait for the next book!

Holly finds herself in a poy that many women find today as well, that of being a single caretaker. Then the new Baron, Gavin appears and wants to help take care of her. A charming story of conniving deceit which leads to an entertaining plot. The second book in the series is fun to read. There are a number of time, it was a bit repetitive but overall a good read. Still can't wait for Derek's turn.

What a situation to find oneself in! I empathized with Holly when she discovered that she had not married her gentle elderly friend on his deathbed, but rather his nephew, whom she had never met. Gavin, however, won my heart while he took stock of the situation and assessed the damage before reacting. Not only did he find himself married, but he had also inherited all the problems that Holly was carrying, including a recalcitrant brother who sabotaged all her efforts. Gavin finds more than just the problems he had inherited but also the truth about his relations and the battle they fought, resulting in misinformation and subterfuge. Ultimately, Gavin and Holly discover that they are perfect for one another, that is until their lawyer makes his announcement. I felt like laughing and crying at the same time. The novel is a standalone and does come to a satisfactory conclusion, albeit I wanted to smack young Jasper about his head! I received a copy of this heartwarming romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Holly and Gavin find out they are married to each other because neither read the latin in the marriage certificate. Holly was trying to marry the dying Baron, because he was a friend, and he offered her a way to afford to not fall into abject poverty. Only, he didn’t tell her that she was marrying by proxy to his nephew.

So that is the premise of this quick little romance. Holly just wants a way to restore her family home. Gavin just wants to get out of the marriage. Throw in a rebellious brother who is in debt because of gambling, and you have a fairly lively regency romance.
But of course, because it is a romance, the two are going to have to fall for each other, with the usual tropes being thrown at them, such as only one bed, and having to pretend to be married.

I enjoyed it. The flirting the cute. The woman was strong. The ending seemed rushed, but I presume there is a third book in the series that might wrap up any loose ends. This was the second book, and though you wouldn’t have had to read the first, there are a few asides to what happened in the previous story.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published August 22, 2024.