Miss Ruthie Waitrose, determined not to sit back and take what her family continues to throw her way, decides to take a stand and not marry the odious old earl her mother has dictated she needs to marry to save her family from financial ruin. She disguises herself as a man and enters a gambling den to win back the money both her father and brother have lost.

Harry Holmes, a poor Irish immigrant who is now the wealthiest man in England and the owner of said gambling den, knows right off the bat that Ruthie is a woman disguised as a man. Deciding to get a new life, one that will allow him some respectability, he proposes a marriage of convenience to Ruthie.

Ruthie takes him up on his offer and the two get married. Harry has many idiosyncrasies that Ruthie must deal with. When things go south for Harry, Ruthie is determined to stand by him and show him that he is worthy of love.

All in a delightful story that was interesting and sweet that I thoroughly enjoyed. I received an ARC from the publishers and NetGalley and submit my review voluntarily.

rating: 4/5 stars

I honestly thought this was a wonderful story with really in-depth characters. Everyone's quirks and realness made them very fond to me! I enjoyed the general plot in the story, though it could drag at times and I struggled to get into the story at first before it really took off for me. Overall, great read!

This was a strong third entry in the Cricket Club series, it had that historical element that I was looking for and enjoyed the romance element overall. The character were everything that I was looking for from the previous two books. Margaux Thorne was able to make this story work and left me wanting more.

A beautiful story from a new to me author that I thoroughly enjoyed! The touching plot has age gap, class disparity and rags to riches tropes and is full of emotion, sweet moments that make you smile, a touch of danger and some steam. It kept me hooked from the start. Both main characters are endearing. Harry is an OCD (most likely autistic) hero who suffers from loneliness, anxiety and being „not normal“ but can’t change his ways. I really felt for him and fell in love with his character. Ruthie is kind, compassionate and a little insecure, but she loves and accepts Harry for who he is, lovingly challenges him to overcome his own limitations and becomes his safe haven. In return, Harry helps her gain the self-confidence she lacks and supports her unconditionally. It was wonderful to see how Ruthie, with a lot of love, patience and a touch of humor, gets Harry to open up to her. I particularly loved the heartwarming happy ending.
Although the book is part of the series and you meet characters from previous books, the book can be read on its own.

Gambling den owner Harry Holmes has been different from others from an early age. As a child, he moved from Ireland to London with his mother, but she did not accept his difference and Harry left her and spent his youth as a street urchin in the slums of London. With his flair for numbers, ruthlessness and illegal activities, he rose to become one of the richest and most successful businessmen in England. After many years, he finally wants to retire from the illegal business, much to the displeasure of his team even if it puts his life in constant danger but he doesn’t mind. Only his quirks, tics and necessary routines which he tries to hide from others, make his life difficult and lonely.
One evening, he discovers a woman disguised as a young man at one of his gaming tables and is obsessed with her from the very first moment. When Harry is shot shortly afterwards, she is the only one whose touch he can stand. He feels safe with her, she sees his true self and gives him peace.
Miss Ruthie Waitrose always secretly dreamed of finding true love but has been taught all her life that, unlike her brother, she is not worth much as a daughter and that her task is to improve the family fortune by marrying favourably so that her gambling-addicted brother can continue his extravagant lifestyle.
When her mother wants to arrange a marriage for her with a disgusting man old enough to be her grandfather to cover her brother's gambling debts, Ruthie decides to gamble herself to win back her brother’s losses. But then she meets the attractive and enigmatic club owner with his quirks, who is shot and only wants to be treated by her. When he unexpectedly proposes to her soon after, Ruthie accepts...

If you like love stories with extraordinary protagonists, great character development and lots of touching moments, you will love this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

A timeless love story, well written, strong character with each have a good background story making them who they are.

This historical romance is part of a series that revolves around a ladies cricket team, but in this book the sport is barely mentioned.
Our heroine doesn't have much self-esteem because her mother is always critical of her. She is expected to rescue the family financially through marriage while her brother gambles everything they have.
Our hero has dragged himself from the gutter to be a very wealthy man. He does have some quirks that complicate his life.
You will have a great time with these characters and their unusual lifestyle.
Each of the books in this series have been interesting and different from most romances in this genre. Most enjoyable.
Great fun.

I selected this from the Dragonblade catalog because I'm a sucker for women in disguise. Tight trousers and a poorly fit cap over a feminine physique? I'm in. I loved the first quarter of the book but it gradually fell apart as the story progressed. Ruthie dresses up as a man at the gambling hall as an attempt to recoup the money her family lost in the same building. Luckily she has far better skills than her male relatives. Our hero owns the establishment and knows immediately her gender due to her shapely rear. I love it when books do that. So simple, yet so effective. Shenangians ensue and they end up in holy matrimony. That's where things go south and my enjoyment was tossed out the carriage window.

Our hero was very touch resistant and couldn't bear the physicality of another person, except the heroine. I believe he had some trauma which caused his aversion, but it wasn't suited for a romance novel that thrives on human interaction. He had a really weird kink and nontraditional bedroom habits. The love scenes were incredibly awkward. They didn't have much chemistry and I felt as a reader that I was interrupting their privacy. The book's dialogue was also very coarse and too much vulgarity befitting the time period. It felt too anachronistic for these characters to be cursing so frequently. I may just be a sensitive sponge, but we could have softened the language just a smidge.

This was my first book by Margaux Thorne and I believe it will be my last. I just didn't click with her writing and that's ok by me. I still adore Dragonblade Publishing and I appreciate the opportunity to read their new releases. I don't know anything about cricket but if it's anything like Love Sport, I'm not interested.

For those who suffer from OCD, it takes an exceptional person to be a partner. This is beautifully demonstrated by Ruthie in this touching and lovely story. Ruthie has the strength of character to see Howard for who he is rather than who he tries to be. Part of a lovely series with cricket as a basis for the team of ladies who find happiness not just in their sport but also in the men they choose. This isn't your typical ton romance series but one that looks at many types of people, differences and life styles. A true joy to read not just once but over again. From an author with creativity as well as a heart for those who are different. Well done!!?

Ruthie wants to save her family home, so disguise herself as a man, to see if she can win back the money her brother has lost gambling. The owner of the club, Harry, figures out she is a woman right away. And pulling her aside to talk to her clinches how he feels about her. He wants to marry her.


Ruth accepts, because her mother is trying to marry her off to an elderly earl. Yes, it is all done that quickly.


For once, we actually see the protagonists waiting until they are married to have sex, but only because there isn’t that much time between meeting,and marriage. Harry appears to be somewhere on the autism scale, hates being touched, hates crowds, has to do things in fives, and is a wiz at mathematics. (Note, I know there is more to autism than that, but these are the hints the author drops).


This is part of the cricket club series of regency romances, but you don’t have to have read the other books. There is only a minimal amount of cricket being played in this one.


I found the characters quite pleasant, actually. There are reasons for both Ruth and Harry’s feelings for each other, and both have come from difficult backgrounds.


Quick read. Not a clean or closed door romance, by any means.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. The book came out on October 15, 2024.

Ruthie and Harry's story is very tender and heartfelt. They are both really good for each other. Having a character with OCD is kind of hit or miss for me. My own experience with it doesn't mirror Harry's experience, but there's a lot of different kinds. If I'm feeling really strong, it's fine, but most of the time I read to escape, so that's where I get prickly with it.
However, there is a HEA, and both Ruthie and Harry are better together.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This was a unique and well written love story. A dramatic first meeting ends with a shooting that begins a fast-paced romance. The main characters are complex and interesting. I found Harry's oddities, quirks mentioned throughout to be an original idea to have been brought up for that time period. I enjoyed how true love changed everything and how beautifully it ended. I highly recommend reading!

I’m starting to wonder why everyone wants a duke, when you’re so much better off with a gaming hell owner...

~ Ruthie & Harry ~
She’s the quiet daughter of a very ambitious and demanding mama, harshly moulded into the perfect society miss, ready for the highest bidder. Only, that’s not what she wants.
He’s an Irish immigrant who climbed his way from the gutter to become the richest man in London, a gaming hell owner with severe OCD and a man 20 years her senior.
She sneaks into his hell to win back what her wastrel brother lost. He immediately sees through her disguise, but get’s shot while escorting her out of his club. Not exactly a meetcute, but in that moment between life and death, cupid strikes.
For her he’s the lesser of two evils, although... he’s a little odd and unpredictable, but he isn’t evil. He’s just different... everything she was never allowed to be.
For him she’s the one. The only one. Ever.

It’s a captivating story and his tics force it to be more than just the cliché innocent girl and devilish hell owner. This entire story is different - a good kind of different - from what I expected it to be. I like that his hell was just a backdrop and that the story completely focused on the couple and the hurdles they had to overcome.
The relationship between Ruthie and her family is a tricky one. She lacks self-confidence, but she’s resourceful and compassionate. No hysterics or theatrics. He’s very conscious of his own shortcomings and really tries to be more “normal”; he’s caring in his own way. These two need each other and care deeply, but he’s a man with a manual and loving him is a challenge - one she’s luckily willing to accept.
This was an interesting and entertaining read with unique kind of steam, dry wit and a very moving romance at its centre. It starts with a shooting and ends with one, and if you want to know what happens in between, you’ll have to find out for yourself!

An emotional rollercoaster involving two adults carrying a lot of baggage. Miss Ruth Waitrose must save her family from gambling debts left after her father's death and her brother following in his footsteps. Her only resource is playing vingt-en-un at the Lucky Fish. She may think she's in disguise as a young man, but Harry Holmes, as the owner, is very observant. An unexpected assassination attempt creates a connection between Harry and Ruthie. He won't let it go and pursues her. She lives a miserable life with her mother. An opportunity for a life with Harry is worth taking a chance. Harry has his quirks and Ruthie struggles with self confidence, but they learn to help each other. An interesting couple with a compelling love story.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley