I just love this series! This book was as enjoyable as the first two. George was a bit short-sighted, but still likable. Dodo, an excellent foil for his numerous foibles. I really enjoyed reading this book. I have just begun the next in the series and am as impressed with it, as I was the previous. Thank you Emily EK Murdoch, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Earl of Lindow know that the is a great car player but t ecards don’t cooperate even when he plays against a specific women. Miss Doris Loughty know how to play cards specifically the mathematics behind the cards. Unfortunately, for them both she has obligations she must fulfill. Or die trying which it might come down to. Another wonderful novel by Murdoch. Although the description says this can be read in any order. It can however, you wont know how the brothers met their wives if you read it in any order. You will want to read the first two just to see the dynamics through these novels. I can’t wait to see their half brothers tale. He is starting to fit in so nicely. Especially now that Lindow is ….. well Lindow.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

4 1/2* STARS*
Miss Dodo Loughty sees the world through mathematics. She never loses when it comes to playing cards, as long as she can find a card game. She needs money to take care of her parents. George Chance, Earl of Lindow, is a very happy go lucky fellow. If only gambling and cards made him money. He tends to lose more than he wins. Instantly smitten when he first sees Dodo, he's not aware of anything else, but her. His mistake is thinking he's teaching her to play cards. How does she keep winning? Dodo doesn't want to be attracted to George, but he is one persistent fellow. Only Dodo carries a secret that can destroy any relationship they have. A sweet romance with an absolutely adorable hero and a heroine with secrets and complications. Mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable. I loved that the heroine was a maths geek, and the hero a gambling rake who managed to reform himself. Can’t wait for the next one.

Dodo uses her knowledge of numbers to win at gambling so she can send money to her parents. George thinks she cheats and he pays her to teach him her tricks. A blossoming friendship turns to love. But when Dodo reveals a secret of betrayal, will their love be strong enough to withstand it?

*An Outside Chance* is a delightful, heart-tugging historical romance that swept me into its world from the very first page. Emily EK Murdoch crafts an enchanting story filled with complex characters, compelling conflict, and some truly memorable romantic moments. This book is perfect for anyone who loves a story with as much depth in its characters as it has charm in its romance.

**Plot:** The story centers on the hesitant but undeniable connection between Lady Jane, a fiercely independent and intelligent woman, and Lord Edward, a man whose sense of duty and responsibility often clashes with his hidden yearning for a life — and love — beyond society’s rigid expectations. From their first, slightly awkward yet magnetic encounters, their relationship unfolds with all the slow-burn tension that makes historical romance such a joy. Murdoch deftly builds their chemistry, balancing their personal dilemmas and emotional struggles with the overarching question of whether they will find a way to break through the barriers between them.

**Characters:** Lady Jane and Lord Edward are written with such nuance that they feel vividly real. Jane’s inner conflict — her desire to remain self-sufficient and true to her values, even as she feels her heart softening toward Edward — is compelling and relatable. Edward, on the other hand, is so much more than the brooding aristocrat he initially appears to be. His vulnerability and the way he gradually lets his guard down for Jane make his character journey not only believable but deeply satisfying.

The secondary characters add layers of charm and intrigue, with Jane’s friends and Edward’s acquaintances each adding their own quirks and insights into the central relationship. Murdoch doesn’t let any character feel flat or purely functional; everyone has a purpose and a pulse, which makes the story come alive.

**Favorite Quotes:** Murdoch has a gift for romantic, almost poetic language that makes you want to underline every other line. Some of my favorite quotes include:

- “She hadn’t meant to let him into her heart, but somehow, like sunlight creeping into a closed room, he was there, warming places she’d thought would always be cold.”

- “In his eyes, she saw not only a future she had never dared to dream, but a soul that seemed to understand the quiet loneliness she hid so well from the world.”

Each of these moments captures the depth of Jane and Edward’s feelings, elevating their love story beyond the typical romance.

**Ending:** Without giving anything away, the ending is both satisfying and beautiful, bringing all the strands of Jane and Edward’s journey together in a way that feels earned. It’s the perfect culmination of their growth as individuals and as a couple. Murdoch leaves just the right amount of ambiguity for readers to imagine their future together, while delivering enough of a resolution to leave a warm sense of closure.

In short, *An Outside Chance* is a must-read for romance fans looking for a story with heart, depth, and unforgettable characters. Emily EK Murdoch has crafted a novel that’s as thoughtful as it is passionate, and I can’t recommend it highly enough!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥


📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from Dragonblade Publishing via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄 @dragonbladepub
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Book three of the Chance series is lively, steamy and a bit unpredictable. Dodo(horrible name) is a math wizard who gambles to save her family from ruin. George Chance, an Earl, is a terrible gambler yet a hopeless optimist. Two unlikely souls that should never be together find common ground and love. Each story stands alone yet the series as a whole is terrific. Each is well written and the difference in the brothers is both entertaining and engaging. From one of my favorite authors, don't miss out on this series it's bound to be thrilling from story to story.

This historical romance is part of a series but each brother's story can be read alone. This is the black sheep brother who has more than a few lessons to learn.
Our heroine is very unusual as she has a gift for numbers. She needs to use that to help her parents.
You can't help but cheer for her and the way she uses her intelligence.
An amusing and slightly steamy story.
Great fun.

I am an avid fan of Emily Murdoch books and this was another good story.
A bit of a slow start but it started picking up and became an enjoyable read and entertaining.

I never thought probability calculations would make me laugh out loud! The third part of the series is a slow-burning romance and an entertaining read, with plenty of funny moments, secrets and lies, hot love scenes and likable characters. George and Dodo are opposites, he is chaotic, irresponsible but easy-going, and Dodo doesn't like people and always calculates the odds before acting. I didn't like some of her actions throughout the book, but nonetheless George and Dodo have great chemistry, fit and complement each other perfectly and get the best out of each other.

George Chance, Earl of Lindow, is the Chance brother who causes the most trouble and makes a fool of himself. The affable rake spends his time and money on gambling and horse racing, much to the displeasure of his eldest brother Cothrom.
When he meets a beautiful young lady in a gambling den one evening, he can hardly believe his luck. She is the perfect chance to win back his gambling debts at the racetrack. But much to his dismay, she wins one game after another and George is determined to discover the secret of her success.
Doris „Dodo“ Loughty has secretly come to Bath to support her family financially. She is a math genius, lives her life according to probabilities and is therefore almost unbeatable at games of chance. When George pursues her after her success at cards and wants to learn her method, Dodo reluctantly agrees. A friendship and attraction develops between the two, and the trusting George soon lets her in on his secrets...

If you like secretive bluestockings and carefree heroes with unknown depths, you are sure to enjoy this book!

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

Doris, aka Dodo, is a math genius who goes to Bath to play cards to win enough to pay for debts her sick parents are accumulating out in the country. George doesn’t like to lose and desperately wants to understand Dodo and how she constantly wins. Spending time together they realize that winning isn’t everything. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

The third book in the series & another well written, enjoyable romance. I came to this book not liking George Chance, Earl of Lindow, so was interested to see if & how he could be redeemed. Miss Doris Loughty—“Dodo” to her loved ones is a gambler but it is not an outside chance. It’s mathematics. Probability, calculations that are so simple to her and yet seemingly impossible to others. But the winning itself isn’t important—it’s the money she so desperately needs that is the priority. So when the arrogant Lord Lindow demands that she teach him all her tricks and promises to pay for the pleasure. I thoroughly enjoyed how George & Doris’ (sorry Dodo !! a complete turn off for me) developed & deepened there were secrets & misunderstandings along the road to their HEA & yes George was redeemed but Doris almost let him down
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

This book three of The Chances series is a regency historical romance novel that continues the Chance family drama. The characters are interesting and strong-willed. I found it very captivating and entertaining with the wit, humor, drama, secrets, lies, drama, and so many more engaging plots. I enjoyed the steamy romance and the happy ending. I highly recommend reading!

This book was amazing. I loved George and Doris and I was not expecting to like George. He has beef with my favorite Chance brother Pernrith which was delt with a little in this book and I wonder if it will be fully resolved in Pern's book which I am so looking forward to already pre-ordered. Now on to this book: Doris makes some mistakes along the way but I felt (personally) none were that egregious. They made sense for her back story. George was a surprise, I did not think I was gonna like him.. He is arrogant, entitled, rude, and presumptuous. He was still those things but loving, caring, and sweet as well. I could not help but root for this couple the entire time. They both seemed to understand each other and help bring out the best in each other. The part of the book where they are listening to the orchestra and he helps her enjoy it by speaking of the math behind music, it was just so sweet and showed a deep understanding of what made them a good couple.

No notes, I just loved this.

I did receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest opinion but I have also pre-ordered this book (since I first saw I could) and the next.

Each and every book in The Chances series tells a tale of one Chance brother. An Outside Chance is the 3rd book in the series and is about George and Dodo mathematics of the probability of them finding their happy ever after. Emily Murdock has a writing style I thoroughly enjoy. Her stories are well paced with flawed characters who manage to grow and yet retain their personalities which captivates you from the beginning until the very end, family unity with siblings who can bring chaos wherever they are but also he their backs when needed, witty and enjoyable dialogue and with an enjoyable plot that brings this read together perfectly.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This story was about a young lady trying to earn money for her family at a time when respectable ladies did not work.
This review may contain spoilers.
A young lady is able to trick her parents in to letting her travel to Bath. She is a mathematical genius and can predict odds. Her family is not rich. Her father is a vicar of a small church. A fever swept the village the previous year and the heroine and the maid were spared. But the fever took her brother and her parents have not recovered yet. And they need money. The heroine chooses Bath because it is not as notorious as London, but still has places where she can go to play cards. She goes to a local party and meets the brother of the hero. The brother sees how well she plays cards and wants to teach his brother a lesson. So he escorts her to a gambling hall.
The hero is breeding race horses and he has his two best racers in Bath for the horse races. But he keeps losing because his horse is not coming in first. He goes to a gambling hall looking to make quick money when he sees the heroine come in looking as fresh a lamb in the spring. This is the lady he will be winning against. Imagine his surprise when she turns the tables on him and actually wins his pocket cash. Then, she disappears. He goes around Bath, looking for her in the Pump Rooms and the Assembly Hall and the popular salons, but no one has seen her. Then he sees her on the street, dressed in plain clothes eating a pastry. She tries to run away, but he catches her and convinces her to teach him how to win.
This was a 5 star story. It was well written, all the characters made sense, and because it is a series, we do see main characters from other books being support characters. The challenges they face are on par for the period in which the book was written.
If you haven't read this author, this is a good book to start. Since it is a series, the author gives you enough back story to where the reader is not lost. Each story is stand alone and can be read out of order. I recommend reading.

<b>I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.</b>

From how George was described in the previous books, I wasn't sure if he would acclimate well to the role of romance hero. Surprisingly, he ponied up and took it like a champ. He was incredibly charming and was beaten at his own game. Our heroine Doris, tragically nicknamed Dodo, was a great match who I liked until the doomed third act. I mean couldn't we call her Dorrie or Do? Dodo is such an insult and not cute at all. Despite her future betrayal and unfortunate moniker, Doris was a neat character. She was a card shark trying to earn money for her ailing parents and didn't even have to wear breeches to do it. I mean, can we please have more female characters be a hellion at the gambling tables?

<img alt="#the parent trap from the stars my solace" class="J9AiF" height="380" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/106ae1d0d3679cd4e755e3ca4a0de092/8427dc720ade9f96-69/s540x810/3622132e3260c68dfe9459a88ab53672baa2f96c.gifv" width="540">

This was nearly hitting four stars until the dreaded third act. I've come to loathe the last section of books because more often than not, authors love whipping out the pointless breakup. There are far better conflict examples than a separation. There was a minor cleaving, but Dodo betrayed George in the most brutal, heart wrenching manner. I couldn't believe someone could be so cold towards someone they professed to love. Her diabolical actions continued through the course of their relationship and didn't end once she developed feelings for him. Anything for sick parents, I guess? I was repulsed and immediately docked a star. This is the cruelest betrayal I've read in a long time and I wasn't expecting it from a historical romance.

<img style="display: block;-webkit-user-select: none;margin: auto;background-color: hsl(0, 0%, 90%);" src="https://thetruth1.home.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/tumblr_miym13pr3o1rijbg1o1_500-2.gif">

I have enjoyed reading Murdoch's book these past few years, but An Outside Chance certainly threw me off guard. I loved George taking responsibilities and winning at the tables instead of losing all his brother's money. I was sucker punched by Dodo's betrayal as her nickname became more apt as the chapters unfurled. I'll definitely keep reading this collection because I'm so curious about the Chance brother who was born on the wrong side of the blanket. I hope it's not as brutal as this story, but there's definitely An Outside Chance.

She likes calculated risk, he’s a chance... all bets are off!

~ Doris & Georges ~
A country miss with an exceptional love of numbers on a mission to save her parents by playing cards and making the gentlemen of Bath’s purses a little lighter. If only that silly persistent lord would stop hounding her and side-tracking her plans.
An earl, a gambling fool with two unlucky racehorses and determined to never marry, who simple cannot get over the fact he’s been beaten by a woman. There’s something about her, and he’ll get to the bottom of her scheme - one way or the other.

An unlikely pairing for certain, these two managed to keep me spellbound till the end!
For all his goofy enthusiasm - he’s like this tail-wagging overly happy puppy; a little impulsive and pushy, but with the biggest heart (not that he will admit to that) - she’s more sober, cautious and calculated - literally; she trusts numbers and logic, but she can’t deny how at ease he makes her feel. They take things slow; a considerate friends-to-lovers slow burn even though he falls head-over-heels (again, not that he will admit to that because he doesn’t do love. Ever!) and I like that for once it’s actually the woman who screws up - yet it’s still him doing the grovelling.

This story was both steamy and adorable, touching yet light and fun. It gave me all the warm and fuzzy with a few laughs, a splash of scandal, a thoughtful grand gesture gone astray, and a wickedly delicious diner invite. This was a wonderful read that perfectly fits in with this delightful series, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I’m a sucker for good and strong main female characters and Dodo, Miss Doris Loughty is so good that she makes you want to stay in her story forever
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That's why I understand that a man blinded by the next bet to win only sees his attention diverted from his affairs when he sees her entering the gaming hell he is in.
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George Chance, the earl of Lindow, only has to win a hand or several to recover what he is losing in the races and when he sees Doris for the first time, in addition to seeing that she is very attractive, he thinks that she is an easy hand to deprive of some bills.
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But when he is proven wrong he tries to do everything possible to find out how she is doing it, because surely there is a trick behind it.
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But she has no tricks up her sleeve except that her brain loves math and can know exactly the odds of having a good hand. But with the Earl of Lindow chasing her, she can only accept the truce of teaching him how to play his cards.
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But of course, being so close, no matter how much she tries to stay firm and not give up anything personal, while trying to make more money betting it is quite difficult.
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I loved Dodo, George is good, but I adore strong female characters especially at a time when they were not favored and couldn't go far. A woman who looks for a gap and tries to make her way by challenging the ideas of society and especially the most famous Rake in the Ton.
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This is the second book I have read in this series and although each book is different like its characters, they are all so captivating that I end up thinking that the book is very short.
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Thanks to Emily E. K. Murdoch and Dragonblade publishing for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for muy honest and voluntary opinion

For me, this third book in the series was a bit disappointing and I didn’t like either of the main characters and her name just annoyed me 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m actually looking forward to book 4 and that brother seems the most interesting