Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read A Wager at Midnight.

Vanessa Riley is a good read. Her characters are so colorful, her writing so distinct. There are many aspects of this book that can be appreciated. The exploration of discrimination in the medical field, particularly against doctors and patients of color, felt especially relevant and important. I also loved the insight into the experiences of people from the Caribbean, and the lives of both the hero and heroine were truly captivating. With rich characters, strong chemistry between the leading characters, and an amazing plot, this storyline has it all, romance, laughing laugh-out-loud moments, drama, and entertaining quick-witted remarks that will entertain the reader and make you want more.

A Wager at Midnight by Vanessa Riley is book two in the Betting Against the Duke series and it is salacious! A regency romance must read !!! These characters are everything! A pleasure to read .

I have heard people gushing about Vanessa Riley's work for a long time, but this is my first time reading her! I'm thrilled that she's writing Black characters in historical romance, because it's a genre where we don't have as many big name "Own Voices" or multicultural authors as other Romance subgenres. A Black Trinidadian doctor MMC is certainly unique, and I was fascinated reading from his perspective. Hopefully others feel the same way!

Unfortunately, I really struggle with first person POV, and that combined with a confusing first chapter where we meet a bunch of characters (mostly upper-class men with titles and not much else distinctive) made it hard for me to get into this book. I also thought the FMC just seemed so young and immature compared to the MMC. POV aside, the book did improve quite a bit after I was more immersed in the world. It helps that Riley is a very skilled writer!!

Since 1st person POV is getting more popular lately, especially with contemporary readers, I think this would be a great entry point into historicals for some readers. Definitely worth checking out!!

A Wager at Midnight is the second book in the series, Betting against the Duke by Vanessa Riley. It chronicles the relationship between Scarlet Wilcox and Dr. Stephen Carew. While Scarlett has had feelings for Stephen for some years, he only sees her at the young child of a family he has provided medical care for. Scarlett has interest in learning all she can about the field of medicine so that she can care for her niece, Lydia and her friend, the Duke of Torrance. They each have to examine their feelings for each other when Stephen is tasked with chaperoning Scarlett while she masquerades as a man in order to attend medical lectures. Both Stephen and Scarlett have secrets that when unveiled may mean the end of their budding romance. The story ended with a tease for the next book and I cannot wait until it is available so I can find out what happens with Scarlett's elder sister, Katherine and the Duke of Torrance.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

A wager and midnight is the most one worthy romance of 2025. Scarlet is a plucky heroine who refuses to abide by society standards or let it dictate her life. Stephen is a physician who wants to improve the quality of healthcare for his community. These two embark on a quarrelsome, intriguing and messy endeavor that leaves them into situations that in elderly have them seeing each other for more than the minor irritation they appear to be. Vanessa Riley‘s writing is so beautiful. The characters are so strong. The family dynamic is amazing and the secrets are delicious. I loved this story.

Great read! First read from this author. This book makes me want to read more from this author. Kept my attention and interest until the end.

To me, this book reads more like historical fiction than romance. There’s little emotion. The character relationship are too complex for me to follow. The story is interesting but slow-paced, and I had a hard time liking the characters or caring about what happened to them. The book is well written, but the writing style is not for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

3.5 stars
It did take me a while to get into this book, the pace during the first half of the book was a little slow for me. However, the second half was much more to my taste. It had much more happening. Scarlett Wilcox was very interested in science and medical practices in particular. She wanted to be able to help people and she was very bold and determined in her quest for knowledge. Stephen Carew was a doctor and they seemed to have a love/hate relationship. Stephen had known the Wilcox family for many years but was now just realising how Scarlett had grown into a beautiful and inspiring woman. Scarlett will only marry if she is allowed to continue with her medical studies. There are some surprises towards the end and of course the restrictions put on women at this time, also feature. I look forward to hearing Katherine’s ( the eldest sister) story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Vanessa Riley for providing this e-ARC via NetGalley!

I am not new to Vanessa’s books and her writing specifically around multicultural historical romance. This was a treat indeed! With no expectations I delve in and was truly captured into the diverse London of the 1800s following the life and adventures of Scarlett Wilcox’s tenacity and grit for agency and self advocacy in a society that held different expectations for a woman like her. In comes her family physician Trinidadian-born Stephen Carew who is quick witted, a Dr. of the people, family man and quite reserved about his heart and ambitions. When two opposites attract there is no telling who will win! Caught up in the world of aristocrats, class, familia expectations, family secrets, scandal, promise and societal expectations, these two find each other and perhaps dare to pave their own path.

With character depth, chemistry and a plot that kept the pages turning I ate up every bit of this book up. There were laugh out loud moments, swoon, drama and let’s just say the witted banter between Stephen and Scarlett will keep you charmed, entertained and wanting more.

Vanessa as always gives us fiction wrapped up in some historical truths which makes her reads extra special and informative! And let’s not forget the added bonus of recipes at times. In this case I was adventurous enough to try the famous Mrs. Ellis Cassava Pone recipe at the end of the book with a side of Sorrel drink! Love it!

Happy Reading!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Vanessa Riley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Wager at Midnight coming out March 25, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read several books by this author. I’m obsessed with regency era books! This was a really fun second book. I loved this book featured different characters from the first book. I loved the writing. It was definitely a lot of dialogue, which I love. I thought Scarlett was a really strong character. I love that she finds a way to continue learning. Stephen was definitely an awesome character as a doctor who reads Jane Austen. I won’t give anything away, but I loved it! I’ll definitely check out more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys diverse historical romances!

I have read Vanessa Riley books and highly enjoy how she always mixes romance, with untold history and a diverse cast of characters.
Scarlett is woman determined to make her own path in the world. She decides to follow her dreams and infiltrate a medical school, dressed as a man.

Her headstrong nature runs straight into Stephen Carew, a Trinidadian-born physician who works in the community.

Though, they’ve known each other for a while when the book starts it seems he’s never really considered why there is such a push and pull, and constant battle of wits between them. I loved watching them work through their feelings and finally find their HEA.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved that we got to see a different side to Regency London, with diverse characters who discussed their histories and cultures. It was a little slow and confusing for me at the beginning ( I hadn’t realized this was book two in a series), but once I sorted all of that out, it was easy to get into this story and invest in what was going to happen with Scarlett and Stephen. I can’t wait to go back and read book one of the series, and to see who’s up next!

I am really intrigued by the premise of this book and wanted to love it. Sadly I can tell that the writing style is absolutely not for me - I just can't see myself enjoying a historical romance, written in first person, where the POV character /thinks/ the word "Sigh." This is 100% a reaction to the style of the book, not a judgment on the characters, setting, plot, etc.

A Wager at Midnight is a fun romance laden with tension, humor, and a real sense of history. I loved the supporting characters, liked the central romance, and overall felt a sense of peace as I was reading it.

Scarlett Wilcox is a strong willed spinster whose lifelong curiosity about medicine has been driven by her desire to keep a friend from going blind due to her cataracts. Determined to become a doctor, treat her friend and not get caught doing either, she goes to medical lectures dressed as a man – her own dead twin brother. When she’s unexpectedly unmasked at one of those lecture, her situation becomes sticky, to say the least. Fortunately, her family’s doctor steps in and vouches for her, claiming Scarlett as a distant cousin.

Stephen Carew loves Jane Austen and his patients, and the last thing he needs is a walking complication like Scarlett. A Trinidad native, his aunties are pushing something fierce for him to get married, already. Scarlett might be a nice, easy out for him regarding that – even if she’s not the demure bride he’s been envisioning. Scarlett and Stephen think they have a perfect solution to their problems – but might love rise to complicate everything?

A Wager at Midnight has a smart heroine, a stubborn hero with a sensitive streak, and a lovely plot. Unfortunately, reading the first book is de rigueur here – the family is in debt for reasons that will make more sense of you read both books in the series – but that’s a minor point. It’s a fun, quick read with lots of great banter.

Trinidad culture is explored here beautifully – the aunties, the cuisine, the way the book plays out Stephen’s courtship of Scarlett. Scarlett felt credibly modern in a way that made sense for her. And I really enjoyed the push-pull banter between them, which felt natural.

The supporting characters are fantastic here, and the setting delicious. Aside from some bumpy narrative moments I won’t spoil for plot reasons and the fact that you need to read the first book to make this one make more sense, A Wager At Midnight is one fine romance.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is officially my favorite Vanessa Riley series; I love her writing and how unique it is. She is a special voice in Historical Romance highlighting Black People in Regency times. And Jahlil, the Duke of Torrance, was a special addition as a half Black Russian, Half English Nobleman. The story is a continuation of book 1, A Gamble At Sunset. Reading it as a standalone will take away from the plot.

I love the progression of romance between Scarlett and Carew, I love a love affair that starts with the couple roasting each other, without malice, at every opportunity. But I was more enthralled by the setting, the dialogue and the conversations about social justice, feminism and most uniquely, sickle cell disease.

I can’t wait to read the rest of Ms. Riley’s backlist and whatever she puts out in the future.

Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Vanessa Riley is always a good read. Her characters are so vibrant, her language so distinct, it's easy to tell when I'm in her stories. Which is probably why it was so easy to fall into Scarlett and Stephen's romance. He is a physician and she would be if women were allowed, and the two of them come together while scandals come to light. This is a bit of an age gap romance, but really its about two people with shared interests finally realizing they are perfect for each other. I loved how Riley wove in characters from her other books and series; her world building is great.

I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Scarlett Wilcox is a determined, curious young heroine who is passionate about medicine and science. In fact, she is so driven in this regard that she ventures out in disguise, as her long deceased twin brother. When out in the world dressed as a man, she encounters and is protected by Dr. Stephen Carew, a physician from Trinidad who is navigating the world of medicine and London as a blackamoor. Both the hero and the heroine have a close relationship with the Duke of Torrance, a patient of Stephen’s and the decider of who will be Scarlett’s husband. The main characters must navigate societies that limit their agency, and they discover the power of truth and connection.

There were so many aspects of this book I appreciated. The attention to the discrimination, in the medical field, against doctors and patients of color is especially pertinent and important. I also loved the window into the experiences of people from the Carribean, and the lives of both the hero and heroine were fascinating.

For a romance, this book follows an unconventional plot structure. It’s a slow burn for sure, but it also moves in a unique way. At times, I was confused by the extraneous information, and I found some of the plots outside of the central relationship slow. However, I adored Stephen and Scarlett, and their scenes together shined as truly riveting.

Readers should also be aware that even though the tension in this book is notable, the intimacy is closed door. The culmination of the relationship is meaningful but not spicy.

I would read more by Vanessa Riley in the future, and I value the voice and perspective this text offers.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity. As with any of my reviews, these are my opinions, and you should always follow your own instincts as a reader!

Scarlett Wilcox is willing to live out her life as a spinster if it means being able to continue her medical research to help a friend in need. After all, few husbands would tolerate her dressing as a man to attend lectures at the Royal Academy of Science. If the Duke of Torrance finds her such a specimen, she'll agree to a marriage in name only, much to the dismay of her elder sister, the Viscountess. When she's unmasked at a lecture on ophthalmology, Scarlett prepares to be disgraced, but she's saved by Trinidadian-born physician Stephen Carew who claims her as a cousin.
Another very good book from the author, strong characters, well paced, well researched & it was different. I really liked both Scarlett & Stephen & immediately became invested in their story. The book highlighted how far medicine has advanced. I also love how the author combines humour in her books. I highly recommend not only this book but all of her books
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I liked the idea of two people who are both interested in medicine finding each other in a historical romance. However, it all seemed rather unlikely, and the scenes got a bit repetitive.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I liked the scientific aspect of this book. Stephen and Scarlett were interesting characters as well as the Duke of Torrance. I liked the personal relationships of the characters.

I really enjoyed reading book two, especially the playful banter between Scarlett and Stephen. Their dynamic kept things lively, and the classic enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes were fun to follow. As a lover of historical romance, I found the history woven throughout—particularly of Trinidad, Jamaica, and Guyana—absolutely fascinating. The contrast between social classes added depth to the story, making it even more compelling.

Stephen’s role as a protector, educator, and healer within the community was admirable, especially in light of his own family’s reluctance to recognize his worth as a physician. His growth throughout the novel was wonderful to see, though I would have loved to watch him and Scarlett work together more to resolve their conflicts. Their witty banter was entertaining, but at times, it felt a bit overwhelming, taking up much of their story.

Lydia was an absolute delight—her precocious and sweet nature made me smile every time she appeared on the page.

At the end of book one, I was so eager to learn more about Jahleel, the Duke of Torrance, and Katherine, Lady Hampton. Their story immediately captivated me because it felt refreshingly unique compared to other historical romances I’ve read. The twist at the end was fantastic—I only wish it had come a bit earlier so we could savor it more. Now, I can’t wait to dive into their story in book three!