I highly enjoyed this historical romance. The heroine was one of the best I've read in a long time. Smart and pragmatic even in unfavorable circumstances. Another gem by Ms. Ridley.

Such an enjoyable quick read. Characters well developed, story flows nicely.

I’ve read a few of Erica Ridley’s Dukes of War series and this book, the first in a new series, is very loosely connected to that in that the hero Anthony is the brother of one of the heroines from that series. This was a little different to what I expected….some of that was in a good way but some of it was also in not so good a way.

Anthony Fairfax needs to earn himself an obscene amount of money to pay back the creditor who purchased his debts. If he doesn’t, he risks going to jail. He finds himself in an inn in Scotland playing cards – hopefully the distance will help him evade his creditors until he has the means to repay them. What Anthony doesn’t bargain on is Charlotte Devon, whom he invites into the game. She promptly wins his entire pot and then to make matters worse when he tries to play the gentleman, an obscure Scottish law means they’re married….for real.

This is awkward for many reasons – they don’t even know each other. One night playing a couple of hands of cards is the extend of their interaction. Also Anthony’s precarious financial position could have negative repercussions for Charlotte – as his wife, her property is considered his. She could also become a target if Anthony cannot repay his creditors within the deadline. And for Charlotte, there’s plenty she hasn’t told Anthony about her background, which for many people would definitely be reason for rejection.

What I liked was that both Anthony and Charlotte are quite different to a lot of characters in historical romances. Anthony, although apparently referred to as rakish, didn’t really display much rake behaviour and he’s not rich. Not at all. He’s very kind and considerate, not at all arrogant or lordly, he doesn’t try to boss Charlotte around or tell her that she can’t do this or that. He’s also very adamant about nothing she owns being used to pay his debt or taken from her and when he hears of her background, he’s incredibly judgement-free. Probably few people in his circumstances would’ve been and I’m not entirely sure how realistic his attitude was but it was refreshing nonetheless. His family is quite unconventional (his sister was almost nine months pregnant when she married in her book) so perhaps it wasn’t that unlikely.

Charlotte was in Scotland on her own searching for her father, whom she’s never met. I think this could’ve been explored a bit more – she had very little information, what was she going to do, attempt to search every tavern in Scotland? I also would’ve liked more about her card playing, which is a rather big part of the beginning of the book as it serves to bring them together and then just basically disappears. Despite the fact that Anthony and Charlotte are both kind of down on their luck when they meet – Anthony owes an astronomical amount of money he doesn’t really have much chance of being able to repay, Charlotte wants to meet the father she’s never known despite really possessing no knowledge of him, there are a lot of things that kind of fall into their laps in order to wrap up the novel and it felt unbelievably convenient, especially as they happened pretty much simultaneously.

This was a pleasant read but I didn’t love it. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and the pacing felt a bit off, especially towards the end. I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Anthony and Charlotte (it’s a very chaste romance, the sexual chemistry felt like it was at 0 and even the romantic chemistry was lukewarm at best) and there were a few loose plot threads. Just okay for me. Not quite as enjoyable as the other books I’ve read by this author.

Erica Ridley does it again. Our hero has supported himself and his family through his gambling. His family has no problem letting him do this to maintain their lifestyle instead of cutting corners to keep out of the poorhouse. Our heroine needs the money she wins from the table from him to find her father. What a mess. Somehow they end up in bed and falling in love. Wonderful blend of humor and angst and cute read. Loved it.

Was it luck or a meticulous plan?

Anthony Fairfax has always been a man considered lucky in the game. However, in life, his luck was lacking.
He urgently needed a lump sum to pay off all his debts and be able to return to London with his head held high.
So here he was, in a game house in a distant place, between England and Scotland.
The lucky night seemed to be his, especially after he had spotted a mysterious lady. He nicknamed her mentally Lady Fortune.
Then, later, this lady approached the table and wanted to play. She dressed well and was adorned with rich rubies, a danger in that place.
At the end of the evening, a surprise: the luck was really with the Lady, and she wins it in the game by snatching the prize of 200 thousand pounds.
Given the bet they had made, Anthony accompanied Miss Devon - that was her real name - to the door of her bedroom. And as she was nearly attacked by a drunk, Anthony spoke loud and clear that she was his wife.
To keep up appearances, he spends the night in her bedroom, but sleeps on the chaise long.
In the morning, while having breakfast in the living room, Anthony is questioned by two men at the behest of Maxwell Gideon, the man Anthony owed money to. They say that if he did not pay within the stipulated time, they would go after his wife.
For Anthony that meant nothing because he was not married. And he says this to the men, to protect Miss Devon. But Anthony forgot one thing: he was in Scotland.
There was a law that it was enough for the people involved to say loudly that they were married that this became a fact. And now, Charlotte Devon was stuck with Anthony. He owned her money, her jewelry and her life...

Charlotte was on her way to Scotland in search of her father, who did not even know of her existence. Charlotte's mother, Judith Devon, had been a famous courtesan, and those rubies had been a gift from Charlotte's father. She then carried them in the hope that her father would remember her mother and recognize her.
But now she had one more problem in her life: she had arranged a handsome husband, good at gambling, but full of debt, and with a wanted head.
While one tries to help the other to solve their problem, feelings begin to blend in and perhaps there is the possibility of no divorce, but rather a happily ever after...

The plot is amazing but I didn't feel connected with the main characters.
I hope the next story can bring the spark I always found in Erica's books

3,5 stars

Anthony is looking to change his fortune and wins a game of chance while finding himself a bride. Charlotte finds herself on an adventure as their feelings for each other blossom. So enjoy the Regency worlds this author creates with the characters with their trials and pathways. Good start of a series. Looking forward to the second book.
Ebook from Net Galley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Lord of Chance is the first book in the Rogues to Riches series.
Be careful what you say when you're in Scotland cause you could end up married.
Charlotte left London hoping to escape the stigma of being the illegitimate daughter of a courtesan. So off to Scotland she goes searching for her real father. Anthony, a charming rogue, is on vacation in Scotland gambling, trying to win big and hiding from his creditors.
They end up being accidentally married, due to the laws in Scotland. And you'll have to read it to find out the rest.
Great story with enjoyable characters. It has mystery, intrigue, fun and romance. Definitely recommend.

A good read. The story captures the many vices of men and the destruction it causes. Also portraits the innocent expectations of a girl

Given the title of the novel, the background of the characters took me by surprise as I was expecting Anthony to have a more aristocratic lineage. However he was a charming character who I warmed to very quickly as I did too with Charlotte.
The pair's escapades are quite comedic and I couldn't help but be swept along with them as they rattled from misadventure to the next.
An entertaining start to a new series.

I found this book a hard read, the story was ok but I couldn't quite get into it, there was no great surprises it just rolled on. I would not recommend it.

"Lord of Chance" is another winner--delightful and entertaining--from the talented Ms. Ridley. I especially loved the hero, Anthony Fairfax. He was the perfect flawed hero. When he finds himself accidentally married to Ms. Charlotte Devon, he does everything he can to protect his wife, but Anthony is a gambler on a losing streak. Thugs are following him and if doesn't pay the full amount he owes, he'll end up in debtors prison. Where would that leave Charlotte? He can't let that happen.

This book was another enjoyable read. The witty banter between the characters is a hallmark of Ms. Ridley's books. She writes strong heroines who aren't afraid to admit they have brains, unlike most of the young ladies of the Regency period. This is a fast read and satisfying to the last page. Recommended.

I was recently given the opportunity to take part in a Blog Tour for the newest Erica Ridley novel, Lord of Chance, and as I've liked her books in the past, I decided to do it. The publisher quickly provided me with a whole folder full of goodies, so without further ado:

The Excerpt


'Charlotte harrumphed to hide her amusement. “How are you at pressing wrinkles from gowns?”
“Let me assure you,” Mr. Fairfax informed her with utter seriousness, “that I have never worn a wrinkled gown in all my life.”
“Very gentlemanly.” She tried not to smile. “Let’s see your skill as maid-of-all-work, then. My gowns are in the wardrobe, as is my traveling iron. See what you can do.”
“At your service.” He bowed, then turned and marched to the wardrobe like a soldier off to war.
Now that he couldn’t see her, she let herself grin. The man was incorrigible… but she couldn’t help but find his frankness humanizing and his silliness refreshing. “You’re certain you know what you’re about with those gowns?”
“You will think my valet pressed them,” he called back in a tone filled with such portent that Charlotte half expected her muslins to be dotted with burns in the shape of smoothing irons.
It would almost be worth it, just to have this one night. This memory of a man above her station treating her as if she were above his. Of being an equal, rather than an object incapable of feelings or rights of her own. Of feeling… happy. She hugged herself in astonishment. When was the last time she’d felt safe enough and carefree enough to be happy?
She gazed wistfully at his strong back as he placed the iron in the fire. He smoothed out the first gown on the chaise longue before dampening the wrinkled material with water from the pitcher.
A man like this was even more dangerous than the sort who usually approached her, she realized in surprise. A man like this wouldn’t just take what he wanted. He’d make her want to give it to him of her own free will. Desire him. Long for his kisses. Plead for more.
She forced herself to look away.
No. She would not be like her mother. She had promised herself that the first time she’d seen her mother cry. Charlotte’s life would be different. She’d find a way to be respectable if it killed her.
Which meant keeping her distance from the tempting Mr. Fairfax. No matter what happened.'



* * * * * * * *


The Review

Having just finished Lord of Chance (LOC from this point on), I am slightly torn over how I am going to rate it. For what it was, it was good. I really liked both Charlotte and Anthony, but I feel like it is unfinished. One of my biggest pet peeves is a rushed ending and LOC falls prey to this. At just under 300 pages, this is a short book, but that doesn't always mean a rushed ending. Almost all of the FBI/US Attorney books by Julie James are under 300 pages and they have never felt unfinished to me. Unfortunately, LOC does. What astounds me is that according to Amazon this is an "Author's Edition" of a novella that appeared in a boxed set, so if this is the long version, I'm not sure if I even want to know what was in the original novella. How much was left out of that version that appeared in this one and why is the fleshed out version this short? I can't imagine how a shorter version could do justice to these characters or their story arcs.

That said, I did enjoy getting to know Charlotte and Anthony, although I do feel like I know more about Charlotte than Anthony. I have to say, however, that there are no two characters more perfect for each other than these two as no one could understand each other so well as they. No matter the differences of their births, they had more in common than either could know and what I rather liked about learning about Anthony alongside Charlotte was seeing her past through the lens of his experience. Granted we (nor she) truly know everything about Anthony's childhood, but we do know that he struggled as much as or more than Charlotte and her mother did, despite having been born into the aristocracy -- and that was something Charlotte needed to understand. To her, being born into her specific situation (which I will not spoil) was the worst thing that could have befallen her and to see other people had worse problems than she had, I think went a long way to helping her understand that respectability wasn't the be-all and end-all of existence. Anthony's family was much more respectable than Charlotte's and yet, his wasn't a happy childhood.

I was also impressed by how Ms. Ridley depicted Anthony's gambling addiction. When the book began with Anthony gambling to save himself from gaol, I was nervous, especially knowing the short length of the book, thinking that this would get the short shrift, and I am glad that I was wrong. Sure, more time could have been spent on it, I feel like it was dealt with maturely and deftly. I liked the fact that Ms. Ridley didn't immediately cure his addiction by having him marry Charlotte. While the marriage did precipitate his decision not the gamble, it did not miraculously stop him from being tempted by the lure of the dice.

Since we're on the subject, I have to talk about that marriage. I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly didn't know that in 19th Century Scottland all it took for a couple to be married was for them to declare themselves wed in front of witnesses. Apparently, the Scotts really are different -- so different that Anthony and Charlotte saying they were married meant that they were.

I know. I know. When I started reading and saw that this was how Charlotte and Anthony wound up married, I was skeptical, I took to Google and was astonished to find that it was a real thing that happened. It sounds fake, but according to the University of Glasgow, this was known as an 'irregular marriage' and it did in fact exist. As a long time romance reader, I knew about people eloping to Gretna Green, but I just figured they needed a Las Vegas for the aristocratic set. Apparently, Gretna Green was only the tip of the iceberg and that entire country was just odd. I have to wonder how many times this situation played out over the years. It boggles the mind.

Overall, I did enjoy living in Ms. Ridley's world for the short period of time it took me to read LOC, although I do wish that it was longer. Because I feel like it should have been expanded more than it was, I cannot give it a perfect 5 stars, but based on its own merits, it succeeded, surpassing my expectations of it.

4 Stars

Anthony and Charlotte made a suitable couple. Once they came together under unexpected circumstances, they teamed up and helped each other. They treated each other with respect and were considerate of one another. The conflict between them seemed more external rather than internal as they both were attracted and liked each other from the start.

Overall, it's a well-written, enjoyable story.

This book was truly an original story that I loved. I really enjoy Erica's writing.. I could not put it down.

Charlotte Devon is the daughter of a courtesan who is desperate to get away from London and find her father. She is tired of being treated like a harlots illegitimate daughter especially by the Quality and the Gentleman who think she is just like her mother and will lift her skirt for a few pence. She is under the impression that her Father is a lord and will travel to Scotland and finally be part of a family that will love and accept her. She makes it to an Inn in Scotland and is trying to decide how she will find her father when she meets Anthony Fairfax. Anthony is a Gentleman who gambles for his living. When he is winning, he and his parents spend the money as fast as he makes it. He is used to the ups and downs and has never really thought about doing anything different with his life.

Anthony is in Scotland because of a gambling debt that he cannot pay, and decides that maybe his luck will be better away from London and he knows he will come about and will be able to pay his debts and have money to spare. He is the middle of a card game where he is has won a substantial amount when he notices a beautiful girl staring at him. She asks to join the game and wins all of Anthony's recent windfall. Now he has to find another way to win the money to pay his debt.

Anthony is a Gentleman to his bones and when Charlotte asks him for his escort her to her room a misunderstanding about the Scottish Marriage Law has them married to each other and their journey to a HAE begins.

Anthony and Charlotte are wonderful characters that make this book worth reading. Anthony is witty, honorable who has a heart of gold. Charlotte is a strong woman who knows what she wants, or thought she did until Anthony shows her that she is a person worthy of love and understanding and it does not matter who your parents are or are not.

Erica's writing is soulful, witty and just beautiful. I admit I cried a few times. There is a dialogue between Charlotte and her mother that is poignant and breathtaking. Anthony's declaration of love and the last three chapters were amazing. This one is a keeper. Do not miss it.

I really enjoyed this story. Charlotte and Anthony accidentally end up married and it is the last thing that either of them wanted. but they end up making the best of it and falling in love.

I have to say that I don't think I have ever seen such a happy go lucky hero in a story before. It was like nothing bothered Anthony in the least. Of course there were issued that needed to be solved, like how was Anthony going to get the money that he needed to get out of debt and how was Charlotte going to find her father?

Another great read by Ridley. I'm excited to see what the rest of the series will bring.

Charlotte Devon flees London in an attempt to leave her tattered reputation behind and find her estranged father in Scotland. All she has to identify him is the jewels he gave her mother, his mistress as a gift. Anthony Fairfax, has a terrible gambling problem; he’s in debt two thousand pounds. He has had to leave London because he was barred from most of the gaming places so he needs new places to gamble and win enough money to pay off his debt and return to London and society. It seems his luck has changed when he sees across the room a beautiful irresistible woman and Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance. What he does not expect is for the Lady to win him for a night and Charlotte finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-may-care rogue with a sinful smile. Both of these characters were endearing and both have fallen on hard times. They are both devastated when they learn they are really married. They both find themselves “stuck” with each other, she makes the best of it. Anthony’s personality charms Charlotte and she realizes he’s everything her traitorous heart needs and wants, but when their past catches up to them will they lose their new found love and in the process have their dreams destroyed. An enchanting and captivating story that was great to watch them fall in love.
This is my honest review from the complimentary copy I received.

Charlotte, the daughter of a courtesan, yearns to be respected and accepted. Finding her father, she believes, would give her the respectability she craves. Anthony is seeking lady luck, at the gaming tables while he's on vacation. The two meet in Scotland and make the mistake of announcing they are married. Or is it a mistake?
Arresting, exciting historical romance! A different historical romance where the ton is mentioned but the story focused on common people. Charlotte and Anthony grow up together and learn what's really important. Loved it!

Publisher's Description:
Disguised as a country miss, Charlotte Devon flees London, desperate to leave her tattered reputation behind. In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally make her a respectable debutante. Except she finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-may-care rogue with a sinful smile. He’s the last thing she needs…and everything her traitorous heart desires.

Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.

My Thoughts:

In this first book of her newest series Erica Ridley brings us a dissolute and charming rake who can not stay away from games of chance and any sort of gambling. He has lost repeatedly but still can't resist the chance to win it all back.
Our heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a lady of the night and a nobleman. She has left London to find her estranged father. She needs money to help her along the way and joins the card game in which our hero is winning.
Can this pair thrown together by odd circumstances find love or will they part after living out this farce.
I enjoyed this book and even read it twice before leaving my review.
I look forward to subsequent additions to this new series.
I gave this book 4 of 5 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 2.5 of 5 flames. It is a mildly sensual read with almost no sexual interaction.
I was invited by the publisher to read this book and received a complimentary digital ARC via NetGalley.
This in no way affected my opinion and I have voluntarily left this review.

As usual, I am honored to receive an Advance Review Copy of Miss Erica Ridley's Lord
of Chance, the first book from her Rogues to Riches Series. Reading this was like taking

a trip back in time, I feel like I am with Charlotte and Anthony while reading it. Here's the

blurb:

Disguised as a country miss, Charlotte Devon flees London, desperate to leave her
tattered reputation behind. In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally

make her a respectable debutante. Except she finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-

may-care rogue with a sinful smile. He’s the last thing she needs…and everything her

traitorous heart desires.

Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his

creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight

mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But

when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their

dreams forever.

When two very complicated individuals are tied by destiny and perhaps, rules that govern

a particular area that would change their lives forever, it's a crash and burn situation! And they both decided to deal with it accordingly....and that's where the fun and series of unfortunate events begins. Both Charlotte and Anthony are hiding secrets of their own, secrets that could ruin their lives and developing feelings for each other. A story about two very different person finding love at the most unlikely place and time. I don't know about you but Im' a sucker for a Gentleman who knows his way into ironing clothes! ha ha ha


Five Sparkling Stars for Lord of Chance!