The beginning honestly had me tempted to ditch it, as some of the dialogue was truly painful, the humor was forced, and Louisa is in stitches over said forced humor. It was rough. But I pulled through and while there were definitely some issues throughout (the above mentioned and also contrived plot points, primarily), I overall enjoyed it and wouldn't be amiss to reading more of Tuft' s works.

I liked the characters in this book and felt like I knew who they were. I loved Louisa's bubbly, talkative self and thought she was awfully mature in handling the situation in which she was placed. I cared about William because even if he couldn't express himself in words or even facial expressions, he still felt deeply. He cared about those he loved and was willing to set aside his own happiness for them. In so doing, he gains true happiness for the first time in his life.

Louisa's brothers were quite delightful. Their banter with Louisa was very entertaining. And William's staff members were so lovely and devoted. And Mary so exuberant in her love for her Will. All these characters were lovable. And even the third part of the love triangle was likable I suppose. He wasn't an awful person. He was just the wrong person and a little arrogant and blind to Louisa's feelings. The only unlovable character was he who we were not supposed to love. And he is already dead so we only have to deal with the aftermath of his wretched life.

The premise for this book is different from most any regency romance I've read so points for being unique. It was so out there though that I wondered about believability. I had to review the beginning to even understand the legalities of what was going on. Would a loving father truly put family honor above his daughter's happiness when the legalities of the whole thing would likely be struck down in court? I feel like family honor would be maintained in being able to legally say that all claims are void. So in order to enjoy this book I had to set aside a whole bunch of disbelief.

In addition to that, I also had to be willing to endure a lot of angst. After a while I started to feel this was the equivalent of a regency soap opera. One drama after another.

There was sometimes too much detail that detracted from the flow of the story. It would have been sufficient to know that Louisa chose to wear her lavender dress (or whatever) but instead we got sleeve details and the like. Details are good but sometimes less is more.

But that being said, by the time we got to the ending I felt perfectly satisfied. It was a heave a dreamy sigh of relief and contentment at the HEA ending.

Sex: no. Innuendo and William's father was an adulterer but none written in the book.
Language: no
Violence: Bruises are evidence of a boxing match

This book was provided to me by Netgalley. I voluntarily wrote this review and all opinions are my own.

Listened to audio. Well done and unique approach to a very common trope- arranged marriage. I need to find another book by karen tuft now!

My first Karen Tuft book. The characters were sweet and you definitely wanted to root for them. The plot was fine but the entailing of the property bit was a bit inaccurate.

Delightfully, if surprisingly, entertaining. My first Karen Tuft book...….and I will read another.
While Regency romance is not my usual genre, I do enjoy a well written one from time to time. Karen Tuft did just that. A few surprises here and there, entertaining dialogue.....well done!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All Opinions Expressed are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley, Karen Tuft, and Covenant Communications for this introduction into Karen Tuft's writing.
Publication December 2018

So, I did not realize that this book was connected to The Earl’s Betrothal until I finished the book and read what the author said. I so wish I had realized that because I feel like I would have been more connected to the characters. Anyway, if you haven’t read this book yet, just know that Louisa is Anthony’s younger sister and this book takes place before The Earl’s Betrothal. You could definitely read this book first, though,band then the next two books. That would make more chronological sense and they are both great books.
Ok, on to this story. Louisa is such a fun, bubbly and open character. Her relationship with her parents and brothers is sweet and funny. They are all very close and loving, which is why, the story line of the marriage wager throws me off a bit. It just didn’t make sense to me that they would all feel honor bound to comply to this wager to a practical stranger, William. As readers, we get William’s point of view, so we know he’s a good guy, but Louisa and her family have no way of knowing that since he is so serious and rarely talks to any of them.
I feel like the story line was entertaining (albeit unbelievable) but didn’t really pick up until half way through. The banter was a bit one sided and the connection and chemistry came a lot later on. All that said, though, I still enjoyed the book and the last quarter of it made it all worth the read.
This Review will be on my blog in March.

I loved Wager for a Wife. What a wonderful book. I had a hard time putting it down and had it read in one day. Five stars.

This is such a entertaining Regency romance by Karen Tuft. This storyline has an intriguing twist to it. Louisa is enjoying all the activities of her first Season. She’s been declared the beauty of the season and finds herself quickly betrothed to the rich and dashing Lord Kerridge. She suddenly finds out that a gambling debt lost by her grandfather to William Farleigh’s grandfather has a direct impact on who she will marry. Her choice becomes heart-rending: Will she marry for position in society or to uphold the honor of her family name?

William finds himself in dire financial straits after the death of his father. Even though he inherits the title from his father, he feels the pressure to provide for the faithful servants who have held his estate together. Marrying Louisa is the answer to his financial problems. Does he take her away from the fulfillment of her dreams? Louisa and William are both honorable people who are faced with difficult decisions that will have an impact on those they deeply care about.

There are other wonderful characters in this book. I loved the closeness that was evident among Louisa’s family members. The dialogue between Louisa and her brothers was amusing and very well written. The servants at Farleigh Manor were delightful and added some nice moments in this story.

This is a clean and sweet Regency romance. There’s no foul language or embarrassing scenes. I review quite a bit of Christian fiction, and I can recommend this book to those readers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I just finished reading a Wager for a Wife and it was simply delightful. It had a lot of depth to it. I enjoyed watching Louisa and William fall in love. It was really nice to read about both her brothers as well and her close relationship with them. This was a clean read with the swoon factor. I definitely recommend if your a lover of Jane Austen.

This is the first book that I have read by Mrs. Karen Tuft and I absolutely loved it. So much so that when I finished the epilogue, I did not want the story to end. The characters are so unique, remarkable, unpredictable and loving. I could not help but smile as I began reading. The fun and teasing of Lady Louisa's older brothers were a delight to read. Then when the newly installed Viscount Farleigh came back home, he was lovingly and warmly greeted by the staff. The staff were there when William was growing up and after his mother passed away, they became his family. They helped raise him despite his unscrupulous and abusive father. William returns after several years away to find a home devoid of wealth, furniture and prized belongings. His father had several mortgages on the estate and now the debts were Williams to pay. His solicitor found a transaction by the previous Viscount that had no legal legs but offered an opportunity to marry his way out of debt. An unusual situation presented itself. William and his solicitor thought long and hard about it. When William thought about all the people dependent on him, he realized he had no choice but to follow through. When he first laid eyes on the young debutante, Lady Louisa Hargreaves, he was taken by surprise and was immediately enamored of her. She is the daughter of a very powerful and wealthy marquess. If she agreed to marry William she would be stepping down in status. Louisa is a wondrous character. So open, so honest. You always knew where you stood and you always knew what she thought and felt. But she was always a lady. She was intelligent and was well versed on many topics in which to converse. William found that her chattering was adorable and would not change a thing about her. Louisa had already accepted a marriage proposal but because of her family honor, she broke it and agreed to marry William. I find story enticing when reading about what transpired between Louisa and William over a period of three weeks. William took a gamble that he would be able to woo Louisa into marrying him during that period and she would not feel forced or have any regrets. OH, MY GOODNESS you have to read this. It is so moving and heartfelt. I whole heartily recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was a sweet and tender romance, one that kept my attention as I wanted so desperately to see two wonderful protagonists find a happily ever after.

Louisa comes from a very wealthy family, with a high position and title in society. She should be spoiled rotten, but she’s not. Although willing to sacrifice herself for her family's honor, she still wishes to marry for love.

William was a fantastic swoony hero- he very much reminded me of a mix of Austen’s Mr. Darcy and Captain Wenworth. He is loyal and kind but has so much trauma from his childhood. He is not a man of many words and doesn’t show much emotion outwardly.

There was so much to love about this book and these two characters. Each is doing what they feel they must, and yet little by little they discover more than originally meets the eye. I loved how verbose Louisa was, and how it complimented William’s man-of-few-words personality.

The supporting characters were so endearing, and I was delighted to see an author’s note that there are more books in this series! I will definitely be adding the other books to my to-read pile, and hope she continues to write more!

I LOVED this book. I had read Tuft's previous work in "The Gentleman's Deception" and loved it, so I had high hopes that I would enjoy this as well.

This was such a sweet Regency romance. I love how William was of few words, while I could empathize with Louisa, how frustrating it would be, it seemed like a simple take that isn't as widely used in most Regency plotlines that I've read. And Tuft weaved a perfect story, the reader couldn't help but cheer for them! Wondering if they would get a HEA when it seemed like many times it wasn't in the cards. I couldn't put this book down.

I loved all the characters and the ending was perfect that I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters! Lo and behold, Tuft's previous work "The Earl's Betrothal" is connected, she created this book as a prequel of sorts. I can't wait to read that as well. I received this book in exchange for a review but I will most definitely be buying this in paperbook to share with family and friends!

William and Louisa's story is a sweet one. Like a finely crafted piece of furniture takes time to create to become a work of art, this relationship travels many planes until truth is revealed and polished to a rich, lustrous sheen. The more time and intricacy required increases the depth and value of the result--something substantial and lasting. I find that I don't want to let go of these two characters. I'd say more, but I fear I've given away too much already. A lovely story!

This is part of a series, but each can be read as a stand alone book. I love the main characters. They are both flawed enough to be realistic & likable. The story was paced well and had enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged in the story.

Karen Tufts characters were not only delightful, but had depth. William’s moral goodness and his motives to help the people under his care contrasted well with his decision to enforce the debt. Louisa’s decision to honor the debt coming from a place of duty gave a well written contrast to her desire to be loved. I especially loved Louisa’s brothers, they added such a fun layer to the overall story line.

The author wrote with such emotions that you’re drawn into their world. The scenes were wonderfully written. The story is sweet and you just want to nestle into their world and stay till the very end. Which she handled beautifully. It was a skillfully written happily ever after ending.

William, the Earl of Farleigh has just inherited his title and estate from his father. It's run down and gambling debts have made this title in name only as there is not enough money for upkeep or to live on. Lady Louisa is all set for her first season. She has callers and maybe someone who will offer for her. William comes into some knowledge that may help his situation. It's something he would never do it he wasn't in such dire straits. There was a wager made between Louisa's ancestor and William's for a honor debt that the first girl would be obligated to marry the Farleigh heir.. It is a debt of honor. If Louisa had refused, she would not have been made to marry him but she feels it is the right thing to do. She and William fall in love, but there are secrets that Louisa wants Thomas to reveal to her before she marries him. Will William reveal what Louisa wants to know? I loved that William loved and respected his staff as they did him. I received this book from Net Galley and Covenant Communications for a honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

A good story about kindness and respect.

Louisa is almost engaged to marry an earl when another man shows up with a legal claim to her hand.
After the death of his father, William is trying to do what is right for the servants he considers friends and family. Low on funds, and in order to save the family house and the servants' livelihood, he decides to collect on an old wager between his father and Louisa's grandfather.

It's not a good start to their relationship, especially for Louisa who feels like a pawn tossed around at the will of men.

As she learns more about William, she finds out he's a kind man, unlike others who pretend too much, and by the end, he loves her too much to keep her against her will.

William and Louisa complement each other despite being opposites.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is kind of an arranged marriage story, but not in the traditional sense. William, the new Viscount Farleigh, and Lady Louisa Hargreaves upbringings couldn't have been more different. William is an only child whose father wasn't ever faithful to his wife, gambled away the family's money, and upon his death, left the family property almost in ruin and the estate in debt. William loved his mother, but never felt love from his father and hadn't been home since his mother's death when he was 16.

Louisa has two older brothers, and parents that have true affection for one another. Louisa's father had spent a great deal of time and effort undoing the damage his father had brought upon their family's name gambling and was considered a man of honor and integrity. Unlike William, Louisa grew up in a home filled with love.

These two people with completely opposite upbringings are thrown together when William's attorney finds a long-lost vowel brought about by a wager between Louisa's grandfather and William's father. It's his only hope to save his estate and the people who work there--who loved and cared about him when his father didn't.

This vowel turns Louisa's life upside down. She's ready to accept a proposal from the Earl of Kerridge--the details of her dowry are being worked out when William comes to call with the vowel, asking that the wager be fulfilled.

I really got into this story. I liked both of the main characters. William is a very tight-lipped man, which drove Louisa (and me) crazy, until we find out why. The poor man didn't have the best upbringing with a mother who died far too young, and a father who didn't care for anyone other than himself. William was cared for and loved by the people who worked at Farleigh Manor, and they're the reason he wanted the terms of the vowel fulfilled. Not for himself, as he was happy living in Scotland.

Louisa always wanted a marriage with love, like her parents had. She thinks if she marries the Earl of Kerridge that their marriage can turn into one of affection. She wants to do the honorable thing, and she's brave enough to call off their almost-engagement to fulfill the terms of the vowel.

I loved Louisa's relationship with her brothers and the joke of "Lady Cumulus" that popped up throughout the book. I loved how the "servants" at Farleigh Manor cared about William and had protected him from his father when they could.

This is a slow building romance. It's between two people who are forced together and trying to learn about each other. Of course there are quite a few misunderstandings, and obstacles for them to work through and overcome. This is clean romance with just kissing.

Thanks to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

Louisa has just made her debut, and she has made a splash on the London scene. The Earl of Kerridge and Louisa are unofficially betrothed when she receives some surprising news! A wager has been made. Her grandfather lost the wager, and she is the prize -- she must marry him! The fourth Viscount of Farleigh, William, has come home from studying in Scotland, his father has died and left the family estate in terrible financial condition. William is desperate for money, so he attempts to collect on the vowel (an I.O.U. from the lost wager) to save his estate and the faithful workers, who are more like family to William. Will Louisa agree to be his bride?

William and Louisa are opposites. She is bubbly and gregarious. He is quiet and not outgoing, even repressed. Louisa has had a rich and lovely family life full of wonderful memories. William has had a tortuous childhood, as his father was a womanizer, a gambler, and a drinker.

I enjoyed this Regency Romance very much! I couldn’t put it down. The only downside to me was the plausibility of the vowel, but then I loved the characters so much, and I loved Karen Tuft’s sparkling dialogue and overall writing, that it didn’t bother me! I especially enjoyed Louisa’s teasing brothers, Alex and Anthony.

I have read Karen Tuft’s other Regency Romances and enjoyed them, and I was really looking forward to this novel --- it did not disappoint. It was a clean novel with great writing and enjoyable characters. I would have given it a 4.5 if I could. Just an aside ---I loved the cover!

This one didn't really work for me, I'm afraid. A marriage of convenience is one of my favourite romance tropes, and I was interested to see it flipped on its head here with a marriage that was deeply inconvenient to one party, while being exactly what the other needs. However, I found myself really disliking the two main characters, so I struggled to be invested in their emotional wrangling.

Louisa, our heroine, seems to have little personality beyond alternately insisting she is as good as her brothers, and turning into a babbling wreck whenever a man not in her immediate family talks to her. She makes a big deal out of wanting to be loved for her own self, but she doesn't actually seem to have much to offer beyond her family connections. She's betrothed to the Earl of Kerridge, but doesn't seem to be focused on much except him. William, our hero, has no personality beyond 'good to his servants'. Like, what did he enjoy? We never see him doing anything interesting, just reacting to the state his father left his estate in. So when he turns up with a receipt for a years-old wager that will force Louisa to marry him, instead of the Earl of Kerridge, she's really only exchanging one bland gentleman for another.

The wager itself relies heavily on characters behaving in a way that suits the plot, rather than with any sense of individuality, so after a few feeble protests, there's a weirdly homogeneous reaction among Louisa's family of 'oh, yes, well, better sell our daughter to this guy'. It could have been way more interesting if the story followed William's attempts to woo Louisa and her family, rather than having her (and them) just fall in love with his inherent goodness as he faffs around at his estate. Though the HEA at the end of any romance is predictable, there was not a twist or exciting moment to be found.

Overall, this one was let down for me by the weak, passive characters, and total lack of connection between the leads. It was sweet enough, but I just didn't believe it. What a shame.