I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley.
So many different twists and turns that I could not put the book down. The main characters and plot are fully developed into a steamy romance. I did not read the first book, and had no problem connecting characters. This book can stand on its own. The style of writing was easy to read. Nicely done.

I don't know what to say. In the hands of a better writer, this may have been good. Childhood friends, grew up to be attracted to each other, heroine suffers a tragic event, hero is troubled; all classic romance novel recipe. But they way it was told was so poor that you're not really sure of any of the above.
Does the earl really have a gambling problem? Halfway through the book, I still can't tell. He plays cards at balls, but don't all the gentlemen at that time do to pass the time if not in a market for a wife? There are a few missing pieces of items in the earl's house that he may have sold, but he hardly ever gambled in the story that I don't know when he would have needed the money.
Are they really attracted to each other? They shared a kiss sometime in the past, and then the next time they see each other is 4-6 months later to dance a waltz. Whatever happened to morning calls and afternoon rides in the park if he was really attracted to her? She is not ready to go walk in the garden with him, but willingly goes to meet him in a room alone the same night?
This was a poorly written story that was disappointing. I just found the heroine irritating despite the tragic event that should have made her more sympathetic. The hero was just a confused soul that I didn't even care whether he won the girl or not. I don't know if this book has any redeeming value.

To Gamble on an Earl was a good story that grabbed my attention right from the beginning.
I did not read the first book in the series and it did not take away from this book. I feel it can be read as a stand-alone.
Over all a light, easy read, not boring or too long.

ARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I am of several minds about this book. I think the author did an excellent job showing the heroine in a light that seemed more realistic to Regency times than contemporarily written Regency romances tend to be. I thought that her reaction to the traumatic event the ball turned out to be seemed realistic for a sheltered woman, no matter how vivacious she had been before. Even the way that she turned down her friend at first for a social call—how it was handled in that scene—seemed very accurate to Regency to me.

There were other aspects, however, that didn't seem as true to Regency, including how the hero acted when he found out about the incident. Knowing that the heroine’s reputation was on the line, would he really have talked with his friends about it in such detail? He could ruin her so easily by telling such information to a wider group of people. If one word got out...

Other parts of the story felt scattered. The story jumps forward without much preamble, and that was confusing. Besides what happened at the ball, too, it felt like not much really happened for much of the book. In the first third, we get to see the heroine’s reaction to what happens to her, see her reveal the incident to the hero, and get a little slice of life for the both of them. But nothing really happens in the romance department—which I never like in a romance—and, honestly, nothing much happened at all.

One aspect of the book that I did like was the way the author handled the wounded warriors of Waterloo. Two of the characters are former military, the hero and his friend. Both suffered physical and mental wounds from their experience. The hero has a large scar on his face, and the friend has lost part of a foot. The heroine’s friend suggests the heroine come over for a dinner party because that friend is now awkward in society due to his wound. The hero has come back a changed man, becoming what we might call an adrenaline junkie. This was spurred on by his time in the military, but now he can only feel that excitement he had felt in battle when he gambles. The author also took great pains to show some of the aftereffects of war, namely the widows and orphans home that the heroine and her good friend, the sister of the hero, had chosen as their particular charity. These little moments, with the hero, his friend, and the widows and orphans, show part of the devastation of war. For a romance novel, I thought it was realistic. All in all, I didn't really like the book as much as I should have because I felt like not much happened, but I did enjoy the window onto what happens after the war for a variety of people.

I had a hard time to think about this book.
I won’t sum up the story as the blurb does the job, but it was quite a confusing read, the jumps in time lost me as the abrupt changes of scene. In all I do not know why but this book did not ringed true for me, it lacked something to make me like the protagonists.
In fact I was more interested to some of the side characters.
The main couple did not attract me, I do understood PTSD, lest I did not really cheered for Phoebe, her too frequent changes of heart unsettled me, one day she was scared, then furious then hit then again scared then and then.
The plot too was far fetched, only craziness could explain the vilain’s goal and even there, I did not understood the whys and wherefores.
I do think there is potential if the characters gain some depth and a bit of personality.
3,5 stars

This story has a little of everything needed in a Regency historical romance. Suspense, intrigue, a ruthless character, a wounded hero, hidden emotions and a journey to a happy ever after that will not be easy. Lady Phoebe was best friends with Lady Lettice since childhood and had always been a little in love with her brother Evan, Lord Foxington. Back from the war, Fox was set on seeing Phoebe and dancing with her at the ball they were attending. Sparks seem to be flying between them and the attraction is there. But when he goes to the gaming tables, she receives a mysterious note from him to meet him for a tryst in a sitting room. What she finds is a total stranger who attacks her and he acts as if Foxington sent him! She barely escapes and that is when the problems begin.
She doesn't know who to trust plus he is gambling a lot, just like her father who had lost almost all of their money. Can these two ever come together and be happy?
Love these men of Waterloo who went through so much and when they returned the road ahead was not always smooth. Really enjoyed this story!

To Gamble on an Earl was a good story that got my attention right from the beginning. I did not read the first book in the series and it did not take away from this book. I feel it can be read as a stand-alone.

The book is simple and not a lot of depth, but still a good read. It's the story of: two childhood friends that have grown to something more.

Over all a good easy, light read

ARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I love the little bit of the psychic addition of the second sight and the slight intrigue they gave this books quite a fascinating appeal. Phoebe and Evan came close to losing the winning pot of all times. A remarkable and exciting read.

A schoolboy prank has unintended consequences for the Earl of Foxington when the woman he had hoped to court is assaulted and his name is mentioned by the assailant. Lady Phoebe’s father has lost his fortune and her dowry gambling and when she believes that Fox missed a rendezvous at a ball because he was in the card room gambling, she is determined to avoid him. Although the second in a series, this is the first book by Ms. Spigonardo that I have read and it completely stands on its own. It is focused almost entirely on the relationship of the two central characters, although others appear in minor roles to move the narrative along. The villain’s motivations are not entirely believable since Fox and Phoebe have barely begun their relationship when the villain first strikes, and his relationship to Foxington seems like an afterthought or plot device to explain the villain’s vendetta. Other than that, the story is generally well written and engaging.

Phoebe Collins has loved Evan, the Earl of Foxington since she was a young girl. Lettice his sister is her best friend. They are all at a ball when Phebe receives a note to meet Foxington in a room down the hall from the ballroom. She has had some champagne and decides she will do it. When she gets there it is not Foxington who meets her. This sets the stage for the rest of the story. Who was this man? Did Foxington send him? Will she ever be able to let a man touch her again? How do they work it all out?

This book had the right elements for a good romance with a tad bit of suspense, but it failed to keep me interested. The characters and their interactions were bland and there seemed to be no flow in the storytelling.

Had a struggle liking Phoebe and Fox. Maybe I didn't see much appealing about them. The storyline was good, but sadly, I didn't care if they got a HEA.

This love story is well written, holds your attention and contains danger. Phoebe is lured into a position where a man tries to compromise her using the nickname of Evan as the enticement. He is out for revenge and does not care who is hurt in the process. Learning who is he takes some team work from Evan’s friends and then to protect Phoebe at the same time. It is a great love story that endures a supposed betrayal but once they talk and get things out in the open there is a HEA but it does not come easy to them. I would highly recommend this book as a great read.

A nicely written historical romance with a solid plot. I enjoyed reading the book. A new author for me to watch for. I really enjoyed the book.

Lady Phoebe and Lady Lettice are best friends. Lettice's brother, Lord Foxington has been enchanted by Phoebe since they were small. He likes to gamble, whether it's during war or at the gaming table. He is usually lucky and expects it to continue. He hopes are that he and Phoebe will become betrothed. Foxington plans to take Phoebe into dinner, but he is playing cards. When she receives a note to meet Lord Foxington in a room for a tryst, she is very surprised. When she gets there, she is confronted by a man in military clothing that she doesn't know . He has nefarious intentions for her. She barely saves herself and she could be ruined if anyone found out. When she sees Foxington, she is angry for him putting her in this situation. He didn't come for her when he promised. Her father has gambled just about everything away and she fears that Foxington will be the same. Will the mysterious man who tried to hurt her be found and why would he hurt her? Can she ever trust Foxington enough to forgive him? I enjoyed reading this book. It was more than a romance. There is danger, mystery and intrigue. It's a steamy romance and I loved it. I received this book from Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for a honest review. The review is voluntarily given.

To Gamble on an Earl by Diane Spigonardo [Dario], BooksGoSocial, 2019.

This book could have been okay, it has a simple, familiar plot: two childhood companions face a growing
attraction. They each have wonderful friends. Threats to their happiness include a villain intending harm
and gambling.

Unfortunately, Lady Phoebe and Lord Evan are one-dimensional caricatures of "good" regency heroines and heroes. He is a slightly damaged from the war, she sews lovely clothes for the less fortunate, seemingly at random, or at least she sewed some clothes for the poor once. Their characters are neither well developed nor consistent, their actions and those of supporting characters are often inexplicable and not at all credible. The writing is halting and stilted. Have sections been chopped out?

Disclosure: I received a review copy of To Gamble on an Earl via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short book and reads very quickly. Phoebe and Foxington have known each other since they were children. Between his leave and return from the Napoleonic War their feelings for each other have grown. Could this be love? After a ball, Phoebe changes and rebuffs Foxington's affection. Granted he gambles and Phoebe hates it, but he thinks it could be something else Getting to the bottom of the change is his goal with the help of his friends.
A little bumpy to an HEA. A free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

So this book had the potential to be great however it fell a little flat for me. The idea of the story was good however the book was kind of all over the place leaving me confused many times trying to figure out what was going on for instance I was reading along when suddenly it skips ahead by many months with no warning. The Hero Lord Foxington was a likeable character while Lady Pheobe was just ok, I will admit she was suffering after being attacked however she was so hot and cold that I couldn't keep up with her. Overall this book was just OK to me.

This was an interesting book with quite a complicated plot. It kept me wanting to read on to see how it progrested. The main characters were likeable and fun. There was drama in the story but it was nice to have a happy ending. I would recommend this book to be read.

I liked the concept of the book. The plot was different, and interesting. However, there was no flow, it was very disjointed, and I ended up skimming the last third.