His Mistletoe Wager

Virginia Heath

Oct 2017 · Harlequin

About this ebook

A rake’s wager to steal kisses from a sullen lady yields an unexpected payoff in this Christmas Regency romance.

Notorious rake Henry Stuart, Earl of Redbridge, is certain he’ll win his Christmas bet—until he learns he’ll be stealing Lady Elizabeth Wilding’s kisses. A woman who refuses to be charmed!

Once jilted, Lizzie must guard her heart, because the ton is unaware of her scandalous secret—her son! Despite their increasing attraction, she can’t risk the persistent Hal bringing down her defenses. But when her former fiancé returns, Lizzie realizes that perhaps Hal’s the one man she can trust—with her heart and her son . . .

Ratings and reviews

Hal and his friend and brother-in-law Aaron have a history of scandalous wagers, and the now happily married Aaron could not resist daring his friend again, as Hal has debutantes nearly falling at his feet in hope that he will choose one for his bride. Hal – Henry Stuart and the Earl of Redbridge for one year – has no intention of getting married in the near future. The wicked Aaron dares Hal to steal five kisses from a lady, but not just anyone: the beautiful and perpetual wallflower, Lady Elizabeth Wilding. Lizzie is a confirmed spinster, but as Hal bestows his attentions on Lizzie, it turns out they can help each other. Their agreement soon turns into a firm friendship, which has Lizzie wishing there could be more, but she must protect her dark secret, the son she has been hiding from the world. Magnificent? Enthrancing? Sublime? Enchanting? I haven’t quite decided which best describes HIS MISTLETOE WAGER, and I don’t quite know where to start. It is truly heartbreaking to watch a young woman’s life unravel because she believed a cad and bore a son out of wedlock, and Virginia Heath paints a picture of Regency society with such clarity that this story rivals the best suspense novels. The story unfolds at a lively pace, the writing is astonishingly gorgeous, the language sheer perfection, and the dialogues as just as wonderful. Hal is charisma personified, and so genuinely charming, I swear I saw his eyes twinkle while reading. He and Lizzie are a delightful pair: teasing, flirting, sharing, and just being themselves while the superficial relationship soon starts to morph into something they never saw coming. Everything is all perfectly lovely and light-hearted to some extent until Lizzie’s erstwhile fiancé makes an unwelcome appearance, and Lizzie’s carefully planned life is threatened. My dears, Ms. Heath has created two villains you will not soon forget: one despicable, revolting man, while another is a snivelling coward, and both so believable they literally had me shudder in disgust. HIS MISTLETOE WAGER is a phenomenal story filled with unexpected and fabulous twists, an epic romance that will warm the coldest heart, and the author treats us to superb period details and fabulously multifaceted characters. From the amusing beginning to the wonderfully clever and sigh-inducing ending, HIS MISTLETOE WAGER is an unforgettable and absolutely smashing book! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

About the author

When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. But it still takes her ages to fall asleep.