Dark Wager

by Mary Spencer

Lady Clara Harkhams wasn't a great beauty, but men clamored for her hand.??She practiced the art of flirting with gay abandon, but she'd long ago given her body and soul to Lucien Bryland, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440224918
• ISBN13: 9780440224914
• Release Date: November 1997
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

A very touching story

I was not sure about this book from reading previous reviews, but as I've found out, it's important to see for myself before making judgement. This book is an exceptional read, as I enjoyed it immensely. The love story between Lucien and Clara is very passionate and very touching. Lucien is a man tormented by the scarrs of his parents' miserable marriage. He distrust all women, thinking they are all as treacherous and dangerous like his mother. Obsess with the desire not to end up like his parents, he pours all his dreams and hope onto Clara, whom he was promised to at birth. Desperate with the hope that Clara will never betray him, will never leave him, will never love anyone else but him, Lucien was devastated when all his dreams was shattered during a childhood misunderstanding. From then, he hated Clara with a passion close to madness. He was obsess with her. He wanted to marry her in revenge for rejecting him, to bind her to him regardless if she is willing. His love was an obsession. Thinking that he is strong enough to withstand the lurs of Clara, Lucien made a bet with the earl of Kerlain to prove to everyone, including himself that he will not be enslave by love as his late father. Of course, things do not turn out as he has planned. Lucien soon finds himself desperately in love and desperately trying to win Clara's love, despite the distrust and insecurities that haunts his soul. Clara, on the other hand, is a loving, generous individual, highly skilled in the art of flirtation. She is welcomed where ever she goes because she is good to everyone around her. Though her beauty is lacking, she attracts many admirers with her careless charms. Not surprisingly, this drives Lucien into countless fits of jealousy. (Very adorble) She knows just how to mend Luciens's heart, and help him learn to trust again.I find this story to be very touching and beautiful. The secondary charaters adds charms to the plot, and provide uplifting humour. The chemistry between Lucien and Clara is very passionate and deep (you can actually feel it). Lucien might be a jerk at times, but you can tell it is only his way of defending himself against the love he feels for Clara, a love he feels will enslave him and destroy his soul. It's very obvious he loves Clara, almost to a point of madness.In any case, I've enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to all. Hope you will love it as much as I did.

A Tearjerker (well, almost!)

I think I've read "Dark Wager" about 4 times since I bought it, and I never fail to be moved by the story. Lucien is a hard, bitter, cruel man, whose distrust of Clara is all out of proportion to her actions, but understandable in light of his past experiences. Clara was a bit too accomodating, but showed her mettle later in the book. Considering Lucien's character, Clara's willingness to compromise allowed him to reassess his previous assumptions of her and open himself up to her love, trust and loyalty. In an interesting twist, he later finds himself having to convince her of the depth of his feelings when an earlier wrongdoing comes back to haunt them. I enjoyed seeing Lucien's character change along with his realisation of his love for Clara, and the fact that he tries to protect her from his past ugliness endeared him to me. And yes, there were times when I felt really deeply for Clara (you know, the twist in your stomach, the lump in your throat, the burning eyes...), so I can definitely, enequivocally recommend this book.

A dark, tortured hero meets his match

This is a terrific book if you like challenging, unusual heros instead of a more run-of-the-mill hero. The story isn't as humorous as the next book in the series, Lady's Wager, but I think the story is much more compelling and emotional, and the characters much more interesting. Lady Clara is a wonderful heroine, who teaches Lucky to trust and love again. This may not be the kind of love story for the faint of heart, but I loved it!!

A selfish wager spells danger to a lady's life ...

A coup to the historical romance community, Dark Wager gives noteworthy homage to the like of such fiction as Dangerous Liaisons. For those readers who are tired of reading trite, sympathetic characters in pat romantic circumstances, Dark Wager weaves a believable historic tapestry of the upper class Regency life and times without (thankfully) spelling it out in detail, so that these lives come alive in your imagination - as you believe it might have been.Mary Spencer creates believable adult characters that fit in the author's chosen time in history - even if that makes us a bit uncomfortable. In her storytelling, she skillfully blends her characters' desire for love, misplaced dreams, shattered visions - and challenges them to grow up and rise to the occasion if the love they so desire is to be fulfilled. Whether hero or heroine, friend or foe, Ms. Spencer allows us to peak into her characters' hearts and minds, giving us their darkest hour and their brightest victory.Sometimes Ms. Spencer's insights hit a little too close to home, making one wince at her brutally honest assessment of human nature. The redeeming side is the natural humor we find, as Ms. Spencer's shining talent is to see and share with us the irony and humor in life and love. If you cannot tell, this book surprised me in its sophistication, and I finished it with a total satisfaction and an appreciation of its author that most historic romances sadly fail to deliver.Briefly, Lucien's already dark nature and his reaction to his parents' tragedy causes him to spurn and suspect the intentions of the bright and natural open nature of Clara, his betrothed. Lucien's favorite nickname for Clara is "peahen," and he insults her to his friends every chance he gets. However, Lucien's friends sense love behind his rejection of Clara, and bet that he will stay with Clara past his six-month imposed limit of marriage to her and will not send her away, pregnant and alone, as he says he will. The clincher is the teasing from a friendly competitor - and Lucien insists the bet be formally placed in the wager book. What the friends (and competition) fail to see is the deadly, dangerous game that results when Lucien's mistress, Pamela, at first does not believe and then cannot accept Lucien's change of heart towards his "peahen." Pamela's hidden popularity is as "Le Chat," an artist known to sting and destroy members of the artistocracy through her satiristic flyers. Our hero, his friends and competition join forces to save our heroine from the damaging penstrokes of Pamela.The compliment to Lucien's and Clara's struggle is that through their marriage, the romance is rekindled between Lucien's uncle and Clara's aunt - too lovers who fell to their own folly in their youth, and who almost make the same mistake again. In their submission to their own hearts, they help light the way for Lucien and Clara to learn their own lessons of love.I highly reco

A woman scorned...

Lucien Bryland, Viscount Callan, is marrying Clara Harkhams. The arrangement was made before Clara was even born. Lucien loves her, but believes she has been toying with him all these years since she had so many admirers. Clara had loved Lucien always. She is not pretty, but her warmth and charm pulls everyone toward her. Everyone adores her. She cannot understand why Lucien suddenly changes from such a wonderful childhood friend into such a hardened man. Lucien intended to bed Clara until she was pregnant and whisk her off to Pearwood to live separate from him. Kerlain offered to enter a bet in White's betting book. Six months after the marriage Kerlain believed Lucien, not only would not send Clara away, but would stay with her forever and never live separately. Lucien saw it as easy money and agreed. Pamela Halling is the mysterious Le Chat, the unknown cartoonist for the London paper. She uses her artistic abilities to spread gossip, slander, and rumor about The Ton. Once Lucien married Clara, he no longer wanted her. She uses her poison pen to destroy Clara. Lucien and Clara had just finally got on good footing together when Pamela began her dirty work. With Lucien's support, Clara keeps her head up. She finds that her friends know her well enough to know what Clara is really like. Everyone knows of the wager, but helps Clara through rough times. Now, to go after Le Chat...