Knaves' Wager

Rating:
Summary: Another good start
Review: A nice plot with characters that interact well, develope/grow and make choices about their lives. That being said, it's an OK story. The other reviewers can give you a basic plot summary. As I wrote in my Devil's Deliliah review, my reason for reading this book is because I like her newer books, and want to see how her earlier stories match up. Lord of Scoundrels, Last Hellion and Captives of the Night, in that order, are the ones I like best. Didn't like Lion's Daughter.

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: I agree with every other reviewer here. The story was believable, the characters were all charming, the dialogue was witty. I could not put this one down, I wanted it to go on and on. I enjoyed the character of Cecily, Lilith's neice. The author didn't make her out to be some sippid and vapid girl, but a very smart, matter-of-fact young woman, who at times knew more about men than her widowed aunt. I highly recommend this one.

Rating:
Summary: good book
Review: i rarely read books that are old but i liked this book it was really interesting Julian and Lilith were really good characters both independent but still able to honestly express emotion. i think this was Loretta chase best book.

Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best Regencies since Heyer
Review: I've read over 400 romances, mainly Regencies, and I've read Knave's Wager seven times. Chase is true to the genre and a worthy heiress to Heyer. Julian and Lilith are two of the most fascinating characters I've come across and this is Chase's best work. Not fluff but solidly crafted. Lilith's shy vulnerability cloaked in cool disdain does not fool Julian, the consummate lover, even as it steals the heart he did not know he had. And Lilith cannot let her last chance at love get away without trying to grasp this opportunity for a lifetime of joy.

Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best Regencies since Heyer
Review: I've read over 400 romances, mainly Regencies, and I've read Knave's Wager seven times. Chase is true to the genre and a worthy heiress to Heyer. Julian and Lilith are two of the most fascinating characters I've come across and this is Chase's best work. Not fluff but solidly crafted. Lilith's shy vulnerability cloaked in cool disdain does not fool Julian, the consummate lover, even as it steals the heart he did not know he had. And Lilith cannot let her last chance at love get away without trying to grasp this opportunity for a lifetime of joy.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating.
Review: It was funny, witty, and lively. Best of all the author remains within the confines of the Regency genre.

Rating:
Summary: Another good start
Review: One of my rare five-stars goes to this old Regency by Loretta Chase, which I prefer to her LORD OF SCOUNDRELS (published more recently). The story is slightly unusual, in that there are three romances developing (or unwinding) simultaneously, but the author (and thus the reader) always keeps the primary romance up front. Since this is a very old book, I will offer a brief summary.

The heroine Lilith is a widow who blames a libertine Marquess for the death of her husband, after years of dissipation in London. She has spent the years of her widowhood bringing out her husband's nieces and marrying them off more suitably (and kindly) than their own parents would have. However, Lilith is running out of money... but she insists on repaying a debt of honor, making life more difficult for herself. What is a newly impecunious widow to do? Well, if she wants to keep bringing out her surrogate daughters (her husband's nieces), she can only ensure this by marrying a highly eligible - and dull - suitor. This is just the beginning of a fascinating story, in which the Marquess in question seeks to remove a young cousin from the claws of a mistress and would-be wife, where this same cousin falls for one of the heroine's protegees, and where we see an amazing amount of development in the characters, as they grow and mature through their experiences.

There are no cardboard villains, no too-saintly hero and heroine, but no too-stupid-to-live persons either. Everything that happens is quite believable (well, almost entirely), and what results is a charming comedy of manners and morals.

If you love Georgette Heyer, you might like this book. It does not have Heyer's ironic wit and richer panoply of characters, but there is something Heyeresque about this story, which is yet uniquely the work of Loretta Chase. From my perspective, Loretta Chase is one of the more skilful and knowledgeable Regency writers, who rarely makes mistakes in the tone of the period, not to mention such things as titles or events.

Rating:
Summary: Oldie, but a goodie
Review: One of my rare five-stars goes to this old Regency by Loretta Chase, which I prefer to her LORD OF SCOUNDRELS (published more recently). The story is slightly unusual, in that there are three romances developing (or unwinding) simultaneously, but the author (and thus the reader) always keeps the primary romance up front. Since this is a very old book, I will offer a brief summary.

The heroine Lilith is a widow who blames a libertine Marquess for the death of her husband, after years of dissipation in London. She has spent the years of her widowhood bringing out her husband's nieces and marrying them off more suitably (and kindly) than their own parents would have. However, Lilith is running out of money... but she insists on repaying a debt of honor, making life more difficult for herself. What is a newly impecunious widow to do? Well, if she wants to keep bringing out her surrogate daughters (her husband's nieces), she can only ensure this by marrying a highly eligible - and dull - suitor. This is just the beginning of a fascinating story, in which the Marquess in question seeks to remove a young cousin from the claws of a mistress and would-be wife, where this same cousin falls for one of the heroine's protegees, and where we see an amazing amount of development in the characters, as they grow and mature through their experiences.

There are no cardboard villains, no too-saintly hero and heroine, but no too-stupid-to-live persons either. Everything that happens is quite believable (well, almost entirely), and what results is a charming comedy of manners and morals.

If you love Georgette Heyer, you might like this book. It does not have Heyer's ironic wit and richer panoply of characters, but there is something Heyeresque about this story, which is yet uniquely the work of Loretta Chase. From my perspective, Loretta Chase is one of the more skilful and knowledgeable Regency writers, who rarely makes mistakes in the tone of the period, not to mention such things as titles or events.

Rating:
Summary: An absolute delight!
Review: This one I have read many times. The characters are so well developed that they seem real. Ms. Chase's ability to combine humor with a touching story is marvelous. I highly recommend this read!