Rating: 
Summary: A selfish wager spells danger to a lady's life ...
Review: 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 recommend the writer, and suggest you read "The Coming Home Place" published by Harper under the same pen name.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, if psychologically troubled pair
Review: I enjoyed this novel a great deal and look forward to subsequent issues in the series. While the emotions and reactions of the characters were somewhat overwrought, I felt that they were fairly well justified by their backgrounds. Lucien is introduced to us as a very young man with an appalling family of origin, devoted to the uncle who became his guardian, and willing to be charmed by the even younger woman chosen to be his bride. When his uncle's betrothal is broken off, Lucien travels all over the world with him, but remains faithful to the girl back home. Unfortunately, Clara doesn't realise the significance of the relationship to him, or the existence of a family-sanctioned contract between them, and forms a mild attachment to a neighbor. The discovery of this marks only the first time Lucien feels betrayed by her, but is sufficient to result in further embittering a man whose experience of women has been fairly comprehensively negative. There were some rather labored plot devices, but I enjoyed the development of the characters, including the foreshadowing of future novels by introducing a number of individuals clearly fated to star in their own right. I also appreciated the fact that both protagonists struggled with their own demons: Lucien with pessimism and distrust and Clara with her insecurity. Clara is a somewhat frustrating character for those of us accustomed to the feisty heroines of romance, being somewhat sweet and passive, but this does not make her unrealistic. While this was not the best historical of the year, I still felt it to be a "find" and look forward to seeing more from this author. I hope that as the humorous secondary characters become protagonists that the author can achieve lightness without crossing over into absurdity. I am particularly curious as to how Wulf's relationships with his long-term fiancee and his mistress are resolved.
Rating:
Summary: A dark, brooding hero, who is redemable....
Review: I found Lucien and Clara's story an enjoyable one to read. Having read its sequel first, I must say that I liked Dark Wager much more than I did Lady's Wager, but both are books you can slip into easily. Although a bit on the 'weak' side, I thought Ms. Spencer did a commendable job of defining Clara's character. Lucien needs an understanding soul, and if Clara had a strong, independent role, that so many of the heroines in today's romance genre do, the story would not have wokred as well. Clara understands herself, knowing that she is 'plain', but good company to others. When asked by Lucien why she flirts, she gives him a surprisingly open and astute answer. If she can't dazzle people with her looks, she tries to do so with her personality. In a genre where the beauty of the elite is written ad nauseum, I was pleased with a character of 'inner' beauty. On the flip side, I thought our hero's character also well formed and, after understanding him, even likable. Although on the outside, he was cold and callus, we catch a glimpse of Lucien when he was younger and looking for love and acceptance. From this sensitive youth, despite his troubled childhood and disillusionment with women (his mother, uncle's fiance, and his 'girlfriend') we find a hard man who still carries the desire to truly love and be loved in return. It just takes him time to realize this. His relationship with his uncle is a bond any father and son would envy, and at the risk of being sappy, Ms. Spencer pulls off some very touching scenes between nephew and uncle. This book is not an in depth historical novel of the Regency period, but a tender love story of at least four people (if you count Wulf and Bella, then 6) and well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: A Tearjerker (well, almost!)
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Tearjerker (well, almost!)
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A very touching story
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Dark Soul Seeing the Light
Review: It is hard to say something nice about the hero in this book Lucien Bryland after the beginning of this book portrayed him to be a hateful, rotten, creep. He was all that and more! Not a very nice person. His betrothed, Lady Clara Harkhams, while not a beauty, had the soul of an angel - and she really and truly loved him, or rather she loved the boy he had been, not the man he had become. It must have been her women's intuition that made her stick it out with him to find that the tortured soul needed her, badly, to bring him out of the darkness and into the light. It is a wonderful story to watch the love develop, finally, into an everlasting love such as the kind dreams are made of. On the other hand, there were a few other story lines contained in here that at once amused - Wulf and Bella - and wanted to make you cry - Uncle Robby and Aunt Anna. These could have been stories in themselves but lent beautifully in the telling of the love story between Lucien and Clara. Excellent story. I particularly love the way Ms. Spencer always weaves the villians or villinesses into her storyline. I would have given this one 5 stars if I hadn't been so frustrated with Lucien - somehow I couldn't get over his earlier darkness! Well worth finding a copy and reading it!
Rating:
Summary: Dark Soul Seeing the Light
Review: It is hard to say something nice about the hero in this book Lucien Bryland after the beginning of this book portrayed him to be a hateful, rotten, creep. He was all that and more! Not a very nice person. His betrothed, Lady Clara Harkhams, while not a beauty, had the soul of an angel - and she really and truly loved him, or rather she loved the boy he had been, not the man he had become. It must have been her women's intuition that made her stick it out with him to find that the tortured soul needed her, badly, to bring him out of the darkness and into the light. It is a wonderful story to watch the love develop, finally, into an everlasting love such as the kind dreams are made of. On the other hand, there were a few other story lines contained in here that at once amused - Wulf and Bella - and wanted to make you cry - Uncle Robby and Aunt Anna. These could have been stories in themselves but lent beautifully in the telling of the love story between Lucien and Clara. Excellent story. I particularly love the way Ms. Spencer always weaves the villians or villinesses into her storyline. I would have given this one 5 stars if I hadn't been so frustrated with Lucien - somehow I couldn't get over his earlier darkness! Well worth finding a copy and reading it!
Rating: 
Summary: The plot was orignal but the characters were underdeveloped.
Review: Many of the twists and turns of plot in Dark Wager were refreshingly orignal. Several of the characters are not stereotypic of the genre. Nevertheless, I found the characters themselves made reading the book arduous. While Clara, the heroine, is repeatedly described as charming, the reader never understands what it is about her that makes others, inlcuding members of the ton, rave about her. Her interests and friendships seem notably limited; she quickly becomes insubstantial whenever she is not speaking to or thinking about Lucien. While fashionable women rush to buy whatever clothing style she wears, the reader never glimpses Clara's uniqueness or her sense of style. In short, the heroine never appears to warrant the universal admiration she receives. I found the Lucien, the hero, undesirable. His love for Clara is excessively needy, and seems to have its origins in a difficult childhood and unresolved mental health 'issues.' His penchant for low company (gaming hells, promiscuis women, and a mistress whom he treats poorly) makes the reader slow to realize that he and his fellow night crawlers are among the cream of the English aristocracy.
The atmosphere in Dark Wager is somehow both claustrophobic and empty. The characters appear to have single minded pursuits which throw them together too often, yet I could not perceive the solid surroundings in which they spent so much time together. Instead, the characters appear to finger wineglasses or alight into carriages which materialize whenever necessitated by the plot. I was startled when, in the midst of a detailed conversation between acquaintances, I read that "He turned her about in a neat spin." So little did the press of the crowd, the music of the orchestra, and the exertions of the ballroom intrude into the tempo of their private conversation, I forgot that the couple was supposed to be dancing.
The wager referred to in the title has the power to offend the subtle sensibilites of high society. However, the characters an!d the society in which they move seem rather jaded and hardened which causes the impropriety of the wager to seem insignificant in comparison to the way they conduct their daily lives. This relative comparison remains unaffected by the numerous scandalized references to the wager throughout the book. I found Dark Wager lacking the charm and romance I look for when purchasing a historical romance. I can't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: The character were very well developed and I enjoyed the book. But I would have given it 5 stars had the author made the love scenes more romantic and detailed. Lucky is a wonderful hero and the heroine wasn't physically perfect which many other authors tend to do. I loved the fact that he was able to love her for who she was as oppose to what she looked like. Beauty is skin deep!
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