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The Gamble

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 1,391 ratings · 60 reviews

Only the Gift of Love Could Free Their Lonely Hearts

AGATHA was the picture of primness and propriety although her green eyes could blaze with anger or sparkle with humor...

SCOTT was the picture of lazy charm and happy indifference to what others thought was right and wrong.

They were enemies, then friends. Then the sweet innocence of a child opened their eyes and their hear...more

Published (first published 1987)

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Aug 23, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, enemies-to-lovers, lavyrle-spencer, romance-secondary, fabulous-characters, endearing-heroine, great-ending, historical-fiction, 4-star

3 1/2 Stars

The Gamble is a book full of richly developed and endearing characters with an engaging and fleshed-out plot. This book overflowed withheart and soul. The ending was beautiful and left me feeling like a hopeless romantic. That said, I would not classify this book as a romance novel. It felt more like general historical fiction with a splash of romance. While the book had very little romance, what little it had left me feeling starry-eyed and dreamy.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the The G...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Kos rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book, I love all the characters, but I absolutely adore Agatha.
The story was highly emotional but so real, that one felt like it is a real life story, a story about a neighbor or someone you knew.
A man like Scott Gandy, who once upon a time was a prince in a very large estate and happily married to a fairy and who was accustomed to the finest that life had for him. All that before the war of course, because he undoubtedly changed in the war, I don’t think there is a human being, whic...more I love this book, I love all the characters, but I absolutely adore Agatha.
The story was highly emotional but so real, that one felt like it is a real life story, a story about a neighbor or someone you knew.
A man like Scott Gandy, who once upon a time was a prince in a very large estate and happily married to a fairy and who was accustomed to the finest that life had for him. All that before the war of course, because he undoubtedly changed in the war, I don’t think there is a human being, which is not affected negatively from death and destruction. Add the death of his entirely family and the abandonment of his family estate and you have a different man.
I said before that I love the characters and I do love Scott but I am so angry with him. He is a coward. He was intrigued by Agatha, I suspect few women stood up to him in his life, apart from her looks he was intrigued by her character, mind and strength, that is why he wanted in his life as a friend. And she would be if there was no chemistry between them, but there was and he felt in love with her from the beginning. However he was so stubborn and he held on his fears so much that not only he was still “seeing” Jube, but he risked his happiness by leaving Agatha behind. I love the end, but I would really appreciate it if Agatha made him run for a while, as a payback for all the heartache that he cost her and us.
Willy is just a sweetheart. I love this child, so sweet and happy and pure, even though he had a very rough start in this world, he is just an angel and I understand completely why Agatha and Scott wanted him so much.
Agatha, well what can I say about Agatha. She is a goddess from an other universe. She is pure and kind and sweet. She just wanted a family and a house , but because of her “problem” she couldn’t have. And I have to say thank God, because the majority of the men in that town were plain stupid. Agatha has strength, courage, and she knows what she wants and make sure she gets it. She is intelligent and independent, even though she has every reason to feel self pity she doesn’t, she had a life, a business, she was her mistress of her life. She hadn’t compromise her ideas and beliefs for her emotions, because she knew she was right and that is something I admire a lot. That is why she deserves a strong, clever and kind man. A man who is so secure that he doesn’t fear the different.
One of the best books I had ever read. Well done Lavyrle Spencer.
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Apr 15, 2013 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I recently found a copy of this book on a clearance rack at my local Half Price Books. I remembered reading it, uh, a couple of decades ago (how can I be this old?) and thought I would re-read it to see if it was as good as I remembered. It was -- though as is true in most paperback romances set in a particular historical period, the reader is asked to tolerate a GREAT deal of dramatic license. Still, this romance between Agatha, a spinster-ish temperance worker, and Scott, the owner of a rowdy,...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Lizzy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favoritos, review, 2013

"Impressionou-a saber que ele era tão belo por dentro como por fora. Era uma dessas raras pessoas que julgavam as pessoas pelo que sabiam delas e não pelo que viam". (...)

Um romance que relembra os velhos clássicos, mas LaVyrle Spencer faz muito mais. Ela nos emociona profundamente ao demonstrar que ninguém é capaz de prever o que o futuro nos reserva. Essa é a história de Ágatha Downing e Scott Gandy, ela uma mulher solitária, ele um homem errante. Ao se conhecerem, ela lutava pela proibição da...more

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Oct 05, 2011 RomReader rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: western

Prim 34yo milliner is protesting the new saloon close to her store b/c it's taking away from her hat business. Saloon-owner Hero takes her protests as a business challenge & even hires her sewing skills for his dancers' customs. They establish a friendship of sorts along with Hero's unique family of employees despite their opposing views about alcohol. Their r/s broadens when Hero & heroine take on the care of a neglected 5yo boy. But growing sentiment for alcohol prohibition threatens H...more

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Mar 24, 2010 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance-goodies, keepers

I first read this in 1987 when it was originally published and loved it. I re-read it a couple of times and then lost track of it.
I got around to re-reading it recently and loved the romance part of it all over again. The setting is frontier Kansas around 1880.
Agatha is one of my favorite heroines--a true old maid(she's 35!) who feels that because of her physical disability (severe hip injury from her childhood that's left her with difficulty walking)and age, she is never, ever going find true l...more

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May 11, 2011 Cinnamon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1800s, adult, america, body-image, chick-lit, family-situations, friendship, historical-fiction, post-civil-war, re-read, romance, western-expansion, women, kansas

I picked this book up to re-read because I really felt like reading a romance with a western theme. I couldn't remember the title, but I knew that this was one of my favorite Spencer books. I have read this story three times and love it more each time. It is definitely one of my favorite romances of all time, and one of my top favorites of any kind of book.

Setting :1880s Kansas and Mississippi

Agatha has resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood. She is 35 years old with a bad hip from a childho...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Sheri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

4.5 stars. Before she retired, LaVyrle Spencer was probably my favorite author. I thought I'd read read every one of her books, but found a reference to The Gamble, which was unfamiliar to me. The style of the book is different than what's selling today. But I was just as caught up as I was 30 years ago.

The Gamble is a friends-to-lovers story. An oh, it takes forever to get to the lovers stage. What an enticing wait it is. There was plenty of sexual tension, and even the kisses--once they finall...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Mor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Siamo in una cittadina del Kansas nel 1880, dove la monotonia del posto porta gli uomini a passare il loro tempo nei saloon a bere e a giocare a carte. Le donne, dalla mentalità bigotta, sono stanche di veder i loro mariti lasciare la famiglia ogni sera per cercar diversivi altrove così, si organizzano in gruppi, cominciano a prendere decisioni a farsi sentire, creano volantini di propaganda, gridando al proibizionismo; cominciano, a modo loro, la lotta contro l’alcol: la Temperanza.
Agatha è pro...more Siamo in una cittadina del Kansas nel 1880, dove la monotonia del posto porta gli uomini a passare il loro tempo nei saloon a bere e a giocare a carte. Le donne, dalla mentalità bigotta, sono stanche di veder i loro mariti lasciare la famiglia ogni sera per cercar diversivi altrove così, si organizzano in gruppi, cominciano a prendere decisioni a farsi sentire, creano volantini di propaganda, gridando al proibizionismo; cominciano, a modo loro, la lotta contro l’alcol: la Temperanza.
Agatha è proprietaria di un emporio, fa la modista. E’ una zitella di 34 anni, zoppa dall’età di 9 a causa di una caduta dalle scale.
Il suo negozio confina con un saloon il cui proprietario è Scott Gandy, un ex soldato e proprietario di una piantagione di cotone nel Minnesota.
La loro storia, comincia con un divertente battibecco causato dalla comparsa di un dipinto a grandezza naturale di una donna nuda che, trasportato da alcuni uomini, passa proprio davanti alla porta del negozio di Agatha.
Esasperata e scandalizzata da ciò che vede, va immediatamente da Gandy a far le sue rimostranze barricandosi davanti alla porta del saloon per impedire agli uomini di appendere al muro quell’oscenità che, oltretutto, sarà ben visibile dalla strada a tutti, soprattutto a donne e bambini.
Scott, spazientito da questa donna che parla di moralità e grida allo scandalo per un semplice quadro e che non ne vuol sapere di spostarsi dalla sua benedetta porta, la solleva di peso e la sposta, andandosene via, ma la povera Agatha, perdendo l’equilibrio, cade nel fango.
Scott, non si è accorto che la ragazza è zoppa e quando glielo dicono, è tormentato del senso di colpa.
Comincia così il rapporto fra i due, fatto, all’inizio, da simpaticissime schermaglie; si cominciano a conoscere, a stimarsi e Agatha comincia a riflettere e a mettere in dubbio il suo puritanesimo, la sua rigidità mentale, la sua severità. Diventano amici.
Comincia a frequentare gli amici di Gandy che lavorano per lui al saloon, ed essi, pian pianino, diventano la sua famiglia; con le loro risate, la musica, il can-can, la confusione, il loro anticonformismo; riempiono la solitudine di Agatha, sì, perché la monotonia e la solitudine ha denti e unghie.
Quale sarà l’esito del voto per il proibizionismo?
Che fine faranno i saloon senza whisky?
Scott, dovrà prendere una decisione che sarà molto sofferta.
E se Scott chiude, riuscirà Agatha a ritornare alla vita di prima vuota e senza amore?
E’ un romanzo ricco, corposo, scorrevole, simpatico, pieno zeppo di personaggi secondari che saranno indimenticabili.
L’autrice mi è piaciuta moltissimo con la sua scrittura semplice e approfondita(less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Audrey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

3+ overall. My first LaVryle Spencer book. Finely detailed imagery and setting, but the story and romance ran a little too slow for my tastes. The secondary characters (and subtle secondary romance) help make the story. Although it was realistic considering his feelings at the time, the nit picky and idealistic romance reader in me didn't like the sorta-cheating-lite aspect (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Manuela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scambiato, storico

La prima nota positiva è l'ambientazione nel selvaggio West, tra saloon, mandrie, cowboy e proibizionismo, affascinante e originale in ambito romance.
Ma in questo caso ci troviamo di fronte a un romanzo che è qualcosa di più di un romance. E' una storia d'amore struggente, delicata, toccante e profonda, con momenti tenerissimi di pura poesia, ma è anche una straordinaria storia d'amicizia e di conforto tra un gruppo di persone diversissime, ma vicine di animo.
Tenerissimo il personaggio di Willy,...more

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May 08, 2007 Mrelia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not much of a Romance reader, never have been. But this book was filled with details that brought the characters to life, like the description of a character's temptation by sewing machine. :)

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Mar 10, 2012 Jage rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: enemies-to-lovers, historical, hate-to-love, plain-heroine, plain-jane, favourites

I loved this book. The characters, the plot, and the way they slowly realised they had feelings. everything felt realistic even while there was a sweet overtone to it.

My favourite aspect is the fact that the main characters didn't so much change as get a chance to see the other person for who they truly were.

my only complaint would be the addition of the ghost and the ending. I didn't see the point of the ghost and the ending dragged a bit. It felt like someone said there had to be a sex scene...more

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Oct 26, 2011 KatLynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to KatLynne by: Jill & Tammy

Shelves: g-historical-romance, 2011-reads, heroine-domestic-or-child-abuse, heroine-or-hero-southern, heroine-scarred, heroine-tormented-flawed, heroine-virgin, library-book, made-me-cry, post-civil-war, small-town-livin, southern-south, sweet-warm-romance

This is my fourth book by this author. I fell in love with her work after reading Morning Glory and Hummingbird. She has a wonderful way of expressing her character’s emotions so that you feel a part of their lives. Their happiness, pain and sorrow, their hopes and dreams become yours. And with each book I become completely immersed hating when I have to stop and put the book down and somewhat sad when the book ends!

The Gamble certainly held all these attributes and I was not disappointed! In 18...more This is my fourth book by this author. I fell in love with her work after reading Morning Glory and Hummingbird. She has a wonderful way of expressing her character’s emotions so that you feel a part of their lives. Their happiness, pain and sorrow, their hopes and dreams become yours. And with each book I become completely immersed hating when I have to stop and put the book down and somewhat sad when the book ends!

The Gamble certainly held all these attributes and I was not disappointed! In 1880, fifteen years after the Civil War, in a small town in Kansas lived thirty-five year old Agatha Downing. A milliner owning her own business, this spinster could have been the poster child for primness and propriety. Suffering from a hip disability received during her childhood, she has almost given up hope of finding love and having a family of her own. I admired her strength and tenacity and will remember the heart-wrenching sorrow of her desolate days/nights along with the joy I felt with her HEA!

How much I liked the hero, Scott Gandy! The complete opposite of Agatha, this handsome rogue, with southern charm oozing from his pores, has just become her new landlord. Not only does he live upstairs in an apartment next door, but below, next to her millinery shop, he has just opened the doors of his new saloon, The Gilded Cage. With not a care or a thought to what others think of him or in their beliefs of what is right or wrong, this charismatic charmer fills his days with making his business a success while also fighting the memories of what used to be in his life. There was so much I liked about Scott Gandy and when an innocent child enters the picture, I liked him even more.

There are no hot, steamy descriptive love scenes and not even a strong sensual sizzle until nearly the end. What I found was a gentle unfolding of a tormented heart and a captivating, charming, beautiful man running from his past, who start out enemies and then surprisingly find themselves friends. And slowly, over the many months of sharing the responsibility of a young five year old child, and in spite of their differences and beliefs, and with the tension over prohibition and the temperance movement, a tender yet strong love develops.

I enjoyed the journey this author took me on, experiencing the simple pleasures and the hardships of life during the 1880’s from Kansas to Waverly plantation in Mississippi. I loved the secondary characters who made up Scotty’s saloon family, a motley crew for sure, but with such charm and lovability!

A tender, poignant love story first published in 1987 with endearing and heartwarming characters. Though somewhat different than most I’ve read and having a few things that bothered me, it was still one that I enjoyed from beginning to end! Thank you Jill and Tammy for another recommendation that I loved!
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Nov 30, 2011 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

“The Gamble” is without a doubt another very enjoyable read by LaVyrle Spencer. I have to admit I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know how the relationship between these two very incompatible people was going to work out. It did remind me a tiny bit of Hummingbird, but that’s one of my all-time favorite Spencer books, so I didn’t mind.
The story seems to be divided into two very distinct parts: the one in Profitt, Kansas and then the 2nd part on the “Weaverley” plantation, Mississippi. Both...more

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Aug 26, 2009 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-more-than-once

Oh goodness...I read this book over and over again, and it even inspired me to try writing my own romance with my college roommate, but we gave up after a few pages.

One of the first of her books that I read, and one of my favorites at the time. Loved the characters. I'll always be thankful for the time I spent reading those old romance novels...even if I don't read them much anymore.

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Jun 07, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sweet Book

LaVyrle Spencer’s books are not great works. They are romance novels and as such this is a good book. I read most of her books as a younger woman. I wanted something light and short and this filled the bill. The characters were believable but I did wish that the out of town temperance leader had been better developed.

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Apr 07, 2013 jessica wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads

Just as entertaining as I remembered from my first read two decades ago. Puffball, fluffy, and entirely escapism, I think I have concluded my revisit with Ms. Spencer. Step away from the romance novels Jessica and get back to reading about child development and psychology with a pinch of homesteading title thrown in.

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Jan 26, 2013 Veronica Bareman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2013, kindle

Good, solid story by LaVyrle Spencer. I'm glad there were several twists and turns throughout the storyline before we reached the happily ever after.

I especially enjoyed the male lead. Scott Grandy presented as far from perfect, but perfect for our heroine.

A story is alway better when it includes the innocence of a child, and this did precisely that! Hoorah!

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May 05, 2009 Lola4 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read this book as part of a book swap with a friend. I'd never have bought it myself since I've never read a romance novel I didn't hate, but surprise, surprise, I really enjoyed this one. Gussie had gotten such a raw deal in life that she had a special underdog appeal about her.

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Sep 23, 2011 Aleisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This was one of two books my mother first gave me as a teen. Having a slight disability myself, I found myself falling for the imperfection of the character-how refreshing!-but besides that it was just a wonderful read. Great characters, that are both heartwarming, endearing and at times stubborn...I love it. I find myself picking it up every few years and rereading it again. I can never get enough of it. Will always be one of my top 2 favorite romance novels of all time....

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Sep 09, 2010 Beleth added it · review of another edition

Una historia muy interesante e intensa, llena de cuestiones morales y de dudas. A pesar de que el final es un poco lento, es un libro maravilloso.

Reseña completa en http://beldevoradoradelibros.blogspot...

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Nov 07, 2009 Jackylyn Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first spencer novel...and I really love it...
I like the way the circumstances made both the man and woman became close to each other. Despite the disability and innocence of Gussie, Scott fell in love with her.

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Mar 03, 2010 KimKirt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical

It has been many many years since I've read this book, but it is one of my all time favorite romance novels. I have read it several times and adding it to my book list makes me want to read it again.

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Mar 18, 2010 Hope Ramsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This is one of those books that I would want to have with me if I were stranded on a deserted island. I've read it at least a dozen times and it always makes me cry before delivering the HEA ending.

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Jan 29, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an old favourite - I read it for the first time about 10 years ago, and picking it up was like catching up with an old friend. LaVyrle Spencer's writing has the power to transport me into Scott and Gussie's world, and I was falling in love along with them.

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Jan 30, 2013 Maqluba marked it as dropped

Shelves: wtf-just-happened, western, uptight-heroine-hero-wants-2-unwind, laid-back-hero, historical, big-funny-laid-back-hero, annoying-side-character-s, badboy-with-goodgirl, americana

In other books where we read that the hero sleeps with someone other than our heroine (which happens before the hero and heroine develop any feelings for each other) its usually told once and glossed over and we as readers can pretend everything is fine. In this book the author give us details on what happens between our hero and someone he decides to sleep with...not something I want to visualize as a reader, especially since this person seems like she'll be sticking around for the remainder of...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not one of my favorites by her but still a good story. I think it's the only LS book where characters from another story pop in to say hello.

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Feb 21, 2013 Aubrey Wynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Western with unique characters. There is a scene in this book that describes loneliness so well I cried. And I was at work when I read it.

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Feb 10, 2013 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, lavyrle-spencer-books, historical-romance-read, romance-books-read

Great great read!! This is my favorite book by Lavyrle Spencer. If you like historical romance books you'll love the gamble.

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About LaVyrle Spencer

LaVyrle Spencer is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has successfully published a number of books, with several of them made into movies. Twelve of her books have been New York Times bestsellers, and Spencer was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame in 1988.

Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focu...more

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