The Gambler's Heart

Heart's Desire #3

by Gayle Wilson

The beauty had wed the beast, and London was rife with rumour...

What really went on in the marriage bed of Lady Madelyn Fairchild and Jean-Luc Gavereau? For a celebrated beauty of the ton could never have gone willingly into the arms of a common gambler scarred in body and soul!

Madelyn had looked beyond the fire-ravaged visage Jean-Luc wore like a badge of defiance and had seen her salvation. A true lover who swore he would vanquish the ghosts of her past, even as she vowed to sacrifice everything to safeguard his future...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Marriage Of Convenience, Regency, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance

347 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 24, 1995

About the author

Gayle Wilson is a two-time RITA® Award winner, taking home the RITA® Award for Best Romantic Suspense Novel in 2000 and for Best Romantic Novella in 2004. In addition to twice winning the prestigious RITA® Award, Gayle’s books have garnered more than 50 other awards and nominations, including most recently the Daphne du Maurier Award for the Best Single Title Romantic Suspense of 2008, awarded to Victim, her latest novel from MIRA.

Gayle holds a master’s degree in secondary education, with additional certification in the education of the gifted. Although her specialty was teaching honors and gifted students, as a former high school history and English teacher, she taught everything from remedial reading to Shakespeare—and loved every minute she spent in the classroom.

Gayle was on the board of directors of Romance Writers of America for four years. In 2006 she served as the president of RWA, the largest genre-writers’ organization in the world.

Gayle has written 41 novels and four novellas for Harlequin Enterprises, including works for Harlequin Historicals, Harlequin Intrigue, Special Releases, HQN Books, MIRA, and Mills & Boon.

Reviews

[Alina Acevlos]

I like the plot so I decided to give it a try, It started nicely and exciting. Jean-Luc was painfully burned with eye patch on one eye, h was a celebrated beauty then got married to an old man and became a widow. Her father was really cruel and his blood runs through his son as well, her brother Harry. h had ridiculous fantasy of a man that she loves and she saw Jean-Luc and surprise he's the one she has been dreaming for so there was instant love on her part.

They first met at the inn then they had short encounter, a kiss actually and they both never forget each other. after some time Her brother gambled and lost to Jean-Luc, unable to pay him so he forced his sister to marry the H then she guessed that Jean-Luc and the man at the inn was the same person so she went and offer to marry him.

There were black mailing, trust issues and scores of dull lovemaking. I'd rather like 2 or three with excellent sensation. There were also jumping to another scene that was not creative so I easily got lost what happened to the previous one.

I convinced myself that I will give this a 4 star but the last 2 chapters were forced and ruined everything so that was not a good read. I feel sorry coz it really has a good potential.

[R]

I adore Beauty and the Beast type romances, as well as romances where the hero is not aristocratic. And for the most part, I liked this one. But the heroine kept not trusting the hero with her problems, then tried to trick him when he was at his most vulnerable, when it seemed a problem he was quite capable of taking care of. Yes, her brother is slightly crazy, as proven by his multiple attempts to do away with the hero, so does she really think appeasing him once will solve her problems? I really wished the heroine had trusted the hero more, but on the same note, I wish the hero had trusted her more, too. He was quite quick to condemn her when he realized she was trying to fool him.

But overall I did enjoy this book.

[Maria]

I like my heroines to be a bit smarter. Maddie just kept making mistake after mistake. I was not impressed that their relationship seemed to be based mostly on sex either. Anyone who has built a relationship knows that sex is important but it's nowhere near everything. Jean-Luc is described as dangerous, but he doesn't do much to show that he is, except occasionally and even then there is no carry through. All in all, not a great Regency attempt.

[Seema]

It had some interesting writing but the plot was very typical and the heroine was so wishy washy and easily duped. Lots of misunderstandings and lots of sex made it boring.

[Jules]

3.25

[Patrizia]

Sarei arrivata alle quattro stelle, perché la storia si sviluppa per circa tre quarti del libro con il ritmo e la tensione giusti, anche se con un po' troppe (e ripetitive) scene di sesso; ma alla fine le incomprensioni si son protratte oltre l'accettabile, con l'eroina che sparisce dopo una sfilza di confusi "ma io...", "non è come pensi...", "però, davvero...": insomma, proprio quello che ci vuole per irritare il lettore e scoraggiarlo dal continuare la lettura. A volte mi chiedo se non ci sia un team di 'editors' il cui compito è quello di annodare alla bell'e meglio i fili di trame incompiute, perché i finali di molti romanzi non sono assolutamente all'altezza del resto...
Dopo aver comprato questo libro, ho scoperto di averlo già nel mio Kindle all'interno di una raccolta, con la valutazione finale complessiva sempre di 3 stelle. Davvero l'avevo dimenticato del tutto?

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally]

"Mi piacerebbe darti ciò che tu mi hai appena dato, ammise in silenzio. Ti amo, gli aveva detto, e lui le aveva fatto eco con il suo nero cuore di giocatore."

Da amante delle favole quale sono, appena leggo nella trama una vaga ispirazione (in questo caso alla mia amata Bella e la bestia *__*) quel libro deve essere mio. Non ho letto i due precedenti della serie Heart perciò probabilmente mi sono persa qualcosa e la sensazione che ho avuto di un'eccessiva confidenza da parte della protagonista nei confronti di uno sconosciuto (per quanto sia simile all'uomo dei suoi sogni adolescenziali) è dovuto anche a questo. Comunque il vero motivo del mio voto è Jean Luc, che dopo essere stato orrendamente sfigurato in guerra (ha perso anche un occhio) ha aperto una casa da gioco a Londra. Jean Luc è all'apparenza un uomo stoico, abituato agli sguardi di orrore e ribrezzo ma interiormente è un vulcano di emozioni, di amore e tenerezza (in alcune scene mi commuovevo con lui ç__ç) e per la sua amata Maddy è disposto a fare qualunque cosa, dal proteggerla dalle malelingue londinesi rischiando la vita fino all'umiliarsi in pubblico per farla felice. Jean Luc crede che l'abbia sposato per pietà o costretta dal fratello, e non riesce a credere che questa bellissima donna che bacia le sue cicatrici con amore, gli sta accanto e si preoccupa per lui possa amarlo davvero e le sue insicurezze emergeranno alla fine per la resa dei conti. Maddy in confronto, pur essendo dolce e gentile, è una donna debole e facilmente manipolabile (una smidollata insomma XD) cresciuta con un patrigno crudele e un fratellastro egoista che l'ha costretta a sposarsi con un uomo molto più vecchio e ben poco premuroso (e questo emerge pienamente nei primi fiaschi in camera da letto con Jean Luc XD). Rimasta vedova, non ha mai dimenticato l'uomo sfigurato con cui anni prima a condiviso un unico indimenticabile bacio e quando se lo ritrova davanti nelle vesti dell'uomo che il fratellastro vuole farle sposare per sanare i debiti non riesce a credere alla sua fortuna. Purtroppo il fratello non intende lasciarla in pace e Maddy troppo spesso abbassa la testa e/o inganna il povero Jean Luc. Protagonista un pò deludente insomma ma il nostro eroe compensa ogni mancanza! consigliato!

[Judy Croome]

As always, Gayle Wilson's historical novels don't disappoint. "The Gambler's Heart" is no exception. Emotionally intense to an almost painful degree, Ms Wilson tells a complex, intriguing, gritty tale of two wounded people - one physically, the other emotionally - healing each other and finding a love that makes them whole again. A remarkable story by a remarkable writer who challenges the reader into feeling - living- being part of the hero & heroine's lives, emotions and, finally, their joy as they reach out into each other's souls to find a heart-warming, memorable love.

[I Love Wounded Heroes]

Wounded Hero Review

As always, Gayle Wilson writes great and believable wounded heroes. Jean-Luc was burned and views himself as unattractive because of it. When he first meets the heroine, if I remember correctly, he tries to scare her off by showing her his facial scars. I admit it's been a while since I read this book, so I don't remember a lot of details, but I do remember it was a good book for anyone who likes a scarred hero and that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Bookabulary]

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the Beauty and the Beast vibe to it. Jean-Luc started as the typical chauvinistic historical romance alpha male but I loved how Madelyn put him in his place. Ha, what a way to shut him up. I loved the ending to this read, too. I think I may have re-read this way too many times back in the day.

[Frances]

Another good book by Wilson.

[Ewa]

Very angsty read.

Heroine's brother was a class 'A' jerk. I wish she wasn't so influenced by his actions, but then we wouldn't have a book.

[Karen Darling]

Too much violence. The hero was severely burned, stabbed, and shot.

[Penny Hampson]

Fantastic story- an emotional rollercoaster. Intelligently written, beleivable characters.

[Elisa Vangelisti]

che ansia