The Wedding Gamble

by Cindi Myers

Preschool teacher Laura Nichols is celebrating her birthday and sister's bachelorette party in Vegas. Being in Sin City is thrilling and she intends on tapping in to her wild side. Laura can't resist the added excitement that comes with saying yes when a hunky man off the street proposes...
FBI agent David Abruzzo has been working undercover as a thug to bring down the Zacolli crime family, but his cover depends on convincing the mob he came to Vegas for a quickie wedding. If they catch on to his plan, his cover's blown, and he's as good as dead.
Over the course of 48 hours, David and Laura use rollercoasters, glowing condoms, and exotic male dancers to stay alive and bring the crime family down. But it will take more than Lady Luck, one night of passion, and a little Vegas magic to turn their fake marriage into something real.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2013

About the author

Pseudonym: Cynthia Sterling

Cindi Myers worked as a newspaper reporter, travel agent and medical clinic manager before turning to writing full time. She's written both historical and contemporary romance, as well as dozens of short stories and nonfiction articles. Cindi thinks writers have the best job in the world.

Former president of San Antonio Romance Authors, Cindi is a member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

She and her husband and their two dogs live in the mountains Southwest of Denver. When she's not caught up in creating new characters and stories, Cindi enjoys reading, quilting, gardening, skiing and hiking. She's also in demand as a speaker, teaching workshops and making presentations to both local and national writing groups.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wedding Gamble by Cindi Meyers is sweet, flirty and fun. I had a hard time putting it down. I am sucker for shy wallflowers finding their inner beauty and self-worth and the sexy men who knew it was there all along. This story is about curvy preschool teacher stuck in a rut. Then one night in Vegas, on sister’s bachorlette party, she agrees to marry a sexy stranger. Turns out he is undercover for the FBI trying to take down a Mob family. Now Laura’s life is turned upside down as she puts her heart and her life on the line to save her husband. I liked how the story flowed. It was a very quick and very cute read. Even though Laura and David fell in love over the course of three days it was believable. I think everyone once in while we all need to let go of being cynics and believe in fate and happily ever after’s. I know that is why I love romance novels so much because the girl usually gets her guy in the end. Read this book and be swept away by the swoony romance like I was. If that doesn’t do it for you there is also hilarious hijinks as Laura goes go to whatever lengths possible to save the day. I give the Wedding Gamble four laser pistols and highly recommend this book to anyone looking for quick romantic read.

[Janell Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s another “Got wasted in Vegas and ended up married” story, and it was great fun, proving that predictable works if it’s written well. Laura is in Las Vegas for her younger sister’s bachelorette party. It’s also Laura’s birthday, not that anyone remembers. She’s having a miserable time until one of the bridesmaids gives her some “generic aspirin,” and then Laura is wandering the Strip in a loopy haze. She meets David outside of a wedding chapel, and he asks her to do him a favor. Laura always tries to help others, so she agrees. She thinks it’s a dream when they get married, but the next morning she realizes that it wasn’t.

David is working undercover for the FBI, tracking down a witness. When the wrong people see him in Vegas, he tells them that he’s there to get married. Enter Laura. David wants her to forget about him and go back to safety, but Laura can’t stop trying to help him, protect him, look out for him.

Laura is a preschool teacher, a size 12, used to sacrificing herself for her sister, used to being the unattractive, boring afterthought in her family. But when she sees bad guys threaten her new husband, she busts out her inner actress and distracts them. It’s fun to watch her discover her inner bravery and hidden talents.

David’s life has centered around bringing down one particular mob boss. He hasn’t had room in his life for relationships. Capering with Laura makes him wish for something he didn’t know he wanted, and it also uncovers a pretty sexy protective side.

As the bad guys circle, Laura and David grow closer. He even buys her a birthday cake, which would melt my heart in an instant. Danger intensifies their relationship, and pretty soon — after a few interruptions — they are exploring the benefits of their marriage. The author does a great job of describing Las Vegas. From the canals of Venice to Circus Circus, from Fremont Street to the Bellagio Fountains, from the sounds of Treasure Island cannons to the crowded sidewalks, I felt like I was there.

When they’ve done their job, David sends Laura back home to safety, with the expectation that she’ll get an annulment. The final HEA happened quickly, both from a book-timeline standpoint and from a writing standpoint. I could have been held in suspense a little longer, but I’m not complaining.

Overall this was fun, amusingly suspenseful, and sweet.

Rating: B +

This review also posted on Red Hot Books

[Sheri (Tangled Up In Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Tangled Up In Books

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Wedding Gamble was the perfect amounts of sweet, steamy, adrenaline fueled danger and laugh out loud funny. I enjoyed every fun and exciting moment of it.

Laura was such a fun MC to read. She's a preschool teacher and the type of girl who puts everyone's needs above her own, a bit of a pushover, safe, dependable...hate to say but a bit boring? She always does the right thing and is truthful and trustworthy. She's in Vegas for her younger sister's bachelorette party, even though it's her birthday...everyone has forgotten, all caught up in the wedding frenzy.

Then along comes David. Gorgeous FBI agent, deep undercover with the mob. In danger of his cover being blown and his life on the line, he grabs Laura as she's wandering the Vegas strip looking for her hotel and through a funny it-only-happens-in-Vegas moment, Laura wakes up married.

It's a quick read but there's never a dull moment in this book and it had me turning page after page until next thing I knew I was finished. There was a wide range of appeal. The connection between Laura and David was incredibly sweet. Not to mention their chemistry was explosive and the steamy scenes had me all worked up! Holy crap. It's no joke y'all.

But it was much more than that, there was real danger that had my heart pounding. Laura was quite resourceful and brilliantly funny in some of these moments. The things that she came up with and that came out of her mouth to save their behinds had me laughing hysterically!

"What are you doing making out up here when you have a hotel room to go to?" Victor asked.

Why indeed? "The tables at the Pancake Palace are the exact right height," she blurted.

All three men stared at her.

Ahh so much funny. Sure it's a bit insta-love which under normal circumstances drives me absolutely crazy. But the intense 48 hour period that these two endure grants them a high level of emotions and I was totally able to look past that fact because this book was honestly such a fun read that had me hooked from the very start.

Thanks Entangled Publishing for sending me this book to read and review!!

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on We All Make Mistakes In Books

I really enjoyed The Wedding Gamble. It's a fun, quick novel set in Vegas full of romance and mystery.

Laura is in Vegas to celebrate her sister's bachelorette party even though no one remembers is her birthday and her little sister is very self center. 27 Dresses style.
While doing an errand for her sister, Laura meets David in front of a chapel where he asks her to do him a little favor.
Now, Laura was a bit drunk and on medication, which is why she ends up marrying David in the first place. Because you see, Laura is the good girl. The one who always thinks things through and doesn't do wild things like that.

David was in Vegas doing his job as an undercover agent for the FBI. But when his mob boss finds out he's in Vegas when he should be in Chicago, David must come up with a excuse: He's there for getting married.

David is a jaded cop. He's seen and done too much in the name of justice and he lives for nothing more than putting criminals in prison. Laura is a preschool teacher. She loves kids and wears her heart in her sleeve. She's all David would like in a woman... if he wanted to settle down.

And now, both of them need to keep up the marriage in order to stay alive.

The Marriage Gamble is great. There were some moments where I found myself laughing at the crazy situations these two got themselves in only 48 hours. And sometimes I questioned how David kept himself alive alone all this time because Laura save him most of the time.
Laura is a fun character when she's pretending to be this bold woman David married. She goes for what she wants, she's brave and has the funniest on-the-spot improv.
She really grown in the book, from the perfect girl everyone got advantage off to the woman who could stand up for herself.
And David is really swoon worthy. He makes sure she has a good birthday and does everything he can to help her see just how amazing she is.

The Wedding Gamble has everything you'd expect from a novel set in Vegas and we all just love that, right?

*eARC provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review*

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Vegas Lights Stars!!

I was completely won over by Cindi Myers’ The Wedding Gamble. There are multiple tales of last second Vegas nuptials to complete strangers, but I have never read one quite like this. It was a story I HAD to read in one sitting to find out what happened.
Laura Nichols is “having the time of her life!” in Vegas for her little sister’s bachelorette party. No wait, that’s not right. She isn’t even close to having the kind of Vegas fun that Vegas always promises. That is, until she stumbles upon David Abruzzo who asks her for a favor. It isn’t until the morning after that she realizes that favor was marriage. David Abruzzo is undercover….well, at least he was, but then two heavy hitters for the Zacolli crime family find David’s sudden appearance in Vegas to be highly suspicious. Of course, David was there to get married…without a bride. Laura and David find themselves in a life or death situation in which them playing their parts of happy-in-love newlyweds is absolutely crucial. But when does it turn from acting into the real thing?
Laura was a character that I simply loved and connected with. She was the good girl, who always did the right thing, completely selfless and willing to help any and everyone she came in contact with. But Laura needed a little wild in her life and that is exactly what she got with David.
David had me hook-line-and-sinker right from the beginning. It really isn’t fair to other men who may be compared to him. He is the good guy, on the right side of the law, but has a certain badass-ness about him that makes him devilishly charming.
Cindi’s writing is one-of-a-kind that had me riveted the entire time. I loved the humor, the danger, the romance, and the heat that steams off the pages.
A must read for those who like romance and thrill or who just like a really good book

(I received an ARC for my review and this is my honest-to-goodness, straight from the heart review.)


www.caretocommentanne.blogspot.com For more book reviews!!

[Petra Grayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura went to Vegas to celebrate her sister's bachlorette party, but it's also her birthday. It seems that no one even remembers that she has a reason to celebrate too, so she ends up wandering the strip on her own and feeling a little loopy since one of the other bridesmaids slipped her something with her drink. That's when she meets David, who pulls her in to a wedding chapel and asks her to do him a favor and marry him. You see, he's FBI, tracking someone in the mob and some goons are getting too close, so he needs a plausible excuse for being in Vegas.

The whole night of the wedding is pretty blurry for Laura, but the next morning she decides to stick around and help David out. She's used to helping and taking care of people and she likes feeling worthwhile.

I loved watching Laura come out of her shell. It feels like it was always there inside of her but David was able to give her the courage to actually be someone instead of just watching life pass her by.

David was a nice hero. He was protective and treated Laura really well. He didn't seem all that great at his job; we never see him getting much done, but there sure is a lot of running around and lots of zig-zagging to try and keep the bad guys off their trail.

Laura was pretty quick on her feet and came up with some nice distraction techniques. I enjoyed some of her musings like:

“Not that standing in the middle of the floor naked was going to help matters, but hiding under the covers didn't seem the appropriate response to a crisis.”

And as some of the guys start their macho, alpha dog routine,

“Where was a water hose when she needed one?”

I found the phrase “we need to talk” a bit overused. Nothing like making everything into freakout proportions. Our lives are in danger and we just can't discuss relationship stuff right now, but “we need to talk”.

Overall, a nice book with a fun storyline, but not hugely emotional. It's a good beach read or for an afternoon distraction. Nothing too heavy, but also nothing too gripping.

[Melody May (What I'm Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on What I'm Reading

Last night I finished The Wedding Gamble by Cindi Myers. I personally liked the story. I thought it was cute and entertaining. Plus, who doesn't like a story set in Vegas? However, one thing that needs to be remember when reading a Vegas setting story is the likelihood of anything that happens in the story might not happen in real life. Second, it's a story and should be enjoyed as a story. With that said here are my thoughts on the story:

Laura Nichols is having a pretty crappy start to her birthday. Yes, she is the sweetest person in the world to let her sister enjoy her bachelorette party, but still her sister forgot Laura's birthday. Don't get me started on the self-center sister. Anyways, she needs to run an errand for her sister and meets David Abruzzo.

David is an undercover FBI agent and needs to find a wife in a hurry otherwise the jig is up. Well, he stumble upon Laura. With a quickie wedding their adventure beginnings.

All right, the story is highly unlikely to happen in Vegas or anywhere. Hey, it was a lot of fun to read. First, it takes place in Vegas the land where anything can happen. Second, you have a quickie wedding. I love quickie weddings, especially when both parties don't really know each other. Third, we have the mob chasing after these crazy love birds. All this spells an entertaining good time. So, if you are looking for a fun-filled Vegas adventure without the heat, you might want to read The Wedding Gamble.

Copy provided by the publisher

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet and shy Laura has always been the sensible, quiet and serious sister often rolled over and taken advantage of by her younger, thinner and far more demanding little sister. Again Laura has been steamrolled into a bachelorette to celebrate her sister’s upcoming wedding.

A drunken wander later and she wakes up married to a man who is sexy, confident and dangerous. David is an undercover agent currently involved with the mafia, and being manhandled and threatened by two goons.

The story has several moments of complete and utter fantastical scenes, but the core characters of David and Laura are extremely well developed. This unexpected twist that is so not like the Laura her spoiled sister has come to know, she thrives under the care and protection of David, his obvious appreciation of her sense, her curves and her ballsy reactions to pressure and dangerous situations all help her to discover the strength and appeal she didn’t realize was there.

This is the perfect Vegas getaway story: everyone wants to be someone different on vacation and where better than Vegas. The fast paced story that crams a ton of action into a short time allows the characters to truly see each other in pressure situations, and provides the reader with some steamy scenes that are perfectly fitting to the whirlwind relationship.

Cindi Myers has created an indulgent little story: testing the excesses and options that can be found in Vegas while the characters find a way to grasp that happily ever after despite the odds.

I received an eBook from Entangled for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

With romance, sexiness, completely loveable characters and a great (albeit unlikely) storyline, this book has it all. A fabulous read from start to finish, I loved every page.

Laura Nichol’s, a pre-school teacher, is in Las Vegas for her ‘perfect’ sister’s hen/bachelorette party. She’s sweet, sensible and dependable and her family expect her to put herself out for them. David Arbruzzo, an unbelievably sexy undercover FBI agent is witty, kind and protective and needs to prove to the mob he’s in Vegas getting married… so he picks the one girl least likely to embark on a quickie Vegas wedding (although if I was approached in Vegas by him I would marry him!) There was nothing not to love about the man.

The chemistry between them was perfect and their ‘marriage’ was dangerous and exciting, tender and passionate with moments that were heartwarming and others that tugged on the heartstrings. Their bedroom activities were hot and sexy and the situations Laura finds herself in generate moments that have you holding your breath in anticipation. I laughed, I swooned and I sighed those appreciative 'sighs' that we romantic women are prone. And I loved the fact that Laura doesn’t have the ‘perfect’ figure. It made her realistic and even more loveable.

The only thing I felt was missing was an epilogue, but that doesn’t detract from a fabulous book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend and is one I will be reading again.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book and it was better than I thought it was going to be.

The book starts out with the heroine Laura in Las Vegas for her sister Rachel's(the pretty, thin, smart, popular sister)bachelorette trip. The trip also happens to fall on Laura's 26th bday which everyone seems to have forgotten. She doesn't complain, she just goes with the flow. At first I thought she was a bit of a pushover and I didn't care too much for Rachel.

Then when Rachel sends her off as if she's her own personal gopher she meets David. David asks her to do him a favor and as usual Laura obliges. It's not until the next morning that when she sees the marriage license that she realizes how real his favor was.

The rest of the book was pretty fast paced as they get in and out of all sorts of scary situations. By the end of the book I liked Laura a lot more. I liked that she was shown as more than just a pushover. I liked that she stood up to her sister. I really liked that David did little things to show his appreciation when everyone else forgot. All in all it was a pretty good book. The only thing I would have liked is a little more of them together at the end.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[pinK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is completely swoon-worthy. Who doesn't sometimes feel that they could use a little excitement in their life? I know I do on a regular basis, so reading about a preschool teacher (which I happen to do part-time) being randomly picked out of a crowd to marry a hot FBI agent in order to save his life, was fantastic. I felt as if I was living vicariously through Laura, living a thrilling and dangerous life of undercover FBI agents and crazy mobsters.

Laura and David are a cute couple, and I could easily understand why David was trying to resist his attraction to his witty and brave new wife. Who would want to put a person so special in danger? Laura, on the other hand, jumped headfirst into her new life, distracting mobsters, meeting the Don, and having private meetings with the Don's son. It was thrilling!

This relationship is definitely forged in the heat of the moment, but the desire is still heartfelt and sweet. This is a definite must-read!

Note: I received a free copy of this book for honest review.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check your brain at the door and have fun with this “what happens in Vegas” story. Preschool teacher and all around good girl Laura Nichols is in Las Vegas with her younger, prettier, “perfect” sister and her sisters friends doing a bachelorette party week before her sister gets married. This is so not her thing but she goes along to get along. She gets separated from her sister and friends and somehow ends up in the arms of hunky FBI agent David Abruzzo who needs someone to marry him, quickly, in an effort to fool the mafia goons following him that he came to Vegas for reasons other than what they think. Feeling tipsy and a little low Laura agrees and then the fun begins.
This is an unlikely romp but oh so much fun. Running all over Vegas with a hot FBI undercover agent, going under the covers with the same, it’s all fun and games till someone gets hurt. I got a kick out of this and think you will too.
I received a copy from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.

[The Smutty Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

As posted on The Smutty Kitty reviewed by KittyKelly

4 out of 5 Licks

I really enjoyed this book. It's interesting to see the marriage of convince outside of a regency type novel. While being grabbed and rushed into a marriage probably wasn't what Laura was planning for her trip to Vegas, she seemed to really enjoy to the wild trip she wound up having. I loved her playfulness and watching her really break out of her shell. David, a typical troubled man, was lots of fun too. There were so many times I found myself laughing out loud at the craziness the two of them kept getting into. The sex between them was hot and the romance that built between them even hotter. You'd think by now I'd learn not to worry when it comes to my characters getting their HEA, but I was a bit worried with this one. It may all work out in the end but it sure was a wild ride there.

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some unknown reason, I am drawn into books where a couple meet and a wedding fellows-immediately.
The Wedding Gamble is just that type of book and yet the storyline really holds your attention.
It is a story with humor, sisterly love, suspense, sizzling love scenes, trust, and love.
Laura is now one of my old time favorite female characters. How could David not fall in love with her? I actually was laughing a out loud when Laura explained the G Spot and the perfect position. She was a "hoot" and so sweet!
David was the type of man you just knew you could trust. A girl couldn't help but lose her heart to David!
So, this book was worth staying up to 2am to finish. I rate it a 4.75. It is not a 5, because there was no Epilogue, which was disappointing.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mix together a preschool teacher, an FBI agent, the mob, Vegas, and an impromptu wedding and what to do you get? A fun read!! This story is a well-written mix of fun, danger, and craziness. Parts of it may make you laugh out loud. But the character and relationship development are great as well.

A fun, quick read!

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was a fun book with real/fake wedding, mob, gay, hunk, gun/shooting.
Felt like running like those two.
Beside all this there were searching for confidence, jumping on opportunities and gamble for love, trust.
and also family love.
A quick read, funny and adventurous... quite cute actually.

[Elle (Ligia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gah! I am in happy land right at this moment.

I just finished reading and yeah, maybe it's a little too fresh to write a review just yet but rest assured that it was good! And the ending... yup, I am happy!

[J B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars if I could. I rather enjoyed it - as I often find myself liking these strangers suddenly married in vegas type stories I dunno why. This one had a bit of a twist to it which made it more intriguing.

[Beth Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A really good fast read. I would have given it 4 stars but I thought the ending was too abrupt.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute read, but unrealistic in the development of the key relationship in the story.

[Katriena Knights · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick read. Very enjoyable.