Gambled Away: A Historical Romance Anthology

by Joanna Bourne, Isabel Cooper, Rose Lerner

Get revenge. Pay a debt. Save a soul. Lose your heart.

Spanning centuries and continents, five brand-new novellas from beloved historical romance authors tell the stories of men and women who find themselves wagered in a game of chance and are forced to play for the highest stakes of all: love.

“Gideon and the Den of Thieves” by Joanna Bourne

London, 1793 – Soldier of fortune Gideon Gage has come home from halfway around the world, fully prepared to face down a ruthless gang to save his sister. But there’s one member of the gang he could never have been prepared for: fascinating Aimée, driven from her own home by the French Revolution and desperately in need of his help.

“Raising The Stakes” by Isabel Cooper

California, 1938 — When the flute she won in last night’s poker game unexpectedly summons an elven warrior bound to her service, two-bit con artist Sam takes quick advantage. With Talathan’s fairy powers at her command, her shakedown of a crooked preacher is a sure thing…but would she rather take a gamble on love?

“All or Nothing” by Rose Lerner

England, 1819 – Architect Simon Radcliffe-Gould needs someone to pose as his mistress so he can actually get some work done at a scandalous house party. Irrepressible gambling den hostess Maggie da Silva would rather be his mistress, but she’ll take what she can get…

“The Liar’s Dice” by Jeannie Lin

Tang Dynasty China, 849 A.D. — Lady Bai’s first taste of freedom brings her face to face with murder. A dangerous and enigmatic stranger becomes her closest ally as she investigates the crime, but can she trust her heart or her instincts when everyone is playing a game of liar’s dice?

“Redeemed” by Molly O’Keefe

Denver, 1868 — After agonizing years in the Civil War’s surgical tents, Union doctor James Madison has nothing left to lose. But when beautiful, tortured Helen Winters is the prize in a high-stakes game of poker, he goes all in to save her—and maybe his own soul.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Anthologies, Historical, Historical Fiction, Novella, Short Stories

600 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Joanna lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge with her family, a medium-sized mutt and a faux Himalayan cat.

She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She's fascinated by that time and place - such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner, 3 stars

I am feeling 3 stars. I wasn't sure whether it's a story about the relationship the hero Simon had with his ex boyfriend Clement or his wild sexual fantasies with just about anyone or the budding relationship with the heroine Maggie, aka Miss I love rough sex. The identity twist is unusual (Jewish culture, homosexuality and some mild form of BDSM?) wasn't sure what it did for the story though.

Very elegant writing, but I have a feeling that this was a story that didn't take a lot of planning or plotting. It's kind of straight forward and has little relationship development. Simon and Maggie seem to be just interested in sleeping with each other. It wasn't some once in a life time or only you will do kind of love. The relationship is basically Simon trying to not be involved with his ex-boyfriend and I am not all that certain what he wanted with Maggie. Their relationship felt empty to me.

Elegant writing aside, I like how "uninhibited" Rose Lerner has written her characters. I like that they are honest and comfortable with themselves. They had fantasies and desires and fears and doubts.

Moving on to Wei Wei's story.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin, 3 stars

Ahhhhhh this story is just UNSATISFYING as hell! I could have really liked Gao (H) and Wei Wei (h) as characters. But there is just not enough about them together in this short story.

I have never read a romance in this historical background, China in its imperial times. It has an odd appeal to it. I might give the writer's longer novels a try. I wasn't quite sure about the first person narration. Never a fan of that. In this book I somehow managed to overlook that.

But the romance, oh the romance of the lack thereof, is most distressing. I feel that Jeannie Lin had actually built enough anticipation for the relationship to be quite interesting, but she just left it there, unfinished. I wonder whether it's because she is planning on writing a full length novel for Gao and Wei Wei. That would make sense. But without a follow up story, this short novella just ends abruptly and on a rather melodramatic note, with a nod to the famous Chinese love story Liang Zhu, in the form of a paper butterfly.

The writing is alright, not as sophisticated as Rose Lerner but Lerner has a rather distinct style. I think Jeannie Lin successfully created 2 interesting lead characters but somehow chose to only touch the surface of an otherwise profound love story. 3 stars for the characters and I hope there will be a book to do Gao and Wei Wei justice.

Next to Isabel Cooper's Raising the Stakes

Raising the Stakes by Isabel Cooper, 1 star

Hmm I am giving this story an appalling 1 star.

I have absolutely no idea of where the story was going. Sam was actually Samantha. Exactly what she did, I couldn't tell except that she gambled. Something about family depending on her. I could not tell the time period. She acted modern so I assume it is a almost contemporary story, whiny didn't help its case in my book.

Then this elf, what's his name? Talihan? Taliman? I have no idea. He was some magical creature who was not of this world, apparently creatures of his species live a long life because his earliest earthly memory was that of the first English queen. They had sex out of nowhere, I don't know why they were attracted to each other. Sam seemed like a rather "casual" kind of girl, rather generous with her favors. And the elf, I mean I guess he wanted some human sex?

Sorry this story did not make sense to me at all. I am not a fan.

Moving on.

Redeemed by Molly O'Keefe, 2 stars

Oh my god what do I say to this book??

So far this anthology has been rather disappointing. My best offer is 3 stars. And this story about a union doctor and a damsel in distress who was drugged and kept captive to perform some sick signing performances was odd.

It started all right, I was intrigued. James the doctor recovering from his own substance abuse met Helen, the songbird in a cage, literally. She was kept captive by a sick man who enjoyed tortured her. So the story is about how Helen and James were getting to know each other and I was a little sickened by how Helen was treated. It read more like a horror mystery novel than romance. And the romantic bit was weak to me, too little too late and too lame.

I don't think it's poorly written at all. On the contrary it was a very touching story. But a little much on the torture front for a romance novel. I want a love story (as always), this was not it.

Now my last hope is pinned on Joanna Bourne.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne, 2 stars

ah Joanna Bourne, I have tried so hard to like her books.

I have every book of her Spymaster series. I read half of the first book and never got past that.

I have heard repeatedly how great a writer she is. And I bought all of her books because of that. What am I to do? I do love a great spymaster. But her stories confuse me. They are full of secondary characters whose functions in the story are unclear. And she seems to have a special fascination for french heroines, which did not really appeal to me. When I started reading this novella Gideon and the Den of Thieves, I was wondering, is this the same book that I read from the spymaster series? Because it just sounds so similar. A hero who Bourne said is great (but I didn't feel that he was all the great) with a heroine (a French one, of course) who was VERY capable. She survived some hardships in life and had to battle evil and did I mention that she was VERY capable? A force to be reckoned with, even though she was so small and vulnerable and pretty. And said great hero just wanted her. No getting to know each other, no tender feelings, no attraction, just "oh I would like to have her in bed." I am not a fan, really, I have tried. But no, not for me.

This anthology was a cool idea and introduced me to Jeannie Lin, whose novella was the best out of 5 short stories in this anthology for me. I regret to say that I did not find this collection a good read. My attempt to read Joanna Bourne again turned out to confirm my initial negative response. All in all, it was not a win.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Historical Romance genre paired with the theme of Gambling was too good to miss. Put that with this line up of writers and...be still my book-loving heart, I'm all in. As this is an anthology, I'd like to touch on each book individually so I'll arrange things in mini reviews. I'll be reading it out of order, but I'll try to arrange my review thoughts so that it follows the contents of the book.

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner 4 stars
A bawdy story about a Jewess running a London gaming house with her lover and the young architect who falls for her. Simon has to go to his former lover's house party where he'll work on a folly. After winning Maggie's services in a bet, he decides having her come as his mistress will give him a buffer from his host and the other guests.

Both are trying to find themselves and ashamed of their secret kinks and needs. The time at the house party reveals surprising possibilities about being together. This is a high heat story set against the Regency period. Well developed shades of gray characters. A little loose on the plot, but still an engaging story from start to finish.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin 4.5 Stars
#2.5 Lotus Palace series
Wei-Ling lives a comfortable, sheltered life and her family is everything to her. And yet, she feels stifled by the societal constraints on women. She has a yearning for more knowledge, to hear and discuss ideas, and to see and do new things away from the confines of her family home. Her disguise as a young scholar and a night in a tea house leads to her presence near a murder, an investigation, a new acquaintance with the intriguing Gao, fears her oldest brother might be involved in the murder and back to gambling. Wei-wei follows the trail to the truth fearing its answers, but needing them even while she can't keep Gao out of her thoughts.

I love the Lotus Palace series and was thrilled to get this follow up installment that tells the story of the hero from book one's sister. Characters from both earlier books move through this shorter story. The color and taste of historical China were so well-drawn and I loved Wei as a narrator. Her thirst for knowledge and enough freedom to pursue it and her need to track down the truth about her brother and the murdered man along with her interest in a man from a lower class made for a great story. The end left things open-ended yet hopeful. I can't wait to continue with more from the Lotus Palace series.

Raising the Stakes by Isobel Cooper 4 stars
A con-lady wins a magic flute in a poker game and it conjures an elf who is now her partner in swindling a swindler so she can pay off her family debt on the farm during Dust Bowl days of the 1930's.

This was a fun one. The author created a cynical, but rascally heroine who has to pull a 'Robin Hood' to save her family. Her new elf partner is game for anything and the pair trick another type of con-artist. This was a fun and complete story, but I wistfully wish it was developed into a novel-length piece.

Redeemed by Molly O'Keefe 5 stars
Two very broken people, a former spy and a former army surgeon, who have been beaten down by life have a chance at redemption. James has buried the pain and loss of his soul in an addiction, has hit rock bottom. He pushes everyone away preferring oblivion to feeling. But then something inside him rises up to meet one last challenge with one look at the enslaved woman who is tortured each night she is forced to perform for her cruel captor in the whore houses and gambling saloons around the country. James can't save himself, but maybe he can save Helen. And Helen? She gave up hope of freedom long ago, but James is dangerous to her because she desperately wants to believe he can free her though she knows he cannot.

I cannot express just how moving and intense this novella was. From the beginning, the reader is drowning in the feels and wants so badly for these two people who have hit the bottom to get a break and have a chance at even a little happiness. The author addressed the horrors of war for the survivors and provides a villain that is so cloyingly evil that death is not good enough. And the denouement after the climax of this story was no less easy than what came before. No. This is not easy, but it is so worth it.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne 5 Stars
Intriguing story set in a thief lord's empire of London in Georgian times. The heroine is an indentured woman to the King of Thieves, the enigmatic and diabolical Lazarus. Aimee appraises the stolen treasures and does her best to protect her friends in the band of thieves while dreaming of freedom. Into her shadowy world steps dangerous, lethal Gideon who is there to free his sister from Lazarus. A cunning, complex game is afoot and all of them are pawns of Lazarus, but Aimee needs to keep the potentially volatile Gideon from having it all explode in their faces and keep herself from making a mistake when it comes to the strong attractive man who makes her feel safe.

This was a fascinating and deep story. I can't say what I enjoyed the most whether it was the complex characters or the complexities of the plot. I am doubly amazed since it was all told in the length of a novella. Romance is my thing, but this story was so much more than that. Personally, I felt I got the best pirate story that had no real pirates in it. And apparently this novella is set in the Spymaster world of the author's novels so I can encounter many of these intriguing characters again if it is my want.

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.

Gambled Away is a novella collection that I find difficult to review. Objectively, this collection is well written and I enjoyed how all of the authors played with the historical romance genre, offering readers something different in a genre that is often slammed for its sameness. While intellectually I appreciate how unique all of the novellas were, I confess to feeling that none were to my personal taste. Perhaps it was the constraints of the novella format, perhaps it was just me, but I will admit to feeling that none of the novellas were particularly romantic. Now, I'm not saying that everything must be hearts and flowers, but I did personally feel that there was a lack of emotional depth to the majority of the novellas in this collection, at least for this reader.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne

Bourne's contribution to the collection was the strongest story for me. We've got a hero that infiltrates a den of thieves and a young woman that has been forced to work for them. For me, Gideon and the Den of Thieves was the most well developed novella of the collection. The characters were explored more than in the other collections; however, I still felt that the romance was lacking between our leads, which kind of made sense considering all the intriguing stuff that was going on, yet this was disappointing since I wanted to the romance to take centre stage.

Raising The Stakes by Isabel Cooper

This was my least favourite story in the collection, and in the efforts of full disclosure, I will admit to skimming the majority of this novella. While I did appreciate the fact that this one had an American West setting, I just wasn't a fan of this setting combined with more fanastical elements as it seemed to be more of the "odd man out" in the collection.

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner

I'm a big fan of Rose Lerner ( Listen to the Moon was a masterpiece) and the fact that one of her novellas was included is what drew me to the collection in the first place. For me, Lerner comes across as a much racier Mary Balogh - the emotions are out on the page and it's the characters that truly ground the story. I will be honest, All or Nothing was a bit too unconventional for my tastes and this is purely a personal reading preference. Again, on an intellectual level I appreciate the fact that Lerner was pushing the envelope in the romance genre, but it was not personally a novella that I enjoyed.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin

There's no question that The Liar's Dice had promise; however, the indeterminate ending rendered this novella wholly unsatisfactory. For me, The Liar's Dice read more of as a teaser for a full length novel than a novella that could stand alone. Having not read any of the books that this novella ties to and because I have no idea if a full length book is forthcoming, I felt that The Liar's Dice missed the mark.

Redeemed by Molly O’Keefe

Redeemed was my second favourite novella out of the collection. Like Bourne's contribution, O'Keefe spent a good chunk of time fleshing out the characters of the novella. Here was have a tortured doctor and a young woman trapped by a ruthless guardian. What kept me from enjoying this one was the convoluted reasons for why Helen was put on display by her guardian. I spent more time puzzling out the guardians reasoning for what he was doing than just enjoying the story. For me, Redeemed pressed the bounds of believably to the point where I was taken out of the story.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Gambled Away was an uneven collection of historical romance novellas. Each novella was so completely different from the other that it really seemed that there was nothing really grounding this collection together other than the fact that they were all historical in some way. While I did like the fact that all of the authors presented readers with unique stories in the historical romance genre, none of the novellas really worked for me. I was looking for a romance collection and the majority of these novellas didn't really deliver that for me. Yes, they all had romantic elements to them, but many of these stories felt incomplete.

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gambled Away is an anthology of five historical romances with different settings, but featuring a common theme – that of a game of chance whose consequences involve characters’ lives. For purposes of length, I’m reviewing three of the stories, but all five are definitely worth reading.

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner

This romance is unconventional, to say the least with characters more fluid in their sexuality and acceptable behavior than a typical regency romance. Maggie is Meyer’s partner and Mistress at his gambling den. They make a game of ‘losing’ Maggie in a bet to a man of her choosing. When Meyer gets called home upon the death of his father, they goad Simon, an architect, into winning her for a few weeks time while Meyer is away. Simon proceeds to bring her to a somewhat disreputable house party as his guest, with the plan to parade her as his mistress but in reality, it will be an in-name-only affair. Naturally things don’t go quite as planned.

This story tackles some interesting topics including a woman fully confident in her own sexuality in a position where one might expect her to be rather subservient. Maggie likes her humiliation kink and the idea of being traded for sexual favours. At the house party, Simon has given Maggie permission to join in the sexual games but the truth is that she really wants Simon to participate with her, which he eventually does. Simon also must deal with his long time friendship with Clement whose house party it is. He’s a one-time lover who still pines for Simon, to Simon’s chagrin. Simon would like to stay friends with Clement but is under no illusions that anything more could ever result again. Then there is also the challenge Maggie faces in being Jewish and trying to maintain certain customs ( particularly dietary ones) in the face of ridicule and contempt. They are an unlikely pair, the Jewish whore, and the staid gentlemen but the author makes it work in such a way that the tendre they develop for each other is real. It is a fascinating glimpse into an unorthodox romance.

Redeemed by Molly O’Keefe

Redeemed is the third story in Ms. O’Keefe’s western historical romance series. They can all be read as standalones, though there is a continuing story thread through them all. In her story Tempted, James was introduced as a doctor with a serious chloroform addiction, a result of the trauma of the civil war and its aftermath. In Redeemed, he is a recovering addict, living at Delilah’s whorehouse while he takes stock of his life, one day at a time. He has neither the desire nor courage to be anyone’s hero- until he meets Helen. A former Northern spy, Helen is under the abusive thumb of her stepfather, who trots her out to sing in a gilded birdcage at whorehouses across the country, with the added bonus of a man being able to ‘win’ her in a poker game on the last night. James senses immediately that Helen is not what she seems. Helen however, has had offers of help before that ended in disaster for the good samaritans and wants no help from James, fearing for his safety. But now that James has found his courage, he’s not going to back down.

This series takes a really hard and unforgiving look at the remnants of the American civil war. I was intrigued by how James’ character could be redeemed indeed, and very much enjoyed his steps back into being a caring human being after months of addicted oblivion. He has little to no faith in himself as a worthwhile human being and goes out of his way to ensure that the few friends he could have stayed clear. But Helen brings out his humanity when he wants to run at the thought of someone relying on him for help, and he realizes that it’s time to stand up for someone else. Though he is attracted to Helen, he helps her because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s been too long since he could play the part of a gentleman. It’s a dramatic story and very intense, knowing that the clock is ticking for James to help Helen out of her captive situation. It’s a romance too, though, with two damaged souls who eventually find solace in each other. There are some intense love scenes between James and Helen, and I appreciated that Helen was just as strong and in control of their sexual relationship as James. Even with the intensity, there is a lingering hopefulness to the story that there can be a happy ending, but the author makes us have to go through a lot before we get there. If you haven’t had a chance to read Seduced and Tempted, the first two in the series, I highly recommend them as well, for thought provoking and unique western historical romances.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne

Set in the world of Joanna Bourne’s Spymasters series, this is a standalone novella which gives a snapshot of the seedier side of London in 1793, including some familiar characters from the series seen in their youth. Lazarus is the king of the Underworld, with his many minions surrounding him, including Hawker (here a young boy of 13 who has his own story in the series called The Black Hawk), and Aimee. Aimee is a young woman whose father was killed aboard ship when she was 15 and escaping France for England. She ended up being ‘saved’ by Lazarus because she has the ability to appraise items, having worked with her father at an auction house. She is therefore, invaluable to Lazarus for the stolen goods that enter his vast network of thievery. Lazarus makes a habit of kidnapping young wealthy women for ransom, and this time he has Daphne. Her brother Gideon, a former soldier and now wealthy businessman comes looking for her, and thus begins the romance between Gideon and Aimee amidst the power struggles of Lazarus to maintain his position as ‘King’.

(Side Note: I’ve mentioned this to some reader friends before, and I’ll say it here for posterity’s sake. It was Joanna Bourne’s story The Spymaster’s Lady that brought me back to the fold of reading romances after a ten-year hiatus, during which I was only reading fantasy and espionage thrillers. I’d seen it at the library and picked it up on a whim – and it led me to where I am now as a reviewer so I have her to thank for that.)

This author has the skill of being able to immerse you in the world she has written, and for a novella length story, you get a complete picture of the lives of the characters and the setting of the poorer side of London. Aimee is a really interesting young woman who had a decent upbringing before it all went tragically wrong and she ended up destitute on the streets. She is grateful to Lazarus for her rescue (though she knows it’s wholly for her skills), but this doesn’t stop her from dreaming about being free one day and sailing to the New World where she can start over. Gideon’s arrival to rescue his sister threatens her plans, as being seen as helping him is a betrayal of Lazarus. But more importantly, there is a plot afoot to remove Lazarus from his ‘throne’ and if that happens, she’ll be in even worse trouble. Gideon, once he’s met Aimee, intends on rescuing her too, whether she wants to be rescued or not. The result is some intense and dramatic scenes that move the story along at a swift pace, though it takes place over a short span of time. Aimee doesn’t want a rescuer – but to have a lover is another story, and there are some very sexy scenes between her and Gideon. I won’t give away the ending, but suffice it to say that things work out for her and Gideon in the end, with some interesting twists and turns along the way. If you haven’t read any of the Spymasters series before, you will quickly want to remedy that after reading this novella.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the authors for review.

This review appears as a blog post at: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a pretty serious poker player in my every day life. And, if I could, I’d spend all day at a blackjack table even though, yes, I know that, eventually, the house always wins. Add to that my romance novel obsession and the fact that, once upon a time, before I decided I did actually need money to live and sold my soul to the Bar, I was an historian: this book was always going to hit my TBR. Historical, romance, gambling. It’s the trilogy of awesome. I was thrilled, thrilled I say, to get an ARC.

That said, anthologies are not my bag for two reasons: 1. Short stuff rarely works (for me, anyway – how are you going to do a full romance with requisite characterisation, scene setting, plot, sex etc etc in that word count? Far too often the answer is: you’re not) and 2. It feels like too much of a gamble [heh] – what if you only like one of the stories? (but that’s a little daft because I buy full length novels all the time and don’t like them or feel disappointed in them).

What are my feelings at the end of Gambled away? I’m glad I got this book. I’m glad I’ve read it. But it was an up and down journey and I think I’m left more disappointed than anything else. That said, it’s £2.07 on Kindle and free with Kindle Unlimited which is very cheap for the quality of writing you’re getting here.

All Or Nothing – Rose Lerner, 3 stars

I think Lerner's usual aplomb with characterisation (which is one of, if not *the*, most significant strength about her writing) has suffered for the length of this novella. 

The heroine, Magdalena, a sexually free, Jew, struggling with her identity. The Jewish element, and the isolation and uncertainty that comes with being a Jew in this time and place, felt tacked on (Lerner has covered the issue much more successfully in True Pretenses). Her defining characteristic seemed to be her inclination to polyamory and promiscuity. Given more space this could have been interesting, as it was it all felt rather underdone, and, dare I say it, confusing. The hero, Simon, was also underdone. Young and lost in his life. Bisexual and still smarting a bit from the end of his most significant relationship to date. He was a bit of an empty character for me.

I'm going to say something a little controversial now, and I do so without any basis in fact, this is an opinion. It felt as though Lerner wanted to write a bisexual character and a polyamorous character (not in of itself an issue) and in that effort that's all that these characters were about, rather than those being facets of a larger picture. This read a little like an attempt to promote the broad church of modern romance writing. That's an issue when the promotion eclipses the writing and I can't help thinking that's what happened here. It also meant it dipped too far to the contemporary side of the historical genre, not because there weren't bisexuals or promiscuous women in the early nineteenth century, I'm just not sure it was this obvious. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly with in a novel with a bisexual hero and a lusty heroine, there's a lot of sex here. In some ways it felt like Regency erotica. Lerner writes very, very good sex so this is no bad thing in of itself. I'd be on board with reading an erotica written by Lerner. However, because the sex is so front and centre, the romance is largely insta-lust based. There's not too much relationship development above and beyond that.

I sound very down on this. Don't get me wrong, I read it straight through and I'm still determinedly in the Lerner fangurl camp, but, for me, there were issues with this. 

The Liar’s Dice – Jeannie Lin, 2 stars

Nope. Didn't work for me at all. Considered giving up on it, although I didn't. 

Lin can write, there's no doubt about that and I'd certainly seek out other books she'd written. But this one did not land for me. 

Full length historical novels set outside the traditional sphere require a lot more effort from the reader and, in my view, careful scene setting from the author. There isn't the space for that in a novella and never having read Lin's previous works (this novella is linked to them) I came to this entirely cold and was a bit baffled by the whole thing. 

None of the characterisation was particularly strong. I had no sense of who the H/h were or what drove them. 

The biggest sin of this novella, however, is that the romance was very, very underdone. It felt like an afterthought. 

Raising the Stakes – Isabel Cooper, 3.5 stars

Paranormal is not my schtick and never will be, but against expectations, I really enjoyed this. Even more against expectations I enjoyed it mostly because of the unusual setting - America, 1930s - and the plot. Heroine and her supernatural lover ripping off one of those Deep South Evangelical money grabbing pastors [I'm sure there's a name for these people, but it escapes me]. Rare that a plot outshines a romance, but this one did. I kept reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen, I wasn't all that involved in the H/h.

I liked the character of the heroine very much. Ballsy, self-reliant and self-aware. She commands the situation and herself and I would’ve like to read more about her than was available in this novella. The hero, because he’s a supernatural being from another world summoned by a magic flute [sentences you never thought you’d write: #237] is perhaps inevitably less interesting. There’s not really any world building for his character, because there isn’t the space for that.

The manner in which the two of them fell in love, even with coming from very, very different worlds is nicely handled but it was all a bit under played. As I say, the romance element took a back seat to the story, but I enjoyed the ride.

Redeemed – Molly O’Keefe, 4.5 stars

For me, the most successful of the novellas and, yet easily the most difficult of them and probably, in a lot of ways, the least conventionally romantic.

The hero is a doctor and a recovering drug addict. He is flawed. The term flawed somewhat underplays it, in fact. His every waking moment is coping with his recovery, trying to stay on the wagon and out of trouble. He’s selfish, almost necessarily because of the difficulties of that process:

“His hands were full.
He was not the hero.” [loc 645]

That’s it. For me, that was the brilliance of this novella and for many it will probably be its downfall. No beta hero here. The heroine is an imprisoned woman (her backstory is complex, and I’m not going to go too much into it). Plainly, she’s in trouble and the hero spends much of the first section of this novel trying to convince himself not to help, despite his attraction to this broken, beautiful, caged bird of a woman. Much of the novel is preoccupied with the struggle of these two damaged people as they chat a difficult path towards one another.

I thought it was thoughtfully and beautifully written.

A couple of small niggles. The sex was very, very good, but it didn’t feel quite in character for the H/h or the difficulty of their stories. The novella format did damage the plotting. There’s an attempt to separate them at the end and having them grow apart, with letter-writing to shape the relationship. It was all far too hurried and perhaps less time should have been spent on all the exposition at the whorehouse and the end could have been better balanced.

Still, very good.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves – Joanna Bourne, 4 stars

This a terrible admission, but this is my very first Jo Bourne, although her spymasters series has been on my TBR for ages [what can I say? Spying is amongst my least favorite things and French Revolution books bring back Traumatic Flashbacks of Uni]. People say she's a unique author with a distinct voice and they're absolutely right. I've never read anything quite like this before. Bourne has a wonderful, wonderful command of language. 

This is an interesting story with some intriguing characters. It’s an immersive portrayal of a particular part of London life in a particular era.

I liked the heroine very much. A self-sufficient young woman trying to escape a difficult situation. The chapters from her perspective were the best for me, she had a very distinctive voice. The hero was less successful, probably because he’s the one sort of coming into the story set up and upending everything. That said, together, they fizzed as a couple and the romance was very nicely done, if a little bit insta-attraction – that’s the novella format, I expect, not enough space to let the grow together as a couple. On the back of that the sex felt too rushed.

The story, as I say, was interesting, but somehow dragged towards the end and wrapped up too quickly. Again, I blame the word count for these issues above anything else.

Must read my first full Jo Bourne, asap.

[ReadKnitHoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner
Unexpected. Delightful. Hot. *happy sigh* 4 stars

The Liar’s Dice by Jeannie Lin
Fascinating, yet frustrating…need more Wei-wei and Gao! 4 stars

Raising The Stakes by Isabel Cooper
Cunning. Sneaky. Charming. 3.5 stars

Redeemed by Molly O’Keefe
Heart-wrenching. Hopeful. Heartwarming. 3.5 stars

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne
Fascinating. Intense. Familiar character-baiting. 4.5 stars

Great anthology, very refreshing. Maybe my enjoyment of it means that my historical slump is receding?

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit 2 June 2016

Here is my review, posted on my blog as well:
All or Nothing by Rose Lerner - 4.5 Stars

What a unique and hedonistic story!

The writing was impeccable as I have learned to expect from Ms Lerner and the story itself packed so much emotion and complexity in such a short format.

Maggie and Simon had strong distinctive voice which I loved very much. They both stood out with their complexity, being a little lost and a lot of in love/lust. He was full of good intentions and yet, failing to really follow them through. his vulnerability, his indecision, his bad decisions and fears, all these made him real and easy to relate to. I liked how he was portrayed as being comfortable with certain aspects of his sexuality and at the same time he was still exploring (or rather, was afraid to explore) others.

Maggie was his opposite in many respects - open, easy-going, not ashamed or afraid of her sexuality and desires, yet she hid her own fears and vulnerabilities behind the mask of a fun-loving, unrestrained and uninhibited young woman who is freely enjoying herself with not shame or regrets.

Ms Lerner explored the inner world of the characters with great mastery and making them open up to one another was the way to bring them together.

The supporting characters were also very well developed and had a very strong presence in the story giving it further richness and depth.

Simon and Maggie's story does not have the perfect romance HEA, but it has the perfect ending for them - the promise of a relationship that based on honesty and openness, but is still a work in progress.

Redeemed by Molly O'Keefe - 5 stars!

This was my favourite story in the anthology.

It can be seen as part of her cycle of historical romances including Seduced and Tempted, though you don't have to read those (but you totally should) to enjoy it.

I'm blown away by how much depth and intensity Ms O'Keefe brings into this story. She explores the the consequences of the Civil wars on the survivours on both sides of the divide. Ms O'Keefe capture perfectly the sense of loss and desperation in the aftermath of a war. Nothing is like it was before and no one is left unscathed and unchanged.

The issue of addiction were also quite realistically represented in my opinion and though I have no personal experience with it, the portrayal felt tangible and real to me. It was treated with compassion and without judgement which I really liked.

I'm really surprised how much emotional punch this story packed in just a few pages - intensity and depth of character development seem to me to be the trademark of Ms O'Keefe's writing.

It's a really intense, somewhat dark story but also hopeful and it ends with the sweetest, most perfect HEA for two troubled souls who deserve it so much.


Jeannie Lin and Joanna Bourne's stories are set in the worlds of other series of the authors and feature characters from them. I haven't read either but that did not spoil my enjoyment of both stories.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin - 4 stars

This is a tender and sweet romance, rather the promise of a romance. It's very atmospheric of old-time Japan and the whole world building was really good. I loved the writing and the voice of Lady Bai was so strong and rich and a pure pleasure to read. The story gives us just a touch of romance - beginning, the thrill of meeting someone and being enamored with them, the sweet anticipation of good things to come. All this is all interwoven in a simple but engaging criminal plot, which keeps you engaged in the story and allows the characters to truly shine.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne - 4.5 stars

I enjoyed a lot about this story but also felt the pacing was off sometimes. The concept was interesting to me - she is part of gang of criminals but has the special status within in. She is the person who determines the values of the goods they steal and sell. He knows a thing or two about gangs and fighting and faces her gang while trying the free his sister.

I have to say the plot is quite complex, perhaps a bit over complicated, considering it's a short story/novella. I felt somethings were left unexplored and the story often took the reader in unexpected directions. I liked the writing and found the characters, not just the main ones but the supporting as well, rather intriguing. It makes me wish this was a full-length novel.

As I said earlier I haven't read any of the books in the series in the universe of which this story is placed and maybe if you have read them, you would enjoy it more than me.

Still, it was quite pleasant and entertaining and made me want to read more books by this author.

Raising the Stakes by Isabel Cooper - No rating/review

I read just the first few pages of the story and couldn't really get invested on the story. I may try it again some time in the future.


Overall, this is a recommended anthology of diverse historical romances by some of the best authors in the genre.



All or Nothing by Rose Lerner
I have no words and all the feels! What a unique, sensual and complex story! - 5 stars!

Redeemed by Molly O'Keefe
All.The.Love - I really, really love Molly's writing and this story was powerful and emotional! - 5 stars!

The Liar's Dice - Jeannie Lin
Such a sweet and understated romance - 4.5 Stars

Gideon and the Den of Thieves - Joanna Bourne
Intriguing and captivating but the pacing felt odd and I miss some background not having read the series in the world of which this story belongs - 4.5 Stars

Raising the Stakes - Isabel Cooper - DNF
I tried this one but the setting felt weird and I just couldn't get into it, so I'm not rating it

[Eva Müller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rose Lerner - All or Nothing: 3-4 Stars

This was perhaps a bit too much for such a short novella. I really enjoyed the characters and the bare bones of the romance, i.e. the story of Simon and Maggie and the problems they faced in their relationship because of money (or lack thereof), religion and Simon's ex. And just that would have made a great novella. However, additionally, there was also the issue of Simon's inability to say 'no'. At one point he talks to Maggie about it, she tells him how to deal with that and the next time he's already successful! Yay! Only also somewhat unrealistic. And while that inability to say no causes a lot of the problems with Simon's ex and therefore is part of the romance the whole way it was handled felt a bit forced and would have needed more space to be believable.

Now finally - and this is very much personal preference - Simon and Maggie aren't just into each other. They're also into kinky stuff (involving role-play and humiliation). And their kink is very much not my kink. At all. But I ended up having to read a lot about it because that took up a lot of space and that lessened my enjoyment of the story somewhat.
(To be perfectly clear: it's all pretty mild and I don't think many people will be bothered by it...but I was)

Jeannie Lin - The Liar's Dice: 2 Stars

This novella also crammed a lot of things in very little space but I doubt I enjoyed this more if it was longer. I would have liked to see more of Bai's emotions. She's been the dutiful daughter all her life and suddenly goes against pretty much all her family's wishes but seems not conflicted about that at all. Now for that more pages would have helped.

What wouldn't have changed is that there's also a policeman/investigator who barely knows her but cheerfully details about the crime with her and Bai suddenly just knows how the crime happened without any supporting evidence. Besides that I just didn't feel the connection between her and the hero. For me that read like 'he's an asshole but he's also hot' and that simply didn't work at all.

Isabel Cooper - Raising The Stakes 2 Stars

And I wish I could have given more. I mean a con story featuring an elf and set in an era that isn't too popular with romance novelists. But I got an elf that is basically a hot human with pointy ears who's good with a bow. He didn't act different from humans, he wasn't even too confused by 1930s US even though he apparently only drops by every century or so.
The con-story was OK-ish but (again thanks to the novella length) everything just went smoothly. No tension. And the victim was such a ridiculous stereotypical cardboard cutout villain that I couldn't even hate him properly. There was some nice atmosphere but mostly I was just puzzled when I tried to figure out what the strange slang-phrase the heroine had just used meant.

Molly O’Keefe - Redeemed dnf

More an issue of not my thing (at the moment) than thinking it's bad. Perhaps I give it another try later. Right now I don't want to deal with that amount of misery.

Joanna Bourne - Gideon and the Den of Thieves 1-2 stars

Riddiculous melodrama. Coupled with a pure heroine who works for thieves but isn't really one herself. The big boss thief jumps from being a moustache-twirling villain who is riddiculously competent to one of those 'I only take from those that deserve it'-bad guys and back.



(Though here it's rather 'Your victim might be a murderer but you're still raping her')

Somewhere during all that bullshit two people fall in love. Well they find each other hot and confuse that with love but I don't care that much.

So overall: Not overwhelmed by that collection. Like not at all.

[Molly O'Keefe]

You know those old school historical romances when the heroine would get gambled away to clear her father's debts, or to save her family home or settle some score for her brother?

I LOVED those stories. And this anthology features five amazing stories with fabulous twists on that trope. Each story is romantic and surprising and thoughtful. Gambled Away will be released May 31.

My story - Redeemed - is the third of my Into The Wild series. Here's more:

The men of the West flock to watch the Northern Spy, a beautiful woman who sings…while locked in a cage. In every city, Helen’s alluring and mysterious act culminates in a high-stakes poker game. The winner’s prize: a night with the Spy.

Helen Winters’ life as a Union spy behind enemy lines was no act. But now that the war is over, her heroism has her trapped. Tortured by her memories and by the man who holds her prisoner, she clings to her dreams of freedom.

Like Helen, Union battlefield surgeon Dr. James Madison lost the best parts of himself in the war. Haunted by the demons of an old addiction, he knows he’s no hero, but Helen stirs to life the man he once was—and the man he could be again.

He might win her. She might save him. Or perhaps they’ll both lose it all…

[Aoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really like the way the authors have experimented beyond the conventional selection for an anthology - we have explorations of dark themes , slightly open happy -for - now endings , and a couple of protagonists whose sexual kinks are a strong part of their identity

Jeannie Lin, Joanna Bourne and Molly O'Keefe 's contributions were of particular note. The overall rating was pulled down by the other two- their plots sort of meandered without any clear destination

[Megan]

It's a tale as old as time: someone is wagered and won in a game of chance. It's a romance trope I love, though I can see why some readers might shy away from it, given the implied lack of agency. Thoughtful writing and thoughtful twists make it work for me, and there's so much emotional chewiness at work in this trope that I'm not surprised it's such a favorite: there's rescue fantasy, there's competence porn (skillful at cards/dice/whatever, or skillful at elegantly cheating at the same), there's a tangling and untangling of complicated desires, there's obligatory intimacy, and there are exciting hijinks going on around the protagonists. It's a hold-your-breath, don't-know-what-to-hope-for but I-can't-wait-to-see-fate-unfurl-here kind of trope. Maybe best of all, it highlights the internal workings at love and romance: that there is so much at risk in falling in love, and that love entails giving and taking irreplaceable pieces of one another.

Rose Lerner's elegant "All or Nothing" centers around understanding and owning complicated desires. The characters felt like real people, with appealing messiness and well-developed strengths and weaknesses, and it was so rewarding to watch Simon and Maggie fall into a partnership, then intimacy, and then love. I liked how attentive Lerner was to what it feels like to live outside the relentlessly straight context of what Romancelandia Regency usually looks like (but is certainly not limited to!), and the interesting ways disconnections and connections can be made. Also? I thought this was ridiculously hot, the kind of hot where the sex scenes (and any scenes with sexiness, really) hinged acutely on the characters and their personalities and desires. There was no trace of genericness anywhere. My only complaint about the novella was that the writing style was a little too florid and metaphor-heavy for me at times, but I'd still probably be tempted to rate this novella five stars on its own.

Jeanne Lin's well-paced "The Liar's Dice" was my draw to this anthology. I love her Tang Dynasty romances, and I think she's excellent at shorter-length romances. I'm the world's pickiest person when it comes to first-person single-POV romances, but Lin's craftsmanship is superb: those moments with subtle hints at Gao's tension and inner turmoil, and Wei-wei's obliviousness or misreading of them, were so beautifully executed that it was actually a fun experience to await Wei-wei coming to understand him and her feelings for him--and his feelings for her. I still haven't read second Lotus Palace book (this novella is set after it), but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book. Wei-wei--Bai Huang's scholarly little sister who does what she can to keep her family protected--was a delightful heroine, even though I am generally of the belief that, if you find a dead body/witnesses a murder, you should leave the investigation to the professionals, even if you are worried about whether your once feckless brother has drifted from the straight-and-narrow again. I know that means we wouldn't have gotten a story out of this, BUT STILL. Don't investigate murders if you're not a professional!!

I skipped Isabel Cooper's novella, "Raising the Stakes," having bounced off her writing before and knowing my own tastes. The setting was intriguing, but "elven warrior" and "fairy powers" are hugely unappealing elements to me.

Molly O'Keefe's exquisitely angsty "Redeemed" was so difficult but so gorgeous. Tackling the difficult aspect first: both protagonists are struggling with addiction/addiction recovery, she's being held captive by a villain, both are haunted by the Civil War, nearly everything about everyone's life is harsh, and I found this sooo bleak (though it has a happy ending, and a particularly awesome one, at that!). Darker than I usually want from my romances, in other words. But I'm so glad I read it, because it was so vividly gorgeous. Like, I want gif sets of so many of these scenes! They were rendered so eloquently and with such evocative emotion, that in a couple years, my spaghetti-strainer of a memory will probably have convinced me that it'd had been some TV show or movie when I'm remembering the scene where she's in the bird cage, and he sees her shame at him seeing her like this, and then he waits at the top of the staircase until she meets his gaze, and then he bows to her, the only thing he can do to recognize in her the dignity others want to deny her, and ALL I WANTED WAS THEM TO KISS ALREADY OKAY?

Ending the anthology is master plotter Joanna Bourne's sparkling "Gideon and the Den of Thieves." I've only read the first book in this series, quite a few years ago, but I think this would be an excellent place to start, given that it seems to be set earlier than all the full-length novels. Anyway, Bourne excels at writing smart, strategic characters and putting them in stories full of stratagems and complicated moves, and what I liked best was that Aimee remained competent from start to finish. Shameless scene-stealer Hawker drives a lot of this story, but I found the romance between Aimee and Gideon satisfying and believable. I had a couple things I didn't really like (the colonialist shit--like, I'm sorry, but I have zero faith in a romance novel hero's affected honor and attempts to reassure that his fortunes-made-in-the-East was all due to legitimate business; the highlighting of the heroine's unbelievably-kept-virginity, which I didn't like in The Spymaster's Lady, either, though in this book, there was some nuance and doubt), but overall, it made me realize I need to read more Bourne, and soon.

This is an excellent, very evenly high-quality anthology, and immensely satisfying in how the novellas played with the "gambled away" trope.

FTC Disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book.

[Rashika (is tired)]

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner

This was easily my favorite short story in this anthology and not just because it had a Jewish character and a bi character. There is just something about Rose Lerner’s story-telling style that manages to sweep you off your feet and make you so invested in a story that not even extreme tiredness can stop you from finishing. Her stories are always engaging and rarely ever have dull moments. All or Nothing tells the story of struggling architect Simon Radcliffe-Gould who is starting to feel burned out because he really cannot seem to make a living off of his chosen career. He wins a bet that allows him to ‘have’ Maggie da Silva for the time period in which her best friend (and sexual partner) is gone taking care of business and instead of taking advantage, he basically takes her to his ex flame’s house party so he doesn’t have to deal with him and his advances. Basically, a slow burn kind of romance happens between Maggie and Simon as they learn more about each other and sparks fly. YAY.

The Liar’s Dice by Jeannie Lin

This short story was really fucking great. It wasn’t my favorite but it came really really close. It isn’t as romance oriented, focuses more on the mystery aspect, is set in China (AND NOT IN the UK/US where most HRs seem to be set) and has a wonderful, dark atmosphere. The subtle romance is just enough to get my heart beating and I REALLY REALLY want an entire novel with the two main characters of this short story. I need to know all the things about them. Either way, I know I have a new author to add to my TBR list.

Raising The Stakes by Isabel Cooper

I don’t really know how I felt about Raising the Stakes. I don’t usually mind magic in my HRs but the magical elements in this short don’t really work for me. Sam, the mc, is pretty darn awesome and badass in that she is a con artist but Talathan--who is fae (I think???)--does not work for me at all as a character. I have 0 emotional attachment to him and therefore care nothing about his presence and contribution to the story. I do think that is just a ‘me’ thing though.

Redeemed by Molly O’Keefe

If you like tortured heros and heroines, this short will 100% be for you. The best part about this short story is that just because the characters are ‘tortured’ doesn’t mean they are angsty. O’Keefe does a great job of characterizing them through and outside their torturedness. They have legit reasons to be the way they are given the horrors they have lived through but they also exist outside of those bad things. They can both be charming, sweet, courageous and awesome. The best thing about this short story is that even though is technically a short story, it is well plotted and well thought out. It functions like an entire novel instead of just a short novella that leaves you wanting more. Basically Redeemed is another winner for this anthology.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne

In theory, I like a lot about this short story but really, I struggled with it because it almost seemed too lengthy. This short story is exciting, features a rescue and lots of other fun things but I literally did not connect with the MC and the love interest. They seemed very bland and more like plot devices than actual characters. It makes sense because the plot of this short is great but the characters made it so that I couldn’t actually enjoy this short in the ways I wanted to. That isn’t to see that all the characters sucked but the two that I should have liked, I couldn’t and that made it really hard to enjoy this story.


Overall, with me more than liking ⅗ of the short stories in this anthologies, I can safely say that Gambled Away is a winner. It features diversity of characters and locations and very well worth the read if you love your Historical Romance as much as I do!

Note that I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Fedora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose Lerner's All or Nothing--this is the first work I'd read by Ms. Lerner after hearing many good things about it, and indeed, all the praise is fully justified. Her writing drew me in from the start. Her characters aren't paragons but feel like flesh and blood, with richly drawn personalities, full of admirable strength and the weaknesses we shy away from acknowledging in ourselves. Her story was moving and passionate and hopeful. I very much look forward to catching up with her backlist!

Jeannie Lin's The Liar's Dice--Ms. Lin's evocative descriptions and able characterization shines in this novella, which is connected to her Lotus Palace Mystery series. Although I haven't yet read the other books in the series, I had no trouble enjoying the story on its own. My only wish was for slightly more romance, but the story is very exciting and transported me to a time and place I've only read about previously in history books. Now to read the others in this series!

Isabel Cooper's Raising the Stakes--I really enjoyed Ms. Cooper's story about a woman who has been making a living of sorts by small time gambling and living by her wits. She finds unexpected (paranormal) help in the form of an elf, who helps her to run a con on a deserving "victim"... Ms. Cooper certainly knows how to tell a story--can't wait to read more of her writing!

Molly O'Keefe's Redeemed is such a lovely story--the two main characters have suffered so much as a result of the Civil War and both are profoundly broken. Yet love does indeed give both hope and healing and ultimately, redemption. Ms. O'Keefe's characters are beautifully fleshed out and capture our hearts as well as our imaginations. Can't wait to read more of her historicals!

Joanna Bourne's Gideon and the Den of Thieves--I have loved everything I have read by Ms. Bourne and this story is no exception. Readers will enjoy a glimpse instead at a wholly different family of sorts--Lazarus's criminal brotherhood, which is not only men, but women and children as well, all of whom are as close as family, for good and ill. Fans of her Spymaster series will recognize a young Hawker, even as they meet a fascinating, capable heroine who manages ultimately to not only help the hero achieve his goal but essentially rescue herself. Another for my keeper shelf!

This is a robust collection for fans of historical romance--each story shines and leaves a lasting impression, reflecting the passion and frailties of gamblers and lovers alike. In life, as in love, there are inherent risks as well as rewards! These stories show us both--a worthy set for any reader.

[Regan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Bourne’s Novella is a Wonderful Georgian Love Story in London’s Underworld!

Note: This story is a novella contained in the anthology titled Gambled Away. I read and review only Joanna Bourne’s story.

Set in London in 1793, Gideon and The Den of Thieves is another lovely story from one of my very favorite authors. It brings back some of the characters from her stories, including Hawker from The Black Hawk, who is his youngest yet… only 13 in this story.

Aimée Beauclerc is a part of the Brotherhood, a ring of thieves run by a powerful man in London’s underworld named Lazarus, known to all as the King of Thieves. Her gift is valuing and fencing stolen goods. She is good because she know fine things from her earlier life in France. And she is a beautiful woman driven to England by the French Revolution. Bourne did a superb job with this heroine. I want to see more of her!

When Lazarus abducts the sister of Gideon Gage, a wealthy soldier of fortune, Gideon brazenly walks into Lazarus’ den of thieves to negotiate his sister’s release. Gideon knows she was taken for ransom—and he expects to pay—but he did not expect to encounter some devious game of Lazarus or find a woman, Aimée, who he wants in his bed.

I loved these two characters… Aimée, the intelligent imp of a woman and Gideon, a shrewd, battle-hardened warrior who has learned much in his travels to the East. Even Lazarus respects him… and will use Gideon for his own purposes. Bourne made their first encounter, when she believes him to be drugged, a sensuous experience as we wait for him to pounce upon the unsuspecting young woman.

Bravo, Joanne… a wonderful edition to the Spymaster series. I only wish it had been a novel!

[Mmeguillotine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wooo. By far, the most excellent romance anthology I've come across. Each story is exquisite, fully fleshed, intelligent, unique and deeply satisfying. Not a throw away or half effort in the lot.

I was already a fan of each of the 5 authors in this collection, but I still didn't expect to be as enthralled with an anthology as I turned out to be.

These are spectacularly talented writers, writing serious work. I can't recommend it enough.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the Joanna Bourne (though I may go back and read the others), but I really loved baby Hawker and Aimee. I just miss this universe. Give me more soon, please!

[Tin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received this ARC from Rose Lerner. Thank you to Rose, Joanna Bourne, Isabel Cooper, Jeannie Lin, and Molly O'Keefe for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

* * *

When one of your favorite authors contact you about an anthology she is in, and mentions the names of more of your favorite authors, you drop everything and read it. Gambled Away features 5 brand-new short stories that all explore the theme of gambling.

In the first story, All or Nothing, Rose Lerner's Simon Radcliffe-Gould is drawn to Maggie da Silva, part owner of the gambling den he frequents. Simon believes he can take better care of Maggie -- every time he visits, he longs to talk to Maggie and ask her questions about herself and her life -- but, mainly, he wants to ask Maggie why she continues to stay and work in the gambling den and allow her business partner/friend/lover to use and objectify her.

When the opportunity finally arises, Simon is surprised by Maggie's frankness -- and discovers that he had been mistaken in his assumptions of her. Maggie doesn't need saving or taking care of. She's fine as she is, but, what she needs, at this moment, is a diversion.

Simon receives a commission from a former classmate, and he knows he must accept the job, even if it means revisiting awkward relationships from his past. Simon comes up with an arrangement with Maggie: pretend to be his mistress, and accompany him on this trip. Of course Maggie agrees to go -- curious to find out more about Simon. It's a business trip that becomes an occasion for self-discovery -- and Maggie and Simon explore the extent of their desire and sexuality.

I think Rose Lerner gambled on two levels when she wrote this story: for one, this is a story unlike any of her other stories. Her characters are uninhibited and very honest and open about their relationships. I love that both her hero and heroine are morally ... neutral. It allows her characters to move and speak outside the boundaries of politeness. It's a short story, yes, but it does not skimp on, what I consider, signature Rose Lerner: a thoughtful discussion and reflection. This time, she examines religion, gender roles, and sexual habits.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin takes you across the globe, and into the midst of a young woman about to break out of the confines of her sheltered life, and embark on an adventure. All Wei Wei wanted to do was visit a tea house -- something that she has read about in her studies. The experience proves to be as she had imagined ... and more: on her way home, she meets Gao, an enigmatic man (who is obviously not a scholar, but who knows her brother), and they both witness a murder.

I thought the author did a really great job crafting the mystery: Wu Kaifeng (from Lin's The Jade Temptress) is investigating the murder and asks for Wei Wei's assistance. Wei Wei wants to help, but, as the mystery unfolds, she discovers a connection between the victim and her brother. It becomes a difficult situation for Wei Wei -- if she continues to help Wu Kaifeng, she might be endangering her brother, his reputation and his career. The situation is made more uncomfortable by her growing attraction to Gao, who isn't of her world or rank.

What made this story enjoyable was the experience of the culture and observances of China -- at once different, but also the same. Wei Wei is bound by the rules of society, much like the ladies of our historical romances set in the West, and she faces the same dilemma: if she follows her heart, she turns her back on her family, but, if she chooses her family over Gao, she would be betraying her heart. I was also engrossed with the crime, the uncovering of the motive, and the subsequent resolution.

Of the five stories, Isabel Cooper's Raising the Stakes, took on the greatest challenge: to build a world where elves and humans exist, and weave a romance (between an elf and a human) within this very short format. Sam is female, but this hasn't stopped her from trying to make money to help her family. I liked Sam: I liked how she really did everything she could to survive, and I liked that, despite the difficulties she faced, she never turned her back on her family.

She wins an antique flute in a card game, and it summons Talathan, an elven warrior, bound to the flute and to whoever owns the flute. Talathan is described as charismatic, very handsome (in an other-worldly way), and a fierce warrior. But I would've wanted to know more about Talathan, and about his world -- unfortunately, the author decided not to delve too deeply into it. Instead, she proceeds to lay out the details of Sam's scheme: with Talathan's help, Sam plans to con a conman -- a preacher who hasn't exactly been doing good works. I enjoyed reading about how Sam and Talathan carried out their plan, though, I have to admit to being confused at certain points in the story. (When the plan comes to fruition, I didn't feel the excitement or the characters' satisfaction over their success. It felt a bit "meh" -- and then the hero and heroine just moved on.)

Amidst the world-building and the confidence game, what suffered most in the story is the romance: from time to time, the author did well to hint at the attraction between Sam and Talathan, but I didn't really see any meaningful chemistry.

Where Isabel Cooper infuses fantasy into her story, Molly O'Keefe brings the dark, bleak, and dangerous world of drug addiction and PTSD. James Madison served as a doctor during the Civil War, and, while he was busy saving lives, he was also becoming addicted to chloroform. The addiction costed him his career, and his life -- and he now lives in a brothel, where he still battles the demons and nightmares from the war.

Helen is known as the Northern Spy, a brave woman who infiltrated the South during the war, gathered information and helped free slaves. Now, she is slave to Mr. Park, a cruel and vindictive Southerner, who intends to make Helen pay for her role in the South's defeat. Helen has been regularly given morphine and laudanum to control her spirit, and she's been put in a gilded cage to imprison her body. And, every so often, she is put up as the prize in a high-stakes poker game: win the game and win a night with the Northern Spy. But the game isn't really a game, because, no matter who wins, they eventually discover that they've lost. Helen in a cage, with no will or say of her own, is a difficult and painful thing to witness, but no one dares go against Mr. Park and his assistant, Guy.

There's a part of James that wants to help, but he knows that his days of being a hero are long passed. But you can see him struggling between self-preservation, and saving Helen. Throughout his life, James hadn't been very good with using his gifts -- despite his education, he had damned himself with his addiction. And, his gift with cards (and gambling) had damned him in the eyes of his family. We're told that no man is an island -- but James certainly lived like one. Cast far, far away from anyone or anything that would have reminded him of better times. But Helen comes along, and it stirs a determination inside James.

As I read Redeemed, I really thought Helen and James had no chance of escaping -- they were trapped in a brothel, and trapped by their own circumstances. Even if they managed to escape the brothel, they would have to contend with Helen's withdrawal from drugs -- while on the run. And who would they turn to for help? Because of James' addiction, he had been disowned by his family, and he has chosen to distance himself from the few friends he had left.

Despite the shortness of O'Keefe's story, it succeeds in twisting your insides in that uncomfortable, and excruciating way. You will really empathize for Helen and James, who are so, so broken, but who both so, so deserve to have a chance at life. The author's villain is truly one for the books -- it was skillful how the author presents the many sides and effects of war: James, Helen, Mr. Park and the other characters in the story came home from the war changed for good -- but, where James struggles to save himself (and to protect others from his addiction), Mr. Park has chosen to use his brokenness as an excuse to break others and make them as miserable as himself.

Joanna Bourne's Gideon and the Den of Thieves rounds out this collection of stories of strong, independent women. Aimee is French, and escaped during the French Revolution. She works as the appraiser in Lazarus's den of thieves. It is not a situation she was born into, but it's the situation she is in right now -- and she makes the best of it, rising through the ranks to become one of Lazarus's most trusted cohorts.

Gideon Gage is a wealthy man who willingly walks into the den with one goal in mind: to rescue his sister at all cost. He is armed and ready to fight for his sister's freedom, but he is unprepared for the complex and dangerous rules that Lazarus and his thieves live by. Our hero quickly discovers that Lazarus has kidnapped his sister for a reason, and Daphne would not be set free unless she paid the price.

Joanna Bourne is an amazing, amazing storyteller -- and this short story packs as much punch as her longer novels. I loved seeing the young Adrian Hawkhurst, who provided moments of levity -- but also reflected just how deceptively dangerous the world is. He is very cavalier, but he is also always on guard. Aimee is beautiful, calm and elegant -- she stands with, but also stands apart from the rest of the thieves in Lazarus's employ. She serves as Gideon's guide through Lazarus' Lair -- much like Dante's Beatrice, and the den is Gideon's own inferno. The den of thieves is an intriguing character of its own. It is, literally, an underworld: existing in the dark corners and warrens of London. The idea of Honor Among Thieves is exemplified in how Lazarus governs over Aimee, Hawk, and everyone else. But, like anything created by humans, it is not absolute -- and there are some in the den who seek to usurp Lazarus's power.

Bourne piques your curiosity by hinting at undercurrents of tension and uneasiness -- why doesn't Daphne want to leave? Why is Aimee so worried? Even Lazarus is behaving strangely. Aimee heroically tries her best to protect everyone: Gideon, Lazarus, Hawk, Daphne, and herself. It takes a while for Gideon to figure things out, but, when he does, I admired how he was able to exercise restrain -- trusting Aimee to take the lead, but also being ready to step in if the situation needed it.

Lazarus is a character that previously appeared in Joanna Bourne's other books, but I loved him in this story. He's a figure that inspires fear, but also respect. He is, at once, seemingly invulnerable, and painfully human -- and at the heart of Lazarus is, surprisingly, a heart -- one that recognizes justice and fairness.

Overall, I thought this was a well-balanced anthology, and a great showcase of the five authors' unique styles and voices. I will say that the romances here aren't what one usually finds in longer novels, but, as with the theme, I'd like readers to take a chance and read this.

[Sheila Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of five historical romance novellas all with a connection to gambling.  I found the collection uneven but I decided on a 4 rating because I absolutely loved two of the stories, and liked one.

ALL OR NOTHING by Rose Lerner: A regency romance, in this story Simon Radcliffe- Gould is an architect who needs someone to pose as his mistress so that he can get work done at a scandalous house party and allow him to avoid a former lover.  Maggie da Silva is in charge of a gambling den and wants Simon so she arranges to lose her favors to him one evening. She is happy to be his mistress but suffers some disappointment when she realizes he only wants her to pretend.

I honestly thought this novella was a bit of a mess.  There were too many issues: Simon has a former male lover who still wants him and Simon hasn't dealt with his feelings either; Maggie is Jewish and is just discovering her own heritage that was suppressed in her family; Maggie's friend with benefit and partner is off threatening their relationship and business; Maggie has a bad reputation and thus when Simon begins to think of a future with her, he knows his family will reject her.  For me, there was just too much going on in this book to be satisfying.  In addition, any romance that ends like a potential business deal rather than emotion isn't satisfying. There isn't really chemistry between Simon (who seems more emotionally connected with his friend and former lover) and Maggie. When Simon says in essence "I've been in love before and if things don't work out, I will probably be in love again" it just doesn't make me interested in the story of these two.  Rating: 1.5 stars.

THE LIAR'S DICE by Jeannie Lin: The book takes place during the Tang Dynasty in China. Lady Bai dreams of freedom from her role as an obedient daughter. Dressing in men's clothing she visits a public tea garden where she witnesses a murder. A man she met there, Gao helps her investigate the crime where she confronts the possibility of her own brother's involvement.

This is a story that I should not have liked.  More mystery than anything, the heroine and "hero" spend only a little time together. This is not a romance is a classical sense and I'm not even sure if it has a happy ending.  Despite or maybe because of this, I really loved this story.  Unique and fascinating because the heroine has a strength and determination that transcends the normal romantic desires.  The historical period is not one normally written about in the romance genre so I found it intriguing. The reactions and concerns of the characters felt real and well grounded in historical fact.  I haven't read the other books in the series, but I certainly will after reading this one.  Warning: not a traditional HEA.  Rating: 4.5 stars.

RAISING THE STAKES by Isabel Cooper: This book takes place in California during the 1930s.  Sam is a survivor who cheats or plays cards of does whatever needs to be done in order to help her family back home.  She wins a flute in a card game which ends up summoning an elven warrior, Talathan. Sam decides to use Talathan's abilities to help her swindle a crooked preacher in order to save her family's farm.

This story suffers from its short length.  There are just too many questions that remain and these characters are not investigated enough to make this a satisfying read for me. The introduction of Talathan as an elf raises the question of who are his people and why is he there. I think if this was a longer story, the characters and situation have the possibility of being a really interesting story.  As it is, I was left wanting more.  Rating: 2.5 stars.

REDEEMED by Molly O'Keefe:  James Madison is a former Union doctor during the Civil War who has struggled since the war and what he saw.  His reaction has made him lose faith in himself and separated him from his work and those around him.  One night he ends up meeting Helen Winters who is being kept to sing in a birdcage. Whether she is a captive or something else is going on is something that James can't seem to put aside.

This story is complicated and dark in many ways. The story captures the mood after the Civil War with bitter divisions remaining. Addiction, PTSD, grief, anger, desperation are all dealt with here in a raw and open manner. I especially loved how James and Helen acknowledge that their needs have the possibility of being the reason these two are attracted to one another -- desperation and need rather than love. Never fear, however, because there is a happy ending that felt realistic and satisfying.  Rating: 4 stars.

GIDEON AND THE DEN OF THIEVES by Joanna Bourne: Georgian romance that takes place in London. Gideon Gage has traveled the world making his fortune and has returned to London to face the thieving gang and Lazarus, its crime lord, that has kidnapped his sister. During his quest, he meets Aimee Beauclerc, one of the gang.  Aimee fled from her home during the French Revolution and ended up being sold to Lazarus. She now appraises stolen goods. She agrees to help Gideon with his sister in order to protect her friends who are members of the gang from the man who is attempting to take Lazarus's place.

I was amazed at how much detail, character development and plotline Bourne manages to get into this novella while making the story comprehensible and satisfying. Fans of her Spymaster series will get appearances by some of the characters from the other novels.  (Hawker! Hawker! Hawker!). At the same time, this book can be read completely on its own without needing information about those characters. I love how Bourne depicts characters with damage and flaws and shows them worthy of love.  This is combined with a unparalleled sense of place that is different from almost every other romance out there.  Rating: 4.5 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com

[Laura J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I've only read 3 of the 5 stories and those alone are worth the 5 star rating. Joanna Bourne and Rose Lerner are among my favorite authors and they did not disappoint. Joanna Bourne's story takes place in the crime world of London. The heroine is a Frenchwoman who has escaped the Terror (barely) and is a fence for the crime boss, Lazarus. The hero is a exporter/importer (and so much more) who is going to ransom his sister from Lazarus. There's also a 13 year old Hawker, a smart, complicated criminal, who appears in many of Ms. Bourne's novels. If you haven't read any of Ms Bourne's spy novels, you're in for a treat. And if you have, this short story will make you remember how good they are. Ms. Lerner's story involves a young architect and a gambling hall hostess. As in other Ms Lerner's stories, I don't necessarily understand the choices some of her characers make, but they are interesting characters and interesting choices. Simon, the hero, seems to be a bit wishy washy but a good person who is willing to give the heroine what she needs (freedom to chose - a theme that seems to run in all of the stories). Maggie, the heroine, doesn't fit in any box: she's Jewish (sort of), sexually active and goes after what she wants when she knows what that is. The last story I read was by Molly O'Keefe. This is post-Civil War about two people with PDST and addicted to opiates. Sounds bleak but I found it wasn't due to the characters' intelligence, strong will to survive and how they helped each other. I now have Molly O'Keefe on my "to read" list.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant. This collection features five very different historical romance novellas and it was likeable, but not outstanding. I loved the diversity of these stories--there are people who are Jewish, Chinese, bisexual, poly, drug addicts, thieves, non-human, and more. I also enjoyed the variety of locations, and America, London, and medieval China are featured.

I enjoyed Rose Lerner's story, but my favourite was definitely Joanna Bourne's novella, which isn't surprising because I love her Spymasters series and I think her writing is superb. This was a fun little story set in a crime den and heavily features my favourite character of hers not long before he becomes a government spy--cunning Adrian (Hawker) is thirteen and full of brass and sharp as a tack, and is an awesome secondary character in this story.

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the stories were all very different despite the common theme. Lerner is a favorite and I really enjoyed Lin's The Lotus Palace. I've been curious about O'Keefe and Bourne since they're so adored and they didn't disappoint. An excellent anthology for anyone wanting to try historical romance!

[Penny Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story by Joanna Bourne, filling in the dark spots in the story of Hawker's life before he joined the British Service. Did not bother with the others. Wish it came as a stand alone.

[Dls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Bourne. Not so crazy about the others.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gambled Away is a diverse selection of stories linked literally and figuratively by games of chance. I found the anthology entertaining and satisfying, though some authors were more successful than others. Each novella stands alone, but familiarity with previous works by these authors (particularly Ms. Lin), would probably help to establish context the shorter format doesn’t allow.

I’m reviewing the novellas in the same order they appear in the anthology. Though if I have to pick a favorite - or you want to start somewhere other than at the beginning - Redeemed, by Molly O’Keefe, is particularly excellent and All or Nothing, by Rose Lerner is also very good.

Historical Romance (Regency England)

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner

Ms. Lerner’s romances are set far from the glittering ton, her main characters are often working class men and women, not every character is wealthy, explicit depictions and conversations about sex are common, and sexuality isn’t limited to m/f. I like her books for those reasons, but mostly because she’s a terrific writer. In All or Nothing, she takes a gamble and amps up all the qualities that make her novels unique. The resulting story is titillating and sexy.

Our hero and heroine are Simon Radcliffe-Gould, an architect barely making ends meet, and Maggie da Silva, hostess at the gaming club he frequents. It’s a habit he can ill afford, but he can’t resist his attraction to Maggie. She’s similarly enamored with him. Frustrated by his failure to seek her out for a liaison, she encourages her partner (in both business and pleasure) to encourage Simon to gamble for her favors. The game is rigged and Simon wins. But neither Maggie nor Simon reacts as expected.

As a gentleman, Simon offers to release Maggie from the bet. Offended, she tells him to forget it. To placate her, he asks if she will accompany him to a less than respectable house party he’s attending, and she Maggie agrees to go. Simon hopes having her around will enable him to work on designing a folly for the owner (a former lover) and provide him with an excuse to stay out of the mischievous games sure to be played.

At the house party, Simon is revealed to be a more complicated and interesting character than I originally assumed. The complicated relationship with his ex and his insecurities initially prevent him from pursuing a sexual relationship with Maggie. Maggie, a sexually liberated jewish heroine with a pathological fear of being alone, struggles to define who she is. They become close friends and when they finally become lovers, it’s hot, dirty and mutually satisfying. At the end of the house party, they gamble on love and agree to stay together. Their happy ending is distinctly different from most traditional regencies - but fits with their evolved and evolving relationship.

All or Nothing was all and nothing like I expected from this author. Explicit sex, flexible sexuality and a non-traditional HEA shocked me - in a good way. I expect many other readers will feel similarly. I hope they also enjoy this surprising (and sexy) story as much as I did.
Grade: B+

Historical Romance (Tang Dynasty China, 849 A.D.)

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin

I don’t think The Liar’s Dice enhances Gambled Away. The slow pace, the setting, and ambiguous ending struck a discordant note with me and for me, it is the least successful novella in the anthology. A murder and the ensuing search for the killer drives the plot and unfortunately, Ms. Lin sacrifices the romance in order to solve a crime.

At twenty-five, Lady Bai (called Wei-wei) is unmarried and lives at home with her scholarly family. She’s resigned to spinsterhood and spends her days reading and tutoring her younger brother, although deep down she longs for adventure and freedom. Masquerading as a man in her brother Huang’s robes, she convinces a manservant to take her to a tea house late one evening. She enjoys her outing, but when Wei-wei is ready to return home, her driver and carriage are nowhere to be found.

Mistaking her for her brother Huang, a stranger calls out to her as she searches for her carriage. He offers to guide her back to the tea house and introduces himself as Gao. It’s understood Gao knows the young man is a she, but neither character voices it. Wei-wei surreptitiously catalogs Gao’s appearance, clothing, and the sound of his voice, finding herself attracted to her mysterious companion. But he doesn’t reveal who he is, how he knows her brother, or why he is in the area and she never gets a chance to ask. As they walk to the tea house, they hear a cry for help. When Wei-wei reaches the source of the cry, she discovers a man crumpled on the ground, dead. Gao persuades her to leave and returns her to her carriage.

When Wei-wei tries to piece together the evening's events, she realizes Gao must have been waiting for her brother, and returns to the neighborhood of the tea house to ask him why. The remainder of the novella finds her ferreting out clues as to why her brother might have been involved in the crime and what role, if any, Gao played. She follows Gao through gambling dens in search of clues and when she gets too close to the killer, she’s kidnapped. Gao somehow finds her and gambles for her freedom. Wei-wei finds herself unable to stop thinking about the mysterious Gao - and longing to spend more time with him.

The ending seemed rushed, and I was disappointed the story concluded with so many unanswered questions. We never truly learn who Gao is or what motivates him to help Wei-wei, or even if they see one another again. The Liar’s Dice deserved a longer format.
Grade: C

Fantasy Romance (1938 California)

Raising the Stakes by Isabel Cooper

I’m still sorting out my feelings about Raising the Stakes. I don’t read a ton of fantasy, but I like the genre and the way it challenges my imagination. I was initially wary of a love match between a con artist and an elven warrior but Ms. Cooper makes it work.

The story opens in the middle of a poker game. Sam, our heroine, is cataloging what cards have yet to be played. She doesn’t want to cheat the other men at the table and thinks she can win honestly. She does, but that’s less significant than her winnings – cash, a magic flute, and what she overhears about a corrupt preacher living in the area.

Following the instructions passed on by its former owner, Sam plays the flute on the beach after midnight. She’s struggling to make a wish when she’s surprised by a shimmering in the air and the approach of a winged shape. What appears at first to be an owl lands in front of her and transforms into the handsome warrior elf, Talathan. He introduces himself to the awestruck Sam and explains the rules regarding the wish he can grant her. Sam saves her wish and instead asks probing questions about Talathan and his abilities.

As Sam and Talathan get to know one another, she explains the circumstances that led her to running cons and gambling for money, telling Talathan ”I’m no angel, but I’m no devil either. Not entirely. Everyone’s gotta live.” Talathan, enigmatic and hard for her to read, finds himself attracted to his (temporary) owner. He falls for the beautiful but gruff Sam; when she finally asks for his help, he agrees even though their short acquaintance requires both to take a leap of faith and trust each other.

With Talathan’s help, Sam sets in place a complicated con of the preacher and his wife that unfolds over several afternoons. In the evenings they share a room and a bed. Though Sam bears most of the risk, she relies on Talathan, with his ability to transform and fly, to support her and provide inside information when he can. Their transition from simple co-conspirators to friends, and ultimately to lovers is seamless, although as with most short stories, I wished the author had more time to devote to their romance. But it works with the pacing and plot of the story.

The conclusion alludes to a happy future together in Sam’s world, but Ms. Cooper wisely checks the impulse to deliver the HEA for this odd couple in a neat and tidy package. Raising the Stakes left me eager for more from this author.
Grade: B

Historical Romance (Denver, 1868)

Redeemed

I loved Redeemed, even with its dark subject matter and deeply flawed characters. Ms. O’Keefe has a masterful touch and capably leads the reader out of the darkness and into the light as the story concludes. Though I’m often frustrated by short stories, this is lush with detail and engaging from start to finish.

Dr. James Madison lives in a whorehouse. A Union doctor during the Civil War, he’s newly free of an addiction to the chloroform he abused to try to silence traumatic war memories. Delilah, the whorehouse owner, cared for him as he detoxed and with nowhere else to go, he stays. Full of despair, regret and loneliness, James walks the streets at night to fend off cravings for the drug. Returning one evening, he notices a large cage in the barroom. He learns the Northern Spy, a beautiful woman who sings while locked in the cage, is also staying in the whorehouse and scheduled to appear over three nights.

The Northern Spy is Helen Winters, ward of Dr. Charles Park, a former landowner from Charleston. When James is sent to her rooms by Delilah to determine whether she is a virgin, he discovers a beautiful woman and a mystery. She’s clearly under the influence of a narcotic, wary of James, fearful of Park, and under guard at all times. His instincts, and the feelings she arouses when he’s with her, lead him in a quest to save her from whatever ties her to Park.

On the last night of the Northern Spy’s engagement, James defeats Park in a high stakes poker game and wins a night with Helen. Park has no intention of releasing her, but in the chaos at the end of the game, James and Helen escape. As James helps Helen regain her independence - from the cage, the laudanum, and her past - he finds own redemption and freedom from his past.

The rest of my review can be read on the All About Romance website, here: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/anthRev...

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

In order of appearance -
Raising The Stakes by Isabel Cooper
Interesting concept, but it didn’t quite come together for me. I liked the hero and heroine, but the hero wasn’t, I dunno, hero-y enough. The setting of Depression-era California was very interesting, as is the heroine.

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner
Mixed feelings on this one. I liked that Maggie owned her choices and sexuality. I didn’t like the hero, Simon, very much. He is so whiny. His bisexuality wasn’t used to much effect, could have been more. The idea of learning to say No, and stand up for oneself is great, but it wasn’t enough to save the story for me.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin
I haven’t read others in this series. I think if I had, I would’ve enjoyed this more. The heroine has TSTL moments, her plight is realistic for the time, but not very escapist.

Redeemed by Molly O’Keefe
Interesting take of post-Civil War Denver. Two incredibly damaged souls who (barely) survived the war, surrounded by more poor souls who are only slightly less damaged. The story is sad and heavy at times, but watching James and Helen discover that there is still hope, that they may have a chance at love, was wonderful.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne
Features a young Hawker and some of Lazurus’ criminal empire. This can be read as a standalone, but why? The spymaster series is so, so good. This story was so good - loved Aimée, Gideon, young Hawker, the suspense was expertly built, and the chemistry between hero and heroine was delicious. I love that the heroine is self-assured and wants to make her own decisions, and is very very clever.

[Sha · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

//cracks knuckles

Reviewing Anthologies is hard. You have so many different feelings about so many different stories that you can't honestly give it a composite review but giving individual reviews is so much more work.

Ah well.

Redeemed by Molly O'Keefe (5 stars)
Definitely my favorite story. It's dark and raw and built with characters who have steel cores and homicidal impulses. Psychological manipulation, respect for people you are lusting over and dealing with opium withdrawal? Yeah, I was not expecting this, and I was just blown away.
It must be noted that the romance here takes a backseat to a rescue story- it's really more about personal redemption than it is about falling in love, and that suits me just fine. Falling in love, after all, should be only secondary to falling in like, respect and admiration.

All or Nothing by Rose Lerner (4 stars)
Rose Lerner being Rose Lerner (True Pretenses is one of my all-time favorites), I was engrossed by the personal stories of the characters. In particular Maggie's story about trying to be Jewish in a space of time where it would have been more logical to act otherwise, and how she let that influence her life. There was this beautiful paragraph about her mother's struggles between Jewism and Catholicism and that was beautiful.
This story actually WAS primarily a romance, and a very erotic romance at that, which dealt with issues of consent in sexual degradation by having the prospective romantic partners talk about it and establish proper boundaries. Eat our heart out, fifty shades. It's not really a complete romance either- there's more to work out and both of them acknowledge they don't know what this will lead ti. But it was sweet.

Raising the Stakes by Isabel Cooper (3.75 stars)
Again, this is not really much of a romance. The supernatural elements are just baffling and it would likely have worked just fine without it. But I suppose it's harder to make a human character as one-dimensional as the faerie lover was without proper justification. (Interestingly, the one-dimensional romance genre lover is just a distaff version of the 1-D mystery/SFF female lover; just a little less normalized.)
That said, the rest of the story was a perfect rendition of a Leverage-style con, and I love my Robin Hood cons. Sam was glorious and smart and cunning and I loved her. Let her wander off towards the sunset with her beautiful fairy man to a life of scamming the rich and feeding the poor (including herself and family); I'll be here wiping off my tears of satisfaction.

Gideon and the Den of Thieves by Joanna Bourne (3 stars)
The most interesting subplot in the whole story was that of Daffy and her long-lost bastard child. The concept was bittersweet and the execution of the scene was somehow both funny (the kid is SO CONFUSED) and sweet (oh /Daffy/), but I confess I had little to no interest in the main romance plotline, which seemed to follow fairly uninspired lines. Also, it's hard for me to wrap my head around disgraced Arabian princes effectively sidekicking for our hero without a shitload of backstory, and there really wasn't enough of that here.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin (3 stars)
This was not a romance either. I mean, this was one of the LEAST romance-y of the stories in here, with barely any interaction between the protagonists. Most of the story focused on Wei-Wei, and it was very much a murder mystery. We learned nothing particularly new about her character that we didn't at the start, and there was no appreciable change in her life. There were a few lines here and there, a few splashes of beautifully drawn atmosphere, but the story was a murder mystery, and that was not what I was looking for. Sorry.

It did make me highly nostalgic for Mingyu and Wu Kaifeng though- I adored The Jade Temptress with all my heart.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, and The Unread:

I’ve been trying to read more anthologies this year, as a way of discovering new authors, but that does mean I’m ending up with an even longer To Read list of full-length novels, as I discover yet more authors and series I want to investigate further. This collection of stories in which one or other of the main characters is won in a game of chance by another character is no exception.

The anthology opens with Rose Lerner’s Regency tale of vicar’s son and aspiring designer of follies, Simon, who wins a weekend with the mistress of his preferred gambling den in a game of cards, and so takes her with him to a house party in order to win himself some peace and quiet in which to work. Maggie, however, feels that Simon doesn’t value her enough as a person – and his ‘friends’ (who act like nothing of the sort) look down on her as she attempts to honour her recently discovered Jewish heritage. I really felt for Maggie and wish there’d been a longer story for her to properly grow into herself and for Simon to discover himself as someone more deserving of her. Not the strongest story of the set, but I already have a bunch of the author’s novels vying for my attention at the moment.

Jeannie Lin’s story is set in an era and a part of the world of which I know little, although now I’m keen to find out more. Fortunately, this tale serves as an excellent introduction to both the society of that part of Chinese history and the world of Lin’s Lotus Palace series, which I now hope to catch up with. Lady Bai is a fine character, and not just because much of the plot revolves around her disguising herself as her brother – at first to explore areas of the city forbidden to her as a woman, then later to solve a crime.

Isabel Cooper’s story also involves crime, but this time the criminal is also the heroine. Sam runs small-time cons in Depression-era California to try and save her family’s farm one debt at a time, before a supernatural encounter opens up the opportunity for her to steal enough in one fell swoop to get everything she needs – and she couldn’t have picked a more deserving victim either. Another author for me to check out further.

Molly O’Keefe sets her tale a little earlier in the history of the United States – this time in the years following the Civil War. James and Helen both fought on the Union side, but seem to have lost themselves in the aftermath – James to addiction, and Helen to drugged captivity with a Svengali-like figure watching her every move. I don’t read many Westerns, but I love the atmosphere of this one, even if the characters’ situations feel a little too bleak at times.

We return to England for the final story of this book by Joanna Bourne, set amongst the slums and criminal gangs of late 18th Century London. Aimée, an émigré escaping the aftermath of the French Revolution, tries to keep herself and the street children safe, while also becoming fascinated by Gideon, the rich adventurer who bursts into her life in search of his kidnapped sister (who doesn’t particularly want to be rescued until she can track down a lost ‘treasure’ of her own). Another author and series I need to investigate further.

All in all, a great introduction to a group of authors (and some characters) that I most definitely plan to read more of as soon as I manage to fit a few more hours into my day.

[Morwa Pal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gambled Away: A Historical Romance Anthology
I couldn’t wait to read GAMBLED AWAY—how could I resist a new historical anthology that contains two of my favorite authors, Jeannie Lin and Joanna Bourne? Both are masters of the eras in which they write: Lin with her lyrical tales of ancient China and Bourne with her brilliant stories of the early days of the Napoleonic wars.
In “The Liar’s Dice,” Lin takes us back to the Lotus Palace world, giving Lady Bai (WeiWei) her story, which is as complex and unexpected as the lady herself. Exerting her treasured independence, Wei Wei seeks to uncover a secret of a murder that involves her beloved brother. Her efforts bring her to the attention of an enigmatic man who helps her solve the mystery, but who may also change her life. Lin is a masterful world builder whose special voice wraps the reader in the rhythm of the life and language of the culture. Her stories are powerful yet delicate, like the beautiful lotus flower itself.
Bourne is a virtuoso with words. Her unforgettable characters come alive, and she creates locations that immerse us. This story is no different. “Gideon and the Den of Thieves” tells the story of Gideon Gage and of Aimee, who escapes her native France in the early days of the Revolution only to find herself trapped in the English underworld. Fortunately her talent with numbers protects her. Gideon’s search for his sister brings him into the depths of one of the most notorious gangs in London. There he also finds the beautiful Aimee who needs rescuing, herself. If she can be brought to realize it. The story also introduces us to a young Hawker, who is central in Bourne’s novels. This novella is a gem.
The other three authors in the anthology were new to me, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Mollie O’Keefe’s “Redeemed” is a beautiful story of James and Helen, each trapped in their individual hells following the Civil War. With each other, they find strength and renewed meaning—the redemption reflected in the title. Provided each has the strength to accept the changes that redemption requires. Did I like it? I immediately looked up O’Keefe’s other books.
Rose Learner’s “All or Nothing” is a fascinating look at two conflicted souls in Regency England who together find the strength they need to make changes in their lives. Quite an interesting plot that one doesn’t see often and certainly worth exploring.
“Raising the Stakes” by Isabel Cooper is set in the U.S. during the later days of the Depression. A paranormal twist brings an elven warrior to the aid of Sam, a lady who is described as “as two-bit con artist.” Their plan to reveal a crooked preacher leads to an unexpected and happy conclusion for both.
Each of these novellas is well-written with characters that glitter with life. I can certainly recommend the anthology.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gambled Away features five historical romance novellas set in a variety of different countries and periods, united only by the common theme of gambling. Whatever your taste in historicals, there’s probably something for you here.

“All or Nothing” (Rose Lerner)—This novella may be set in 1819, but it isn’t a typical Regency romance. It features a bisexual hero, a Jewish heroine, discussion of dominance and submission play, and some frankly erotic sex. Having read a LOT of Regencies in the past, I enjoyed getting something completely different here.

“The Liar’s Dice” (Jeannie Lin)—In a complete reversal from the first story, Lin’s entry in the collection includes just a few chaste kisses. In fact, it seems more like a murder mystery than a romance, or maybe just a prologue to a longer romance. I’m hoping Lin develops the relationship between the two leads further in another work, because I’m curious about what happens to the characters.

“Raising The Stakes” (Isabel Cooper)—This is the only story that didn’t work for me. Too much time was spent discussing the plot, which involves defrauding a shady evangelist, rather than developing the backgrounds and personalities of the characters. I just never got invested in them or their romance. The 1930s setting was well done, though.

“Redeemed” (Molly O’Keefe)—I’m not generally a fan of Western romances, but I liked this novella a lot. The post-Civil War setting allowed the author to explore the demons of post-traumatic stress and drug addiction, in addition to building a strong romance between the two main characters. The secondary characters also grabbed my interest, and on the strength of the story here, I’m going to have to look for O’Keefe’s other Westerns and give them a try.

“Gideon and the Den of Thieves” (Joanna Bourne)—This was my favorite novella in the anthology. Bourne does a terrific job developing both the story’s plot and the relationship between her leads. In addition, for readers who are fans of Bourne’s novels, we get the treat of seeing what a very young Hawker’s life was like before he became a British spy.

Overall, this is a strong collection of novellas. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes historical romances, and particularly to readers of Joanna Bourne’s novels, since her story alone is worth the price of the anthology.

An ARC of this anthology was provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Shelagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gambled Away is one of those wonderful collections of stories loosely linked by a common theme yet otherwise widely divergent one from the other. Each of these stories is a page turner and offers compelling reading.
All or Nothing, by Rose Lerner is a richly sensual tale that will have you squirming one minute and hoping Simon and Maggie find their happy ever after the next. Far from the traditional love story, this book delivered an erotic love story that was a very satisfying read. I loved it!
The Liar's Dice, by Jeannie Lin: Exotic is the first word that springs to mind when I think of this novella, which gives readers a glimpse of life in China during the Tang dynasty. This story is littered with contrasts from those between how men and women might be expected to behave privately and in public, and between the wealthy and privileged classes and the merchants, gamblers and thieves. I felt for Wei Wei, restricted in where she could go and how she might act by the dictates of society yet determined to step out of her comfort zone anyway. And Gao? Well of course he intrigued me. Another ripping yarn!
Raising The Stakes, by Isabel Cooper explores the attraction between Sam, a gambler who is desperately trying to win enough money to save her family farm, and Talathan, a shape shifting elf whom she has summoned to help her using a magic flute she won in a card game. I'm not usually a big fan of romantic fantasy but this one worked well for me.
Redeemed, by Molly O'Keeffe is not a pretty story but if it doesn't move you I'd be very surprised. Set just after the American Civil War, this is a story of healing in the face of massive adversity as James and Molly save each other from the grip of addiction and learn to build new lives for each other. I was completely enthralled.
Gideon and the Den of Thieves, by Joanna Bourne is exquisitely written by a master storyteller who clearly knows how to slowly build her readers' expectations. Like a good brandy, this story warmed me from the inside out. One line I adored spoke of Aimee's growing sensual awareness of Gideon: "Distracted sensitivities roosted in her body, fluffed their feathers and settled down for a long stay." Needless to say I loved this story!