The Wagering Widow by Diane Gaston

This book grabbed me from the very opening scene. What came after was in a word, frustrating.

I should give the characters some slack because they were strangers when they met but, OMG you have this thing called a voicebox and when you move your mouth you can actually tell someone what you are thinking.

I'm just saying.

Cindy Blurb: Emily is a young woman raised by a mother who could care less and a father more interested in the next big gamble. Unknown to her, her father put out a rumour that Emily had inherited a large sum of money from a distant aunt in an effort to keep his creditors at bay.

Guy Keating is in dire straights financially and needs an heiress and Emily seems to be just the ticket. A rushed marriage at Gretna Green has Guy filled with guilt but he believes he will do better by her than her family (even though he doesn't know the darkest secrets yet). When he discovers Emily has no money he is furious at himself and is forced to hit the gaming tables to win a fortune to save his entire family.

While doing this Guy ignores his wife, won't bed her because he doesn't need another mouth to feed and is a huge ass in general.

Emily, not to be out done in assiness, decides she will go to the game tables in a disguise as Lady Widow to win enough money to leave the husband who obviously wishes she had never been born.

Oy vey.

What kept me reading was the moment when everything would be revealed and the H/H would work together to find a solution.

Last. Page.

You know how when you are mad at your significant other and they ask you what's wrong and you say 'I'm fine' when you both know you're not? This is what Emily does for most of the story only doofus doesn't realize she's not 'fine'. But then, why should he? These two people didn't know each other before they got married and after they got married they basically go on living separate lives.

What's frustrating is that Guy did recognize his wife in Lady Widow (how? I have no clue although yes, it's explained and I get it but he rarely thought of Emily so why then except for guilt and the man definitely deserved it) but he wants to know why his wife is playing this charade. Except he thinks she's 'into the cards' and the H/H both write each other off as consummate gamblers.

In a nut shell, I didn't feel the love.

I really hope it's not me but I haven't been finding the love lately. Where's the love people!?

Another problem was that I was obviously in the middle of a series. People showed up that I should have known, there was a history that may have helped to explain Emily's actions but I haven't read the previous book and if this is how the heroes and heroines behave around each other I really can't be bothered.

I picked out the next book to read but I managed to misplace it in under 35 seconds. Have no clue where it is. I hate when I do that.

Anyways, I have to clean my house because it's scary which means not so much on the reading.

And I'm sleepy.

Edited to Add: I found the book and I'm about 15 pages in and I'm thinking it's too in depth for me. It sounded like a light hearted book but the prologue itself was a pain to get through. I'm starting to feel like a real scrooge. 'This book has too much suspense, this one has characters that don't speak to each other, this one has too much political stuff - I wonder if the next one will be juuuuuust right. Please, please, please, please!!