A lonely young woman's bid to be reunited with her long-lost love child seems doomed after her friends' matchmaking attempts go awry.

When Miss Eliza Montrose's extraordinary bravery wins her the respect of matchmaking queens Fanny and Antoinette Brightwell, the sisters and their bumbling brother hatch a plan to find a worthier suitor for the young woman they'd initially disliked.

Rufus Patmore, a kind honorable gentleman with a love of horses and a soft spot for damsels in distress, is the ideal candidate when he inadvertently reveals his true feelings for Eliza.

But Eliza has her own reasons for agreeing to marry the Brightwells' selfish, self-absorbed cousin, George Bramley. Reasons that have nothing to do with love! If it's the only way to be reunited with the love child she was forced to give up after a youthful indiscretion, Eliza will marry anyone!

Unfortunately, while the Brightwell siblings have acted with the best of intentions, fixing a horse race that was supposed to bring joy and happiness to two deserving, star-crossed lovers has unfortunate consequences.

And being able to follow her heart comes at an unexpected price. A price that Eliza might not be able to pay.

The Wedding Wager is Book 3 in the Scandalous Miss Brightwells series but can be read as a standalone.

What readers say:

"She's torn between being able to love her son, and being able to love Rufus. Some of what happens is amusing and some is sad, but it all makes for a great story." Amazon reader.

"Great plot and characters. Some tears for those who are sensitive but great enjoyment at the end." Amazon reader.

"Very intriguing Austen-esque novel with well developed characters and story line. The best historical romance novel I've read in a while." Amazon reader.