Book review: Gambling With Love by Kaye Spencer

Blurb:

When beautiful lady gambler Lainie Conrad’s husband, Seaton, is murdered, she sets out for revenge. Lainie is certain that cardsharp Rutherford Tolliver is guilty, but she has to find a way to prove it—and when she does, she’s not about to let her own little ol’ arrest get in the way!

U.S. Deputy Marshal Nick Foster catches up with her, determined to get to the bottom of why she walked out on him months earlier. There’s a high bounty on Lainie’s head for a murder she didn’t commit, so Nick has no choice but to arrest her for her own protection—and to keep his heart safe, as well.

But Lainie has bought in to a high stakes poker tournament in Denver, Colorado, and nothing will keep her from facing the scheming Tolliver across the poker table in a final showdown that pits skill against skill and trickery against vengeance. She escapes from Nick once more and runs to Denver. She must keep her vow to her murdered husband, for only then will she be free to find love again.

The ghosts of the past are no match for The Lady of the Cards when her future is at stake. She can’t afford to lose when she’s GAMBLING WITH LOVE…

My Review:

Luck is most definitely a lady when Lainie Conrad walks up to the gaming tables. And what a presence she is! If I was blessed with the gift of knowing how to play cards, I'd hope I would even become a quarter of the lady gambler she was - in everything she did. Nick was a gonner for her from day one, and seeing his struggle with trying to love and protect a very head-strong woman was a hoot. He's definitely up for the challenge of having his hands full with her!

Besides the expected bit of sparks between a US Marshall and a maybe-maybe-not-criminal lady gambler, I wasn't prepared for what this story brought to light -- from intrigue and mystery to comic relief, from suspense to spicy heat waves, this little tale packs a punch in its derringer.

If you're looking for a short story to consume in one sitting, but want one with something to keep you guessing and at the edge of your seat, this is it!

Purchase Links: