To Wager Her Heart - A Review

Published - August 2017, Zondervan
Series - Belle Meade Plantation Book 3
Author - Tamera Alexander
Title - To Wager Her Heart
Format - ebook, paper, audio
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About the book (from Amazon):

Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father's name. One man holds the key to Sy's success--General William Giles Harding of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks.   

Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville's society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he's found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison's fiancé--and has shattered her world.    

Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen's university in the United States. But family--and Nashville society--do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both.   

Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy's roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?    

Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn't count on is having to wager her heart to do it. 

My Thoughts:

This was really good. I haven't ever read anything in this series before. I admit that I felt it started off slow, and it took me a LONG time to actually pick it up to read. 

But as I got into the book, I was impressed with the history and the characters. I loved Ella. I would love to know more about her. 

I also loved how Sy was determined to find out what truly happened in the accident that claimed his father's life. 

What was interesting, historically, was that even though the Civil War was over and reconstruction was well on its way, there were so many people who still treated the former slaves as slaves and resented when any white person actually wanted to attempt to assist in making life better for the former slaves.

I received a kindle copy of the book from the publisher's BookLook Blogging program. I was not required to like the book, only to give my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of post Civil War history, Jody Hedlund, Tamera Alexander, Laura Frantz

Rating - 4 stars