A Novel Engagement

The Gentlemen's Gamble

By: Anneka R. Walker

Narrated by: Lola Jones, Eli Thorne

A reckless wager. A forgotten promise. Two enemies in a race to the altar.

When a stormy night leads to a wager among bachelors, Rowan Ashworth finds himself bound by a formidable challenge: the last man to wed must pay one hundred pounds to the others. With several friends already married and another close behind, Rowan has little choice but to follow through on a childhood promise—to marry the woman his parents intended for him, a vexing woman who despises him.

Arabella Delafield has no intention of becoming Rowan’s bride—promises or otherwise. Rowan hurt her deeply when they were younger, and to forget it would be foolish. To escape the match, she launches a marriage campaign of her own, desperate to find a husband before Rowan can claim her hand. But when an unexpected encounter with a charming, bookish stranger derails her plans, she’s unprepared for just how familiar he feels.

A war of wills, mistaken identities, and surprise chemistry turn a childhood promise into a second chance neither expected—and a love neither can outrun.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2026 Anneka R. Walker (P)2026 Anneka R. Walker

Sweetly humorous and romantic

Such a delightful story that I stayed up way beyond my bedtime to finish reading it. Rowan and Arabella definitely stole my heart. Their story was charming and a bit comical at times. I actually laughed out loud on a number of occasions. But ultimately, it was deliciously, romantic, even including a sweet epilogue. The audiobook was also very well narrated. I highly recommend this one.

An absolutely charming story with fantastic narration!

This book is the definition of adorable and has completely jumped to the top of my favorite Regency romances! Rowan and Arabella were such entertaining characters with all their bookish traits and determination, their romance was not only fun to watch play out, but exactly the kind you want to cheer for. They had such good chemistry and banter—I was here for every interaction! I was so in love with their back and forth, I couldn’t stop reading while simultaneously never wanting the book to end. The way Rowan starts to fall first made him an even cuter hero. He was such a gentleman and I loved his literary passions too. Arabella’s stubbornness was relatable and I loved when her and Rowan finally clear the air and how her heart softens. They really were such a complimentary match.

The audiobook version was incredible! I absolutely loved the dual narrators. The way Eli Thorne encapsulated Rowan brought him to life so much for me and Lola Jones captured Arabella’s personality so well. Their accents and tone fit so well. It truly was the type of audiobook—beautiful, heartfelt story and narration that matches so well—that makes you want to listen/reread over and over again. This is a total winner, ten stars for this book!

This is a clean romance with sweet kisses.

acceptable closed door regency romance

Enjoyed the tale. I prefer clean, closed door romances and this was a fairly good one. I found both the hero and heroine to be entitled, arrogant, and self-absorbed, but as those traits are frequentlly characteristics demonstrated in Regency romances they seemed acceptable for the class and time period.