Camp (The Marriage Wager
) crafts a spirited plot for the newest installment of her Matchmakers series. Returned to his family in 1807 after being kidnapped and raised in the slums of London, Gideon, earl of Radbourne, begins searching for a wife at the behest of his demanding grandmother, Lady Odelia—one who will please his noble family and his own unpretentious nature. The constant stream of predictably giggly, fan-waving eligible maidens do not arouse his interest, but nonconformist, plainspoken and drably dressed Lady Irene Wyngate, a near-spinster at 25, does. The palpable sexual tension between the two soon has Irene rethinking her plan of remaining unattached and provides Gideon with newfound hope that a caricature bride can be avoided. Lively and energetic secondaries round out the formidable leads, and despite Irene’s excessive and lackluster ruminations, the mystery surrounding Gideon’s parentage continues to unravel until the very last pages, assuring readers a surprise ending well worth waiting for. (Mar.)
