the Marriage Wager at Paragon: a Marriage-of-Convenience Historical Romance in Bath Gaming House

A dead duchess has left Diana Rooke half a gaming house. There is only one impossible condition: she must marry the man who owns the other half. Widowed, nearly penniless, and determined never again to let a husband control her future, Diana expects Gideon Marsh to be another man eager to bargain away her freedom. Instead, the formidable proprietor of Bath's exclusive Paragon Club offers her something she has never possessed before: equal authority, complete financial independence, and the right to walk away. Their marriage is meant to be a practical arrangement. Diana will govern the subscribers, society, and accounts. Gideon will control the tables, security, and reserves. Separate rooms. Separate property. No expectations beyond keeping the Paragon solvent through the season. But every late-night count draws them closer. Every shared decision becomes an intimacy. And every carefully negotiated boundary makes their growing desire harder to dismiss. When a calculating lord weaponizes the debts left by Diana's first husband and threatens to destroy the Paragon, Gideon makes one devastating choice without her consent. To save their house and their marriage, they must decide whether love can survive the very kind of betrayal their vows were designed to prevent. Set amid the candlelit card rooms, elegant scandals, and dangerous wagers of Regency Bath, The Marriage Wager at the Paragon is a mature marriage-of-convenience romance featuring: - A capable widow determined to control her own future- A self-made gaming-house proprietor with a guarded heart- Forced proximity and separate rooms- Intelligent banter and slow-burning attraction- Financial intrigue, hidden debts, and society scandal- A hard-earned happily ever after founded on trust, consent, and equal partnership Some wagers cost money. The most dangerous ones ask for your heart.