To Wager Her Heart by Tamera Alexander - Review

I received this book free from the publisher. All opinions are my own

Book details

Series: A Belle Meade Plantation Novel #3

Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Zondervan (August 8, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310291089

ISBN-13: 978-0310291084

About this book

Set against the real history of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a powerful love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won.

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.


Seeking justice . . .

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.

Struggling to restore honor . . .

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.

With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society's expectations must work together to achieve their dreams - provided the truth doesn't tear them apart first.

Meet the author - Tamara Alexander

Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling author and one of today's most popular writers in the historical fiction genre. She and her husband live in Nashville, Tennessee, not far from the Southern mansions that serve as the backdrop for six of her award-winning novels. For more about Tamera's books, visit www.TameraAlexander.com

My thoughts

I have enjoyed each of the books in this series. Tamara has a way of writing books that make you feel good and makes you fall in love with the characters. It was nice to learn about the history of the Fiske University and Belle Meade Plantation as you enjoy the story. I had not heard of the Fiske University before so it was a nice addition. The author's writing style was very nice. The story just seems to flow off the pages. I liked how Sy and Alexandra interact with each other in this book. A good addition to this series.