When happily ever after is the name of the game, gamblers must risk it all in this emotional conclusion to Christina McKnight’s bestselling Craven House series WAGERS GO AWRY Payton Samuels has always known she wants more out of life than being the youngest daughter of the ton’s most disreputable family. While her siblings are content to bet their future happiness on marriage, Payton learned early on from her mother that love is fleeting and leads only to disappointment. She’s got a different plan: she’ll work as a governess for Baron Ashford’s children, but only long enough to win her fortune at one of his infamous masked gaming parties. When she loses big, Payton sees her chance at an independent life go up in flames—until Lord Ashford surprises her by paying her debts. WHEN LOVE IS IN THE CARDS. Since the tragic death of his wife, Damon Kinder, Lord Ashford, has been a man made of ice. His determination to never be hurt by love again runs so deep that he can’t even connect with his children. When they quickly take to Payton, he thinks he’s found a solution: she’ll give them the affection and support he can’t. As he spends more time around Payton, his heart begins to defrost, and he can’t stop thinking about the captivating governess. But every seasoned gambler knows that eventually, luck runs out. Can two souls so burned by past loves forge a new future together?

A TWIST OF FATE... Miss Katherina Elliott leads a simple life, teaching impoverished children, just as her parents did before her. Kate knows little of her family’s past: only that every three months, a mysterious benefactor sends her enough money to pay the school’s mounting bills. The envelope is brought by the solicitor across the street—a man Kate knows she shouldn’t want but can’t resist. Lord Joshua Stuart, the second son of the Duke of Beaufort, has never fit in with the rest of his family. Though he has a practice on Bond Street, he’s always preferred working in Cheapside, where he can make a real difference. It has nothing to do with his attractive, sweet neighbor across the street, or so he tells himself. But when Kate’s school is threatened, Joshua knows he must help her. As Joshua and Kate work to save the school, they grow closer, until their love for each other can no longer be denied. Their search brings them to the famed fortune teller, Madame Zeta, who holds the key to Kate’s past. But when Kate’s fate intertwines with Madame Zeta’s, nothing will ever be the same. Will her love for Joshua survive fortune’s twists, or will they end up as the final folly?

For years, Lady Chastity Neville has stood in the shadows of her dour older sister. But while bluestocking Prudence might be content to wile away her hours alone with a book, Chastity secretly yearns to shed her wallflower ways. When she finds an old letter indicating her mother may have had a scandalous past, Chastity is drawn to the mystery of the woman she never knew. This Christmastide, she’s determined to uncover the truth—and start a scandal of her own. Bastian Stanhope, the Earl of Mansfield, has lived his life in accordance to the wishes of others. Caring for his ailing mother is his main responsibility. But when he meets Lady Chastity, he’s drawn to her compassion and adventurous spirit. For the first time, he’s thinking of his own future. ‘Tis the season for merry mischief, so to win Chastity’s heart, he’ll have to be a little bit wicked. With kisses underneath the mistletoe, Chastity’s scandalous quest might just turn into the love of a lifetime...

A Lady Shunned by All… Lady Viola Oberbrook only wanted to forget the ill-fated early morning duel that took the lives of two young, wealthy, promising men of the ton and sent her fleeing for her father’s country estate. Eight years later, she has her life in order: a fulfilling business, a few trusted friends, and no plans to return to London society. What she doesn’t expect is to come face to face with her past. A Lord Betrayed by One… Brock Spencer, Earl of Haversham, only wants vengeance. Recently returned from his military service to the King, his plans include repairing his family estate, finding a bride, and destroying the girl responsible for the untimely death of his twin brothers. What he doesn’t anticipate is falling in love with the only woman who should never be part of his future. An Impossible Match, Destined to Be…

The Golden Age of Gambling in Louisville Louisville experienced a golden age of gambling between 1860 and 1885, thanks to the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Union soldiers by steamboat and foot. They played faro, keno, roulette and other games of chance, such as chuck-a-luck. Entire city blocks were devoted to betting. Horse racing and lotteries emerged. Gaming houses became grand palaces, with names such as the Crockford, the Crawford and the Turf Exchange, frequented by famous gamblers like Richard Watts, Colonel "Black" Chinn and actor Nat Goodwin. Author Bryan Bush offers up these stories and more about "The City of Gamblers."

USA Today bestselling author Chris Keniston is back with another page turning series set in the rolling hills of Texas Ranch country. Meet the Barons; handsome, beautiful, smart, ambitious, and did we mention wealthy? If you love big families, fast cars, romance, and puppies, then join us at Paradise Ridge, but be warned, once you fall in love with the billionaire Barons of Texas, you may never want to leave. This collection includes books 1-3 of the series. Just One Date : Home for a family wedding, Chase Baron has a plan to avoid his grandfather’s matchmaking—hire an actress to be his date. No strings and no commitments is just the ticket for no complications. When CJ Lawson’s ditzy sister takes a last minute acting role out of town, CJ has to take over her sister’s local job —cozying up to a wealthy and sinfully handsome billionaire. What could possibly go wrong? Just One Spark : A race car driver at the peak of his career, Kyle Baron is forced to put the brakes on his fast-paced life after a broken wrist sidelines him from the track. Meanwhile, Addison Raymond, an engineer who's always played it safe, finds herself in need of a change after a corporate cutback. The two couldn't be more different. But despite their differences, they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never expected. Will they discover that love can be the biggest adventure of all. Just One Dance : When hardworking perfume chemist and billionaire philanthropist Eve Baron meets the family’s wealthy and charming ranching neighbor Jared Gold at a charity gala, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. But her hands-on philosophy for charity and Jared’s preference to simply cut a check is only one thing they don’t see eye to eye on. With their busy lives and Jared’s playboy past between them, can they make a relationship work? A heartwarming and romantic tale of two people finding love while making a difference in the world. Also in the Billionaire Barons of Texas Series: Just One Take Just One Taste Just One Shot Just One Chance Just One Mistake Just One Family Just One Rodeo Just One Surprise Just One Look

The Gambler and Other Stories is Fyodor Dostoyevsky's collection of one novella and six short stories reflecting his own life - indeed, 'The Gambler', a story of a young tutor in the employment of a formerly wealthy Russian General, was written under a strict deadline so he could pay off his roulette debts. This volume includes 'Bobok', the tale of a frustrated writer visiting a cemetery and enjoying the gossip of the dead; 'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man', the story of one man's plan to commit suicide and the troubling dream that follows, as well as 'A Christmas Party and a Wedding', 'A Nasty Story' and 'The Meek One'.

From the acclaimed author of Shake Down the Thunder, Murray Sperber's Onward to Victory is a brilliant, detailed, and engrossing work of social history for not only sports fans, but anyone interested in the development of modern American culture. With the 1940 release of the classic film Knute Rockne, All American, the myth of the hero scholar-athlete was born, and with it came the age of big-time college sports in America. Drawing on a wide variety of sources, including press accounts, letters and diaries, historical papers, and interviews with many who were there, Murray Sperber recounts how the myths created by Hollywood studios were embellished and codified by a hungry press, infiltrating the collective unconscious with epic stories of players, coaches, and teams. As college sports became a mainstay of popular entertainment, they also were fertile ground for near-fatal scandal, ultimately giving rise to the modern NCAA. Sperber vividly re-creates the world of postwar America, with its all-powerful radiomen, its lurid press, its growing prosperity, and, of course, the infancy of television