A Wallflower’s Wild Wager by Collette Cameron

A Wallflower’s Wild Wager is book one in the Ladies of Opportunity series. In this collection of stories, a group of close lady friends meet and form their own secret wagering society jokingly called The Ladies of Opportunity. Their intent is to enable female patrons with no means of their own the ability to place bets and achieve some means of financial independence free of any male involvement. Each story in the series focuses on a different woman in the secret society. In this book, Cameron does a masterful job of using the enemies to lovers trope. The heroine Aubriella has known the hero Jackson Matherfield for most of her life. He is her brother’s best friend. As a bluestocking, Aubriella has always had a sharp intellect and a love for science. From early on, she has endured Jackson’s teasing. So she is all prickly around him. He on the other hand is quite taken with Aubriella and doesn’t really understand her aversion to him.  This story has such charming characters. I really loved the hero Jack Matherfield’s personality. He has a depth that is rare to find in other regency romances. The heroine Aubriella struggles with social anxiety and ends up feeling like the odd duck in a group – an experience many of us can relate to. Once again, Collette Cameron writes another wonderful, toe curling sweet romance.