A Foolish Proposal (The Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?)
By: Kasey Stockton
Publication: February 5, 2026 by Golden Owl Press
256 pages
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
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Goodreads description--One careless remark. One outrageous proposal. One Season to discover love where they least expect it.Caroline Whitby needs a husband. Unfortunately, her charmingly infuriating neighbor Tristan Shepherd just ruined her best prospect—and then had the audacity to propose himself. If only she didn’t despise him and his insufferably flirtatious grin.
***The Gentlemen's Gamble is a series about seven men racing to the altar in order to avoid losing a wager. Starting January, the books will release in surprise order so as not to give away who the final bachelor and loser of the wager is.
Tristan and six of his friends (including his twin brother) are on the way home from their Grand Tour when their boat is caught in a storm that the friends think will result in their deaths. Spurred on by the seriousness of the situation, the friends make a gamble about which will be the last friend to get married. The last unwed bachelor ends up paying all of the others 100 pounds each. The friends returned safely, and the wager is forgotten, until one friend sends letters around to all of the others that he has successfully married and is expecting his winnings. Since then, two others have also gotten married.
Tristan needs to marry well to secure his future. His older brother is the heir to their family estate, so he can't depend on that for his income. So he's decided that it's about time to start looking. Only shortly into his search, he unintentionally ruins the marriage prospects of Caroline Whitby, who was a neighbor growing up. He knows her well and commented on her dislike of horses, which the man she was hoping would offer for her loves to the point of talking about them all the time. That man feels like he's been lied to and takes a step back from courting Caroline. Unfortunately, Caroline has to marry for money also. Their family has been economizing after her father made some bad investments. So, despite Tristan stepping up to try to fix the mistake he made by ruining her marriage prospect, he just doesn't fit the bill. Caroline does agree to allow Tristan to help her recover her lost suitor. And she will help Tristan look for a suitable wife. The only trouble is, Caroline's crush on Tristan from when they were kids isn't quite as vanquished as she hoped.
Favorite quotes:
-"When I am that lonely, do not allow me to find companionship by meddling, Caro. I am relying on you to keep me properly occupied."
-"I had not intended to renew a proposal so abhorrent to you."
A Jane Austen reference if ever I heard one.
-he rather wondered if she liked toads more than she had led him to believe.
-"Will you marry me, Caroline? Even though I am not a toad?"
-"My love is not transactional."
Tristan and Caroline's story hasn't been my favorite so far. That belongs to Tristan's twin brother, Charles & Marie. But I still blew through this book. I haven't read anything by Kasey Stockton yet, and as these series with multiple authors are designed to, I certainly will be seeking out more of her books in the future. A Foolish Proposal gets 4 Stars. Have you read A Foolish Proposal? What did you think? Let me know!
