Wager by Erica Chilson

The Kline family has taken over Fairport… Devon knows himself too well, how he’ll be up in their business, taking on their problems, and no one can have that catastrophe happen.

Scheming, Devon manages to convince Rory and Beth to take another honeymoon to Las Vegas for the weekend, using it as an excuse for Essie and Devon to finally have a honeymoon of their own too – all smoke and mirrors to get the four of them out of Fairport during Auggie’s intervention.

But Devon has met his match in the manipulating schemes department – since the playground, Bethany and Devon have always butted heads over who got to boss Essie around. Now that Rory has rejoined their group, Beth is determined to come to an agreement with Devon, one which will blow his mind.

Stuck on a six-hour flight, there is no escaping Beth for Devon. By the time the wheels touch down on the runway, Devon’s views on life, love, and their futures have dramatically changed.

Are Devon, Beth, Rory, and Essie willing to wager a lifetime of contentment to chase the chance for an unexpectedly thrilling happily ever after?

Book 7
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~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
I love reading about the Mason family in all its glory. This novella takes us on a journey of how Essie, Beth, Devon, and Rory decide to make their foursome work.

To say it’s not as simple as it sounds, is an understatement. In a typical relationship, two people are having to work together and compromise. Imagine four people. Four sets of feelings, points of view, and emotions. Now, toss in the real world who just won't understand why you do what you do.

Not only is each person committed to their partner, they are also committed in some way to each other, and not always sexual. Each person has their own feelings and desires and the others respect those.

For Devon, this journey is about love, commitment, and family. For him, the love and support he has from Essie, Beth, and Rory are just what he needs to heal.


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wager is the 7th installment in the Blended series. It shouldn't be read as a standalone. It should be read in the order the author intended.

Wager is Devon's story... well Devon, Essie, Rory, and Beth's told from Devon's point of view. I love this quad of people so much. Two married couples that need each other in ways that their partners can't fulfill, whether it's sexual, mental, friend... they find solace in each other.

Wager is a sexy quick read, for once I wish one of Ms. Chilson's books was longer. I needed more of this foursome. The relationship I needed to see between Rory and Devon has been building and I am ecstatic to finally get to see that to fruition. I wish I had people in my life like Devon does, people that would do anything to protect and love you so unconditionally, other than your spouse.

*Reviewer's Note*
I have not read the epilogue yet. The final chapter is shared with Polished (book 4) in the Rusty Knob series. I am currently reading Polished but not to that point as of yet. My fingers did get a bit twitchy to turn to that page, but I followed the warning Ms. Chilson posted saying it would be a spoiler for Polished... that took some serious willpower!!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This book deserves five stars because of how it brings together many strands from previous books in the series – and in particular, because it gives the reader an amazing insight into who Devon really is. Any fan of the series will know that he hardly started out with stellar reviews, and the journey has been rocky to say the least... but even I have to admit that he deserves everything that Ms. Chilson is bestowing upon him.

This is a fun read, with lots of amusing plotting and revelations, which make the heart sing for these four people and their wonderfully unique and intense connections to each other. It makes one think about how convention stifles true desires and loves, and how freedom comes with responsibility as well as joy.

It is advised that you read Polished (if reading the Rusty Knob series) before reading the epilogue, and I do think this is excellent advice – but if you cannot bear to wait, it truly won't ruin Polished, just ease your heart a touch as you read!


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Devon plans a fun weekend away in Vegas for himself, Essie, Beth and Rory, and Devon and Beth plan to make the two couples into one polyamorous relationship. I loved seeing the four of them come together, and when it happens inside the bedroom, it is off-the-charts hot.

But for me, this story was all about Devon. Dev is my new hero. And if you’d asked me early on in the Blended series what I thought of Devon, I would not have had much positive to say. But now, at the 7th book in the series, I see Devon in different light. The struggles he has been through and what he faces just to get through every day and stay sane, show his strength and how amazing he is. And if I wasn’t already crazy about him, the pool side scene in Wager would have changed my mind. Reading this scene, I just wanted to get jump up and cheer, but I was on public transport so I had to get by with cheering on the inside.

Wager finishes with a brilliant epilogue that has left me dying for more Blended stories. Five very happy stars from me.


Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Sooooo, I got to the shared epilogue for Polished and Wager and had to stop so I could beta read Wager as I didn't want to ruin the secret. Wager picks up after Woven and shows how the two couples progress their relationship to a full polyamorous relationship, acknowledging which members of the foursome are in love with one another, which are merely attracted to one another, and which are strictly friends with no chance for a sexual relationship (at least for now). It is not a smooth ride as there is a lot of communication required between characters who don't like to talk about their feelings and sexual attractions. Being as I still need to read Warped, I'm not sure how much of Devon's issues are a revelation or have been covered previously, but you won't be lost as long as you've read Good Girl and Woven. The pool scene will leave many readers wishing they could be Devon Mason, if just for a day, because those parents seriously needed that wake-up call. As this is a novella, I won’t expand upon this review anymore because I wouldn't want to spoil it for other readers. I will say that I loved the shared epilogue for Polished and Wager and was surprised at how well it worked for the two books. Why I was surprised, I don't know, because one of the reasons I enjoy Chilson's writing is that she seems to be able to pull off the impossible at times. I cannot wait for you to get your hands on this novella!

Full Disclosure – I'm a bit biased toward Chilson's work, especially the Rusty Knob series. After all, I did begin stalking the author on Facebook several years ago to find out when Good Girl would be released, managed to get in on its beta read, and haven't stopped pestering the author since.

Also Available in the Blended Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Good Girl post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Wildly Wedded Wife post.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Widow post.

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Wanton post.

Book 5
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our Warped post.

Book 6
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our Woven post.

Erica Chilson does not write in the 3rd person, wanting her readers to be her characters. Therefore, writing a bio about herself, is uncomfortable in the extreme.

Born, raised, and here to stay, the Wicked Writer is a stump-jumper, a ridge-runner. Hailing from North Central Pennsylvania, directly on the New York State border; she loves the changes in seasons, the humid air, all the mountainous forest, and the gloomy atmosphere.

Introverted, but not socially awkward, Erica prides herself on thinking first and filtering her speech. There are days she doesn’t speak at all. If it wasn’t for the fact that she lives with her parents, giving her a sense of reality, she would be a hermit, where the delivery man finds her months after expiration.

Reading was an escape, a way to leave a not-so pleasant reality behind. Reading lent Erica the courage she gathered from the characters between the pages to long for a different life. Writing was an instrument of change, evolving Erica into the woman she is today- a better, more mature, more at peace thinker.

Erica has a wicked mind, one she pours out into her creations. Her filter doesn’t allow all of it to erupt, much to her relief. Sarcastic, with a very dark, perverse sense of humor, Erica puts a bit of herself into every character she writes.

Connect with Erica

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Wager (Blended #7) by Erica Chilson to read and review.