The Alpha's Gamble

Mismatched Mates Series, Book 10

By: Eliot Grayson

Narrated by: Chris Chambers

Cut off from his family—and more importantly, the family fortune—Blake Castelli stakes his future on one last throw of the dice: he'll go to Las Vegas and use his line of credit at the Morrigan casino to replenish his bank account.

But the Morrigan's under new ownership. And while Blake doesn't remember handsome, arrogant Declan MacKenna from their ill-fated encounter ten years ago, Declan remembers him. And he wants payback.

Declan offers Blake a humiliating, degrading deal he has no choice but to take even though it's all kinds of wrong. While Blake may be an alpha werewolf, so is Declan—and he out-alphas Blake at every turn. Blake shouldn't enjoy what Declan does to him. He shouldn't crave things no alpha should ever accept. Declan's turned him into someone he doesn't recognize helpless, needy, and out of control.

Declan wants to keep hating Blake, but he can't. Blake wants to trust Declan, but that's impossible. When magical and mundane attacks threaten them both, Blake has nowhere to turn. If Declan doesn't realize his feelings run deeper than desire in time to save them both, they could lose everything . . . even their lives.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Eliot Grayson (P)2023 Tantor

the best

I love love love this book so much i has to buy it and read it every week

Is this a book about S/A turned to love??? Huh, What

This was a hate listen. Blake was an inconsiderate,neglected person. All the interaction from the previous book he is terrible but he’s a product of his family. Declan seemed to have been an honorable man except for his hate for Blake. I didn’t feel like Blake’s offense was equal to his punishment. Declan went to far.He could have made him work as a Bell boy. Yes, Blake agreed to the terms but underlying family issues is why he accepted being assaulted regularly. I hate that Blake’s mindset was bad attention is better than none, but at that point he didn’t have anyone to turn to. I don’t understand at all how Declan came to love Blake. He mistreated Blake for the entire book and this story doesn’t really give his pov. When he felt a little guilty he did small things , to make himself feel better. Even the ending he disrespects Blake and they both eat it up. The rings,the knotting. Bottom line. I hated this story and continued listening hoping Blake who grew as a person would have walked away from Declan and made up with his brother Brooke.

the first part is so unbelievably fucked

First off, I love this series.

I’m only part way through but wanted to leave this review before getting onto the (hopefully) better part of the story

so the main character is illegally extorted into prostitution under the false premise that offender can just call the cops to ensure the main character’s supposed “consent” to said prostitution. also the main character is held against his will, which is the literal definition of kidnapping.

I can promise you human trafficking is a way way way worse charge than a supposed fraud charge. Bouncing a check isn’t a crime, it’s only a privately enforceable policy associated with a penalty or similar measure, not punishable by police.

also, debt owed is protected and the person who owes it is required to be given an amount of time to come up with the required funds, with legally appropriate penalties that are spaced out over time, with the final measures also being able to be dealt with by bankruptcy restructure. also I can guarantee you his family would have bailed him out and punished him some other, hopefully legal, way. I mean his brother is a good person and smart and could have worked something out that still allows for romance and personal growth

none of these come even close to the crime of extortion (on its own), extorting for sex, and kidnapping. that’s decades to life in prison level of incarceration, and it can be prosecuted after the fact by the person harmed. so even if the main character develops some stockholm syndrome type of relationship with the offender and even convinces himself that he is choosing what he is forced to do over time, that still does not legally qualifiable as consent.

so the main character can basically sue the offender after the fact for all he’s worth and then some, with a probable decades long prison sentence. this is the stupidest, most self destructive form of serving revenge i’ve ever seen.

now yes I know this is fiction, and I know that the story will move toward some form of happily ever after with character development, but the start of the path there is so so so unbelievably fucked and could easily could have set up the sexual encounters in a more co sensual, non-extorted manner. anyways I needed to get my chest. going to resume listening to the book and filter out just the parts that are so beyond fucked up and focus on the sex and overall plot

Perfect combo

I cannot get enough of the combination of Eliot Grayson's characters and stories, and Chris Chambers' velvet voice. Declan's accent is the cherry on top.

LOVED the Irish Accent!

This is a really well-written enemies-to-lovers story with a believable reason for them to be enemies (or at least for Declan to feel justified in the offer he makes to Blake) and then Blake's redemption felt very believable too. And the alpha-on-alpha sex, sometimes hate sex and sometimes not-hate sex, was so hot! Please, let's find an Irish friend of Declan's and make him an MC for the next book!

OMG I really enjoyed Blake and Declan!

Chris Chambers has really grown on me, after experiencing his Irish accent I am all aglow with him now. The heat between Blake and Declan set me ablaze and although there were no mention of the first several couples in this series it didn't matter...."The Alpha's Gamble" definitely stands on it's own. Blake may have started out as an @.s.s.hole but his experience with Declan helped him to do some much needed soul searching...he's not completely useless, there is hope for him yet!

5 starz - I would listen again

Should have been a stand alone book

Chris Chambers' drunk narration was perfect and his accent was fun to listen to. The story does not connect to the original ones from the series. Can say it's in the same world but it doesn't interact with our OG guys.

This is the best book of the seriessssss

I lovvvveee their story, best story yet. The progression of Blake is so great and Declan accent…OMG

Couldn’t stop listening to these books and binged the entire series!

I loved each of these books and I’m sad they’re over. I have several series that I like to re-listen to when I just want something familiar and this one is definitely being added to that list.

They have a lot of my favorite tropes and they are done well. You’re not going to get some earth shattering plot, but if you’re looking for that in m/m paranormal romance, that’s a you problem. They are hands down, some of the best books I’ve read in this genre, and I’ve read an embarrassing amount.

Narration is perfect. Adds to the story without being intrusive and distracting.

Too messed up

I loved Brook’s book, so I thought I’d try Blake’s. But this was too much non consensual and unpleasant for my taste. I suffered through and the last hour was ok and «kinda» saved it. I will not listen to it again.