A Game of Hearts
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- Create Date：2022-10-20 02:19:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Joanna Barker
- ISBN：B0B5WK5JS9
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Summary
If you can't join them。。。 beat them。
Marigold Cartwell has only one goal: to defeat her long-time rival on the archery field。 She knows she can outshoot irritating， cynical Tristan Gates， but the local bowmen’s society—the one he belongs to—refuses to allow women to compete。 Spurred on by their rejection， Marigold decides to start a new society。 Naturally， it has only one rule: no men。
Tristan Gates is used to Marigold Cartwell always getting her way， so he is far from surprised when she forms her own society。 He knows how relentless she can be， something he learned firsthand facing her at the targets。 But Tristan has enough worries of his own， what with his bachelor uncle falling in love with a fortune hunter。 He has no time to entertain Marigold’s ambitions。
However， after a visit to the seashore ends in disaster—and scandal—Marigold and Tristan soon realize how little they know about each other。 The strained tension between them quickly turns to simmering attraction， but an important archery competition looms ahead。 Lines are drawn all around them， with Marigold and Tristan on opposite sides， and neither can afford to lose。 Yet winning might be the very thing to tear them apart。
Marigold Cartwell has only one goal: to defeat her long-time rival on the archery field。 She knows she can outshoot irritating， cynical Tristan Gates， but the local bowmen’s society—the one he belongs to—refuses to allow women to compete。 Spurred on by their rejection， Marigold decides to start a new society。 Naturally， it has only one rule: no men。
Tristan Gates is used to Marigold Cartwell always getting her way， so he is far from surprised when she forms her own society。 He knows how relentless she can be， something he learned firsthand facing her at the targets。 But Tristan has enough worries of his own， what with his bachelor uncle falling in love with a fortune hunter。 He has no time to entertain Marigold’s ambitions。
However， after a visit to the seashore ends in disaster—and scandal—Marigold and Tristan soon realize how little they know about each other。 The strained tension between them quickly turns to simmering attraction， but an important archery competition looms ahead。 Lines are drawn all around them， with Marigold and Tristan on opposite sides， and neither can afford to lose。 Yet winning might be the very thing to tear them apart。
Reviews
Emerald Angus
，
This book is too good！ I read it in one day and it is probably one of my new favorite books！！ I loveddd the characters and the character development！ Definitely worth reading in one whole day！！
ChamberBooks
，
If you should know one thing about me， it's that I love the enemies to lovers trope。。。and this book definitely delivered in that！ Marigold and Tristan are both so fun and lovable and their banter towards each other is so fun to read！ And can we just give a big applause to Marigolds family？！ They are so wholesome and supportive of her， it was so nice reading any and all scenes they were in！ Marigold is a bit uptight but overall she was witty and determined which is always a great combination！ Tri If you should know one thing about me， it's that I love the enemies to lovers trope。。。and this book definitely delivered in that！ Marigold and Tristan are both so fun and lovable and their banter towards each other is so fun to read！ And can we just give a big applause to Marigolds family？！ They are so wholesome and supportive of her， it was so nice reading any and all scenes they were in！ Marigold is a bit uptight but overall she was witty and determined which is always a great combination！ Tristan is definitely just as determined and witty， if not more so arrogant but it still worked and wasn't arrogant to the point of no return！ He had his reasoning for acting the way he did in front of Marigold that made it even funnier。 And I love the fact that these two don't have an instant love but their feelings go through various stages that make it so much more real and interesting。 I had such a fun time reading this story and need more of this world and characters！ If you enjoy historical romances and love the enemies to Lovers trope then I think you will really love this story！ *This book was given to me by the publisher but all thoughts are my own！ 。。。more
Desiree
，
It's always so nice to be able to just get swept away into a story。 This book definitely did。 I'm always down to read a good enemies to love trope。 The slow transition from animosity to kindness and love was smooth and well done。 There was some great banter and humor in the story。 Their verbal sparring and dialogue was wonderful。 This， to me， gave the story and authentic feel。 I love when the author can create empathy and understanding for their characters。 I really felt for our Hero and underst It's always so nice to be able to just get swept away into a story。 This book definitely did。 I'm always down to read a good enemies to love trope。 The slow transition from animosity to kindness and love was smooth and well done。 There was some great banter and humor in the story。 Their verbal sparring and dialogue was wonderful。 This， to me， gave the story and authentic feel。 I love when the author can create empathy and understanding for their characters。 I really felt for our Hero and understood him more。 The h was just as great。 She matured and grew。 I did also feel for Marigold。 I liked reading that。 A few times I was thinking she had such a fixed mindset with him and looking for a fight。 Though I can't blame her since sometimes Same！ lol They both gave and grew。 The people and the story became real with the suthors storytelling。 The romance was swoony without it being a bodice ripper。 The ending was endearing。 A very smart twist and resolution to solve a huge dilemma for the two main characters。 。。。more
Adventurousbookmaven
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🏹💗A Game of Hearts💗🏹 by @authorjoannabarker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5💗-Marigold， the girl next door， is annoying。 She is always trying to follow her older brother and his friends around and do what they do。 Tristan can't stand her-the way she always needs to be the center of attention and she's very spoiled and vain。 Marigold feels Tristan's disdain from an early age。 As she grows up， she decides to stop being nice and hate him back。 She no longer cares to win him over as a friend， she just wants to anihilat 🏹💗A Game of Hearts💗🏹 by @authorjoannabarker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5💗-Marigold， the girl next door， is annoying。 She is always trying to follow her older brother and his friends around and do what they do。 Tristan can't stand her-the way she always needs to be the center of attention and she's very spoiled and vain。 Marigold feels Tristan's disdain from an early age。 As she grows up， she decides to stop being nice and hate him back。 She no longer cares to win him over as a friend， she just wants to anihilate and humiliate him any chance possible。 But especially in archery， their favorite sport。 💗Their families， who are neighbors and good friends， are always together。 Tristan tries to avoid these gatherings as much as possible because Marigold is a frivolous， nuisance that talks too much。 His only hope is that she will get married and move away。 💗Told in alternating POV this regency romance has so much to offer: 🏹a female MC who challenges the boundaries of societal norms wherever possible。 🏹strong family bonds and friendships🏹men who join with women's voices to further their rights🏹a dad that fixes everything🏹healthy competition that borders on obsession🏹so many troupes-but I don't want to spoil anything 🤐🏹character and plot driven🏹This is a clean romance but you can certainly feel the heat！ 💗Joanna Barker sets vivid scenes and has excellent characterization。 At the end of this book you'll be hoping for a sequel！ 。。。more
Eva Thacker
，
Everything about this book was so good！ Tristan and Marigold started off as rivals， determined to always have victory over the other， but an accident has them rethinking what they thought they already knew about one another。 And that’s when things start to change！ I loved seeing Marigold and Tristan slowly start to realize their feelings for each other and how much they’ve missed out on by being enemies instead of friends。 They didn’t kiss a lot， but the kissing scenes were 😍 amazing。 And I espe Everything about this book was so good！ Tristan and Marigold started off as rivals， determined to always have victory over the other， but an accident has them rethinking what they thought they already knew about one another。 And that’s when things start to change！ I loved seeing Marigold and Tristan slowly start to realize their feelings for each other and how much they’ve missed out on by being enemies instead of friends。 They didn’t kiss a lot， but the kissing scenes were 😍 amazing。 And I especially loved how the romance was sometimes compared to archery， with the tension and releases of their feelings。 It’s a total reread！ *I was an ARC reader and all opinions are mine 。。。more
Melissa’s Bookshelf
，
A thousand stars for this new favorite！ This is enemies to lovers at it’s absolute best。 This story has everything: witty banter， a sizzling clean romance， fierce rivalry， forced proximity， a strong heroine， wonderful character growth， and a unique plot with twists and turns that made it so hard to put down。 Marigold Cartwell is beautiful， vivacious， and fiercely competitive， especially when it comes to competing against her irritating rival Tristan Gates。 His archery society doesn’t allow women A thousand stars for this new favorite！ This is enemies to lovers at it’s absolute best。 This story has everything: witty banter， a sizzling clean romance， fierce rivalry， forced proximity， a strong heroine， wonderful character growth， and a unique plot with twists and turns that made it so hard to put down。 Marigold Cartwell is beautiful， vivacious， and fiercely competitive， especially when it comes to competing against her irritating rival Tristan Gates。 His archery society doesn’t allow women and so Marigold decides to start her own。 Tristan is quiet， serious， and as competitive as Marigold。 His life is going swimmingly until his uncle decides to marry， and a dangerous incident turns his world upside down。 As he and Marigold see each other in a new light， will the ultimate competition where the stakes are extremely high bring them closer together or drive them apart for good？This book from start to finish was so well written！ I adored the relationship between Tristan and Marigold。 As enemies turn to allies， the chemistry and passion are amazing。 That first kiss on the scale of swooniest kisses makes the top ten list for sure。 The banter is outstanding whether flirting or bickering。 I also loved the growth that each character goes through as they see past their own prejudices， learn the value of true friendship， and find the meaning of lasting and deeply felt love。 This is a must read that I can’t recommend highly enough！ It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year。 I am desperately hoping for Oliver’s and Cora’s stories and hopefully there’s a romance between the two！ Thanks to the author for the advanced complimentary copy。 All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review。 。。。more
Arizona
，
I loved so many things about this book。 One aspect that stood out to me the most， however， was how supportive Marigold’s family was。 I feel like there are a lot of regency era novels where one or more of the MC’s family members is just the worst， and that always makes for a good story line and character development。 But， let me tell you， it was a breath of fresh air to me that both of Marigold’s parents and all of her siblings were behind her 100%， 100% of the time。 I highly recommend this book I loved so many things about this book。 One aspect that stood out to me the most， however， was how supportive Marigold’s family was。 I feel like there are a lot of regency era novels where one or more of the MC’s family members is just the worst， and that always makes for a good story line and character development。 But， let me tell you， it was a breath of fresh air to me that both of Marigold’s parents and all of her siblings were behind her 100%， 100% of the time。 I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun， swoony read with a little bit of playful competition on the side！ 。。。more
Leighellen Landskov
，
Happy Pub Day to my friend Joanna Barker！ She has become one of my go to regency romance authors。 She captured my heart yet again with her latest book， A Game of Hearts。“I’d known Tristan over a decade， it was a decade too long。”This regency romance is a darling enemies to lovers， marriage of convenience story that follows a young archer named Mari who has had a long standing feud with the neighbor boy and fellow archer， Tristan。 She has beaten him once and plans to do so again。 But the town’s l Happy Pub Day to my friend Joanna Barker！ She has become one of my go to regency romance authors。 She captured my heart yet again with her latest book， A Game of Hearts。“I’d known Tristan over a decade， it was a decade too long。”This regency romance is a darling enemies to lovers， marriage of convenience story that follows a young archer named Mari who has had a long standing feud with the neighbor boy and fellow archer， Tristan。 She has beaten him once and plans to do so again。 But the town’s local archer society tries to stop her efforts as an old school baron doesn’t like women in his sport。 So Mari sets out to create her own society！！ It all goes well until an incident puts Tristan and Mari in peril and makes them grow closer than they planned。“You would not know romance if it slapped you across the face！” “Like you are wishing to do now？”“A lady would NEVER！”“No， but you might。”I love stories with strong female leads that push the boundaries of proper society for their times。 Mari is sassy and strong and fiercely good at her sport。 The witty banter between her and Tristan is hilarious and their eventual attraction is purely delicious。“Do allies kiss one another？”“I think we can make our own rules。”A lovey story that you will devour in one sitting！！ I’ll be doing an IG Live with Joanna to discuss this book at the end of the month！ORDER HERE: Order On AmazonIf you want to see more of what I'm reading each day， follow me on my BookstagramTo watch my monthly updates and author chats， check out my Book Tube channelTo read my in depth reviews and see author Q&A's， head to my blogAll audio books are from Libro FM to support my local bookstore， The Book Bar in Denver。 。。。more
Lorna
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This novel has such a fresh premise！ You won't be disappointed！ Every aspect of this novel is incredible。 The main characters are likeable from the get-go， even as they hate each other。 The reason behind their dislike is believable and so is their change of heart。 It is a book I can recommend to everyone， even if they don't read regency。 Even dudes！ The witty banter throughout is one of my favorite parts！ You seriously will have the best time！ So， put your feet up， get cozy， and enjoy a good rea This novel has such a fresh premise！ You won't be disappointed！ Every aspect of this novel is incredible。 The main characters are likeable from the get-go， even as they hate each other。 The reason behind their dislike is believable and so is their change of heart。 It is a book I can recommend to everyone， even if they don't read regency。 Even dudes！ The witty banter throughout is one of my favorite parts！ You seriously will have the best time！ So， put your feet up， get cozy， and enjoy a good read。 。。。more
Cassidy
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“"I know I was not your first choice， oreven your hundredth。 But you are mine， Marigold。 My first and only choice。 And I'll choose you every day， without pause， for the rest of my life。"”A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker， was one of my most anticipated book for Fall。 I’m happy to say it did not disappoint。 I sometimes struggle with the enemies to lovers trope but I didn’t struggle with this one！ This book definitely prevented me from doing my long list of chores and errands for the day。 But it w “"I know I was not your first choice， oreven your hundredth。 But you are mine， Marigold。 My first and only choice。 And I'll choose you every day， without pause， for the rest of my life。"”A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker， was one of my most anticipated book for Fall。 I’m happy to say it did not disappoint。 I sometimes struggle with the enemies to lovers trope but I didn’t struggle with this one！ This book definitely prevented me from doing my long list of chores and errands for the day。 But it was worth it。 The rival between Marigold and Tristan was well done！ They both had so many good one liners and their banter had me rolling。 The humor in this book was right up my aisle。 I could go on and on about how much I adore Marigold and Tristan。 There characters’ development was so good！ I love that they started out on their own team and slowly but surely learn how to work as a team。 They are each other’s most faithful supports and I love that！ I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them。This book has everything you love， from lovable side characters， to a villain， to swoon worthy moments。 You’re definitely going to want to read this book！ These thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Crystal Cook
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This was very charming！ A sweet romance between two archery rivals。 Marigold and Tristan had a beautiful slow burn romance with simmering chemistry。 I loved the fresh take on rivals to lovers here and especially liked the use of archery competitions and Marigold forming her own archery society after the male led one declines her entry because she's a woman。 This also had interesting family dynamics and side characters with great writing。 A fresh， charming， sweet and swoony take on historical rom This was very charming！ A sweet romance between two archery rivals。 Marigold and Tristan had a beautiful slow burn romance with simmering chemistry。 I loved the fresh take on rivals to lovers here and especially liked the use of archery competitions and Marigold forming her own archery society after the male led one declines her entry because she's a woman。 This also had interesting family dynamics and side characters with great writing。 A fresh， charming， sweet and swoony take on historical romance and I adored it。 *I received an ARC for review 。。。more
Stephanie
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Loved every single second of this story！！If you love Jane Austen stories and adaptations， then you need to read this。 If you love Regency romance， you need to read this。If you love creative and funny romance stories when you need to read this。I feel like I could go on and on about how much I love the characters， the plot and the subplots。 The fantastic tension between our two main characters Marigold and Tristan， and the beautiful English countryside setting。 Not only is this a fantastic romance Loved every single second of this story！！If you love Jane Austen stories and adaptations， then you need to read this。 If you love Regency romance， you need to read this。If you love creative and funny romance stories when you need to read this。I feel like I could go on and on about how much I love the characters， the plot and the subplots。 The fantastic tension between our two main characters Marigold and Tristan， and the beautiful English countryside setting。 Not only is this a fantastic romance but it also has girl power moments and fantastic development without ever feeling like it’s just about one thing。 There’s so much to enjoy， there’s so much to discover about these characters and the story with so many different levels that there’s always something to entertain and enjoy on each new page。 I loved the pacing of the story， I loved the fresh events that prod dynamic characters and dynamic moments to the forefront of every scene。 Bascially I just want everyone to know how much I love this book and how much I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next。 I can absolutely see myself rereading this again sooner rather than later because I loved it that much。 Read this if you love:🏹 enemies to lovers ❤️ fabulous romantic tension 🏹 competitive main characters ❤️ swoony worthy kisses🏹 girl power moments ❤️ beautiful family moments 🏹 lots of funny quips and banterIt’s sweet and wholesome but you also feel the swoon worthy tension and longing from these kisses in the best possible way。 Thanks very much to the author for an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Alex L Criddle
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This regency romance was so unique！！ I have read quite a few in my lifetime， and there is a point where they all begin to blend together。 A Game of Hearts truly stands out and I had so much fun reading about Tristan and Marigold。 The book was written from both of their perspectives， my absolute favorite， and I adored reveling in their thoughts， especially about one another。 It was a true enemies to lovers story and the enemies portion lasted longer than I think I’ve ever experienced before—it wa This regency romance was so unique！！ I have read quite a few in my lifetime， and there is a point where they all begin to blend together。 A Game of Hearts truly stands out and I had so much fun reading about Tristan and Marigold。 The book was written from both of their perspectives， my absolute favorite， and I adored reveling in their thoughts， especially about one another。 It was a true enemies to lovers story and the enemies portion lasted longer than I think I’ve ever experienced before—it was perfect！！ Twelve years of animosity is not so easily overcome and the intense slow burn and gradual realization of feelings lasted for a delightfully lengthy portion of the novel。 The witty banter was on point and emphasized and portrayed just how much hostility had built up between Tristan and Marigold over the years。 The writing was beautiful and the kisses were insanely swoonworthy！！ The archery was so cool and made me want to go shoot！！ I’ve only done it once or twice and now I really want to get into it！！ The secondary characters were SO well-written and I especially loved Marigold’s family。 They were immensely supportive of her in every situation。 Tristan’s uncle was another favorite。 Cora was also a joy and a wonderful friend…could there be another novel with her as the main character and the person she loves？ I really hope so！！If you love enemies to lovers， forced proximity， and gorgeous writing， you HAVE to read this novel！！（I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review。） 。。。more
Lauren （thebookscript）
，
This is absolutely the best thing that Joanna Barker has ever written。This is a TRUE enemies/rivals to lovers with a sweet slow burn realization that was oh so wonderful and completely realistic and believable。 Enemies to lovers is rarely believable for me but this was right on target。 Marigold is determined to win。。。especially if that means beating her long time nemesis。。。Tristan。 Marigold is also a thorn in Tristans side。 Unfortunately for them， they are always forced together due to family ti This is absolutely the best thing that Joanna Barker has ever written。This is a TRUE enemies/rivals to lovers with a sweet slow burn realization that was oh so wonderful and completely realistic and believable。 Enemies to lovers is rarely believable for me but this was right on target。 Marigold is determined to win。。。especially if that means beating her long time nemesis。。。Tristan。 Marigold is also a thorn in Tristans side。 Unfortunately for them， they are always forced together due to family ties and a love for the sport of archery。 I absolutely loved the push and pull of Tristan and Marigold。 They genuinely have this "I can't stand you" attitude towards one another and so you really aren't quite sure how this relationship is going to grow into love。 Their barbed remarks and quick wit in roasting one another is delightfully entertaining。 I loved how it took drastic measures in order for them to see one another in a different light。 I cannot forget the wonderful family and friend dynamic to this story as well that also added wonderful depth。 I am all about women making a stand for equality and Marigold was a force to reckon with and I adored how Tristan plays a part in that。 I would 100% go into this blind。 I loved being surprised by every page and seeing them grow together as two people who might actually be able to make this work。 The chemistry was off the charts。。the first kiss scene is a scene to top all first kiss scenes and now I will accept NOTHING less。 This is exactly what I crave in a sweeter historical romance --- all the fire and heat while still staying true to the genre。 This will absolutely be one of my favorite historical romance of the year。。。。if not THE favorite。 I will be pushing this on everyone and gifting it all year long because I need everyone to experience the magic of this book。 I am so proud of Joanna and her indie debut。。。I didn't know much I missed her books until I read this one BUT shes back。。。and she's better than ever！！ Is it too early for a re-read？ Asking for a friend。 ALL THE DANG STARS 。。。more
Kristalyne， love。lovely。books
，
“I won，” I crowed。 He shook his head， though his mouth still curved upwards。 “Always a game with you。” “Anything to win，” I said。 “Competition is the spice of life， as they say。”Joanna Barker has hit a bullseye with this book！ ‘A Game of Hearts’ is a unique and wonderful Regency Romance！ I loved the archery， the family， the character growth， Joanna’s beautiful writing， the twists and turns， the slow burn romance， the intrigue and the competition！ I could not put this book down！Marigold and Trist “I won，” I crowed。 He shook his head， though his mouth still curved upwards。 “Always a game with you。” “Anything to win，” I said。 “Competition is the spice of life， as they say。”Joanna Barker has hit a bullseye with this book！ ‘A Game of Hearts’ is a unique and wonderful Regency Romance！ I loved the archery， the family， the character growth， Joanna’s beautiful writing， the twists and turns， the slow burn romance， the intrigue and the competition！ I could not put this book down！Marigold and Tristan have been rivals on and off of the archery field for as long as they have known each other！ These two win first prize for being the most excellent enemies！ What happens though when you start to fall for your biggest rival， your nemesis， your number one competition？！ Something glorious happens， and I enjoyed every moment of Tristan and Marigold’s story。 I loved watching as years of loathing slowly melted away and their relationship grew into so much more！This book had me laughing， smiling， my heart ached at times， I was anticipating the next page and swooning。 So much swoon。 The character growth and development for both Tristan and Marigold is beautiful and their relationship arc is stunning！ Tristan is the grump to Marigold’s sunshine。 He is guarded， competitive， handsome and teasing， and she is spirited， determined， beautiful and competitive。 The journey these two go on together is amazing！🤍I loved the dual point of view！ It made reading their loathe to love so much fun！🤍Memorable moments included a dance， a cave， truces， wagers， a rose and a wonderful rainstorm！🤍I adored the family relationships in this book。 They were beautiful and touching， sweet and inspiring！ 🤍The witty banter the sweet sloooow burn， the attraction， the romance， the tension， the heart pounding kisses！！！ It was all a dream！I loved this book！ I fell in love with Tristan and Marigold， and I will reread their story over and over again！ This book is an absolute must read and I 100 percent recommend it！ I think you’ll love it！🏹This book releases tomorrow！！！！🏹Thank you so much to the author for an arc copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Katie （TheBookingWell）
，
“Anything to win…”（swoon） You guys， this book！！ I'm in love。 A Game of Hearts was such a perfectly unique book。 It has a little bit of everything and so many new things。 I loved the dual POV， It made me feel so deeply for both characters。 I fell in love with the way they were falling in love。 I am so excited for all of you to fall in love with Marigold and Tristan like I did。 This is my new favorite book of the year！ I give it all the stars！ I will forever recommend this book！ “Anything to win…”（swoon） You guys， this book！！ I'm in love。 A Game of Hearts was such a perfectly unique book。 It has a little bit of everything and so many new things。 I loved the dual POV， It made me feel so deeply for both characters。 I fell in love with the way they were falling in love。 I am so excited for all of you to fall in love with Marigold and Tristan like I did。 This is my new favorite book of the year！ I give it all the stars！ I will forever recommend this book！ 。。。more
Amanda （my。bookish。heart）
，
This book was FABULOUS！！！ I can tell that Joanna had fun writing this story！It was an absolute joy to read Marigold and Tristan’s story！ I completely and utterly loved the mine/cave scene and the twist it brought。 Watching these arch nemesis’ fall for each other was nothing short of perfection。 The family dynamics were lovely and I adored how supportive Mari’s family was of her。 Tristan’s backstory was heartbreaking， but I liked how caring his uncle was for him as the only family he had left。 Th This book was FABULOUS！！！ I can tell that Joanna had fun writing this story！It was an absolute joy to read Marigold and Tristan’s story！ I completely and utterly loved the mine/cave scene and the twist it brought。 Watching these arch nemesis’ fall for each other was nothing short of perfection。 The family dynamics were lovely and I adored how supportive Mari’s family was of her。 Tristan’s backstory was heartbreaking， but I liked how caring his uncle was for him as the only family he had left。 The whole plot of this book was amazing。 The sub-plots were amazing。 The first kiss was amazing （and made my top book kiss list）。 Have you caught my drift that this book was amazing yet？！Read this book if you love:🏹Unique regency romances🏹Archery🏹Rivals to lovers🏹Chemistry that jumps off the page🏹Swoony kiss scenes🏹Supportive family membersAlso， fingers crossed that there is a book 2 coming for a certain friend and brother！！This beauty releases tomorrow （October 18）！Thank you so much to the author for a complimentary copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Leah
，
This was so cute！ I just loved Marigold and Tristan。 She was sunshine to his stormy moods。 I loved all their fun banter and their character growth and development…plus there were plenty of sweet and swoony moments。The storyline was really entertaining， too。 It took several twists and turns that I hadn’t expected。 If you love a sweet and romantic Regency， add this one to your list！
A Bookish Romantic
，
"He was trying to irk me。 Lucky for him， Tristan Gates irked me just by existing。" Marigold and Tristan have been rivals almost since the moment they met。 As the best archers in Kent， tensions are high any time they are in the same vicinity。 Unfortunately， when the two are tainted with a scandal， their names are irrevocably tied together。 With Marigold's tenacity and determination and Tristan's personal worries and apparent aloofness—and an archery competition that neither can afford to lose—it "He was trying to irk me。 Lucky for him， Tristan Gates irked me just by existing。" Marigold and Tristan have been rivals almost since the moment they met。 As the best archers in Kent， tensions are high any time they are in the same vicinity。 Unfortunately， when the two are tainted with a scandal， their names are irrevocably tied together。 With Marigold's tenacity and determination and Tristan's personal worries and apparent aloofness—and an archery competition that neither can afford to lose—it seems that Cupid's arrow may never hit its mark。Warning: Do not start this book if you do not have time to finish it in one sitting。 Once you've begun， you will not want to stop reading for anything。I LOVED this regency romance from Joanna Barker。 While I've enjoyed all of her books， A Game of Hearts immediately moved to the top of my list。 Marigold and Tristan were both incredibly well developed， and each of the side characters added to the charming cast of characters that kept me so entertained throughout the book。 Marigold is sweet and fiery and so determined to prove herself。 Tristan has a soft heart underneath his unapproachable exterior。 Watching them fall in love was delightful and so， so sweet。 I especially loved watching the characters change and grow。 There is a depth and a realness to the main characters that made me feel like I knew them and that if I were to magically visit Regency-era England， I would actually be able to spend time with them。Also， the banter in this book is top notch。 There are so many moments that had me chuckling or full-on laughing。 Joanna has a fabulous writing style that flows so naturally that you'll be finished with the book （and probably starting it again） before you know it。This book is so light and sweet and the perfect romantic escape after a day in real life。 I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone。 Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Christina
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“And that kiss on the cheek had not been a terrible reward either。 Perhaps I should buy another dozen bows。” A Game of Hearts is an enemies to more romance。 It not only has all the romantic tension but the competitive sports aspect makes it so much fun！Marigold and Tristan have been rivals in life and archery since childhood。 Both stubborn toward the other but time has a way to bring these two what they were always looking for。 There are so many twists in this！ After the first big one I could no “And that kiss on the cheek had not been a terrible reward either。 Perhaps I should buy another dozen bows。” A Game of Hearts is an enemies to more romance。 It not only has all the romantic tension but the competitive sports aspect makes it so much fun！Marigold and Tristan have been rivals in life and archery since childhood。 Both stubborn toward the other but time has a way to bring these two what they were always looking for。 There are so many twists in this！ After the first big one I could not put it down！When you come to see how much a gentleman Tristan is， you’ll be swooning too！The kissing scenes。。 💯✅The relationship development is very well done。 It shows exactly how these two fell in love which doesn’t always happen with romances but Joanna is great at showing you the connections and bonds formed with her characters。 On that note。。 Joanna is also just the SWEETEST！ You can clearly see she wants open communication with her readers。 She not only writes these stories because she loves it but she cares for her readers and listens to them！ 💕 。。。more
Melanie Charles
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I loved this book！ If hate to love is one of your favorite tropes， you NEED this book in your life。 Life long rivals turned something more？ Yes please！ 💘I didn’t want this book to end， I wanted to keep reading about Marigold and Tristan。 Their banter was just too good， and I loved every second of it。 Both of them had great character development throughout the story。 Getting to see each of their opinions and perspectives change towards each other was great。 And the tension！ Goodness gracious some I loved this book！ If hate to love is one of your favorite tropes， you NEED this book in your life。 Life long rivals turned something more？ Yes please！ 💘I didn’t want this book to end， I wanted to keep reading about Marigold and Tristan。 Their banter was just too good， and I loved every second of it。 Both of them had great character development throughout the story。 Getting to see each of their opinions and perspectives change towards each other was great。 And the tension！ Goodness gracious someone get me my smelling salts because I’m swooning！ I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say this， the rain scene😍 💘I also found all the archery stuff so cool to read about。 Marigold was such a cool character。 I loved her determination and spirit。 She never backed down from a challenge。 Also shout-out to all the side characters because they were so lovable。 💘Enemies to lovers， grumpy/sunshine， slow burn。 If you love any of those tropes then this book is for you。 It’s also a clean romance so that’s awesome。Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Marilee
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This regency romance is swoony， clever， witty， and downright addicting。This is a fresh and unique take on enemies to lovers and it completely drew me in within just a few pages and did not let me go until the very end。 Tristan and Marigold are fierce and determined rivals on the archery field and can barely tolerate each other's presence。 What occurs over the course of a few hundred pages is one of the most genuine romances I have ever read。 The characters didn't just magically skip ahead to the This regency romance is swoony， clever， witty， and downright addicting。This is a fresh and unique take on enemies to lovers and it completely drew me in within just a few pages and did not let me go until the very end。 Tristan and Marigold are fierce and determined rivals on the archery field and can barely tolerate each other's presence。 What occurs over the course of a few hundred pages is one of the most genuine romances I have ever read。 The characters didn't just magically skip ahead to the HEA but the slow-burn tension as they slowly evolved from being true enemies to begrudging friends to something so much more was as dreamy as it was satisfying and it made this my favorite Joanna book ever。The flirty dialogue and banter， on and off the archery field， was perfection， and holy hannah， that first kiss was one for the ages。 And we won't even talk about the plot twists because you just need to go discover this stunning book for yourself。If you have never read a Joanna Barker book， now is a perfect time， my friends。 This is one you definitely do not want to miss！I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required。 。。。more
Reads by Hannah
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Do yourself a favor and read this book， because it’s INCREDIBLE。 This book is a fantastic example of enemies/rivals to lovers and executed all of the elements perfectly！Right off the bat I loved learning about archery in the regency period！ You see it appear in movies and books occasionally， but it was fun to see its effects， especially on women of the time。 Marigold was an awesome character， I want to be her when I grow up :） and Tristan？？ Such a great male lead。 I loved how both characters had Do yourself a favor and read this book， because it’s INCREDIBLE。 This book is a fantastic example of enemies/rivals to lovers and executed all of the elements perfectly！Right off the bat I loved learning about archery in the regency period！ You see it appear in movies and books occasionally， but it was fun to see its effects， especially on women of the time。 Marigold was an awesome character， I want to be her when I grow up :） and Tristan？？ Such a great male lead。 I loved how both characters had some growth to do， mostly in learning to revise their opinions of others。 I won’t say much about the plot since （believe me） you want to be surprised， but it was darn near perfection。 I received an advanced copy from the author， all thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Megan
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Literal perfection！ Everything felt so natural。 No obvious miscommunication， actually the opposite - lots of real vulnerable communication which actually moved the romance along。 And the kissing *chefs kiss*！ You will love this book if you love any of the following: archery， wagers， a man who protects a woman from a near death experience， forced marriage， enemies/rivals to lovers， lots of history between the characters， a strong willed FMC， a walled off MMC with a very sad backstory who finally Literal perfection！ Everything felt so natural。 No obvious miscommunication， actually the opposite - lots of real vulnerable communication which actually moved the romance along。 And the kissing *chefs kiss*！ You will love this book if you love any of the following: archery， wagers， a man who protects a woman from a near death experience， forced marriage， enemies/rivals to lovers， lots of history between the characters， a strong willed FMC， a walled off MMC with a very sad backstory who finally opens his heart， the best book parents with great advice， kissing in the rain and a soaked through shirt on the guy， and lots and lots of kissing 😘Clean Regency romance with all the swoon！！！ 。。。more
Becca （beccas_bibliophilia）
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The love story of these two arch（er）nemeses has me OBSESSED 🏹I’m a big Joanna Barker fan， but this one might just take the cake。 Tristan and Marigold have the best kissing scene that Joanna has ever written， possibly the best one to ever exist。 Perfectly genuine。 Swoon-worthy。 Read it now。
Courtney | Bookish Beach Babe
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Read if you love:🏹rivals to lovers🏹exquisite verbal sparing🏹archery🏹forced proximity 🏹he’s grumpy but gooey on the inside🏹she’s feisty and quick witted 🏹supportive family🏹slow burn🏹dancing with the enemy“As much as I liked to win our verbal tussles with deft wit， sometimes it was a greater victory when I made Marigold laugh。 It went against her core belief that I had no sense of humor， and I enjoyed watching her fight that realization。”FRIENDS！ Stop what you’re reading and go read this book。 Ugh Read if you love:🏹rivals to lovers🏹exquisite verbal sparing🏹archery🏹forced proximity 🏹he’s grumpy but gooey on the inside🏹she’s feisty and quick witted 🏹supportive family🏹slow burn🏹dancing with the enemy“As much as I liked to win our verbal tussles with deft wit， sometimes it was a greater victory when I made Marigold laugh。 It went against her core belief that I had no sense of humor， and I enjoyed watching her fight that realization。”FRIENDS！ Stop what you’re reading and go read this book。 Ugh， it was that good！！ The rivalry and banter is some of the best I’ve read in regency romance。 I was dyyyyyying， but also swooning。 And finally！ Another book where the enemies dance！！ Why is that so much fun？！ The tension！！！ （@ finally found another！！）I absolutely adored Tristan and Marigold。 Both had such great character development and I loved seeing them come together in the most unexpected way。 The cave scene and the willow tree 🫠🫠 — that is all。 Marigold facing adversity head on was so admirable and the way Tristan supported her just melted my heart。 I think what I loved the most was that they were a zero drama couple。 Once they acknowledged their feelings there was no unnecessary shenanigans and they faced their true adversary side by side and in the most gratifying way。 There is so much more I could say， but I think it’s best to experience this book blind。 There are so many unexpected treats and twists and turns and it was so much fun to unwrap them like a special present。 I can’t recommend this enough！！ Thank you to the author for an advanced copy。 My thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Sylvia
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I love a good enemies to more story， and Joanna Barker has written an amazing one。 A Game of Hearts is a perfect example of why I love that trope—the way the attraction between Marigold and Tristan grew was wonderfully written。 It was also very interesting to learn more about archery in the Regency era。 There were several side characters whose stories I am dearly hoping are forthcoming （maybe even a redemption story for Sylvia？ ;））。 You don’t want to miss any of Joanna’s books！ 4。5/5 starsI rece I love a good enemies to more story， and Joanna Barker has written an amazing one。 A Game of Hearts is a perfect example of why I love that trope—the way the attraction between Marigold and Tristan grew was wonderfully written。 It was also very interesting to learn more about archery in the Regency era。 There were several side characters whose stories I am dearly hoping are forthcoming （maybe even a redemption story for Sylvia？ ;））。 You don’t want to miss any of Joanna’s books！ 4。5/5 starsI received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Amanda Parry
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This was a great read！ Very different from other regency romance novels， as the two main characters are competitors in archery。 Both characters are likeable， but are realistically flawed。 The story moves quickly and the romance develops at an engaging speed。 Another bonus: it's clean。 I highly recommend。 This was a great read！ Very different from other regency romance novels， as the two main characters are competitors in archery。 Both characters are likeable， but are realistically flawed。 The story moves quickly and the romance develops at an engaging speed。 Another bonus: it's clean。 I highly recommend。 。。。more
Krista
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REVIEW OF A Game of Hearts by @authorjoannabarker SYNOPSISMarigold Cartwell is a force to be reckoned with， on and off the archery field。 And if there's anyone up for the challenge， it's Tristan Gates。 For the past twelve years， the two have been nemeses unable to have a conversation free of insult， especially when it comes to archery。 Marigold lives for the competition， and Tristan thrives under pressure。In addition to her drive to personally put Tristan in second place， Marigold has tried for REVIEW OF A Game of Hearts by @authorjoannabarker SYNOPSISMarigold Cartwell is a force to be reckoned with， on and off the archery field。 And if there's anyone up for the challenge， it's Tristan Gates。 For the past twelve years， the two have been nemeses unable to have a conversation free of insult， especially when it comes to archery。 Marigold lives for the competition， and Tristan thrives under pressure。In addition to her drive to personally put Tristan in second place， Marigold has tried for years to gain admission to the bowmen's society， but the haughty baron at its head refuses to admit women。 In a rash act of defiance， Marigold announces that she will be forming her own society--no men allowed， by the way。 No matter; Tristan is plenty busy getting to the bottom of the unbecoming rumors he's heard of the woman his uncle is falling in love with。Despite their long history of contempt and competition， an accident coerces Marigold and Tristan to spend more time together and see each other in a new light。 With a significant competition approaching， what would be worse--falling short of the target， or falling in love？MY RATING5 stars！BRIEF REVIEWLoved this one！ What a great first ARC experience！ I enjoyed the banter， the family relationships， the conflict… Basically everything。 I would definitely read a sequel。BRIEF CONTENT GUIDE😘 Just kisses， some suggestive remarks🤐 No swearing🍷 Some mentions of alcohol and tea。🤕 Minor violence/injuryOther: Previous death of parentsBOTTOM LINEIf you're interested in regency romance but would like a fresh topic， read this one！FULL REVIEW AND CONTENT GUIDE available at https://betterbookbureau。weebly。com/r。。。 （blog link in bio）Thanks the the author for a complimentary advanced copy！ 。。。more
Lisa
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A highly competitive female archer during the Regency period？ Yes， please！ Enemies that call a truce and have a happily ever after？ Absolutely！ I wanted to read this as soon as I saw the cover and read the description。 I normally don’t like the banter that is written in enemies to lovers tropes because I find it annoying。 But… the crazy things that Marigold Cartwell and Tristan Gates say about and to each other had me laughing so much that my husband asked me what was so funny。 Do I stop and tel A highly competitive female archer during the Regency period？ Yes， please！ Enemies that call a truce and have a happily ever after？ Absolutely！ I wanted to read this as soon as I saw the cover and read the description。 I normally don’t like the banter that is written in enemies to lovers tropes because I find it annoying。 But… the crazy things that Marigold Cartwell and Tristan Gates say about and to each other had me laughing so much that my husband asked me what was so funny。 Do I stop and tell him and interrupt the scene？ Nope， I just keep laughing and point to the book。 The rivalry between Mari and Tristan had been going on for years and neither of them could really look past their stubbornness and prejudice to see the other person。 That is， until something happens to force Tristan to propose。 The growth and transformation that both of them experience as they begin to learn about each other was sooo good。 Ugh！ Lord Beauford was so arrogant， obnoxious， and egotistical that I could’t wait to see how Mari was going to beat him。 It all came down to the archery tournament and everything that she was trying to prove to not only Lord Beauford， but to their society。 I loved the ending， it couldn’t have been any better！ Three cheers， a round of applause and thunderous clapping for Mari and her ladies archery team。Tristan was the perfect match for Mari。 At first， he was just as prideful as Lord Beauford， but as I learned more about him I realized he was covering up for the extreme loss that had occurred in his life。 I loved that he set out to find ways to court Mari。 I highly recommend this book to readers of historical romance。 It’s wonderfully written and one that I will read again and again。 I was given a complimentary copy of the book。 A positive review was not required。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Game of Hearts
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Game of Hearts&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Game of Hearts&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0