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The Winning Hand
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Plot Summary of The Winning Hand
"Darcy Wallace is down on her luck. She only has 10 dollars in her pocket. She has no job, no house, friends and no family. Her car has died down a mile outside Las Vegas. Out of an insane and unknown decision, she converts the last money she has into slot machine tokens. She plays the slot machine and then her luck changes. She has won two millions dollar in the machine. And then she faints. She awakens to find herself in a beautiful suite and the owner of the Comanche Vegas, Mac Blade congratulating her. Mac has been alerted by Darcy's teetering and strange behavior. When he tells her that she has won the jackpot money, he inquires of her background making sure that she is not being chased by the police. He also suggests to her to have a makeover at their beauty salon which Darcy agrees to. Darcy can't believe how money can suddenly change her life. She can buy whatever she needs and she can only be answerable to herself. She has always lived a life where someone tells her what to do. Now she's free of it. She can write novels as she has dreamed of doing and without taking a job.
Mac marvels at the fabulous change in Darcy. Initially, he intends to take care of her since she is totally clueless about what to do with her fortune. He even recommends her his uncle, who's a lawyer, to protect her wealth from swindlers. But as he spends more time with Darcy, he begins to feel attracted to Darcy. He honorably stays off distance because seducing her will mean that he's taking advantage of her. But slowly his protective nature becomes a possessive one.
Darcy doesn't want to return to Kansas. She's afraid of what Gerald, her ex-fiancee, will do. Gerald has been the man who has turned violent on her when she has broken of their engagement. He evicts Darcy out of her apartment, turns her friends against her – so that she can return to Gerald and rely on him. Now that she has money, she intends to stay at Las Vegas and be away from Gerald. But her anonymity is revealed when the media hears about her lucky win. Not long after Gerald arrives to convince her to return back with him to Kansas. But with her new found courage and with Mac's support, she refuses Gerald and tells him to go back alone.
Now that she's completely free from her fears, Darcy has the problem of seducing Mac. She wants him not to feel responsible towards her but to feel attracted to her. She has fallen in love with Mac with his strong and honorable nature. She has also acquired a new family with Mac's lively and big group of family who has adopted and treated her like their daughter. With the help of his family, Darcy shows him that she is not his responsibility but she's a woman who loves him.
"

Katrina Lo, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Winning Hand
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Inner struggle subplot Yes
Struggle with... - angst over abusive past lover
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - small businessman
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - nearly 100%
Focus of story - Her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The Winning Hand
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A Man of Means by Diana Palmer


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Nora Roberts Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Rachael High  

SCHOLARS:
Katrina Lo  Jess  Sandra Calhoune  Neta  Amy  Nelly Morgado  Brandy Todd  Kalpa   Casee Miller  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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