Janna MacGregorReseñas

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

What an enjoyable treat, an anthology of secondary characters. Five authors have given us 5 stories staring interesting background characters that were worth another look. I have my favorite, it has one of my best loved leading character dukes making an appearance. There are a couple from authors I've never read and it didn't take away from the stories, they worked as stand alones. I'm going to admit that I was a bit disappointed in the writing style of a couple who I will not name here. Just not my cup of tea. There's a 50 shades of grey like story that was an eye opener, never had any idea that Regency upper crust nobs were so bawdy. I spend a nice afternoon on a rainy day and enjoyed catching up. The subtitle of this book is Seasons of Sin Anthology Collection Book 1 so there may be a book 2 coming.

#BigBukeEnergy #netgalley #Oliver Heber Books #KerriganByrne #ChristiCaldwell #AmelieHoward #JannaMacGregor #StacyReid #historicalromance #romance

A lovely start to a new series. The Duke of Pelhams family is first introduced in The Duchess of Drury Lane. The Duke is a friend of the main male character. There's a hint of tension between the Duke & Marcus, Earl of Trafford. It's only a hint & it's not followed up on until A Simple Seduction.

Honoria is the oldest of the Dukes sisters and she's had a tough time of it emotionally. Her Father was a cold horrid man & her Mother wasn't much of one. This ultimately leads to a situation no child should have to bear. She's so emotionally wrecked that she turns down a season in London & lives in the country full time. Her state of mind and self-doubt play a huge part in the plot. She's lovely, sweet, kind, everything you'd hope your child would grow up to be. She's learned to become invisible to the people around her, but Marcus comes along and sees her. Once he has he can't unsee her. He's got his own demons and between them it's a story full of coming into your own and finding happiness, accepting it & getting an HEA. I'm now waiting on the next book, another sister finding an HEA. I like this family.

#ASimpleSeduction #MillionairesofMayfair #historicalromance #romance #JannaMacGregor

Didn’t care. Skimmed.

Sooooo much better than the prior book.
Great growth, believable conflicts (nothing overwrought, no miscommunication, no secrets- all awful tropes) and some excellent spice.

Tedious.

WTAF- who chose that title? Makes absolutely NO sense- March had the WORST “luck.”
AAAARGH!! I have rarely been so incensed by the actions of an MMC. Michael did EVERYTHING wrong. He could have been so perfect but his timing snd rationalizations were infuriating. This spice here was premature and that added to making this, many individual and interesting plot points and characters, instead an amalgamation creating a dreadful plot.
Ugh, March- he done you wrong, over and over, and you instantly forgive him each time. I much preferred Emma holding Somerton’s feet to the fire. THAT is strength.
But I do like her pet name for him.

A very uneven telling. Was almost bored out of my mind listening to the first chapter. Most issues came down to the stupidity of the MMC. At 70%, he thinks to himself: “(I) should have been the one to tell her.” DUH!!! You only had your best friend saying that FOR WEEKS!!! MMC has some instalust going on (only redeeming feature of his, so far).

That annoyance aside, the FMC seems delightful and deserves better- HER story keeps me interested. I have 30% more to read so am waiting to see if the grovel will make up for his prior machinations. Pre-rating it as a 2 (meaning not a TOTAL waste of time). Will re-rate, if necessary, once I get to 100%.

UPDATE: Okay, fine. He started his long grovel and I’m good. Think this is one of those books that might improve upon a rereading bc you then understand everyone’s motivations more. Will try the next in the series.

Angsty and heartbreaking with personal sacrifice. Everyone deserves an HEA. High 3 overall.

A little tedious in final crisis, belaboring the angst. For heaven’s sake, what idiot takes the word of the villain instead of taking charge themself?

Author Janna MacGregor never, ever, ever disappoints, and A Simple Seduction, the first in the Millionaires of Mayfair series keeps up her string of successes. Your heartstrings will be tugged from the very first page, where thirteen-year-old Honoria is banished from her father’s home because she’s not really her father’s daughter but rather the product of a liaison between her mother and another man. She overhears the Duke of Pelham tell her mother he doesn’t want to see Honoria ever again, that he will send her away to school and provide for her keep, but that he is also writing a letter outlining the scandalous details which is to be presented to the man she is to marry – ruining her reputation and her life at that time, and doing the same to her siblings, by the way. No one can cross or overrule the Duke, but her older brother Dane runs out to see her off and vows that when he becomes the Duke of Pelham he will come and get her and she, Dane and younger sister Pippa will be together again.

The next we see of Honoria is eleven hears later. Dane is now the Duke of Pelham, as both parents have passed away. He kept his promise to bring Honoria home, but she is nearly a recluse. She refuses to go to London, to live in the family home there, or be part of society and the ton. She is content to remain at their estate in the country and tend to household matters. Nothing Dane nor Pippa can say will change her mind. She has not shared the shame of her birth with anyone and does not intend to; but she has enlisted help to find that letter her hateful father wrote and intends to destroy it before it can ruin her brother and sister.

Even though she is content with her life, she has dreamed of more, and when Dane hosts a masquerade she decides to have her one-and-only fling and attend the ball in disguise, seduce a man for a night, and then return to her life, still hoping to find that letter. She feels so unworthy our heart breaks again for her.

Sounds pretty simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? Not so fast. Leave it to author MacGregor to provide an abundance of fun, laughter, sweetness, steaminess, heroes and villains based on this premise. Honoria does meet a charming man at the masquerade. They agree not to exchange identities and just enjoy the night. But then enjoy the night becomes let’s enjoy a few days because they are truly enjoying themselves. What if’s flit through their minds, as well as wild speculation as to who the other might be – high born, low born, titled, farmer, part of a serving staff – they go on and on but the big reveal will catch you by surprise. Pretty hilarious, except that this is Regency England and Honoria is now dishonored. Her family might also be dishonored. And guess what? Feelings, spoken or not, have developed between these two. Honoria is at times too clever for her own good and creates additional problems. Marcus is determined to press on. Honoria is still looking for that letter.

A Simple Seduction is an enchanting story. It’s full of the horrors of the mores and rules of that time but also full of love and hope and loyalty and family. It’s the perfect beginning to what promises to be a perfect series. We get a glimpse of who might star in the next two books and I am looking forward to them. I recommend this book without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

A Regency romance Is always so much fun – and also always so infuriating. Society’s rules were strict, harsh, often cruel and unforgiving, and swiftly enforced without mercy. If you were not born to the aristocracy, a member of the ton, you were “beneath.” And if you were a woman, a member of society or not, you were under the so-called protection but actually the thumb of your father, brother, uncle, grandfather . . . almost all men had power over you. Not be punished, banished, ostracized, literally thrown out with nothing if you broke the rules or made your protector mad? Good luck with that. Not be told what to do, what to wear, who to see, who to marry – good luck with that, too. And marry for love? Ha, ha, ha. Marriages were brokered deals for the benefit of the men, for acquisition of land, power, money. Only widows had any autonomy because they were already ruined so society just didn’t care.

Celeste Worsley has been raised to be a future duchess. She’s only welcome in society by the grace of her grandfather, who agrees to see her through the Seasons in the ton and relieve her parents of their debt to him if Celeste marries a man of her grandfather’s choosing. Doesn’t sound much like grace, does it? Her grandfather is the Duke of Exehill and banished his own daughter when she married a man of her own choosing. He agreed to loan them funds to rebuild after a fire but the condition is Celeste’s marriage. Celeste wants her parents to be free so she agrees. She knows she won’t have any input into who her husband will be, but if that is the price to pay for her parents’ happiness, so be it.

There’s the little matter, though, of that unimaginably handsome, appealing Malcolm Hollandale, a chemist and one of the infamous self-made Millionaires of Mayfair. She’s loved him from the moment she first saw him (and that’s the best part of a romance novels: love is instant, from afar, and lasts a lifetime! Who wouldn’t swoon over that? It’s magical.). He’s always aloof around her and being a millionaire by no means makes him an accepted member of society, so she knows it’s hopeless to let herself imagine for even a minute that he could ever be her husband. Or reciprocate her feelings.

When the opportunity presents itself for a bit of naughty, wonderful, spicy time together – complete with kittens – she refuses to let it pass her by. This may be her only chance to experience something real with the man of her dreams, she may be married to one of her grandfather’s cronies soon for all she knows, and she makes it clear to Malcolm what she feels and what she wants.

Celeste is adorable. Honest, forthright, loyal, dependable, loving. And we get a little insight into her personality when she inwardly bristles at the part of her maid’s marriage vows that says, “I now pronounce you man and wife.” Why can’t it be, “I now pronounce you a couple dedicated to each other.” Equals, supporting each other.

Malcolm is the perfect hero, and perfect for Celeste. He’s not aloof, he has very definitely noticed her. But what he thought was snobbery on her part was shyness and discomfort. Now that they’ve cleared that up . . . . She loves the work he does and wants to be at his side helping, she feels valued and desired when she is around him – and he’s pretty darn good looking. He cherishes her, loves her mind, her spirit, her body. Yep, these two belong together. The scenes with them are so enjoyable – sweet, funny, steamy. But there is the evil Duke of Exehill to contend with and he has plans. Plans that are not for anyone’s benefit but his own. Can he be thwarted?

Author Janna MacGregor never fails to tell a delightful story that draws you in and thrills you from first page to last. Wonderful characters, wonderfully evil villains, perfectly-paced plot and just enough suspense before that HEA to keep things interesting. Thanks to the author for providing an advance copy of The Duchess of Drury Lane as part of her review crew. I love all her books, including this one, and recommend without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

**3.5 stars**
The Earl on the Train by Kerrigan Byrne
I have been waiting for so long for Sebastian’s story! I have to admit I had forgotten that Veronica was a past character in Kerrigan’s previous books but tbh in the story it doesn’t really matter. The attraction is hot as usual, and this was an enjoyable read. I appreciate that it was a novella because that made the forgiving Seb for his past transgressions whiz by.

Loved and Found by Christi Caldwell
This was the story that surprisingly connected most with me emotionally. It is a second chance romance with our characters having been separated when young. There is talk/vague-ish references to possibly DV but that wasn’t expanded on. I just found these Thaddeus and Edie’s story to be touching and I am glad they got their HEA.

The Wolf of Westmore by Amalie Howard
I really enjoyed Wolf and Jocelyn and my one complaint was I feel the story could have been fleshed out more in a proper book. I wanted moar! LOL.

Put Up Your Dukes by Janna MacGregor
This was the story I enjoyed the least. Martin the ML was not the best character. Infact I don’t believe he deserves Amelia. He was too prideful and whew, didn’t come to his senses till almost the end? She deserves better completely.

Duke of Every Sin by Stacy Reid
Enjoyable story by Stacy Reid. I also wanted more story like I did for the Amelia Howard’s story. Verity and Ethan’s story felt like the most “fairy-tale” amongst all the novellas in the collection too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC

How to Best a Marquess is the end of The Widow Rules trilogy, the last of the tales of the trouble Meri the Trigamist left behind when he died. I have been waiting eagerly for this book, and just like in the first two books author Janna MacGregor has shown how good she is at this romance thing. Once you start reading you can’t stop. You’ll sigh and flutter your eyelids and press your hand to your heart and wish you could step into the pages and knock some sense into these two. As always, a good plot, fascinating characters, some passion and heat, and some danger to keep it all interesting. Another great read. Wonderful as a standalone, even better if you read the entire series.

You have to love Regency England. Well, you have to love reading about it; imagining having to live in it - not so much. Father rules, daughter obeys. Where to go, what to wear, how to speak, who to marry. Father dies? No problem, brother takes over. Same rules, same restrictions. Except that maybe the brother cares even less about this young lady’s needs, wants and desires than the father did. And that, in just a couple of sentences, is Beth’s life.

Beth’s HEA was in sight when handsome, sexy, thoughtful, charming, etc., etc., etc. Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson, said he was going to ask her brother St. John for her hand in marriage. And that was the last time Julian spoke to her. No explanation, just a suitor no more. So when her selfish, spendthrift brother tells her marriage to Meri is her best prospect she goes along. She’s heartbroken and bitter after being abandoned by Julian, but she still retains a little hope. Until Meri spends what seems like a few short minutes with her and then is off with her dowry. When Meri suddenly dies and the story of his three widows becomes known Beth is rejected and shunned by the ton. And now she feels heartbroken, bitter and hopeless.

Grayson is a good man with a good heart, but his father lost their fortune and now Grayson is barely able to keep his marquessate going. He loved Beth and marrying her would have been the best thing in his life. But St. John turned him away, calling him a fortune hunter and threatening to ruin his family if he had further contact with Beth. And, he thinks, maybe Beth will have a better life without him, will have the things she wants and needs instead of being brought down to poverty and shame.

Beth, however, is done with shame. If the ton does not want to acknowledge her, fine, but she will not agree to another marriage demanded by her brother. She will find out what Meri did with her dowry and live independently, and she knows just who she can convince to help her, who needs funds just as much as she does: Julian.

With that plan launched the tragically parted lovers are reunited (for a business deal of course) and are off on an unchaperoned adventure, finding clues, associating with unsavory, dangerous people – and fighting to keep that spark that is still between them from bursting into a flame. But maybe some fire would be a good thing?

How to Best a Marquess is a delightful story. Beth and Julian are so obviously in love and meant to be, even if first one pulls back, then the other – it’s sweet and scorching at the same time. Julian’s faithful servant Cillian always has his back and is handy with unsolicited advice, Beth and Julian’s friends Kat and Christian and Constance and Jonathan are there for them, St. John is as evil a brother as ever was, the ton is as snooty as can be, and the Regency mores and morals make you blink at their ridiculous rigidity. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of this book via NetGalley for my heartwarming reading pleasure and honest opinion. I loved this book and this series and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5

ROAD TRIP!!!! Second Chance Romance!!!! I have not read the first two books in this series, but I don’t feel that was a detriment to reading this one. However, it might have given me more insight into the trigamist, Lord Meriwether (Meri) Vareck, who was the brother of Christian Vareck, the Duke of Randford – the hero from the prequel, Where There’s A Will, and the first book, A Duke In Time. Maybe something from those earlier books might have made the understand why there didn’t seem to be any real animosity toward Meri.

Eight years prior to the current story, Blythe Elizabeth (Beth) Howell wants to marry Julian Raleah, future Marquess of Grayson – and he wants to marry her. That, however, does not happen and her wastrel brother persuades her to marry Meri Varek – who leaves her after only two weeks. When he dies, she discovers she isn’t legally his wife and that there are two other ‘wives’. She is, of course, ruined and shunned by the ton after that. They view her as a fallen woman, and she got absolutely nothing out of the deal. She didn’t even get her dowry back. At least the other two ‘wives’ got something out of the deal. One got a prize Hampshire pig (yep) and the other got the income from a 10-year lease on an iron ore mine, but Beth got nothing. With her brother trying to marry her off to an aging, toothless duke, Beth decides to track down all the places Meri went and find her dowry. Yep – I didn’t see the logic in that either - did she think he'd left an envelope for her at some gambling hell?

Beth is determined to find her dowry on her own, yet she cajoles Julian into helping her. Julian has now inherited the title and the marquessate is practically in dun territory. Beth knows he needs the money as badly as she does, so she proposes to split any money they find. Since Julian desperately needs the money – and he’s still desperately in love with Beth – he agrees.

Their road trip included a farmer with a very risqué statue, a ninja rooster, a highwayman, a night of gambling, a kidnapping, and many attempted steamy love scenes. Yep – it seems that each time they’d get close, they were interrupted by Julian’s strange manservant.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I wouldn’t read it a second time – and if I were buying a book for a friend, I’d probably choose another (book not friend). There were just too many annoying things in it – like the ploy of all of those interruptions – it got extremely tiresome. The whole push/pull between them (well mostly within Beth) also got tiresome and Beth’s reasons were just kept much too long. Believe it or not, I’m still going to round up my 3.5 stars to 4 because I did like the story – or maybe I just really wanted to like the story – I’m not sure which.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summary
Christian arrived home from war because his brother and father passed away and he is now the Duke of Randford. He plans to focus on helping the men who fought along side him and came back to England with nothing. He finds out his brother, Meri, was married, not once, but three times! Christian has to clean up the mess, but when he meets Kat, Constance and Blythe, Kat convinced him to help the widows his brother left behind. As they try to sort out the mess his brother, Lord Meriweather, left behind, Kat and Christian realize the depths of each others characters and slowly fall in love.

Tropes: Blustocking heroine, titled hero, ton society, virgin heroine, class difference, war hero, brothers wife, alpha hero, secret identity, orphan, widow

The Plot : I thought the plot was excellent and I kept thinking I knew where it was going, but then it took a different turn! Kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat! I wish Kat would have been honest with Christian about her and Meri’s relationship from the beginning, but I guess that would have sped but the steam and cut the swoon/wooing in half. It was an interesting read, a slow burn romance, and I’m looking forward to reading about the other wives outcomes.

The Heroine : Katherine Vareck is an independent woman who married Meri to gain respectability among the ton, but she still had hopes she would develop feelings for him and have a family she always wanted. She is a very determined, smart, and driven woman and I really enjoyed getting to know her and see her poise as she navigated the mess her late husband left for her! She has an amazing heart and we see that throughout the book as she selflessly helps those in need.

The Hero : Christian, the new Duke of Randford, is a beloved war hero, sho just returned home and is ready for the next stage of his life: marriage, family, and helping other soldiers returning from war. He, just like Kat, has a generous heart and really seeks out the love she wasn’t shown growing up. He is a hopeless romantic and it just pulled at my heart strings!

The Steam : Honestly, there were one or two steamy scenes but nothing to hot. This book was more about the SWOON, than the steam for me! Christian was such a romantic and the descriptions of their feelings for each other, gosh, Jenna MacGregor can describe one’s inner thoughts so well, that I found myself going, ‘oh, I feel that same way about my husband!’

Stand Out Moment : When he shows up in York, and she confesses everything to him; I just melted at his respect for her decisions and his response to her was definitely swoon worthy!

Who Would Like This : Anyone who wants a feel good, romantic love story!

Final Thoughts : This book is swoons more than steamy and I’m totally okay with that!

Second chance romance

This second chance romance started out with great promise. Part of a series that’s had at it’s center three women who’d found out that they’d been all married to the same person, Lord Meriwether Vareck.
Beth (Blythe Elizabeth Howell) has promised herself to never marry again, and find out what has happened to her lost dowry.
Only her self-centered brother has decided to marry her off once more to an older lord in exchange for money, just like her first non marriage. I am at a loss to understand why Beth couldn’t find her voice to say NO!
Of course she’s a scandalous figure—even more so after she and Lord Meriwether’s two other wives/widows became friends. (Sister wives almost!)
So Beth is chasing down what’s happened to her dowry with longtime friend and foresworn would-be-husband Lord Julian Grayson. Grayson caused her heartache as a young woman. Julian is now a Marquis who requires funds to attract backers for his steam engine. He agrees to help Beth in exchange for the funds he needs when her dowry’s found.
We’re treated to them charging around the countryside with a strange Irish valet, meeting all sorts of mishaps, whilst panting after each other, with Beth still vowing never to marry again. Julian goes from broken hearted swain with a conscience, to lusty lover, to defender of the woman he’s always loved. Beth goes from a young woman determined never to give into her feelings, to a siren, and back again to uptight widow. The will I, won’t I, push and pull between the two drove me crazy.
I did like the Duke of Pelham, a strange man who looked after his sisters unlike Beth’s awful brother.
So many adventures and yet in the end all I could wish for was a quick exit.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

I hate giving negative reviews. Let me preface this one by saying I really loved the first book in this series, I read literally hundreds of historical romances in 2021 and it made my top 5 for the year! I liked the second book better than average as well and gave it 4 stars. When I saw this one available as an ARC it was a no-brainer (this review is voluntary, etc.). I even have a soft spot for road trip and second-chance romances, and characters who are inventors! But somehow this one just fell incredibly flat for me.

I won't go on and on, but I'll explain some of my reasons because everyone cares about different qualities in a book, and the things I disliked maybe won't matter at all to others.

My biggest frustration was that both main characters seemed to be incredibly daft throughout. Over and over I'd actually have to pause reading for a moment just to cope with their simple-headedness. So many of their troubles they heaped upon themselves! I can feel sorry for slow characters and still root for them, but the heroine I actually disliked on top of it. At the very end of the book she finally admits to some of her faulty assumptions and flaws that had been getting in their way for hundreds of pages, but then the book was over, so, little good it did me. The plot seriously strained believability, and on top of that felt like all of it had been unnecessary to begin with, one 30 second conversation could have saved them literal years of heartache. (I totally get the impulse to interrupt your characters as well (in conversation or steam) when things are heating up, it draws out the tension, but that technique was used entirely too frequently in this book. After like the 6th time it was not a delicious slow burn, it was just tedious.) And to top it off, the writing felt like just a bunch of cliches strung together.

I have no idea if the muse just abandoned the author or if she was tending to an ailing parent or child or something this past year but still had to churn out a book, or if this one just wasn't at all my sort. It won't stop me from reading future books by her, but I'm glad this particular one is over.

Avalon had a tough life...married to the non-love of her life, sold off like so much cattle, and treated like anything but the amazing woman she was...and to add insult to injury, even after death doth parted her from most her troubles, those left behind continued to encroach on her world. All she wanted was to help those that she could, and raise her son as the little lord that he was, complete with a tender heart and sensibilities to help those in need...without interference, or a spy! Albeit he was definitely the handsomest one that a woman could hope for! Enter Vicar Devan Farris...

If the rumors are to be believed...and why wouldn't they be...he's a man of the cloth who has also taken the cloth off many a woman in his parish with his dashing good looks, and debonair charm. In short, he's a rake ...and yes, the one attributed with the double term of wild in the title of this very book...and he's also the last person Avalon wishes to deal with in her vicinity. Thing is...we don't always get what we want, and often it's the very thing we don't want that we need. When one thing leads to another, these two get the chance that they never wished for and yet, now that it's plain to see, can't bare to back away from. Of course, it won't be without its own set of obstacles (one in particular named Penelope will cause quite a bit of trouble!), but then again, the things really worth the effort, the people that should truly be in our lives are worth it.

This was a FABULOUS Historical Romance with characters that were true of heart. They were filled with such passion for helping others, and doing what was right by all, that one wouldn't stop feeling righteous on their behalf. When the tender moments came to pass, I couldn't stop myself from hoping that this time, this moment was the one they would finally see to each other's hearts. My lady and the vicar were quite the characters indeed, as were the townspeople and their attendants, but I must say, I held a soft spot for our little Lord Thane as well. He was such a perceptive young man, and the plain truths that he spoke from the heart, held wisdom beyond their years.

If you're a fan of the genre, take a chance on the Cavensham clan!


**copy received for review; opinions are my own

The reason to keep them from just being happily together already was quite weak. But I decided to just play along like it made sense, and still ended up enjoying the rest of the book above average, so I'm giving it 4 stars anyway. Childhood sweethearts, second chance, wounded soldier, female business owner, and Beauty and the Beast tropes. I think the hero is an especially memorable character, but both leads were likable, and I was happy for them to be together in the end. It wasn't quite as strong as the first book in the series, in my opinion, but I'm very interested to see where the series goes from here.

I received an advance copy for reviewing purposes, these are my honest opinions.

As with most anthologies, this was sort of a mixed bag. The first and last were definitely the strongest for me. The heat levels were mixed as well, a few felt especially steamy, but one or two felt quite average.

KB- Well damn. I really wasn't expecting Sebastian to redeem himself after the nonsense he pulled at the end of The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. He just didn't really seem like 'leading man' material. But, I did end up rooting for both of them, and I really enjoyed this story. It fills you in on all their important backstory to a remarkable degree, so it probably could stand on its own, though there are spoilers for tDwtDT if you did end up reading this first, so be forewarned. I don't know how Byrne was able to reset the stage bringing forward all the important bits to their previous interactions, further flesh out their characters and personal backstories, add current plot besides just the two of them together, AND still dedicate like half the pages to steam. lol. All in just a novella! It's really kind of a marvel. A lovely addition to the Victorian Rebels series. 5 stars.

CC- I tend to like the childhood sweethearts, class difference, second chance sort, so this started off promising, but I think Caldwell's writing just isn't really for me. I didn't 'buy' it. Aspects seemed inconsistent and unlikely, the characters seemed a little wooden. I found myself giving the page squinty skeptical looks. lol. 2 stars.

AH- I have enjoyed the two previous books in this series (and there were nice cameos from those previous couples), but this was a bit too far-fetched for me and the gaps in reason a little too prevalent. I actually rolled my eyes at multiple points, and things kept taking me out of the story. I kept thinking 'I don't think that's how that works'. There was a nice dose of steam, but unfortunately it ended up being 2 stars for me.

JM- I've liked MacGregor's writing previously, but didn't care for this one all that much. It felt a bit 'on the nose' or something. 'Gossip? Bad! Orphans? Good!' =/ I didn't entirely buy the characters' feelings, so I ended up not caring all that much for them. They handled things poorly for the majority of the story anyway. Hands down the strongest part of the story was the steam. (Though I would have felt more invested in those scenes had I cared more for the characters). A low 3 stars.

SR- This was nice. The characters were mostly reasonable, which I like. And though it's harder to go from complete strangers to love in so short of a story, I think Reid pulled it off. I liked both leads and felt like they're well suited to each other. 4 stars.

I received an advance copy for reviewing purposes, all opinions are my own.

Widow Rules continue!

Marriage of convenience trope given an interesting twist. Childhood friends reunite under strained circumstances. Constance Lysander had married a scoundrel who committed not bigamy but trigamy. Pregnant Constance needs a husband and friend Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, agrees to marry her to legitimise her child. A decorated sharpshooter in the Napoleonic wars, Jonathan was badly injured and is very much a recluse. Alongside that he’s been unjustly accused, at this stage by the rumour mill, of action unbecoming a gentleman, very much against the military’s rules of conduct.
Jonathan is loathe to marry but this is the friend he’s loved forever.
Constance operates a ship building company and has her own worries. Neither is able to confide in the other. Unbeknownst to each they’re facing a common enemy, and that plays havoc with the restoration of their relationship. Their coming together, hard won, has the hermit leaching out of Jonathan, but is their love going to be strong enough to face another enemy closing in on their hard won life together?
A predictable but pleasant read.

A St Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in Janna MacGregor's delightful new series, The Widow Rules. It would be best to read the first book in the series before reading this one. Constance Lysander needs a husband; her first husband died suddenly, leaving her with child and unsure if her marriage was legal in the first place as he had two other wives.
Her childhood best friend Jonathon Easton, Earl of Sykeston, agrees to become her husband. Severely injured in the war and bedevilled by threats and rumours, Jonathon plans this to be a marriage of convenience only. Constance, of course, has other ideas and blows into his life like a fresh breeze making him wish he could offer her all the love she deserves. I enjoyed this story very much and recommend reading it. Love, friendship, a nasty villain, a hint of mystery and a hard-won HEA make this story one you won't want to put down. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date April 26, 2022. #StMartinsPress #StMartinsPaperbacks #RulesForEngagingTheEarl #JannaMacGregor #historicalromance #historicalromancereader #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #romancereader #bookreviewer #NetGalley

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor
The Widow Rules #2

Second chance romance that sees injured war veteran and his childhood friend married…and then a whole lot of hurdles are put in their path to overcome.

What I liked:
* Jonathan: marksman, inured in the war, childhood friend of Constance, in physical pain, emotionally distant, libeled, and there for Constance if not there for himself.
* Constance: business woman, widow of a bigamist, mother to Aurelia, friend to the two other wives of her deceased husband, hoping that she and Jonathan will have a “real” marriage
* The part the collection of essays and book of knots played in the romance
* Ginger: Jonathan’s dog…wily beast and good friend…eats at the dinner table with the people
* Aurelia: Constance’s daughter, charmer, unlocks some of Jonathan’s heart
* North: butler and good friend to Jonathan although a bit of a meddler
* Seeing the other people in the series
* The way Jonathan finally came out of his funk and dealt with issues that needed to be dealt with
* That the bad guy was found and dealt with

What I didn’t like:
* The bad guy and what he had gotten away with for too long
* Having to wait for the next book in the series

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars½

The second book in The Widow Rules series is even better than the first, especially if like the second-chance romance. Constance and Jonathan were undeclared childhood sweethearts who would have been married had circumstances not transpired against them. Instead, she was swept off her feet by a rogue who made her one of his three wives. As it turns out, she was the only one who was pregnant and in need of a legitimate husband to avoid having her child born illegitmate so, in her hour of need, she calls on her friend who immediately rides to her rescue.

Still fighting off the pains of war, both mental and physical, Jonathan believes he has nothing to offer the only woman he has ever loved and refuses to consider otherwise. He is willing to marry her, however, even when she learns that she was the one legitimate wife and the urgency of their marriage has passed. The wedding ceremony does not begin their happily ever after. In fact, it is the beginning of their struggle as Jonathan’s thoughts of uselessness continue to weigh him down while Constance wants nothing more than to offer her love.

With the help of interfering staff and friends, the two are finally brought together and begin to fight their way towards a love that lasts. The story reveals the ravages of war, the constancy of true friendship, and the benefits of meddling by those who truly care. The story is sweet and passionate filled with humor and hope despite the turmoil the characters face. It’s a must-read and can be enjoyed even without having read the first book in the series, although I highly recommend that one as well.

Regency Romance starbursts!

Lusty dukes and their equally adventurous duchesses or those destined to be so, even if they don’t know it at the beginning. A pocketful of entertaining and raunchy Regency romances by leading lights of the genre combine to makeup a tantalising anthology.
Swoon worthy dukes with secrets and panache.Lovely ladies, their light and fate.
A lively and steamy read, with all five stories having their distinct voice and own charm.
How to measure a Duke or a Duchess? Plenty here gives food for thought.
Featuring different tropes from marriage of convenience and reformed rake through to second chance romance and enemies to lovers. Something for everyone. I must admit to a smile of appreciation for Artie a very young defender who carries a dagger in Stacey Reid’s Duke of Every Sin.

An Xpresso Book Tours ARC via NetGalley

Big Duke Energy
Seasons of Sin Anthology Collection book 1

Excellent collection of stories that provide readers the opportunity of reading five new or already loved authors work. Some of the stories are related to series already. The descriptions of the stories in the blurb are accurate and yet do not tell it all.

What I liked:
* The variety from second chances to marriages of convenience
* The era
* The steamy embraces
* That some were virgins while others had experienced more and even abusive husbands though widows in their current stories
* That the rakes sometimes had hearts of gold
* That the women were strong and equal to the men they fall in love with
* that the men fall just as hard for the women
* Some of the supporting characters
* Knowing that there will be more Seasons Anthologies to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* The pain some of the characters must have endured before they managed their happily ever after

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by these authors? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars