Prepare yourself because the beginning of this story is to make you cry.
********

Nicholas St. Mauer receives in Eton the visit of his father, the duke of Renton.
Renton had never visited his son. In fact, Nicholas had been sent away from home since he was five years old. Her mother had died in childbirth and Nick and her father's relationship was zero.
Nicholas was extremely intelligent, especially for Mathematics, and had several instructors who marveled at his gift.

Being the good friend he was, Nicholas tried to help a friend, Lord Paul Bartstowe, about a gambling debt. Renton's reaction was the worst possible (it's heartbreaking) and since then, father and son have never seen each other again.

The years go by and Nicholas makes his own fortune.
He has as best friend and partner the Marquis of Pembrooke, Alex Hallworth.

Alex had married Claire (book # 1) the former suitor of his greatest enemy, Paul Bartstowe.
Claire's cousin, Lady Emma Cavensham, was duke's daughter, and had a predilection for reading literature not so appropriate for a lady. And she could do crazy things to get such books.
It was an adventure like that she and Nicholas meet when she tried to sneak out of a ball to meet a man who would sell her a rare first-edition book. Nicholas intercepts her carriage and takes her back home. The next day, he gives her the book she wanted from his private library. As a thank-you, she kisses him. This kiss was in the memory of both...

But the years go by and they continue only as acquaintances.
Both were godfathers to the twin kids of Claire and Alex, so they always met at family gatherings. But they had two more things in common: they liked to read and did not want to get married.

Nicholas had as his goal of life a wealth greater than that of his father, who had been writing systematically for Nicholas for months, but all letters were burned unread. Marriage was not in his plans.

Emma had advanced thoughts about how women should have certain rights, such as borrowing money from the bank and managing their own money. And there were still facts that her best friend, Lena Eaton, had married Earl of Aulton, and when she was close to giving birth, she had died mysteriously. Emma was sure Aulton was beating his wife and he had murdered her.
It was a matter of principle for Emma to get proof that Aulton was a murderer, and put him in jail.

Emma's family even agreed with her progressive thinking, but to accuse Aulton of murder, they didn't.
But Emma was determined to do that.
She had the complicity of Daphne, Alex's sister, to travel to Portsmouth behind the indictment.

Nicholas knows of Emma's journey and takes on the responsibility of preventing her from doing another irresponsible act.
But this time, Emma had reached the limit of putting herself in danger, and would need the help of all the family's men to reach her goal.

A very interesting plot, with a female main character full of advanced ideas.
Although there is a romance in the story, other themes brought by the author are highlighted in the narrative.
Emma was blessed with a family that supported and loved her, so I think some of her actions might have been better thought out.
4,5 stars

4.5 stars
Nicholas St. Mauer, the Earl of Somerton is the of the cold-hearted Duke of Renton, he doesn’t involve himself in society nor open his own heart to anyone. However he’s driven by honour & ever since he & Lady Emma Cavensham shared a kiss he feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on her. Emma can’t deny the appeal of the earl’s attention, and occasional affection, but she has no need for a man. There are worse fates than spinsterhood, as Emma knows too well. She still mourns the loss of her dear friend Lena, and is determined to prove Lena’s husband Aulton responsible for her death before he lures another innocent woman into a brutal marriage. Emma journeys to Portsmouth, Nick follows & a compromising moment upends all their plans.
The second book in the series & whilst it could well be read as a stand alone novel I’d definitely recommend reading the first in the series & I so look forward to the rest of the series too. Another well written engrossing book. Nick & Emma are both strong characters who want to abide by their principles & at times both are very blinkered & unwilling to stray from the path they’ve chosen. I wanted to shake them both at times but their eyes were gradually opened. The pace was good & I wanted to reach the end hoping that Aulton would get his just desserts. There was plenty of humour, some spice & also some tear jerking moments, in fact everything you need in a good romance. I found a couple of things implausible but it’s fiction so I could live with them as overall the book was so good.

There is so much that goes on between the pages of the covers here. Strong characters and sometimes unbelievable story lines takes you from scene to scene. There is strong passion in our heroine, she loves deeply and recklessly. She is strong willed and hard headed in her resolve to bring her friends murderer to justice. There is so much emotion in The Bride Who Got Lucky that I am compelled to wait out the rest of the series.

Lady Emma Cavensham is a very fun character with the high jinks that she gets up to, but completely impossible to believe for her time. I found that there were a lot of plot points that would never occur during the period in which the story takes place, which threw me off a bit. I also occasionally found Emma to be very frustrating in her single mindedness on how to solve certain problems, for as intelligent and creative as she is written that trait seems to turn on and off. However, I loved Emma and Nick together and the relationship between the two is very kind and loving, and made the story worth reading.

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Bride Who Got Lucky was an absolutely charming romance featuring a strong-willed heroine, a noble hero and a quest for justice.

Nicholas St. Mauer, at the behest of his friend Lord Pembrooke, keeps an eye on Lady Emma Cavensham who has a tendency to get herself into unfortunate situations despite her innocent intentions. While Emma admires the reclusive Earl's efforts, she doesn't need a man to look after her and simply wishes to go about her business in her own way. However, while seeking to avenge the death of her best friend Lena, Emma is caught in a compromising position and the Earl may be the only one who can help her.

Emma is firm in her belief that women should have a better place in society and sets out with the goal of helping women have more choice in their lives. I admired her goal of opening a bank for women and enjoyed watching her work towards her goal. Emma feels a lot of grief over the fact she couldn't help her best friend escape her marriage and I understand why she would be so stubborn about righting the wrong of her death. Her anger over Lena's death also gives weight to Emma's fear of marriage and helped me understand why she felt the way she did.

Nick was cut off by his father after a misunderstanding in his youth and has dedicated his life to becoming a successful businessman with the goal of surpassing his father's wealth. This confrontation with his father also reinforced Nick's beliefs about cutting those who wronged him out of his life. Nick became an incredibly reserved individual and he avoids closeness with anyone in order to avoid ever being hurt again.

At the start of the story, we see the onset of Emma and Nick's friendship that builds naturally over the course of the book. Nick is intrigued by Emma's spirit from their first meeting and Emma sees in Nick a kindred spirit willing to fight for what they believe at all costs. Their friendship was one of my favorite aspects of their relationship as romance couples don't always start off with that foundation. From the start Emma and Nick have great chemistry and an attraction that's obvious to anyone but them. When things progress the physical aspects are very steamy and incredibly well done.

Overall, The Bride Who Got Lucky was a very past-paced read that improves upon the first book in the series and I can't wait for the third book in the series, The Luck of the Bride, to release next year.

Take an Earl who wants nothing to do with attachments and a Lady who is outspoken and wants to live her life doing what she wants without being told by a husband what to do....and what do you get? A very strong attraction with danger and self learning. Great story showing two people coming together and learning to give and take and let go of their past.

Nicholas St. Mauer, the Earl of Somerton has worked very hard to make his own fortune. The ton might look down on him for going into trade, but it means everything to him to succeed.
Lady Emma Cavensham is desperately sad over the death of her best friend. She blames herself for not protecting her. She is determined never to marry and lose control over her life.
Both our hero and heroine have very strong ideas on what they expect from themselves and their lives. Unfortunately for our heroine women of her time don't always get a choice.
This is quite an emotional story where you will be totally drawn in to the characters lives. I expect there will be other stories to follow because the secondary characters we met are well worth hearing more from.
A thoroughly entertaining read.

The Bride who got lucky was great!! I loved The Bad Luck bride but this one is by far my favorite!! Janna Mac Gregor is a Great Historical Romance Writer!!!

Such a wonderful historical romp. Enjoyed it. Good solid writing.

Mixed Feelings 3.5*.
I have mixed feelings about this book, some parts I thought were good, whilst others were so outside of what society would expect in the early C18th that I felt uncomfortable, and I therefore didn’t enjoy it. To me it was just not believable that an unmarried man who was not related to a woman would have travelled to a distant town to rescue (return her to her family) a woman staying unaccompanied in an inn. He would have chased around Town to find her brother or have taken an older woman with him to act as chaperone. She was compromised as soon as they spent any time alone with each other, let alone the actual shenanigans that went on. Sorry this story was not for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I read a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This is the second book in the authors series The Cavensham Heiresses. I think it can be read on its own as I have the first book in my TBR pile but have not read it yet. Over all I did enjoy reading this book despite the heroine having a few TSTL moments and the punishment for sneaking out to purchase a book not in keeping with the supposedly loving relationship she has with her parents, plus question why the hero was sent to intercept her. The sizzle level was medium high. I loved that the heroine Emma plans to create a bank for women. Many of the issues raised in the story are ones that women are still dealing with in the present day. I also really enjoyed how the hero Nick and the heroine Emma talk to each other and try and work through their disagreements with each other. I would recommend this book and plan on reading the other books I have in my TBR pile by the author Janna MacGregor.

Nickolas Armand Drake St. Mauer Somerton, The Earl of Somerton , he was rejected as a child by his father. His mother died in childbirth. Lady Emma Eliza Juliana Cavensham is the Duke of Langham's only daughter she is always getting into scrapes and her best friend was murdered.
A lovely tale of two people trying to come together and having a heck of time doing it. There is so much going on in this story. The characters are well rounded, warm, and they support each other, you can tell that they love each other. This is a complex plot but it is so well written. There is humor, I did a little bit of laughing. The banter between them and her family is sweet and funny. I thought this was a great book, I read it straight thru, it was that mesmerizing.

Publisher's Description:

He would do anything to protect her. Even marry her…
The son of a cold-hearted duke, Nicholas St. Mauer isn’t one to involve himself in society…or open his own heart to anyone. But driven by honor, the reclusive Earl of Somerton feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham. She possesses a penchant for passions unbecoming a woman that finds Nick in constant peril of losing his well-structured solitude. She even dared kiss Nick once—an utterly unladylike, and delightful, lapse…

Emma can’t deny the appeal of the earl’s attention, and occasional affection, but she has no need for a man. There are worse fates than spinsterhood, as Emma knows too well. She still mourns the loss of her dear friend Lena, and is determined to prove Lena’s husband responsible for her death before he lures another innocent woman into a brutal marriage. But as Emma pursues her prey, a compromising moment upends all her plans. Now, with gossip swirling and her reputation in tatters, Nick may be the only man brave enough to join in Emma’s cause. . .and fight for her heart.

My Thoughts:

This is my first time reading anything by this particular author. I discovered this is the second book in this series, but I have not read the first book.

This book wasn't what I expected. It started out very intriguing but somewhere along the way it bogged down and I found it difficult to complete it. I did finish it, but I put it aside for a number of weeks before I picked it up again. I did, however skim back over what I had read before to refresh my memory.

At the start of the book Nicholas St. Mauer is a young man who excels at school in a number of ways. He is however the son of an uncaring Duke who at the slightest indiscretion decides he no longer wants anything to do with his son.

Then we jump ahead fourteen years to Emma who has troubles of her own. They are loosely connected by a man who had befriended Nicholas on that faithful day when his father pretty much disowned him. You never really know what brought these two together and about six chapters in I lost interest.
I started the book in early September and finally finished it mid October.
I may have found the book more compelling had I read the first book in the series and became familiar with characters that were secondary in this book.

I feel this book should not be read as a standalone title. I think you probably need to have read the first book to get the maximum enjoyment out of this one.


I gave this book 3.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development. The characters were on the most part well developed but I found them to be weak. The sensual rating is also low, 2.0 of 5.0 flames. I found the intimacy between the hero and heroine unbelievable and not as well written as some other parts book this book.

I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the opportunity to read The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor. It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a novel by Ms. MacGregor, and now I remember why I used to read all of her books. I must read the first book in this series.

The Bride Who Got Lucky is an emotionally-charged romance. The love story is enthralling and drew me in from the start. In fact, I read this in an evening, so the pacing is excellent. The writing is smooth and flowing, the characters are well developed, and the plot is good. My one issue with this book is that the heroine’s actions are a bit too forward thinking. A regency woman would not have been. Nonetheless, her actions did make this an intriguing read. The premise does deal with circumstances faced by women of this age where “the rule of thumb” applied.

Emma’s character is interesting. Her motives are genuine and compassionate. Her determination for justice is honorable. As I mentioned, while some of her actions were too modern, they are an integral aspect of the story and made it a great book.

Nick is the kind of hero I love. He’s damaged, edgy, tormented and determined to keep his heart firmly under lock and key. He’s a man of principle and almost allows it to destroy the one he loves the most. I loved his desire to protect Emma regardless of his great need to protect his heart.

The tender romance between this couple was truly lovely, and I really wanted them to find their happy ending. The chemistry between them grabbed me and kept me vested from the start. While I love a great love scene, there were aspects of the ones in this book that were not to my tastes, other may disagree, but were certainly well written.

If you enjoy a regency with plenty of deep emotion and a book that deals with real life situations women faced in that period of history, then you will love The Bride Who Got Lucky. It has an absolutely fantastic ending. Happy reading!

I loved this book. I had read a previous book in this series (The Bad Luck Bride) by Jenna and enjoyed it but I thought this was even better and took the author's writing to another level. Nick and Emma are totally different in their personalities, probably stemming from the type of family upbringing they have experienced. Emma has always been protected by her family and surrounded by love, even when her lively personality has led to trouble. Nick on the other hand was cast out by his father at a young age and has had to make his own way in the world. I particularly enjoyed the coming together (sometimes clashing) of their life beliefs and the effect they have on each other. The other characters are well written and add colour to the story. The electricity between them is undeniable but I liked the fact that Nick does not rush anything. This book is more than just an historical regency romance and I thought the themes of domestic violence towards women, female independence and respect in that era was handled really well and made for a lovely and fitting ending. It was simply perfect. Can't wait for the next one thank you Jenna keep em coming.

Nicholas Armand Drake St Mauer, the Earl of Somerton and Lady Emma Eliza Juliana Cavensham are attracted to each other but neither of them wants to be emotionally involved with each other or with anyone for that matter.
Emma is a beautiful, sensual, bold, daring and brilliant lady. Nick is intelligent, enterprising, honourable and handsome gentleman. They are both driven by their own respective agenda, they try to quash their fascination for each other until a scandal threatens Emma's reputation and Nick tried to save her.

This tale is absolutely sensual, immensely poignant and with utterly convincing characters. Five stars.

I received an eGalley arc from the publisher. This is my impartial review.

The Bride that got Lucky by Janna MacGregor was a fun read. It was the second book in the Cavensham Heiresses series and brought us the story of Lady Emma Cavensham while allowing us to check in on Alex and Claire from the first novel.

Lady Emma Cavensham is on a mission. She just knows that her best friend Lena died at the hands of her husband and she is going to prove it. Unfortunately, Nicholas St. Mauer does not totally trust her and knows she is up to something. He has managed to squash her plans twice - and that was after all the hard work of getting her family occupied with other things. Her parents are making noises about her getting married, but she knows what happens to women - they become possessions of their husband and are easily trapped and mistreated. She does not want that to happen to her! Nick has to find ways to keep her safe, while she is very independent and stubborn and find a way to keep both their hearts from being broken.

To me, The Bride that got Lucky by Janna MacGregor was a more enjoyable read than the first novel. I found the main characters more likable and therefor liked the storyline more. The Bride that got Lucky was a good read!

3.5 stars. Very likeable characters. They have both been hurt and they are both stubborn, but the growth in their characters is nicely done. There is a lot more steam in this "Bride" book, maybe a little too much for me. A pretty satisfying read though.

I do feel that Ms. MacGregor is getting stronger with this series, so I look forward to the next one.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

I received an ARC from NetGally.
I did enjoy the story and loved how strong the female character was. She realized her weakness in certain areas and acknowledged them to a point without denial in Portsmouth. I loved Nick, his faults and all. Her family was a hoot to read about as well. The reason for this not being a 5 star was her almost fanatical actions all related to Lena's death. I get that she felt responsible and couldn't get over it until justice was done, but the actions she took almost speak of someone needing serious counseling and she never got it.

I think that this is the first book by Janna McGregor that I have read, but it won't be the last. I don't think I'm spoiling the novel to note that our heroine's best friend was killed by her abusive husband. McGregor gave us a compelling view of Emma's grief and anger. Nick, our hero, was verbally abused by his father, and his experiences were a good counterpoint to Emma's. Despite these heavy topics, McGregor infused light, humor, and heat into the novel as well. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.