Loved this book. The running joke about Snow White and the seven dwarfs was apt. This is a story about family and loss and how a tragedy can knit people together in unexpected ways. I'm always a sucker for strong female main characters who don't compromise their sense of self for an idiot man. The leading man was flawed but wasn't so narrow minded he couldn't grow and learn.

Returning from war to become the guardian for his orphaned nieces and nephews, Lord Quinton Burnes mistakenly thinks his life will be easier off the battlefield not knowing that children are capable of causing wars themselves. Their aunt from the opposite side of the family, Harriet soon butts heads with him. She is a spinster at twenty-seven and fine with it, because it allows her to raise her sister's children after her death.

Personally, I didn't like Quinton as a hero. I found him haughty and the story left me feeling Harriet could do better. I wish there was more warmth about his character. I finished the book, but it took me several days which is out of the norm for me.

An honest review was provided after receiving a free copy of the ARC from Netgalley.

What a wonderful story! I liked Quint right away. His brother died and left him 7 children to care for. He met Harriet, their aunt, and the fun began. We have a mean old nother, Lady Margaret, and so many delightful children! You'll love this tale!

Harriet was such a delight to get to know as a character. Her love for her nieces and nephews shows throughout the story. Quint was such a straight laced guy from the beginning. I wasn't sure if I was going to like him. But as the story goes on he gets more personable. Turned out to be a good story.

Absolutely delicious!

I enjoyed Wilma Counts mix of humor and wit. It is evident in interactions between the majority of the characters. That familiar mother-in-law antagonism makes it even more irresistible.
While the notion of a woman marrying her dead sister's brother-in-law is not so popular, It is a beautiful book.

A very easy read of a love story between the uncle and aunt of seven children. Sweet, precious and funny the children are left orphans. Their Uncle Quinn is a Colonel and their guardian. Their aunt has final say in his absence. The real villain is his mother, the Dowager Countess of Sedgwick, who makes it her goal to get rid of Harriet. A battle of wills ensues until the Colonel makes it home to mediate. Then Harriet and Quint fall in love, but she has a secret. I highly recommend this book. It is a totally entertaining.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I must say that I truly enjoyed this book. 5 stars. It reminded me so much of the Regency stories of Diana Campbell that I read as a teenager. *Sigh! She will always be my favorite author. Anyway, this story starts out as the hero is recovering from a battle wound and his mother is sending him updates on his wards, who are his brother's children. His brother and his sister-in-law had recently passed away and his mother was complaining about the heroine, the children's maternal aunt, was not doing as his mother wanted. In other words, the aunt was there for the children and his mother had moved back in for the power of running the estate left to the children. What a miserly grandmother! She didn't care about the children at all. The aunt is a 27 year old spinster who write political articles about how the government always turns it's back on the ones who work the most and need the most. The hero states that he will be home when he is healed and will take care of it. The hero hasn't met the heroine because even though his brother has been married for over 15 years, he was always away when the heroine was visiting or vice versa. This was a 5 star read from start to finish. This book is definitely for the keeper shelf. This author knows what she is doing. She creates engaging characters, life-like scenes and a smooth reading story. There are no convenient plot twists or trite, stale scripts. This is truly an amazing story. I give this book 5 stars for meeting all of my requirements in a Regency romance. But there is a sensual scene for those of you who prefer sweet stories. You can just skip it and the story will read just fine. 5 stars. Read this book. I heartily recommend reading it!

4.5 stars - What a great read! At the center of Rules for an Unmarried Lady, is a beautiful and dutiful aunt; a handsome, solider uncle; seven children who’ve lost their parents; and an old bitty, presumptive over-lord of a dowager countess.

While the aunt and uncle are from either sides of the children’s family tree, they are united in wanting what is best for the children of their beloved siblings. Witnessing them clash, bargain and rebuild their family, all while falling in love, is a true treat.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an odd book. I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed the children and I was rooting for the kids to get their happy ending against their not-very-nice grandmother. The romance part was barely there in the plot and there is little chemistry between the hero and heroine. In fact, the H & H don't even meet each other until chapter 4. The "love story" of Quint and Harriet feels very manufactured, as if the author put these two character together because it would be easier for the Aunt and Uncle to marry each other and raise the kids together. Quint even kisses another woman after her and Harriet get together, but not for any good reason, and I know that can be a deal-breaker for many readers. But if you are ok with the romance not being the main point of the story, it is kind of fun to see what is going on with the kids and if they can out maneuver their mean grandmother.

I went into this book with high expectations, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The romance between Henrietta and Quint seemed forced, and honestly for the majority of the book it seemed like they would be better business partners than lovers, because Henrietta was a strong woman that could clearly teach Quint a thing or two.

I’m undecided about this book. As a whole, I though Harriet was a good person but the entire romance fell flat for me - it seemed too forced and I thought at times it was incredibly unrealistic. It seemed too modern for a historical. Quint had some moments where I liked his character but then he has moments where he was just acting like a jerk. The actual plot was promising and the writing style was enjoyable but I just couldn’t get into the romance. I did enjoy the concept of the subplot of the mill but again it didn’t feel true to the historical time period. I did like the children.

A decent story, though not entirely as plausible for the timeline with a rich, spinster aunt so readily giving up her virginity with no hope at marriage. I never felt that Harriet even loved Quint or that he loved her.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet is taking care of her sister’s seven children after the sister and her husband, the Earl, die. Quint has come home from the war and is taking up the guardianship of the children, especially the new young earl. Things begin to heat up between Harriet and Quint but the children’s grandmother, Quint’s mother, has more grand plans for her son. And she has no problem with machinations. Will Harriet and Quint be able to avoid those to find true love?
The plot was sweet but sexy at times. The subplot involving the mills and the conditions there was engaging but didn’t seem true to the times. And we were left with expectations about the conditions and making them public but the outcome was much less than one would expect for the amount of time the tours and the interference of a neighborhood mill owner took up in the book.
The characters were well drawn convincing and multidimensional. The children were charming and Harriet was likeable. Quint was a little less known to the reader but still interesting and also likable.
I do not believe I would purchase this book for my library given my budget and the fact that I would give this book only 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for a DRC to review this book. The relationship between Harriet and the children was wonderful. She was an amazing aunt and caretaker. She championed their causes and really took care of them. However, her relationship with Quint felt like it was thrown in to make this a romance novel. Their romance was lackluster and seemed forced. She had better chemistry with a friend than with the hero. I personally didn't like Quinton Burnes, at times he was a pompous ass and others he was just boring. The heroine was so fiery and opinionated, and a lot of times the hero seemed to put his foot in his mouth with his opinions but they still feel in love?? I wish that had been tackled a bit better.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A single woman of means generally does not choose the company of seven rambunctious children over the haut ton. Yet since the tragic loss of her sister and brother-in-law, the Honorable Harriet Mayfield has found purpose and pleasure in caring for her orphaned nieces and nephews. If her unorthodox views about how to raise the newly minted Earl of Sedwick and his siblings put her at odds with their strict grandmother, well, so be it. The children's uncle, Colonel Lord Quinton Burnes, however, is a far more complicated—and charismatic—problem...

My notes:
Excellent historical research. The author did her homework. The characters are believable and likable.

I received a free digital Advanced Copy in exchange for a honest review.