This book started off with a bang. Three wives? One place? oops! And while there are some bananas elements (actual tigers?), this book never resonated with me. I think it's just a mismatch of reader and circumstance to book.

I dnf'ed at 58%.

That said, Katherine is a strong female character. She's built a business, she supports women, she has a maid who carries a dirk. Her concern about her tragic past felt overplayed to me and that contributed to my tapping out.

Christian, as a character, never came together for me. He's helping war vets, which is great, but I didn't really get a read on him.

Your mileage may vary.

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

Katherine James (aka Kat Greer) has managed to reinvent herself. She started as an illegitimate daughter of an actress who was convicted of theft for stealing an apple (which she didn't do). She is now the widow of a Duke's second son who has found a place in the ton with her exclusive emporium that sells embroidered linens. She is on the threshold of becoming really famous when is she can get the business of the Prince Regent.
Unfortunately, her husband also married 2 other women and now that he is dead it is up to his brother, the Duke, to sort everything out.
I love to read a story about such a strong woman who does not depend on anyone to make her way in the world. When she finds out about the other wives instead of getting angry she takes them in to love with her and supports them. Her attraction to the Duke is as an equal. She does not need his support or help. When she is threatened she handles the problem herself rather than bring scandal on the Duke.
This is a great start for a new Janna MacGregor series and I can't wait to read more of these stories.
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

My first Janna MacGregor book is a true delight. Complex, complicated characters in a story that kept me intrigued and engrossed throughout this excellent book. Like people you meet in life, the author has created characters who reveal very little of themselves when we first meet them. Discovering all the layers of both Kat and Christian as the story unfolds as well as meeting the large cast of secondary characters moves the story forward. Using humor, lots of heat and all the feels of good romance, the author brings readers along on a journey filled with strong, accomplished characters who survive having been victimized at a young age and emerge with strong hearts and the determination to succeed in life and, if possible, love. I loved Christian and Kat and their close family of friends. I'm hoping to return to Janna MacGregor's "world" to see what happens with other intriguing and lovable characters introduced in this novel. Highly recommend.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Title: A Duke in Time
Author: Janna MacGregor
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Katherine Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her husband Meri's accidental death that he had married two other women. Her entire business, along with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a royal supplier, is everything she's been working for and now could be destroyed if word leaks about the three wives.

Meri's far more upstanding brother, Christian, Duke of Randford has no earthly clue how to be of assistance. He spent the better part of his adult years avoiding Meri and the rest of his good-for-nothing family, so to be dragged back into the fold is…problematic. Even more so is the intrepid and beautiful Katherine, whom he cannot be falling for because she's Meri's widow. Or can he?

With a textile business to run and a strong friendship forming with Meri's two other wives, Katherine doesn't have time for much else. But there's something about the warm, but compellingly taciturn Christian that draws her to him. When an opportunity to partner in a business venture brings them even closer, they'll have to face their pasts if they want to share each other's hearts and futures.

This was a solid romance read, and I plan to read the other books in this series. I liked Katherine—determined to do the right thing, but still afraid of losing everything. She was fun to read, although a bit more risqué than I would have imagined. Her relationship with the other two wives was sweet, too. If you’re looking for a way to spend a couple of hours being entertained, this is a good choice.

Janna MacGregor was born in Missouri. A Duke in Time is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 6/29.)

I really enjoyed reading this book. This is a historical romance where Katherine is a widow and realizes that her husband cheated with her by having two other wives and now Christian comes in to help where they both face their pasts and hearts. I'm not a huge fan of history books but when it comes to historical romance, you can sign me up! This book gave me Bridgerton vibes and I absolutely loved it! The author gave everything in this book that she promised to give. The writing was well done with a great story plotline. The pacing was well paces which were fast and very moving. I also enjoyed the setting and the many conflicts that were thrown into the books. This story was also unique as there were three wives married to one man and I loved the theme of women's power in this book.

This book is written in Katherine and Christian's pov. I loved both characters a lot and had so much fun reading about them. I enjoyed their character development in the book and seeing their connection also develop in this book. I liked how Katherine was a brave character who showed women can work and can succeed in life without having a man in her life. She was a great role model and is the perfect idol for women. Also, the romance is kind of like instant love but with more connection/development than getting together right away. The romance was super steamy and also super cute. There were also many side characters in this book that were very involved in the book and you can see that there will be more information about them in the next books as there is a couple of easter eggs left behind. I'm super excited to see the other wives having their own story and development in the book.

I do have to say that the ending was well done as there was also an epilogue which was much needed. I also got a little sneak peek of the next book and I'm super excited for the next book. This book was not just a romance novel but also a lesson of showing how women can survive without men and should also support other women. It was just a great combination of both and I recommend that you should read this book. This book is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and historical romance novels.

Katherine married a man that she hasn't seen since a few hours after the wedding. While she wishes it had been more, she's focused on her business and some upcoming opportunities. However, she is dismayed when her husband dies to discover he has two other wives!

Katherine's husband was Chrisitian's (the Duke in the title) younger brother. He's a great character - almost too nice to be true (but yay for romance novels). Christian was a soldier, and when he returns home he is determined to help others who served.

The thing I liked the most about this was the main characters - they were both very kind. I did feel like the loved each other. I also liked the side characters, and I suspect we'll see some of them in future novels.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC.

2.5-3 stars

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor is a very soapy historical romance that I found a bit too much! It starts with the main heroine discovering, upon the death of her husband, that he had two other wives and none of the wives knew about each other. From then on, the plot of the story becomes more and more convoluted and outrageous. I was getting exasperated with all the crazy plot twists happening in the book. By the end of the book, I was skipping pages. I don't watch soap operas and this type of storytelling is not for me, and even though I liked the characters, overall, I didn't love this book.

A Duke in Time is the first in a promising new series by Janna MacGregor with memorable characters and a unique plot twist. Lady Meriwether Vareck, or Kat to her friends, is recently widowed when she discovers that she is not the only Lady Meriwether. One of three wives, Kat looks at the mess Meri left and sets out to get his big brother the Duke of Randford to help her save all the ladies reputations. Christian is tired of cleaning up Meri's messes but Kat appeals to him like none other. Kat and Christian take a sensual and long road to find a satisfying HEA. I found that the characters really leave an impression, Kat as a business woman and moving among the ton is an original and beautifully developed idea. Christian is the right mix of damaged and hero to make a heart swoon. The other two wives leave you wanting to know their stories and will keep you coming back for the next installment in the series. Overall, A Duke in TIme was fast paced and original with just the right mix of heat and sweetness to keep this reader happy. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

It was brilliant, cute, hot, and heartwarming.

Lord Meriwether was the second son of the late duke of Ranford. That duke and his second wife, former mistress, were a couple that led a life of debauchery and orgy. Despite his eldest half-brother’s efforts that boy followed in his parents’ steps and before dying in a horse race incident, he had married three ladies, the first of them being Katherine. I won’t go into much detail about the other two because they’ll get their own stories told, but let’s say that on the hearing of the will of the man the three widows, now robbed of their dowries, decide to unite forces to deal with the situation. None of them need the scandal to be talked about amongst society. I was pleasantly surprised that they formed this amazing bond between them instead of fighting or speaking ill of each other. There’s never women-shaming, slut-shaming or rivalry in this book.

Katherine is the first to wake up from her dreams. She was left behind by the trigamist mere six hours after the wedding which was celebrated the year before. She takes the new situation by the reins and invites the two fellow widows to live with her for as long as they need or want. Katherine owns her own successful beddings and linen business so, for the time being, she can stand in as the elder sister in the trio. For that is what they become; sisters. They hold on to one another in the most beautiful of sororities. There is a lot of that in this book. So Katherine is the one to go to the new duke of Ranford, Christian Vareck, for help.

Christian is a dark and broody war hero who deep at heart is a good man. At first, he washes his hands off anything that has anything to do with his half-brother or his family. But soon he feels attracted to this strong and willing lady that is Katherine so they become fast friends and confidants. The both of them have a lot of family secrets to deal with but together they form an attachment in more than one way. Because they help each other in their endeavors.

War and abandonment are very important subjects in this book, there’s a lot of talk about men who return from the wars with Napoleon with nothing but the rags they wear. Christian feels responsible for them and asks Katherine to help him help them. These men taught Christian how to be a good man, if it weren’t for them he would have turned out like his father; a dissipated man with no care for anything or anyone besides himself. Katherine has the experience employing women and single mothers so it was only natural that he’d seek her help.

So with all these ties and many more they slowly but surely develop sweet and hot feelings for each other. It all happens in such a natural way that that made me give it a full 5 stars. Also there’s a lot of consent-talk: “would you like this?”, “would you like that?”. And more than once she is the one who takes the lead. But that was just the last hit that convinced me. It’s everything else that made me give it the most of the score. The amount of sorority was incredible, the absurd moments with the surprising temperamental creatures Lord Meriwether left behind added so much fun to the story, the friendship and comraderies between women and between men; the fact that Christian talks his heart out to his friends, the feeling of having a family where one least expect it. But above all, the characters, I loved all of them save for one evil guy that made it all more complicated. But that was necessary, because Katherine needed to own her past and deal with it herself.

It was perfect, they were perfect. I loved this book to a fault. It made me smile from the beginning to the end. I can't wait to read Constance's book!!!!

Imagine what would happen when, after your husband’s death, you come to know that he had two other wives?

Was your marriage even legal?

What would you do, considering that you required money urgently but now would not, in all probability, get any?

Katherine Vareck gets the shock of her life when she comes to know of her husband’s polygamous marriages. In desperate need of money, all her hopes are squashed and fear of public ridicule also lingers over of her head if anyone comes to know of this perfidy. A proud owner of a textile store, she married for respectability but everything will be taken away if society gets wind of her uncertain marriage status and if she doesn’t get money to pay her debts soon.

Enter Christian, the Duke of Randford, who has just returned from battle and who had a tumultuous relationship with his brother, Katherine’s husband. As her brother-in-law, she seeks his help in getting her dowry back but Christian doesn’t want anything to do with his brother’s scandalous affairs. What starts as a rocky first meeting, soon turns to something else as they comes to know each other.

Both are hiding secrets, past hurts, loneliness, and a yearning for love. She wants to expand her textile business, he wants to help the battle returned soldiers get their life back. With hidden enemies looking to harm them, and their attraction blossoming into love, will they get a happily-ever-after?

Janna MacGregor has taken many liberties in terms of society rules in the Regency era in this book. At that time, women didn’t go into trade, those who did were ostracized from society. Also, risk of gossip and public censure ran high so decorum was strictly maintained. In this book, Katherine is in trade and a nobleman’s wife. She is welcomed in society and no one comments on her being in trade. While this may cause a bit of contention to readers who are sticklers of maintaining details of world building in a book, I could overlook it because I loved the characters and the plot.

The plot is uplifting, inspiring, and a strong slap on the face of the patriarchal society. The heroine came from a poor background and rose above her circumstances through sheer grit and determination. She, in turn, helps other women stand on their feet. The hero, though born as heir to a Dukedom, is passionate about helping the unfortunate, especially the soldiers who fight for their country and return home to poverty and neglect.

The side characters also intrigued me. I loved Katherine’s companion Willa who carries a dirk and is loud and brash but extremely protective of Katherine. Both the other widows too are interesting characters, whose story base has been set in this book and I am so intrigued to read their stories. Christian’s valet Morgan is another intriguing character I would love to see more of. This is one book where the protagonists as well as the side characters had me interested.

I loved the initial scene where Christian almost meets Katherine. His yearning for companionship, love, and a home is so strong that it brought tears to my eyes.

The romance is spicy, heartfelt, and almost taboo what with him being her brother-in-law but this dilemma is solved later on in the book and I seriously rejoiced that they could be married!

The author brings to light the importance of family and their love and support to small children. A stable and happy childhood does wonders to make a person into a well rounded and decent human being. Both Christian and his brother had a different yet similarly negligent and loveless childhood that formed them into the men they are shown in the book. It was an interesting character study and will appeal to readers interested in such aspects of a book.

There is danger, suspense, secrets, past traumas,and red hot romance in this new historical romance from Janna MacGregor. I enjoyed reading it and give it 4 out of 5 stars. Njkinny recommends this book to all adult lovers of historical romance, and eagerly await the next book in this intriguing series.

A received an ARC for review and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank the author and the publishers for sending me a review copy.

After the death of her husband, Katherine finds out she is one of three wives. Katherine is afraid of losing her respectability and credibility as a businesswoman if the news gets out. She also worries for the other two women and takes them into her home temporarily while they wait for the solicitors to figure out the situation.

Her deceased husband, Meri's brother, Christian, the Duke of Ranford returns from war to settle his brother's estate. What he doesn't count on are the many unwelcome surprises his brother left behind. The fact that he had multiple wives is just one of the messes that Meri created. Katherine was the first wife and as such, Christian used her as a point person with the other two. Along the way, they discover they have feelings. Unfortunately, they both have issues from earlier in their lives that complicate their ability to trust others. Naturally this leads to misunderstanding and heartbreak.

Overall, this book has a good storyline with likable characters. There were a few times, I felt like the plot could have used a boost, but I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I enjoyed the storyline on this one very much, however, I didn't like the fact that the heroine was so accomplished a lover after being married for so short a time previously. No amount of reading a book can accomplish that. I did love all the secondary characters and can't wait for their stories! Thank you for the advanced copy to read.

Katherine , Lady Meriweather is in for a shock. Not only is her husband of one year (really only six hours) dead, he used up her inheritance ( which for some seems small to her it’s everything), but he’s a bigamist and the scandal of the fact can ruin her hard earned plans to become the one to provide the linens for English royalty. She must get his half brother Christian, the newly home from war , Duke of Ranford to see reason and help the three Lady Meriweathers survive this tragedy. While very stiff at first Christian begins to grow on Katherine the more they are together and soon they begin to court their own scandal as the widow falls for the Duke. This is the first in The Widow Rules series. Katherine is a strong woman with a tragic past, of not-so noble beginning that has overcome a lot to get where she is. Christian is a veteran acclimating to being home, trying to help his fellow veterans struggling to adjust. This is a soft historical romance with a slight steamy touch, but mostly focuses on the growth of the relationship as opposed to a fast fall into bed. The twist with the three widows also has you wanting to find out what happens to the other two. It’s a nice quick read. 4.5 stars. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review

This book kept me reading FAR later into the night than I wanted....but the need to finish the love story between the two main characters far exceeded my need of sleep! Christian Vareck, the eighth Duke of Randford, returns home from war to take his place in London society and perform his ducal duties. But first he must straighten out the affairs of his recently deceased half-brother, Lord Merriwether. He finds, much to his horror, that part of those affairs includes three wives. The first wife, Lady Merriwether,, or Katherine Greer Vareck, is a well-known and admired business-woman who has some secrets in her past that she protects. And yet that does not stop her determination to approach the Duke and insist that he assist the three women out of the dilemma they find themselves in. The sparks fly between the Duke and "Kat" and their banter is quite provocative. The team they form in their desire and willingness to do good for the less fortunate while still saving the reputation of the three wives, is a storyline that is a joy to read as they find themselves spending more and more time together. I also liked the aspect that she, as a business woman, was asked to help him create his own business. As an added dimension to the deceased Lord Merriwether, the Duke continues to receive "unusual" things from his estate that add a frustrating and yet light-hearted touch to the story. The other wives and characters in their lives add much to their story, and I look forward to seeing all of them again in the next two books of the series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #ADukeInTime

Author Jenna MacGregor starts up her latest series with one heck of a setup! The Duke of Radford’s misfit half-brother has passed away and at the reading of his will it comes to light that he had not one, but 3 widows left behind! All three women didn’t know about each other, and they all have plenty to loose if this gets out…

Now Christian, Duke of Radford has to work with these ladies, especially his brothers first wife, the unofficial leader of the wives, to get them settled so he can finally wash his hands with his brother forever.

Katherine Vareck married her husband to further her business. Becoming a Lady made her upscale linens business even more accessible to the ton and London’s elite. Now with so much on the line, she needs the Duke to help her clean up the mess her husbands polygamy has created for not just her, but the other wives too… and she needs to keep her attraction to the dukes in check!

This was a good set up. Like any start to a new series a lot of the story went into setting up the group of characters, not just for this book, but to continue the series with. The wives all made for compelling characters, that I am eager to continue on with in upcoming books.

Katherine and the Duke’s relationship in this book had a good progression and benefited both of them, while the duke shows Katheryn what real passion and love is and she shows him how to fulfill the dreams he came home from the war with. They make an excellent pair in business and in bed!

I love seeing a couple that grows and supports each other! I enjoyed the aspect of sisterhood and found family as well. It was so nice to see these ladies who could have hated each other come together to not only survive their tragedy, but thrive together!

A Duke in Time by Jenna MacGregor is scheduled to release June 29th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#ADukeInTime #JennaMacGregor #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

MacGregor returns with a new romance about a trigamist and the 3 wives he wronged. Although he is dead as the book begins, the damage he has inflicted upon the lives of others is revealed in waves of harm. Despite it all, his brother and wife #1 manage to fall in love and create a future together in the face of harm threatened by the heroine’s nemesis in business. She takes the reins of her life and settles matters herself not requiring any intercession from the hero. All is well in love after the return from the wars, his was peninsular, hers was due to a false accusation and conviction for theft in her past, as well as due to the machinations and threats of her business rival. The HEA is well earned here in this charming romance.

Katherine(Kat) Greer owns an exclusive bedding shop. She is in the running to be Prinny's exclusive bedding shop. She marries Meriweather, the new dukes half brother, but he runs out on her after six hours. A year later, she is a Widow and he has acquired two more wives. They all meet at the solicitor's office. Miss Constance Lysander is pregnant and Miss Beth Howell is the sister of a viscount. They had nowhere to go, so she invited them to stay with her until things could be sorted.
Duke of Randford, Christian Vareck, is a good man and was a soldier for three years. He does not miss his father, stepmother, or Meriweather. He has been alone since he was six when his mother died. She is the only one who loved and cared about him. The one thing that was important to him was all the veterans coming home and having nothing. No home, no job, no family. Left to beg and live on the streets. It broke his heart. He knew he had to do something for them.
In the solicitor's office, when he first saw her, he had trouble taking his eyes off her. She was not his brother's type at all. She was kind and full of compassion, dark hair, and hazel eyes. The way Christain and Kat interacted, teased each other and the banter was amazing and funny, at times. They did their best. The author wrote this with such finesse and knowledge of the rules of the time, it will surprise you. She has a lot of feelings in the dilemma of her characters. The story will mesmerize you and have you cheering or crying, depending on what the characters did. A wonderful tale and a marvelous author.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed this excellent book.

Three Wives and a Duke! I loved this romance and its unusual premise, especially that Katherine calls her deceased husband a trigamist for having two other wives. She is adorable with such a good heart. As you read more about her life, you see that she finds the good in people and helps anyone who needs help. First impressions of the duke are not so good, but as the story continues, we see these two are perfect for each other.

A Duke is Time is a perfect light-hearted afternoon read. Ms. MacGregor has the beginnings of a delightful series in The Widow Rules. The secondary characters from former war heroes and beggars to childhood companions and crazy aunts, all included add to a fun read. I loved the sincere nature of Katherine and Christian as they learn more about each other while falling in love and building their charities to help others. I am looking forward to reading Constance and Jonathan’s romance next!

What a delicious book this is!! The chemistry between the hero and heroine comes jumping off the pages! Katherine James is the illegitimate daughter of an actress who works hard to overcome her background, achieving great success as a business owner and gains a title when she marries a second son of a Duke. Then life comes crashing down on her once again when her groom abandons her on their wedding day and goes on to marry two other ladies before his death. Enter big brother, Christian, the Duke of Randford, who comes to meet with his wastrel brother’s solicitor and finds the three widows. Katherine persists on imploring him to return their dowries to them as they have been left with nothing. Katherine is a wonderful heroine, gutsy and strong. She is a force to be reckoned with and the Duke can’t help but be drawn into her charms. Battling his own demons from the war and a loveless upbringing, Kat brings love and healing to his heart. This story is a gem, that shouldn’t be missed!

Katherine is now a widow since her new husband, Meri, left the day after their marriage and was gone six months before he died. When she goes to the solicitor for the reading of the will, she finds that there are two other wives she knew nothing of, and one of them is very pregnant. Katherine is mortified to find this out, also to find that none of them is left with anything! Fortunately, Katherine is a business owner and owns her own flat. Christian is Meri's half brother and walks into a catastrophe when he finds out what his brother has left behind. Nothing new for his brother, but Christian is sick of cleaning up his brother's messes!
Katherine and Christian are immediately, effortlessly attracted to each other, but each has a history they have hidden their whole lives. They will have to work past them and work to help others who Meri has also left destitute.
This is a spectacular love story that sweeps you along on a fascinating ride that you will happily take.
Can't wait for the next two books!