An interesting tale with a rather confident and not quite correct for the time business woman! I enjoyed the characters and the story.

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

I don't really understand the title for this book but I guess that's neither here nor there. I was asked to read and review this book and give an honest review so here it is:

The basis of the story seems a little far fetched for Regency England and I found that bothered me some. I didn't love it like I do most Regency stories but I also think anyone brave enough to create and write a story and put it out there for the world to read and critic deserves serious props. But I can still say that I liked it. Kat and Christian were a good couple and it ended well which is always important to me.

Having just read another ARC with the exact same plot and premise of three women married to a dead bigamist, I just wasn't in the mood to read the same thing again. DNF

Katherine as well as Constance and Beth are strong female characters. I love that they are intelligent and independent as well as they are not petty with each other. Christian is a great character also. He has a hard exterior but soft interior. Secondary characters in this book were just as interesting as the main ones. Story was fast paced. It was unique and kept me invested in all the characters. Can't wait for the next in this great series!

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor is a classic romance. From the very beginning I felt that I will quite enjoy the story, and my instinct was spot on. Really enjoyable story line, well written.
Funerals and the reading of the will are always interesting time, and the death of Meri, an intriguing character, is exactly the cataclysm that brings together his three unaware wives, an estranged brother who happens to be a duke and a war hero, and an unhappy solicitor.
The story unravels smoothly, the wives are interesting, our main heroine is smart, quick and independent, and the hero is a true gentleman. The chemistry is right, and the rhythm is catchy. The twist is a small one, predictable, but enjoyable.
I didn’t quite care about the sex scenes. I think that (at least the first time) is influenced by the actual circumstances – they ask permission a lot; if in Sandra Brown’s novels, for example, the heroines were shy, and demure, the next novels featured an abundance of uninhibited and bold virgins, in Janna MacGregor’s story the heroine asks permission on every step, and, for me, it fragmented the scene too much. I did not dislike it, but didn’t incite me either.
I look forward to Constance’s story. The bonus chapter included was inciting and indicates another beautiful story, especially if you have, as I, a soft spot for injured and scared heroes.

Lady Katherine Meriweather is a widow. After a whirlwind marriage , only married for 6 hours , her husband left for business. Unfortunately Meri , Katherines husband preferred name , died in a horse accident. At the realtors office Kat finds out she is not the only grieving widow. There are two others. Her husband was a trigimast. Meri had three wives. Our story follows the wives trying to survive , how to get their dowry’s back and Katherine growing affection for her brother in law.
I did find some slow bits , but I feel they set up the story more . Overall a truly romantic story . I recommend to anymore who enjoys romance novels.

I have read books by Janna MacGregor before and really enjoyed them. This is the start of a new series and that's exciting. There were, however, several issues with the story. First of all, it was one of the most anachronistic historical romances I've ever read. If one would replace Duke by Mister and take away the Lady in front of the heroine's name it could totally work as a modern romance. Throw in some technology and it can even be a contemporary. It was THAT much out of the Regency context. And when the heroine gave a little speech to a young girl ( daughter of an unwed mother) about how she is valuable and can be whatever she wants to be I rolled my eyes at the book. No, she couldn't. No matter how much you suspend disbelief or wish things were different, that sort of cheesy feminism doesn't quite work today, let alone in Regency England. There were also some plot points that were very thin - like why Meri married the heroine in the first place, why did he leave and, why would he ever ask a former priest to act as one knowing the marriage is invalid. I get that the author was going for situation turns but they were not believable at all. And then the 'big shameful secret' she was hiding was just silly and carried no weight. If she had actually stolen something when she was hungry it would have been better. The way it was written just came off as idiotic, especially for a woman who claimed to be self-made and strong. The chemistry was good and the love scenes hot (though I could have done without the virgin widow thing) but the love declarations were very very cheesy and over the top. An ok read but not even close to some of this author's backlist.

I requested to read and review this book for free from St. Martin Publishing Company. This book is set in London in the 1800s. The characters in this book are Kat, Christian, Morgan, Beth, Willa, and Constance. Is there a such thing as true love? Is forgiveness possible. This story is about three women betrayed in the same way. Can they find a way out of a horrible suitation. Will society accept them or disgrace them. This has romance, mystery. This is for a mature reader and can be read anywhere.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 1 in a new series from Janna MacGregor. I really enjoyed this read and cannot wait for book 2. This is about Kat a recent widow that learns her husband had two additional wives. This had a good premise and loved the romance that built.

A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1) by Janna MacGregor
This is a wonderful start to a new series by Janna. It can be read as a standalone and kept me entertained the whole time. This is Katherine and Christian, Duke of Randford's story. She is a strong h and he is a war hero and also a strong H. They both have issues in their past that still cause them problems. There are many interesting characters in this book than I learned to love and hope to see their stories. This book has angst, deception, laughter, caring, a mean guy, a very good story and plenty of steam to get us to a very HEA. I can't wait for the next book in the series RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Constance and Jonathan's story.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Entertaining Funny Great world building Happily Ever After Informative Page-turner Romantic Steamy Tear-jerker Unpredictable Wonderful characters

received "A Duke in Time" from the fabulous Janna MacGregor and Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Katherine Vareck is one of three of the widowed wives of the second son of the previous Duke of Randford. Christian Vareck is the step brother of the deceased polygamist as well as the new Duke of Randford. Janna MacGregor's story telling gets better with each new book. She has beautifully told the story of love, betrayal, compromise and sacrifice. The hero and heroine are both dealing with issues of their past, but trying to move forward at tge same time. A dazzling romance!

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found a Janna MacGregor‘s book with the concept of one man marrying three women interesting. As she goes on to explain the circumstances and unravels three marriages it becomes more and more interesting.

The heroine Kat seems to be the most victimize. She’s a businesswoman and she’s also a friend to many of the people she has employed. When she meets Christian, the Duke of Randford it is in an effort to straighten the whole situation out. Christian although appearing quite stuffy is immediately taken in by her savvy understanding of the situation.

I enjoyed the twist of this book but I felt the sex were a bit overdone. It
seems Kat had never consummated her marriage with her husband the trigamist. She did however, become well read on sex. Usually in a book this doesn’t bother me I always figure it’s part of the couple learning about each other but this was a little over done.

The fantastic match making of the other two wives with friends seem too far-fetched even for me. I love the way Miss McGregor writes and I’m always happy to read her books but this book just didn’t do it for me.

Katherine, the heroine is an unusual heroine in that she has her own business and isn't the usual "damsel in distress". Upon finding out that her husband married two other women after her, she shows compassion and tries to help them. Christian, the hero, is duke, but he seems to have less self esteem than she does but has an equal sense of social conscience. It could make for an interesting couple but I found the whole relationship to be unlikely and unbelievable.. Not so much because of her illegitimate birth and and an incident of theft in her youth, which she seems to think could ruin her business and her life.but because she is such a staunch member of the working class. The whole relationship would have been impossible at that time. I got somewhat past it and the general plot was interesting enough to somewhat make up for the anachronisms, so I enjoyed the book.

This book was a wonderful read with a well-written storyline and characters that were so well developed which made this book a very enjoyable and entertaining read! I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Katherine's husband died in a freak accident. When visiting the solicitor she learns that he had two other wives. She meets the brother of her deceased husband who is now a Duke. I enjoyed the different characters

Katerina, who is widowed, learns that her husband has two other wives besides her. Christian, the Duke of Randford, is her husband’s brother and they meet at the lawyer’s office. Christian can’t ignore Katherine’s plead of help.

This is a well-written, enjoyable, passion-filled romance.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All options are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! At first, I thought I knew where it was headed but there were twists and turns I didnt see coming. So steamy! I can't wait to read the next one!

Such a precarious situation made such a delightful story. Love the independence and strength of Katherine. I also love how the author laid out the new love interest and how all that eventually played out. The Duke got the shock of his life and it was exactly what they needed. New to me author, did a great job with this one.

Janna MacGregor has provided an oddly modern story placed in Regency times. Without revealing too much of the plot a Duke must deal with the choices of his lately deceased half-brother. The characters for the most part are likable but the plot was ponderously slow. I usually am adept at skipping over graphic sex but sadly I caught some exchanges which generally ruined the story's potential sweetness. There must be some commercial reasons for including this which totally escapes me. I’m definitely not a fan.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I’ve read a few novels by Janna MacGregor and she has never disappointed with entertaining this reader with her stories. I think she is truly an author that has a knack for understanding her characters and what she wants to show on the pages.

A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules, #1) is a well-written story that captured my attending from beginning to the end. Although I had to put it down once, I couldn’t wait to finish. The story evolves around Lady Katherine (Kat) Vareck who was married to her husband, Lord Meriwether (Meri for short) and due to his accidental death she stands in the solicitor’s office in front of two other women claiming to be wives of her husband as well. It appeared that her husband had a fondness for exotic things including a few women that led to two extra wives. In her estimation, he was considered a “Trigamist” (haha). Kat then enlists the aid of Christian, the Duke of Randford, and Meri’s half-brother to help her avoid Beth and Constance, the other two wives in what has become a most precarious scandalous situation. Throughout the story, Meri’s exploits began to uncover a husband and brother who lived a very wasted, womanizing and care-what-may lifestyle.

Kat and Christian are two of the most likeable characters who have been dealt with obstacles that allow them to overcome a dark secret and a painful childhood. This a story that allows you to see the fears and strengths of the H/h, as well as the sub-characters who stands by and supports the decisions that they make. I loved how the author gradually builds the relationship between Kat and Christian and throws in for good measure love interests among the subs. In addition to the hardships that both the H/h experience, I also loved the fact that the author incorporated Christine, an honored war hero’s willingness to aid other homeless, displaced or misplaced soldiers returning from the war. There was a lot of heartwarming compassion on the part of both characters in their efforts to assist those who are in unfortunate circumstances and needing a helping hand.

This is one of the most well-written stories that I have read so far this year. A lovely historical romance that is filled with wit and passion. A recommended read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.