I liked this book but didn't like everything about it. To start I want to say that I did find the whole concept behind this series intriguing. While it wasn't a brand new idea, I had never come across it before in the historical romances that I have read, so I felt it had a freshness to it. I also really liked Katherine and Christian. Katherine was no shrinking violet and was quite spunky and as for Christian, he was just simply a great guy. Upstanding, without being stuffy and with a caring heart, I found him the very definition of swoon worthy. The chemistry and the sparks are sizzling and when these two get together things get very steamy. Now, what didn't I like so much? Well, this book is written very much in what I personally call the "Modern Historical" way, meaning the a lot of the pomp, social norms and typical behaviors of the time are completely ignored to let everything occur in a much more present day manner. I won't say I flat out hate this but it does impact my enjoyment of the book. Still, I felt this was a very good read and I look forward to reading more of this series. I am posting a frank, volitional review review.

Katherine Varek is horrified to discover she wasn't her late husband's only wife. Styled as Lady Merriweather, a title that has helped her rise within Society and provided her with the opportunity to build a successful business, the scandal surrounding her husband's bigamy threatens to ruin her very existence. More than that, there are the two other wives to contend with as well as her late husband's half brother, the Duke of Randford.
With dowry's missing, one very pregnant wife and another with no one to turn to, Kat invites the other ladies to stay with her until they can sort the mess out. Meanwhile, she enlists Randford's help in solving the mystery behind his brother's actions and help figure out who the real Lady Merriweather actually is - a truth that could undo everything Kat has worked so hard to achieve.
As Kat and Randford work together, they help each other out in more ways than one and as they do so, feelings develop. But Kat has a past she's been running from for many years. The question is, will it wreck her chance with the man she's falling in love with?
A fun story where the courage to be honest leads to the greatest reward.

I was fortunate again to get the first one in a series. That is how I like it and also going in order. Katherine has a surprise when it is revealed through accidental death that her husband Meri had 2 other wives plus her. His brother Christian avoided him so what was he supposed to do? One thing he is not supposed to do is fall for Katherine right? As she runs her dream business things change along with a new partner in a venture. This is the kind of read that keeps you immersed so turn those pages to see where you go.

There's no doubt this book is very well written. However, this is a historical romance set in the regency period of 1815 England - not a contemporary romance and it felt way too modern. Yes, there were gowns and carriages, servants, poor soldiers - a lot of them friends to the H/h, I might add. The conversations were modern, there was feminism, the use of christian names straight after introductions and this sentence :- 'thank you for your service'. Not 200 years ago in England, sorry.

I have to label this story a Wallflower Historical with modern themes, characters, speech and attitudes. This is not saying in any way the story is bad, it's just not closely reflective of the time in which it is set. I enjoy Historical romances much more when they mirror the time period accurately. I read Historicals specifically so I can be thrown back into the past - to enjoy another time and lifestyle.

This book has many readers that really enjoyed it and that's excellent. I could pick apart a lot of contemporary plot points, but I'm not going to. I will say that I'm not sure a peer would blithely toss away the huge amount of a guinea to a poor child on the street. Why not say 'coin' instead - to stop readers like me googling the value of a gold guinea in 1815. 🤔 The proper mourning period for widows in the 1800's was 2 years. With restrictions, black clothes and veils. Enough said.

I read the prequel novella first - "Where There's a Will' and really enjoyed it. Great premise - three women all unknowingly married to the same rogue who has now died, leaving them destitute and wanting their dowries back. When I began the ARC of 'A Duke in Time' immediately afterwards, the first thing I noticed were the different time lines and scenes setting up the basic story, compared to the ARC I read. Whether the ARC was altered on publication date to reflect these changes, I have no idea.

The three wives fall in friendship with each other within minutes, way too easily and smoothly. Setting them up for other books I assume, especially as we are introduced to several eligible peers that are all Christian's friends. The actual romance is slow burn and the steamy scenes beautifully written and the H/h are likeable.

For me, this book was a pleasant, feel good read. I liked it, but was not in love with it as a Historical and I found it easy to put down and pick up. My thanks go to NetGalley and St Martin's for gifting me the eARC in return for my opinion. 3.5 stars. I do intend to read more from this author.

3 wives, who has 3 wives? Imagine being the duke that has to figure out what to do with the women when his half brother dies. Katherine takes in the other 2 wives. I don't think I could be so generous. But she does have a business and a means of support. Then there is the duke. The sparks fly and some juicy bits occur. The story is fun because it is so different. Katherine is headstrong and the duke is determined. I enjoyed this story. I was totally entertained.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor is the first book in her new series, The Widow Rules. After her estranged husband dies, Katherine Varek, Lady Meriwether, attends the reading of the will at his solicitors' office only to discover that her husband left behind two other widows and all of their dowries are missing. Christian Varek, Duke of Randford, is dismayed to discover that even in death, his miscreant half-brother has left him with a tangled web of trouble, not the least being three wives and his intense attraction to wife number one. I enjoyed this book with its intriguing characters, including a heroine who runs her own successful business despite a troubled past and a war hero duke who too must reconcile his past to move forward. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: June 29, 2021. #DukeInTime #JannaMacGregor #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomanceSeries #TheWidowRulesSeries #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Another amazing read by this author. I can say I’ve never been disappointed by any of their books. I know I’m in for a great read when ever I get to read one of their books. A storyline that draws you in and keeps you there and characters that are captivating and engaging. If you enjoy historical fiction you’ll enjoy this book. I’d live to see this made in to a movie or miniseries. Can’t wait to see what this author has in store for us next

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

A Duke in Time is a well written Regency novel set in the glittering world of the ton in Regency London. The pacing pulled me in from the first page to the last. This is the first book in Ms. MacGregor’s newest series, and it certainly starts the series out on a high note.

Katherine is an endearing character with all the qualities I most admire in a Regency heroine. Her heart is as wide as the ocean, and she exhibits an amazing amount of loyalty. Her shock and pain when she finds out her late husband had two other wives tugged at my soul. I could feel her anguish over wanting the hero but believing she had too many secrets that could destroy him if they ever came out.

Christian, Duke of Randford, is an amazing hero. His tenderness and determination to protect Katherine and the other two wives of his late rogue of a brother, won my heart, and his desire to right his late brothers wrongs is admirable.

At first, I feared this book would be an enemies to lovers story which isn’t my favorite troupe, but the romance between Katherine and Christian is lovely, and I truly enjoyed them as a couple and wanted them to find their happy ending.

If you enjoy Regency romance with engaging characters and an emotionally charged plot, then you will love A Duke in Time as much as I did. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Widows Rules series. Happy reading!

A Kiss in Time by Janna MacGreggor
The Widow Rules #1

One half-broth to deal with
Three widows married to brother.
Where did their dowries go?

This is not a new plot for a book but well done and a lot of fun. It is

What I liked:
* Katherine: strong, smart, business minded, survivor, has secret and a backstory, giving, warm, capable, I liked her.
* Christian: duke, half-brother, war hero, problem solver, wants to find jobs for war veterans, loving, generous, interesting back story, I liked him.
* Meriwether: half-brother to Christian, charismatic, bigamist, schemer, gambler, collector, problem-magnet, deceased.
* Willa: companion to Katherine and skilled in healing
* Morgan and the other men that were in the military with Christian.
* The other wives – they will each get a book of their own.
* The relationship as it developed between the two main characters
* The way both main characters were working to help others
* Trying to figure out what the deceased was up to and how he ended up collecting and bequesting as he did.
* The friendship that developed between the three women.

What I didn’t like:
* Being reminded of the way veterans were and often still are treated when they return from war.
* Meriwether…though he was charming his deceit was damaging to many.
* Skeats: I can see him twirling his mustache in a cartoonish evil way

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

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

4-5 Stars

I was super intrigued by the premise of this book! A man dies and it is discovered that he has married three different woman who all meet at the reading of his will. The three women decide to work together to try and avoid a scandal. Katherine is the first wife, therefor the 'real' wife and Christian is the dead husbands brother. Kat and Christian's love story is very sweet (and hot!), there was just something a bit off about the story that I can't quite put my finger on. Some of the dialogue, especially towards the end, I found a bit too saccharine. And while I love a heroine that save herself, something about the ending really had me just skimming.

I am really looking forward to the other two wives stories!

When Katherine goes to the reading of her late husband's will, she is shocked to learn he had two other wives. Christian, Duke of Randford, is tired of fixing his half brother's messes but can't turn away from a lady in distress. If society finds out these women were married to a trigamist, lives and reputations will be ruined.

The time period of 1815 and the plot of three wives married to one man lured me right into the story. I really liked Kat's character. She was a smart, strong woman who found a way against the odds to support herself in business. Christian is home after 3 years in the war determined to help out his fellow soldiers.

Christian and Kat made a good couple. I enjoyed seeing them work together as a team. I also liked seeing the three women form a sisterhood bond, united by shared circumstances and the will to find a way out of the mess. Several plot twists kept me reading to the epilogue. This romance has plenty of steam too. The secondary characters, especially Willa and Morgan, added a lot to the story and I'm looking forward to book two featuring another one of the wives. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ecopy of this book.

Christian Vareck, former soldier, now Duke of Randford, returns to England to find he must settle his late (half) brother’s estate. At the solicitor’s office, he meets Katherine, Lady Merriweather Vareck, his brother’s widow, well, one of them. It turns out there are three.

Christian and Kat are wonderful characters. They are both caring, good hearted people. Kat is a successful businesswoman who operates a linen workshop and an emporium where the goods are sold. She hires women who otherwise would have few if any options for respectable employment. In addition to his duties to the duchy, Christian wants to help the soldiers who served under him adjust to civilian life, including having a decent place to live and honest employment. He hates seeing them begging in the street. Working together, they begin to solve the dilemma Meri has left them; they come up with some ideas to help Christian’s men, and they fall in love. Along with Kat and Christian, the story is teeming with great characters. Kat’s companion Willa and Constance’s Aunt Ventia are delightful and devoted to taking care of Kat, Constance, and Beth. Wheatley and Morgan, Christian’s butler and valet, are indispensable to him. All four bring humor to the story. This is an interesting and engaging story. There are a lot of challenges, some surprises (good and bad), and a secret or two to be revealed. I enjoyed Kat and Christian’s story. I look forward to the rest of the series.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thankyou NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Janna MacGregor!

A Duke in Time is exquisitely romantic.

Katherine Vareck after not seeing her husband since their wedding day is shocked to discover that she is her husbands first wife. When Meri, the husband, dies unexpectedly Katherine and his two other wives are brought together and have to deal with a potential scandal on all their hands. Something that could very well ruin them all. In comes Christian, The Duke of Randford. After just coming back from the war he is not happy to clean up his half brothers mess and what a mess it is. But something in Katherine's eyes draws him in and he knows he can't leave these women to deal with this alone.

After a couple of duds this book is what I needed. Its witty, romantic and sexy. The romance is filled with lots of ooey gooey almost two sweet moments where the hero says the perfect thing. It felt like over indulging on your favourite desert. Its still your favourite and you want more but your teeth kind of hurt so you gotta stop for now. And yet... its what I needed.

I am in love with this book. Almost as much as the characters are actually in love. Katherine and Christian are one of those couples that you can't help but root for. Their relationship begins to be built on trust and friendship and as romantic feelings begin to develop they are both there on equal footing. Consent is sexy! And this book used that to its fullest. Neither character pressed for more then the other was ready for and it was phenomenal.

This book was beautifully written. The romantic feelings between the hero and heroine are extremely evident and as the reader you can see why they want to be together and why they should! Both characters are allowed to be both emotional and strong, with their own wants, needs and aspirations. Katherine actually has her own business and its something Christian welcomes and supports. I really cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this novel.

There is also a peak at what's to come in the next book... and I need it now! Here's a hint... two words: Damaged Hero. Count me in.

Katherine Vareck discovers she is a widow, only to find out that she is hardly the only woman her late husband left behind. He left behind three "widows" and a big mess for his brother, Christian, Duke of Randford, to clean up. As a woman who actually works for a living, the scandal could make Katherine lose the opportunity to supply textiles to the royal family. How she manages to forge a relationship with Christian, her sister wives and still keep on running her business makes for a diverting tale. The love story is all the more compelling because it did not come easy — and not with made-up obstacles, but very real issues the couple had to work through. Janna MacGregor as she is so good at doing, weaves a tale where love comes, but only after the couple forges an actual relationship. This is a wonderful start to the stories of three women bound by an ill-advised love. (I received an advance copy via NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

I loved this book so much. It was so sweet and such a balm of comfort and romance, I really appreciated it. Both main characters are sweet and honest and Christian is such a perfect character, I love him. I cannot recommend "A Duke in Time" enough and I'm really looking forward to the next novel in this series. 5 stars.

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor is the first novel in a historical romance series focused on Katherine, a woman who is left reeling after the death of her husband, Meri. However even more shocking is when she discovers that her husband Meri had two secret lives... and wives! Katherine is forced to fix Meri's mess with the help of his brother, Christian, who is also the Duke of Randford. However soon Katherine and Christian find themselves growing closer as they try and make sense of the situation Katherine and the other two wives are in. However Katherine's past may have other ideas in store for her.

When I read the synopsis of this romance I knew I had to read it! Katherine is a strong and compelling lead character and I loved seeing how she uplifted those around her. I also appreciated how she helped the community through her work and with the help of Christian. Speaking of Christian, I found him so sweet and loved that he was impossibly attracted to Katherine for both her inner and outer beauty. It was lovely to see how Katherine and Christian connected over helping others and made it their mission to help those most in need. It was so clear these two made each other better!

I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and loved how they spoke to each other. However there was plenty of plot to enjoy in this novel and it was interesting to learn about the backstories of each of the characters. I wished we would have gotten a bit more back story, especially about Christian but the reader is still able to understand why they operate the way they do. I really enjoyed that Katherine resolved her situation on her own and subverted the damsel in disguise and appreciated there was not really any miscommunication and instead Katherine tried to communicate the best she could given the circumstances.

Overall I really enjoyed this historical romance and the lovely characters in it. I am curious if the future novels will follow the other two wives as I am curious how the love story unfolds for each of them! This is the first of many of Janna MacGregor's books!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and the author Janna MacGregor for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by Ms. MacGregor and I can tell you in won't be my last. The first in The Widow Rules series, this story presents quite a twist right from the start. The story has drama, intrigue, scandal, and of course romance, which kept me hooked and turning the pages, anxious to see what happens next.
No doubt the sparks sizzle and fly between Christian and Katherine. Katherine is a feisty heroine and she knows which buttons to push, which brought on some really fun and witty banter between them. Ms. MacGregor does a really nice job of bringing these characters and the story to life. A spicy, entertaining, and enjoyable read! Looking forward to reading the next installment!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and the publisher and am voluntarily leaving my review.

What do you do when your husband dies and you find out that he had 2 other wives? You work together to try to keep everyone together and out of the scandal papers. You find true love with your deceased husband’s brother, the Duke. And you expand your business that helps those less fortunate with jobs, a place to live and a future. Wonderful start to a new series where the women work together to help each other. I loved it. We need more of these stories.

4 stars. Netgalley ARC review.

A Duke in Time is the first book in the “Widows Rule” series and the premise is one I have not encountered before – multiple wives of a dead spouse. Katherine, Lady Meriwether, arrives at the reading of her late husband’s will (who by the way, left her on their wedding day) and finds out he was married to two other women. Talk about a surprise!!! For all three women!!! Another thing they have in common – he absconded with all their dowries.

Katherine is determined to get their dowries back and enlists her late husband’s brother Christian, the Duke of Randford, to help. Katherine could just have easily ignored the other two women and fought for the return of her own dowry. However, the three women created a bond and became a terrific support system (along with some wonderful secondary characters). Christian didn’t have the first clue where to start assisting the women, however he couldn’t turn his back on the women who were wronged by his scoundrel brother. He is determined to do right by them!

I loved Katherine’s strength, her loyalty, and her ability to show compassion toward the other wives. I loved Christian’s way of helping his fellow war heroes and his idea of creating a charity. These ultimately bring Christian and Katherine together as she helps him start his charity.

Janna MacGregor’s main and secondary characters in this new series are wonderful. They are well thought-out and likeable! Based on this story, I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series!

Thank you to Janna MacGregor, St. Martin’s Publishing, and Netgalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily read the book and gladly leave my unbiased opinion.

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor

#BookReview #ADukeInTime by @JannaMacGregor @StMartinsPress @SMPRomance on #NjkinnysBlog #HistoricalRomance #gwendalynbooks

Publication Date: June 29, 2021
St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Series: The Widow Rules, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance
Scandalous, Sensual, Victorian Romp

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor is the first installment in her new The Widow Rules series.

What happens when successful boutique owner Katherine “Kat” Greer learns some incredible news from the reading of a will, upon her recently departed husband, Meriwether Varek death. Even though Katherine Vareck was only married to Meri for a year, and abandoned just after the wedding breakfast.

Absolutely nothing could have prepared her for learning that her absent husband not only was married to her, but it would seem that he had acquired several wives. Without resources Kat asked her long time acquaintance Willa Kat to help persuade
the other Mrs’s Meriwether Varek to bond together in residence and seek out what has become of their dowries.

Christian Varek, the Duke of Randford has just returned from the Napoleonic wars, a hero, and the last memberof Meriwether’s family. He wants no part of his brother or family’s scandalous past. He is not prepared for his late brother’s widow persistence in asking for help, or that she is stunningly beautiful.

A delightful swoon worthy hero and a caring, beautiful heroine makes this a memorable Victorian style romance.
I feel in love with Katherine’s character, she’s sincere, but also a successful lady entrepreneur. Rising above her lot in life Katherine James is the illegitimate daughter of an actress. She is a hard worker, who has achieved business success, so when opportunity to become a titled lady, she thought that her life was definitely on the upswing. But that wasn’t the case when our tale began. I enjoyed her generosity and goodwill, to other ladies that had been mislead. Their friendship is wonderfully depicted.

Katherine and Christian chemistry is off the charts, and I the storyline.
The authors narration is easy to follow and I thought the book was quite refreshing and entertaining. I also liked how both of the main characters needed to overcome their past, along with the desire to do good and help other less fortunate.
I am excited to read the next book in what seems to be a captivating romance series!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.