Bigamy and marriage alliances — oh, my!

I’m reading more historical romances these days because I prefer the love scenes to not be over-the-top, and I’m fascinated with the societal mores on the ton and that they become almost another character in the story.

Janna MacGregor weaves a wonderful story in A DUKE IN TIME, Book 1 of The Widow Rules. Our heroine Katherine Vareck married her husband, a second son of a duke, for a specific purpose — to gain entry into the ton for her business. She fully realizes that, in her world, marriage is often a business arrangement to benefit from the alliance.

What Katherine didn’t anticipate, however, is that her husband would go on to marry two other women, leaving his estate in a mess when he dies suddenly. MacGregor skillfully paints portraits of all three women — their reasons for marrying, their panic about their current situation as widows in a time when women needed men for survival and their unique personalities.

Our hero, Christian, Duke of Randford, and brother-in-law to the three women has his own issues with his brother. And he has a dilemma as he finds himself attracted to Katherine. In their time, a brother cannot we his brother’s widow.

Meri, the dead brother and husband, continues to pop up throughout the book with quirky gifts and purchases that are delivered at odd times. It seems guaranteed that these vignettes will illuminate a larger story about Meri. And we will see each of the other two widow’s circumstances work out.

Waiting for the next two titles is sure to be agonizing!

Upon her husband Meri's death, Katherine Verick discovers that he married two other women. Her chances at a successful business would be endangered if that truth was revealed, so Katherine tries to keep it secret. Meri's upstanding brother Christian, Duke of Randford, is drawn back into the family drama he had been trying to avoid for years and winds up working with Katherine. He can't be falling for his brother's widow, can he?

Katherine has her own secrets and reasons to have married Meri, namely that she is illegitimate and had once been known as a thief. It's for this reason she takes pity on the other two wives, deciding to help them figure out a future without drawing attention from the ton and creating a scandal. Christian has always separated himself from Meri and everything he stood for and carries memories of the war close. PTSD isn't mentioned outright for him, but it certainly marked others he fought with. He'd like to give back to the soldiers abandoned by polite society and realizes that Katherine has the business acumen and contacts he would need to do so. Working in proximity like this only fans the flames of their mutual attraction and respect.

The "bad guy" of the novel is introduced rather late, and he's every inch the skeevy, oily opportunist that he seems like. Both Katherine and Christian are honorable people, selfless and caring about others. Katherine wants to save Christian from stains on his reputation, and he is willing to ignore her ignoble roots and take her as she is. Their happily ever after is as sweet as it is expected, creating a loving home for their future together.

This was a very good read by one of my favorite authors. Ms MacGregor writes with a flare of the dramatic. I love how the flow of her characters seemed real with thoughts and feelings of their own.
The story line held my interest from start to finish. Lots of exciting things happening in this new series with wives of three married to the same man who is dead.
You meet Katherine, Lady Meriwether who really didn't love her late husband and is friends with the other two women her late husband was married to. It's a bit confusing, but there is great expansions of future books.
Like Katherine who is in business and hopes to secure her trade with highly important people. She doesn't want a scandal to mar her concerns.
You meet Christian, Duke of Randford, who is her late husband's older brother comes out morally upright. He really doesn't really likes his dissolute family Including the Meriwether line. He just left the service after surviving the Napoleonic Wars. He is attracted to Katherine and she only wants to be left alone to get her priorities in a row.
But fate takes a hand in giving Katherine and Christian a lasting romance that ends in a love of all time.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

A Duke in Time launches Janna MacGregor's new series and sets the stage for what looks to be a very entertaining group of books. The premise is intriguing, with a group of main characters I'm looking forward to learning more about, and a bit of a mystery that looks to play out over the course of the series. I'm eager to discover what out-of-left-field bequests from the deceased "trigamist" show up next!

What drives this story are the characters and, I have to say, they're some of the most likeable I've met in some time. Christian and Kat are good, honorable, caring people who I was pulling for from start to finish. I enjoyed Kat's determination to earn her own keep, her clever innovations, and her willingness to help those in need. In light of that innate goodness, it wasn't a stretch to believe she would step forward to help Constance and Beth but what I really enjoyed was the sisterhood ultimately formed by this trio of women who were all betrayed by the same man.

I appreciated Christian's support of Kat, how they worked together, how he listened to her ideas, and his determination to help those less fortunate, especially the soldiers who came home to nothing. I enjoyed their flirtations, their chemistry, and their foundation of friendship that deepened into love.

The supporting cast of characters were all vividly depicted, bringing additional depth, humor, and conflict to the story. I'm already looking forward to seeing more of some of them in the next book.

There were a few issues that kept this from being a 5-star read for me but, overall, it was a well-crafted, heart-tugging story that kept me turning pages, cheering for the (good) characters, taking satisfaction in the consequences suffered by villain, happy with the culmination of Kat and Christian's journey, and eager for the next two books. If you enjoy historical romance, give this one a try.

*4.5 stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

It is a story with many many leads to follow, between the three women, their future suitors, the late brother’s will and his game plus the many “deliveries” result of his investments, the heroine’s quest and the hero’s many plans.
A little messy with all those paths to follow, yet I am curious about the next two stories.

What a wonderful story. It was a very unusual premise for the time period but it definitely added to the intrigue. This was a well written story that had wonderful characters. I loved how strong the characters were given their circumstances. Kate’s confidence was so strong that she took in the other wives of her deceased spouse. Kate and Christian were perfect together. The flow of the story was amazing and kept me wanting to read more and more. This first book in the series was perfect and I can’t wait to read the others in the series.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Normally, I love books from Janna MacGregor, but this one was disappointing. To begin with, the premise was silly. Katherine discovers that her “husband” married two other women, then died, leaving them all trying to figure out who was the real wife (Kat) and what had happened to their dowries. Constance is pregnant and ready to give birth, while Beth has no desire to return to her brother who “sold her off” to Meriwether, the “husband” to all three women. Meanwhile, Christian, the Duke of Randford, returns from the war to try to clean up his half-brother’s mess. Constance and Beth are basically destitute, at least until they figure out what to do now that they’ve been widowed. Christian is reluctant to help. So, Katherine, who has her own linens business, invites the two women to come live with her, with no expectation that they will repay her. They become the best of friends.

It just seemed unbelievable to me that these three women would become the best of friends under the circumstances. Even if Kat was generous enough to invite them to live with her, the likelihood of them being just as generous is not very high. Of course, Christian and Kat fall in love, while Christian tries to find someone to marry Constance before she gives birth and it seems as if Christian’s good friend is interested in Beth.

There were too many loose ends. The epilogue only addressed Christian and Katherine, with a mention of Beth (now managing certain aspects of Kat’s business). We don’t know whether Constance was married or not. We don’t know what happened with Beth and Christian’s friend Grayson. Additionally, the passion between Christian and Kat was lackluster and the emotions were just meh. I just didn’t feel much for these characters. I didn’t connect with them and I didn’t much care what happened.

A Duke in Time is the start of a new series and I'm quite interested in learning about the fates of these three widows, widows who were married to the same man at the same time. Katherine Vareck learns her fate as one of three widows when her scarce husband passes away unexpectedly.

Enter her late husband's step brother-in-law - now responsible for these three women. He's a duke, haughty, and unimpressed with the antics of his late-step brother in law. Additionally, he wants nothing to do with these women.

Thus the women band together, Katherine is finally given some help from Christian, and of course, over time, Katherine and Christian fall in love. However, this is more of a slower burn historical romance and I felt the author focused much on setting up the next 2 books in the series, where each widow gets their Happily Ever After.

Christian is not a likeable character and he's a bit inflexible. I didn't like him at all int he beginning. But Katherine is a kick-ass entrepreneur - and as she falls for him, I was able to as well. Moreover, her first marriage was only in name, with no love nor intimacies exchanged, which made her falling for the brother-in-law more realistic.

Speaking of realism, the premise is a bit far fetched but once I accepted this imagined world in the 1800s England, I was able to go with the unliklihood of this actually ever happening in real life. But that's why I read, to escape to the unexpected.

I’m a huge fan of Janna MacGregor’s books and this one exceeds all of the others. What an original story! Katharine finds that her missing - now deceased - husband has also married two other women! As the 1st wife, Katharine is the beneficiary of his estate but she feels a reluctant responsibility to the other wives and invites them to come stay with her until they can figure out this mess.

Christian, Meri’s half-brother (the aforementioned bigamist), wants nothing to do with this situation as he has his own obligations but Katharine refuses to let him ignore his responsibilities.

I loved how their romance blossomed and how Katharine and Christian were willing to sacrifice everything for each other in the end. There is a great twist at the end and I look forward to the next two books to see how everything unfolds!

Omg, poor Katherine finds out on the death of her husband that he has not one but two other wives as well as her, now she has an opportunity to partner with her husbands brother Christian in a venture that will surely bring them close.

Love this story and as it is the first in a series, I am looking forward to reading more.

When I saw that Janna MacGregor had a new series out, I was pretty pumped about it. I had read (and loved) The Cavensham Heiress series. My expectations were set high for this book because of that. I am happy to say that A Duke in Time did not disappoint me at all.

A Duke in Time takes place in 1815 London, England. Katherine’s husband, Meri, has passed away, and she is attending the reading of the will. To her surprise, two other women, both claiming to be Meri’s wife, also show up. Katherine, being a much better person, allows both women to move into their house while deciding who the legal wife is. Aiding her in this is her husband’s half-brother, The Duke of Randford. Unfortunately, Katherine is also hiding secrets. These secrets could destroy everything that she has come to hold dear, including her growing love for Christian.

I liked Katherine. She dealt with everything that life threw at her with grace. I mean, if I found out my husband married two other ladies, I would have flipped my lid. But, instead, she took them (and their companions) into her house and made them family. But she was also tough. She forced Christian to help her with untangled the mess that Meri left. She also dealt with business rivals with that same toughness.

Christian, I was a little more on the fence about. At the beginning of the book, he came across as kind of a jerk. He wanted nothing to do with Katherine (or Meri’s other wives). But, as the book went on, my initial first impression of him changed. He was a war hero and was dedicated to helping the soldiers that served under him. But, he also became dedicated to helping Meri’s wives, seeing who was the legal 1st wife, and keeping the other two from becoming “ruined.”

The main storyline was well written, and it kept my attention. I got involved in the plotline and couldn’t wait to see how everything turned out. There were a few twists and turns in the plotline, but I was delighted with how it turned out.

The romance angle of the book was terrific. Instead of having Katherine and Christian fall immediately in love, the author chose to have their love grow over time. It made me feel that their romance was true.

There is sex in A Duke in Time. For a Regency novel, the sex is explicit. There is a very hot mutual masturbation scene that made me fan myself. The author kept up that sexual tension until Katherine and Christian had sex.

The storyline with the secrets (both Christian and Katherine) was hard to read. Christian was just sad, and I couldn’t wrap my head around what his father asked him to do. Katherine’s was heartbreaking, and I couldn’t believe that it was used against her. But, how her’s was resolved left me shaking my head in disbelief.

The end of the book was terrific. The connection that Christian and Katherine have came across the pages. I had tears in my eyes. But the epilogue made the book!!

A Duke in Time was a great romance to read. I connected with both main characters, as well as the secondary characters.

I would recommend A Duke in Time to anyone over the age of 21. There is explicit sex and mild violence.

The trigamist's half brother.

The set up is over the top, but the characters are sincere and delightful.
Katherine "Kat" married Meriwether for all of six hours and the marriage was never consummated. However, at the reading of the will, she finds out Meri was also married to two other women, one who is pregnant. And Meri's half brother, Christian is a duke who washed his hands of Meri and his foolish mistakes. Yet, Kat needs his help to get her dowry back.

I liked that Kat was strong and pragmatic. She was going to rescue the other two wives and her own business venture. I enjoyed Christian, the war-weary now duke who falls down the rabbit hole of Meri's mistakes.
I questioned how this was all going to work. but don't worry, it does and I thoroughly enjoyed Kat and Christian.
Recommend.

With its wild premise, easy-to-root for main characters, fascinating set of secondary characters, easy pace that kept the story moving, and low-angst conflict, A Duke In Time gives Janna MacGregor’s new The Widow Rules series a promising start.

Janna has always written strong and resolute female leads and Katherine is a remarkable example of them. Her occupation and hidden background provide for a refreshing change from the previous heroines who were born into nobility. Her backstory allows for a better understanding of her decisions and actions throughout the story.

Christian, the titular duke, is himself an admirable character with his care for war veterans and his taking up the responsibility for his brother Meri’s three widows and the menagerie that kept on coming. His kind treatment of the people under his employ and his resolve not to follow his father’s debauched ways make him immensely likable.

I like that Kat and Christian formed tight friendships with each other and with others. I like that while there was an instant attraction between them, they didn’t act on it until they established a bond. I appreciate the absence of excessive push and pull. They satisfied their physical desire with agreement on both parties without coy protestations.

While there are some aspects of the story that could have been better fleshed out (I’m still unclear how Katherine managed to start a business on her own with two hundred pounds to her name) and the lack of flaws in Christian’s characterization, I recommend this light and easy read to fans of “modern” historical romance.

Katherine Vareck, whose husband walked away from her six hours after they were married, has just died from an accidental death after racing his horse while he was inebriated. Now as the will is to be read, she finds out he has two other wives and Christian, Duke of Randford, having just showed up has no idea how to deal with the shanagans his half-brother has gotten himself into. A delight to read how Katherine and Christian both are sweet loving people that are striving to help those in need. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor is book #1 in The Widow Rules series. I really enjoyed the story. There were some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Ms. MacGregor is an excellent storyteller and I recommend this book.

This story has three women married to the same man, a Duke that wants nothing to do with his dead brother's problems, a pregnant wife; is she the true wife? blackmail, the search for the truth and a wonderful journey to HEA. Definitely goes on my read again pile.

A very unusual premise.a duke's half brother marries 3 women under His own name ,takes their dowry and dies.
He leaves quiet a mess behind and 1 wife pregnant.
Enter our hero the Duke, Christian and Katherine ,the first and legal wife decide to help the ladies get out of his situation.
They both fall for each other .
Now,our heroine is a strong,independent and opiniated person.she has a successful business that she proudly runs.
Christian and Katherine 's chemistry was slow to build Christian is a typical alpha brooding hero but it's Katherine that really impresses me.
Story was slow at times but overall an enjoyable read.

I just loved the main characters of Christian and Kate. Kate had a difficult childhood but did having a loving mother. She had a faithful friend in Willa. Kate was intelligent and creative and had developed a successful business, which she used to employ less fortunate women. Kate had a very caring nature, as was seen in her attitude to Beth and Constance. Christian was determined to restore a good name to the duchy. He was unlike his father and brother as he could possibly be. Christian, also, wanted to help his fellow soldiers, who found themselves without work when returning from the war. As they get to spend time with each other so their attraction grew. However, Kate had a secret in her past that could make a difference to how Christian feels. There were many very romantic moments, which I loved, as well as, passionate ones. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series. I did receive a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However, I did preorder my own copy.

This was a really good book with a very interesting storyline: at the reading of a dead man's will, his brother is introduced to his deceased brother's THREE wives.

Christian is a super hero: kind, generous, sexy, and willing to tackle all his brothers messes.

Katherine had the shock of her life; finding out your husband had two other wives would make anyone want to hide under their covers indefinitely. Katherine however perseveres and ultimately finds happiness far beyond anything she could imagine.

These two people are wonderful together and just flat out wonderful. They are written with depth and written so well you feel as if you know them personally. The plot is interesting and leaves you with the satisfaction only a great book can do, yet also leaves you craving more.

I just reviewed A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor via NetGalley and am volunteering an honest review. #NetGalley #ADukeinTime

London - 1815 - Office of Malcolm Hanes, Esquire

Katherine Vareck is the widow of the recently deceased Lord Meriwether Vareck. The man she had married and last saw just a year ago, had been drunk when he was thrown from his horse and left to drown in a mud puddle. Meriwether had been the second son of a duke and how his half brother Christian Vareck, the Duke of Randford, has come to the reading of Meriwether’s will. When he arrives, he finds not one, not two, but three women calling themselves the man’s widows. The deceased was a trigamist having married three women for their dowries.

The women’s names are: Katherine (Kat) Greer, who owns Greer Emporium which sells luxury bedding to the wealthy. She lives with her Scottish companion, Willa. She wants her 200 pound dowry back. Then, there is Constance Lysander, who lost her 2,000 pound dowry. Lastly, Blythe (Beth) Howell, claims to have lost her 20,000 pound dowry. Her Aunt Vee lives with her because the woman’s brother wants to commit her to an asylum since she talks to her dead husband. Since the duke refuses to help, Katherine invites them to stay with her.

Well, of course, Christian ends up helping Katherine and also falling in love with her. There are a number of clever things about the story that I liked such as Katherine’s ability to put together this terrific business she has. I also liked her compassion for the other two wives, in addition to her caring for the returning soldiers who needed work and housing. I also liked Christian and found him to be a good man who will obviously make a good husband. I guess to add a bit of humor, we have the antics that Meriwether had gotten up to before his death. What I didn’t care for was the “past” that Katherine carried with her. That is overdone and makes my eyes roll. I am not a fan of the explicit sex scenes and honestly don’t read them. How many times have I said in a historical romance review that this stuff just was not done! But I guess a lot of readers want to read that. I love historical romance but please leave out the sex scenes.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book has so many twist and turns. The author keeps you engaged from the first page and boy is it a ride. We have the surprise wives yes wives as in not one but three and we have the female MC falling for her brother in law. Loved it!!