This was a very sweet romance! I loved Mars becoming a father and just immediately loving his daughter, and really wish there had been more of him and his daughter, every moment between them was so sweet. Mars and Clarissa had a marriage of convenience that very quickly became a love march, which i loved. this was a pretty low angst romance, very sweet!

Mars and Clarissa have know each other since childhood, and no one could say they were friends. Then a baby is dropped off on Mars' doorstep and he knows Clarissa would be perfect to help. They both have preconceived ideas about the other and it was a pleasure to watch them learn how wrong they were. I love the writing style, and I also loved the previous books in the series


I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

A fun, sweet historical romance.

The Earl of Marsden (Mars) is known for being a man about town. Then an ex-mistress shows up and drops of a new baby girl. He doesn’t want his daughter to be abandoned, belittled, or ignored, but he also knows absolutely nothing about babies. Clarissa Taylor, village spinster and matron-in-training, seems like the perfect fit to help out. Clarissa ends up agreeing because she wants to make sure she can take care of herself and isn’t beholden to anyone anymore. Plus, she understands about being a castoff. Some complications come up, resulting in Mars and Clarissa having to marry. But sometimes a marriage of convenience turns into an actual family.

First off, Clarissa is so strong, which I absolutely appreciate. She stands up to Mars in a way that most people don’t and has clear ideas about what she wanted from life. They even have a bit of an enemies-to-lover situation going on, at least at the beginning. Setting clear rules for what she wanted out of a marriage to Mars was a chance for her to grow as a person and also created some tension and angst for the rest of the book. She also wanted to make sure that others orphans/abandoned children like her have good lives. Even when she had her doubts about Mars, she could see that he cared about Dora (his daughter) and wanted to make sure that she never felt censure. I also really enjoyed the matrons of Maidenshop, even though (because?) they were completely ridiculous.

While I enjoyed the story as a whole, it definitely didn’t really go in the direction I expected. The blurb suggested that the focus was all about Dora and teaching Mars how to be a parent. However, that only really applies for the first 20% or so of the book and the rest was really about Mars, Clarissa, and their growing attraction. It’s really a marriage of convenience story, not a growing-up-and-becoming-a-parent story. Although it was interesting to see them each figure out what they wanted out of a relationship, I would have liked to see some more of them working with Dora and getting a chance to see Mars figure out how to be a father.

Overall, if you like sweet historical romance stories, especially with the marriage of convenience trope, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It’s not ground-breaking or super unexpected, but the inclusion of Dora makes for an interesting variation on the usual formula. If you’ve read the other books in this series (The Logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women), then this is also an opportunity to finally see Clarissa get her happy ever after!

This book kept me on my toes, providing trope after trope of historical romance joy: enemies to loves, fake fiancé, marriage of convenience, only one bed… it made for lots of fun as the book developed.

I was not sure I would like the hero, but as he fell for his child, I came to appreciate him. The dynamics between the hero and heroine were excellent. Now I want to read the rest of the books in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

I adored Mars and Clarissa's story!! I loved watching Clarissa come into her own during this story. I just loved all the bantering between these two, if had my laughing out loud!

A fun enemies to lovers romance. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Mars and Clarissa - great antagonistic banter but also wonderful support. The way they came together and began to grow both individually and as a couple was wonderfully done.

It's a marriage of convenience for Mars and Clarissa. They have despised each other since childhood. She thinks he is self-centered, lazy, and rude. He thinks she is judgmental, dull, and pious. But when your mistress leaves you with a baby you didn't know you had, suddenly the minister's adopted daughter is the right person for you. Helped along by the Matrons of Maidenshops, two lonely people start to see the good in each other.

This is my first time reading something by Ms. Maxwell and I found it quite entertaining. This is the third book in the series, and not having read the first two, I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. Clarissa and Mars have known each other since they were children and have a sort of frenemies relationship. Mars is from a well-off family, but Clarissa was an orphan raised by the village vicar. Mars has grown into quite the rake and when he is left with an infant from one of his former mistresses, the carefree life he once coveted is no more. Resolved to care for the infant, he knows he cannot do it alone and looks for a nursemaid. It just so happens Clarissa is in need of employment and takes on the position. Little did she know that along with caring for a baby, she would have to fake a marriage as well. A very entertaining and well-written story that caught my interest from the beginning and kept it all the way through. Clarissa and Mars were both very strong-willed and resilient characters and I enjoyed their interactions and fun and witty banter. This book was engaging and quite enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Maxwell's books.

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

His Lessons on Love is historical romance at its finest. A baby is dropped off on the The Earl of Marsden's doorstep by his ex-mistress. Mars doesn't know anything about babies but he's entranced by her and needs help. So he turns to the only woman available, his nemesis and local spinster, Clarissa Taylor. Clarissa strikes a practical deal with Mars but due to gossip she may have to marry the Earl to avoid scandal. They bond over the baby and learn to love each other in this enemies to lovers story. Recommended.

Loved it! Excellent writing, witty characters, decent plot and just really enjoyed it! I always love Maxwell's books so not surprising I suppose!

Book #3 by Cathy Maxwell in her A Logical Mans Guide to Dangerous Women Series! And boy did she deliver! While this can be read as a standalone, I do recommend the other books in the series simply because they are good!

First we meet Mars as he is known to most, he focuses a lot of his attention on avenging the man who killed his father in a duel - Lord Dervil. But despite that major pursuit with a hopeful end goal of Dervil's death, he still has found more than enough time for his own debauched goals. Women, gambling, opium. I was really surprised by how far down the dirt path he strayed, sometimes it can make it harder to appreciate the hero even as he searches out his redemption. Thankfully this only gave me a moment's pause because I really enjoyed Mars as a character. Particularly when he's handed a daughter he didn't know he had.

This is where Clarissa comes in. She's had quite a life moving through orphanages and foster parents, never really finding a place to belong, this finds her back in the town she grew up in after an unfortunate experience with a handsy nephew of the woman she was a paid chaperone of. While she eventually agrees to be the nurse of Mars' child, yet when he introduces her to his mother, he claims her as his betrothed!

I really enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers trope in this book. They knew of each other and disliked each other from the beginning but when they're both put in a position of needing the other, they come together and fireworks take place! I loved reading these two as they came together. Each had different obstacles to overcome and they managed to work together to get there. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone!

My opinion is my own and freely given.

I really enjoyed this story - newest in Cathy's series -- Mars is such a great character and it was fun to watch him AND Clarissa both change and grow closer until they finally realized that they loved each other! Very emotional and sensual, it's a very satisfying historical romance and a great addition to Cathy's book!

Clarissa Taylor had only wanted one thing in her life to have somewhere to belong. As a foundling she had always known she was granted acceptance by her adoptive parents the Reverend and Mrs. Taylor, but there was always the separation from everyone else. And now she's returned to her home village after a dismal time in London. And she's been given the opportunity to be useful to the most unexpected and unwanted of persons.
The Earl of Marsden, whom most everyone calls simply Mars, had quite literally been saddled with a complete surprise of his infant daughter. He has no clue what to do with her and in his haste to solve this dilemma he agrees to take on Clarissa as her nurse. Then matters get more complicated with the unexpected arrival of Mar's mother. What could possibly go wrong with pretending to be married, oh wait actually getting married to your nemesis and realizing dislike can mask so many things. As Clarissa and Mars start to get to really know each other the blinders start to lift and the waters become even muddier in the process. Will their misconceptions and secret agendas treat them apart or can they learn from the past and create a life together?

His Lessons in Love is the third in a series of historical romances by Cathy Maxwell, and focuses on the dissolute Earl of Marsden. At the start of the novel, Mars is at odds with himself, restless and unfocused, and is quickly forced to take care of things when a former mistress appears and hands off an unexpected package: their daughter. Grasping for help, he manages to talk fellow villager Clarissa Taylor into serving as a nanny to the child. Clarissa and he have known each other since childhood, and it is an oppositves-attract relationship. Clarissa was adopted into a local family, but has no real connections. An attempt to marry one of the local bachelors was dissolved in the previous book in the series, and she begins this story down on her luck as a post she's taken falls apart. The story moves very quickly and unexpectedly into Mars and Clarissa marrying, and then it becomes a rather fluffy but entertaining story of them connecting and learning to truly see each other. Overall, it was a solid read, with the only strange moment of Clarissa negotiating their wedding agreement to not include a physical relationship. That came out of nowhere and basically screamed Plot Device. That said, I was happy enough to while away an evening with these characters during year 3 of this pandemic.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Witty dialog, laugh-out-loud humor, emotional depth, and the blending of some of my favorite tropes - marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and opposites attract - make this third book in Maxwell's A Logical Man's Guide to Dangerous Women (don't you just love that title?) series my favorite.

This book can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone but for those of us who have read the first two books, the pairing of Clarissa and Mars comes as no surprise. These two have been walking a fine line between animosity and attraction for the entire series. Maxwell skillfully guides them from loathing to co-conspirators, to protectors of Mars' daughter, to friends, and finally, to love. I happily cheered them on the entire way as they both learned that appearances don't always tell the whole story, that people can change, and that love sometimes grows where least expected.

The book's title is certainly appropriate as Mars has much to learn, not only about love but about himself, his priorities, and the importance of focusing on the future rather than the past. But he isn't the only one who evolves. I appreciated the growth of both main characters as their stories were slowly unveiled to one another. There are some twists I saw coming, and others I didn't, that impacted each of them, contributing to how they viewed themselves as well as one another. I liked that the author didn't sugarcoat the difficult decisions that needed to be made and didn't give them any easy answers. Their HEA is one they have to work for which made it all the more sweet in the end. The secondary cast of characters add humor, conflict, and motivation to the overall story, some surprising me and others proving they are exactly as heartless as they appear. I may have cheered a few "just desserts" that are dished out.

If you enjoy well-crafted historical romance with complex characters, snappy banter, perfectly-placed humor, great chemistry, and life lessons that lead the way to a sigh-worthy happily ever after, pick up a copy of His Lessons on Love. I'm not sure if this book ends the series but wherever Maxwell decides to take readers next, I'll happily follow.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

I'm a big Cathy Maxwell fan, but it took me forever to read His Lessons on Love. I've enjoyed the others in the series, but it took awhile to get into this one. In fact, I took a four month break from reading this book before I picked it up again.

I enjoyed the story, mostly because I was pretty invested in the characters from the previous books in the series, though I think it can be read as a stand-alone. The plot wasn't anything super out of the ordinary, but it was a pleasant read all the way through.

There are many good tropes here: enemies-to-lovers, fake relationship, marriage of convenience, and they work, but I still had trouble with my focus throughout the book.

Overall, not one of Cathy Maxwell's most compelling reads but still enjoyable for fans of this series.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve been a fan of Cathy Maxwell for years, and so when I saw she had a new book out, I picked it up without hesitation. I didn’t even read the blurb or know it was part of a series. But despite my lack of research into the story, I’m glad that I read it.

His Lessons on Love is the third book in the A Logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women series. I hadn’t read the previous books, and I really didn’t need to. The couples from the previous books make appearances, the men more so since they are friends with Mars, the lead in this book. They were just secondary characters there to support Mars and Clarissa at a couple key points in the story, but there was no reason to need to know their backstory, which I appreciated. The book stands alone quite well.

Mars and Clarissa and two fascinating characters. Mars starts off as a pretty typical single titled man. The book opens as he wakes up with a hangover and is confronted with his ex-mistress, leaving his daughter in his care. Mars didn’t even know of the child’s existence and didn’t have a clue how to care for a child.

Enter Clarissa, a woman adopted by the local minister who grew up helping others. Both characters were very well developed and had grown throughout the series. Both were very lonely and went into their marriage of convenience for different reasons, but were surprised to find friendship and eventually love. I was delighted to cheer on these two characters as they found their happily ever after.

My only real hang-up in the story was the sub-plot of the death of Mars’ father and his need for revenge. Perhaps it is because I couldn’t understand the obsession with Mars and then felt it was just too quickly ended to wrap up the story. This was the one case where I didn’t think the story was developed enough.

In the end, I really enjoyed His Lessons on Love. My emotions were engaged, and I couldn’t wait to get to The End. I’m now going to have to go back and read the previous books in the series… and I can’t wait!

Cathy Maxwell has long been one of my favorite Regency authors and reading His Lessons in Love was pure joy. The union of Clarissa with childhood nemesis "his Lordship Marsdon", seems inevitable, but the path there is a rocky one. In a newly forged alliance, Clarissa agrees to care for Mars' surprise secret daughter and ends up meeting his mother under the wrong pretenses.

I found this to be such a heartfelt, sweet and endearing book. I loved watching Mars and Rissa navigate a new reality, one with baby Dora. Clarissa is a delightful character, earnest and compassionate, and balances Mars' cynical nature. Their time in London is challenging and illuminating, for both of them, and the situation looks dire. But, much character growth occurs through adversity and these two find a way through it. One of my favorite things is how the chapters are predicated by Mars' "Book of Mars" and show his emotional and mental state throughout the journey. 5 Stars and recommendation.

Favorites from the Book of Mars:

Sometimes we roll along in life; sometimes life rolls over us.—Book of Mars

There is nothing like a wedding to make one feel as if he is standing on a precipice before an endless fall.—Book of Mars

The Goat Inn, St. Albans. On road to London— watching Clarissa sleep: I envy her peace. I’m as hard as an iron pike.—Book of Mars

I’ve made my peace with the Matrons of Maidenshop. We do it their way and all is happy.—Book of Mars

I loved this book. It has one of my all time favorite tropes, where a rake ends up with a young child to care for and ends up falling in love with the woman he hires to help take care of him/her.. with the added Enemies to Lovers to add a bit of spice I knew this would be an amazing book!

Mars is having a hard time.. his father is dead (killed in a duel when he was a child) and he doesn't get along with his mother at all.. So when his ex-mistress shows up on his doorstep and leaves him a baby he isn't prepared.. He has no idea how to take care of a baby or what she needs so he takes himself over to Maidenshop to ask the women for help..

Cassandra has just been let go from her last job as a companion. The son of the woman she was taking care of tried to force her into sleeping with him, and of course his mother took his side.. So back to Maidenshop she goes .. When Mars arrives with a baby, she helps him feed and change her and makes a list of everything she will need.. It comes as a huge surprise when the idea of becoming a nanny is brough up.. I mean they kind of hate each other... don't they?

I really loved both Mars and Cassandra.. Mars, even though at first he has no idea how to take care of his daughter he dives head first into fatherhood, and loves it.. The more Cassandra sees them together, and the better she gets to know Mars to can see her walls coming down, and her falling in love with both of them..

I can't wait to see what Cathy Maxwell writes next, she is an author I have been following for years, and I have never been dissapointed..

We’ve encountered another book for which I’m perched right in the middle of the proverbial fence. Cathy Maxwell’s His Lessons on Love keeps flinging me around like a wooden gate in a windstorm. We have a Regency era enemies-to-lovers, with a marriage of convenience, and a rags to riches transformation - what’s not to love? Well, dear readers, a situation arises in which in any normal historical romance, the conflict would have righted itself when the hero abandoned their misguided quest and fell helplessly in love with the heroine. Not the case here.

A Little Bit of Plot

The Earl of Marsden has a problem. A wriggling, wet, wailing, and wonderful problem. His former mistress leaves him with an unexpected care package - his previously unknown baby daughter, Dora. Left with very few options, Mars turns to the last person he’d ever willingly seek out, spinster Clarissa Taylor. Unemployed with no prospects, Clarissa has no choice but to accept the position of nanny to Mar’s child, and as luck would have it, within hours, finds herself in a marriage of convenience. Mars enters the marriage without reluctance, as he is facing a situation which may leave Clarissa a widow but ensures his daughter has a loving mother.

The Top Bun (The Pro)
The Animosity
In some enemies-to-lovers books, the rift between the hero and heroine is often based on something frivolous, and they quickly make amends. In this novel, however, while they do make amends, both recognize and honestly discuss their animosity, eventually making an accord through their mutual love of Dora.

I will also admit that their differences are based on personal preference - she considers him a rake, he sees her as a prudish know-it-all.
Are both correct?
Yes.

When each admits that they other's view of them may be correct, they move closer to common ground.
“You find me arrogant.”
“Aye, you are arrogant. However, what I don’t like is that you believe your arrogance is excusable. After all, you are the wealthy, entitled Earl of Marsden. Why shouldn’t you do as you wish, even if it inconveniences others? It is just your due. I find it disgraceful that a man who has been given so much does so little.”...
“What annoys me about you, Miss Taylor, is your strong desire to be a matron-in-training…You are judgmental and you always have been. Even when you were shorter than a stump…i don’t even like your given name. Clarissa. You were preordained to prissiness.”

They both realize that in order to properly care for Dora, however, they need to make amends.

Additionally, I was quite impressed with Mar’s acceptance of his daughter and the lengths he goes to acknowledge her legitimacy as his heir. In comparison, Clarissa makes the decision to become caregiver to this tiny baby without a second thought, she falls in love with Mars, however, against her better judgment.

The Meat (The Con)
NO GRAND GESTURE (GG)
As I am going to recommend this book, I refuse to spoil the main conflict that arises. Let’s just say that Mars ignores Clarissa’s pleas to abandon his plans for revenge.

When I say pleads, we are talking on her knees weeping for him to change his mind and he doesn’t. Additionally, let me add that this plan involves someone who is knowingly close to Clarissa and will knowingly emotionally wound her.

Dick move, sir…dick…move.

Needless to say, I needed a GG, like Last of the Mohicans “I WILL FIND YOU” self-sacrificing level awesomeness to correct this.

The Bottom Bun (The Pro)
This is not the GG you’re looking for…but I’ll take it.
Again, I’m not going to spoil anything but I will say that Mars does come back with hat in hand begging for forgiveness. While he makes an adult and grownup gesture of penance, I wish the circumstances had been such that a GG was not needed. In the end, he must know his wife better than the reader, as she grants him forgiveness with little hesitation.
“There are some things I don’t ever want you to change, my lord. I like your stubbornness. It matches mine.”
“Oh no, you are far more stubborn”.
Clarissa swallowed a laugh. “Are you arguing with me?”
“I hope so. I want to argue with you every day for the rest of my life. Do you understand? Circumstances may have thrown us together, but I love you, Rissa. Even when you push me in directions I don’t want to go. I need the push. I need you.”

If you are looking for a quick enemies-to-lovers historical romance, you could do worse. I will definitely seek out Kathy Maxwell’s other works; moreover, I'll finish this series in particular. Maxwell has created two spectacular characters that while they accept their own personal flaws, find ways to overcome and grow, not only individually but as a couple.