I hadn’t read the other books in this series, but that didn’t cause any problems. You can understand the characters from the previous books pretty easily. While the plot was pretty unlikely for this period, I happily suspended disbelief and enjoyed seeing the personal growth in the hero, the Earl of Marsden. He goes from being a lonely guy who has given up on love and is bordering on sinking into a drunken fog, when he’s surprised to have his former mistress dump a baby on his doorstep. I didn’t buy that this selfish mistress wouldn’t have already wrung out money and support from Mars prior to this. After all, the baby is already several months old.

Almost immediately Mars transforms into a fond father who is willing to do almost anything for his baby daughter. He’ll even hire the town’s foundling, Clarissa, to take care of the baby. Although they thought they didn’t like each other, they soon come to appreciate the fine qualities of the other and forge a solid relationship.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Wow, a great finale to the logical men’s society series. Loved every page from start to finish.

This is the Story of Mars the third of the lords, the right honorable LawrenceEddington, Earl of Marsden. Mars had given the usual congé to his mistress, and she surprises him by a few months later by dropping off a baby and thus the story takes off with many capers and romance.

Clarissa Taylor, an orphan abandoned as a baby was adopted raised by the Rev Taylor till his passing. Now Clarissa is on her own working as a companion but returns back to the cottage of her friends when she has a unpleasant encounter. At this juncture Mars needs help with his new baby daughter Dora and Clarissa fits the bill even though she has a healthy dislike for Mars.

This Clarissa is employed along with her friend Mrs Warbler to care for the baby.

The previous protagonists from the series Balfour and Kate, Ned and Gemma and the story continues at a fast pace.

The book is fun and engaging and definitely worth a pleasant read.

His Lessons on Love is the third book in A Logical Man's Guide to Dangerous Women series by Cathy Maxwell is a steamy historical romance that is sure to take your breath away. The characters are well-written with captivating backstories. A story full of drama, undeniable chemistry, and slow-burn romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet. I can't want to read more from A Logical Man's Guide to Dangerous Women series.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this!. At the beginning it kind of cycled through a few tropes before it landed on what this book really was going to be - marriage of convenience.

I was compelled by the character's personal struggles and how they were entwined with one another. A foundling child, a baby with a mistress, a decades-long grudge... etc.

My main gripe about it was the timing. Why did this all have to take place within a week? It could have taken place over a month or two and the story wouldn't have changed much and the romance would have made a lot more sense. Everything would have been more convincing if it hadn't happened so fast.

The Earl of Marsden wakes up one morning to find his former mistress entering his bedroom and depositing a baby girl in his arms. Completely unprepared for this eventuality, and with his (all male) staff as clueless as he is, he seeks help from the village matrons.

Lady's companion Clarissa has been tossed out by her London employer after fighting off an attack by the woman's nephew, and injuring him in the process. Penniless and homeless, she returns to her village for help. As much as she hates Marsden, she needs a job, and he needs a nurse for his daughter. Can these lifelong enemies call a truce long enough to fall in love?

I love Cathy Maxwell. Her books have a happy, upbeat feeling about them, even when events turn dark. And there are some dark moments in this book. Overall, it's heartfelt and adorable, with Mars learning to be a dad, and Clarissa coming to appreciate his softer side.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Lawrence Grant Talmadge Edington (Mars), the Earl of Marsden, is a driven man and has been since his father was killed during a duel. His father died in his arms and Mars swore revenge on the man, Lord Dervil, who killed his father. He also hasn’t spoken to his mother in those ten years because she was the cause of the duel. Mars has managed small bits of revenge over the years by preventing Dervil from purchasing a bit of land he wanted and thwarting some business associations, but the revenge he longs for, putting a bullet through the man’s heart, has illuded him so far. Of course, that thirst for revenge hasn’t slowed his other appetites – drink, women, opium. Yes, he is a rake and a reprobate, but he is also handsome, charming, and well-liked by all who know him. Well, all except his mother and Dervil like him. Oh, and that matron-in-training who lives in Maidenshop – she doesn’t like him either. But, since he doesn’t like her, there is no problem there.

Clarissa Taylor has long been the village of Maidenshops group project. She, nor the village, knows anything about her parentage. She was just found on the doorstep of the parsonage one day and the vicar and his wife took her in. They took good care of her and raised her well, but they weren’t particularly loving and demonstrative. After they passed, she was really at the mercy of the charity of others. She contributed, of course. She took care of others, took part in village functions, and did her very best to be useful. She was even betrothed for two years until she discovered her betrothed was really in love with someone else but was too much of a gentleman to break it off with her. She left the village after that to take a position as a paid companion to a demanding and grumpy old woman in London. She’s back in the village now – after a harrowing experience with the old woman’s nephew. That was a narrow escape! Except, now she doesn’t know what she’ll do. The matrons of the village will have a solution for her – she’s sure of it.

Mars had a particularly bad night of drinking and howling at the moon. Then, there is this loud, commotion downstairs – and it is getting louder and coming closer. OOOOhhhhhhh! He just needs a bit of a restorative to make his headache go away – but that is not what he is about to get. No, his former mistress is entering his bed-chamber – loudly – and handing him a small, squirming bundle. Uh Oh! It appears his parting gift to her was more than just an expensive coach and four. That sweet, smelly bundle turns out to be his daughter, Dora, and all it took was one look and he was totally and completely smitten. But, what did he know of caring for an infant? No problem – the matrons of the village will know how he can get the help he needs.

So, Mars needs a nurse for Dora, and Clarissa needs a position. How convenient! Except, they don’t like each other. Leave it to sweet Dora – all she has to do is smile at Clarissa and it is all over. Clarissa and Mars head back to Belvoir, his estate, only to find a very unexpected and unwelcome visitor is already there. Clarissa hasn’t even gotten in the door before Mars is introducing her to his mother – as his betrothed. Uh! Oh! Uh! Oh! Uh! Oh!

I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers story. The story was well developed and well written, but, goodness, the characters are so very lovely. Mars is a flawed man who doesn’t know what love is – nor is he capable of feeling it – or so he thinks. I loved watching both Clarissa and Mars come to understand themselves and each other better and to come to truly respect and love each other.

I can definitely recommend this book – and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I don’t know if this is the last book in the series or not, but the Logical Men’s Society was dissolved during the book, so it could be the last. Who knows? There didn’t seem to be any hints in this book to set up the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Clarissa we know as the baby left at the church steps and who the Doc will not marry from the start of this series and we know Mars as just another one of the lads. I was wondering what might happen after book two and Clarissa steps down from the agreement with the Doc. This is one of those hate(ish) to lovers but its more they have known each other forever and just get annoyed. I loved how around Mars she didn't hold back at all and was learning how to get okay with her life but stand up for herself. Mars learns to love and listen. This one we also get surprise baby - fake marriage/fast marriage. We also get some steam at the end. This two you can feel the chemistry and them learning from annoyed to love.

Really enjoyed this series!

4.5 stars
3 steam

Thanks to Avon for a copy of this book

This is the third and I believe final book in The Logical Men’s Guid to Dangerous Women series. I have read the other two books in the series so I was familiar with both the hero and heroine and enjoyed seeing the couples from the previous books, but this one can be read as a standalone. The book follow Mars, an Earl, and Clarissa, a foundling raised by the town’s vicar. The pair grew up together and were constantly at odds. They enter a marriage of convenience so Clarissa can help take care of Mars’s illegitimate daughter.

I really liked Mars and Clarissa. I enjoyed seeing them learn to appreciate each other and find that they really never hated one another. I absolutely loved returning to Maidenshop and seeing the fun side characters again. The book reads a lot like an old school romance, with Mars having a vendetta against the man who killed his father. As someone who likes old school romances I enjoy this type of story, but I can see others not enjoying it. I did see the twist coming, but that didn’t ruin the story for me. I think that this was probably my favorite of the three in the series, but I am always going to pick an enemies to lovers story over any other trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been reading this for two weeks and I’m not even at 30%. Cathy Maxwell is a hit-or-miss author for me and I’m sad this was a miss because I do like her writing style for the most part.

DNF. Why are authors still writing misogynistic hypocritical asshole heroes in 2022? I know there’s an element of “historical accuracy” and such to it, but did he have to be THIS insufferable in his anti-woman statements? I’m sure he gets better, but given my tepid feelings on the hero of the prior book, I just CAN’T anymore! Book one showed it was possible to do this concept without the “hero” being horrible, so what happened?!

His Lessons on Love
Book 3 in the A Logical Man's Guide to Dangerous Women
Rating; 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

His Lessons on Love tells the story of Mars who has just learned that he is a father of an infant by one of his previous mistresses. Said mistress decides that the baby is too much for her to handle and gets in the way to live the life she wants with luxury and none responsibilities of being a parent.
He then hires Clarissa, the person he less likes in the village to be his daughter's nurse. Clarissa then becomes an important person in his life because she is to help him with his baby....but then feelings get involved.
Why the four stars?
I really liked the story and I enjoyed how they both admit that they really don't like each other. This follows a very entertaining enemies to lovers trope. Though Mars has a hidden agenda of why he accepts Clarissa to be part of his baby's life...things don't go to plan and they actually fall in love with each other. Of course because of their past experiences with love it takes some longer than others to admit their feelings.

Great read and highly recommended!!

The Earl of Marsden has a big problem: a baby daughter cast off by his ex-mistress. He grudgingly turns to Clarissa Taylor, village spinster, for help. Clarissa was orphaned as a baby and has spent a lifetime feeling pitied. She plans to take the funds Mars will pay her and become a new woman. But complications arise and suddenly Clarissa goes from employee to Countess!

This is the third book in the Logical Man's Guide to Dangerous Women series. I have not read the rest of the series yet, but feel that this book can be read alone. However, Clarissa was the former fiancée of the hero in the previous story.

This is a really wonderful book about family, forgiveness, and change. Mars was living in a lonely, alcoholic stupor until his former mistress dropped a parenting bomb in his lap. He decides in that moment that he has something to live for now and vows to be a better parent than his were. But, he doesn't know a thing about babies and can't do this alone. He and Clarissa are able to come to an understanding and she takes a position as nurse, hoping to better her circumstances.

Things quickly go off the rails as Mars' mother shows up, causing trouble, and Mars claims Clarissa as his wife. As much as Clarissa does not want to go along with it, she finally has a chance at a family and an opportunity to help others as Countess. I loved the vulnerability of both characters and how they slowly established a real relationship. I thought the twist was predictable, but the fallout was well done. I liked that the characters talked to each other, and both admitted their mistakes. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Tropes: Class Difference, Enemies to Lovers, Oh Baby, Marriage of Convenience

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #HisLessonsonLove #NetGalley

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several other books by this author, and while this wasn't my favorite Cathy Maxwell book, it was still a solid, enjoyable effort.

It's been awhile since I've picked up a Cathy Maxwell book. Not sure why. I always enjoy her books. Her books are a delightful winter weekend read.

Oof.. I was so excited to receive this ARC but man did this miss the mark for me. I didn’t like Mars or Clarissa! I just could not connect with either of them and while their character growth was fine, it still fell flat. I also would have liked more than one love scene. Not my favorite historical romance.

I'm going to deviate a bit from my normal review flow and format for a change of pace.

I'm a big fan of Cathy Maxwell as an author, so as the installment in the Logical Men's Society series, I'd already read the first two novels and enjoyed them. I was looking forward to Mars and Clarissa's story with high expectations, and was a bit disappointed. I'll explain...

I think Mars and Clarissa had the best potential for attraction and chemistry, but I didn't really feel there was a lot there when I read the book. I loved the character development of Clarissa and how she grew a lot as her own person throughout the story, in contrast, Mars' growth and transformation felt overly abrupt. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where in the story I felt that about Mars, but towards the beginning when his daughter is suddenly part of his life, he had a quite abrupt change. Another occurred towards the end of the book, but I won't be specific since it would be a spolier. In this aspect of the story I was feeling a little disoriented.

However, I loved the supporitng characters inmensely through their journey as well as hated others (the ones we're meant to on both counts) which kept the storyline interesting even when I felt frustrated with the lead couple and the lack of chemistry / communication skills.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the following tropes:
Suprise baby
Marriage of convenience
Aristocrat and commoner
Enemies to lovers

Steam level 2/5

Marriage of convenience? check! I love this trope, and this book is a great example of the fun it can be. Mars and Clarissa are brought together by an illegitimate child (not theirs together) and they marry to protect her from the nastiness of the ton. I loved watching them fall in love while working towards this common goal. While technically open door, the book leaned more towards sweet. The language and explicitness was very tame relatively speaking.

This is book 3 in a series, and I definitely think I would have benefitted from more of the backstory. But it was good enough that I would go back and read the first 2 books!

Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

It didn't take me long to become a Cathy Maxwell fan. I listened to her Brides of Wishmore series, then moved on to her Chattan Curse series, and I was hooked. His Lessons on Love is book 3 in her A Logical Man's Guide to Dangerous Women series and it is another gem.

Clarissa Taylor has spent her life as the village "project." Abandoned on the church steps and raised by the minister and his wife, she's always been treated more as a guest than family. With no knowledge of her parents, she has no idea if they are living. All she knows is that the matrons of Maidenshop have been trying to marry her off, or find her a position for years. She doesn't want to be the town's burden, but when she is fired from her latest job (without the pay she is owed) because of her employer's lecherous nephew, she has lost hope that she can stand on her own. Then, the infamous Earl of Marsden - Mars to his friends - storms into the home she's staying in desperately searching for help with the infant daughter he didn't know he had. Could this be her chance to become her own woman?

Lawrence Eddington, Earl of Marsden, has one burning goal in life - to kill the man who shot his father in a duel. Otherwise, he lives as he pleases - drinking, visiting opium dens, and generally frittering his life away. When his latest mistress arrives on his doorstep with a blanket-wrapped bundle, he is momentarily speechless. When she dumps the baby on him, says, "She's yours. I'm done with her," he can't believe anyone could be so callous. He also has no knowledge of babies, but he's more than willing to learn if someone will teach him. Can he tolerate matron-in-training Clarissa caring for his daughter, when she appears to be the only one Dora takes to?

As they work together, each finds something to admire in the other. When Mars' mother appears making demands that he take his seat in the House of Lords, Mars claims Clarissa is his new bride to protect his daughter. He wants nothing to do with the woman whose unfaithfulness was the root cause of his father's death, nor does he want her in his life, but is drawing Clarissa into his mess the right thing?

I enjoyed so many things about this story. Mars is an absolute mess at the beginning, but when he turns around, he turns completely and becomes the man of honor he has always wanted to be. Clarissa has always believed that if she is good enough, and always does what is right, that someone will notice, and finally let her be her own woman. She knows there is NO danger of falling for the Mars she has seen in the past, but when she finds that his past antics masked a hurting soul, and a deep-down good man, can she keep from giving him her heart?

Those who enjoy Regency-era romance with a substantial amount of heat will enjoy His Lessons on Love. This is book 3 in a series, and having read book 2, I can recommend starting with book 1 and moving through the series. There is quite a lot of humor, and some serious shenanigans. to keep things moving. There's even a bit of a mystery. I definitely recommend!

Lesson #1: A man, even titled and handsome, cannot be careless forever.
The Earl of Marsden—better known as Mars to all—has lived his life by his own rules…until he is presented with a very big problem in a very tiny package—a baby girl, his daughter cast off by his ex-mistress. Mars won’t let his child be cast adrift, except he doesn’t know the first thing about babies.
Panicking, he turns to a woman for help. Not just any woman, but Clarissa Taylor, village spinster, matron-in-training, and Mars’s greatest critic. Still, who better to tend a motherless child than a woman who was abandoned as a babe herself?
Lesson #2: Life always plays the upper hand—especially when it comes to love.
Clarissa desperately wishes to not to be beholden to anyone. She has spent a lifetime being pitied by the village. Her plan is simple—to use what the intolerable earl will pay her to become her own woman. It all sounds so straightforward until the threat of scandal sends her and the one man she can’t abide toward . . . marriage?
Mars and Clarissa are about to learn the greatest lesson of all—that sparks always fly when the iron is hot.
Cathy Maxwell writes an excellent romance.
This book is funny and poignant with just a touch of treachery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

In His Lessons on Love the 3rd installment of a logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women by Cathy Maxwell we get the story of Clarissa Taylor and the Earl of Marsden whom we meet in the previous books. Though this is a standalone read I think it helps the flow of the story greatly to have read the two previous books. In her first desire we know that Ned Thurlowe and Clarissa were to have been married and that the Earl Marsden aka known as Mars in the village by all gets along with her as well as oil and vinegar.

Clarissa after being the bigger person and releasing her betrothed Ned to Gemma out of respect for their love now finds herself returned to the village after her attempt to stand on her own two feet ends in failure. Feeling tired of being beholden to the matrons of the village where she has been taken care off and pitied after being abandoned there as a babe, being employed by the Earl who suddenly finds himself a father seems a boon.
What should have been a straightforward arrangement becomes complicated when Lady Fenton, his mother shows up and she goes from employee to Countess! Marriage was not exactly in Mars’s plans but he knows how perception is important to the ton and Mars won’t let his child suffer due to illegitimacy.

With a few machinations by the village matrons who want nothing but happiness for the daughter they consider their own along with the village son, simple quickly becomes complicated and actions done in the pass threaten to also thwart the best laid plans. As in the previous books in the series thus far, this book touches on realistic life circumstances, choices and speaks of healing and moving on the best we know and to get a chance at happiness when it is presented itself. We the readers get to see Mars and Clarissa embark on a journey that teaches the greatest lesson in all of life is to grab love when it’s found. I received a complimentary ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.