I haven't read a lot of second-chance romances, but Rules for Engaging the Earl was a nice read! This is also my first time reading Janna MacGregor, and this served as a good introduction to her. I enjoyed her writing style, which was mostly good at picking and choosing where to speed up vs. where to slow down and let us see Constance's and Jonathan's emotions. My only issue with the pacing is that the last few chapters dragged a little in wrapping up the book, but otherwise, the story maintained a good rhythm.

I liked that both Jonathan and Constance had to overcome the tendency to handle everything themselves and learned to be ok with relying on each other. It was nice to have two main characters who both have experienced traumas and hardships in life. While Jonathan is messy and not exactly a dream hero due to his fear of emotional intimacy, MacGregor manages to keep him sympathetic and gives him good character growth as his relationship with Constance develops. I actually would have preferred Constance to be a bit more flawed as a character; though she has abandonment issues from her first marriage, she doesn't seem to have a ton of character flaws besides working too hard, which doesn't affect her relationship with Jonathan. I think Constance being more flawed would have made it feel like she had a bigger character journey, as I felt like Jonathan experienced much more character development than Constance. But on the whole I liked the complexity of their relationship and how they have to find new ways to re-connect with each other amidst learning how to trust and communicate.

Overall, a pleasant read that uses well-known tropes in an enjoyable way!

I loved that the seeds for this romance were planted in the previous book. We have Constance and Jonathan entering a marriage of convenience after a heavily pregnant Constance finds out that her deceased husband had married two other women. Constance and Jonathan had been childhood friends before Jonathan left for war. He came back wounded physically and emotionally and he's been pushing everyone away. Of course, there's a villain afoot with threats of court martial and to Constance's shipbuilding business. Massive miscommunication in this one with two people who were once best friends, but Jonathan is still soft and squishy deep inside.

Rules for Engaging the Earl blends historical romance, blackmail, trust, and turmoil. The first act time jump is off putting and is a missed opportunity to get to know the characters. As it is, the meet cute is a do over that doesn't gel the second time around which leads to the invitable misunderstanding that is gratingly clumsy. It is disappointing point as the author works hard to bring the main characters together in an engaging way.
The coupledom is the highlight of the book and the care taken in its intimate moments is compelling. However, the introduction of the secondary characters (the interwoven friend group) breaks up the warmth and the characters retreat into characture. The character development takes a hit and the story suffers for it as characters fall flat, the villian gets off easy, and closure is too tidy and takes place elsewhere (more telling vice showing). The romance is decent, the chemistry good, but everything else is muddled.

I'm not a fan of novels in which the hero or heroine is so angst-ridden that they rebuff all attempts at love because they feel unworthy. This was one of those stories. Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, marries his longtime friend, widow Constance Lysander, in order to give her and her unborn baby a home. He then retreats from her for a year to nurse his wounds, both physical and mental. When Constance endeavors to make this marriage real, he distances himself so that she won't see his frailties. Of course, love wins out in the end and a villain is brought to justice.
I received an uncorrected ARC in exchange for an honest review. The draft is in need of punctuation and an editor. Example: instead of 'sumptuous', the author used 'scrumptious'.

I LOVED THIS STORY!! Janna MacGregor has won me over with this poignant second chances romance. The characters are multifaceted and both leave a memorable impression long after the story is complete. MacGregor skillfully blends some of my favorite tropes including beauty and the beast, friends to lovers, first love gets second chance, and marriage of convenience turns to love match. The story immediately draws you in and doesn’t let go, I read the book cover to cover straight through…couldn’t put the book down. One aspect I enjoyed was a heroine who was passionate, enjoyed the marriage bed, and wasn’t afraid to fight for her man. This was a nice switch from the typical “frightened maiden” usually included in historical romances.

I highly recommend this book and am happily placing it on my best books of 2022 list!!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The prologue had me reminiscing of young love and I was eager for this book. I absolutely loved that Constance and Johnathan got a second chance at love and made a blended family together.

The overall plot is different than most historical romances and had me very interested from the beginning. No spoilers! Unfortunately, it did tend to lull throughout and was a bit hard to finish.

Overall, I though it was a good book. While it is part of a series, it definitely stands on its own as I have not read the previous book.

I loved that this romance novel had a rather unique plot. Constance and Jonathan were best friends as teenagers and now ten years later, after Jonathan's military service and Constance's widowhood they are going to be married. But Jonathan is not invested in this marriage, he runs away but Constance thinks he is on secret military assignment. There are delightful secondary characters who attempt to bring the couple together. Secrets and a villain try to upend the marriage.

I enjoyed this book, but I was often angry with Jonathan, he sometimes appeared to be incapable of seeing the truth right in front of him. He actually started acting like a mature adult at the end. Constance had immense patience and forgiveness. Thank goodness for North, the butler, whose insights helped the couple come together.

I could not put this book down! I love a good friends-to-lovers story, and this novel did not disappoint. This is the second book in a trilogy about three women who were at one time all married to the same man. While this book stood alone well, I will definitely be picking up the first book in the series.

Our hero, Constance, was left pregnant when her husband abandoned her, later died, and left her in the shadow of scandal. Just hours before giving birth, she reaches out to her childhood best friend to propose marriage to protect herself and her baby. Our Hero, Jonathon, has not seen Constance in ten years but will do anything to help her and agrees to marry her. However, Jonathan is dealing with some dark demons that will keep our hero and heroine apart for the first year of their marriage.

Due to the machinations of a clever butler, Mr. North, and the iron will of Constance, Jonathan slowly returns from the darkness. Jonathan can be hard to like at times; it is unbelievable that Constance can be so loving and forgiving when she has constantly been pushed away and bullied by her husband. However, it is beautiful to see the love that develops between Jonathon & Constance and Jonathan & Aurelia (Constance's daughter with her first husband).

Firstly, just look at that gorgeous cover!!!
It's so pretty, so sexy and perfect for the story.
I hate to admit it but this is the first I have read by Janna MacGregor, despite having a few of her books sitting idly on my kindle, but I will get around to reading them (eventually, once the toppling tbr has toppled...lol!)

This is the second book in the Widows Rules series, I hadn't read the first before this one and I think I should have as I did feel as though I had missed out on something, or maybe that was just me, but hey I will definitely be reading the first book - if only to see if I did miss out on anything.

This is charming, it's a heart-warming poignant and sizzling marriage of convenience/friends to lovers /second chance romance, between two people who have always had a spark but never acted on it until circumstances change forcing their hands.

I really liked that this isn't just a stereotypical romance, it has so many layers and complex subplots which entwine smoothly with the romance, there are some really difficult subjects which are handled with the up-most sensitivity with so much heart and passion has thrown in, to heat things up.

Overall, a wonderfully engrossing and magical love story.

I'm sorry to say that book 2 in the Widow Rules series was a bit of a disappointment. The premise was intriguing, at the end of book 1 Constance is pregnant & has a trigamist husband. 3 wives and 1 dead husband. All Constance has to say is she'll get word to the Earl of Sykeston, he'd marry her. Their story starts off well, a little background information about the couple & he's really going to marry her. Jonathan has PTSD something fierce & a terrible leg wound that's healed but leaves him feeling like a cripple, he's depressed. He comes a long way by the end of the book, I was glad he got the horror out of his head & shared it with friends. And we come to Constance, a woman who constantly says things like "does it please you?" or "does it displease you?" When book 1 ended she had such promise but wound up blah. No backbone to speak of, she knows how to get married but has no idea how to live with her husband. She does stupid things like cleaning his study. Ever cleaned a man cave? They get so upset that you moved their stuff. She keeps doing it! It works out in the end but I feel kinda sorry for Jonathan, a lifetime of demure & perfect.

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

#Netgalley #StMartin'sPaperbacks

Constance Lysander, pregnant and about to give birth, needs to marry immediately to preserve her and her child’s reputation. She reaches out to her childhood best friend Jonathan for help even though she hasn’t seen him since he enlisted in the military a decade ago. Jonathan isn’t the same man he once was, but when Constance asks for his hand in marriage, he agrees. Can these long-ago friends find happiness together after all the trials and tribulations they’ve faced?

Rules for Engaging the Earl is a lovely childhood friends-to-lovers, second-chance historical romance. The characters are layered and dynamic, the themes are poignant, and the love story is slow-building and wonderful. The story begins with a flashback to Constance and Jonathan right before he leaves for military service. This is such a great scene and shows how deep and true their feelings for each other are. Constance and Jonathan share a life-long bond, and that bond is solid even years after last seeing each other.

Jonathan is a broken man who does not feel worthy of love. A recluse in his country home, Jonathan faces questions about his actions while in service, and he’s struggling with a war-time injury and the emotional and physical disabilities he received during the war. Jonathan doesn’t want to be a burden, and he fears breaking Constance’s heart if the military accusations come to fruition. Though he has always loved Constance, he holds her and his future happiness at arm’s length. Luckily for him, Constance is determined to break through all of the walls he put up.

I love Constance! She’s been through so much and faced insurmountable obstacles, yet she remains steadfast and resilient. I love her determination, her sincerity, and her kindness. She’s the type of person who will do anything for the people she loves, and she proves this when with Jonathan. I love this couple and so wanted them to find their happiness together. Both Constance and Jonathan have had a lot of tragedy in their lives, and their relationship often suffers because of past trauma and fears. Miscommunication, self-sabotage, secrets, and more stand in the way of their happiness, and I enjoyed seeing them try to find their way back to each other.

Themes of friendship, family, redemption, preserving one’s reputation, and fighting for those you love are prevalent throughout the novel, and I love the development of an unlikely found family. All three women who were married to the same man, each of whom are the focus of the novels in this series, become each other’s strongest supporters, and their relationship is a lovely result of a terrible situation. There are other great secondary characters too, including Constance’s adorable daughter, Jonathan’s butler, and Regina, the ever-loyal and incredibly large dog. I love that all of these people, and even the dog, contribute to Jonathan and Constance’s story.

The story also has a bit of intrigue, as Jonathan must prove his innocence, and Constance is still trying to learn more about her mysterious, deceased husband. It was interesting to see how these situations developed and were resolved, and I’m curious to see how some of these situations continue to unravel and develop as the series continues.

This is a great addition to The Widow Rules series and one I was eager to read since reading the final pages of the previous book. I would definitely recommend the book and the series to historical romance readers, and I’m excited to read Beth’s story in the next book! Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This story started off well but as it went along, to me it absolutely dragged in places, and the only reason I went ahead and finished it was I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I just felt like the characters fwere not all that interesting and at one point in the story the author throws the aunt in on a dinner party but didn't mention how she got there all of a sudden. What?? I am not bashing the author I just didn't care for the story.

A good Historical romance that's a little different than your usual story.
Constance is pregnant with her now deceased husband child but on the verge of loosing everything. She decide to ask her first love to marry her to protect her and her child.
Things ends up complicated even through they love each other.
Lots of angst, drama,and love.
Voluntarily Reviewed.

*This review contains Content Warnings*

What a set-up of a story!
She proposes to him! ... and has a baby... that's not his... all within the first few chapters.

This wonderful second chance, friends to lovers romance between Constance & Jonathan starts off heartbreakingly, only for us readers to witness how they both struggle to truly find to each other and give in to the feelings they both seem so afraid of and yet so much long for.

What a wonderful story and an even better introduction to Janna MacGregor as she's a new-to-me author.

Please note that this book comes with content warnings from me of off-the-page parental loss, war trauma, loss of partner, cheating partner (not the hero).

Thank you so much to the Publisher for granting me access to this book before its publication date.

RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL
When I pick up a Janna MacGregor book, I know I will be enjoy it. Her books have strong, independent and intelligent female characters, developing heroes and a good story. Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in the Widow Rules series (but can be read as a standalone) and is true to form.

Katherine, Constance and Beth were married to the same scoundrel who ran off with their dowries. Constance is about to give birth and wants a husband ----Jonathan Earl of Sykeston, her childhood friend and sweetheart. However, Jonathan returns from the war a damaged man. He is injured and has a secret that could destroy his life. He marries Constance, but leaves her in London. He becomes a recluse at his estate.

Aside from Constance and Jonathan, 3 other characters added so much to the story. Regina, the human-like mastiff was so much fun. Constance’s darling baby daughter, Aurelia, deserves mention for melting Jonathan‘s damaged heart and soul. North, the butler, is a riot! He is one of my favorite characters in this book!

This book is filled with love, heartache, humor and redemption and fun to read. I received an ARC for my honest opinion --- buy the book! Can't wait for Beth's story!

"I tried to keep her at a distance, but the truth? She's like the air I breathe and the water I drink every day."

What You'll Find:
✔️Historical Romance
✔️Childhood Friends
✔️Marriage of Convenience
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Dual POV

Constance is pregnant. She needs to marry, and quickly, to save herself from ruin. Who better to reach out to, then her childhood bestfriend, who she hasn't seen since he left for war at the age of 17. Johnathan is not the same person he once was after suffering an disabling war injury. But seeing her, he realizes his feelings have not changed. And soon their marriage of convenience turns into much more.

Rules For Engaging The Earl started out so sweet. Young love can be so heartfelt and you really felt that and the emotion here in the prologue. But then it is quite the slow start. I found myself waiting for something to happen and it took a considerable amount of time before I felt the story really got moving. But once it did, I was interested to see how it was all going to play out.

Unfortunately though, I didn't really love either of the MC's. I think this came down to the slow start and the miscommunication element. There was a lot of back and forth between them as well, that lost a bit of the connection for me. But there were times I certainly felt their connection. And emotion. Especially Johnathan. I think the author did a great job writing a hero with a disability. As well as writing a great build of steamy chemistry I enjoyed.

Overall a likable story for me. Even though this one wasn't perfect for me, I think there are many who enjoy these tropes in historical romance and will really enjoy this one.

* I received a complimentary ARC from St. Martins Press via Netgalley in exchange foy my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely. Quote used subject to change post publishing.

I haven’t read any historical romance novels in a while, but something about the synopsis for this one grabbed me, and I wasn’t wrong! It hits all the best tropes — childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, a wounded hero, a marriage of convenience.

Rules for Engaging the Earl centers on Constance and Jonathan, two childhood friends who missed their timing to be together, and reunite after 10 years as adults with lots of emotional baggage in tow. In the first book of the series (which I haven’t read yet / isn’t necessary to read this one — the author does a good job of recapping!) Constance discovers that her dead husband is actually a trigamist who secretly married two other women. Pregnant with a child who might be illegitimate, she contacts Jonathan to ask him to marry her, and secure her daughter’s future. When Jonathan arrives, the baby is already born and the matter of legitimacy has been solved in Constance’s favor, but the two former sweethearts still decide to wed, at Constance’s request. This leads to an emotional, slow burn romance as the two attempt to build a family. Jonathan in particular is very resistant to warmup to the idea, dealing with PTSD and internalized ableism, and it is very satisfying to see Constance break down his walls.

My one criticism of Rules for Engaging the Earl is that it is not in any way a short book at 800+ pages, and takes a bit of time for the plot to really get going. However, I honestly think this buildup is worth it for the emotional impact of the later chapters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Summary
Rules for Engaging the Earl is the third book in The Widow Rules series which tells the story of Katherine, Beth, and Constance who discover they’ve all been married to the same man when they show up to the reading of his will. Rules for Engaging the Earl follows Constance Lysander, who turns out to be the legal wife of Meriwether and the only one he has left pregnant. Embroiled in scandal, Constance reaches out to her childhood friend Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston and asks that he marry her prior to the birth of her baby in order to protect her reputation and save her from social ruin. Jonathan and Constance haven’t seen each other in a decade as he’s been off fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. He’s recently returned from war after being discharged due to an injury that has left him scarred and disabled, and has soured his outlook on life. He’s determined to lock himself into his office, where he doesn’t have to confront his insecurities, but his plan goes awry when Constance and her daughter show up on his doorstep a year after they exchanged vows looking to finally begin a life with her new husband. She quickly comes to realize that Jonathan is determined to keep her at a distance. As she works to uncover his wounds an old foe dangles the threat of scandal and ruin over their heads leaving them in a perilous position.

Thoughts
This is the first Janna MacGregor book I’ve read, meaning I missed out on the first two books in the series, and while this can be read as a standalone, I feel as though reading the other two would have been beneficial in gaining a deeper understanding of the story and characters.

Honestly, I didn’t really enjoy this book. There were parts I loved, like Jonathan’s interactions with Aurelia and him and Constance becoming closer, but there were also parts I hated, like all of Jonathan’s self-pity. I think a big part that took away from my enjoyment was the execution of the miscommunication trope, it wasn’t so much miscommunication as it was no communication. These two were so caught up in themselves that they never stopped and thought, “Huh, maybe I should actually tell my partner what’s going on.”

I found Jonathan’s self-deprecation and “woe is me” attitude to be exhausting; his entire personality consisted of feeling bad/hating himself, his guns, his secret love for Constance, and how his idea was stolen. It got to be too repetitive. Constance also exhausted me, this woman was determined to cosplay as a middle class housewife. She was too perfect; she did almost all of the childcare herself despite having a child carer, she cleaned their estate and did all of the gardening despite having a full staff, and she also ran a successful business on top.

What I did enjoy was Regina and Aurelia, they were both so sweet, I loved their interactions with each other and others. I really loved the first third of the novel where we got to see Constance and Jonathan when they were young, and then see them reacquaint as adults. Their initial interactions were so wholesome in the way that they were shy and awkward around one another. I loved all the small intimate moments of their relationship that conveyed just how deeply they cared for one another despite all the time that had passed.

Overall, I feel like this particular story wasn’t for me, but that’s not a reflection of the author’s writing. I think the character traits and tropes that were used just aren’t ones I particularly enjoy.

Rating: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

Characteristics
- Third person, duel pov
- Historical romance
- Regency
- Slow burn
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Marriage of convenience
- Disabled H
- Miscommunication

After her first husband abandons her then turns up dead, Constance Lysander is in need of a new one. Hopefully one that is a little more reliable and willing to take her on despite being broke, pregnant, and the latest bit of society gossip as her late husband also had two other wives. Luckily, Constance's childhood best friend Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston has returned from war. Although he's been notable absent from society since returning with an injury, Constance calls upon Jonathan in her hour of need and he answers. While he's on board for marriage, Jonathan has secrets that are holding him back from loving Constance or letting anyone else into his life. Holding himself back from Constance is no easy feat as she invades his home and his heart. Can they both learn to let go of past hurts to create a future together or will secrets destroy them?

A enjoyable regency romance with two likeable characters. I would classify the primary troupe as being a second chance romance with a bit of meddling on the side. There is some good back and forth between our main characters and a truly lovely meddling household staff (I am ready for the butler North's story). The novel got a bit long in the end for me, I felt like a bit of the tension was lost, but was still happy for the HEA and final closure.

Another delightful historical romance from Janna MacGregor! Book 2 in her Widow Rules series, this installment covers the star-crossed romance of Constance Lysander and her childhood crush, Jonathan Sykston, aka the Earl of Sykston. These two grew up on neighboring estates, became closer through the tragic early deaths of their parents, and were torn apart by war and circumstance. Fast forward ten years, and a very pregnant Constance calls in the favor Jonathan promised her before he left for war... to do anything she needed. What Constance needed in that moment was a husband. Her trigamist scoundrel of a late husband had left her penniless and on the verge of giving birth to a potentially illegitimate child. Jonathan races to London to fulfill his obligation to Constance only to find her marriage was deemed legitimate and the baby born. Still they marry, and that's where the real story begins.

Both Constance and Jonathan are reeling from past and current hurts, both real and imagined, and because of this, their journey to a happily ever after is fraught with mistrust, misunderstanding, and at times self-sabotage. That's only the surface. Combined with some outside unsavory characters, a dollop of PTSD, a precocious toddler and demanding dog, this tale will have you crying, laughing, and feeling all the feels.

True to Janna's form Rules for Engaging the Earl combines just the right amount of fancy and depth. She starts with a strong but loving heroine and pairs her with a compassionate yet proud hero, adds in some realism and steam, and churns out both a satisfying HEA and a hint at what the next book will be about.

Many thanks to Janna MacGregor, NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the Advanced Reader Copy e-book in exchange for an honest review.