Constance was always my favorite character from previous stories in this series. I always wondered about her background and this story was great. I love thow she and Johnathan let go of their fears to find their true love for each other.

Childhood best friends, Constance and Jonathan, wed so Constance’s daughter can be legitimate, though it is found that the marriage was not necessary as Constance’s previous marriage was found to be legitimate. A year later the pair are living apart due to Jonathan’s insistence and neither are happy. Constance misses Jonathan and wants a real marriage while Jonathan is dealing with the physical and emotional consequences of being a soldier and suffering in solitude. Jonathan’s servants write to C as J to get her to return home and they must learn to love and trust each other again.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I liked this one even more. I really liked Constance as a heroine. She was direct and really knew what she wanted. I liked that she was both loving toward Jonathan but also did not put up with his crap. This book was not quite a marriage in trouble book or a second chance romance, it was more of a childhood friends to lovers. One small thing that just made me happy throughout the book was both Jonathan and Constance’s relationship with Jonathan’s dog. I would be very happy to read a third book in this series should there be one.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read some books by Janna MacGregor before and I really like her style of writing. The title of the book caught my attention right away. It's certainly a play on words as you'll probably notice as you start reading the story.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is fun, easy to read, and smoothly written. Both the female and male main characters were likeable and relatable. There's just something about historical romance that makes you "sigh" at the gentlemanly behavior. Even with Jonathan, the Earl of Sykeston's "disability", he was still much of a gentleman in the ways that you don't see often in today's society.

The female main character, Constance Lysander was brave, smart, and described to have a unique beauty unlike the typical beauties you'd find in the ton. What probably set Constance apart from the other ladies of society was the fact that she wasn't seeking a rich husband or trying to work her way into high society. Well, she was married at first to a scoundrel in which that part of the plot helped move the story along.

I enjoyed reading these two main characters. They were once childhood friends - best friends at that - and their interests for each other burgeoned into young love and would probably have led to marriage and a happy life had they been together. But circumstances made Jonathan leave Constance and the life he had to go into war. War certainly did a number on poor Jonathan, which left him feeling unworthy of love or affection from anyone.

But a promise made when they were both teenagers brough Jonathan back into Constance's life. After that, their story blossomed and little details were revealed about their lives after Jonathan departed for war.
As both a hero and discharged on a possible false accusation, Jonathan preferred the life of a recluse. This part of the story kind of felt vague to me. I would have liked if the author explored more about Jonathan's time at war and all the things that led to his discharge and the damages left on his leg, which led him to rely heavily on a cane and unable to use the one leg.

Rules of Engaging the Earl is definitely a romance story, with some mysteries thrown in. The mysteries do work well into the story but it was fairly easy to guess who the main villain was. Like I said, this title was an easy to read, no head scratcher, and pleasant to read from beginning to end. The supporting characters were okay and I felt they didn't really contribute much to the plot of the story.

The book does have very explicit sex scenes so I don't recommend to any young readers.
Overall, a very enjoyable light read from Janna MacGregor!

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor
Subgenre: historical romance
Release date: 26 Apr 2022
Publisher: ‎ St Martin’s Paperbacks
Format: ebook and print
Length: 384 pages
RRP: $9.86 (ebook); $21.90 (print)

He is not sure he can do it. He has been maimed in the course of service to his country and this impacts on all his decisions.

Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Sykeston, has known Constance Lysander since they were young. They were best friends. He then went off to serve his country and became one of its best marksmen. But his return has meant he has become more of a loner. Someone who practises his shooting skills in his study much to his housekeeper’s dismay.

Constance has found herself in a difficult position. She was one of three women married to one man. It does turn out she was the official wife, which is just as well as she is pregnant. Jonathan races to her home in London to marry her to give the child a name but he is too late. Baby Aurelia has arrived. After discussion, they decide to marry but Jonathan leaves as he has ‘business’ to conduct.

Constance is then lured to Jonathan’s family home by his sweet letters, the ones he never wrote. When she arrives, they are both shocked, Jonathan that she arrived and Constance that he didn’t ask her to come. After some discussion they come to an agreement with a set of rules on how they will engage with each other and in their marriage.

What Jonathan has not told Constance is that he is being threatened with a court martial for an action on the battlefield. This man has become his nemesis. His leg was almost destroyed in battle, and he battles mentally with his inability to walk and do the things that real men do. What Constance has not told Jonathan is that someone has threatened to sue her shipping company which is also the same man. Both try to resolve their separate issues without telling the other.

As with all good historical romances, and the misunderstandings, the issue each has with this man, is discovered by the other but also resolved to their satisfaction. What this couple have to do is to resolve the misunderstandings between them.

There are some really funny moments between Jonathan and his man North. For the times, North could seem to be very disrespectful but it is the way they work together. There are some very touching moments between Jonathan and Aurelia (the baby). And some serious aww moments between Jonathan and Constance.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the third book.

reviewed by Heather

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

This friends-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience romance was heartbreaking, emotional, sweet, and full of found family, which I loved. Definitely recommend!

A Friends to Lovers Regency Romance, Rules for Engaging the Earl, follows Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, and his childhood friend, Constance Lysander, into adulthood as he comes to her rescue, marrying her in an attempt to thwart scandal. But who they have become is far from who they were when they last parted before the war changed Jonathan's whole outlook on life, and a sleazy, bigamist first husband turned Constance's world upside down.

Now married and working on opposing goals, Constance and Jonathan must find a way to make their situation work, especially with her young daughter involved, or risk losing each other forever.

Slow to really start and dive deeper into the minds and hearts of our protagonists, it seems like the latter half of the novel feels it kickstarts the more compelling narratives of the story as Constance and Jonathan begin to share more about their past (despite their own arbitrary set of rules).

By the time we hit the second half of the story, the emotion comes through better in their intimate moments, making the solid angsty scenes throughout the final third of the book that much more impactful in a way that actually made you feel for them and their situation.

Overall though, I wasn't entirely too fond of Jonathan. I'm not sure if it's my growing ambivalence for thewe'redy, self-flagelating heroes, but it was really difficult to feel any kind of sympathy for him for a large chunk of the book, especially with the large obstacle that was those letters hanging over everything that happens between Constane and It'sthan. It's only when we're well through the novel that we get more sympathetic moments that provides more insight into his frame of thinking. It honestly may have been his moments with Aurelia that really softened his overall character.

As for Constance, there are moments when I truly appreciate the fact that she stands up for herself and fights for what she wants, especially when she has Aurelia to think about. Because of this, the resolution feels much too easy between her and Jonathan.

I honestly wished I liked this friends-to-lovers story more, though.

But if you're looking for a slow burn, friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, historical romance with a brooding hero, then Rules for Engaging the Earl is for you!

I loved the first book in this series, A Duke in Time - it was my first book by Janna MacGregor and I knew it wouldn't be my last. So I was happy to see that the second book was coming. This one incorporates several tropes - childhood friends, second chance, scarred hero, and it blends them well. The widows referenced in the title of this series are three women who discover, after their husband's death, that they'd all been married to the same man - at the same time. When they meet they end up forming an alliance and friendship to support each other in any way they can. Constance is the widow at the center of this book, and she's just given birth as the story begins. She's written to her childhood friend, Jonathan, asking him to marry her to ensure that her child will be legitimate. Jonathan agrees, but with conditions (some stated, some in his own mind). His wartime service has left him not only scarred and with a permanent handicap, he also has the threat of an undeserved court martial hanging over his head unless he can find the man who can clear his name. So he vows not to get too emotionally involved with Constance. Of course this is a historical romance so that doesn't work out too well for either of them. It isn't a question of how they'll end up, it's a question of how they'll get there. And this is an enjoyable journey. And now I wait for Beth's story - she's the third widow and her story is all teed up here, I can't wait to see where Janna MacGregor takes it.
I'll add that I did a combo of reading and listening to this book and ended up mostly listening because of the narration by the divine Rosalyn Landor. But you can't go wrong either way.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I really loved reading this regency romance and will definitely keep my eye out for more from Jenna MacGregor! I had not read the first book in the ruthless rivals series but presume they can be read out of order as I was able to dive in quite easily to this one without any confusion about the plot or characters. This novel also had forbidden love and secret dating which are two tropes that I love and I'd highly recommend this one if you're looking for something spicy.

Not as good as the first. The self pity party went on too long. It was a tough book to get through. I am looking forward to the next book.

3.5 stars!!! I love friends to lovers romances so definitely wanted to check this out! This one wasn’t the traditional friends to lovers, as we didn’t get to see much of them growing up together, as the story flashed forward. However, It worked for the story, and we got to see a few of the challenges that Jonathan & Constance faced along the way! I absolutely loved the butler, North!!! He was a stitch! This was a sweet historical romance with some humorous scenes!

“Beautiful in an unexpected way”. Jonathan

Thank you to Net Galley & St Martin’s for an advanced kindle ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This story had a very good premise. What I liked:
When the story picked up there were some really cute shared moments between the hero and heroine. The hero Jonathan really shows he loves Constance when he shows up and supports her after finding out she's going to be having a baby out of wedlock. To spare her from society he marries her. The author did a really good job of showing how much Jonathan has suffered after coming back from the war, you can feel his pain throughout the book.
What I didn't like:
I didn't enjoy that Jonathan just took off right after they got married he just cut off communication and just left her with a baby. He didn't try to reach out during that period either I understand he was going through his own person demons but you would think he would put more of an effort towards his former best friend that he supposedly loved. I wish he made more of an effort and besides that the story just stayed stagnant for a while
I received an ARC from Net galley in exchange for an honest review

Rules for Engaging the Earl was my first historical romance by Janna MacGregor, and it was a surprising delight. It’s a second chance romance featuring two best friends who have loved each other since childhood, despite being separated by life and tragedy for ten years.

Jonathan and Constance were each other’s first kiss, the night before Jonathan left to begin serving his country as a skilled marksman. His time in service to his country leaves him physically crippled and emotionally scarred, worried about the possibility of a court-martial—a threat hanging above his head like Damocles’ sword. Constance, pregnant and widowed, asks Jonathan to marry her to give her child a father. Her marriage to her now-deceased husband was called into question when she discovered upon his death that he had two other wives as well, and she desperately wanted to avoid more scandal.

Their marriage of convenience changes nothing about their day to day lives as they live apart, their lives never intersecting. Jonathan’s meddling butler intervenes, acting like their own personal Cupid, and orchestrates her arrival at Sykeston House with her daughter Aurelia. His hope is that her presence will shake Jonathan out of his self-imposed isolation. Their forced proximity leads to them both giving in to those feelings that had simmered for so many years, but will Jonathan ever admit to the butler’s well-intentioned plot, and will Constance be able to forgive Jonathan for his deception?

This was a well-written, moderately steamy historical romance, and it was tender and slow and emotional. There were enough difficulties to keep the plot moving forward, and their gentle familiarity with each other is so beautiful. This is a sweet, soft love story with a happy ending, and I’m happy that the publisher and Netgalley provided me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jonathan returns from service a broken man. Constance has had her world turned upside down but a false marriage. The two together need to find their childhood friendship to heal as well as move forward into an adult one. At times it was very emotional and others quite humorous.

This was a sweet romance but nothing exceptional.

Constance and Jonathan were childhood friends with the potential of childhood sweethearts but Jonathan left town to go into the army. It was nearly a decade later when Constance writes to Jonathan and asks for a favor. It seems that Constance’s husband was a bigamist. She doesn’t learn this until after he died and she learned that she was pregnant. Constance needs another husband pronto since they are still trying to determine who was the real wife. Jonathan would do anything for Constance, even marry her, although he never wanted a wife nor does he intend to stay with her.

Jonathan was badly wounded during the war and only just managed to keep his leg. Jonathan tries to keep Constance in London and out of his country estate where he prefers to stay by himself. But due to some mischief on the part of his staff, his wife is invited to join him in the country.

Constance enjoyed having a husband and isn’t happy about Jonathan trying to keep their lives separate. Constance is determined to not only have a father for her daughter but a husband who loves her and who she can enjoy in bed. She just has to convince Jonathan of this.

I tried to get a review copy when I first saw a post on it months and months ago but it wasn’t yet available. I stalked this book and pounced when it was finally was available for review. Not only is the cover so very pretty, it contains my favorite trope–a wounded hero. I had to have it. I love my wounded/imperfect heroes but Jonathan was a little more whiny than I thought he should be about what amounts to an injured leg. Other than being sulky about it, rather than working to overcome his injury, I liked him. Constance was delightful. They would be a nice couple and if only Jonathan could get out of his own way, they will have a wonderful life together. I could even see it beginning with Jonathan offering to help take care of the baby so Constance could get more sleep.

Jonathan’s servants were quite funny as they plot and plans ways to get Jonathan and Constance together.

The biggest blah on this story, which only made it okay, besides Jonathan’s big wound being more drama than injury, was the “bad guy” who stole Jonathan’s idea for a training school and anytime Jonathan tries to call him out, starts with “too bad you’re no longer a whole man” which sent Jonathan running to cry on his bed like a teenage girl.

There was much to like about the characters and the story but the plot was too weak to make this more than an okay story.

I truly enjoyed this Regency romance by Janna MacGregor!!! The sweet romance between Constance and Jonathan and a baby on the way!!! I look forward to reading more books by this author!!! Read and enjoy!!!

So, I was not sure I was going to like this series. The premise is some no-good guy duped 3 women into thinking they were his one and only wife. Ugh. This is the second of those women. Poor thing is pregnant with his kid. Good thing she's the legit wife. Whew. Anyway, she needs a hubby and decides to ask her buddy for help. Jonathan, injured war hero tuggin' on those heartstrings, kindof doesn't want to deal with, well, people. So, watching this HEA work out was a joy.

The synopsis clearly lays out the up front, initial set-up of Constance's unusual circumstances, but one aspect got resolved right away, folks. "Bam!", we are told an adorable baby is born. Color me surprised, because after reading the summary, I felt it was implied a big part of the story line was going to be Jonathan supportive of her physical and emotional well being during that time. Instead, most of the "whoa is me drama" revolved around Jonathan. You see, we get a lot of this conflicted, war injured hero, whose back and forth hand wringing, mental musings, actions, and behavior send mixed signals to his absolutely really wants to be his lady love heroine. She's the patient one here, IMHO.

Just setting the record straight up front. I guess I should have remembered, at the ending of Book 1, this was likely going to be the stepping stone to this stand-alone sequel. It certainly pushed things along quickly with what became a very leisurely paced romantic tale. Very graphic steamy scenes do kick in, as well.

Btw, you don't have to read the first book, but I highly recommend you do. It really sets the stage extremely well, and, naturally, you become acquainted with a large cast of characters constantly making cameos in each book.

Book 3 will feature Beth, whose circumstances require she marry wealthy, and her love interest, who requires the same. But alas in this societal world, money matters often more than love. I'm placing my bet though that they strike it rich (in love and in worldly goods) somehow.

Title: Rules for Engaging the Earl, Series: The Widow Rules (Book 2), Author: Janna MacGregor, Pages: 378, pub date: 4/26/22, stand-alone but part of a series, 18+ older content, conflicted war injured insecure hero, previous childhood friends, marriage of convenience, celibate long time hero, widow pregnant heroine who has always loved hero and vice versa.

Book .5 - Where There's a Will (prologue to Book 1's MC)
Book 1 - A Duke in Time (Katherine & Christian)
Book 2 - Rules for Engaging the Earl (Constance & Jonathan)

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not rewarded or compensated for this review.)

In Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor, book 2 in the Widow Rules series, I found myself once again enchanted by Janna’s superb skill of making her characters come to life. I had not read any of the other books but they are apparently linked stories and after reading this one I promptly found myself at my local book store looking for book 1 after not finding it online. In this installment we meet Constance Lysander who is basically being pushed to find herself a husband after her cheating and polygamous one dies. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she is also pregnant with his child and has to figure out how best to proceed. Thankfully for Constance she remembers her childhood friend Jonathan the Earl of Sykeston who had given said best friend Constance a set of rules depicting who should be her husband and what she should look for in said man is returned to town.

Needless to say Constance does not hesitate to have Jonathan be her hero in this dire time of need of hers as he had done in their childhood. However, Jonathan having served in the war is not the same person he was from back in those days and though he does not hesitate to help her, there’s things that need to be said between those two that had never been said, were left unsaid and need to certainly be explored and said as they are about to embark into parenthood. This is not a steamy one so much as it is a heartfelt romance depicting life, angst and hurts. The characters are rich and the supporting characters along with them have you laughing, crying and cheering them on to their happily ever after. I cannot wait to read the stories of the remaining wives and to revisit with the ones that I have discovered during this reading. I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving this review. I hope you go grab it to enjoy as much as I did!

Rules for Engaging the Earl is a marriage of convenience story and the second in the Widow Rules series by Janna MacGregor. Constance Lysander needs a husband since she is about to give birth and her reputation could be in question. Her dead husband, the polygamist, left Constance and his other two wives in a lurch. Needing help, she sends for her childhood friend Jonathan, the Earl of Sykeston and he answers her request. There isn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for his childhood friend whom he loves dearly, but doesn’t see how getting married to him is going to help. He was hurt in the war and was threatened with being court-martialed. It has made him a recluse and not very hospitable. He’s afraid of bringing her down with him if things really get bad. His butler North has other ideas and meddles with Jonathan and Constance’s lives and gets them both in the same place at the same time. His hope is that they can make a go of their marriage. Constance was a strong woman and knew things would be good with Jonathan if he’d only try. For every two steps forward with them getting closer, there was a horrible one step backwards that just broke her heart. However, having a common enemy, bolstered Jonathan to work at getting her back and having a life with her.

The author is one of my favorites in this genre because she creates such imperfect characters that develop into better people over the course of the story. There is depth to their emotions and feelings. You can feel the hurt and disappointment both Constance and Jonathan are going through. Both Jonathan and Constance are prideful and want to be independent. How they overcome makes the journey of the story a slow progression but very satisfying in the end. Their sexual encounters were steamy and it was nice to see a woman who knows what she wants. The secondary characters added humor and just made the story even better.This story has all the emotions in play and I love that they found their way back to one another. I love her writing and can’t wait for the next one in the series.

Fantastic! I love Janna's writing. Her characters an plots are so good. I loved this story! I can't wait to read the next one.