Full disclosure: I did not delight in the first book in this series, A DUKE IN TIME. Kat and Randford were so noble, so perfect, so bland; I kept falling asleep. But I liked the other two women introduced as fellow wives who, along with Kat, had been wed, dumped, and widowed by the feckless Lord Meriwether. Plucky Constance, married for her shipping company and left pregnant, and sighing Beth, married for her enormous dowry and then dumped, but at least not pregnant. In DUKE, Constance tells Randford to summon the Earl of Sykeston to bail her out, and I marveled at her confidence. Widowed, pregnant, alone? An earl will marry me!

In RULES, Constance and Jonathan, the earl, captivated me at once. In the first chapter we see them as young friends, flirting, fond of each other but ready to take on the world. Constance wants to become part of her parents' shipping business. Jonathan is off to the wars. He gives Constance a list of expectations to which she is to hold gentleman who aspire to her hand, teaching her to value herself. Then he leaves, and horrible things happen to them both. He becomes a crack marksman but doesn't complete his last mission and is severely injured in an attack, which causes him to withdraw from society upon his return and hole up in his estate in Portsmouth. Constance becomes a confident businesswoman but, alas, marries the wrong man (above) and ends up with baby on the way.

Jonathan, wounded and scarred, marries Constance upon her request to give her security and repair her reputation, but thereafter returns to his estate in Portsmouth to commence being a dunderhead. After about a year of lovely letters, Constance heads to Portsmouth to be a wife and, incidentally, look in on her shipping business. The obstacles are plenty and believable: Jonathan has lies to hide (like, who really wrote those letters) and he is being threatened and manipulated by his former commanding officer, the Marquess of Faladen. Constance's business is threatened also by, guess who, the Marquess of Faladen. Neither of them wants to confide their troubles in the other, though nevertheless they begin establishing marital intimacies, after first negotiating a set of "rules" for their marriage. Very businesslike, and quite funny. And then, just as it's meant to, everything they've been hiding blows up in their faces.

Constance and her earl are both likeable characters, though I grew a bit impatient with Jonathan and his "she'll be disgraced if I'm court martialed" pity party; Constance survived her previous humiliating experience of bigamy just fine. And I admit I'm not fond of this trend in historical romance for upper-upper class characters to desire being suburban housewives. Constance is a professional businesswoman (no hint that "trade" is a tarnish in any way) as well as supermom, but she also just wants nothing more than to clean and freshen her husband's study and coo when he gives her feather dusters and garden spades as gifts.

Constance, girl! You're a countess! You have servants to do the housework! You get to throw parties and dinners, gamble, promenade through pleasure gardens, travel, take waters at the spa, buy and wear scrumptious clothing and then go to the theater and the park to show yourself off. I would like to start reading historical romance where upper-class aspirant characters actually enjoy the ridiculous lifestyles that the Regency ultra-rich lived. I read this genre to *escape* by obligations as a middle-class suburban working mother.

Nevertheless, back to the story: I enjoyed reading how these two characters gradually found each other, learning to trust and share and yes, the hard stuff, be honest. Hint: everything turns all right in the end.

I admit I'm looking forward to Beth's story, though I wonder why a girl with a lovely name like Blythe would want to be called Beth. I hope she won't turn out to be a paragon like Kat and Constance are. I admit I don't always align with MacGregor's sensibilities or style--I was horrified by the dog at the dinner table! Simply not done! But I like MacGregor's characters and the heart behind them. I can't wait to find out what Grayson is hiding behind that seemingly perfect exterior. This was a fun, sweet story about two people who find their way back to one another and learn the lessons of trust.

I usually like Janna MacGregor's books and Rules for Engaging the Earl wasn't really an exception. Though I appreciated how constant the FMC Constance was and how assertive she was, I think we've come to a point in 2022 where we can move past the hero so down on himself for having a disability that his self-esteem can only be rebuilt by the heroine's love. To me, that was the real low point of Rules for Engaging the Earl. The author also uses the infamous "miscommunication trope", but I don't mind it, as is was well used and made for a nice third act breakup with angst and longing, which I liked. I wanted Jonathan to be more assertive, like he got to be at the end of the novel, from beginning to end. I liked the intimate scenes, though there could have been more.
I wasn't bored (which is saying a lot as I've been reading a lot of recent releases that were dull), but the novel could have been better.
3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Constance and Jonathon’s love story was beautifully told and I greatly enjoyed watching them fall in love.

I really enjoyed that Constance was a strong independent women with a business. She didn’t let Jonathon steam roll her and instead pushed back respectfully. I also enjoyed learning about her business and mystery behind the missing money.

Jonathon was a little bit harder of a character to love. He did grow on me at the end. He was a little frustrating due to having that pity me mindset. I did understand where he came from with that and would have liked to see a little more back story so I could understand him better.

Overall the book was beautifully written and I enjoyed the constant back and forth between Constance and Jon. The author did a wonderful job adding the daughter into the storyline. I enjoyed that there were other plot points then just Constance and Jonathon’s love story.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy for review; this is my freely given opinion.

This is the second story in The Widow Rules series, about Constance Lysander, who was first seen in A Duke in Time; the second wife of the trigamist, Meriweather Vareck. She is pregnant with his child, and when she found out what he did to her, Kat, and Beth, was in fear of the scandal and having her child bear the burden of being born illegitimate. This would also ruin her reputation and smear her family business, as shipwrights in Plymouth. Her solution, in the first book was for the Duke of Randford, the brother of Meriweather, get the Earl of Sykeston to marry her.

The second book opens up in the past, when we find out that Jonathan and Constance were very good childhood friends, that were on the verge of more when he left to go to war. They were very young, with Constance being on the verge of being. They love for each other was obvious, but Jonathan did not want to ask her to wait for him, and gave her a very sweet list of what he wanted her to look for in a husband, as that was what he wanted for her.

During the war, he is critically injured and when he returns home, he is traumatized by his experiences and his injuries, and isolates himself from his friends and tenants. He seems to be struggling on finding himself, his worth and value in the world. In the meantime, Constance connects with Meriweather, and while she did not love him, felt that he would make a good husband. Unfortunately she was incredibly wrong in that, and when she found herself pregnant and in a bind, called on her former best friend to rescue her.

Jonathan does marry her, but still runs off back to his estate, and isolates himself there, thinking that his issues, including a risk of being court martialed for something he did during the war that could be interpreted as an abandonment of his mission, would just bring down those around him. As such, he distances himself physically and emotionally from Constance, despite wanting more. Thanks to some seriously interfering, though well meaning, people in his life, Constance shows up with her baby, and moves into his home, after a year of being apart.

I was very frustrated with Jonathan as a hero; his lack of communication and isolation were so very crippling and self destructive. I think he was very lucky to have the friends and staff that he had, who cared enough to overcome his walls, especially when he actively pushed them away in such obnoxious ways. Constance would have good reason to not trust men, after her experience with her first husband, and it says a lot for their prior friendship that she was willing to give so much of herself to work on a true marriage with Jonathan; which made her disappointments that much more difficult in the end. I felt that this story was very contemporary, despite being a Regency historical, since it was about the struggles of a woman finding her strength and independence managing a business, being a mother, managing a household, and trying to work on a meaningful, fulfilling relationship too, in the context of her own emotional trauma, and his PTSD and sense of his own lack of self worth. I liked her character that much more, because she was strong enough strive for what she wanted, and willing to invest and open up of herself to Jonathan, despite her experiences with her previous husband.

There were some plot inconsistencies which I found a bit irritating. Such as not mention of how Constance found out about the court martial. That there was no mention that Jonathan's sister was murdered... and there seemed to be a lot more to Beth and Grayson's relationship than was alluded to previously (and I do presume the next novel will be about the two of them, so that may be purposeful...). But they were minor issues. Otherwise I quite enjoyed this installment of the series. I am loving the female characters and the dynamic the three Meriweather widows have with each other.

Four stars out of 5.

This is Katherine's story in the Widow Rules series. One of three wives of a polygamist she is the only one pregnant and in dire need of a husband. She writes her childhood friend Jonathan to see if he would oblige her by marrying her. In their youth they were in love, but war and ten years intervened, leaving Jonathan bitter and crippled. He will marry her but not be a husband. He has a dark cloud of threatened court martial hanging over him and does not want to pull her into his potential scandal. And being a proud man he won't ask for help. Katherine is a strong woman and she will put up with only so much of his withdrawal from life. Fortunately for both of them they have some strong allies among the servants who are determined to see a happy ending for Jonathan and Katherine. This is a wonderful story of overcoming the odds to find happiness, love, and contentment.

I was delightfully surprised and honored to be invited to receive an advance review copy through Netgalley. I had never read anything by Janna MacGregor before, so I decided to immediately get my hands on the prequel novella and book one in the series before starting Rules for Engaging the Earl (The Widow Rules #2). I am so glad I did as I enjoyed all three stories. This series may not be for everyone. The fulcrum is a gambling good-for-nothing second son of a Duke who 'marries' three women, takes all of their dowries, and then dies. Only at the reading of his will do they meet each other. The author does a good job of making these three women likeable and not seem stupid and gullible. They have good character and kindness and quickly become like sisters. Each one of the three books has one of the three wives as the heroine.

Constance Lysander, wife number 2, was about a month from giving birth when her husband passed away. She asked her childhood love Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, to marry her so that her child would be legitimate. He, who had promised to be there for her, agreed.

These two gave each other their first kisses. He was 17, and she was 15. The start of chapter one began a decade later. This was a story of healing and second chances.

When Jonathan left to be a spy in the war against Napoleon, he told Constance not to wait for him. However, she promised to save a dance for him every time until he returned and wait for him to marry. She did actually wait until he returned to England before she met and married her first husband. When Jonathan returned from war he was damaged and tortured both physically and mentally. He did not believe himself good enough or brave enough to see the woman whose image pulled him through. Constance tried to visit him many times, but she could never get in contact with him until the summons to request him marry her in the emergency situation. I did not fault her at all.

I enjoy a well-written hero with PTSD. I had hoped he would be a virgin since he had not even a kiss before Constance and had no sex since the injuries. However, the story did make it clear he did not wait and obviously had meaningless sex while in Europe. All of their relationship and individual insecurities developed well over an almost two-year period throughout the book. It was a sweet story with some hot erotic scenes.

I enjoyed the characters, the author's writing style, and the story itself. Now I just can't wait for book three!

The second book in Janna MacGregor’s Widow Rules series, Rules for Engaging the Earl is a good read. Constance, along with two other women, found out they’d all married the same man upon his death. Heavily pregnant, Constance writes to her old friend, Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston to ask him to marry her and save her reputation.

Injured in the war and with the nebulous threat of a court martial hanging over him, Jonathan is reclusive but would do anything to help the girl who had meant so much to him.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and thought this one was good as well. MacGregor uses this book to tackle some heavy issues. Jonathan has a lot of trauma from the war and from trying to find his footing both literally and figuratively. Constance is almost unbelievably cheerful and kind-hearted. While she eventually finds her voice, there were several points that I was upset she was allowing herself to be treated in the way she was. This book felt heavy, and the HEA was very hard-won.

I did enjoy Rules for Engaging the Earl and can’t wait to read Beth and Grayson’s story!

3.5 stars rounded up because I'm a sucker for childhood best friends getting together

Oh how I love a good friends-to-lovers story! I am still in awe of the friendship these unlikely allies have formed, and I love how they have formed a chosen family that would do anything for each other. This has to be my favorite part of this series, that three women who found out that they had been married to the same man bonded the way they did and decided instead of growing bitter and resentful, they would forge new paths and claim the happiness they deserve. I wish there were more admirable heroines like this.

Now for this book:

Constance and Jonathan were childhood best friends. They were each others' first love, shared their first kiss, and dreamed of a bright and rosy future together. Until the war came. Jonathan left and returned a shadow of his former self, while Constance fell for a man who left her without anything and ruined her reputation by also marrying two other women. While the women bonded in the first book and tried to find out which of them was the only lawful wife, Constance, pregnant and about to give birth, wrote a desperate letter to the only man she every truly trusted and begged him to marry her so she and her baby would at least be respectable. Jonathan dropped everything to come to her, only to discover that she had learned shortly before giving birth that she was her husbands true wife. She still wants to be his wife, though, so she can have the future she once dreamed of with the man she has always loved. Only how to convince the man who believes himself broken and doomed, better of alone, that even though they changed and became different people, they still belong together...

I really loved the first half of the book. Seeing them as teenagers, being all sweet and hopeful, and then having the contrast of who they turned into was bittersweet and lovely. I adored how sensibly they tackled their marriage of convenience, how they set ground rules and stated clearly what they expected and wanted from each other. I thought YES! Finally, sensible people!

But then the drama came and took over with a vengeance. Now me, I loathe fabricated drama, so my enjoyment of the second half was significantly lower. For people who said they would communicate because after all, neither of them could read minds, they sure spent a lot of time keeping secrets and not talking to each other, which I found a bit disappointing. But how else would we have DRAMA. Sigh. But after that was over, I did enjoy how they got back together again in the end. I loved seeing Jonathan come out of his self-imposed exile and starting to live again, and how they tackled the villain in the end was also lovely to see. I just wish they'd planned it together that way from the start...

As with the first book, the sex scenes took me a bit by surprise (the women in this series are extremely sex-positive, know what they want, and go for it), but while this doesn't work for me personally, I still think it's admirable and other readers will enjoy this level of heat.

All in all, I loved the beginning, found the middle a bit too dramatic, and enjoyed the end. An enjoyable read and a strong addition to a wonderful series about strong men and women who work together as true equals, friendship and chosen family, and a lovely set of secondary characters who make the series highly enjoyable.

Just love Janna MacGregor's books and this one was a delight. The grumpy male MC + ever-optimistic, sunny female MC trope is one of my favorites and Constance and Jonathan are a great couple.

Best friends in youth, their paths diverge at seventeen when Jonathan is recruited for special military service. He returns with many mental and physical scars and does not seek out his friend Constance as she hopes he would. Constance ends up marrying the infamous Meri, who leaves her alone and pregnant alongside his OTHER two wives, Kat and Beth. So she asks her true love to marry her to give her and her daughter a name and protection.

Jonathan doesn't want a wife and daughter ruining his very carefully crafted isolation routine. But he is able to resist the woman who's spent so long imagining a future alongside. Filled with moments of tenderness, laughter, heartache and growth, watching their marriage of convenience blossom into something more is a beautiful thing.

Can't wait for Beth's book!

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor is the second in The Widow Rules series of novels. In the first we heard the story of Katherine Vareck who after her husband's death, was shocked to discover that he had two other wives. In this second novel, we read about Constance Lysander, who actually WAS his wife, although she didn't know that she was not the only one. Pregnant, and about to give birth, all that she and society knew was that she needed a husband to give the baby a name and to escape scandal. She asks her childhood friend, love of her life and giver of her first kiss, Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston if he would marry her to avoid scandal and he agrees, even after they discover she was the real wife and doesn't have to marry.

Immediately after their wedding, Johnathan, knowing he can't act on his love for Constance due to injuries he obtained in war, disappears for a year, on the King's business and Constance is left alone with the baby. Jonathan sends letters and after a year asks her to join him at his estate to start their life together. But when she arrives, all is not what it appeared to be and she is upset that he is surprised by her appearance. But will being forced to be together as a family make them one? Will their love be enough to break through their barriers? Janna MacGregor is the best at Regency romance and this novel does not disappoint!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy, historical romance novel. It has likable, well-developed characters, a strong and capable female protagonist, a wounded war veteran, sizzling chemistry, a heart-warming, friends to lovers romance, intrigue, a touch of humor, a cute baby, a darling dog, supportive friends, quirky household staff, and a happily ever after ending. Ms. MacGregor's loyal readers will appreciate the nod to her wonderful "Cavensham Heiresses" series. This is the second entry in Ms. MacGregor's outstanding "The Widow Rules" series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is even better when read after reading "A Duke in Time". I am looking forward to reading Beth's story with great anticipation. Ms. MacGregor never disappoints her readers!
NetGalley and St. Martin's Press kindly provided me with an ARC of this novel, and this is my honest opinion.

Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Sykeston, is a former marksman for the British army. He returns home a broken shell of his former self. With the threat of a possible court-marshal, Jonathan isolates himself from the world. When his childhood friend asks for help, he rushes to her side. He willingly agrees to marry her. However, Jonathan cannot be the husband and father-figure Constance needs, not with an inquiry hanging over his head. Can Jonathan clear his name? Will he come to grips with his mental and emotional demons? Or will Jonathan realize too late what he has with Constance?
Constance Lysander owns and operates her family’s maritime business. Her late husband leaves her penniless, pregnant, and two other wives. Constance needs to marry quickly to escape polite society’s harsh scrutiny. She chooses Jonathan for the part. Constance intends on making their marriage work; however, her mulish husband insists on keeping an emotional distance. Plus, she has a malcontent patron intent on destroying her business’ reputation. Can Constance help Jonathan overcome his emotional and mental hurdles? Or is this marriage doomed from the start?
Jonathan is such a swoon-worthy, damaged hero! He demonstrates the difficulties some soldiers have on returning home from war or active duty. I empathize with Jonathan’s need to alienate himself from the world. He has had his trust betrayed in the worst way possible by his commanding officer. What I adore the most about Jonathan is his dependability, especially towards Constance. He came to her when she needed him most, even at his lowest. Jonathan, also, had no interest in taking over her family business. Instead, he offered to help only when she wanted it.
I am so happy that Constance received her happily-ever-after. She really deserved one, especially considering the ordeal her late husband left her to face. I like that Constance never tried to play the victim. Instead, she became proactive in finding a solution for her and her newborn daughter. What I adore the most about Constance is her patience with Jonathan. She understood he had some emotional and psychological issues that he had to come to terms with. Jonathan’s behavior sometimes tried her patience, but Constance never once gave up on him.
RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL is book two in Janna Macgregor’s historical romance series, THE WIDOW RULES. The story can easily standalone. However, I recommend reading the first book to understand Constance’s peculiar situation and her close relationship with Kat and Beth. The author does an excellent job gleaning the important parts from the previous book. I hope the next book reveals what the late Lord Meriwether did with the three ladies’ dowries.
RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL is a charming tale of two souls learning to overcome their trust issues. I am so glad I took a chance with this series. It does not disappoint. I cannot wait for Beth and Grayson’s book!

Book 2 in the series and this one was good. Jonathan and Constance were a good match and they both had their struggles to overcome. It was nice to see a hero who has some physical flaws due to injury and how he was dealing with it all emotionally.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second installment in The Widow Rules series by Janna MacGregor. As in the first book, this book is a mixture of romance, passion, determination and heart-rending drama. Constance Lysander grew up thinking she would one day marry her best friend Jonathan Eaton, the Earl of Sykeston. That is until he went away to war. Now she is a widow of a trigamest, pregnant and penniless. She has no one to turn to but Jonathan, except he is not the man she remembers. I loved the rules enacted by both characters, though they were broken. The chemistry between the characters is electric. I love that the author brought in Aurelia, the baby of Constance's. The interactions with the child were precious. This book is definitely one that you can't put down once you start it. It does have some graphic sexual scenes but I skipped over those. I loved the enthusiasm and angst of the characters. It made a terrific read!

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for the advanced reader copy. The views expressed are solely my own.

I have been looking forward to this second book in The Widow Rules series. I love all the characters and enjoyed reading about Constance & Jonathan. They had some ups and downs which is understandable with their pasts. The secondary characters were very entertaining, even the baby. The combination of what the primary characters were facing, and the entertaining secondary characters made for a great read. I’m looking forward to book 3.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the Widow Rules series. In this we get Constance's story. I really enjoyed it a great deal. I love marriage of convenience stories and I liked this a great deal. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

I was able to read "Rules for Engaging the Earl" by Janna MacGregor on NetGalley. The main character, Constance, has asked a childhood friend to marry her to make her soon to be born child legitimate, after being deceived by her first husband. This is the story of Jonathan and Constance getting to know each other again and to find love. They face some strife and setbacks. I enjoyed this book and would read more!

Rules For Engaging The Earl is a spectacular historical romance by Janna MacGregor. Ms. MacGregor has provided readers with a well-written book furnished with magnificent characters. Constance said goodbye to Jonathan when he left to serve his country. Now, ten years later, he appears at her home because she asked him to marry her and give her baby a name. Constance and Johnathan's story is packed with drama, humor, sizzle, action and suspense. I loved reading this book, I'm a sucker for wounded warriors. I look forward to my next book by Janna MacGregor. Rules For Engaging The Earl is book 2 of The Widow Rules Series but it can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliffhanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, this series sure tugs at the heart strings. I highly recommend each book, you can read them out of order, but soooo much better together...

I really liked the first book in this series and the bond that developed between these three women who were wronged by the same awful man. I was looking forward to this book and even though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one, it was still an enjoyable read.

As we discovered in book one, Constance was Meri’s legal wife, but she enlists her old friend Jonathan into helping her by marrying her to help keep her newborn daughter from the scandal. Jonathan has loved Constance since they were young, but wartime experiences and injuries have bruised him in so many ways. Working through misunderstandings, miscommunication, and a lot of past hurt, Constance and Jonathan realize there’s much more to their marriage than they initially bargained for.

You know what drives me nuts in historical romances books? When both the hero and heroine create so much unnecessary drama because they intentionally don’t communicate with each other. And Constance and Jonathan both do that far too much. Because of this, the romance wasn’t my favorite part of this book, but I like these characters That being said, “watching” Constance and Jonathan grow as characters as they realized they loved each other was satisfying given their history and I loved seeing the progression as Jonathan realized he loved the baby like she was his. My favorite parts of the book though were when we got to see the friendships between Constance, Kat and Beth and their bond.

I’m absolutely looking forward to reading Beth and Grayson’s story so I’ll definitely be waiting impatiently for that book!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars because even though I didn’t love the romance in this one, I like this series. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.