I always enjoy Janna Macgregor's books because they are always so well written. Her plots are always carefully written to that that pull the reader in and grab hold of our attention. Rules for Engaging the Earl is a beautifully written story about two people being reunited after ten years and a marriage of convenience that turns into a once in a lifetime love.

I just reviewed Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor. #NetGalley

I really enjoyed reading this book as I have with some of Janna MacGregor other stories. The steamy relationship between the two main characters (with intimate details), becomes the safe place for them to share their past and get to know one another again.

This book took me a while to read, but not because it was bad, just that other books were more interesting to me. As a historical romance it is well done, I just had a hard time "being" in that time. It's still a five star, just not my cup of tea.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Some
Perspective: Third person perspective from both the hero and heroine

Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary, though the heroine’s background is established in that book, so it might make this one more enjoyable.

Basic plot:
Constance has found out her dead husband was a trigamist. Pregnant, and trying to sort through the disaster of her marriage with the other wives, she arranges a marriage of convenience to give her and her child stability. Jonathan is her childhood friend, last sharing a kiss at 15 years old. Returned from war broken, he’s become a recluse, but is ready to step up and help Constance, as long as he doesn’t have to involve his heart.

Give this a try if you want:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Child in the story – heroine has a young daughter
- Disabled hero – his knee was shattered while serving and he walks with a limp
- Marriage of convenience/necessity – the heroine is pregnant and facing the scandal of having a dead trigamist husband. The hero marries her to give her stability
- Ex-soldier hero – he was a marksman and this is a large part of his character/story
- Working women – heroine works at Lysander & Sons Refitting Company

Ages:
- Heroine is 25, hero is 28

My thoughts:
I love the unique plot problems of recovering from a trigamist husband the series is following. The fact that they were childhood friends on the cusp of more and were ready to rediscover those feelings was enticing. The plot lent itself to plenty of close proximity at their country estate together.

But..I felt like they were always dancing around each other but never really interacting. I kept waiting for them to talk to each other and be together but Jonathan was so determined to save his heart by keeping everyone at a distance and it got trying to me after awhile. Maybe I have just read too many plot devices of the hero has been hurt and must protect himself so he holds everyone at a distance. Secrets are hard for me and I’ll admit I can be harder on books that have this and unfortunately these secrets were kept until the very end. Probably just a me problem.

I enjoyed the hero finally getting it together at the end and helping the heroine from the coercion she was facing at her business. There were also a number of sweet scenes with Constance's daughter becoming attached to Jonathan as a father figure. Even though I struggled with the story, I was left thinking Constance and Jonathan will have a lovely HEA.

Lots of angst and yearning in this friends to lovers/marriage of convenience story. I loved watching the love blossom and strengthen between these two characters.

In this friends to lovers, second chance romance features a beautiful love story between Constance, who has just given birth to her late husband's baby, and Jonathan, a hero returned from war. Janna MacGregor beautifully sets this story up with a prologue that gives us a quick glimpse into Constance and Jonathan's relationship which is one of best friendship and also first love. From page one I was rooting for these two to find their way back to each other. This is the second installment in The Widow Rules in which 3 women find out they were all married to the same man, so they form a supportive friendship to help each other out and learn to move on with their lives. MacGregor has developed a very interesting beginning to the series with the first novel (and I would recommend reading this series in order although than can be read as standalones) and built a second novel that just gets better. The writing is well paced, easily engaging and full of interesting characters with great depth.

When society says that Constance should get wed before the birth of her child, she can only think about her childhood first love-Jonathan. Jonathan would do anything for Constance so he agrees to wed her, but he plans to keep their relationship very distant. After a year passes, Constance decides she must take manners into her own hands if she is going to have the marriage she truly desires as well as a father that her daughter is worthy of.

This novel is really built on care and love. Both Constance and Jonathan love each other and believe they are doing the right thing for the other every step and misstep they take. So their relationship becomes the rebuilding of trust and understanding of the other while learning to fight and ask for what is needed. Jonathan, was injured in war, but Constance never sees this as a hinderance, she finds him to be sexy, strong and the perfect man for her and her daughter. I love that Jonathan learns to trust Constance's feelings and he trusts her with knowledge around what his life is like with his disability. I love that Constance and Jonathan both learn that they can be of help to the other in ways they might not have originally realized. I think that Janna MacGregor does a lovely job with Aurelia, the daughter. The interactions and moments with Aurelia we see both the true nature of Jonathan and Constance, and we see the unconditional trust that a child can give. MacGregor does a really wonderful job balancing moments of parenting as well as moments for building a romantic relationship. Constance and Jonathan have a lovely chemistry and deep love for each other and this really comes out in moments of intimacy between them. The sensuality of their relationship is absolutely beautiful and works perfectly within this novel.

If you are looking for an endearing novel with a strong heroine who will do anything for her daughter and herself this is the book for you! If you are looking for a novel with a hero who needs to relearn that he is worthy of love that this is also the book for you. You will definitely not be disappointed in the beautiful way these two explore and show their love!

I, unfortunately, cannot give a proper review of this book as I did not finish it. There was nothing wrong with the book, I couldn't fully complete it and commit to this. This book was requested from me by the author.

I will definitely give this book another go.

I so wanted to love this book and have enjoyed other Janna MacGregor books in the past. It wasn't necessarily a bad book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I tried countless times to finish it, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't really connect with the heroine and could care less about the hero or what happened to them. Sadly, it went to my short of list of CNF books.

I enjoyed the story of Constance and Jonathon. I've really liked the whole story line with Meri's widows and the small pieces of the puzzle we get from each story with what he did with their dowries and can't wait to see how it all ends! Kat was the level-headed business woman of the group, Constance is the soft touch and the nurturer in her story. The way she's almost the "mother" of the group of friends. Seeing how her and Jonathon were when they were younger and the love they found, how they dealt with the separation and coming back together were well written. Jonathon is like a lion with a thorn in his paw, growling and wanting to hate everyone. I loved the ending! Thank you for the advanced copy. I can't wait to read what hijinks and hoops Beth has to run through!

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in Janna MacGregor’s Widow Rules series, following three women who discover they were married (at the same time) to the same man after his untimely death.

Constance Lysander is the first of the three wives, and the only one whose marriage was valid. This is lucky, as she’s heavily pregnant and about to give birth to her late husband’s child. Though she doesn’t precisely need a husband, there is an eligible earl who has crossed her mind more than once over the years. She has a shipping company to run and a daughter to raise, so Constance pens a proposal.

Jonathan was Constance’s childhood best friend and confidant. Though circumstances pulled them apart, he never forgot her. When she writes to him asking for his hand in marriage, he cannot refuse her. Jonathan would do anything for Constance, even risk his already bruised heart. Society has not been kind to him, and Jonathan fears losing what’s left of his pride. Even so, he would happily give Constance his name, but he can’t give her his soul.

Constance is a great heroine with a strong personality and a lot of initiative. I liked that she manages her family business and that there are a lot of people in her corner who love her. Despite the adversity and tragedy in her life, she holds her head up and keeps trying. And while I’m generally annoyed by the ‘interfering servants; trope, it works here up to a point. Jonathan deals with a lot of trauma, and while he definitely has moments of weakness, he’s there when it counts. I love when he overcomes his fears for Constance and puts his new family above his reservations.

There are a couple of things I found implausible. I just couldn’t buy that Constance, a strong and resilient woman, would have spent a whole year writing to her husband and receiving letters from him without going in person to their estate; not only is their property in the country, but so is her business. I get that her support system is in London, but it’s weird that she just accepts not seeing her new husband for a whole year right after their wedding. A whole year with a new baby on her own is also a lot, given that Constance married partially in order to help support and care for her daughter. I was not a huge fan of Jonathan’s actions here. I get that long periods of separation are normal for marriage-in-trouble books, but I don’t think it really works for this story. Jonathan does the wrong thing by running away, and I’m not sure there’s enough redemption, especially given his backsliding later in the book. Constance is made of steel, and I love that, but she shouldn’t always have to be the strong one.

I did enjoy Rules for Engaging the Earl; it plays into a lot of tropes I like and it has a great ending. I look forward to the next installment of the series.

‘Constance Lysander needs a husband. Or, so society says. She’s about to give birth to her late husband’s child―a man who left her with zero money, and two other wives she didn’t know about. Thankfully, she has her Aunt by her side, and the two other wives have become close friends. But still―with a baby on the way, her shipping business to run, and an enemy skulking about, she has no time to find the perfect match.

Enter Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston. Returned war hero and Constance’s childhood best friend, his reentry into society has been harsh. Maligned for an injury he received in the line of duty, Jonathan prefers to stay out of sight. It’s the only way to keep his heart from completely crumbling. But when a missive from Constance requests his presence―to their marriage ceremony―Jonathan is on board. His feelings for Constance run deep, and he’ll do anything to make her happy, though it means risking his already bruised heart.

With Constance, Jonathan, and the new baby all together, it’s clear the wounds―both on the surface and in their relationship―run deep. But when the nights come, their wounds begin to heal, and both come to realize that their marriage of convenience is so much more than just a bargain.’
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3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in Janna MacGregor’s The Widow Rules series and is a historical romance with an underlying mystery.

This was a sweet story and the first Janna MacGregor book that I have read. This is the second book in the series, so I wasn’t sure whether starting here would impede my reading at all. I don’t believe it did, I didn’t feel like I was missing any key information at any point and so I would say that this can easily serve as a standalone book.

Individually I liked the two main characters, but together they annoyed me. I do think that they were a sweet pairing and it’s lovely that they got their second chance, but sometimes throughout the book I really wondered if it was worth it. To start the marriage really only comes about as a request to help the other, before the vows can happen the circumstances change and that help is no longer necessary. But just go for it anyway, I guess? He then abandons her for a year and the worst part is that she is under the impression that it is for noble reasons, which results in a horrible revelation for her down the road. The patience she showed was commendable, but it made the hero distinctly unlikable for me. Like maybe this is being too forgiving. I felt that he should have had to work so much harder to prove himself after that crap.

I found the book quite slow to start and the page time with the two main characters together to be quite limited, extremely so in the whole first half. So a slow start the the plot felt pretty stationary, but once these two started interacting regularly it picked up the pace a bit and the plot felt like it was working toward something-bringing these two together and discovering who is responsible for slandering Jonathan’s reputation regarding his conduct during the war.

Despite the slow stat, I enjoyed the book and think that I will be reading the next book in the series.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for sharing an eARC of Rule for Engaging the Earl with me. This is my honest review.

This is a well written book that deals in large part with the H, Jonathan's, battle trauma and feelings of guilt once he returns home with a possible court martial looming over his head for a war crime he never committed. He and the h, Constance, have decided on a marriage of convenience, as she is widowed with a baby (the father was actually a polygamist but she is the legal wife). As were childhood sweethearts, Jonathan wants to help her. Constance must spend much of the book trying to help him psychologically and emotionally, however, on the journey toward their HEA.

This book does have some steam, but it's not a breezy beach read IMO. There were times I had to put it down because of the heaviness of the subject matter. The writing is strong stylistically and the characters are believable (although the audacity of the butler, North, stretched things a bit). You can understand why Jonathan feels the way he does, it's just a bit difficult to get through his scenes of gloomy introspection and not feel bad for Constance along the way. There were times I wished there was a bit more humor to lighten up the overall mood. The HEA is lovely, however.

I appreciate St. Martin's press, the author, and NetGalley allowing me to read this advanced copy. My opinions are voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Reviews posted on Goodreads, Bookbub, and Amazon on the date of release.

I was worried reading this because I didn't read the first book in the series. But it was totally fine starting with this one.

Constance Lysander is in dire need of a husband. She's set to give birth to her late husband -- the same husband that married two other women and left her with no money. With no time to find the perfect match, she asks her childhood best friend, Jonathan, the Earl of Sykeston. Thick as thieves as children and teenagers, the two lost contact when Jonathan went off to war. Now a decade later, Jonathan is a returned war hero. But the war left him injured both physically and mentally. But never one to refuse Constance, Jonathan agrees to marry her. Constance is determined to make a new life with her baby and Jonathan. Jonathan isn't sure he's ready to give up his hermit lifestyle. But Jonathan will do anything to make Constance happy. With the Constance, Jonathan and the baby all living together, Constance and Jonathan will have to confront their past wounds in order to have any chance at a future.

I loved this story!!! This is my first Janna MacGregor book but it won't be my last. She does such a great job crafting this second chance romance. Both Constance and Jonathan are well-rounded characters that each have their own issues and insecurities to work through in order to get their happy ending. What I love about this is that she meddled several romance tropes into one story -- beauty and the best, second chance romance, best friends to lovers and marriage of convenience. You can't help but root for both Constance and Jonathan to be together. I also loved that Constance knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to tell Jonathan -- she was the one seducing her husband, which was a nice change for sure.

There were a few times that I felt like everyone was too hard on Jonathan for his behavior, which just proves how well Janna crafted this story. Now I need to read the first book in this series!

I highly recommend this to anyone wanting a sweet second chance romance.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When Constance Lysander’s reputation is about to be ruined. She relies on her friend who broke her heart as a teenager. Constance will learn that the man she has always loved has changed. Earl of Sykeston Jonathon Eaton came home from war injured. He shut himself up in his home because of betrayal and people’s opinions of him. Jonathon is reluctant to bring the woman he’s always loved back into his life because of rumors of his service. When meddling servants bring Jonathon and Constance together that just may lead to the Rules for Engaging the Duke.

Rules for Engaging the Duke is Janna MacGregor’s second book in her Widows Rule series. She takes a woman who is on the verge of losing her reputation and a man who was injured in the war and just maybe facing treason charges. A man who wants to be left alone to brood about the betrayal of his commanding officers. A woman pregnant with her deceased husband’s baby who is in trouble because of the late husband’s antics needs rescuing. The Widow Rules series continues with Rules for Engaging the Duke that has suspense, romance, conflict and a long-held attraction and love. Separated lovers are reunited to find their way through their individual issues of trust and betrayal and possibly true love with each other. Rules for Engaging the Duke is well written and engage the emotions of the reader. Janna Macgregor brings old friends who have known each other all their lives and are separated for years back into each other’s lives to stop a scandal. These characters with the help of people who love them must work through getting to know each other again and hopefully rekindle the love they’ve always felt for each other. A must read for Janna Macgregor fans. This reader looks forward to the next book in the Widow Rules series.

Constance and Jonathan grew up together, so when she asks him for help, he really can't refuse. Even though they both come to their relationship with wounds, they move forward together and this story was wonderful to read. I especially enjoy Constance's relationship with her first husband's mistresses, and can't wait to read book number 3!

I really enjoyed this story though it took some time to get involved in this couple. I found the distance between them frustrating, boring, silly, and easily solved. Once they were together in the same home it was easier to flip pages as they interacted. I do feel for both characters and what trauma they each experienced. It was wonderful how things worked out in the end.#netgalley #RulesforEngagingtheEarl

This is the second book in The Widow Rules series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first book.

This book focuses on Constance Lysander, the official widow of a man who left her (and two other women) wondering what to do as she is also expecting a child. While she has her aunt and has become close friends with the other two women, society believes she also needs a husband. Enter Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston.

Jonathan and Constance were close before he went off to war but Jonathan is now injured and he doesn't feel like he is good enough for her but when she proposes they marry, he agrees. On top of the injury, he is also fighting a battle that impacts his honor and could have some repercussions for Constance if things go badly so he decides to escape to his estate to create some separation however, Constance wasn't having it.

As Constance pushes Jonathan to spend time with her, the begin to learn more about each other and how to live not only within a new marriage but also with a brand new baby. I loved seeing the relationship build and develop into something more than a childhood romance.

If you're looking for a new historical romance to read, definitely check this (and the series) out as they are not only engaging stories, but they are well written and have interesting characters.

What a treat it was to read this book by Janna MacGregor. I found it to be well written and character-driven and became thoroughly engrossed in the romance of the two main characters, Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Sykeston, and Constance Lysander, his friend since childhood. After several years of fighting in the Napoleonic war, Jonathan returns a crippled warrior. He answers a missive from his old friend, Constance, to marry her and save her from more scandal caused by her dead husband who fathered her child but was also married to two other friends of hers. Upon the marriage, Jonathan leaves and uses the excuse he has commitments to take care of and he will send for her and her baby daughter later. But, it doesn’t exactly happen that way.

Constance remains busy running the ship-building business she took over when her father died. She is hounded by a customer who wants to be reimbursed for a ship he bought from the firm which was purportedly damaged from poor construction. Unbeknownst to her, Jonathan has his own issues with this same person. Meanwhile, Constance is tired of waiting for a summons from Jonathan to join him and decides to take her daughter and go to his estate.

I loved all the secondary characters in this work. Especially North, the butler. He and the rest of the household staff love Constance and warmly welcome her and her daughter. Jonathan is greatly surprised to find her at his home. Constance knows she has to convince him she made the right decision to be there. He has his reasons and doesn’t warm up to her for a while. She finally succeeds. The sensuality leaps off the page. Really written exquisitely well.

There is so much more I could tell about how their romance heals both of them and how the nasty character got his just desserts, but I’ll leave it to the new reader to find out. Especially the meaning of my favorite phrase, “For my husband, the bowline, the essential and strongest tie that binds.”

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy, which has in no way influenced my rating of this work: 4 ½ stars, 4 ½ stars heat.

The first two books in this series have been wonderful. When Constance finds out that her late husband was also married to two other women and she’s pregnant, what is she to do? Of course ask her best friend from childhood Jonathan, now the Earl of Sykeston, to marry her so her child is legitimate. Jonathan agrees as he has always loved Constance and he doesn’t want to see her on the streets.

This story is about a marriage of convenience that turns into a love match, but not without it’s pitfalls along the way. Can their love for each other and the baby overcome all other obstacles. There are some fun scenes in this book that you won’t forget. I would recommend this story to others..

A marriage of convenience becomes a real partnership in Rules for Engaging the Earl. Janna MacGregor’s second Widow Rules book features Constance Lysander, one of the three women who discovered they were married to the same man, and her childhood best friend, the Earl of Sykeston.

Constance is a smart businesswoman who has had bad luck in love. When she asks Jonathan to marry her for the sake of her daughter, she’s hoping their marriage will turn into something true and real. Jonathan has other plans. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect Constance and her daughter, but to him that means staying far away. The ghosts of his past are nipping at his heels, and he’s wounded inside and out. He’s loved Constance for as long as he can remember but he does his best to push her away rather than let himself believe he can have the love and family he craves.

Constance is a likeable protagonist, though a bit too perfect for my personal taste – there’s simply nothing she can’t do. Jonathan is a wounded hero whose bark is worse than his bite, and though he eventually became a likeable hero he’s not particularly unique or memorable. It took a while for me to get into this book; the first half is a lot of push-pull between Constance and Jonathan and though it was fine it wasn’t particularly engaging. Halfway through the story picks up and I was along for the ride. I do wish MacGregor had shown more of the childhood friendship between our protagonists as that is the foundation their romance is built on. I enjoyed the love story but seeing their history would have given the romance a bit more depth. Jonathan and Constance have a lot of obstacles to overcome, and they (mostly Jonathan) did have to work a bit to open up, learn to lean on each other, and own up to the mistakes they made in order to get their happily ever after. There’s also a villain who threatens their happiness and more who must be defeated by our heroes.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in the Widow Rules series and if you don’t mind a small spoiler from A Duke in Time you can easily read this story on its own. If you like historical romances with brooding heroes, capable heroines, cooing babies, and/or loyal dogs (Regina did almost steal the show at times), then you’re sure to enjoy Rules for Engaging the Earl.