Constance and Jonathon were neighbors and the best of friends.  Just when they were on the brink of exploring potential romantic feelings, Jonathon was sent on an assignment with the British army in France. Before he left, Jonathon gave Constance her first kiss and a set of rules for choosing a husband and a promise to marry her in ten years if she was unmarried. 
Jonathon makes good his promise ten years later when Constance is in need of a husband to be a father to her unborn child. Circumstances having left the legitimacy of her marriage in question. Ten years have made a big difference, Jonathon is no longer the young man, Constance once loved. He's changed in more ways than the scars left on his body from his time fighting the war. 
Jonathon's butler conspires to bring Constance into Jonathon's life when he tries to leave her behind in London and she begins the rest of his healing when she arrives at his country estate with her daughter. it appears that their relationship is making some headway when it's blown apart. Constance decides to take her daughter and retreat and concentrate on her business.
Little does she realize that both she and Jonathon have the same nemesis who's preying on them.  It takes a friend and Jonathon's realization of what he's thrown away to start the healing and a confrontation with their common enemy to give their relationship a second chance if Constance is willing to give it another chance. 
The beast sulking in the dark and determined to wallow in his pain and the sweetness and light of the right woman to heal him is a familiar oft written plot. This is a sweet romance, good for a bit of light reading and escape.

I'm really starting to like the grumpy/sunshine trope!

Constance and Jonathan are best childhood friends. War from Jonathan away and he comes home 10 years later to Constance who had married, had her conniving husband leave her and carrying his child.
Jonathan gets a letter proposing marriage to Constance so her baby will have a father.

I really enjoyed them together. She slowly crumbles the walls he's put around himself and he softens bit by bit. They see the worst and the best of each other.

But my favorite character has to be Jonathan's valet, North! He's so sly in his matchmaking schemes for these 2.

Widow Rules continue!

Marriage of convenience trope given an interesting twist. Childhood friends reunite under strained circumstances. Constance Lysander had married a scoundrel who committed not bigamy but trigamy. Pregnant Constance needs a husband and friend Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, agrees to marry her to legitimise her child. A decorated sharpshooter in the Napoleonic wars, Jonathan was badly injured and is very much a recluse. Alongside that he’s been unjustly accused, at this stage by the rumour mill, of action unbecoming a gentleman, very much against the military’s rules of conduct.
Jonathan is loathe to marry but this is the friend he’s loved forever.
Constance operates a ship building company and has her own worries. Neither is able to confide in the other. Unbeknownst to each they’re facing a common enemy, and that plays havoc with the restoration of their relationship. Their coming together, hard won, has the hermit leaching out of Jonathan, but is their love going to be strong enough to face another enemy closing in on their hard won life together?
A predictable but pleasant read.

A St Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley

Marriage of convivence. Childhood friends-to-lovers. Second-chance romance.

Constance Lysander has been dealt some unfortunate hands in life. Her late husband has left her and her unborn child, and in his absence he has left no money, but instead two other wives Constance was not aware of. With no other option, Constance writes to her childhood friend for his hand in marriage. Johnathan comes with his own issues, and he and Constance must see if they can rekindle the longing they had for each other in their youth.

While this story is sexy and romantic, and covers serious issue along the lines of PTSD and post-war life. The chemistry of the main characters is something to swoon over and is perfect for an historical romance lover. I love the aspect where characters are told not to wait for each other as they think they will grow apart in the future, but instead always find their way back to each other. I will be looking forward to the next books in this series!

After enjoying the first book in this series A Duke in Time I was expecting a similarly enjoyable novel. I found myself less than enamored with a weak hero who spent most of his time in a mood somewhat akin to whining and "life is not fair". His relationship with our heroine can only be described as something that began years ago as a true love affair and has now drifted into a marriage that is just this side of emotional torture. While we had a decent story and a positive conclusion I felt I was having to force myself to plod through the majority of this story but I suffer from a dislike of any version of "I am not good enough for her" as a major part of any story and this one stayed there much to long. So after comparing it to book 1 which I enjoyed and this one that almost felt like punishment I am giving it 3 Stars. Seems most liked it well enough for 4 Stars but I can't see that since the vast majority of this book was either him being whiny or self flagellating or her having to "be strong" since he was either literally absent or mentally distant. Ended well enough but not enough for me to forgive all the pages I hated.

This book hands down had the best villain!!! I absolutely HATED the Marquess of Faladen and cheered when karma stuck it to him in the end.

Overall I enjoyed the MC’s romance, I’m a sucker for a second chance romance especially when the couple were childhood friends. The hero, Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, was loveable and yet at the same time really tried my patience. Poor guy had a lot of mental health issues going on. Every time life was looking up for him he would spiral and sabotage his own happiness. It was a constant cycle of self-sabotage that occurred throughout the ENTIRE book…and unfortunately it just got real old real quick for me personally.

Lovely story overall with all the feels and a wonderful HEA included.

SIDE NOTE: The heroine has just had another man’s baby when Jonathan marries her! If that’s not swoon worthy I don’t know what is!

Friends to lovers, second chance romance. Childhood friends are reunited after ten years when Constance finds herself pregnant and one of three wives of a deceased trigamist. She sends for Jonathan, asking him to marry her. Jonathan has returned from war with a shattered leg and a threat hanging over him that will destroy them all. He marries her but stays separated at his estate, depressed and determined to be alone to avoid embarrassment and betrayal. An interfering butler reunites them but the secret that kept them apart still exists. Jonathan is a man in constant pain, acts like an ass sometimes (who wouldn't in these circumstances), returning from war with no support for his physical and mental struggles. Constance is an optimist running her own business, raising her child, hoping for a future with Jonathan even after the betrayal of her first husband. They deserve happiness after all they've been through!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's , for an advanced copy. This did not affect my rating.
*3/5*

Rules for Engaging the Earl is book two in The Widow Rules trilogy by Janna MacGregor. Three women all married the same scheming man, and they formed a close bond over that betrayal.

Book two follows Constance Lysander who is pregnant and thinks she needs to marry before her child is born so that child is considered legitimate. She asks her childhood best friend, Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Skyeston. He rushes to her side, injured from war – not the same man she once knew. They marry in haste, and he leaves her alone in London while he stews at his country house.

One of the best parts of this book was the meddling house staff who had Jonathan’s best interests at heart. So, when Constance shows up with her daughter, at his apparent request… she tries to start breaking down his walls.

They slowly start to form a new bond, but it is tested. Will they be able to trust one another? Will Constance be able to overlook Jonathan’s injuries to his leg? Then they each have their own plotline with a villain wanting to destroy them. Constance is trying to figure out where hers, Kat’s, and Beth’s dowries are… There was a lot going on in this book.

Constance was my kind of heroine. She was strong and smart… she didn’t take sh** from her husband and ran her own business without his help. I loved her. She also took control in the bedroom and the steamy scenes in here were A+.

Jonathan clearly has immense love for Constance and her daughter, claiming her as his own. He fights every day with a bad leg and the pain that comes from that wound. You can see him come undone for Constance which was really sweet.

There was something off about the writing to me though. I wanted it to flow better. Like I mentioned earlier, there was a lot going on in this book. Maybe too much.

I will probably pick up book three because I want to see Beth find her happy ending.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the 2nd book in the series but could easily be read as a stand alone book.

Thank you for the ARC given through NetGalley for review, all opinions are my own.

Constance and Jonathan, childhood friends, have a second chance at love. Jonathan leaves to serve in the Army and Constance is left heart broken. Fast forward 10 years - Constance is a pregnant widow and Jonathan is a recluse who is battle torn both physically and emotionally. I love that Constance is strong and independent.

I loved the uniqueness of this story with the heroine already being pregnant. It was a nice change.
I really liked the slow burn of this couple who were friends in a past life falling in life and creating a new life together.

Rules for Engaging the Earl
Janna MacGregor
Tropes: Second Chance, Childhood Friends, Marriage of Convenience, Friend to lovers

True love never dies, it just takes a detour…and Janna MacGregor brings readers along on this slow burn journey in Rules for Engaging the Earl. From the outset, the author draws us in with an opening between two childhood friends so touching that the reader feels compelled to turn the pages simply to see if and how our main characters will reach their happy ending. Unfortunately, the road to that happy ending is an old country dirt road, with wet Georgia clay…meaning…it wasn’t an easy road to travel. Although written very well, there were times when the story seemed to stall.

Jonathan, our hero is broken, moody and at times downright unpleasant. In fact, his constitution is such that he was often filled with self-loathing. Constance, his equivalent, however, is compassionate, unassailable, and loyal to a fault. These two characters are resplendent. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, but it takes forever for the passion to build which is kinda frustrating considering these two have such a touching history. The spice level is a bit mild for my taste, but the story was engaging enough to hold my attention, despite seeming to have a lull at times.
A decade after enlisting, Jonathan returns home, wounded, mentally broken and simply looking for solitude. But when the only woman he’s ever loved asks for his help, he cannot resist and immediately goes to her, despite not laying eyes on her in over 10 years.

Pregnant by her recently deceased trigamist husband, Constance must remarry and soon to protect her unborn child from scorn and scandal. Who better to help protect her than the Earl of Sykeston, her very best friend and the man of her dreams. As the two enter a marriage of convenience, they soon realize that time and circumstances have changed them. As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, both must deal with the threat of a villainous foe who is threatening not only their freedom and livelihoods, but everything they love and hold dear.

Aside from reading a short, VERY STEAMY story from this author in an HR anthology, this book was an introduction for me to her work. I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read some of her other work.

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

I'm a bit conflicted about this book. The world felt deeply believable and I adored how MacGregor had a disabled hero dealing with the trauma of war. It was really lovely. On the other hand, there was a deeply frustrating amount of secret keeping. I fully felt like shaking both leads throughout a large portion of the story. I really liked the secondary cast and had fun reading the book, but the more distance I have from it, the more the flaws bug me.

If you love when a hero grovels properly, this book is for you. I really enjoyed this one, even though I was hoping for a touch more heat. I adored the relationships and character growth. Jonathon was a damaged hero who could be hard to like at times but more than made up for it. Constance was an amazing heroine. I adored North and the entire cast of characters, especially Regina.

I liked this book for the really well formed characters. I especially liked the broody hero, Jonathan, and his character arc. Jonathan is struggling with some things and works through them to become a better man by the end of the story

There were two conflicts in the story, one was with the relationship itself and the other was outside the relationship. I felt like the outside conflict wasn’t as interesting or well formed and was easily resolved once tackled head-on.

The book had some steamy open door bedroom scenes that proved our heroine Constance was a tomcat in the boudoir!!

All in all, an enjoyable marriage of convenience romance book with interesting characters.

Jonathan is an angry, angry man. Bitter would be more like it. And he has reason to be. When his best friend Constance needs him to marry her, he does. But it is not all fairy tales and happy endings. He feels she is better off with his name only. That he does not deserve a wonderful kind woman like her. Then when Jonathan delves deeper into the rabbit hole of despair, his loyal butler takes things in his own hands and brings Constance back into his life. From here it is a heartbreaking story. They have a few tentative up and some hard, hard downs. It is a wonder they ever make it. Jonathan is finally motivated by her friend Beth to protect Constance from the same man threatening him with blackmail. At this point Jonathan has nothing to lose. He either does this for Constance and wins her back or he does this for Constance and dang the consequences. A very moving story.

I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Happily Ever After
Page-turner
Romantic
Realistic
Steamy
Unpredictable

Janna has done it again, stolen my heart on another book. The first book in this series was so great
I couldn't imagine what she could do for the second. Well, Is's even better.
Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Sykeston and Constance Lysander become great friends as children when both lost their parents to influenza. She thought they would always be there for each other till Jonathan tells her he is leaving to serve in the Army. He leaves her with heavy heart and alone.
She makes the mistake of marrying a cad who swindled her and two other ladies out of their dowry
after marrying them all !! She needs a husband as she is carrying his child. She thinks of her childhood friend who has returned from war after ten years. He agrees to marry her and protected both her child's name and her reputation. Jonathan would do anything for Constance even thru all he wants is to hid away from life. He is not only wounded in flash, but mind and soul too. He doesn't think he is good for anything now. On top of everything else he has gone thru he finds out he is being blackmailed by someone he trusted.
Both Constance and Jonathan have been thru a lot and need to learn about each other all over again.
Both are keeping secrets afraid to trust the other, when old feeling arises, both feel the passion that has always been between them. There is so much emotion, heartbreak, along with evil targeted at both of the by the same person.
Will the secrets tear away what they have find? What are the butler and housekeeper up too ?
Will the dog, Reggie be a help or make matters worse ? What does the beautiful baby Aurelia do that will make you cry and want to slap Jonathan to wake him up.
This is such a rollercoaster of a story from the very bottom of feeling to the highest. Once you get started you can't put it down. You can read this as a stand-alone, but reading book one will give you the history to see why Constance see things and feels about others the way she does.
I received and ARC from the author and wish to thank her. This is my honest opinion and am freely giving it.

I’ve been waiting to read Constance’s story. I loved getting to know her and Jonathan. They faced some trials in their story and their story riveting. Can’t wait for the next one in this series.

Janna MacGregor always creates interesting heroines that I can’t help but fall for. Watching Constance and Jonathan navigate one of THE MOST difficult relationships I’ve ever read about was very emotionally satisfying.

When Constance Lysander needs a husband, she turns to her old friend Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston. Mentally and physically scarred from the war, he does not consider himself fit for marriage, but he cannot refuse the pregnant widow who he used to love. When the world becomes too much and Jonathan hides in seclusion, it is up to Constance and his team of meddlesome staff to help him realise life is for the living - and for love.

Constance and Jonathan are a wonderful match. She's tenacious, caring, and a businesswoman in her own right, who does her best to understand the man she married. Jonathan has closed his heart off so the world cannot hurt him any longer, but Constance won't let him wallow. It's tender, painful, and ultimately empowering.

The unsung heroes of this book at Jonathan's staff, who conspire to bring Constance to Jonathan and enable her changes to his life and home. While absolutely infuriating for Jonathan, not only do they mean well, but their actions are pivotal in helping the couple heal and grow together. I do wish they could've been more honest with each other sooner as the secrets weighed heavily on the relationship.

There are a few other plot threads including a looming court-martial and business woes, which may be more connected than expected. Most are wrapped up satisfactorily, but the mystery of what happened to Constance's dowry (and that of her trigamist husband's other wives) will likely continue into the third in this series.

Best enjoyed in the comfort of one's own home, this is a solid and enjoyable historical romance where friends enter into a marriage of convenience.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

I voluntarily received an eARC of "Rules for Engaging the Earl" via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Constance and Jonathan were childhood sweethearts after being separated for years they are brought back together in the most unusual circumstances. Constance has found out she is one of three women who married the same man. In her time of need she reaches out to the man she once loved and he arrives a broken man willing to so anything to protect her and her infant daughter... except get too close.

This is a very emotionally heavy second chance romance. Constance has been literally betrayed by her late husband and Jonathan is and injured soldier. Jonathan is going through so much such as injured leg, his loss of honour and so much more. So much of this story is them just learning to be together and build their family around love and trust.

Though I found it a bit slow throughout the middle I really enjoyed the last 25%. Both characters have so much to face and we see so much good character growth.