3.5 Come to Your Wedding, Sir Stars
* * * 1/2
OH, how I love a complicated setup in a historical romance. We have a woman who is with child, has a dead husband who happened to have 2 other wives at the same time, and a snarky icky man looking to take away the shipping company that is her only way to support herself.

That is a lot. The best is the other wives become her friends. Her best friend comes back from the war and our gal decides he is the one to fix her situation. He is informed by his being invited to HIS OWN WEDDING. Perfect.

as I said, I love these types of tales.

This was an engaging story right from the beginning! I loved the bond the author described between a young Jonathan and Constance, and a promise made that was honored years later. The plot moved along at a satisfying pace with everything I love about a Regency Romance…honor, secret desire, and a villain!

There was also a tragic storyline going on with Jonathan who suffered a war injury and was falsely accused of desertion. Constance had her own troubles with a dishonest nobleman accusing her shipping company of building an inferior ship. The author did a beautiful job weaving these two storylines together to a satisfying conclusion.

My sincere thanks to @jannamacgregor @stmartinspress @tlcbooktours for my gifted copy and my spot on the tour. My thoughts are my own.

This story is a determined woman who won't settle for okay in life, but wants it all from her first love, damaged though he is. I found the strategy she devised to capture his heart was a delightful journey to eventual happiness. I love intelligent women stories. Constance is the owner of a ship refitting business she inherited from her father. She is intelligent and shrewd. This is the second in Janna's series about the three women who thought they were married to Meriwether Vereck, a bigamist, or trigamist if you will, who only wanted their dowry's.

Constance is the only one of the three women who was pregnant by Meriwether, and calls upon her old childhood friend and first love, to marry her to save her business and make her child legitimate. He and Constance grew up together both having lost their parents in an influenza outbreak as children. He arrives with a special license and a vicar, three hours after she delivered. She had just learned she was truly married to Meriwether and the baby is legitimate. They marry anyway the next day to help her business reputation and give her daughter a father. He then promptly disappears for a year while she recovers.

Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Sykeston, was an Army sharpshooter who always got his man. He did his job with honor throughout the war. The day he was to go home he was shot and his leg was shattered crippling him. He came home with his leg and a lot of pain. He retired to his country estate in Portsmouth to recover. He, you see is quietly under suspicion for dissertation of duty in regard to his last assignment. He thinks keeping away from Constance can keep her untainted by his potential dishonor. Little do they realize they are both under attack by the same man , both hiding secrets from each other. Oh dear, what to do...

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor (The Widow Rules #2) 4 stars

We first met Constance Lysander, one of three women who married Lord Meriwether Vareck (bigamist anyone?) in “A Duke In Time”. She was the one with the largest dowry and as it turns out, she is also the legitimate wife. Being pregnant and alone is not a desirable fate, so entering on stage left is Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston. Constance and Jonathan were childhood friends and he agrees to marry her in order to provide her with some protection. Jonathan is a wounded knight in shining armor. A veteran of the Peninsular Wars, he has PTSD and is slightly disabled. But all of that aside, it doesn’t affect his main talent which is being an expert sniper. Since both parties are keeping secrets from each other, they don’t know they share a common enemy. How they deal with the enemy and their own problems is main story of this book.

Sometimes the second book of trilogy is not as good as the first one and while I enjoyed this book, I liked “A Duke in Time” at little better. Jonathan annoyed me in the first 25% of the book, but the book got better when the action picked up. The common plot thread about what happened to the dowries of the three women is more evident in this book. I can’t wait for Beth and Grayson’s story in the next book and I hope Beth’s brother gets his comeuppance.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second installment in the Widow Rules series, in which a group of women discover that their husband had two other secret wives, unbeknownst to them. Now these women must rebuild their lives (and will hopefully find love in the process).

Rules for Engaging the Earl follows the story of Constance Lysander, a woman left pregnant and penniless after her husband’s death and the subsequent discovery of his secret lives. In her desperation, she reaches out to the only man who she believes can help her— her estranged childhood best friend and sweetheart, Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston. However, Jonathan is no longer the easy-going friend of her youth. Injured in the war and with secrets about his past, Jonathan has demons of his own to fight. Each has their reasons for agreeing to this marriage of convenience, and neither of them expects to find love. Will they be able to risk their hearts to see whether their marriage can be more than a mutually convenient arrangement?

I loved Constance as a character— she was unfailingly kind, strong, warm, and competent, but she also with a deep sense of her own worth and a desire to protect her daughter. Definitely one of my favorite heroines in recent memory. Jonathan was lovable too, scarred in body and spirit, deeply affected by what we would know today as PTSD. His trauma is further complicated by secrets from his time in the military, which he fears will devastate the wife and child he is growing to love. Constance and Jonathan must grow towards each other, get past miscommunications and secrets, and learn to trust. For my own personal taste, I could have done without the final ‘bleak moment’ of the couple’s separation because I believe that arc was already solved by earlier issues. All in all, though, Rules for Engaging the Earl was a wonderful read! Janna MacGregor is one of those authors whose work I have always meant to read but somehow managed to never quite get around to. After reading (and loving!) this one, I definitely am planning to read through her backlist and look forward to seeing how this series concludes in book three.

This book will make an excellent addition to any historical fiction collection and is highly recommended. 4.25 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

This second chance romance is a great second book in The Widow Rules series. Old childhood friends, both hiding feelings for each other, and both have issues they need to get past. It’s not easy and they have to fight for it, but if it’s important it’s worth it

There’s just so much to like about this book. Rules of conduct for the perfect mate. Childhood best friends brought together years later to fend off possible ruin. A love that has lasted through the years about to ruin well laid plans for separation. Nosy household staff who know what the Earl needs and will do anything to bring happiness.
Constance is a strong woman who has weathered a lot of heartache and ruin due to her dead husband. Jonathan allowing his injuries from the war to define him as a man. He’s honorable and set on doing right by Constance even if that means staying away from her and her daughter.

Janna once again manages to engage and delight readers with this story of resilience and second chance.

Constance, the widow of a cheating husband, is about to give birth, and is completely bankrupt. She has her aunt's help, but knows she needs more than that to support herself and her unborn child. When her childhood friend, Jonathan, returns from the war as hero, she sees a chance to get out of this delicate situation.

Jonathan has many reasons to remain secluded in his home. He may be considered a hero, but deep down, his nightmares are too deep for any celebration.
When the letter from his friend - and the person he's always had strong feelings for - arrives, asking for help, he's not slow to respond.
Constance needed a father for her son, and security. Jonathan needed her. Period. And although each one carries their pain, together, they could heal.

Beautiful story, real characters in their imperfections.
5 stars

Do you ever read a romance and feel like it has been written specifically for you? That was my experience of reading Janna MacGregor’s Rules for Engaging the Earl. I am a refuse heap for childhood-friends-to-lovers and I really believed that Constance and Jonathan were the only people with the power to make each other whole and happy again. Too often in romances I feel like, okay, these two have a connection, but do they really have to be together? Here, I 100% believed that they did. While some historical readers might be startled by the beginning of this novel, I ate it up. Their initial parting in the prologue felt typical of the genre (in the best way!), but I really liked that, when we meet them again ten years later, their lives have both become so much more complicated. It felt so true to life. Constance has been abandoned by her first husband and now has a baby. An expert marksman, Jonathan has been wounded in the war and finds himself at the mercy of malicious rumors about his conduct while serving the Crown. Their marriage is, on one hand, a matter of convenience, but it also isn’t. They both want to be married to one another and yet aren’t quite ready for all that marriage holds.

This dilemma is beautifully rendered. MacGregor does exquisite work showing the emotional subtleties of Constance and Jonathan's interiorities. And the conflict in this book was so high quality. All of the issues in their relationship felt authentic and completely understandable given their characters. I loved both Constance and Jonathan and found them to be exceptionally relatable, likable characters, who care for each other and want to do right by one another even after they have failed at that task.

I especially loved Jonathan. He had been through so much and was so wounded, physically and mentally, but his love for Constance was so pure. I loved Constance, too, but sometimes your experience of a romance is hero-forward and this book was one of those for me. That said, I think I have higher standards for heroes than heroines in my romances in general (do others agree??)—at times, I am guilty of viewing the heroine as merely a vessel for conveying the hero into my consciousness, like the cracker to a fine cheese. I’m never happy with a Kraft Single, but I can get down with a Ritz cracker, if you know what I mean. I want something special from my heroes and a romance is much less likely to be a favorite if I don’t care for the hero, whereas a lackluster heroine can be made up for (and even enjoyed) due to a great hero. That is not say that, in Rules for Engaging the Earl, I didn't find Constance superb. But I give my general thoughts on heroes and heroines as context here because I think they help explain why I might have loved Jonathan a little too much! When Constance and Jonathan inevitably have a big conflict at the 80% mark of the book, I couldn’t handle it. It was hard for me to see Constance be critical of Jonathan, even though he was definitely in the wrong. MacGregor also does an amazing job showing Jonathan’s alienation from Constance’s friends and family on the page. At one point, her support system visits his home and MacGregor does great work making his struggle with this visit palpable and sympathetic to the reader. This portion of the book was just masterfully done.

I also enjoyed how the dynamic between Jonathan and Constance allowed her to take the lead, particularly in their sexual relationship. Even now in historicals, this dynamic can feel rare and it is one I would like to see more of. I love an assertive heroine who knows when she has to be the one to make the move and I was obsessed with Constance and Johnathan’s dynamic. It was SO sexy.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves historicals and especially those seeking a fresh dynamic between hero and heroine in the genre. Rules for Engaging the Earl was my first MacGregor and I’ll definitely be back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor is the second book in the Widow’s Series. This is the series where Lord Meriwether married three women and took them for their dowry and disappeared before being found dead. Each woman is determined to find a way forward and to find her money.

Constance Lysander was appalled to find out her husband had two other wives. She was equally appalled to discover she was pregnant. Needing a husband pretty quickly she turned to Jonathan the Earl of Sykeston to help her. They were besties when they were young and despite the fact he returned from the war scarred and angry, he agreed to marry her, but then left her.

Constance and Jonathan, once in love and needing each other, are left to figure out the pieces of their lives. I love the second chance portion and how Constance kept trying to break into Jonathan’s closed sphere. Jonathan even managed to get under my skin at one point being such an a**. Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor was a good read.

I absolutely loved this story. Constance and Jonathan were friends as children and young adults. They were separated when Jonathan went off to war. Now, years later they come together again but the circumstances have greatly changed.
Jonathan was injured in war and has become a hermit. Constance was married and is about to give birth and needs a husband and father for her child. Both are damaged Jonathan physically and Constance emotionally.
The two marry but live separate lives for a year until a sneaky butler takes matters into his own hands and works at matchmaking. Can their love from the past be strong enough to get them through in the present.
As each tries to heal the other, they find healing in themselves. Love of the new baby and a huge dog manage to help bridge the chasm and bring them together to find their happily ever after.
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second title in The Widow Rules series (trilogy) and it sizzles with underlying tensions, a second chance love, and a realistic take on a war injury that today we call PTSD.

Constance and Jonathan were once friends, well, more than friends before both of their worlds changed. Jonathan was off to war, and although they had strong feelings between them he asked Constance to not wait for him to return should she decide to marry another for they both knew there was no guarantee of his returning from war. Sadly, her deceitful, dead husband had come along with his lies and pretty plans… for stealing her dowery and moving on to the next woman to steal from and to marry. Constance is now a widow (or whatever another wife of a man who still had a legal wife was called) and a soon-to-be mother who was now penniless, with no way to provide for her child. She knew that Jonathan had returned from the war, although he hadn’t reached out to her or it seems anyone else. She had the perfect plan, but Jonathan had to agree – so she sent him an invitation to their wedding, a marriage of convenience to save them each in society’s eyes… not to mention those not quite buried feelings between them.

I adored Constance. She’s a strong woman who when faced with the situation she’s found herself in takes charge of her own destiny by reaching out to a man she still cares for even though he’s shunning everyone he once knew because of his own circumstances. She’s not a downtrodden, helpless miss but a woman who isn’t afraid of her own desires or shy in wanting the man she invites into a marriage of convenience. I loved watching Jonathan slowly move from the man he’d become due to his war experiences into the man he would become because of Constance’s actions, her obvious love for him even if he saw it as a love for the man he once was not the man he is now for far too long.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is many things with a touch of beauty and the beast, a mystery to solve, a second chance at getting love right, and a healing story of two souls wounded in far different ways (if they’d even acknowledge that). At the heart, it’s a very good story with emotional highs and lows, definitely sizzling sexy moments, friendships born from unlikely circumstances, and two people finding their way back to each other, a bit changed but still solid in their love for each other. I enjoyed myself immensely and will be watching for the next story in this trilogy.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

The widow of a polygamist, Constance needs a man to marry her before the birth of her child. She calls on her old friend Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston. He had once hoped to marry her, until his war experience changed him. He agrees to give her his name, but considers himself unfit to live with her as her husband. Can she convince him they belong together?

Constance and Jonathan are both complex characters. Constance's love is what Jonathan needs to free him from his prison of isolation, but she also demands that he treat her with respect. They both have secrets and need to learn that being a couple means being open with each other. It's a painful journey, but in the end, they earn their HEA.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

✨Happy Pub Day/Series Review✨

Happy pub day to #rulesforengagingtheearl by Janna MacGregor. Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC!

I decided to start with A Duke In Time, the first in this series. The premise is an unusual one for an historical romance. A duke’s son passes and his wife shows up at the solicitor for the reading of his will…and a second wife shows up…then a third! Polygamy in London in the early 1800s? Sounds intriguing!

The first wife’s tale is A Duke In Time. I liked this one, but I did have a few 🤔🤨🧐 moments. For example, Katherine is way too experienced in foreplay considering her virginal status and upbringing. There were parts of the plot that flowed a bit too easily, a bit unrealistic. But, I loved how strong and independent Katherine was! She didn’t need her man to rescue her when the going got tough.

The same is true for Constance in Rules For Engaging the Earl. All three wives were extremely resourceful and independent. I think I liked Constance’s story a smidge better, but again…her sexual knowledge was a bit advanced for her level of experience. 🤔 Perhaps this is simply MacGregor’s writing style for historical romance smut scenes. 🤷🏼‍♀️ These we’re my first by her, so I can’t be sure.

I can’t wait for book three to come out, though I can’t see any publication date for it yet. Beth will have a great storyline I’m sure; you already know who her love interest will be at the end of book two.

Overall, I’d recommend this historical romance series. Yay for the second book publishing today! It’s not my absolute favorite, but I’d still recommend it for those that love a good historical romance. ❤️❤️❤️

When Constance is in need of a husband to protect her unborn child, she seeks out her childhood friend Jonathan. He agrees to a marriage of convenience, even though he still cares for Constance.

They exchange letters for a year till Constance shows up and surprises Jonathan, only Jonathan wasn't the one writing the letters. He has wounds from the war, plus a secret he's trying to resolve which is putting a barrier in their relationship. Constance is trying hard to make their house a home while still running her family's business when false charges are filed against it. Unbeknownst to them, they have a common enemy.

As each tries to solve their problems on their own, their nights together are full of passion. Constance's daughter even thinks of Jonathan as her father. But danger lurks nearby. Each will have to trust in each other to expose the villain and to save their marriage, but time is running out.

This story is full of romance, intrigue, family, a lovable dog, and more.

**received an ARC from Netgalley**

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in Janna MacGregor's delightful new series, The Widow Rules. It would be best to read the first book in the series before reading this one. Constance Lysander needs a husband; her first husband died suddenly, leaving her with child and unsure if her marriage was legal in the first place as he had two other wives.
Her childhood best friend Jonathon Easton, Earl of Sykeston, agrees to become her husband. Severely injured in the war and bedevilled by threats and rumours, Jonathon plans this to be a marriage of convenience only. Constance, of course, has other ideas and blows into his life like a fresh breeze making him wish he could offer her all the love she deserves. I enjoyed this story very much and recommend reading it. Love, friendship, a nasty villain, a hint of mystery and a hard-won HEA make this story one you won't want to put down. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date April 26, 2022. #StMartinsPress #StMartinsPaperbacks #RulesForEngagingTheEarl #JannaMacGregor #historicalromance #historicalromancereader #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #romancereader #bookreviewer #NetGalley

What happens when a wounded, angst-ridden hero, a drooling mastiff, a drooling baby and determined heroine becomes a family? You get a delightful story, Rules for Engaging the Earl which is book two in Janna MacGregor’s the Widow Rules series. We met a pregnant and widowed Constance Lysander in the Duke of Time where she finds out her husband, Meri had two other wives. Constance needs to marry to protect her unborn child and she decides she wants to marry Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston who was her childhood best friend and her first love. We met Jonathan in the Bride Who Got Lucky. Janna MacGregor weaves her magical spell as she takes her wounded characters and crafts their love story.

The Rules for Engaging the Earl is full of hurt, humor, heart and heat. Everything I love in a historical romance. Jonathan has been wounded in both body, spirit and confidence. He is facing a battle to clear his name from a villain and feels unworthy of Constance’s love as well as unable to protect her and her daughter. He is often secluded in his study full of cherubs and engages in non-stop target practice. Constance has been wounded by deceased husband and then by Jonathan. She not only has to protect her shipping company, but her heart and particularly her daughter. They have both been hurt and are also being tormented by the same villain. As they both heal, they are able to come together.

The book is full of humor. Mr. North, the butler is my favorite as he doesn’t hesitate to put the Earl in his place, neither does Constance. And the humor is often interlaced with heart. From a drooling English Mastiff which her own place at the dinner table to the drooling baby Aurelia who loves and is love by said mastiff. While Mr. North provides humor, he loves the Earl. The other widows, who have become Constance’s sisters by love as well as the Christian, Duke of Randford who is Meri’s older brother who married Katherine, Meri’s first wedded wife. And did I mention heat? The steam wasn’t just coming from the shower, although…

Jonathan made a list when they were young as to the type of man Constance should marry. And then Jonathan and Constance made a list, rules as to what they would each require of the marriage. As their story unfolds, the lists play a key role. Sometimes lists needs to be adjusted and sometimes lists need to be followed. In Rules for Engaging the Earl, I feel more in love with the characters and joyfully watched their story unfold. This story brings all the feels to the table as does all of Janna MacGregor’s books. I read it quickly and then re-read it again. I highly recommend this book along with the Duke in Time. I know it will be a regular re-read for me as I love books with hurt, humor, heart and heat.

I received an ARC of the Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor from NetGalley and voluntarily read the book.

I have never read a book by Janna MacGregor before and now I know what I've been missing. It was a wonderful friends to lovers historical romance novel. Recommend this read.

This book is the second book in the series, The Widow Rules, You don't need to read the first book to love this book! This book focuses on Constance Lysander who finds out in the first book that her dead husband is a bigamist and she's pregnant too! She also becomes best friends with the other wives in the first book too.

In the second book, she contacts a childhood friend, Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston and asks him to marry her so her child is legitimate. She has not seen him in years while he became the best marksman in the country. He is now dealing with a significant injury that ended his career. He feels a duty to her and marries her then quickly leaves her because he feels unworthy due to his injury.

A year later, she and her child go to him and it becomes clear that Constance and Jonathan still have a strong connection that began in their youth. The remainder of this book is how they overcome self doubt, trust issues, and a villain.

Overall, I liked the relationship between the two main characters. I loved that it took them time to truly love each other and how their love helped them overcome their doubts about themselves. I liked that the characters from the previous book were in this book and didn't take away from the main characters. Plus I'd love a short novel just on the hilarious housing staff. The only thing I wish was different was the conclusion with the villain, it was a bit of a letdown.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rules for Engaging the Earl is the second book in The Widow Rules series by Janna MacGregor. This is the story of two former friends who secretly desire one another, and yet both are hiding dark secrets with misguided thoughts of protecting the other. I highly recommend it to fans of romance, especially historical romance and the friends-to-lovers trope.

Constance Lysander is the one of Merriweather Vareck’s widows. It turns out he had three, all at the same time. Constance is the only one who was left pregnant. Believing her child illegitimate, she would like very much to marry right away. Jonathan Eaton, Earl of Sykeston and her best friend before he left ten years ago to join the war effort, has agreed to marry her. Can a soldier, scarred physically and emotionally, and a woman betrayed by a man she thought she could trust help each other heal and have a happy life and family?

This one is an emotional rollercoaster. Jonathan and Constance have feelings for each other; they always have. Trust and communication are problems that they must overcome. Another is a common enemy, a blackmailer determined to ruin them both. They are not alone. They are surrounded by friends, the other two wives, caring staff (I love North), and an adorable bundle of joy named Aurelia. This is a wonderful story, but have a hanky on hand. There will be sad tears, and toward the end, happy ones. I really like this story and look forward to Beth’s.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.