How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor is the final book in The Widow Rules series. It would be fine as a stand alone but works much better with the entire series read first. Beth Howell was the third wife (so not legally a wife) of Meriwether Vareck. Beth is a great heroine we all want to route for. Beth owns her own business, has a horrible, undermining brother and missed out on a life with her first love, Meri has sent Beth on a merry chase to find her dowry and she needs a carriage and an escort. This brings in Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson. Beth's first love, an engineer in need of funds and still in love with Beth. With little care for her already ruined reputation, Beth goes off to ask Julian to be her escort.

MacGregor brings us a fun road trip and second chance romance in this installment. There are many stops that include hilarious sculptures, some danger and also a lot of heart. I appreciated how much of their inner emotional lives is revealed throughout the story. How to Best a Marquess felt like a long book with a lot of parts at times, but by the end I was very invested into how these two would make their lives work. AND to tie together all the mysteries Meri left behind!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced read. All opinions are my own.

This book … just made me so very happy. The characters and the situations are just some of the best in historical romance. I’m just wanting to read more from this author after reading this book.

Beth Howell’s reputation has been ruined when it came to light that her late husband Meri married her and two other women, unbeknownst to them all, she’s relegated to living with her brother, who cares more for his horses than he does his blood relatives & he’s forcing her to marry someone fifty years her senior and missing half his teeth. Meri, absconded with her dowry mere days after their illegitimate marriage. To find it, Beth will have to leave town and retrace Meri’s steps if she’s to take her future into her own hands. Julian Raleah, Marquis of Grayson, cares not a whit for social norms and generally growls at anyone in his path. Grayson has had a heart of stone ever since his engagement to Beth Howell went down in flames long before she married Meri, and sealed her own fate for good. But now she’s on his doorstep, asking for use of his carriage and accompaniment on the hunt to find her lost dowry.
The third book in the series & all ends are tied. I really liked both Julian & Beth & thoroughly enjoyed their mad cap journey to trace Meri’s steps, the chemistry between them grew & grew. A well written second chance romance with a road trip, highwayman, a nasty brother & a puzzle to solve. I loved how Julian didn’t hide his feelings but Beth did get a tad tiresome with her blowing hot & cold but she did redeem herself at Pelham’s ball. I liked that Meri also was redeemed in some ways. Whilst not my favourite of the series I did find it hard to put down
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

How to Best a Marquess is the end of The Widow Rules trilogy, the last of the tales of the trouble Meri the Trigamist left behind when he died. I have been waiting eagerly for this book, and just like in the first two books author Janna MacGregor has shown how good she is at this romance thing. Once you start reading you can’t stop. You’ll sigh and flutter your eyelids and press your hand to your heart and wish you could step into the pages and knock some sense into these two. As always, a good plot, fascinating characters, some passion and heat, and some danger to keep it all interesting. Another great read. Wonderful as a standalone, even better if you read the entire series.

You have to love Regency England. Well, you have to love reading about it; imagining having to live in it - not so much. Father rules, daughter obeys. Where to go, what to wear, how to speak, who to marry. Father dies? No problem, brother takes over. Same rules, same restrictions. Except that maybe the brother cares even less about this young lady’s needs, wants and desires than the father did. And that, in just a couple of sentences, is Beth’s life.

Beth’s HEA was in sight when handsome, sexy, thoughtful, charming, etc., etc., etc. Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson, said he was going to ask her brother St. John for her hand in marriage. And that was the last time Julian spoke to her. No explanation, just a suitor no more. So when her selfish, spendthrift brother tells her marriage to Meri is her best prospect she goes along. She’s heartbroken and bitter after being abandoned by Julian, but she still retains a little hope. Until Meri spends what seems like a few short minutes with her and then is off with her dowry. When Meri suddenly dies and the story of his three widows becomes known Beth is rejected and shunned by the ton. And now she feels heartbroken, bitter and hopeless.

Grayson is a good man with a good heart, but his father lost their fortune and now Grayson is barely able to keep his marquessate going. He loved Beth and marrying her would have been the best thing in his life. But St. John turned him away, calling him a fortune hunter and threatening to ruin his family if he had further contact with Beth. And, he thinks, maybe Beth will have a better life without him, will have the things she wants and needs instead of being brought down to poverty and shame.

Beth, however, is done with shame. If the ton does not want to acknowledge her, fine, but she will not agree to another marriage demanded by her brother. She will find out what Meri did with her dowry and live independently, and she knows just who she can convince to help her, who needs funds just as much as she does: Julian.

With that plan launched the tragically parted lovers are reunited (for a business deal of course) and are off on an unchaperoned adventure, finding clues, associating with unsavory, dangerous people – and fighting to keep that spark that is still between them from bursting into a flame. But maybe some fire would be a good thing?

How to Best a Marquess is a delightful story. Beth and Julian are so obviously in love and meant to be, even if first one pulls back, then the other – it’s sweet and scorching at the same time. Julian’s faithful servant Cillian always has his back and is handy with unsolicited advice, Beth and Julian’s friends Kat and Christian and Constance and Jonathan are there for them, St. John is as evil a brother as ever was, the ton is as snooty as can be, and the Regency mores and morals make you blink at their ridiculous rigidity. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of this book via NetGalley for my heartwarming reading pleasure and honest opinion. I loved this book and this series and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

It’s a charming second-chance romance that takes a few detours on the way to happy-ever-after.

Meriwether Vareck, also known as the trigamist, left behind three heart-broken women when he died. None of them were particularly sad over his passing, but more over what they had lost otherwise. Beth Howell was his third wife, not legal, of course. She asked her one-time beau, Julian, the Marquess of Grayson, to help her look for the dowry that Meri took when they got married. With her reputation hanging by a very thin thread, she dared further scorn when she took off alone with Julian.

Beth was wary of trusting in Julian and their friendship. After all, he had left her first, then her husband who wasn’t really her husband, and her brother, who never saw her as a person but a commodity to be bargained with. Most of the time her protestations against marriage felt a bit like she was just stubbornly clinging to a promise she had made to herself, and she now refused to even consider changing her stance.

In this case, it was Beth who wanted her cake and eat it too. Maybe the title should have been “How to Best the Very Stubborn Lady”. Julian was won right from the start; Beth was the one holding out. They were both constantly reminded that there was a whole world outside their little bubble, filled with people with all sorts of expectations and judgements. That put a bit of a damper on their ardour every so often and put Beth back to square one.

I loved Meri’s gift to Beth and how everything was resolved in the end. Although, I was a bit disappointed in her and the way she chose to fix things with Julian. I was happy that they reconciled and had their blissful ending.
Meriwether, apart from the appalling way he treated his three wives, seemed like he lived an extremely interesting life. And somehow, in death and after all the ordeals, Meri managed to charm even the reader into sparing a smile for him.

And I can’t finish this without saying that everybody should have a valet like Cillian.

This was a satisfactory conclusion to the saga of the trigamist and his beleaguered wives. I can recommend this series if you like historical romance. This book stands well on its own.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an e-Arc of this book!

This book was a solid three star read for me - nothing was truly bad but at the same time nothing particularly stood out to me. The romance between the two main characters was well established early on in the story - they were formerly affianced and clearly still pining for each other so there was no question really of “if” they would get together but when. That being said, even when you know something is going to happen there can be anticipation in approaching the romance which I felt like wasn’t dealt with well in this book. I wasn’t anticipating the couple getting together but more wondering how long it was going to take.

My biggest issue with the book was with the sex scenes - I found the usage of some of the words really off-putting. I read quite a bit of historical romance so I normally don’t have an issue with most of the euphemisms but the word “pearl” as it was used in this book physically made me cringe and it made me skim through the sex scenes.

For those new to historical romance and who are not already well versed in the genre this is a quick light hearted read with a happy ending. For those who are well versed in these types of novels however, there is nothing particularly special that stood out for me - it was simply fine.

This is a fitting end to an intriguing, entertaining and captivating series. I enjoyed this story and the main characters from start to finish. While I didn’t always like Beth’s choices or decisions (and I wanted to shake her), I understood where she was coming from. I loved Julian (new book boyfriend). This couple together on page were fun and interesting. I enjoyed the secondary characters and loved that we got to see the couples from the first two books in the series. The grand gesture was fitting and spectacular, what you want from a grand gesture. I loved how MacGregor concluded the adventure of this story and wrapped things up with the epilogue. Both were very fitting for the couple and the series.

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

This was an exciting read by one of my favorite authors. Ms MacGregor writes from the heart that shows throughout her books. This one had me at first chapter and never let go. There is mystery, adventure, and witty dialog that shows the reader a fine story line. The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. This is a part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone.
She is the last widow to be scammed by her deceased husband who took all her money and fled the marriage. Now Beth Howell has to find a way to get her money back or her brother will marry her off to a old man with no teeth. Ugh, what a dilemma for the woman who now has to go on the search and she needs her one time honey to help her.
Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson does not care what society says about him or his way of living. He has a heart of stone when his engagement was refused by her brother. Now he prefers to forget that episode in the past where it needs to stay. But then things change when Beth comes for help at Julian's door. She needs to borrow his carriage and him to find out where her deceased husband could of hidden her dowery money.
Now you have a cautious man who still has feelings for her and will do anything to help. Beth knows she has never forgot her past love and hopes he feels the same. The fates are decided that these two should be together, but first they have to travel the roads to a happy ever after.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

The second in The Widow Rules #3, How to Best a Marquess, continues the saga featuring strong female protagonists who stumble into love. Beth Howell has been left financially ruined after being swindled by a man who married three women. Her dowry is gone, but she's determined to find out if its truly spent.

Beth needs the help of a friend to follow the clues to the money. This friend happens to be the man who broke her heart after her brother refused to let him take her hand in marriage. Both in financial dires, they come terms on payment for services rendered if he helps her unravel the clues across the countryside. Off they go on a perilous road trip that brings matter of the heart crashing back in a steamy, sexy way. The tension and sexual chemistry is FIRE!!

Years of pining for the one that got away, Greyson has been trying over the years to garner the wealth necessary to give her the life she deserves. Her brother many years ago shunned his proposal because he didn't have means to support her properly. His devotion to her over the course of the story was endearing. Greyson was genuine, witty and didn't shy away from asking what she desires. AGAIN FIRE! These two also had me laughing at their antics.

While a stand alone, this series is simply fantastic. I appreciate the glimpses of the previous characters in the reads. I absolutely devoured this regency romance.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

Janna has some of my favorite heroes. Julian is right behind Paul (The Good, the Bad and the Duke) in his yumminess. This is my favorite book in the series. Second chance is one of my favorite tropes and even though this is a story I have read before, second chance, forced proximity, it is different in that Beth knows what she wants, sort of, and she isn’t missish. Bless his heart, Julian loves her but tries to stay away because of that love. Love the differences in this story versus others. I loved the road trip, the anxiousness, the treasure hunt, the longing, and the edge of my seat “what can possibly happen next” in this story. I liked the hats off tribute to the Cavensham’s.

{3.5 stars}

This is a fun second chance romance story set in the Regency era. The two main characters have both fallen on hard times, and are desperate to reclaim their fortunes. Beth married, and her husband died. Shortly after he was exposed for a scandal, she files to never remarried, and wants to quietly work and restore her reputation. She did not consent to the first marriage and her brother’s gambling has him pressuring her for a second one. Determined to stay independent she must figure out what her late husband did with her dowry. She decides to enlist the help of an old friend and once suitor, Grayson, a man whose own fortune has dwindled. Together if they can recover the dowry, they can continue on with the lives that they want. Along the way they must face the reality of what tore them apart in the first place, and decide whether they have a future together.

This was one of those fun palate cleanser reads between heavier stories. I was surprised at how much of a mystery the dowry was, it reminded me of a cozy mystery without the murder. But this one was definitely two graphically, open door romance for me. I appreciated the slower pace with which their romance went, but it was quite spicy once they got to it.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press for gifted access. All opinions above are my own.

How to Best a Marquess is the last book in Janna MacGregor’s Widow Rules series. This is Beth Howell’s story, the third “widow” of Meri, who had the misfortune to die, but not before marrying three women at the same time. Beth was Meri’s last bride and unfortunately the marriage was not legitimate and even more unfortunate Meri had absconded with Beth’s dowry. In a bid to escape from Beth’s horribly selfish brother, St. John, who wants to marry her off to an odious toothless peer fill his coffers.

Years earlier, pre-Meri, Beth was almost engaged to Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson. The engagement ended up being a non-starter, again because of Beth’s horribly selfish brother and Julian’s pride as he was improvised and let St. John get into his head.

So where to start? I loved Beth from her first introduction in the Duke in Time and it’s prequel – Where There’s a Will. Beth is strong and has been consistently let down by the men in her life, including Grayson. She wants to be in control and take back her life. The first charge is to find her missing dowry and to do that she needs help. She turns to Grayson, who needs funds to get his invention off the ground, for help in her pseudo scavenger hunt. From the beginning it is obvious that there is love, attraction and fire. They care about each other, but past hurts, wounds and pride may be insurmountable or at least that is what Beth and Grayson think.

The book has some of my favorite tropes, a second chance love story that takes the couple on the road, forced proximity, one-bed and a colorful cast of characters including an intriguing valet/coachman, a Duke fiercely protective of his sisters, a family of rabbits and unusual highwayman. I do hope to see the characters again as I think Cilliian, the valet/coachman has a story somewhere as does the Duke..

I was absolutely thrilled with Beth and Grayson’s story. I loved the banter. I loved the tenderness, from brushing a curl back to Beth nestling her head on Grayson’s shoulder. I loved the sizzle and even the angst. I have loved this series from book one and the series finale did not disappoint. I have actually re-read it several times as I couldn’t stay away from it. I loved the “Meri” chase and their HEA. I highly recommend How to Best a Marquess especially if you enjoy a story full of adventure, love, heart, tenderness, humor and sizzle, definitely sizzle.

I received an ARC of the How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor from NetGalley and voluntarily read the book.

I have really enjoyed Janna MacGregor’s The Widow Rules series, so I couldn’t wait to dive into How to Best a Marquess. The whole concept of this series drew me in, and I was anxious to see how it all resolved. What I got was a satisfying ending to a memorable series.

So, let’s start with the series as a whole. The Widow Rules is about three widows who all find out they were married to the same man when they meet at the reading of his will. The series follows these ladies as they become friends, find love, and deal with the aftermath of their situation. I found this to be a unique and intriguing concept that ultimately was well written and kept me picking up the books and turning the pages. How to Best a Marquess is Beth and Julian’s story. It’s a second-chance romance as well as an adventure as the two travel across England trying to find Beth’s dowry.

I enjoyed both characters. Beth was coming into her own, relishing the freedom that comes with being a widow. But also wary of men, feeling as all the men in her life have failed her and society as they shunned her. But she’s proud and determined and thinks that finding her missing dowry will change her circumstances, and she recruits Julian to help her. Don’t get me wrong, Beth drove me nuts at times. She was giving off mixed signals a lot of the time. But she was definitely a realistic character.

On the other hand, Julian often felt too good to be true. He was an impoverished marquess trying to keep his head above water with the steam engines he designed. He had once courted Beth but walked away from their relationship when her brother disapproved. Now she’s back in his life, and he wants to help her, and the promise of part of her dowry is an offer he can’t refuse. I liked Julian, but I wish he had more backbone when it came to Beth. Their relationship often felt slightly more one-sided, with Julian putting it all out there and Beth somewhat more reserved.

How to Best a Marquess is a good conclusion to a solid series. With an intriguing over-arcing plot and two enjoyable books leading into this one, I went into How to Best a Marquess with high expectations and wasn’t disappointed. I’d highly recommend this book, and the series as a whole, to historical romance fans.

How to Best a Marquess
The Widow Rules Series - Book 3
By Janna MacGregor

St Martin's - May 2023

Historical Romance


Julian Raleah, then the heir of the Marquess of Grayson, had been in love and had assurance of reciprocated affection. But then everything had fallen apart. Time hadn't healed his heart, but he was starting to succeed in his engineering endeavors, while struggling to save his inheritance.

Miss Beth Howell had once expected to marry Julian. Unfortunately, she had instead married, or rather been under the illusion of being married to, a man who tricked three women. She was ruined in the eyes of society, was making a modest living, but still at risk of another marriage forced upon her by her brother.

She needed to find out what Meri, her cad of a non-husband, had done with her dowry. His other two "widows" had received gifts Meri had left for them. But there was nothing for her. She intended to track where he had gone once he'd received her dowry to discover what happened to it, and there was only one person she trusted to help her.

How to Best a Marquess is a reunion story allowing two people who have always loved each other to finally work out their differences and fight for a future together. I enjoyed Beth's independence and Julian's dedication to his estate and her. However, I didn't see any reasonable explanation for Beth to insist only Julian could help her, and without a chaperone. I have found this to be a fascinating series to read, and will miss these characters.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

**Thank you to Janna MacGregor, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of How to Best A Marquess in exchange for an honest review!!**

THIS BOOK WAS SO FUN!? I really really enjoyed it! Seeing the reasoning behind Beth and Julian's relationship ending the first time really helped to explain their difficulties now. This was a fun second-chance romance with a good sense of adventure. The hijinks that Beth and Julian got into were hilarious. I really enjoyed seeing Beth's friendships with the other widows and I look forward to going back and reading their books. I was able to read it as a stand-alone and have it make sense. I was glad to avoid my common fear of entering a collection mid-series and being extremely confused. I feel like their books were hinted to enough that it made it exciting, while still not over-explaining the previous plot lines. I think Historical Romance readers will definitely want to purchase this book. I will be definitely be reading more Janna MacGregor books in the future!

This was definitely a great ending to this series about three ladies that were married to the same man. Well only one legally but when he died, they all found out about their circumstances and finding them ruined with the scandal. Beth was not only ruined with the scandal, but she was also financially ruined. She is determined to follow the trail to find her dowry and hopefully be able to regain it. She has asked her best friend Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson to help her. He agrees as he doesn’t want her to go alone and she said what they find he can have half. He is destitute trying to regain the money his father foolishly lost. He now has a chance to maybe get backers for his steam engine invention. There is action as well as betrayal but there is a happily ever after. I have to say I really enjoyed the ending.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

How to Best a Marquess will bring The Widow Rules series to a close, and what an amazing ending story Beth and Julian’s romance turns out to be. Depending on how much background you personally want, this one could be read as a standalone, but I feel it’s best to read this series in order, if at all possible, for there are details in each book that will enhance the next one, in my opinion. Plus, you’ll want to know just how nasty Meri was to fully appreciate how needed he was to bring these three couples together, eventually.

The only way that Beth can gain control of her own life is to recover her dowry from her now-deceased non-husband Meri. If she can’t, then her odious brother will try to marry her off to a man old enough to be her grandfather! So she’s set out on a desperate adventure… and she needs help from a man who she once loved and destroyed. It won’t be easy to convince Julian to help her, but he’s her only hope… and perhaps her future happiness as well.

I loved this couple. I adored Beth. She’s determined, stubborn, and not about to give up her freedom without a fight. Julian was crushed a decade ago when Beth walked away; the last thing he should be doing is helping her now. But tell that to his heart, the heart that is hopeful once again. They are in for more than they bargained for when they started this trip, but it was such fun to watch two people who should have been together all this time find their way back to each other again. Perhaps maturity was what was needed to open eyes and hearts to just how right they were for each other. Their second chance to get love right was a delightful and steamy romance. I enjoyed some quirky secondary characters who added so much to this story. An epilogue that surprised me in some ways but did wrap everything up quite nicely. I’ve enjoyed this series, and if you have as well, then you won’t want to miss this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Release date: April 25, 2023

How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor is the third book in the The Widow Rules. It is not necessary to read the prior books, but they were really good, so why wouldn’t you! Beth Howell needs her dowry returned post haste. Her “husband” if you can call the bigamist a husband - took off with her dowry and left her broke with two other “wives” and then died. Her brother (not one of my favorite characters) is determined to make her marry again for the money he would get.

Beth needed to find an escape. She determines that she needs help and goes to Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson to help her. Julian professed to love her and then he left her. In her mind he is the only person who will be able to help her get her money back. Julian struggles to make his engines, due to how broke he is, agrees to help her, but he has severe reservations that Beth does not know about. Mostly he still loves her.

They go on a journey tracing her “husband’s” last journey. They meet up with some interesting characters and spend the time getting reacquainted. Things get very interesting in a couple of places and they rediscover each other. (Yes a euphemism.) I so enjoyed the journey and the resolution of the journey by Beth and Julian.

How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor was a fun read!

a smart independent minded heroine on a road trip adventure with a gentleman with which she has history and simmering mutual attraction had me looking forward to a fun read. alas, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. The reason for this falls on the fact that, for me, I found Beth to be annoying and frustrating and just not enjoyable to read or cheer for. What did work for me and kept me from putting the book aside completely was other pieces of the story -- Julian, while not a strong hero, was still very likable and interesting; I adored Cillian (Julien's valet/etc) who was charming and delightful and made me smile when he was on the page; the road trip adventure itself worked well and moved along at a nice pace; and some of the interactions between Beth and Julian, particularly when alone and open. The ending was a little too neatly sweet fairy tale HEA-ish, but did feel that there was progress in Beth's and Julian's relationship and growth in Beth enough that didn't wonder what Julian was doing with her at the end. I feel I would of enjoyed the story more if it wasn't for the one character not working for me, an issue other readers may not have. So, you enjoy 2nd chance/road trip stories, you may want to go ahead and give this one a try to see if works better for you.

Years ago, Beth Howell lost her first love when her brother, St. John, did not approve of the proposal from Julian Raleah. For years, Beth and Julian did not see each other until mutual friends brought them back into each other's orbits, but alas, by this point, Julian, now the Marquess of Grayson, was lacking in fortune, and Beth's reputation was in tatters.

When Beth decides to go on a mission to track down her missing dowry from her first marriage, she asks Julian to accompany her. A road trip in the confines of a carriage and staying in small country inns with her first love—what could possibly go wrong?

While I do adore the road trip, forced proximity, and only one bed tropes, I sometimes struggle with second chance romance. In this case, I understood what initially drove them apart but struggled with the time it took for them to come back together.

I was a big fan of Julian, how he makes something of himself through engineering in spite of his circumstances, his undying love for Beth, his pining, and how he treats her. I adored his tender and honorable heart.

I had difficulty with some of Beth's choices. She's quite stubborn, which can be a positive, but also means it takes longer for her to open up to other possibilities and ways of seeing things. She wants to protect Julian but ends up hurting them both. Thank goodness romances ultimately end with HEAs.

Cillian, Julian's butler/valet/coachman/footman, was one of the highlights in the novel for me. He's an instigator, confidant, friend, servant, and voice of reason.

This is the third book in the series, and I feel that, while some background as to the connection between the three widows is provided in the story, you would benefit best by reading at least one of the other two novels in the series first.

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.