I love a good marriage of convenience story but struggled with The Rules of Matrimony. The author admirably introduces social issues of the day, and I liked the heroine’s nickname for her convenience husband (Lord Grumpy). There is a cute rescued dog. This book is very readable and seems well researched, but almost nothing about the plot was believable for me.

The meet cute strains believability; in fact, many of the plot points strained believability. The obstacles to the happily ever after struggle to keep the pair apart. At about the halfway point I wondered how this book could possibly be only half over. Hero Ian is so stiff-necked and heroine Amie is so cringey and willing to do almost anything to keep herself and mama from the poorhouse. (But also she is beautiful – very beautiful.) This is one of those books where I just wanted the couple to TALK TO EACH OTHER.

As is often the case with romance books in a series, the appearances of couples from the previous books were a bit jarring. The author clearly expects me to know and love these characters, but they were just characters under too bright a spotlight for me, since I haven’t read books 1-3.

The hero’s father is determined to annul his son’s marriage and get him to marry the father’s own choice, and this insistence also went beyond the bounds of believability. (And a plot twist about the father’s infidelity was another twist too far for this reader.) There is a scene in which the heroine’s mother discovers information by reading her diary and OMG no.

I’m not sure whether I’ll try another book by the author. I read an advance reader copy of The Rules of Matrimony from Netgalley.

What a great finish to our Matchmaking Mamas and the Rebels. Or is it? I rather hope not!

This is Ian:s story, or Mother Hen, as he is called. He has sworn off marriage, has watched his parents marriage and refuses to follow in his father's footsteps. He helps those in need, working hard to change laws, but carries a huge weight on himself.

Amie is in a bad place, and she has been since her father's death. She needs out, and Ian's mother has just the plan. But is it the plan she really wants?

The characters are good, the storyline good. It was good to watch their growth and see what would come next. We all carry scars from the past, but how we grow past them is the most important thing.

I really enjoyed Ian's story. His love interest Amie was a surprise and a delight. It sounds like the end of the series, but I need more of those scheming Matchmaking Mamas!

##RulesOfMatrimony #NetGalley
I've read each of the books in the Match Making Mamma's series, and each one keeps getting better and better. I can't choose a favorite.
Ian is part of a group of friends who call themselves the Rebels. Ian's father has told him he has found Ian a bride, but Ian refuses to marry,especially the young woman of his father's choosing.
Amie and her mother have been moving from house to house, not having a place to live, and she is waiting for the current relative to put them out on the street. When Amie's mother announces that Amie is engaged to Lord Reynolds, a name Amie believes came off a headstone in the graveyard, not knowing that there is a young Lord Reynolds who is very much alive.
When Amie meets Ian. Ian comes up with a plan of a marriage of convenience that will give them both what they want.
This book was such a fun read.