Rules for Engaging the Earl: The Widow Rules

Janna MacGregor

Apr 2022 · The Widow Rules Book 2 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this eBook

Get ready for lost wills, broody dukes, and scorching hot kissing all over London in Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor.

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.

Praise for Janna MacGregor:

"Janna MacGregor dazzles." —Eloisa James

"Janna MacGregor's stories positively sparkle." —Christi Caldwell

Ratings and reviews

Constance and Jonathan’s story in Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor, book two in her Widow Rules series, a friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, and Beauty and Beast all rolled into one marvelous story. Constance Lysander and Jonathan the Earl of Sykeston, had feelings for each other in their youth before Jonathan went off to war. Before he left though, Jonathan made Constance promise not to wait for him despite their feelings for each other as they had no idea if he would make it home. Constance was left penniless by her late husband, a trigamist who married her and two of her now best friends; disappeared with their dowries before dying. Society required that Constance find a husband so her unborn child will be legitimate so she turns to the only honest man she has ever known, Jonathan, her childhood friend who has returned injured from war. Jonathan had not visited despite being home for some time. Jonathan, the Earl of Sykeston, returned from war with some dark shadows threatening him. His injuries, both physical and mental, have left him a cold, dark hermit; a man suffering from PTSD who avoids contact with others, at all cost. Yet when the only woman he's ever loved summons him with a request for his hand in a marriage of convenience, he cannot resist agreeing to her request. When they meet up once again, there's an immediate connection between them, proving those long ago feelings never really went away. Constance remains in London to recover from giving birth before eventually joining Jonathan at his country estate; turning the place into a home. What was supposed to be a marriage of convenience soon becomes so much more as Constance and Jonathan spend time together in his country home. The tension between these two is strong and when their relationship progresses beyond the convenience aspect, the pages sizzle. Constance was determined to love Jonathan in all senses of the word, including their marriage bed, and was not afraid to be passionate with him and his scars. Constance was a strong and independent woman, running her family shipyard, and not afraid to break through the armor Jonathan wore around his heart. Add in a matchmaking servant staff, especially North, convinced that love will help Jonathan learn to live again, a sweet daughter, Aurelia, who teaches Jonathan that there is so much more to life, and a love that brings out the best in you. Ms. MacGregor wrote an amusing, entertaining, and emotional story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with humorous escapades, clever banter, stubbornness strong women, sizzling chemistry and endearing characters giving Constance, Jonathan and Aurelia a chance for a happy and loving future together. Rules for Engaging the Earl is a powerful look at acceptance, society rules, strong friendships and connections, which I highly recommend to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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.

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.

About the author

Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She is the author of the Cavensham Heiresses series, which begins with The Bad Luck Bride. Janna credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs.