Rules for Engaging the Earl

Written by Janna MacGregor

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

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 ground him, 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705034590

Janna MacGregor

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. She loves to hear from readers.

Reviews for Rules for Engaging the Earl

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The reason to keep them from just being happily together already was quite weak. But I decided to just play along like it made sense, and still ended up enjoying the rest of the book above average, so I'm giving it 4 stars anyway. Childhood sweethearts, second chance, wounded soldier, female business owner, and Beauty and the Beast tropes. I think the hero is an especially memorable character, but both leads were likable, and I was happy for them to be together in the end. It wasn't quite as strong as the first book in the series, in my opinion, but I'm very interested to see where the series goes from here.

I received an advance copy for reviewing purposes, these are my honest opinions.

[eyes92c · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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

[cathygeha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregorThe Widow Rules #2Second chance romance that sees injured war veteran and his childhood friend married…and then a whole lot of hurdles are put in their path to overcome.What I liked: * Jonathan: marksman, inured in the war, childhood friend of Constance, in physical pain, emotionally distant, libeled, and there for Constance if not there for himself.* Constance: business woman, widow of a bigamist, mother to Aurelia, friend to the two other wives of her deceased husband, hoping that she and Jonathan will have a “real” marriage* The part the collection of essays and book of knots played in the romance* Ginger: Jonathan’s dog…wily beast and good friend…eats at the dinner table with the people* Aurelia: Constance’s daughter, charmer, unlocks some of Jonathan’s heart* North: butler and good friend to Jonathan although a bit of a meddler* Seeing the other people in the series* The way Jonathan finally came out of his funk and dealt with issues that needed to be dealt with* That the bad guy was found and dealt withWhat I didn’t like: * The bad guy and what he had gotten away with for too long* Having to wait for the next book in the seriesDid I enjoy this book? YesWould I read more in this series? YesThank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review. 4-5 Stars

[grandmacootie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yay, the Widows are back! I have been eagerly awaiting their return. When Meri the Trigamist died he left three – yes, count them, three! – widows, all in varying states of distress. In the first book in The Widow Rules Series we met Kat, the newest wife/widow. Vintage Janna MacGregor and all the things you love in an historical romance. This middle book, Rules for Engaging the Earl, is about the middle widow, Constance. Her distress is really the most somber, because she’s about to have a baby, and being this is Regency England that baby needs a name and she needs to preserve what’s left of her reputation. Enter Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston and Constance’s childhood friend and first love. Forever love maybe? He vowed he would always be there for her so when she asks him to marry her to give the baby a name he readily agrees. But we know better than to expect it to be that simple. Nope. It’s the Widows, it’s author MacGregor and we know we are in for another delightful tale full of romance, heat, heartbreak, sadness and humor. And delightful it is. I told myself I would just read a couple of chapters at a time but I tell myself that with every story by this author. What actually happens every time is that I start with Chapter 1 and never look up until The (marvelous) End.Did I already say I love author Janna MacGregor? I do. And I love these “they meet again” stories. The wounded, breathtakingly handsome hero, the damsel in distress. Except sometimes the hero’s behavior has been a bit less than heroic, and the lady in question is usually no weak damsel in distress but instead a strong-willed, capable woman who is every bit Mr. Hero’s match. So let the fun begin. Our first encounter with Jonathan and Constance is so sweet, so innocent. They are young and just starting in life, not knowing the particulars of what to expect but with no doubt in their minds that they will be together. But you know . . . fate and all that. Circumstances, choices, things we didn’t have a choice about. And now it’s ten years later. They’ve always been in each other’s hearts, but he’s a bitter wounded warrior, his good name in jeopardy not because of his actions but because he didn’t attend to things as he should have. She’s a new widow and a new mother, reeling from the discoveries at the death of her trigamist husband. She is strong and capable and has a business to run, but this is 1815 England and there are rules and women who are alone are most certainly subject to them.The solution should be simple. To us, anyway, right? It’s obvious they have continued to love and desire each other – you could say they are MFEO (made for each other!) – she needs a husband, he vowed to always be there for her, she trusts him. So what’s the issue? Pride, confusion, fear, bitterness, all the usual things that stupidly stand in the way.What fun to go on this journey with these two sweet, sexy, stubborn people and watch them navigate their relationship. Built on something old and solid but that must change and adapt to the reality of events and circumstances. I loved it. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Rules for Engaging the Earl via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. I loved this book and can’t wait to see what the final book in The Widows Series brings, and what treasure Janna MacGregor will have for us after that. All opinions are my own.@JannaMacGregor @smpromance @stmartinspress #RulesForEngagingtheEarl #JannaMacGregor #SMPRomance