Emma is determined to get justice for the death of her best friend. Nicholas comes to Emma's rescue and while they're friendship means something important to them both, neither of them are interested in marriage. An emotional roller coaster that I would gladly ride again and again!

I always enjoy reading books by Janna MacGregor as she weaves a story that will keep you entertained from start to finish. This was a great romance story with some mystery. This is a fast read and will keep you turning the page.

A great story!

Emma Cavensham is something of a bluestocking and avid collector of rare books. For her there is more to life than being in the marriage mart to find a suitable husband even though her parents would never force her into marriage.
Especially after the murder of her friend by her husband! And she means to see him accountable for the murder. She keeps on getting into scrapes and possibly her social ruination. Nick the Earl of Summerton has feelings of protectiveness towards Emma who happens to be his best friends cousin in law (Alec and Claire book 1) lead deeper than he wants to analyze. He has a mission and that’s striving to be wealthier than his father marriage isn’t in the cards for him.
Emma and Nick are caught in a compromising position even though he never had plans to marry he will do right by her.

I really enjoyed this second book by Jenna MacGregor you really need to read the first book to get the feel of all the characters. Nick is a complex person who’s seriously in need of love and Emma is just the perfect person for him. I loved their banter and enjoyed it immensely. Can’t wait for book three.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

I really loved Emma and Nick's story. It was so obvious from their first kiss that they were meant for each other. I liked how they challenged each other and their mutual respect. Emma was such a strong character and I thought her independence was refreshing. Nick challenges her independence but never tries to take it away from Emma. You can't help but want Nick to find his forever in Emma and to have the family he never had. Both of them try to fight the feelings they have for each other and it made for the perfect amount of sexual tension. Their chemistry was off the charts and the way Emma and Nick healed each other was so beautiful. Looking forward to more in this series because the secondary characters are just as well written!

This is another fabulous story in the Cavensham Heiress series and was just as good as the other, there is a bit of mystery, intrigue, a compromising situation, an impromptu marriage, such a lot to get your teeth into

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and voluntarily leave my own opinion

A delightful blend of mystery and romance. I loved Emma's spirit and Nicholas' chivalric sense of honor. What a wonderful, endearing read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I'm bedazzled!

Oh my! I loved this. I adored the intelligent, stubborn Lady Emma Cavensham trying to find justice for her dead friend Lady Lena Eaton.
I was smitten with the damaged the Earl of Somerton, Nicholas St. Mauer who had been alone and rejected from an early age. It was after a terrible encounter with his father at Eaton, that Alex Pembrooke interfered when Nick was being bullied by other students. This later becomes the doorway into to a relationship with Pembrooke and Emma's family.
Rejection by his father, Drake St. Mauer, the Duke of Renton, has put Nick onto the trajectory of desiring to surpass his father’s wealth and to isolate himself from the hurt of meaningful relationships. He has decided to not marry. Nick focuses all his attention on the acquisition of wealth. He engages in trade to do with merchant ships and their cargoes, and purchases ships for new trade routes. Vengeance would be sweet. 'He could taste victory.'
I love the sometimes dim witted (where Emma's concerned), but fiercely loyal men of the Cavensham family. Their presence is a wonderful addition to the story.
Lord Somerton keeps encountering Emma on her forays into what could be dangerous, or at the very least scandalous places, and coming to her rescue, or imposing rescue on her, whichever fits the bill. His thwarting of Emma frustrates her. The repartee they engage in is amusing and invigorating. I loved Emma's thoughts after the first such encounter, When 'his laughter followed her all the way to her carriage. Insufferable cur.'
When Emma is driven to investigate her dearest friend Lena's husband, the despicable, hateful Lord Aulton, to make him pay for Lena's murder its Somerset who keeps rescuing Emma from her own fearlessness. With her brothers and father just a few paces behind.
These rescues ultimately takes a course that is in keeping with the times.
The last scenes left me somewhat teary with happiness.
As far as I'm concerned this is a rare winner in the regency romance stakes, complete with intrigue, interest and wonderful lead characters.

A NetGalley ARC
(October 2017)

Berkshire - 1797

Nicholas (Nick) St. Mauer, the Earl of Somerton, age 15, is the son of Drake St. Mauer, the Duke of Renton. Nick has been a student at Eton for 10 years and no one, not even his father, has ever visited him. His father clearly despises him and wants nothing to do with him. He blames Nick for the death of his wife when Nick was born. Today, the Duke has arrived at Eton and informs Nick that he is done with him and he must now find his own way. Determined, Nick vows to make his own fortune in life.


London - 1811

Lady Emma Cavensham, age 22, has slipped away from a ball to take a carriage where she can purchase a rare book and then quickly return to the ball. The book is a group of essays about individual freedom which interests her. She is the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cavensham. But her trip is interrupted when Nick, Lord Somerton, is sent by her cousin to bring her home to Langham Hall. Nick lectures her about consorting with unsavory people. Now, she must remain at the family’s country home, Falmont, for the rest of the season. While Emma isn’t a fan of all the festivities of the season, she knows she will miss attending them with her good friend, Lady Lena Eaton. In addition, Emma is not very interested in finding a husband. Before she leaves for the country, Nick presents her with a copy of the book she wanted along with a kiss that dazzles them both.

It is now 3 years later and we find Emma in London. During this time, her friend, Lena, had married the Earl of Aulton and died birthing a stillborn baby girl she named Audra. Now, the Earl is looking for a new wife and Emma is very worried because she knows Aulton had been beating Lena and probably killed her. Emma blames herself for not being with Lena to protect her. She is now going to bring Lena’s maid to London so she can question her more about what happened. She doesn’t want some other young woman to be a victim of the Earl.

Emma’s big dream is to start a bank for women to gain their own financial independence.

Meanwhile, Nick is concerned about Emma and her independent ways but he is also busy making his fortune and is now nearly richer than he own father. In addition, his father has been writing him but Nick just burns the letters unopened.

Nick and the men in her family are constantly watching Emma so that she doesn’t do something that could hurt her or cause a scandal.

The story is OK but I became exasperated with Emma for continuing to do what she wanted thinking she will always be safe. Even though she is supposed to be an intelligent woman, these antics made her appear to be a bit of an airhead.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Slow. Although the main characters were good ones, I really didn't enjoy how slow the pace was.
The emotions definitely were in place though. You could almost feel the pain from the rejections that Nick suffered at his father's hand. Not physical but soul wrenching just the same. Emma had a loving family, but the needless death (murder) of her friend Lena cast such a dark shadow over her happiness. She wanted justice for her friend and her baby. And she was finding it almost impossible to have it happen.
One thing that I know was necessary to the story was about the lack of rights that women had. When they married, even if they were part of nobility, their husbands ruled. And if they were evil men like Lena's husband, they became powerless. Okay with that said, it also felt at times that the story focused so much on it that it, bogged the story down. Just my thoughts on it.
The story does speed up some much later on and I was very satisfied how several different problems were solved. There were also some good" battles" between Nick and Emma as they work towards a H.E.A. Nick didn't end up being the bad guy that Emma tried to cast him as. There were of course others in the story who did meet that standard as bad guy.

The cover quote for The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor is from Eloisa James. The quote simply states, “CAPTIVATING.”

Ms. James: You are completely correct.

I would also add that The Bride Who Got Lucky is delightful and totally enchanting. Nick and Emma are so obviously meant for one another and yet so obverse to the idea of marriage that it was a feat for MacGregor to bring them together. The struggle was worth it, though, and in the end, MacGregor wove Nick and Emma’s hopes, dreams and reality together seamlessly.

Nick spent most of his childhood in boarding schools. In his teens, he swore off his father entirely after his father was unnecessarily cruel in front of his classmates. Instead, Nick’s only focus is becoming a man of business and his goal is to have more money than his father. Emma is against marriage for fear that she’ll lose her autonomy and her decision making power. Her anti-marriage stance is only compounded her dear friend, Lena’s death. Emma is sure her friend was abused and that the abuse lead to her, and her unborn child’s, death. Instead of marriage, Emma has plans to open up a women’s bank that will give women in desperate situations, such as Lena, a choice in how they run their households and an option for obtaining cash quickly.

Nick and Emma have known one another through mutual friends for a few years and long ago they shared a sweet kiss. However, since neither believes marriage is the path for them, they’ve left their feelings for each other unexplored. While secretly investigating Lena’s death, though, Emma finds herself in danger and Nick comes racing to her rescue. It’s almost immediately apparent that although Nick is rescuing Emma as a favor to a friend, he also genuinely cares for Emma. Emma also cares for him. These two don’t enter into the courtship gracefully or willingly, but they certainly complement each other in every way that counts.

“Nick…why are you doing this?”
“Why does anyone dance at these events? Relieve boredom. Enjoy the company of a beautiful woman. Stake a claim. Give warning.” He raised an eyebrow and delivered a slow grin. “Which one do you suppose applies here.?”
The sensual web he spun split in two. She’d seen the same expression a thousand times from her brother, Will, before he dropped the ax on one of her misdeeds. “Pray tell, and put me out of my misery.”
“Emma, sarcasm? Such an inelegant emotion from such a bewitching lady? What have I done to deserve your rebuff? I simply wanted a dance.” The twinkle in his eyes was wicked and forbidden in design. “Any man here would risk a flogging for a chance to dance with you in that dress.”
Her reservation melted at his obvious teasing. “That’s quite an extreme. Would you risk a flogging?”
“Repeatedly.”

It’s hard for me to articulate how much I enjoyed this book even though I loved this book with my whole being. The Bride Who Got Lucky is made up of little details, scenes, and conversations that were just truly charming when added all together. There isn’t one particular moment in Nick and Emma’s journey that stands out, instead, it seems like their romance was always there, hovering at the surface as they explored their own personal path. When these two were ready for one another and their love was set to blossom, it did. It did beautifully. I concur with Ms. James, The Bride Who Got Lucky is captivating.

Although The Bride Who Got Lucky does pick up on a situation from the first story of this series, The Bad Luck Bride, a reader who is new to this series won’t find it difficult to pick up the important parts of Claire and Alex’s romance. And we get a bit more of their lives together today, which is always something I appreciate within a series.

Emma and Nick were a unique couple for their time. Neither wanted nor intended to marry… ever. Each had their own reasons, but as we first meet them they are adamant about remaining single. Emma is carrying guilt for not being able to save her best friend. Lena was the victim of an abusive husband, and her death is highly suspicious to Emma. Being female, no one is listening to her concerns or is willing to seek justice for her friend. Emma has determined that she will seek her own justice, and will work to empower women of her time so that this fate does not happen to another. Of course since we are talking about the Regency time period there are few men who will take Emma seriously, and while many women would agree with her, breaking free from the power and dominance of any male figure in their lives is at best difficult, if not impossible.

Nick has never known love or kindness from his own family. The kindness of strangers who became friends and substitute family, yes, but his father’s actions spoke to Nick at an early age to become more powerful, richer and held in higher esteem than his father… and then take him down a peg or two. Nick is not a cold man, yet he is a man who has learned to hold his emotions in check, hide any hurt from the past or present behind a mask that kept his real personality from the world at large. He doesn’t trust in the emotion of love for he really has never experienced it.

Emma’s determination to find justice for her friend will place her in danger. Her friendship with Nick will work its way to something far more than either expected. And two people who weren’t looking for love or forever… are in for a surprise.

I enjoyed The Bride Who Got Lucky. Emma is a finely detailed, determined character who it’s easy to like and cheer on to her future. Nick is a little more subdued due to his hiding his emotions, but he will open up to Emma and discover that love doesn’t have to cause pain. Steamy at times, tender at other, this is a story that will capture your attention.

*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.*

Mesmerizing & Exhilarating! This is the first story of Janna MacGregor’s that I have read and I can’t wait to dive in and read the rest. There is so much going on in this book. Ms. MacGregor has created complex characters with such distinct personalities. Her writing manages to bring you right into the scene with the characters. Her descriptive use of the language make each scene very realistic and the emotions the characters are feeling believable. I couldn’t put this down. I found myself so entranced by the passion and beliefs of these characters that it was exhilarating to read. Loved how the author dealt with issues of this time, expressing vulnerability and emotion as well as passion. This was so much more than a historical romance and I felt truly blessed to read this Fantastic story! This is a must read! Loved it!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I know I am in the minority here, but I did not care for this book.

Basically the heroine Emma (cousin to Claire from the previous book) is on a mission. Her dearest friend Lena has died and Emma believes Lena’s husband is responsible. Emma is determined to bring the man to justice, single handedly if necessary. Once she has accomplished this, she wants to open a bank that serves only women, thus giving them a way to be independent.

Unable to ignore a death she feels partially responsible for, Emma asks her parents and brothers for help. But when they tell her to let it go, she ends up makes one bad decision after another.

Nick, Earl of Somerton and heir to the Duke of Renton also is on a mission, his one and only desire in life is to make a fortune greater than his estranged father’s and then flaunt it in his father’s face. He doesn’t have time for nonsense or for a wife - but thanks to Emma’s inability to stay out of trouble, he is going to end up with both.

When Nick saves Emma (yet again) from herself, they are caught in an inn together and to save their reputations, marry.

As wedding present Nick gave her the funds needed to start her bank and it seems like Emma has matured and has come to peace with Lena’s death. That is, until she doesn’t get her way then her true colors come out.

I personally found Emma to be one of the most annoying and manipulative heroines I have ever read. And while the story had potential, the execution fell flat. The plot was flimsy and at times down right unbelievable. Nick was the one high point in this book, if not for him, I may have broken my own steadfast ARC rule and not finished the book.

In the previous book, I felt like the author added too many elements and the story ended up being too busy. In this book she managed to stay on point, but the plot line she choose just didn’t work for me - it was not true to the era and was riddled with contradictions. I am not sure if I would be willing to read the next book in the series, but I do know that I would not be conformable recommending this book to my friends.

I loved this new installment in Janna MacGregor’s debut series. The heroine, Lady Emma Cavensham, is such a strong, sassy and bubbly character. She has a tenacity I enjoyed and seeks a career and independence. She also has a tendency to outsmart the men in her life! She is a feminist pioneer and is willing to fight for women’s rights. She plans to set up a financial institution to help other women better their lives. Despite her noble endeavors, she has a preoccupation with revenge. Her best friend was murdered by her husband and she will do anything to bring her murderer to justice.


Nick St. Mauer, the Earl of Somerton, is her knight in shining armor and a savvy businessman. This character is not accustomed to compromise and never acts on impulse, and yet he will do anything for Emma. Her opinion of him matters more than his business ventures. Their antics were amusing, Emma doesn’t hesitate to put Nick in his place for trying to dictate her actions or interfere in her plans to avenge her friend. Nick is always there for her, even when the consequences of her actions lead them to a forced, unplanned marriage. He is protective, shrewd and caring.

The romance is well-developed and gave me the sense of a strong and deep emotional connection between Emma and Nick. And yet I was not a fan of the series of misunderstandings and communication breakdowns that began poisoning their marriage in the last part of the story. But overall, I appreciated the pacing of the story, the writing and the satisfying ending. The author’s writing style is easy to read and the story took me through a gamut of emotions. Janna McGregor has penned a charming and lovely story on new beginnings, with a vivacious heroine and a dreamy hero. Every book in the Cavensham Heiresses series is a standalone but they interconnect and go in a timeline starting with the first one.

The second book in the Cavensham Heiresses features sister Emma Cavensham and friend of the family Nick, the Earl of Somerton.

After being forsaken by his father, Nick has shut down his heart and closed himself off from society. His only interest now lies in upstaging his father. Showing him that he can be a success without his help. This leaves him no time to ponder a family and love. Truthfully, he has no interest in it whatsoever. Unfortunately, his dealings with Lady Emma Cavensham are testing his resolve on this matter completely as he tries to keep her from ruining her reputation by going against what society deems "appropriate" for women.

Emma Cavensham wants more out of her life than to be someone's wife. She wants to stand on her own independently. After the sudden and tragic death of a friend (by all accounts at the hands of her husband), Emma is more determined than ever to see that: 1) Justice is rightfully served, and 2) that she doesn't fall into the same predicament as her friend. As she starts to take action against the man who caused her friend's death, Emma keeps coming up again Nick, who is trying to keep her from making a mistake that could cost her, her life. While Emma can't deny that she's always found Nick attractive, she is determined not to let it lead anywhere.

I thought it was very interesting on Janna MacGregor's part to write two characters who were so opposed to the idea of matrimony, yet pretty much having them be so attracted to one another you don't know where else (in the day and age in which the story is written) their relationship would progress besides marriage.

I also loved the contemplation about women's rights. Emma struggles in what is basically a "man's world", but she wants so much more for herself than what she's seen in society. But she's so focused on looking outward that I think she misses what is right in front of her: her family. Both her parents and her cousin Claire (the heroine of The Bad Luck Bride) have solid, happy marriages and don't feel confined by society. This just makes the fears she has, due to her friend's death, all the more palpable.

I do wish that we had gotten more of a villain in that regard. We do somewhat, but mostly the story revolves around Emma and Nick figuring out if they can be with one another given they each have such strong convictions regarding marriage.

For Nick, he can't see giving his heart to anyone after the heartbreak he suffered from his own family. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was always gold toward him before he cut him off. So, in Nick's case it's about forgiveness in order to move on. Can he forgive what happened in the past? If not, just his feelings for Emma will never be enough because he won't be able to deepen their relationship because part of him will always be holding back in order to keep from getting hurt again.

I rather liked the vulnerability that is displayed in Nick's character. It's a nice contrast to Emma, who by stereotype, is supposed to be vulnerable due to her sex, instead she's headstrong and very self-possessed.

So far, I've really enjoyed this series. The couple for the third book is kind of subtly set-up towards the end of this one, and I can't wait to see what happens next for the Cavenshams.

Nicholas St. Mauer isn’t one to involve himself in society or open his own heart to anyone. His father disowned him at an early age and he’s sworn not to open his heart to anyone, but driven by obligation he feels he must keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham who’s his best friends wife’s cousin. Lady Emma Cavensham is determined to never marry and provide women with an opportunity to be at least somewhat self-sufficient. She seems to find herself being rescued by Nick, and resents him for interfering in her life. Nick and Emma have danced around a friendship for years, she even asks him to kiss her early in the book, a kiss neither has forgotten. Circumstances throw them together and a compromising moment upends all her plans. Emma knows Nick was hurt long ago and she maybe the only one to truly bring him the happiness he deserves. Will they be able to deny the desire they feel and can no longer deny? Is Nick willing to fight for her causes and her heart to find a love they both so desperately deserve? A truly enchanting story of two people who have known each for a few years, who gradually become friends and find love a love neither expected.
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

DNF@40%

This was probably another case of it’s me, not you, but something about this book just didn’t click for me. I liked the plot ideas, I liked aspects of the characters, but something about every interaction between Nick and Emma just felt really flat. They had no chemistry. There was nothing organic or believable about their relationship. Emma’s decision to kiss him that first time comes out of nowhere – and nothing happens after that for years. Clearly these two are meant to be together, because the author wants them to be. There really isn’t any other reason for it.

I liked Emma’s idea for a bank and I could see why she wanted to bring her friend’s husband to justice, but her ideas felt far too nebulous and I never felt what she was feeling.

I stopped reading after something happened to her and had no emotional resonance at all. We know she’s shaken by it because she says so, but other than that… nope. Nothing. It’s not even a show versus tell argument, it’s just not articulated well. Or at least I couldn’t detect it. Which is probably a failing in me, not the book, because there are plenty of other reviews on Goodreads that argue otherwise.

In the end I just had no interest in reading further. The romance didn’t feel real and I couldn’t connect with the characters. Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am always reluctant to read sequels in case they don't turn out to be as great as the first book in the series. However this book blew my mind and I actually enjoyed it more than the first one.
Emma is determined to prove that her best friend's death was a result of her abusive husband. No matter how often she is warned against meddling in the matter, Emma will have justice served. Nick is a family friend and he is given the duty of keeping Emma out of trouble.
However the task is easier said than done. No matter how much Nick tries, Emma seems to always land is some sort of hot water.
I loved the pairing of Nick and Emma and thought the chemistry between them was well-done. I also loved how headstrong she was. I enjoyed this book immensely especially seeing characters from the previous book. This was a wonderful read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor is Book Two in "The Cavensham Heiresses" series. This is the story of Nicholas St. Mauer and Lady Emma Cavensham. I have read the previous book but feel this is easily a standalone book.
Emma feels the lost of her good friend after her and passing. With this loss of her friend it has put Emma on a path to bring justice to the Husband of that friend. Emma is sure that he is responsible for her friend's death and also wants to protect any future innocent women from fall pray to him.
Nicholas lost his mother right after she gave birth to him..which his father never let him forget. Nicholas father sent him off to school around 5 years old and from there he jumped from school to school never forming any friendships. With Nicholas's father being so cold and horrible he never formed a bond or learned what love was....he just built walls to keep his emotions at away.
But with one kiss from Emma has put a small crack in one of his walls. But they are both very stubborn and end up butting heads through most of the book.
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the second book in the cavensham brides, the bride who got lucky, has independent-minded lady emma facing off with the reclusive nicholas st. mauer, earl of somerton. emma has been devastated by the loss of her closest friend, lena, lady aulton. especially given the circumstances of lena's death. emma knows that her husband killed her and is anxious to seek justice for her friend.

but at every turn she is thwarted. by nick, by the coroner's report, by lena's lady's maid who won't come forward. it is made clear to emma that given lord aulton's social standing, he will get away with murder. and as much as she tries, there is nothing she can do about it.

the thing is, that nick empathizes and understands what emma is trying to accomplish. he is disgusted by lord aulton's actions. he believes that emma has a brilliant and empathetic mind and wants more than anything to support her, but he also wants to protect her from harm. and her vendetta against lord aulton puts her in more danger than she realizes.

it's not just physical danger, lord aulton threatens emma's social standing, her financial well-being. he is merciless and downright evil. i'd say the one complaint i have about the novel, is that for a romance we spend a lot of time dealing with women's rights issues. and these are important things to think about, but emma spends so much time fighting the good fight that it feels like this is the main thrust of the story instead of the romance that blossoms between nick and emma.

i loved nick as a character and i thought he was the perfect foil for emma. she was harder to enjoy and i struggle with this because it's not that i disagree with any of her beliefs or positions. i don't at all. i agree with her 100%. and yet i found her determination and single-mindedness off-putting. and i hate that. because i don't want to be part of the patriarchal culture that wants to silence women on women's issues. but i also don't necessarily want my romance novels to lecture me about issues i already agree with. it's a tough balance and i think the issues are important. i just am not always sure of their delivery.