Emma, the heroine of this story, had very strong beliefs and convictions. I liked that she challenged those around her with her ideas. She was intelligent and was knowledgeable as a result of her interest in books. At times though, for someone who seemed aware of the world and her position in society, she took actions that put all of that in jeopardy. Her behavior sometimes seemed naive and immature for someone as intelligent as she came across.

Nick, the hero, guards his heart and avoids getting close to anyone. Despite trying to keep himself isolated, his kindness and caring comes through in his interactions with others. He wrestled with himself in certain situations and I liked that he would think things through and was willing to change.

I enjoyed this story. This is the second book of the series but it is a standalone book.

Overall this was a pretty decent historical romance, aside from the title (that is just dumb).  I was hooked into this novel in the beginning and middle of the book, but then the ending just dragged. There wasn't really enough unresolved information to warrant dragging out the story that long. 

It was a cute romance that thankfully did not have any insta-love. It was a nice slow development that started had time to develop and nurture. 

Aside from all that, there isn't really much that stood out to me in this novel. The story was good and the characters were well-developed. I would recommend this one.

I love Nick and Emma's story! This book has everything! There are times they made me laugh, and other times it was so heartbreakingly real that you cried along with the Emma. You won't regret readying this book.

Book was good. Enjoyed the character development of Emma and the talk of sexism and female independence in the patriarchal society and how Emma learns that the best way to overcome this problem was not being head on but instead to maneuver around it

This second in the Cavensham Heiresses is better than the first, which I loved, too. We met Lord Nicholas when he prevented Alex from killing Lord Paul at the beginning of the previous novel. Although part of the series, this is a stand-alone, too. This book confirmed the heart and the brooding appeal of Nick. He is strongly connected to Lady Emma, the Duke of Langham’s daughter, but denies it and works hard at being alone. Nick is best friends to Alex who is married to Emma’s cousin Claire from the first series. Although cousins, Emma and Claire are like sisters.

The relationship between Nick and Emma has been a strong one for years. They seemed to kind of circle each other, yet never really connect. Nick is alone due to the estrangement with his own ducal father. He sort of adopts Emma’s family through his relationship with Alex and Claire, but stays on the fringe of family events. He sees the strong love the Cavensham family have for each other and is drawn to it and to Emma.

Emma is heartbroken over the loss of her dear friend Lena and blames herself for not being there when Lena needed her. Lena and her baby girl both died in childbirth. But, Emma is convinced Lena’s husband murdered her once he was able to collect her dowry upon her majority. Emma was raised by her parents to be strong and independent, almost to a fault. It is that independence that gets Emma in trouble and causes her marriage to Nick. And, she refuses to give up on proving Lena’s husband murdered her.

There are so many strong, loving relationships in this book, that you kind of want to be a part of such a loving family. Yet, they have their flaws, too, especially Emma’s brothers. She speaks her mind and keeps them all on their toes.

The way Nick took to marriage was beautiful. Being half in love with Emma for years, there was not a lot of convincing needed. Emma’s strength and Nick’s care for her make for a lovely HEA. This is such a great book and Janna MacGregor is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers.

I will say this is my favorite new book. The story is about Nicholas St. Mauer the reclusive Earl of Somerton feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham. Emma is trying to prove her friend Lena was killed by her husband and does not need a man. I really love Nicholas.

This book did not disappoint... I was drawn into the story of Nicholas and Emma. nicholas's past will have you feeling so heart broken for him. Then he meets headstrong Emma who slowly breaks through the wall he built around his heart. Great historical read!

This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed every minute of it. I really felt for Nick and Emma. They each had strong wills and things they believed in. It was great to see how they came together. They conquered so much.

Another good read that I throughly enjoyed.

The son of a cold-hearted duke, Nicholas St. Mauer isn’t one to involve himself in society…or open his own heart to anyone. But driven by honor, the reclusive Earl of Somerton feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham. She possesses a penchant for passions unbecoming a woman that finds Nick in constant peril of losing his well-structured solitude. She even dared kiss Nick once―an utterly unladylike, and delightful, lapse…

Emma can’t deny the appeal of the earl’s attention, and occasional affection, but she has no need for a man. There are worse fates than spinsterhood, as Emma knows too well. She still mourns the loss of her dear friend Lena, and is determined to prove Lena’s husband responsible for her death before he lures another innocent woman into a brutal marriage. But as Emma pursues her prey, a compromising moment upends all her plans. Now, with gossip swirling and her reputation in tatters, Nick may be the only man brave enough to join in Emma’s cause. . .and fight for her heart.

The Bride Who Got Lucky (The Cavensham Heiresses #2)
by Janna MacGregor
Anna Swedenmom's review Sep 05, 2017 · edit
it was amazing

BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BOOK!
Riveting, enthralling, sweet, funny, touching, ... it has it all!
This novel was one that has every single level you could desire in a great great book! From it touching every single one of my emotions to the way it caught held and captivated me in reading. I was touched by the way it portrayed a horrible side of even now domestic violence but still keeping the focus on important issues. From the start to the finish I was enthralled by the way the writer has of forming the movie pictures in my mind while reading. My heart was totally happy at the end and I will be rereading this book for another wonderful night of enjoyment. I will also keep my eyes on this author for more! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom

Nicolas and Emma are so beautiful together. Such a struggle to begin with for them but once they confess their love and old wounds heal it's amazing.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very well written and very entertaining. I loved the fact that Emma fought so hard to stay true to herself and prove that women do matter in a time that was not the case. I also loved that Nick finally opened his heart to someone else and realized that he was worth loving he just had to realize that he had to stop dwelling on his past! I'm glad he reconciled with his father too! Awesome book!

I found this book while poking around on netgalley. The cover caught my eye – the tealy blue green is lovely and made me giggle since it winds up being the heroine’s signature color. When I read the blurb, I realized it was the second book in Janna MacGregor’s Cavensham Heiresses series and I had liked the first book, so, I was entirely delighted to receive a copy of “The Bride Who Got Lucky” from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

And, honestly, as the four star rating indicates, I really liked it. While it took me nearly two weeks to hack my way through the first book’s 337 pages – read my review to find out why – I plowed through this book’s 368 pages in about a day and a half. And, I think it is because the quality of the writing, editing, and overall storytelling has greatly improved as the series continues. Really and truly, it is a much tighter story and I found Nick and Emma to be far more likable and relatable than Alex and Claire in the first book.

My biggest issues with the first book was the complexly of the story. The characters themselves were overly complex, the story was layered with plots, side plots, curses, and mysteries to solve, and the timeline and pacing seemed to be very stilted and uneven. I found my mind wandering while I was reading and never fully immersed in the story.

This book, however, seems to have streamlined itself nicely! There were no significant side plots to speak of, though maybe enough to make you wonder if March and McCalpin will feature in the next book? Or maybe Lady Daphne and Jonathan Sykeston? The curse and mystery was not a focus – thank you – and the story was really able to focus on the hero and heroine, Nick and Emma. Which is great, since I really liked them! The emotional journey that these two take you on is long and has plenty of ups and downs, but they are generally very sweet and I enjoyed them. I liked that Emma was so loyal to her family and friends. She was incredibly articulate and intelligent, almost anachronistic in her feminist thinking and conviction that women should be equals in relationships, commerce, and politics. She was a true bluestocking, not just in words, but in thoughts and actions – something you don’t often find in a romance novel. As for Nick, he was stalwart, focused, and driven. He was a gentleman and clung to his honor, making him very noble and easily likable. I admired his single minded determination to be successful and the way he was able recognize and eventually overcome his emotional turmoil.

However, I still have two issues with this book. The first was in Nick’s going to Portsmouth in the first place. It was blindingly obvious that it would place Nick and Emma in a compromising position and I think it would have been more in character for Nick to insist Alex and Claire went to find Emma while he covered with the rest of her family. While that would have removed a large portion of the plot, this sticks out as being against his character since he’s supposed to avoid even a whiff of marriage or scandals that would result in marriage. The other issue is that while the timeline is a lot smoother with the bulk of the book, Nick and Emma’s lack of self-awareness of their own feelings during the three years between the first book and the second seem a little farfetched. They have an existing rapport, shared 0ne passionate kiss, but are each so focused on their own lives that they don’t realize that they’ve been in love with each other all along? Especially when they both fixate and fantasize about that one kiss, to the exclusion of all others? I find that difficult to believe.

Overall, I think this was a fantastic second novel in a series that shows a lot of promise. I’m very glad that I read it and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

The Bride Who Got Lucky

What a great story! Janna MacGregor's second novel in the series is even better than the first. This story has both H/h being intelligent, strong and determined. Their developing love for each other was wonderfully written. Adding to the excitement is a mystery to solve. And the way Ms. MacGregor explored domestic violence and the overall treatment of women during the age is praiseworthy. Be prepared to be unable to put this novel down.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone .

Nicholas St. Mauer, Earl of Somerton , has few good friends in his life - having been cut off by his father in his teens for supporting a friend in debt , his heart has remained frozen , letting few people in - he cannot risk his feelings being destroyed again.
Lady Emma Cavensham is the daughter of a duke and believes woman should have the same rights as men. During this time, woman are treated like possessions and have to obey their husbands. She is determined that she would rather remain single than give up her independence to a man , much to the dismay of her family .
Emma has been in mourning ever since the death of her best friend , Lena, at the hands of her her cruel husband . She is determined that he be held to account , but finds her efforts land her in trouble . Nicholas comes to her aid and the couple soon find themselves compromised , the subject of rumours spread by the very man Emma is bound to bring to account .
Despite having to marry , Emma, finds that Nicholas is willing to support her vision for helping women maintain financial independence - thus showing her that not all men are alike .
Their growing love is put to the test when Lena's husband determines to marry again - a young woman with no knowledge of his violent nature .
Nicholas must trust in Emma's love if their marriage is to survive..........and put his past behind him
and let others into his heart .

This was a delightful read - allowing the reader to realise the pressures that Society placed on women of the time to conform to the Norms . It was a pleasure to meet a woman strong enough to allow love into her life whilst maintaining her principles .

This is the second book in the The Cavensham Heiresses series. I had absolutely loved both Somerton and Emma's characters in the first book and was waiting for their own story. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with both of their romance in the first half of the book. It seemed really contentious and their overtly strong personalities made them look incompatible for each other. It is only in the second half of the book that I actually started enjoying their romance and when both of them decide to compromise a little does the story move forward and get interesting. I would recommend to hang in there through the first part as you will really like Somerton and Emma's story by the end of the book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor is an exciting novel. This, historical romance is one of the most interesting novels I've read. The leading female protagonist is a true fighter for women. At first she dreamed of marriage, until other things like a friend falling into a bad marriage...left a sour taste for such dreams. Her new adventure is to create a bank that fianacea just for women by women. That was highly unusual for a historical tale. What a twist! I wasn't expecting that. Whether she succeeds or not in that endeavor is for readers to figure out on their own. I loved Emma. Her whole personality was bright like a star in a night's sky. Her gentleman was most intriguing to follow. He hid himself well, left me swooning, and kept me laughing throughout the book. Together they were a powerful match. Luck may just have arrived in time to save both from themselves. Change, love, danger, and new beginnings can be found on these pages. The Bride Who Got Lucky was a spectacular read. Overall, I highly recommend Janna MacGregor's writing to all. 4.5-stars

I really battled to put this book down. Emma and Nick were both wonderful characters, very well drawn and I could not wait to see them achieve their HEA. Loved it.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley.

Great book. This book had me laughing and crying both. Can't wait for another book from Janna!!

4.5 Stars! This is the 2nd book from this series but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I liked this book- a lot! Emma & I are a lot alike, so naturally, I loved her! Nick was a perfect match for Emma. I felt so bad for Nick when he was a kid/teen-I actually cried for him!! This book was very well written & Emma & Nicks story was very entertaining! There is a lot going on in this book but it all went together nicely & it didn't feel like too much was happening. I got annoyed with this book, with how the women were treated back than-so glad I live in this century & that women are now, almost, considered equal to men & not treated only as possessions!! When a book gets me into ranting at my family about how unfair 'this' is or how stupid 'that' was, than you know it was a great book! Janna MacGregor is a truly gifted author & I definitely recommend this book!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*