I liked this book a lot, really! Michael and March had their lot of problems before having their happy ending and till the last moment I was wondering if there were going to be an Happy ending at all. They are both fierce characters and their is not an easy story. I loved it!

Questo libro mi é piaciuto proprio tanto! Michael e March hanno piú della loro quota di problemi prima di arrivare al lieto fine, e per tutto il libro non mi sembrava affatto che fosse garantito, anzi! Inoltre sono due personaggi molto fieri e non hanno una vita facile, il che é stato un altro punto a favore del libro!

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

The Luck of the Bride is the third book in Janna MacGregor’s The Cavensham Heiresses series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because I’ve read the other two books in the series, and I was looking forward to finding out what happens next in the series.

I usually point out that entries in a historical romance series function well as standalones and readers don’t have to read the earlier books before the current book. That is certainly true with The Luck of the Bride- however, given that the hero and heroine both appear in earlier books, one gains a fuller appreciation for the pairing by reading the earlier books.

March Lawson has been taking care of her three siblings for almost a decade, with very little help from their guardians. March has taken upon herself to procure the money they need to buy food and maintain the estate by forging the signature of the Marquess of McCalpin. She knows that it’s wrong, but she is only taking money out of Lawson accounts. She can’t access the money herself because she is a woman, and her brother- Viscount Lawson- can’t access the money either because he’s a child.

When McCalpin learns about this, he is surprised- mostly because he didn’t realize that he was their guardian. McCalpin arrives at the Lawson estate convinced that there is some sort of treachery afoot, but he is horrified at the abject poverty that March and her siblings have been living in. He steps in right away to offer whatever assistance he needs. This gives him the opportunity to further his acquaintanceship with March, and they realize that there is a mutual attraction.

This was a charming and sweet book, with just the right amount of angst. March and McCalpin were perfect for each other. At the risk of giving too much away, I will hint that March excels and something that McCalpin struggles with, and I thought that this was an interesting dynamic, especially considering stereotypes surrounding this skill. After being introduced to March in the second book, and seeing McCalpin in both of the previous books, it’s nice to see them paired up!

I would absolutely recommend The Luck of the Bride. As I’ve mentioned, read the other books in the series first- they’re worth it! This book is a nice blend of sweet, with just the right amount of angst. The conflict develops late in the story, but it was quite a nail-biter! MacGregor truly excels with her characterization, and I enjoyed her secondary characters quite a bit. Bennett, the young viscount, was especially delightful! There are supposed to be two more books in The Cavensham Heiresses trilogy, and I can’t wait to read them!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book.

March Lawson is an orphan. She has been left to care for her siblings for longer than any young woman should have to on her own. What choice does she have though? Those left to take care of the estate and family trusts don't provide the necessary funds to allow this family to live comfortably. So, when a new estate manager is given she takes matters into her own hands.
March and Marquis McCalpin both have secrets, but will those secrets matter? Will it cost her, him or both everything they hold close?
Janna wrote a very attention catching novel about love, loss, family and the lengths someone will go to to provide and survive when times are drastic.

I really liked the first two books in this series, so it was a nice surprise to be chosen to review this latest installment through Netgalley. I enjoyed meeting March Lawson, the novel's heroine, in a previous book, and have been looking forward to reading her story ever since. March is a really admirable character, despite the questionable legality of some of her choices, because her actions are motivated by such deep love for her family. There aren't very many 17-year-old girls who could (or would) step up and raise their younger siblings as she did! Granted, she was probably more mature than the average modern 17-year-old, but it was still a huge challenge, and March faced it head on despite the personal sacrifices looking after her siblings required.

McCalpin was also a very interesting character, mainly because of his learning disability. It's pretty amazing that he was able to keep it hidden for so long during his education, but as he himself noted, it helped to be a duke's heir because it allowed him to get away with a lot of things other boys couldn't. His brother Will's help was also required, and is another great example of the power of fraternal love in this story. (Sidenote: I really hope Will is going to get a story of his own!) I think McCalpin's strong family ties made it easier for him to understand (and forgive) March's actions.

At any rate, this was a great read, and it does stand well on its own (though if you haven't read the first two books in the series yet, you will probably want to do so after catching up with some of those characters in this installment!). I look forward to the next book in the series.

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! March was such a wonderful character, devoted, loyal, strong, smart and feisty! This is a wonderful love story, mixed with scandal, a bit of a mystery, and family secrets and shame. The passion leaps off the page and into the hearts of readers! I’d forgotten how much I love historical romance, and this book makes me want to go back and read more!

A good Regency romance.
Like the story and characters.
An interesting story with strong characters and romance.
Enjoyed reading.

I love when you have a heroine who is willing to give everything she has to her younger siblings. That was exactly what we got with this one. March has been scrapping by to raise her younger sister and brother. She went to great lengths to ensure their survival, even fighting a Marquess for what was rightfully her family's.

Michael and March's friendship was refreshing and I loved the angst and drama as they figured out how to make their relationship work.

This was a FANTASTIC book. I loved all of the characters and the story line was wonderful to read. This book took you on a journey and had you smiling once that you were completed with it. Can't wait to read more from this author.

This was a new author for me and I enjoyed her writing style very much. I am interested in reading some of her other books. There were a couple of areas where the story was not explained as well as I would have liked but I took it in stride. All and all it was a good story and worked as a stand alone novel. I will definitely check out the rest of the series.

In this Regency romance, March Lawson is an orphan that has struggled for eight years to raise her siblings on a meager allowance. Instead of picking out ball gowns for the upcoming season as most young women, March’s focus is not on finding a husband. She must devote her energies to the one cold hearted man who refuses to release her inheritance. Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin, is not a heartless man. What will he do when he learns that Miss Lawson has been forging his name to procure funds? Will he have her arrested? When he finds the bold-faced embezzler enchantingly beautiful, McCalpin agrees to visit her home to assess the situation more closely. March has no choice but to accept, but how can she manage the handsome trustee who controls her purse strings? He tugs at her heart strings as well. Can she find love with the dashing Duke-to-be?

It was very hard to put this book down once I started reading it. At the tender age of 16 March Lawson finds herself in charge of her two younger sisters and her one year old brother. Her parents have died from influenza. Trusts were set up to aid the family but unfortunately the trustee is disinterested at best. When he dies she writes the successor trustee, McCalpin, for financial help. His answer is to direct further inquiries to his staff. Desperate she starts signing his name to letters directing her bank to release small amounts of funds from her own trust. McCalpin is informed of possible embezzlement and directs that March be sent for. Upon meeting her he resolves to get to the truth and help this family. Of course nothing goes smoothly. She has secrets. He has secrets. She is terrified her nasty cousin will manage to marry her youngest sister and take over the estate. Needless to say both have wonderful supportive families to help when things blow up. This was a very enjoyable read.

This book was an excellent read. I couldn't put it down. March has been raising her 3 younger siblings for years since her parents died from influenza. She is struggling to make ends meet, so she decides to "embezzle" funds from her trust that is being handled by Michael, the Marquess of McCalpin, by forging his signature & using his seal that she had replicated. The amounts were only enough to cover household expenses & technically from her money, but the Marquess finds out about it. She explains herself & he takes over guardianship of her & her family. They move to London into his parents house, the Duke & Duchess, so her sisters can have their season & her brother can be tutored on how to become the next Viscount. There are many twists & turns throughout this story because of her cousin, Rupert, who wants to marry one of her sisters & take over the family's household. I highly recommend reading this book to see what happens with March & Michael, & what happens with the siblings.

March Lawson, after the death of her mother, has had little to no luck especially after making a promise to keep her siblings together and care for them no matter what. And March has done that, but lately it seems the estate funds she was supposed to be getting were not forthcoming. As a result, she had - out of necessity - turned to forging the signature of the Marquess of McCalpin who was supposed to have taken over the guardianship of the Lawson family. The thing of it was - there was money. Three generous dowries had been set up for the girls including March; so in her mind - March was only ‘borrowing from her own money’.

Alas, one of the Marquess’ accountants noticed right away that the sums requested had been increasing and this latest one was a dead giveaway that something wasn’t right. March was summoned to com and explain to Michael Cavensham, the Marquess himself why his signature was so perfectly drawn and why sums of money were being deposited in her account.


*** What a delightful story as well as realistic. You have to love March for taking the bull by the horns and working out ways to keep the Lawson siblings from near starvation. [Not counting the great hunter Max who helped fill the larder - but you’ll have to discover that one by reading the book yourself!]. No spoilers here.

I loved the fact that Michael had a secret that would have truly destroyed his self image should it become common knowledge. But the one person he did trust was March and the more he came to know and admire her he began to see just how valuable a helpmate she would be as a wife.

The romance built itself slowly and March’s cousin Rupert was a real toad who was foiled in the end as he tried his best to torpedo March’s chance at happiness.

Bottom line: Loved this book and all the characters, except of course, creepy cousin Rupert!

Marilyn Rondeau

Great book regency romance that starts out with a family in poverty on the brink of starvation until one of its members embezzles money from the wrong person or is he the right one lol no spoilers here you will have to read it for yourself to see

A delectable Regency romance in which an orphaned eighteen year old devotes her life to raising her two younger sisters and baby brother. Is forging a signature such a bad thing when you are trying acquire your own inheritance to feed your siblings? A delightful page-turner with twists and turns to keep you interested.

I got a copy of this due to interest from the synopsis. I definitely had it's issues and aspects I didn't enjoy reading. The main male character of this novel was written kind of messily and his brother was rather awful. I definitely wanted to like this more than I actually did.

Janna MacGregor continues her Cavensham Heiresses series with The Luck of the Bride. Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin and ducal heir, is the trustee of the funds set aside for the Lawson sisters. The Lawson sisters, along with their younger brother were left orphans eight years earlier upon the death of their parents. McCalpin is informed that the eldest Lawson sister, March, has been forging his name to secure funds. He knows that he must step-up and look into just what is going on with the Lawsons. In the meantime, March Lawson has been struggling for the past eight years leading her siblings through lean times and has become desperate. The funds due to her on her twenty-fifth birthday from her father's estate have not been dispursed to her by the trustee. After trying to contact the trustee with no response she resorts to procuring the funds by the means at hand. McCalpin insists on addressing this issue with March Lawson and visits her home. Thus the path to finding true love begins.

The author has a wonderful ability to make her characters come to life on the pages of her story. She draws the reader into their lives, emotions and passions. March Lawson is depicted as a brave, strong, loving lady. Addressing all the troubles facing her family, she strides forward each day to protect her siblings and provide for them as best she can. She has put her feelings and her life on hold until McCalpin enters the picture. Upon meeting March Lawson McCalpin is enchanted with this lovely lady. He can't have her arrested for her misdeeds and decides to help the family. Janna McGregor has painted a picture of McCalpin as a fair man who believes in doing the right thing.

The Luck of the Bride is an engaging read with wonderful glimpses of London and the fickleness of society of the time. This story has fun interactions amongst the characters with witty dialogue and some poignant moments. I really enjoyed the meeting of March Lawson and her "David," the Marquess of McCalpin, and the delightful road to their HEA.

Thanks to Netgalley for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was full of drama. Drama, drama but I loved every minute of it. It's hard to give a review without giving away the plot. So I will say I was an emotional mess tears were shed with this book. Marsh went though a lot in 8 years. So Good. I'll go 4 stars.

*Side note. I love her little brother and his hate for Ham and Beans

I love Janna MacGregor, but I did not love this book. It started off really well. I love the heroine and did right up until the very end. She was strong, fought for her family's safety and future, and she stood toe-to-toe with those who would intimidate her. HOWEVER, the hero killed the story dead. His hot and cold attitude towards March was just plain weird. He would be really kind and gentle and sweet, and then his internal dialogue continued to think the worst of her. He didn't trust her at all, even when she had a perfectly legitimate reason why she forged her signature. He and his family acted like she stole from HIM. Now, I understand that in that time period, the man held all power over her money, but to treat her like a thief when the money was literally there for her was just too much. He and his brother kept calling her an embezzler, to her face, even though they knew she was just trying to keep her family alive. I was absolutely disgusted by the hero's brother, who I am scared to think will actually get his own book. He doesn't deserve one, frankly. For two men to have such little compassion towards a woman completely dependent on them was just awful. And for the hero to, in the end, assume that March would lie and steal from him again, despite her telling him she didn't....I was done at that point. When he finally realized he was wrong and came crawling back, March should have let him keep crawling.

The heroine of this novel, March Lawson, is unbelievably strong and honorable. Her parents die suddenly when she’s only 16 years old. She puts her dreams of a Season and marriage on the shelf and devotes herself to raising her two younger sisters and baby brother. Apparently, her parents left her and her siblings in a terrible situation with guardians who don’t pay any attention to them. The book puts forth the idea that there would be two guardians - a personal guardian and a financial guardian. I’ve never heard of that in Regency romances, but perhaps it was something that existed. The financial guardian was, apparently, mentally impaired and never gave them money and care. He died and the new financial guardian is Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin who has never visited them or responded to her letters. Their financial system is dire so March has taken to forging McCalpin’s signature to release money from her own dowry in order to pay for upkeep on her family’s estate and keep them from starving.

She finally meets Michael and he feels terribly guilty for how he had ignored his responsibilities. He’s hiding his own secret - that he has some sort of math learning disability and can’t do anything when numbers are involved. Instead, he depends on his younger brother who is very protective of him. It looks like all of the Lawsons’ problems are solved as he brings them to town and they get put under the protection of Michael’s parents, the kindly Duke and Duchess of Langham. They’re introduced into society; her sisters find admirable suitors, and Michael starts falling for March.
H
Complications and misunderstandings ensue. March becomes even more noble and willing to sacrifice her own happiness yet again for her siblings. Michael is a bit of a dunderhead, but we know that it will work out.

I enjoyed having such a strong and noble heroine. She’s also truly smart and just as gifted in math as Michael is disabled. In fact, Michael never seems really worthy of such a strong match, but he’s handsome, kind, smart (in all fields except math), as well as the wealth heir to a duchy.

I did have a few problems with the overall plot. March’s little brother is a viscount. Her father was, apparently, a well-respected and well-connected diplomat in the foreign service. Does no one care that these children are left alone without an adult stepping in to take care of them? Also, they are, seemingly, living just a few hour’s ride from London. We know that because, early in the book, March travels up there and arrives that same afternoon to see the Marquess. Why, in face of all the financial problems they’d been having because the money for the estate hadn’t been released and the desperation that she felt, had she not tried calling on the Marquess earlier? Why did she decide to forge his signature to remove money from her own dowry instead of traveling up there to confront him about the state of poverty that she and her siblings were living in? It seemed like just a simplification to have her live in such easy transit from London so she could go up there for the crucial meeting scene in the beginning but it did present the question as to why she hadn’t done that earlier. She has a friend of the family, an assistant to her father, but he never seems to do anything to help them except appear at convenient times to be sympathetic.

I still enjoyed the book even though parts of the plot seemed overly contrived at times.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review