I have not read the earlier books in the series YET, but intend to, so read this one as a stand alone. Life has not bee n easy for MarchLawson, daughter of a viscount. At the age of 16, dreaming about her upcoming season, her dreams were shattered. Her mother came down with the flu, her father sent her and her younger siblings away from Lawson Court for their protection. However, shortly after her mother succumbed to the disease, so did her father. Now she is responsible for her 1-year old baby brother, and 2 sisters, ages 10 and 11. Hart Pennington, the Viscount's personal assistant and secretary, stays to help them. While their father had set up guardians and trusts, the elder guardian forgot about his responsibilities and his solicitors ignored March's letters asking for funds. By the time she had run out of savings the guardian had died to be replaced Lord McCalpin, who was already over his head in responsibilities. When she didn't hear from him she took matters into her own hands and forged his signature and seal to transfer monies from her trust to her bank account, so they wouldn't starve.

Michael Cavensham, the Marquis of McCalpin and heir to the Duke of Langham suffers from Dyscalculia, which he keeps as his dirty little secret, know only to his brother William. He thinks himself an idiot with numbers, though very accomplished in logic, literature history, languages ...etc. When William discovers the deception, March is ordered to London. When she first see him, she thinks of him as Michelangelo's David. He is ashamed that he has ignored their plight and goes to Lawson Court to see if the situation is as dire as she described. He finds that it is worse and beings them all to London to stay at his parent's home, where the duchess decides she is going to sponsor the girls for their season. The Duke and Duchess are delighted to have them in their home, but there is a snake hiding in this paradise. Michael is enchanted with March and she falls in love with him, but the villains have their own plans for March and her siblings. Will Michael be strong enough to protect March as he has promised, trust in her and not believe the lies or will he lose her as she makes her own sad plains to protect the ones she loves?

This is a beautifully written book, with appealing characters and an intriguing plot. The love between siblings and parents, is not often found in this genre. I look for forward to reading the previous 2 books and any future ones.

I read an uncorrected ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

I have never read a Janna MacGregor novel before this one and believe I will read more in the future. I enjoyed her writing style and I really liked the hero and heroine until the end anyway. I knocked off a star because the ending was a slam-bam no thank you, ma'am. There was a great deal of tension throughout this book and a few parts actually brought tears to my eyes until about the last 20% or so. I overall like the book a great deal and my reasons for my dislike at the end will not stop me from reading another of her novels. The following has some spoilers, so you have been warned... I can understand why the author went the way she did considering Michael's affliction, however, for someone who cared for the heroine so much, he was flat out cruel and horrible and did a complete about-face in the time of a short meeting. And then when proof was found and Michael raced to show her, March forgave him immediately and they were married the next day. It was ridiculous and after March was so strong she seemed more like a doormat. It just seemed like someone said the book was too long, so necessary chunks, at the end, were cut. I will try another and hope for a better conclusion. I also think the cousin's hatred (esp. toward March) was never really explained.

Summary:

March has taken care of her family- two sisters and a brother- since her parents passed. Over the years, as the money from her guardians dwindled further and further, she has had to…. get creative. Facing destitution and up against an unwanted suitor for her sister’s hand she takes matters (and her guardian’s seal) into her own hands.

Michael Cavensham has a secret. He can’t figure out numbers. If anyone ever found out, he’d disgrace his family and title. When he finds out what March has done he’s furious… until he meets her. Intriguing and completely loyal, she isn’t like anyone he’s ever known. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a wiz at math. But can he truly trust her? As outside influences try to tear them down their bond will be tested.

My thoughts:

This is the book I needed. I loved the play between March and her family, and the obvious love and loyalty between Michael and his. The strength of both of these characters was incredible. Each character is well developed and interesting, and I will be looking into the rest of the series because I am not at all ready to let these characters go. This book gave me all the things I love in a good romance: well developed characters, great dialogue, a fairly smooth plot, and a type of world building that has more to do with families and friends.

I will admit the “evil suitor” gets played a lot. I don’t even read that many historical romances and it still makes me cringe because it’s been done (and done, and done…). This one, though, was a bit different- just enough. First that he wasn’t interested in March and second because of the pain the wanted to cause her other sister and brother.

All in all, this is a five star book for me. I highly recommend it. normal star ratingnormal star ratingnormal star ratingnormal star ratingnormal star rating

On the adult content scale, there’s some language and sexual content- fairly explicit, but there is still more plot than sex. I give it a seven. mature audience.

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.

At sixteen years old March Lawson lost her parents to influenza. Weeks before her seventeenth birthday and her first season March has to forego all of this in order to step up and take care of her family until her brother comes of age.

Eight years later and the Lawson family is struggling. The monies have quickly run out, so March has been posing as the Marquess of McCalpin (at least in signature) in order to get funds diverted from her trust account into the spending account. When McCalpin, aka Michael Cavensham, discovers the embezzlement, his own closely guarded secrets keep him from exposing March. A secret that could easily come out if March's crimes are pursued too closely, a secret that could mean societal consequences for his family. He's willing to forgive and forget as long as she agrees to stop with the charade, and Michael agrees to take guardianship over the Lawson household.

As March and Michael start working together to bring the Lawson household up to snuff, their feelings for one another begin to grow. Not ready fully admit his feelings, he does acknowledge that March would make the perfect Marchioness, and March, always thinking of her siblings first, admits that she wants to be with Michael too for herself and no one else. That is, if March's seemingly bad luck doesn't get in the way of their happiness first.

March was a standout secondary character for me in the previous book The Bride Who Got Lucky, but I'll admit the tough times we glimpsed in that previous book were only the tip of the iceberg as far as everything March has had to deal with since the death of her parents.

This was quite the emotional roller coaster for March and, as a reader, I felt like I was right there with her through the whole thing. I felt the frustrations as no one would listen to the plight of the Lawson children, and I felt the irritation when those of higher rank, and those who have never had to worry about where money for food would come from, looked down upon her actions of taking money (from her own account mind you) in order to take care of her family. I could probably fill my whole review with my frustrations on the way people treated March and her brother and sisters. But, in that, I think is Janna MacGregor's intent. We see the struggle, which makes the reward all the sweeter in the end.

I loved the relationship between the Lawson siblings. They, if no one else, knows the sacrifices that March has made for them, and continues to make for them in order, for her sisters, to secure good marriages, and her brother, so he can grow up a Lord who knows how to run his household and the land. Just when you think the worst has happened for March another surprise comes along to throw everything off. But never does it seem like Janna MacGregor has gone too far or filled March's life with too much blight. Everything that happens seems like plausible natural progression given the events of the story.

I loved that Michael wasn't really prepared for March. She's different than all the other ladies garnering for his attention, hoping to become his Marchioness. March could honestly care less about titles, and the only reason she's preoccupied with money is because, unfortunately, there's very little that can be done without money. Although March is very good with numbers and figures and tries to barter her bookkeeping services. Which puts her directly at opposites with Michael, who secretly has a learning disability when it comes to numbers and figures. I guess, in reality, it makes them the perfect pairing. They fit into each others's weaker spots and make each other stronger for it. Even though March views herself as "less than" compared to the society ladies who don't have to work with their hands to ensure survival, Michael never lets her think those thoughts for long. Her somewhat precarious station is never a factor for him in terms of how he views her for marriage. What gets in Michael's way is what he would call his "short-comings". He's been hiding them his whole life.

I think this book has been my favorite in the series so far. I would love for March's sisters to get their own book(s), or if not (since this is the Cavensham series after all), I hope we get a little follow up info on them in subsequent books because they too have had to struggle and I'd love to see them get their happily ever afters.

It looks like youngest brother, Will Cavensham, should be next in line for a book. He didn't come across great in this one (although he had reasons), but being the opposition to Michael and March made him a bit of a standout, so I look forward to seeing how his story plays out.

The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor is the third book in a series called the Cavensham Heiresses. I picked up this book not realizing that the book was part of a series. I found the book quite interesting and did not feel any problems due to reading a book without reading the prior books.

Marsh Lawson, the oldest child of a close family, suddenly became the head of the family with her younger sisters and brother. She managed for over a half dozen years, no matter the difficulty with managing and making ends meet. Marsh has been signing documents with the name of the Marquess of McCalpin to help maintain food and proper clothing for her siblings. After all, the man was supposed to be taking care of them until her brother reached his majority and he was not doing his job and she was only taking money from her dowry.

The Marquess of McCalpin was notified that someone was taking money from the accounts, he was supposed to watch over. Michael Cavensham did not keep the accounts himself but had “men” who took care of those things. However, once apprised of the situation, he informed Marsh that any further withdrawals even from her account were unacceptable and sent her on her way, without even listening to her.

The fear, Michael felt that someone would find out his secret. The desperation, Marsh felt for her family and the fear that can with that would push her toward Michael helping them. The secret and other interesting supposed truths would cause the situation to spiral out of control. Was Marsh really the imposter some said, or was someone setting her up to hide the theft of larger amounts of money.

I enjoyed The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor. The twists of the plots were interesting as were the characters. The safety of younger siblings made the story more emotionally stirring. Michael’s secret grew in complexity in his mind. He worked so hard to keep it that he missed how his family cared for him and probably wouldn’t care.

The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor was a good read.

This book has a lot to offer. March Lawson and her family are a gutsy, heart-warming quartet. The Cavensham family is a welcoming and warming crowd who embrace the Lawsons. Michael Cavensham is, on the whole, a likable fellow, with an embarrassing secret. My only quibble is with Michael’s willingness to accuse March of crimes that he knows she is unlikely to have committed. I liked this book better up until the crisis, when I found myself disappointed in the hero.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I read the previous 2 books and reviewed on this site so I wanted to read this one as well. I'm glad I got to read March's story, I really looked forward to hearing more about her after reading the last book in the series. That being said, I was a tad disappointed. Overall the book was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it but there was a lot about this book that didn't necessarily appeal to me. Michael's character itself didn't really connect with me and I personally didn't feel a lot of tension developed between the two main characters. And at the climax of the story, I was really hurt that Michael didn't believe March after all he knew about her. The whole story line was a little sad but March's devotion to her siblings was amazing, and her brother was adorable. Overall I liked the book ok even though I couldn't connect with some pieces of it. I would still recommend giving it a try, especially as part of the series overall.

Who doesn't love a female who takes care of her family. She never let's life get her down. What a great story!

Ms. McGRegor keeps writing books that will draw the reader in. She has great
characters that have secrets, who will find their way with the love they find with each other.
March is left caring for her siblings with no funds being provided from those who have been left to care for the family and the estate. She has had enough and decides to take matters into her own hands. Michael finds out March is forging his name and decides to pay her a visit to look into the families situation to find out the reason that would cause her to sign his name.
Ms. McGRegor writes a great story showing the lengths people will go to save their family.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review

This series just continues to get better and better. The third book in the series, The Luck of the Bride, had me in tears by the end.

Since the death of her parents, March Lawson has cared for her two younger sisters and brother. Unfortunately, requests for funds have been steadily ignored in the past eight years, and March has been forced to forge a letter from the Marquess of McCalpin (Michael) to access the funds left to her by her parents for her dowry. When Michael Cavensham realises that his signature is being forged, he is determined to resolve the issue but finds himself captivated by March.
However, Michael has a secret which only his brother, William, is aware of and fears that his involvement with March, will mean that he has to reveal his secret to her and face her rejection.
The relationship between March and Michael was beautifully explored. Their chemistry leapt off the pages and whilst they disagree on several issues, the respect that they felt for each other, was evident from the start. I particularly enjoyed March’s brother Bennett and his relationship with Michael and the Cavendsham’s and I so look forward to seeing how he progresses in the next few years.
This has been my favourite book so far but they are all so wonderfully written, that if you haven’t read them, you need to do so after finishing The Luck of the Bride!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

March Lawson has shouldered more than her share of burdens, trying to keep things going for her and her three siblings since their parents died. Unable to contact the guardian whose responsibility it was to oversee the funds of the estate, she has had to resort to desperate measures, just to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Michael Cavensham has inherited the guardianship of the Lawsons from his uncle, so, when he finds out someone has been taking money from the estate, he is determined to find who is responsible. What he finds instead is a struggling orphan family, in need of help. In addition, Michael realizes he is smitten with March Lawson and must thus reconcile his feelings with what he knows is the right thing to do.

I enjoyed reading this book. Though it is part of a series, it is a solid stand-alone book, and the author has managed well to integrate any necessary back story well. I liked March because she came across as a hard worker, realized and accepted her responsibilities and creatively managed to take care of things. However, I never did understand how Michael never go the missives March sent to his uncle about their situation. In addition, I could not understand Michael’s brother, who did everything possible to thwart Michael’s and March’s relationship. Yes, he wanted to protect Michael, but this relationship was not going to damage/hurt Michael, and, besides, Michael was old enough to live his own life. The book flowed well, but, in the last third, so much happened so fast that I wondered why the author had not spread things out a bit more throughout the book rather than cram it in to the last sections. This is a good historical romance, but one that is not as light as you might think. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

It's 1:30 in the morning, my eyes are red & my nose running. I've cried through 90% of this touching tale. I couldn't stop until I'd reached the happy ending. March & her Michael have such a long hard battle to reach happily ever after. I hate to give too much away but each is flawed & desperate in their own way & perfect for each other. It's a story of loyalty to family & friends. Of doing any & everything to keep loved ones together. Of believing the worst & fighting to believe the best in yourself is true. Do yourself a favor & get your hands on this book. Read & keep a box of tissue close at hand. I'm so happy that an arc was sent my way, I might have missed this wonderful journey otherwise.

DNF at 20%. Thank you to the Publisher for the review copy.

The Luck of the Bride (The Cavensham Heiresses #3) by Janna MacGregor This is the first book that I have read by Janna MacGregor and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hated to put it down... Thanks to #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. I must say I will now have to go back and reach the first two. March and Michael(David) are a perfect match... So many twists and turns...laughs...tears...I love both families March's and Michael's ...and there is a villain we all can love to hate....loved the cat and the rabbit... and yes we get to a HEA.

The story had strong characters and an entertaining plot. It had tense moments when he accuses her of embezzling more money and their fights after that were rough to witness, but it did make for a page turner.  I do think she forgave him a bit too quickly, especially with all of the things he accused her of, but other than that, the conclusion was enjoyable. I’m glad she got a happily ever after being she was the most selfless person in the story who never thought about her wants or needs; she deserved some happiness.  I really liked the role the Duke and Duchess played in getting them back together in the end; it reminded me a lot of Grace Burrowes’ Duke and Duchess from the Windham series, but in a more subtle way.  Their story was entertaining and well developed.  The cousin was a horridly perfect antagonist and the scene at the ball was terribly dramatic and added to the overall great story line. Overall, an enjoyable historical romance with characters you come to love and an entertaining story from start to finish.

4.5 Stars!

The Luck of the Bride was an excellent read with a wonderful romance and characters that pulled me in from the start.

In the eight years since her parents died, March Lawson has dedicated herself to ensuring her three younger siblings have a good life. This is made difficult by the fact the person in charge of her family's trust, the Marquess of McCalpin, has been ignoring her requests for funds. In an act of desperation, March forges a letter posing as the Marquess in order to secure the release of funds she desperately needs to take care of her family. When March is summoned to London by the Marquess, she's sure she's been found out. Michael Cavensham is determined to find out who has been forging his signature, but never expected to fall for the woman. When scandal touches March, Michael will have to determine how far he's willing to go for the woman he loves.

March has spent the last eight years focusing all of her energy on raising her siblings that she has a tendency to neglect herself. She's completely selfless and I admired how much she was willing to sacrifice to give her siblings a good life. March is an incredibly strong woman and is quite clever when it comes to finding ways to keep everything going. She has a head for figures and earns money helping local businesses with their books.

Michael is very close to his family and is closest with his brother William. As the heir to the Duke of Langham, Michael is expected to take a place in the House of Commons, something he doesn't wish to do. Michael fills his time with the usual pursuits of a man of his station and spends most of his time managing his estates. Michael has a secret he's kept hidden since his childhood that he worries will effect his ability to carry out his duties as Duke.

March and Michael don't exactly see eye to eye when they first meet as he believes her a thief and she believes him to have neglected his duties as manager of her family's trust. Michael has a tendency to raise March's ire and the two get into some spirited conversations that were a delight to read. Slowly March and Michael begin to trust one another and start to confide in each other. The two have great chemistry and the physical scenes between them are incredibly sexy and well done. There was one aspect to their relationship that kept this book from being a full five stars for me. A series of events unfold that are meant to cause Michael to doubt March and I didn't like how easily he was swayed to distrust her. Thankfully it doesn't take too long for things to get back on track, but I was a bit frustrated by what happened.

In The Luck of the Bride we see the return of the couples from the first two books in the series. It was wonderful seeing them all again and I enjoyed the scenes where they spent time with the new main characters. Emma's friendship with March was wonderful and I enjoyed how Emma become a champion for March. March's siblings Julie, Faith, and Bennett were an absolute delight and I loved how close the siblings were. There is a plot line involving the Lawson's cousin Rupert causing scandal for March and I have to say the author does a great job making him someone you can hate.

The Luck of the Bride is my favorite book in the series thus far and I'm looking forward to the next book, The Good, the Bad, and the Duke, releasing later this year. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a new historical romance series to check out.

After having read the first book in this series and really not liking it and skipping the second book, I went out on a limb and thought the synopsis for this book sounded intriguing so I wanted to read it. Maybe the first book was a fluke. This book was definitely no more than a 3-star read through about 80% of the book. Not that it is a bad thing, it is just not what I want to read in a book. The writing is very good even though there are a lot of flowery sentences but it is just a lot of observations of day to day life for the two main characters. There is no real conflict. Then we get to 80% and the good stuff starts to happen. I cried for the last 20% of this story. It was sad crying and happy crying. I started to really like March. I loved Michael throughout the story. He steals every scene that he is in. He is kind, considerate, and loving. I am glad I read this book.

I truly enjoyed this Regency romance ! As I read other reviews I see that this is the 3rd book in a series by this author so I can honestly say that this is also a good stand-alone read. Since I usually love series books...I know I will be looking into getting the first two! The lead characters in this book, March and Michael, had the storyline that we all love in Regency romances. The author describes the characters in great detail and gives the reader the opportunity to get to know them and to fall in love along with them as a couple. I also enjoyed the involvement of both families....especially March’s young brother Bennett.....who the author has given quite a personality for a young boy facing a future of responsibility. For lovers of Regency...this is a must-read...thoroughly enjoyable and the type of book/storyline that pulls you right into the story.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and am writing this review as with honest comments for my opinion of this book.

The Luck of the Bride is the third installment of Janna MacGregor's Cavensham Heiresses series. This stand-alone historical romance is everything I want in a historical romance from it's caring heroine to the plot that tugs on the heartstrings!

March Lawson has been struggling to care for her three younger siblings since the death of their parents. Though their father put provisions in place so that they, and their estate, would be taken care of, March's requests for more money go unanswered. She's left with no choice but to steal from her own inheritance! Her actions come to light by the Marquess of McCalpin, but instead of whisking her off to jail, he steps in as guardian for her family. Settled in the home of the McCalpin's parents, the Lawsons finally experience the life they were meant to have: balls, courtship, and for young Bennett, learning how to be head of the family.

The Marquess might become the Lawson's savior, but he is far from perfect. This is one reason why I loved their romance so much. Both Michael and March have insecurities, but I liked that Michael wasn't cast as some perfect hero who swoops in and saves the heroine and makes no mistakes along the way. He's flawed and believes his flaws make him a failure, but with an ability that he lacks March could help him manage his duchy. March's embezzling causes many obstacles throughout the story resulting in heartbreak and tears for days. I literally could not get through this story without crying. It was made to make even the most well-read romantic feel the tender emotions coursing through the plot.

Janna MacGregor exposes her characters' vulnerabilities and makes you fall in love with them as they fall in love with each other. The Luck of the Bride is the kind of story that reminds me why I'm constantly reading. I'm on the search for the stories I can always come back to when I'm in a reading rut and need something refreshing and familiar. This one definitely goes on the list! I highly recommend for historical romance fans of Maya Banks, Suzanne Enoch, and Valerie Bowman!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I absolutely LOVED March and Michael's story!!

March is struggling to feed her family and when her letters for more money go unanswered, she takes matters into her own hands <spoiler>She signs some papers with the Marquess name to get her dowry money</spoiler>. When she is called to task for her actions, she meets the Marquess of McAlpin who is NOT happy with what she has done. Hearing why she did what she did, he decides to investigate further. Upon seeing the way March and her siblings have been living, he immediately makes plans to get them money and to move them to London so that March's sister can have their coming out.

Of course there is always interference, and in this case, it is Michael's parents. His mother has invited March and her siblings to stay with them for the season. Michael now feels responsible for the family and he and March start to spend quite a bit of time together. Of course, other start to interfere...can these two find their HEA??

I really enjoyed this story. March had worked so hard to support her family and with one act, all of that could be taken from her. I will say that part of the ending, didn't set that well with me. But I won't say more...

I'm very excited to read the next book in the series which will be out in December.