The Luck of the Bride is a continuation of the Cavensham Heiresses series.  Michael Cavensham, Marquess of McCalpin, is in line for romance with March Lawson.  March has been forging his signature in order to keep her family and estate from falling apart in their poverty.  Through a series of odd situations, McCalpin has been tasked with overseeing her family and her dowry.  Yet, he is not quite sure what is going on.  

Michael struggles with numbers and math.  Math is March’s gift.  Her family is mathematical, too, as evidenced by the decorations in their townhouse and estate home.  While, Michael tries to keep secret his difficulty with numbers.  His brother William aides him in doing so.

There are major trust and communication issues between our sweet couple.  William’s lack of trust in March affected Michael, too.  It takes a bit to figure out all that is going on since more than just March is forging McCalpin’s signature to steal funds.

It is always great to get to read about characters from former books and to see how their lives are progressing.  I loved March’s family and their love and loyalty.  The relationship that built between Bennett and the Duke is precious.

I felt as though I was being lectured when the issue of Hart’s sexuality came up.  I had come to really enjoy Ms. MacGregor’s books and the Cavensham family in particular.  This particular path in her book leaves me wondering why LGBTQ issues are a major point.  Although not the sexual orientation of a major character, it plays a major role in the book. Why?  I believe that any time there is a sexual orientation other than male-female that should be indicated in the synopsis to allow the reader the option of selecting the book or not.  There is no need to add a soap box on public issues to a male-female romance.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book three in the Cavensham Heiresses series. I loved this so much!! I literally cried for about 80% of the book but I loved this story so much. I hope there is going to be more in this series. If you are looking for a great Romantic heart warming story give this a shot!

3.5 stars. 

This was a cute story. I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters, and how they eventually were able to complete one another. March Lawson has had a string of bad luck, ever since her parents passed right before her first season. She's a sister of a viscount but lives in poverty as she tries to raise her younger siblings. To be fair, March's younger brother is not even a teenager. However, she knows she has money and after this past birthday, a rightful claim. However, her pleas for her family have gone unanswered.

The Marquess of McCalpin is now her new guardian and executor of her will. Yet they have never met, and she fears he will ignore her as the previous guardian had done. So she does the inevitable...she forges his signature.

When Michael Cavensham realizes someone is using his signature, he immediately makes time to meet March Lawson and her siblings. What he doesn't expect is to fall for the brilliant woman.
There are some interesting twists and turns in the story and the HEA is a fulfilling one. I'll continue to follow this series with interest!

A sweet, clean, romance.  A twist in the story, to make you wonder how it would end.  I enjoyed!

"All her life, things she cherished were taken away—fanciful wishes and whimsical wants and eventually, simple needs. Fate had been cruel before, but now it was downright hateful. After all she'd sacrificed, she could expect abject ruin. She swallowed the lingering pain. She'd do it all again—subject herself to the sacrifices and the pain and the shame—as long as her family was safe."

Bottom Line (Up-Top). A really fantastic and emotional read, with two wonderful leading characters (especially the heroine) who are supremely lovable by themselves and are perfect together. It's #3 in a series, but it can stand alone and I would highly recommend skipping the first two books. Wish the last section had been tighter and and more cleanly done, but is a great book nonetheless. Enjoy!

The Cavensham Heiresses Series. This is the third book in the series, but you don't need to read either of the two prior books to enjoy this one—and thank goodness for that. I'm not sure what drove me to take a chance on this book, but I'm going to say it was hope. I received an early copy of Book 1 from NetGalley and the publisher and I absolutely abhorred it; I couldn't get past 1/3 of the book, before I had to DNF it (read my 1-star review). It was just horrible. I then got an early copy of Book 2 and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was definitely better than Book 1 (how could it not be), but it still wasn't great and I wouldn't recommend muddling through it just to get to this one (read my 3-star review). 

Now why on earth I requested an early copy of this one, who knows, but I had made a crack in my Book 2 review that maybe the author was going to continue on this path and get better and better, and Book 4 would end up being an all-time favorite of mine. No way of knowing about Book 4 yet, but I was right in my hope/guess that MacGregor's books would continue getting better! Were it not for the very last section of this book, this would have been a 4.5 star-read for me.

Summary / Background. The book summary is pretty accurate, which they aren't always for romances. March (odd first name, anyone else find so?) has been forging Michael's signature to withdraw some money from her dowry—she's stealing, but not really, since the money is by law hers, now that she's of age (25). She is the head of the household, responsible for her two younger sisters and one younger brother, a viscount, and they have absolutely NO money. For years she has tried to access the money put aside for them, but due to irresponsible and negligent guardians and then unresponsive lawyers, they've been living hand to mouth for years. Complicated web, but Michael was recently appointed the trustee of the estate; unfortunately, he joined the ranks of irresponsible / unresponsive guardians. His first face-to-face with March is after discovering her forgeries, so needless to say, they don't exactly start off on the right foot (but it's a great foot, nonetheless ;-).

As Michael discovers the actual situation that March and her siblings are living in, he's troubled and determined to right the wrongs they've been dealt over the years. He and his family want to do all they can to help March's sisters claim their rightful place in society, see that Bennett is finally getting the tutoring and training he should as a peer of the realm, and that March finally have the come out that she never did, because her parents died right before it could happen. The more time they spend together, the closer Michael and March become, and it is clear to them and the close people around them that something is developing between them.

Complications arise, however, in the form of an evil cousin who has been plaguing March and her siblings for years. Rupert is a real nasty piece of work and he, along with the havoc he wreaks, serves as the main foil to our love story.

Thoughts. I really, really loved this book (ugh!!! if only that last part had been done better!!!!). I loved March's strength; she's a total boss lady. I also connected with her and felt for her so much: I never, and I mean NEVER , cry at romances—I can count the number on one hand and I've read probably 400+ romances—and I teared up ... oh, I'll be straight, okay I cried multiple times. March has such a difficult hand dealt to her ever since her parents died when she was just 17 and she had to take over responsibility of the estate and her siblings, including her younger brother who was just a baby at the time. When the hits just keep on coming, my heart broke for her and I felt her devastation and turmoil so vividly; MacGregor really did a fantastic job with her character.

At first I was a bit unsure of Michael; I liked him from the previous books, but I disliked him for being one more person to make March's life more difficult. Turns out he's actually a very good and decent guy. Michael suffers from some form of dyslexia; I say some form, because he's fine with letters and words, it's just numbers he has problems with—he can't do anything involving numbers, whether it's simple (let alone complex) calculations or even figuring out what time he has to leave someplace to get to another place at X time. His younger brother, William, serves as his right-hand man and helps him cover up his difficulties, basically taking over all number-related duties. Michael hates that his brother has to do so much for him, for both of their sakes, and as a marquess and heir to a duchy, he feels completely unworthy and like a complete failure and faker.

Michael is apparently drop-dead gorgeous and I have gotten to the point where I get a little annoyed with the obsession with looks, whether it's of the heroine or the hero. We like to have heroines who aren't perfect physically, so isn't it only fair that it be the same with our heroes. I'm not saying they have to be ugly, but this head-over-heels-because-he's-so-gorgeous-OMG gets on my nerves. Anyway, although this does happen and March is continually impressed by Michael's looks, it doesn't stop her from standing up to him, getting angry with him, etc., thankfully. 

For his part, Michael is intrigued by March from the very beginning. He's attracted to her, but he's most interested by the way she treats him, which is very different than all the society ladies he usually interacts with, and by her strength and the sacrifice she continually makes for her siblings. She's extremely loyal and hardworking and he (rightfully) greatly admires that about her.

I loved March's siblings, and Bennett, her younger brother, is super cute (the letters he writes to Michael are HYSTERICAL!!!! Literally laugh-out-loud funny). Also loved William, Michael's brother, and how protective he is of his older brother. He's understandably wary of March and his brother's developing feelings for her, especially since he doesn't want Michael to end up trusting the wrong person, divulging his secret, and then finding himself embarrassed; he knows how distressed Michael is by his problem.

Unfortunately, in the last 20% or so, the MacGregor from previous books returns—in the last plot twist, it is completely unclear what March and Michael feel and think; they bounce back and forth and I couldn't get a handle on whether X believed Y or didn't, whether Y was mad at X or wasn't, etc. Just super simple things, that were completely, completely unclear, because they're written both/multiple ways. It's like MacGregor wrote multiple versions, and then a hybrid copy-and-paste one was created of all the different copies, making it a confusing mess. Also, and this was INSANE, there is NO GROVELING. Which on the one hand, I'm not sure how much was necessary, because again, I was not even clear on who thought or felt what, but regardless, some amount of groveling was DEFINITELY called for and that none occurred ... the asshole made me cry!! That's how much my heart broke for March, I cried, and yet the requisite having-it-out and groveling never occurred. It was honestly a travesty.

More Details About My Problems With the Book. (view spoiler)

*This review is of an ARC provided by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

March and Michael were very enchanting together. I loved the story line, and the chemistry between them.

The luck of the bride is the third in Janna MacGregor’s The Cavensham’s Heiress’ series. I have not read any books in this series but it’s not necessary to read them in order. Each stand well on its own. 
March Lawson has been forced to care for her siblings in any way she could. Unable to contact their guardian to release the funds needed to run her family’s estate and ensure they won’t starve she is driven to desperate measures. Her only option could land her in jail. Forging her absent guardian’s signature to release funds from her dowry. 
Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin, is dismayed to discover an embezzler is using his name. Setting out to see his new wards for himself and discover the embezzler, he is shocked at the conditions the Lawson family are living in. 
The two main characters can’t help but be drawn to each other but the path to true love is never easy. Both have secrets they are desperate to keep. with outside forces interfering in their lives for their own nefarious wants, these two strong individuals have many obstacles to overcome. 
While I enjoyed the first half of the book I feel there was too many obstacles placed in the couples’ way. Even when they eventually reconciled there was still more hardship for them. 
If you are looking for a complicated and angst-ridden story, then this may be for you. 
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Janna MacGregor is proving to be one of the brightest of new writers in the historical romance genre. With her 3rd book in the Cavensham Heiresses Series, yet again, I find her storylines are well developed, and her characters are believable with many wonderful layers to be revealed and enjoyed. With a pleasing mix of familiar and new characters, and two amazing families (the Lawsons and the Cavenshams), another wonderful journey is created. A heart-wrenching prologue will grab the reader from the start in this hard-to-put-down, beautifully written story.

March Lawson, so full of love for her siblings, is driven by her sense of responsibility and protectiveness to perform questionable and possibly unlawful acts that could lead to her downfall and ruin. Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin, and heir to a dukedom, hides a secret that causes him to question himself and his future. The two meet when McCalpin, the successor trustee of her trust fund, summons March to London with questions about suspicious withdrawals from her account.

This is a story about survival, both for the hero and the heroine, two caring and honorable individuals who find themselves drawn to each other. But their attraction is not without struggles, both inwardly and from outside sources. Can they learn to trust each other and overcome the doubts that threaten all that is within their grasp. There is so much to love about this one, a wonderful and very emotional romance you won’t want to miss!

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. I highly recommend “The Luck of the Bride”.

This latest edition to MacGregor's Cavensham Heiresses series is my favorite so far. The challenges faced by March and Michael and the way the struggle to overcome them on their own but find solutions with the other's help was a great dynamic to see woven through the plot. There was a few points where March and Michael's responses to events seemed a little over the top or poorly thought out given their reactions to other events in the novel. Overall, the characters were lovable and the pacing of the novel was steady and never got bogged down. Definitely going on my re-read shelf!

A romance froth with sadness, downright selfishness, and greed, Michael and March waltzes into an unseemly attraction with Cupid's hand guiding them, but trust issues on Michael part caused a deep ravine to open up between them blinding him to the truth. A pickle is what they were in, and he had to find a way to rectify things or lose it all. I’m saddened by the hard times March and her siblings had to go through all due to man’s ineptness and refusal to accept women as capable beings in that period of time, but no matter she was a strong woman.  March always put her loved ones first no matter what, family matters, except when they are out to destroy you. A seemingly tender romance that morphs into an intriguing and interesting read with a bit of bite in it, the storyline is a classic and the characters brought it all to life, a lovely read.

I was absolutely enchanted by this book.  It was my first by the author so I was not sure what to expect but I loved March and Michael and was swept away by their story. The secondary characters were all wonderful as well. This books works as a stand alone but I have already added the first books in this series to my TBR as I liked the glimpses in this book that we had of the couples featured in them. 
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and am so glad I did as I discovered a new author that I really like.

Having read- and loved!= this book's predecessor "The Bride Who Got Lucky" I will admit to finding the sequel underwhelming.  A regency romance featuring an impoverished family of the peerage who is struggling to make do on their broken down estate and an unbeknownst - to- him guardianship with a Marquess- the basic premise had me scratching my head.   There were just plot holes that I had a hard time ignoring... everything from far too many convenient- and inconvenient!- registrars to a head scratching guardianship (why did the Duke get passed over in favor of his son again??) to something as mundane as physical descriptions of our heroine- who has essentiallly done hard, manual labor for nearly a decade- not matching with her creamy, perfect complexion (not a callus in site, eh?)- there were just little holes scattered throughout this plot for me.

Overall, the holes, while admittedly present, did not sway me from enjoying the sweet and tender romance between guardian and heiress.  While the preceding novel had racier, saucier aspects and a more feminist leaning heroine that made for perhaps a more thrilling romance, the one between McCalpin and March was sweet.  Tender.  McCalpin has his own difficulties to overcome but both characters are buoyed by strong families and it's always a delight to read stories with strong secondary characters.  There are several opportunities for sequels and I hope very much to read those stories someday!

I received an ARC for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've read dozens of historicals in the last few months, but this one was a particular standout for me. The characters were compelling--in particular, the heroine is a new favorite for me. Looking forward to interviewing the author!

This is one of those books that absolutely torments the heroine. In the prologue, she comes to grips with what it means to be orphaned at 17 with two preteen sisters and an infant brother. She accepts that her life has essentially ended, and she needs to give everything to her siblings that they might be happy.
She's basically the Giving Tree.
When the book starts for real 8 years later, she's 25 and has been working on the estate and raising her siblings with very little help while also shielding them from the truth of their destitution. Her parents employed some truly terrible solicitors, and the management of the estate and trust funds has been passed around from one indifferent trustee to the next. At her wits' end, she begins forging the signature and seal of the current, indifferent trustee, withdrawing funds from her own account that her siblings might not starve.
But, of course, the indifferent trustee is the hero of this tale, and it turns out his indifference is the result of a learning disorder and the attending shame that has been allowed to build.
Anyway, so March (that's the heroine) gets exposed to Michael as an embezzler, prompting Michael to discover the true extent of the siblings' poverty. Then follows some pretty epic poverty porn (the family cat drags in a rabbit he's killed, and the younger siblings are like, "Cool! We'll be living like kings upon rabbit stew!" while March burns with embarrassment and shame because I guess she should have been a better provider?)
The family decamps to London so the younger girls can have a season, and things get even worse for March. 
So. I dunno. My feeling is that if a heroine is going to have to slug through that much shit to get to her happily ever after, that HEA had better DAMN well be worth it. I *might* have been mollified had the hero spent 10-20 pages apologizing profusely for being such a douchecanoe, but... he barely gets in a single apology before the heroine rushes to his arms with complete forgiveness. I guess I'm just not that forgiving.

I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

March Lawson is desperate. Because of some stupid mistake, she has not received her inheritance when she turned twenty-five. Her parents died when she was only sixteen and she was left to care for an estate, two younger sisters, and the heir to it all, her one-year-old brother. Practically destitute, she begins the unthinkable when no man will help her, she begins to embezzle her own money by forging the trustees signature, the Marquess of McCalpin.

Micheal Cavesham, the Marquess of McCalpin, became the trustee of the Lawson estate in some strange way that I still don’t fully understand. Several men died and somehow McCaplin became the trustee without really knowing it. Once he learns of the embezzlement, he sets out to find out what March Lawson is all about.

Once the pair meet in the flesh, the attraction is instant. Several things stand in the way, including a secret Michael has closely guarded his entire life. Somehow, MacGregor makes it all work.

MacGregor follows through and brings the spark she created in the first two books then makes it explode on the page for March and Michael. March is a proud and dynamic character who works through so many obstacles but never once does she give up on herself or her family. Micheal somehow learns to love and to trust someone who he should stay away from if all her faults were listed on paper. Knowing March in body and soul brings the character a peace he has never known.

I don’t know what is next for Jenna MacGregor, but if it is anything like this series, I can’t wait to find out!

Skipping over the graphic sex I really enjoyed the story in 'The Luck of the Bride'.  March, at the young age of 17 is left to care for her sisters and baby brother.  Through much hardship she finally finds joy in her relationship with troubled Michael, heir to the Duke of Latham.  Through lies and villainy all that joy crumbles, making both March and Michael completely doubt themselves.  There is a touching and satisfying ending, a true story of love and family.  Without the graphic and unnecessary sex it would have my highest recommendation.

The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor
When their parents die of influenza, seventeen-year-old March Lawson becomes head of a family that includes her two sisters, Faith and Julia, and her one-year-old brother, Bennett, the new Viscount Lawson. After a disastrous winter storm damages the estate and their tenant’s farms, March, desperate for funds, must take action. When a series of increasingly urgent requests to her trustee is ignored, March decides she must embezzle money from her own trust fund. She forges the signature of her trustee, the Marquis of McCalpin. Michael Cavensham, the marquis, has a secret, known only by his brother, Will. He can’t conquer mathematics. Even simple computations are challenging. So he relies on the help and advice of his brother, and their solicitors. When a new accountant is retained, March’s embezzlement is discovered, and Michael must take action. Adding to the complications is the Lawson’s hateful cousin, Rupert, who wants to marry March’s beautiful sister, Julia, in order to get his hands on the family’s large trusts funds. March decides to take the Lawson children, Bennett, Faith, and Julia, to London to give Julia a season and evade Cousin Rupert. Each of the family members becomes a fully drawn character, as are Will and Michael Cavensham. The story is told with humor, and the question of whether March and Michael’s romance can weather a further embezzlement is realistically portrayed.  Although this is book 2 of the “Cavensham Heiresses” series, The Luck of the Bride can be read as a stand-alone novel as previous characters are totally peripheral to the story. I look forward to the next Cavensham adventure!

This is the 3rd book in the Cavensham Heiresses series from Janna MacGregor and they just keep getting better and better. Every now and then a book makes me have that pang in my chest because my heart is breaking for someone in the story.  I loved March Lawson and her strength through all of her hard times and I had some of those chest pangs/heart breaking moments during her story. That is definitely a sign of a great book! I hope more books are coming in this series.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review.  Luck of the Bride is the third title in the series but can easily be read as a stand-alone.  At a time when most young ladies are preparing for their Season, March Lawson unexpectedly finds herself responsible for her three younger siblings following the sudden death of her parents.  Eight years later, March is struggling to support her family and keep her younger brother's estate afloat despite having a dowry after the death of their inattentive guardian.  At her wits end when the new guardian, the Marquess of McCalpin, fails to answer her requests for money, she begins forging his signature on requests for funds from her dowry.  When McCalpin realizes someone has been forging his signature on March's requests, he travels to the estate to determine what is going on.  When he arrives and realizes the dire situation the family is in, he decides that they will stay with his parents in London so March and her two sisters can have a Season.  March reluctantly agrees and the family moves to London.  March is a very loyal to her family and determined to do whatever it takes to ensure her siblings success.  McCalpin has a secret that he is desperate to keep from everyone and it influences his responses to several events in the story.  I liked that March ad McCalpin truly complement each other and make the other one stronger.  After not enjoying the second title in the series as much as the first, I was very happy to see that this book was just as enjoyable as the first.

Fun, angst free, enjoyable regency escape, that takes you away for an afternoon of steamy, witty romance. Recommend!