This was an entertaining, although somewhat unremarkable read. A widowed lady meets a duke and, of course, inevitably fall in love. There was an interesting premise introduced at the beginning of the book that made this unique to other historical romances I’ve read. I think the last quarter of the book was definitely the strongest, but the first half was a little jarring (everyone is instantly friends, despite conflict they should naturally have to overcome and work through). Overall, it was a bit different from other books and an enjoyable read.

I’ve always liked this author’s books and I liked this book. Overall I thought it was a good book with the two main characters very likable.

I love this new series. I think the story line was very good. It does make me mad that men think it is okay to married multiple times.and lead women on. This story was very good and I can’t wait for the other two books and to see how the other two wife’s change. This story is about Katherine Vareck is running a business and she has a big chance of becoming a royal supplier. Her husbands Meri brother Christian feels bad and is trying to help. I really liked Christian. I can’t wait for the next book.

I adored the whole book. I honestly have never read something like this. The plot was unique and served as the beginning of three stories of which, just one was finished. It makes you long for the others so much more. After I finished this book I was hungry for the next one.

Katherine just heard of her husband's death but what she didn’t expect to find was, that she wasn1’t the only wife! What a mess she found herself in. When Christian Vareck, the Duke of Randford and half-brother of her late husband promised to help with sorting out the mess the trigamist had made, neither one of them both could ever predict they’d fall in love. On their way to get their happy ending, they had more than enough hurdles to handle.

I loved the direction if this story, the deeper I was into it, greater the anticipation. At one time it was a little predictable but in the end, all was wonderfully wrapped up. Janna MacGregor surely knows how to keep her readers entertained.

Kat finds herself a widow. When she goes to the reading of the will, she finds there are two other woman her husband was married to at the same time as herself. Wanting to protect her business, which is dependent on the ton, Kat turns to her brother-in-law Christian to fix this. Christian is tired of having to clean up his younger brother’s messes. After he meets his sister-in-law Kat he feels an attraction and a need to help her. Can they find happiness together? I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.

I loved Katherine and Christian's story. It was a heartfelt romance that was not full of deception and lies between the two of them. His brother was another story. After finding out his deceased brother had married not once but three times, Christian and Katherine must find a way to protect the reputation of all three women.

Janna MacGregor did a wonderful job with this book and I cannot wait to read the other two.

This was my first experience with this author, and I greatly enjoyed her work. This book excelled in a number of ways that made it an enjoyable, refreshing read. First of all, the plot is like nothing I've read before, and I have read A LOT of romance novels. I also enjoyed that the issue of clear consent was addressed on a number of occasions between the hero and heroine. I can't recall ever seeing anything like that in a historical romance. I also thought the ending was very well done. While it was pretty predictable early on who the villain would be and how he would create the conflict (secret past, anyone?), the outcome was not. I had already prepared my mental eye roll for the expectation of the self-sacrificing heroine, (a huge pet peeve of mine), but I should have trusted the author. I appreciated that the heroine had her own agency and could solve her problems on her own. I will definitely be seeking out more works by this author.

I loved Christian's and Kat's story. The author set it up perfectly for three stories right from the beginning, and weaving them together was really lovely. I think too both Christian and Kat began hesitantly with doing the right thing but very quickly demonstrated their true characters of honor, integrity, and sweet compassion for others. Also, giving Kat her business and independence, and Christian in full support was a beautiful part of it as well. Their initial attraction, and then their growing love for one another went straight to my heart. They helped each other face their pasts and Kat's willingness to sacrifice her love for Christian's best interest was just beautiful. I can't wait to see how the stories for Constance and Beth will turn out! The "teaser" with "Rules of Engagement" is exciting! Thank you - the book was wonderful!

I struggled with this book. The story itself is unique and it initially pulled me into the story, but there are just too many gaps. For example, when the heroine is talking to her lady's maid within earshot of the Duke at the start of the novel, it feels tremendously artificial. There is no reason for them to be standing in the hallway looking at each other, but not being introduced. Also, all the wives are there for the reading of the will, but the will never gets read? Are the lawyers so inept? These little details kicked me out of the story.

Merry is widowed and soon finds out her husband has two other wives, one of them carrying a child. They look to the dead man's brother the Duke of Radford for help.

The Duke and Merry make a good pair--between them figuring out how to keep soldiers from the recent Napoleanic wars employed all while Merry runs an exclusive linens emporium.

There is a villain who hopes to win the contract for providing linens for the Duke of Wales, but that's just one of the many things that happen to the three women and the Duke.

Such a wonderful read. I really enjoyed the story of Katherine and Christian. The added twist of the two other wives was also just as interesting as the love story between the two main characters. I also love that this story has a female lead who runs her own business and is respected for it. It adds a bit of interest to the character and really makes the book a bit more interesting.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It has been a long while since a historical romance has resonated deeply with me. This book was everything I could want in a romantic story. This was a rollercoaster of a book. I felt both the character’s heartbreaking anguish and unconditional love. The story was complex and enthralling, yet when you peel back the layers, you get a simple, beautiful love story.

At the beginning of the book, Katherine discovers she is married to a polygamist. She is reluctantly introduced to the two other wives and her husband’s half-brother, Christian, the Duke of Ranford. Poor Katherine is thrown into the maelstrom of a disaster of epic proportions. Katherine has raised her station by hard work, determination, a little deception. Katherine resolves all these issues with dignity and grace. She is all heart, making friends with the other wives. I loved her generosity and selflessness. She deserves someone who would love her unconditionally and respect her.

Christian is the epitome of what a duke should be. He is a returning soldier who wants to help his less fortunate veteran friends. This book discusses how difficult it is for a soldier to reintegrate into society after the war is over. A lot of times, there is no support system, even in this time period. I found it a timely topic relative to now. I liked everything about Christian. He had a strength of character both physically and emotionally. He had dignity. Christian had such grace and gentleness when he dealt with Katherine and the other wives.

The relationship and love between Christian and Katherine were genuine and organic. The burgeoning love was felt on the first page where they met. They were two halves of a whole. There was no denying their chemistry. I don’t have strong enough words for the passion between the couple. The electric energy jumped and sizzled from the page. There was no denying they belonged together.

The plot navigated the aspects of conflict vs. angst perfectly. The couple had many obstacles, but it wasn’t too stressful for the reader. I enjoyed this aspect; I like to be entertained with a generous amount of emotional depth but not so much as it takes away from the story. The plot was the best I have read in quite a while. I have felt like most of the books I have been reading lately were mediocre. This book decimated this trend. It was a fantastic plot. There was intrigue and mystery. The plot unfolded perfectly. It was a most endearing love story. It is one of the few books I would read again. I love epilogues, and this book had a terrific one.

Overall the book was a joy to read. I felt every heartache and triumph. I was captivated on page one. This book is an excellent introduction to a series I believe will be unique. I am on the edge of my seat for more!

I received this ARC through Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. This is my honest, voluntary opinion.

3.5 stars

Recently widowed woman finds that not only did her husband leave her the day of the wedding to spend her dowry, but married to other women shortly afterwards to do the same. Trying to untangle the mess with the help of her husband's brother, the titular Duke, she finds that they might just be perfect for each other. Points off for a complete disregard for most things historical and some dreaded last-minute drama.

What I really liked: The characters!
- Katherine was an Independent Modern Working Heroine who, surprisingly, didn't bother me at all. She was NICE. Really nice. She takes in two complete strangers who her husband was also married to, helps people left and right find jobs, and is just an all around good person. With a big bad secret no one must ever learn or else she'd be ruined.
- Christian was hands-down one of the nicest Dukes ever. I really hate how lately, every hero has to be a Duke, but this one was the sweetest, most decent and hard-working one I've met in a long time. Returned a decorated war hero, he sets out to help fellow soldiers who are less fortunate and together with Katherine creates a charity to help soldiers find work and get back on their feet. He's supportive, respectful, not a womanizer... He's just really nice.
- The other two wives were also really sweet. The three women bond and I loved how they support each other. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the future.

What I didn't like:
- The sex scenes. They were really explicit, and the virginal heroine has no trouble recreating something she read in erotic stories she found in her husband's possessions on their first encounter, including pleasuring herself in front of him and oral sex. I just found those scenes a bit unexpected.
- The anachronisms. I see a trend here, but I don't really like reading historical romances where people behave like they would these days (addressing each other by first names right after meeting, no regard for titles, etiquette, or what was considered propriety, etc.).
- The big bad secret. I was hopeful when Katherine came clean about her past after she discovered she had feelings for Christian, but it still lead to some last-minute blackmail drama that I could have lived without.

All in all, this was a nice, character-driven romance with two genuinely good people, and a supporting cast I look forward to getting to know better.

Ms. MacGregor pens a fascinating historical about a man, who lived his life without regard to the consequences of his actions. When he dies we meet his widow or should I say widows and his older brother. As they attempt to navigate the mess he left behind, they form a bond.
The characters are delightful and the dead husband turns out not to be the villain one first suspected, just immature. The widows are multi-dimensional characters that made me want a great ending for all of them, and Ms. MacGregor comes through after some trying times for them all. I highly recommend for any lover of historical romances with a bit of intrigue.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC gratis and am already looking forward to her next book after reading the preview in the back.

This is one of those books that need to be read gently because you need to savor every single word of the story. An historical romance with a touch of modernism. As a matter of fact Katherine, the female heroine, is a very evolved woman with her independence. Her loyalty and passion for life has enchanted me so much. The Duke, her strong supporter, is a fascinating man not by looks but by feature. Their partnership is sparkling and the passion between them is sizzling. Brilliant story and mostly amazing characters. A must read.

I had already planned to read MacGregor's Cavensham Heiresses series, but hadn't gotten to it yet when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press offered me an advance copy of this book to review. So this is actually my first by this author, and I really enjoyed it. So many aspects that reeled me deeper into the story or made me chuckle or had me pausing to think 'aww, that's so absolutely precious!'.

The couple had a really nice connection, I felt like I was really able to revel in all their longing, and appreciation and affection. The hero, especially, *adores* the heroine and says the sweetest things! There's a nice amount of steam, and also an emphasis on consent, which I liked, (no dubious consent here!). And the two are both generally admirable characters, which is nice. There's a slight secondary relationship that is a pretty good balance between not distracting from the main couple, but also not all supposedly happening off page and then popping out of nowhere in the end.

The pacing after the engagement felt a little bit wonky at times, but was generally good on the whole. And an incident in the heroine's past felt kind of blown out of all proportion. Either the heroine just had sort of a personal complex over it, and it had ballooned in her mind, or the incident should have been made to be more of a serious issue than it was. But those are pretty small complaints.

I'm extra looking forward to reading the Cavensham series now! I hope they're written as well.

JM’s writing seems very formulaic, and her characters does not seem genuine. So I end up not really caring about them, take any interest in them, or their romance.

While this book started with an interesting premise, it just couldn’t deliver. I did not fall for the heroine, the hero or their “sidekicks”. The mix of cliches, bizarre plot elements and the heroinne's sexual confidence/prowess while having no experience within this setting simply did not work for me.

1.5 - 2 stars

- He clipped off a stem with a large bloom, taking care to cut the thorns. Satisfied with his work, he handed it to her.
“It’s beautiful.” She bought it to her delicate nose and inhaled. A smile spread slowly across her lips. “How lovely.”
“Not as lovely as you,” he murmured.

- Christian drank in the sight of her. A man could easily surrender his soul by staring into the deep pools of golden green that shimmered in the light. If that man were lucky, he’d drown in such a vision. What good was a soul anyway when he could find the promise of heaven in her gaze?

- His cock pulsed against her lower belly. The intense sensation made her want more. The top of her thighs were already wet because of him.

- “Katherine, do you know what happened her tonight?” He ran his lips along the slop of her jaw. The thrum of his deep cadence centred her, leaving an indelible mark upon her heart. “I held heaven in my arms.”
“Oh, Christian,” she murmured, laughing. “Why do you do this to me?”

J. MacGregor does a good job at bringing something new to the regency romance genre. This is one of the few I have read that didn't have overly long descriptions on dresses, balls, and where marriage wasn't the end game. Furthermore, it was so nice to have a female lead that decided to change her own destiny and independently take on the challenges thrown at her. There were multiple instances where Katherine could have sought protection or help but used her own strength and intelligence to overcome.

In addition, the peripheral characters were also well thought out and interesting in their own right - not just in a way to prop up a central character. As a romance, it has everything you would want and the steamy scenes flowed well with the story.

I gave this a 5 because it is a really well done romance novel. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
A book with a scoundrel who married theee women, his Duchal straight laced brother, and a woman who has changed her circumstances.
I loved Katherine and how she has been assisting women through her business. She married a man who disappeared and apparently married two other women before dying. Now she is left to protect these women as she falls in love with her brother in law.
The characters are all well written. I really loved that the Duke also has a soft side and is determined to help the men who served under him in the war. It’s nice to have a man who has a conscience without having to be taught by the woman he falls for.
There is drama but it does not take over the entire story. She saves herself and that allows her to be free to be with him.

Janna has a wonderful way of drawing you in to her stories. You feel like you're right there with the characters. She adds just the right amount of heat and spice.