The storyline in this book is a little strange, but ends up being quite interesting. The main characters are mildly irritating off and on, but are very likable. The supporting characters are intriguing and amusing. So overall I did really like the book.

I normally love historical romance, but this one was not for me. Beth seems like a strong, independent widow so I don't know why she didn't try to fight her brother against remarrying. The relationship between her and Grayson was somewhat sweet, but I got tired of following them all over the place on this treasure hunt for her dowry. I also wasn't a fan of the third act breakup AFTER they slept together.

How to Best a Marquess has all of the makings to be a fun and easy regency romance read. A jilted lady setting out to make it on her own. Her lover that life circumstances took away from her. Misunderstandings and obligations colliding into what should be a fun read.

Maybe it was that I was not in the mood for this type of book. Maybe if I read it at a different time I would love it more. However, it unfortunately fell flat for me. Receipts for pigs, a man that won't stand up for the love of his life and honestly a main female lead I just couldn't invest in. All of it had me forcing myself to finish this read; it was almost a DNF.

How to Best a Marquess is the third book in Janna MacGregor’s ‘Widow Rules’ and just like the other instalments in this series I the reader felt like I ended up with an amazing heartwarming story of love. This of course is a standalone read but there are some pertinent mentions of the going ons that explains our heroine Beth Howell’s predicament. Beth having married Lord Meriwether Vareck who turned out to have left several widows as he’d only married them for their money seeks help from Julian Ranleah, the Marquess of Grayson, whose suit had been denied in favor of her charlatan husband. Julian must find it in his heart to let it go and remember he loved her once and that no way can he let her be subjected to another marriage thus. So off they go to help her find her remaining fortune which will serve them both well as Julian needs investors. Julian understands why Beth won’t consider marrying him as she sees herself as soiled good, but sometimes the heart and logic don’t meld well. You will laugh, cry and fall in love with the last characters in this trilogy as I did. This last book was an amazing closing installment, as only Janna McGregor could write it. I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

I really enjoyed Beth and Julian's story! This was a great conclusion to a wonderful series! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

How to Best a Marquess is a satisfying conclusion to the Widow Rules trilogy. Beth gets her story in this series where three women unknowingly shared the same husband, and all received puzzling legacies when he dies unexpectedly. Julian and Beth's road trip to uncover his secrets and the rekindling of their romance were totally entertaining.

I highly recommend How to Best a Marquess to fans of historical romance. The book is a great choice for readers who enjoy strong female characters, steamy romance, and a dash of mystery.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been provided with a review copy of How to Best A Marquess from NetGalley for an impartial review. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I hate to say it but I didn't like the characters. They were both immature. Sometimes the chemistry between two characters will help me overcome their shortcomings but there was very little chemistry in this book.

Loving this series. MacGregor created such an interesting plot with Meri and his three "wives" and the finale to the series did not disappoint. I really felt for Beth throughout the other stories and was so happy to see her HEA with Julian. A great example of a Second Chance Romance with a strong working heroine and down on his luck aristocratic hero. Road trip trope with some danger and chaos along the way. Highly recommend this whole series!

How To Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor

After suffering the extreme humiliation of discovering her husband, Meri, had not only stolen her dowry and abandoned her, Beth Howell was determined to find the dowry Meri stole from her, and she enlisted the help of her oldest and dearest friend, Julian Raleah, the Marquess of Grayson. Julian has once asked Beth’s brother for her hand, and had been rudely turned away, as Julian’s financial status was not what Beth’s brother approved of. The two set off on a strange journey through the English countryside in an effort to retrace Meri’s steps and find out exactly what happened to her money.

Julian was well aware he was still deeply in love with Beth, and he was reluctant to help, afraid that his feelings for Beth would quickly become overwhelming. His plan for a new type of engine was being considered by a group of investors, and he knew that if his design was accepted, he could begin to rebuild his estate and regain some of the status he had lost.

I’ve enjoyed this trilogy so much! I love Beth’s focus and problem-solving skills, tracing Meri’s last journey before his death by drowning in a mud puddle, and Julian’s love and loyalty towards her is admirable. Her courage, and Julian’s as well, in facing up to society and standing strong in their search made for an interesting storyline.

This author never disappoints.with her storIes and her characters. . I fell in love wth Julian and Beth the main characters of this book. When Julian ask Beth to marry him he did not know that her brother would refuse. Not knowing wht to do he walked away as Beth's brother threatened to ruin his father. Beth was devastated by this and a greed to marry a scoundrel who took her classy and gambled it away. So Beth is determined to find out if Meri gambled it all away and goes to.her former.fiance for his help. He reluctantly agrrees.because he could use the money she agrees.to split with him. But during their travels the two.will.need to realize the can trust each other to let their hearts find what has always been there.

Great read.

Don't you just love 2nd chances? I do. So, this story is right up my alley. Years after their love story went wrong, here is another chance to get it right. Beth needs Julian's help. She really does. She married a man who married 2 other ladies too. Her dowry is MIA and she needs Julian to help her find it. He's not a happy guy after all that went down in the past, but ooohhh ahhhh we knew he had it in him to let that go and begin again. Loved these 2!

Determined to avoid another arranged marriage initiated by her brother, Beth Howell must find out what her no-good deceased husband did with her dowry. To find it Beth will have to go to the one person who failed her once before, Julian Raleah, the Marquess of Grayson, As they chase down leads about Beth's dowry, they realize time hasn't changed how they feel about one another. Can they finally find a happy ending with each other?

I really enjoyed this historical romance. It was fun, entertaining and steamy! Beth and Julian were such likable characters and their banter was so GOOD. Janne did such a great job giving both Beth and Julian their own obstacles they had to overcome in order to be together. I also love how Janna crafted their love story in a way that felt fresh and modern within this type period. It was always nice to see the characters from the previous books in this series.

Although this book is part of a series, it could be read as a standalone as well. Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the final book in The Widow Rules series by Janna MacGregor. It's a second chance romance involving Lord Meriwether Vareck's third wife, Beth Howell and her first (and only) love Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson. The opening is a flashback of Julian's proposal to Beth during her coming out season and it was lovely. The reader is then taken to the present where we find out Julian proposed and then turned around and left Beth without any explanation. If you've read the other books in the series this really shouldn't be a huge surprise since we know Beth ends up marrying Lord Meriwether, a polygamist. I had several issues with Beth's story and having the book read as a 'slow burn' just made it a lackluster somewhat okay read for me.

So we begin with present day Beth seeking out Grayson to help her search for her lost dowry, all the while proclaiming she does not want to rekindle their past romantic relationship or ever marry again. We find out Grayson let his pride separate him from Beth - he didn't want to be seen as a fortune hunter so he gave her up. He still has feelings for Beth and mentions attempting to woo her again. Shortly after they begin their travels Beth proposes to Grayson that they become lovers, which he refuses, he will have her as his wife or not at all. The book continues on like this until Grayson eventually succumbs and is seduced, only Beth still doesn't want to marry. The dowry hunt they went on leads to nowhere and they end up parting ways. Everything happening was all super dull for me and there was just too much back and forth with Beth and even Grayson at the end. I was hoping MacGregor would at least give us full disclosure about why Meri chose to be a polygamist or why he selected those particular women. I thought it was because he was taking each woman's dowry and gambling the money away. But we find out that wasn't exactly the case which just left me confused. Especially when it comes out that he was pursuing a potential fourth bride!...why? It completely clashes with the "apology" letter he leaves for Beth. Which was further contradictory as he bashes Beth's brother for being a wastrel when um, hello sir, so are you! The final nail in the coffin of this poorly written story was the absolutely BIZARRE epilogue. MacGregor decided to add a dash of whimsical magic and have a portrait of Meri appear to be alive....what the! Maybe if she had been peppering in magical realism throughout, I would have been on board, but she hadn't so the ending was very misplaced in my opinion. I remember really enjoying the first book of this series and now all I can say is it was an ending, not a great one, but definitely an ending.

The third in this series of women who were all married to the same man and. I still say book 2 is my favorite. I enjoyed this one much more than I did book 1 but nothing beats that middle one for me. Excellent conclusion to the series!

The third book in the series is Beth's story. She had been in love with Julian Raleah, the Earl of Waybill and heir to the impoverished Marquess of Grayson and they planned to marry. But she was betrayed by her brother, St. John, who cared less about his sister and more about his own finances. He refused Julian's offer and threaten to destroy his father if he continued to pursue Beth. Julian betrayed Beth's trust by not fighting for her, by simply walking away without even a goodbye. He assumed she knew. St. John then betrayed her again by convincing her to marry his friend Merry Vareck, who was revealed in the first book to be a trigamist. Another betrayal. Now St John has the chutzpa to try to marry her off to a septuagenarian, because he has blown through their inheritance. She has had enough and decides to search for her dowry by following the trail of the receipts that Merry had ;eft behind. She asks Julian to accompany her. She knows that he needs money for the steam engines that he has designed. He agrees because he really wants her back. But what can he do to prove that he will never betray her trust again? To be honest, after a while I got disgusted with Beth's attempts to seduce him on one hand while continuing to insist that she will never marry him or anyone else. But Julian gives it his all. Of the three books, I liked this one the least, because Beth really got on my nerves. I just wanted to slap some sense into her.

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

In Jana McGregor’s How to Best a Marquess, The Widow Rules Number 3, Beth seeks the help of her former fiancé to find her dowry that went missing after her fraudulent husband’s death. McGregor’s vivid descriptions, creative story ideas, and fascinating, relatable, and well-developed/evolved characters draw you in from the first scene and make you care about her characters and their lives. The novel’s tone is melancholy, angsty, and nostalgic because of their breakup and mistaken belief that the other doesn’t care or have feelings for them. But neither has stopped loving the other, and their intense attraction and connection still exist. Spending time together alone on the road searching for her dowry gives the feelings a chance to reemerge more potent than ever.

Beth’s first marriage to a good-for-nothing bigamist left her financially ruined, her reputation in tatters. She lives with her selfish brother, who wastes all the family’s money. Beth must discover what her now-deceased husband did with her dowry before her brother can force her marriage to an unappealing, much older man. She seeks her former fiancé’s help finding her missing dowry.

Grumpy, unfriendly, and disinterested in social norms, Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson, avoids society functions and people. The abrupt ending of Grayson’s engagement to Beth hardened his heart, embittering him. He’s shocked when Beth asks to borrow his carriage and for assistance retracing her deceased husband’s steps to find her lost dowry. Grayson probably shouldn’t go on the road alone with the woman he’s been unable to forget or stop thinking about after ten years. But he cannot resist knowing she needs him. Can they change the ending to their short-lived love story?

McGregor develops Grayson and Beth’s relationship with funny, emotional, sexy, intimate, steamy, romantic, and chemistry-filled interactions. I love the scene where both simultaneously work on their crafts in each other’s company. Too serious, blunt, and prickly, Beth keeps her feelings hidden. Every man in her life has disappointed her. Beth’s focus is a life free from her brother, without being vulnerable or at the whims of unreliable men. Beth believes herself not the marrying kind because it curtails a woman’s freedom—she refuses to give hers up ever again. Beth is ready to take control of her life and future. Grayson’s honorable and reliable but, unfortunately, also a bit prideful. He’s an inventor designing a steam engine and searching for funding. Because his father lost all their money, he also must find an heiress to marry. But he only wants Beth. Beth and Grayson were best friends before the breakup and separation. The road trip presents a fun opportunity for them to spend time together and experience an adventure. Being with Grayson makes her feel alive, giving her a chance to store up the memories of being with him and living her life free from her brother’s control. She discovers that Grayson has become her confidant and is still her best friend. Most important, he sees her and values her worth.

While I love McGregor’s vivid description, character, development and evolution, and story ideas and characters, for some reason, I always reach a wall in the middle of her books, where the story’s pacing slows down, and I have to force myself to push through. Though the pacing slows, once I got past that, McGregor smoothly drew me back into the novel, leaving me satisfied with her ending for her characters and story. Additionally, I love how she explores how the stress of poverty and hunger can force people to make decisions and do things they would never do under ordinary circumstances or that go against their character and morals.

How to Best a Marquess is a sweet, emotional, funny, steamy, angsty, and romantic read perfect for fans of second-chance, historical romance with a bit of mystery, suspense, and adventure.

Advanced review copy provided by St. Martin’s Paperbacks via Netgalley for review.

This was another great book from Janna MacGregor! Overall, I would recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was a delightful and entertaining historical romance. i loved the characters, the wit, and the plot was very good.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Beth is the third wife of trigamist, Meri. With no money and Meri now dead she needs to track down what Meri did with her dowry. If there's money left she won't have to marry the horrible man her brother chose for her. She asks Julian, the man who jilted her years ago, to accompany her on a road trip to find the money. Julian is ashamed of how he treated Beth in the past but he's in desperate need of cash to finance his steam engine invention. So they set off on a road trip to follow the papers and receipts Meri left behind. There was a lot of flowery, gushing dialogue that didn't ring true. Most of it from Julian. The resolution was just too much of a coincidence. I enjoyed seeing the other two wives again to catch up on their stories. I enjoyed the series overall but this entry wasn't my favorite.