Katherine
Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her
husband Meri's accidental death that he had married two other women.
Her entire business, along with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a
royal supplier, is everything she's been working for and now could be
destroyed if word leaks about the three wives.
Meri's far
more upstanding brother, Christian, Duke of Randford has no earthly
clue how to be of assistance. He spent the better part of his adult
years avoiding Meri and the rest of his good-for-nothing family, so
to be dragged back into the fold is…problematic. Even more so is
the intrepid and beautiful Katherine, whom he cannot be falling for
because she's Meri's widow. Or can he?
With a textile
business to run and a strong friendship forming with Meri's two other
wives, Katherine doesn't have time for much else. But there's
something about the warm, but compellingly taciturn Christian that
draws her to him. When an opportunity to partner in a business
venture brings them even closer, they'll have to face their pasts if
they want to share each other's hearts and futures.
A
feisty heroine and a dashing hero!
At
the reading of her late husband's will, Katherine discovers she isn't
the only wife of the late, Lord Meriwether Vareck – two other wives
are using the same title too! As the presumed first wife, she takes
the other women under her wing, to protect them and avoid the scandal
becoming common knowledge. Only her motive is personal because if her
true identity is revealed, she stands to lose everything she's worked
for.
Christian,
Duke of Randford is a war hero and the half brother of Meri. When he
learns of the mess his wastrel brother left behind, he's determined
to help these women, as Mr Hanes, the family solicitor begins
researching the whereabouts of the women's missing dowries. Within a
short space of time, Christian realises he's developing feelings for
Katherine as shared interests and common goals are realised, however,
is it wrong to pursue is late brother's wife?
This
entertaining narrative held my attention right from the start. Set
during the Regency period, the unique plot is a lot of fun, as the
protagonists try to make sense of the situation they find themselves
in. Their relationship gathered steam quite quickly but didn't feel
rushed.
As
a pair, Katherine and Christian are a good match. She is a strong,
independent woman, who has worked hard all her life to achieve the
success she has. As for Christian, he fights for what he believes and
doesn't bow to public opinion. He's a loyal and trusted friend and
companion to those he knows and in Katherine, he's met someone as
passionate as he is about causes he cares for.
The
unexpected twist towards the end helps to set the scene for the
following books. As for Katherine and Christian, they found their
happy ending.
This
is my first Janna MacGregor novel and I'm eagerly waiting to read
more books in The Widow Rules series.
***arc
copy generously received courtesy of St. Martin's Paperbacks via
NetGalley***
JANNA MACGREGOR was born
and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She is the author of the
Cavensham Heiresses series, which begins with The Bad Luck
Bride.
Janna credits her darling mom for introducing
her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes
stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love
with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and
lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug,
but not surprisingly, perfect pugs. She loves to hear from readers.
