RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL - Janna MacGregor
The Widow Rules , 2
A Perfect 10
St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN-10:  1250761611
ISBN-13: 978-1250761613
April 26, 2022
Historical Romance

England - 1805 and 1815

Jonathan Eaton, the Earl of Sykeston, and Constance Lysander grew up near each other, and both lost their parents to influenza when they were young. So they had much in common, and shared hopes and dreams for several years as youngsters. But there came the day when Jonathan would have to break Constance's heart when he tells her that he is joining the British Army after it was discovered that he speaks French, Spanish, and German fluently. Distraught, Constance gives Jonathan her journal and pleads with him never to forget her.

Ten years later, Jonathan is back in England, and appears at the London home where Constance is staying to respond to her request that he marry her. Her late husband left her pregnant, and with the threat of destroying her reputation. For that husband had also wed two other women, unbeknownst to each of them. And now he is dead, Constance is pregnant with his child, and the rumors of his escapades promises to complicate everything. Constance inherited her parents' ship fitting company in Portsmouth, and she won't let its reputation be ruined, or that her child will be considered illegitimate. 

The only problem is that Jonathan is not the man who left her ten years before. After being badly injured in the war, he has a mangled leg, and, while he will dutifully wed his dear friend, he will not be anything more than her legal husband. 

After the quick ceremony, Jonathan returns to his home in Portsmouth, leaving his new wife, and newborn daughter, in London. He's done his gentlemanly duty, and now he will, once again, retreat to the safety and solitude of his home, far away from his beautiful wife. 

Constance begins receiving sweet letters from her husband, responding in kind. Her baby, Aurelia, is growing rapidly, her business is thriving, and suddenly, after almost a year, she receives an entreaty to go to Portsmouth to her husband's home. But when she arrives, she's shocked to see how stunned he is by her appearing on his doorstep. And his rather cool, distant behavior has her even more confused. Why would he want her there, and obviously clearly not want her? 

Jonathan has a lot on his personal plate now. Not only is he bemused by the arrival of his wife and her child, but a former colleague is threatening him with a lie about Jonathan's encounter with a French enemy during the war. Similarly, the couple who run Constance's business for her tell her of a client who is accusing their company of poor workmanship, and threatens to sue. Still Constance wants to find a way to soften her husband's demeanor, to find what has made him a recluse in his own home. 

Constance has her hands full with raising a toddler, running a business, and trying to peel away the layers of hurt that her husband clearly is dealing with. Jonathan just wants the world to go away. His butler, cook, and staff have protected him by keeping quiet about things, but Constance is slowly discovering parts about her husband that she hopes will return the old Jonathan that she grew up with back to her. 

RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL is book two of The Widow Rules series. Besides all that Constance has dealt with, she also has the two other women her husband wed as dear friends, and they are trying to find what the scoundrel did with each of their dowries. Jonathan is clearly not the man she knew ten years ago, but she knows he's in there somewhere. The household staff want their employer to be happy, and they're trying hard to help the new mistress achieve her goal. 

A very emotional, poignant love story is the real heart of this tale. Both Jonathan and Constance care for each other, but the damage done to Jonathan's soul will be a struggle to overcome. He is convinced that he doesn't deserve happiness, despite the obvious love Constance tries to embrace him with. Keep reading, it's tough to not care, and there must be a way to overcome his pain. RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL is heartbreaking at times, but it's a lovely story. 

Jani Brooks