A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1)

by Janna MacGregor

Blurb:

Get ready for lost wills, broody dukes, and scorching hot kissing all over London in A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor.

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.

Themes: Historical

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Well I did not see that coming at all… in only the best of ways. An all new series beginnings revolving around the lives of three women brought together in the most unusual of circumstances, especially in the Victorian era, and becoming as close as sisters. Janna MacGregor was a late addition to my bookshelves, but I can honestly say that I am thrilled I found her and was able to enjoy her skill. The new world of the Meriweather widows is one filled with twists and turns that make the story not only interesting but thrilling and truly worth every moment of reading. Katherine Vareck is determined to make her business into one of the most influential female run businesses in England, but the sudden death of her husband leaves her dowry free and in need of serious capital in order to win a contract with the Prince. Her brother-in-law is returning from war and will be her only hope of regaining her funds, but he is such a forbidding character she finds herself reluctant to approach him. Christian is finally returning to the peace of his home, though with a lot hanging over his head, and he doesn’t want to deal with the fallout of his younger brother’s shenanigans. His only goal is to provide a safe and sane landing for his fellow soldieries returning from the war, but when he meets with his brother’s lawyers his life changes forever. Christian and Katherine are left to handle the truth left behind by Meri’s death, and the two wives that have also arrived to claim their dowries back from Meri’s estate. Katherine knows she shouldn’t get more involved, but the women are in dire straits, even more so than herself and Christian seems unwilling to offer his hand to the ladies so she takes them into her home and under her wing. Christian is intrigued by the spitfire that pushes against him, repeatedly demanding he step up and meet his obligations, and soon they are working together on both of their projects and their feelings for one another are becoming much more than simple admiration. Only their love will see them through the coming scandal when the truth of Meri’s widows comes to light and give them a chance to reach their HEA. Christian seemed to be a single-minded and selfish pompous ass on the surface, but there was so much going under the calm façade he tried to portray to the world that he was like an iceberg with only a quarter of his truth above the water. He spent so much of his youth fighting the embarrassment cause by his family that he just wants to distance himself and become a man that he can respect, looking after his men and friends, but he comes to learn that sometimes we have to be selfish in order to look after our own inner peace. He was sweet of the oddest moments, strong, and brave, leading his men out of desperate situations and improving their lives again and again. He truly was a commanding officer that anyone could respect and a man that any woman could love. Katherine was a woman well before her time, running not only a business as a woman, but for female customers and having female employees (mostly) only, giving her exclusivity. Her sass, savviness, and strength of character was obvious from the beginning, but as she spent more time with Christian and began to fall in love, she found a softness and devotion to herself and her future that led her into a different direction and reminded her that just because a woman wants her career doesn’t mean she has to give up a family—inner battles women still fight hundreds of years later. I enjoyed seeing her taking the other women under her protection and befriending them, making them sisters really, and allowing the three of them to find a way to find some good out of the tragedy of their husband’s polygamy and lies. The passion between Christian and Katherine started out much more subtly than in some novels, but as their relationship developed and they spent more time together their love and the heat between them kindled quickly and became an inferno to be sure. I am looking forward to the stories of the other two wives in this mess to be sure and seeing where their lives take them after this. Another good series shaping up for sure.