A Duke in Time (Widow Rules Series #1)

by Janna MacGregor

Overview

"If...looking for something new with Austen’s spirit, humor, and dashing heroes, they can’t do better than MacGregor." - Entertainment Weekly

A Duke in Time is the first book in a three-story arc that will have you rooting for leading heroines, searching for lost dowries, and falling for swoon-worthy heroes.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250761590
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/29/2021
Series:	Widow Rules Series , #1
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	149,323
Product dimensions:	4.70(w) x 6.80(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/15/2021

MacGregor (Wild, Wild Rake) packs this saucy Regency-era romp, the first in the Widow Rules series, with scandalous secrets and sordid affairs that threaten the welfare of a successful businesswoman. Boutique owner Katherine “Kat” Greer married her husband, Meriwether Varek, never suspecting that she was but one of Meriwether’s three wives. His polygamy only comes to light after his death, when the three widows meet at the reading of his will. Christian Varek, the Duke of Randford, has never been close to his family, but he feels it’s his duty to help the women who have been duped by his younger half brother. He teams up with Kat, the savviest of the trio, to protect their reputations, and is soon seduced by Kat’s intelligence and humor, while she is drawn to his playful side. Meanwhile, Meriwether’s widows find comfort in each other and band together to form a family of their own. But when Kat’s toughest business competitor uncovers a secret from her past, he blackmails her into choosing between her business—upon which her employees’ livelihoods depend—and her relationship with Christian. Throughout all the drama, the slow-burning love between Christian and Kat is the eye of the storm, and their convincing connection will melt readers’ hearts. With powerful themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and second chances, this impassioned series launch promises more good things to come. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Janna MacGregor dazzles her readers with sexy stories that are also endearingly tender. Her characters tug at your heart-strings and make you sad to turn the last page." — New York Times bestseller Eloisa James

"Mesmerizing! Janna MacGregor pens enchanting characters and passionate romance that offers the perfect escape.” — New York Times bestseller Lorraine Heath

"Janna MacGregor's stories positively sparkle. Filled with heart, humor, and passion, she is an absolute must read!" — USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell

"If...looking for something new with Austen’s spirit, humor, and dashing heroes, they can’t do better than MacGregor." - Entertainment Weekly

"[A] saucy Regency-era romp...[that] will melt readers' hearts." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Superbly conceived and smartly executed...with a brilliantly rendered cast of characters, including a resourceful, resilient heroine and a heart-of-gold hero, as well as a captivating story line that splendidly celebrates female friendship." - Booklist review

From the Publisher

06/01/2021

The recently widowed Katherine is in for a surprise when two other wives of her late husband Meri show up at the solicitor's office, in this well-written historical romance, the first in the "Widow Rules" series. Soon, Katherine and her brother-in-law, Meri's upstanding ducal brother, Christian, begin to fall for each other, but secrets and family drama threaten to ruin their burgeoning relationship. The book is slightly overstuffed with crises, including subplots about Katherine's linen business and her past; it also kicks off storylines featuring Constance and Beth, Meri's other two wives, that will presumably play out in the series's future books. Still, the well-written and lovely central romance between Katherine and Christian will keep historical romance fans happy, and the supportive friendship between Meri's three widows builds anticipation for future series installments. VERDICT The number of plotlines and side stories featured in this book threaten to overshadow the main romance, but great chemistry between the hero and heroine, coupled with some truly lovely scenes of friendship and support among women, make this series opener worth a read for hardcore historical romance fans.—Jenny Kobiela-Mondor, Eckhart P.L., IN

Library Journal