

Series: The Widow Rules #3
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Also in this series: A Duke in Time
Also by this author: A Duke in Time



Goodreads
Beth Howell needs to find her dowry, post haste. After her good-for-nothing first husband married her―and two other women, unbeknownst to them all―she’s left financially ruined and relegated to living with her brother, who cares more for his horses than he does his blood relatives. If Beth fails to acquire her funds, her brother will force her to marry someone fifty years her senior and missing half his teeth. She’d prefer to avoid that dreadful fate. But her now-deceased husband, Meri, absconded with her money mere days after their illegitimate marriage. To find it, Beth will have to leave town and retrace Meri’s steps if she’s to take her future into her own hands.
Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson, cares not a whit for social norms and generally growls at anyone in his path. Grayson has had a heart of stone ever since his engagement to Beth Howell went down in flames―long before she married that cad, Meri, and sealed her own fate for good. But now she’s on his doorstep, asking for use of his carriage and accompaniment on the hunt to find her lost dowry. Surely Grayson cannot go on the road with the woman who has occupied his thoughts for the past decade. Yet, knowing she needs him, how can he resist helping her this one last time? And maybe that’s just enough time to change the ending to their over-too-soon love story.
How to Best a Marquess is book 3 in the Widow series, but I read it as a standalone and didn’t have any trouble. This is a bit of a second chance romance since Beth and Julian wanted to marry before, but her hideous brother wouldn’t approve it.
So, Beth married a con man who absconded with her dowry and then died. She is now living with her brother who is ready to ship her off to marry an elderly man, and Beth is desperate to find her dowry. I wanted to like Beth-she was in this impossible position. But she was seriously annoying at times and it was just frustrating. But, she is related to her brother who I wanted to throat punch every time he was in the scene.
I liked Julian. He was a good hero, but his heart was a bit bruised. He was gruff and surly, but you get it. He only agrees to help Beth because he needs the money. He might have a title, but he is broke. This is his chance to win Beth again, and he takes it. The book is full to steamy times, and I loved that in a historical romance! Sometimes, I wanted Julian to find someone better than Beth, but overall, I did enjoy their love story!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: second chance
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: standalone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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authors like Sarah Maclean, Amy Sandas, Amy Jarecki...then you will probably like How to Best a Marquess!

This sounds like a endearing historical, I do love a gruff hero!!! They are the most endearing because of the heart once its revealed. Glad you enjoyed this one.
Great review!
Glad you liked it. I did too. It was an interesting series.