Review: Rules for Engaging the Earl

Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well, what have we here? the perfect (for most) angsty read of the spring.

We have a loving pair of young best friends, Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston, and Constance Lysander. Jonathan is leaving to become a sharpshooter with the army. He leaves, but promises have been made! Constance is going about her life learning about her father's business.

Constance marries a rake, a rogue, an all-around bad guy, who just so happens to marry two other women after he marries her. Steals her dowery and then drowns in a mud puddle. Oopsie!

Oh, and did I forget to mention that Constance is pregnant?

Since all of this has happened in the last ten years---I doubt that, but the timeline said: "ten years have passed."

Okay, here come my issues. It may be that I'm I've just had too many books dealing with self-recriminations, angst to the nth degree, and a lot of internal dialoguing. I just could not make it through this book.

Constance needs a husband so her baby won't be born out of wedlock ( since her first hubby was married three times at the same time). She sends word to Johathan, and here he comes to save the day-only he doesn't have to. If you read the book, you'll find out why; I don't want to add any more spoilers than I may have done already!

We deal with PTSD, physical disabilities, a frigid heart, and passionate leering thoughts. The lustful thoughts are on both sides of this farce. Of course, you can see the writing on the wall because, well, this is a romance, dammit! Things will go on in their own befuddle way, especially since the Earl has some pretty heavy accusations against him from his time in the army, so of course, there will be an evil, despicable entity thrown in the plot for good measure. Sex will come into the picture and save the day, the Earl will come to adore the baby, things will work out, and they will have a happy ending!

I just couldn't do it; I just couldn't find any compassion or empathy for these characters or sorrow for what Johathan had gotten himself into.

*ARC supplied by publisher and NetGalley.

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