The Luck of the Bride: The Cavensham Heiresses (The Cavensham Heiresses, #3)

by Janna MacGregor

March Lawson is an orphan who, for the past eight years, has struggled to raise her siblings on a meager allowance. Most women March’s age would be picking out ball gowns for the upcoming season. But March’s focus is not on finding a husband. First, she must devote her energies to just one man: the cold hearted skinflint who refuses to release her inheritance.

Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin, is not a heartless man. When he learns that Miss Lawson has been forging his name to procure funds, he can’t bring himself to have her arrested - not when the bold-faced embezzler is so enchantingly beautiful. Instead, McCalpin agrees to visit her home to assess the situation more closely. March has no choice but to accept. But how can she manage the handsome trustee who controls her purse strings - when he tugs at her heart strings as well?

• ISBN13: 9781250116161
• Publish Date: 1 June 2018 (first published 1 May 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Imprint: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250116161

Reviews

[chymerra]

I went into reading The Luck of the Bride thinking that it would be a typical Regency era romance. I based my assumption on the blurb. So, wasn’t I surprised when the prologue set the tone for the entire book. I am not an emotional reader but this book made me ugly cry during most of it.

I had a lot of respect for March. She took over raising them after their parents died. Her sisters were preteens and her brother was an infant. She raised those children with no help and almost no money. When a damaged roof takes all the money that she had saved, March was driven to do something that she would have never considered. She embezzled money out of her dowry account. That money was going to the upkeep of the estate and more importantly, to keep food on the table.

I thought that March and McCalpin had chemistry from the beginning. So much heat came from a single glance. I did like that the author kept them from having sex until almost the end of the book. Even after that, the chemistry was still there.

The romance between March and McCalpin had me in tears during certain parts of the book. Theirs wasn’t a slow burn romance but it wasn’t Instalove either. They both had a lot of obstacles to overcome. Trust was a huge issue on either end. Mainly on McCalpin.

I liked McCalpin from the get-go. His secret, while not shocking, was painful for him. I could understand why but I didn’t understand why he didn’t tell his parents earlier. Pride and not wanting his father to think any less of him was a huge reason. I loved how March was the only one for him as soon as he met her. Even though they met because she embezzled money from him. Her money but still. He only had eyes for her.

I wanted to strangle Cousin Rupert. He was an awful, awful man. When he burst into the ball with his “evidence” of March being a bastard, I wanted to throat punch him. Before that, I wanted to kick him in the boy bits for lusting after Julia and being horrid to Faith. All I have to say is that he got what he deserved in the end.

The end of the book was fantastic. The author did a great job of bringing all the storylines to a close. There were no storylines left dangling or forgotten. The emotional scene between McCalpin and March had me sobbing. The epilogue was spot on!! I am hoping that there are more books in this series!!

What I liked about The Luck of the Bride:

A) Excellent romance

B) Fantastic storyline

C) 3D characters

What I disliked about The Luck of the Bride:

A) March resorting to embezzlement to keep a roof over her head.

B) Cousin Rupert. He disgusted me.

C) McAlpin’s secret

I would give The Luck of the Bride an Adult rating. There is sex. There is mild violence. There is no language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings in The Luck of the Bride.

I would recommend The Luck of the Bride to family and friends. I would reread this book.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Paperbacks, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Luck of the Bride.

All opinions stated in this review of The Luck of the Bride are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

[stacey_is_sassy]

Her luck was running a bit late…

I can’t believe my boys don’t love reading…where did I go wrong? I think my oldest is a lost cause, but I have a little hope that I can lead my youngest to the light. He’s eleven and his teacher has just set him the challenge of reading Harry Potter #5. If I had mentioned it, he would have scoffed, because Mr Teacher mentioned it, he’s all, *sure, Sir, whatever you say Sir*. Bloody kids.

Anyways, this afternoon I was reading The Luck of the Bride and in true Janna MacGregor fashion, she had me blubbering like a baby. In a house full of boys, I try to have my emotional book breakdowns in private. My hubby usually smirks at my tears but offers me hugs to feel better. My boys, they’re horrified, uncomfortable and completely confused. So, my little guy decided to come into my room to read his Harry Potter book. He’s sitting beside me, and I’m sniffling, wiping tears and blowing my nose. He's not sure what to think and decides to pretend ignorance. But, he’s also trying to distract me from my sadness with inane chatter and descriptions of what he’s reading.

Any other time, I would be encouraging this…BUT I’M A BLOODY MESS!!

I’m trying to be subtle and give hints that he should read somewhere else, but he just isn’t getting it. Luckily, hubby saved the day. He could see I was close to breaking point and sent him on a wild goose chase to distract him. The tears were coming faster, my nose was running, and I was sucking in deep breaths trying to compose myself before he comes back.

WHY DO I KEEP GOING BACK FOR MORE??? JANNA MACGREGOR ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY!!!

Well, obviously, I keep going back because she writes a bloody good historical romance. Sure, she makes me cry bucket loads, but, she also makes me smile, sigh, squirm, shake, shiver and sneer. All of my emotions are involved.

I really liked The Luck of the Bride. We meet March and her younger siblings who she has raised after her parents died when she was sixteen. Not more than a child herself, she takes on the responsibility of caring for them and pushes aside her own dreams. Luckily, her parents provided in case of an emergency and set up trusts for each of the children. The only problem is, after eight years, the nominated guardians and lawyers seem to have just stopped. With a wee bit of embezzlement, March takes it upon herself to save them all from financial ruin.

…and she nearly got away with it.

What follows was an interesting story that kept my attention from start to end. I loved March’s character and Michael, while afraid to show his vulnerabilities, was a hero I came to admire. The additional characters we meet brought the story to life. Some I loved and some I wanted to kick in the ding-ding and make them sing. There were the usual balls with scandals, waltzes and gentleman callers. Shopping trips for pretty dresses mixed with nasty chatter and gossip. Servings of brandy amid talks over estates and politics. These are all parts that come together and give me a historical romance that I enjoy.

Maybe, if I was going to pick on anything, I would say that it was just a bit too much. Goh blimey, March had the opposite of luck. For a while there, EVERYTHING went wrong. Her cousin is a douchewaffle, Michael's brother was a nincompoop and bombs kept dropping and exploding in March's face. I kept trying to remind myself that it was just a book but another bomb would drop and my tears would flow AGAIN.

I believed in March and Michael’s love story. Their battles were many but in most cases, they fought them together. There was one time where Michael drops the bundle and I thought March forgave him too quickly. I would have given him a good two weeks of silent treatment for his lack of trust. But, this is March’s love story, if she wants to forgive him, and let his kisses and sweet words soothe the pain, well, good for her.

If you’re a fan of historical romance and don’t mind shedding a tear or two (or three, or four), I highly recommend The Luck of the Bride.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

[Cocktails and Books]

I love when you have a heroine who is willing to give everything she has to her younger siblings. That was exactly what we got with this one. March has been scrapping by to raise her younger sister and brother. She went to great lengths to ensure their survival, even fighting a Marquess for what was rightfully her family's.

Michael and March's friendship was refreshing and I loved the angst and drama as they figured out how to make their relationship work.

[Lindsey Gray]

March Lawson is desperate. Because of some stupid mistake, she has not received her inheritance when she turned twenty-five. Her parents died when she was only sixteen and she was left to care for an estate, two younger sisters, and the heir to it all, her one-year-old brother. Practically destitute, she begins the unthinkable when no man will help her, she begins to embezzle her own money by forging the trustees signature, the Marquess of McCalpin.

Micheal Cavesham, the Marquess of McCalpin, became the trustee of the Lawson estate in some strange way that I still don’t fully understand. Several men died and somehow McCaplin became the trustee without really knowing it. Once he learns of the embezzlement, he sets out to find out what March Lawson is all about.

Once the pair meet in the flesh, the attraction is instant. Several things stand in the way, including a secret Michael has closely guarded his entire life. Somehow, MacGregor makes it all work.

MacGregor follows through and brings the spark she created in the first two books then makes it explode on the page for March and Michael. March is a proud and dynamic character who works through so many obstacles but never once does she give up on herself or her family. Micheal somehow learns to love and to trust someone who he should stay away from if all her faults were listed on paper. Knowing March in body and soul brings the character a peace he has never known.

I don’t know what is next for Jenna MacGregor, but if it is anything like this series, I can’t wait to find out!

I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.