4.5 stars, rounded up,

Sir Walter Scott said it best “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”, and those words perfectly describe Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham’s current dilemma. When he first invented a fiancee to deter his matchmaking mother from pushing marriageable misses at him – even though she now resides in Boston – he never dreamed that it would snowball out of control as it has, nor did he think that after two years of successfully holding his mother at bay that this day would come – his mother’s return to England.

Hugh isn’t against marriage in general, just for himself, he believes that the men in his family are incapable of fidelity and refuses to hurt his wife and children by being unfaithful as his father and grandfather were. So he invented Minerva to keep his mother from trying to find him a wife. But now his mother is on her way to England to plan his wedding – now that the non-existent Minerva has fully recovered from consumption AND is finally out of morning for her father – who tragically froze to death in a blizzard. Even his friend Giles Sinclair, Lord Bellingham can’t think of a way to extract Hugh from the gigantic farce he has created. But it seems that fate is smiling down on Hugh because while walking down the street, he comes across a very lovely young woman and an older man arguing – he intervenes when on the lady’s behalf and when he learns her name is Minerva, a new idea is born.

Minerva Merriwell is grateful to Hugh for making Mr. Pinkerton pay her for her work, and is shocked when he offers her forty pounds to pose as his fiancee for a couple of weeks. She agrees but insists that her sisters Diana and Venus “Vee” come with her. Hugh agrees and has Minerva and her sisters come to his country estate along with his friend Giles and a Drury Lane actress he hired to portray their mother to prepare for his mother’s arrival. When Minerva wants to know how he plans to end their engagement, he tells her not to worry – he has a plan – Minerva and Giles will elope, he assures her that is it a perfect plan and that nothing could possibly go wrong! Ah, as they say, the best-laid plans…

And so starts an absolutely hilarious, wonderful, and well-written story. I truly enjoyed reading this book, it was light and funny, Hugh and Minerva are very likable leads and the secondary characters were the perfect comedic foil for them. The book is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, outrageous lies, horrific singing, secrets, shocking revelations, stolen kisses, and finally a very sweet HEA. While this book was fun to read, parts of it were a bit over-the-top and I did find Minerva’s sisters to be mildly annoying, but overall, I loved this crazy, madcap web of deception and would highly recommend this book.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is one of those books that could never really happen in real life. The story is so outlandish to be believable. But it was delightful just the same. Hugh has been lying to his mother for years about being engaged to a fictitious woman named Minerva. His stories have been a means of deflecting her matchmaking intentions. But since she lives in America, she has no way of verifying his accounts of his engagement and fiancee.

Hugh's mother knows him well and she's long since believed Minerva to be an invention of Hugh's imagination. So she determines to come back for a visit. In the meantime, Hugh randomly meets a woman named Minerva and offers to pay her to pretend to be his fiancee. Minerva wanted to say no to his request but he offered her such a large amount of money that it would change her and her sister's life for years to come.

Minerva and Hugh have an instant connection and attraction. But neither can act upon their interest. Hugh is so far above her station, but most of all, Hugh has been open with her about his disinterest in marriage as well as his flaws as he sees them. Hugh's father and grandfather were both disloyal husbands and his attention has never stayed on one woman either. So he believes himself to be incapable of being a good and loyal husband.

Hugh and Minerva both have quick wits, and I loved the banter between them. I can only imagine how much fun it is going to be to read Diana and Giles's story which I assume will come next. Their banter and hate to love potential romance is something I anticipate.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee was a light and fun read. I finished it quickly and didn't want to put it down which is always a good thing if you ask me. I loved the characters...all of them...and I can't wait to read the other sisters' stories as well. I was surprised by the direction this book took in the physical sense. I guess the series will be more historical romance than I usually read, but it wasn't overly much. Never Fall for Your Fiancee easily gets 4 Stars. Have you read Never Fall for Your Fiancee? What did you think? Let me know!

I don't know why the fake dating/fake engagement trope does it for me so much but it totally does. Never Fall For Your Fiancee fed right into that for me if it is any indication on how the rest of the series will be...sign me up! The story is simple but packs a punch and will leave readers laughing and waiting for the next!

Thank you publishers for my advanced copy!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but I loved it! It’s a sweet and funny Regency-era historical romcom, well written and plotted. The author takes fake dating in a new direction! I was disappointed when it had to end, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the Merriwell Sisters series.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Farham, needs a fiancée, fast. He’s convinced his meddling mother, who lives In Boston, that he’s fallen for a girl named Minerva. Unfortunately, Minerva is a fiction and his mother is coming to plan their wedding.

Minerva Merriwell is trying to collect her fee for an advertisement she designed, and her client won’t pay up. Hugh steps in and resolves the issue for her. When they introduce themselves, and Hugh learns her name, he asks her if she’d be his fake fiancée for a fee. She agrees and she and her sisters head to Hugh’s country estate.

The supporting characters in this book are hilarious. There’s a fake mother for the Merriwell girls, an actress who has a tendency to drink. There’s a best friend, a droll butler, and other assorted relatives as well as the Merriwell sisters themselves. This book is a nice escape from modern day life, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love the fake fiance(e) trope, but until now I have only seen it in contemporary romances, never in an historical romance. How much fun is this? I have never read a book by this author before, but she is going on my automatic list. I giggled my way through this book as nothing went to plan.

I don't like spoilers, so I am not going to give any. I will say this is a proper standalone novel, not one of those infuriating duets or trilogies that end in a cliffhanger. This is Hugh and Minerva's story, and comes with an HEA.

If you like romances or rom-coms, and want something a little different, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Never Fall For Your Fiancee." It is sweet, funny, and well-written. I really enjoyed this book, and I am sure you will. too.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

What a fun story! This was a book I found myself excited to go back to and sad everytime I had to put it down!

In this book we meet Hugh, an Earl and playboy, who has been lying to his mother for years that he has a fiancée to prevent her from trying to find one for him herself. Everythings going great until he learns that she is on a ship set for London. After stumbling upon Minerva, a poor woodcut engraver who also supports her two younger sisters, on the street, he asks her pose as his fiancée for a lucrative price. But, after Minerva arrives at Hugh’s estate with her sisters, nothing seems to go according to plan and hilarity ensues!

I love a story that can be emotionally impactful, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. The author really sets the silly tone early on in the story with Hugh entangling himself in a truly ridiculous situation, only to find a perfect solution in Minerva, who he runs into on the street. Add in a crew of hilarious family members (including a hired mother and sarcastic butler) and the story just keeps getting more wild!

At the same time though, we get to see the real story behind the charade. Hugh and Minerva falling in love despite themselves, and while also workig through their own dark family history, was the love story I love to see!

While the ending may have ended a bit too quickly for me, I love a sweet ending 💕 I’m so excited to read Diana and Giles’ story next! I loved their characters in this book and definitely think they deserve their own story!

Thank You Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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This was my first historical romance and it was super cute! I loved the characters and the banters that occurred. The whole time I was waiting for the "catastrophe" as Giles would call it (aka falling for your fiancé) to occur.
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This follows Minerva and Hugh's story. As Hugh has been lying to his mother for two years about being engaged to someone whose name is "Minerva". He meets a real "Minerva" and finds that Minerva is taking care of her two other siblings after her mother has died and her father has left them. Minerva ends up accepting Hugh's proposal to be his fake Fiancé when his mother visits in exchange for money to help her family.
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This book was filled with moments that will make you laugh, smile, and yell "Get on with it" at the screen. Definitely would recommend it.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath is everything you could want from a Regency romance. Charming, light and romantic. The scenes between Minerva and Hugh are alot of fun as they try and navigate their growing feelings for each other. Witty, sharp and lighthearted dialog kept me smiling throughout. After inventing a fake fiancee to appease his mother the lies and stories they must tell get more and more complicated and they have a hard time keeping everything straight. The secondary characters are just as charming and we'll drawn as the main cast. This is the first of a series and I'm looking forward to more of the Merriweather sisters in coming books.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all opinions expressed are my own. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Never Fall for Your Fiancée reminds me of the old screwball comedies from the 1930s or a Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie from the 1960s and I mean that is the best way. Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, invented a fiancée to keep his mother's long distance matchmaking efforts at bay, but after several years of peace, his lies are catching up to him. His mother is visiting from Boston and expects to meet Minerva; he's at a loss of what to do when he encounters a young woman arguing with an older gentleman over money she claims he owes her. After lending her his assistance to obtain the money she earned, he is shocked to learn that her name is Minerva. Her first name being the same as his fictional fiancée gives him the idea to hire her to play the role while his mother is visiting.

Minerva and her sisters are in desperate need of money and Hugh's offer is a godsend. The money will provide the sisters with some security for months to come and allow Minerva an opportunity to try and expand the clientele for her woodcuts. Although suspicious of Hugh, she can't turn down the offer and soon finds herself and her sisters on the way to his estate. As Minerva and her sisters learn what they need to in order to play their part in the charade, Hugh and Minerva find themselves drawn together. Will they be able to make the charade real? I love the banter between Hugh and Minerva and watching the backstory that Hugh created become "real". This is my first title by the author, but won't be the last. Minerva's sisters are fun and I look forward to their books.

Never Fall for Your Fiancée is written in the third person narrative following the characters Hugh and Minerva. Hugh Standish is the Earl of Fareham and vehemently against marriage. Unfortunately for him, his matchmaking mother, Olivia, will hear nothing of it. Olivia moved overseas across the Atlantic to be with her second husband, an American man, allowing Hugh to fabricate an entire fake engagement to a woman named Minerva. It’s a ruse that has gone on for two years and is going well until his mother surprises him with a letter that she is coming on the next boat to meet the mysterious fiancée that has captured her son’s heart and to see them married. Panic-stricken, Hugh then meets a woman named Minerva and convinces her to pretend to be his fiancée until he can come up with a plan. Undeniable chemistry and attraction to Minerva has Hugh reminding himself not to fall for his fake fiancée.

Such a fun, light-hearted read! Never Fall For Your Fiancée is a lot less smutty and much more comedic than others set in 1800s England. Personally, far less steam than I usually like in these types of books but the development of the romance is sweet. Hugh’s butler, Payne, is the voice of reason we all need in our life. So many tropes muddled together in this: hired family, fake engagement, miscommunication, forever proximity, rich guy/poor girl, deadbeat father, (VERY) slow burn romance… I’m sure I’m missing some. This is the first book in The Merriwell Sister’s series and Heath definitely set up a potential enemies to lovers romance for Diana in the next installment. Overall, a cute read but nothing I’d rush to recommend unless you’re looking for a lighter romance in the same vein as Bridgerton.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Release Date; 11/9

‘The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.

Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So, when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.

Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course, nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue, while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other, when their relationship started with a lie?’
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Never Fall for Your Fiancée is the first book in Virginia Heath’s new series, The Merriwell Sisters and is a historical romance. This is the first book by this author which I have read.

I thought this book had a lot of promise to start, but it began to unravel a bit in my opinion by the second half. I liked the premise, it was a bit silly, but amusing. I found that the fabricated engagement was dragged out far too long, creating unnecessary tension and misunderstanding between characters. There was also a bit of instalove at play here, which is a big pet-peeve of mine. There is a real resistance for both Hugh and Minerva because Hugh is supposedly a scoundrel, although we see absolutely no proof of this during the course of the book. In fact, all we see is evidence to the contrary. At around approximately the 75% mark this resistance makes a sharp turn into insta-love and I really wish it had been more organic

Hugh was obviously a bit ridiculous and outlandish in his storytelling, but that's how he got himself into this mess in the first place and I found it mostly entertaining. Overall the book as a whole can be described as a bit ridiculous but humorous, but I did found that it was trying a bit to hard to be humorous that it pushed more into being silly and frivolous, and at times even slowing down the progression of the plot as a result.

The book was amusing and pretty enjoyable to read and I’ll probably continue with the series.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing an eARC of Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath. This is my honest review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee was such a cute romcom book! After all the mystery books, I definitely needed something light and fluffy to make my heart all kinds of happy. Plus, anything with a fake romance (or engagement) definitely hits the spot because the outcome is always the same: Happy!

Even though things were a little predictable, I couldn't help falling in love with the characters and their romance. No, seriously. Minerva and Hugh were freaking adorable. It was obvious that they had so much chemistry but I came for the banter people. Let's be real.

Then there's the drama. Oh the drama! Yes, it was equally predictable but it needed to happen. We needed people to dislike.. and maybe even hate. Mostly because it helped us root for the people we liked.. maybe even loved.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this wonderful book and I can't wait for the sequel!

I enjoyed this book and am so glad I picked it up! This is my first book by Virginia Heath but definitely won't be my last.

Our main characters are Hugh Standish and Minerva Merriwell who meet by chance but immediately realize that they can both help each other out. Minerva has had to struggle to support herself and her sisters ever since their father disappeared and as she is trying to collect a fee for some work she did, Hugh crosses her path and helps her get what she is owed. It also just happens that he needs some help and ironically enough, from someone with the name Minerva. See, his mother has been pressuring him to marry and she is coming from America to meet the fiancé he has told her so much about.

Of course, once their plan gets underway, nothing really goes as planned. Both Minerva and Hugh begin to feel things for one another and their lies start to create more challenges / problems than they expected.

If you're looking for a story that will have you loving the characters and turning the pages to see what happens next, definitely grab this one when you can. I am looking forward to the next book in this series as Minerva's sisters were interesting secondary characters in this first installment!

Never Fall for Your Fiancee
by Virginia Heath ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.9

Perfect and satisfying romance! This is exactly the kind of romance book that I like reading! That historical cliche 'the prince and the pauper' story but a little bit modern. I really like Minerva and Hugh and how their love was built throughout the book. It felt organic and real. In other hand, Vee's character was super annoying. Come on, the girl is 17 but she acts like she's 12. Very immature. Besides Vee, I loved all the other characters and everything worked great. I would love to read more about their life after marriage, Minerva's new responsibilities, kids and how her life will change. I can't wait for part 2!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath is everything that I want in a historical rom-com. This book had just the right pacing with an outlandish and entertaining plot to keep me turning pages late into the night.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, is a bachelor by choice who has found himself caught in an absurd farce when his mother pushes him to marry. When he realizes his mother will soon visit he must find a woman who will help orchestrate his story to convince his mother he is happily engaged. When Hugh comes to the rescue of Minerva Merriwell he realizes she might be the perfect woman to help see this ploy through.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it is not just a typical historical romance. This book has themes of fake dating, miscommunication, and my favorite forced proximity. I adored and connected with the characters, they were hilarious and so animated, I will definitely continue on with the series.

This historical romance was so fun!! I really enjoy the fake dating trope so a fake fiancee was perfect for me and I loved it right from the beginning.

Hugh has created a fake fiancee to keep his matchmaking mother happy, only to find out she's coming to visit and he needs a fiancee, and fast!

Meet Minerva, she has two younger sisters to take care of and are basically broke. She agrees to be Hugh's fake fiancee and lots of hilarity ensues as they try to keep their story straight!

I laughed out loud several times while reading this! The characters were all well developed, I loved Payne and his witty remarks. Hughs mother drove me crazy though, which I know was her character. She was so nosy!! She would ask such personal questions and expect an answer, and wouldn't let you get away without giving one. Her husband did a good job of calling her out for being like that but I just wanted to tell her to mind her own business!

If you like rom-cons or the fake dating trope be sure to check this out!

“Never Fall For your Fiancé” by Virginia Heath
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book #1 in The Merriwell Sisters series
Genre: Historical Fiction Romcom
Release Date: 11/9/21

Thank you Netgalley for this Arc! I thought this was a refreshing romcom! The Fake Relationship trope is always fun and interesting to see the journey of how the true relationship builds. I don’t typically read a lot of Historical fiction romance books, but this one focused more on the character development than history.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham doesn’t wants relationship, but he needs his mother to stop trying to set him up. His mother is coming to visit from America and in desperate times he hires Minerva to become his fake fiancé. The problem is he had been writing his mother letters for the last two years building their relationship up and he expects Minerva and her sisters to follow their fake history to the T, which involves hiring an actress to play their mother and to kill their father off since he’s a weasel that left them five years ago.
Can they keep up the charade?

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is the first book in Virginia Heath's The Merriwell Sisters series. Though I've heard of Ms. Heath, this is the first book of hers that I've read. It was a charming introduction to her work, and I cannot wait to read about the next Merriwell sister!

Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham, does not want to wed, especially because of the behavior of previous men in the Standish line. His mother, however, is determined that he will marry. Since she's across the ocean in America, he makes up a fake fiancee to keep his mother from matchmaking. But then he discovers that his mother is on a ship bound for England! What on earth should he do? Why, hire a woman to act as his fiancee while his mother is visiting, of course! Just how hard could it be? Minerva Merriwell struggles to support herself and her two younger sisters since their father abandoned them. She's a woodcut engraver, which doesn't pay very much, so when Hugh runs into her and offers to pay her to pose as his fiancee, she takes him up on it. When Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, the struggles begin for everyone to keep their stories straight. When Hugh and Minerva begin to have actual feelings for each other, that's when the struggles truly begin!

The blurb for this book states it is a historical romantic comedy and it was, often bordering on a farce. However, there was much deeper emotion, hardship and family history present, which turned the lighthearted fun into a more complex story; I think that made for a more compelling tale. Minerva and her sisters lost their mother at a young age, leaving them in the care of their wastrel father who eventually abandoned them. Minerva did her best to support them all, but it was becoming more and more difficult. Hugh met her when she was demanding a patron pay her for her work; he assisted her, and decided she was perfect to pose as his fiancee. She at first declined, but she persuaded him to pay her more, as she really needed the funds. Hugh was a charming and handsome man, appearing quite frivolous at times, but he took great care of his estates and tenants. He thought he could fool his mother with a fake fiancee so she would stop matchmaking, especially since he believed his family history would make him a poor husband. The story really took off when Minerva met Hugh's family. He had told his mother Minerva loved to ride (she could not and was terrified), she was an excellent dancer (she had two left feet), and that she was a talented musician (she was tone deaf). Minerva felt horrible lying to Olivia and Jeremiah, Hugh's mother and stepfather, as they were kind and loving people. Minerva and Hugh were wildly attracted to each other, but Hugh just couldn't express himself clearly, and she was terribly hurt. You just knew there would be a HEA, but they sure had to work hard for it! The supporting characters were charming, especially younger sisters Diana and Vee, stepfather Jeremiah, Lucretia the drunken actress whom Hugh hired to portray the girls' mother, and Hugh's best friend Giles. My favorite, however, was Payne the long-time put-upon butler; the story was at its funniest when he was present! This book was more entertaining than I was expecting, causing me to both laugh and tear up. I can't wait to see which sister will next get her HEA!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I can’t think of that many historical romances that are true romanic comedies, but this book definitely lived up to its billing!

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham has creatively avoiding his mothers matchmaking from across the pond by writing her detailed letters about his fake finances for the past 2 years. This plan is going swimmingly until his mother decides to depart America and return to England to get her son and his fiancee finally married!

Thank heavens for fate that delivers a woman into his hands by the same name as his imaginary fiancee, Minerva!

Minerva Merriwell is trying to support her sisters after being abandoned by their father. Lucky for her her philandering father taught her the trade of engraving before he left.. unlucky for her that commissions are few and far between. So when a handsome Earl steps into help her get a payment for an engraving and then offers to pay her a generous amount to pretend to be his fiancee for a few weeks, Minerva feels she can’t resist.

Now Hugh, Minerva and a colourful crew consisting of Hugh’s best friend, Minerva’s two sisters, an actress posing as the girls mother attempt to pull off Hugh’s ruse over his mother and stepfather at his country estate. Chaos ensues!!!

I had a riot with all of the different obstacles and catastrophes that ensued in this story. I also absolutely adored the romance between Hugh and Minerva . Hugh’s fighting himself to not seduce a woman he has hired was admirable. Other fun tropes included were class differences, forced proximity, working for a common goal and fated mates.

All in all, I had a blast reading this book and I am looking forward to the other sisters books!

Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath is scheduled to release November 9th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#NeverFallforYourFiancée #VirginiaHeath #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

Hugh hires Minerva to be his fake fiancée in front of his mother because he doesn’t actually want to get married. Minerva and her sisters desperately need the money so she agrees. Will they be able to pull it off? Hugh’s best friend Giles thinks not but is along for the fun. Add a fake mother and a deceased fake father, and who knows which part of Hugh’s long-standing lie will unravel first.

A fun, entertaining historical romance.