Delightful period rom com! Hugh and Minerva are charming characters involved in a fake engagement. They are surrounded by a cast of witty, sarcastic family, friends and servants. Hugh has woven a ridiculous story about his fake fiancé and a new complication pops up at every turn. I laughed out loud, sighed at the sweet parts, teared up at the misunderstandings and waited for the HEA I was cheering for. I hope the author continues with stories on the rest of the Merriwell sisters!

I love a good fake relationship story. I also love a historical romance. This one is light hearted and fun.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several other books by this author and I loved them. So I had high expectations going into reading this book. This book definitely lived up to my expectations. I loved it.

This was a delightful read - laugh out loud funny at parts (seriously, the ending scene is worthy of some high level Shakespeare farce). I do enjoy the fake romance trope, though this one drags it out a bit too far using one of my least favorite plot devices, miscommunication. It was close to reaching the end of my tolerance for that plot device but the author seemed to have a good idea of when her audience would require a resolution. Hugh and Minerva are fun to watch as they try not to fall in love while pretending to be in love at a county house party full of meddlesome family, friends and guests with one disastrous event after another. A fast and fun read!

Hugh's mother is coming back to London.

After lying to her for two years about having a fiancée to keep her from matchmaking, Hugh is suddenly forced to either come clean to his mother or double-down and hire a stand-in. When he just happens to meet a young woman with the same name as his fictitious love, the die is cast.

"Never Fall for Your Fiancée" by Virginia Heath is a pure madcap delight. This compulsive read is brimming with humor, endearing characters (Payne, has to be one the top 5 best butlers ever written!) and tons of heart. I love a good fake engagement and this one is beyond any I've read before. When Minerva is hired to play Hugh's fake love, she has to bring along her two disapproving younger sisters and Hugh rounds out the cast by hiring an actress/drunk to play their mother. Hijinks ensue and a real love and friendship blossoms,

The whole time I was reading this I was wondering whether it would make a better miniseries or movie, that's how much the characters leapt off the page for me. I'm definitely here for Ms. Heath's next book. Steam level is about a 3 out of 5.

Pick this one up for a light-hearted, romantic weekend escape.

I adored the new book "Never Fall for Your Fiancée" by Virginia Heath. It was witty and charming and kept a smile on my face the entire way through. I love a fake fiancée trope and this book was no exception. It was "excellent" you might say.

Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham is tired of his meddling Mama trying to marry him off so he invents a fiancée named Minerva. His mother and her new husband live in America so he doesn't have to worry about his ruse being found out until he gets word she's headed back to England to meet this Minerva once and for all. Hugh helps a damsel in distress one night and once she reveals her name is Minerva all bets are off. Minerva and her two sisters are moved into his country estate to impersonate his fake fiancée while his mother is visiting. The results are hilarious scenarios that are sure to make you laugh out loud. I'm sure I'll never look at Mozart the same.

Fingers crossed that Diana and Giles are the next book in the series. Enemies to lovers books are always so much fun. Thank you to Virginia Heath and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the characters and look forward to reading more about the sisters-hopefully Diana and GIles' story is next! I thought it was a funny little rom com. I could have done with a few more swoon worthy moments from the characters, but overall it was very enjoyable! 3.75 stars, but I'll round up to 4.

What a fun read!!

I wish I would have saved it for vacation because it was the perfect amount drama while still being a lighthearted read.

What I loved about this book, the characters!!!! Let me say that again, I LOVED THE CHARACTERS! That is what truly got me hooked into the book. I think we all know what to expect of the story going in, but the way it is executed is brilliant. Hugh is fantastically dynamic and easy to love and the lovely Minerva is all woman! She is strong willed, supportive, and will not allow herself to be treated poorly. She is everything I want in a MC.

What I did not like all that much was the narration. There is no clear titling before the chapters to let you know which perspective we are reading from and there is not a pattern to lean either. You are just left to figure it out as you read. Which is fine, but more work than a reader wants.

I also found the beginning of the book to be a little meah for me. I honestly don’t know why, but it took effort to convince myself to finish the book. WHICH I AM SO GLAD I DID!!

This book kept me up at night and made me have one VERY drowsy day from lack of sleep. If you are looking for a fun and light read, I would recommend this book all day long!

If you read it, let me know! I would love to speculate about book two with you.

What a fun read! Although it took me a little while to like Hugh (he seemed too Peter Pan to me), I loved all the other characters; from Minerva and her sisters to Payne the butler, Giles who was Hugh’s best friend, Hugh’s mother and stepfather and even Lucretia the drunk actress . (How all these characters tie into the story, you will have to read for yourself!) Lots of hilarious moments, great wit, some steam. Looking forward to reading Giles’ and Diana’s story.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, has been writing to his mother all about his perfect, lovely fiancé Minerva for years…only one problem, she doesn’t actually exist as Hugh made her up to put an end to his mother’s incessant matchmaking. But now his Mama is on her way from Boston with his stepfather to finally meet “Minerva” and Hugh is in a bit of a panic. That is, until he happens to run into and assists an actual Miss Minerva Merriwell and his plan for her posing as his fake fiancé kicks off.

Minerva is in dire need of funds, she has taken care of herself and her sisters since she became an adult and also recently lost her job as an engraver (she carves pictures in little blocks that printers use in printing presses and ladies use on calling cards). So when Hugh’s proposition comes with a paycheck, she really can’t turn him down.

Hugh was entertaining with his over-the-top stories and plan for everything to go off without a hitch…hired actresses, letters left out in the open purposefully, stories of an ailing fiancée, a miraculous recovery, and even stories of family members passing. Minerva and her two sisters come to stay at Hugh’s estate and while getting a crash course in all ways of being a lady: table etiquette, horseback riding, new wardrobes, dance lessons; Hugh & Minerva also get to know one another and try to get their story right on their fake engagement. I liked how Hugh was philanthropic; he set up the local aging & widowed tenants on his estate, building them their own cottages to reside in (“Hugh’s Hamlet”). Minerva’s relationship with Hugh’s mother and stepfather was lovely to see unfold as they got to know one another. Minerva’s sister Diana was also a hilarious addition.

But while I was enjoying things happening in this book and love the fake relationship trope, this just seemed too long and dragged in the middle. And the romance was sadly not my fav part, it was very slow and lacking and I didn’t even feel like the couple had any chemistry.

Thank you to the publisher (St. Martin’s Press, SMP Romance) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. Never Fall for Your Fiancée has a publish date of November 9, 2021.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is an utterly charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com I completely adored!

Set in the 1800's with the fake-relationship trope we all know and love, Virginia Heath’s fun characters, Minerva and Hugh will capture your heart.

If you love a good romantic comedy that stays with you long after the book is over, then this is for you! When Hugh decided to take Minerva as his "Finacee" chaos ensues. Through meticulous planning and hilarious miscommunications, their story is one you don't want to miss out on.

I was really enjoying this book! Four stars! Strong heroine coping with the constraints of the times. Charming hero with scruples. I compared it favorably to works by Georgette Heyer, with the same madcap feel at times. Good tension between the fake engaged couple. Fun times with assorted family members and servants. Real emotion and reasoning.

And then. And then [rant and spoiler] [they sleep together. Honestly, do publishers today think that all readers of historical romance expect sex scenes, even if they don’t make sense in the plot? If there had to be a sex scene in this book, couldn’t it have waited until the epilogue/after the wedding? The heroine is a commoner with a counterfeiter for a father. The hero is an earl. Literally in the same scene, she goes from being suspicious of him to begging him to take her. She has been a level headed woman who understands the real danger of sleeping with her fake fiancé to someone who throws that all out for a night of passion. I don’t buy it. I do not buy it. It brought the whole plot to a crashing thud for me. She has everything to lose – he has nothing. I can buy sex between equals in Regency England – just. But in these circumstances, nope. And if you are going to go for reckless sex in Regency England, own it! Scatter it throughout the book! This honestly felt to me like someone told the author to put in the sex scene after the book was written. Just no. (hide spoiler)]

The set-up is contrived, but that didn’t bother me. The plot is clichéd and predictable, but it was fun so who cares? Screwball comedies are also clichéd and predictable. I’m sure this book will find its readers. But for this reader, one unbelievable and unnecessary scene that didn’t fit with the characters or the plot spoiled the book.

I read an advance reader copy of Never Fall for Your Fiancee from Netgalley.

I LOVED THIS! It was so much fun - the romance was just right, the characters well done. It was funny and adorable and I just gobbled it up. I can't wait to get a paper copy! I especially liked the contemporary feel, even though it was set in the regency era. Almost like a modern Georgette Heyer.

Hilarious, sweet, and entertaining! A great cast of characters that really give extra life to the story! Hugh is an adorable rakish cinnamon bun that has such a depth of character. Minerva is strong and independent with a heart of gold. The lies just snowball for them but it makes for a lot of entertainment! There was actually a twist that surprised me about Mrs. Peters. Everything else was rather predictable but well written and still entertaining. I can’t wait for more books in the series! The Meriwell sisters need HAEs too! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath is a romance novel set in the early 1800s that follows the story between Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham, and Minerva Merriwell, a struggling woodcut engraver that has to care for her two younger siters, Diana and Vee. They meet unexpectedly one night, when Hugh is struggling to come to terms with his mother and her husband coming soon to visit him and the fabricated fiancée he elaborately created two years ago in order to escape his mother’s matchmaking. Seeing as his fabricated fiancée has the same name as our protagonist, he decides to offer her the opportunity of a lifetime, pay her to pose as his fiancée while her mother and her husband are visiting from America. While Minerva stays at Hugh’s country estate with her sisters in order to prepare for the ruse, the time spent together begins to develop into shared feelings for each other.

I have to start by saying that this was a delightful surprise for me, seeing as I have never read anything by the author, I didn’t know what to expect. But, she managed to capture my attention with the banter between Hugh and Minerva, and the building tension and attraction for each other. I liked how the secondary characters were equally interesting as the main characters, offering entertainment to the story. The pacing of the book was also very well done since the plot was developing smoothly and quickly made the reader want to continue reading. Lastly, another element that I enjoyed very much was the humor and sarcasm added to the most of the scenes, which made the story even more entertaining.

To my understating, this is the first book in a series called The Merriwell Sisters, and I cannot wait to continue the series when the Diana and Vee’s books come out!

*ARC kindly provided via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Late November 1825 Lord Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham receives a letter from his mother who resides in America. She announces that she and her new American husband are on their way to England to meet Hugh’s long suffering fiancee. Hugh is beside himself because his beloved fiancee of the last two years is a complete fabrication that he created to get his meddling mother out of his hair. During the last two years he has elaborately written to his mother about “his Minerva” and how something dreadful always comes up to postpone their nuptials. Well Hugh’s mama is no dummy and she has had enough. Hugh believes himself to be unworthy of marriage, believing all the men in the Standish family line to be philanderers and he doesn’t want to break a woman’s heart like his father broke his mothers. Unexpectedly Hugh meets Minerva Merriwell and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime. He will pay her to pose as his fiancee while his mother is visiting. Minerva goes against her better judgement and accepts Hugh’s offer because she is destitute after her scoundrel of a father left her and her two sisters to fend for themselves. Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's country estate and the deception and hilarity begins. As they spend more time together Hugh and Minerva begin to develop feelings for each other, but they deny it to themselves and everyone around them. As their house of cards begin to fall will the two be forced tell the truth to Hugh's mother? After an awkward declaration will Hugh and Minerva be able to find their way to each other or will Minerva take the money and run?

This was a charming and delightful read. The banter between Hugh and Minerva is fun and the secondary characters are entertaining. I really liked both Hugh and Minerva and the story is told through their alternating perspectives. This is a fun read for anyone who enjoys a Regency romance and strong female characters. Hugh's mother is an absolute gem and his butler has a funny dry wit. This book is the first in a series called The Merriwell Sisters. I'm looking forward to continuing the series and seeing what happens to Minerva's sisters Diana and Vee.. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Virginia Heath for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect read for those who enjoy fake relationship trope and some endearing family bonds included. Hugh hires Minerva to pose as his fiancee in front of his mother to escape the clutches of marriage but they are absolutely attracted to each other right from the start. How long can they stay apart? Also Minerva's two sisters have such memorable personalities that they were very refreshing. Hugh and his wild/blatant but fun lies were hilarious and the extent to which he describes situations is quite enjoyable. I liked their banter and wished it had more romance elements.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-ARC.

What a lovely romance! I loved the banter between characters, the way that the whole ruse comes together, and the way that family is so important in this story.

Sometimes regency romances can be hard to buy when they feel too contrived, but this one, even though it is essentially the fake dating trope, never feels forced, or really like insta love. The characters are initially attracted to one another, yes, but their affection and ultimately love develops in a lovely way throughout the book.

Also Payne is the English butler of my dreams. Absolute favorite.

If I’m being nit picky then I wouldn’t have minded a bit more steam in this one (so much hinting. Not enough doing!) and also the character of Vee made me want to stab out my eyeballs.

Hugh and Minerva are perfection though!

*****5 Stars!


“Some things aren’t meant to be understood, they just are. That is enough.”

First I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this wonderful book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give it my honest review.

Hugh Standish was never the sort of man who ever wanted a wife, he was convinced he wouldn’t make a decent husband to anyone. To stop his match-matching mother from pushing and interfering in his romantic life, he invents a tale of epic all consuming love with a young woman named Minerva to please his mother and stop her meddling. At first he didn’t think his fabricated tale would come around to haunt him, not until his mother informs him she is bound on a ship to England to meet his Minerva. With his mother’s pending visit, he knows his farce is soon to implode around him--there is only so much he can do to ensure his tale doesn’t fall apart right before his eyes.

Minerva Merriwell, a young woman struggling to support not only herself but her two younger sister’s ever since their wastrel of a father abandoned them years ago. Work for Minerva is few and far between, thus leaving the Merriwell sisters nearly penniless. It wasn’t until Minerva had a run in with the handsome Hugh Standish did she and her sister’s have a chance. Believing running into a young woman named Minerva to be fate, Hugh asks her to pose as his fake fiancée while his mother is visiting. Minerva is a woman of sound mind and knows this scheme was absolutely absurd, but the offer was far too good to pass up.

With miscommunication after miscommunication that tangles up their deeply seeded story, Hugh and Minerva begin to develop genuine feelings for one another but can they trust one another when their relationship started on a lie?

Never Fall for Your Fiancée is one of the most adorable books I’ve read in quite a while, I was sucked into the plot instantly. The pacing of this book was very well done, I enjoyed how quickly it dropped us into the story but it wasn’t too fast that one felt confused while reading it. Each and every chapter kept me on the very edge of my seat wondering what sort of situation their fabricated love story was going to leave them in next. I loved the natural build-up of their feelings for one another and the constant tension flying back and forth between Hugh and Minerva; the tension between the two characters had me desperate to continue just to see where the two might end up.

The humor of this book was another aspect that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not only was this book charming, sweet and absolutely adorable, but it was very witty and sarcastic as well. The jokes and sarcastic comebacks were all so well placed and sometimes unexpected, which I really liked. I loved how the author put in so much detail into the world around them--I was completely and utterly immersed. I felt as if I could see each place and item down to the very detail in my mind, which made for a very pleasing reading experience.

For such a fast paced book the character development was very well done, it is so clear to see the change in all the characters from the start of the book to the very last chapter. It didn’t feel forced or like a hasty afterthought, there was a lot of thought and careful maneuvering to get the characters to where they ended up at the end of the book.

It was an absolute joy to be given the chance to read this book and fall in love with all the characters. This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who has a great love for historical romances that will make you feel all warm inside and leave you wanting more. I cannot wait for the continuation of this series, I look forward to seeing what the Merriwell sisters get up to next!

This was a really sweet book. I liked the fake engagement and the dynamics of the group. It was light hearted and fun! I loved Minerva and Hughs relationship and how it deepened over time. It was lovely.

There was one open door scene and I had mixed feelings about it, but I don’t want to give any spoilers away so I’ll leave it at that.

All in all a fun regency romance and I will definitely read more from this author.