A fake fiancee, a lie to destroy them all, and 50 pounds to seal the deal. Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, is determined to remain a bachelor because he believes that he was not meant for love just like his philandering grandfather and father before him. When his mother becomes ever more persistent on finding him a match he lies and invents a fiancee to hold off his mother, except now she is coming to visit him to meet his fiancee and Hugh has to find a woman to play the role of his fake fiancee for his mother. He runs into Minerva, and coincidentally she has the same name as his fake fiancee and he sees that she desperately needs money so he offers her this job opportunity which she accepts. Hugh finds that he is getting more than what he bargained for when Minerva arrives to his home with her two sisters in tow, Diana ( a rude and very accusatory young woman who speaks her mind regardless of the situation and sense) and Venus “Vee” ( a bookish and overly shy and sensitive individual who constantly throws tantrums and needs to be coddled). Minerva is essentially the mother to them and has to be responsible and despite the fact that her two sisters barely tolerate her doing this Minerva points out that they won’t be able to even afford rent next month and that she doesn’t have a choice, they need the money that would enable them to live for the next two years without worry. To add onto the issues, Hugh’s mother appears two weeks ahead of time and is try to catch them out of the lie. Hugh and Minerva find that they are falling for each other despite Hugh believing that his blood is cursed and that he will never be able to commit to anyone let alone love anyone. Lots of drama, misunderstandings, and arguing ensues and finally wraps up with a happily ever after for everyone. I would have to say my biggest gripe with the story would be my annoyance at Minerva’s sisters and of course Hugh blaming all his issues on his “cursed blood” and actually cheered when Minerva called him out on it. She accurately notes his issues and calls him out for his behavior and tells him to own his own actions and take responsibility. The resolution to all of the problems was okay and overall this was a fine romance read. If you are looking for a light romance read with drama then this is definitely for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Having watched [but not read- yet] Bridgerton, I was in the mood for a bit of historical romance, so I was very excited to get approved for this.
While this was a very good Regency Era fake dating rom com, there was nothing that really demanded I sit down and finish it. Hugh was fully realized and enjoyable, pathological lying, sorry, embellished story-telling aside. I liked that Minerva was tough and witty, and desirous of employment- not just a man, making her very different than other RE heroines.
Giles and Diana seemed pretty spicy. I hope they are the stars of the next book. Unfortunately, Vee overshadowed them both, and left me with the impression she's a simpering idiot (though she does have her moments. ) I don't want more Vee.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Great for Bridgerton & Jane Austen fans

This book is fun with great escapades and wonderful characters. Lord Fareham, Hugh, prides himself on seducing the women, attending wild parties, and generally being the humorous guy. Hugh believes his father and grandfather were scoundrels and he refuses to marry and hurt his wife like they did. It is his mother’s wish that Hugh find a bride and settle down. She lives in America, and he appeases her with a tale of a woman he plans to marry. He does not have one until the day he rescues Minerva from a man who refuses to give her the money she has earned. Hugh has the brilliant idea to ask Minerva to be his fake fiancé. His mother is coming to plan the wedding and he needs someone quick. He never guesses she had two sisters that would be coming along, and they all need to be taught the ways of a refined woman. Minerva is beautiful and feisty and refuses to be at Hugh’s beck and call yet she desperately needs the money he will pay her to keep the sisters fed and together. It is a battle of wits.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars

Hugh and Minerva were a fun couple to read about. I love the accidentally falling in love trope so this was right up my ally (along with forced proximity). Hugh and Minerva had great banter and chemistry. And I love the idea of the hired actress to play their mother. It added an extra layer to the lie and drama in the group! I also really enjoyed how Hugh’s mother didn’t believe the relationship and was working on uncovering the truth. Kept me guessing of when the lie would finally unravel.

The only complaint I had was that I wish Hugh and Minerva had more outings or forced proximity for the charade. They really only had one outing by themselves. And then a dance. Otherwise most scenes seemed to take place at the dining table. I would have loved to see his sister more in it. Or even an ex lover? Just to add that extra layer of spice. Overall it was a fun light hearted romcom that I would recommend!

Sometimes, you have to embrace the fickle finger of fate and accept the what-ifs to let the cards fall where they may. We cannot predict the future and, more often than not, we cannot direct it either. In which case, why fight it?”


Never Fall for Your Fiancé is book one in Virginia Heath’s new series The Merriwell Sisters. It is a story of fate, misunderstandings, family drama, and love. This story of course follows the trope of fake relationship to love as the title suggests; However, it is so much more than a simple romance. I adored the characters and all their unique eccentricities.
The MCs in this story are Hugh Standish the Earl of Fareham and Minerva Merriwell a impoverished lady who might be the daughter of a gentleman. Hugh finds himself in a pickle when his mother writes him a letter informing him of her pending arrival to London. Why is this a problem? Well his mother is coming to meet his fiancé and help with the upcoming nuptials. She is excited to finally meet Hugh’s fiancé whom she has heard numerous stories about over the last 2-years. The problem is…there is no fiancé. Hugh has created, with great detail, a fiancé —- someone who doesn’t even exist.


“ His fake fiancée was only ever meant to be temporary—a way to stall his mother, avoid falling out with her and hurting her feelings yet again, and to give himself some time off. He hated arguments more than he hated introspection, and he hated disappointing people.”


Why would Hugh create a fiancé? Hugh believes that “A man should only enter into a marriage when he had every intention of honoring his vows. Such a noble undertaking obviously required two attributes that, thanks to his ancestors, Hugh was fairly certain he didn’t possess: eyes that didn’t wander and a heart selfless enough to be capable of great love.” So because Hugh believes he can never honor wedding vows he has strictly avoided his mother’s matchmaking attempts and he has avoided any type of relationship where he may be trapped into marriage. Simply put he has lived the life of a rogue.

Now Hugh finds his house of cards is perilously close to collapsing and he is loathe to disappoint his mother just about as much as he is devoted to avoiding Parsons trap. He is out wandering the streets pondering his situation when he stumbles upon a woman in need of assistance. A beautiful woman who’s name just happens to be Minerva, the same name of his fake fiancé, it’s as if fate sent her.

Minerva is a woman trying to survive in the early 1800’s when her mother has died, her father left, and she has two younger sisters to support. She is doing the best she can and usually lives an honest life. So, when she is approached by an Earl and asked to be his fake fiancé, she immediately wants to say no. However she has bills overdue and the Earl is offering enough money to pay all her past due bills AND still have money for food! It’s a hard offer to pass. This is how she and her two younger sisters find themselves whisked off to the country with roles to play to help the Earl out of his web of lies.

What could go wrong? What will go right? With amazing supporting characters Hugh & Minerva’s fake betrothal takes on a life of its own. Two years of lies all come to a head, banns are soon being read, wedding dresses designed, and family secrets brought to light. What will be the final outcome? Does love stand a chance between Hugh & Minerva?

This story was a very fun and flowed very smoothly. I loved all of the characters and cannot wait to read the rest of the series. I am hoping Hugh’s best friend and fellow rogue is brought to his knees by love!

The chemistry between Hugh & Minerva build slowly and this book is not packed with frivolous sex scenes. What sexy times these two do have are full of emotion and the perfect climax (pun intended) to a delicious slow burn!

If you enjoy historical romance with sexy rogues and strong women then I urge you to give this book a try!!

4.5 Stars

Honestly, this seemed like it would be right up my alley. I have tried on multiple occasions to pick up this book and it is just not working for me. I hate that I have to rate this book. In all fairness....this is a well written book. The premise is fantastic. For me...I choose to put it down and not finish it because I didn't love it.

I knew I'd love this book at first glance. After reading, I can honestly say I really did enjoy it. It was as if I was IN 1825. Virginia Heath pulled me in the world. I barely put the book down. I could feel the love that Hugh and Minerva had for each other. The way they communicate and share longing stares had my heart soaring. But the banter was the best part in my opinion. 'Never Fall for Your Fiancee' was very well written and a must-read. I will definitely be reading more books by Virginia Heath.

This was a light and quick read that was a goofy and whimsical romance.

Hugh, the main character of this story, has kept up a two-year long charade to keep his meddling match-maker mom at bay. Throughout those two years, Hugh constantly added fibs to an already extravagant story about a fake fiancé -- to the point where he even had his best friend Giles send love letters pretending to be Minerva when he visited his mother Olivia in America.

Despite this charade, Olivia questions whether Minerva actually exists and decides to visit Hugh in England. This surprise visits catches him off guard and he doesn't know if he should he tell his mother the truth or not...?

Soon after, Hugh meets a strong-willed artist, serendipitously enough, named Minerva, and comes up with a solution for his predicament. He offers to pay her to be his fake fiancé while his mother is in town. The lie gets so far-fetched when Hugh hires a nonsensical-actress to be Minerva's mother and even has Minerva and her sisters learn genteel skills like sidesaddle horseback riding and waltzing.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is a fun and light read with some whimsical and sassy dialogue. The characters and side characters were all goofy and endearing (minus Vee -- I just didn't understand her!) There were moments where I wish the two main characters Hugh and Minerva would just communicate and express their feelings to each other. Additionally, I thought it was strange that Hugh had a radical 180 degree shift once he learned the truth about his dad when historically those values were painted to be the cornerstone to how he lives his life. In short, it felt like a silly and ridiculous rationale for Hugh's commitment issues.

“The more she learned about her fake fiancé, the more she liked him—when already there was so much she liked. A dangerous state of affairs when they had no future.”

What You’ll Find:
✔️Historical Romance
✔️Romantic Comedy
✔️Fake Engagement
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Dual, Third Person POV

Hugh, the Earl of Fareham, has done everything he can to keep his matchmaking mother away. Including faking a fiancé. When he learns she’s set sail for a visit, he quickly hires a fake fiancé to continue his charade. Minerva has been taking care of her two sisters and agree to this deal to provide for them. But when they all arrive at Hugh’s estate, nothing goes according to plan.

This one had a slow start for me. Hugh and Minerva seemed to have an attraction from the start. Their romance however was very slow building, though with a smidge of steam. It seemed to lack that chemistry I was anticipating in a fake relationship story. And I think it was perhaps this, that made it difficult to get into this story. Though it could have been it being in third person too, that’s not my favourite. Either way, it was hard for me to truly feel the romance or their connection. Something was just not there for me with these MC’s.

I will say, I feel conflicted, because I did enjoy many parts of the story, especially the latter part. It actually had me chuckling. The whole scene, if you’ve read it you know which, was written perfectly for a good laugh. Aside from this, my favourite scenes and humour came from Diana and Giles, who I truly adored most. Overall a likeable read. My first from this author and I would definitely read Diana and Giles’ story, should it happen!

3.5/5 Stars.

*Thank you to St. Martins Press for the ARC via NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are given freely and are my own.

Never Fall for Your Fiancée is a romance novel set in the early 1800s that follows the schemes of Hugh Standish - Earl of Fareham - and Minerva Merriwell - a woodcut engraver with only a penny to her name - as they pretend to be engaged while Hughs mother arrives in town to visit him and his "Fiancée".

I found the setting of this book in the 19th century to be so interesting and in my opinion, it made the book so much more fun to read. I thought the plot was interesting and the characters were fun and really made the book witty and exciting.

I sometimes find it hard to really get into books without getting distracted, however, this book was a light, fun, romantic read that was super easy to get into and I was super sad to finish.

[possible spoiler?]

I do wish we got a little more confrontation at the end of the book between everyone and how they reacted to finding out the truth, but I do see this book might be a part of a series (which I really hope it is) so I hope int he next book we get to see a little more of that.

Overall, I adored this book and cannot wait to see what happens next with Minerva and Hugh.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, just received a letter from his mom in America saying she was boarding a ship and would be there by Christmas. She would be there in about two weeks. He was panicking. He told her he had a fiancée but he didn't. He was just tired of her trying to play match maker. He was in London and happened to pass this girl, she was beautiful. She was trying to get this man to pay her for her work, but he didn't want to. So Hugh stepped in and helped her. Then he suggested she play his fiancée while his mother was here..
Minerva Merriwell is very poor, she takes care of her two sisters, they had been abandon by their father and hadn't seen him in five years. When she gets an offer from Hugh to help him and he would give them twenty pounds. They could live on that for a while. But she didn't feel right so she started to turn her down and he offered her forty pounds. She could not resist and took it.
An excellent story that goes thru a spectrum of emotions from laughing out loud to feeling guilty, to outright crying in this praise worthy story. He does not feel worthy of her and blames it on his standish blood because of his father and grandfather. He has nothing but good things to say about her including she was perfect. The characters interacted so well with each other. They were believable and so nice. This gets complicated and just getting worse. The author does a wonderful job of keeping it all straight and gets it explained. I can't wait till the next one.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham, has a reputation of being a rake. He has no intentions of getting married but his mother insists that he find love and marry. To ward off her matchmaking and meddling, he lied to her by telling her he is engaged. When she announces that she is coming to visit him with the purpose of helping him prepare for the wedding, he hires a woman he meets on the street to pretend to be his fiancé. Minerva only agrees to the farce because she is in dire need of the money he is offering. Minerva and her two younger sisters arrive to Hugh's estate and they begin to roll out a crazy and impossible plan to dupe Hugh's mother. Only they end up duping themselves into thinking that they wouldn't fall for one another in the process.

I haven't read many historical rom-coms and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The complicated back story that Hugh had created to make his mother believe he was engaged was entertaining and inventive. I loved the complicated scheming and planning that they had to go through to make their story come to life in front of the mother.

The characters in this story really captured my heart. Hugh is charming, mischievous, and he doesn't believe he deserves love. Although he denies a desire for love, the fact that he doesn't believe he deserves love makes him a romantic in my eyes. Minerva is selfless and eager to please and she is the perfect person to fill the role that Hugh needs. Their chemistry together was titillating and I loved their little moments of stolen glances and intimacy.

The ensemble of supporting characters in this novel was very fun and their antics had me laughing out loud. They played off each other and egged each other on in ways only loving family members could. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the next book has in store for them.

This is my first Virginia Heath novel and I really like her writing style. The dialogue in this book is exceptional! Heath did a fantastic job of turning a kind of unbelieving premise into a tenable and entertaining story of two people finding love when they least expect it.

Steam level: 🔥🔥½
⚠️: grief, abandonment

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

Excellent! I love books with fake engagement premises and this one was particularly exciting to read. I loved how tough and witty Minerva is and Hugh is such a charming gentleman! The storyline is pretty straightforward: Hugh lies to his mother, Olive, about having a fiancé (named Minerva) so she will stop bothering him about getting married. However, Olive is on the way to meet this mysterious fiancé and Hugh needs to find one quick. Enter Minerva (and her two sisters).

I loved the chemistry and the connection between the two main characters. I've never read a historical romance with a fake engagement premise, but this one was very well done. It was a fun read and I absolutely loved the cover! I'm a huge fan of cartoon covers and this one is adorable! Looking forward to the next books in the series!!

Fake engagement trope.... loved this story! Our hero, Hugh, makes up a fake wife to get his match-making Mom, who is living in America with her dreamy hubby, off his back. All is going great as he invents one thing after another to put off the wedding. Unfortunately, Mom's curiosity gets too much for her to bear, and she hops on a ship to meet her future DIL. She brings her hubby along and just wants her son to be as happy as she is. Poor Hugh. He needs a stand-in immediately and finds her. Our heroine is Minerva (who happens to have the name of the fake fiancee), and Hugh rescues her. Then he takes a good look at her, and thinks his problem is solved. Ah Hugh--his problems are just beginning. He just took the first steps to falling in love and getting married after all. We know it. Fate has decided it. It's a fun ride to the inevitable, happy conclusion!

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. Mainly because I'm not a huge fan of regency romance nor books set during that time period outside of Jane Austen. But this book has me willing to give the genre and other books set during that time a try.

This entangled romcom is a delightfully good time, though it harbors enough seriousness to make the word "romp" inapplicable. Not only is the heroine Minerva scraping to make ends meet to keep her family fed, she faces threats from the past that could cause her and her loved ones serious harm.

She's rescued by Hugh, who's incorrigible in a way that's supposed to be charming (and, annoyingly, kind of is). He's created a fake fiancee to keep his matchmaking mother at bay. He's happened to call her Minerva. So when he effects a street rescue of an actual Minerva, well...it's a contrived setup, and it still works and is very charming. This is a series opener, and readers will look forward to seeing the ongoing adventures of these sisters, whose care for each other is evident.

I struggled with this book a lot. I gave up at 27%. The characters just fell flat for me and I didn’t like the writing style as it wasn’t compelling enough to continue reading as I couldn’t connect with the characters at all. The premise was one of my favourite tropes, but the execution fell flat.

Historical romance meets the "fake dating" trope is such a clever mix and thoroughly entertaining! Hugh, the Earl of Fareham, is attempting to fool his mother into believing that he is settling down. He makes up a fiancee named Minerva. Lucky for him, he meets a Minerva right before his mother comes to town, and bribes her into helping him. With the addition of an actress pretending to be Minerva's mother, utter chaos ensues, and navigating the lies and stories Hugh told his mother in the past was a challenge for everyone involved.

I loved that the heroine, Minerva, is taking care of her younger sisters and is resistant to helping out the Earl of Fareham at first. Hugh is relatively shameless with his charade, so it was nice to have Minerva balance that with worrying over his poor mother's feelings.

Great side character fun: The side characters such as the sister, Diana, and Hugh's friend, Giles, had great chemistry and their verbal sparring was perfect for any enemies-to-lovers fans out there. If those two are getting a book of their own, then I will love to read it! Scenes with the actress, impersonating Minerva's mother, were pretty hilarious and added a lot to the romcom vibe of this book.

Overall, this was a fun read, but I wasn't feeling super attached to Hugh as a hero of this story. I would have loved more chemistry and time with these two characters alone, perhaps seeing some more character growth from Hugh as well. Hugh's perceived flaws and fears about falling in love were a little bit farfetched and fit into a trope that I am not a huge fan of. The plot and scenarios were a little bit stronger than the romance in this one.

I am happy with the end and would recommend this to historical romance readers!

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This book was like a bag of chips: light, airy, and a treat to read. Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, does not want a wife. But as his mother is determined to see him wed, even from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean—he has maintained the lie of Minerva, his perfect fiancée, for several years. When he learns that she is on her way for a visit, however, he’s stuck—and hires the first Minerva he encounters.
Minerva Merriwell has been struggling to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since her father abandoned them years ago. She has her own scars and no time for love. But when the Earl of Fareham offers her money to pose as his fiancée for a few days in the British countryside, the deal is just too good to pass up.
What follows is a romantic comedy where nothing goes right, and yet somehow it all does in the end.
The book takes place among the fun-loving British aristocracy of the spillover from the end of the Regency era. I felt that there was too much being hung up on silly things and old fears that they don’t communicate (but easily could have), but then without those ridiculous reasons there would be no “rom com” genre. The characters do deepen as the plot progresses. While no one seems to speak in a manner that would be authentic to the period, the details do seem realistic- clothes, customs, houses, etc. In the end, there are enough misunderstandings and bad timings to be worthy of the genre, and it is fully enjoyable and readable!