Never Fall for your Fiancée follows an Earl and an artist as they fake-date their way through an elaborate lie to the Earl’s mother. It was fine.

I don’t know that I actively disliked or liked much about this book. The premise was predictable, the humor was fine but also a little predictable, the details of the era were done thoughtfully. I think for new entries to the historical romance genre it would work fine, but I was truthfully quite bored, and it ended up taking weeks for me to finish the book. Still, I have hope that the sequel (presumably about the heroine’s younger sister) will be more interesting?

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced reader copy!

The dialogue was snappy, but it got a little long and drawn out. It is light read and has some funny moments. I didn’t hate it and will probably read the following book in the series, because the author did a good job investing me in the characters.

Unfortunately, this felt far too predictable for me to make my way through the whole book. I do enjoy the new fun historical romances instead of just swooning over the top period pieces....but find a different type of character to write please.

Wow! This book is INCREDIBLE! It is romantic, witty, fun, heartfelt, pulls at your heart strings, quite steamy at times, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "Never Fall for Your Fiancée", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an incredible journey with this story!

This is the first book in Virginia Heath's new "The Merriwell Sisters" series, and I can't wait for the next books! Ms. Heath's writing style is simply amazing! It is visceral, vivid, engaging, and I could envision each and every moment throughout the book. Her characters all feel like such incredibly real people, and, as the reader, I really feel like I got to know all of them. Each interaction felt authentic to who they are as people, and I was hooked from the very first page.

Hugh is a caring and witty man who often puts up a front which presents as selfish as only concerned with what is good for him. Sometimes his actions match this front, however, he truly is a good person. He also believes that he does not want to ever marry, for extremely personal reasons. He fears he will follow the same path he thinks his grandfather and father did, will not be able to stay faithful, and will end up hurting the woman who becomes his wife. Hugh's mother is constantly trying to play matchmaker, and Hugh has invented a fiancé in order to make her stop. The last thing he expects is for her to come visit with short notice, and Hugh is caught in his own lies. When he happens to meet a girl named Minerva (the same name he gave his fake fiancé), he comes up with a plan for his mother's visit. Never could he have imagined how this meeting will change his life, and, perhaps, even point him in the direction of what he really wants in life. Can a web of lies, and pretend love, lead to actual love? Will Hugh admit his true feelings to himself before it is too late?

Minerva is such a sweet, caring, intelligent, mature, and witty woman, as well as a talented artist. She has raised her two younger sisters ever since the death of their mother, and their father abandoning them. Having been hurt in the past, she understandably is very careful with who she does and does not trust. One day, when Minerva asks for payment she is owed from an employer who refuses to give it to her, Hugh steps in and demands the man pay Minerva. Soon, Hugh tells Minerva of his plan, and asks her to play his fiancé throughout his mother's visit. Minerva and her sisters really need the money in order to survive, and though she has her doubts, she agrees. Never could Minerva have imagined how this decision will change their lives forever, and perhaps lead her to true love. Will she admit to herself her true feelings for Hugh?

(Possible Spoilers!)
Oh I love Minerva and Hugh together! The two of them truly balance one another out beautifully, and bring out the best in each other. They challenge each other, and respect and care for one other. Both of them have their own fears and doubts, and, together, they are able to work past them, though it is not always easy. Their chemistry grows and grows, and, just, simply...WOW! You truly pull for them!

I so wish there was an epilogue in this book! I do not know if one will be included in the final version of the book or not, but, regardless, I so, so hope we see Minerva and Hugh in future books in this amazing series!

If you enjoy historical romance, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next, and I absolutely did not want to put this book down! I found myself reading into the very early hours of the morning. I am eagerly awaiting the next books!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, and to St. Martin's Press for sending me a physical ARC as well, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Looking for a fun, quick, light hearted read, you should check Never Fall For Your Fiancée out.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC.

Never Fall for Your Fianceé was absolutely perfect on paper for me. I love a fake dating trope and marriage of convenience trope, and this was a prime contender.

I loved the premise and the characters in this one, and I blame my current reading slump for not being as into it as I should have been. I made my way through it, but I found it a bit slow at times.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was delightfully surprised with how much I enjoyed this novel!

Since all the rage is Bridgerton lately, I had decided to delve into that series giving up about midway through because one of the books annoyed me (Eloise was WRONGED). Still though, I have a soft spot for this genre but I wasn't ready to pick back up the Bridgerton series so this book was it!

It scratched the Bridgerton itch and actually was far better than those books IMO.

I freaking loved Minerva. She's my kind of sassy heroine that I like to see in romance novels.

If you enjoy historical romance and/or Bridgerton you should pick this one up, I think you'll also find it a winner.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is a typical historical romance about an earl who is constantly being plagued by his mother to get married. So what does said earl do? Of course he makes up a fake fiancee called Minerva. Everything is going well until the earl's mother decides to come back to England for a visit. In desperation, the earl strikes up a bargain with a complete stranger whose name happens to be Minerva. Hilarity and misunderstandings ensue. If you like quick, light-hearted historical romance, you'll enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book In exchange for my honest review.
Never Fall For Your Fiancé is a delightful fake dating trope set during regency times. Hugh needs to get his meddling mother off his back so he can continue on being a rakish bachelor and man about town. He invents a fiancé “Minerva” and writes to his mother about being besotted but then makes up quite comical scenarios that they have to survive and or endure before they can make it to the alter. Unbeknownst to his mother, who lives in America, Minerva isn’t real but as one silly situation follows another she starts to wonder what’s going on so she books passage home to meet this “fiancé” or catch him in the lie she thinks he’s spinning. Cut to Hugh actually meeting a woman named Minerva and he convinced her/ paid her to come pose as his fiancé to satisfy his mother. Hilarity ensues and eventually both Hugh and Minerva come to realize that maybe the fake relationship has become real.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

After reading the description of this book I expected a lighthearted, fun read, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a true comedy of errors that kept me smiling. I liked Minerva and Hugh, although his angst started to get to me somewhat. The cast of characters were a mixed bag, some I loved, some I didn't. Overall it was amusing.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Never Fall For Your Fiancee is a book that once you get into it, rolls right along quickly! Hugh is a rake of a man and Earl of Fareham. Before his father died, he found out that the men in his family have never been good or faithful husbands. To get his over-eager to get him married mother (who lives far enough away to not be privy) off his back, he creates a fake fiancee named Minerva and a host of reasons to keep his mother from visiting. But now, she's already set sail, and as fate would have it, Hugh meets (and sorta rescues) a damsel in distress named Minerva. Hugh hires Minerva to act as his fake fiancee, not realizing what an inadvertent match he's made for himself.

There were plenty of tiny twists throughout this story, that kept it very interesting. I was invested in both characters, who deal with thinking of themselves as very different than who they actually are. There is a satisfying ending, and plenty of characters to enjoy and smirk quietly to yourself about. If you are a Bridgerton fan, enjoy period romances, or enjoy the good ole fake-relationship-becomes-real-love trope, then you will probably enjoy this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I made it about 30% through and there were a few reasons I decided not to finish.

I was expecting, based on the description, that it would be historical romance written similar to Tess Dare or Martha Waters - some seriousness peppered into a riotously funny book full of hijinks. I feel like the idea was there but it didn't draw me in enough to find out if it would pan out.

Also, the main male lead was equal parts charming and off-puttingly-weird. The way he spoke about the female lead was more than a little icky-feeling. So much so that I ended up going to read some reviews and don't think I can go back and read any more to find out if they were right.

The series has promise and I wish that it had been able to capture my interest more.

After creating a fake fiancée to please his mother the lies that the Earl of Fareham, Hugh, told have finally caught up to him. His mother plans to come visit for the holidays and needs to make a plan...FAST. By chance he meets Minerva, who has the same name as his fake fiancee does. Minerva, who is low on money and trying to support herself and two sisters, is willing to help Hugh...for a price. What they both thought would be an easy time impressing his mother turns out to be a chain of hectic, not easily controlled events and the two falling for each other in the process. Will they work out their differences, handle the situations at hand with level heads, not get caught by Hugh's mother all while dealing with their feelings for each other?

This is definitely a read I would suggest to anyone who is a fan of the Bridgerton show! I haven't read the books for Bridgerton but I would assume those who liked them would enjoy this too. I'm a sucker for the fake relationship trope and for historical fiction, so when this appeared on NetGalley I knew I had to request it.
It did not disappoint! I really enjoyed this book and it never felt slow, which can be hard to find sometimes with historical fiction and romance. Minerva was by far my favourite character, she was so strong and wouldn't bend her morals or beliefs for anyone; she constantly stood her ground while still being the woman she was expected to be in the society of the times. Her sisters were a nice addition to the story, but her youngest sister was a bit annoying.
I found sometimes this book followed some storylines that Bridgerton, did a little bit too closely.

Spoilers in this next part (you have been warned!):
Hugh refuses to marry because he thinks his father cheated on his mother and his grandfather did the same. For some reason, he is under the impression he will do the same thing just because of his 'bloodline'. In my mind this is ridiculous, someone being unfaithful has nothing to do with your heritage and the fact he is so hung up on it got a bit annoying. He was also, at times, blatantly rude to Minerva to 'protect her' from possibly getting hurt by him being unfaithful. In reality this just hurt her more in my opinion because he led her on so much. Because of this I started to really not like Hugh and didn't want Minerva to do anything with him. If it wasn't for him acting this way I think this would be an almost 5 star read for me, he just ended up annoying me. If you have watched Bridgerton, I know you know a certain Duke had very similiar mindsets about something else involving relationships because of his father.
Eventually it is all sorted and works out but getting there was a bit rough and I fully blame Hugh.

This is definitely a nice, easy read and I really hope the author continues the series with the Merriwell sisters because I already have theories on what will happen in the future for them!

What a fun story! I love Regency and I love comedy. This is a perfect combination of both. I enjoyed both main characters, with their foibles and strengths.

Very much a Bridgerton comp, as well as for readers of Martha Waters and Evie Dunmore! This book was adorable and funny and just gave me all the feels. I loved how modern it felt and can't wait for book two.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hugh doesn’t want to marry, but his mother insists that he does. Trying to avoid his mother’s match-making, he creates his own fake fiancée. But things don’t go as he hoped, when his mother decides to visit him and meet her. So Hugh must find someone to play the part of his fake fiancée.

This was a cute, sometimes predictable, read. I really enjoyed it! The romance flowed the way it was supposed to. The storyline was great. The closer it got to the end, the more I couldn’t put it down!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, is more than happy to still be single, and has managed to put off his mother - who currently lives in America, no less - from wanting to marry him off for the last few years, with an imaginary fake fiancee, Miss Minerva Landridge, from Chipping Norton, who has had misfortune and disaster lead to a long engagement. But now his goose is cooked, as his mother is returning, and wants to met the lovely Minerva. But, as luck would have it, while walking in London, he meets a beautiful young lady, feisty and strong, who just happens to be called Minerva, and is willing to pretend to be his fiancee, for a cost. Minerva has been the sole breadwinner for her and her younger sisters, Diana and Vee (really it's Venus, but never call her that), and she really needs some money to help them out, and hopefully give them all a better life. Meeting Hugh, and agreeing to the plan seems like a gift sent from above, but the family's feelings over their father's abandonment, and past hurts, make it difficult to fully accept the 'Landridge' tale, especially when a pretend mother appears too. But what is more difficult, is seeing Hugh as a good man, and Minerva's feelings for him soon seem to get too much. Will their fake romance be able to blossom into something more, or will Hugh's fears over his own father and upbringing taint him against his happy ending.

As soon as I had heard about this book, I was desperate to read it, and was buzzing when my review copy arrived in my inbox. The whole fake partner/fiancee trope is a favourite of mine, and the entire premise of this book intrigued me from the get go. Minerva Merriwell had to become parent to her younger siblings at 17, when her drunken and wastrel father finally upped and left, and she lost a potential husband in the mean time. In the five years since, she has done everything for her family, but money is tight, and it seems like they are finally going to be left with no options, when Hugh literally comes to her aid, like a hero. He's in a desperate place, and when he learns her name is Minerva, he begs her to be his 'fake' fiancee for a month, to appease his mother, and she'll be rewarded with enough money to help them, as well as the clothes', etc., needed for the masquerade. She was a fantastic character, and I just loved her. I also adored Hugh too, who had a public persona of being a bit of a Lothario, not willing to settle down, especially after his mother remarried and found her happiness following her marriage to his father, and parading a veritable bevy of young suitable ladies in front of him. But, he feels like his father's betrayal of his mother has tainted him, and he never wants to hurt his wife or children in the way that he was, so would rather be alone. Being with Minerva, pretending to be in love and exciting to marry, changes something in them both, and soon neither of them are really pretending, and they both lament their perceived difficulties in being together. Never Fall For Your Fiancee was a fantastic book, and a perfect start to the series. I sincerely hope book 2 is about Diana and Giles, because their banter and chemistry was unreal!

This was a delightful Regency rom-com, just what I needed in a stressful time. I will post a more detailed review in the future.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Despite how often we use the crying laughing icon, it's rare that we actually do it. This book proved the exception! Zany, hilarious and joyous, Never fall for your Fiancee would make a wonderful farce on the stage-especially the kind where there are five doors and people enter and exit on a rapid pace. Delightful! Recommended! Can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"Never Fall for Your Fiancee" is a breezy historical romance filled with some of the genre’s favorite tropes. Fake engagement? Match-making mother? Quirky side characters? This book’s got 'em! This novel is similar in many ways to other recently-published historical romances, so at times it can feel predictable, but that didn’t really bother me. I enjoyed getting to know the two main characters, Minerva and Hugh, and watching the evolution of their romance and interactions with the colorful cast of supporting characters. The wrap-up of the main “conflict” was a bit too rushed and inorganic, but I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, quick historical romance.