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.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I did not know what to expect when I picked up "Never Fall For Your Fiancee". I will be honest, the beginning was slow for me and I was considering stopping only a few chapters in. I am glad that I didn't!

Hugh Standish was apposed to getting married. With his mother always meddling and trying to find him a bride, he came up with a fake fiancée named Minerva. For two years, Hugh held onto this lie when one day he met Minerva Merriwell and devised a plan that she would be his Minerva. I enjoyed reading the blossoming relationship between Minerva and Hugh. And that spicy chapter...wow.

Overall, a great read!

A lighthearted and funny historical romance. Hugh and Minerva had okay chemistry, and secondary characters were endearing. Readers who enjoy a fun, silly, fake-dating romance will enjoy this breezy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Never fall for your Fiancée by Virginia Heath was my first time read for the author and I quiet enjoyed it. It was witty, light, funny and silly all at once. With a bit of steam of course.

I'm a sucker for Fake engagements and in a historical romance ? Yes please!

Never Fall for Your Fiancée is the first book in The Merriwell Sisters by Virginia Heath. A historical romance with a fake engagement premise and the sizzling attraction between the couple can explode the entire regency era! The storyline is simple and intriguing. Hugh Standish is charming. A flirting gentleman who has commitment issues, who thinks he inherited his father’s philanderer tendencies. But his mother Olive, who lives overseas, wants him happily married, which means Hugh must fake engagement. Then the tough, outstanding, witty damsel named Minerva enters the picture. She takes care of her two sisters alone at her young age. He sees this as a sign and offers her to be his fake fiancée with handsome compensation. The characters are well-written, with lots of banter and undeniable chemistry. Never Fall for Your Fiancée is truly entertaining!

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

The bright colorful cover really caught my attention and the synopsis sounded so fun. My review will contain some spoilers. The story was a little predictable with the don’t fall in love with the person you are faking you’re in a relationship with. You know the main characters will end up falling for each other. The lies will be unearthed. They will fight but then realize they love each other truly and then end up in a real relationship. I really liked Hugh and Minerva’s relationship progression and their banter. It felt natural and made me hope they would end up together. Even though I knew they would. The beginning of the book felt a little slow. I would have liked the preparation for Hugh’s mother’s arrival to be shorter. Once she arrived it felt more fun knowing the whole lie could unravel at any minute. The ending felt a bit rushed and I wish there had been an epilogue to show us a bit of Hugh and Minerva’s real future together. Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a fun romcom and a nice lite quick happily ever after read.

I grinned during this entire book. I adore Minerva and Hugh…the darn cutest names in a regency romance novel. And all the sisters named after Roman goddesses…how wonderful.

Hugh acts completely carefree (act is the correct word) and Minerva is all that is proper, all while trying to do what she can to support her sisters.

I’ll be honest, friends to lovers is not my favorite troupe. But pretending to be engaged/dating/in love is one of my favorites, so…I was in.

Minerva’s sisters are hilarious, and Payne, Hugh’s butler, is excellent at putting Hugh in his place.

The entire book is witty and silly and completely delightful. I cannot wait to see what will happen with Diana! (Maybe Giles—they seem to despise each other so many I will get my enemies to lovers story!!)

This book had promise but ultimately was not for me. The premise was too far out and the connection between the characters seemed forced.

A fresh, fun and witty romance!
Hugh and Minerva find themselves in need of one another for a fake engagement ruse - which of course is a terrible plan and when you add Menerva's sisters and Hugh's mother into the mix - of course, a fake engagement is going to be a disaster and yep, a recipe for falling in love....
A great read if you enjoy books by Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas!

This was a fun and ridiculous story! The wild concoction of a story, the actress, the sisters, the best friend… it was great! I was a little disappointed in how the ending came together. It seemed slightly forced and pulled from thin air.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this e-ARC from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review!

This story felt like a romance historical novel where drama exploded. I could totally see this book being made into a movie. It had one thing after another which kept me wanting to know what was going to happen to Minerva, her sisters and Hugh. Would there be a happy ending? Would Hugh and Minerva get caught?

Characters: At first I did not really like Hugh's mother, she seemed a bit of a pushy person. Towards the end she seemed a bit better character in my eyes. Giles, Hugh's best friends had one of those personalities that you could bag him for a bastard or for a gentleman? He could go either way. I would be interested to see where his story goes. Hugh's stepfather comes into play which seems like a good guy. Even Hugh's butler is a great character! I liked that man quite a bit who has his head on his shoulders and seems to know everything. All the characters come into play to give a great story.

Hugh and Minerva's interaction with each other seems to run hot and cold. Sometimes it was great, other times I'm like trying to figure out what's up. They are both stubborn at times too. Overall they do match for each other nicely. I wished there was a tiny bit more connection between them. I loved the tender moments they had together especially where Hugh takes Minerva to the beach.

There were some parts where I gasp because I was not expecting that at all. The beginning was well set, the middle did take me some time to get through and the ending was well done.

It's a great story for a historical, lighthearted, romance fiction book. I did like the book and I am so looking forward to see more from this author.

A pretty woman, Minerva, who is down on her luck, is saved by a rake. Hugh is being pressured to find a wife by his meddling mother, who is in America. The glib Hugh does not feel he is worthy of a wife. He writes to his mother of a (made up) fiancée that has not been able to marry him yet. When Hugh gets a letter his mother is on her way home to England, he decides to pay Minerva to pretend to be this fiancée. However, her family threatens the farce and his mother is determined to see him happily married. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.

While this book was fairly entertaining, I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two leads, Minerva and Hugh, and I thought the whole premise was pretty convoluted. The latter 15% of the book felt VERY convoluted- plot points were way too convenient and unrealistic. I did enjoy about the first half of Never Fall Your Fiancée, I was just overall disappointed with the rest of the story. The characters seemed underdeveloped.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital review copy of this title via NetGalley. The cover art and design is what originally drew me to request this title!