Perfect Britiah romance escapism for these crazy times. Familiar storyline of a mother seeking a match for her aristocratic son but hilarious twists and turns ensued. A light read that was just perfectly enjoyable.

I absolutely love the fake dating trope, so to see that I got approved to read this regency-era fake fiancée story made me so excited.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, has a problem. He has created an elaborate story of a fiancée to get his mother to stop matchmaking, and now his mother is coming to visit him and he doesn't have a fiancée. Enter Minerva Merriwell, a woodcut engraver that captivates Hugh the second he meets her and is in needs of money to support herself and her two sisters. Conflict-adverse Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fake fiancée while his mother is visiting as a business proposition.

I sped through this book, laughing at all the mishaps and hijinks that kept getting progressively more ridiculous.

Things I loved: the very important hand touch that always pops up in period dramas and showed up several times over the course of this book.

I absolutely loved the side characters, but I wish that they were a bit more fleshed out. In particular, I wish Hugh and his mother's relationship was looked at more since her painted meddling was all we saw of her until the very, very end. I'm excited to see the next books in the series, where we'll hopefully see more of the Merriwell sisters and Giles.

I did love the way Minerva and Hugh felt well matched in their stubbornness, and despite their uneven power dynamic (Hugh is an earl), it did feel like they were on equal ground whenever they conflicted.

The pacing in the novel didn't feel consistent to me - the second half seemed to speed past the first half, and the last quarter of the book in particular felt rushed. There were many threads that were very conveniently tied up very quickly, and I remember thinking when the book ended "that's it?" I expected a bit more built on their relationship, especially since they didn't seem to really know each other even by the end - especially by Hugh's own admission of covering up his own work (preferring to appear to be a carefree rake). It felt like even the relationship moves that were made were incredibly large jumps in a short period of time compared to the progress that had been built over much longer time throughout the rest of the book and didn't feel like the most logical conclusion given the rest of the novel. There were also a lot of secrets that everyone seemed to carry that were hinted at but not really explored - hopefully we see a bit more of that in the future.

This is a great book for you if you enjoy lighthearted period books that aren't too much of a stickler for regency conventions, the fake dating trope, and love strong heroines that aren't afraid to speak their mind.

A thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. , I got sucked in. The character development was fantastic and the between the two main characters was amazing. I could not put this book down.. I cannot wait for the next book!

Although Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath felt quite long, it was a nice read. I love a fake fiancee story, and I love the "will they, won't they" narrative that they bring to the romantic tale. It is a lot of fun!

Thank you for the ARC book. I enjoyed the first three fourths of the book. I really liked all the silliness.
Hugh repeatedly says the same thing over and over about his bad blood and it gets very annoying. It takes too long for him to talk to him mom.

4.5 stars rounded up. Highly recommended for fans of Tessa Dare and lighthearted historical romances. This is a rare instance where the illustrated cover is appropriate to the tone of the story! Virginia Heath puts a fresh spin on the fake fiancée trope, with our hero picking a random woman who happens to have the same name as the fictitious fiancée he invented to throw his meddling mother off of his back about matchmaking. Minerva -- who has fallen in desperate straits after her father ran off and left her and her sisters destitute -- agrees to pose as Hugh's betrothed in exchange for a fee. Complications ensue (of course) with Minerva's dramatic sisters tagging along for the country estate party to meet Hugh's mother, and Hugh's best friend recruiting a drunken actress to pose as Minerva's mother and chaperone.

I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Minerva and Hugh, and appreciated that both characters were a bit flawed and weren't magically transformed by their growing love for each other. Watching them pair up to try to convince Hugh's mother that their relationship was genuine (all the while, obviously, falling in love for real) was entertaining and very satisfying. This was relatively low on angst and high on situational comedic moments as the farce plays out.

My only minor quibble which docks half a star is Hugh's continued insistence that his father's and grandfather's lack of fidelity means he is doomed to repeat their failures. His use of that excuse dragged on too far into the story for my preference, but it didn't interfere with my overall enjoyment.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I am a huge fan of historical romance novels and this book was wonderful! This is a new author for me and I will definitely be reading more from her and the other books in the series!

Never Fall for Your Fiancée falls under one of my favourite tropes and I knew just by the title that I would be hooked. And I was.... kinda. Hugh and Minerva happen upon each other by chance but it was the most perfect twist of fate in Hugh's eyes. After spinning a two-year-long tale about this elusive woman he intended to marry, just to get his mother off of his back, he finds himself in need of someone to play this part just so he can end the lie he's created. It just so happens this fantasy woman Hugh had created was named Minerva. Hugh propositions her with a payment plan while she acts like his betrothed and Minerva cannot help but accept when she has little money but two sisters she must take care of as their mother and father are not in the picture. It seems easy enough as they only plan to do this for a short while, but of course.... it is not often that everything goes according to plan, especially when the plan is so messy.

I did enjoy this, but good LORD HUGH REALLY GAVE ME STRESS OVER THIS LAZILY WOVEN LIE. A very light-hearted story of two people who fake their relationship only to inevitably fall in love at the end. Where this lacked the steaminess I'm used to, it made up for in the sassiness of Minerva and while it's not the full-blown sass I'm used to nowadays, I am to assume that it was quite a lot more than is to be expected of any lady speaking to a man in 1825. I'd say this is a high 3/5 stars in my eyes. If you're a fan of Evie Dunmore, I think you'll enjoy this one!

Woman hired to be fiancee of a wealthy regency man- this story is a trope that runs rampant through fiction, especially romance. This was very much akin to that but with a lot more hijinks which I appreciated. You know it'll all implode and when it does it's a far more delightful twist on the trope rather than drab retelling.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. If there is not a sequel tellings us the stories of the other sisters, I am going to be heartbroken. I fell in love with these characters, and I want to know what happens next. I want to follow them all in the journey to love.

I adored this HR romcom. Hugh and Minerva's romance was the perfect mixture of light-heartedness, sincerity, and humor, and I loved it all. Eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

I just didn’t connect with the plot or character. She wasn’t relatable and didn’t make me care about her.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is such an endearing, light-hearted read, that I'm sure fans of Bridgerton and other historical romances will love! I found the plot to be pretty fast-paced, although I did spend a good portion of the book wondering when their scheme would blow up in their faces. While the storyline was predictable at times, I didn't exactly mind, and I found the romance delightful! I couldn't help but root for Hugh and Minerva, and was thoroughly charmed by the cast of characters — especially Diana.

***I have received an ARC from the published and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***


I want to start off by saying I absolutely adored this book. I loved Heath's use of similes to create vivid and illustrious imagery throughout the book. It helped me picture everything so clearly, while also causing me to giggle at times. This book is what helped me escape from my months long reading slump, and for that I will be forever grateful. It was definitely a 5 star read for me, and will probably be on my list of favorites for the year.

This book was so enrapturing, and by the time I was about 60% through it I preordered a physical finished copy. The characters were an absolute delight, and I can not wait to read Diana's installment in this series. I loved her from the first time she stepped onto the page, and if the love interest is who I think it is...I am going to be clicking preorder as soon as it is available.

Hugh and Minerva's relationship was a beautiful thing to see blossom. I loved every interaction between the pair, especially when Minerva gave Hugh a piece of her mind. With their relationship you also see a lot of character growth from the pair, and it was honestly just beautiful. I think part of my love from this also stems from the Pride and Prejudice vibes I picked up on throughout the series.

The only thing I was not a complete fan of was some of the pacing in the beginning. At times we were presented with a chapter ending like a scene was about to pick up, but then it was over when the next chapter started. For example I would have loved to see the scene where Hugh puts forth the offer for being his fake fiancé, but we only get told some details later. I think it would have been an interesting scene to see how Minerva reacted to a stranger putting this idea forth.

Overall, I highly recommend this read to any historical romance lovers. It was amazing to have a fun romcom style historical romance, and I can not wait to see the other Merriwell sisters get their chances to shine.

The witty banter came in hot and heavy at the start of this book and did not stop! Lord Hugh Fareham and Miss Minerva Merriwell come together in the most bizarre of circumstances to appease Hugh's mothers endeavor to get him married. Both Hugh and Minerva bear the weight of being heads of their unconventional households and are quick to sell themselves short while bearing the weight of all their responsibilities. Both families are complicated and the result of bringing them under one roof while trying to play the role of lovers is pure comedic chaos. As they spend more time together, they learn to trust in themselves and understand that they are deserving of each others love.

An engaging regency romance of two strangers who pretend to be engaged for the sake of family. Interesting and humorous plot and characters.

Overview:
Hugh Standish, Earl of Faredam, is known as a bit of a scoundrel. Hugh is determined to never become like the Standish men who have come before him, who've made terrible husbands, and therefore has settled on remaining a bachelor the rest of his life. His mother, who has settled in America, has entirely different plans for Hugh and wants nothing more than to see him married. In order to keep her at bay, he's come up with a fake fiancée and a story to match that, so far over the two years, has worked to satisfy his mother's expectations. Now, she's on her way over the ocean to finally meet this woman, and Hugh has to scramble to keep the story up. Enter Minerva Merriwell, who over the last few years has found herself raising her two other sisters and trying to keep a roof over their heads. After stumbling across each other, they discover they could mutually benefit from one another's situation: Minerva can act as Hugh's betrothed, while in turn Hugh will offer Minerva a large sum of money, enough to put the Merriwell's in a much better financial position for the future. Will the plan ultimately work?

What I loved:
- There were a handful of side characters that offered up comedic relief at various times, and those parts made me smile and chuckle to myself (a friend of Hugh's hires an actress to act as Minerva's mother, and she's fantastic).
- In a handful of ways, the tone and voice of the story reminded me a bit of The Importance of Being Earnest. A bit witty, a bit quirky and humorous, but also includes a bit of a light love story.

What I didn’t love:
- Minerva and Hugh both weren't that loveable as characters. The side characters were more entertaining, quirky, and loveable.
- I wanted a bit more humor and wit. While there were parts that were humorous and witty, I was expecting more to be there than what there was. Descriptions of the book made it out to be a rolling-on-the-floor rom-com full of "one thing after another" and wit and charm, so I came into the story having high expectations for it to fully deliver in this regard but it fell short.

Overall:
Ultimately, I rate this book at a 3.5 star (for the sake of Netgalley's 5-pointrating system, I've rounded up to a 4-star). A 3-star rating for me is "I didn't love it but a didn't hate it," and I felt that I enjoyed it slightly more than just feeling neutral about it. But at the same time it wasn't a 4-star rating, which for me is "I really enjoyed this but it wasn't an absolute favorite that I could rave for days about." So, the rating falls somewhere in between: decently enjoyable, enough to finish and recommend to others as a light rom-com that has moments of humor and wit, but also not something to really write home about.

Characteristics:
Pace: medium paced
Moods: lighthearted, funny
Plot- or Character-Driven: a bit of a mix
Strong Character Development: not really
Loveable Characters: sort of, a bit of a mixed bag
Diverse Cast: no
Flaws of the Main Characters a Center Focus: sort of

Never Fall In Love With Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath promises to be a charming rom-com, and it delivers. It's the perfect antidote for the romance blahs, though it may be a little too light for some readers.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Farenham, is convinced that he is incapable of fidelity due to his tainted blood; neither his father nor his grandfather remained faithful to their spouses. He can't imagine hurting a woman in that way, so he has determined never to marry. Unfortunately for Hugh, his mother is equally determined to see him wed. To appease her, he invented a fiancee named Minerva complete with a rather intense and creative backstory. Since his mother now lives in the United States with her new husband, he was able to get away with the ruse for two years.

But Mama lets him know she is coming back to England, and Hugh needs a fiancee fast. When the damsel in distress that he assists one afternoon turns out to be named Minerva, he's convinced his prayers have been answered. Minerva agrees to help, and she and her two sisters join Hugh in the country to prepare for his mother's arrival. What ensues is a comedy of errors that will make you smile if not laugh out loud. And while the slapstick is playing out, Minerva and Hugh are discovering that they have actual feelings for one another.

At times, Hugh's desperate weaving of webs gets tiresome, and his reasons for not coming clean are vague. The "I'm just like my faithless father, so I'll never marry" trope is not my favorite, and Hugh's steadfast belief in it gets old. Aside from his fiancee-related lies, Hugh is a genuinely nice and reasonably intelligent guy, which makes his stupidity in this one area harder to swallow.

On the other hand, Minerva (the eldest Merriwell sister in this first of what is presumably a three-book series) is a pretty great heroine. She's smart and resourceful and deserves an HEA. I'm curious how the other two sisters' books will play out.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

I didn't finish this book.

The whole story was incredibly physical, and the author herself kept using the word "lust" in the writing to drive home the point. Not my kind of novel at all.

This was a fun, quick read that was a bit predictable of course with the whole idea of falling in love with a fake fiancée, but it was funny and enjoyable all the same.

Hugh created a fake fiancée, Minerva, for his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him happily married. He encounters a young, poor artist who takes care of her two younger sisters, whose name actually is Minerva. So High offers her a deal to play his fiancée when his mother is coming to visit from America.

There’s many shenanigans during this visit, including one hired actress who takes her role a bit too seriously, Minerva’s two younger sisters who continually try Hugh’s patience, one well meaning often times exasperated butler, and his mother who keeps digging to get the whole story.

The romance was delightful, even if Hugh was a frustrating character but at least he had a bit of character growth. I liked Minerva’s character more. But the romance wasn’t really the reason why I wanted to read this book, the laugh out loud funny moments when all they’re carefully thought out plans blew up in their faces made this a more enjoyable read for me.

I’m looking forward to reading Diana and Vee’s stories.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.