This book was such a wonderful historical romance.

I love a good fake dating trope in a book, and this one is honestly so cleverly done. The fact that he had already begun fake dating a made up woman with her name, which then led to them actually fake dating, was so so clever and cute.

The conflict they experience, while constantly piling on to them and getting oh so annoying, it created wonderful reading for us. I thought Minerva was a very likable character, and Hugh was as well (deep deep down).

I will say I love that this is going to be a series that follows all the sisters, because I am so excited to dive back into this world and see what else they get up to.

The premise of Never Fall for Your Diamce is so good but the execution was slow for me. I did love the regency vibes but it wasn’t enough to keep me interested. There is minimal steam as it is a regency romance.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is a historical romance novel written by Virginia Heath that tells the comical tale of a fake relationship gone awry. Although I am a huge fan of the historical romance subgenre, I felt this book fell flat at almost every turn. When we first meet the hero, his internal dialogue is borderline cringe-worthy making the journey we take as readers through the book less enjoyable, to say the least. The plot jumpstarts when Hugh discovers that his mother is traveling from America to the British Isles to meet his fake fiancee. Instead of acting like a rational human and fessing up to this charade, Hugh happens across a woman who, one, has the same name as his fake fiancee, Minerva, and, two, is in desperate need for money. Both of these factors were too far for my suspension of disbelief, and I grew annoyed with both the characters and the story. As for the romance between Minerva and Hugh, I found it to be quite blasé, not incredible or saying anything new or interesting either. I would avoid this novel and pick up something by Evie Dunmore or Sarah Maclean instead. 2/5

A cute and fun historical romantic comedy!

When Minerva Merriwell gets an offer to pretend to be Hugh's fiancé... For a large sum of money... She (literally) can't afford to say no.

But what happens when they're so good at acting the part that... Neither are sure they're acting anymore?

You'll have to read to find out!

This book is out now! Thanks so much Netgalley for an E-ARC!

This has to be one of my favorite books by Virginia Heath! It was a thoroughly funny and delightful book to read. Hugh's quick wit had me laughing out loud and I loved how he and Minerva seem like an odd couple, but in the end it works! Actually, every single one of the characters are great, right down to the butler who seems to keep everyone in their place.

I love me a good fake dating setup, plus add in the Regency era and you’ve got me hooked! I really enjoyed this one and while it felt a bit dragged out (you have to get to almost the halfway mark in the book before the actual “fake dating” comes into play), it still had plenty of laughs, and I wanted to keep reading it to see how the ridiculous scheme would work out.

I do have to say, I was a tad turned off by Hugh and how for the first 32 years of his life, he took no responsibility for his actions and just chalked it up to “oh well this is just in my blood and I can’t do anything about it” (and continuously mentioning his tainted bloodline). While I did really like Minerva and thought her character was well developed and her motivation and decisions made sense and her sense of empathy.

All in all it was an enjoyable read and I’m sure I’ll continue the Merriwell sisters series in the future.

I really enjoyed this book and I really want to read more books from this author in the future. I really loved the book cover as well.

Loved this start to a new series! Can't wait to read the rest of the books!

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.

Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.

Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other when their relationship started with a lie? The first book in the Merriwell Sisters series, Never Fall for Your Fiancée is a hilarious, sparkling historical romantic comedy from Virginia Heath.

This book was just what I needed at the moment. Cute, funny and romantic. I’m not up on the spicy ratings, but there was definitely some spice near the end of the book! There were also some laugh out loud moments! This appears to be a series, so I’m interested to see where it goes! Thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan reads for a gifted ecopy! So appreciated!

Thank you @smpromance @netgalley for Never Fall For Your Finacee. This was such a fun historical rom com. I always love the fake dating trope and the class difference made it entertaining.

I love seeing what an amazing woman Minerva is with supporting her sisters too. Lots of cute moments between Hugh and Minerva and I am looking forward to Giles story.

The narration was great and I liked it was told in both Hugh and Minerva’s POV.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this review copy of Never Fall For Your Fiancé by Virginia Heath. I have not read a ton of historical fiction and thought that it was a lovely touch to the story. I definitely chuckled throughout the book with various scenes and thought that the fake dating truly made this book! Though it was a good read, I did feel it was a little too predictable.

Never Fall for Your Fiancée was sweet and charming. The cute cover of the book initially drew me in because it reminded me of Pride and Prejudice. However, the story ended up being a little too predictable, which took away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I still had a good time reading it and laughed out loud at some parts. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book was a smidge confusing in the beginning and I feel like it was trying to be like bridgerton. It’s a cute book but nothing really for me.

This book was unexpected and delightfully entertaining. Right from the get go I found myself siding with Hugh’s best friend Giles, thinking this plan of his is doomed to fail but it will make for great entertainment. It was indeed that, I could not put the book down and read the full book in just 2 days. I loved the main characters, however flawed and imperfect they may be. The chemistry between Hugh and Minerva was obvious very early on and I especially loved Hugh was the first to fall, no matter how much he tried to fight it. The fake relationship trope is one of my favourites, the thrill of “will they get caught” leaves me with that just one more chapter inability to put the book down.

The supporting characters were so much fun, my favourite being Payne, Hugh’s butler. The relationship between them was hilarious, I loved their banter and Payne being a bit of a smart mouth. Minerva sisters very exactly as most sisters are – polar opposites, yet cut from the same cloth. I really felt for Vee, so much change and instability at an age where you are just starting to figure out who you are can make things very emotional. Their Mama was hysterical, I kept waiting for her to blow their cover. Hugh’s mother was another character I loved. Nosy like mothers tend to be but as we saw very supportive of her son yet unafraid to have a laugh at his expense. Combined they really elevated this story and I hope we get to see more of them in the books to come in this series.

𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙁𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙚 is a historical romance which added a fun spin, this is only my 2nd historical romance but this book proves just how much I adore them so I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book in this series. It was extremely well written and I loved the pace of the story, I am a sucker for a slow burn and this one had just the perfect highs and lows of romance to keep me glued to the pages. This was my first book by author Virginia Heath but it certainly will not be my last.

Thank you to Virginia Heath, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This was a really cute rom-com story, that would make you smile on a bad day. I loved Minerva and her sister's relationship, and all their banter made me laugh. There is drama and I wanted to shake Hugh sometimes, but I think it was needed to help us root for the characters we liked more. All in all, it was a really good read.

4.5 stars = Loved it! Would re-read.

This was so fun! I don't often read historicals, but when I do, it's often something with a similar plot. But there was something special about these characters and something fun in the writing that made this feel different. Tons of humor here, great chemistry between the main characters, and the writing sparkles. Highly recommend. (Sex)

If you love regency books and enjoy books with the trope of fake dating, you’ll enjoy this sweet little gem that was so cute, I can’t wait to read again.

Minerva agrees to pretend to be Hugh’s fiancée while his mother visits and recruits her sisters to get in on the act. What nobody expects is the instant chemistry the two share.

I received a free e-ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Perfection. I enjoyed every second of this book and read it in one sitting. I devoured this romcom!

Who doesn’t love a hilarious historical romance with fake dating?!

How fun! How excellent!

Hugh and Minerva are such a good pair. Ridiculous, roundabout, stubborn, but they fit so perfectly. The two of them are strong characters, and the dialogue is... may I say... excellent!

This book is perfect for Laura Willig lovers, and I hope Minerva's two sisters find love in future books!

Gotta love a good regency romance story, especially the very first in a new series by Virginia Heath. Never Fall for Your Fiancee gives readers the fake dating trope but to the next level with a fake ENGAGEMENT. Thought this was super cute and definitely worth checking out.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me! :)