Emmy and Will entered a convenient marriage 8 years to gain Emmy's grandfather's estate. They both live a content life, until Will finds out that Emmy has been lying about having two kids to her grandfather. Now, they pick out 2 random kids and have to act the part of their family going or they will lose their home.

The writing was not it for me. The switching POVs without a heads up had me confused on whose mind I was in. The writing was too jumpy and hard to keep up with.
The whole situation was pretty funny and the content is pretty original for a historical romance.
Overall, the book was okay but if is not something I would ever go out of my way to read but if you like a comedy of errors with a hint of romance, go for it!

Something in the Heir
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/20/22
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 352
GR: 3.51

TW ⚠️: Mentions infertility and adoption

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. They’ve settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way—or so Emmeline thinks. Then when Emmeline’s grandfather, the reclusive Duke of Welshire, summons them both for his birthday celebration and demands they bring their two little angelic children, William is stunned to discover that his very proper wife invented not one, but two heirs to fulfill the agreement for living at Winnover. Enter George, age 8, and Rose, 5—the two most unruly orphans in Britain. As the insanity unfolds, their careful, professional arrangement takes some surprisingly intimate turns as well.

My Thoughts: This was the most unusual plot I have read in awhile and it was so refreshing. This story was mainly narrated in a dual POV with Emmeline and Will, however, it had sprinkled in some from the staff and kids. This was a sweet closed romance novel set in historical times. The one thing that I disliked about the book was the “borrowing” of the orphans, I think it would have went better if they were fully adopted by the Pershing’s. I did love seeing how Emmeline and Will’s relationship changed over the course of the book. The characters were well flushed out and well developed with depth, witty banter, sarcasm (my favorite), and creatively written. The author’s writing style was complex, well paced, humorous, and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. This book releases in a little over a week and I would recommend pre-ordering!

From the description of this book, you'd expect a fun romance but what you actually get is more of a thriller/mystery story with some romance on the side. While I did enjoy the story overall, I would not have put it in the romance genre.

The story begins with Emmeline propositioning her best friend, William, to marry in order to save her childhood home. This is necessary because her grandfather, the Duke of Welshire, is obsessed with the family line so only those who are married & produce children within an allotted amount of time are allowed use of the ancestral home. Emma & Will marry, claim the house and go on with their lives. However, they are unable to conceive so in a moment of desperation Emma 'invents' a child; then a few years later they 'have' another child.

Things carry on just fine for many years - until the Duke requires the entire family attend his upcoming birthday celebration. Emma confesses the ruse to Will, and the two embark on a mission to 'find' their children. From there the story take a large left turn from typical romance, and becomes more of a suspense novel. Again, I enjoyed the suspense, but found there was really little to no romance.

All sorts of shenanigans ensue when they decide to temporarily 'adopt' a brother & sister from a local orphanage. I love the two kids - incorrigible yet adorable - and their story really gets to your heart.

As a suspense, I give this book 4 stars, and as a romance I give it 2 stars - so I went for 3 stars overall.

Just a few chapters in and already, there’s a whole truckload of yikes. The main thing is that the “hero” wants to expand the roads in Africa. Umm, gross? It’s just casually thrown in as motivation for him to partake in the silly scheme to fleece money from their older relative (who I didn’t even meet on page, so I don’t assume he’s a paragon of moral rectitude either, especially given he’s a duke, but COME ON). I also checked the reviews and it doesn’t even get any real introspection.
And then there’s the main plot, which involves these two out of touch snobs trying to temporarily take some orphans in order to keep up their farce. They plan to return the kids after.
I didn’t get that far, but there’s also apparently some other problematic stuff?
And if we’re talking about “historical accuracy”…my last attempt with Suzanne Enoch’s books also ended prematurely because she tried to set up the backstory for her Scottish family indicating they got a title in the 1500s for approving of Henry VIII’s desire to get annul his marriage. She does know Scotland and England had totally different monarchs until the death of Henry’s daughter in 1603, right? What would the *English* king be doing giving a *Scottish* Laird a *Scottish* title?

Emmeline and Will grew up together and when Emmeline needed to get married fast so that she could keep the home that she grew up, Will married her without question. He had been a bit in love with her for a long time. When they failed to produce a child, they became more partners. They had a comfortable life and got along well together. When Emmeline's grandfather commanded them to show up for his birthday with their children, Emmeline had to confess that she had told everyone that they had two children. What to do? They had to find children before the big day. What they found were two streetwise children who give them a run for their money. They also found love and a family. If her grandfather finds out the truth, they will be asked to leave their home. Can they convince her family?

I loved the premise of this book and saw a lot of potential in the opening chapters, from the humor to the promise of our main characters, Emmeline and Will, falling in love after eight years in a business-like marriage. I also thought the children, George, and Rose, were well-written and brought a lot of energy and warmth to the book, with chapters from their POVs as an added bonus.

However, I had a hard time cheering for Emmie and Will after they made it clear they are willing to exploit orphans for their own gain. Even though they grow to love the children and adopt them, starting off their relationships with them joking about "renting" children did not sit right with me and bothered me throughout the book.

In the future I'd be happy to give Suzanne Enoch another try, especially since I have several of her backlist books on my TBR, but this was not the book for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 ⭐️

For the last eight years Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed their marriage of convenience and are both perfectly fine continuing the farce that they are happily married with several children and disgustingly in love. Well, that is until her uncle demands they visit for his 70th birthday and bring their children with them. Can Emmie and the estranged William fix their relationship AND somehow bring about an heir (or two), or will their entire lives blow up in their faces?

Something in the Heir was definitely not what I expected it to be. I went in thinking it would be more of a romance, but found it to be more hilarious than anything else. The chemistry between Emmie and William was a bit off, and I enjoyed the staff more than I enjoyed their characters, but other than that I enjoyed this crazy story.

Thank you Netgalley & SMP for the arc!

Emmeline Hervey, her mother, told her cousin that they were moving to Bath. If Emmeline wanted it, she had better get married right away. She looked around the ballroom and couldn't find any of her other suitors. In comes, Will Pershing. They proceeded to Waltz while she asked him to marry her.
He was handsome, with broad shoulders and beautiful green eyes. If she married Will, she could have Winnower and help him become neat and climb the political ladder. They were married three days later.

Eight years, 4 months, and thirteen days later: Mr. Pershing loved to hunt
Her grandfather was turning seventy and wanted his whole family to spend time with him for his birthday. They were to bring their two children and themselves to his house.

I received this ARC from Book Sirens and voluntarily reviewed it.

This book. THIS book!!!

Honestly, this book was absolutely delightful and full of so much heart and laughter. I adored George and Rose. Everything that came out of their mouths was just the best.

I loved getting to read about a married couple finding their spark. It was such a fresh and unique marriage of convenience story.

I could go on and on, but I'll just say, you need to read this book!

*Mild language, but in British. Is it even cursing if there's an accent?
**Very mild innuendos between a married couple.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun read! It was more comedy than romance for me but I loved the story of people finding their family.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Emmeline Hervey, granddaughter to the Duke of Welshire is upset to learn that her mother, Lady Anne has decided to move to Bath, rather than stay in the house that her father the duke had let them stay in since they married. Winnover Hall is the only home that Emmeline “Emmie” has ever known and she had no desire to leave, but the house will go to the next family member that marries, and at this moment, that would be Emmie’s cousin Penelope. Unacceptable! Instead of letting that happen, Emmie proposes to her childhood friend, William Pershing, promising him a partnership and help with his career. He accepts and they marry, thwarting Penelope’s grab for Winnover Hall, for now because to keep the house for her lifetime, she must have a child within five years…

Fast-forward eight years, Emmie and Will are married, but have drifted apart and are childless, but when the duke demands their presence, including their children at his birthday gathering, Emmie knows she can no longer keep Will in the dark. Emmie confesses to Will that she invented two children, Malcolm who is 7, and Flora who is 5 and that if they do not produce them, they will lose the house. Will is shocked that oh-so-proper Emmeline has lied to the duke, he was aware of the terms of staying in the house, but after they passed the five-year mark, figured that the duke had changed his mind. And to her surprise, instead of ranting at her, he agrees to go along with her story. At first, they try to “borrow” a neighbor’s children, and then some of the tenant’s children, but none of those ideas pan out and they decide to try an orphanage in London and find George and Rose Fletcher, who are perfect for their charade! All they have to do is teach them how to act appropriately and convince them to play along with their lie. Simple, right? Too bad they underestimated the Fletcher children and find themselves in negotiations with them. And there is the small problem of the children stealing everything that isn’t nailed down. But aside from that, what else could go wrong? Simple, everything!

This was unlike any Susanne Enoch book I have read and I have read almost all of her books! There is nothing technically wrong with the book, I guess it is a bit of a second chance romance, but in truth, it read more like a comedy than a romance. First, the story isn’t really centered on the relationship between Emmie and Will, and second, there is no steam in this book at all (something else that is unlike any of her books I have read), seriously, there are no love scenes, just a couple of kisses and I love yous at the end. But it was still a fun read and I did enjoy reading it – it is just not what I was expecting. So if you are looking for a good read that will make you smile and doesn’t have any love scenes – look no further – this is that book!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Something in the Heir is an interesting historical romance standalone where a couple of convenience need to fake having a family. After marrying for convenience, eight years have passed, and Emmeline Hervey and William Pershing need to physically produce the children Emmeline has been writing to her family about to keep her family home, Winnover Hall. Now that her grandfather’s 70th birthday is approaching, and he has requested to meet his grandchildren, Emmeline and Will must figure out how to bring their fake children to reality.

Emmeline and William try multiple times to borrow children from various families but fail. When they think they run out of options, they end up with two orphans from London, George, and Rose. These two children were nicely written as they did read as real children with their own personalities and motivations. I can easily see how the situation for “acquiring” the children can not be for every type of reader. Emmeline is not very sympathetic as I could not connect to her treatment of the children and why I would want her to keep a house that she seemed to want just to keep it from her cousin.

The story tended to focus on the family aspect and the antics compared to the romance that I thought I was going to read. Emmeline and William’s relationship is introduced with her proposing to him, and the marriage of convenience being set up before the story jumps forward eight years. There are hints that William had feelings for Emmeline since the beginning, but it was difficult to see as I did not find it explored enough. It seemed their romance took a backseat to the rest of the story where there were ups and downs, but it just seemed to happen.

Overall, the concept is very interesting, but the delivered story was not what I expected. I can see it being a potential triggering read for adoptees or others more sensitive to this topic as I think more care could have been taken. Instead, it seemed the focus in the writing stayed with the comedy aspect where I felt there could have been more. There are many pieces that could make this story great for me, but it just did not quite work. I do believe that each reader can interpret the events and characters in their own way, so I may be in the minority. Therefore, they should read this story for themselves!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. She is content to continue with this life until her Uncle demands that they visit and bring their children with them. Unfortunately, there are no children. Can they fix things, or will their life implode?

The premise of this book started out so well, and then fell flat, right away.

There was barely any chemistry between the two main characters, and I ended up more invested in their staff!

This was a closed door romance, and very little steam. I generally did not like the two main characters, they were so involved in keeping what was deemed theirs, that they had little to no compassion for Rose and George. Rose and George stole the show for the most part, especially their relationships with the staff.

3.5 stars for this endearing & unique regency tale of a childless couple who must create a family in less than a month to prevent being evicted from their ancestral home.

This book is told through many POVs, so we get to watch this “fake” family become more like a real family through the eyes (and hearts) of both Will & Emmie and George and Rose (plus some other very loyal staff members as well!) Each added a unique element to the story without confusing the narrative.

The only reason for not giving this one a higher rating is because I felt the conclusion was rushed. The entire build up to the party and led to a quick appearance and a fast epilogue. I want more!

A really mixed bag. Fake children? George and Rose are the orphans William and Emmaline take in to try to convince her relatives that she's lived up to the terms of her inheritance,. For one thing, she married William in order to secure the family home but then they didn't have kids, which is a condition of their remaining. Emmaline lies to everyone - to William about the terms of her inheritance, to her relatives about the children, and to herself about her feelings. It's not a rom com and there are many things that are questionable but there's also some real flashes of humor. And it;'s certainly unique in the genre. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a quick and entertaining read.

🕯️Book Review 🕯️

#somethingintheheir
#suzanneenoch
#romcom
#NetGalley publishing 9/20/2022
#stmartinsgriffin

🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️/5

Super fun #romanticcomedy! Even though I knew how this book would end by 15% I couldn't wait to see how the story would unfold. And the author managed to throw in a curve ball too. There isn't much to say without giving away much more than the description. But the kids were cute. The "parents" were sweet. And there is a little side love story the author uses to advance the story.

Of course chaos had to ensue in a house with a couple that had never been parents before. It was fun to watch/read. I would read this author again in a heartbeat. Such a light story even while not making light of the orphans.

#stmartinspress
#romance
#comedy
#newparents
#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #recommend #gottareadthisbook

2.5 stars, rounded up.

Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me, though I was an ideal candidate to love it. I adore historical romances (or in this case, rom-coms) and especially those in the regency era. Yet I feel like some of my expectations were not met, and there were some jarring narrative choices that I felt were unnecessary.

Something in the Heir follows Emmaline and Will Pershing, long time friends who entered into marriage so they could both further their goals. Emmaline wanted the gift of her grandfather’s estate, and she promised that if Will married her, she’d be the perfect companion to further his political career. She’d host the perfect soirees, help him craft the perfect enembles, and otherwise ensure that his life was flawless. Unfortunately, part of the agreement for Emmaline to keep the Wilshire estate was not simply to be married, but to carry on the bloodline. In other words, within five years of taking up residence in Wilshire, they were expected to have produced heirs. Eight years pass, and Will thinks nothing of it, until Emmaline confesses that she invented fictional children to keep the estate, and now her grandfather wishes to meet them. Enter: the orphans. Will and Emmie decide that rather than tell the truth, they’ll simply adopt some children temporarily and teach them to be proper. Nothing could possibly go wrong… hilarity ensues.

The basic premise of the book, if a bit farfetched, is really quite entertaining. I think the author has created a story with plenty of heart, including some very endearing, if mischievous, children. The dynamic between Emmie and Will is quite sweet; they both have feelings, but have essentially committed to a loveless marriage because of their agreement, so they have trouble navigating these feelings. But the presence of the children, brings them all rogether in unexpected ways that is really quite fun to read. Additionally, there are fun side characters and another romance that’s cute.

Unfortunately, this is where things start to fall apart for me. For starters, there is a sub-plot that takes up quite a bit of time in the book that I didn’t enjoy. Personally, I felt that this sub-plot took away from the main appeal of the story, which was the complicated relationships between the children, the adults, and each other. This fifth person gets thrown in the mix, and it’s clearly intended to create more tension, but it really just distracts from what I actually cared about. I wholeheartedly believe that it could have been removed from the book and we could have spent more time with the main relationships, and it would have been an improvement.

Next, the secondary romance was very sweet, but it kinda went from a two to a ten in a matter of seconds. I would have loved to see this relationship play out a bit longer. I think the *reason* for things moving quickly is cute (having to do with something the character’s mother does), yet it really comes out of left field and gives you whiplash. I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more substance between the two to make it more believeable.

Then, there’s the matter of “historical accuracy.” I’m a firm believer that if you’re going to put something in your novel, good or bad, there better be a reason. And historical accuracy is not a good enough argument. There must also be a contextual reason: does it set up more of the story, does it push character growth, etc? And if it’s harmful to a community of people, is it going to be challenged in the text? This book contains casual fatphobia, as well as the “g” slur for the Romani people. I’m sure the arguement here is that it would be historically accurate to use those terms or hold those beliefs, but in my opinion it’s pure laziness.

Spoilers Ahead…

In the case of the fatphobia, Emmaline takes Rose to get fitted for new dresses. She notes to herself that the seamstress is a fat woman. There also happen to be biscuits (cookies) on the counter, and Emmaline tells Rose she can have one. Then, she thinks nothing of it. As they’re leaving, the plate of biscuits is empty, and Emmaline assumes that this is the reason the seamstress is so fat, of course, because she eats cookies all day. We later find out that (obviously) Rose stole those cookies herself. Emmaline, however, is none the wiser. This sequence is meant to set up that the orphans have sticky fingers, and are taking things from under the Pershing’s noses. What I find egregious is that this fatphobia is so casual and matter of fact, and while the reader knows the truth, Emmaline does not. She never has this belief challenged… she just thinks fat people are fat because they eat with no self control.

To me, this is pure laziness on the author’s part. There were a dozen other setups for the reader to see and understand that the children were stealing without the Pershing’s knowledge, this commentary could have been omitted completely and the reader would still have more than enough to understand. Or, if the author insisted on keeping the cookies, she could have dropped the fatphobic commentary and the point would still get across. It’s not a singular offense, either. Throughout the book there are more unnecessary comments about fat people and their bodies that offer nothing to the story. I’m just sick of it being so casual and blatant in books.

Then, there’s the matter of the “g” slur. The children, on occasion, are afraid that the Pershings are going to sell them to the Romani people, or that they’ll otherwise be kidnapped by them. The slur, itself, is bad enough. And before you cry “historical accuracy,” understand that it adds absolutely nothing to this book. The fact that they could have replaced the word with the “boogeyman” should say everything: first, that the word was unnecessary, and two that the stereotypes about the Romani people are clearly harmful. The children could have been afraid of anything, and the story would not have changed. This was a choice.

My final gripe is that the book has a cartoon cover with a BED on it, and there’s absolutely no smut. Not even a fade to black scene. The most we get is the implication that they may have had marital relations at some unspecified times in the final week leading up to introducing the children to Emmie’s grandfather. I don’t need smut to enjoy a book, but the current romance market is known for pastels and cartoon people on the covers. They could have chosen a more appropriate cover design.

The book was cute and enjoyable, I just wish a few things had been different, and it would have been a total hit for me. But as it currently stands, it just missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was certainly interesting. The fact that they were still planning on returning the children that they essentially bought from the orphanage up until the second to last chapter was not fun at all (and a very weird concept in general). I also found the growing closeness of Emmaline and Will very hard to believe because of the lack of their scenes building that closeness. In general, I think I would just try to avoid this book.

I like books by Suzanne Enoch so was very happy to get the chance to read this arc. Something in the Heir is a cute, delightful, and funny novel about a woman who was desperate to hold on to her beloved home which was only accessible to her if she stuck to the terms set by the Dukes of Welshire, currently her grandfather. Emmeline’s, the heroine, managed it once by finding a husband immediately in her close friend William Pershing. They don’t have children, because they couldn’t, but both their needs were met by their coming together. She got the house, and he got a hostess and a partner to help him further his political ambitions. Eight years later, they have a good partnership established.
However unbeknown to William, the issue of no children was sorted by Emmaline- by lying to her family. To them they had two lovely though somewhat sickly children! When the demand to produce those fictious children finally came in leu of a birthday invitation, she obviously panicked.
But both the couple get their heads together and plan another way to hold on to their beloved home. This follows a series of hilarious scenes and of how they try to correct their problem by hiring friends’, neighbours’, tenants’ children and eventually settling on orphans.
This is a fun read, though at times, the couples’ questionable actions do make you pause. The two orphans they “borrow” turn out to be mischievous felons in the making who turn the tables on them and their whole household on its ears. We have the staff trying to figure out who to deal with the stealing, Emmaline trying to teach the two manners, William wanting them to have some fun in their lives. There’s a lot of humour all around and insight into William and Emmaline’s characters and relationship.

My gripe with the book is that it’s more of comical regency story than a romance. The Pershings clearly needed help. They may be partners but barely stay in each other’s company. Not because they don’t like one another but because they are too busy in their own separate lives even though their goals are the same. It can work with friends, companions, or business partners but very hard to believe in a marriage. Eight years with no real conversation or intimacy?

This book would have been five stars if it contained Enoch’s usual dash of steam, but it didn’t have any. I don’t mind a book with no explicit scenes, but then I want that compensated with some real romance between the characters. Here we don’t have that. There’s plenty of internalising, but no chance to privately work on them. There was a time schedule to hang on to and two misfit children to deal with and keep an eye on!
Overall opinion: nice, fun, easy book but I won’t recommend it to anyone as a romance. Because its not.

**Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are honest and completely my own.**