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.**

It's really hit or miss with Suzanne Enoch for me. I think the title is super cute. I liked all of the characters, but don't really care for the already married for years marriage of convenience trope, and didn't really enjoy the plot with the children that much.

I love historical fiction, romance and have enjoyed earlier Suzanne Enoch books so I was excited to read Something in the Heir. Although I wanted to love this book and enjoyed several parts, the overall book left me feeling disappointed. Emmeline and William are married and just trucking along in a normal, slightly lackluster marriage. It was a marriage of convenience as Emmeline had to be the first of her cousins married to get to keep their family house and estate. Little did William know that she also had to lie to her imposing Grandfather that they had born children in further attempts to keep the family estate and their home. When Grandfather calls all of the family to him for a big celebration, Emmeline has to come clean with William about what she has done and decide if they are going to fess up to the lie. Instead Emmeline hatches a plan to take two neighbors children with her and present them as her own (which the parents of the kids point out is very strange) and in the end, they go "borrow" some children from an orphanage (also very wrong if they didn't intent to honestly look into adoption them) . Expecting two young children to carry on this ruse didn't make much sense to me. The lies continue to mound as this ruse goes on and even though I like a slightly out there book, I couldn't see any realism in this one.

Emmeline and William Pershing agreed to a marriage of convenience so Emmeline could keep her family home and Will could have assistance in his political career. Eight years later, Emmeline's grandfather summons them to his home, and Will is shocked to find out that Emmeline has made up a story about them having two children. Turns out, they must have children to keep their home, so they find two orphans, George and Rose, to borrow and pretend to be their own. But even temporary and fake parenting comes with its own challenges, and even the weirdest circumstances can make a house a home. This story was so sweet! I expected more romance but loved the story of the whole family coming together! The children were hilarious, and I loved reading about their many shenanigans. It was such a sweet and fun story!

I absolutely LOVED this story!!!

Emmeline and Will had a partnership rather than a marriage and yet with the temporary addition of George and Rose to the household they began to see each other in a whole new light. I began to fall in love with each of them even as their eyes opened up to the uniqueness that they saw in each other. I couldn’t help but cheer them on along the way.

The children were definitely “the darlings” of the story. They pretty much stole every scene they were in. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the antics and reactions to the world around them. However, there were times when things were not humorous and my heart hurt for them, especially George as his understanding of the world was much more jaded than Rose’s.

I was surprised how things turned out as I never saw it happening in quite that way. While the romance element does not consume the storyline and the heat level is non-existent, I never missed the steam nor the fact that this story is not about this couple alone. I was enthralled from the beginning and could not stop reading it once I started.

Something in the Heir is absolutely charming! It's my first Suzanne Enoch book, and it definitely won't be my last.

Emmeline has a big dilemma - she loves her home but her family has strict rules as to who may occupy it. Cue a rushed wedding and some lies about her “family”. Of course, this can only lead to trouble. But will she be able to keep the home in the end?

I really didn’t care for Emmeline in the first quarter of the book. In fact, I almost didn’t continue reading. She began very selfish, very hoity-toity and lacking any level of empathy for others. But little by little she learns throughout the book and I appreciated that.

The whole premise was a bit iffy in “borrowing” orphans to be a part of the family and again, wasn’t a fan, but all I can say is just keep reading. This book is a journey full of life lessons for all.

Thank you to @smpromance for the complimentary copy of this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.

DNF at 22%

I really wanted to love this one but I found Emmeline to be completely self-absorbed and unlikeable. Will's character seemed incredibly flat and there was absolutely no spark between the two MCs. I get that it's a marriage of convenience but there should be at least a little bit of chemistry between the two for the reader to get behind.

I also found the way they went about "renting" children really disturbing. They were so cavalier and selfish about the whole process and didn't take into account how this would affect a child. As a new mom, I just found this incredibly hard to read.

This book has many positive reviews so I think that this is just a case of the book not being a good fit for me at this point in my life.

This was a delightfully light-hearted read populated with fun, energetic, loving characters who come to learn that ‘family’ doesn’t always happen through blood. Sometimes families are created from the people who enter your lives for one reason or another and this unlikely family forms from adversity and grow into unselfish love.

Emmeline Hervey was born and raised at Winnover Hall and she loved the estate with all her heart. When she was faced with having to leave because the estate was actually owned by her grandfather, a duke, she decided to do whatever it took to remain there. Since her parents had decided to give up their residence at the estate, that meant Emmeline had to go as well because the estate would go to the next cousin to marry. The solution is simply – Emmeline just has to marry – and quickly.

William Pershing and Emmeline Hervey had long been friends because they’d grown up near each other. William was a shy, socially awkward young man who had a very strong affection for Emmeline. Just imagine his surprise when she walked up to him at a ball and without preamble proposed to him. Did he accept – you bet he did. Except, he’d hoped for more than the partnership that Emmeline proposed.

Staying at Winnover meant having to produce offspring within 5-years. When those offspring didn’t appear, Emmeline made them up and fleshed them out for her relatives through letters. That bought her an extra three years -- until the duke decided to throw a big birthday bash for himself and demanded the presence of ALL of his family – including the children. Emmeline has two choices – she can give up Winnover or she can figure out how to ‘borrow’ a couple of children for a while. Either way, she has to tell William because he knows nothing about the children or her lies.

It was a true surprise when William accepted what she told him and joined her in her efforts to remain at Winnover. Why wouldn’t he – he married her so she could keep it? Their efforts to find children they can borrow lead to some very strange encounters with their neighbors. Orphans! That is a great solution and off they go.

It was so much fun reading about the merry chase the two orphans lead William and Emmeline on. These were street-smart and very determined children who were so delightful to read. I absolutely LOVED George and Rose – they made the story.

I loved watching the four of them negotiate their way to love, trust, and acceptance – and for Will and Emmeline’s marriage to become everything Will had hoped for – and everything Emmeline didn’t know she wanted.

Why didn’t I give it 5-Stars?
• While I enjoyed the story – and can recommend it as a good read – something about William and Emmeline’s relationship for the first eight years of their marriage just didn’t ring true for me.
• Adoption is spoken about and acted upon as part of the story – but adoptions couldn’t happen at that time in England. At best, it would have had to have been a guardianship. Those little inaccuracies bother me – especially when a little research would have allowed the author to get it right.
• Another thing I wished for is an Epilogue set a year or two into the future. I wanted to see Emmeline expecting (or having delivered) a child and showing George and Rose and how well they’ve settled in. That all just seemed a little unfinished to me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a fun historical, and it is definitely going on the list of exceptions for things I tend to avoid in my romance reading. I"m not usually a fan of children in the romance I read, but George and Rose are up there with the children from The Governess Game. They were delightful and entertaining. I also loved Emmie and Will (the two main characters) - it was wonderful seeing them realize the depth of their feelings for each other after eight years of marriage. I highly recommend this book!

I couldn't connect with the characters nor the story. I didn't think the characters were believable nor likeable. I read almost half the story before skimming to the end. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review.

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch is a novel classified as historical romance. What it doesn't mention is the tongue in cheek humor that happens through-out the book. The book held my attention and I was nervous about how the book was going to end.

Emmaline and William Pershing have been married for 8 years. Their marriage is about maintaining a certain lifestyle and creating opportunities for William to work effectively with the Ton and the government. What William doesn’t know - isn’t a problem until it is. It is a doozy of a problem. They need children fast. This is where the book gets funny in a curious way. The two of them are so certain of the path forward - they have forgotten what really matters. The children are delightful and full of zest, not difficult to handle per say, but unique. Enjoy the ride and the conclusion!

This novel was a joy to read. I loved the situation and how they solved it and then how they had to keep moving on solving it. The participation of the staff and the Pershings and the children are what made the book humorous. Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch is a great read.

Thrilling read! I was able to connect with all of the characters and throughly enjoyed the story the author painted.

Even though you knew how it would end, the story was still cute. George & Rose were so entertaining. Fun read.

The cover of Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch depicts a man and woman sitting on a bed. That plus the description saying their marriage would take some "intimate" turns led me to believe that this would be a Historical Romance. In fact, this book is being marketed as a romance and it is not.

Poor marketing aside, I generally enjoyed the premise of the book. Emmeline Pershing has found herself in a lie and the only way to keep her estate is to bring her lie to life. She and her husband, William, essentially rent a couple of orphans to pretend to be their actual children. Needless to say, the children upend household and bring along their own family baggage as well.

This book is very intentionally comical and also endearing. It isn't difficult to see where the story is going, but the plot is interesting enough for the reader to want to see how things unfold.

The romance was by far the weakest part of the book. Emmeline and Will dissect their relationship with the same repeated descriptions. Nothing truly develops and I think the first kiss in the book happens at about the 75% mark. In fact, the most romantic thing the reader gets is a kiss or two and hopes for more in the future. The majority of the plot really has nothing to do with the romance and mostly to do with the children.

If you're looking for a romance, this is not it. At the same time, it is a unique and endearing historical/ regency fiction.

Can a silly scheme mend the broken piece of their union…

This book was so unexpected, after my last reads of the author’s work, I might say I was very surprised by this story, happily puzzled.
It was like a new voice, a sort of a modern adaptation of the classic regency tales, a bit similar to Martha Waters, Suzanne Allain only with Mrs Enoch’s specific turn of phrases and wits.

This is a plural voices tale, every characters from upper to below stairs and even outside have their moment to share their thoughts.

In some ways, at first Emmeline made me think of Scarlett O’Hara and her Tara, ready to everything to keep/save her home.
Of course not in a tragic view of the famous novel but more in the silly Shakespearean’s window of things. How this this book turned into a Comedia Del Arte.

I did not like Emmeline much, having settled the basis of her world on one place but not on the people around her, living with her, she is deaf to everything else.
To keep her birthplace, she would do quite anything, marry and even fib to every relative about her awesome offsprings. Children who have been born only in her imagination.
Her marriage with William is real, mostly on paper, as it is like two strangers living under the same roof, at a time in her early adult life, she closed herself to everyone else, only reaching people when it matches her goal, somewhat blind to others’ feelings.
This adventure sees her opening to her surrounding, looking at her husband with new eyes, making her heart soften at George and Rose’s plights.
William has loved Emmeline for a long time past their common childhood but like many, instead of letting him in, she at first kept him at arms-length then lengthened their link until they became only housemates.
Now embroiled in her silly lies, he sees an opportunity as the hellions help reveal an other side of her personality, one that makes him hope for them together.

Oh my!!!
How I loved Rose and George, two kids who were never children, they have to survive by every means and wits in their capacity, more often than less victims of bullies, why they are circumspect and trust no one. But their loyalty to one another is commendable and endearing.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kisses

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.