Rating: ⭐⭐✨⬜⬜
Title: Something in the Heir
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Genre: Romance / Historical Fiction
Setting: England
Month Read: August 2022
Book Type: E-Arc
Publication: September 2022
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 352
*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced e-reader copy of this book. It has in no way influenced my review.


TRIGGER WARNING-
Stealing / Abuse / Fighting / Weapons / Child Abuse







No Spoiler Summary:
Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. Their relationship is a seamless blend of their talents and goals. They’ve settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way—or so Emmeline thinks. And if William has secretly longed for a bit more from the woman he adores, he’s managed to be content with her supreme skills as a hostess and planner, which has helped him advance his career.

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. But surely if Emmeline and William team up and borrow two cherubs to call their own, what could go wrong? 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. Perhaps it takes a bit of madness to create the perfect happily ever after.







Review:
I'm pretty disappointed by how absolutely boring this book was, and how long it took me to get through it. I was expecting a romance (of which there was almost none), and the characters felt like they just kept repeating themselves and repeating themselves and repe---- you get the point. Altogether, this book never really came through for me, and it was quite the chore to keep trying to get through.

The kids were pretty cute, but the repetition got old really fast and took a lot of the charm out. It's really hard to make kids super unlikable but this book almost did for me. I also just didn't love how long it took to get to the points we knew it would get to from the first few chapters. (No spoilers) but when you read this book you'll get exactly how it ends, for the most part, with little surprise.

If you like old fashioned English romance novels that are completely PG, this would be for you. No sex, barely any kissing or touching, and a focus on two rambunctious kids. The staff at the estate gets almost more play than our leading lady and man do.

In the end, I'm glad I got through it and didn't DNF (it was an option for a while) and I'm excited to move on to some other ARC's I've been sitting on since I was unable to read during my first trimester. Expect some more reviews coming soon!

I'm not even sure what to say about this book--I finally had to DNF it with about 25% left because I just couldn't take it anymore. I thought it was just terrible. I wish I could get back the time I spent reading this so I could do something else with that time, but I can't. 😢

George and Rose, the young children in the novel are the only bright spot. I actually laughed at them and their antics and thought they were sweet but they simply weren't enough to save this novel. I was bored by the rest of the book. Emmie was insufferable, and this is not a romance unless it's the dullest one there is. One thing I really dislike is a book that claims to be something that it isn't.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review posted to Goodreads and Twitter on 8/24/22

This book has a really fun concept and overall I enjoyed it, but it desperately needed more romance. Not even spice, just basic romance. It’s written like it should be a historical romcom featuring a marriage of convenience and friends to lovers and orphans getting into shenanigans and bringing the love interests closer, and while yes, technically it does include those things, the right emotions don’t come across enough at all.

There is a second chance romance playing out in the background of the story, but like, way too much in the background. We don’t really get to experience any of the pivotal moments in their reconnection, we just hear about them in passing after the fact and it feels disappointing and strange and without enough development.

What I’d say this book actually is (and it does it well) is a historical comedy. I loved the kiddos and every member of staff and watching their worlds blend was truly entertaining. There’s one character who is introduced about halfway into the story who I thought was unnecessary (those pages could have been devoted to the love story!) but overall this was really fun. We get nearly everyone’s POV at one point or another, which felt odd to me when I was still trying to make this a romance in my mind, but ultimately I think it worked really well for the story that this was.

While I definitely think this would have been improved by leaning into the love story a lot more, if you’re just looking for a light and funny historical romp then this might be one to check out!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Desperate to maintain her hold on her childhood home, Emmeline takes some creative license in fulfilling the terms outlined in the contract enforced by her grandfather, the Duke of Welshire. From rushing to beat her cousin to the altar to fabricating an heir or two, Emmeline will do whatever it takes to keep Winnover Hall in her name. But when her grandfather calls all of his descendants to come celebrate his birthday, Emmeline's carefully crafted plans are thrown into a tailspin, and she and her husband must arrive at the party with "their" children.

This has an interesting premise--one I don't believe I have encountered before--and I was excited to see where it went. And while the story is cute, it is also lighter on the romance than I was expecting.

With multiple points-of-view, from Emmeline to William to some of the servants to the children to a visitor at Winnover Hall, the story is less traditional romance and more about what people are willing to do for themselves and for those they love.

This one has a childhood friends to marriage of convenience situation but does not follow the typical paths of those tropes. Instead, in the course of William and Emmeline's unexpected joint scheming and the hijinks surrounding it, we watch their partnership become a true union and a family being formed.

I received an advance copy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

DNF

I wasn't clicking with the story or the characters, some things felt too absurd for my liking and I wasn't having a great time forcing myself to read

I felt like there was too much repetition in this book, to the point that it was a distraction. Cute story but really more of a comedy than a romance.

I didn’t connect with this book. Children in books are a hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this was a little bit more of a miss.

You know, in my opinion it was George and Rosie who made this story. I loved them instantly. They were the ones who were my heroes.
Family doesn't have to be blood related. It's people that come together for whatever purposes that life has to offer them.
I loved how this family came to be.
Life isn't perfect but it's weird that sometimes it dies work out.
I don't think the Duke knew what he was in for when he done that statement for his home.
Yes, there were laugh out loud moments in the book and some of the words! Oh my! I really had to stop and think about some of them and how they'd be used today. Then I laughed. I know sounds silly but really it's not. Silly because they're coming from the children's mouths too. They do see and hear everything.
I felt this author did pretty well considering this is my first time connecting with her style of writing. She did a good job in my opinion.
I'm giving this one 4 stars because of some repetitive scenes and the language.
Other than I pretty much enjoyed it.
The ballroom scenes were my favorite. I loved picturing them learning and actually dancing with all those beautiful dresses. Made me feel like I was there.
I still highly recommend this book. I love a good Regency novel and really this one didn't disappoint.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a fun premise and unique storyline in Regency times. It has marriage of convenience + second chance romance between the married couple + found family + contracts + thievery.
🐴
This follows multiple POV as Emmeline has grown up in a nice manor home. Her grandfather the Duke has declared anyone who marries and has the first offspring within 5 years can live there for their entire lives. Naturally she wants to keep the home and asks her neighborhood friend to marry her to bet her cousin.
🐴
Fast forward 8 years they haven’t produced living offspring but her grandfather is summoning them to a family reunion and Emmeline has told everyone they have 2 children. 😅
🐴
It has a touch of RomCom but overall it’s a plot driven story. I loved the antics the children go up to with the servants and it seemed like an impossibility to have a HEA.
🐴
This is a closed door romance between a married couple, there is mild language and slang. I did feel the book was a little too slow at some parts like trying to teach the children manners and lessons.
🐴
I received an e-arc book from the publisher and Net Galley. This book releases next month and I would read more from this author. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

The premise of this book is so delightful and I was initially so excited to read it. I am always here for a Regency romance and Something in the Heir started out with all the elements of an engaging rom com- friends to lovers and re-kindled romance. However, as I continued reading I found myself getting a bit bored with the plot and found it to be a bit lengthy. Still, I think the plot is unique and the book will appeal to readers of rom coms and Regency romance. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

I just had very mixed feelings on this read, which make it very hard to rate.

I know this is marketed as Historical Romance, but it doesn’t really read as a romance to me. I guess more as a comedy of errors. The premise was intriguing, but you really have to suspend reality and lean into the comedy of errors a la Shakespeare (mishaps, meddling, over the top) I think to truly enjoy this one.

I did like the writing style and flow - the author had a good pacing and the book was an easy read. I enjoyed the characters, particularly the children and I did find the ending to be satisfying.

In terms of wishes, I think I would have liked a little more character development and growth for our mains and more to those love story. Also some clean up around some of the repetition of thoughts and words rehashing the scenario.

Overall though, it was a fun, easy and amusing read that I read in an evening. I would try more by this author in the future as well.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. This does not influence my honest review of this book.

Rating: 2/5

The storyline for this book was well thought out and it was an entertaining read. However, it’s categorized as a historical romance and besides the setting, it didn’t really sell it for me. The dialogue felt questionable at times with the phrases that were used. Even if it was historically accurate for its time, it doesn’t feel like it should be used in our day and age.

This book is written in third person versus first person so if that’s not your cup of tea, this may not be the book for you! However, if you love fake dating and friends to lovers trope, this book may be your next pick!

Romance isn’t the center plot for this book even though the cover depicts it that way. You get to see Emmeline and William’s relationship slowly develop in the background, but it doesn’t really come into the forefront until the end.

I did think that that the situation regarding the children was a bit odd. They went into town and asked a couple if they could loan their kids for a bit??? When that didn’t work out, they went and adopted two for the convenience…it’s just screaming privilege. Nonetheless, the kids’ personalities were really a highlight in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"Something in the Heir" by Suzanne Enoch is pitched as a fun, historical rom-com/comedy of errors, following Emmeline and Will and two orphans, George and Rose. Having previously enjoyed a book by the author and fining the premise intriguing, I was excited to pick this up. However, it just did not hook me like I hoped it would. Emmeline and Will felt flat as characters and were not up to the caliber of other protagonists in this genre. The hijinks with the children were funny, but that didn't make up for the things that didn't prefer.

This is a tough one to rate. I did enjoy this but had some issues with events that took place. I just couldn't get on board with no one ever questioning Emmeline on her fake children or asking to see them until ages five and seven, not her parents or her husband's parents or any other family member. The excuses given for this were flimsy. I also find it hard to believe that no one ever said anything to Will to give away the fact that Emmeline had lied. And honestly, that they were trying to pull off a scam to gain something they were not entitled to kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

All that aside, I did enjoy watching Emmeline, Will, George and Rose become a family. The kids were fantastic little criminals and their interactions with the servants was a great game to watch to see who would come out ahead. I felt the appearance of the older brother James was just another obstacle in an already convoluted scam they were trying to pull off and I found myself wondering if the story could've just done without him.

I liked the way Emmeline evolved as the story went on and in the end learned what was really important in life. I also enjoyed her scene with the Duke at the end. The romance in this story was light and sweet, and that's fine with me. I enjoy a good slow burn romance between characters that are also developing with the story.

This was more like 3 1/2 stars, but in the end I decided not to round up.

Emmie Is in a panic. Due to a a ridiculous rule decreed by one of her elder family members she’s going to lose her only home. In a rush to marry and solve the problem she turns to her childhood friend, Will . Their marriage will save everything right? So this book starts off eight years after Emmie and Will’s marriage, or should I say partnership. After a few romantic attempts early on, and a failure to conceive this historical duo have become ships passing in the night, each helping the other, but not really spending time together, until disaster strikes. Emmie has to produce the fictitious children the couple supposedly has had or she truly will lose her childhood home, and this time for good. Enter George and Rose, two orphans who have some interesting life skills they’ve picked up, trying to survive alone. The shenanigans of these two kids will amaze you, but soon the two separate groups start to meld into one. This book is a slow and sweet historical romance that focuses more on the relationship between the characters than actual bedroom relationships, but they, the children most especially are so engaging, and the tricks and trials that occur along the way are so entertaining that you won’t be disappointed . 4 stars. I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

It was ok. I was hoping I would like it more. I loved the kids, they were adorable, but I did not like Emmeline (I love that name) and Will. They were pretty darn selfish. I kept having to put it down for a week and then read a few pages. It was rough. The writing was great, just not the story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC to review. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise. ~

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

While the premise of this book sounded interesting, and the actual core plot provided some excellent comedy, I was left feeling ultimately disappointed in this book. The two main characters, Emmeline and Will, played second fiddle to our orphans, George and Rose. While I ADORED the children, and think the author did a fabulous job of writing them and their hijinks, I never became invested in Emmeline and Will, the two I should care about. Moreover, while this book is branded as romance, there is next to none. It encapsulates a lot of the tropes inherent to romance, but doesn't take them any further than surface level.

If you are looking for a story about two plucky orphans, scooped into a wild scheme by selfish adults who end up caring about them more than their own selfish desires, then this might be the book for you! I was just left feeling a little disappointed. But as always with Enoch, the writing is incredible.

From the beginning I was disappointed In the heroine. That must. Are the premise of the story wildly absurd
. DNF. Thank you to the publisher for he ARC to read and review.

What a delightful story! The Duke of Welshire insists one of the ancestral homes be occupied by family and provide heirs. In this case the house, Winover is the childhood home of Emmeline Pershing and she doesn't want to have to leave it when her parents do. It's the part about providing heirs that presents a problem to Emmeline and her husband William as they do not have children. Yet their children's presence is required at Emmeline's grandfather, the Duke himself's 70th. birthday celebration. How Em and Will solve this problem makes for quite an entertaining story. I love all the characters in this book, especially the children. I enjoy this author's writing style so I never hesitate to read her stories.

I have to say, this wasn’t my favorite Suzanne Enoch book. I thought the premise was unique and interested and highlighted some of the unfair pressure put upon childless couples. However, I didn’t overly like the protagonists. Emmeline and William seem very shallow and arrogant, and the lengths they go to to maintain their home and status are so unfeeling.

I did like that Emmeline and William began to connect with the orphaned siblings. Rose and George are so sweet, and their determination to stay together and protect one another is wonderful. I actually like that about Emmeline and William too. They both want what’s best for each other, and they work hard to please each other. However, they are not forthcoming with their feelings, which leads to a major stagnation in their physical and emotional relationship. They spend a lot of the story growing closer, but they’ve already been married for almost a decade. It just feels so disconnected to me.

The plot has a lot that I generally enjoy – a marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers romance, a unique found family, meddling and endearing servants, and more. However, the story just didn’t click for me as much as I wanted it to. I think I struggled with the fact that they were using these kids with every intention of returning them to the orphanage once they weren’t useful anymore. Though Emmeline and William’s feelings change, that initial selfishness and willingness to put their own wants above the emotional well-being of the kids felt shallow, and it did not endear me to either of the protagonists. That being said, I like that they both change and grow and learn that people are more important than property and status.

As you can tell, I have mixed feelings about the book. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t a stand-out read. Overall, it was just okay. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.