It has been a while since I sunk my teeth into a fun historical romp and Something in the Heir did the trick. This is not a romance in the way I'd usually consider romance (their relationship is secondary to their hijinx and it's VERY close door) but it was a love story about family.

Overall a fun read with a satisfying ending.

This was s delightful romp and a nice change of pace for most of the historical romances I see. I loved the rush to build and family and all that involved for our main characters. They were adorable with each other and the children. This book is a fantastic summer read and it a great starter for anyone looking to find a funny, romantic, historical romance to start their vacation!

This book was so CUTE!! It's a multi-pov historical romance with a marriage in need of rekindling, two unruly yet loveable kids, and a whole lotta lies.

I found myself rooting for nearly every single character in this book. I wasn't sure about the whole multi-pov thing at the beginning of the book, but one of the major pros of it was that it let me see into the lives of not just the leading lady and man, but also the kids and staff of the estate. Because of this, I fell in love with so many characters and got an insight into all their thoughts and even some of their romantic futures. One little con was that we didn't get the full breadth of feels from the romance of the married couple, but there was still plenty there to work with.

Let me just focus on the romance of Will and Emmie for a second because it was really cute. First, it was a friends to marriage of convenience to lovers romance. Second, guy falls first. Third, it was a slow buuuuuurn and you know I'm a sucker for that. If you've seen Bridgerton season 2 then you know how far a little touch or long-held eye contact can go and we got a lot of that. I wanted to squeal every time something, anything happened to progress their relationship. This is more on the sweet side which I loved so if you need steam in your romances, this one is not for you. But it truly was just so cute and nice that I really liked it.

The kids, George and Rose, were so stinking funny. They had such a hard life that there were so many times that I wanted to wrap them up in hugs, but also they were rascals. They got up to all kinds of hijinks and knew how to bargain and survive so they did whatever they had to do. I particularly loved watching Will interact with them. He was such a dad that it warmed my heart.

One of the cons of this book is that there is a lot of repetition. Emmie's thoughts about her husband and their budding relationship seem to be on a loop. It could get a little annoying hearing her think the same things over and over about him and their relationship. Another con is one I mentioned above, because of the multi-pov, I didn't see all the romantic feelings from Will and Emmie that I would have liked.

Overall, if you like sweet romances, found family, and crazy adventures, you're going to really enjoy this one!

Well, this is tough for me to review.

I usually love stories where the trope is forced proximity, fake dating, or marriage of convenience. However, this definitely didn’t feel like a romance. In fact, there were several moments where I just felt uncomfortable with how things were being explained.

Rushed marriage to keep a property. Eight years of marriage with no romance. Using orphans to keep said property. The one road for Africa.

This just ended up being… different and not at all what you expect in a regency romance.

A fun Historical romance.
Emma and Will has a eight year marriage of convince that suddenly has have children if they want to keep their house.
They decided to to get two orphans to pretend they are their own
What complications it bring about.
A fun, story with good characters and finding the love off each other again and for the children.
Voluntarily reviewed.

This is a cute novel that was pleasant to read, but it didn't knock my socks off. The basic premise is that Emmeline lies about having two children in order to keep her home. When her grandfather, a duke, commands that she and her family attend his 70th birthday party, things go off the rails. She and Will borrow a couple of children from an orphanage, planning to teach them all they need to know to continue to snow the duke for a few days. Of course, chaos ensues, but in the process, she and Will grow closer.

I find it really hard to believe that her lie lasts eight years without anybody once coming to see the children. The author does try to explain that away by saying that as part of Emmeline's lies, she's told everybody that the children are sickly. It still seems weird to me though.

I also wouldn't describe this book as a romance. Yes, she and Will find their way back to each other as they work together to perpetuate this lie. But romantic connection is at a minimum, and any intimacy beyond an occasional fairly chaste kiss comes very late in the book and happens off page. I don't necessarily need long descriptive passages of sexy times, but without at least something along those lines, chemistry is hard to create. Will and Emmeline both come across as really nice people, but I wanted to see more between them.

(Tangentially, with regard to romance, I was far more interested in the budding romance between Hannah and Tom. I kind of wish we had a lot more there.)

All that aside, it's a cute book that flirts with slapstick comedy. The cast of characters is good, and we hear from multiple perspectives. Not everyone will like that, preferring just one voice or two, but I enjoyed seeing inside the orphans' heads, not to mention the heads of several of Will and Emmeline's staff.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

This started out as a wonderful and fun story full of mischief, and intrigue. Eventually though it kind of started to drag, and I found myself wanting to just skip to the end. I'm glad I stuck with it, but it was admittedly a little rough getting there.

A bit of condensing in the middle probably would have helped the story, but it was still fun and playful.

Emmeline and Will Pershing decide to marry under the agreement that each will get something from the other. The family home for Emmeline and a successful career in government for Will. Unfortunately, the second stipulation for keeping the family home, besides being married, was to produce a child in the first 5 years of marriage. After, many unsuccessful attempts, Emmie takes care of that no problem by just making them up, unbeknownst to her husband. 8 years go by and grandpa wants to meet the children. Whelp, the jig is up. Or they could borrow some orphans with plans of their own and bribe them into acting like perfect aristocrat children.

Great story, very funny! I think my only wish was that it was in the view of the main male and female more. It bounces from views of the protagonists to the views of the kids and even the views of the servants. I feel like if it was in the view of the protagonists more, their relationship could have developed a little better rather than just continually realizing how competent the other one was.

Alternatively, I did enjoy the side romance that was brewing and we wouldn’t have gotten that without the view-hopping.

This was very smart and after the main characters grew a little out of their self-centeredness, I grew to love them. Will was definitely my cup of tea with his calm demeanor and witty remarks. 😘👌🏻 And the couple communicated so well, so there were no painful parts where you’re screaming “just say what you’re thinking!”

3.5 rounding up. This one was adorable. It's a unique plot, this decree about the property and who lives there and gets to keep it. I love the twist of the childrenless couple and how they grow as the story progresses. The kids were great characters, full of wit and spunk - I loved their shenanigans and their strong wills.

The POV does bounce around a little and I wasn't sure what I'd think -but I liked the added perspective of a frew of the staff members, the kids and even the brother. It completed the story, gave us situations and perspectives that we needed and I appreciated the added parts to the story. This was adorable and entertaining. So glad I gave it a try!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

When I saw the cover and read the description for Suzanne Enoch’s Something in the Heir, I assumed I was in for the typical historical romance/rom-com experience: charged gazes across crowded ballrooms; heartfelt declarations of love; and, of course, some bodice-ripping moments of passion that I really have no business reading about on my packed subway commute. And while this delightful novel has some of the first two elements, the latter is very much absent — this is a fade-to-black romance. Actually, it’s not much of a romance at all, full stop.

While usually that would put me off reading entirely (does that make me horny trash?), I’m so glad I didn’t let this one pass me by. Despite lacking the ~spice~ I’d gone in expecting, I still breezed through this in one day, hooked immediately by the characters, setting, and relationships built all around.

The story follows Emmeline and William Pershing, a married couple in the regency era who have enjoyed eight years of wedded bliss partnership — friends since they were kids, their journey into matrimony was borne out of Emmeline’s desire to secure her ancestral home of Winnover (which her grandfather, a crotchety old Duke, would only allow to pass into her possession if she married) and William’s ambitions in politics. They’re able to help each other with each goal, though romance isn’t on the table (for Emmeline at least; William harbors a long-simmering crush). But when the reclusive Duke of Welshire summons his entire brood to his 70th birthday party, Emmeline is forced to reveal to her husband a giant secret: they’re parents.

To two children.

Who, uhh, don’t exist.

Uh-ohhhh.

Years earlier she’d invented the heirs to fulfill her grandfather’s other agreement for living at Winnover: they needed to produce children within the first five years of marriage to continue living on the gorgeous country estate. They never did due to Emmie’s inability to conceive, but she couldn’t bear for her gaudy cousin to take over Winnover. Thus letters describing her and Will’s (fake) son and daughter came to be. That’s what leads Will and Emmeline to “borrow” George, age 8, and Rose, 5, from a seedy London orphanage for eight weeks and attempt to transform the unruly orphans into little angels who can pose as their kids at the Duke’s birthday in exchange for finding them a better home down the line.

A bit of a complicated situation, to say the least.

Yes, from chapter one it’s easy to see exactly how things will end up for everyone involved. But did that take away from my enjoyment of Something in the Heir? Not in the slightest — Enoch’s writing is smart and funny, with a genuinely heartwarming center that perfectly balances the madcap antics of Rose and George as they adjust to Will and Emmeline’s way of life. I also really enjoyed a number of subplots that are woven into the main story, from a cranky butler with a heart of gold, to a maid’s (seemingly) unrequited romance.

If you’re looking for a light book to kick off your fall reading list, make sure you pick this one up when it hits shelves on Sept. 20th.

Eight years ago, Emmaline proposed to her best friend William Pershing, so that she could inherit her beloved home.  Since they married, she has managed William’s highly successful career and their home and they have gone about living their mostly-separate-lives.  But now that they have been summoned to the birthday party of the Duke of Welshire—the family patriarch—Emmaline breaks it to William that she has also been spinning a complicated web of lies to her entire family.  It turns out that, in order for their home not to pass to her cousin, William and Emmaline were meant to bear offspring.  Which they never did.  So she invented some, and now they were expected to present them to the Duke at his party.  The couple settles on the practical solution of borrowing two orphans from an orphanage in London (George, 8, and Rose, 5), and training them to behave as well-brought-up members of the British aristocracy.  What could go wrong?  A lot, as the reader will find out.

This was a delightfully closed-door romance that also touches on various other kinds of love. 
The premise and style seemed silly at first—almost a slapstick comedy of errors.  But as it progressed I found that it was implemented gracefully and realistically.  It explored the psychology and motivations of the various characters and their emotions.  I appreciated how it seamlessly moved between the various characters’ perspectives, giving the reader a chance to see the bigger picture—it’s a different way to provide an omniscient perspective than having each character magically intuit the motivations of all the other characters (as is often the case in this genre).  Despite all their flaws, the characters were easily lovable.  I found the book to be deeply satisfying.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley and the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Marriage of convenience, lying about having children, having to find children that you’ve lied about, falling in love with your husband and then the kids you didn’t have but now do have. This book was not was I was expecting it to be it was a refreshing surprise!

This book is delightful - fun and sweet, and exactly what I was in the mood for (surprising because I haven’t been reading much historical fiction lately!)

It begins with the longest running fake relationship situation I’ve ever read - In order to keep her childhood home Emmie is going to have to meet the requirements set up by her grandfather. Step one, beat her cousin to the alter and be the first relative to marry. 
She’s exceptionally fond of her friend Will and, if one feels pressured to find themselves married in a hurry, who better to attach herself too? Will, a friend who is secretly more than a little love for her, isn’t about to *not* go along with her scheme. 

Fast forward 8 years, and they’ve settled into a …not quite cold, but cordial relationship. A parternship, really. But all that’s about to change. The second stipulation to them getting the estate was to have a child in the first 5 years. The grandfather is expecting them to bring the child they never did have to his party. They’ll need to work together to find not just one child, but two who fit the descriptions that Emmie has been secretly feeding her family in letters over the years. 

Planning to borrow a couple kids to play their children, there’s all the hijinks you’d expect trying to teach independent street wise orphans how to appear as well mannered society children. Emmie and Will have some quality (If careful) banter in their arguing how to best do this. All the time together stirs feelings up, and their relationship is looking less fake all the time. Of course as they’re (finally) getting closer to each other they’re getting closer to the children too. And those kids - I loved them, and especially enjoyed their interactions with the house staff.

This one has a lot of heart and a wonderfully satisfying ending!
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

While I thought the premise of this book could be entertaining, I was disappointed with how it turned out. This book reminded me a bit of the movie Just Go With It, but not as funny. There were many parts that were heartwarming or amusing, but overall when I really thought about it, the situation seemed too sad to me.

I wanted more chemistry from Emmeline and Will. There was a glimpse of it at the beginning of the book, when they were just friends. I was baffled by the fact that they were best friends for so long before they married, and then poof - their connection went out the window. I wanted more of them and less of the kids, to be honest.

The ending resolved too quickly considering the build up to it. They spend the entire book setting up this scheme, and then within a few pages, the big event happens and it's all over.

Steam level: 🔥½

Extremely enjoyable with a fantastically original plot! So many period pieces have the same plot line, so it was very refreshing to have such a different perspective. Pride and Prejudice meets Chiddy Chiddy Bang Bang:this could easily become a movie I’d watch over and over again.

This book was a little hard to get into, I wish their had been a bit more background with emmie and will!
Although once I got about 40% in I fell in love with the kids and was rooting for them! There was moments where I wanted to take anxiety medication because I was nervous the kids would have to return back to where they had come from.
The ending had me throwing my hands up, I was so happy with how it left off! I wish that there was more to know how everything went for them and as well as Hannah

Emmeline and William Pershing were childhood friends who got married so that Emmeline can continue to live in her childhood home. But the requirement to keep the house is that she must bear children. She and William do not, and she lies to her uncle, the Duke, to keep the house. This works for years until the Duke holds a large family gathering where she is required to attend with her imaginary children. She and William “borrow” two orphans to stand in as children. As you can imagine, nothing goes right.

This was not a great book for me. The story is plodding. Emmeline comes across as too concerned with keeping the house to care about anything else. The Pershings come across as super formal and while they seem to like each other, there is no real romance.

I am growing to love historical romances. I have learned that they don't have to be trite or substance-less. This, however, is a trite and fairly substance-less novel. The premise is based on the most toxic relationships for everyone: Emmie, Will, and the two children they take in. I realize that the novel is working with the 'marriage of convenience' trope, but when Enoch described their wedding night as "the way he'd unbalanced their agreement and made their partnership about an intimacy she certainly hadn't been ready for", I cringed. If that doesn't merit some examination for consent issues, I don't know what does. In addition, while Enoch's use of nineteenth-century slang is extensive and admirable, her use of the phrase "gifted me" is not historically accurate or necessary. The phrase "gave me" is surely sufficient. Secondly, the ending is wrapped up in less than ten pages with little to no satisfying detail as to how such arrangements came to be. We understand that Emmie and Will become reconciled, but again, the exact nature of that reconciliation is also hidden from the readers. Both of these details make the plot very unbelievable and unsatisfying. I will continue to read historical romances, but I will not be recommending this novel.

What an entertaining story. Emmeline needs to marry to keep the house she loves. She is happy in a convenient marriage for eight years with William. This allows her to keep the house. There is one slight problem. Children. Well, that did not stop Emmeline from inventing two – a boy and a girl.
Now she must produce them to the Duke of Welshire, her grandfather. The shenanigans begin! Where to get two children who will play along?
What a fun book. I laughed and really enjoyed the writing. First, she must tell her husband and staff. I highly recommend the book!

2.5 stars, rated up

Mmmm, deep breath. Writing this review is a little frustrating in the same way this story was more than a little frustrating for me - I found it very painfully slow paced, repetitive. But I didn’t hate it.

Does that make any sense? Emmeline and WIlliam married quickly and without any declarations of love, due to weird family bullshit (E’s grandfather) , so she would get to live in a family house she loved and to help Will rise higher up in his career by being the perfect wife. Eight years later - they’re in partnership, not a marriage, And not even a close partnership, but go back because there was the stipulation that the couple residing in the family home must procreate within 5 years, which Emmeline has managed to delude herself into thinking that she would somehow never actually need to produce the children she wrote to her family that she and Will had and were raising. She and Will decide to borrow children to pose as their offspring.


Final thoughts, don’t go into this expecting a romance, that’s not what this one is.

Not a recommendation, not not one either.



eARC kindly provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.