Something in the Heir is so fun! I read this book in the middle of moving, and I really needed something light and funny and enjoyable. This book was exactly that. The premise of the book is fairly predictable, but I really enjoyed the way the story progressed, and the book did an excellent job of avoiding the miscommunication trope even though the premise of this book provided ample opportunity for it. I enjoyed the pacing, and the relationships that developed between each of the four main characters were done really well.

Will and Emmie are interesting characters, and I absolutely loved George and Rose. While the book is technically a romance, and we do spend time watching Will and Emmie reconnect after eight years of marriage, the book is actually lighter on the romance than I was expecting, and the majority of the book was spent exploring how each of the adults, Emmie in particular, learn to change and open themselves up to the chaotic love of two young children. And don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of historical romances, but I really enjoyed the focus of this book being more about them becoming a family than about the romance between Will and Emmie. The romance really develops as the two of them watch each other react to their unexpected circumstances, and it felt really organic that way.

I thought the plot moved along well and I found myself laughing often. The book’s use of different POVs also worked well in my opinion to develop additional characters, and while sometimes those transitions were jarring I enjoyed the way each POV developed the characters. Each character we spend time with has their own little story and contributes to the overall found family impression this book creates.

With all that said, I do have some small criticisms. The beginning of the book is definitely rushed, and I would argue that the resolution is as well. There were also a few plot points in the book that happened off-page, which I think would have benefited from happening on-page. Some of those scenes were plot relevant and it felt like an odd choice not to see those things happen on-page, since seeing play out would have really strengthened the character relationships in this book.

Those minor critiques aside, I really, really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, it definitely made me invested in the characters and their happy ending, and it was exactly what I needed while I was reading it. It’s a bit light on the romance, but it’s still a really great found family romance story that will give you all the feels. I would definitely recommend it.

I just want to start by saying that this book is not steamy but it is sweet. A perfect palette cleanser.

Eight years ago, Emmeline asked William Pershing to marry her. She was desperate to not lose her childhood home and proposed a marriage of convenience, listing all the benefits their union would bring. Will agreed. Of course, the Duke of Welshire, her grandfather, had stipulations. They had five years to produce heirs in order to hold on to her family estate.

Meanwhile, Will has enjoyed his wife's hosting/planning abilities which have helped advance his career. When their attempts to have children were unsuccessful Will and Emme drifted into separate but content lives.

When Emme receives a summons to attend her grandfather's birthday celebration, he also demands the presence of their darling children. Panic sets in as Emme prepares to let her husband in on the two children she's invented, in order to fulfill their agreement. She's surprised when Will agrees to her plan of finding children they can borrow in order to keep from losing their home.

They borrow orphans George and Rose, who they have eight weeks to transform into their children.

The children add chaos and light-heartedness to their life something they never knew they were missing. This all brings Will and Emme closer as they begin to see each other in a different light.

Thank you so much to the author and St. Martin's for this ARC to review.

I received an arc of this book through netgalley for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It made me laugh throughout the entire book. It was very cute.

The agreement is that Emmeline and Will must have children to stay in their home by the 5th year of marriage but Emmeline is baron. So Emmeline has concocted an elaborate story about having two children to everyone, including her great grandfather the Duke. Except her husband Will was never informed. Now eight years later, the Duke has requested their attendance to his birthday party. They have to come up with finding two children to play Flora and Malcom, their made up children. And that is when the hilarity insues! This is not your typical love story but one that includes everyone in it, Emmeline, Will, the children and the whole staff. If you are looking for a feel good book with an HEA, this is your story!

Eight years ago, Emmeline and William entered into a marriage of convenience. She got to keep her beloved childhood home owned by her grandfather and she helped William with his career. However, there were conditions that came along with the estate. They were to produce an heir, but that didn't happen. So, Emmeline simply lied to her family and told them she and William had two children. An invitation from her grandfather for them (Emmeline, William and their two non-existing children) to attend his birthday party forces Emmeline to confess what she has done to her husband. Shockingly, William isn't angry and the two of them, perhaps for the first time in their marriage, collaborate on a scheme to somehow find two children they can pass off as their own. Shouldn't be a problem.
What follows is an absolutely delightful story in which unexpected surprises change the lives of the characters. The endearing cast of characters are believable and vividly depicted. The well plotted story moves quickly and is enjoyable to read. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Something in the Heir is a fun, flirty and quirky story about the Pershing couple and their plot to keep the perfect family home - except without the family to fill it.

Suzanne Enoch paints a picture of the two most rambunctious orphans and how they fit into the Pershing home, and soon their hearts. Not without laughs, this book is fun and keeps you guessing at every turn!

This was a lighthearted Regency romance that reminded me of a romantic comedy from the early 2000s.
It features a marriage of convenience between two friends that grows into something more many years later.

Emmeline propositioned Will eight years ago because she was afraid she would be ousted from the home she grew up in. Her grandfather has a rule that only a married couple may reside at Winnover, and to keep their tenancy, they must have a child within five years. She assured Will that she would do everything in her power to advance his political career. Will always loved Emmeline, so he agrees to the marriage. When she rebuffs intimacies, he concludes that she only wanted him as a placeholder and a means of securing her residence.

Eight years later, the entire extended family is invited to her grandfather's birthday celebration. And Emmeline must now produce the children she has been raving about in her letters to her grandfather. The imaginary children Emmeline has conjured are essential for she and Will to remain at Winnover, and she is determined to find them.

A madcap adventure to find these children ensues. Because Emmeline has been very specific in her descriptions, it's very difficult to find suitable matches. When they finally find George and Rose at an orphanage, they have a handful of weeks to deliver their ruse. But the wily, endearing orphans have a very different impact - they force the couple to see that their marriage of convenience and comfort is actually one based on love and trust.

Steam level : 1 - this is a completely closed door historical romance.

Recommended for fans of Suzanne Allain and Mimi Matthews.

This book dragged forever and a day for me. I feel like it was completely mis-marketed (INTENTIONALLY) because it was not what I was expecting at all. In the past few years, there's been a flurry of releases of historical rom-coms set in the Regency and Victorian era, usually featuring educated women ahead of their time with a decidedly modern and feminist twist to the language and storylines. This...was not that. Slapping on a cartoon cover doesn't sneakily make it one.

The story follows Emmeline, the granddaughter of a Duke who has strict inheritance rules, only allowing the next family member who marries to inhabit Winnover estate. This is Emmeline's childhood home, but her parents decide to forfeit it to move to Bath for her father's health, effectively leaving Emmeline homeless. Scheming cousin Penelope, who is recently engaged, is next in line to inherit the estate, but not if Emmeline manages to marry first. She asks her childhood friend Will to embark on a marriage of convenience with her to keep her home, and in exchange she will help him make connections to further his political career. The only stipulation for keeping the home is that they must produce an heir within 5 years. They are unable to have children, but Emmeline writes of their children, who are "too sickly" to ever visit anyone, and gets away with the ruse for years until they are summoned to her Grandfather, the Duke's birthday party, and he is insistent all heirs be present. Emmeline must come clean to Will, and together they decide to "borrow" two orphaned siblings for 8 weeks in order to train them in the ways of the aristocracy so they can keep up the ruse at the party. The children are lovable swindlers, used to being on the streets of London and having to get by by their own means, and don't trust the Pershings as far as they can throw them. They agree to the plan, but still steal their silverware just in case.

I understand that the author is a renowned author of traditional regency romance, and this was very much so still of that genre. It was prim and proper, extremely chaste with no 🌶️ to speak of, and the only comic relief came from the children's antics. It was predictable and wrapped up neatly tied with a bow in the last few pages of the book after being longer than it needed to be to get the point across. It wasn't poorly written, it just wasn't what I was expecting, and that's not entirely the book's fault.

3 1/2 stars

I was drawn to this book by the cover and the clever title. This made me want to like the book so very badly. That said....there was just something missing for me. Don't get me wrong, it was a cute and clever book but it could have been so much more in my opinion.

I did like the developing relationship between our main characters, husband and wife Emmeline and William. However, I really wanted more chemistry from them once they figured out their budding relationship. There was SO much potential for that storyline that went unexplored and that was really what I was looking for in this story.

The storyline about "borrowing" children to carry on a facade with Emmeline's family was an awkward one that I couldn't get behind. It was made even more unappealing by the blatant concern with material things above people. Granted that in the end, priorities seem to rearrange, but I still had a tough time finding redemption in the story.

It might just be me. I truly hope it is because like I said, I really did want to like this one and it seems like it worked for a lot of other people.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

What a fun, sweet, and funny book. A happy arranged-marriage, but childless, couple needs children to keep the family estate. They decide orphans are just what they need.
Children they know nothing about? Lying to relatives? What could possibly go wrong? I laughed and sniffled and thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Highly recommend.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

What a romp this book turned out to be. William was friends with Emmeline when she discovered that she need to marry quickly in order to inherit her parent's property and keep t from her cousin whom she loathes. She turns to Will who's been secretly in love with her. Soon they're married and well on their way to a comfortable arranged marriage. Sometimes it feels like there could be more but they're both successful in their endeavors and life goes on.
Then one fine morning the bombshell arrives; an invitation from Emmie's grandfather the Duke of Welshire invites them to his birthday ball complete with the two children that Emmie has invented who are sickly and therefore unable to socialize with their cousins and family. Now begins the fun. Emmie is determined to present children and after looking around in their neighborhood they end up bringing two children a brother and a sister from an orphanage in London. Soon the lies are spinning out of control but something amazing is happening. Will and Emmie are finding joy and love in their relationship once again and the children are becoming family.
When it all blows up in their faces as is inevitable that's when the story totally wins over any reader that might still be resistant. An absolute winner of a story.

This book starts out good and then starts dragging and gets aggravating really quick.

It started out as an interesting take on a historical romance. It's about two people in a loveless marriage who cannot have their own children and how an elaborate lie to keep their home leads to them falling in love with each other and with two orphan children.

It takes WAY too long for the heroine to stop being self-centered and selfish. I just didn't like her. The leading man was also a doormat. I feel like he should've called her out on her selfish desire to keep a piece of real estate over keeping the children not just keep helping perpetuate her lie. He has a perfectly good family home they could move to!

I was more into the secondary love story between the groom and maid. That was a sweet addition. The groom was especially likeable. I was kind of hoping THEY would adopt the kids instead.

I kept reading for a passionate love scene/dialogue between the two leads, but never got it (or I completely missed it while using to the "text to talk" function on my kindle). It's a SWEET love story, closed door which isn't what I'm used to from Suzanne.

The plot dragged. The addition of the children's evil older brother was a bummer that went on too long as well. The kids never got the growth arch I was waiting for. They never even got punished or a "talking too" for their bad behavior. They just kept being brats the entire time. Even the adults get rewarded for bad behavior in the end. It's just ugh.

Something in the Heir is a lighthearted romp into the realm of ridiculous AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE! It is such a fun novel. The original plot engaged my imagination and transported me to merry old England.
The characters were well-developed and I fell in love with George and Rose. Because the plot was original (to me), I never knew where the story would take me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In a time where there is so much wrong/negativity in the world today, pick up this book and let it take you away for a few hours.
5 stars

Cute little book about a couple who love each other and how they rekindle that love while taking in 2 orphans in order to keep their home.

This was just ok. It’s supposed to be a comedy or farce or something, but other than a few lines of dialogue from little Rose, it wasn’t funny. Or very romantic, either, so definitely not a rom-com. I didn’t struggle to finish it, but neither was I looking forward to finishing it. This is my first book by the author, and I do t think I’ll be pursuing any others.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book and some things I found a bit annoying. Overall, I gave it 4 stars.

I loved the historical romance perspective set in England and was hoping for an Old English romance story line. However, there was a lot of comedy in this book thanks to the two kiddos the Pershing’s borrow to help them keep their home.

I also enjoyed Emmeline and Will falling in love with each other and who George and Rose.

This was such a fun book with a friends to lovers and regency setting of Annie. The kids were charming and delightful while rooting for the adults in their lives to finally get it together. Family is what you make it and these characters are family through and through.

I'm writing an honest review after reading an advanced reader copy of this story.

While not a bad story I personally had trouble with the characters and their relationship & interactions with each other. Things were cordial but cold. It was 2 people living in the same house & avoiding each other. I supposed this could be a good Ton marriage, since it could have been so much worse. The kids were better and showed more growth than the adults. I'm disappointed and didn't particularly enjoy the ending, except for the Duke, he was grumpy and funny.

#SuzanneEnoch #Netgalley #SomethingintheHeir #St.Martin's

This book is fluffy historical romance at its wittiest.
In a moment of panic, Emmeline asks her childhood friend William to marry her in a partnership that will allow her to keep her childhood home and give him a wife that can help him with his career. Fast forward 8 years and they live in a loveless but very successful partnership that would have continued thus if it weren't for the fact that Emmeline's grandfather, the Duke who owns the house, demands to see all his relatives for his birthday. This includes the made-up children Emmeline created in order to fill the terms of living in her home, which was to have at least one child before 5 years of marriage were up. So now Emmeline confesses to Will that they have not just one but two children and need to show up with a 7-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. This begins a story that starts out as logical desperation and quickly becomes emotional fun.
The children are as different from anything either Will or Emmeline have ever encountered, they show up in the very organized and regimented household and quickly change everything about the couple and their servants. George and Rose are delightful and their story is as heartbreaking as it is fun to see how it puts everything the couple thought about themselves and their lives into wonderful disarray.
I loved the characters and the fact that even secondary characters get their personalities fully developed and little moments to shine. It makes the stakes of being able to pass off the children as Emmeline's and Will's feel even more important when you care about everyone in the household. Not to mention that the future of the kids remains in the air and is a big motivator for much of the story.
The plot moves at a great pace that includes slowing down for emotional moments and ramping up for the action and pivotal moments. It makes reading pass by in a flash that still feels extremely satisfying.
Overall, it's a very satisfying read that is utter fluffy romance goodness.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the delightful read!

Emmeline and William Pershing had a marriage of convenience to fulfill rules for an inheritance, and it's worked out well for them even though William longed for more from Emmeline. When Emmeline's grandfather summons them for his birthday, William discovers that Emmeline lied about having children to live in their home. They find two orphans to be their children, and the chaos that results brings them closer together.

A fun Regency rom-com, we get to see family life with young children. Any parent of an eight and five-year-old knows that it's an adventure, and our hero and heroine find that out the hard way. The carefully spun stories that Emmeline invented in letters and tracked in journals are a far cry from the reality of two young children that once stole on the streets of London to survive. They don't trust the Pershings right away, especially when all the adults in their lives beforehand tended to lie to them. Even their older brother did, and said brother's disappearance complicates matters. Will and Emmeline see each other in a new light, as they had fallen into a roommate situation, and once again see each other as fun and desirable. The children like the home they're living in and are old enough to work on a bargain with the Pershings. As much as they don't think they're good with children or parent material, they do very well and truly want the best for the children.

I liked the look into the genteel family life of the period. Most stories involve young marriageable aged people, not ones already married. It's like a second chance romance, but they never actually broke up. They just drifted apart in the manner of married couples of the period, and never thought of having more. Creating a family, however temporary it was meant to be, added the complications that allowed them to see new sides of each other. As a romcom, we have a happily ever after, even when it seems like nothing will pull through. I had a fun afternoon reading this, and you will, too.

Overall, this was a good story but I didn’t love it. I did feel invested while reading, I liked the details and descriptions and build to the end.

The story starts out pretty fun and I was laughing as Emmie had to tell Will about making up children. What I learned about their history I liked but it wasn’t very in-depth, more like mentions of past feelings. There was a romance happening but it felt very subtle, so if you blinked, you missed it. Since Will and Emmie were already married, it felt like their coming together was a footnote. It was more about the kids and them becoming a family. The kids were great! I felt for them and how hard they had to work to take care of themselves. I liked them all coming together and bits of humor throughout. There was a bit of a twist that brought some drama, I liked how everyone came together to deal with it. Mostly I felt for the kids and couldn't wait for Emmie to figure out what was important.

There's a nice cast of characters with the servants, helping to create a few entertaining scenes. There was a short side story about a couple and I felt those two had more chemistry than Will and Emmie. There were some descriptions that were repetitive throughout the story and while I was happy to get to the end, I felt it was rather predictable. Since the romance was so low-key, it was very much a slow burn with only a few on-page kisses.

I say it was good because I was always looking forward to what would happen next but I was missing a true, heartfelt romance. Thanks to the kids and them becoming a family, it was a sweet and heartwarming read.