Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath
.
Venus Merriwell is the youngest and last sister to get a book. She has been dreaming of a romance since she was fourteen, but after meeting some disappointing potential suitors she is unsure if love will happen for her. Galahad Sinclair has just bought the building next door to the orphanage she works at and tempers (and sparks) fly between them.
.
What I liked:
-I thought this was a cute idea for contention. I loved seeing Venus and Galahad getting so frustrated wih each other and for more than one reason.
-I loved the boys from the orphanage. Those young rascals!
-I loved Venus and Galahad together. That first dance was fantastic.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m so happy I got to read all three sisters stories. I think of the three Minerva’s story was my favorite but I truly loved them all.

This review is a year late, but I did want to make sure I posted it: This was a great finale for the series, with many fun scenes involving all of the characters from books 1 and 2. The story was still easily able to focus on Vee and Gal as their relationship changed from animosity to admiration. Diana and Giles are still my favourite, but I definitely enjoyed Vee and Gal's story.

This book was fine. I found it difficult to get into but I was able to finish it. Was not my favorite historical romance.

This last book of the Merriwell Sisters trilogy and I would be disappointed but we know by now that the author has a new book out so I’m looking forward to that.

Venus was the sister whose book I was looking forward to the most. For some reason I just connected to her more than her sisters (maybe because I’m the youngest idk). Venus was a refreshing change in heroine from her sisters, while she still has those Merriwell genes she seems to have more gumption. I also found myself more invested in the romance between her and Galahad the romance in the last book.

All and all a pretty good ending to the trilogy. Nothing stellar but I would still recommend to readers looking for something light and cheesy.

I have so enjoyed reading about the Merriwell Sisters and am sad to see this series come to a close. All of the sisters, MMCs, and side characters were fun to read about!

Venus Merriwell is the youngest of the three sisters, and the biggest romantic of them all. She's patiently been waiting for her Prince Charming, while dutifully taking care of the children in the overflowing orphanage. Although she may be a bit picky on her qualifications of "Prince Charming" she absolutely will not entertain the idea of anyone who is addicted to gambling as her father was. Although Venus wants to expand the orphanage into the building next door, that building was just bought up by Galahad Sinclair, someone she is unfortunately familiar with.
Galahad's whole life has revolved around gambling and gambling halls. He wants to expand his gambling hall into a pleasure palace, which will be located in the building right next to the orphanage. Galahad and Venus are not strangers -- they've run in the same circles since Venus's sister married Galahad's cousin, but that doesn't mean they like each other. At every turn, they are fighting over the building --but soon the fighting turns into bickering and they form an unlikely friendship and start to see each other in a different light and make the ultimate gamble in love.

I loved that the book was written in dual POVs, so we got the reactions of both Venus and Galahad whenever anything happened. I loved the banter and bickering, and the meddlesome orphans! I don't think I could pick a favorite couple out of the three Merriwell sisters, I enjoyed them all so much! So enjoyable and I would definitely read the whole series again!

4/5 starts
2/5 spice

Never Wager with a Wallflower follows Miss Venus Merriwell and Galahad Sinclair as they both have their eyes on a building for their own reasons. Venus wants to use it as a way to expand the overfull orphanage she works at; Galahad thinks this would be the perfect building to finally settle to create his dream pleasure palace. While I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the main characters and the hijinks of the kids, I struggled with the miscommunication piece. It felt as though if the main characters had openly talked at the beginning of the book, the conflict would have been resolved much earlier. Some of the fights between Venus and Galahad felt drawn out as well, or repetitive, and it became hard for me to focus. I completed this book as I wanted to see what the eventual resolution of what to do with the building was. The ending was satisfying, and I am glad I managed to finish!

While this was book was not meant for me, I think others would really enjoy it! I did finish the book feeling interested in reading others by this author and from this series. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new historical romance who enjoys an enemies-to-lovers plotline.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The two main characters are very different (or so it seemed to them) and had so much to overcome. One of the things that I liked the most about this book was that not every character in the extended family was rich or titled.

Galahad Sinclair is an American from New York, and has a gambling establishment in a poor location. He has found a real steal - four adjoining townhouses. He has saved enough money to buy three of them and has big plans - He wants to offer other entertainments as well as gambling and dining. I really liked Galahad - he wasn't rich and worked very hard to advance himself.

Venus Merriwell works with orphans and thinks she has found the perfect building for a new orphanage; it is in a healthier location and has room for more children. The extra space means that the orphanage could keep the boys longer, which would allow them time to learn a trade, instead of being turned out to fend for themselves.

Then Galahad discovers that Venus, a distant relative, intends to buy the forth townhouse for an orphanage, right next to his buildings. Could there be a way for both of them to get what they want?

This is the third book in the series, but I didn't realize that it was a series until I had almost finished reading it. I received an e-arc of this book from St. Martin's Press and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Unfortunately, this title did not keep my attention. I began this story on multiple occasions, took a break before trying again and it just did not work for me.

All thoughts are my own. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and opportunity.

I really enjoyed this entire series, although this one fell a little short for me. I think it would have worked better if it were shorter. As it is, it dragged terribly in the middle and the huge misunderstanding at 50% was infuriating. It just served to ruin a good thing and tear Venus and Galahad apart again. It made me have a hard time liking and understanding Venus in the rest of the book.

Aside from that though, there were many things to like. The scenes with the orphans were heartwarming and were my favorite parts. The card games between Venus and Galahad were a lot of fun. Really anytime Venus and Galahad were together (except the misunderstanding) were a lot of fun and kept me enjoying the story to the end. Galahad himself was a wonderful hero and I enjoyed seeing Venus peel back his layers when she finally looked past her own misconceptions to actually see him.

Even though I wish this particular book had been shorter, I still heartily recommend the series. The characters are all charming and fun to get to know.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing an early copy for review.

Never Wager with a Wallflower wraps up the Merriwell Sisters series with a delightful mix of humor, romance, and wit. Venus and Galahad’s dynamic is engaging, filled with sharp banter and undeniable chemistry that keeps the pages turning. I appreciated Venus’s strong sense of purpose and dedication to the orphanage, which adds depth to her character and a meaningful backdrop to the romance. However, the plot occasionally felt a bit predictable, especially with the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Still, the playful rivalry and the whimsical antics of the orphans make for an enjoyable read. It’s a charming conclusion to a fun series, perfect for fans of Regency rom-coms!

This was a tough book to rate as Heath has been an author that I have enjoyed reading. Unfortunately, this book missed the mark in the characterization department. The opportunity for the heroine to grow over the series was entirely neglected and the hero was extremely shallow. I will continue to read Heath, but this was a disappointing end to this series.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the opportunity to respond to this book with my honest opinions.

I have yet to come across a Virginia Heath novel that doesn't immerse me in the regency era and the romance, and this book is no exception. This was an outstanding conclusion to the Merriwell Sisters' stories. Venus has extremely high standards for love - as she should - and Galahad Sinclair has been long ruled out as unsuitable. But watching Venus and Galahad fall for one another was a delight. The dialogue is fun and witty and the romance swoonworthy.

Virginia heath is Becoming a must read regency writer for me! This book was so fun and I can’t wait to read more by her

This was a bitter disappointment. I liked both the previous installments in this series, both felt really fresh, rompy and had great characters (the same characters in this book!) This story, however, took all those characters and drained all their fun. The banter was stale, the plot dragged, and the chemistry was non-existent! Where was the romance?! All the moments of connection between the leads were exchanged with them interacting with the orphans. If you are good to kids then I must love you, that seemed to be the standard at play here. I disliked it. I'm mad because I felt Galahad was one of (if not THE) best character in the previous books!

This was such a delightful historical romance and another great addition to the series! While i’m sad this series came to an end i will concede that she finished it brilliantly and exceeded all of my expectations!!!!

Virgina Heath's novels in this series are great standalones and make it so easy for a reader to immerse themselves in the story. I love historical romances and Heath's writing is always on point with the banter in balance with the romance. This book is right up the alley of every Bridgerton lover especially if they desire more banter and character's that are a little more 'unserious'. I also always enjoy seeing previous characters feature again in the new books and I'm sure this will get readers excited to read the previous novels as well!

This was a great, final installment in the Merriwell Sisters series!

Virginia Heath's Never Wager with a Wallflower is a delightful addition to her Merriwell Sisters series. This third installment focuses on Venus, the spirited and independent middle sister, who is determined to expand her orphanage.

A Strong-Willed Heroine and a Complex Hero
Venus is a refreshing protagonist. She's intelligent, compassionate, and fiercely protective of those she cares for. Her unwavering dedication to her orphanage is both admirable and inspiring. Her romantic partner, Galahad, is a multifaceted character with a gambling addiction and a complex past. The author skillfully develops their relationship, filled with witty banter, underlying tension, and a slow-burn attraction.

A Plot with Heart and Humor
The story blends elements of romance, social commentary, and heartwarming moments. Heath's writing is engaging, with vivid descriptions of Regency London and witty dialogue that keeps the pages turning. The plot is well-paced, with challenges and triumphs that contribute to the overall satisfaction of the story.

A Satisfying Conclusion
Never Wager with a Wallflower is a charming and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of Regency romance. The book concludes with a satisfying resolution, both romantically and in terms of Venus's philanthropic endeavors.

Overall, this is a delightful escape into the world of Regency England, with characters you'll care about and a story that will leave you smiling.

This one was such a fun book. I love Virginia Heath's historical fiction books because they are always full of cute romance as well as great historical plotlines that really make you feel like you're living in the time period.

Thank you for the advance copy. All opinions are my own

I tried on multiple occasions to dive into this book but I just cannot get into it. Unfortunately it is a DNF for me.

As I expected, the final book in the Merriwell Sisters series was so much fun! Vee has been let down by many men in her life and has decided to set her sights on a man she believes will see her for her intelligence. The problem is that this man is a bit of a pompous, bore of a person in general and no one in her family likes him. They would much rather see her with someone like, say, Galahad; the half American cousin to Diana’s husband who has charm and business smarts. The problem? Vee and Gal can’t stand each other. But as they start to mend fences and realize they might not hate each other so much after all, Gal’s business dealings throw a wrench in their burgeoning relationship.
I really had such a great time reading this book. I like Vee’s compassionate nature and that she will hold a grudge like no other. I also like that she is the card shark in the family. Gal is very interesting as a character because he acts like a chameleon, becoming whatever the person he’s interacting with needs at that time, but we also see he is also by nature less trusting in general. This makes it even sweeter when he begins to trust Vee with information about himself and bringing her into his spaces. The tension between the pair was really well done and I love how both of them become so extremely flustered by the other. I also appreciate that the author touches on their darker backstories but we as the readers never have to wallow in them. I am not the biggest fan of really angsty books. Overall I had a really excellent time reading this book and watching the love story for Vee and Gal unfold.