I forgot how much I enjoy the stories of the Merriwell sisters, and this one might have been my favorite. The slow burn, enemies to lovers of Venus and Galahad was perfectly paced and written. I loved that the conflict came in the middle of the story and not some 11th hour, forced break up. It was a fully fleshed out conflict that made sense to the story with an equally satisfying resolution. I also forgot how funny some of the scenes Heath writes are when the whole family is together. I truly enjoyed every page. My only small quibble is I would have liked more direct dialogue between Vee and Gal, and less internal monologues.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and didn't really think this one was as good. It was a fine and enjoyable while reading, but ultimately forgettable.

Ooh, Vee, girl, you very nearly ruined this.

I was nervous coming into this. Vee annoyed the hell out of me in Minerva's book with her naivety and righteousness, and only marginally improved in Diana's book. I was right to feel how I did because there was a sizeable chunk of the book where I nearly quit because of how ridiculous she was being over a literal misunderstanding that was neither illegal or wrong. Thankfully Virginia Heath brought it home and I fell hard in love with this couple. Galahad can do no wrong and I was very glad when Vee came to her senses.

Overall, this series was fun! I'm happy I was able to read all three in a row, and Diana and Giles were my favourite. As an introduction to this author, it cemented her as a reliable choice for me in historical romance and I'm looking forward to reading more.

This was a joy to read! When I first met her in the first book, I was not interested in Venus Merriwell. I did not think I would like her book very much, but she definitely grew on me! Virginia Heath has such a special way of merging screwball comedy with deeply emotional romance, and I just adore her books.

While this was not my favourite in the series, I did enjoy the book, the main thing that didn't work for me was the pacing. I felt like Venus and Galahad were just at odds for too much of the book and so when Venus realized her feeling for him it felt a bit out of nowhere and rushed.

Never Wager With a Wallflower by Virginia Heath was a book I read almost cover to cover while my son was in the NICU (which is probably why this review is so late in coming - sorry!). As a slow-burn romance with the perfect blend of wit and angst, Heath's main characters Venus and Galahad stole the show. The chemistry between them is evident in every scene, making their journey from friends to enemies to lovers completely satisfying for me. Fans of Heath’s other books in the Merriwell series will enjoy seeing familiar faces too! This rom-com is a heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining read, perfect for historical romance lovers.

Vee and Gal initially found each other off-putting, viewing one another as either stuck-up or too reckless. However, as they worked together on the ownership issue of the property next to the orphanage, they began to see beyond their initial impressions. I appreciated the heartfelt moments where they shared their pasts and their impacts. Despite their rocky start, Vee and Gal managed to start fresh, demonstrating they were worth fighting for. Their interactions with the orphan boys highlighted their growth, which helped reveal the sides of themselves they needed to confront. I felt the interactions between the main characters were sincere.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early review. The above opinions are my own.

This was a fun conclusion to the Merriwell Sisters series, the series that cemented Virginia Heath as one of my favorite historical romance authors.

This book has been on my Netgalley for a bit and I haven’t picked it up. I haven’t been into romance in a minute, so I’m not the right person to review it anymore.

I couldn’t wait for the final book in this series! I loved seeing the characters from the other books, and I was excited for Venus’ story. Venus wants to buy the building next door to expand her orphanage, but Galahad buys it to turn into a gambling establishment – next to an orphanage – how dare he! Not only that, Venus has hang ups about gambling (and those that do so) due to her unreliable gambler father, so of course she immediately thinks the worst of Gal.

I love the enemies to lovers trope, so I had really high hopes for this one, and while it was good, it was not my favorite in the series. They had good banter, but some of the antics were a bit childish. I enjoyed the book overall and was happy with the ending of the series!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath
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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.
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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.
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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.