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.

Never Wager With a Wallflower is the third book in the Merriwell Sisters series. It’s a charming and witty regency rom com full of fun and familiar characters. I wasn’t as captivated by this book as the first two which I devoured in a day but it was a sweet adversaries to lovers romance! If you’re looking for a cute historical I totally recommend!

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath (St. Martin’s Griffin, November 2023) is the third and final installment in the author’s delightful The Merriwell Sisters series.

Miss Venus “Vee” Merriwell was an intelligent, strong, and feisty heroine; I liked her stubbornness and determination to do good despite the harsh reality of her life. I respected her desire to have a man in her life who shared her interests and whose personality would be the exact opposite of her wretched father’s. I admired her tenacious involvement with the orphans.

I adored Galahad “Gal” Sinclair. He was a complex hero; genuine, authentic, funny, and guarded with his emotions. I admired how he was always willing to put other’s needs and wants above his own even as he strove to attain his own personal goals.

I think Ms. Heath handled this frenemies-to-lovers story quite well. Gal and Vee had a strong backstory that was carried forward in an honest, realistic manner.

I adored the first two books in The Merriwell Sisters series, but Never Wager with a Wallflower fell a little flat for me; it was a wee bit dull with pages of character introspection and narrative. It felt unnecessarily drawn out at 29 Chapters. (I remember having this same reaction to Book Three in Virginia Heath’s Talk of the Beau Monde series - enjoyable moments, but dull). I liked the use of the card playing scene to reveal the hero and heroine’s developing relationship. While I got the need to make the reader familiar with the game’s workings, one too many references to those details took me out of the scene. Towards the end of the book the pace picked up, things “happened”, and I finally experienced the same joy and excitement I had found in the first two books in this series.

Heat level you ask? 3/steamy on page scene(s) and language; the door may be locked, but you get all the details (when you read it, you’ll understand; one of my favorite scenes in the book).

Do I recommend Never Wager with a Wallflower? Absolutely! Ms. Heath continues to be one of my favorite go-to historical romance authors. I love her killer sense of humor and her snark and sass; her characters are always well-drawn, and her stories are filled with originality and honesty.

This is the final installment in the Merriwell Sisters series. The series is great, you should really check it out!
The final installment follows Venus, the youngest Merriwell sister, a few years after the first book. I highly suggest reading at least the first one to give you a good idea of who Galahad is and is not, and also the shared history between the two.

Venus and Galahad are rivals. Venus, who spend the majority of her time at a London orphanage reading books and helping with the children, is wanting to find a way to expand the building into the one next door for the purposes of housing the growing population of parentless kids in London. As she seeks out the new owner of the property to request the building be donated to the cause, she runs into a familiar face, one belonging to a person she once tackled to the ground in an ill-placed bid to protect her sister from harm.

Galahad is the proprietor of a very successful gaming hell near the docks, thankfully grown and long separated from the machinations of his wicked father that brought him from America to London. He is looking to expand into Covent Garden and build his empire further, and he has found the absolute perfect place to put his plan in action. Unfortunately for him, he’s not the only one with eyes set on the building in question. Venus Merriwether, who once tackled him in his cousin’s garden in at night in a fit of protective rage, is also vying for the property which is connected to the orphanage she holds dear. Despite how attractive he finds the now adult woman who rivals the goddess for which she is named, he almost has his very dreams in his grasp and he refuses to let her tackle those from him as well.

In the end, it comes down to a bet between the two. However, they do not realize yet that the true stakes are more than just the building and their dreams, but also their hearts.

This book had a lot of heart. There was also a lot of adventure and some side characters that I really hope to see in future Heath books. The orphaned twins were absolute CHARACTERS and I hope she has plans to expand their stories. I was a little sad by the end of this one. I really enjoyed the whole thing, including Venus’s trips to the gaming hells and the fact that she was very intelligent and her family refused to play cards with her because she was so good. But she definitely met her match in Galahad, and Galahad never expected Venus. It was a rivals to lovers romance and one of my favorite tropes.

All books are now available. I highly recommend this series if you like a good historical romcom with a little spice!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Virginia Heath for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.

Venus and Galahad have never really gotten along, but when he buys the buildings next to the orphanage she works at intending to turn them into a gambling hall, their sparring begins to look a lot more like attraction and respect.

This is the third book in the Merriwell Sisters, which follows a trio of sisters who must make their own way in the world after being abandoned by their ne'er-do-well father. I haven't read the first two books, but this worked well as a standalone.

Venus and Galahad are constantly wrong-footed around each other, saying and seeing the wrong things. It's fun to see how they slowly recognize their misconceptions and begin to realize that they actually like the person they're getting to know. There's plenty of humor and tension over the course of this slow burn romance, and the dramatic climax on the ice had me on the edge of my seat.

I also loved how we really got a sense of how much Venus and Galahad care for their occupations and how hard they've worked for them, which only heightens the conflict over the buildings. Too often in Regency romances characters' passions seem more like window dressing than an integral part of their lives, but that's certainly not the case here!

However, I did think the pacing was a little awkward, as Venus and Galahad spend the majority of the book at odds in some respect or another. Considering how long it takes Venus to understand where Galahad's coming from - and especially considering it feels like she was won over by Galahad's hard luck story than anything else - it made for frustrating reading at times.

I really enjoyed this series as a whole, I didn't know I liked Regency romances until I read these! This one was fun like the other two, I'm happy to have gotten to known Venus better. Her and Galahad were a fun couple to get to know and watch fall in love, although their choices were quite annoying at times they figured things out in the end.