This makes me sad. This is the last we see of the Meriwell Sisters. I've enjoyed each of their stories, and Venus' was no exception.

Venus, the youngest sister, has always dreamed of her prince charming. Sadly, she is finding the pursuit hard, all potential prospects have left her disappointed. To keep herself occupied, she tirelessly works for the Covent Garden orphanage. One that is in desperate need of repair and growth.

Galahad Sinclair, cousin to Giles, has had to work hard his whole life and finally has his sights set on achieving his dream - to open his own pleasure house. And the space that has become available happens to be right next to Venus' orphanage.

These two lock horns consistently, mostly on misjudgements and preconceived notions. So when a gambling bet has them being cordial to each other, it's as though a flip has been switched. Their witty repartee is sheer foreplay, slowly building the steam as they start to careen toward the other.

Well, until Venus learns of Gal's plans.

Venus grew up with rose colored glasses until society kindly pointed out the realities of the world. It took her some time to realize that what she desired was standing in front of her. Watching Gal learn to accept family and that he could share some of his burden was endearing.

You should definitely one-click this book today. You will not be disappointed.

Never Wager with a Wallflower
Book 3 in "The Meriwell Sisters"
Rating: 1 star...DNF at 33%
Thank you to the author/publisher for the ARC provided through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This is the third and final book in this series which is where we see the youngest sister's turn at falling in love. Sad to say I could not finish it. I really did not like either of the two main characters, especially the female lead. I don't know what it was about them that I really couldn't connect or enjoy their bickering/banter.
I'll give it at least one star because I feel it was more of a me reason, than the book being badly written. I did enjoy the previous two in the series, but this sadly was a no.

Fun book. Although I haven't (yet) read the first two books in the series, therefore missing some of the history of Venus and Galahad, there was enough information provided that I could understand their pasts.

Vee is a romantic at heart, but after years of relationship disappointments, she has given up on looking for love. She no longer trusts her heart or her judgment and has set her sights on a nobleman who is as much of an academic as she is. Unfortunately, he is also boring, judgmental, and oblivious to her interest, and no one in her family believes they belong together. Vee's happiest times are spent working at the Covent Garden orphanage she helps run. It is also very overcrowded and needs more space - such as the empty building next door - if only she had the funds to purchase it.

Galahad is the American-born cousin of Vee's brother-in-law, Giles. He owns a gambling den near the London docks and is looking to add a second location. When he hears of the perfect building in Covent Garden, he rushes to secure ownership of it. He then discovers that it is next door to Vee's orphanage and realizes that for the sake of family harmony, he needs to mend fences with her.

The story opens with a prologue that describes the first meeting between Vee and Gal and sets the tone for their relationship over the past five years - chilly at best and antagonistic at worst. As the daughter of a gambler who deserted his family, Vee has definite opinions about gamblers and doesn't hesitate to share them. They do their best to avoid each other when possible and keep their distance when it is not.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Vee and Gal develop. Their antagonism is overt, but underneath are sparks of attraction that neither will admit. They are, however, blazingly apparent to others. When Gal acquires the rest of the orphanage building, he decides to "make nice" with Vee and try to get on her good side before she finds out about his purchase. It's understandable but also slightly underhanded and has the likelihood of coming back to bite him in the future.
Vee isn't sure what to think when Gal stops being such a pain and turns on the charm. She doesn't trust him, but it doesn't take long before he begins to win her over.

There are some hilarious scenes between the two as they spend time together. One is the first card game they play against each other. Vee is undefeated in the family, Gal is a professional gambler, and the tension between them is palpable. Their second game, after she finds out about his purchase, is a lesson in distracting the other player, and Vee is masterful. There are other times when the banter between the two had me laughing out loud and wondering when they would see the light about their feelings for each other.

However, both have serious insecurities that they keep locked behind sturdy walls. Both lost their mothers at a young age, and both have fathers who are morally bankrupt. Vee's issues make her very judgmental toward Gal and make it difficult for her to trust him. After the loss of his mother and grandfather, Gal keeps his heart locked up and doesn't allow himself to get close to anyone. The more time they spend together, the more Gal and Vee begin to see past those walls and realize that their initial impressions of each other were inaccurate. But it still takes a near tragedy for the last bits of wall to crumble and for them to admit their feelings for each other. I loved the ending.

Some of the best scenes in the book involve Vee, Gal, and Vee's orphans. I loved Vee's devotion to them and desire to give them the best possible future. I enjoyed her surprise at how Gal connected with her three most troublesome boys. Gal won my heart by understanding what drove their actions and his practical methods of helping her with them. At the same time, the boys were very protective of Vee, and their desire to help her with the building issue created some memorable moments. I especially enjoyed the scene with the pigeons and its aftermath. There was also a heartwarming scene involving the three boys and their proposed apprenticeship at Gal's business.

The epilogue was terrific, and I enjoyed seeing the three couples a few years into the future.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

Never Wager With A Wallflower
by: Virginia Heath

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that is:

-enemies to lovers
-found family
-historical romance
-banter & tension

This will be for you and it has even more within!


Just when I thought the first two couldn’t get any better, this third book stole me. I loved this book and all inside. I thought this was the cutest enemies to lovers read! This was a quick and swift read taking me away into this world with the characters and I didn’t want the book to end. I sat down on a beautiful sunny weekend and read this book front to back. The spice is perfection as well—perfect for someone who just wants to dip their toes in. I absolutely adored Vee and Galahad and the dynamic and relationship that they had building through the story. I thought they were simply perfect.

I really enjoy Virginia Heath's way of story telling. Her characters have sharp wit but also have deep desires that are very relatable to real life. In Never Wager a Wallflower, the story of the Merriwell sisters continues with the youngest, Venus, otherwise known as Vee. If you have not read the other two installments in the series, don't fret. You will not be lost and can pick them up another time.

Vee spars with Galahad, or Gal, over just about anything. They both have past hurts and just seem to bump heads. But of course, isn't that how enemies are attracted to each other?

There are hilarious moments and deeply moving moments as they deal with insecurities and hurts. This is definitely an enjoyable read, and then you'll want to make sure you've read Heath's other books!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

As soon as Galahad Sinclair hit the pages of the second book of this series he captured my interest. By the end of that book I knew I wanted more of him and was over the moon when I discovered he would be paired with Venus "Vee" Merriwell in Never Wager with a Wallflower. I could hardly wait for these two adversaries to discover what we readers already knew. They were made for each other. Now, they just needed to lower their guards long enough to open their hearts - and minds - to that undeniable fact.

Both Gal and Vee carried a lot of emotional baggage from their childhoods into their roller coaster relationship, impacting each of them in different ways. I have to admit, I was Team Gal pretty much 80% of the book. It was only in the final 20% that I began to warm up to Venus. She did eventually win me over though so I'm glad I didn't give up on her. I do appreciate satisfying character growth. She's a complex character who protects herself with seemingly impenetrable, self-righteous walls when confronted with a man she unconsciously senses has the power to break through to her wounded heart. Watching Vee and Gal both evolve over the course of their journey was satisfying and heart-tugging.

The ensemble of secondary characters bring humor, conflict, and texture to the overall story. While the extended families once again have significant roles, it's three of the young orphans in this book who stand out for me, capturing my affection with their antics while also creating opportunities to delve more deeply into Gal's and Vee's priorities, vulnerabilities, prejudices, and emotional wounds, opening the door to understanding, forgiveness, growth, and love.

If you enjoy an enemies-to-lovers, historical rom-com with a slow-burn romance, significant emotional depth, meddling family, character growth, humor, and happy endings, give this one a try. It's the last book of a trilogy but can be read as a standalone, though I think it's more enjoyable to experience the evolution of all the characters by reading the three books in order.

*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

Galahad (Gal) Sinclair grew up in New York but has lived in England now for several years now. His grandfather had gambling halls and he knows the business well. After some success with his own gambling halls at the docks, he has now purchased three buildings side by side in Covent Gardens and is ready to turn them into a huge gambling club. Then, he notices a rundown building next door that happens to be Covent Gardens Asylum for Orphans and who should be arriving there but the irritating Miss Venus (Vee) Merriwell. They have known one another for several years as she is the sister of Diana who is married to his cousin Giles, Duke of Harpenden. She teaches the orphans and is always with a Shakespeare book.

Venus hates her name as it brings sexual conatations to the minds of people who meet her. Since she was a child she has always dreamed of the man that she may one day marry and whether he is a prince or a farmer, he just better not be a gambler.

First off, I read the first two books in the series but don’t recall much of them. I found Venus’s dislike of Galahad to be really vicious which made me think of her as a nasty piece of work. Galahad is a nice man and a great character. He’s mature and his handling of the orphans is well done. All in all an OK story.

Copy provided by NetGalley and Goodreads Wins in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Venus Merriwell knows exactly what she wants in a husband: a selfless academic, free from all the vices of her gambling father. Unfortunately, at twenty-three and after several romantic disappointments, the one true love of her life is a bursting-at-the-seams Covent Garden orphanage that desperately needs to expand into the empty building next door. Gambling isn't just Galahad Sinclair's life, it's in his blood. Following a childhood in a New York tavern, he's spent the last five years making a success out of his East End gaming hall and saving for the pleasure palace of his dreams in Covent Garden. The only problem is the buildings he’s bought just happen to be right next door to Venus's orphanage.
The third Merriwell has her story, whilst this book is easily read on its own the Merriwells are a delight so I’d recommend reading in order. I loved Gal, a very private self made man who was also kind, caring & understanding. His reactions to the boys’ antics had my heart melting & the Park incident whilst tense showed who he really was. My feelings for Vee fluctuated, I really liked her at the beginning & end but in the middle I felt she over reacted & should have guarded her tongue in front of the orphans. A very well written, captivating read but I felt not as much of a rom-com as the previous books but it did have its moments.
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

What a way to end a series - brilliant! I read all three books in a row, which was perfect because they are closely tied together and shouldn’t be read standalone. Too many important details carry over between each book and readers will be quite lost and confused missing the information from the other stories.

Wrapping up the series is the youngest Merriwell sister, Venus (Vee), who has a tentative friendship with brother-in-law Giles’ cousin Galahad (Gal). Gal has purchased property that was supposed to be willed to the orphanage that Vee teaches at, but the late property’s owner left it to her nephew asking him to pass it to them because she was too infirm to change her will. As he was too indebted from gambling to do as asked, he sells it the second he can and thus causing the secret rift Gal must keep from Vee, until he no longer can.

All of the banter between the pair, the secrets, the relationship they have and the previous characters making so many appearances makes this my favorite of the series - I think it has the strongest writing and plot and storyline of the trilogy as well. Completely a recommendation from me, but the whole series definitely needs to be read in order to make sense.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and this is my honest feedback.

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath-Book #3 The Merriwell Sisters

✔️ Regency Romance 1830, England
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Book lovers-Shakespeare retelling
✔️ h's POV



This is the story of the youngest Merriwell sister -Venus. She is pious,disapproving, and just wants a love like Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. She is a teacher at the Covent Garden Asylum for Orphans and loves to read. Galahad Sinclair is a tavern owner who gambles, drinks, and has worked hard to buy 3 properties that happen to be next to the orphanage. He wants Venus but she believes he breaks all the rules of propriety. The only way to get her to soften towards him is to dispel all her perceived notions about him.


The world building is the difference between the wealthy and poor in Brighton and London. It's a nice comparison between Gal and his properties and the orphanage. Gal has a "pleasure palace" while children live on the streets and steal to survive. From pickpocketing to a place in the country, Venus has big dreams for the children. The sisters move from the slums to Minerva becoming a countess.It's a real show of the haves vs. the have nots.

The characters- Gal talked about his grandfather a lot, considering his father abandoned him. His grandfather taught him about business, working his way out of poverty, and to be self reliant. Venus becomes a part of his dreams, but it takes some good deeds and grovelling for Venus to believe him. I laughed at Lord Dorchester, Venus's other suitor. He ignored and belittled her, and Venus had no intention of encouraging his attention.

I love a hero that proves the heroine wrong. Gal had a reputation as a gambler like Venus's father. He showed his compassion for the children in the orphanage, his intelligence in literature and politics(among other things), and his devilish charm. FYI I haven't read the other books in the series, but I was able to follow along.


Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

~•~•~
Published 11/7/23, Read 11/6/23
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC💛! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

I loved how Venus and Galahad chafed off each other. Sparks flew off the pages as they countered, parried, and theist back against each other.
I loved that Venus was a book hound and thought she would be happy with dullard Dorchester.
Gal arrived just in time to change her mind and gamble with him on buildings.
I’m sorry to see the series end but it was delightful while it lasted.
I love the card game they play at the end and all the hole and longing in his eyes……makes a reader swoony!

Ever since I read Never Rescue a Rogue last year, I’ve been eager to see how Venus Merriwell and Galahad Sinclair’s love story would play out. Their “meet-cute” was pretty unconventional! And indeed, when Never Wager with a Wallflower begins four years later, they’re not exactly close, despite their family connections. Vee thinks Galahad is simple-minded and always up to no good; Gal thinks Venus is standoffish and best to be avoided. When Galahad buys some buildings to start his new gaming hell business, not realizing it’s next door to the orphanage where Venus volunteers, he decides it’s high-time he gets onto Vee’s good side.

Up until now, Vee has been unlucky in love and with men in general. It started with her no-good father, and since coming of age, her pursuit of a husband has been futile. She’s burdened with a name and figure that attract the wrong kind of men; she’s also not a great judge of character. So when Galahad suddenly starts being nice and charming, she’s suspicious at first, but ready to be let down. And with his little secret, it will have major repercussions on their newly improved relationship.

Gal has grown used to holding his cards close (pun very much intended with this book’s plot). He’s the kind of guy who only shows people what he wants them to see, and he’s a social chameleon ready to adapt to any situation. Depending on the context, Gal will play up his American accent, show off his business savvy and quick wit, or play dumb altogether. You never know which version you’ll get. Does that mean you can never trust Galahad or that he’s a bad person? He has a tragic backstory, though it takes a while to find out all the details. But over the course of the novel, we start to see glimpses of Gal’s true character: his kindness, understanding, and heroism, especially with the orphans that Vee cares for.

This book isn’t quite as light as the first two were, but it is still a lot of fun. One recurring theme is Gal and Vee going up against each other in card games. They’re both expert players, but who’s better? Stay tuned for the answer to that… and bit of a strip game.

As always, the supporting cast of characters is a riot. The first two books’ couples are here in their full glory, complete with growing families. Hugh’s mother, Olivia, is also up to her usual habit of playing matchmaker. And similar to the previous books, this one also tackles working class issues and highlights characters without title or money. With my own background, that always strikes close to my heart.

The full Merriwell Sisters series has been a delight, and Never Wager with a Wallflower is a lovely way to close the trilogy. Vee and Gal are just as cute as the first two couples, and I loved seeing their romance unfold in the midst of business development, troublesome orphans, and meddling family members. Virginia Heath’s writing is sweet and pulls the reader in, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the near future.

I really enjoyed reading this book from one of my favorite authors. Ms Heath writes a fabulous story full of witty and funny banter that makes the reader wanting more. You have stubborn man who has against all odds, build up a business all his own. The man's name is Galahad Sinclair who hails from America. He finally has the money to make his dreams come true, but for one highly bossy woman who is his nemesis.
Her name is Venus Merriwell and she is one beautiful curvy woman that men find very appealing. Of course, Vee has learned her lesson on men who only want one thing from her. She's not buying whatever their selling. She is the manager of a orphanage for unwanted children and her next door neighbor is Galahad who wants to buy the home for gambling.
Gal and Vee seem to rub the wrong way towards each other. But hidden sorrows and not trusting people who come too close. Gal finds himself involved with the orphaned children and it makes Vee see him in a different way.
The magic of love blooms for two people who were meant to be. Fate takes hold and never lets go for a happy ever after.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

Since Never Fall for Your Fiancee surprised me in such a good way, the following books in The Merriwell Sisters series have been some of my most anticipated books. My only complaints about Never Rescue a Rogue is that Diana and Giles had to follow in Hugh and Minerva's footsteps and have sex before marriage. I was disappointed that most of the antagonistic part of their relationship was skipped. Not to spoil too much, but Galahad and Venus do have premarital sex, but they don't skip out on the antagonism.

I found Never Wager with a Wallflower to have a slow start. I wasn't excited with Galahad's business ventures. I think around 30% I finally felt hooked into the story where I didn't want to put it down when I had to.

Galahad and Venus had so many similarities, even though many of them seemed like contradictions. I really enjoyed their banter that eased into comraderie and eventually into reluctant appreciation and then into more. Galahad was on board long before Venus.

I felt for Venus. She got royally screwed by someone who never should have been someone who she trusted. In this way I could totally relate to her. I even found myself getting teary over her fear of not being able to trust her instincts about people, especially men. Once you've been screwed over or trusted the wrong person, especially if it happens more than once, you can really begin to become jaded and mistrustful.

Favorite quotes:
-"Dreams, like plans, should always adapt with the circumstances, especially if the circumstances allow them to get bigger and better, and some risks are worth taking."

-...grandpa always said trust had to be given before it was earned...

-"That's cheating." "Maybe--but I'm oddly at peace with it."

Venus's sisters' gave off the impression that she was a lot more prim and proper than she actually is in her own story. Of course this could be explained away, that no one knows our true selves except us. But I felt like this made her a little inauthentic. I did like that Virginia Heath used her history, even back to her father and her desire and trust for him to be a true father and love them, as a means of building Venus's history of trusting the wrong men. This felt more authentic which was needed to balance how Venus is portrayed in the previous books versus who she really is. I loved her work with the orphanage and got invested into the orphan boys that were side characters. Never Wager with a Wallflower was better once I got past the slow beginning, and I give it 3.5 Stars. Have you read Never Wager with a Wallflower? What did you think? Let me know!

I adore this series! So excited for Vee to get her HEA! She's been a very prominent part of the past couple books. This was a perfect end to the trilogy.

I’d never picked up this series until I saw the third instalment on NetGalley. When my request was approved, I decided to read all three.

The first two books corresponded to a we (the protagonist’s) older sisters. While this story doesn’t really have anything to do with those stories, it does refer to events in the past, like the sister’s marriages. If you haven’t read those stories there are mild spoilers.

I like to read a series in order. I enjoyed the first two and the third was just as good. We see a slightly older Vee and get a better look insider her head.

This novel is split perspective. We get Vee and Gal’s points of view. Despite previous books, Gal seems interesting. His backstory is nicely fleshed out and his motivations are pretty realistic. There’s lovely tension and o liked how the romance developed.

It wasn’t quite enemies to lovers; more like not-friends to lovers. While there are brief cameos from previous characters, the focus is on Veronica and Gal.

I enjoyed this story. It was easy to read. It had a plot. It had backstory. It had romance. I felt like the character were lifelike.

If you’re looking for a rom-com type book, I highly recommend this book and the other two in the series.

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath, the third and final book in the Merriwell Sisters series, focuses on the youngest sister, Venus, as she is up against Galahad in this enemies to lovers Regency romcom. Vee teaches at a local orphanage and does what she can to avoid Galahad, her brother-in-law’s brother. Gal has spent years working toward his dream of opening a pleasure palace, and now his dreams are finally accomplished. Except, when he learns he bought the property next door to Vee’s orphanage, their paths repeatedly cross, and they must face their changing feelings for each other.

Though they believe they are very different, Vee and Gal have a lot in common; which they discover the more they’re together. Both had difficult and tragic pasts, both have erected pretty strong walls, and they both have feelings for each other that they’re hesitant to act on. This helps create amazing chemistry and somewhat quarrelsome banter, as well as amazing conversations about books and Shakespeare. Vee and Gal learn that their first impressions of each other are not as accurate as they believed, and it was wonderful seeing their preconceptions change as they learn more about each other.

Ms. Heath wrote a humorous, clever, entertaining and amusing conclusion to this trilogy that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with escapades, clever banter, sizzling chemistry and endearing characters giving Vee and Gal a chance to fall in love. I highly recommend Never Wager with a Wallflower to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

It had emotion and found family and I loved it. Was not expecting an emotional turn but I loved it, had lots of laughs as well. Overall a great read.

4.5 stars

"You're my dream, Venus. Anything else is a bonus"

This final book in the The Merriwell Sisters series was delightful!! Book 2 is still my favorite by FAR but this was was just the perfect amount of bickering and mooning to keep me very entertained and very happy.

I loved Vee and Gal's romance! And as much as I hate misunderstandings, I feel like the one in this book made sense and thankfully was fixed quite quickly. I did wish there were more steamy scenes but it did make me laugh out loud quite a bit!

I will really miss this series and the sisters! AND I can't wait for what Virginia Heath writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Virginia Heath for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Never Wager With a Wallflower coming out November 7, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love historical romances a lot, especially this era! I enjoy this author and I really enjoyed the first book. I liked the second book in some aspects, so I wanted to check out the third book. But this book was not for me. I thought it would be fun because Venus was considered a wallflower, and I can relate to that introverted personality. But I didn’t really understand her motives. I thought she was rude to Galahad most of the time. Her personality didn’t work for me. I mostly just thought she was stubborn and slightly annoying so I wasn’t really rooting for the main couple. Then it seem like she suddenly into him. If there are any other books in this series, I probably won’t be interested in them. I was just hoping for something more substantial and the plot felt more like fluff.