I received an advanced copy of Never Wager With a Wallflower by Virginia Heath from the publisher St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Venus Merriwell has long been awaiting for her perfect man: selfless, academic, and free from the vices of her gambler father who abandoned her family. Unfortunately, all she’s met is romantic disaster and so she has focused all her love on the orphanage in Covent Garden where she works and knows it desperately needs more space. Meanwhile Galahad Sinclair, gambling isn’t just his passion, it’s his legacy, he grew up and learned the industry from his beloved grandfather and has spent his whole life trying to get back to his dream and has been working hard to run his gaming hell on the docks. When he find the perfect place for his second venture, he is so excited, the only problem is it is right next door to the orphanage that his cousin’s wife’s youngest sister works, and in the space the orphanage had been looking at. Venus and Galahad are brought together as he tries to mend fences and be a good neighbor.

What I Loved: Gosh, I loved this romance. When I read book two, I immediately saw the chemistry between Venus and Gal and I needed this book! I totally bought into the chemistry between these two characters. Venus and Galahad are such lovely characters and they just seem very well suited. I loved watching these two fall for each other and start trusting each other with their histories. I even loved seeing them come apart and find their way back to each other. This is just really excellent historical fiction and the best in the series. Also my heart with the orphans!

What I Didn’t Like: I kind of got frustrated with some of Venus’s antics when she was heartbroken, but alas we don’t act our best selves.

Who Should Read It: People who love historical romance. People who want a really authentic love story.

Summary: When circumstances bring them into the same neighborhood, two frenemies get to know one another.

Never Wager with a Wallflower might be my favourite of the Merriwell Sister's trilogy. I adored the connection between Venus and Galahad. How their (believed) mutual dislike for the other lead to some delicious sparring and steamy tension. I love when you have a character who wears a mask for all to see and the other character is able to see through it if not completely but enough to break the facade down. Galahad had many sides to himself that he presented society and when he finally trusted Venus to see the true him, it was a very emotionally poignant scene. There was a lot of complexities to this novel from the interactions of the MCs with each other, their family, the orphans and then when they were together in Brighton. And how each interaction brought/showcased a different side to the MCs that the other had yet to see or understand until those moments transpired. OH and I cannot forget to mention how much I love when the MMC falls first! *insert dreamy romance loving sigh here*

There were a number of times that Heath had me laughing/giggling out loud with the family antics especially Jeremiah and his inability to win a game of cards against Venus. From the mentions of the flipping the table to having Galahad and Venus play one another brought a light-hearted joyful aspect to the story as well as some build up of the tension between the two characters.

I listened to the first two novels via audiobook and I am definitely looking forward to a reread of Never Wager with a Wallflower as I enjoyed it so much that I have pre-ordered the audiobook for release day. I love that the dual POVs of the novel are narrated in the audiobook by two different narrators!

This final book in the Merriwell Sisters trilogy was a hit – and a miss – for me. I loved the epilogue where we caught up with all of the couples five years later to see how they were doing and what had been going on in their lives. That was a definite HIT. Another HIT in all of this author’s books is the wit and humor – and while this book seemed to have a lot less of that than there usually is, there was enough to bring a smile – and even a giggle on occasion. So, what then is the miss? Venus! I just did not like her. I really disliked her in the first book of the series, but in the second book, I still didn’t like her too well, but I thought there was hope for her. That just didn’t happen for me. Throughout all of the books Venus has been very judgmental and very self-centered and that was certainly true in this book as well.

Venus (Vee) Merriwell and Galahad (Gal) Sinclair have known and disliked each other for four years. They first met when Venus tackled him with the intent to do as much bodily injury as she could – read the second book in the series if you want to know more about that. Galahad Sinclair is Giles Sinclair’s cousin – and Giles is married to Venus’s sister Diana. Since that first meeting, they have either avoided each other totally or they have sniped at each other through whatever time they were forced to be in closer proximity. Is it a case of protesting too much?

Galahad has long wanted to build a club in the area of Covent Garden – a decent club where he could have both ladies and gentlemen attend. He has worked his fingers to the bone, scrimped, and saved until he finally has enough saved to buy a location and renovate it. Now, he just needs to find the perfect location – and miraculously, he does. Then, he learns it is right next door to the orphanage at which Venus teaches. OOPS! When Venus learns about it – she is livid – because she thought that building was going to be left to the orphanage. OOPS!

For me, watching them work through to their HEA was a bit of a painful process. Venus was always looking for the worst in everyone – especially Galahad. She looked down her nose and judged him guilty of anything and everything whether he was or not. She was also very self-centered. She thought nothing at all of thinking Galahad should just give up his dream and hand over his building to the orphanage even though he had done absolutely nothing wrong in acquiring it – and had paid good money for it. She thought that because he played cards well, he was a gambler (he wasn’t). She thought that because he wanted to open a club it would be one of those dissolute, disreputable places like the ones she and her sisters had to drag their father from after he’d gambled away the rent money. So, anyway, I just couldn’t get myself to like her or to care whether she got a HEA or not. I really liked Galahad, but he annoyed me as well. He was just too perfect. He never got mad or raised his voice even when the most heinous things happened to him. Also, he was always apologizing to Venus – I mean for everything – all the time!

I am glad to have read the book and to have seen the happy futures for all of the Merriwell sisters, but I wouldn’t read this one a second time. If you have read the other books in the series, don’t skip this one, because it wraps up the series and gives you a glimpse into their futures. One thing it doesn’t do is provide a final resolution to the Merriwell’s father. I know that has nothing to do with them and their accomplishments and that they don’t care – but – I just never like loose ends and he’s a loose end. I would like to have learned that he was captured by Pygmies and covered with honey and then hung upside down over a red ant bed OR maybe he tried to fleece the wrong woman and she captured him and locked him up in her dungeon and used him for a plaything. 😊

Anyway – if you have read the other books in the series, don’t miss this one. I have scanned over some of the other reviews for this book and none seem to mention a dislike for Venus, so perhaps it is just me and you’ll love her. My dislike for Venus has nothing to do with the author’s writing abilities – to me, she is just an unlikable, needy character. Hopefully, you will love Venus.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adore Gal Sinclair. He's Giles's American cousin with the unfortunate name of Galahad. He is kind and hard working and takes great delight in teasing the youngest Merriwell sister, Venus. They cultivate their frenemy status until Gal unwittingly acquires property that affects Vee's favorite orphanage. He has to use his charm to win over her "big ol' brain" before he can ease in with the truth. Vee finds out before he can let her know and then it's war! All the family jumps into this story and it is a delight!

She is a little tunnel visioned where he is concerned. But then her past experience taught her to be wary of charming men. She is open-minded however and not averse to revising her views. He is complex and not inclined to be open about himself as a way of protection. This is the way life taught him to be. He is nothing like what she thinks he is. Their witty banter and family dynamics plus orphan antics add to the smart exchanges that makes this book engaging and amusing.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

Never Wager with a Wallflower was a fun bit of escapist comedic romance. I find Virginia Heath to be one of, if not the, the best regency romance comedy authors. The storyline and writing feels fresh while maintaining believability, and overall makes for quick and fun read. The characters are easy to root for, and genuinely feel like your friends once you’ve finished.

I found myself recommending this book, and the others in this series often, including to book club friends.

Title: Never Wager with a Wallflower
Author: Virginia Heath
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Miss Venus Merriwell has been waiting for her prince to come since the tender age of fourteen. She wants a man who is a selfless academic like her, and free from all the wretched vices her gambler father enjoyed far too much before he left the Merriwell sisters practically destitute. Unfortunately, after a slew of romantic disappointments, there is still no sign of that prince at twenty-three and the only one true love of her life is the bursting-at-the-seams orphanage in Covent Garden that she works tirelessly for. An orphanage that desperately needs to expand into the empty building next door.

For Galahad Sinclair, gambling isn’t just his life, it’s in his blood. He grew up and learned the trade at his grandfather’s knee in a tavern on the far away banks of the Hudson in New York. But when fate took all that away and dragged him across the sea to London, it made sense to set up shop here. He’s spent five years making a success out of his gaming hall in the sleazy docks of the East End. Enough that he can finally afford to buy the pleasure palace of his dreams—and where better than in the capital’s sinful heart, Covent Garden? The only fly in his ointment is the perfect building he’s just bought to put it in also happens to be right next door to the orphanage run by his cousin’s wife’s youngest sister. A pious, disapproving and unsettling siren he has avoided like the plague since she flattened him five years ago.

While Venus and Galahad lock horns over practically everything, and while her malevolent orphans do their darndest to sabotage his lifelong dream, can either of them take the ultimate gamble—and learn to love thy neighbor?

I really enjoyed the other two books in this series, and this was a solid read, too. Venus is pretty judgmental and narrow-minded when it comes to Gal, even blaming him for things that are not his fault. I didn’t care for that aspect of her personality, or her blindness about men, which seemed almost willful. I liked Gal a lot, and I enjoyed watching the two of them change a bit as they got to know each other. This was a fun read.

Virginia Heath is an award-winning author. Never Wager with a Wallflower is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 11/7.)

This is the third and final installment in the Merriwell Sisters series. The entire trilogy has been a real delight, and this one was a ton of fun! Although you might get a little more out of it if you read in order, this would probably work as a standalone.⁠
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So what's up in this one? Well, Venus (Vee, if you please!) and Galahad, kinda sorta family connections (Gal is Vee's BIL's cousin), have rubbed each other the wrong way since they met. On the outside, they're opposites. Vee is a charity-minded bookworm who spends her free time volunteering at a foundling home. Gal owns and operates a tavern on the docks, complete with gaming tables. Gal wants to expand his operation ... into the townhouses right next to Vee's foundling home. Gal knows life will be easier if they can be friends, so he decides to be nice to her. They both soon discover that they have more in common than just growing up with a very difficult first name.⁠
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One of the things I especially liked about this book was the depth Heath gave to a pretty typical historical romance conflict. Gal explicitly sets out to manipulate Vee, but when he finds himself fantasizing about their future together, he knows he has to come clean. But he just can't make himself do it in time. Vee is understandably upset about this, and tries to cut him off completely. In a lesser romance, I'd find myself rolling my eyes at how long it took Vee to get over a relatively minor deception. But because Heath had set the scene for Vee to mistrust her gut when it comes to men, her reaction made total sense. She's not just upset with Gal; she's upset with herself for yet again misjudging a romantic situation.⁠
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In a nutshell: I liked this one a lot! Heath has become an auto-read author, and I'm looking forward to whatever she comes up with next.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Running an orphanage that's bursting at the seams, Venus hopes to expand into the adjacent building. Galahad buys a property to turn into a gambling palace—unaware that it's next door to Venus's orphanage. Despite clashing over everything, can these two enemies find their way to love?

There's so much heart and humor in this book. Vee is a strong woman with terrible taste in men. She's been burned so many times, it's impossible for her to trust. Gal is a self-made man with strong business acumen but also a big heart. The rapport he develops with the orphans, despite their pranks, is very sweet. The constant sparring between Vee and Gal is fun and clever. I'm sorry to see this series end!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Venus pours all her energy into the overflowing Covent Garden orphanage she works for, and they desperately need to expand into the empty building next door. Galahad has been running a gaming hell in the East End when his dream of opening a pleasure palace is poised to become a reality when he buys a Covent Garden building—right next door to an orphanage. Vee and Gal know one another, and things have never been friendly, but now that they are neighbors, they are at odds, and sparks are flying.

Dual POV, slow burn, enemies to lovers with witty banter, and Gal is a cinnamon roll who falls first. He's also a self-made businessman who had come from difficult circumstances and was not born into nobility, which was refreshing in a Regency romance. As his story slowly unfolded, I grew to love him more and more. Bookish Vee was headstrong and stubborn and had not had an easy life either. Each chapter started with an entry from Vee's journal from her early teen years to the present, which was fun to read and a clever way to show her character growth.

Found family was a theme throughout, and I enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books. But it was the kids from the orphanage and the Reverend, who also worked there with Vee, who stole every scene they were in! They were lovable characters who brought comedy, shenanigans, and heartwarming moments.

This was a lovely way for the series to end, entertaining and escapist with a satisfying ending and touching epilogue. (But the book also functions as a stand-alone.) Even though I am sorry this series has ended, I look forward to reading whatever Heath writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Griffin for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

I adored this conclusion to the Merriwell sisters Regency romance trilogy that sees two misunderstood souls slowly fall in love despite their very opposite natures. Venus is a buxom wallflower who's underestimated based on her good looks, while Galahad Sinclair, 'Gal' is an American rake who is attempting to open another club right next to Venus's orphanage.

These two big-hearted fools slowly get to know the real selves under the facades they present to the rest of English society. If you enjoy historical romance with depth you don't want to miss this slow burn, dual POV with a satisfying ending and tons of orphan hijiinks that takes place over the holidays too.

It was also good on audio with dual narration by Sebastian Brown and Sasha Higgins. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

What a fun series. I really enjoyed this last book. Loved the back and forth between Vee and Galahad. Loved all the family members too. Enjoyed this book.

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the third and final novel in the Merriwell Sisters series. The first novel in the series, Never Fall for Your Fiancée, followed the eldest sister, Minerva, and the second novel, Never Rescue a Rogue, followed the middle sister, Diana. This installment now follows the youngest sister, Venus (Vee) Merriwell and her suitor, Galahad (Gal) Sinclair, the cousin of her brother-in-law. Since we have met both characters in the previous novels, it was nice to finally get to see them have their own story. Vee has trouble trusting Gal, but the two eventually lower their guards to grow a possible romance with each other.

As this is part of a series, there are callbacks to the other two novels. At the same time, I believe readers could read this as a standalone since it focuses on a new couple; however, I believe this series is best read in order. As Vee works at her orphanage, her world becomes more complicated when it is discovered the property next door is owned by Gal and he might be opening a gambling hall. The properties involved plus the families were a great way to bring the couple together. They begin as enemies and then slowly get to know each other. This was a slow burn, and I enjoyed the growth that Gal went through. I did not see as much growth, though, with Val, which was disappointing considering how much her sisters grew in the other stories. This was a great story for the series, and I will be sad to not have any more stories from the three sisters. Overall, I enjoyed this story by Heath, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the last of the Merriwell sisters stories. Venus wants nothing more than to find love and have a family. She can be too trusting, however, and is sometimes not a very good judge of character. Galahad on the other hand wants nothing to do with marriage and is busy building his gambling empire. These two are connected by marriage and will soon be neighbours. Venus is not aware of this fact yet and Galahad is trying to soften her up for the news after they have spent many years at odds. As they establish a truce both start to realize that something far more dangerous than loathing lies beneath. It may even be love that is starting to grow.

The chemistry between these two was fire. I don’t normally like books where the characters are at odds for so much of the book but Virginia Heath makes us like each character so much individually that we root for them despite their antagonism. The book starts off slow in my opinion but then it captures you in the second half which makes it hard to put down. This book was great way to finish up the trilogy and I really enjoyed it overall.

Venus and Galahad have been at odds with each other since their first meeting without a real reason. However, things will probably become a lot messier when Galahad purchases the property next door to Venus’ orphanage to build his new gambling hell. With a negligent wastrel father, Venus has little tolerance for vice and believes the worst of Galahad. Add in Venus’ general distrust of men (and her own reaction to men), she is constantly wary of Galahad’s overtures of friendship. Galahad doesn’t want a potential war on his doorstep, so he aims to enter a truce with Venus before telling her about the gambling hell plans. In spending more time with her, Galahad shows his honorable nature and kindness towards the orphans and makes Venus start to question her perception of him. Of course, it all comes crashing down when she learns about the property purchase and she’ll have to figure out if he’s worth forgiving. This book was a nice wrap up of the series, showing how far the sisters have come from their desolate circumstances in Book 1. I also enjoyed reading about Galahad’s history and why he is so emotionally closed off.

I am so sad this series is at an end but man, what a conclusion!

Virginia Heath is such a delightful voice in Regency romance and this oddball family and their shenanigans on the road to love has been such a fun reading experience. I loved Galahad (Arthurian names!) and Venus! Gal was absolutely head over heels for Venus and it was lovely to see the chemistry that’s built between them over the previous books finally get to bloom. Heath built up this marvelous dilemma for Venus, determined not have anything to do with her gambling father’s world and I was worried she’d be harsher in Gal due to his profession. But they spend so much time talking about their pasts and their fears that you really get to see the bloom of a relationship form and the careful tending they put into it. I adored them.

So excited to see what Virginia Heath does next because I know it’s going to be phenomenal!

Sadly, it is time to say goodbye to the Merriwell sisters! I'm going to miss this cast of characters so much!

I have to say, I was a little worried for Venus's book because I found her to be quite annoying in the previous two. I thought that she was much too immature for both her age and her upbringing. I am happy to say that she definitely grew on me in this one! I found her clever and I enjoyed her relationship with the orphans. That being said, I still found her immature at times and extremely stubborn. I was bothered by the fact that she refused to see things from other peoples point of view and she could never concede that she could be in the wrong. The fact that she couldn't see how it wasn't at all Gal's fault that Mallory sold him the building was so childish.

HOWEVER, Gal saved this book for me. He was so freakin sweet and obsessed with Vee. I love the 'he falls first' trope so so much. I just adored that he couldn't keep his eyes off of her whenever she was around, the longing and pining for her was so heart-squeezingly good. The way he immediately started planning for their future after that first waltz was so cute. I was also glad he didn't grovel too hard because to be honest, he didn't have much to apologize for except for not being entirely truthful to Vee in the beginning. I do kind of wish Vee gave him an apology at the end as I think it would've added to her character growth.

This book was also a great end to the series because of all the family interactions! I loved seeing the other couples and especially Olivia and Jeremiah. They are truly a hilarious bunch. Plus, the epilogue was the perfect end to the series, it brought the sisters closure and I'll admit, I had a little tear in my eye because of it.

THINGS I LOVED:
- Enemies to lovers
- Opposites Attract
- Neighbours to lovers
- Boy obsessed
- He falls first and harder
- Found family

Overall, I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Virginia Heath for the ARC!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I found myself pretty bored throughout the book. There are a few parts where I was able to get into it but for most of the book I felt very meh about it. I liked the last book in this series much better. Vee and Galahad we’re good characters but I didn’t like that we really had to wait until the end of the story for them to actually get together. And by end I mean the last 10%. I also think regency romances just probably aren’t for me. I always have trouble with the writing and some of the names just give me the ick so maybe somebody who likes regencies would enjoy this.

Galahad and Venus -- what a pair! Their first meeting in Never Rescue a Rogue was intense and set the tone for all their future interactions. They cannot ignore each other, but they cannot befriend each other. Events conspire to put them in the same location, and they begin to get closer. But each of them have deep-seated reasons to be wary of emotional connections, so they sabotage themselves quite nicely. More events reveal the truth, and they have to decide if they can be brave enough to reveal their hearts to each other. It is very romantic and quite funny. The mentions of Benedick and Beatrice demonstate that. I also really enjoyed the orphans that were featured, and I cried a little through those parts of the story. A great way to close this series

Vee was always going to be a tough sell after her behaviour in the previous books, and she continues to be somewhat self-righteous and stubborn in her own story. There’s some growth and maturity, but I think because this is a pattern and she holds onto it for so long it’s hard to be on her side even when we do gain some understanding into her character. I also missed the silliness of the first book in the series, as this one just didn’t have the same spark for me.