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.

This is the third and final book in The Merriwell Sisters series. They’ve all had easily recognizable covers that are very fitting for the stories. The backstory is her father left her and her two older sisters almost destitute from his vices. Her older sisters have now both married well but love hasn’t come her way. Venus at 23 is content teaching at an orphanage in Covent Garden where she also helps get sponsors and patronage. Galahad Sinclair is an American but his cousin is married to one of her sisters. He has spent the last years making a success out of his gambling businesses. And he wants to open a new gambling palace in Covent Garden. Unfortunately the location he purchases is next to the orphanage.

There is the typical he pushes her buttons to vex her, but that gets dropped quickly. I was happy about it because I find that really annoying. The two are pushed together by circumstance and by her sister who wants Venus away from a particularly boring Lord. Heath brings humor into her stories and does really well with building longing from just one kiss. But when this slow burn finally got to a moment of passion it was so lackluster I was truly disappointed. I still like the story and then the entire series. And while I was looking forward to Venus’s story I think the first book in the series is still my favorite. I will forward to the next series from the author. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

Never Wager With A wallflower by Virginia Heath - 3 Stars Sometimes reviews are really hard to write not only because you read them too long ago but also some books just don't need a lot. This would be one of those. This is the third in a historical romance series that follows three sisters and we get the youngest's story here. Venus is almost considered a spinster but is determined to marry a man who has similar ideas to her unfortunately though he doesn't seem interested. However, after some run in's with her brother-in-law's grumpy cousin Galahad things start to change. While I still enjoyed this story over all I just got really tired of Venus at times and wished she would get her head out of the clouds. While this wasn't my favorite in this series I still think the series is a fun one and if you like historical rom-coms than I would check it out. Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for my gifted copy for review you can pick this one up on November 7th.

We have the youngest of the Merriwell sisters and since these sisters are no nonsense I expected Vee to be just the same even though I have watched her grown but from book 1 to now. This enemies to lovers trope was so obvious because there is no secret that Gal and Vee have a thing for each other. But they seriously fight to make it not that obvious.

Vee has gone through a ton of heartbreak and she is looking to be with someone “safe” someone not like her dad. And it’s funny to see how her family are all around to see this relationship start to blossom. Sadly enough this is the end of their amazing story, and the ending was pure perfection.

An enemies to lovers historical fiction that was full of heart and ache. Laugh out loud humour, found family, along with heart wrenching back stories. It was a delight to read.
Gal is a business man, always planning his next move. He keeps everything close. Does not let anyone in, including family. This does cause problems with his already fraught relationship with Venus. I think Venus is as hard headed as they come. Pretty sure I wanted to yell at her across the page at least a few times.
This book was about so much more than the burgeoning romance between Gal and Vee. At the core of the story is loneliness, people having to fend for themselves. Vee is dedicated to the orphanage that she teaches at and Gal’s mysterious sad tale is revealed bit by throughout the book. We also get so much more of our beloved characters from the previous books in the series.
The author does an excellent job with her storytelling, keeping with the period in which the story is set. I will gladly pick anything up by her again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital advanced reader copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Genre: Historical romance
England, 1830

Miss Venus Merriwell, the youngest of the Merriwell sisters, passionately assists at Covent Garden Asylum for Orphans, helping the proprietors with the children and securing funds when possible. The roof needs fixing, and there are other necessary repairs, but they truly dream of expanding into the building next door, and on the death of the building’s owner, they might be able to see that through. Except that Galahad Sinclair has recently purchased the building to convert it to a place called The Den, a sort of upscale gaming hell, which not only prevents their dreams of expansion, but also brings more avenues for sin into the neighborhood. Vee and Galahad have been verbally sparring for years whenever their paths cross - which Vee has been scrupulously avoiding, until it becomes impossible to ignore the orphanage’s new neighbor.

This is such a fun conclusion to a delightful trilogy. Virginia Heath brings excellent banter and strong character development to her writing. Vee has trouble trusting any man who might be involved in gambling. She and her older sisters had to drag their gin-soaked father out of many such establishments before he ultimately deserted them, and she sees what the streets near the orphanage have in store for those who want to waste away. Vee sees every action that Galahad takes as a personal affront to her own desires, particularly when she learns that he has purchased the building she believed should have been bequeathed to the orphanage. Galahad, on the other hand, believes he has purchased this building in good faith and is interested in becoming better neighbors with Vee.

Galahad is a special kind of romance hero. He’s a self-made man, working to build towards his dreams of owning a club. But more than that, he understands fundamentally that actions he’s taken have wronged Vee, even when he acted in good faith. He wants to make things right, but doesn’t know how.

I enjoy high stakes card games, and Vee and Galahad are at their best against one another when playing cards. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a card game instead of a chess game in a historical romance! Vee and Galahad are both card counters, and have their own way of reading others in a game. This book features two card games with the high stakes of pride and dignity (and maybe a building), and two main characters who refuse to back down.

The third (and final) installment of the story of the Maxwell sisters- each of which is just fine as a standalone- is like the others, a delightful trope-y Regency romance. Venus has devoted herself to an orphanage in Covent Garden which she very much wants (and needs) to expand. Galahad (I think the name is a bit much but....) hopes to expand his gambling hall- something Venus disapproves of because of her father and, well gambling. They are opposites in so many ways and yet there's a spark. Fans of the genre know how this willed but Heath imbues the whole thing with a sense of humor and the orphans are a hoot. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I really liked Galahad, the hero of the book whose name becomes surprisingly apt by the end of the book. However, Venus, the heroine, was rather irritating. She had had a poor childhood because her father had abandoned her and her older sisters. But the two older sisters had married happily to wealthy noblemen and she now has nothing to worry about except that her unfortunate name and buxom figure which attracts all the wrong sorts of men. She’s been burned by men in the past and so, at first, turns to a tedious, arrogant, self-centered bore who is clearly a terrible choice as everyone tries to tell her. For some reason she hates Galahad, but encounters him periodically and acts rudely and snippily to him for no real reason.

Then they become friendly and he helps her with some of the orphan children she is educating at her orphanage. Then she gets unreasonably angry with him and returns to being snippy and rude. Then he proves that he truly is a Galahad and they get their HEA.

I felt that all the romantic complications were mostly because she was too full of herself and her prior bad experiences with men to see what a great guy he was even though he proved it over and over. It was irritating.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I love a good enemies to lovers story. I thought the author did a good job of showing the progression of Venus and Galahad from despising each other to falling in love. It has been awhile since I have read a book that was placed in this time era and it was refreshing to visit somewhere new. There were some very funny moments that had me laughing. I enjoyed this book and recommend picking it up to read.

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the third and last book in the Merriwell Sister's series. If you haven't picked up the other books in the series, I highly recommend you do as I have enjoyed each and every one of them.

In this book, Venus Merriwell is our main character. We still get to see how things are going for Diana and Minerva (and their now spouses) but this books focus truly is on Venus. Her growth from book one to this book is truly evident. She knows her father is a wastrel and having had a number of disappointing potential relationships, Venus isn't convinced there is that special someone out there for her like her sisters have found for themselves. Because of this, she has thrown herself into her work at the orphanage in Covent Garden and is determined to expand into the empty building next door to theirs.

Galahad Sinclair is motivated to succeed and that includes expanding his empire into Covent Garden where he has the most opportunity. Staying close to what is happening around him, he becomes aware of a new building (three actually) available due to a death and knowing that the person who inherited is desperately in need of money, he is able to purchase the buildings. Little does he know that they are the same ones that Venus and the orphanage have their eye on and when she finds out that he is now the proud owner, she is convinced he is in the wrong and should hand over the building that was promised to them.

Admittedly, Venus is made aware of Galahad's ownership of the building after they have started to have feelings for each other and that just makes it worse for her. She is convinced she can't trust herself and Gal is front and center as a recipient for her anger. When her anger actually prompts some of the orphans to sabotage his building and they start to work off their penance, she gets a better view of who Gal is and what he is trying to do. I didn't love that she held it against Gal that he purchased the building...he wasn't really the villain here.

Heath did a great job with the build of this relationship. The banter and the way these two were with each other only made it that much better when they did finally come together. I will be sad to see this series end but look forward to more stories from Heath in the future.

great book and loved the mystery through out the book. I loved the characters and how they grew through all of their adventures. I enjoyed this book and this author and will check them out again add them to my reading pile.

I really enjoyed that from the beginning there was a connection between Gal and Vee, although it was more of a frenemies situation, they still had quite a lot of interaction. Getting to see the evolution of their friendship was so good. Although they were together a lot, I also enjoyed getting to see them on their own in the things that they enjoyed (Gal’s businesses and Vee’s work with the orphanage). I enjoyed how this showed them as individuals but also them growing together. Plus seeing the characters from the previous books was so enjoyable too! I love that in interconnected series like these.

I loved the relationship that was building between Gal and Vee, the connections were so good and you could really tell they liked one another but were too stubborn to admit it! As good as that was, I really enjoyed getting to see the soft spot that Gal had too. Virginia Heath does a wonderful job at writing MMCs with great backgrounds! It adored those parts of the book!

This is the third book in this series, but I have not read the first two. However, that didn't interfere with my understanding of what was going on in the book. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it.

This is the final book of the Meriwell Sisters series by Virginia Heath. This series has a special place in my heart because the first book in the series was actually my first approved ARC for a historical romance. Though this isn't my favorite historical romance series, all the books are pretty fun and are definitely romcoms and use their humor really well. Never Wager with a Wallflower follows the youngest Meriwell sister, Venus (Vee), who once dreamed of an epic love but now has decided that's not what she's looking for anymore. She enjoys her work at an orphanage and is looking forward to expanding into the building next door. Unbeknownst to her, Galahad Sinclair has just bought the building as part of his business plan to create a new club that caters to both men and women. Vee and Galahad have always antagonized each other from the moment they met 4 years ago. But now with this forced proximity, the chemistry between the two of them may just boil over.

I really struggled with Vee's character throughout the middle of the book - I thought she was being pretty unnecessarily harsh to Galahad, who had not really done anything maliciously. I understand that her past experiences with men colored her experience with Galahad and made her feel betrayed even though his actions really weren't congruent to the level of betrayal she felt.

However all that being said, something I've realized about myself is that I will forgive a lot as long as the ending of a book works for me - and let me tell you, this ending really worked for me!! I loved the declaration of love and the scene with their families after they reconcile was honestly so funny.

I also really liked Galahad - I thought he was a super solid hero and I was on his side! I also love that we got both POVs and that we got to see Vee's diary entries throughout her life.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Never Wager with a Wallflower publishes on November 7th and can be read on it's own.