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.

Venus Merriwell has finally given up her notions of princes and love after another fickle, lying man broke her heart. She wants someone who looks beyond her unfortunate name and bosom to see her mind and devotion to teaching orphans.

Galahad Sinclair is looking to built the pleasure palace of his dream after toiling away on his other businesses since arriving in London four years earlier. He will ensure his plans run smoothly even if that means ending the feud with Venus, as he insists on calling her.

Since their auspicious meeting (in book 2 when she attacked him thinking to bring a thief to justice), the energy between them has led to arguments, taunts and teasing. But as her orphanage's new neighbor, Gal knows her brilliant mind is best not turned toward ending his business before it even opens. Though as he tries to play nice, they're suddenly waltzing, engaging in card battles, and letting down walls.

But Venus wants to be a man's priority for once in her life. To be chosen and wanted over all else and Gal finally has his dreams in hand...even if they were supposed to be in hers.

I enjoyed how the story was a historical early 19th century romance, but wasn't a "lord and lady falls in love," but instead were people on the outskirts of the aristocracy with backgrounds much lower than that. We didn't spend much time in the ton world, and that felt refreshing and kept me interested in the story.

I did get frustrated with Venus because she and others believe her to be so smart, but she kept making poor decisions. I felt her to be more book smart than emotionally intelligent and she was stubborn, holding onto ideas of others when evidence pointed elsewhere.

While Gal was so perceptive and good with the children, even when hilarity and hijinks ensued, he was foolish to think his charm would always work. Gal certainly needed to open up, and considering his penchance for facades, could understand Venus's frustration. Being vulnerable is never easy, so you're proud when they finally are.

Gal was also so into Venus! Such that she could completely control him...lol! It must be a Sinclair trait as his cousin, Giles, was the same for Venus's sister, Diana, in the second book. I read the previous book in the series and enjoy Heath's writing style. The quirky and spirited characters are enjoyable so I look forward to finally reading the first, and others of Heath.

Lastly, I enjoyed the ending. As it also concluded the series, even though I haven't read the first, it felt like a full-circle moment for the sisters. A lovely conclusion celebrating their agency and joy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Read for: small age difference (22/25), humble beginnings, misunderstandings, enemies to lovers, non-virgin heroine, dual POV, spicy time card games

4 stars
1.5 stars

I’m a little late to reviewing but I just finished this book and really loved it! Virginia does my favorite regency rom coms to date and they’re perfect for fans of Bridgerton, who like the regency setting but with more modern themes and banter!

This book was a fun regency romance. I loved the characters in this book and how they developed and grew both as individuals and romantically through the book. Both of the main characters showed a lot of growth as the story progressed. I loved the romance plot between them, I felt it was believable and they both had great chemistry! I am not usually a fan of multiple POVs but this books dual POVs was the perfect addition to this story. I loved getting to see the stories and characters progress through the eyes of both of the main characters. Definitely recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy regency romances and lovable main characters.

This was a great wrap up to the three sisters story and while you could read it as a standalone, it's better as apart of the trilogy. The story is richer that way. I also really liked seeing Venus's character growth from the first two books through now because we are already familiar with her, the diary entries were a nice touch. I liked their story and while I got a little frustrated with Venus in the second half of the book, not so much that I didn't still really like it. If you like historical RomComs, definitely give this one a try.

I have been a big fan of Regency era romances for over 20 years, and Virginia Heath has always been on my radar, but I haven’t read very many of her books. I did read the first book in this series, but missed the second one.

Heroine Venus has been saddled with a name that leads (unsavory) men to assume that she is amorous as her namesake, the goddess of love. This could not be further from the truth, and after a devastating disappointment several years before the book begins, Venus has decided that she is not going to look for love, and will settle for an academic aristocrat who seems to tolerate her presence, although he shows no signs of affection.

Naturally, Venus clashes with happy-go-lucky Galahad, who has made a fortune on gambling. Their already tenuous relationship is thrust into outright animosity when they both believe that they have a rightful claim to the same building: Venus needs to expand her beloved orphanage and Galahad has found the perfect spot for his newest gambling venture.

This is a delightful take on the enemies to lovers trope. Their banter never fails to amuse, especially in the beginning when they are not very fond of each other… although it’s clear that Galahad has always been intrigued by Venus. The romantic pair is supported by a strong cast of secondary characters, many of whom appear in earlier books. Of course, the real stars of the proverbial show are a pair of scrappy orphans.

I enjoyed the diary entries at the beginning of each chapter. They are dated years before the events of the chapter, but they are chronological in nature, and give a great deal of insight into Venus’ character and her growing disillusionment with men.

There was a bit too much of an emphasis on Venus’ body. While waifish heroines were the norm for far too long, times have changed, and being voluptuous is no longer the novelty it once was. While we certainly want to see heroes appreciating their heroines, Galahad was prone to ogling far too often. However, this is forgivable because he is much more of a gentleman than many of the peers around him, and he accepts and supports Venus.

I would recommend Never Wager with a Wallflower. This was a sweet and tender story featuring memorable characters. This is the third book in a series, but it functions well enough as a standalone.


I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

I dove into Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath, the final installment in the Merriwell Sisters series. I was immediately captivated by Venus Merriwell, the heroine. At twenty-three, she's not your typical Regency romance protagonist. Sure, she dreams of love, but her ideal partner is an intellectual, a far cry from the gambling wastrel her father was.

Venus's dedication to her work at the orphanage quickly won me over. She's fiercely independent and takes charge, which is refreshing. However, her constant disapproval of the roguish Galahad, the hero, grew a little tiresome at times. Their banter, though witty, could veer into repetitive "enemies-to-lovers" territory.

The book shines when it focuses on the slow burn of their relationship. I enjoyed their intellectual sparring and the way they challenged each other's viewpoints. The inclusion of the other Merriwell sisters was a delight for fans of the series, adding warmth and humor to the story.

Overall, Never Wager with a Wallflower is a charming Regency romance with a strong, independent heroine. While the plot might not be the most original, the witty dialogue and the characters' growth make for a delightful read. Venus's dedication to the orphanage adds a layer of social commentary, showcasing her compassion and strength. If you're looking for a lighthearted escape with a relatable heroine on a journey of self-discovery, this book is a perfect choice.