I loved this book. Who else would be a match for Venus but Galahad. Name is destiny after all.
Vee has no trust left for men. She’s going to marry a boring man who mostly ignored her and run her orphanage. No surprises. No overwhelming feelings.
Gal is on the cusp of opening his club. He’s found the perfect place and has secured it. He didn’t realize it was next door to Vee’s orphanage. He also didn’t know she was expecting to get one of his buildings to expand.
These two are delicious. They play games. They have no time for one another. One doesn’t tell the truth. The other refuses to see another side.
This was a great finish to this series.

This book was really cute considering I was in a feel-good romance kind of mood! It did start out a little slow, but once it picked up I didn’t want to put it down! It was funny and charming.

Venus dreams of a prince who will love her more than anything else. She is just about to give up and marry an older gentleman with whom she has no true feelings. Enter Galahad who owns gambling houses and draws her attention. There is more fighting between the two of them until he finally shows his true self. The orphanage is most important to Venus and when she watches how well Galahad seems to understand the children, she is hooked. The sexual tension between Venus and Galahad adds a lot of humor. Galahad’s ability to work with the toughest of the boys makes the book a great one. Wonderful characters!

Amazing conclusion to this triology, definitely fun and entertaining, love regency novels and this one was no less. Thanks NetGalley to allowing me to read this amazing story.

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this third and final book in the Merriwell Sisters trilogy, though not as much as the first two. Galahad Sinclair is finally ready to open his own gambling hall, but unfortunately, he must deal with the orphanage next door. Or rather, the woman who runs the orphanage, Miss Venus Merriwell.
What worked:
1. Venus and Galahad make a cute couple, though I didn’t believe they were ever really enemies.
2. I loved hearing about the characters from the first two novels.
3. Vee was a character who clearly cared about helping others, but she was also a romantic at heart.
4. Gal was certainly motivated to succeed after the horrible way his father treated him, but he also cares deeply about Vee. I loved this element.

What didn’t:
1. Vee’s anger at Gal was a little ridiculous. I seemed as if she were manufacturing reasons to be angry at him.
2. I didn’t feel as invested in their story as I did in the secondary characters.

The final story in the Merriwell Sisters series features. the youngest, Venus. Despite wanting to find a partner, Venus has had bad luck with her matches. She spends most of her time managing an orphanage. Galahad Sinclair has been a friend for years and he and Venus enjoy arguing with each other. But underneath it all, they both are attracted to each other which both admit to, but don’t act on. There is minor conflict about Galahad buying a building next door to the orphanage for a gambling den, but overall the whole book was Venus and Galahad sparring verbally and denying their feelings. It got old after a while. Finally, when the book was almost over, they got together and admit what everyone else around them could see. They marry and have kids in the epilogue. A nice end to the series.

What a conclusion to a trilogy that I have been following since the beginning! Of all three books, this one was definitely my favourite. Much like Diana’s book, the story was more of an enemies to lovers and that is by far my favourite trope - so major brownie points from the get-go! While I found the last two books had more of a Bridgerton-esque storyline I found this one stood on its own a bit more and it was majorly to its benefit.
Vee was an amazing MC and I loved all the things we found out about her. In her sisters books she more so comes off as the somewhat annoying and protective little sister, but she really comes out as her own, fully adult woman in this story. Her and Gal’s relationship is so great. They are more so frenemies at the start but they really work through their differences, their pasts, and their feelings to come together as a really strong couple. I found the ending a bit rushed and I wished we did get to see more of them together as a couple.
The epilogue of this book really draws the trilogy together and I’m so happy I got to be a part of reading these book before they were published.

A huge thank you to St.Martin’s Publishing Group for the ARC via NetGalley! All opinions are my own!

Virginia Heath's Never Wager with a Wallflower, the final installment in The Merriwell Sisters trilogy, is a charming Regency romance that follows the enemies-to-lovers shenanigans between Venus (Vee) and Galahad (Gal). The couple's central conflict involves the property next door to the orphanage where Vee has long invested her time and energy, and the novel's most genuinely chuckle-worthy scenes result from the interference of two clever and mischievous orphans.

Having not read the first two books, I cannot speak to how this one fits into and wraps up the series. What I can say is that, as a standalone, it was enjoyable. I specifically enjoyed the banter between Vee and Gal, that Gal pursued their truce without ever crossing the line from opportunistic to objectionable, and how fully the two ultimately accepted each other--flaws, scandals, and all. I also thought including teenage Vee's diary entries was a fun and effective way to prime the reader for each chapter's conflict or epiphany.

My biggest criticism is that considering the Regency setting, there is no way that Vee would have been permitted so much access to Gal in the novel's two post-accident scenes, particularly the last one. I get it: it had to be staged that way to move the plot forward and lead to the one steamy scene, but still. There's a difference between suspending belief and ignoring the restrictions of the setting, and this one pretty solidly came down on the wrong side of that line.

Overall, Never Wager with a Wallflower is a light and satisfying opposites-attract romance with solid character development. I will definitely recommend it through Readers' Advisory, even if I never gush over it.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really wanted to like this book because I've always been a sucker for a good historical romance, but I just couldn't get into this at all.

I had a hard time connecting with the main characters. Venus and Galahad are both so full of themselves, each thinking they are better than the other and at some points I even started to think they thought themselves better than everyone else in the world.

I probably should have DFN'ed the book... Because I honestly regret pushing myself to finish it.

Sorry, just not for me... But it might be someone else's cup-of-tea!

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the third book of Virginia Heath’s Merriwell Sisters trilogy but can be read as a standalone. The main plot involves Venus/Vee Merriwell and Galahad/Gal Merriwell who are known to each other because Vee’s sister married Gal’s brother. Although they don’t particularly care for one another, largely based on their own misconceptions, they develop an attraction that blooms into something more early in the book. The pacing is a bit uneven, the typical third act break up takes place closer to the beginning of act two which bogs down the romance somewhat and in the process lost some of my interest. However, the last part of the novel is much more emotional and romantic. The epilogue is great for fans of the series as it ties up the stories of all three sisters and brings the series to a satisfying conclusion.

There was lots to enjoy in this enemies-to-lovers romance even if it didn’t quite measure up to the two previous books in the series. I particularly enjoyed the comedic scenes which were done exceptionally well, although I would’ve preferred more of them. There is a terrific scene with pigeons, orphans, a broken stew pot and a derriere that requires stitches. There’s some good witty banter and excellent character development, as well as time spent with characters we’ve met in the previous books in the series. I particularly liked the way Heath uses Vee’s diary at the start of each chapter, cleverly foreshadowing upcoming events and providing some background to Vee’s character. Heath’s writing is exceptional, as always, and she makes use of some great symbolism and metaphors for readers who like to dig a little deeper. The symbolism of the three buildings at the heart of the main conflict was my favourite.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a book that’s well written, part rom-com, and part character driven fiction (definitely a must-read for fans of the first two books).

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

If Virginia Heath writes it, I will read it. This was such a fun conclusion to the Merriwell sister's stories! I am forever and always pushing this series on readers. Fun, flirty, and so well written!

I had been so looking forward to this last series of the Merriwell Sisters as the pious Venus Merriwell was going to be attached to Galahad Sinclair!

It’s been five years since the tragedy of Galahad being flattened by Venus and they have tried their best to steer clear of one another however on the day Galahad gains the perfect buildings for his forthcoming business, he coincidentally comes across the self-righteous Venus whom happens to work in the orphanage adjacent to his buildings. Oh I was so excited to find out what they will become of!

I had never laughed so hard over the book for quite some time and Virginia Heath’s book did it to me. I was so engrossed and touched by the caring albeit found family, especially their wager over the cards game between Venus and Galahad, the untamed orphanage kids who have become tameable particularly after the most hilarious incident to make Galahad’s place in chaos, and the regular spar between Venus and Galahad.

This is such a fabulous romance-comedy, well-drawn and moving read. I couldn’t compare each story of Merriwell Sisters as they all are the best. This last Merriwell Sisters series has perfectly completed it.

OVERALL: 3⭐️
STORY: 3⭐️
STORYTELLING: 2.5⭐️
CHARACTERS: 3.5⭐️

Summary:
Miss Venus Merriwell, longing for love, and Galahad Sinclair, a former gambler and family acquaintance, find themselves as neighbors in Covent Garden. While Venus is dedicated to the orphanage she works for, Galahad aims to establish his dream "pleasure palace." As their conflicting paths intersect, they must navigate challenges and take a chance on love.

Personal note:

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced readers copy. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Venus and Galahad. However, my main critique is that the third person omniscient narrator tended to be lengthy in their internal monologues, and I believe it could have been more engaging if told in first person. Additionally, there was a significant amount of telling rather than showing, which diminished the nuanced characterization and slightly affected the overall execution of the story for me.

I gave three stars because I love romance, and especially regency romance as of late.

"Never Wager with a Wallflower '' serves as the captivating conclusion to the Merriwell sisters trilogy. This installment takes a refreshing turn toward an enchanting enemy-to-lovers narrative.

Set five years after the initial encounter between Venus and Galahad in "Never Rescue a Rogue," where Venus's sister married Galahad's cousin, we delve into Venus's world. A romantic at heart, Venus has experienced past heartbreaks and struggles to discover her own Prince Charming. Devoting her time and energy to the orphanage she runs, Venus finds herself in dire need of funds to expand its operations. On the other hand, Galahad has relentlessly pursued his lifelong dream of owning a gaming club. Serendipitously, he acquires the perfect location adjacent to the orphanage, unbeknownst to Venus. As neighbors, Venus and Galahad clash in their pursuits, each determined to achieve their goals.

Its distinctive atmosphere posed some challenges, particularly in sympathizing with Venus during certain moments of the story. Admittedly, Venus's character didn't particularly captivate me. Her actions often left me frustrated, leading me to align myself more with Galahad's perspective. Nevertheless, I must emphasize that my personal qualms with the character do not reflect any shortcomings in the author's writing. The book adeptly ties up loose ends and provides a satisfying conclusion, complemented by an enjoyable epilogue that beautifully concludes the series.

Fans of the Merriwell sisters trilogy will appreciate the author's skillful storytelling and the conclusive touch provided by the final installment's delightful epilogue.

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the third book in Virginia Heath's Merriwell Sisters trilogy. This is the first book I've read in this series, and while there was some backstory that felt like it would have added dimension, I was able to jump right in, so it can be read as a standalone.

Venus Merriwell is passionate about teaching the children at the orphanage where she spends most of her time. She has set her cap for a respectable (boring) older gentleman, who she believes will be good for her. After all, who needs passion or excitement? Certainly not Venus. And definitely not in the form of Galahad Sinclair, who is the cousin of her brother-in-law, and the owner of a rowdy den of iniquity on the London docks. Galahad, in return, is determined to succeed with his newest venture, an upscale club in the heart of Covent Garden. When it just so happens to be right next to Venus' orphanage, the two can't help but run in to each other, and sparks fly.

This was an enjoyable read, though slow at times. Both characters were a little frustrating in that they didn't want to talk or listen to each other, and the climax felt very rushed. I would read more by this author though!

The third and final book in the Merriwell Sisters trilogy. I found it to be a pretty fun and enjoyable read. The banter was witty and the overall plot of the story made it easy to get lost within the pages of the book. If you like enemies to lovers, regency/historical romances, and romantic comedies, then I think you would definitely like this one!

ARC provided by S. Martin's Press via NetGalley, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

This one just wasn’t for me. The enemies to lovers was great but the mmc wasn’t doing it for me.. I tried really hard to get into this one and just couldn’t unfortunately. I’m sure it’s the perfect book for someone but I’m not the someone.

I really like this book. Is was swoony and cute. The characters were very well written and they had a great connection.

The first time Venus Merriwell met Galahad Sinclair, she thought that he was an intruder and laid him out, and their relationship was pretty much all downhill from there. Since meeting four years ago, the two have avoided each other and stuck with polite pleasantries when the need arose, but now that Galahad has plans to build a social club next door to Venus’s beloved orphanage, he’s trying to get in her good graces to avoid being bludgeoned or poisoned for bringing sin and debauchery to the orphans’ doorstep.

Venus has all but sworn off men after a series of failed social seasons and a bevy of gentlemen who only want her for all the sensual pursuits her name suggests. When Galahad Sinclair starts swaggering into the forefront of her life, she can’t help but be suspicious of his motives.

Venus & Galahad have incredible chemistry from the start. If the love interests don’t start out wanting to strangle each other, are they really meant to be?

I loved seeing Venus in her role as a teacher at the orphanage, especially her relationships with the Claypole twins. After seeing Venus as the little sister in the previous books, it was great to see her shine and develop outside of her family. Each chapter opens with one of her diary entries throughout the years, and we’re reminded just how far Vee has come over the course of the series. Both Venus and Galahad have a tendency to be distrusting and struggle to open up to one another, but they each see a kindred spirit in the other. They have some really beautiful conversations about what has forged them into the people they are now, but there are lots of moments of silliness and joy that make it clear why they’re so far gone for each other.

This was a really lovely conclusion to the Merriwell Sisters trilogy, especially the epilogue that had no business making me feel as many feelings as it did. I love the Merriwells and the men who love them, and I want Jeremiah and Olivia to unofficially adopt me too.

3 1/2.

I have enjoyed the other books in the series and I liked this one as well.

It was great to finally get Vee's story and also to catch up with the older sisters.

Vee and Galahad don't have the best impression of each other, especially being at complete opposites for what they work for. As they start spending more time together, their opinions shift and they're able to see past their first impressions.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.