Despite “getting up there in life” (by Victorian standards) Venus is holding out for love. She is happy to dedicate her time and resources to the kids at Covent Garden orphanage. That is until Galahad Sinclair attempts to open up a gambling den next door.

I come to historical romances for one thing… to swoon like a proper lady. I was definitely snickering instead of swooning here but I’m okay with that because the shenanigans were just too ridiculous. Some characters find themselves in some sticky situations… literally and pure comedic gold ensues. The hijinks were led by a cast of supporting characters who managed to steal the spotlight from the male couple.

Despite the comedic relief the book still manages to nicely build tension between two opposites that produces all kinds of angst. Both Gal and Venus have unfortunate pasts (and names if we are being honest) and Heath managed to create a sweet story about them overcoming their insecurities.

Popular tropes include:

Closed door romance (edit note: perhaps generally being routinely interrupted is a more proper classification of this but IMO still not as open door or spicy as perhaps the rabbit hole of romances I currently find myself reading... to me open door is open and detailed for the entire bedroom scene. Maybe it's my poor memory or my view but I'll let you be the judge...)
Opposites attract
Forced proximity
Miscommunication
Internal Pining

This is the final book in the Merriwell sisters series and while I am sad to see them go, I’m looking forward to reading whatever new characters Heath introduces next.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Virginia Heath's Never Wager With A Wallflower, I found out it was the final book in a trilogy, This did not keep it from being an enjoyable stand-alone. I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed the characters as well as the plot. This is an easy read that will keep you entertained.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to review.

DNF at 44%. I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but I rarely liked the appearances from the third sister, Vee, who seemed quite childish whenever she popped up. Unfortunately, when she takes centre stage in this book, I didn't end up liking her any more than before - she's fairly sanctimonious, and while everyone around her goes on about how smart she is, this seems to be mostly expressed by reading Shakespeare, which isn't a particularly compelling trait. I also didn't fall in love with gambler Galahad - gambling dens and Americans-out-of-water are two things that are a hard sell for me in historical romance, so he was ill-fated from the beginning, and while I found him a good match for Vee in the sense that he, too, is incredibly sanctimonious, I really disliked his point of view. The breaking point for me was a protacted scene between the two leads and an orphan boy from Vee's orphanage, which seemed to be there purely to allow the characters to showcase their hearts of gold, and really dragged. Unfortunately, I think this one just isn't for me.

I absolutely adored this series and I'm sad to see it come to an end. The Merriwell sister were characters that one couldn't help rooting for and Olivia gave these books anjoyable comedic aspect. It's easy to ship Vee and Gal, even though they are the absolute worst at communicating. I loved how much they both cared for the orphans while also following their dreams.

3.5 rounded up

I thought I might like this, but I don't really think that Heath is a strong writer. Also, I hate the way that she tries to incorporate the regency period into these books. It's distracting instead of whimsical.

Scintillating read. The author did not disappoint. Plot was funny and characters were relatable! Great way to end the story of the three sisters.

3.75 ⭐️

I haven't read the first two books into this series but I love a good regency era read! The other sisters and their fiancés make appearances in this book so if you read the first two books and in love with the couples, then you must read this one! This book is an enemies to lover trope with a mix of Vee's journal entry which was so fun to read. There was some time when I was a bit annoyed with Vee but I love the romance between Vee and Galahad! Vee's character was not my full fav and kinda felt flat??? The romance wasn't super spicy and it did have less tension vibes, but that didn't stop me from fully enjoying the book.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This delightful laugh out loud regency romance had me from the beginning. I enjoyed the story and loved the banter between the characters. I knew going in this was the last of the series and after reading this I want to read the first two.

I quite love this romance. I wanted so bad to read this book, I really love the Merriwell sisters and I love Venus since the first book. She was almost a child there, but know she’s all grownups and she turns into a brilliant, forceful woman, who can make her own choices. I so proud of her. I quite like her romance, her fiancée is a rogue but a good one, like the husbands of her sisters. I love every appearances of Minerva and Diana and Hugh and Giles. I miss them all. I will miss Venus and Galahad too.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC!

I probably should of read the first two installments of this series to give this book a fair shake. But what I did read I enjoyed.

Historical tales are not usually my thing so I had to make a few exceptions for this book.

Thank you to NetGalle, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I just reviewed Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL] I enjoyed it, and it was a rather quick read for me. I have not read the first two books in the series. It didn't seem to affect my comprehension of the book though so that was nice. Overall, I enjoyed it.

“Oh, I have a pair. The definitive pair, in fact. A pair that cannot be beaten… you… and me.”

A five star book with a one star heroine.

This was such a strange experience. There is so much to love here. I especially adored the hero, Galahad. However, I really had some major problems with the heroine, Vee. More on this later. First of all, the many good things.
It was so fun to get back into this series, and I was a little sad to see it end. I am still enamored with the whole family! The callbacks to the first two books through the journal entries was a nice touch. When Diana goes into labor I laughed out loud. And the new characters are a lot of fun- especially Muldoon, Billy, and the Claypoles.
Galahad is a deep man with a sweet heart. He has trauma that is discussed beautifully, and it was so refreshing to see a character become stronger in spite of his past. He is kind, generous, and gallant. The way he sees the potential in the orphans is really endearing. And no matter what Vee does he is devoted to her!
But then we get to Venus. I am shocked more people aren’t annoyed with her. About halfway through the book Vee asks of herself, “How on earth could a person as clever and as intuitive as she was have missed something so staggeringly obvious?” And that’s kind of how I felt about her the whole book. Her reaction to the main conflict of the book is incredibly overblown. She has absolutely no empathy or consideration for others’ feelings, including her supposed “soulmate”, who’s dream she does not give two moments thought to until the last chapter. At times she is just plain cruel to Gal, and the only resolution for that is that she thinks at one point, ‘Oh I probably shouldn’t have played with his feelings like that,’ for all of two seconds. She confides in a child that she knows is prone to pranks and then is surprised when there are consequences. She strings along her other suitor (who is pompous and annoying, but still a person with feelings that she gives literally no thought to). She’s harsh with the woman who has helped to raise her, and there is never any catharsis. Her past does not make up for any of this, especially because (unlike Galahad) she never moves past her problems to grow into a better person. And she leaves books open on the chair arms!
The writing was great, the ending was sweet, I loved the last few chapters and the declaration, but I honestly have to take 2 complete stars off for Vee and the majorly problematic things she did.

Star Rating: 3/5 (-2 stars for Vee)
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, casino owner
CW: Death, violence, poverty, toxic relationship, abusive parent

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has what I like to call the Emma Effect. Inspired by Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, I think the term helpfully explains books where families, typically in-laws, connect the characters.

In Never Wager with a Wallflower, the protagonist Venus “Vee” Merriwell, falls in love with her sister’s husband’s cousin, i.e., her brother-in-law’s cousin. This loose family connection adds to the intrigue as the Found Family of in-laws gives the male protagonist, Galahad Sinclair, a family he’s never had after being abandoned by his father and the tragic loss of his grandfather and mother.

My favorite part of the book is Vee’s journal entries. They made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. This book is a true Romantic Comedy.

You can read this as a standalone or as the trilogy's final book. However, I read it as a series and will be doing a ranking shortly!

I came into this book not knowing it was the last in a trilogy. That might have impacted it for me as I did have some trouble keeping track of the secondary characters as I was not familiar with their stories.

Venus and Galahad had a nice enemies to lovers arc but I was hoping for more tension between them and a much steamier read. It was nice light hearted read if that’s what you’re looking for

Thank you to St Martins and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

First, I will admit when I requested this ARC that I didn’t realize it was supposed to be a historically-set romance. I suppose the names, most especially Galahad’s, should’ve tipped me off, but there are so many bizarre names authors choose for their characters (and PARENTS choose for their KIDS - WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, PEOPLE!?), that kind of slid by me undetected. Coupled with not having read her other books and the cover art, which I realize is not Heath’s fault, I was taken a bit by surprise.

As a lover of historical romances (I used to read them exclusively), I quickly shifted mindset for the time period indicated.

Wow, was I disappointed.

I’ve gotten accustomed to authors more thoroughly researching what they write, especially when it comes to behaviors and most especially speech. So much of the dialogue used in this book was horrifying from a historical standpoint. Firstly, Gal’s speech: New Yorkers don’t talk like that. At all. The hideous slang he uses is far more frequent in states south of the Mason-Dixon line, or west and south of Ohio/Indiana/Illinois. When he spoke or thought in such a manner, I cringed. CRINGED.

Secondly, while I realize this is the third installment of a “rags to riches” family story, Vee’s behaviors still felt flat to me, as did HER manner of speaking. The whole thing just didn’t sit right for the time period, save the implied Cockney of the mischievous orphans.

Three stars because the book didn’t disgust me enough to rate it lower, but leaves me with no desire to seek out its predecessors.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

This is a fantastic conclusion to the series!!!!

I really, really loved Vee’s character and she met her match with Galahan! The events here were very cute and stayed true to Virginia Heath’s style. Readers of the first two books will love this, and new readers will undoubtedly want to pick up the first two.

Never Wager with a Wallflower is a historical romance and the final book in the Merriwell sisters trilogy. This book has a bit of a different feel than the previous two books. It is more an enemy to lovers than a historical rom-com like the prior books. That being said, I think the book was a good ending to the series.

Never Wager with a Wallflower begins 5 years after Venus and Galahad first met in Never Rescue a Rogue where Venus's sister married Galahad's cousin. Venus is a romantic at heart but has been hurt in the past and can't seem to find her prince charming. She spends most of her time and attention on running an orphanage. The orphanage is in serious need of money and needs to expand. Galahad has worked hard his whole life to accomplish his dream of owning a gaming club. As luck would have it, he finds the perfect location and purchases buildings to turn into his gaming club. Unfortunately, the dream location is next to the orphanage and Venus is not happy that a gaming club will be next door to their orphanage. Finding themselves as neighbors, Venus and Galahad clash and they both try to accomplish their goals.

While I think this was a good book, it wasn't my favorite of the series. This one just had a different feel to it and I struggled a bit with liking or sympathizing with Venus at certain points in the book. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy Venus's character in the previous books either. In book one, she was really annoying to me but she was redeemed a bit in book two as she seemed more grown and less childlike. In this book, she just frustrated me quite a bit and I found myself siding and sympathizing with Galahad. That being said, I do think this was a good story and while I don't like the character, it has nothing to do with the author's writing. This book did a good job of tying up everything and I also enjoyed the epilogue at the end that put a finishing bow on the series.

Just FYI, I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

London - 1830

Galahad Sinclair finally seems to be realizing his dream of building and running a pleasure palace. The small gambling hall he's owned since arriving in England from New York has helped him finance this dream. The opportunity to buy a group of buildings in Covent Garden will guarantee him a spot in the middle of "sin city". There's only one tiny problem. The building next to his houses an orphanage where his cousin's sister-in-law, Venus Merriwell, volunteers. To Gal, Venus has always seemed overly pious and unapproachable, despite her lovely looks. He'll have to tread carefully.

Venus, Vee to her family and friends, has not had much luck in the love department. After being unceremoniously dumped by a previous suitor, she has decided that marriage is not in her future. Her work at the orphanage has strengthened that resolve, despite having to find ways to help finance the crumbling building, and keep the children safe. Now there is the unbelievable chance that a gambling hall will open up next door, thanks to her brother-in-law's cousin, Galahad. The two have never hit it off, and this event will not help.

Reading Vee's diary entries at the beginning of each chapter, readers will get an up close view of why she holds her heart close, and is reluctant to let that guard down. But Gal is loosening some of those guards with his attention, although they still argue about too many things. For Gal, seeing a different side of Vee has made him wonder about his own reluctance to let a woman get close.

Can Vee and Gal get over their animosity for each other? And what will come of Gal's dream business and the orphanage? Readers will need to wait for those answers as the duo spar, think about their futures, and wonder if dreams do come true.

NEVER WAGER WITH A WALLFLOWER is Book 3 of the Merriwell Sisters, and has one surprise after another. Enjoy!

What a wonderful conclusion to the series! Absolutely loved Never Wager with a Wallflower so so much!

What an amazing book! I loved everything about the story. It has an easy to read storyline that keeps your full attention. I loved how the book had a happy ending. The author did an amazing job writing this. From the descriptions of the settings, you literally feel like you’re there. If you can read any book, please choose this book.