I was not a fan of the first in the series and sadly this one followed suit. Something about the writing is just off putting to me.

This book is part of a series but this is the first one I’m reading. I don’t feel like I missed anything by not reading the other books but now I want to because you hear them in this book and they sound very interesting. I thought this was a good and fast read. The story moved along well and the characters were interesting. Venus volunteers at an orphanage and Galahad wants to open a gaming hell next door- of course they don’t get along- at first! A must read!

A delightful finish to the very charming story of the Merriwell Sisters. I do highly recommend you read the other books first. There are references to things that happened earlier to the characters. We also see a lot of growth in the youngest Merriwell, Vee, from the first book to now.

This is Vee's time to shine with the not what he seems Gal. Both are main characters see a lot of personal growth in this story. Both Vee and Gal are so darn loveable. There are plenty of hijinks along the way as they start to defrost towards each other and pursue their individual dreams. Of course, the rag tag team of orphan boys steal the show. We also get lots of opportunities to check up on the other sisters and their families.

What I like best about the Merriwell Sisters is that they aren't just sitting around drinking tea and attending balls they are out there making the world better even after they find financial stability.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

NEVER WAGER WITH A WALLFLOWER is the much anticipated third book in the Merriwell Sisters Regency series. There are sneaky orphans, secrets galore, sexy interludes, sassy banter, and much more in this wonderful novel! The youngest sister, Venus, meets her match in this adventurous tale. The hunkalicious American, Galahad Sinclair, has gambling in his blood, it's in his heritage after being raised by his grandfather who owned a tavern on the seedy docks in New York. He's worked hard, has a successful gaming hall, and wants to expand his business in Covent Garden. Coincidentally, he finds the perfect place, only it's located next to an orphanage. Much to his surprise, it's where Venus, the gorgeous, frustrating lady, who rubs him the wrong way, works! Will this be a bad thing or can they work things out?

Venus works and spends all her time at the orphanage, tirelessly improving and educating the orphans lives. However, they are desperately needing more space to grow. The building next door would be perfect. Only, she discovers that her nemesis, Galahad, has bought the place. The nerve of the man! Galahad and Venus can't get along and her orphans undermine the construction of his business. Will they stop arguing long enough to discover that the sparks flying between them is a burning, fiery attraction?

Spectacular characters, smart-alecky banter, and a satisfying plot makes, NEVER WAGER WITH A WALLFLOWER a rousing success! I got pulled into this extremely entertaining series and interested in the lives of all the characters. This story is a speedy page turner! I loved the way Venus and Galahad sparred at every turn, but when they learn of each other's past, they opened up their hearts to each other. I wondered if they would ever overcome all their differences, but the author expertly pens a perfect ending to her series. I am sad to see it come to an end. This one of my favorite romantic series. Go ahead and indulge in this rollicking regency romance. It's perfect entertainment for a lazy day at the beach!

I read all three of these books as e-ARCs and I enjoyed them all. I definitely would've liked this book even more if I could remember the plot of Never Rescue a Rogue but I did manage to muddle my memory together about it.

This is a great historical romance. It contains enough of a regular plot (outside of a romance) to make the book enjoyable and the two characters are fun to read.

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the final book in Virginia Heath’s Merriwell Sister series. The stories centers on the youngest Merriwell sister Venus, or Vee as she prefers to be called (given her name combined with her curvy frame brings out the worst in the rakes of the ton), and Galahad Sinclair, the cousin of Vi’s latest brother-in-law. Vee and Gal met under inauspicious circumstances five years prior (during the events of book 2) and, despite some initial sparks, have largely spent the intervening period ignoring or avoiding the other. Vee sees Gal as just another lying reprobate while Gal sees Vee as a stuck up bluestocking. But when Gal realizes that the building he purchased for his new gaming club is next door to the orphanage that Vee has dedicated herself to, he decides getting on her good side is the only way to achieve his dream without alienating their mutual friends and family. To make matters worse, Vee also has her heart set on the building next door as a means of alleviating the burden on the overcrowded orphanage, putting them at odds once again. But as they are forced to spend more and more time together, they realize there is far more to the other than either of them initially thought. Both of have spent a long time dedicating themselves to a dream – Vee to making a difference in the lives of the children of the orphanage and Gal to carry on his grandfather’s legacy—so the question becomes—are either of them willing to risk their dreams for love.

I really enjoyed this charming historical romance. It was fun and funny and I read it largely in one sitting. I was pleasantly surprised that what I thought was going to be the third act conflict (namely the reveal that Gal had already purchased the building next door unbeknownst to Vee) was revealed much earlier in the book. I appreciated that the characters had the time and space to actively work through the challenge (and the feelings that arose because of the circumstances surrounding it) rather than it being immediately handled through the usual grand gesture or bit of groveling. The orphans and their hijinks were a fun side plot and I would have loved even more of them. Overall a terrific read and a fantastic conclusion to an enjoyable series.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC; all opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a regency romance with a modern twist, then look no further than the Merriwell sisters! These novels are full of intrigue, humor, and romance - and NEVER WAGER WITH A WALLFLOWER is no different. I flew through Gal & Vee's story, and I think you will too!

rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
genre: romance, historical romance
steam: closed door, implied intimacy

This book is the perfect example of the Rake falling for the Nerd. Vee, after having her feeling swindled one too many times, has decided that a romantic love isn't for her and she'll settle for a marriage of intellectual equals - even if one's partner is barely tolerable otherwise. Gal, being an immigrant and a self-made man, lives on the outskirts of society and only toils with the ton when it serves his business interests (or when forced to by one of his sister-in-laws). Neither thought true love was in the cards for them.

But fate had other ideas.

If there's a single thing I love about Heath's novels, it's the banter. It it TOP NOTCH in every novel, and Vee & Gal are no exception. Just reading their heated discussions had me cackling and turning the pages for more.

Read If You Like:
Historical Romance
Dual POV
Meddling Extended Family
And Meddling Orphans

One word of caution: This book does not do well as a standalone. If you haven't read the previous two novels, you might be a little lost as the backstory is briefly mentioned and not hashed out again as it tends to be in other similar romance stories.

A wonderful conclusion to Virginia Heath's series about the Merriwell sisters! "Never Wager with a Wallflower" is the story of Venus "Vee" Merriwell and Galahad "Gal" Sinclair. They collided - literally - several years prior to the events of this book but have never truly connected even though both feel a frisson when in the presence of the other. This begins to change after Galahad buys a set of buildings next to the orphanage where Vee spends much of her time and energy. He wants to be on good terms, but things quickly move beyond that. However, he does not share all pertinent information with Vee, and spends much of the book trying to redeem himself while also struggling with his own tortured past in order to allow himself to truly feel the feelings he has for Vee.

Heath is an author whose work I almost always enjoy and this book is no exception. Vee and Galahad are well-written as are the various secondary characters. The angst comes from working through interpersonal issues versus some external villain, but the angst is well-done. The steamy parts are well-integrated. I also loved the excerpts from Vee's diary that begin each chapter. Having read the previous books in this series, those excerpts gave a lot of insight into Vee's feelings and how she becomes the woman she is in "Never Wager with a Wallflower." I do note that this book would work as a standalone, though I highly recommend the other entries in this series.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Fast and Furious review: What a dud! Way to end a perfectly great series with an absolute boring book.

Recap: We have followed sheltered and spoiled Venus for the past two books. In book one she is a sheltered adult-child that throws tantrums when she is upset about something. She defends her good-for-nothing father until he practically laughs in her face and abandons her, AGAIN. In book two, she is on her morally high horse, however she redeems herself when she enters the adventure and helps our Diana and Giles. Book two is also where we meet Galahad and get a glimpse of their potentially rocky relationship. This book follows their relationship from annoyed acquaintances to HEA. She loves her charity, he buys the building next to it and....yup, that's the only issue.

Venus was beyond annoying and made mountains out of molehills about everything. She was entitled and demanded that Galahad give her something he worked really hard to get. UGH! Galahad was on the boring side and I just kept reading it to get glimpses of the past characters.

Thank you #NetGalley for proving me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review..

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the concluding chapter of the Merriwell Sisters' story, focusing on the romantic journey of Venus, the younger sister. The narrative is presented from a dual point of view, alternating between Vee and Galahand Sinclair. Galahad, a young American entrepreneur, stumbles upon the perfect location for his dream business, only to discover the orphanage where Vee volunteers is located right next door.

The story can be described as an "enemy to lovers" tale, intertwined with the miscommunication trope. Personally, I found the character development of both protagonists quite engaging. However, there were instances where the pacing felt sluggish, and the internal monologue, particularly from Vee, tended to become repetitive. Nevertheless, the author reveals a significant event in Vee's life towards the end of the book, shedding light on her thoughts and actions.

While I appreciated Heath's conclusion to this story, I couldn't help but wish for more lighthearted moments reminiscent of her previous works. Despite this, I am satisfied with the way she wrapped up the narrative, giving a sense of closure and peace.


A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Merriwell Sister series is SO good and I was so excited to get an early copy of book 3! Regency rom-coms are such a special genre and Virgina Heath does it perfectly. I highly recommend this book, but honestly start from the beginning and enjoy them all!

I wish I read the first 2 books in the series now because I wanted to see the love stories of the other Merriwell sisters. It was a quick and easy read and the enemies to lovers trope made this simmer. I loved all the characters and the orphans who were running around messing with Galahad made his character better. Venus is fiery and I love their sparring.

Venus and Galahad have always had a contentious relationship. Galahad would like to change this cause his feelings for avenue have changed. The fact they both want ownership of a building to help build their separate dreams doesn’t help matters.

This is the third story in this charming series about sisters and I had a good time reading it. I was laughing at Galahad’s goading and teasing of Venus. And I’m glad Venus gave just as good as she got.

I fully recommend this book. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I had the best time reading this book! It just put a smile on my face that was never ending. I think this was the perfect regency romance book.
I just reviewed Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first two in the series. At times (lots of times actually) I got really annoyed with Vee and wished she'd stop being such an idiot.

A great conclusion to a lovely trilogy. The banter was great and the plot was extremely well balanced. The addition of the orphans really made the story even better.

I hadn't read the first two books when I jumped into this one. And let me tell you, I was in a bit of a book slump going into it, so I was a bit apprehensive. But, oh my goodness, was I pleasantly surprised! I loved every second of this book, thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC! Despite not having read the first two books, I didn't feel like I was missing anything important. The story is told from two different points of view - Venus Marriwell and Galahad Sinclair. Venus has been waiting for her prince to come and save her from her life of disappointment, while Galahad has been building his gambling empire in London. After five years of partying it up, Galahad is finally ready to settle down and buy his dream pleasure palace. But wouldn't you know it, the perfect building he just bought is the same one that Venus needs to expand the orphanage next door. These two have never gotten along and always avoided each other like the plague. But now that they're neighbors, things are gonna have to change.

Let's talk about the time period. For the most part, it felt pretty realistic. And the writing style? Spot on. It felt like it fit the time period perfectly. Sure, there were some moments that didn't feel entirely accurate to the 1800s (like that kiss in public on the streets of Brighton), but it wasn't so outlandish that I couldn't keep reading. I mean come on, this is fiction, right?

Moving on to the characters. Gal and Vee are the absolute standouts of this book, as they should be. They felt like real people with real fears that were keeping them from achieving their goals. I found myself rooting for them the entire time and wanting to smack some sense into them. And the orphans? Oh my goodness, I fell in love with those little rascals. Tommy and Sydney and Billy were pleasant additions to the character list and I found myself hoping for their success as the book ended.

One of the things that really surprised me was how invested I became in the characters' stories. I didn't really have much of an emotional attachment to the other sisters because I hadn't read their stories yet. But after reading this book, I will definitely be going back and reading their stories, even if I know how it all ends. That's how much I loved this book.

Now, let's talk about the spicy scenes. They weren't super explicit, but they were still pretty good. And let me tell you, I am a sucker for tension. If you are too, then this book is definitely for you. It's filled with tension. Since this story is told from a dual POV, you get the inner workings of both characters. Because of this, you know pretty early on that both characters have feelings for one another. However both fail to acknowledge said feelings and when they do, decide that it's for the best to ignore them completely.

I felt like the dynamic between the two main characters was similar to that of Pride and Prejudice. Vee, the protagonist, learned about Gal's character from those around him, much like how Elizabeth learned about Darcy's character from his acquaintances. She also held a lot of prejudice against him because of biases she had based on her past. And Gal? He's very reserved and guarded, much like Darcy. In order to go through life and achieve his goals he must keep everyone at arm's length because what people don’t know they can’t use against you. As the story progresses, we witness the growth and evolution of both characters and their relationship with each other. Once both characters broke down each other’s walls and really took a look at what was in front of them, it was end game. This was definitely a long slow-burn enemies-to-lovers period piece that left me giddy with excitement.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fun regency read with characters from the two previous books in the series.

*****5 stars!

“I suppose we are all shaped by our history, aren’t we?”


First I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this wonderful book! I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give it an honest review.

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?

Never Wager With a Wallflower was everything I wanted and more! It was such a delight to be able to read this book. It was the perfect ending to the Merriwell sister’s story, from the first moment I started this book I could hardly put it down! Just like the first and second books, I was sucked into the story and became consumed with the romance of Venus and Galahad! The tension between the two characters was absolutely perfect and the banter only added to that tension! Once again I was on the very edge of my seat as I devoured each chapter, eager to see where our main characters would find themselves next.

I felt both Venus and Galahad were very well rounded and relatable characters; I enjoyed being able to see into their minds and understanding them better as characters. Both of them were so different and yet so similar to the other thus making them the perfect fit. I really liked being able to get to know Venus more as a character, she is so very much like her sisters but with a very charming flair that is all her own. She is headstrong and stubborn as well as playful and compassionate. Where Galahad has many sides to himself that are all one in the same, but more importantly he is compassionate and down to earth. Their ability to get under one another’s skin and poke fun at the other made this book very fun and charming to read! Their stubbornness only added to the story and their romance! I also enjoyed being able to see old beloved characters from the precious books, Olivia especially! Her matchmaking skills never get old! Not to mention Giles' many snarky remarks added into various situations.

This book is about finding and following your dreams, which is such a beautiful message. I am so sad to see this series come to an end, these books quickly became a favorite of mine and I look forward to rereading them and losing myself in the stories all over again!

It was such a joy to read this series and it is definitely one I would recommend, especially if you’re looking for a swoony worthy historical romance with a lot of witty banter and romantic tension! I can’t wait to read more of Virginia Heath’s books! She has definitely become one of my favorite authors!

Read this 3rd book in the series as an e-ARC from NetGalley. I’ve enjoyed this trio of books about the Merriwell sisters, and this one isn’t an exception. It’s a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers where both have a lot of pst trauma they need to process in order to be able to trust one another. I really liked a lot of aspects of the writing, The author does a great job of reminding you of Vee’s antics from the prior books and the background she and Gal already have. The two scenes of them playing Whist with members of Vee’s family are excellent and I found the antics at the orphanage charming as a way to reveal Gal’s character. Overall, a sweet story that I’d recommend (though probably best read in order after with the others in the series)