Georgie is such a delight with her unwavering bright light. Despite having little in life, she always manages to find a smile and bring sunshine to those around her. Is it any wonder Harry is so taken by her. She completely upends his life and changes al his goals. I loved Harry’s relationship with his nieces & nephew. They bring out his fun side. Oh, I do love some conniving children. The rambunctious somewhat manipulative children were a true bright spot in this story. Not all appreciate kids in romance but I love the lightness and humour they bring. This story is full of laughs, tender moments and a beautiful love story.

This book was such a slog the get through. From the synopsis, it seemed like it was right up my alley! But it unfortunately wasn’t. Georgie was very annoying to me at first. There is only so much not like other girls (regency edition) I can take. Every character lacked depth. They felt like undeveloped caricatures despite the book feeling overly long. Do these people learn anything? Not really. We’re supposed to believe they should end up together but there’s not much to demonstrate they understand each other deeply. Or even care about more than physical attraction. This makes me sad because I have read and liked books by Heath before. This one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Unfortunately, I decided that this wasn’t the book for me and have decided to not finish reading.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read this book!

4.5/5 Stars

When naval captain Henry Kincaid is left with his sister's three unruly children and their dog unexpectedly, he realizes he is going to need some help. He travels to Miss Prentice's School for Girls and asks to hire an emergency governess. Georgina Rowe, a governess with different ideas of care for her charges is employed but doesn't see eye-to-eye with the Captain. As she spends more time in his charge they begin falling in love.

I thought this was a lot of fun! It was a tad repetitive and there is a lot of the miscommunication trope, but I really enjoyed it. I loved Georgie and the relationship she grew with the children. She was so loving, caring and patient. The slow burn between Georgie and Henry was fun to watch and I also loved the banter she had with Henry. I liked how Henry was so rigid in his ways, but would completely melt when it came to anything involving his nieces and nephew. The children were the highlight of the story for me - they were so cute and mischievous, I loved them. There is also a dog, which any story that features a dog is a plus for me. I thought the ending was cute, and I would definitely recommend picking this up if you are a fan of The Sound of Music!

In All’s Fair in Love and War, an outspoken governess finally lands a job and manages to win a husband as well. It’s a fun and engaging read the provides a satisfying HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a fun regency read with a lot of humorous moments. The characters are well-developed and the writing style is enjoyable. My 3-star rating simply comes down to personal taste, and I feel like this one was a bit too slow to hold my interest, so I didn't connect with the story as much as I'd hoped. That being said, I do think readers who enjoy lighthearted historical romance will enjoy this book, and I encourage them to give it a shot.

I loved the cover of this book and it caught my eye right away. I liked the storyline and the main characters were ones I would love to read about again! I really enjoyed their story and would recommend it for a light read!

I loved the premise of this book, but the slow start and overwhelming amount of assuming instead of action or dialog between the two main characters caused me to lose interest. I did not finish this title.

A fun regency romance, steeped in Heath's signature wit and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this new book from Virginia Heath, as an author it feels like she really found her voice in the Merriwell Sisters trilogy and this book is written with a lot more confidence that some of her earlier work. Both lead characters feel fully realized and the plot is tight and neat. I read this in one sitting, so it definitely held my interest and the story moves along quickly. I loved both characters from the start and found the ending very satisfying. I look forward to more of Miss Prentice's Protegees!

This one had a very slow start for me. I needed more dialogue and action, there was too much speculation on the parts of the MCs. It eventually picked up but by then I was bored. I have loved other books by this author so I will definitely try again!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rating

I really enjoy Virginia Heath's writing, I fell like her characters always have humorous banter and there is also some action sequence that is exciting. This one was no different. I really enjoyed Georgie and Harry's characters, I loved the dynamic between them and the set up as her as the governess (or nanny) and him as the employer (pseudo-single dad). It has been a trope I have been really into this year so it was fun to read one set in a historical romance. I also enjoyed the children in this book, I thought they were well-written and realistic. The antics with the dog and moving houses added in some fun scenarios for our MCs to become closer.

I will say that I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first. While I am fine with a slow burn I really do find it irritating when the characters make things up in their heads about the other or when the male protagonist tries to sleep with someone else in order to 'get over his feelings' for our FMC. This of course in turn makes the FMC think she is ugly and unwanted, even though prior to that moment she doesn't even seem to think about him in that way or doesn't know him well enough to have those made-up thoughts. It just kind of drags the story a bit. I find it better when the MMC is struggling with his feelings internally and then has an explosive moment where he just blurts them out, without all the, let me go find someone else to take my mind off the one I really want.

If you love slow burn romance than this one is for you. It was slow and steady and I could not put it down. It was super charming and well paced for the story. I will say that this could have been 5 stars but there was so much inner monologue that it kind of overtook parts of the story. But that was my only issue with this one. I loved the characters and it was super cute.

This is a first read by this author for me. Unfortunately, I didn't connect to this author's voice or characters to continue reading this story.

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

A heartwarming tale of a found family, this book follows Georgie, an opinionated governess, and Harry, a would-be stickler and navy leader. For years, both of their paths have been set—with no room for a detour, let alone for love. Things go off-course when Harry’s sister leaves her three young children in his care, temporarily. Can the order-loving Captain and the free-spirited governess call a truce?

This is regency-style romance, but it was not in any way stuffy or too buttoned up! I recommend this one and I’m looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book!

This Regency era, governess romance is filled with witty banter, quirky lines, and unforgettable characters. Yes I know a governess is different from a nanny, but this still gives me nanny romance vibes and I absolutely love that.

The way that Harry spends half his lines misquoting “war heroes” had me in stitches. When Georgie corrected him the first time, it felt like a miniature mic drop and. It. Made. My. Day. The lingering looks. The slow burning tension. The cluelessness of a young, sheltered girl. All of it brought a certain something-something to the story and when the spice finally happens, it’s totally worth it, folks. This book is an 80 percenter though so for those of you who need your spice sooner, you may be disappointed.

There is a version of a third act breakup, but they are not truly together so “is it really?” (<— in my best Kevin Hart voice). Oh! And Norbert might be my favorite supporting character!! Wait until you meet him!

I cannot wait to read the other girls stories. Especially Lottie’s. I have a feeling hers will be a heck of a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the copy of this hilarious read. All opinions are my own.

While I normally love regency era romance novels I had a hard time getting into this. I couldn't connect iwth the characters initially. Will continue to read all this authors other work.

This was a delightful romance. Henry and Georgie are a perfect match as they wrangle his three terrors of nieces and nephew. I enjoyed their sparring over the proper way to teach children (and everything really) very much. I especially loved when Henry allowed himself to unbend from his rigid perfection.

I can't wait to read more about Miss Prentice's protegees because they are all delightful and I can tell the following books will be just as much fun romps as this one.

The only drawback to this book is that it puts far more time and effort into describing Henry and Georgie's physical attraction and lust towards one another than their emotional bond. It's clear the emotional bond is there, I just wish we saw more of it and less of the physical.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing an early copy for review.

I thought this book was funny from the get go. Georgie, is strong willed and does not like things to be so regimented. She also is too outspoken and during interviews she cannot keep her thoughts to herself about how she thinks her potential employers are wrong on how to educate children, thus she cannot find a job. Harry, desperate to find someone to take care of his niece and nephew, who have been left for him to take care of when his sister off and leaves with her husband out of country, hires Georgie.
I found it very witty and fun. I did not nor do I ever like it when the MMC always goes out and finds someone to sexually fulfill them just because they’re not getting what they want. That’s so gross to me. I wish authors wouldn’t write that in so often. It makes the character sleazy. And of course the female is always the virgin. Why can’t they both be? Blah! That’s why the 4 star rating.
The children were written well, and Norbert the dog a true menace!

When I started this book, I quickly realized I disliked excessive navel-gazing in stories. I prefer dialogue and action over lengthy descriptions of a character’s thoughts and reactions. That said, the last 20% of the book was much better than the first 80%, and the ending pulled everything together beautifully. The story revolves around Georgina Rowe, a governess who instills duty, diligence, discretion, and decorum in her students. Georgie is teaching at Miss Prentice's School for Girls when Captain Henry Kincaid, who desperately needs help, enters the picture. He’s struggling with his sister’s three children and needs a governess, which brings him to Georgie. The way Georgie’s unconventional teaching methods collide with Harry’s rigid, law-and-order lifestyle makes for an interesting dynamic. Georgie is on her 34th attempt at finding a position after several failed interviews, and Captain Kincaid is in a bind trying to manage his household. While the premise is a match made in heaven, I struggled with the characters. They often felt like caricatures of themselves, and the writing was overly dramatic and overexplained. The characters are tiny, redheaded, freckled, and beautiful, and Georgie spends much of the book convinced that Captain Kincaid is always watching her because he hates her. The writing felt unnecessarily lengthy, and I had trouble getting through the dialogue because it lacked a natural flow. I’m also not a fan of the “uncommonly relaxed household” trope in period pieces—it feels like lazy writing to me. Despite these issues, I plan to check out more of Heath’s work.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy for an honest review.

I received an advanced reader's copy of All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. Henry is a rule follower and likes order while Georgie rebels against rules. This leads to them having conflicts as she starts her governess position in his household. Henry struggles with his developing feelings for Georgie and I thought the scene where he stops struggling and admits his feelings was well done.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.