Full of delightful characters, All's Fair in Love and War is a joy to read. Unconventional governess Georgie was trained at the prestigious Miss Prentice's School for Girls but she's having a difficult time finding a job. She believes in joy and laughter for children while they're learning. Of course she's against the "spare the rod and spoil the child" philosophy so many of her potential employers expect. When desperate Navy Captain Henry Kincaid appears needing a governess, Miss Prentice sends Georgie. Buttoned-up stickler Harry is suddenly in charge of his three unruly nieces and nephew after his older sister dumps them at his house and leaves for Egypt. He doesn't have time for this (his two pocket watches makes that clear) and the children make him twitchy. He doesn't approve of how Georgie is managing the children but her has to admit it seems to be working! Deep down Harry is a soft touch and loves the kids as much as they love him, he even loves trouble-making Norbert the dog. As he falls for Georgie, he has to decide how to fit this new person into his plans for the future.

I really love Virginia Heath’s novels and I was really curious about this new series. I wasn’t disappointed at all. This story is funny and lighthearted and I instantly fell in love with Georgie. She’s a great character and her romance with Harry is full of tender and banters.
Can’t wait for the other books of this series.

Title: All’s Fair in Love and War
By: Virginia Heath

Genre:
Fiction, Regency Romance,

Red Flag Warnings:
Explicit Content in Chapter 20, 29-31


Summary/Review:
Miss Prentice taught her students the four D’s--, Duty, Diligence, Discretion and Decorum are qualities every successful governess must possess. Georgie, is teaching another class of students for Miss Prentice, however, she herself lacks employment as a governess. Much to her delight an emergency governess is needed, however, as Georgie quickly is thrown into her role she begins to question the four D’s of being a governess.

Captain Henry Kinkaid is very busy working at the admiralty when his sister unexpectedly drops off her three children and their dog to visit for a month while she travels abroad. In dire need, Henry abruptly finds himself asking Miss Prentice for a governess, at this point he will take anyone, and so begins Georgie’s first role as governess. Georgie and Henry have conflicting ideas of schooling, discipline, and overall parenting.

I love reading Regency Romance! This is my first Regency Romance by Virginia Heath. The beginning was slower paced than I prefer, but I really enjoyed Georgie’s character. I hoped for a little more dialogue and less character thoughts. Her teaching style is very similar to mine, hands on discovery and adventure. The children’s characters were perfectly displayed, and I enjoyed Henry’s self-reflection. This novel is a predictable, light, and humorous read. I did feel some of the content at the end was unexpected for me, and for that reason I knocked off a star. If you are a Bridgerton, or Pride and Prejudice fan, take a chance on this enjoyable new Regency Romance novel.

Thank you to Virginia Heath, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#allsfairinloveandwar
#virginiaheath
#netgalley
#advancedreadereditions

Loved this story of a man who doesn't really know what he want and a woman who knows what she wants but is willing to walk away if necessary. From the moment that Georgina (Georgie) and Kincaid (Harry) meet, we can sense the attraction between them. In fact, everyone in Harry's family can see it, but Harry has committed himself to a course of action because "the admiral" wanted it! How these two work things out is fun to watch/read, and I highly recommend this romantic tale. Although I received an ARC, my opinion are my own.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

This was a fun romance that was giving major Sound of Music vibes (except she’s not a nun and there are only 3 kids + a dog)! I absolutely loved Harry with how great of an uncle he was and although he was stern on the outside he was actually a really funny character.

For me, the book was a little slow and hard to get into until about 60% in, so if it would’ve been like the last part throughout the entire book this definitely would’ve been a 4 ⭐️ read!

This Naval Captain has two pocket watches - like full order- on time and hates messy anything. His sister leaves him his 3 nephews and nieces while she goes on an adventure - so he has to find a governess to try to help get them in order plus add in a dog. The kids and dog bring light and humor to this story. Harry and Georgie butt heads from the start but have chemistry also from the start. This was a super slow burn but perfect for this story, we get forced proximity with a little employee/boss. We also get a lot of Navy- ships- and more ships!

This book is so cute! I need to read more of Heath’s backlist as I really enjoyed this and can’t wait for more of this series. The setting was fun and nice to get out of London for a bit.

📣 an independent governess & a starchy on the outside but mushy on the inside naval captain

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what would the autofill title of your book be: All’s Fair in _____

All’s Fair in Love & War by Virginia Heath took me on a merry adventure with a red-haired fiesty governess & a starchy Captain who wears two pocket watches & can’t stop thinking about her 👀.

Give me *all* of the uptight leads who have to figure out to handle when someone vigorously shakes them up 🌀. Also all of the working historical leads who are trying to make that money, honey.

Georgie & Harry are forced into proximity when he’s left to temporarily care for his nieces & nephew & hires Georgie to be his governess.

Their story is so often sweet (his apology!) but with a couple plot points that keep it from being a higher rating for me: the hero’s attitude toward a former love interest feels a little woman-shaming & I wish Georgie had higher self-esteem earlier in the book!

Still, this is a delightful romance & Georgie’s determination & know-how—& Harry’s lack of certainty about the path he’s been following—shine ✨.

4.25 ⭐️. Out now!

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess is wearing jeans and sandals & holds the ebook over a red & white dog & grass.]

Title: All's Fair in Love and War
Author: Virginia Heath
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When the flighty older sister of former naval captain, Henry Kincaid, decides on a whim to accompany her explorer husband on an expedition to Egypt, he finds himself unwittingly left in the lurch with her three unruly children and her giant, mad dog. With no clue how to manage the little rascals, a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all of his attention, and no idea when his sister is coming back, Harry has to hire an emergency governess to ensure that everything in his ordered house continues to run shipshape. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a governess quick sharp to bring order to the chaos.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything that hers wasn’t, filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational ethos. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely…

Like all of Virginia Heath’s books, this was a fun and cute read. Georgie really made me laugh several times, and I loved how she interacted with the children. Henry was great, too. I think I enjoyed his flasher incident at the party the most, as I can only imagine how mortifying this would have been for him. This is definitely a fun weekend read.

Virginia Heath is from London. All’s Fair in Love and War is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Georgie Rowe is a strong willed governess who’s down on her luck as an apprentice at Miss Prentice’s acclaimed training school. Harry Kincaid is a naval captain suddenly in charge of his rambunctious nephew & nieces while his sister sets off on an Egyptian expedition.

Sparks fly when the two are thrown together and witty banter ensues. The story features opposites attract, forced proximity, sizzling chemistry, cute kids, an even cuter dog - and a puppy!

This delightful historical romance was equal parts rom com and Regency Era goodness. The story has some of my favorite tropes; slow burn, forced proximity, and grumpy/Sunshine. Great characters that are endearing and easy to get invested in.

This was a cute little rom-com. I especially love books when the children play a large role. They, along with their dog, were full of humor and adventure and kept the book light. The story wouldn't have been as good without them. I loved their scenes best.

Read If You Like:
Slow Burn Historical Romance
Found Family
Rambunctious Kids & Pups
Grumpy/Sunshine
Forced Proximily

Would recommend it if you enjoy regency romance.

"All's Fair in Love and War" by Virginia Heath is a delightful historical romance that deftly balances humor, heart, and a touch of intrigue. Although it was a lot of world-building and setting up for the rest of the series. It got overwhelming at a couple of points. I have found most of her first books in a series to follow this pattern, so I am hoping the next one is better.

3.5 rounded to 4

Tropes:
-Enemies to Lovers
-Forced Proximity
-Opposites Attract

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What’s not to like in Virginia Heath’s Regency-era romance, the first in what appears to be a series featuring the young protégé governesses of Miss Prentice’s school? Orphaned and kicked out at 16 by her cold, military stepfather, Georgie is fortunate to have been hand-picked to be taught by Miss Prentice. But when she struggles to land a job after graduating - she just can’t seem to keep her opinions to herself - she’s lucky that Harry is desperate. Harry, as serious a military man as they come, has his life turned upside down when his sister dumps her feral children at his house and flounces off exploring to Egypt for months. Harry doesn’t think Georgie’s up to the task; Georgie think Harry’s too rigid for his own (or the children’s good). In a bit of a reversal, Georgie adores teaching; it’s Harry who is going through a career crisis, as he tries to figure out if he really loves the Navy and wants that promotion. We’ve got enemies to lovers, we’ve got “don’t make me die a maid,” we’ve got class divisions (though less than you might think). We’ve got a man who looks great in uniform (yum) with an unimpeachable sense of honor and a center as soft as a soft-boiled egg, who speaks in too many maritime metaphors (annoying, but not a dealbreaker). All’s Fair in Love and War is a sweet historic romance and I’ll be looking forward to reading the rest of the governesses’ tales.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All’s Fair in Love and War is such a charming, lovely book that I enjoyed every page of. The humor and the chemistry is so well done. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw that Virginia Heath was releasing a new series, and I was not disappointed at all.

When I started reading All’s Fair in Love and War, I badly needed a book that didn’t require me to think about what I read. The previous three books I had read before this one were heavy books, and I badly needed one that I could coast through. Thankfully, All’s Fair in Love and War let my overstimulated brain rest.

All’s Fair in Love and War is the first book in the Miss Prentice’s Protegee’s series. Since it is the first book, there will be no warning if it is a standalone. You can dive right into this book without having to worry about that.

The storyline of All’s Fair in Love and War follows Georgina and Henry. Georgina has been trained to be a governess at a prestigious school, where she is the founder’s protege. However, she has been having issues finding work because she does not adhere to conventional teaching or raising children. Because of her childhood, which was spent being shuttled from naval base to naval base by her stepfather, she abhors rules and believes that children should be seen and not kept in the classrooms or out of sight. These beliefs have cost her jobs. When Henry, a former naval captain on the fast track to becoming an Admiral, inquired at the agency about governesses after his sister left her three children with him, Georgina was presented and hired. Georgina and Henry’s relationship begins, both working and personal. The more time the two spend together, with and without the children, the closer they get.

Georgina (or Georgie) was way ahead of her time, education-wise, and I liked that. I do have a feeling that Georgie’s views on education and childrearing will upset some of the die-hard Regency readers (too modern), But, for me, it was refreshing. I liked seeing the children bloom under Georgie’s care. I was also surprised when it was revealed (by the children) that their mother taught them and that all of them were smart beyond their years. Georgie considered that in their lessons, and I loved seeing the children learning in an environment that enriched and supported them.

I liked Georgie. She wasn’t afraid to let people know her feelings and views. Her childhood (and the abandonment at Miss Prentice’s school) did scar her, but she refused to let it bring her down. She was authentically herself and stayed true to herself throughout the book.

I also liked Henry. He did come across as an uptight, rigid person at the beginning of the book. But, as his backstory was explained, I understood why he was that way. He was terrified of reliving his childhood with irresponsible parents. But, at the same time, he was also terrified not to live up to the standards that his grandfather and the Royal Navy beat into him. He was also a workaholic and was severely stressed out when Georgie and the children came into his life. He needed them, even if he wouldn’t admit that to himself. His character growth was fun, and I loved seeing him unwind. I also loved seeing him slowly realize there is more to life than work and promotions.

I can’t write this review without mentioning the children or the dogs. The children and Norbert (the dog) stole scenes when they were in them. I laughed at their shenanigans. I also agreed with Henry when he said that they were hellions. And Norbert, you have to read the book to understand my Norbert love (and I am including his son, too). Everyone should have a Norbert.

The romance angle of All’s Fair in Love and War was sweet and a little spicy. Henry fought, falling in love with Georgie. At a point in the book, I got a little frustrated with him because he was hung up on something that happened years earlier (being forced to break an engagement). I would be rich if I had a nickel for every eye roll I did when that woman’s name was mentioned. I liked that Georgie was more straightforward. Once she got to know Henry (saw past what he projected), she fell in love with the inner him.

Of course, there is sex in this book. Because of the chemistry and the build-up that the author did with Henry and Georgie, the sex was fantastic—a little vanilla but amazing.

The end of All’s Fair in Love and War was your typical HEA. I liked that everything worked out for Henry and Georgie. But I am curious about the next book and whether it will be anything like Henry and Georgie’s romance.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Virginia Heath for allowing me to read and review this ARC of All’s Fair in Love and War. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Not my fav of the Miss Prentice's protegees series but it was still enjoyable as an audiobook and I do love a good guardian x nanny Regency romance. Perfect for fans of authors like Suzanne Enoch. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I like to call Virginia Heath’s romances the courtship of flapping hands and unruly eyeballs. Her comic conceit is to create two decent, likeable protagonists and have their body parts gesture, flap, and move in amorous-hinting ways against what their minds tell them. This is true of her first in a new series, All’s Fair In Love and War, as it is other Heath romances. I’ve liked them all and this one as well. I like the idea the body knows what reason and emotional resistance are telling her hero and heroine cannot be. And yet, it can and does. In the telling, Heath is funny and her secondary characters, one of her great strengths, including the four-footed variety, are a hoot. The conflict is light, but the emotions run deep. Heath, like most comic writers, are damned with faint praise, like “fun” and “light”, but why is seeing life from a comic perspective less valuable than tragic? An argument as old as Aristotle. If you’re a romance reader, you know where you stand. As for Heath’s romance, here are the blurbish details:

When Harry Kincaid’s flighty older sister decides to join her husband on an Egyptian expedition, Harry, a former naval captain, is left in the lurch, minding her three unruly children and giant, mad dog. But Harry has a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all his attention, and he has no clue how to manage the little rascals or when his sister is coming back. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire an emergency governess quick sharp to ensure everything in his formerly ordered house is run shipshape again.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgie Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything hers wasn’t—filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational approach. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely.

Georgie and Harry continue to butt heads over their differences, but with time it seems that in this case, their attraction is undeniable—and all is indeed fair in love and war.

The blurb overemphasizes Harry and Georgie’s disagreement over paedagogy, which does take up the narrative’s first third. And it is well-conceived in setting Harry and Georgie up as opposites: her loose style to his buttoned-up. But I liked Heath showing Georgie how Harry’s stickler-style hid his indulgent love for his nieces and nephews, how they took advantage of his generosity, all in great comic shenanigan mode. This allowed Georgie to see Harry’s soft side, actually Harry’s only side. Eventually, Harry sees how Georgie can exact discipline and love of learning of the children while he buys them too much ice cream, too many sausages for their dog, and spoils them rotten. The children, hellions all, adore both Harry and Georgie because they know they are loved. As is evident when Harry’s wonderful sister returns…

The romance hinges on mistaken perceptions, true-blue desires, and deep-seated vulnerabilities. Georgie, an orphan since her beloved mother died, was at the mercy of her strict, negligent, heartless stepfather. Miss Prentice saved her on scholarship, but her years of a lonely, emotionally cold life with her stepfather left her without any desire for a repeat with a similar man. Until all of Harry’s actions belie every blustering word he utters. As for Harry, the child of a chaotic, debt-ridden childhood, order and stability are more important than indulging his heart and other bits. In our understanding, Harry is a workaholic and an unhappy, dissatisfied one. Innovative paedagogical misses aren’t in his plans.

The humour, characters, secondary as well, were delightful; the romance? Well, there’s something romance writers do which I find vexing, a romance where the hero and heroine’s goal is to avoid the other. Problem? Yes, because characters don’t spend enough on-page time together to develop the relationship. In part, Heath solves this with the hilarious Felix, Marianne, and Grace, Harry’s nephew and nieces, forcing Harry and Georgie to negotiate learning, outings, even the dog Norbert; on the other hand, Harry and Georgie spend a lot of page time avoiding each other, which is too bad because the scenes with the children, by the seashore for example, or verbally sparring in the schoolroom, are wonderful.

The conflict keeping these two apart? A tad eye-rolling. Because Harry cannot give up his career, his financial security and status, a total softie as he is, to marry Georgie. And Georgie can’t make her life the lonely one of a sailor’s wife. They’re dolts, really, and everyone knows it, so that redeems the situation somewhat. But this bit did drag on. Then Harry makes a ridiculous request of Georgie and a muddle of everything, so that Heath can bring him to an absolutely lovely declaration and proposal to make up for it. I loved how Heath makes Harry and Georgie awkward and shy, self-effacing and humble. There’s not an iota of arrogance in any of these characters and it was lovely to spend time with her creations.

Virginia Heath’s All’s Fair In Love and War is published by St. Martin’s Griffin and released on May 28. I received an e-galley, from St. Martin’s Griffin, via Netgalley. This review is a reflection of my honest and AI-free opinion.

What a great start to a new series! Love the humor that runs throughout the story. Georgie finally has an escape from her controlling stepfather. She at the age of sixteen has been given a sponsorship to an elite school to be trained as a governess. There alongside her 3 roommates they train and graduate. And one by one find a position, all except Georgie. Now that a few years have passed, when a desperate naval officer seeks to employ a governess the head mistress takes over the interview and gets Georgie the position.
Harry is at his wits ends. His sister without forewarning has dropped off his 2 nieces and nephew, plus the largest unruly dog in existence! With his demanding job and deadlines to meet he doesn’t have time for this while his sister goes on an adventure.
Willing to pay anything to hire a governess he is wondering if the siren will be able to handle the challenge?
Such a fun and entertaining read, with a few laugh out loud moments. Also the future characters are introduced and I can’t wait to read their stories. Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and mine alone. #AllsFairinLoveandWar

A fun romp with rascally children, a dog that causes havoc wherever he goes, a sailor eager to be back in the water, and an unemployable governess.
I laughed at the captain groveling at the governess school for help with his three tornados charges.
I also thought Norbert the disaster dog stole all of the scenes where he premiered.
The captain just needed his older sister to set his head in straight to figure out what is really important in life.

If Virginia Heath wrote the phone book I’d read it.

This is my fourth book by her to read and I always enjoy them! The first installment of her new Miss Prentice’s Protégés series was no exception. She has an excellent sense of how to make a book flow in a way that both squeezes your heart and makes you smile.

I really loved that the main conflict in this book was so realistic. Sometimes two people don’t end up together not because they don’t want to, but because of circumstances outside of their control. The eventual resolution of the conflict was very believable, which I appreciated. I also laughed at the recurring theme of Harry being forced to wear the slightly too small pair of pants.

While I really enjoyed this on a whole, I wish the ending was a little more drawn out. I felt like we needed to see Georgie’s perspective of deciding to leave as soon as Flora returned, and I hate that we missed that. It felt very rushed.

All in all, Virginia Heath has me on the hook for another fabulous series and I am pumped to read more!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!