I have totally fallen in love with Virginia Heath’s writing. Her storytelling always draws me in faster than I normally get hooked into a book. I felt connected to these characters, especially Georgie. I love how she did things her way since she lived her own experiences to shape her tactics.

I was so lucky to receive an ARC of Virginia Heath's new series, Miss Prentice's Protgees, with the first release, All's Fair in Love and War. I’ve been a fan of Heath’s for a while; the Meriwell Sisters trilogy has been an absolute banger in the past few years. Going into this, I knew this was going to be an uphill battle for me - I’m not a fan of governess/companion romances. I have a problem with the power disparity. I also have the same feeling when it comes to teacher/college student or boss/subordinate storylines. What I think Heath has done here, however, is create a well-thought-out relationship in which the heroine stays completely grounded. Our hero, on the other hand, is a #fallsfirstfallshard book boyfriend.

A Little Bit of Plot
When abruptly put in charge of his Bohemian sisters' children and their giant dog, Captain Henry Kincaid needs a governess immediately. Luckily for Henry, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe has received her 34th rejection notice and is in dire need of a first position. Miss Prentice finds the captain’s expedient need the best possible outcome for Georgie’s career trajectory. With the Pendleton children enamored with their new governess, Henry has no grounds to release her from his charge despite his desire for her. Will Henry and Georgie find a way to be together after this temporary position ends?


The Compliment Sandwich

The Top Bottom
Reminiscent of 70’s Disney Family Comedies

Growing up, I remember watching old 1970s Disney comedies with my family on Sunday evenings. Although I was born after 1980, those old movies were a staple of my childhood. Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Escape from Witch Mountain, The Parent Trap - these all had similar themes and shenanigans. It usually involves at least one scene of a wild animal running through a house and being chased by a string of children, the family dog (who has just escaped a bath), and a harassed housekeeper.

We have at least one particular scene in this book that was pure gold and hits right in the nostalgia. This books’ scene, however, includes a bathing sea captain, and a misplaced frog. Heath has a penchant for being able to include humor with ease within her novels, this being no exception. If you have a soft spot for these movies or family sitcoms from the 80’s, this will definitely hit the right notes for you.

The Meat (The Con)
The pacing is a bit off in this book. I would have liked more of Henry and Georgie together too. We have many set pieces with just Georgie and the children, which is understandable, however, it’s not pushing the romantic narrative as much.

The Bottom Bun
Henry and Georgie’s Relationship
Because you have a power disparity between superior and subordinate, it’s often difficult to tread those waters with equal footing. Heath does a superior job allowing Georgie to be the one calling the shots in the relationship. At each step, while at times Henry might lead, in the end Georgie had all the power. Even in the 3rd act breakup, the decision is Georgie’s, and she can tie him to her or let him go.

When the novel goes behind closed doors, it’s Georgie that makes her desires known. She’s the one that calls it quits, as she’s stayed grounded through their entire affair. While she falls for Henry, she’s both a realist and has a background living with a military officer, allowing her to make clearer decisions. I’m assuming that the other two novels in this series will include her other governess friends; if Heath continues with the heroines holding power in the relationships, she may switch my thinking about boss/subordinate romances.

**My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy via NetGalley**

4 stars

An absolutely charming historical romance! I’m a sucker for a good governess story, so I’m very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series as each book comes out.

The main characters are both easy to like. Georgie, our heroine, is a bit preachy (as many Virginia Heath heroines tend to be) but not in a way that gets annoying; rather, she’s passionate about children’s educational and emotional wellbeing and struggles with a stubborn anti-authoritarian streak that the narrative acknowledges she can take too far. She’s perfectly matched with Harry, a punctilious naval captain who takes refuge in rules and regulations, and is therefore completely overwhelmed by his (exuberant and rascally, though lovable) nieces and nephew.

I particularly like the yin and yang of Georgie and Harry’s trauma responses, which allow them each to improve the other when they come together. Georgie was raised (neglected and abused) by a rigidly strict military man, and as a result embraces fluidity and free-spiritedness. Harry was raised in a chaotic, overly permissive environment and had to grow up much too fast to rescue his family from its consequences, and as a result is terrified of chaos and rule-bending of any form. Together, they meet at a harmonious middle, Georgie teaching Harry to loosen up and Harry providing Georgie with a dependable stability. Their attraction to one another is a little more instantly intense than my preference, but the actual progression of their romantic relationship takes its time and is, in my opinion, well-paced (and gets pleasantly steamy towards the end).

What I really liked was that the main characters’ dreams had to be untangled from their romance so that each person could make clear-eyed decisions about what they wanted for themselves and their futures.

Harry is coded as neurodivergent, though (naturally due to the historical setting) the narrative never attempts to diagnose his “quirks.” I thought his depiction was well done. I also enjoyed the children of the novel, who acted like real children (distractable, manipulative, and all) and were individuals in their own right.

I had a great time, and would highly recommend the book to historical romance readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martins Press and author Virginia Heath for the e-arc of this book to read and review!

What a fun start to a new regency romance series! I love the nanny/governess falls for bachelor/single dad trope and this one checked all the boxes! A spunky, strong and free spirited FMC (Georgie) butts heads with a rigid, no nonsense MMC (Harry) … it’s a combo that always wins for me! Throw in some cute but rather mischievous young kiddos and a dog with lots of energy and this is one story that is entertaining, funny, heartwarming and pretty darn swoony too! I haven’t read much regency … but I really enjoyed this one and I am looking forward to seeing where this series takes us!

Georgina (Georgie) Rowe is a 21 year old who still can’t seem to find a job as a governess. But that’s all about to change when a Naval Captain needs a short term governess to keep his wayward nephew and nieces in check.

Captain Harry Kincaid is all about timeliness and structure and that goes out the window when his sister leaves her three children while she and her husband go on a trip. These kids and their dog absolutely adore their Uncle Harry but also know how to stir up trouble.

At first Harry and Georgie clash, but deep down there is an undercurrent of attraction. Refusing to go down that road again, Harry keeps Georgie at a distance. But the more time they spend together, the more their misconceptions of the other become disproven. As things between them start to heat up, the Navy calls for Harry to be in charge of a ship build in Newport. Packing up Georgie and his nephew and nieces, finds them headed back to his sister’s house.

I absolutely adored these two characters. The push and pull between them was endearing. Throw in the children and a wayward dog and you have the makings of an excellent read. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved Heath’s previous series and I think this one is off to a strong start. The main conflict being that the hero can’t see past what he’s expected to do is a little stereotypical but it works for me in an historical romance. I had fun waiting to see how some sense got knocked into him, because he was madly in love.

The kids were funny and annoying, as most little kids are. The giant dopey dog is a character unto himself, and more than worthy of the attention. Harry is rigid and serious and an unexpectedly total softie to his nieces and nephews, which was such a fun reason for Georgie to start seeing him in a new light.

And Georgie. She was lovely. Her fatal flaw is an inability to keep her thoughts and frowns off her face, and I can more than relate. She’s firm in her convictions, a good teacher, a kind hearted person, and following her journey to realizing she can dream of more than she thinks she destined for was so much fun. It’s a lesson we should all take to heart.

I'm such a sucker for historical romance. This book echoes a lot of the classic novels in the genre. The chaos, hilarity and sassiness was so much fun to read. The pining and attraction between two opposites made me so giggly and fluffy. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review with fantastic book!

Thank you to SMP Romance and UplitReads for the complimentary book and to PRH Audio for the advanced listener copy. These opinions are my own.

Georgina is a would-be governess with a mind of her own. Despite her impeccable schooling and recommendations, she can't quite seem to get a position. Because during every interview, she actually speaks her mind about her unorthodox teaching methods and refusal to discipline children physically. But when Henry Kindcaid's nephew and nieces are left at his home with no warning, he needs a governess without much time for interviewing.

This was a fun story. I love Virginia Heath's approach to historical romance as true rom-coms. In this book, much of the comedy came from the children and the most amazing dog. I would read the book just for more of their hilarious antics.

But I also quite appreciated the excellent pacing of the romance. Harry and Georgina make a great couple with good chemistry, and both characters show growth over the story.

Eva Feiler and Shane East were fantastic narrators. Both captured the accents and feel of the plot quite well.

The book is the first in the Miss Prentice's Protegees series, and I quite look forward to reading about Georgina's friends from her governess training.

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath
Miss Prentice’s Protégées series #1. Historical romance.
Thanks to a flighty older sister, navy captain Henry Kincaid is stuck with three unruly children and a giant dog. Henry has a career at the Admiralty! He can’t spend all day with his nieces and nephew and he certainly can’t expect his housekeeping staff to watch out for them. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire a governess to bring order to the chaos that is his home with the children in it.
Thanks to a military, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe believes childhood and learning should be filled with laughter, adventures, and creativity. Fortunately, the three Pendleton children aren’t used to structured formality so embrace the unconventional education. Unfortunately, their uncle has rules, schedules and expectations the children should be meeting. It’s going to take Georgie some of her own creativity to make the household work.

A fun commingling of opposite opinions and life adjustments. Henry loves the children but his job pressure doesn’t have room for child care. Then and now, it’s a familiar refrain! While Georgie doesn’t really know what she’s doing in her first teaching job, she manages to wrangle the children into learning. The children and the dog add a lot of humor to the story in their antics. Georgie knowing military quotes draws Henry in while the children lighten his moods with their love and joy. It doesn’t take much for Georgie and Henry to skip past the formality of their positions.
Entertaining.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Thank you to #prhaudio, #NetGalley , and #smpromance for this #giftedaudiobook / #giftedcopy in exchange for my unbiased review!

This is the first book in a series called Miss Prentice's Protegees, and I, for one, am looking forward to the next book already! It was captivating enough to listen in one day, as I followed along in the book! It is humorous, witty, and fun! I love Regency Romances! And who doesn't love British narrators??? The narrators were fabulous! Pick this book up to be transported to England in the 1800s.

This was a great historical and very enjoyable time. This follows Georgina otherwise known as Georgie who after growing up in a horrible household enter a school for governesses. She is hired by Henry after his sister leaves him with her 3 children and he is in a hard place. He is in the navy and this follows the tension between them. I love all the kids and it makes for a fun adventure. It also had some depth with Henry struggling with his position in the navy and learning who he is. Overall a charming historical.

Thanks to Netgalley and Griffen publishing for this ARC.

Thank you to Uplit Reads and SMP Romance for my complimentary copy of All’s Fair in Love and War. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an adorable regency romance. It had a little bit of all my favorite tropes.

Enemies to Lovers
Close Proximity
Fake Engagement
Slow Burn
Grumpy/Sunshine

The preschool teacher in me absolutely loved the way Virginia highlighted different learning situations. Being chained to desk and forced to do paper and pencil work is not always the best way. Being outside and making learning fun is sometimes best. Even though stick in the mud uncles don’t think it’s the best way.

Another great book from Virginia Heath! This book is filled with great characters even beyond the MCs, Harry & Georgie, and the children. I love endearing characters especially when they interact with children. Children who have personalities of their own and are written as intelligent small people that have a significant impact on the story and aren't shunted off to the side. There are many issues at hand in this story that are intertwined and yet the author untangled the lot and the characters grew at the perfect pace. I loved it!

Thank you to St Martins Press, St Martins Griffin, and NetGalley for sharing yet another wonderful story. All opinions are my own.

A cute and easy read.
Engaging characters
Intriguing plot.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

All's Fair in Love and War is an easy read. It took a bit for it to draw me in, but once it pulled me in I didn't put it down! Georgie, trained to be a governess, has a hard time keeping her tongue in check and has failed to secure a job. When Captain Kincaid's older sister leaves her 3 wild children with him, he is left in a lurch and must secure a governess straightaway. Thus the love/hate relationship between Georgie and Henry begins, they butt heads but can't deny their feelings, thus All's Fair in Love and War!

The orphaned governess and the strict former captain. He is instantly drawn to her and wants to find any reason to get rid of her when she isn't working up to his standards. But she works around the kids and their limitations not through them. So he doesn't quite get it. He just knows when he falls he fails at work and he is really drawn to her.
This was such a fun book. The children were delightful and I loved how the uncle was a huge part of their life and became even bigger at the end. There was also a rambunctious dog that was not helping get work done.
The ending was so sweet. It took awhile and a lot of uncovered truths to get there. But they both were attracted to each other.
Loved how she tried to give the excuse as just wanting a try cause she would never marry and then walking away. They can never just walk away.

While there were some parts of this story that I really enjoyed - the set-up for the opposites attract romance was good - other parts were just not my cup of tea. The pacing felt a little off, with the first half or so being very slow, and then a lot happening in the last part. Some of the sexual humor and content felt a little crass for my tastes. The children were endearing and I did like the FMC. The constant use of idioms was funny at first... but then just felt overplayed.

For a historical rom-com, it was okay, but not my favorite.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Romance
Age Level: Adult
Content: heavy makeout, 1 open-door

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher; the review is my own.*

I'm really struggling with how to rate this book because I really enjoyed it and would probably have loved it without chapter 31 and a little bit elsewhere. So 3.5-4 stars it is.

Both Georgie (23) and Harry (30) were likable characters, even if they were idiots sometimes. Georgie was exactly the governess the Pendleton children needed; she was strict but reasonable and sought to truly teach them in the ways that were best for them. I liked her inner St. Joan of Arc, as well. She was also exactly what Harry needed. Despite being such a stickler for timeliness and order, he was also the biggest pushover for his nieces and nephew and didn't even realize it. He and Georgie were quite a match, and watching them come to that realization was entertaining. The Pendleton children--Felix, Marianne, and Grace--were adorable terrors and were written quite perfectly.

The story was very cute, exactly what I expected of a regency rom-com about a feisty governess and a rigid naval officer who is unexpectedly given responsibility for his sister's children. It was fun and easy to enjoy. If you like The Sound of Music, you might like this book. The stories are somewhat similar, though they're different enough that this book doesn't feel like a rewrite. Just know that it does contain some mature content. Frankly, it felt very out of place to me and was an unwelcome surprise, as the rest of the book is very PG. (See Notes for more info.) That content is the only thing keeping me from recommending this book.

Note: Maybe a couple of mild swear words, but a few uses of a crude term for male anatomy. A couple instances of sensuality and a whole chapter (31) of sex that can be skipped without missing anything important. The very beginning of chapter 32 rehashes it a little bit, too.

This book is just so much fun. I absolutely loved it!! It has some very Mary Poppins x Sound of Music vibes that I adore, and the naval officer aspect is well done.

I love that he seems so strict and prickly, but he's really just a big softy and a bit of a pushover with his loved ones. I love that he has such a close relationship with his nieces and nephew! He absolutely adored and spoils them, and they are all obsessed with him as well. It's just very sweet, and we need more positive and loving male role models like that in books. Just beautiful to see.

The Jane Austen undertones absolutely SENT me. Move aside Marriane (Sense and Sensibility), there's a new captain out there saving people in the rain, and saving his nephew no less.

The governess is feisty and opinionated and takes a much more Charlotte Mason and positive reinforcement led approach to learning that is just beautiful. I love that she does suits her learning style so well to the children, and I loved watching her relationship with the MMC develop and grow. He is the sweetest and must be protected 🥺 I don't make the rules 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is governess of nieces and nephew x their bachelor admiral uncle. This is dog owning and doting. She is sunshine, and he brings the cinnamon rolls. I just love them.

Content: language, explicit s*x

Thank you St. Martin's Press Romance and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

I read "All's Fair in Love and War" by Virgina Heath on NetGalley. This book was promoted as being the first in a series, and I will definitely be reading the other ones! I'm assuming the others will probably be based off of Georgie's friends who were at the same school, learning to be governesses. Georgie steps in during an emergency to become the governess of Harry's young nephew & nieces. They have an immediate attraction, but life is never that easy. I really enjoyed this book.