First, thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this eARC!

I absolutely adored this book! I adored the first one in the series, and this one is even better. This grumpy sunshine historical romance will make you laugh and fall in love with the characters right from the jump. You will easily devour the whole story because it just keeps getting better. All the side characters are incredibly spirited and the perfect foils for our hero and heroine, and the banter is just A+. 5🌟s I will definitely be reading this again I loved it so much.

Absolutely loved it. Lottie was PERFECT, the right amount of headstrong and vulnerable as to not come off as jaded. I may have even enjoyed this book more than the first, this series is such a hit! I am more in love with the Prentice Girls with every story!

title: Look Before You Leap

author: Virginia Heath

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: June 24, 2025

pages: 320

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: Lottie, a farmer's daughter from Kent, was raised by her father and four brothers. Rather than work as a farmer, she's brought into London to train as a governess. When she can't control her urges to ride horses, even after crashing into a Viscount and knocking him off his horse, or to defend her honor from her employer's jerky son, she gets fired...and then hired as a lady's companion to a grumpy older woman who actually appreciates Lottie's honesty and sass. Her new employer, who turns out to be the aunt of the viscount from her riding accident, ends up bringing Lottie with her to Kent to arrange an over-the-top house party to try to marry off her nephew, who, having been burned by love before, wants no part of the match-making scheme of his mother and aunt.

tropes:

grumpy-sunshine
grumpy older woman with a heart of gold
don't marry the wrong girl
mixed-level love
vapid suitors

what I liked: her sassiness and humor

what I didn’t like: none of it

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I loved the sunshine, hope, and horses in this story. The love between family members and chosen family (e.g., Miss P and all of her girls; Lottie’s family) are my favorite parts of the book, and Almeria’s wisecracks were great sometimes. There are some funny moments and some heartwarming moments as well. However, some of the humor was too slapstick for me, and sometimes I found it hard to believe Lottie and Guy would be happy together (a habit of lying and unresolved anger issues, on top of knowing each other for a month, don't seem the most promising start to a marriage). Overall though, still a fun read! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free eARC! I post this review with my honest opinions.

Content notes for people who want to know: I did not know when I requested it, but this is a spicy book. There’s also profanity.

Set in the weeks ahead of his birthday on his estate in Kent, lady's companion Lottie Travers and Lord Guy Harrowby, Viscount of Wennington, are drawn together, especially when his house is overrun with debutantes.

Loved the grand gesture! Just wish we got a little more afterwards. Hoping we see more from Lottie and Guy in the rest of the series!

🐎 Grumpy / Sunshine
🐎 7 year age gap (heroine 23 / hero turning 30)
🐎 Historical rom-com
🐎 Slow-burn
🐎 Horse training
🐎 "Peas"
🐎 Aug / Sept 1820 in Kent, England
🐎 Interfering mother
🐎 Youngest girl with four older brothers and father
🐎 Lady Frinton and her long suffering butler Longbottom
🐎 Second in series following four best friends (can't wait for Portia and Kitty)

4.5 / 5 stars

Open door / spicy (one main spicy scene with other smaller moments)

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this eARC!

I adore Virginia Heath's novels and this one was no different! I am a forever fan.

Guy and Lottie were two smart and stubborn individuals who had incredibly chemistry from day one. Despite her being a lady's companion with a wild streak and him being a Viscount who has sworn off the idea of any kind of relationship, they are drawn to one another like moths to a flame. And not even a household full of vapid debutantes looking to woo the lord of the manor will get in the way of their clandestine courtship.

As soon as I saw the set up for the final scene I gasped with delight. My only complaint is that it ended too soon!

CHEFS.KISS.

5⭐️

Wow! Wow! I absolutely adored this book! The grumpy-sunshine trope was executed perfectly, and I couldn’t get enough of Lottie and Guy’s banter.

Lottie’s warmth and charm was the perfect contrast to Guy’s broody, reluctant attitude, making their slow-burn romance all the more satisfying. The dialogue was witty, the tension was delicious, and the emotional depth caught me off guard in the best way.

If you love a romance filled with playful bickering, undeniable chemistry, and characters you can’t help but root for, this is the book for you.

One of my favorite historical romance authors for making historical scenes come alive. Love the characters, loved the romance, just a great book.

Aaah Bridgerton fans, this is a treat! Loved it! Fun and spicy. Just great!!! Get immersed in the Regency world and forget all the nonsense of the day.

Viscount Wennington promised his mother that she would have a house full of grandkids by his 3oth birthday. he's rapidly approaching 30 and not married and no kids. His mother decides to bring all the debutants at his estate... He falls for Lottie- a laday's companion. ..

Love the banter between Lottie and Guy. Lots of fun, sass and humour. Really enjoy the fun and romance. The side-characters were interesting and fun as well. A terrific book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.,

This was a fun romance read. The spice was nicely portioned out and the side characters were perfection!

Regency romance books are all the rage. I just finished a great book.Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath is a must read.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Virginia Heath delivers yet another delightful addition to the series! This installment was a joy to read, with Lottie's heartfelt relationship with her family and Aunt Almeria's hilariously unapologetic curmudgeonliness adding so much character and charm. The slow-burn pining from Guy was wonderfully done, even though his defensiveness early on made it a bit hard to fully connect with him at first. Thankfully, he redeemed himself beautifully, showing just how much Lottie truly meant to him. The ending was satisfying, and now I’m eagerly hoping that Portia or Kitty will get their story next. Fingers crossed!

Such a fun sequel, and solid continuation of the series. I loved the banter between characters, and the spunky nature of the female lead!

This is one of my new favorite series! I truly TRULY loved everything about Guy and Lottie!! But also, as anyone who knows me will understand, the side characters are the life and soul of these books!! I want to know everything there is to know about Longbottom and Almeria!!! I’m obsessed, but also Lottie’s brothers need some women on their lives too!!

Anyways this is highly bingeable A++ histrom gold!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy!!

I liked the beginning and ending of this, but thought the middle was a little iffy. I feel like their relationship could have developed better than it did—they went from cold to hot a little too quickly for me I think. Also all of the secondary characters were great!

This book delivers it all: sizzling tension, heartfelt character arcs, and a heroine who gallops her way into both the hero’s heart and the reader’s. The contrast between Lottie’s impulsive, lively spirit and Guy’s gruff, closed-off demeanor makes their slow-burn connection irresistibly satisfying. The story balances humor and heart perfectly, with moments of laugh-out-loud chaos and tender glimpses into their shared vulnerabilities that will leave you swooning.