(4.5/5 stars)

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise is a fun historical romance with cozy mystery vibes.

Frankie, a brilliant mathematician, found herself in the employ of The Dove--a spymaster who runs Perdita's governess school--after her younger sister ran away with her closest friend. Said closest friend was the most recent in a streak of "troublemaking" ladies who were entrapped in marriage with men who don't deserve them. To figure who is creating these entrapment scenarios, she takes the position of governess for Cecilia--the niece of Jasper--an infamous yet handsome rake who runs a gambling den.

I had a lot of fun with the first book in this series, Never Blow a Kiss, but I loved this one even more! Though we got some callbacks to the main couple from the first book, and there are slight spoilers about that plot, you could probably read this one as a complete standalone.

The audiobook narrators, Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing, did such a phenomenal job! Ella especially got the "frankness" of Frankie perfectly, and Rupert absolutely sounded like someone who wants to be known as a rake.

The banter between our leads was fabulous. I definitely bought their chemistry, though I appreciated that their steamier scenes didn't happen until 75% into the book. I really saw myself in our main character, Frankie, who was definitely coded as being neurodivergent and/or somewhere on the autism spectrum. Cecilia was a gem and I wish there was more of her in the book.

We got a bit of a hint of the main couple for the next book in the series, and I'm pretty excited because it seems to be grumpy/sunshine!

If I'd realized that I greatly disliked the author's previous book I wouldn't have requested this one. Like the previous one, this one falls short in the writing department. The characters were bland and quick to jump around emotionally making everything feel very dramatic. The writing was very much telling not showing.

The narrators were also really irritating and had a weird cadence to their words. Like they were emphasizing odd syllables.

I didn't make it very far before giving up on it as it was clear I was not going to enjoy it.

*Thanks to Hachette Audio and Forever for providing an early copy for review.

This was a cute little book. I listened to the audio version and the production did a great job. The reading was smooth and easy to follow. The storyline of this book was a bit slow, but I appreciated the writing.

I like this series and this is a nice entry into the series. because they are all governesses I do love the kids in the stories too. the love story is fine.

Frankie is a very bad governess, but oh my god she's absolutely hilarious, talking Jasper in circles into keeping her when his inclination is to refuse her assignment. I was thrilled to read this because I really liked her practicality when you first meet her in Never Blow A Kiss. She is analytical, pragmatic, and rationale, with a brilliant mind for puzzle solving.

Jasper is borderline rude when you first meet him, and just a little more than ruthless, but he definitely didn't get to where he is in the world by being dumb, which creates excellent chemistry between them. Especially with the meddling of Jasper's 15 year old niece.

This is a mystery couched as a historical romance with people associated with the ton, but not of the ton, set in London. I can't wait to read the next in the series, and to know more of the mysterious Dove.

The narration of Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing was fantastic, and really brought the characters into more depth. I really enjoyed Rupert's Jasper, and Ella was amazing as Frankie (especially with her logical tangents.)

Highly recommend.

Scheme upon scheme, that is the theme! I love watching Frankie play Jasper like a fiddle! 🤭
I truly enjoyed Lindsay Lovise’s debut novel and she is only improving in this second addition. I am absolutely loving Jasper’s worldly inelegance paired with Frankie’s delightful quirks and brilliance. Her lack of belief in her own likability actually adds to her charm. She is at once the most likeable character while simultaneously being utterly blind to it. This story packs in so much that is hard to know where to start. The mystery is incredibly compelling, the love story all encompassing. That is something so unbearably compelling in a seemingly unlovable character, not only finding a match, but becoming another’s entire world. The characters that Lovise has created deeply resonate and burrow into your heart. I found myself on tenterhooks awaiting each new revelation. To know how much i enjoyed this book, I need only look back through my notes and see such thoughts as… “scheming little minx”, “he is such a softie”, ‘her mother is horrible”, “he is not only a good man, but the best of men” and my favorite, “men are such idiots”. Truly, I could not have had a more enjoyable time.

The narration provided by Ella Lynch & Rupert Channing was a delight. Both of these narrators are new to me and I was impressed with how suited they were to historical romance. There is a certain flow to historical that needs a bit of elegance which was done well here. I am always impressed with the work coming from Forever and Hachette Audio. It is truly like a movie of the mind.

Frankie Turner enters Jasper Jones's house as the governess to his recently orphaned niece, but as her limited experience as a governess and poor spying skills soon expose, she's there under false pretenses. Looking for her missing younger sister, Frankie's real motives are to help uncover the mastermind behind a string of suspicious marriages forced on young women in order to take their large dowries.

This was such a fun read! Frankie is basically the opposite of what Victorian society wants in a young woman - she's smart, not obsessed with making a suitable match, and unafraid to speak her mind, even in 'polite' society.

Jasper is my favorite type of MMC - he has a carefully curated reputation of being a dangerous rake while actually being a bit of a softie and fiercely protective of those close to him. I also love that Jasper was inspired by a real fishmonger's son who created a fortune for himself by building the most profitable gambling house in Victorian society.

I love that the romance, while always present, doesn't take center stage over the intrigue of Frankie's investigation. Although they are attracted to each other early on, I appreciate that Lovise allows the two to spend time pining before throwing them into a relationship.

Even if you prefer a closed door romance, don't skip this one! There are a couple of spicy scenes in the last 20% of the book, but they can easily be skipped without missing any main plot points.

I listened to this one on audiobook, narrated by Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing. While neither of them was particularly great at narrating characters of the other sex, I loved that they both showed lots of emotion (and their accents certainly didn't hurt).

**This is part of a series of connected romances but can be read as a standalone.

Read if you like:
Historical romance
Forbidden love
He falls first
Intrigue and spying
Multi-POV
HEA

Secret Society of Governess Spies series continues with Never Gamble Your Heart.

Frankie Turner's sister is missing, and The Dove has implanted her as a governess to known Rake. He is also the owner of the local, infamous gambling hall. Does Jasper Jones have anything to do with dowry plot to compromise young women into marriage?

This Regency Romance is a mystery and full of off the charts chemistry. This couples banter and attraction were simply SIZZLING!

Can't wait for the next installment in the series!

Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC

I loved it! A fenomenal historical romance with a smart and witty heroine. I loved the romance and enjoyed the mystery plotline as well. The enemies to lover situation was great and when they finally got together? Swoon alert. I also appreciated the relationship between the guvernante and the child. I found it sweet and heartwarmning. This book had so much charm and lovely moments. Highly, highly recommend!

As a math teacher I loved this book!! The main character is a math genius and she was always told that she is too smart and no man will want to marry her. She loves math and I love that. This was my first book form Lovise and I realize it is the second in a series, so now I must go back and read the first one. Thank you Lovise for giving us MATH people some love!!

Never Gamble Your Heart is a regency romp with heart and swagger.

The chemistry between Frankie, whip smart, socially awkward governess and Jasper, a gambling den owner made for a very entertaining read. Add in some clumsy espionage and a dash of murder and you have the perfect escapist regency read.

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Never Gamble is second in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend enjoying it as an audiobook. The narration was top quality, and the clipped British accents added an extra dimension to the cast of characters.

Thank you Hachette Audio for a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book was shelved before I had a chance to listen to it and give an objective feedback. Very sad about it since I couldn’t wait to read it.

Frankie is the outspoken and socially awkward governess sent to spy on gambling hell owner Jasper, who has a 15 year old niece living with him after his brother passed away. Everyone here is pure chaos and delight. Frankie is a mathematician and a terrible spy, so she keeps getting into trouble with Jasper. And Jasper cannot help but be totally intrigued by his new governess. Throw in the mischievous teenager, and we’ve got a really fun book. Both narrators were delightful.

I truly enjoyed this second book in this Governess Spy series. It had a little bit of humor, drama, and sadness. The H/h were cute together. I am looking forward to the 3 book in this series.

ALEXA PLAY "GIVE ME MORE" BY BRITTNEY SPEARS!!!

This book was *chefs kiss* I loved it. I hope there are more in the seires!! And I am for sure going back and reading the first book.

Thank you thank you for letting me read a copy!!!

A cold man who melts for only her??? Sign me the f up. Give me 14 more of 'em.

I absolutely loved this one! It was so fun to dive back into historical romance after the romantasy kick I’ve been on.

Lindsay Lovise writes quick, engaging dialogue and was able to set the scene without feeling like you’re drowning in descriptive text. The banter between the two mains was great and I loved seeing them come together. I also loved that the author didn’t have FMC Frankie hide or be ashamed of how smart she is. And that MMC Jasper loved her all the more for it.

The audio was enjoyable and the narrators did a great job of bringing the story to life. I highly recommend this one on audio!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Lindsay Lovise. These are my honest thoughts.

ALC Review: Never Gamble You Heart by Lindsay Lovise
Pub Date: February 4, 2025
Narrator: Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing

I've been really enjoying this historical mystery/romance series! I think it's engaging and I always find myself really rooting for the couple and intrigued by the mystery. This one didn't necessarily have a ton of twists and turns and I was able to anticipate a lot of what was going to happen, but I don't mind that.

I did really like the couple and the chemistry they had. I loved Frankie as a character and how Jasper was so into her intelligence! It was nice to see her gain confidence through his support of her.

The narration by Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing was very good! I definitely am glad I gave it a listen to and thought they brought the story to life with their performances.

Never Gamble Your Heart is a fun Victorian romance meets thrilling mystery.

When Frankie's sister goes missing she follows a lead that makes her apply to be governess to Cecelia, the fifteen year old niece of town rogue Jasper. Frankie splits her time teaching Cecelia math via counting cards and digging up clues of where her sister is and why there have suddenly been more marriages of "troublemaking" women who were caught in compromising positions.

I read this book not realizing it was part of a series, but still thoroughly enjoyed it and was not confused. I will be going back and reading the first book just because I enjoyed this world. The premise of women working as governesses while being undercover spies drew me in immediately. I loved Frankie as a character (go math!) and really got swept up in her love story with Jasper. The mystery of the book was also super fun. Cecelia was by far my favorite part of the novel! So many of her comments had me laughing out loud.

The audiobook was well done. The pacing was great and I enjoyed listening to both the narrators.

Tropes
* Historical Romance
* Single Father (to niece)
* Great Banter
* STEM loving FMC
* Workplace Romance
* Class barriers

4 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. The narrators did a great job with the voices. The interactions between Jasper and Frankie made for an interesting tale with enough mystery to make it interesting. Frankie was an interesting heroine and the epilogue/ preview for the next story sounded great. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early release of this audio book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for an advance copy of the audiobook.

I like this series so very much. She’s a governess/spy assigned to track down information and accidentally harasses this man within an inch of his life. Very, very early on in the book he hits her with a "don't fall in love with me" and she makes him eat every single word. Just so fun.