This book is nice. Excellent even. Better than Mozart. And what I found is that it was very funny - to the point where I woke up my husband as I read from laughing out loud. Minerva is a loyal, responsible, practical older sister trying to make ends meet for her two younger sisters - one outspoken and brash, the other naive and innocent after being abandoned by their father and the death of their mother. In a moment of serendipity she meets the Earl of Fareham, a bachelor and self-proclaimed rake in need of a fiancée named Minerva. What follows is descriptive, funny, and genuinely an enjoyable few hours as you devour this book. This is the first in the Merriwell Sisters series and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

This book was amazing! So funny and witty and with characters that actually acted how normal people would when thrust into this kind of situation. I look forward to reading more from Virginia Heath! Hopefully the sisters get a story?
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Totally barmy tale!

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham embroils himself in a pastiche of falsities, up to his earlish neck and then some, when he spins a tall tale to his mother about the fiancée that he doesn’t have. Hugh works hard to stay away from his mother’s marriage plans for him. In desperation, he created his perfect fiancée, Minerva. He imbues Minerva with pathos, endurance, near death experiences, superb horse riding skills, kindness, beauty, a stellar young woman floating through life like a veritable angel. You name it, Hugh’s bestowed upon his perfect fiancée all the qualities to be desired in a gently bred young maid.
When his mother decides to return to England to meet his delightful fiancée (now that said fiancée is recovered from consumption and out of mourning for her beloved father!) and to help plan the wedding,
Hugh is in despair. As he ruefully muses, “ The trouble with lies is they have a tendency, if not well managed, to catch a man out.” The opening is perfect and throws us directly into the path of Hugh’s troubles. Racking his brains for an idea, he happens upon a gently spoken, down at the heel young woman confronting an older man who’s reneged on paying her for printing blocks he’d employed her to make. What Hugh latches onto is that this young woman is named Minerva. Lightning bolt idea! A sign from the gods! This might be the perfect person to help him with his predicament. At this stage let me say Hugh is reminding me of a startlingly aristocratic, yet thoroughly inbred Afghan Hound, all looks and no sense.
Minerva comes with two sisters and somewhere is lurking a father of dubious ethics. That should be ok. But as you can guess the road to ruin is paved with good intentions and our idiotic High is well and truly down that road.
I loved Hugh’s trusty butler Payne! He’s brilliant! A figure to my mind, somewhat along the lines of Hobson the butler, in the movie Arthur!
A comic regency romantic romp that requires suspension of belief and a willingness to embrace some hefty frivolous nonsense.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This is a Historical Romance, and this is the first book in the Merriwell Sisters series. I have to say that Historical Romance is normally not my thing, but the storyline in this book made me want to read it. I did love the storyline, and I found parts of it so funny. The writing in the book was a little bit to flowery and over done for me. I found the characters in the book to be well developed, and I enjoyed most of the characters. I just did not like how somethings in the book just keep coming up over and over. Overall, I found this book just ok. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Griffin) or author (Virginia Heath) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

He invented a fake fiancée....its's a farce.

Hugh, an earl, who is a third generation womanizer, gifted with a wandering eye. He's a rake, as many ladies have captured his attention, but failed to retain it after a dalliance. He know this of himself, so he invents a fake fiancée to stave his mama off (he has good intentions, but just accepts or invents the easy path).

Conveniently, he meets the pretty Minerva, of the same name he has bestowed to his fake fiancée as his mother is set to arrive on English soil. This conveniently solves his immediate problem of producing a real person, and she's actually named Minerva. Minerva is the embodiment of his paragon of virtue Hugh invented.

It's a farce. This book is filled with such farcical situations. It is indeed, a rom-com. So, just know that its a farce and go with the zaniness and enjoy.

Let's be clear. This is not a traditional Regency a la Georgette Heyer or even some of the more recent practitioners. This is a farce, a comedy of manners (and errors) and, as the publicity goes, a Rom-Com. I'm not sure when historical romance started being marketed as romantic comedy, with cartoonish covers, but just because it isn't in the common way, don't miss reading Never Fall for Your Fiancee. It is a hoot. The two leads, Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham and Minerva Merriwell, penniless spinster and support of her sisters, are marvelous together. He is trying to stop his mother from pushing him into marriage, while she is just trying to stay alive — her feckless father left the family bereft and she sells woodcuttings to make a living. When Hugh invents a fake fiancee named Minerva and meets a real Minerva in need of assistance, he decides that she can pretend to be his soon-to-be-wife and fool his mother. Mom, knowing her son, is coming from American to meet his intended. Hugh doesn't expect his mother to arrive early or his fiancee to bring her two younger sisters. The complications that follow are hilarious but also tender -- because the two (of course) begin to fall in love. And as you watch nature take its course, laughter will be your companion. (I received an ARC from NetGalley. Much appreciated, and opinions are mine.)

Happy Tuesday y'all! And Happy release day to Never Fall for Your Financée! I'm not always super into these kinds of historical romances/historical rom coms, but I've read a few this year and I've enjoyed all of them, so thank you so much to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of this one!
Never Fall for Your Fiancée 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.
The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.
Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So, when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.
Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course, nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue, while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other, when their relationship started with a lie?
This book was so fun- were there so many missteps and did so many things go wrong? Absolutely! Was there a bunch of miscommunication between characters? You bet! Was it all done in the best way possible? Definitely! I had such a great time reading Never Fall for Your Fiancée. I really liked all three Merriwell sisters, so I was so glad when I saw that this was the beginning of a new series! I hope Diana and Vee get their own books too. Hugh was one of my favorite love interests in these kinds of historical rom coms- not because he was anything special or great or anything, but he was so funny. And I loved his mom! She was amazing! Overall, this book was a cute, fun read and I definitely enjoyed it! And I can't wait for more stories set in this world!

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a cute, entertaining Historical Fiction Romance set in 1825 England. Earl Hugh Standish has so far avoided his mother's matchmaking schemes. For the last two years he invented a fiancée to keep his mother at bay - and in America. With his mother due back in England in the next few weeks to meet his bride-to-be, Hugh is about to be found out. Hugh doesn't want to disappoint his mother, but more importantly, he doesn't want to get caught in a lie. He just needs to get someone to impersonate his intended to satisfy his mother, and then she will sail back to America happy and Hugh will still be free. Maybe. If it works. Which is doubtful.

Minerva Merriwell has struggled the last five years to support herself and two younger sisters after their father abandoned them. With work scarce the sisters are penniless and about to lost their home. So when Hugh proposes she pose as his fiancée for his mother's trip, she knows it sounds ridiculous, but the offered money is the answer to her prayers. All she needs to do is pretend for a week or so, and then she and her sisters will be on their merry way. Right? Of course not...

Once the group arrives at Hugh's country estate, nothing goes to plan, which is not surprising. I love the chemistry between Hugh and Minerva. They are so cute and flirty their banter pops off the page. Hugh's mother Olivia and her husband Jeremiah are also great characters and are a great foil to Hugh's plans. The minor characters in the book are pretty one-dimensional, including the sisters, but there is enough background to set the girls up for their own books in the future. I look forward to reading those books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

Rating 4
Never Fall For Your Fiancee by @virginiaheathwrites was wonderful. This book is exactly what you need if you're having a bad day. I was smiling and laughing from page one. The banter between all of the characters was hilarious especially between Minerva and Hugh. I thought they had great chemistry and even though they were infatuated with one another early on there was no insta-love. The plot was fun and ridiculously over the top (in a good way) and the story Hugh made up about Minerva was entertaining.

I loved that each character had depth and their own personality. I absolutely adored the relationship Minerva had with her younger sisters. She did a great job raising them after her dad abandoned them when she was 19. She literally proves to her sisters that she would do anything in order to keep them fed and a roof over their head. I also enjoyed the relationship between Hugh and Giles. They definitely seemed more like brothers than best friends. Giles would do anything for Hugh and proved it by going along with his whole charade.

Honestly, this was such a fun romantic comedy with a refreshing historical setting. This book takes place in 1825 and the author did a great job of making the reader feel as though it was actually 1825. The plot, writing, pacing, setting, and characters made for a good story. I cannot wait to continue reading this series to see what happens with the sisters!

*Received an eARC through #NetGalley and @stmartinspress
in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *


***Review will be posted on my Instagram, blog, and goodreads on publication day****

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for the [gifted] eARC!

Never Fall For Your Fiancée is a Regency era romance that is the first of a series featuring the Merriwell sisters. NFFYF features Minerva Merriwell, the oldest sister who has been struggling to support her two younger sisters after their feckless father abandoned them 5 years ago. After a chance encounter with Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, Minerva and her sisters’ financial woes could be taken care of… if Minerva agrees to pretend to be Hugh’s fiancée while his meddlesome mother visits. With a best friend who is just there for the entertainment, a youngest sister who wont’ play along, and a drunken stage actress hired to play their mother, what could possibly go wrong?!

NFFYF is a sweet and funny read if you’re looking for something light in your reading life. The last few chapters felt a bit rushed and parts of the middle dragged but overall I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I’m especially looking forward to feisty Diana’s book!

Never Fall For Your Fiancée is out today!

4/5 stars 2/5 steam
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4325573414
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWEBPqavsUM/

Hugh has been lying to his mother for years about having a fiancée named Minerva and it's finally come back to bite him in the ass, as she is coming to visit to meet the fictional woman. As he's trying to figure out what to do he rescues a down on her luck young woman who is trying to get the money she is owed for her work from her client and as luck would have it her name is Minerva. He offers her $40 to play his fiancée for a few weeks at most but she insists on bringing her sisters with her.
There's an actress hired to play their mother, his best friend is set up to run away with her and a the girls absent father who isn't worth his weight in anything.
The premise here was entertaining and the dynamics between the sisters and the other side characters was fun, but I really just didn't feel the chemistry between the MC's. Although I do believe if Diana and Giles get their own book I can already see the sparks in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. MArtin Press for the opportunity to read this book.
First, I like that the cover it's different and refreshing from the ususal covers of Historical Romance.
The story goes about an Earl who doesn't want to get married, but his mother can't help it, she wants him to have happiness in his life, so he must get married. In order to avoid it, Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, has faked in his letters that he has a fiancee, but when his mother is on his way back home, he must have a fiancee to play alog.
I really enjoy the first of these series The Merriwell Sisters, a little bit predictable, but stil fun reading.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. Never Fall for Your Fiancee was a fun and funny romance. While not quite zany enough to be a fully fledged rom com, it was definitely a fun read. The characters were witty, the dialog was delightful, and it was a good fake fiancee plot. While I did really want to smack both Minerva and Hugh upside the head with a rolled up newspaper more than once, at least his mother took care of that for me. Overall, this book is fun, ridiculous, and witty. If you want a confection that will make you smile, this is the book for you.

November 1825

Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham, 36, has received a letter from his mother informing him that she and his American stepfather are sailing from Boston to Hampshire for Christmas. He knew they would eventually come to meet his ficticious fiancé but now that the time is upon him, he is panicking. To keep his mother from matchmaking for him, he told her he is engaged to a young woman named Minerva and has held his mother off meeting her by telling her that Minerva has been in mourning. But now the time of reckoning is upon him.

While taking a walk, Hugh encounters a young woman arguing with a man saying she has not been paid her for the work she did for him. Stopping to help, Hugh learns that she does illustrations and the man was trying to cheat her. With Hugh's help, he finally gives her the money. When he learns her name is Miss Minerva Merriwell, 24, he cannot believe his luck - Minerva! He offers her 40 pounds to pose as his fiancé for one month at his country home, Hampstead. Desperate for money to care for her two youngers sisters and no parents, she agrees. The 3 young ladies head for Hampstead.

Oh my! This book is such a delightful romp. Hugh is a confirmed bachelor and determined to maintain that status, but he hasn’t met anyone like Minerva. She is beautiful but not perfect. She cannot ride, she cannot dance, and she most certainly cannot sing. Oh, but she is perfect for him. I loved Hugh. Such a charmer and the man who wants to keep everything running smoothly. The entire cast of characters here are so much fun and keep the reader laughing. As Hugh would say, this book is Excellent!

Copy provided by the NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up,

Sir Walter Scott said it best “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”, and those words perfectly describe Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham’s current dilemma. When he first invented a fiancee to deter his matchmaking mother from pushing marriageable misses at him – even though she now resides in Boston – he never dreamed that it would snowball out of control as it has, nor did he think that after two years of successfully holding his mother at bay that this day would come – his mother’s return to England.

Hugh isn’t against marriage in general, just for himself, he believes that the men in his family are incapable of fidelity and refuses to hurt his wife and children by being unfaithful as his father and grandfather were. So he invented Minerva to keep his mother from trying to find him a wife. But now his mother is on her way to England to plan his wedding – now that the non-existent Minerva has fully recovered from consumption AND is finally out of morning for her father – who tragically froze to death in a blizzard. Even his friend Giles Sinclair, Lord Bellingham can’t think of a way to extract Hugh from the gigantic farce he has created. But it seems that fate is smiling down on Hugh because while walking down the street, he comes across a very lovely young woman and an older man arguing – he intervenes when on the lady’s behalf and when he learns her name is Minerva, a new idea is born.

Minerva Merriwell is grateful to Hugh for making Mr. Pinkerton pay her for her work, and is shocked when he offers her forty pounds to pose as his fiancee for a couple of weeks. She agrees but insists that her sisters Diana and Venus “Vee” come with her. Hugh agrees and has Minerva and her sisters come to his country estate along with his friend Giles and a Drury Lane actress he hired to portray their mother to prepare for his mother’s arrival. When Minerva wants to know how he plans to end their engagement, he tells her not to worry – he has a plan – Minerva and Giles will elope, he assures her that is it a perfect plan and that nothing could possibly go wrong! Ah, as they say, the best-laid plans…

And so starts an absolutely hilarious, wonderful, and well-written story. I truly enjoyed reading this book, it was light and funny, Hugh and Minerva are very likable leads and the secondary characters were the perfect comedic foil for them. The book is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, outrageous lies, horrific singing, secrets, shocking revelations, stolen kisses, and finally a very sweet HEA. While this book was fun to read, parts of it were a bit over-the-top and I did find Minerva’s sisters to be mildly annoying, but overall, I loved this crazy, madcap web of deception and would highly recommend this book.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is one of those books that could never really happen in real life. The story is so outlandish to be believable. But it was delightful just the same. Hugh has been lying to his mother for years about being engaged to a fictitious woman named Minerva. His stories have been a means of deflecting her matchmaking intentions. But since she lives in America, she has no way of verifying his accounts of his engagement and fiancee.

Hugh's mother knows him well and she's long since believed Minerva to be an invention of Hugh's imagination. So she determines to come back for a visit. In the meantime, Hugh randomly meets a woman named Minerva and offers to pay her to pretend to be his fiancee. Minerva wanted to say no to his request but he offered her such a large amount of money that it would change her and her sister's life for years to come.

Minerva and Hugh have an instant connection and attraction. But neither can act upon their interest. Hugh is so far above her station, but most of all, Hugh has been open with her about his disinterest in marriage as well as his flaws as he sees them. Hugh's father and grandfather were both disloyal husbands and his attention has never stayed on one woman either. So he believes himself to be incapable of being a good and loyal husband.

Hugh and Minerva both have quick wits, and I loved the banter between them. I can only imagine how much fun it is going to be to read Diana and Giles's story which I assume will come next. Their banter and hate to love potential romance is something I anticipate.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee was a light and fun read. I finished it quickly and didn't want to put it down which is always a good thing if you ask me. I loved the characters...all of them...and I can't wait to read the other sisters' stories as well. I was surprised by the direction this book took in the physical sense. I guess the series will be more historical romance than I usually read, but it wasn't overly much. Never Fall for Your Fiancee easily gets 4 Stars. Have you read Never Fall for Your Fiancee? What did you think? Let me know!

I don't know why the fake dating/fake engagement trope does it for me so much but it totally does. Never Fall For Your Fiancee fed right into that for me if it is any indication on how the rest of the series will be...sign me up! The story is simple but packs a punch and will leave readers laughing and waiting for the next!

Thank you publishers for my advanced copy!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but I loved it! It’s a sweet and funny Regency-era historical romcom, well written and plotted. The author takes fake dating in a new direction! I was disappointed when it had to end, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the Merriwell Sisters series.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Farham, needs a fiancée, fast. He’s convinced his meddling mother, who lives In Boston, that he’s fallen for a girl named Minerva. Unfortunately, Minerva is a fiction and his mother is coming to plan their wedding.

Minerva Merriwell is trying to collect her fee for an advertisement she designed, and her client won’t pay up. Hugh steps in and resolves the issue for her. When they introduce themselves, and Hugh learns her name, he asks her if she’d be his fake fiancée for a fee. She agrees and she and her sisters head to Hugh’s country estate.

The supporting characters in this book are hilarious. There’s a fake mother for the Merriwell girls, an actress who has a tendency to drink. There’s a best friend, a droll butler, and other assorted relatives as well as the Merriwell sisters themselves. This book is a nice escape from modern day life, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love the fake fiance(e) trope, but until now I have only seen it in contemporary romances, never in an historical romance. How much fun is this? I have never read a book by this author before, but she is going on my automatic list. I giggled my way through this book as nothing went to plan.

I don't like spoilers, so I am not going to give any. I will say this is a proper standalone novel, not one of those infuriating duets or trilogies that end in a cliffhanger. This is Hugh and Minerva's story, and comes with an HEA.

If you like romances or rom-coms, and want something a little different, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Never Fall For Your Fiancee." It is sweet, funny, and well-written. I really enjoyed this book, and I am sure you will. too.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

What a fun story! This was a book I found myself excited to go back to and sad everytime I had to put it down!

In this book we meet Hugh, an Earl and playboy, who has been lying to his mother for years that he has a fiancée to prevent her from trying to find one for him herself. Everythings going great until he learns that she is on a ship set for London. After stumbling upon Minerva, a poor woodcut engraver who also supports her two younger sisters, on the street, he asks her pose as his fiancée for a lucrative price. But, after Minerva arrives at Hugh’s estate with her sisters, nothing seems to go according to plan and hilarity ensues!

I love a story that can be emotionally impactful, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. The author really sets the silly tone early on in the story with Hugh entangling himself in a truly ridiculous situation, only to find a perfect solution in Minerva, who he runs into on the street. Add in a crew of hilarious family members (including a hired mother and sarcastic butler) and the story just keeps getting more wild!

At the same time though, we get to see the real story behind the charade. Hugh and Minerva falling in love despite themselves, and while also workig through their own dark family history, was the love story I love to see!

While the ending may have ended a bit too quickly for me, I love a sweet ending 💕 I’m so excited to read Diana and Giles’ story next! I loved their characters in this book and definitely think they deserve their own story!