I adored Hugh and Minerva's story! I loved watching these two fall in love during their fake engagement!

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

After reading book 2 in the Merriwell Sisters series and loving it I went back and read book 1. In this one we are following Minerva who is hired by Hugh, The Earl of Fareham to pretend to be his fiancée while his mother is visiting from America. This book was just as funny as the second one and I loved the author's writing style so much. I literally laughed out loud the entire time I was reading this. Not only is the relationship between Hugh and Minerva good but so is the other relationships that are present in the book. Hugh and his mother's interactions might have been my favorite, their banter was so good! I don't think I could enough good things about this one and if you are looking for a fun historical romance than I would highly recommend this one. Thank you St. Martin's Press for my #gifted copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Regency romances have always been my guilty pleasure - I am so glad to see that more authors are starting to write regencies ad this subgenere is becoming more mainstream.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee sucked me in from the beginning, and the witty banter kept me engaged. This is classic fake-dating trope with a dash the mis-communication trope. The mis-communication, or in this case, lack of communication, always drives me crazy.

I did love some of the side characters - Minerva’s sister Diana and Hugh’s friend Giles are the perfect witty comedic relief from the tension between the fake relationship.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series as Diana and Giles are the stars of the next book!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of Never Fall for Your Fiancee.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath is a hilariously witty and entertaining Regency-era British romcom. I loved the premise of the book from the beginning: a strong woman supporting her siblings merely poses as a fiancee to an Earl to satisfy the demands of his mother. This "fake dating" trope is a nw favorite of mine and Heath did a wonderful job combining the much-used trope with new, fun banter to keep me engaged and entertained throughout.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham lands himself in some hot water when he invents a fiancée to get his mother off his back. But when his dear old mum announces she's coming for a visit, he has to produce this fictional love interest.

Minerva Merriwell is trying to find a way to support herself and her younger sisters since their father abandoned them. Things are looking seriously bleak when she runs into Hugh. When he proposes she pretend to be his fiancée she thinks it is ludicrous. But running low on options, she takes him up on his offer. Naturally, nothing is smooth sailing though. Do they really think they can pull off the charade?

I think perhaps this was a case of anticipointment. You see, I had such high hopes going in, and fake relationships are usually one of my favorite tropes. But it all fell a bit flat for me. While you expect a happy ending in a romance novel, I do like to be a little surprised along the way, but I found the story to be entirely too predictable.

I liked the characters well enough, and it was an enjoyable enough read—but I guess I was just a bit...well, bored. Having said that, I intend to read the second book in the series. Maybe I'll be in a better frame of mind for it.

Super fun and quick read. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future!

An adorable historical romance that included two sympathetic leads (even though the guy was determined to seem like a cad).

Ms. Heath is one of my favorite authors of Regency romances and she didn't disappoint. I was sucked in from the first page to the last and read the book all in one day. I loved the main characters and I'm happy to see this is the first in a new series and we'll be back for two more books since there are three Merriwell sisters. This is Minerva and Hugh's story and it's set in England in the early 1800's.

When Minerva and Hugh unexpectedly meet when he comes to her rescue it seems meant to be since her name is Minerva. He just so happened to have told his mom that his fiancée's name is Minerva and he meets someone by that name just when he needs to have a fiancée since his mom is coming to England from America for a visit. They come to a monetary agreement, she and her sisters will be staying at his family's country estate, she learns the backstory of what he's told his mother and the story takes off from there. He's got a title and she's a commoner but that doesn't seem to matter, or does it?

There are lies, secrets, family (some real/some fake) and friends, attraction, denial, lack of communication, outings, gatherings, parties, romance, loving and love. The story had a good flow and was a fast-paced read. There are beautifully written descriptions of the clothes, the scenery and Hugh's property. There were many stories being told that are woven together nicely. It was fun to watch their attraction grow especially since Hugh feels he can never marry due to a family history of philandering. There are some chuckles along the way too. There is a wonderful conclusion and a happily ever after with some hints of what's to come. The cover was spot on!

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other site

I held onto this one for far too long. What a fabulous story! Thank you for the opportunity to read this! I really enjoy historical romance trope

This book caught me off-guard with its human and heart. Minerva has been the one providing for her two sisters since their father disappeared leaving them with no help and no one to depend on. She has finally reached the end of resources and unexpectely runs into the answer to her prayers.
Hugh is caught unexpectely in a made-up engagement with an imaginary fiancee that happens to be named Minerva. Together they make a deal to help each other and before long they aren't able to tell the fiction from falling in love.

I recently told somebody regency romances are my guilty pleasure and this book proved WHY. Oh how sweet and just absolutely lovely this book was!

Let me say, the fake fiancé trope is nothing new in literature and I was a bit nervous this book would feel monotonous due to that. I can happily say that this was not the case here, though, and I thought this story was remarkably well done. I found myself giggling and smiling and swooning so hard throughout the pages. This book was a blast to read and I just adored Hugh and Minerva and everything in the situations and dialogue between them along the way.

Witty, lighthearted, and easy to read, this book checked each and every box for the perfect regency romance and I could not recommend it highly enough. This is the first book in the series and I am so ready for more ASAP.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

Delightful, funny, charming characters, and engaging plot of historical fake engagement. Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham is a handsome charming guy, but has convinced himself that the Standish men have it in their blood to be unfaithful, and as the really nice guy that he is, he refuses to marry. His mother, not knowing about his belief wants him wed so to make her happy he makes up a pretend fiancee, and for 2 years writes to her (she live sin Boston with her second husband, a love match) with stories about his intended, Minerva, which sound more like a serial similar to the Perils of Pauline.. His mother becomes suspicious, and informs her son she and her husband are coming for a visit. Panicking, he comes across a women who is confronting a man who owes her money. He steps in to rescue her and low and behold, her name is Minerva. He pays her to pretend to be his fiancé, which then becomes a comedy of error, when he arranges for her and her two sisters to come to his estate. But, ll's well that ends well. This is the first book that I have read from this author, but I hope to read more.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

I'm so excited this is book 1 in a new series! I loved it!!! I've recently been trying to devour anything related to Downton Abbey and this satisfies that craving. I loved the characters, though I didn't love Hugh ALL the time. I can't wait to read more from this series.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

When Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham is pushed into the marriage mart by his managing mama, he finds himself a fake fiancée. But the arrangement rapidly becomes complicated especially as feelings come into play. Never Fall for your Fiancée is light and frothy with likeable characters but the pacing is a bit slow. This fun historical rom-com is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke. 3.5 stars

Great read! Fast paced and witty. Minerva and Hugh are great characters! I really enjoy this story line of fake fiancé. A must read!

This was such a fun fake dating historical romance read. This book had me giggling and falling in love the whole read. This book is so enjoyable and will suck you in right away. I highly recommend checking it out!

I am all here for these historical rom-coms! Bring on the wit, sad and fiery competitiveness of enemies to lovers! Plus this cover is absolutely gorgeous

I love this book in the same way I love watching Austenland. Is it completely ridiculous, over the top, and almost like a parody of a fake dating historical romance? Maybe. Did I love the heck out of it anyway? Absolutely.
This was my first book by Virginia Heath, but I'm interested to see if all of her books are this delightfully bonkers.

I quite enjoyed this historical romantic comedy. The fake relationship trope isn’t one I generally choose, but Hugh and Minerva’s story has become one of my favorites. I had many laugh out loud moments, and the chemistry between the characters was spot on! I hope to see Diana get a turn!