A fun, witty and sweet historical romance rec.

Loved this so much! I instantly fell in love with all of the characters (except Vee…ugh) and I really hope a sequel is coming soon.

It is so obvious from the beginning that these two are doomed with their master plan to fake a relationship but that’s what made it so hilarious!

I don’t want to say too much more because I think going into this book with as little information as possible is the best way to enjoy it.

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress @smpromance for sending this ARC my way.

Be sure to add this one to your anticipated reads list!

Who wouldn't enjoy a delightful rom-com with a little historical fiction? Hugh Standish is the Earl of Fareham and has a meddling mother (she lives in America with her husband, Jeremiah) that has been hounding him about getting married. After all, he is thirty years old! So, he creates this fantabulous charade of a fake fiance', Minerva. He carries this charade on through elaborate letters filled with intrigue and romantic interludes. But, Hugh's mother, Olive, and her husband, Hugh's stepfather are heading to London for a visit.
Thank goodness fate stepped in and Hugh bumped into Minerva Merriwell, yes - a real-life Minvera! I'm not going to give away any spoilers, because I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful book. It was a perfect way to end my summer with a fake fiance', romance, passion, heartache, and family drama (a lot of it). Minerva is a hopeless romantic that dreams of a knight in shining armor that will whisk her away from her hard life and Hugh just might be her knight.
This was my first book from Virginia Heath and I truly enjoyed the dialogue between the characters and how a knight in shining armor just might not be absolutely perfect - because how boring would that be?


Thank you, Virginia Heath, Net Galley, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader's copy.

Fun, easy historical romance. I think fans of Bridgerton will enjoy this. I enjoyed the characters, but their dialogue was a little inconsistent. Somethings they said were very historical, while others were more modern. If you like a good rom-com, this will fill you up!

This book was a fun way to lose myself for a few days, but I can't say that it completely wow'd me.

There were many delightful aspects: I enjoy the fake engagement and forced proximity romcom, there were many laugh out loud moments, some delightfully crazy characters, and the chemistry was pretty good.

Some areas became a bit farcical and outrageous, and I feel like it was just going in circles a bit, or maybe went on for a tad too long. At 368 pages, there was just a few too many bad decisions and comical twists. It was definitely a comedy of errors! A few of the characters were a little hard to read or enjoy, but as a series, they could grow on me. I was also left with a few unanswered questions at the end...but maybe they'll be answered in books to come.

Overall, this one is a light and comical regency romcom, guaranteed to lift your spirits! I'd still give the whole series a try.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Griffin for the advanced read in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this historical fiction about a fake engagement. The banter was lively and chemistry wonderful between Minerva and High. I didn't like the bedroom scene and skimmed that part. I can't wait for book 2 and hope we see Diana married off next!

Never Fall for Your Fiancé by Virginia Heath is absolutely charming. With the ever entertaining fake fiancé trope, delightfully funny characters, and all the missteps that occur with trying to keep up with the elaborate ruse, Virginia Heath effortlessly weaves a heartwarming story.

I throughly enjoyed being able to see relationship between Minerva and Hugh grow throughout the book from both of their perspectives.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fell for the adorable cover and the intriguing promise in the title. I knew I would like this book but I wasn't expecting to be so charmed. Hugh is lovely and kind and nice and means well, even if he makes a hash of things sometimes. I don't feel I've quite seen a character like him in a Regency-era story before and it was amazing.

Minerva and her sisters are hilarious! They're your typical not-one-of-the-Ton girls and I adored it. I love Diana's sass and Minerva's stubbornness. Vee bothered me a bit but that could be more just playing into her age (17).

There were moments when I laughed out loud, moments when my pulse quickened, moments when my heart broke for the characters. I happily went along for the journey and I'd read every sequel!

I reset on rom coms and historical romances and this quick and cute read did not disappoint.

With the popularity of Bridgerton, I love seeing more and more fresh takes on regency romance and I love the fake engagement trope.

I will definitely recommend this book and carry on reading about the Merriwell sisters!

This book was the perfect read for me while on the mend from being sick. It is fun, light-hearted, and yet still brought the slow burn of a couple that cannot admit their feelings to each other that I love in a romance. I ended up reading it twice since I read it when I was on the mend and remembered how much I loved it, but couldn't recall any of the nuances that made me love it. The only reason I ended up giving it four stars instead of five was because I felt that several of the scenes in the last half of the book were cut short and left the reader hanging in the lurch. I also wish there were more steamy scenes between the couple.
Hugh Standish is the Earl of Fareham. He has invented a fiancé that he writes about to his mother (who resides in America) to get her off of his back about finally getting serious and taking a wife. He seems to think he has everything well in hand, but a letter arrives announcing that his mother is sailing over with her husband to visit him. As we all know she cannot wait to meet Minerva, the finacé he has written about for the past two years, and help with the arrangements for their upcoming wedding. Without giving too much of the plot away, fate steps in when Hugh assists a young woman whose name just happens to be Minerva. He wastes no time in convincing her to play the role of said fake finacé. From that point on their witty banter will have you laughing our loud and casually smiling at Hugh's use of "excellent."
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions in the above review are of my own.

There are some really charming things about this book and I happily lost myself reading it for a few days.

I enjoyed the situational comedy (Minerva on a horse is a lot of fun) and their "mother" maybe not controlling herself the way she should. This is a lighthearted story that is very entertaining and throws in a bit of romance too.

Hugh is of course, determined to stay a bachelor and has concocted this elaborate plan to fool his mother. He has hired Minerva to play his fiancé for a week or two until his mother leaves the country. And sparks fly. Hugh was a fine leading man, but I have to admit, there wasn't anything that stood out about him. I like him fine, but I really loved his best friend who came in and out of the story (and who I hope will be the focus of book two!)

Minerva and her sister Diana is where all of my love and attention lay. Minerva is strong and capable, having taken care of herself and her two younger sisters since her mother died and her father left. She is practical and level headed, someone you would want as a friend and confidant. Diana has a strong personality, willing to say things as she sees it and isn't afraid of telling you what she thinks, regardless station. I am really hoping for a Diana book next! (eh-hem, yes.) And I want to mention that the actress they hired to play the mother was so fantastic in her scenes, she stole the show. I don't want to give anything away, but I would be pulling my hair out and grinding my teeth whenever she opened her mouth. OMG what a lady!

While the story is predictable, the comedy and warmth of the story really propels it forward. The dynamic of the three sisters is a fun addition to the relationship between Hugh and Minerva. Overall, it's a fun romantic comedy that I think is perfect for the beach and to satisfy some historical romance buffs.

This book was enjoyable in some aspects and not so enjoyable in others. It took a little while for me to get into the story, but once I did, I liked it a lot more than my initial impression told me I would. I had a hard time connecting with Hugh and Minerva at first (I think mostly because I didn't feel very much chemistry between them), but I really liked Minerva's sisters (though Vee especially got on my nerves at times) and the rest of Hugh's family, friends, and staff. The side characters and the interactions with them really made this book. There were definitely some endearing moments to be had. However, the whole situation left me feeling a little uneasy. The fact that Hugh's mother was so kind and totally devoted to Hugh's happiness and helping Minerva get her footing as Hugh's wife when at first it was all a lie made me feel really guilty on her behalf. It also annoyed me to no end the amount of times Hugh blamed all of his actions on his "Standish Blood" instead of taking responsibility for his decisions. He quoted it so many times, and it really grated on me. I don't think it would have bothered me quite so much except for the fact that it was resolved in an instant and suddenly everything was fine when he'd spent the entire book talking about it. Still, all of these things aside, this was an enjoyable and cute historical rom-com and I am glad I read it.

This book is incredibly frustrating. Miscommunication after miscommunication, very stubborn main characters, and just about every unlikable side character under the sun made this a hard read. At times I had a hard time following what was going in because they all spoke in circles. Just one conversation about how someone truly felt would have gone such a long way. ⭐⭐💫 I wish I had counted how many times "scoundrel" was said. I'm pretty sure a record was broken.

Never Fall For Your Fiancée is a delightful, historical romance about a roguish earl who hires a fake fiancée to keep his meddling, matching-making mother at bay. But when real sparks start to fly, love threatens to complicate everything.

I absolutely adored this one!! It had me hooked from the very first page. The story was absolutely delightful with the perfect balance of humor and sizzling hot chemistry. This lighthearted romance truly had me snickering between pages. If you need another book to hold you over until the next season of Bridgerton, I totally recommend this one!

Huge thank you to @smpromance & @stmartinspress for gifting me this one!!

I really enjoyed this one! The character chemistry was great! Hugh was a great character and him and Minerva had great dialog. I love the fake dating trope and this on did not disappoint: this was a great series starter and I cant wait to read a second book! All the cast of characters were a lot of fun and this was a quick and fun read.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this ARC.

This is a great fun read. Never Fall for your Fiancee is a romcom and quick read.

To me it had pride and prejudice type vibes or proposal type vibes; with humor. I highly recommend when you want a quick, fun read. I find it hard to find light fun reads at times, so this was a great find.

Thank you Virginia Heath for your novel. I will be checking out your other books.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, never wants a wife, but his mother is hell-bent to find him a love match. In order to escape her machinations, he invents a fiancée, buying him some time to keep the matchmaking at bay. But this all blows up in his face when his mother comes to visit from America expecting to meet his fiancée Minerva. Luckily for Hugh, shortly after the letter announcing his mother’s impending arrival, he meets Minvera Merriwell. How fortuitous that she has the same name as his fake fiancée. And that Minerva is struggling to support herself and her two sisters after their feckless father abandoned them years ago. Hugh hires Minerva to pretend to be his fiancée while his mother is visiting. What ensues is a delightful mess as they attempt to keep the lies from unraveling.
This is a delightful romantic comedy filled with engaging characters, from the best friend, the sister, the butler and the mother. Readers will be delighted by the characters as they read the love story. Hugh and Minerva are likeable and characters worthy of finding love. You will find yourself rooting for them as they are surrounded by the zany characters in the book.

This book has been getting a lot of hype lately, so i finally bunkered down and read it! On occasion, when I have a book I'm really excited to read, I'll sit on it. This was one of those books... but man, I'm so glad I finally got to it! If any of you have read the "The Importance of Being Ernest", this book almost reminded me of that play. I think the similarities were in the two bachelors living in a mansion, so entrenched in a comical lie, you can't help but have fun along the way.

Blurb: Minerva Merriwell, is just trying to find a way to support herself, and her two sister's using her artistic talent as a woodcut engraver. It was that very skill, as well as her need for quick cash (not to mention her peculiar name), that led her to agreeing to be some rich Earl's fake fiancee. She never expected it to lead to more. Hugh Standish just needs a fake fiancee to get his meddling mother off his back. His ideal future includes no responsibilities, no commitment, and no string attached. He was never supposed to fall for the woman he hired to play the part.

Before I begin, I want to say, this book is funny! Like really, truly funny. Sometimes regency romances have the habit of being funny in a stuffy way (I imagine it's the time period). However, this book actually made me laugh out loud. I think that might have to do with the fact that Hugh really leans into his nonsensical character, and his light heartedness. Don't get me wrong, I love the brooding regency hero as much as anyone, but what a refreshing change of pace this was! As for Minerva, I love the strong matriarch characteristics she's taken on, while still being a closeted romantic. And Hugh's mother, I loved her! The stereotype of the mother in law hating her new daughter in law can be so overdone! Therefore, I liked that she was awesome, and funny, and totally on Minerva's side when her son was in the wrong.

If you couldn't tell before this review, the characteristics are definitely the shining stars of the story! Something to note, while this story is considered a romantic comedy, I say there's a heavy emphasis on the comedy (which I'm totally ok with).

I'm having a hard time critiquing this story... if anything, I can say Minerva's sisters are awesome background characters, but I don't want to read their stories. Diana was too brash, and Vee was rather selfish. Special thank you to Netgalley, Virginia Heath, and St. Martin's Publishing for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

How utterly adorable! I couldn’t put this down. The writing went right into the plot and just didn’t stop. Hugh was thoughtful and sweet and NICE. Minerva was everything a strong, smart, independent heroine- love interest should be. I laughed out loud so many times, and “awww’d” quite frequently. Charming and just so readable. Love this. Five stars. Only—I need more!

Hugh isn't looking for a wife, but his mother has other plans for him. Even if she's all the way across the ocean, she's determined to find him a partner. This leads Hugh to invent a fake fiance to keep his mother away. But soon his mother is coming to visit and expects ot meet the love of his life. With just his luck, he runs into Minerva, a girl with the same name as his fake fiance. She's struggling to support her family ever since her father left and when Hugh makes her an offer she can't refuse, she has no choice but to stay with him at his home and pretend to be his fiance. As Hugh and Minerva try to keep their stories straight with Hugh's mother, they spend more time together and wonder if everything they say is truly a lie.

This was one of the first historical romances I've ever read and I enjoyed it a lot! It was so nice to be swept away into 1800s England with Minerva and Hugh. I loveee a fake dating trope and luckily enough this one also had some forced proximity going on. It was so entertaining and funny to watch Hugh and Minerva try their best to keep their lies in order only for his mother to continue prying. Minerva is a strong and independent woman and I adored her! Hugh on the other hand is a playboy who seems like he wishes he could break free from the past and what he considers to be his fate. At certain parts of the novel, I felt like the momentum slowed down and I wasn't as interested. I wish I had some more intense moments! Still, this was an adorable book and great if you love historical romances!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars
What I liked:
~light, easy, predictable read

What I didn’t like:
~The constant referral to being “cursed with his father’s bad blood” got annoying after a while. We get it. No need to continue to refer to it.
~The lack of communication between characters, particularly Hugh and his mother, and Hugh and Minerva. So many issues could have been prevented if only they spoke honestly with one another. When they finally do, the book just ends.
~It was slow to progress and for large chunks of the story it felt like nothing really happened.
~I don’t think it was honest to the time period in regards to relationships and reputation, especially what will happen to Minerva’s reputation when the whole charade ends.
~I’m not sure I liked Hugh. It’s hard to like a guy who goes to such lengths to continue to lie to his mother.

Honestly, I just didn’t like it as much as I was hoping to. It had a lot of potential, but it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.