4.5 stars rounded up. Highly recommended for fans of Tessa Dare and lighthearted historical romances. This is a rare instance where the illustrated cover is appropriate to the tone of the story! Virginia Heath puts a fresh spin on the fake fiancée trope, with our hero picking a random woman who happens to have the same name as the fictitious fiancée he invented to throw his meddling mother off of his back about matchmaking. Minerva -- who has fallen in desperate straits after her father ran off and left her and her sisters destitute -- agrees to pose as Hugh's betrothed in exchange for a fee. Complications ensue (of course) with Minerva's dramatic sisters tagging along for the country estate party to meet Hugh's mother, and Hugh's best friend recruiting a drunken actress to pose as Minerva's mother and chaperone.

I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Minerva and Hugh, and appreciated that both characters were a bit flawed and weren't magically transformed by their growing love for each other. Watching them pair up to try to convince Hugh's mother that their relationship was genuine (all the while, obviously, falling in love for real) was entertaining and very satisfying. This was relatively low on angst and high on situational comedic moments as the farce plays out.

My only minor quibble which docks half a star is Hugh's continued insistence that his father's and grandfather's lack of fidelity means he is doomed to repeat their failures. His use of that excuse dragged on too far into the story for my preference, but it didn't interfere with my overall enjoyment.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I am a huge fan of historical romance novels and this book was wonderful! This is a new author for me and I will definitely be reading more from her and the other books in the series!

Never Fall for Your Fiancée falls under one of my favourite tropes and I knew just by the title that I would be hooked. And I was.... kinda. Hugh and Minerva happen upon each other by chance but it was the most perfect twist of fate in Hugh's eyes. After spinning a two-year-long tale about this elusive woman he intended to marry, just to get his mother off of his back, he finds himself in need of someone to play this part just so he can end the lie he's created. It just so happens this fantasy woman Hugh had created was named Minerva. Hugh propositions her with a payment plan while she acts like his betrothed and Minerva cannot help but accept when she has little money but two sisters she must take care of as their mother and father are not in the picture. It seems easy enough as they only plan to do this for a short while, but of course.... it is not often that everything goes according to plan, especially when the plan is so messy.

I did enjoy this, but good LORD HUGH REALLY GAVE ME STRESS OVER THIS LAZILY WOVEN LIE. A very light-hearted story of two people who fake their relationship only to inevitably fall in love at the end. Where this lacked the steaminess I'm used to, it made up for in the sassiness of Minerva and while it's not the full-blown sass I'm used to nowadays, I am to assume that it was quite a lot more than is to be expected of any lady speaking to a man in 1825. I'd say this is a high 3/5 stars in my eyes. If you're a fan of Evie Dunmore, I think you'll enjoy this one!

Woman hired to be fiancee of a wealthy regency man- this story is a trope that runs rampant through fiction, especially romance. This was very much akin to that but with a lot more hijinks which I appreciated. You know it'll all implode and when it does it's a far more delightful twist on the trope rather than drab retelling.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. If there is not a sequel tellings us the stories of the other sisters, I am going to be heartbroken. I fell in love with these characters, and I want to know what happens next. I want to follow them all in the journey to love.

I adored this HR romcom. Hugh and Minerva's romance was the perfect mixture of light-heartedness, sincerity, and humor, and I loved it all. Eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

I just didn’t connect with the plot or character. She wasn’t relatable and didn’t make me care about her.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is such an endearing, light-hearted read, that I'm sure fans of Bridgerton and other historical romances will love! I found the plot to be pretty fast-paced, although I did spend a good portion of the book wondering when their scheme would blow up in their faces. While the storyline was predictable at times, I didn't exactly mind, and I found the romance delightful! I couldn't help but root for Hugh and Minerva, and was thoroughly charmed by the cast of characters — especially Diana.

***I have received an ARC from the published and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***


I want to start off by saying I absolutely adored this book. I loved Heath's use of similes to create vivid and illustrious imagery throughout the book. It helped me picture everything so clearly, while also causing me to giggle at times. This book is what helped me escape from my months long reading slump, and for that I will be forever grateful. It was definitely a 5 star read for me, and will probably be on my list of favorites for the year.

This book was so enrapturing, and by the time I was about 60% through it I preordered a physical finished copy. The characters were an absolute delight, and I can not wait to read Diana's installment in this series. I loved her from the first time she stepped onto the page, and if the love interest is who I think it is...I am going to be clicking preorder as soon as it is available.

Hugh and Minerva's relationship was a beautiful thing to see blossom. I loved every interaction between the pair, especially when Minerva gave Hugh a piece of her mind. With their relationship you also see a lot of character growth from the pair, and it was honestly just beautiful. I think part of my love from this also stems from the Pride and Prejudice vibes I picked up on throughout the series.

The only thing I was not a complete fan of was some of the pacing in the beginning. At times we were presented with a chapter ending like a scene was about to pick up, but then it was over when the next chapter started. For example I would have loved to see the scene where Hugh puts forth the offer for being his fake fiancé, but we only get told some details later. I think it would have been an interesting scene to see how Minerva reacted to a stranger putting this idea forth.

Overall, I highly recommend this read to any historical romance lovers. It was amazing to have a fun romcom style historical romance, and I can not wait to see the other Merriwell sisters get their chances to shine.

The witty banter came in hot and heavy at the start of this book and did not stop! Lord Hugh Fareham and Miss Minerva Merriwell come together in the most bizarre of circumstances to appease Hugh's mothers endeavor to get him married. Both Hugh and Minerva bear the weight of being heads of their unconventional households and are quick to sell themselves short while bearing the weight of all their responsibilities. Both families are complicated and the result of bringing them under one roof while trying to play the role of lovers is pure comedic chaos. As they spend more time together, they learn to trust in themselves and understand that they are deserving of each others love.

An engaging regency romance of two strangers who pretend to be engaged for the sake of family. Interesting and humorous plot and characters.

Overview:
Hugh Standish, Earl of Faredam, is known as a bit of a scoundrel. Hugh is determined to never become like the Standish men who have come before him, who've made terrible husbands, and therefore has settled on remaining a bachelor the rest of his life. His mother, who has settled in America, has entirely different plans for Hugh and wants nothing more than to see him married. In order to keep her at bay, he's come up with a fake fiancée and a story to match that, so far over the two years, has worked to satisfy his mother's expectations. Now, she's on her way over the ocean to finally meet this woman, and Hugh has to scramble to keep the story up. Enter Minerva Merriwell, who over the last few years has found herself raising her two other sisters and trying to keep a roof over their heads. After stumbling across each other, they discover they could mutually benefit from one another's situation: Minerva can act as Hugh's betrothed, while in turn Hugh will offer Minerva a large sum of money, enough to put the Merriwell's in a much better financial position for the future. Will the plan ultimately work?

What I loved:
- There were a handful of side characters that offered up comedic relief at various times, and those parts made me smile and chuckle to myself (a friend of Hugh's hires an actress to act as Minerva's mother, and she's fantastic).
- In a handful of ways, the tone and voice of the story reminded me a bit of The Importance of Being Earnest. A bit witty, a bit quirky and humorous, but also includes a bit of a light love story.

What I didn’t love:
- Minerva and Hugh both weren't that loveable as characters. The side characters were more entertaining, quirky, and loveable.
- I wanted a bit more humor and wit. While there were parts that were humorous and witty, I was expecting more to be there than what there was. Descriptions of the book made it out to be a rolling-on-the-floor rom-com full of "one thing after another" and wit and charm, so I came into the story having high expectations for it to fully deliver in this regard but it fell short.

Overall:
Ultimately, I rate this book at a 3.5 star (for the sake of Netgalley's 5-pointrating system, I've rounded up to a 4-star). A 3-star rating for me is "I didn't love it but a didn't hate it," and I felt that I enjoyed it slightly more than just feeling neutral about it. But at the same time it wasn't a 4-star rating, which for me is "I really enjoyed this but it wasn't an absolute favorite that I could rave for days about." So, the rating falls somewhere in between: decently enjoyable, enough to finish and recommend to others as a light rom-com that has moments of humor and wit, but also not something to really write home about.

Characteristics:
Pace: medium paced
Moods: lighthearted, funny
Plot- or Character-Driven: a bit of a mix
Strong Character Development: not really
Loveable Characters: sort of, a bit of a mixed bag
Diverse Cast: no
Flaws of the Main Characters a Center Focus: sort of

Never Fall In Love With Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath promises to be a charming rom-com, and it delivers. It's the perfect antidote for the romance blahs, though it may be a little too light for some readers.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Farenham, is convinced that he is incapable of fidelity due to his tainted blood; neither his father nor his grandfather remained faithful to their spouses. He can't imagine hurting a woman in that way, so he has determined never to marry. Unfortunately for Hugh, his mother is equally determined to see him wed. To appease her, he invented a fiancee named Minerva complete with a rather intense and creative backstory. Since his mother now lives in the United States with her new husband, he was able to get away with the ruse for two years.

But Mama lets him know she is coming back to England, and Hugh needs a fiancee fast. When the damsel in distress that he assists one afternoon turns out to be named Minerva, he's convinced his prayers have been answered. Minerva agrees to help, and she and her two sisters join Hugh in the country to prepare for his mother's arrival. What ensues is a comedy of errors that will make you smile if not laugh out loud. And while the slapstick is playing out, Minerva and Hugh are discovering that they have actual feelings for one another.

At times, Hugh's desperate weaving of webs gets tiresome, and his reasons for not coming clean are vague. The "I'm just like my faithless father, so I'll never marry" trope is not my favorite, and Hugh's steadfast belief in it gets old. Aside from his fiancee-related lies, Hugh is a genuinely nice and reasonably intelligent guy, which makes his stupidity in this one area harder to swallow.

On the other hand, Minerva (the eldest Merriwell sister in this first of what is presumably a three-book series) is a pretty great heroine. She's smart and resourceful and deserves an HEA. I'm curious how the other two sisters' books will play out.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

I didn't finish this book.

The whole story was incredibly physical, and the author herself kept using the word "lust" in the writing to drive home the point. Not my kind of novel at all.

This was a fun, quick read that was a bit predictable of course with the whole idea of falling in love with a fake fiancée, but it was funny and enjoyable all the same.

Hugh created a fake fiancée, Minerva, for his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him happily married. He encounters a young, poor artist who takes care of her two younger sisters, whose name actually is Minerva. So High offers her a deal to play his fiancée when his mother is coming to visit from America.

There’s many shenanigans during this visit, including one hired actress who takes her role a bit too seriously, Minerva’s two younger sisters who continually try Hugh’s patience, one well meaning often times exasperated butler, and his mother who keeps digging to get the whole story.

The romance was delightful, even if Hugh was a frustrating character but at least he had a bit of character growth. I liked Minerva’s character more. But the romance wasn’t really the reason why I wanted to read this book, the laugh out loud funny moments when all they’re carefully thought out plans blew up in their faces made this a more enjoyable read for me.

I’m looking forward to reading Diana and Vee’s stories.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

In order to escape his mother and her matchmaking, Hugh creates a fake fiancé to stop his mother from meddling with his love life. His solid plan backfires when his mother and stepfather board a ship from America to meet his future bride.

Minerva is a young artist barely scraping by trying to take care of herself and her two younger sisters. When Hugh asks Minerva to be his fake fiancé, she is morally opposed, but financially, it would change her and her sister’s lives. She just has to pretend to be in love with a rich, handsome, caring, charismatic gentleman. Whatever could go wrong?

The plot was predictable and I loved every minute of it. It was fun to read, including all of the side characters, especially Huge’s butler and best friend who did not sugarcoat their thoughts. I would love a sequel with Hugh’s best friend Giles and Minerva’s sister Diana.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for granting me this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

For two years, Hugh has been writing letters to his mother extolling the virtues of his fiancé, Minerva. And now Hugh's mother is determined to travel to England from Boston to meet her. The problem is Hugh invented Minerva to get his mother to stop trying to find him a wife. Just when he is at his wits end about what to do, Hugh saves steps in and helps a beautiful lady collect payment from a shopkeeper for an engraving she did for an advertisement. When the lady reveals her name is Minerva he has a sudden and brilliant idea.
Minerva is dire straits...her engraving work is drying up after the death of her most long term and steady client. With 2 younger sisters to take care of there is a real possibility that the three of them will soon find themselves without a home unless a miracle occurs. When a seeming crazy earl offers to pay Minerva to pose as his fiancé and jilt him the offer is too good to pass up.
This is a silly and predictable book but enjoyable enough. Hugh is incredibly silly with his elaborate stories and Minerva is along for the ride because there isn't anything else they can do. How they fool anyone with their scheme is amazing but eventually emotions and passion get in the way.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is a fun, regency, fake relationship, rom-com. I enjoyed the main characters, Hugh Standish and Minerva Merriwell, and the setting up of the plot. I also thought that Heath had some interesting underlying commentary about the socioeconomic standing of women during the late Regency era, which in some ways reminded me of Jane Austen. I really liked that the financial realities of the Merriwells weren't lost within the romance of it all (as is usually the case) and that it was something that Hugh was forced to reckon with. The way she balanced this more serious reality, with the lighthearted charm of the book was impressive and made for a more nuanced a deep telling of the story.

I look forward to whatever future books come from this series!

This was such a fun, easy read! The fake fiancé premise was so entertaining and I loved the family aspect from both main characters sides. There were times when the writing seemed off for the time period but nothing too major. I also found that the sister could be annoying but I am excited to read their stories later in the series.

I am definitely going to continue on with this series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4023926018

2.5 stars.

The beginning of this book was great and I was really excited about it. Then somewhere along the way it lost me. The actual premise of falling in love was just bland and unbelievable and lot of instalove.

The idea of a fake fiancé is fun but the purpose behind it wasn’t strong enough to carry the entire plot. Any additional conflict was mounted up to miscommunication and misunderstanding that just irritated me more than anything.

Maybe I should go 2 stars. I was genuinely disappointed with this one.