This book was a delight. I can't wait to read more from this author. Thank you for letting me read and review this book.

This was such a fun fake relationship romance. I adored Hugh and Minerva! I can't wait to read more from Virginia Heath.

I tend to be picky about reading historical romance books. It neither drags on or keeps me entertain. And I was kinda in between with this book. Like I enjoy this story but it was kinda predictable at the same time. Just from reading the book summary, you just know where this book was going. But it was a cute read, it pass the time. And it will brighten up your day.

I never thought much about historical romance in the past. I’m sure I’ve said that before but I still feel…well, I suppose I feel new to the subgenre and want to state that up front. The latest historical romance I read was Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath, the first book in the Merriwell Sisters series. I’m still not sure if I’d really call it a rom com but there is a lot of amusing banter and hijinks that take place over the course of this romance novel that’s set in the 1800s. It was a really fun book to read over a weekend and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Here’s the book’s description:
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?
The actual premise of this novel is absolutely bonkers. You have to know that going in and you have to accept it. Otherwise, you’ll get super frustrated with the elaborate lies Hugh is making up just to fool his mother into thinking he’s changed and has finally found a woman to settle down with. They hire an actress to play the girls’ mother for crying out loud. *rolls eyes* Hugh’s a smart man who’s acting like a total idiot. Luckily, he does wise up and realize that he needs to think about other people, not just himself, otherwise he’s going to hurt everyone around him, including himself.

Sidebar: I know times were different and men were allowed to be frolicking about, sleeping with whomever they chose while women were held to very different standards. But I’m kind of sick of the “reformed rake” trope. I can believe that people can change, that’s not the main issue, it just seems so overdone and uninspiring.

The book is really funny. I enjoyed the banter between Hugh and Minerva and between the side characters as well. Which bodes well for a series! I think the next book will be about Hugh’s best friend, Giles, and Minerva’s younger sister, Diana, which should be good fun.

Minerva made this book for me. Hugh was fine. But she was smart and strong and was trying desperately to raise her sisters and provide for them after their father took off on them. She was out of options when she met Hugh and even though she does have her pride, she knew the offer from him would help the three of them get back on their feet. I can admire her for going through all of the madness to help her family.

Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath was a fun escape that kept me entertained throughout, even when I wanted to shout at the characters for being so silly! The next book in the Merriwell Sisters series should be just as entertaining and I look forward to it being published.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, SMP Romance (St. Martin’s Press), via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

* I was given a free copy of this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

My reading had gone off a cliff. The last two arcs I read were both giant disappointments. So I went into this book, the lowest-rated arc in my TBR, with no expectations.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is The Importance of Being Earnest meets the Hollywood Romcom. When I say this was a pleasure to read, I mean I was cackling like an unhinged psychopath from start to finish. It's a quick beachy read perfect for any upcoming vacation. I can't find fault with it. It was adorable and hysterical and just what I needed.

Perfect for fans of #regencyvibes. Bad boys with a hard of gold. Witty banter. Absurd and swoony plots lines. And last but not least, watching someone's dumb lies crash down around them in the finest comeuppance I've seen since Fred Flintstone.

Virgina Heath is an auto-buy worthy author and I can't wait to see what she brings us next.

I loved all of the characters in this entertaining story! I especially loved the chemistry between Minerva and Hugh. It was well written and was a great escape read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one took awhile to get into, it was too easy in the beginning. Like he helped her and then they kept making eyes at each other, it was very boring. I was more invested when they started arguing, then the relationship got interesting. A lot of this was very predictable but the last half of the book was much more enjoyable. I'm intrigued enough to look out for the second one since it seems obvious Diana and Giles are going to get together.

This historical fiction rom com was funny and entertaining. Im not a huge historical fiction reader so at times i lost concentration and was a little bored but for those who love this genre they will find it enjoyable.

This novel dragged on forever. It rehashed the hero’s idiotic belief he could not be a faithful husband as a basis for an inane plot. The heroine, initially playing the part of a fake fiancée , came across as much more mature and practical than the hero. Nevertheless, the heroine participated in all the lies to support the hero’s fabrications for money. A really disappointing and tedious story. Maybe, I'm not cut out for British funny?

For me books set in the 1800’s(ish) are either really great or just fine. Unfortunately, this one was in the just fine category. Some parts of the book dragged a bit for me. The fake dating trope was written well in this book I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wished I could! Overall 3 stars! Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of #NeverFallforYourFiancee.

The book was recommended by a fellow blogger, and I couldn't resist reading it. A few pages in, and I already decided I liked Hugh. How could I not? He is notorious for being a rake. He tries his utmost to live up to his reputation, but as the layers are peeled back, it begins to emerge that there's more to him than he lets on. A lot of the humor comes from him with his penchant for joking around and having fun. I also appreciated the depth of his character, which added to why this was such a good read and why I wanted to smack him over the head by the end.

Minerva, being the oldest, carries the burden of watching over her sisters and taking care of them. Although hesitant at first, she accepts Hugh's proposition because the sisters are in desperate need of money. While I've been a bit turned off by the interclass-poor/rich romance trope, its use here easily explains away why she would ever choose to accept the proposition. (Can someone make me this proposal too? I'd like a fake engagement and real love too...) Minerva is easy to like, and before long she's able to chip away at Hugh's easygoing demeanor to find out who he is. They bring out good qualities in each other.

Never Fall for Your Fiancée employs the contract relationship/fake fiancée trope between characters of different means. There are plenty of laughs as well as longing eyes and quickening heart rates. It's mostly a light read but includes compelling character backstories. Readers will come away satisfied from the ending while also looking forward to the next addition to the series.

This novel was an enjoyable read--many humorous scenes (the character Lucretia was especially funny), and good chemistry between Minerva and Hugh. For me the middle was a bit slow, I didn't find the steamy scene that realistic (it didn't feel in keeping with Minerva's character, and it also seemed that I needed to stretch my logic to believe that it didn't contradict much of what they discussed/came to terms with). Also, for me, the twist regarding Hugh's father didn't land with me--it didn't paint him in a different light as I think the author intended. For me this is a 3/3.5 star read. I will definitely look out for the second book and hope to read it... but if I have similar issues with the second I probably won't read the third. (on my Goodreads page and on Instagram I only review books I give 4 or 5 stars to, so this is simply marked as "Read").

This book was... alright. It's a historical fiction book set in the 1800s but besides that, there was nothing that really separated it from your average fake dating trope story. What I enjoyed most was the camaraderie between the characters (especially the siblings) and dare I say, I enjoyed it more than I did the actual romance aspect. Overall, it as written quite well and wasn’t a terrible read but it wasn’t a great one either.

This book started off so so strong and I was really enjoying it. Fake dating and regency? Yes please!

I enjoyed the zany cast of characters and the slow development of the relationship between our two MCs.

My only qualm is that it felt a bit too long - it dragged at times and I found myself zoning out a bit and really having to focus in on the storyline.

It was - ok. At best it was ok. I finished it, and I even enjoyed it. But the story was shallow to me. The characters were flat. It had charming moments, but I don’t know if I’ll finish the series. I appreciate the opportunity to review this book.

This is my first fake fiancee trope book and I don't think it's a trope for me. The book was well written and I think this will be perfect for any readers that love the fake dating/fiancee trope.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

This book was so high on my list to read I loved the cover and the description. However whether it was me or the language I had a hard time really investing in the story.

I wish it was shorter too it seemed longer than needed.

I did like the characters but all together the story just wasn’t my favorite.

This book was such a wonderful historical romance.

I love a good fake dating trope in a book, and this one is honestly so cleverly done. The fact that he had already begun fake dating a made up woman with her name, which then led to them actually fake dating, was so so clever and cute.

The conflict they experience, while constantly piling on to them and getting oh so annoying, it created wonderful reading for us. I thought Minerva was a very likable character, and Hugh was as well (deep deep down).

I will say I love that this is going to be a series that follows all the sisters, because I am so excited to dive back into this world and see what else they get up to.

The premise of Never Fall for Your Diamce is so good but the execution was slow for me. I did love the regency vibes but it wasn’t enough to keep me interested. There is minimal steam as it is a regency romance.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is a historical romance novel written by Virginia Heath that tells the comical tale of a fake relationship gone awry. Although I am a huge fan of the historical romance subgenre, I felt this book fell flat at almost every turn. When we first meet the hero, his internal dialogue is borderline cringe-worthy making the journey we take as readers through the book less enjoyable, to say the least. The plot jumpstarts when Hugh discovers that his mother is traveling from America to the British Isles to meet his fake fiancee. Instead of acting like a rational human and fessing up to this charade, Hugh happens across a woman who, one, has the same name as his fake fiancee, Minerva, and, two, is in desperate need for money. Both of these factors were too far for my suspension of disbelief, and I grew annoyed with both the characters and the story. As for the romance between Minerva and Hugh, I found it to be quite blasé, not incredible or saying anything new or interesting either. I would avoid this novel and pick up something by Evie Dunmore or Sarah Maclean instead. 2/5