Never Fall For Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath
Tropes: Fake Relationship
Steam: Some Steam, Open Door but with a good tension build up
Quick Desc: Historical take on a classic RomCom trope – an earl hires a fake fiancée to put a stop to his mother’s matchmaking, only for a comedy of errors to ensue.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, has invented a fake fiancée, Minerva, to keep his matchmaking mother (who is out of the country) at bay. He has successfully carried this off, until he receives word that of his mother’s impending arrival that is. By luck, he happens to meet a lady by the name of Minerva in passing – and his plan is born. He will hire Minerva to play the role of his fiancée to maintain the story he’s been telling his mother. Alls well right? Except when you take one Earl on his estate, his long time butler, his mischievous best friend, fake fiancée, her sisters, a fake Mama… an excellent comedy of errors commences. 😊

This book was such a fun, fast read – it truly is a Historical RomCom (who knew?) and the hijinks and characters were delightful, entertaining and memorable. I started this one before work on a Friday morning, I read it on my lunch break because I was loving it – and then finished it by evening because I could not get enough. The pacing and flow are perfect – I flew through this and was completely immersed in the characters and world created. This is one of those books that seems to play out as a movie in your head as you read (and would make an excellent show or movie adaptation!)

The story is lighthearted and charming, the characters funny and loveable, and they keep you going because you just know that something has to give as the web continues to unravel around Hugh’s story. I really enjoyed all the great characters. Our leads, Hugh and Minerva, were excellent. I enjoyed their banter, romantic tension, and journeys – however, what really made the book sing for me was the well formed cast of intriguing, well formed secondary characters: Minerva’s sisters (Diana and Vee), Payne (the long suffering butler), Olivia (mother of Hugh), Giles (Hugh’s best friend), and Lucretia (the actress / fake Mama). They were memorable and hilarious and just added a great flair to the story. I hope to see more of them in future books to come. 🤞

The banter and hijinks in the book were great, I especially loved the back and forth between Hugh and his mother (the Mozart bit was particularly hilarious for me). I also felt that the romantic tension / slow burn romance that was happening with Hugh and Minerva was paced really well and kept me waiting eagerly for the HEA to appear.

All in all, I adored this read and will be excited to add a copy of this one to my permanent book collection by grabbing a physical copy this week on release day! I definitely recommend this one for those looking for a great comedy of errors, RomCom, Fake Relationship read. I can only hope for more in the near future – perhaps a book for Diana and Giles? 🤞😊

Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to sneak an early peek at this release in exchange for my honest review.

Note: Review posted to Goodreads on 11/6/21; Reviews on Amazon will be put up for Pub Day; Bookstagram Feature Post will appear for week of release (@TheBookishDachshund)

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I read Never Fall for Your Fiancée quickly, and with a smile on my face almost the entire time. I went in expecting a decent amount of chaos, and I got that, but I was also pleasantly surprised with how Virginia Heath put new spins on tropes I have long grown tired of, both surprising and moving me.

I love how this story centers on two people who have complex relationships with their fathers, and the contrast in their circumstances in that regard. Minerva’s father has pretty much abandoned them, his whereabouts largely unknown, and I felt for her and the circumstances she was in, trying to look after her tenacious sisters as they faced penury.

Hugh’s situation seemed fairly straightforward at the outset: he’s against the idea of marriage because he doesn’t want to be like his wastrel father. This trope has been done to death, and I’m glad to see that it was turned on its head here. First of all, Minerva points out he’s the one with the power of choice. And while this isn’t the only catalyst for Hugh finally giving up his scruples, I loved the last-minute revelations about his parents’ marriage. It added a lot of depth to the characters beyond the archetypes of the confirmed bachelor hero, matchmaking mama, and wastrel father that I really appreciated.

There’s a delightful supporting cast that makes me excited for forthcoming installments in the series. Fiery Diana is absolutely my favorite Merriwell sister, and I hope I’m not wrong in assuming she’ll be romantically sparring with a certain heir to a dukedom? And while Vee has some awkwardness to her, there’s still potential for her to grow. And of course, Hugh’s mother stole the show, and I’d love to see more of her meddling in everyone else’s path to their HEA!

This is a lovely book, and one I’d recommend to historical romance fans, especially those who liked Bridgerton.

This was a super cute book! Honestly, I don't read a lot of historical fiction or historical romance, but I really enjoyed this one. I absolutely love a fake dating/fake marriage trope (one of my faves) and I was rooting for Hugh and Minerva the whole time.

Overall I'd recommend this book in a heartbeat, not just for historical romance fans, but for any romance fans.

3.5, rounded up. I enjoy a solid fake partner trope, especially in a historical, but sometimes I wanted to shake all of the characters. Overall, though, it's a funny, farcical romp that's easy to enjoy, and Heath keeps the trope fresh by adding a hilarious cast of side characters; my favorite is the put-upon butler.

Looking forward to reading about Giles and Diana (as Heath heavily implies that this will be the next in the series)!

**Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for a e-copy
This book was delightful. We follow Minerva, who is falling into destitution after her father abandons her and her 2 sisters and Hugh the Earl of Fareham. Hugh has created an elaborate story of a fiancée to his mother to stop his mothers matchmaking meddling. Finally she decides to come meet her and plan the wedding. Hugh is desperate to not confront his mother with the truth, so when by chance he meets a woman with the name of his fake fiancée he makes a bargain. If she will pretend to be his future bride long enough for his to find a way to get rid of her he’ll reward her with a large sum. Being as poor as she is, she accepts.

Minerva’s story is sad, you want to cry for her and her sisters. Hugh is swoon worthy with how protective he is because of how hard life has been to her. He wants so badly to give her and her sisters a better life. With every Minerva’s been through she’s never backed down she’s tough and willing to work hard. The banter between the two of them is amazing. I loved this book.

2.5 Stars

I’ve wanted to read a book by this author since her Harlequin historical debut in 2016. This seemed like a great opportunity, especially since it was being touted as a rom-com. I do love me a witty romance.

For the most part, I wasn’t drawn in by the attempted humor. I came across as silly to me. Humor is subjective and I tend to enjoy it more as banter when reading fiction. I will note that I found the ending rather fun. I'm not the biggest fan of the fake dating/courtship trope, since I'm anxiously waiting (not in a good way) for the proverbial shoe to drop. Oddly enough, it was those moments when the truth came out that I found the most entertaining and funny (in a good way.)

Unfortunately, I also wasn’t in love with the hero. He was a self-proclaimed scoundrel and had those around him convinced of it, yet he was actually sensitive and caring. I had two problems with this. First, this unfounded belief of his was a major point of conflict and it felt odd and contrived. Maybe the author could have convinced me that this confident and charming "rake" was insecure enough to believe this of himself based on supposed family history, but (which leads to my second problem) I was always told of these attributes, rather than shown. In the end, his overall characterization was rather flimsy.

I felt that the heroine was better developed than the hero, but that alone couldn't convince me of their romantic connection. It was a light read with moments of whimsy, but it felt a bit bare-boned to me.

One of the best historical romances I've read in quite a while that also followed one of my favorite tropes, fake engagement, so well! This was a fast read and although it meandered a bit at the end, it was funny, tender, and introduced us to a whole set of characters, of whom I look forward to reading about in the future. The romance was slow burn and exquisite! This is a new to me author but I look forward to the next books in this series!!

Never Fall For Your Fiancée comes out next week on November 9, 2021, and you can purchase HERE! I definitely recommend this one!

This kiss was both physical and temporal. Both passionate and painful. Making her body yearn while her heart wept.

Who knew a kiss could say things no words could?

This was my first Virginia Heath book and it was good! I did enjoy the characters and the fake fiance trope and there were parts that made me laugh out loud. My only issue with the story was the repeating over and over of some things about the characters.

Never Fall for Your Fiance was a cute historical romcom and I will be reading the books about the sisters!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I needed when I needed it.

I am not usually one to read regency romance or enjoy the fake relationship trope but something about this book’s premise really grabbed me and then knocked my expectations out of the park! Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my review copy.

This book was a perfect blend of romance and comedy. There were moments that actually made me laugh out loud which I almost never do while reading and the romance was absolutely delightful. The characters from our leading lady right down to the butler were distinctive with their own personalities and own motivations behind their actions. Minerva’s sisters, we’re particularly enjoyable. I am ecstatic that we will be getting two more books featuring the Merriwell sisters and I am absolutely confident that I will love Diana and Vee as protagonists as much as I enjoyed Minerva.

If I had to nitpick my only criticism is that the ending was a bit rushed but over all this did not effect my enjoyment of the story.

This is a book I can’t wait to see on my bookshelf and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a lighthearted rom com.

Language: PG+ (5+ swears, 0+ "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: G+
I absolutely love Minerva and Hugh -- and Giles, Diana, Vee, even Payne! They are dynamic and witty, everything that makes characters fun to read about (except being realistic). However, I only read the first few chapters before running into innuendo that made me worry about future sexual content in the book. I skipped ahead to see if I could find anything to support this feeling, and, unfortunately, I did. Thus, I stopped reading.

Oh I loved Giles and hope he gets his own story!

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham is in a bit of a predicament. He’s been lying to his dear mother, who lives in USA with her American husband for two years about his fiancé. She is not real. But when his mother sends notice that she is sailing across the pond to meet her, he needs to find a solution.

In steps his savior. Minerva (just like the made up fiancé name!) is in dire need of money to pay the rent and food for her two sisters (Diana and Vee) and herself.

Lying and playing the fiancé of an Earl for £40.00 sounds easy enough…

But lies on top of lies make for a complicated situation that in the end, does find real love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy of Never fall for your Fiancé by Virginia Heath.

4 Stars
Oh, Virginia Heath is a smartie. One of the most popular books today in contemporary romance is the "Fake Fiancee Troupe". Taking that concept and doing it in this particular book is genius. Our fella has 2 two weeks to get himself a fiance as his mother is coming on the ship from America and will land shortly.

He thought by telling her he had a soon-to-be mate was an easy answer to get her off his back. Instead, it landed her on the ship coming to him.

He finds the perfect woman to play the part and we enjoy a lovely story.

This was an amazing book. It's about Hugh who has to find a fiancee and decides to be fake engaged to Minerva but their fake engagement is turning into something else. I'm a huge sucker when it comes to the fake relationship tropes. I just enjoy this trope so much. So the writing of this book was well written and I enjoyed the plot of the story. I knew I was going to love it as it was a historical romance with a fake relationship trope. The pacing of the story was well done and stayed consistent throughout the whole story. I enjoyed all the conflicts that were in the story as it helped the character's relationship and their character development. I enjoyed the setting and how the time period was described. I'm really picky when it comes to time periods, so for me I loved how the author brought in the historical elements instead of mentioning dates or that they were in that time period. (It's hard to explain in words haha). Other than that I think the author nailed it with the writing.

This book is written in both Hugh and Minerva's pov. Minerva is an amazing sister of two and would do anything for them. She is fierce and brave. Then there is Hugh who is trying to impress his mom with trying to find a wife when he doesn't. I really enjoyed both character's development throughout the novel and loved how they grew from each other. There were also some lovely side characters in this book like the house keepers of Hugh and Minerva's sisters. They helped develop the story in an amazing way. I also enjoyed the sisterly bond between the three sisters and I'm hoping to see books for them too. The romance as said was a fake relationship which was very well done and I absolutely loved the story. There are some detailed romance scenes and it's a tad spicy.

The ending was happily ever after and very well written. I really enjoyed this story and thought the author did such an amazing job writing this book. I didn't have any problems with it but I do have to say that it wasn't the best book of the year where I would rate it 5 stars. I'm picky like that. Sorry. Overall it was a great read and I totally recommend reading it if you love fake relationship books like To All the Boys I've Loved Before and The Love Hypothesis.

So apparently this book is going to have multiple books and I can't wait!

3.5 out of 5 stars

My first Virginia Heath book was a great introduction! Never Fall For Your Fiancée follows Minerva and Hugh as they try to fool his mother into believing the fake betrothal Hugh created to get the matchmaking to end. Minerva’s sisters, the actress pretending to be her mother, and the loose seams of the fake backstory all cause major problems.

I loved Minerva’s character so much and I was so happy this was dual POV. She had so much heart and I love any historical that features a big, wacky family alongside our main characters. Hugh took some warming up from me. He made a ton of mistakes, thought badly of himself, and had a ton of problems explaining himself throughout the story. He did make it up to me by the end, though. I wish we got to see more of their intimate chemistry together. It seemed like they had barely any scenes alone by the time the story really got started. It made it all feel a lot less romantic, even when the book itself was still a ton of fun.

I would recommend this book to contemporary romance readers who want to try historical romance since it was very easy to read and light hearted!

Never Fall for Your Fiancee

by Virginia Heath

St. Martin's Press

Rated: 2

Back of the Book:” 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 first book in the Merriwell Sisters series, Never Fall for Your Fiancée is a hilarious, sparkling historical romantic comedy from Virginia Heath.”

My Thoughts: Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. I prefer a clean romance and this was not that. I found the characters to be lacking in appeal and the physical romance scenes to be tacky and unrealistic. The lies were so over the top and ridiculous. The idea of falling in love with someone who is being paid to be compliant is also a red flag, how would you know that it is genuine when the whole farce is based on lies and money? Furthermore, if you are a man-hater as Minerva sees herself, you certainly don’t fall for a known womanizer and scoundrel so easily. I didn't feel like the characters were true to the time period or to their described persons. The staff was full of sass that I can't imagine would be tolerated. Overall I did not find it to be a well-written historical romance. What made this book comical made it too unbelievable and inaccurate historically.

Inspiring Thoughts: “It is late and you are tired. Everything, in my experience, always seems worse with fatigue.” - I could hear my dad saying something like this to my sister and me when we would bring him all our teenage drama. It made me smile.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review shared here.

I loved this laughable romance - Never Fall for Your Fiancée! Hugh is the best bungler of a romantic hero possible. Truly, lie upon lie upon lie makes for a fantastic romance. Minerva is such a great heroine to offset the catastrophe of his lies. This romance just comes together to keep you wanting to know what is going to happen next as Hugh tries to outwit his mother to try to stay single.

The Merriwell sisters are adorable as Minerva’s accomplices in their desire to ‘earn’ funds and also protect Minerva. The secondary characters add so much to the outright idiocy of this enjoyable romance. Hugh’s mother, her new husband, Hugh’s best friend, the girl’s ‘mother’ and let’s not forget the butler, Payne (such a fitting name). Yes, every tale needs a bit of villainy and theirs is just the right person for the job.

Fall in love with this romantic tale of love for a light-hearted, laughable afternoon read over Christmas!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath.

When Minerva meets Hugh on a London street she thinks she's met a knight in shining armour who has helped save her and her sister from ruin. When Hugh meets Minerva he thinks he has found the solution to a problem that has been haunting him for months, the need for a fiancee. From here comes a delightful tale full a comedic errors and true love.

I loved this book, period romances are always enjoyable for me and the introduction of the fake fiancee trope, while predictable, added a fun twist to the romance aspect. Hugh and Minerva did not have the typical romance aspects but instead held some deeper aspects that made you really feel for them. This tale is told like a Hallmark Christmas movie with random occurances and people showing up out of no where and was thoroughly enjoyable.

Two of my great loves are rom-coms and historical romances. Merging the two shouldn't work - I'm a stickler for historical accuracies, generally speaking - however, when an author can infuse it with humor, I am hear for it. This book puts me in mind of books by Martha Waters and Suzanne Allain.
Hugh has a meddling mother an ocean away. For two years, he's written of his devotion to his consumptive fiancée, her miraculous healing, her father's tragic death, and they're all lies. He scrambles to find a way to back up his claims when he asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée. So what if she can't ride a horse or sing like a nightingale? His mother's matchmaking efforts must be held at bay no matter the cost.
This easily could have been a five star read but I do not like repetitive sentencing. I felt like it was said way too many times that Hugh had genetic philandering in his blood among other things (attempting to keep this spoiler free). But! The banter and wit was on point. I loved so much that I laughed out loud with some of the verbal sparring between the entire cast. Knowing Minerva's sisters, cantankerous Diana and awkward Vee, will be getting books is *excellent* news indeed.
Thank you to St Martin's Press for the gifted copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Never Fall For Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath.

Fake fiancees are my favorite and while historical romances aren't usually my go to this one seemed a bit more of a historical rom-com so I was excited to read Never Fall For Your Fiancee.

Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham is determined to keep his medling mother out of his life, so he invented a fake fiancee to stop her matchmaking from across the Atlantic, but when she's coming to England he's stuck. He runs into Minerva, who has the same name as his fake fiancee and she agrees to this crazy scheme.

The situations and funny things in this book had me laughing from the creative backstory of the fake Minerva and the letters between Hugh and his mom were funny, the actress hired to play Minerva's mother and I really loved the secondary characters. They made this book!

I received an advanced reader’s copy of Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath.

This Regency romantic comedy had scenes that had me laughing out loud. The outlandish ruse Hugh Standish, the Earl of Fareham becomes more complicated and farcical as the story progresses. Anything that could go wrong does for Hugh. Minerva Merriwell valiantly keeps the deception going with the help of her sisters. There are some lovely moments between Minerva and Hugh as their romance developed over the course of the book. Hugh, Minerva, and the secondary characters, with the exception of the villain, are fun and likable.

A delightful, amusing read. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.