I have tried so hard to read this book — I think this is the fifth time I’ve picked it up over the last several months. And I just can’t make myself get through more than a couple pages at a time. I can’t even put my finger on what I dislike so much about it. Maybe that it leans a bit too much into histrionics with the siblings and the fake mom. I don’t buy any kind of connection or chemistry between our main love interests. And, simply put, I just don’t care about any of them. This one is a DNF at 33%.

A thoroughly funny and delightful book to read. I found the yarn that Hugh was able to spin worthy of the theater. Hugh was an Earl who did not want to get married. He had a big heart that he tried to hide with deflection in a quick wit and an easy smile. He had a co co-conspirator in his friend Giles. Together they got up to pure mischief. Minerva was an artist and responsible for her two younger sisters. She was fierce and protective with a keen sense of right and wrong. This is just an all around wonderful story. The characters are marvelous right down to the butler who seems to keep everyone in their place. But from a farce comes a beautiful love that sees the couple making plenty of dreams come true.

This book is just a hoot. I laughed so much while reading. It reminds me of the old screwball comedies like Bringing up Baby or My Man My Man Godfrey, with a Regency setting. This is one of those books that I need to physically own. I can't wait to for the next book in the series

2.5/5

I'm trying to figure out if I just wasn't in the mood for this book (curse being a mood reader!) or if I just didn't like this book.

It started off well enough and there was a great cast of characters but there's one plot element that just stopped me from enjoying this book: Hugh's insistence that he is not suited to monogamy because he father wasn't. Like, what? Why? He never even tried before he declared himself a scoundrel who was unfit for marriage because of his cursed "Standish Blood." I don't know, it was a flimsy excuse to not get married, especially when everything Hugh does in the book indicates that he is not, in fact, a scoundrel, and is actually quite generous, loyal, and loving.

While there was some great drama in the end, it was hard to move past Hugh's nonsense. Hugh's mother described it best when she says, "Oh Hugh... What a pointless and wholly avoidable mess." Olivia speaks nothing but the truth.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Virginia Heath, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Never Fall for your Fiancé.

Genre: Historical Romance
Pub Date: November 9, 2021
Star Rating: 3 stars

This book was one of my most anticipated ARCs of the fall, so I was super excited to dive into it. The cover gave me Evie Dunmore/Harper St. George vibes, and I love their historical romances. So, I'm disappointed to say this book left me feeling a little underwhelmed. I enjoyed this story and the characters, but it definitely didn't live up to my own expectations.

First, the good. I really liked the characters. I thought they were quirky and funny, and I really enjoyed the evolving relationships among them all. Minerva gave me a lot of LOL moments but also a lot of endearing, heart-string pulling moments over all the struggles she had endured. I also really felt for the pressure she was under to support her sisters, especially during the time period the book covers. Her work as an artist was really cool and unique, I thought. I don't think I've read a historical fiction novel where the character pursued the career she did, and I thought that was pretty cool. I also liked Hugh a lot, and I actually thought his antics were somewhat endearing. How can you not love a man who will go to such lengths just to please his mother, even if the pleasure is built on a house of lies? And, truly, not even good lies...outlandish, stupid lies that he stupidly brought in his equally foolish friend to help him with. BUT, despite that, I thought his character was truly endearing.

Second, the not so good. I just didn't buy into the relationship, the circumstances, the setup, none of the it. And in a romance book, that is crucial.

If you enjoy historical fictions, you will probably like this one. And truly, I did enjoy it. It is a solid three star read, and I'm glad to have read it. But, I can't say that I'll re-read it or that I'll for sure continue the series. If you're looking for a quick, fun, quirky historical fiction read, though, this one might be for you!

This light-hearted Regency romance will be perfect if you love a fake courtship plotline as much as I do!

Content warnings: mentions of parental death; memories and effects of childhood neglect due to alcoholism.

I’m not really sure why this is being billed as a ‘rom-com’ with an illustrated cover rather than just a lighthearted regular Regency romance, but if that’s what’s working marketing-wise then who am I to object? Really though, this is not noticeably a different genre from Heath’s other work, nor the majority of the more fluffy Regency romance I read – which is perfect, in my opinion! What we get here is a solid fake courtship story with a very fun romance between two characters who annoy the hell out of each other until they realise they’re flirting, not bickering. There’s an entertaining cast of secondary characters, too, and just enough farce to be funny without being ridiculous.

I loved the set up for this one. People needing fake fiancés is a time-honoured trope in historical romance, but I really enjoyed the fact that it was Hugh instigating it – he’s been lying to his mother to gain a bit of peace from her questioning, kind of like a reverse of the situation in Tessa Dare’s When A Scot Ties the Knot, which is one of my favourites. It made me laugh that a large part of the reason he chose Minerva to act as his pretend bride was just that she had the right name – it’s so silly, but as someone who’s worked with terrible actors it makes so much sense. Of course, sparks fly between them almost instantly, and the romance proceeds exactly as you might imagine, but I enjoyed both their viewpoints enough to feel like it was fresh. Yes, Hugh’s motivation not to get married (in case he is a natural cheater like his father) was paper-thin, but you can say the same about a good handful of romance heroes, and you have to be able to suspend your disbelief to read romance anyway! I found their romance worked well as a solid centre to a book where everything else was amusingly unpredictable.

The secondary cast is large and varied, with Minerva’s sisters, Hugh’s rakish friend, and of course Hugh’s family all adding to the general chaos. I found myself losing patience with Vee, the youngest of Minerva’s sisters, who was extremely childish, and Diana, who seemed to blow up at everything, but for me, many scenes were stolen by the actress Hugh hires to play the girls’ mother. Her overdramatic portrayal of a society mama was so unhelpful, but so funny! Hugh’s mother isn’t the harpy he makes her out to be, and she and her laidback American husband add another layer of stories that need to be kept straight – the chaos that ensues when everyone’s in the same room is delightful.

This is a fun, frothy read that will definitely suit those who like their romance on the lighter end – four out of five stars!

Oh, my gosh! This book made me laugh so much. Any of the hilarious happenings in this book would have been enough to make me enjoy it, but with all of them put together made me so, so happy I decided to read this book. I loved it!

Never Fall for Your Fiancee is a fake relationship trope historical romance (historical romcom?). Hugh hires Minerva to pose as his fiancee because his mother is on her way and he has fabricated this woman in letters to her. He thinks the whole farce will be easy, but it is anything but easy. Minerva is in such a tight spot financially, that she agrees to Hugh's plot in order to keep her and her sisters from ending up living on the streets. If she'd known that riding a horse was involved, she definitely would have reconsidered. If for no other reason, you've got to read the book for the horse riding scenes!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book is EVERYTHING that I could possible want in a romance novel! It has amazing characters, a fun plot, it is very well written, and most of all it focused mostly on the story. Honestly I could not ask for anything more. The fact that this is the first book in the series makes this a million times better. I honestly can't wait to see what befalls the other two sisters. I had never previously read this author, but sign me up for reading any of the other books that she has written. I am 100% there.

Thank you so very much St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

All the right emotions. I felt every anxious nerve, every bittersweet pain and every ounce of comedic relief. This truly was a romantic-comedy farce of Shakespearean proportions! With every page you felt for certain that nothing more could possibly go wrong, and then it did and it was so right. I can honestly say there were some dramatic twists that I most certain didn’t see coming and found myself gasping aloud at the shock. Once again I am overwhelmingly in love with the comedic stylings of the help. I have a true appreciation for endearing comedic Butlers in romance novels and Payne definitely delivered. He was a true “Payne” in Hugh’s butt, though you could see his devotion to him through all the insubordinate riling. I truly hope the next book will be the story of Diana & Giles for I truly was prophesied in those final pages and we saw it coming from their very first meeting.

Hugh is a man who will go to incredible lengths to avoid conflict or disappointing people he loves, including inventing a fiancée to get his mother to stop matchmaking. But now his mother is coming back from America and Hugh needs a woman willing to pretend to be his Minerva while his mother is around. A chance meeting with a woman whose name is actually Minerva seems like a sign and Hugh manages to talk Minerva into his outrageous scheme. Hugh and Minerva both know the chances of success are small, and Minerva feels terrible about lying to Hugh's mother. But she and her sisters are in desperate need of money and only a desperate person would take on Hugh's outrageous scheme. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Part of what made this book so entertaining from the beginning was that all of the characters knew how ridiculous it was. They knew things were getting more complicated, the hole kept getting deeper, the lies kept getting worse. But everyone was stubborn enough to meet the challenge anyway. Minerva was a great heroine, trying to keep her small family together against all odds and be a mother to her two younger sisters after her father abandons them. Despite her father, Minerva grew up with strong moral principles and has instilled them into her sisters as well. She believes in hard work and facing life head on. Youngest sister Vee (unfortunately named Venus) was the most awkward and uneven of the sisters, acting much younger than her age and childishly still thinking her father was a good man despite all evidence to the contrary. Hugh's mother Olivia was a little uneven- she seemed perfectly nice but would then take over everything and insist on things being done her way and there were points where you could forgive Hugh for making up a fiancee just to get her to back off and leave him alone. Although mother and son were clearly close, there were plenty of misunderstandings between them, and Olivia always seemed to believe she knew best what her son needed to be happy more than he did.

Hugh was the biggest conundrum for me. An uneven mix of knight in shining armor and flippant man about town with a rakish reputation, Hugh doesn't enjoy the womanizing or gambling bachelor ways anymore but pretends to be a rake to keep up appearances with his friends- although he only really seems to have one friend, Giles. In reality Hugh takes care of his estates, his tenants, his land, and is a responsible and decent man. He just doesn't want that known. Why? We don't know. Because that would make him more like his father, who he thinks he doesn't want to be like? Because he's trying to keep up a scandalous reputation for some unknown reason? It fell a bit flat for me, especially after he and Minerva got to know one another and it seemed like he would reasonably confide in her about being a thinking and decent person. But he doesn't, even when she suspects. He worries endlessly about how his blood is tainted because his father and grandfather were womanizers and so he'll be like them so he shouldn't marry because he'll just make whoever he marries miserable, which got old after awhile.

The real scene stealer for me in this book was Payne, possibly the best butler ever. He pulls no punches, tells Hugh exactly what he thinks, has a dry sense of humor, and supports Hugh and Minerva's romance before they even realize they are falling in love. Perfect!

A fun start to a sister series, with plenty of humor and not afraid to laugh at itself, this was a fun read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Hugh, the Earl of Fareham is so much of a commitment-phobe that he invented a fiancee two years ago to get his matchmaking mother off his back. But, his mother is on her way to visit from Boston, so Hugh's scheme is going to blow up in his face unless he can figure out a plan. When he meets Minerva, a charming young lady who happens to have the same name as his fake fiancee - he proposes a solution, Hugh will pay Minerva to pose as his fiancee for a short time before he can break off the engagement and fool his mother. What could go wrong?

Regency romance is a fairly new genre for me, but I've found that I enjoy it. This one is pretty average for me though, I liked the MC's sisters more than her (which since this is the beginning of a series, means I am more invested in the upcoming books). The main issue with this book is that it all hinges on dumb, straight, white man logic. Hugh thinks because his father and grandfather cheated, it's literally in his blood and he can't control it and is fated to do the same - so he avoids romantic entanglements. Like, free will does't exist? It rubbed me the wrong way, it's such a common trope in cheating culture and is used as an excuse in real life all the time. Granted, the MC doesn't cheat, just assumes he will and is broken because of his family history. Not my favorite use of conflict and commitment phobia, personally. Also, the conflict was resolved shockingly quickly.

Never Fall For Your Fiancee is also fairly closed door, there are a few kissing scenes and a fade to black. It is a regency romance so it's set in England, but there is a feminist twist to it where Hugh's mom insists he marry for love instead of status, even though he is an earl. Tropes include forced proximity and fake engagement.

**Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

Loved the Bridgerton vibes of this one and thought it was a really cute romance. I would recommend this one.

This book was delightfully hilarious! I spent so much of it giggling away at the banter and circumstance. It’s everything you want out of historical romance / romantic comedy.

I loved the characters. Hugh and Minerva were just fantastic. I loved the plot and the writing. I’ll be so excited for the continuation for the remaining sisters’ stories. I’m assuming Diana and Giles must be next and that’s going to be so good!

This was such a FUN historical rom com. Hugh has found himself in a pickle when his mother insists on coming from America to meet his fiancée, the only issue being that Hugh doesn't have one. What ensues is a case of serendipity and sisterly antics. Hugh is such a personable hero. You can't help but root for him even as he digs himself into a deeper hole. Minerva is a very interesting heroine who is by all accounts very levelheaded except when it comes to matters of the heart. I loved the whole thing as the drama unfolds across the pages in a bewitching way. All of the characters are well rounded and while our MC's are definitely leading the story with their romance, there is plenty going on with the sisters and Hugh's family to catapult this into amazingness.

Never Fall For Your Fake Fiancée is a historical rom com following the misfortunes of Hugh as he tries to foil his mother’s attempt to marry him off but creating a fake fiancée. As Hugh’s luck would have it he meets Minerva, a young woman who shares the same name as his fake fiancée, and offers to pay her to pretend to be his fiancée during his mother’s upcoming visit. Nothing goes as planned with their stories not matching, unsupported and difficult supporting cast members, and the ever persistent feelings developing between Hugh and Minerva.

So much misunderstanding and miscommunication happened between Hugh and Minerva and the rest of the characters. While some of the antics were funny, some were not or overdone. Minerva’s sisters were hit or miss in situations- Diana is overly opinionated and Vee was too out of her element and a little much. The moments Hugh and Minerva shared as themselves were honest and meaningful and endearingly sweet. There were several incidences throughout the book when clear conversations would have been particularly important and saved a whole lot of trouble instead of the minced words that were spoken. Overall it’s an enjoyable read to anyone who’s a fan of regency era or British romance stories.

Rating 3.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

A fun read! Oh the fake fiance trope. I've gotten tired of it over the years but this time, this time it's well done with a different take. Hugh, the Earl of Standish, asks Minera, an impoverished but beautiful woodcut engraver who is supporting her two younger sisters, to pose as his finance in order to stymie his meddling mother. Well, we all know what happens next but Heath has infused this with genuine good humor and characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to reading Diana and Vee's stories.

Read if you like: historical romance, fake fiance trope.
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This book was super fun! Hugh lies to his mother about having a fiance to get her to stop matchmaking, but when his mother is scheduled to come for a visit, he has to hire Minerva to pretend to be his fiance. What neither of them expected was to actually fall for each other.
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This was a fun concept with witty banter and great tension! If you love historical romance then you should definitely check this out!
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CW: sexual content, lying, alcohol abuse, child abandonment, death of a parent.

Great historical romance. A funny and fun read. The sisters were really well done. Definitely recommend this one.

What I Loved:

The Ridiculous (and Hysterical) Premise. Our knight in shining armor, Hugh Standish, is a positive rake and scoundrel with a heart of gold. In a misguided effort to keep his mother happy but also remain unencumbered by a wife, Hugh comes up with a woman named Minerva that he is wildly in love with, but is unfortunately sickly. She is intelligent, beautiful, an avid horseman, and wildly unlucky (whose dad dies walking home?) And, she is entirely fake. Or is she? Enter the real Minerva, a headstrong working class woman who is intelligent, witty, beautiful, petrified of horses, and in desperate need of money. The premise is absolutely ridiculous, but also laugh out loud funny. I was hooked immediately. Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction, and I didn’t have nearly as much trouble suspending my disbelief as the premise would suggest.

Minerva and Hugh. Part of the reason why I had no trouble diving into Never Fall for your Fiancée was because Hugh and Minerva had delightfully witty banter that screamed chemistry. Even Minerva’s annoying sisters, Diana and Vee, could see the chemistry from a mile away. Watching their love blossom from witty one liners to passionate embrace was like watching a flower bloom.

The Side Characters. While I thought that Diana and Vee could have been better written, I loved Olive (Hugh’s mother), the butler, and Giles. I love how fleshed out the side characters were and important to the plot. Olive is sharp as a tack, and while she loves her son, she is completely onto his antics and can’t help but be hyper-inquisitive. Giles is hysterical and is hiding a major secret (I am sure we will learn in the next book), but here it is fun just watching him watch High crash and burn. They bring comic relief to a new level.

What Didn’t Work as Well:

The Miscommunication. I am a sucker for the fake fiancé/fake dating trope, but it also goes along with the much maligned miscommunication trope. Hugh and Minerva love each other and both know it individually, but can’t seem to connect. Hugh thinks he is destined to be a philanderer (more on that next) and Minerva thinks he is in love with another woman, and it of course almost leads to them being apart forever. Sometimes this trope works. Here, it was the least believable thing about the plot.

Hugh’s “Philandering Gene.” Without spoiling too much, Hugh is led to believe that the men in is family are unfit for marriage and that they all have wondering eyes. Because Hugh is *actually a good guy*, he doesn’t want to get married because he has decided he will *obviously* cheat. The premise would be laughable if it weren’t so sad for Hugh. It also doesn’t speak much to his intelligence.

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

You're going to love this book. I rarely ever give 5 stars to a story, it's got to be wonderful to rate a 5. Ms Heath get's a huge 5 for Never Fall For Your Fiancée. It's a romance, that's a given, but it's funny too. I actually laughed my way through the book, out loud laughed. All the characters are a little off, eccentric might be a good term. The families are a mess, on both sides. The hero is the funniest character I've read in a long time. Hugh's inner monologs are a hoot. and you won't want to skip around and miss them. I don't think I should say too much about the story because it's part of what's so funny. Just read it for yourself and then call your friends with a book reccomendation. Better yet it would make a great Christmas present. This is book 1 in the Merriwell Sisters series. I hope, please, that the next book has Lord Bellingham in it. I love him.

#VirginiaHeath #NeverFallForYourFiancee #St.Martin'sPress #MerriwellSisters #Netgalley #romance #historicalromance