American Maxwell (Max) Crenshaw has certainly gotten his travel miles in over the last year or so. His very rich, manipulative, overbearing, social-climbing parents have taken his two sisters to England to force them into marriages with aristocrats. So far, that has been successful because they have bought a duke and an earl for husbands. Luckily for his sisters, those were also love matches. Max made the trek across the ocean both times to try to save a sister – only to fail. Now, he’s back in London again because his father is very ill. However, when Max arrives, he learns his father may be ill, but he is still manipulating his children’s lives. The latest target is Max himself – and unfortunately, his father knows Max’s weak spot is his sister Autumn. Being a very canny and smart man himself, Max will figure out a way to thwart his father and still not hurt his sister.

Widowed Lady Helena March is a perfect lady, but she is refusing her father’s demand that she should marry again. Helena likes her life as it is and she spends all of her time working for her charity. Unfortunately, that charity has the ability to sully Helena’s pristine reputation because one of the groups they help is unwed mothers. Even a remote association with that group could harm her reputation and Helena is very directly involved. When her father’s insistence she marries again turns to him actually working against her charity if she doesn’t marry, she knows she has to do something or lose the charity.

Helena and Max have met before because she has befriended his sisters and even helped him save Violet from ruin during his last trip. So, it was quite natural for the two of them to team up to thwart their parents. It would strictly be a business arrangement where each obtained their goals and then parted ways. After all, he lives in New York and she lives in London and neither has any desire to relocate. Can they keep it strictly business? There is the problem of that electric tingle they both feel when they are close. But – nothing could come of that with an ocean between them.

There are certainly many ups and downs – including manipulative parents – but Max and Helena still manage to fall in love. But then, there is still that ocean thing. Can they overcome that? You’ll just have to read this lovely book to find out. As always with this author, the story is nicely paced and well-written. The characters are all very likable and well developed – and the best part is seeing the parents being dealt with. I can definitely recommend this read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Lady Tempts an Heir is the third book in the Gilded Age Heiresses series. I read the first two books last year, and have been eagerly anticipating book three. What I love about the Gilded Age Heiresses is their strong female leads. Though this story is technically Max Crenshaw’s (after books one and two followed his sisters August and Violet), with its dual perspective, we still have that strong female POV from Helena’s chapters.

So what’s the book about? Despite disapproval from society, Helena is not afraid to dive headfirst into a cause she cares about: helping fallen women and their illegitimate children. However, given the “scandalous” nature of such work, Helena’s dream of opening a home for women is looking bleak with a lack of funds. When Max’s father gives him a ultimatum, marry and thus secure the future of the family legacy, Max turns to Helena for help. A fake engagement could both appease Max’s father and help legitimize Helena’s charity. But can they pull off the ploy without catching real feelings? And thus return to their separate lives, an ocean apart, once the ruse is done?

This book contained so many aspects that I adore! Fake dating (ahem specifically fake engagement), spiiiiice, and mutual pinning to name a few. Max is such a sweet guy; I mean the man has traversed the Atlantic TWICE to aid his sisters! So it tickled me to get to see him find his happiness. And Lady Helena has been there for those same sisters, too! She is the most selfless gal; willing to aid those in need, despite what it might do to her reputation. It was just all around wonderful to see these two, and their chemistry, on full display.

My one qualm is after three books, I could live without hearing any more about Crenshaw Iron. The business aspect of things just is not that interesting to me, and I’m hoping it can finally take the back seat in book four. Speaking of which, rumor has it the fourth book will focus on the Crenshaw sisters’ friend Camille! I am so excited for her to get her time to shine, and presumably finally get her happy ending.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 ⭐️ // I’ve been on a regency romance kick lately, and I’m loving it! If there were any doubts that my favorite trope is “fake dating,” it has now been confirmed as true! Gosh, I enjoyed this book so much. After reading The Devil and the Heiress, I was excited to read more about Helena, but I was not prepared to fall in love with her character as much as I did. Her story had me feel all the emotions (ex. anger, sadness, guilt, happiness, empowerment, etc.), and her passion for helping women in need is inspiring. I couldn’t help but love the Crenshaw siblings since the very first book, so this story’s ending was very satisfying… just you wait and see! 👀 I hope to see Helena more in the upcoming book, The Duchess Takes a Husband (EEEEP)!

Read this book if …
🥸You enjoy the “fake dating” trope
🎶Jealous by Nick Jonas is one of your favorite songs
💰You’d donate to an orphanage
💕You’d do anything for your siblings
🤫You want secret rooms in your house

TW: manipulating, infertility, spouse’s death

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another great historical romance by Harper St. George! This time we are focusing on Maxwell Crenshaw (the first two books were based on his sisters August and Violet) and I'm so excited that we got to dive into the brother's perspective!

When Maxwell is given an ultimatum, he concocts a fake engagement scheme with Lady Helena March that will benefit the both of them. Helena was a very forward thinking, confident young woman. I loved how much she cared about the less fortunate and the work she put in to making their lives better despite the difficulties she faced in her own life because of it. Maxwell was respectful, willing to listen and learn, and of course tall, dark, and handsome lol! I had so much fun watching the two of them get closer and fall in love.

In terms of the story itself, I thought it was an interesting read with lots of little aspects to keep me entertained. I loved the very unique issue that Helena has to deal with - I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say it was very refreshing to see a different sort of women's issue brought to light.

I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series! It seems like we will be getting Camille's story which should be a good one!

I loved Harper St. George's writing! This was my first book of hers and I cannot wait to read more. This is perfect for people who loved Bridgerton (which includes me).

A fake courtship feels all too real in The Lady Tempts an Heir. Sparks flew between Max and Helena in the last Gilded Age Heiresses book so I was delighted to see the final Crenshaw fall for the independent widow.

If Max thought that being male would prevent him from being subjected to the same pressure to marry as his sisters, he was wrong. If he doesn’t fall in line and secure the Crenshaw legacy, then his father will derail his sister’s current project. Max doesn’t want to be pressured into marriage, but he needs to buy time to protect his sister’s work so he decides to propose a fake engagement to Lady Helena March. Helena is a widow who cares deeply for others. She’s trying to secure funding for The London Home for Young Women, but her own father is pressuring her investors to pull out because it’s “unseemly” for Helena to be associated with unwed mothers and their children. Max’s proposal seems to be the perfect solution to her problem. But what starts as a mutually beneficial fake relationship quickly becomes real.

Helena and Max are easy to like both individually and as a couple. They’re well-matched, smart, kind characters who stand up for what they believe in. Max truly listens to Helena and doesn’t dismiss her ideas or plans, even if they come into conflict with his own. He isn’t perfect, but he learns and becomes an even better person over the course of the story. The two of them support one another and I loved that. They have excellent chemistry and no matter that they believe this courtship is temporary, it’s clear for all to see that they’re falling in love.

Love, however, may not be enough for Max and Helena to get their happily ever after. Both have established lives on different continents, and Helena carries a secret that has her pulling back from Max. I was rooting for them every step of the way and I loved how author Harper St. George handled Helena’s secret. St. George really made her characters consider what it would mean for them and that made the love story all the stronger. I adored The Lady Tempts an Heir – the Crenshaw siblings and their partners are all a delight to spend time with – and I cannot wait to see what St. George has in store for her next American heiress!

Review to publish on Forever Young Adult's blog on 2/28/22:

First Impressions: Plain Jane

It’s probably the style Helena would wear but this is the least fun of the three fancy dress covers from this series. Where’s the pizazz!?

What’s Your Type?

Widow do-gooders
Burly businessmen
Fake dating turned more
Rich people being idiots
Dating Profile

Lady Helena March hasn’t needed a man these last five years since her husband died, despite what her parents and society may think, and she doesn’t plan on losing the privilege of being her own woman unless the right man comes along. Someone who would support her on-going passion—a home for single women and their children—as much as she does. Except without a man, all of her donors have started to withdraw their funding, as it’s not seemly for a single woman to care about other single women.

Maxwell Crenshaw, heir to the Crenshaw Iron Works, has once again been required to return to London to assist his family, only this time it’s not a sister in trouble, but his father’s ailing health. Papa Crenshaw is still being a dick even from his sick bed, as he weasels Max into securing himself a fiancée by Christmas or he’ll take away a lucrative business deal his daughter, August, has been working on.

Meet Cute: A Mutual Arrangement

Lady Helena and Maxwell spent a few tension-filled days together roaming the English countryside in search of his sister, Violet, when she ran off with her now-husband (from book two). In the six months since, they’ve crossed each other’s minds, yet now that they have been reintroduced, they both refuse to give name to this thing passing between them—that is, until they realize that a fake courtship strung out over the next two months can be mutually beneficial for both sides, giving Helena the respectable man at her side in order to secure enough funding to buy a bigger home for her “fallen women”, and Matthew enough time to help August finish brokering her business deal so their father can no longer interfere.

The Lean: Just One Look

The romance in this book was probably the least exciting of the series, just because it was very insta-lovey for me. Both Maxwell and Helena felt stirrings in their nethers from their first meeting way back when, and though they spent the book having some real reasons why a marriage couldn’t work between them, their internal thoughts never strayed far from mutual adoration. It felt more run-of-the-mill than what I was hoping for.

Dirty Talk

He was hard and solid along her front but even more so where he pressed intimately between her thighs. She flexed her hips, grinding herself against him as he took her mouth, his need almost brutal in its intensity, but she didn’t care that her lips might be bruised tomorrow. Something about the idea made it more exciting, ratcheting up her arousal by another degree.

Ms. Perky’s Prize for Purplest Prose

St. George’s writing still strays on the plainer side versus flowery, which I don’t mind:
She wasn’t supposed to be this deeply in the throes of arousal. Not here in her drawing room where she served tea once a week to her friends and where her own parents visited with her. But any flare of shame faded as he unhurriedly lowered his head to her breast.


We Need To Talk: Where’s The Spark?

This book felt more traditional and perfunctory than August and Evan’s story, like we needed to marry Maxwell off before we could move on to other side characters regardless of whether or not this was going to be an interesting relationship. I liked that Max was already fairly decent but not without some notions that a man of that era would need some wizening up on, and thankfully Helena didn’t have to painstakingly point out all his shortcomings as he was able to work it out himself. As I reflect back on Helena now…she was a bit boring as a main character, and Max wasn’t much better. Maybe that’s why I came away feeling the way I do?

Was It Good For You? Whelmed

In the immortal words of Chastity, can you ever just be whelmed? Because I wasn’t wowed by this but nor did I completely dislike it. St. George’s pacing was still fine for me, and I breezed through this super quickly, but I don’t think I’ll harbor any lingering feelings for it any time soon.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Berkley Books. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. The Lady Tempts an Heir is available now.

The Lady Tempts an Heir is the third book in The Gilded Age Heiresses series by Harper St. George. An emotional read that deals with heavy topics like infertility, illness, and death, but the overall story was one of hope and love. The ending was the closure needed after three books of these nearly insufferable parents!

I have been on a MAJOR historical romance kick recently, and it all started with this book right here

Maxwell Crenshaw is in a pickle. After a health scare, Max’s father wants to see him settled in marriage to secure the legacy of Crenshaw Ironworks. As an incentive for him to pick a bride, he threatens to block a profitable project spearheaded by his sister, who assists in the running of the English devision of the company.

Lady Helena March’s passion project is starting to cloud her with scandal. Benefactors for the London House for Young Women are pulling out their donations at the insistence of her influential father, who believes Lady Helena’s focus should be on finding a new husband.

Queue all the fake courting!

I ADORED The Lady Tempts an Heir to no end. There is something so special about a fake relationship between two individuals with mutual respect for each other. Watching their respect grow into intrigue and attraction, then love was such a delight.

This was my first historical romance with the female MC being young widow and it might be my new favorite. I loved seeing the slight increase in freedom for widowed women, especially when they find a purpose outside of the home.

The Lady Tempts an Heir is book 3 in The Gilded Age Heiresses series, but I had no problem reading it as a standalone. I loved it so much I had to have books one & two in the series. And after reading a sample of book four at the end of this one, I don’t know how I’m going to survive until Camille & Jacob’s story releases.

The third in The Gilded Age Heiresses series is about the Crenshaw heir, Maxwell. We have met him in the last two books as both sisters asked him to come to London from NY to help them so they wouldn't have to marry a title or any man with a title. 

In the process of searching for one sister he had met Lady Helena and though nothing happened she stayed on his mind.

Now that his father is having minor health issues he's pushing Max to get married. Who better to propose a fake betrothal than the widow Lady Helena.

I loved how proper these two were but when they were in their element and the other seemed to come upon them they saw a facet of their personality that they didn't show society.

Lady Helena like Max's sisters was very forward thinking and started a home for unwed mothers cause you know that happens organically and without the help of men. Ugh men still don't always take responsibility for pregnancies. Apparently being wicked and getting pregnant was contagious well cause when you know how fun it is you tell the other ladies, I can see that.

I wasn't expecting Max's steamy side and I liked it!!

Something that I don't see often in these stories is infertility and so  many women, men, and couples struggle with the physical and emotional impact of not being able to start a family. Just the posts of how easy everyone else seems to have it I am sure must be painful. But especially in the regency era when being able to bear an heir is the only purpose of your existence.

❤️‍🔥This cover, like the other two, is gorgeous!! 

Read if you like:
💌Fake relationships
💌Mutual pining
💌Tanned muscular forearms
💌Strong female characters

Thank you berkeleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

After the Crenshaw parents pushed daughters August and Violet towards marriage in the first two books of the series, it’s no surprise when they turn their sights on their eldest, 28-year-old Maxwell. Sensing his own mortality following some recent health issues, Griswold Crenshaw is determined that the family name be carried on through his son, and he’s not above manipulation and blackmail to get his way. Maxwell, for his part, is willing to play along… for a time.

Lady Helena March, widowed five years ago after a brief marriage, is struggling to get her new charity off the ground. Aiming to help single mothers and orphans, Helena faces harsh judgment and has few donors. One of the few things that would help is if she had a husband backing her.

Thus, a fake engagement is born. Maxwell and Helena met last spring when rescuing Violet, and the attraction was already evident and a tentative friendship began to form. Both can benefit from appearances in the short term, even if neither wants to marry. But what if their feelings change?

Crenshaws Being Crenshaws

First and foremost, let’s just talk about how one-track-minded Griswold and Millie Crenshaw are. Have you ever met a pair of social-climbing parents so intent on getting all three of their children married within a one-year span? It’s a little funny, but honestly, I love the continuity between these first three books of the series. Those Crenshaws are up to their same old tricks again, but I quite enjoy it. Their characterization is constant, and it makes it easy to get your mindset right back into the Gilded Age Heiresses world.

Likewise, it was fun to see Max and Helena’s relationship foreshadowed in The Devil and the Heiress. Really, we can probably thank Violet and Christian for their whole relationship. In The Lady Tempts an Heir, the story takes place six months after those events. Max and Helena are on good terms with one another, and neither has forgotten that jaunt north the previous spring, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready for the next step in their relationship. Pushes from Griswold and Violet (for completely different reasons) do prove helpful, though.

Lovable Characters

As with her previous two books, Harper St. George does an excellent job of writing characters the reader can like and empathize with. They are believable and feel real, like they could be in your own living room with you.

Helena was like an older sister to August and Violet in The Heiress Gets a Duke and The Devil and the Heiress. Here, she is self-assured and well aware of how the world works. She’s opinionated and determined, but also charitable and kindhearted. However, she secretly has her own fears and feelings of inadequacy, largely related to what happened in her first marriage. In The Lady Tempts an Heir, we get to know Helena as a woman who is both confident and fragile.

Max is also just like we knew him, yet also so much more. Readers have already seen how devoted he is to his family, particularly his two younger sisters. He’s fiercely protective of them and will do anything for their happiness… even playing along with his dad’s schemes. However, this loyalty and selflessness also shines through in his relationship with Helena. He’s a true friend to her and has the makings of a devoted partner.

Natural Chemistry

Their chemistry is effortless and natural, offering a bit of arguing, a healthy dose of honesty and support, and, of course, mutual attraction. It never veers too far in one direction, though. Max and Helena argue and take offense at each other from time to time, but they’re not anywhere near enemies terrain. They respect one another and lift each other up… but sometimes they’re at odds and have to work out their opposition. It creates for realistic balance.

Perhaps what I love most about these two is how Max continually stands up for Helena, especially to others. When people speak badly about her behind her back, Max defends her honor and tells them all off. He publicly supports her charity and her ability to run it, and he always shows respect for her. Max isn’t exactly a hero figure for Helena; he’s something better: a man who stands beside her and shines a light on her.

Unique Conflict

Unlike other romances that create conflict out of misunderstandings or blatant lying, the conflict in The Lady Tempts an Heir is one that our protagonists have less control over. One is their geographical differences: Max lives in New York City and Helena lives in London. For a relationship to work, one of them will have to relocate. The other conflict is much more personal for Helena and something that would change the course of Max’s life. I won’t say more due to spoilers, but I found it to be authentic and touching.

I love how these two conflicts are represented here and, although it’s not addressed in the book, I can envision at least one natural resolution for the couple to consider.

Social & Political Ideals

One major element that stands out in The Lady Tempts an Heir – similarly to the previous two books – is the illuminating discussions around social and political issues relevant in 1870s England. Helena is setting up a charity to help single mothers, their children, and orphaned children. However, many of her class consider such charity not only useless (“the poor can’t be helped” and such sentiments), they also think it will reflect badly on Helena that she’s trying to help “fallen women.” Worse, they think that, by association, Helena will become a “fallen woman” herself.

Helena talks about the severe limitations women face and the serious double standards between men and women who have children out of wedlock. Women are ostracized over it; men can just brush it under the rug. Helena also talks about the double standards women face surrounding when they have children. Married but childless? A failure as a woman! Single mother? Dirty! Immoral! Helena isn’t labeled a bluestocking here, but I would count her as a feminist.

This leads to discussion of workers’ rights and, moreover, women being able to work in “men’s” jobs. Women are just as intelligent, strong, and trainable as men, so why can’t they do tougher work? We already saw a bit of this with August in the first book. Here, we also get perspective on women doing manual labor and being able to earn more to support themselves and their families.

Further, we also get to hear Max’s perspective on his father’s company expanding to India. It’s more subtle than the above, but I appreciate his anti-colonialist views in opposition to his father’s. I also love his support of his company’s workers, their rights to a living wage and benefits, and their right to unionize. It’s been a growing trend in recent historical romances (links to others at the bottom of this review!), and I continually love seeing such progressive ideals relevant to 1800s conditions.

More About the Other Characters

One final note is my continued love for the other characters in the Gilded Age Heiresses world. Max, August, and Violet are such close-knit siblings, and I love seeing their relationship. I also still love seeing our previous two couples being cute. Towards the end of this book, we get some insight into what comes next for Violet, Christian, August, and Evan. We also get a hint of what’s to come in book number four, so consider me prematurely excited for that now!

Final Thoughts

Just like the first two installments in the Gilded Age Heiresses series, The Lady Tempts an Heir has proven to be a delightful and powerful read. I love the chemistry between Helena and Max, as well as the discussions of sexism, workers’ rights, and poverty. Harper St. George offers excellent balance between steamy romance, historical detail, and progressive ideals.

There is one more book planned for this series, and after three 5-star reads, I’m more eager than ever! The Duchess Takes a Husband will follow Jacob Thorne (Christian’s half-brother) and Camille, Duchess of Hereford. Based on their preview at the end of this book, they’re sure to be another knockout pairing. That fourth novel should be out within the next year, so stay tuned for my review of it!

Will she let her past pain and fears hold her back…

The previous book let hint there were something brewing between Maxwell and Helena.
I loved them together, but it took too long for Helena to explain the whys behind her reserve against a possible lasting relationship between them, and the sudden reason of her change of heart seemed a bit far fetched when Maxwell time and time again assured her of the strength and depth of his sentiments.

Helena has buried her dreams and self-love in her charity, she only lives to help the disadvantaged, the left-behind. But by doing so, she raises attention to herself, and is seen as “scandalous” for wanting to improve less favored persons’ life.
Yet it is more under the scrutiny of the lenses of those who believe themselves better than everyone else that she is seen as shocking, as they do not like to question the way of things and feel threatened by the unknown.
Maxwell should have expected his despicable sire would manipulate him. And like his siblings, he looks for a scheme to thwart his father’s coercion to bend him to his will. Yet if he can mingle pleasure with duty, he is happy to get to know the woman who has haunted his dreams for a few months.

An entertaining tale with two people who have much in common but with one holding back determined to decide for them both what was best, any future together looked like an impossible feat.
3.75 rounded up to 4 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by HFVBT, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

American Maxwell Crenshall returns to London at the news that his father is ill. He finds him recovering and determined to force Max into a marriage by Christmas in order to secure a heir for Crenshaw Iron. Max has no intention of marrying even though every woman in London would love to hook him, but his father plays the one card that will convince him otherwise. The elder Crenshaw threatens to withdraw funding for a project Max's sister August is involved in if he doesn't choose a bride soon. He can't allow his sister to be hurt so he hatches a plan for a fake engagement with the one woman he's never forgotten - Widow Lady Helena March. Helena is skeptical but she agrees to go along with the charade in order to secure funding for a project near and dear to her heart - the London Home for Young Women which houses and secures jobs for the "fallen" women that society turned their back on. Both Maxwell and Helena will gain what they want from a fake engagement and then go their separate ways, right?

Oh, I do love a good fake engagement story, and The Lady Tempts An Heir is perfect! Readers who have followed the series are aware of the chemistry exploding between Maxwell and Helena from the previous book. Harper St. George has upped the odds in this book and the result is a sinfully sexy story that also dives deeply into gender roles and social class prejudices of the time period. Helena is the perfect heroine to buck societal expectations as she crosses barriers and spurns expectations. She is feisty, strong and on a mission to provide a better life for the women of the home in spite of society's scorn. She's also carrying a dark secret that delegates her to life as a single woman no matter how much she may wish otherwise. Maxwell is a dashing, bold if somewhat brooding hero with a kind heart and strong determination to make it on his own. The clash, bump and grind between these two makes for a deliciously sinful story with a whole lot of heart! I highly recommend it to fans of historical romance and fake relationship tropes as well as to any reader who loves a good romance with a lot of meat on the bones.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I always look forward to Harper St. George’s books. I know I will get a quality, well-written book with vivid characters and passionate romance. I love The Gilded Age Heiresses and had looked forward to Max and Helena’s story. Unfortunately, I felt this book lacked the urgency and connection the first two books showcased brilliantly.

First, I will advise a trigger warning for infertility, which I personally do not like to read. There is also an off-page encounter with Helena’s first husband that made me uncomfortable. I would have liked more certainty between Max and Helena. There was too much back and forth between wanting and pushing away. The indecisiveness between the couple was tiresome at times. The ending also left me disappointed and wanting.

With that being said, I will admit I am being super critical due to the excellent quality of the first two books. Both of those books were five-star reads. I did enjoy the characters. The writing style and dialogue were exquisite, and the plot flowed nicely. In these elements, I am never disappointed in this author.

The Lady Tempts An Heir is the third book in The Gilded Age Heiresses series. I believe in any series the individual books ebb and flow. Personally this installment didn’t spark my fascination like the first two books. I will recommend this book due to its excellent writing. All my concerns did not detract from the sparkling world that Harper St. George has created. It is truly quality work; however, it is not my pick of the three novels. I look forward to the next book in the series and will definitely be reading it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lady Helena March and Maxwell “Max” Crenshaw met when Helena befriended his sisters, but their relationship took a turn when she helped him save his sister Violet from certain ruin. And while they shared a mutual attraction, nothing came of it and Maxwell returned to New York. Now a year later, Max is back in England to see his father who has had some serious health issues. Thankfully his father pulls through, but their relationship that was already strained by his father’s treatment of his sisters takes another hit when his father demands that Max marries by the new year or he will pull the funding for his sister August’s project. Unwilling to let his sister suffer or let his father win, Max hatches a plan – he just hopes that Helena is willing to play along.

Helena has been widowed and living independently for years, she loved her husband, but has decided that marriage is not for her. She spends her time working on her charitable projects, the newest being a home for unwed mothers and their children. At first, she gained a lot of support, but one by one her patrons are backing away. Apparently, her father has been poisoning the minds of her donors, he wants Helena to marry again and believes that her association with this project will ruin her chances. So when Max proposed that they fake a betrothal, just until August’s project is underway and Helena’s charity house is up and running, it seems like the perfect solution. As long as she guards her heart because, despite the passion that burns between them, Helena has a secret that she believes will prevent them from ever having a HEA…

This well-written book is a great addition to the series, Max and Helena have an undeniable on-page chemistry, making it very easy to root for their happy ending. The book does drag a bit in the middle and the come-and-go tension between them became a bit wearisome around the 70% mark, I also began to get annoyed with Helena’s insistence that she knew Max’s feelings better than he did and the solution that she came up with didn’t really work for me – I felt like she still didn’t believe that Max could unconditionally love her. That said, the book is filled with secrets, wonderful characters, great secondary characters, steamy love scenes, meddling parents, matchmaking sisters, and finally, an ending with a HEA that didn’t seem possible complete with an epilogue. I liked this book and I am looking forward to the next installment! This is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone title, but I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

The Lady Tempts an Heir
by Harper St. George
Out Feb 22.

I was so thrilled to receive this ARC that I literally did a happy dance. And let me say, I was gloriously rewarded by the author's lush writing and oh so romantic narrative.

This is the third in her beloved Gilded Age Heiresses series, and it was a treat to catch up with characters I've grown to care about.

The lovers: Max Crenshaw, an American businessman, and Lady Helena March, a British widow -- intelligent and beautiful -- committed to helping destitute mothers and their illegitimate children.

They agree to a fake engagement that suits them both, yet find themselves genuinely surprised when their connection sparks into something more. I swooned as their romance grew, and could not put THE LADY TEMPTS AN HEIR down until I knew the denouement, which I'll not reveal here. Would I spoil the fun for the legions of histfic romance readers who adore Harper St. George? Never!

Thanks to Harper, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#theladytemptsanheir #harperstgeorge
#berkleypublishinggroup #NetGalley

I loved so much getting to be back with the Crenshaw family, this time with brother Maxwell 👀 as a woman of London high society, Helena isn’t sure what to do with him when she first meets him. But after spending time together, and some meddling by Violet, who I adored getting to see again, they fell truly and madly in love. This book had me smiling and laughing and frustrated and feeling ALLLLL THE FEELS. Excellent addition to the Gilded Ages Heiresses series, and I’m so excited for book four!

I love historical novels, especially those that are set a little later than the usual 1810-1820 time period. This one is set in the Gilded Age, so I was all in from the beginning.

Maxwell and Helena both have issues that they can mutually assist one another with...by pretending to be engaged. Him to appease a difficult parent and her, well, sort of for the same reason.

The problem? There is a genuine attraction between them that has been present since their first meeting 6 months ago that hasn't gone away...as much as they would both like it to, at least at the beginning.

I loved all of it. The time period and the restrictions it placed on them as a couple, even once they became engaged, the romance, their attraction, and the way they handled dealing with the things that kept them apart...the obvious of him living in the US and her in London, and the one that she didn't want to tell him which I won't mention here.

If you enjoy historical novels (or if you are watching and loving The Guilded Age on HBO) this book is for you. I enjoyed and recommend this title.

Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to read this book. Max was always my favorite of the Crenshaw siblings and I was excited to read his story after his adventures with Lady Helena in book 2.

Some Things I Liked
The tropes. Fake dating, marriage of convenience (well, engagement of convenience), a touch of enemies to lovers. This book had it all. I loved the ways this story was different from the others but yet also had a lot of familiar notes.
Appearances from past favorites. I loved that August was featured prominently in this story and that we got a peek into the lives of other characters. I'm also super excited for book 4 because I can't wait for Jacob Thorne's love story.
Real stakes. I feel like this book touched on some deeper and more difficult themes but they were handled with care and with realism in mind. No spoilers, but I thought that Helena's situation was definitely a cause of concern for her and Max did have to make a tough decision. It wasn't unheard of in those times for a woman to be rejected for that reason.

Series Value
I really like this series. I can't wait to keep reading and I can already see several other side characters that I'd like to read books about.

Final Thoughts
As I suspected, this was my favorite book in the series so far.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Boy oh Boy, we have returned to the Crenchaw Family with Max's Story! I am so excited, and I have been since Harper hinted at Helena and Max's story in Violet's book. Of course, I devoured it and could not get over how much I loved Helena and Max as protagonists. If I could reread this series for the first time again, I know it would be magical. I truly cannot imagine not recommending this series, especially since Harper has now said she is working on a 4th book!