3.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I was so excited for this addition of this series!! I adored Max in the previous books and was so excited to his HEA with Helena.

This book took me awhile to get on board. This book somewhat relies on the fact that the main characters had chemistry and history in during the plot of book 2. And because of that I struggled to connect to buy into their romance. But this got me in the end and I was invested!

This story, like the previous ones, had so many amazing themes. It discusses gender roles, the working class, and the way the upper class treated everyone around them. It was so difficult to read at times because of how terribly people were talked about and treated. But I loved that the author addressed some of these darker topics about this time period.

This is mildly spoilery but I still want to mention it -
I was so nervous when it was reveled that Helena was infertile. I've read so (SO) many books that handled this theme poorly. But it was fantastic in here. So thank you to Harper St. George for this rep 🖤

Overall this was a lovely addition to the series. And I'm so glad we're getting a spinoff(?) about Camille! I absolutely cannot wait for more historical romances from this author!!

This was book three in the Gilded Heiresses standalone series, and features the love story of Maxwell Crenshaw and Lady Helena (both of whom feature in the earlier books as secondary characters). The American Crenshaw heir is looking for a fiancée in this story, at least a temporary one. What happens when he gets more than he bargained for in the young widow he’s come to an arrangement with?

I read book 1, but skipped straight to book 3 as I was very curious to read Max’s story next. I wasn’t disappointed, I loved Max as a character - he was interesting and principled and forward thinking. I also adored Lady Helena - I really wanted her to get a HEA, her compassion and determination made her a very likable lead.

The chemistry between Max and Helena was there, and I adore a fake relationship/ betrothal trope so I was excited to follow there progress from attraction to respect and love. I also loved the honest expression of support the two had for one another.

I haven’t read many Historical Romances in this time period, so that in and of itself adds a nice layer to the story (I end up researching a bit about the time I’m reading about). I think the author adds in great details and bits of social commentary that really make you think about the issues of the time.

This story tackles a tough topic at any time (but especially in such a period when women's rights and roles were more limited): infertility. I thought it was handled in a vey skilled and sensitive way. I loved how the story turned out and the thoughtful way the characters addressed it too. This is my favorite St George book to date, and I look forward to more!

Fans of historical romance and authors like Sabrina Jeffries, Julia Quinn, and Tessa Dare will enjoy.

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George, book three in The Gilded Age Heiresses series, focusing on three American siblings in London, is an entertaining fake relation that is absolutely delightful. A health crisis has not prevented American Industrialist Maxwell Crenshaw's father from trying to marry off his children. This time it’s his son Max he wants to wed and secure the family legacy as soon as possible. Max cannot forget the beautiful widow, Lady Helena March, who he met before and is also dealing with parental pressure to marry. When Max suggests a fake engagement to save them both, Helena finds herself unable to refuse. Max and Helena definitely know how to push each other's buttons and there's a wonderful understanding and chemistry that develop. Despite being raised in different countries and with different social constraints, they both have an empathy and passion for others less fortunate; Max for his company's workers and the families they support, and Helena for the women who often have no control over their futures. Both Max and Helena are aware that their lives are an ocean apart, thanks to their own commitments, but when real feelings start to develop and these two share a passionate night together at a house party, things get complicated, fast. One thing that stood out in this story was Max standing up for Helena in front of other society ladies and even her father.

Ms. St. George wrote a fake relationship story filled with parental pressure, respect, passion and romance that should not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with respect, chemistry, wonderful banter, and Max’s sisters who plotted to give Helena and Max a happy future together. I highly recommend The Lady Tempts an Heir to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

A fake relationship between English aristocrat Helena and wealthy American Max. He’s the heir to an ironworks fortune and she is a young widow who would rather spend time with her charities rather than marry again.

This is the third in the Gilded Age Heiresses series. We’re thrown quickly into the action that ended the last book that led to the LI’s first meeting meeting—saving Max’s sister/Helena’s friend from running off—but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Max is given an ultimatum that unless he marries, his father will ruin his sister’s business prospects with the ironworks. Helena is struggling to find support for her charity to help unwed mothers. Max and Helena agree to a fake engagement until their goals can be reached, a decision made easier by a mutual attraction from when they first met, but it’s been unacknowledged.

I felt it took too long for them to have the conversation they needed to have, and then I felt bored with the drama to set up the next book and Helena’s back and forth feelings once Max said he didn’t care about their obstacles. The epilogue wasn’t as satisfying as I expected.

Fans of the series will probably love this installment. The writing is emotive, the characters had good chemistry, and there was an interesting social commentary element. 3.5 stars

Content note: infertility

“It wasn’t the courtship that bothered her. It was that he would be the man doing the courting.”
The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George is a gorgeously written standalone historical romance that features a fake engagement and not so fake feelings between the main characters.

While this is my first introduction to Harper St. George, fellow Bee Carla loved Violet Crenshaw’s book The Devil and the Heiress which came out this past summer. The Lady Tempts an Heir tells the story of second-born Maxwell Crenshaw and his fake engagement to Lady Helena March—a widowed Lady with a heart of gold and a penchant for helping the unwed and destitute mothers of London. I’m sure you can see how this would be a problem for Lady Helena. Due to her charitable cause, Lady Helena is finding funding hard to come by and her parents are further pressuring her to find a husband that would give her some stability as well as better standing within High London Society.

“She had never met once a man in secret at a ball. It seemed only fitting that Maxwell Crenshaw would be the first.”
Enter Maxwell Crenshaw. Though American and a successful—not to mention thoughtful—businessman in his own right, he’s still looked upon as slightly brutish if not too American for polite society. His father gives Maxwell an ultimatum to find a bride and holds the success of his eldest sister as leverage. When mutual admiration leads to a mutually beneficial fake engagement, Lady Helena fears that her more than robust feelings for Max may be the end of her. Likewise, Max is fearful if he doesn’t convince Helena of his very real feelings, he may run the risk of losing her forever—fake engagement be damned.

Truly, there is so much more to this wonderful story. I love that Helena stands down to no one and uses her knowledge and compassion to gain the respect of her peers. Maxwell is also surprisingly progressive in his business acumen as well as wonderfully respectful of both his sisters as well as Lady Helena. Maxwell is truly the ultimate gentleman. The conflict and ultimate resolution surprised me in a wonderful way and I wish more romances would embrace such a well thought out and modern twist to the Happily Ever After.

“Her smile tried to widen, but she bit the inside of her lip to stifle it. He nearly groaned as an ember smoldered inside him, brought to life by her attention.”
Due out next week on the 22nd, The Lady Tempts an Heir is a romance you shouldn’t miss out on. Max and Helena’s romance will have you cheering! I cannot wait to see what Harper St. George has in store for readers next!

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

CW: death of husband (past, from cancer), cheating (side character), death of a character (side character on page), infertility, marital rape (past but on page discussion), discussions of building railways in India, discussions of poverty, sick parent

This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical romance
-best friends sibling
-fake engagement
-only one night
-burning the condom will definitely get rid of it
-some sneaking around and hidden passages
-mutual pinnnnning

I adored this book. We got hints of these two in book 2 and I just couldn't wait. Not exactly frenemies, they had such excellent banter. Both believing a relationship can't work, so let's get fake engaged to get what we need. I adore Max. So family oriented, he's just a sweet guy. And he falls hard for Helena, hard. Two similar and stubborn people I love how they got each other and supported the other.

Helena enjoyed being a widow, the independence, she had her own plan and was not looking for love at all. And Max was there supporting here. I really appreciated her story, how she opened up to him and clearly trusted him, their relationship entirely built upon consent and Max making sure that nothing would damage her reputation. And then just the pining as they tried to stop being idiots and get together already. Getting to that point was well earned and dragged out just enough. Ugh I loved these two and was screaming by the end. Everytime they were on page together it was wonderful and I couldn't get enough.

I'm so excited there's going to be another book in this series and can't wait to read more.

Steam: 3

The Lady Tempts An Heir is a fake relationship romance between an English lady and an American businessman. When his father gives him an ultimatum, Max Crenshaw is forced to find a bride to secure the Crenshaw legacy. The widowed Lady Helena March is having difficulty securing donations for her charity because she does not have the support of a husband to back her up. And that’s how Max and Helena find themselves embarking on a fake courtship.

I am truly enjoying Harper St. George’s Gilded Age romances and The Lady Tempts An heir is my favourite book in the series so far. Max and Helena have such good chemistry together. The flirting, the repartee, the heated looks, and the delicious build up were everything I could have ever asked for in a historical romance. Max and Helena are great together as a couple, but they are also interesting characters on their own. They are both driven and have ambition to achieve their respective goals.

Considering Max’s family business, we also have some interesting social commentary on the exploitation of workers and foreign resources. In fact, this book gave me some serious North and South vibes, which I of course loved.

If there’s one thing that keeps me coming back to Harper St. George’s historical romances, it’s her distinctive ability to write emotional comfort scenes where one character is emotionally vulnerable and their significant other cares for them. Helena’s backstory broke my heart. When she finally talks to Max about her first marriage…I cried. That scene is so beautifully written. I honestly think this is Harper St. George’s strength as a writer – she’s able to wring out these raw emotions from her characters in a way that feels real and natural and it puts you, the reader, through the emotional wringer too.

I honestly did not expect this book to make me cry. The third act is very angsty. I felt Helena’s pain. I felt Max’s pain. The angst. The separation. The reunion. The ending was a bit rushed, but I am nevertheless satisfied with Max and Helena’s HEA.

This was another great addition to the series. Helena and Max fake an engagement in order to further each of their interests, along with placating their families. I loved the way that they support each other, while also challenging each other. The chemistry wasn't as strong as I thought it would be, based off how their relationship starts, but it was still super enjoyable. The resolution was nice, and I enjoyed how it turned some common tropes/themes on it's head. Can't wait for Camille's book!

One final note about the ending, I really enjoyed how there was no miracle pregnancy. I liked seeing them be happy as a couple with no kids, since that was part of the issue of them actually getting together. No magical fix it, no miracle, just two people in love and working through those issues. I like to imagine they end up adopting, if they do end up deciding that they want a child after all, because they want a kid to love, and not because of societal or familial pressures.

Full review posted to links after embargo date.

I struggled with the second book in this series, and was really gratified to be able to just jump into this book with no issues. I love a dislike-to-lovers marriage of convenience, so the tropes were destined to be winners here for me. St. George is doing a lot of thinking about wealth and power in the Gilded Age that I think she attempted in the last book and didn’t quite achieve but works much better here.

If you like the politics of an Evie Dunmore or Cat Sebastian, this book is definitely for you, or the independent heroine of a Sarah MacLean or Lisa Kleypas, although I think this book lacks the real emotional gutpunch and lyrical prose that all four of these authors can deliver. Still, I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to the series’ conclusion.

This is the third installment in the series although it can be read as a stand alone. That being said, I think I may have felt more for the couple if I had read the second book because that’s where the couple meets and sparks start flying.
This third book is about a widowed Lady who agrees to a fake engagement with an American businessman. They both have an obvious attraction to each other which muddles the whole pretend game they’re playing.
I enjoyed this story alright, but I did find myself skimming through the last half of the book, as I had lost interest. I’m not sure if I’ll continue with this series.
If you enjoy historical romance and the fake engagement element, this would still be worth checking out!

This author is flipping amazing, and this book was wonderful, as all of her Gilded Age series books have been so far. Excellently written, complex and richly realized characters. Wonderful relationship building, just enough tension and drama, plenty of feminism. Excellent. Highly recommend this whole series.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a ARC of this book*

Harper St. George brings us the 3rd entry in the Gilded Age Heiresses and it's the one I have been eagerly anticipating. Maxwell Crenshaw, the brash and bold American Heir and Lady Helena March, the quite and strong widow with a cause no one else believes in.

I loved when I saw these two interact in the previous novel and I was so curious about how they would get together. Max has a life in America and even though his family has him back across the ocean every other month, he is very much committed to his life there. But when his good old dad lays down ANOTHER ultimatum that could hurt his sister, he hatches a plan. A plan involving a fake courtship and engagement with a certain Lady.

Helena is skeptical of this plan, as it has serious potential to do more harm than good to her reputation, a reputation she wouldn't give to figs about if it didn't effect her work with The London Home for Young Women. She can't deny that she is attracted to Max, and being by his side at events and for secret meetings wouldn't be a hardship. However, the attraction between them is something that they are both aware could cause them to go up in flames and leave them both unhappy in the end.

There was SO much that I loved about this. Helena and Max were such a good match and I liked that neither one of them was denying their pull towards each other, although Helena is very wary of it. She has a secret that would make marrying the Heir ta a fortune almost impossible and she doesn't want to put Max in that position. She was bold and sweet and feisty about a her cause, in a way that was reasonable and true, in my opinion. She was progressive without being preachy and she was willing to educate Max when he was being obtuse without being a shrieking harpy, in a way some feminist Historicals have done in recent years.

Then there was Max. Oh boy, do I just adore him. I loved him from the first time he was on the page in book 1, and I have been salivating to get his story. He was not a perfect character, and he is kind of dense when it comes to some matters of the Home for Young Women, but he WAS willing to learn from Helena and see what the passions of her heart were. He was the BEST of big brothers and a swoony fake fiancé. He was charming and brash and he stood up to his father. I adore him and he will be a book boyfriend for many years to come.

Anyway, this review has rambled on but I am so happy to say that this is a wonderful story and a great romance and I hope you will give it a try.

5/5 stars

TW: Infertility

I absolutely love The Gilded Age Heiresses series! I have really been looking forward to Max's story, and to no surprise, it was everything I hoped it would be: steamy, pining, two people that have so much chemistry.

Max and Helena enter into a fake engagement to appease their families. This trope is one that I love when done correctly, and it was immaculate in here because they've entered the arrangement with feelings for each other.

The best part of this book is the parts where we are in Max's thoughts. His longing for Helena is so beautifully written and set my heart aflutter. I also love that he picks up on the fact that Helena likes riling him up on purpose. Their banter and flirtation are perfect.

Helena is a widow who has her heart set on charity projects that have caused her to be criticized by those in society. Max beautifully defends her in public when he overhears party-goers gossiping about her and her charity work. They both have a mind for protecting the vulnerable in their societies which sets them apart from most of their peers but definitely in a good way.

Max fiercely and unconditionally loves Helena in way that had my heart beating out of my chest. I love them together, and I love how they love each other.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the eARC copy

A health crisis has not stopped American Industrialist Maxwell Crenshaw's father from trying to marry off his children. He wants Max to wed and secure the family legacy as soon as possible! But Max cannot forget the beautiful widow, Lady Helena March, who is dealing with parental pressure of her own. When Max suggests a fake engagement to save them both, Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse.

This is the third book in the The Gilded Age Heiresses series, which has focused on three American siblings in London. It can stand alone, but I recommend reading in series order. All the stories are excellent, and they lay out the meddling of the Crenshaw siblings' father.

Maxwell Crenshaw and widowed Lady Helena March have met before. This time, Max is back in London to check on his ailing father. But Papa Crenshaw is once again up to his matrimonial scheming! He threatens to pull a business pet project away from Max's sister, August, if Max does not find a bride. Helena's father is also pushing for her to remarry. She has her own aspirations, pouring her energy into a home for unmarried woman. But her charity is struggling to find donors because the home doesn't turn away fallen women and their illegitimate children. Entering into a sham betrothal seems like the perfect solution to both of their problems, but of course things don't do as expected.

While Max and Helena know how to push each other's buttons, there's a wonderful kinship and chemistry that develop. Despite being raised in different countries and with different social constraints, they both have an empathy for others...Max for his company's workers and the families they support, and Helena for the women who often have no control over their futures. They begin to fall for each other, but both are cognizant that the other lives across an ocean and has their own commitments. This is one area that was a large obstacle in the story but was perhaps glossed over a bit in the HEA. I can let it go though, because the storytelling from St George is always so engaging.

Tropes: Class Difference, Fake Relationship, Widow, Sister's Best Friend/Best Friend's Brother

Steam Rating: 2

Trigger Warning: Infertility

* I received and ARC and this is my honest review. #TheLadyTemptsTheHeir #NetGalley

Harper St. George knows how to write spine-tingling romances that make you feel like you’re soaking in a warm bath while sipping from a glass of delicious red wine. The Lady Tempts an Heir is no exception, and will attract anyone who likes brooding men and smart, uncompromising women.

Max Crenshaw is an American businessman and ironworks heir who wants nothing to do with the marriage game, having watched his younger sisters placed on that great chessboard so they could play the social game and marry into the English aristocracy. With the two of them comfortably married off (see the two previous books in the series) - although not in the ways and to the men their father anticipated, it’s now Max’s turn to meet his match. He plans, however, on defying his ill father’s edict to find a bride and secure his inheritance by finding woman who’s willing to fake an engagement to him in exchange for a fee.

Lady Helena March, a young widow, is the perfect candidate.  She and Max like and respect one another, and the recent dire financial straits she’s entered into make the idea of being paid to fake an engagement seem quite appealing.  Instead of concentrating on conjuring up a second marriage for herself, Helena has turned to charitable matters.  The London Home for Young Women supports all of those ‘unsavory’ types that Regency society hates – ie: poor, ‘fallen’ women.  With no donations coming in, Helena is becoming desperate for a way to support the house as the funds from her first husband’s estate are dwindling down to nothing.

So entering into the bargain Max suggests seems like the perfect solution.  Helena will get enough money to keep the charity running, while Max will pretend to be engaged to a woman he actually likes, respects, and is attracted to – and they’ll both get their hectoring families off of their backs.  It’s a great business arrangement – until their feelings interfere.  How will Max react when he learns the terrible truth about Helena’s first marriage?

The Lady Tempts an Heir puts another feather into St. George’s cap, and is the strongest of the Gilded Age Heiresses series with this fine historical romance about two people who genuinely like and respect each other.  Max and Helena are two strong and smart, principled people who come to love each other a great deal.

Max has a (fitting) spine of iron and comes to stand for what’s right, be that during a labor dispute at the ironworks or when Helena’s family becomes unduly pushy about her chosen lifestyle.  Helena truly loves working at the charity and doesn’t see it as a merely way to pass her time. She and Max share a teasing, slow-burning fire filled with mutual pining, and are trapped in the claws of their own plot, eventually happily.

The lively society in which they live springs to life wonderfully; St. George knows how to research and apply it. You get to see August and Violet again as well. No bonus points if you figure out Helen’s big secret early in the book; it’s in the handling of it that St. George is unique and exemplary.

The Lady Tempts an Heir is an early front-runner for one of the best romances of 2022.  It has longing, it has fire, it has people you’ll like and solid research.  There’s not a false step between its covers.

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I absolutely adore anything Harper St. George writes, and Maxwell Crenshaw's anticipated love story with Lady Helena March is no exception. What made this story wonderful and memorable was its ending: Helena is petrified Maxwell will come to resent her overtime for her inability to have children, especially with how much emphasis his father places on him having an heir. Instead of Helena magically overcoming this anxiety — or, even worse, suddenly discovering she was never infertile after all — family helps her realize that they will always have the option to divorce. This gives her peace of mind that if their marriage ever does sour, they will have the option to part ways, which Maxwell assures her they will never have to do, anyway. While this may sound unromantic and cynical, it's a wonderful twist on a historical romance that takes place during the Gilded Age. It's also a great blend of modern skepticism of marriage, the happily-for-now trope, and the fact that love requires trust above all. Just fantastic.

The Lady Tempts and Heir is the third book about the filthy rich American Crenshaw family who have come to England to take over the aristocracy with their genitalia. If you recall, the Crenshaw parents are the greediest assholes who have ever assed. They continue to use their children as commodities in their quest for power and societal domination.

Max Crenshaw is the heir to the Crenshaw Iron dynasty. He's tall, dark, handsome, rich, and equipped with an impressive steel rod. Max comes to England after his fuckhead father has a heart attack. Upon his recovery, daddy dearest immediately blackmails Max into getting married and giving him some heirs. Max decides to fake an engagement with Helena, the smart, wealthy friend of his sisters who also is a widow. YES! I love a Victorian widow bc girlfriend is lonely and horny and down to fuck! With her virginity out of the way, Helena cannot resist "old ironsides" Max and why should she? Their fake relationship gets complicated bc these two horn dogs are super into each other but live on two continents and whoops. Helena is barren and can't give Max the little iron ores he needs and wants.

Will these two "forge" a real relationship? Will Helena turn her back on Max's magical rebar to spare him a childless life? Stay tuned for the next episode of "Hot and Wrought"...er I mean, read this book and find out!!

The series is fantastic. Love the characters, the richness of the plots, and of course the steam. Highly recommend this book, but def read the first two in the series first.

Smut: 3.2 stars
Romance: 4.5 stars
Story: 4.4 stars
Use of iron puns in a book review: 26 stars (also the Fe elemental number- this is an educational smut review.)

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley publishing for this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

This fake dating troped novel was done very well and will always be something I love to read about. I loved the banter between our two main characters.

This story was witty, fun, and scalding hot at points. I think navigating the world of infertility in a book is tricky and St. George handled it well given how sensitive this topic is. It is nice to see characters deal with something very real for so many couples..

I am looking forward to the next installment.

The only thing that bothered me about this book is it felt unresolved by the end and that is why I gave it the 4 stars.

The Lady Tempts an Heir continues following the Crenshaw family as Max falls under the manipulative tactics of his parents. Luckily for us all, Helena is also in need of partner, and so together they work to try to maneuver around the expectations of their parents. As with the prior two novels, this novel features two characters who are immediately drawn to each other and yet are in a constant battle to try to suppress what they're feeling. They're both focused on the outcomes of their agreement but not so much that they can't find time to flirt and long for each other. Their courtship is delightful, even as they're in constant delightful, and I think it's probably my favorite so far.

Every one of the novels in this series has featured wonderfully progressive and evolved characters. The men are strong and women are even stronger and their eventual happy endings are always so satisfactory. I thought, sadly, that this might be the last novel in the series but I'm happy to see that there will be more to come.

The third installment in the Crenshaw family. This time we follow Max Crenshaw, heir to Crenshaw Iron. Max's father has decided it is time Max choose a wife, settle down, and get ready to produce some heirs to keep the family business going. Unless Max finds a bride by Christmas his father will cut off August's (his sister from book 1) plans and hard work for a new foundry in London.

Not willing to cave to his father's demands entirely, but also wanting to spare his sister pain, Max decides to form an engagement ruse with Lady Helena, a gorgeous widow he can't stop thinking about.

Sparks and chemistry has already been simmering between these two for some time, but will this fake engagement be the thing that finally brings them together, or tear them apart forever because of a painful secret Helena is keeping?

I truly loved this book. Max is a delicious hero who is the perfect alphamellow, respecting Helena and supporting and caring for her while dominating her in other ways.

I loved how emotional this book was, it deals with heavy topics like infertility, illness, and death, but the overall story was one of hope and love and I found it so incredibly satisfying. Also the ending was the closure I needed after three books of these nearly insufferable parents!

Really loved this one. Passionate, romantic, and deeply emotional. My favorite in the series so far.