Cover Image: Never Rescue a Rogue

Never Rescue a Rogue

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Member Reviews

This was a great sequel! I enjoyed the first book but this one was even better. I enjoyed that there was a bit of mystery and Giles and Diana worked together throughout. I was not expecting several twists but I love how they moved the plot along. I also love that we got to see Vee in a much more mature light and the excerpt at the end makes me so excited to read her story next!

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I started this book with no expectations, but needless to say,, I was blown away. Giles and Diana are flawed in a way that it feels like a modern romance rather than a Regency-era one. They overcame obstacles, dodged flying weapons (figuratively), but stayed who they were. In a way, it was very much Enola Holmes vibes.

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This is such a fun series! Maybe I’m just new to the romance genre but I’m loving these series with interconnected characters but separate plots.

Book 2 in this series has some of my favorite tropes and while I love regency books, I really love when they have a modern twist and progressive ladies!

I can’t wait to read book 3!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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2.5 stars

The sequel to Virginia Heath’s charming <i> Never Fall For Your Fiancee </i> doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but is still a perfectly enjoyable installment in the series. My main issue with the book is that, while I like Diana fine (I didn’t care for her much in the previous book, so I love getting to know and like her in this title) I didn’t love Giles as her love interest.

In the previous book, Giles was introduced as an indolent aristocrat, very much modeled after Algernon from Oscar Wilde’s <i> The Importance of Being Earnest. </i> In this title we are promised to see hidden depths to him… but to me, these ‘hidden depths’ strain credulity. From the beginning, Giles posits that he acts the rogue in order to punish his father for being a tyrant. Giles, on the other hand, has great sympathy for the servants and tenant farmers, and plans to treat them much better after his father’s death. This too-noble-for-this-world, only-rebelling-to-stick-it-to-the-evil-aristocrat, man-of-the-people schtick is just a little too precious for me. I think he needed to be given a moment where he’s called out on not being the shining martyr he seems to think he is, taken down a peg by Diana. Instead, Diana spends the book helping him in his quest to ensure his tenant farmers don’t end up under the thumb of another tyrant.

Diana is a badass. She works secretly as an investigative reporter exposing men who use their power and position to exploit those weaker than themselves, a dangerous job that nonetheless she is handling with great skill and care. Giles’ reaction to finding out about her job is so disappointing. If he had reacted with ‘I should have known because this is amazing and so are you, but wow now that I know I’m scared for you,’ I would have understood and liked him. Instead his response is ‘What were you thinking being so stupid?’ I hate it. And he spends the rest of the novel being overprotective of her while simultaneously needing her assistance for his every problem.

On the good side: There’s an amazing side character, Giles’ butler Dalton. At first I was annoyed when Giles assigned Dalton to protect Diana, but Dalton ends up being Diana’s assistant more than Giles’ employee, is totally on Diana’s side, and is just a great time overall. Additionally, when Giles gets his head out of his ass, he and Diana have great sexual chemistry. The mystery plot is fun to follow (even if the solution is a little too obvious) and the writing is extremely readable.

I think I’m so disappointed by this novel because I know that Virginia Heath can do the ‘rogue who’s secretly got a heart of gold’ trope really well. I LOVED <i> How to Woo a Wallflower </i> from her, which had exactly that kind of hero. But Giles didn’t do it for me; I didn’t feel like he was rogue enough or hero enough. He just didn’t do enough of his own accord. But as every other part of the book is delightful, I would still recommend it as a lighthearted, quip-filled, cozy-feelings read.

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While everyone believes they are meant to be, Diana and Giles barely tolerate each other. Diana loves working at the newspaper, and Giles is a confirmed bachelor. When Giles’ father turns up, Diana helps him figure out the truth about his parentage. However, the attraction they’ve been denying becomes impossible to ignore.

Historical romances are always hit or miss for me, but both Merrill Sisters books were so funny! I enjoyed this book as much as the first, and I can’t wait for the third book in the series.

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Sorry for the late review! I normally am not into period pieces but I read this and it was quite fun! A little spice and a fun story was what I needed! Thank you!

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So happy to be back with the Merriwell sisters! This was such a tense slow burn that kept me excited from start to finish. I loved all of the banter and dialogue. A don’t-put-it-down book and an easy 5 stars!

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Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath is even more delightful than its predecessor. This sequel is a relatively light-hearted regency mystery romance, creating a perfect blend of suspense, spice, and swooning.

Most notably, the characters all experienced a glow-up in the depth department. For the most part each was dynamic and contributed more than just their plot point. We had morally gray characters who had bursts of goodness, and we had moral characters who had their moments of shame and indignity.

The plot itself was also lovely to follow along. I adore mysteries, and the one presented had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged without becoming unecessarily convoluted. The heroine's occupation as a writer added an interesting layer to how she perceives her world, and I found her to be much more relatable and worldly than Minerva in the first novel of the series.

All in all, lovely read! I can't wait to see Vee grow up even more in the third novel and have her moment in the spotlight!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now!

Never Rescue A Rogue is the second book in Heath's "Merriwell Sisters" series and I'll be honest...I didn't actually finish the first book. I got about 80% through the first one and was getting stressed so didn't get through the rest. I read enough to help me through reading the second book, so there was that. :)

However! I DID finish NRAR and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved Diana and Giles. Their banter, the way they cared for and supported (and annoyed) one another...all so entertaining. I think one of the reasons I liked this book so much more is that I felt so connected and in tune with Diana. Her independence, her determination to forge her own path...I definitely felt a kinship. And Giles? Oh, Giles. Swoon. He meets Diana where she is and I just want to hug him all of the time.

This story had a slight mystery element which I enjoyed, and I liked that Vee (youngest Merriwell sister) has more of a role in this one. I *think* I have an idea who her love interest might be in her book, but we'll see when we get there.

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Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book 📚

I am a huge historical romance lover, the angst, the scandal, it’s all so charming. And I absolutely loved Never Fall For Your Fiancée so I was so excited for the opportunity to read more about the Merriwell sisters and their love interests. Diana and Giles were great, I did prefer the couple from the first book more but this book still had the comedy and charm I look for from Virginia Heath

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Historical Romance is probably my favorite sub-genre of romance. I love the magical feeling of it all, the swoony gents we read about, and the Ton life that we get to experience with an HR. When I started this book, I was a bit nervous because I’ve never read a book by this author before now. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I don’t think I missed out on much by not reading the first book, so that is always a plus. I wasn’t head over heels for the MMC, but he slowly grew on me as time passed. I enjoyed Diana’s personality in the book. She was hard-working and craved independence in her life, which I can appreciate in a FMC. Overall, I had an entertaining time during my experience reading this and I would recommend this to anyone who needs more Historical Romance in their life.

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'Never Rescue a Rogue: A Novel' by Virginia Heath is a fun fast moving historical romance with a strong female lead - no damsel in distress found! Great summer read - if you are Bridgerton fan check this one out!

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Screw all the haters I loved this damn book and didn’t stop smiling from ear to ear once.

Giles and Diana were ✨top tier✨ and I am absolutely obsessed with them and the way they pick on each other and help each other and the absolute tension and UGHHHHH time to go reread the physical copy so I can highlight EVERYTHING.

I will never get over these two buffoons I love them so.

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I love Giles and Diana so much! They have the best dynamic. This was so cute, funny, and sad. We really got to see a different side of Giles which I loved!

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This was a slow start read for me. I typically love a spicy historical romance, but this one had less romance aspects I usually enjoy. I thought the story really picked up in the last %25. I enjoyed the ending and how everything turned out.

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I loved this one even more than the first. This series is so cute and funny. Giles and Diana were adorable together. Their banter had me smiling all the way through.

The side characters are hilarious, especially Dalton, and I love the whole extended family.

I'm so very excited to read Vee's book. The Merriwell sisters are an absolute delight.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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A solid 3 star read. Not my favourite regency era romance but I did enjoy it! It was a little too long but I liked that it actually had a plot and set up nicely for another book. I’ll have to go back now and read the first one! Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc!

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I am obsessed with the show Ms. Scarlet and the Duke on PBS and I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for books with that same feeling. When I read the synopsis of Never Rescue a Rogue it definitely had the same vibes with a strong women in a non-traditional position for that time. The fact that this was also a series is always a win for me cause I'm a sucker for a good series, romance or otherwise, and even though this was my first of the series I did not feel like I was missing out on anything by picking this one up first.

What I Loved:
The Sentinel, I love there is a paper who allows someone to write articles looking out for the general public of the area....extra bonus the people who are outed are normally women in vulnerable positions who don't have many options
Nicknames, Diana and Giles have the best nicknames for each other and they develop throughout the story based on how they are feeling about each other at the moment
Enemies to Lovers Slow Burn, I liked how the two started off as adversaries but very quickly develop a true friendship that is developed into more
Diana, she is a strong woman who has had to spend a lot of her life taking care of herself and her sisters and refuses to just be the type of woman men expect her to be. She is literally who I want to be when I grow up and bonus to find someone like Giles
Family, there is a big family aspect to this book both actual and found family and that always enhances a story in my mind.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone out there who is a fan of historical romances, especially if you are a fan of Ms. Scarlett and the Duke. I will be picking up the first of this series very soon as I cannot wait to read about Diana and Giles' first interactions.

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What can I say about this story. I love the dialogue, the struggle, and HEA. Diana and Giles are friends to lovers that always have tried to fight their attraction to each other. Diana became Giles’s fiercest supporter when he was doubting himself. They learned how to best help each other through their fears and doubts. Wonderful.

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Of course the rake has a heart of gold. Love a meddling family too and a smart sassy female heroine.

Quite a bit of mystery and sleuthing.

Favorite lines:
“Needing to know someone cared enough about him to still be there when all the skeletons were revealed.” - a very good way to put a strong sentiment.

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