Brothers best friend trope with a regency twist! You’ll love Giles and Diana’s love story. The secrets, schemes and teaming up make for a thrilling and compelling story!

Never Rescue a Rogue is the second book in Virginia Heath's Merriwell sisters series. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was excited to join the zany Merriwell clan once again. We got a taste of Giles and Diana's verbal sparring in book one so I was looking forward to their chemistry in book two. This book can be read as a standalone but you get a richer reading experience knowing the background of the sisters in book one.

Giles and Diana fight like cats and dogs. They both have secrets that are hidden from everyone in their lives. They must learn to work together to help solve Giles big secret before his world comes tumbling down around him. It's hard to hate someone when you are being thrown together by servants, family, and friends at every turn.

I loved Giles and Diana's back and forth banter. For being purported to be enemies to lovers they weren't enemies for very long. More so, they were like an old married couple who bickered. Watching the secondary characters matchmake was entertaining. Dalton was a delightful addition to the cast. He provided just the right amount of attitude and honesty to both Diana and Giles. He ended up being my favorite secondary character. I really enjoyed reading book two and am hoping that Galahad and Vee are book three.

This book is for you if you enjoy: when the hero falls first, fun nicknames, bluestocking heroines, secrets, witty verbal sparring, hornets nest analogies, matchmaking, pining, dunking biscuits, found family, and hiding in bushes and alleyways.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Virginia Heath, and St Martin's Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #neverrescuearogue #virginiaheath #stmartinspress

It's been a while since I dove into a juicy historical romance, and Never Rescue a Rogue was the perfect book to whet my appetite for more.

When Giles suddenly inherits his Dukedom under questionable circumstances he enlists the help of his friend's sister-in-law (who has a secret career as a journalist) to help him uncover the truth. Sure, that happens, but they also uncover how absolutely besotted they are with one another.

What's not to love?

This was cute! I don't usually go for historical romance but I was drawn in by the cover and I enjoyed it. I will definitely go back and read the first book.

ugh im utterly in love with the merriwell sisters. i am so upset that i now have to wait even longer for the bext book because my spidey senses are telling me its galahad and vee and i literally have never needed it more. i guess ill go read virginia heaths entire back log now LOL

Enemies to Lovers is a favorite trope in historical romance, and Never Rescue a Rogue turns it into great fun and romance.
Giles and Diana have no interest in marriage and definitely no interest in each other…but do they protest too much? As Giles gets to investigating an enemy who means to let loose all the skeletons in Giles’s ducal family, Diana and he realize that all the enmity may be covering up an attraction after all.

Clever and easily engaging, this is one to pick up and enjoy.

This was the first book I have read from Heath, and as the second in a series it worked well for a standalone.  The unlikely pairing of a ducal heir and a scoundrel's daughter who now works clandestinely for a newspaper starts off teetering on the edge of enemies to lovers, although its apparent to everyone around them (except the MCs) that their bickering really is love.

Or it could be, if Giles' family secrets would stop getting in the way.

The end was magnificently rompish, and the road there had lots of amusing twists and turns.  A bit of mystery, action, and comedy along with romance and even though some of the subject maybe lists towards forlorn and dark, generally I found it to be angst-lite.

The book races at a fast clip, and was easy to pick up after a few days off.  Would be enemies to lovers dissolves into reluctant friendship and flirtation, as the pair work together to try and solve Giles' impending problems.  When the villain makes themselves known, MCs must make some decidedly unconventional choices in order to best them at their game.

I didn't think the mystery was that hard to figure out, except for maybe the last little twist which I think might be a set up for the next book in the series.

Sex is on the page, but lightly, as is violence and mature subject matter.

I found this to be a charming read with a lot to appeal to a broad spectrum of Regency Readers, and will be definitely on the hunt for the first and next book in this series.

A fun wild ride through some hijinks, with a unique couple at the helm but a lot of run on sentences.

By the last chapter of Virginia Heath’s last book (Never Fall for Your Fiancé) I was in love with Diana and Giles. When I saw this book available to request on Netgalley I knew I needed to read it right away. And I’m so glad! They immediately fell into an abundance of adorable alliterations (sorry I couldn’t help myself).
The set of support characters from the previous book are all still here and still keeping me in stitches. We really expanded on Vee’s character; I cannot wait for her book! As far as our couple goes, Diana as a character especially felt very real to me. She had trepidations based on her past and her father, and they felt grounded. It was understandable. Giles has been eating cookies by the dozens since the first book. When that paid off it actually made me cry! I was not expecting that. To put emotion behind such a tiny character trait was a great touch.
Diana and Gile’s relationship is sweet while maintaining their bantering sarcasm. I’m not sure that I ever was fully invested in them as a couple though. Perhaps that was because it was such a slow burn, but it didn’t quite have the usual tension of one. However, I absolutely love the humor between them. At times it had me laughing out loud for several pages. The grammatical humor was exceptional.
A few things I didn’t like. The twists were a little bit predictable at first. By the third act however that fell away and I was genuinely surprised, to the point that a couple resolutions don’t completely make sense to me. Miss Heath’s writing style is at times clunky. I did read an ARC of this so with editing that might improve. Also, some aspects of the story never really panned out which disappointed me.
However overall this was a refreshing addition to this series.

Tropes: frenemies to lovers, found family, slow burn

This review and the opinions in it are all my own.

I thought this would be a straight up historical romance, but it really felt like more of a mystery than a romance. It was a good book, but I was disappointed that it was marketed as a romance and felt more like a mystery.

Romance books like this are my absolute favorite and this was such a fun read! I very much enjoyed this and will definitely be recommending this to all my friends! Such a good read

I only got a chapter into this book when I realized it was not for me. I have no doubt that this book is enjoyable, I just didn’t really enjoy the writing style (but that is subjective to each reader).

She calls him idiot and he calls her harridan. She says he’s her fungus and he says she’s the fly in his ointment. That says it all about the funny, witty exchanges they have with each other, amidst falling in love and the mystery of his birth mother. Thoroughly enjoyable. I was laughing throughout each chapter till the end.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

I love this historical comedy. This one made me laugh so much just like the first in the series. The twists and turns were great, although it did take a bit long to get to the truth of the mystery, and I wasn’t a fan of the book just ending like it did, I wanted more of their HEA. Overall a great book and I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Thank you to the publisher and Virginia Heath for the arc via Netgalley.

This books was absolutely charming. A not-quite-enemies to lovers, it hits the marks of the genre and the trope, without being too far in to the trope. I really loved the characters, and liked how much of this book was from the POV of Giles, the MMC. He is, like so many good romance heroes, a rogue with a heart of gold, playing at being a rake but really just being an absolute doll. And Diana, the brave stubborn protective heroine, just wanting to see justice done (and knowing that sometimes justice isn't always about the law).

This is a sequel, but I hadn't read the first one. I didn't feel like I missed anything, except perhaps more delightful story. The book also cleanly sets up for a likely 3rd book, and im very much looking forward to it.

England - 1826

Giles Sinclair aims to keep up his roguish ways, especially since it enrages his father, the Duke of Harpenden. After finding out from his mother on her death bed a deep, dark secret, Giles is determined to outsmart his sire, and be a better human being along the way. For Giles hasn't spent any of his allowance for over ten years, and, instead, has been dealing with his father's terrible treatment of others anonymously.

Miss Diana Merriwell has led a life that few usually survive. But with the marriage of her elder sister, Minerva to Hugh, the Earl of Fareham, Diana, and their younger sister Venus (Vee), are living a comfortable, and eminently safer life in Mayfair. Although Diana's lifestyle has changed, her choice of a profession has her sisters concerned. Diana works as a salaried reporter for The London Tribune. Her ability to flesh out gossip around the city has made her an invaluable employee. She also anonymously roots out underground events as the Sentinel, exposing Society's dirty secrets. One of those secrets is about Giles Sinclair, a man she duels with whenever they encounter each other.

When Diana reveals to Giles that his father and the social-climbing father of Miss Dahlia Regis have met behind closed doors to confirm the engagement of the young lady and Giles, Giles storms into his father's house, furious. But, to his shock, the duke reveals that he, not Giles, will wed the poor girl. However, before that event can take place, the old man is found dead in his bedroom. But why was he needing a marriage to Dahlia? Could the dirty secret that Giles is aware of have something to do with it?

Diana and Giles spend a sleepless night at his estate during his father's funeral. She was invited because Giles and Hugh, her brother-in-law are close friends. Both reveal to each other deep, dark secrets over a potent brandy. Can their friendship amount to more than that? Not to Diana's thinking, as she is determined to maintain her independence, despite how her heart flutters when she's with Giles. And Giles, now that he's a duke, must find more answers to his family history before thinking about marriage, even though he can't stop thinking about Diana.

NEVER RESCUE A ROGUE is a delightfully different tale of two people from different worlds who cannot deny their mutual attraction. However, Diana has to maintain her anonymity as the Sentinel, which could prove to be dangerous if it's revealed who she is. And Giles' secret is always in his thoughts as he tries to ferret out the truth his father didn't want revealed.

Book two of the Merriwell Sisters is page turning, and a terrific romance.

Giles and Diana have been throwing sparks since the first book. They went on about how they couldn't stand each other, but everyone else suspected that something else was going on. Given Diana's need for independence, their relationship probably would have stayed that way for a long time, but Giles gets caught in some serious trouble that is not of his making. Diana cannot resist trying to help him. Along the way, they get into some crazy situations that are just so funny. Feelings get caught and then revealed, but is Giles going to be around to follow through?

I greatly enjoyed this very engaging second title in the Merriwell Sisters series.

The story kept my attention from the beginning and I was impressed with Ms. Heath’s writing - her story flowed, her descriptions were wonderfully visual (always appreciated by this reader), and she also beautifully captures the grief an adult child can feel after the death of a parent with whom they had a complicated relationship.

I will absolutely be reading more by this author ❤️

I was expecting a pure romance book and for more of a mystery romance. This was a pretty good read, but wished it was advertised more of a mystery than a romance.

3/5 ⭐

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh Diana and Giles! This is such a brilliant tribute to who they are and how they move through the world. It really did them justice and it makes my heart happy.

This isn't the same kind of romance as in the first story. It takes more of a back seat to the mystery and intrigue. Giles has a Dirty Secret and Diana has been keeping secrets of her own. The interplay between all these is lovely and complex. It makes this one of the more interesting reads set in this era. Don't get me wrong, though - there's plenty of steaminess here, too.

Dalton is a hilarious scoundrel with a huge heart and I adored every moment of him. And Vee's character certainly grew in my estimation. She has some hidden depths to her that I cannot wait to see told. I found her a bit off-putting in the first book but here she is surprising.

I will be recommending this to everyone! I cannot wait for the next installment!

I couldn't put this book down. It was one of those you stay up late reading because need to know how it ends. I loved that both Diana and Giles were strong and independent before the love story developed. This book is clever and cunning, with just the right amount of steam and drama.