Never Wager with a Wallflower is the third and final book in The Merriwell Sisters trilogy, and it focuses on the youngest sister, Venus. Vee teaches at a local orphanage and does what she can to avoid Galahad, her brother-in-law’s brother. Gal has spent years working toward his dream of opening a pleasure palace, and his dreams are finally realized. However, when he learns he bought property next door to Vee’s orphanage unbeknownst to Vee, and their paths repeatedly cross, both characters must face their changing feelings for each other.

Vee and Gal have a wonderful, slow-building, enemies-to-lovers romance, and their love story was a fabulous conclusion to the series. Each chapter begins with a passage from Vee’s journal, which she’s kept for many years. It was so interesting to see how her thoughts, feelings, and desires changed from her younger teen years to adulthood. I also liked that each journal passage set the tone and offered a bit of foreshadowing for the chapter ahead.

Though they believe they are very different, Vee and Gal have a lot in common, which they learn the more they’re together. Both had difficult and tragic pasts, both have erected pretty strong walls, and they both have feelings for each other that they’re hesitant to reveal. This all makes for some great chemistry and terrific and sometimes antagonistic banter. They have some amazing conversations about books and Shakespeare that are fantastic! Vee and Gal learn that their first impressions of each other are not as accurate as they believed, and it was wonderful seeing their preconceptions change as they learn more about each other.

Vee and Gal have a slow-building love story. Both struggle with their insecurities and fears, as well as deep hurts from the past, and the story delves into these feelings and conflicts. It definitely deepens their connection, and it adds so much to their character development. I found myself so invested in their stories, and I really wanted them both to see how perfect they were for each other. However, between their misgivings, the walls they put up, and their fear (especially Gal) of opening up to others, there are a lot of obstacles in their way. Plus, Gal bought the property Vee thought was for the orphanage, and he isn’t transparent with Vee about it.

I also liked the secondary characters in the novel. The couples from the first two books are also in this one, but the stars of the secondary characters have to be the orphanage boys. I just adored them and how both Vee and Gal connected with them in different ways.

This was a delightful conclusion to the trilogy, and the epilogue was the icing on top of the cake. I loved it! Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Never Wager With A Wallflower is one of those books you pick up and your hooked from the start. After reading it I realized it was part of series and I am so excited to read the other two book. This is a cute book and it will grab the attention of all romance lovers.

Sorry to see this trilogy end but it did indeed on a very good note.

Venus/Vee locks horns with Galahad/Gal Sinclair since the moment they met until things change when they share a kiss. Vee finds there is more to Gal than he lets on.

This is a well-written, fun romance with lots of witty banter between Vee and Gal. Makes for an entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"Never Wager with a Wallflower" is the third and final book in Virginia Heath's Merriwell Sisters historical romance series. I've enjoyed all the installments in this series; they are kind of like comedies of error filled with light romance and plenty of historical details and context regarding the struggles and limitations of lower class society in 1800s London. This book follows the youngest Merriwell sister, Venus, and Galahad Sinclair, who is loosely connected to the sisters through marriage. These two have clashed for years and have an often comical antagonistic relationship throughout this book. I wish we had gotten more scenes with just Vee and Gal interacting, because I think it would have added more depth to their burgeoning relationship. My only other qualm is that the pacing was a bit odd; the story heavily follows side characters and stories for the first three-quarters of the book.

While I loved the first two books in this series, this one was a bit of a miss for me. The writing was still that wonderful style, with wholely British sayings and analogies (although I say that as someone from North America, so take it with a grain of salt), and I really loved seeing all the main characters from the previous books. The found family interactions were stellar, and they never ceased to make me laugh. This book delved a little bit deeper into the character's pasts, and how that was impacting their present view of the world, and therefore also interactions with others, which I think is wonderful. I am always team deeper character backstory. But I think there weren't quite enough of the fun silly moments like there have been in the past books to really make those moments pack a punch. I found in the other two books, there were just outrageous in such a fun way, and this one didn't quite have that same.

I think the biggest issue for me was the romance. There was certainly some banter and moments that had potential, but I never really felt the spark between Gal and Vee. The characters had internal moments of pondering on how they felt a spark at the other's touch and whatnot, but I just never found myself really buying into it. For me, their vibe felt more like long-time friends than romantic pining. This might have been in part due to the pacing, with the third act breakup being halfway through. I generally find Im more invested in slow-burn, and prolonged pining romance so this might just be a me thing.

All in all, even though this wasn't my favorite, it wrapped up the series really nicely. The epilogue at the end was really satisfying, and it have everything I needed to wrap it up.

I’m always so happy after I read a Heath book, the Merriwell sisters are great fun. Even though I hated their names, both Venus and Galahad were delightful idiots and the banter was really great. I especially liked the angle of the orphanage and his caring for her orphans, it’s was sweet and well done,

The beginning was a little slow but the story sucked me in about 30% in, I think perhaps if I had read the previous two books in the series I would have been sucked in sooner.

I did NOT appreciate the spicy parts of the book, they felt forced and frankly inappropriate for the timeframe of this book.

I did however enjoy the banter between the MC’s and felt their story was developed nicely.

The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy of Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath!

This was an amazing final chapter for the Merriwell sisters. Each book shined in it's own way, but they also flowed and supported each other so amazing! We finally get to see the dreamy eyed youngest Merriwell sister, Venus, find her happily ever after. I loved seeing her own personal journey about expectations and what she wanted for herself in terms of life and love. This book is a true culmination of "never judge a book by its cover". Because Gal was the lovable playboy - you have expectations for him based on preconceived notions, but then he completely surprises you with his cinnamon roll heart at every turn.

This book can be read as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading the first two books to this series because the relationship between the three sisters is such a strong theme throughout, and it makes each story so much more meaningful.

Never Wager with a Wallflower is the third and final book in Virginia Heath's Merriwell Sisters Regency rom-com series. The book follows the story of the youngest Merriwell sister, Minerva, who is determined to never marry. However, when she meets Hugh, a charming and handsome man, she finds herself drawn to him despite her best efforts not to fall in love.

The book is a fun read, with witty dialogue and great characters. The chemistry between Minerva and Hugh is palpable. The supporting characters, including the other Merriwell sisters, Giles, the butler, and the actress, all add depth to the story.

Heath's writing is engaging and immersive, transporting the reader to Regency-era England with ease. The pacing of the story is well-done, with just the right amount of tension and conflict to keep the reader engaged.
Overall, Never Wager with a Wallflower is a satisfying conclusion to the Merriwell Sisters series. Fans of Regency romance will enjoy this book and its charming characters. I highly recommend it.

Gal and Vee both have very strong walls that require a lot of work to tear them down; this makes them perhaps the least enjoyable couple in the Meriwell Sisters series. They both have trauma from their past that has left them with scars. The third act breakup occurs near the middle of the book, and they do not reconcile until nearly the very end. It totally makes sense for these characters, but it doesn’t keep the same pace as the previous 2 books. However, this is definitely worth the read for fans of this series, as the epilogue nicely wraps up the sisters’ tale.

I was so excited to pick up the final installment of this regency rom com series. I loved the first two and this one was sweet as well. The male MC was secretly tender and I loved it. I thought it was well paced. I will say it bothered me how often they mentioned the size of the female MC's boobs (overkill). I still love Diana's story the most, but it was still a great ending for the youngest sister.

First big thanks to St. Martin’s via NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my fair and honest review.

5/5 would recommend it and absolutely would read it again. If you like slow burns, enemies to lovers, strong female characters, and charming rogues then you'll love this book.

This is the 3rd installment in the Merriwell Sisters trilogy, I really enjoyed the character development of Venus in the last book, so I was really looking forward to her story this time around. Virginia Heath didn’t disappoint and wrote a great happy ending for her and Galahad.

Galahad and Venus both have had difficult pasts that cause them to get in their own way and make them lock horns throughout most of the story. But they begin to learn more about each other and find they have much more in common than they thought - which ends up blossoming into a very heartwarming romance between them.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC. I tend to find slow burns to be a bit too slow-paced for me, but this kept my attention and felt well-paced. I found myself wishing for the main characters to have more moments together, especially as they were realizing their feelings for each other because that was set up as really individual, which felt odd to me. I also didn't love some of the terms the author used, but that's totally my personal preference. 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Never Wager With a Wallflower by Virginia Heath

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I. Love. This. Book.

I didn’t realize until a chapter or two in that I had read book #2 in the series (have not read #1)… they can definitely be read as standalone books but there were a few details that tied back to the previous books.

This book is about Venus, the youngest of 3 sisters who is a socialite but also a schoolteacher in an orphanage. You’ll learn that the sisters were rescued from poverty so Venus gives back by working in an orphanage.

Close to the family is Galahad (Gal)… in an enemies (frenemies?) to lovers fashion, the two ultimately fall in love.

I'm not ready for the end of the Meriwell sisters. This book, like the two previous, are full of laughter, wit, sarcasm, and sadness. The characters instantly grow on you and you hope that the series will last forever or they will make appearances in future books. Galahad, was written like his namesake, with purity and gallantry. Venus hated her name and being reminded by others of her namesake so she made sure to be prim and proper.
The story was entertaining throughout. It is long, but flows well.
I look forward to more books by this author.
I received this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an honest review.

I’ve been waiting for this book and it did not disappoint! It’s a great read, with well-developed and complex characters. The Merriwell sisters are funny, a bit irreverent, and full of heart and sass—a great combination. As a Much Ado lover myself, I could see the similarities between Venus and Galahad and Beatrice and Benedick. Like the rest of the series, it’s entertaining and heart-warming, a smile always tucked at the corner of your lips.
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin’s via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful series and I loved this finale! Galahad and Venus have great chemistry and very witty banter between them. Their enemies to lovers relationship is a very VERY slow burn throughout the book. They both have difficult pasts that makes relationships and personal judgements very difficult. But they also have so much in common but it takes them so long to realize it! The storyline is good for them because it deals with their personal prejudices as the main villain. However, to me the storyline is very long and there are too many diverting plot points. I do feel like some could be eliminated or shorter. But overall I love the witty writing and the amazing characters. The diary entries at the beginning of the chapters are the perfect edition. I’ve been completely charmed by the series and definitely recommend. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

This was good conclusion to this trilogy. I loved watching the Merriwell sisters fall in love. This last one with the youngest, Venus, was a fun one. Gal was a sweetheart, even if Venus didn’t think so…..at first. There were some funny moments, especially with the pigeons. I also enjoyed the orphans, they added a bit more to the story.

3 Stars Never Wager with a Wallflower was a great conclusion to the Merriwell Sisters series by Virginia Heath. The book was a bit slow to get into, but both Venus and Galahad are intriguing characters whose banter kept the book moving along. It makes sense that Vee's favorite book is Much Ado About Nothing, since her and Gal have chemistry and spar verbally, just like Beatrice and Benedick. Both characters had to work through their complicated pasts in order to learn to trust the other. Though they seem like opposites, they are remarkably similar, especially with how they grew up. A cute, lighthearted historical romance!