Thank you SMP Romance for my ARC of Virginia Heath’s All’s Fair in Love and War. Georgie, a governess who was trained at THE preeminent school for governesses, has had a difficult time finding employment because of her progressive views on education and discipline, but Harry is desperate. He finds himself in charge of his sister’s three children, while she travels the continent, so he needs a governess to take the children in hand. Naturally, as an officer in the navy, he values order and discipline, and he is horrified by Georgie’s unorthodox approach. They initially take a strong dislike to one another, but of course, that changes the more time they spend together.

I laughed out loud all throughout this delightful historical romance. Harry’s nieces and nephew are hilarious little hellions and their dog is so naughty but precious all the same. I’m a sucker for a governess romance, and this one did NOT disappoint. The steamy steam is somewhat euphemistic rather than graphic, but they definitely indulge in premarital relations a good deal.

This is not plot related, but I loved the very Charlotte-Mason-y approach to education Georgie used as a governess—very similar to how I taught my own children when they were younger.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

I enjoyed this one a great deal! Virginia Heath continues to be one of my favorite historical romance authors.

This book was a lot of fun!

It followed a naval captain, Henry Kincaid, and the governess that he hired to take care of his nieces and nephew, Miss Georgie Rowe. His sister drops off her children and their big dog, Norbert, without much warning when she and her husband decide to travel for weeks without them. His nieces and nephew have not had a traditional education, so Georgie has to figure out how to educate them while keeping them occupied.

There were a lot of little humorous moments throughout, and it was enjoyable to read overall. I love the relationship that is created between Georgie and the children, and it was heartwarming seeing Henry's (or Harry, as he is called in the novel) growing care for Georgie. I love the care and respect that they have for each other.

I will note that there was a lot of naval information, which some people may not enjoy, but it seemed necessary to the story.

Overall, it was a very fun read, but it did not blow me away.

I want to start out by saying I really love a regency romance series so I hope my opinion isn't too skewed for those who don't love this genre. This is also my first Virginia Heath read, and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the characters a lot and love that this is a series so I can stay in this world and keep reading. Heath depicts such a well-developed story between the main characters. I also love a slow burn, I couldn't put this one down. Highly recommend.

This was a fun Regency romance! I enjoyed the characters and the storyline but I did feel like the romance didn’t really pick up until the second half of the book. Definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Give me all of the contemporary Regency romance books. (Is that an oxymoron? An anachronism?) Probably, but I do not care. I thought this was such a charming grumpy x sunshine book that gave me subtle Sound of Music vibes.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This is my first book from this author. Sweet and heavy on the regency language, but overall a fun, light read for fans of Bridgerton!

(Rounded up from 3.5 stars)

This was a delightful Regency romance. The children that Georgie is tasked with caring for are such quirky, adorable characters, but the winner is definitely Norbert and Cuthbert - the two misbehaving but lovable dogs. Harry and Georgie’s chemistry is instant, yet very much miscommunicated at times.

I LOVED the relationship between Georgie and Harry. I was rooting for them from the beginning, and honestly wasn't sure how they'd get to their happy ending (obviously I knew there would be one, but I wasn't quite sure how it would play out). Early on I did find that there was just a touch too much exposition and I kept getting a little bit lost in it, but aside from that I really loved this book!

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced soph for the review. I liked this book a lot, I’ve been very into regency bridgerton sequences romance books lately and this one was a little more modern so it was an easy read I enjoyed

I had high hopes for this book—after all, who doesn’t love a governess-meets-bachelor tale with echoes of The Sound of Music? Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While the premise was promising, the execution felt bogged down by overly drawn-out internal monologues and a slow start that made the first 80% of the book a real slog. That said, the final chapters redeemed it somewhat, with a satisfying and heartwarming ending that almost made the journey worthwhile. Almost.

Georgina Rowe, an aspiring governess with more failed interviews than she’d care to admit, finally lands a job with Captain Henry Kincaid, a rigid naval man left to care for his sister’s unruly children. Their dynamic—his strict adherence to rules versus her unconventional methods—sets the stage for a classic opposites-attract romance. Unfortunately, much of the potential charm was lost in an avalanche of repetitive descriptions and verbose writing.

The characters felt more like caricatures at times. Georgie’s size, red hair, freckles, and supposed beauty are emphasized so often it becomes exhausting rather than endearing. The same goes for Captain Kincaid’s uptight persona, which leans too heavily into stereotype. Instead of natural, organic growth, the characters’ development feels over-explained and spoon-fed.

Dialogue, which should breathe life into the narrative, often feels stilted, with an unnatural flow that left me disengaged. Meanwhile, the house’s relaxed atmosphere—servants speaking informally to their employer and a governess living practically as an equal—felt too far removed from historical norms, undermining the story’s period setting.

The ending was enjoyable, and I appreciated the heartfelt resolution between the characters, but I wish the rest of the book had been as strong. While this one wasn’t for me, I’ve enjoyed other works by this author, so I’ll remain optimistic about her future projects.

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

This was a fun historical romance! I loved the concept of the Navy Captain falling for the governess. It reminded me of The Sound of Music in a way (which is my favorite movie of all time). Georgie and Harry had great chemistry but I wanted the story to move a bit faster. I needed Harry to come to his major realization more quickly than he did. However I really did enjoy the family dynamics, and the spice was great. Plus I felt this was a little different from other historical romances I’ve read recently and I liked that uniqueness.

This book was so much fun. Just the right amount of laughing inside the romance. A great, uplifting, story about unexpected love and the heart of family.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Virginia Heat is definitely one of my favourite voices in the historical romance genre. She's so fun and her characters are super entertaining but also I end up so invested in them. I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Georgie is such a delight with her unwavering bright light. Despite having little in life, she always manages to find a smile and bring sunshine to those around her. Is it any wonder Harry is so taken by her. She completely upends his life and changes al his goals. I loved Harry’s relationship with his nieces & nephew. They bring out his fun side. Oh, I do love some conniving children. The rambunctious somewhat manipulative children were a true bright spot in this story. Not all appreciate kids in romance but I love the lightness and humour they bring. This story is full of laughs, tender moments and a beautiful love story.

This book was such a slog the get through. From the synopsis, it seemed like it was right up my alley! But it unfortunately wasn’t. Georgie was very annoying to me at first. There is only so much not like other girls (regency edition) I can take. Every character lacked depth. They felt like undeveloped caricatures despite the book feeling overly long. Do these people learn anything? Not really. We’re supposed to believe they should end up together but there’s not much to demonstrate they understand each other deeply. Or even care about more than physical attraction. This makes me sad because I have read and liked books by Heath before. This one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Unfortunately, I decided that this wasn’t the book for me and have decided to not finish reading.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read this book!

4.5/5 Stars

When naval captain Henry Kincaid is left with his sister's three unruly children and their dog unexpectedly, he realizes he is going to need some help. He travels to Miss Prentice's School for Girls and asks to hire an emergency governess. Georgina Rowe, a governess with different ideas of care for her charges is employed but doesn't see eye-to-eye with the Captain. As she spends more time in his charge they begin falling in love.

I thought this was a lot of fun! It was a tad repetitive and there is a lot of the miscommunication trope, but I really enjoyed it. I loved Georgie and the relationship she grew with the children. She was so loving, caring and patient. The slow burn between Georgie and Henry was fun to watch and I also loved the banter she had with Henry. I liked how Henry was so rigid in his ways, but would completely melt when it came to anything involving his nieces and nephew. The children were the highlight of the story for me - they were so cute and mischievous, I loved them. There is also a dog, which any story that features a dog is a plus for me. I thought the ending was cute, and I would definitely recommend picking this up if you are a fan of The Sound of Music!

In All’s Fair in Love and War, an outspoken governess finally lands a job and manages to win a husband as well. It’s a fun and engaging read the provides a satisfying HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.