Georgie Rowe is a strong willed governess who’s down on her luck as an apprentice at Miss Prentice’s acclaimed training school. Harry Kincaid is a naval captain suddenly in charge of his rambunctious nephew & nieces while his sister sets off on an Egyptian expedition.

Sparks fly when the two are thrown together and witty banter ensues. The story features opposites attract, forced proximity, sizzling chemistry, cute kids, an even cuter dog - and a puppy!

This delightful historical romance was equal parts rom com and Regency Era goodness. The story has some of my favorite tropes; slow burn, forced proximity, and grumpy/Sunshine. Great characters that are endearing and easy to get invested in.

This was a cute little rom-com. I especially love books when the children play a large role. They, along with their dog, were full of humor and adventure and kept the book light. The story wouldn't have been as good without them. I loved their scenes best.

Read If You Like:
Slow Burn Historical Romance
Found Family
Rambunctious Kids & Pups
Grumpy/Sunshine
Forced Proximily

Would recommend it if you enjoy regency romance.

"All's Fair in Love and War" by Virginia Heath is a delightful historical romance that deftly balances humor, heart, and a touch of intrigue. Although it was a lot of world-building and setting up for the rest of the series. It got overwhelming at a couple of points. I have found most of her first books in a series to follow this pattern, so I am hoping the next one is better.

3.5 rounded to 4

Tropes:
-Enemies to Lovers
-Forced Proximity
-Opposites Attract

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What’s not to like in Virginia Heath’s Regency-era romance, the first in what appears to be a series featuring the young protégé governesses of Miss Prentice’s school? Orphaned and kicked out at 16 by her cold, military stepfather, Georgie is fortunate to have been hand-picked to be taught by Miss Prentice. But when she struggles to land a job after graduating - she just can’t seem to keep her opinions to herself - she’s lucky that Harry is desperate. Harry, as serious a military man as they come, has his life turned upside down when his sister dumps her feral children at his house and flounces off exploring to Egypt for months. Harry doesn’t think Georgie’s up to the task; Georgie think Harry’s too rigid for his own (or the children’s good). In a bit of a reversal, Georgie adores teaching; it’s Harry who is going through a career crisis, as he tries to figure out if he really loves the Navy and wants that promotion. We’ve got enemies to lovers, we’ve got “don’t make me die a maid,” we’ve got class divisions (though less than you might think). We’ve got a man who looks great in uniform (yum) with an unimpeachable sense of honor and a center as soft as a soft-boiled egg, who speaks in too many maritime metaphors (annoying, but not a dealbreaker). All’s Fair in Love and War is a sweet historic romance and I’ll be looking forward to reading the rest of the governesses’ tales.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All’s Fair in Love and War is such a charming, lovely book that I enjoyed every page of. The humor and the chemistry is so well done. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw that Virginia Heath was releasing a new series, and I was not disappointed at all.

When I started reading All’s Fair in Love and War, I badly needed a book that didn’t require me to think about what I read. The previous three books I had read before this one were heavy books, and I badly needed one that I could coast through. Thankfully, All’s Fair in Love and War let my overstimulated brain rest.

All’s Fair in Love and War is the first book in the Miss Prentice’s Protegee’s series. Since it is the first book, there will be no warning if it is a standalone. You can dive right into this book without having to worry about that.

The storyline of All’s Fair in Love and War follows Georgina and Henry. Georgina has been trained to be a governess at a prestigious school, where she is the founder’s protege. However, she has been having issues finding work because she does not adhere to conventional teaching or raising children. Because of her childhood, which was spent being shuttled from naval base to naval base by her stepfather, she abhors rules and believes that children should be seen and not kept in the classrooms or out of sight. These beliefs have cost her jobs. When Henry, a former naval captain on the fast track to becoming an Admiral, inquired at the agency about governesses after his sister left her three children with him, Georgina was presented and hired. Georgina and Henry’s relationship begins, both working and personal. The more time the two spend together, with and without the children, the closer they get.

Georgina (or Georgie) was way ahead of her time, education-wise, and I liked that. I do have a feeling that Georgie’s views on education and childrearing will upset some of the die-hard Regency readers (too modern), But, for me, it was refreshing. I liked seeing the children bloom under Georgie’s care. I was also surprised when it was revealed (by the children) that their mother taught them and that all of them were smart beyond their years. Georgie considered that in their lessons, and I loved seeing the children learning in an environment that enriched and supported them.

I liked Georgie. She wasn’t afraid to let people know her feelings and views. Her childhood (and the abandonment at Miss Prentice’s school) did scar her, but she refused to let it bring her down. She was authentically herself and stayed true to herself throughout the book.

I also liked Henry. He did come across as an uptight, rigid person at the beginning of the book. But, as his backstory was explained, I understood why he was that way. He was terrified of reliving his childhood with irresponsible parents. But, at the same time, he was also terrified not to live up to the standards that his grandfather and the Royal Navy beat into him. He was also a workaholic and was severely stressed out when Georgie and the children came into his life. He needed them, even if he wouldn’t admit that to himself. His character growth was fun, and I loved seeing him unwind. I also loved seeing him slowly realize there is more to life than work and promotions.

I can’t write this review without mentioning the children or the dogs. The children and Norbert (the dog) stole scenes when they were in them. I laughed at their shenanigans. I also agreed with Henry when he said that they were hellions. And Norbert, you have to read the book to understand my Norbert love (and I am including his son, too). Everyone should have a Norbert.

The romance angle of All’s Fair in Love and War was sweet and a little spicy. Henry fought, falling in love with Georgie. At a point in the book, I got a little frustrated with him because he was hung up on something that happened years earlier (being forced to break an engagement). I would be rich if I had a nickel for every eye roll I did when that woman’s name was mentioned. I liked that Georgie was more straightforward. Once she got to know Henry (saw past what he projected), she fell in love with the inner him.

Of course, there is sex in this book. Because of the chemistry and the build-up that the author did with Henry and Georgie, the sex was fantastic—a little vanilla but amazing.

The end of All’s Fair in Love and War was your typical HEA. I liked that everything worked out for Henry and Georgie. But I am curious about the next book and whether it will be anything like Henry and Georgie’s romance.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Virginia Heath for allowing me to read and review this ARC of All’s Fair in Love and War. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Not my fav of the Miss Prentice's protegees series but it was still enjoyable as an audiobook and I do love a good guardian x nanny Regency romance. Perfect for fans of authors like Suzanne Enoch. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I like to call Virginia Heath’s romances the courtship of flapping hands and unruly eyeballs. Her comic conceit is to create two decent, likeable protagonists and have their body parts gesture, flap, and move in amorous-hinting ways against what their minds tell them. This is true of her first in a new series, All’s Fair In Love and War, as it is other Heath romances. I’ve liked them all and this one as well. I like the idea the body knows what reason and emotional resistance are telling her hero and heroine cannot be. And yet, it can and does. In the telling, Heath is funny and her secondary characters, one of her great strengths, including the four-footed variety, are a hoot. The conflict is light, but the emotions run deep. Heath, like most comic writers, are damned with faint praise, like “fun” and “light”, but why is seeing life from a comic perspective less valuable than tragic? An argument as old as Aristotle. If you’re a romance reader, you know where you stand. As for Heath’s romance, here are the blurbish details:

When Harry Kincaid’s flighty older sister decides to join her husband on an Egyptian expedition, Harry, a former naval captain, is left in the lurch, minding her three unruly children and giant, mad dog. But Harry has a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all his attention, and he has no clue how to manage the little rascals or when his sister is coming back. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire an emergency governess quick sharp to ensure everything in his formerly ordered house is run shipshape again.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgie Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything hers wasn’t—filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational approach. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely.

Georgie and Harry continue to butt heads over their differences, but with time it seems that in this case, their attraction is undeniable—and all is indeed fair in love and war.

The blurb overemphasizes Harry and Georgie’s disagreement over paedagogy, which does take up the narrative’s first third. And it is well-conceived in setting Harry and Georgie up as opposites: her loose style to his buttoned-up. But I liked Heath showing Georgie how Harry’s stickler-style hid his indulgent love for his nieces and nephews, how they took advantage of his generosity, all in great comic shenanigan mode. This allowed Georgie to see Harry’s soft side, actually Harry’s only side. Eventually, Harry sees how Georgie can exact discipline and love of learning of the children while he buys them too much ice cream, too many sausages for their dog, and spoils them rotten. The children, hellions all, adore both Harry and Georgie because they know they are loved. As is evident when Harry’s wonderful sister returns…

The romance hinges on mistaken perceptions, true-blue desires, and deep-seated vulnerabilities. Georgie, an orphan since her beloved mother died, was at the mercy of her strict, negligent, heartless stepfather. Miss Prentice saved her on scholarship, but her years of a lonely, emotionally cold life with her stepfather left her without any desire for a repeat with a similar man. Until all of Harry’s actions belie every blustering word he utters. As for Harry, the child of a chaotic, debt-ridden childhood, order and stability are more important than indulging his heart and other bits. In our understanding, Harry is a workaholic and an unhappy, dissatisfied one. Innovative paedagogical misses aren’t in his plans.

The humour, characters, secondary as well, were delightful; the romance? Well, there’s something romance writers do which I find vexing, a romance where the hero and heroine’s goal is to avoid the other. Problem? Yes, because characters don’t spend enough on-page time together to develop the relationship. In part, Heath solves this with the hilarious Felix, Marianne, and Grace, Harry’s nephew and nieces, forcing Harry and Georgie to negotiate learning, outings, even the dog Norbert; on the other hand, Harry and Georgie spend a lot of page time avoiding each other, which is too bad because the scenes with the children, by the seashore for example, or verbally sparring in the schoolroom, are wonderful.

The conflict keeping these two apart? A tad eye-rolling. Because Harry cannot give up his career, his financial security and status, a total softie as he is, to marry Georgie. And Georgie can’t make her life the lonely one of a sailor’s wife. They’re dolts, really, and everyone knows it, so that redeems the situation somewhat. But this bit did drag on. Then Harry makes a ridiculous request of Georgie and a muddle of everything, so that Heath can bring him to an absolutely lovely declaration and proposal to make up for it. I loved how Heath makes Harry and Georgie awkward and shy, self-effacing and humble. There’s not an iota of arrogance in any of these characters and it was lovely to spend time with her creations.

Virginia Heath’s All’s Fair In Love and War is published by St. Martin’s Griffin and released on May 28. I received an e-galley, from St. Martin’s Griffin, via Netgalley. This review is a reflection of my honest and AI-free opinion.

What a great start to a new series! Love the humor that runs throughout the story. Georgie finally has an escape from her controlling stepfather. She at the age of sixteen has been given a sponsorship to an elite school to be trained as a governess. There alongside her 3 roommates they train and graduate. And one by one find a position, all except Georgie. Now that a few years have passed, when a desperate naval officer seeks to employ a governess the head mistress takes over the interview and gets Georgie the position.
Harry is at his wits ends. His sister without forewarning has dropped off his 2 nieces and nephew, plus the largest unruly dog in existence! With his demanding job and deadlines to meet he doesn’t have time for this while his sister goes on an adventure.
Willing to pay anything to hire a governess he is wondering if the siren will be able to handle the challenge?
Such a fun and entertaining read, with a few laugh out loud moments. Also the future characters are introduced and I can’t wait to read their stories. Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and mine alone. #AllsFairinLoveandWar

A fun romp with rascally children, a dog that causes havoc wherever he goes, a sailor eager to be back in the water, and an unemployable governess.
I laughed at the captain groveling at the governess school for help with his three tornados charges.
I also thought Norbert the disaster dog stole all of the scenes where he premiered.
The captain just needed his older sister to set his head in straight to figure out what is really important in life.

If Virginia Heath wrote the phone book I’d read it.

This is my fourth book by her to read and I always enjoy them! The first installment of her new Miss Prentice’s Protégés series was no exception. She has an excellent sense of how to make a book flow in a way that both squeezes your heart and makes you smile.

I really loved that the main conflict in this book was so realistic. Sometimes two people don’t end up together not because they don’t want to, but because of circumstances outside of their control. The eventual resolution of the conflict was very believable, which I appreciated. I also laughed at the recurring theme of Harry being forced to wear the slightly too small pair of pants.

While I really enjoyed this on a whole, I wish the ending was a little more drawn out. I felt like we needed to see Georgie’s perspective of deciding to leave as soon as Flora returned, and I hate that we missed that. It felt very rushed.

All in all, Virginia Heath has me on the hook for another fabulous series and I am pumped to read more!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have totally fallen in love with Virginia Heath’s writing. Her storytelling always draws me in faster than I normally get hooked into a book. I felt connected to these characters, especially Georgie. I love how she did things her way since she lived her own experiences to shape her tactics.

I was so lucky to receive an ARC of Virginia Heath's new series, Miss Prentice's Protgees, with the first release, All's Fair in Love and War. I’ve been a fan of Heath’s for a while; the Meriwell Sisters trilogy has been an absolute banger in the past few years. Going into this, I knew this was going to be an uphill battle for me - I’m not a fan of governess/companion romances. I have a problem with the power disparity. I also have the same feeling when it comes to teacher/college student or boss/subordinate storylines. What I think Heath has done here, however, is create a well-thought-out relationship in which the heroine stays completely grounded. Our hero, on the other hand, is a #fallsfirstfallshard book boyfriend.

A Little Bit of Plot
When abruptly put in charge of his Bohemian sisters' children and their giant dog, Captain Henry Kincaid needs a governess immediately. Luckily for Henry, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe has received her 34th rejection notice and is in dire need of a first position. Miss Prentice finds the captain’s expedient need the best possible outcome for Georgie’s career trajectory. With the Pendleton children enamored with their new governess, Henry has no grounds to release her from his charge despite his desire for her. Will Henry and Georgie find a way to be together after this temporary position ends?


The Compliment Sandwich

The Top Bottom
Reminiscent of 70’s Disney Family Comedies

Growing up, I remember watching old 1970s Disney comedies with my family on Sunday evenings. Although I was born after 1980, those old movies were a staple of my childhood. Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Escape from Witch Mountain, The Parent Trap - these all had similar themes and shenanigans. It usually involves at least one scene of a wild animal running through a house and being chased by a string of children, the family dog (who has just escaped a bath), and a harassed housekeeper.

We have at least one particular scene in this book that was pure gold and hits right in the nostalgia. This books’ scene, however, includes a bathing sea captain, and a misplaced frog. Heath has a penchant for being able to include humor with ease within her novels, this being no exception. If you have a soft spot for these movies or family sitcoms from the 80’s, this will definitely hit the right notes for you.

The Meat (The Con)
The pacing is a bit off in this book. I would have liked more of Henry and Georgie together too. We have many set pieces with just Georgie and the children, which is understandable, however, it’s not pushing the romantic narrative as much.

The Bottom Bun
Henry and Georgie’s Relationship
Because you have a power disparity between superior and subordinate, it’s often difficult to tread those waters with equal footing. Heath does a superior job allowing Georgie to be the one calling the shots in the relationship. At each step, while at times Henry might lead, in the end Georgie had all the power. Even in the 3rd act breakup, the decision is Georgie’s, and she can tie him to her or let him go.

When the novel goes behind closed doors, it’s Georgie that makes her desires known. She’s the one that calls it quits, as she’s stayed grounded through their entire affair. While she falls for Henry, she’s both a realist and has a background living with a military officer, allowing her to make clearer decisions. I’m assuming that the other two novels in this series will include her other governess friends; if Heath continues with the heroines holding power in the relationships, she may switch my thinking about boss/subordinate romances.

**My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy via NetGalley**

4 stars

An absolutely charming historical romance! I’m a sucker for a good governess story, so I’m very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series as each book comes out.

The main characters are both easy to like. Georgie, our heroine, is a bit preachy (as many Virginia Heath heroines tend to be) but not in a way that gets annoying; rather, she’s passionate about children’s educational and emotional wellbeing and struggles with a stubborn anti-authoritarian streak that the narrative acknowledges she can take too far. She’s perfectly matched with Harry, a punctilious naval captain who takes refuge in rules and regulations, and is therefore completely overwhelmed by his (exuberant and rascally, though lovable) nieces and nephew.

I particularly like the yin and yang of Georgie and Harry’s trauma responses, which allow them each to improve the other when they come together. Georgie was raised (neglected and abused) by a rigidly strict military man, and as a result embraces fluidity and free-spiritedness. Harry was raised in a chaotic, overly permissive environment and had to grow up much too fast to rescue his family from its consequences, and as a result is terrified of chaos and rule-bending of any form. Together, they meet at a harmonious middle, Georgie teaching Harry to loosen up and Harry providing Georgie with a dependable stability. Their attraction to one another is a little more instantly intense than my preference, but the actual progression of their romantic relationship takes its time and is, in my opinion, well-paced (and gets pleasantly steamy towards the end).

What I really liked was that the main characters’ dreams had to be untangled from their romance so that each person could make clear-eyed decisions about what they wanted for themselves and their futures.

Harry is coded as neurodivergent, though (naturally due to the historical setting) the narrative never attempts to diagnose his “quirks.” I thought his depiction was well done. I also enjoyed the children of the novel, who acted like real children (distractable, manipulative, and all) and were individuals in their own right.

I had a great time, and would highly recommend the book to historical romance readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martins Press and author Virginia Heath for the e-arc of this book to read and review!

What a fun start to a new regency romance series! I love the nanny/governess falls for bachelor/single dad trope and this one checked all the boxes! A spunky, strong and free spirited FMC (Georgie) butts heads with a rigid, no nonsense MMC (Harry) … it’s a combo that always wins for me! Throw in some cute but rather mischievous young kiddos and a dog with lots of energy and this is one story that is entertaining, funny, heartwarming and pretty darn swoony too! I haven’t read much regency … but I really enjoyed this one and I am looking forward to seeing where this series takes us!

Georgina (Georgie) Rowe is a 21 year old who still can’t seem to find a job as a governess. But that’s all about to change when a Naval Captain needs a short term governess to keep his wayward nephew and nieces in check.

Captain Harry Kincaid is all about timeliness and structure and that goes out the window when his sister leaves her three children while she and her husband go on a trip. These kids and their dog absolutely adore their Uncle Harry but also know how to stir up trouble.

At first Harry and Georgie clash, but deep down there is an undercurrent of attraction. Refusing to go down that road again, Harry keeps Georgie at a distance. But the more time they spend together, the more their misconceptions of the other become disproven. As things between them start to heat up, the Navy calls for Harry to be in charge of a ship build in Newport. Packing up Georgie and his nephew and nieces, finds them headed back to his sister’s house.

I absolutely adored these two characters. The push and pull between them was endearing. Throw in the children and a wayward dog and you have the makings of an excellent read. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved Heath’s previous series and I think this one is off to a strong start. The main conflict being that the hero can’t see past what he’s expected to do is a little stereotypical but it works for me in an historical romance. I had fun waiting to see how some sense got knocked into him, because he was madly in love.

The kids were funny and annoying, as most little kids are. The giant dopey dog is a character unto himself, and more than worthy of the attention. Harry is rigid and serious and an unexpectedly total softie to his nieces and nephews, which was such a fun reason for Georgie to start seeing him in a new light.

And Georgie. She was lovely. Her fatal flaw is an inability to keep her thoughts and frowns off her face, and I can more than relate. She’s firm in her convictions, a good teacher, a kind hearted person, and following her journey to realizing she can dream of more than she thinks she destined for was so much fun. It’s a lesson we should all take to heart.

I'm such a sucker for historical romance. This book echoes a lot of the classic novels in the genre. The chaos, hilarity and sassiness was so much fun to read. The pining and attraction between two opposites made me so giggly and fluffy. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review with fantastic book!

Thank you to SMP Romance and UplitReads for the complimentary book and to PRH Audio for the advanced listener copy. These opinions are my own.

Georgina is a would-be governess with a mind of her own. Despite her impeccable schooling and recommendations, she can't quite seem to get a position. Because during every interview, she actually speaks her mind about her unorthodox teaching methods and refusal to discipline children physically. But when Henry Kindcaid's nephew and nieces are left at his home with no warning, he needs a governess without much time for interviewing.

This was a fun story. I love Virginia Heath's approach to historical romance as true rom-coms. In this book, much of the comedy came from the children and the most amazing dog. I would read the book just for more of their hilarious antics.

But I also quite appreciated the excellent pacing of the romance. Harry and Georgina make a great couple with good chemistry, and both characters show growth over the story.

Eva Feiler and Shane East were fantastic narrators. Both captured the accents and feel of the plot quite well.

The book is the first in the Miss Prentice's Protegees series, and I quite look forward to reading about Georgina's friends from her governess training.