What I loved:
Lottie and Guy. Sometimes a lead is a hit or miss, or the love interest is dry/dull/stereotypical. Here, Lottie and Guy are both delightfully fleshed out. I love their banter, the actual robust backstories and personal histories each receive, and the competitive spirit. A perfect grumpy/sunshine trope done right.

Lady Fenton (and the butler). Lottie’s employer and Guy’s aunt Lady Fenton is the most delightful dragon auntie I have seen in a while. Any chapter with dialogue between her and Lottie, Guy, or Guy’s mom is an absolute gem. Paired with her relentlessly cheerful butler, who “embraces the suck” with aplomb, I could read a whole book dedicated to her early years.

What Worked Less Well:

The Lack of Smut. I have had a recurring issue with Heath’s books, where her characters are phenomenal but then do not really get to do much *behind doors* action. The result feels a little prim, when we are told that these characters yearn for each other.

The Debutantes. I know the hyperbolic debutantes vying for Guy’s affections were purposefully annoying, but their characterizations were so flat that it felt like a farce. It would have been nice to show them as individuals with wants and desires, and not just foils for how great Lottie is.

[ARC REVIEW]
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP by Virginia Heath is a delightful Regency romp.

Reports of the death of historical romances have been greatly exaggerated. They're still coming out, and I'm still reading them!!

This is actually the second in a series of interconnected standalones. I haven't read the first one, but I want to go back and read it, because this was cute. The series follows young ladies trained to be governesses at a prestigious school. In this one, Lottie is a country girl who misses the horses she grew up riding, and has the bad habit of borrowing horses to go for early morning gallops. One of these gets her fired, and another leads to her collision with the viscount Guy. She gets a job as a lady's companion, and when they go to her employer's nephew's country estate for a house party, whom does she find buy the irritating Guy.

It's very fun, as they both have to overcome their first impression of the other, especially as she feels the need to step in and save him from the debutantes throwing themselves at him. I love a good hate-to-love, because it keeps so much tension in the story, and you get to see them slowly soften to each other. Top tier plot, delightful execution.

Look Before You Leap is a charming, grumpy-sunshine regency novel perfect for fans of Bridgerton! Lottie is a loveable heroine, who keeps getting fired from her governess positions because she is obsessed with horses. She chose to train at Miss Prentice's academy to help her farming family make ends meet. After losing her current position after a disastrous encounter with a nobleman, Lottie accepts a job as lady's companion to Lady Almeria Frinton, an opinionated and independent gentlewoman. When Lottie and Lady Frinton visit her sister, Lady Wennington, in the country for an extended visit, Lottie is roped into helping the two schemers plan an elaborate birthday party for Lady Frinton's nephew, Guy. Guy's mother is afraid he will never marry as he approaches his 30th birthday, and she despairs of ever having grand-children. Guy prefers horses to society, and he takes his role as gentleman farmer very seriously. Guy and Lottie start out as enemies, but they bond over their love of horses. I really enjoyed this funny, heart-warming historical novel! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Virginia Heath for an eArc copy of the book to read!

Virginia Heath has a strong writing style has a strong sequel vibe to this series. I really enjoyed the concept of this book, it had that element that I was looking for and was hooked from the first page. It uses the genre perfectly and was hooked and thought the overall storyline worked with the characters. The characters had that development worked in this storyline and was glad it was so well done.

This was another fun recency rom-com from Virginia Heath. The characters were fun and had good banter. I loved Aunt Almeria and her attitude. The premise was fun and almost felt like recency-era bachelorette with Guy’s birthday party full of eligible debutants. It occasionally felt a little slow but then at times was engrossing, so I felt like it could have been edited down a little bit more. Overall it was exactly what I’m looking for in this genre - light, fun, cozy, and an easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Look Before You Leap is book 2 in Virginia Heath’s regency romance series, Miss Prentice’s Protégées. This was my first book in the series, but like most books in this genre, although it's part of a series it's easily read as a standalone, as each book follows a different couple, and couples from other books make appearances as side characters.

In Look Before You Leap, we meet Charlotte "Lottie" Travers, a former pupil of Miss Prentice's School for Young Ladies, but she is prone to getting herself into trouble, especially when it comes to her passion, horses. Lottie, has just been fired from her job as a governess because not only was she riding her employer's horses without permission. Miss Prentice finds her a new job, but as a companion to an old lady who happens to be the aunt of Guy Harrowby, Viscount of Wennington, a man Lottie almost ran over while riding in the park.

From early on in the book I got the impression this book fell into the realm of historical romcom, and I don't think I was wrong. There were one or two spots in the book that felt a little too modern for me, for instance one of the characters at one point says 'my flabbers are ghasted" which just felt kind of out of place in a book of this period, but I can forgive it because the rest of the book was so entertaining.

From Lottie's penchant for getting herself into trouble, to Guy's mother who is determined to get him married off so that she can have grandchildren, and his interfering aunt who conspires with his mother to get Guy engaged, Look Before You Leap was just such a fun, entertaining read. It was just what I needed to help get me out of my reading slump.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I LOVR VIRGINIA HEATH! Everything she writes is excellent witty charming and swoony and this latest book stole my heart

I just finished Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath (one of my absolute favorite authors!), and let me tell you – I’m completely swooning! From the first page to the last, this book had me hooked with its perfect blend of witty banter, romance, and charm.

As a longtime fan of this author, I knew I was in for a treat, but it still exceeded my expectations! The characters are so memorable and full of heart -- they make the perfect match and make you feel as though you've stepped right into the story.

If you love romance with the perfect mix of humor, heart, and a dash of drama, this book is a must-read. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

I enjoy this author and her spirited takes on regency romance. This book didn’t quite hit for me. Lottie Travers is given the opportunity to better herself by learning at Miss Prentice’s school to be a governess. Her family needs the money to save their struggling farm. But Lottie is too given to her impulses and bad habits and is fired. She is given another opportunity to be a lady’s companion to a crotchety older woman. She and the woman get along until she meets her nephew Guy. She and Guy do not get along, but there is a sexual tension among them. There were funny moments, but I found Lottie annoying, and Guy seems too willing to give in to whatever anyone else wants to do.

Virginia Heath delivers a Regency romp full of charm, chaos, and one deliciously awkward house party.
It’s sunshine-versus-storm clouds! The story pairs a sunshine-in-breeches heroine with a grumpy, emotionally constipated viscount, and watching them collide—literally and metaphorically—is pure delight.

Lottie Travers is a lady’s companion with a scandalous fondness for galloping in trousers and a fierce devotion to saving her struggling family farm. Guy Harrowby is a brooding country viscount with a secret soft heart, an allergy to society, and a mother hell-bent on marrying him off before his 30th birthday.

The banter? Impeccable. The pacing? Snappy. The older women meddling from the sidelines? Iconic. And Guy’s quiet acts of generosity? Absolute swoon. Heath’s prose sparkles with clever phrasing and whip-smart dialogue—you’ll want to reread lines just to admire the craftsmanship.
If you like your romance with mud on your boots, a Hyde Park at dawn meet-cute, and emotional growth disguised as grumbling, this one’s for you.

(4.5 rounded up)

Poor abused Guy. Knocked on his arse twice, covered in tomato soup, and drenched in a pond on a non-needed rescue mission. All at the hands of Lottie, the menace. And now his mother has sicced 15 young women on him in hopes he'll marry soon, as his 30th birthday is nigh. Could things get worse? Sure, with his aunt's aiding and abetting. So much fun!

This is a fun, entertaining story.
It has a feisty heroine (Lottie), and a grumpy hero (Guy) whose mother is trying to marry off.
Lottie and Guy have interesting chemistry. There are some laugh out loud moments, Guy's cranky older aunt, a house party with lots of snooty competitive debutantes, Lottie's family and some steamy scenes.
All in all, it was an interesting read.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily read this book, and these are my opinions.

This may have been a me problem, but I could not get into this book to save my life. Maybe I just wasn't in a hist-rom state of mind, or maybe I didn't connect with the characters.

I did enjoy the banter, and for most of the book the scheming Lady Frinton was a highlight. But her throwing Lottie off the proverbial cliff toward the end of the book undid all that character building for me.

Also, the MMC's name being Guy was...unfortunate.

I enjoy Heath's voice, but so far this series has come nowhere close to the Merriwell Sisters.

I just finished Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath, and I adored every second of it! As the second book in her Regency romance series, it delivers all the charm, wit, and romance you could want. The story centers on a grumpy lord forced to settle down, only to find himself completely thrown off by a free-spirited lady’s companion at a house party. The banter is sharp, the chemistry is undeniable, and the heartfelt moments are just perfect. Virginia Heath’s writing is an absolute delight—her humor had me grinning from start to finish. If you’re a fan of Regency romances that bring both the laughs and the swoons, this one’s a must-read!

*lust heavy
*near constant bickering
*secondary characters ❤️

I have adored the Virginia Heath books I’ve previously read but this one just didn’t resonate with me; well written and engaging with awesome secondary characters, I felt the lust overshadowed the burgeoning romance and that didn’t work for me. I liked it, but didn’t love it.

I look forward to reading whatever Ms Heath writes next.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

I don’t think I’m picky about writing in this genre, really. I’ve given high ratings to some extremely simple and overly flowery romances in my time. But this one really needed some reworking and rewording in my opinion. There was multiple sentences and paragraphs I’d have to stop and reread because I found it hard to follow. I grew annoyed.
The characters and plot itself were enjoyable, perhaps I’d like the first installment more.

Historical romances aren’t usually my thing, but Look Before You Leap was so silly and fun and had me cackling.

I'm kicking myself for not reading this book or Virginia Heath sooner. It is such a fun story with lovable characters. For those of you who love a meet-argument, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy & sunshine, meddling old ladies, and horse obsessed mains, this is a great read. Even if those things are not your favorites, give it a try. You will find yourself smiling and laughing along.

I love the inner thoughts of both Lottie and Guy. Guy's were especially funny and made him totally adorable, even as a grumpy man on the cusp of this thirtieth birthday. Lottie's wild streaks had Guy coming totally undone and overwhelmingly lustful. It's one of my favorite set-ups.

My only complaint is that it ended too soon. I was excited to see the country farm life that Guy and Lottie will have together. I'm hoping for some bonus content or glimpses of the happy couple in the next book. I'd love to see more of Guy's welcome into the Travers clan.

This was a NetGalley ARC. This is my honest review.

This laugh-out-loud historical romance pairs a viscount whose romantic disappointment turned him into a curmudgeon with a governess who can't stop borrowing fast horses for a quick ride in the park.

Lottie Travers is a farmer's daughter who has been trained as one of Miss Prentice's Protegees. When her current post as a governess is derailed by a clandestine horseback ride and a handsy younger son, she finds herself working for a society dragon.

Guy Harrowby is soon to turn thirty and, after his humiliating romance blunder when he was 21, has buried himself in his estate business in Kent. His mother is determined to see him married off, and with the assistance of her older sister, Lottie's boss, plans a surprise house party to celebrate his birthday. The guest lists with be composed of eligible ladies and their parents.

Lottie finds herself falling for the grumpy man and his Arabian horses while helping the older ladies plan the party even though she knows that a party is the last thing Guy wants. Guy is falling for her too but is afraid of another heartbreak and suffers from a distinct lack of trust.

This was an entertaining and engaging historical romance.

This was a rather silly story. We have a heroine who can’t resist borrowing other people’s horses and riding in the park. And the hero is still scarred from having fallen for a shallow debutante when he was 21. He proposed to her in public and then found out she was using him to get a better offer. So it’s nine years later and he’s still stewing over that.

So I didn’t like either main character. I preferred the two older women, the hero’s mother and aunt who had hired the heroine as her companion, much better. They were sneaky and witty.

It’s not a good sign when the side characters are more enjoyable than the main characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; howev