Look Before You Leap is a historical romance by Virginia Heath. It is the second book in the Miss Prentice’s Protégées series following four governesses who studied at the school run by Miss Prentice.

Lord Guy Harrowby is the Viscount of Wennington and was burned in love. Now he is almost thirty and his mother is demanding he marry so she can have grandchildren. For that reason, she wants him to have a birthday party. Lottie Travers needs a job and when she is offered to be the lady’s companion to a grouchy Lady Frinton, she accepts. Lady Frinton needs to travel to her nephew’s birthday party, so Lottie needs to go with her. Lady Frinton’s sister is the mother of Guy and needs Lottie to secretly send invitations to the party so Guy doesn’t suspect the number of people attending. Guy and Lottie start off on the wrong foot, so Lottie is more than happy to help with the subterfuge.

This was such a funny read. Reading about what Guy and Lottie get into and how they always end up on each other’s bad sides was hilarious. I also enjoyed the side characters. They added to the fun! I liked how slowly and then all at once their love developed and just how nosy Guy’s mother and aunt could be with Guy. I did feel some of the language was anachronistic, but it didn’t take away from the story. I also liked the ending and how they ended up together.

If you like historical romance, funny romance, grumpy sunshine, and obsessive heroes, then this book is for you. Thanks to Virginia Heath and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a cute story with some wonderful characters- especially Lady Frinton & Lady Wenningon. I really didn’t like Lottie at first - but she definitely grew on me and her and Guy were just fireworks!

3.5 ⭐️

Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath is a charming and delightful Regency romance that pairs a grumpy, determined lord with a spirited, unconventional heroine. Lord Guy Harrowby’s reluctance to engage with the matchmaking antics at his family estate sets the stage for plenty of witty banter and heartfelt moments, especially as Lottie Travers—a tomboyish lady’s companion with a fierce streak—turns his world upside down.

Heath crafts a warm, slow-burning romance filled with humor and authentic emotion, while also exploring themes of societal expectations and personal freedom. The chemistry between Guy and Lottie is undeniable, and their mutual growth feels earned and satisfying. While the plot follows familiar Regency romance beats, the fresh character dynamics and vivid setting make it a truly enjoyable read. A solid 4-star romance that’s both sweet and spirited.

A perfect grumpy sunshine Regency read! Thank you to Uplit Reads, St Martin's Griffin, and PRH audio for the book to read and review! Lottie has seen some hard times after leaving her family's farm she is sent to Miss Prentice's school. In a meet cute she runs into Viscount Guy Harrowby...and I do mean runs into! Definitely not the best start to a romance. When she's hired as a lady's companion to Guy's aunt she is unknowingly thrown into a plot to plan Guy's 30th birthday party. As you can imagine choas ensues! Will these star crossed lovers ever end up together? You'll have to read to find out!! "I'm a delightful ray of sunshine and you wander around with a perennial angry storm cloud hanging over your head"

Thank you ro St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was one of my favorite Virginia Heath books yet. I love modern regency romances where the characters go against the gender expectations and this definitely delivered. Guy and Lottie had great chemistry and clever banter. I was immediately pulled in and couldn't put it down until I was done. I loved the secondary characters as well (and usually I find too many characters tedious) but all the characters were well developed and added to the plot. I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of Look Before You Leap. I've been excited to continue with the Miss Prentice's Protegees series and I liked this one even more than the last. While it can be read as a standalone, revisiting the other "protegees" was so much fun and added to the joy of reading this book.

With a strong-willed, adventerous FMC, and a stubborn MMC that is just trying to survive his well intentioned mother, the banter is cute and the antics fun to read. Almost makes me want to gallop on a horse through a busy park and then through the countryside.

The vibes were vibing and as a historical romance and romcom reader - I give it all the stars.

Guy and Lottie are the perfect people for each other and I enjoyed getting to read about them. Lottie is stubborn and strong willed, while Guy is smart and though a bit grumpy, still has a big heart. Even with it being a regency type book I didn't find the historical aspects to be 'boring' like some others I've come across. I also didn't realize when I got this book that it was part of a series, thankfully it was not necessary to read the first book to have understood this book! I'll definitely be picking up another of this authors books in the future.

This one was just too slow. Very difficult to get into. Pretty writing but so much “telling” inside of showing. Very little dialogue. I found myself skim reading and that just is a no go for me. Cute idea but not for me.

DNF’d at 13%. Thank for the opportunity to read this book. I’m sorry this wasn’t for me.

This was an absolute delight to read and I am anxious to read more by Virginia Heath!
I really loved the main characters of Lottie and Guy and his meddling mother and aunt.
Guy's mother is anxious to see him settled down as his thirties loom, but Guy hates being the center of attention after a social burn in his youth. Despite this, Guy agrees to a small celebration at their estate in Kent and ridiculousness ensues. The small party turns into a week long celebration and the invited debutants are generally obnoxious and over the top.
Lottie, there as companion to Guy's scheming aunt, is also forced into social situations she hates, but through this gets to know Guy.
They really are so well suited and the fall is wonderful. Can't forget the love of horses that is spread throughout the novel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There is something so cozy about curling up with a Virginia Heath novel. I loved this charming and witty story and highly recommend it!

This was cute but I felt like the romance was missing something.

I enjoyed the character of Lottie - she's fiery and doesn't take any shit but Guy (stupid name for a stupid man) irritated me the entire book. He was just so indecisive, whiny, and wishy-washy. Like we get it, you're a farmer but also a viscount...ugh get over yourself. Because of this, I felt the romance went from 0-60 so fast and there was no character development between these two to speak of.

Honestly, my favorite parts had to do with the scheming of his mom and his aunt. Now I would love a story centered around them cause they are the reason I kept reading. Plus that twist at the end was very well done 👏🏻

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Solid 3 Stars!

This is the second foray into the Miss Prentice's Protegees series, and it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a stand alone without being lost in trying to figure out what has happened previously.

This is an well-written, engaging historical romance novel filled with adorably crotchy elder relations and a bickering couple who everyone else can see are perfect for each other. The banter is wonderful. The downside for this novel is the middle. The bickering, after a while, became grating and their relationship seemed to drag on. The grumpy/sunshine trope floundered for me. Honestly, this is a quick fun read. If you are a fan of historical romance, you will like this book. It does not break the mold but it is a fast, engaging read. I look forward to continuing this series.

A huge thank you to [author:Virginia Heath|15097808], St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this novel.

Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath is a cute historical rom-com and the second book in a series about a group of friends after graduation from a school for ladies companions and governesses. The series is interconnected yet each book stands alone, no need to read All's Fair in Love and War first. Lottie and Guy are reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy at the surface level: she is routinely fired for "borrowing" employers' horses for joyrides and he is a grump who prefers to avoid London society. The characters are fun and the banter is enjoyable, making this a perfect light summer read.

I enjoyed this book so much! A meddling mama, a house party gone awry, lots of banter, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic with a strong-willed heroine? This was a rollicking good time from beginning to end.

What a delightful read! Love the main characters - Lottie and Guy. Lottie is very likeable and bold, at least for a governess. Guy is a bit of a
curmudgeon for good reasons but has an incredibly soft heart. Each
encounter between these two is full of witty banter, humour and chemistry.
The secondary characters are also quite entertaining. Heath’s writing is superb and makes for a very easy and enjoyable read!

This series has quickly become one of my absolute favorites! I adored everything about Lottie and Guy—their sizzling chemistry, the slow-burn tension, and the way their personalities clash with each other.. The story strikes just the right balance of humor and heart, with laugh-out-loud moments, swoony romance, and genuinely touching emotional beats.

And let’s talk about the side characters because they are the soul of this world. I’m completely obsessed with Longbottom and Almeria, and I need more of Lottie’s brothers! They were incredible!

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Loved this book! Moody guy with lots of responsibility meets fun-loving girl always getting into trouble . I was smiling, kicking my feet the whole time.

This story had some cute moments and I liked that the MFC was a strong and unappologetically herself character. The MMC was kind of boring and I struggled to warm up to him. The pacing of the story was a little off as well, with the earlier part of the book moving kind of slow and then it zooms up in the second half. Overall, a decent story. *I received an ARC of this story and this is my voluntary and honest review.

While I was initially worried about the “regency” trope, my worries immediately disappeared when I quickly fell in love with the characters! The language stayed true to the genre, but the characters were hilariously lovable and I could honestly read an entire series in this style

***** 5 stars!

First I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this wonderful book and give it an honest review!

Virginia Heath has quickly become one of my favorite historical romance authors, so I was very excited to be able to read her newest book! I really enjoyed the sunshine/grumpy trope, it really added such a pleasant dynamic in the story. Lottie and Guy were such a wonderful couple and the yearning between the two was absolutely perfect!

I really enjoyed how witty and playful this story was, it gave it such charm. The secondary characters were very endearing, you couldn’t help but love them instantly and they really added so much to the main story.

This book was such a fun read and I could hardly put it down, I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a sweet, charming sunshine/grumpy historical romance! I can’t wait to read more of Virginia Heath’s wonderful books!