About the Book:
Title: Never Fall for Your Fiancée
Author: Virginia Heath
Series: The Merriwell Sisters #1
Page Length: 368
Publication Date: Nov. 9, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Synopsis: The trouble with lies is they have a tendency to catch a man out.
The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, wants is a wife.
But since the only way to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay is the promise of
impending nuptials, Hugh takes the most logical action: he invents a fake fiancée.
It’s the perfect plan – until Hugh learns that his mother is on a ship bound for England to meet his ‘beloved’. He needs a solution fast, and when he collides with a mysterious beauty, he might just have found the answer to his prayers.
Minerva Merriwell is desperate for money to support her sisters, and although she knows that posing as the Earl’s fiancée might seem nonsensical, it’s just too good an offer to refuse.
As the Merriwells descend upon Hugh’s estate, the household is thrown into turmoil as everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight. And with Hugh and Minerva’s romantic ruse turning into the real thing, is true love just one complication too many?
‘Filled with fabulously British banter, wit, and heart,
this delightful book is one of my must-read rom-coms of the year’
Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/neverfalluk
My Review:
A bachelor and notorious rake with no intention of marrying, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to appease his persistent mother who lives in America. However, when he learns his mother is coming back for an extended visit, Hugh realizes his ruse is about to come to an end. Then he meets Minerva and convinces her to play his fiancée. Desperate for funds to help care for her sisters, Minerva reluctantly agrees to help Hugh deceive his mother. However, the more time this pair spends together, the more they realize that their feelings might not be entirely fabricated. What do you do when you start to fall for your fake fiancée?
This is such a fun and entertaining historical romance, and I loved the main characters. Hugh is very handsome and charming, and everybody likes him. However, he doesn’t believe in himself, and he only sees the bad qualities. Hugh considers himself a deplorable rake. He doesn’t give himself the benefit of the doubt and has resigned himself to a life without love. However, Hugh is kind and compassionate and much more hard-working than he lets on. He has many layers, and his patience, generosity, and kindness are as appealing as his good looks. Hugh grows a lot throughout the story and learns much about himself, his family, and his past. This helps him reconcile his future and his feelings toward Minerva.
Minerva is hard-working, talented, and strong, and she will do anything to protect the ones she loves. A quick-witted, beautiful, and outspoken nurturer with a compassionate heart, Minerva finds it difficult to keep up the façade as Hugh’s fiancée. She doesn’t like to lie, and she likes Hugh’s mother, which makes the ruse all the more difficult. Minerva is also out of her element, as she isn’t used to the wealth and opulence of Hugh’s estate. Minerva’s a talented engraver with a complicated family, and though she and Hugh come from different worlds, they are drawn together from the moment they meet.
The romance between Minerva and Hugh is my favorite part of the story. I like both characters so much, and together, they are quite a pair. I love how they challenge each other and see past the wall each has erected. Their interactions simmer with sexual tension, though they try to resist their growing feelings for each other for different reasons. I love how Hugh, in particular, feels so drawn to Minerva. He has never felt this way before, and his reactions to falling in love are priceless. Their connection is very strong, and though they have seemingly insurmountable obstacles standing in their way, including their differing social classes, the lies and fake engagement, and her shady father, their feelings for each other prove undeniable. They are so cute in their cluelessness about their feelings, and it’s as if everyone knows how they feel about each other except themselves.
Minerva’s fake mother is so dramatic and over the top, and her sister is the epitome of a petulant teen. The other characters are also entertaining, especially Hugh’s meddlesome mother and Minerva’s sarcastic and antagonistic sisters. There are a lot of personalities in the story. Even Hugh’s butler, who should be staid and serious, has his comedic moments, and I found myself chuckling throughout the story when one of these dynamic characters caused one mishap after another.
I really enjoyed Never Fall for Your Fiancée! It’s such a charming read, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series. There are hints of a potential romance with one of Minerva’s sisters, and I’m curious to learn more about her and her love story in the next book. Thanks so much to Virginia Heath and Rachel’s Random Resources for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating:
Favorite Lines:
Broken hearts healed over – they did not mend.
Forgiveness hangs on your actions rather than your words and shouldn’t be rushed into.
Sometimes you have to embrace the fickle finger of fate and accept the what-ifs to let the cards fall where they may.
I am far too sensible to have ever expected promises from you or be deluded enough to want them.
About the Author:
When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty-two books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.
Social Media Links:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virginiaheathauthor
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/VirginiaHeath_
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiaheathwrites
Giveaway:
Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of Never Fall for Your Fiancée (Open INT)
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494451/?
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Loved your review! The book seems very nice 😊
Thanks – it’s a good one!
Fantastic review. I would love to get my hands on this one. It sounds like a humorous read that I would enjoy☺️
Thanks so much! I hope you get a chance to read it!
I wanted to read this one from your “first line post” but after reading the review I am even more curious!! 😍