Editorial Content for Never Fall for Your Fiancée
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Reviewer (text)
Set in 1825 England, NEVER FALL FOR YOUR FIANCÉE is a light and breezy romantic comedy. Hugh Standish, the rakish Earl of Fareham, has concocted an enormous web of lies to keep his intrusive mother out of his personal life. Even though she lives in America, her desire to see him wed has caused him to create an imaginary fiancée named Minerva.
Two years and many lies later, Hugh’s mother decides to visit and meet Minerva. He is completely at a loss when fate takes a hand. A beautiful young woman is in need of assistance, and Hugh finds out that her name is none other than Minerva Merriwell. Bewitched by her beauty and overwhelmed by the unlikely coincidence of first names, he decides that she will be his fake fiancée just long enough to see his mother get back on the boat to America. What can go wrong?
"Heath’s writing style is fluid and effortless, and readers will find themselves totally immersed in time and space rooting for Minerva’s happiness and Hugh’s salvation."
The tension in the story pulls from two different directions. Hugh is a rich aristocrat, and Minerva is a poor commoner, although it is believed that she might be the daughter of a gentleman. In 19th-century England, that is enough to keep them apart. Add to that Hugh’s fixation on his inability to be a faithful husband and father because his family blood dictates it, and you have two enormous reasons why they should not end up together. Of course, there is no greater force than love, and if Hugh and Minerva can stay out of their own way long enough, there is a chance for them. But that’s a big “if.”
Seemingly every meeting between Hugh and Minerva showcases their mutual attraction, followed by a well-reasoned hesitancy that stops them in their tracks. Then a touch or glance leads them back into temptation before they regain their senses and retreat, only to drift about in the afterglow of the lost moment. These passages are well written and certainly apropos for the genre, but they are too numerous and wearisome by the end of the book
Still, the pace is enjoyable and the pages turn easily. Author Virginia Heath seamlessly splices dialogue and inner thoughts together to create a locomotion that keeps the story moving nicely. Additionally, she has gifted us several animated and provocative subplots to keep us wanting more. There are at least six other wonderful characters, not the least of whom is Hugh’s mother. One can hear her tone, smell her perfume, and experience the dread associated with running afoul of this formidable woman.
Although the resolution is too clean to be believable in a story based on so much emotional torment, NEVER FALL FOR YOUR FIANCÉE is a pleasure to read. Heath’s writing style is fluid and effortless, and readers will find themselves totally immersed in time and space rooting for Minerva’s happiness and Hugh’s salvation.
Teaser
The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one. So Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep her matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns that she is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman. Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. So when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that the offer is too good to pass up. Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course nothing goes according to his meticulous plan.
Promo
The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one. So Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep her matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns that she is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman. Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. So when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that the offer is too good to pass up. Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course nothing goes according to his meticulous plan.
About the Book
The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.
The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.
Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.
Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other when their relationship started with a lie?
The first book in the Merriwell Sisters series, NEVER FALL FOR YOUR FIANCÉE is a hilarious, sparkling historical romantic comedy from Virginia Heath.
Audiobook available, read by Shane East and Shakira Shute
