Tag: Virginia Heath

Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)2 Comments

Look Before You Leap (Miss Prentice's Protegees, #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Miss Prentice’s Protegees #2
Publication Date: 6/24/25
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 320

Look Before You Leap is a delightfully witty and entertaining book that kept me smiling the entire time I was reading. The characters are charming, flawed, and engaging, and I don’t mean that just for the main characters. The supporting characters are the perfect support and backdrop for the main characters – and I would absolutely love to see Guy’s aunt Almeria hire another of Miss Prentice’s students in another book. Perhaps Portia would make a great fit for Lady Almeria.

Charlotte (Lottie) Travers is a “leap before you look” kind of young lady, and that is why she is currently unemployed and back at Miss Prentice’s School. Luckily, the kind-hearted Miss Prentice always allows her students to come back should they need to. One of Lottie’s many faults is impulse control – especially controlling her impulse to appropriate one of her employer’s horses for a mad gallop in the morning before dawn. Lottie’s catch phrase is Worry About Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Losing this last job couldn’t have come at a worse time because she needs money to help with a family emergency. What is she to do? Well, she will just have to take a post as companion to a curmudgeonly, ill-tempered octogenarian who is leaving for Scotland.

Guy Harrowby, the thirteenth Viscount Wennington, is grumpy, hates London with a passion, and is absolutely terrified of being the center of attention – especially if that attention is ridicule. Guy made an absolute cake of himself on his 21st birthday and is terrified of it ever happening again. Not only was he ridiculed, but his heart was broken. Now, it seems he can’t get past that, and his mother is constantly on him to marry and produce grandchildren for her. When he finally agrees to a very small gathering at their home in Kent to celebrate his 30th birthday, chaos ensues.

Poor Guy, with all of those marriage-minded debutantes chasing him all over his home, he begins to feel like the fox in a fox hunt. No escape! No one to save him, no matter how sternly he glares or how grumpy he is. Well, Lottie, his Aunt’s companion, does try to help – sometimes – maybe.

I absolutely adored the grumpy, dark-cloud, Guy and the ray-of-sunshine, worry-about-it-tomorrow Lottie because they were perfect for each other. Lady Almeria was so much fun, and I dearly wish I had an aunt like that in my life. Of course, I’d want her butler too!

This book is for you if you’re looking for a lovely romance with a meet-cute, an interesting story, fun characters, and a satisfying HEA. And – you will love the ending.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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All’s Fair in Love & War by Virginia Heath

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

All's Fair in Love and War (Miss Prentice's Protegees, #1)All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Miss Prentice’s Protegees, #1

Release Date: May 28, 2024

After an unhappy and strict upbringing by her stepfather, Georgina “Georgie” Rowe does not agree that children should be seen and not heard. As a graduate of Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, a school known for turning out the best governesses, companions and secretaries, Georgie assumes she will have her pick of jobs as her three best friends and classmates did, but unfortunately her rather unconventional views on teaching and discipline do not endear her to potential employers. In fact, Georgie has had over thirty interviews and been rejected by every one of them – a school record, to the utter dismay of Miss Prentice. So, when a very desperate Captain Henry “Harry” Kincaid comes to the school looking for a temporary governess to his nieces and nephew, Miss Prentice takes charge and before she knew what was happening, Georgie was hired! Too bad the captain is exactly like her stepfather, much too rigid, too organized, too regimented and too arrogant to be likable. Almost immediately upon meeting her new charges, Georgie wonders if she is out of her league. But as time passes, she finds her groove and to her dismay has to acknowledge that she was wrong about the captain. Very wrong, which can only lead to a broken heart since Harry has just been given a huge promotion and a flagship to command.

Henry “Harry” Kincaid’s upbringing was the complete opposite of Georgie’s, his parents were free spirits, disinclined to follow rules or worry about paying bills, taking care of their home or providing a stable environment for the children. His sister Flora thrived in this atmosphere and still lives her life that way, which is how Harry ended up being left with her three young children and one very large dog, while she and her husband took off for Egypt. Harry was taken under his grandfather, the Admiral’s wing early in life, and thanks to the Admiral’s training and guidance, Harry has a promising career in the Navy. He had a minor setback a few years ago, involving a woman, but thankfully that is all behind him now and he is back on track to make a name for himself. He has worked hard to get where he is and it is beginning to pay off, exactly as he planned. So why is he starting to doubt his choices? And why can’t he seem to ignore his new governess? She is everything he claims to abhor, but he can’t seem to stay away, which is a problem, since he is due to take command of his new ship in a few months and Georgie is definitely not the kind of girl who would be happy with an absentee husband. Maybe HEA isn’t meant for everyone…

I liked this story, but I am going to have to agree with other reviewers who have said that the story dragged. I was never really pulled into this story and found it very easy to put down, that doesn’t make it bad, but it wasn’t the quick, easy read I was expecting. Aside from the slow pace, I found Georgie hard to like at the beginning, but eventually she grew on me. Harry on the other hand won me over immediately and was the shining star of this book. This is the first book in a new series and if you are a fan of the opposites attract trope, like children and animals in a story, or enjoy a slow burn/low steam romance, this book is for you.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *