Virginia Heath

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath
Miss Prentice’s Protégées series #1. Historical romance.
Thanks to a flighty older sister, navy captain Henry Kincaid is stuck with three unruly children and a giant dog. Henry has a career at the Admiralty! He can’t spend all day with his nieces and nephew and he certainly can’t expect his housekeeping staff to watch out for them. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire a governess to bring order to the chaos that is his home with the children in it.
Thanks to a military, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe believes childhood and learning should be filled with laughter, adventures, and creativity. Fortunately, the three Pendleton children aren’t used to structured formality so embrace the unconventional education. Unfortunately, their uncle has rules, schedules and expectations the children should be meeting. It’s going to take Georgie some of her own creativity to make the household work.

A fun commingling of opposite opinions and life adjustments. Henry loves the children but his job pressure doesn’t have room for child care. Then and now, it’s a familiar refrain! While Georgie doesn’t really know what she’s doing in her first teaching job, she manages to wrangle the children into learning. The children and the dog add a lot of humor to the story in their antics. Georgie knowing military quotes draws Henry in while the children lighten his moods with their love and joy. It doesn’t take much for Georgie and Henry to skip past the formality of their positions.
Entertaining.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.… (mais)

I just love well-written Regency romances, especially when they are part of a series because we get to meet wonderful characters, revisit wonderful characters and try to predict what will happen to those wonderful characters. And all of that is just so much fun.

Both Georgie Rowe and Harry Kincaid had difficult childhoods that molded them into the adults they now are. Georgie’s childhood was rigid and she was sad and miserable almost every day until she managed to get away. Harry’s childhood was unstructured and chaotic until his grandfather – better known, always known, as The Admiral – stepped in. Their responses to their childhoods left them with radically different approaches to life. Georgie is all for natural, go-with-the-flow, and children should be seen AND heard. Harry firmly believes rules are what save you from disaster, make you successful; everyone must behave well and there is no coloring outside the lines.

So of course when these two opposites get together we know we are in for some hilarious head-butting – and naturally some unwanted, impossible-to-ignore attraction and seriously steamy thoughts (and actions – think about ‘shore leave.’). The restrictions and confines of the Regency ton add to the magic. And the empathy and understanding about those hard-to-survive childhoods make your heart swoon.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of All’s Fair in Love and War via NetGalley. It was a wonderful read: romantic, funny, sometimes a little sad, and with just enough suspense to keep you flipping pages. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to see who’s up next in this series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (mais)

An enjoyable read. The main characters are likeable & despite each having a hard protective shell they're softies inside. Georgie had too much structure as a child & Harry didn't have enough. It comes between them in the beginning as they make judgements based on the exterior and have to get to know the person behind the facade. They manage to find middle ground and have a lovely HEA. The use of naval lingo and famous quotes is a nice addition. I recognized a few, some Sun Tzu from The Art of War.
The children are funny and such fiends at manipulating adults. Sweet, lovely & adored, they know it too, Uncle Harry is a sucker just waiting to be plucked. It's not ugly in any way, it's cute, the kids adore Harry too. Georgie has been trained by the best & doesn't take their drama to heart, she is kinda impressed though. You'll love the big shaggy dog, he's perfect & I want him to live with me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#VirginiaHeath #Netgalley #All'sFairinLoveandWar #St.Martin'sGriffin #Miss Prentice's Protegees Book 1 #historicalromance #romance… (mais)

Great start to a new series!

A wonderful tale filled with sass and hope.
Georgina (Georgie) Rowe has trained to be an exclusive governess, a protégé of the estimable Miss Prentice of the four “D’s” of governessing. Duty. Decorum. Diligence. Discretion. And now in Georgie’s case, Miss Prentice added diplomacy. The problem is that Georgie keeps being ‘let go’ when her educational St. Joan’s philosophy clashes with her employers views on education.
This next assignment is somewhat of a last gasp, her last chance to make good.
I hooted with laughter at so much in this book
Georgie’s employer, Captain Henry Kincaid, (grandson of a famous Admiral), and Harry to his friends, works for the admiralty overlooking the building of the warship Bodescia, ensuring its on time, on cost, and up to scratch. Logistics are a huge part of Harry’s talent. (Georgie acquaints us with a few other aspects where he might be talented! As do her three friends she’d trained with! More about them in later stories!)
When Harry’s sister sails off to follow her husband to Egypt leaving her children with him he has a fit. He actually didn’t discover them until he came home that night. Hence the need for a governess.
The three children are incorrigible, masters at getting their way, and wonderful at sidetracking the conversation. Ably supported by their galumphing big and ungainly dog, Norbert.
Of course Georgie and Harry become aware of each other the more they rub elbows. Hmmm!
The last thing Georgie wants though is to lead a life of wandering from naval base to naval base. Georgie has some history here. It seems the only thing Harry wants is to be the youngest admiral ever.
A touching humorous story that had me grinning all the way through.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.… (mais)