All's Fair in Love and War

Miss Prentice's Protegees #1

by Virginia Heath

In the first installment of a Regency romp of a series, a governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges clashes with the children’s uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.

When Harry Kincaid’s flighty older sister decides to join her husband on an Egyptian expedition, Harry, a former naval captain, is left in the lurch, minding her three unruly children and giant, mad dog. But Harry has a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all his attention, and he has no clue how to manage the little rascals or when his sister is coming back. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire an emergency governess quick sharp to ensure everything in his formerly ordered house is run shipshape again.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgie Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything hers wasn’t—filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational approach. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely.

Georgie and Harry continue to butt heads over their differences, but with time it seems that in this case, their attraction is undeniable—and all is indeed fair in love and war.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Regency, Fiction

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2024

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 books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

Her new Regency Romcom for St Martin's Press ~ Never Fall For Your Fiancée ~ is on sale November 9, 2021

If you want to find out more check out virginiaheathromance.com or follow her on Facebook @VirginiaHeathAuthor

Reviews

[Inna]

DNF@45%

Just another hero who wants to get over his desire for the heroine by going out and fucking anyone else. Literally anyone else will do, as long as he doesn’t have to confront his feelings or attraction.

And ofc the heroine finds out that’s what he went out to do, and the poor little virgin governess, who’s never been kissed and thinks she’s hideous, feels jealous. He only doesn’t go through with it because his work gets in the way. How fucking lovely. I know there’s more OW drama upcoming with his ex fiancee who cheated on him.

Just another tired romance book with the same old shit. How about writing a slightly less emotionally constipated hero for a change?

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am charmed! It's impressive when the start of a new series gives you both background on the characters you'll see in future books that goes beyond some info-dumpy bookends and a well-developed story between the main characters. I was engaged in Georgie's story while also enjoying the glimpse into the lives of her friends, who we'll certainly see in the rest of the series.

At 16 years old, Georgie Rowe was sent to a prestigious school for governesses by her loathsome step-father, the only relative she had left after her mother died of small pox. The story starts in earnest six years later, as she's the last of her friends to be hired. She's sent to join Captain Harry Kincaid's household after his free-spirited sister dropped her three rambunctious children (and dog) with him before she took off for Egypt. Harry is the opposite of a free-spirit, which helped him rise in the the ranks of the Navy quickly. He has crushing responsibilities that necessitate strict time management and order. Georgie is a bit of a rebel, but she works hard to navigate managing the exacting Captain and energetic children who aren't used to traditional schooling. Of course, they fall in love, but it's a slow descent. That's not to say this is boring at all - there is a big location change and lots of fun moments with the children and secondary characters. Georgie's got some trauma in her background and while there aren't full flashbacks, we do get her recollections of her abusive stepfather.

As a slow burn enthusiast, I loved this story. There's good romantic tension without painful angst. There's a tiny bit of miscommunication, but it's handled with a grand gesture. There's also a dog that steals the show a few times, which always speaks to my animal-loving heart.

I can't wait to see Georgie's friends again in their books!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Reviews are for readers.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a fan of books with excessive navel gazing. Narratives that are all up in the character's heads give me a headache. I much prefer dialogue and action to the pages long recitation of the why of a character's thoughts and reactions. Boring. Fortunately, the last 20% of the book was a lot better than the first 80%. The ending was wonderful, but it was such a slog to get there.

Duty, Diligence, Discretion and Decorum. The four D's are qualities that every governess must possess according to Miss Prentice. These are the principles that Georgina Rowe, Georgie, strives to live by and pass on the little darlings she will be in charge of, if she can ever get a governess job, that is. Meanwhile, she is teaching at Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, teaching yet another class of girls to do the job she so desperately wants to do.

When his sister dumps her three hellion kids on him, Captain Henry Kincaid is desperate. He really, really needs a governess. His job at the Admiralty is all consuming and he has no time for his two nieces and nephew. He desperately needs a governess and Georgie desperately needs a job. This is a match meant that is to be.

Somewhere between Harry's law and order existence and Georgie's more unconventional educational methods lies true love.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

[Holland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Georgiana Rowe is a governess in search of a position after thirty-three failed interviews, and Captain Harry Kincaid is desperate for help after his sister leaves him with her three children while she’s gone for a holiday. A mutually beneficial arrangement for two polar opposites: the “Everything in its place” Captain and the “New Age” governess. Will they make it work?

I thought this would be a home run. Who doesn’t love a Sound of Music (1965) meets Yours, Mine, and Ours (2005), but I hate to say that I struggled. The characters seemed like such caricatures of themselves, that it felt like I was watching a high school theatre production. Everything was a bit too overdone, over dramatized, and over explained. You don’t have to spoon feed it to me. Trust the readers to be able to pick up on context.

Did you miss how absolutely tiny Georgie is? How stumpy, how diminutive, how petite? Don’t worry Virginia Heath references it twenty-three times, so just wait a couple pages and she’ll remind you. Georgie is also redheaded (and hates it), freckled (and hates it), and is beautiful without realizing it. The trifecta. And she’s convinced that Captain Kincaid can’t keep his eyes off of her because he hates her (barf. Come on. Seriously?)

The writing was unnecessarily verbose. If you miss placed an adjective or an exclamation mark, this book found them. At times, the dialogue was difficult to get through because it didn’t have a natural flow, and the characters inner monologue was so long that you’d lose what the characters were talking about by the time they responded.

I’m never a fan of “this is an uncommonly relaxed household” in period pieces because I think it lends itself toward lazy writing. The servants are calling the Captain by his first name? Talking back in front of company and questioning how the household is run? The Captain and the governess are eating together and living on the same floor? At this point, just write a contemporary romance.

I’ve read Heath’s work in the past and enjoyed it, so I’ll keep trying.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No review until the SMP marketing boycott ends.

[renee ♡]

dnf

unfortunately, despite a promising beginning, this book didn't fulfill my expectations.

the plot of the book moved very slowly, with the story taking a lot of time to unfold. it felt like it wasn't going anywhere exciting or significant.

additionally, the characters felt superficial and underdeveloped, which made it impossible for me to connect with them in any way.

as a result of that, i couldn’t find the motivation to continue reading and i had to dnf it.


thank you to netgalley and st.martin’s press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Elizabeth McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable! I really loved this utterly delightful historical romance! As usual, Virginia Heath's writing is humorous,witty, and filled with fun characters.

All's Fair in Love and War is a governess romance, and I always enjoy them! This one was particularly well done. The children were endearing and lovable little hellions. The relationship between Georgie, the governess, and Harry, the naval captain and uncle, was fantastic! They, of course, start off butting heads and end up madly in love. I truly loved all of the silly naval puns. They were a super cute addition to the story.

I can't wait for more charming governess romances to come in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Summary:
All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath is a total snooze fest that deserves 1 star. I stuck with it until 60%. This is not my usual style since when I normally DNf books it is because I rage quit when they piss me off—but this one just bored me to death. Heath tried to serve up a clean romance, but the tension was built up only to vanish with zero payoff. It’s like she wrote a steamy love story and then hit delete on all the hot bits.

Characters:
The characters actually had potential—their personalities and the plot were fine—but all that built-up tension fizzled out into awkward, non-existent payoffs. They were left walking away like nothing happened.

Overall Thoughts:
This book committed the cardinal sin of being boring. Instead of delivering a clean romance that genuinely captivates, Virginia Heath’s execution feels like someone removed all the sex scenes from a steamy romance and expected it to still sizzle. The prose is good, and the plot had promise, but the forced walk-away moments and lack of any actual payoff made it unreadable. If you’re after a romance that serves both heart and heat, do yourself a favour and skip this one.

Rating:
★☆☆☆☆ (1/5 stars)

[Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just a delightfully fun romcom. I enjoyed how this story was full of mishaps, humor, adventures, doggies (I’m a sucker for dogs in any book), and excellent banter that made this more than just a historical romance. Oh, and the kids stole the show so many times.

🔥Steam level: Open door but vanilla

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

Historical Romance
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity
Single Uncle
Laugh Out Loud Moments
Smart and Spunky FMC
Slow Burn

3.5 stars

Thank you SMP Romance for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charmed is an understatement. This book encapsulates everything I want from a rom com and the fact that it was a historical romance was the most delicious cherry on top for me.

Georgie is an unconventional governess tasked with caring for the three Machiavellian nieces and nephew of by the books Naval Captain Harry. He’s immediately enamored with her, and her fiery red hair, but that simply won’t do because he has a warship to prepare.

What follows is Pride & Prejudice meets The Sound of Music in this positively delightful romp where these opposites slowly, and I mean slowly, come to terms with the fact that they are actually perfect for each other.

This had the perfect mixture of romance and comedic elements. While children and animals are often a detriment to me in a romance novel these children, and that scabrous bag of fleas Norbert, had me falling for them just as hard as I fell for Georgie & Harry.

Absolutely loved this book. I’ll be buying myself a trophy copy for my shelves. This was such a breath of fresh air.

Tropes Include
🩷 Regency Romance
💛 Enemies to Lovers
🩷 Forced Proximity
💛 Slow Burn
🩷 Opposites Attract
💛 One Boat (!!)
🩷 Found Family

Thank you so much to St Martins Press, SMP Romance, and NetGalley for the ARC.

🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷

Delightfully charmed by this book. My cheeks hurt from smiling this was such a fun breath of fresh air.

Full RTC

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 Henry’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 Henry’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 Henry 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 Henry 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.

[Holly in Bookland]

DNF at 50%

I can’t believe I didn’t like this. I absolutely loved her previous trilogy, so I was very much looking forward to her next books. However, I struggled to get into this one. The style of writing is my basic complaint. There is so much internal monologue that I struggle to get immersed into the story. A conversation can begin, but doesn’t continue till pages later. Personally I am not a fan of this style. Especially in an HR where I want/need to see the characters interact so I feel they are falling in love. I didn’t get that with this book. If that type of writing doesn’t bother you, I recommend this. However, if you’re like me, I would pass on this.

[Kayla Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story. Overall, I thought the pacing was really slow and it took me a while to get through. There were a lot of parts that dragged on and other parts that I thought were too rushed. I would have loved to have seen more of Flora, I loved her character. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract.

[Lisa Leone-campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

All's Fair in Love and War is the first installment in a new series, Miss Prentice's Protegees. An adorable, funny, heartwarming story about a young governess who is too outspoken to get a job after her training, and the gruff naval captain who has suddenly been charged with taking care of his sister's children and their large pet dog. The story, quite appealing, charming, romantic and adventurous tries to prove single women back in the day could hold their own against any man. And do so comically.

Georgia Rowe has just completed her training as a governess at Mis Prentice's School for Young Ladies, but she can't seem to get a job, unlike all her friends who she met at the school. You see, Georgia just doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut when future employees begin to interview her. She has been told she seems to intimidate those who are questioning her.

Harry Kincaid is a no-nonsense former Navy man who lives alone. He likes his quiet and peace. But when he arrives back to his house, he discovers his sister has dumped her three young children on his doorstep while she and her husband decided to go on a trip to Egypt. Felix is the oldest, Marianne the middle child and Grace the youngest. And oh, did I mention their puppy Norbert who is larger than all three children?

So, after a few horribly exhausting days, Harry decides he can't do this, so he decides to seek out a governess for the duration of his sister's trip. And that is when Harry and Georgia's fate is sealed.

But their relationship certainly does not start off well. Harry does not appreciate Georgia's teaching style or methods which are filled with outdoor amusement, laughter and curiosity. His idea of school is a classroom indoors with learning its only purpose and absolutely no dog tagging along for the lessons! No matter how much Norbert dislikes being alone and barks!

As they agree to disagree on just about everything, the one thing they both seem to notice is each other. But both realize pretty much from the get-go that a relationship could never work out. Right?

As they attempt to base their relationship on the children, they become even more enamored with each other. Georgia can't see this ending well and Harry has too much baggage from his past. But All is Fair in Love and War, right? And there is a great deal of both in this wonderfully, light enjoyable read.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin'sGriffin #VirginiaHeath #All'sFairinLoveandWar for the advanced copy.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

I’ve wanted to read this author for a bit now, and when the publisher sent me a widget to read an advance copy I immediately grabbed it! It took me a little longer to read than it should have, but that is by no fault of the story itself. I just had too many things going on and not enough reading time. Not to mention being tired from said things.

I don’t read a ton of historical romance, but have been picking up a few here and there as they grab my attention. For one thing of course is enjoying Bridgerton, another is that these are rom-coms as well and I really do like a rom-com more than a series romance almost every single time. I think that I just need more fun in my life and don’t want to read too serious of stories most of the time.

The characters were really enjoyable in this too. I loved Georgie’s fun teaching methods as I feel like some of them were similar to how I liked to teach back when I was in the classroom. Henry’s issues with not falling in love made sense from what he’d experienced, and I like the way the break up at the end happened. Georgie was much smarter than I might have been in that situation, realizing what his asking her to “ask him” would end up becoming in the end. And his nephew and nieces were adorable! I loved all of their little quirks and they made such a fun story.

As this is going to be a series, I think following the other governesses from the school that Georgie went to, I will be very excited to see how their stories go, especially Lottie who was close friends with Georgie.

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful slow burn! This was my first Virginia Heath novel and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Plus, I loved Harry's realization that he was living a life someone else had plotted out for him instead of doing what he wanted on his own terms.

Can't wait for the rest of this series!

[Whitney Theresa June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naval captain Henry Kincaid arrives home from a busy day at the Admiralty only to find that his sister has left him in charge of his unruly nieces & nephew as well as their giant hound in order to set sail with her explorer husband. In the lurch & with chaos reigning, Harry hires an emergency governess, at an exorbitant rate.

Georgina Rowe dislikes all things military with a passion. The step daughter of a colonel who treated her abominably after the death of her mother, she found her haven at Miss Prentice's School for Girls as a fledgling governess. But after graduating, Georgie finds that her beliefs on putting a child's welfare above the regimented rod necessitated by the parent's, leaves her without a position. Until the day, Miss P finds Georgie her first posting as a governess. Yet the regimented naval captain & Georige immediately spar and those sparks begin to kindle something between the two that neither can deny.

Am I a sucker for a he falls first and pines/yearns for her? Yes, yes I am. Did Harry have a hard time looking at Georgie because he worried she would see all the yearning? 🥹🥹 yes he did.

I am not always a fan of children as a driving force plot wise but this is a governess romance so the kids are a given and I instantly fell for the three Pendleton children. And how easily they blackmailed their beloved uncle. And I fell head over heels in fictional love with Harry for how much he adored his nieces and nephew. I would have been sandwiched up against Lottie & Portia to ogle against the window at Gunther’s shamelessly objectifying Harry as he spoiled/rewarded the kiddos.

Oh I loved Georgie! The way she wanted to teach according to how best the children would learn and not based on what Harry believed was the best regimented way. How it put her in a tough place, yet she strove to balance both. Even if it meant going slightly head to head with Harry. How his interaction with her and the interactions she witnessed of him with the children battled the preconceived notion of who he was in her head. And how the more she got to know him, she understood and fell for the man beneath the regimented rules & regulations he used to guard a chaotic childhood of his own and a broken heart.

I cannot forget to give an honourable mention to the ill fitting dress breeches that finally gave out at the most inopportune time but made me actually cackle with glee at the following scenes. They truly were a character unto themselves. As well as for Norbert and Cuthbert who also were the perfect furry paw plot devices that caused the best kind of havoc.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in Virginia Heath's new historical romance series, and I was excited to read it after enjoying her Merriwell Sisters series. Heath writes such lovely romances, and I really enjoyed this one! It kind of reminds me of The Sound of Music with the military and ordered MMC and the free-spirited governess, as well as the slow-burn, opposites attract feel to their romance.

A governess who hasn't made it past the interview stage, Georgie is too opinionated and not traditional enough in her educational philosophies. Luckily, Henry is a bit desperate for a governess since his sister dropped her children off for an extended stay with him, and he needs to hire someone immediately. And luckily for Georgie, Henry's impetuous charges thrive under her instruction. I liked Georgie a lot. She is intelligent and firm in her beliefs about teaching and interacting with children. She's very different from the conservative military man who hired her. Henry is a good man, kind and caring, but he is very structured and controlled, which clashes with Georgie's more relaxed attitude.

The banter between Georgie and Henry is great, and I liked all of their conversations about education, philosophy, what the kids were learning, and more. They have a ton of chemistry even though they are very different, and I think their differences and their growing closeness changes both of them for the better. And the kids are great! They're wild and inquisitive and funny, and they bring a lot of life to Henry's home, as does Georgie.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It's entertaining and fun, and the characters and romance are lovely. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you UpLit Reads for the gifted copy.

A MISS.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

I’ve never read any books by this author so I figured why not give it a go? And unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be picking up another.

The bones of this book were fine. I liked the idea of the story and the characters, it just let me wanting in the execution. The writing style is extremely wordy and it made each scene feel wildly drawn out. I think this book could have been 50 pages shorter and much more charming.

For a romance, it didn’t bring the swoon. There’s a lot of focus on the main storyline vs. the romantic storyline (until the second half at least). Some of the banter is fun, but the spice was kind of odd too. This was a mishmash bag of things. While I liked small aspects, the over arching issues stood out way too much.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: 2-3 open door

[Susan Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty and charming! Three rambunctious children and their equally rambunctious dog; a regimented naval officer who wears two pocket watches; a free-spirited governess; all of it adds up to an entertaining and enchanting book! I received an advanced reader copy of this book via the publisher and Net Galley.

[azurebllue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't a romance- this was a story of a horny man lusting after a naive woman whom he hires as a governess.

[Kaily Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

All's Fair in Love and War || Virginia Health

"When Georgie allowed a man to properly scramble her wits, she was resolute that it would not be for a nitpicking and pompous military man."

"...Not when Miss Georgina Rowe was the sensible but inspiring sort. The unsentimental, unromantic, not-easily-impressed sort. The sort who had long resigned herself to the life of passionless servitude and spinsterhood she had been trained for and wanted to be greatful for. Yet here she was, transformed into a passionate woman who craved seduction."

At 16, Georgina 'Georgie' Rowe was sent away by her colonel stepfather to Miss Prentice's Governess School. Flash forward 18 months after graduation, Georgie is still without a job due to poor interviewing. Captain Henry 'Harry' Kincaid is working up the ranks at the Admiralty, working long, exhausting hours. He previously had been engaged to a woman who left him for another man, ruining his chance to run his own ship. His world is flipped upside down when he returns home from a long work day to his two nieces and nephew, who have been left at his home for the next few months. Desperate for help, he seeks out a governess, and luckily, Miss Prentice has the perfect person for the job.

Harry immediately is taken by Georgie's looks, but is determined to not let another "siren" lead him astray. He also doesn't appreciate Georgie's teaching style and initially believes she's not cut out for the job of teaching his rambunctious nieces and nephew. Georgie initially finds the Captain a difficult person, as he is very regimented and no-nonsense, but begins to warm to him as she sees how much he cares for his nieces and nephew, however, she is burned by being raised by a horrible militant man. Despite it all, their chemistry over comes first impressions, but Harry is tied to the sea and Georgie's position is short term, and she hated the military life she grew up in. Can they overcome these challenges, or is their romance just a fleeting moment to look back fondly on?

-Dual POV
-3rd person POV
-regency era
-he falls first
-governess falls for employer
-doting uncle
-loveable furry friend

Spice 3/5

[Megan (Midwest Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the best compliment I can give this book is that it is a regency romance you haven’t read before. I adored it and flew through it--Heath's work was well-written and paced expertly.

Romance readers, if you like Lisa Kleypas or Julia Quinn, you’ll love Virginia Heath’s “All’s Fair in Love and War.”

A heartwarming tale of found family, this book follows Georgie, an opinionated governess, and Harry, a would-be stickler and navy leader. For years, both of their paths have been set—with no room for a detour, let alone for love. Things go off-course when Harry’s sister leaves her three young children in his care, temporarily. Can the order-loving Captain and the free-spirited governess call a truce?

Enemies to lovers. Found Family. Moderate spice. Forced proximity. A new take on grumpy-sunshine. An adorable dog who steals the show.

In the end, this is a story about the dreams we have for ourselves – when to insist on them, and when to let them go.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book!

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.75. It was very dry at the beginning, and I just didn't find myself wanting to pick it up. Once things got going, that all changed. There was a scene with the dog and a frog which was very comical. He is an captain and his sister has foisted her kids and dog on him while she and her husband go traipsing off to Egypt. He needs a governess to help with the kids and so he goes to Miss Prentice's, as she's known for training the best. Georgie had never had a job because she can never get past the interview and she is the last one available. He likes structure, she doesn't, as she was brought up in a military household with her stepfather after her mother passed away. They all get settled, for a bit. Then things go haywire.

The writing was good, I just was not gripped into the story until about halfway in.

[Leah Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully funny and a great introduction to the series.
Unfortunately, our MMC lost some points with me. Jane made me believe that navy men would wait for me and not throw a tantrum in the third act of our story.

Give me more!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down

Perfectly okay. Dragged a bit through the beginning, and needed way more time to breathe at the end.

[Laura • lauralovestoread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful and heartwarming start to this brand new Regency romance series by Virginia Heath! Filled with charming characters, adorable children scheming to have fun, and all the hilarious mishaps and adventure along the way.

Georgie is a fiery red-headed governess, with an unconventional way of teaching, to buttoned up Naval Captain Harry, who always wears two pocket watches. When Harry returns home from work and finds he is in temporary care of his free spirited sister’s children, he seeks out a governess, and Miss Prentice answers the call with Georgie.

Opposites in every way, Georgie and Harry had the sweetest slow burn romance that began with clashing personalities and all the delicious banter. I loved watching Harry as he doted on his nieces and nephew, as it brought he and Georgie closer.

🎧I had an immersive reading experience with the physical and audio formats, and loved the dual narration by Eva Feiler and Shane East. It truly brought the story to life, and had me laughing out loud, and longing to hug this delightful cast of characters.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
🩷Regency Historical Romance
🌼dual POV/dual narration
🌸hilarious moments
✨slow burn with a mild open door scene
🩷forced proximity
🌼forbidden romance
🌸found family

*many thanks to Smp romance and prh audio for the gifted copy for review

[i_hype_romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I adored this bananapants rom-com styled historical romance! It was like a mash-up of Nanny McPhee, The Mummy and Persuasion.

The children were realistically portrayed and I laughed aloud at their antics.

Highly highly recommend!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a new series from Virginia Heath and starts with the story of orphaned Georgie Rowe, abandoned at 16 years of age by her uncaring stepfather, the Colonel. Luckily a new opportunity opened up for her, and he jumped at the chance of shedding the responsibility of Georgie after her mother died from smallpox. Georgie somehow was accepted into a school run by Governess-extraodinaire, Miss Prentice. After being dragged around to various military barracks and then abandoned, at least now, she was given a home, a chance to make friends, and a way to learn to make a living for her future.

After several years at the school and becoming a protegee of Miss Prentice, Georgie is ready to proceed with being a governess, but is unable to secure a position as she has strong feelings about how children should be raised and cared for. She has suffered the lack of care, love, and militaristic discipline of the Colonel and determined not to allow that for her future charges, but lacks the guile and diplomacy to stay quiet about her strong views during her interviews. Over 30 failed interviews... she has set a record.

Captain Henry Kincaid is in quite a conundrum. He is a hardworking, disciplined fixer for the Admiralty; procuring supplies for their various naval ships and voyages, and on a rapid path for advancement. He had screwed things up years prior and not only had his heart broken by a fairweather fiancee, but lost a promotion and a ship in the process, and is determined not to lose his opportunities again. However, a massive wrench... or 4.. was thrust into his plans when his flighty, impulsive sister drops her near-feral children and their wayward dog at his home to care for while she gallivants off on an adventure with her husband to Egypt. He loves his wild, willful, manipulative nieces and nephew with all his heart, but needs to arrange for their care so he can focus on his career in the Navy. To this end, he goes to Miss Prentice and ends up hiring Georgie to be their temporary governess.

This starts an opposites attract, enemies to lovers dynamic, with Georgie and Harry being at loggerheads from the beginning. She is convinced he is a younger, more handsome version of her hated stepfather. An uncaring, career fixated man, who believes too much in discipline, time, schedules, conformity... She had enough of that growing up and when faced with his expectations of her position and her role with the children, she rebels and they clash. But she wants to provide the children comfort, creativity, stability, and loving care, as well as education. Initially, Harry meets her low expectations, and Georgie angers, flusters, and distracts Harry, making him yearn for things that distract him from his planned course in life. But as they grow to know each other and see each other around the family they both care for, Georgie sees the caring, loving man beneath the uniform, and Harry starts to wonder if having his own ship and getting promoted is what his heart desires.

This is a very cute, comedic love story, with a lot of childish and canine hijinks and mischief. There are manipulative, but adorable children, and an overgrown, overexuberant, undertrained canine to pile on the cuteness, and then throw in a puppy version of the misbegotten canine as well. This story is chock full of pithy and cute dialogue, self deprecation, and humorous situations. It is definitely falling into the family friendly Rom-Com spectrum of romances, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it in that context. It makes for a nice change from the steamy, edging more towards erotica romances I have been reading.

I also connected with Harry especially after reading "Harry would have to arrive at least two hours early. Probably six, just to be certain, as time had a habit of filling itself and his was always accounted for." As I have a chronic hatred for being late, and would rather be an hour early than a minute late, I felt sympatico with him. Also with the dogs...

"It made no scientific sense, defying all the laws of gravity, but for some reason, a floppy Norbert was now quadruple the weight of a stiffened Norbert, and no matter what the five of them tried, the lax muscles had rendered him immovable. Almost as if he were now part of the very fabric of the floor itself and there forever." That was my Toby whenever he sensed a bath coming his way, to a "T".

4 stars out of 5 - and my heart was absolutely, shamelessly taken by the two dogs, and how their humans were with them.