Publication: 28th July 2026 – Headline Eternal
There is nothing Duke Leopold Sloane takes more seriously than the safety of those he loves. So, when one of his sisters is injured at a protest rally, he drags his family to Bath for the summer, hiring a chaperone to keep them safe. The one thing he doesn’t plan for is his overwhelming but inexplicable attraction to the chaperone herself – an outspoken conundrum of a woman who soon causes him more trouble than both his sisters combined.
From the moment Portia Kendall read her first revolutionary pamphlet, she realised her true calling was to make the world a fairer place. That led her to Equitas, a radical newspaper championing reform. But writing doesn’t pay the bills, and to make a living, she must push aside her principles and serve the very people she despises. Working as a chaperone in a rich family couldn’t be further from her ideal job, but the more time she spends with him, Portia realises she might have misjudged the surprisingly dashing duke . . .
Dare she risk her principles for love, or will her pride get in the way?
Every new novel by Virginia Heath always cheers me up and it quickly becomes my new favourite and the same happened with this latest one, Pride Comes Before a Fall. The third book in the Miss Prentice’s Protegees series features a headstrong protagonist, Portia Kendall, who, after reading A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft when she was sixteen years old, has dedicated her life to advocate for the reform of society. Now Portia is in Bath, having left her job as a governess in Mayfair to dedicate herself to the publication of the radical newspaper Equitas, not realising that the job is unpaid. In need of employment, she has no choice but to accept the job of chaperone of two spoiled young women forced to spend the summer in Bath by their overbearing brother after being involved in a few scandals in London.
Leopold Sloane, the 11th Duke of Debden, is everything Portia is fighting against and yet she can’t deny that she is attracted to him, especially his dimples, and the more time they spend together, the more she realises that maybe not all dukes are bad.
Pride Comes Before a Fall is such a funny and intriguing read. Portia is determined, witty, and smart, strong in her belief, no matter the risk, while Leopold is stubborn and so overprotective towards those he loves that sometimes he doesn’t stop to think before reacting. I was completely immersed in their story as their worlds collide and the sexual tension becomes inevitable. Virginia Heath is such an amazing storyteller and her stories capture me from the first to the last page and I can’t wait for the next book (romantic Kitty)!
A huge thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel!
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-one books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.
Book After Book 
I can see how this would cheer you up, great review
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