I loved Lorrie and her Viking, Ewan. This is definitely a story of opposites attracting. Ewan and Lorrie seem like they don't belong together at all but they're actually perfect for each other. Lorrie is able to break Ewan out of his shell and he in turn, is able to rein in on Lorrie's rebelliousness. Their chemistry was full of sexual tension and delicious romance I loved the secondary story of Lorrie's parents falling back in love. I also enjoyed getting to know some of the other men in Draven's Dozen and look forward to their stories.

Ewan Mostyn, third son of the Earl of Pembroke, had physically survived the horrors of war but suffers from nightmares and is plagued with survivor's guilt. Unloved and unwanted by his father and two elder brothers, he came back from the war and worked as a muscle in the gaming club, Langley's.
He fought with Lt Col Draven in the war, they called themselves the Survivors. They all have special talents Ewan's is his strength. He earned the moniker "The Protector".

The Duke of Ridlington offered him a job as a bodyguard to his reckless daughter, Lady Lorraine Caldwell. Despite the undeniable spark between the third son with no fortune and title and the only daughter of a duke, they are ill-suited.

But Lorrie and Ewan made each other misbehave to their mutual benefit!

This is a heartwarming story, with beguiling and sensual characters. The sub-plot is a bonus!

Shana Galen made a most unlikely hero so interesting. Five stars.

I received an eGalley arc and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

London - 1816

Ewan Mostyn, third son of the Earl of Pembroke, owns a share of Langley’s gaming hell, The Draven Club. Tonight, several young, drunk men are squabbling over a tart and Ewan has to break up the fight which he does. A man who observes this asks Ewan to visit him as he has a job for him and gives him his card. The problem is Ewan can’t fully read the card himself so he gets someone else to read it for him. The man’s name is the Duke of Ridlington. As if he doesn’t get enough excitement in his life, Ewan saves a young woman and her dog from being run over by a cart.

Lady Lorraine (Lorrie) Caldwell, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ridlington, sees Ewan arrive to meet with her father. She intercepts him where he recognizes her as the young woman he saved. But she begs him not to tell her father about his saving her or he will send her to live with her Aunt Prudence.

The Duke wants Ewan to be a bodyguard for his daughter, Lorrie. He declines at first but the Duke explains that she is easy prey for fortune hunters. One man in particular, Francis Mostyn, Ewan’s cousin, wants to marry Lorrie for her fortune. Ewan’s hate for his cousin makes him accept the job.

Used to sneaking out on her own, Lorrie is furious with Ewan and does all she can to get away from him. She is determined to be with Francis and he wants her money too. When Ewan gives into temptation and kisses Lorrie, he is mesmerized by her. However, she continues to try and evade him. One day, Lorrie realizes that Ewan has difficulty reading so she decides to help him.

Quite honestly, I could not stand Lorrie. She is a total spoiled brat destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps. (You have to read the story to learn about her mother.) If you like a lot of intrigue in your Regency historical novels, this book is for you.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

~~Reviewed by Monique~~

Lady Lorraine Caldwell is too headstrong for her own good, which prompted her father, the Duke of Ridlington, to find a way to eliminate unwanted fortune hunters. When he witnesses Ewan Mostyn take care of brawlers in a club, the duke requests a meeting with the former soldier. Ewan doesn’t want to act as chaperone, but when he learns the name of the man Lorraine has set her sights on, he accepts. Lorraine is trouble; she is attracted to danger, and while she deeply resents having someone follow her every footstep, it could be worse than the big, brawny man who looks like a Viking.

Lorraine is a great heroine, I found her relatable: she is kind, generous, and resents having to subdue her sensual nature because of the established moral codes. Her attraction to Ewan is realistic, as they are both very physical people and in need of attention and affection. Ewan is the (very) strong, (very) quiet type; he is a bit of a Neanderthal, really, and his conversational skills left so much to be desired that, honestly, I found him a bit dull. His propensity to violence did not endear him to me either.

The world of The Survivors is quite an intriguing one, and the various former soldiers who comprised the Draven special unit seem interesting chaps; the combination of their talents should provide entertainment for the next instalments. I am looking forward to Rafe’s story, and especially Jasper, who was the one who really captured my imagination.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Buy This Book
In Third Son’s a Charm, Shana Galen introduces us to some of the gentlemen who will feature in stories of their own as her new Survivors series progresses. These men are closer than brothers; they served together during the Napoleonic Wars under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Draven in a unit that was given the toughest and most dangerous missions – those most likely to result in death. What started out as a company of thirty ended as one of twelve, nicknamed ‘Draven’s Dozen’ and now the war is over, those twelve survivors have returned to a civilian life that is not always easy to navigate. Some wounds, most of them mental rather than physical, are still too raw to be put aside, but the men draw a measure of comfort from their comrades, the only people who can fully understand and appreciate what they’ve been through and how it felt to be valued for their skills while at the same time regarded as expendable.

Ewan Mostyn, third son of the Earl of Pembroke is still called ‘the Protector’ by his fellow survivors, his moniker gained because of his dedication to keeping his comrades safe and the untold risks he took to save those in trouble. He’s a big, well-built, extraordinarily strong young man and after his return from the war, bought a part share in the gambling club (Langley’s) run by another Survivor, and lives in a small room on the second floor of the premises. He’s content with his lot – especially as his father wouldn’t be seen dead in such a place so there is no chance of their encountering each other.

After breaking up a fight one night at the club, Ewan is approached by the Duke of Ridlington who tells Ewan he would like to hire him and asks him to visit him at home. Ewan doesn’t know anything about Ridlington, so he heads to the Draven Club to consult Neil Wraxall, another Survivor and one of his closest friends. Before he can get there however, Ewan literally runs into a young woman chasing a dog through the streets, throwing himself into her in order to prevent her being mowed down by an oncoming carriage. To Ewan’s surprise, the woman – who is very clearly Quality – doesn’t thank him for saving her and instead accuses him of almost flattening her dog.

Puzzled and perhaps just the teeniest bit miffed, Ewan continues on his way and meets with Wraxall, who tells him he knows nothing bad of Ridlington. Deciding he might as well find out what the man wants, Ewan presents himself at Berkley Square and quickly finds out. The duke’s daughter, Lady Lorraine is in love with an unsuitable man and has already tried to elope with him. Strongly believing the man in question to be nothing more than a fortune hunter, the duke is concerned to put a distance between his daughter and her swain, and asks Ewan if he would consider taking a position as her bodyguard until such time as Lorraine comes to her senses and realises the man is after her for her money and not for herself. Ewan is not at all keen – until the duke tells him that the gentleman in question is Francis Mostyn, Ewan’s cousin, which puts an entirely different perspective on things.

Lady Lorraine Caldwell – who is, of course, the young lady with the dog – is the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ridlington, and is, at twenty eager to fall in love and get married. Her parents are kind and decent people who obviously love Lorraine, but the duke and duchess are preoccupied with their own concerns – not least of which is the state of their crumbling marriage – and Lorraine is keen to be with someone who will put her first. It’s clear that she’s in love with love rather than with Francis Mostyn, but she is determined to have her way and refuses to give him up.

Ewan and Lorraine are chalk and cheese; she’s a veritable chatterbox and he’s a man of few words, usually using two where others would use ten, and only speaking when he actually has something to say. His taciturn nature has often given others the impression he is an idiot, which is far from the case; Ewan is an intelligent, witty man with a good sense of humour who knows that he would never have survived the war had he really been stupid, but being thought so by others still stings, nonetheless. A childhood stammer and an inability to learn to read led his father to brand him a useless imbecile, and since his return from war, Ewan has supported himself by virtue of shrewd investments and his share in Langley’s and has effectively cut himself off from his family.

Francis Mostyn has taken care to give Lorraine a poor impression of her bodyguard, telling her how Ewan used his superior size and strength to bully and physically assault him when they were boys growing up together, but the more she comes to know Ewan, the more she comes to doubt the veracity of Francis’ words. She also doesn’t quite understand why her “Viking” fascinates her so when she is in love with another man, yet she can’t stop the indecorous images that flash through her mind whenever Ewan touches her or deny that she’s wildly attracted to him.

The relationship between Lorraine and Ewan is nicely developed as we’re shown the two of them gradually coming to trust and understand one another. Lorraine sometimes teeters on the verge of TSTL and gets into ill-advised scrapes that Ewan has to get her out of, but she ultimately shows herself to be a good-hearted young woman with a lot of love to give, and she redeems herself when she realises that Ewan needs help and persuades him to allow her to give it.

There are plenty of sparks flying between Ewan and Lorraine from the start, and the author infuses their romance with plenty of longing and sexual tension. She has also included a secondary romance between Lorraine’s estranged parents, and I freely admit that at times, I was more invested in that than I was in the one between Ewan and Lorraine. There was something very romantic in the duke’s determination to woo back his wife and I’d quite happily have read an entire novel about their second chance at love!

The one bum note in the novel as a whole is the massive hint around the halfway point about something that happens later on; it was unnecessary and so clumsy that it took me completely out of the story. I also wasn’t wild about the subterfuge employed by the duke and duchess towards the end; again, it seemed clumsy and unwarranted.

Third Son’s a Charm is an entertaining start to this new series and one I’m happy to recommend in spite of those reservations. Ewan is an absolute sweetheart, and while Lorraine did occasionally get on my nerves, she was sensible enough at other times to admit to her faults and try to do better. It’s a solidly enjoyable read, and I’m already sufficiently intrigued by the other Survivors as to be planning to pick up the next in the series when it comes along.

Grade: B

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. The story is about the 3rd son of an Earl, Ewan, who is all but forgotten. His family considered him stupid because he could not read, today the condition is known as dyslexia but then, individuals were considered imbeciles. He was a member of an elite group of 30 soldiers who were of noble birth but most were dispensable who fought during the war with only 12 returning. He is hired by the Duke of Ridlington to protect his daughter from gold diggers, mainly his cousin, Francis. There is a HEA but not before Lorraine is kidnapped. The story is well written and a nice read.

I could kick myself for not reading Shana Galen's books sooner. This is a wry, delightful story of the wild, willful, clever and a bit clumsy Duke of Ridlington's daughter, Lady Lorraine and a war hero who doesn't know his worth. I loved the progression of this journey of discovery. Of what is important in a person and their true character from their actions, not by what they say.

Lady Lorrie mostly ran wild at the Duke's country estate and now has been brought to "heel" to join society and find a worthy husband. She's been taken in by the handsome and charming Francis Mostyn. He's not in love with her, he's after her very substantial dowry. Enter Ewan Mostyn, third son of the Earl of Pembroke a war hero who suffers from dyslexia and has been labels stupid by his family. He is one of The Survivors, Lieutenant Colonel Draven's special forces unit in the Napoleonic wars. This suicide unit had 30 members and after the war was down to 12. Ewan was called Protector as he was the "brawn" and was driven to protect his brothers-in-arms. He knows in his heart he's not stupid but he can't read. His unit brothers protect and value him. The Duke asks Ewan to be Lorraine's bodyguard since he can mix in society and is the cousin to Frances. And so starts our story of Ewan learning his true worth as a person and Lorraine learning to see into someone's heart to find their character.

Thank you Sourcebooks and Shana Galen for the free NetGalley ARC of this story for review. I so enjoy Shana's author's voice and humor in her stories.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Third Son’s a Charm is the first book in Shana Galen’s new Survivors Series, involving the surviving band of Lieutenant Colonel Draven’s soldiers trying to find a new norm following the horrors of war. This is Ewan Mostyn’s story, the third son of the Earl of Pembroke, also known as The Protector.
Ewan is the muscle in a gaming club until he is hired to serve as a bodyguard to Lady Lorraine Caldwell – Lorrie – the stubborn daughter of the Duke of Ridlington. However, their initial meeting sparks an animosity between them especially when they both learn who the other is and who Ewan needs to protect Lady Lorraine from. However, will the animosity remain, or will the sparks ignite a flame that burns hot with eternal love? More importantly, when Lady Lorraine end in serious trouble, will her “Viking” live up to his nickname and give his all to protect her?
Ewan is considered as having more brawn than brains by a good number of the nobility, his family included. From the beginning, Ms. Galen hints at Ewan’s difficulties with regards to literacy. While nowadays this is considered as a common occurrence, I’m sure that in the Regency period, people with such problems were considered as “stupid” or “idiotic”. However, it is impossible not to see and love Ewan for what he is – highly intelligent while fiercely loyal and protective of those he must protect.
Lorrie is a depicted as being the total opposite of Ewan physically. What she lacks in body, she makes up in spirit fails does not cower at Ewan’s intimidating glances. Unlike Ewan, who is extremely concise in his words, she is quite the fearless, determined chatterbox. Let us not forget Lorrie’s fur ball Wellington, a small-breed dog who is instrumental in the story when the real trouble arrives.
Well done Shana Galen for writing such a heartfelt story with genuine characters deviating from the “meek” heroine and “certain-of-his-every-move” hero. Definitely a great start to a new series which must not be missed!

This is the first in a very promising series of tales about a group of men who were sons of nobles, legitimate or otherwise, who’ve survived as members of an elite cadre of military fighters just back from the war with Napoleon. Each has his own attributes and story. Ewan is a third son, and not one of any value to his father, so upon his return to England, the big burly man known as the group’s ‘protector’ is living above a gaming hell working as a bouncer. Until one day a duke offers him the position of body guard to his daughter Lorraine.
Lady Lorraine is a bit of a fluff, thinking she’s in love with a man of whom her father greatly disapproves. The duke wants Ewan to keep the potential suitor, and any others with nefarious intentions, away from his lovely daughter so she can complete her season with an appropriate marital match.
Lady Lorraine isn’t having any of it, and this provides us with a great deal of fun! The plot has humor, and intrigue as Ewan must keep up with Lorraine and her attempts to evade his watchful presence. The romance between the two begins not only with their physical attraction to each other but with an understanding that develops as they see in each other unfulfilled needs and promises that the two might be able to complete if given the chance. But will they?
I really enjoyed this book and am waiting on pins and needles for the next! I highly recommend this to romance readers as it definitely left this one with a smile.

The Protector.
The beginning of a new series focusing on twelve men who have returned from the Napoleonic War. All are younger sons, therefore expendable, and their survival is rather miraculous as they belonged to a band, once thirty strong, who were tasked with the most suicidal of missions. Naturally the effects of war have left their mark on these survivors who are expected to reintegrate themselves back into Society. We don’t get introduced to all twelve characters in the first book (that would be two much!) but just the few that are close friends of our hero. Ewan is the third son of an Earl but lives above a gambling hell rather than the family townhouse. He is estranged from his father, who considers him a numbwit and openly prefers his cousin Francis, who bullied him as a child. When the Duke of Ridlington offers him a job as bodyguard to his spoilt, passionate but naive daughter, Ewan initially refuses until he realises that the fortune hunter he is to thwart is Francis.
Ewan and Lady Lorraine couldn’t be more different, he is the strong, silent type (nicknamed the Protector by his fellow soldiers) whilst she is vivacious and talks up a streak. Gradually they begin to respect the other’s strengths and open up to each other but a third son, with little money, is a poor match for a Duke’s daughter.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

a group of men that society considered expendable all survived the war with napoleon in third son's a charm. each of them played a role on their squadron, but now, back in society, they have to adjust to being expendable again. ewan mostyn is known as the protector, his massive size and brute strength saved more than one of his comrade's lives out in the field. and now that he's returned home, as the unfavored third son of an earl he mainly guards the doors at a gaming club.

ewan prefers to do things with his hands, which isn't what society considers civilized. but that's not the only reason he doesn't fit in. as a child, he had a hard time learning, and even now he is unable to read without getting terrible headaches and mocked for his trouble. when the duke of ridlington offers him a job guarding his daughter in order to prevent her from eloping with ewan's wastrel cousin, francis, he takes the job expecting it to be easy.

but lady lorraine isn't easy. she's stubborn and curious and leaps into things without thinking. she says absolutely every thought that passes through her head. and at first she's terribly annoyed with her father and her relentless giant of a bodyguard. but the more she gets to know the viking, which is what she calls ewan, the more she wonders if she really does know what love is all about. and the more she learns about who ewan is as a person, the more she doubts that francis is telling her the truth. and then she starts to realize that perhaps the man for her is the man who would lay down his life for her in an instant. he's the man she can't stop thinking about. he's the man who she misses when they spend time apart.

ewan loves her. but he doesn't feel worthy. he's so big but his shortcomings have always made him feel small. lady lorraine she's a potential in him that not many others have. but how can the unwanted third son of an earl be the man for the daughter of a fabulously wealthy duke? i loved watching the relationship between ewan and lorrie grow, and i look forward to seeing more of lord draven's men in future series, perhaps a story for each of the remaining eleven survivors?

Third Son's a Charm by Shana Galen is the First Book in the New Series Called "The Survivors". This is the story of Ewan Mostyn and Lady Lorraine 'Lorrie' Caldwell.
Ewan is the third son of an Earl but more importantly he is one of a group of men who took jobs that few would because of the danger. Ewan was apart of a group of men who were Survivors! Now Ewan is leaving and fighting in a gambling hell when he is offered the job to be a 'body quard' to Lorrie. Ewan takes the job thinking it will be a easy one but Lorrie proves to be anything but an easy job. Lorrie thinks herself in love with Francis Mostyn who happens to be a cousin to Ewan. Francis has asked her father for her hand in marriage but he said no. So Lorrie has thought to runaway with Francis but hasn't succeeded yet. Lorrie finds Ewan fascinating but tries to stand her ground on her feelings for Francis.
This book just sucked you into their story and you could not put it down. I felt for Ewan so much with his self doubts but strong feelings. Lorrie although misguided at first in her feelings was very sweet and spunky .
What a wonderful start to a great series!
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Loved this story. Ewan Mostyn is the third son of a Duke, so he finds he way by becoming part of a group of the younger sons of nobility called the Protectors. These men met as soldiers and now are trying to settle back into society but have become very loyal to each other and their friends. He is offered a job to watch after Lady Lorraine, the very fiery daughter of the Duke of Ridlington. Lorraine fights against her father['s control and tries to avoid her new bodyguard every chance she gets! This story has a little of it all but is very witty and humorous between the main characters and their friends. I really started on page one and could not put it down until the end. You will be entertained and your heart will go out to Ewan, who has not felt love in his life or a relationship with a female such as Lorraine!! This is a must read.!

Ewan Mostyn is the battle weary third son of the Earl of Pembroke; he’s the toughest of their group of young nobles who have been soldiers and are now trying to find their way into society. He’s offered a job watching the Duke of Ridlington's stubbornly independent daughter, Lady Lorraine Caldwell. She happens to be in love with Ewan’s cousin Francis, the one who was brutal bully to Ewan when they were children because he is dyslexic. Ewan knows Francis is bad news, but there’s no convincing Lady Lorraine he’s anything other than “perfect”. Ewan is a gentle quite man and Lady Lorraine is quite the chatterbox and she’ll do anything to avoid her extremely attractive bodyguard that is until she’s in trouble and needs his help. Lady Lorraine has Ewan as her new protector gradually their relationship eventually turns into more and she can only hope he will fight for what he really wants. Loved this spitfire Lady Lorraine, and what’s not to love about an extremely gentle giant Ewan.
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Title and author: Third Son's a Charm by Shana Galen
Series: The Survivors - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Releases: November 7, 2017
Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/ybtsstjn
Genre: Historical
Author website: http://shanagalen.com/
Rating: 5 Stars

With its innovative premise and original characters, The Survivors series begins with a story filled with realism. The Draven Club members are former soldiers who served under the same man while at war against the French, and they are the lucky ones who came home. One individual was called the Protector for a good reason, and his astute abilities lead to him interacting with a woman who frustrates him just as much as he irritates her. But somewhere along the way, unexpected feelings emerge and neither of their lives are ever the same. I thoroughly enjoyed this Regency story of opposites attracting, where situations are cleverly depicted and often not anticipated. Every scene in THIRD SON’S A CHARM entertains and totally enthralls because of imaginative developments and intriguing characters. Shana Galen has created a captivating historical that never disappoints.

After being an English soldier in the fight against Napoleon, the current career of Ewan Mostyn is working at a gaming hell where he makes certain the patrons behave. Since he has two older brothers who could inherit the title of earl, his family has little use for him, so the men with whom he fought are more like his relatives. When one man at the establishment, the Duke of Ridlington, offers Ewan the opportunity to use some of the skills learned in the war by becoming a bodyguard to his only daughter, the ex-soldier refuses at first.

Ewan thinks Lady Lorraine Caldwell really does need someone to make sure her reckless activities do not cause any harm, but a personal reason is what motivates him to accept the proposal. As he tries to carry out his many responsibilities, he finds the woman under his protection to be exceedingly obstinate yet also tempts him like no other female. Ewan and Lorraine are frequently at odds when it pertains to her conduct, yet they gradually become closer because their inner longings are revealed when they spend so much time together.

The descriptive details in the book make every moment believable. Whether it is an escapade outside or facts about an individual, I could easily picture the situation or person because of vivid portrayals. The Regency period never felt more real, and the rules for how society perceives a person during this time in history is shown in various ways. Shana Galen made all circumstances particularly convincing.

While the storyline for THIRD SON’S A CHARM is one I will long remember, the characters are also equally unforgettable. Ewan may be abrupt at times and often not have much to say, but he definitely won my heart after only a few minutes. His background had me feeling sympathy for all had to live through, and I cheered him on when things went right in the present. Shana Galen gave this man true-to-life problems, and I absolutely loved this troubled hero. Lorraine is delightful with her spirited personality and stubborn streak. When she and Ewan were talking, I laughed when comments were witty, while their more serious discussions had me sensing any personal anguish. I never wanted this couple’s story to end, and the concluding scene has me very eager to read the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed the book from the publisher via NetGalley, and all comments are my honest opinion

I am in love! I love the third son of an Earl! Better yet, he is a war hero!, Unloved by his father, mistreated by his tutors, and cousin, Ewan had an unhappy childhood. His cousin was a horrendous child, mean spirited, a liar, and a bully. As a grown man he has become even worse. Greedy! Ewan, nicknamed by his Comrades in arms , during the Napoleonic War, Protector! That is exactly why the Duke of Ridclington hired him, to guard his very mischievous daughter, Lady Lorraine. She has eloped once, yet her dearly beloved, would not marry her, without her dear Papa's blessing! The Duke, realizing his daughter was set upon her own destruction, with a dowry hunter, hires The Protector! This is witty, sweet, emotional, an awesome story! I can't wait for the rest of the men's stories to emerge.
I highly recommend today! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

This book was a wonderful breath of fresh air. The writing was excellent as was the pacing and character development. I can hardly wait to meet the rest of the survivors and see them find their HEA with just the perfect mate for them.

I loved the characters in this book – especially Lorrie and Ewan, but I also loved her parents as well as the members of the Survivors who made appearances. I loved the banter between them and how well they worked together while saving Lorrie.

There were thirty totally expendable younger sons of the nobility who made up an elite group of warriors during the Peninsular war. This group was assigned to the most dangerous and deadly missions in the war. Only twelve returned and they became known as Draven’s Dozen. In this book, we meet four of them – Ewan (our hero), Jasper, Neil, and Rafe. Each of the men had a special talent – Jasper was an outstanding tracker, Neil was the leader, Rafe the lover and Ewan – well – he thought bashing heads was his only talent. Each also had a ‘title’ – Ewan was called The Protector. I will be so excited to find out who the next hero will be – Neil certainly seems to be the most troubled.

Lady Lorraine (Lorrie) Caldwell is the youngest child and only daughter of the Duke of Ridlington. She often feels overlooked – not unloved, just often unnoticed. She is sweet, lovely, intelligent, naïve, stubborn and headstrong – not necessarily in that order. She is also desperately, madly in love with Francis Mostyn – at least she thinks she is. He has asked her father for her hand, but her father refused because he firmly believes that Francis is only after her dowry. After a thwarted attempt at elopement, her father hires a bodyguard. And what a bodyguard he is! Lorrie rarely thinks of him by name, she just thinks of him as The Viking.

Golden-maned Ewan Mostyn is the youngest son of the Earl of Pembroke. To say that Ewan had a troubled childhood would be putting it mildly. You just fall in love with him – you can’t help it – you just do. He loves bashing heads together and that is why he works at Langley’s Hell – and he owns a share of the club. He is totally flabbergasted when the Duke of Ridlington summons him and offers him the job of being a bodyguard for his daughter. His main task is to keep her away from Francis and thwart any elopement attempts. Since Ewan detests his cousin Francis and agrees with the Duke that Francis is only after Lorrie’s dowry, he accepts the job immediately.

At first, Lorrie tries to outwit Ewan and it is funny to watch him turn the tables on her time and again. Then, as they spend time together and get to know each other – feelings develop. Ewan tries his best to fight those feelings because he doesn’t feel that he’s good enough for her – and at the same time Lorrie is doing her best to seduce him. Watching them get to know and love each other is heartwarming.

I always try to tell what I love about a book and what I don’t. Well – I LOVED everything about this book, so it is hard to single one thing out. I did enjoy the secondary love story with the Duke and Duchess though. What I don’t love isn’t something that is in the book – it is something that isn’t in the book! I always, always, always absolutely hate it when the bad guys don’t get any punishment. In this particular case – one of them not only didn’t get any punishment, he profited. I really wish Ewan had just let that worthless excuse of a human being that was his father stay ruined. Ewan sure didn’t get anything from it and it was supposed to be for his brothers and sisters that he wanted to save the family fortunes. Well—where were they when Ewan needed them? I would say let them all sink. Then, there is Francis – he got kicked out of the house – BIG DEAL. I would have probably made this a 5-star review if the author had chosen to deal with the Earl and Francis.


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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

This is how you do a ballroom !

Ewan Mostyn has only ever felt useful in the midst of war, where he served with a sort of gentlemen's special ops team. Now with the war over he is just a disowned third son working as a bouncer, that is until a desperate duke hires him to keep his daughter, Lorraine, away from her beloved-- who happens to be Mostyn's smooth talking cousin.

Third Son's A Charm is an energetic battle of the wills as Lorraine and Ewan try to make it through the London Season, from dawn to dusk from operas to balls.

Ewan is more than happy to keep his cousin from Lady Lorraine, because he's still carrying the emotional scars from when he was bullied and kicked out of school for his reading disability that we now know is dyslexia. But you know people back in the day were ready to ostracize and torture anyone who was different.

Let's face it when it comes to historical romance we are buying into a fantasy version of the past, a lot of the times we don't always talk about the unfortunate and complicated (so complicated) ideas of that time period. I do however wonder if it's easier for romance writers to re-litigate how those who had disabilities were historically treated. I think dipping into this pushes back the veil just a little on the fantasy historical world. I also appreciate that Ewan doesn't need to be "fixed" to get his HEA.

Lorraine is a plucky heroine and I liked her tenacity. She's extroverted, energetic and isn't afraid to talk about her curiosity in the opposite sex. Lorraine also has a bit of anomaly when it comes to parents. In Regency romance, with all the inheriting and entailing, often the parents are either dead or the mom's super marriage minded or there is a jerk dad but Lorraine's parents were in a loving relationship and are working to build their broken marriage.

A delightful and surprising read. If you think historicals that takes place in the ballroom aren't for you think again

Full review will appear on Reader's Edyn on 11/5/17 at http://bit.ly/2zb1RZX

Lady Lorraine Ridlington has a propensity toward bad sense. Always getting herself into potentially scandalous situations, and fancying herself in love with a less than desirable man, Lorraine is the only daughter of a Duke and stands to inherit a substantial fortune. Her father decides to hire a bodyguard for her. His mission is simple – keep her away from Francis (his cousin) and allow her to be introduced to other potential suitors who might make her happy. Lorraine is appalled at having a bodyguard thwart her secret rendezvous with Francis, but she is also dangerously attracted to him. He reminds her of Francis, but is also nothing like him. The more time they spend together, the more she learns about him, and the more she wants him. Scandal be damned, she’s going to get through to Ewan and she’s not above using her body to make it happen. Of course, the added bonus of knowing him intimately isn’t much a deterrent. But he’s a third son and convincing him of his worth is going to be an order that may even be taller than she realizes.

Ewan Mostyn is a third son. The heir, the spare, and the third son. He wasn’t needed and his options in life were few, so he went in to the service. A man of very few words – more frequently one-word answers when absolutely necessary. Ewan is known as a bit of an enforcer following his service for his country and he really only ever associates with his former “special ops” team. They survived several dangerous missions together and are now bonded as former brothers in arms. When Ewan if offered a position to protect Lorrie, he practically jumps at it. Francis may have been his cousin, but he’s never been trustworthy, and he immediately knows he’s up to something in his pursuit of Lorraine. Doesn’t hurt that he’ll be able to exact some revenge on Francis by keeping him away from his target – nasty in childhood and favored by his father even now, Ewan has no love lost for his cousin and he’s going to make sure he not only stays away from Lorrie, he’s going to uncover his true intentions. But falling for Lorrie wasn’t part of the plan and Ewan’s protective instincts toward the sensual woman is something he’s never dealt with before.

Shana Galen is one of my go-to authors, so this review was automatic. I adore Historical and her style of writing always guarantees a world in which the reader becomes well and truly immersed. Once I start a book, I do not stop until it is complete. I was curious how in the heck she was going to make this story work initially. Ewan literally spoke very few words and didn’t seem like much of a sweep-you-off-of-your-feet kind of guy. And Lorrie isn’t your typical Duke’s daughter. She knows how to behave, but she says what she is thinking and feeling – and that doesn’t include her passionate sexual curiosity. She is an innocent, but she has some understand of what she speaks of despite her inability to process her exact feelings. She only knows she experiences an intense longing that builds when Ewan is around and the more time they spend together; the closer they get; the more stolen kisses; the deeper her longing and the closer they skate near her ruin. I absolutely loved that Lorrie knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. And Ewan in his quest to remain honorable to his word struggles to resist her and her wanton displays of desire for him. Every time he tries to gain an upper hand, she not only calls his bluff, but raises the ante. It’s a unique situation that I rarely encounter within historical characters and I loved every moment. I was thrilled with how Ewan broke out of his shell – so to speak – at least with Lorrie. And super cute addition – not only does the reader get to watch this romance blossom, they are also treated to a second romance plot within.

I really cannot think of a single aspect I disliked within this book. I did enjoy most of Ewan’s combat friends and the glimpse in to their lives – and especially the end of the book that leads me to assume who the next victim to love will be in this series. 😊 I can’t wait to revisit the Survivors series and hope to encounter both Lorrie and Ewan again in subsequent books. The banter, wit, and Ewan’s no nonsense single word answers were a joy – and I frequently found myself giggling as I read, which doesn’t count the several times I was reading with a huge grin on my face. Galen crafts a world with unlikely lead characters who beautifully blossom into something charming and unexpected – characters you can’t help but adore. Underdogs, romance, a bit of suspense, heroes, strong-willed characters, wit and charm, all wrapped up in a brilliantly engaging plot – lovers of Historical are guaranteed to love this latest Galen treasure.

Kindle version provided by St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades, Ewan Mostyn, The Protector, is the toughest in a group of younger sons of nobility who met as soldiers and are now trying desperately to settle back into peaceful Society known as Draven’s Dozen. Ewan trusts his brawn more than his brains, but when he's offered a job watching the Duke of Ridlington's stubbornly independent daughter, Lorrie he finds both are challenged.
Overall I thoroughly & enjoyed the book but I did find it ‘hard to get into’ & in the beginning I wasn’t enamoured of Ewan but that did change & by about 20% into the book I was firmly in his corner. I kept thinking of the Dirty Dozen film & so my image of Ewan was of Clint Walker!
Lorraine was feisty & thought herself in love with Francis. Francis decried Ewan at every opportunity but Ewan, although he hated Francis, didn’t malign him just told the truth. The attraction between Ewan & Lorraine was there from the start & gradually grew & grew. The plot was well paced & kept me engrossed. I look forward to more of the Dozen having their HEAs