Starring John Barnesworth and Lady Charlotte Stirling

Tropes: Unrequited Love (for the hero), Older Brother’s Best Friend, Beta Hero, Spare to Heir

Okay imma just gonna get this out of the way… Charlotte is NOT a wallflower. She’s a social butterfly that loves the limelight. So I was a little bit confused with the title.

But with that being said, I really enjoyed Charlotte and John’s road to HEA. I love a delicious beta hero. I was afraid that Charlotte’s over the top extrovert personality would outshine John, but I think they complemented each other beautifully. Charlotte helped John come out of his shell a little bit… and John helped Charlotte realize that she didn’t have to say yes to every function and cause. I love that they balanced each other out.

I love that John is an inventor with a (kinda) photographic memory. But I wish that the inventions he came up with were unique. It was hard to distance him from the big names that truly invented the things he was working on.

I’m kinda iffy on the plot twist at the end. The only reason why it didn’t throw me completely off was… Okay… imma gonna say it. The collateral damage made me like Luella (Charlotte’s nemesis). And now I really want Will (Charlotte’s brother) to end up with her!! Luella kinda redeemed herself in the end and I want her and Charlotte to end up as sisters. I know, I know! But I really want to see more of her now.

I think this is my first Samara Parish book. I did enjoy Charlotte and John’s story and I like SP’s writing style very much. Will definitely look for the other titles in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily review it and the comments are 100% my own.

My star rating: 3 1/2
Book was great. Enjoyed the characters. Storyline kept me entertained... but did not make me cry.

I remember reading this author before and having a love/hate relationship with their books, but when I saw Charlotte was the lead, I decided I would give her another shot because I loved Charlotte in How to Deceive a Duke.

Sadly, all of the things I dislike about this author are still true. And I will be the first to admit that this is more of a "me' problem than it is with the author. You see, this author does a remarkable job when it comes to writing interesting characters with obvious chemistry. Charlotte manages to be headstrong but helpful. She loves her family and her friends, and there is (literally) nothing she wouldn't do for them. Likewise, while flawed and despite wanting nothing to do with the title that has been passed to him, John puts aside his own life to set things to rights on his estates. When the two are together, sparks fly, even when they both know nothing can come of it.

Eventually, as with all romance novels, the couple faces a hurdle that seems insurmountable. So they devise a plan to overcome it. And then something else happens, and something else happens, and something else happens, and then ..... well, you get the idea. It was as though just as soon as the couple solves one problem facing them, another one pops up (and a couple of them were ridiculous and far-fetched, in my opinion). It got to the point where I stopped caring if they ever got their happily ever after because I just wanted the book to be finished so the endless reams of trouble would stop.

Again, I recognize that this is more of an issue with myself as a reader and the things I expect from an author/story, and I do believe others will get more enjoyment from this book than I did.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is book 3 of the Rebels with a Cause series, and about the third partner in the rail business, John Barnesworth. He is the second son of a viscount and treated as a pariah of Society and his family because he was not a typical aristocrat. He is a highly intelligent, inventive, introverted engineer, who grew up shy with a speech impediment and rejected, neglected, and derided by his own parents and older brother. He leaves society and his primary friends are Ben Asterley and Fiona McTavish, his business partners, and Edward Stirling, the Duke of Wildeforde, who was his schoolfriend. He had left England to help manage the American side of the business, but forced to return to take up the reins of the viscountcy after the mysterious passing of his brother.

He finds the viscountcy in bankruptcy and owing much, thanks to the poor management and profligate spending of his brother, and that he is contracted for marriage to a horrible woman, as the surviving Viscount, but she comes with a large enough dowry to pay all debts. Even with selling his part in the business, and trying to come up with a money making scheme, he would not be able to pay all the debts, so he has to consider the marriage, and perhaps return to America, since he hates the social strata and social expectations of the Ton.

Charlotte Stirling, the sister of Edward, is a social butterfly and beloved by the Ton, being kind, generous, and nice. She appears to be the opposite of John. She also has a terrible crush on him, despite her brother's disapproval. When she finds out the trouble John is in, she engages in various schemes to help him, and help herself by getting closer to him. John promised Edward that he would not encourage Charlotte, but he cannot help himself because she is so appealing to him, even though he thinks he does not deserve her and cannot give her the life she needs. After all, he is an awkward, poor, introvert who would rather be isolated in a cabin in the wilds of America, and she is a rich, beautiful, beloved Society darling. But Charlotte manages to convince John, and her brother, that they can face their obstacles, and succeed together, and have a successful relationship with common goals.

However, disaster strikes when it turns out John does not have the viscountcy, and this occurs after he has sold his share of the business and sunk all the monies he has into the estates, losing his own personal funds. Now he doesn't even have the title or any monies to offer a life for Charlotte, and resigns himself to leave, alone, for America to restart.

I rather enjoyed this secret crush, opposites attract story. There was a good continuation of book 2, and continued the story line of Edward being the overbearing all controlling big brother, and there was some added drama with the return of the younger Stirling brother as well, and unresolved tension between the two brothers. In fact, there were parallel stories of brotherly conflict. The overbearing mother was not evident though, and she could have added some extra tension too considering her character, and the conflict she had with her children and her societal expectations.

But then again, no one would likely mourn too much if the Dowager Duchess were no more, right?

Generally a good story and I enjoyed the twists with the unexpected fiancee, and the linked history to previous stories in that, and the twist with John losing the viscountcy, but also how he was redeemed in the end, and how they reached their HEA. I am curious about a future story resolving the conflict between the Stirling brothers too and redemption for the younger brother. I did feel that his recovery from the drinking and laudanum was skimmed over, without the depth it should have been given, considering how messy and difficult overcoming alcohol and opiate dependency is.

4 stars out of 5

John unfortunately inherits when his brother dies. Something John wished never to do. He was happy living his small simple lifestyle. Charlotte has know John most of her life and only wants to help him with his new role. What could possibly go wrong? Read the book and find out.

Overall, this story was good but there were a few too many twists and turns that steered away from the romance at times. There was a lot of potential and it started off strong but the multiple conflicts watered it down a bit for me.
This definitely wetted my appetite for Will’s story though: The mystery behind what happened to him, was set up well in this book!

Great book, loved the characters. Charlotte is a society lady who has always had a crush on her brothers friend John. John just moved back to London from America to claim his recently dead brothers title of becoming a Viscount. John has to solve the problem of debt and Charlotte comes up with some plans to help in order to get close to John. Along the way there’s more drama with John having to marry Charlottes nemesis, gambling, and brothers returning. This was such a great read, it took you on a fun adventure. A definite must read!!!

How to Win a Wallflower is the third installment in the Rebel with a Cause series by Samara Parish. This book is on par with the other two in the series. The main characters a likable and their is suitable romantic tension. There is perhaps too much conflict in the plot, though. The characters face every obstacle possible before they find their happily ever after and it is a bit frustrating by the end. However, the story is well written and fits well in the genre with a moderate spice level.

Romantic story with likable MCs. I really liked the FMC in this story. I thought she was witty, determined and loving. This is especially important because as a woman of high ranking she was never cruel or overly concerned with her importance, I did find the H unlikable at times. He could be very judgmental and was stuck in his ways. In the end though I found both of them together to be a great pair. The plot was entertaining and I really enjoyed the idea of the H inheriting a broke estate and the h trying to help him solve it. The only issue I had with the plot line was the very end. While the surprise twist caught me off guard, the reaction the h and H had to it was frustrating and the solution unbelievable. I will probably read this book again and recommend it to others for an enjoyable light read.

Received a copy for review.
Best friends younger sister/ unexpected aristocracy
Charlotte has had a crush on the quiet boy next door since she was a child. He left England after Eaton and has only returned because his brother was killed.
It’s an easy read with a shy Earl whose stutter has isolated him. His brothers complete destruction of the family fortune , has him panicking about paying all the debts off.

I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley. I hope you enjoy my honest review.

I have mixed feelings about “How to Win a Wallflower.” On the one hand the author’s voice is very clear & readable—which is the best way to keep me reading. But on the other hand, this book really stressed me out. I’m sure you’re wondering, “How did a historical romance stress you out?”

I’ll tell you, but first let me say a few good things about the book.

I liked John, the leading man. I love a good handsome, intellectual, quiet man. If I had a type that would be it. The author also does a good job of making you hate Luella (the leading lady’s arch nemesis). I can perfectly picture her. She’s like a historical romance Meredith Blake (if you know, you know). And, unexpectedly, there was a thread woven throughout this novel about setting healthy boundaries. I really appreciated that, & it’s something I’ve never seen in a novel before.

I’m not going to summarize the plot for you because this book has so many twists & “what the what” moments, it’s hard to summarize the plot without giving it all away.

The reason I struggle to recommend “How to Win a Wallflower” is it’s too high stakes. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong. I understand that every story needs some sort of tension. That’s what drives it. But in this book, there were seriously like 7 DIFFERENT large obstacles to overcome (& that’s in just over 380 pages!). I don’t know about you, but I don’t read historical romance for the high stakes moments. I like my moments of tension in historical romance to be more of the sexual or romantic nature and less of the scary sort.

Something else… this book seemed to contain 2 different recycled Julia Quinn plot points: the stuttering like in Bridgerton, & the “my daughter is betrothed to the duke regardless of who the duke is” like “The Lost Duke of Wyndham”. I love Julia Quinn books, too, so this didn’t bother me too much.

I give this book 3 stars because I appreciate the author’s voice & style. As a story, I cannot recommend it, however, because the book contains too many anxiety inducing obstacles.

Lady Charlotte Stirling is a social butterfly and has secretly been in love with her brother’s oldest friend, John Barnesworth.

This is a fun, emotional, romantic read with a few shocking twists.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I liked this third book (my second) in Samara Parish's Rebels With a Cause series well enough, but I didn't precisely love it. I think it's because it felt as if obstacles were thrown in Charlotte and John's path somewhat willy nilly and also because I liked the characters until I didn't (though I liked them again be the end).

So John, a second son, has been living in a one-room cabin in America for about a decade when his horrible older brother dies, leaving John heir to a viscountcy drowning in debt. Charlotte is a duke's sister and London neighbor of John, and she's been in love with him since she was a child. John and the duke have been buddies for years, and John owns a business with the duchess, but the duke is totally against any match between our two heroes because of a combo of John's inherited debt and the whole grump/sunshine mismatch thing. Drama ensues.

The plot isn't entirely new, and that is perhaps why the book dragged for me at times. I also struggled with the inconstancy of the roadblocks (debt, grump/sunshine again) and how they're dealt with. The more tangible issue is conquered rather too easily and quickly, in my opinion, while the less tangible one introduces a character flaw in Charlotte that I had a lot of trouble with (though she more or less redeems herself by the end). I'm being vague, sorry, but I don't want to introduce spoilers.

In general, though, I like Charlotte and John and did find myself rooting for them, even when despairing over whether John would grow a pair or if Charlotte would ever realize she's her own obstacle to happiness.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion.

I loved this book. John and Charlotte overcame both personality quirks and societal perceptions in their path to happiness. I liked that the wallflower in the title was not the heroine. Nice twist. I do wish that more had been written about the friendship of John, Benedict and Wilde as they are the connection between the 3 books written by this author. Loved the way the author resolved all the various pieces to lead to a Happy Ending.

Having read the previous books in the Rebels with a Cause series, I was happy to receive an ARC of this, the third installment. (All opinions herein are entirely my own.) I admittedly dithered a bit before actually reading the book as I don't love stories where one of the main characters is already involved with/engaged to another. Happily, that did not end up being a huge focus of this book. Not to mention the "fiancee" is a pretty terrible person.

This is the story of Charlotte and her brother's best friend, John, back in London an unexpected viscount. Charlotte has loved John for years, but her brother opposes any match between them, believing John's quiet introversion and Charlotte's love of people make them a bad match. A solid reason for opposition, if you ask me. Charlotte is determined to prove her brother wrong, and brings John along for a fun, slightly dangerous ride. Along the way, the duo find commonality and all the ways they complement one another as they seek a HEA.

Charlotte has a lot of freedom in this book, more than I think she would have actually experienced in the time period in which this story is set. Her ducal brother seems alternatively overprotective and clueless. I also am always amused when stories throw a mask on a character and somehow no one knows who s/he is. Charlotte is definitely impulsive and somehow manages to be both selfless and selfish, though by the end of the book she settles into herself rather admirably. John will never be the life of a party but he does recognize that Charlotte brings out a lighter and more sociable side that he grows to enjoy.

The road to happiness for Charlotte and John is definitely tested. While the villain of the story is unexpected, it is an interesting twist, as is how the villain is ultimately vanquished. I give this book 4.5 stars, rounded to 5. I look forward to hopefully reading Will's story next!

I’m a marketing and publicity intern at Forever Publishing, so I am reading this for work! Aaaaaaand there's a character limit on reviews here are some more words

A study in contrast. He is an introvert and she’s an extrovert. But they shared difficult childhoods that shaped their personalities. Together, they are complete because they complement each other. I enjoyed the interactions, adventures the couple went through. No boring pages in this book!

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

I highly recommend reading this book if you are a fan of Bridgerton. It gave me a lot of the same vibes that Daphne and the Duke gave me. With Charlotte being the innocent, catch of each season and John being experienced and having a learning disability. Also the brother’s best friend trope. It was so alike that I think that’s why I rated it a 4 because it felt like the same premise.

I also felt like the ending was kind of rushed. Don’t get me wrong, it was one of the cutest endings ever, but I felt like a lot of the last few chapters were spent on things that didn’t really need to be discussed when John could’ve been getting the girl.

Other than that, I really liked this book. I thought it had a cute love story and I was on the edge of my seat, never knowing what would happen next. With that in mind, there is a big plot twist that I didn’t see coming at the time but now that I think of it, I definitely should’ve put two and two together.

Just to mention, this is the third book in this series. I didn’t realize that when I requested it but honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary to read the first and second books. Each of the books is about a different character so you really don’t have to read each one. Although, if I had read the others, a lot of the background would’ve been revealed. There were a lot of parts that mentioned things I’m assuming happened in the first book but didn’t elaborate on them. I don’t think I missed much though.

I highly recommend this book. It’s a cute historical romance with a lot of deeper meaning to it. Although it took me a while to read, it was worth it.

What a great read! It’s the “in love with brother’s best friend” trope with some great additions the brother knows about the crush and doesn’t support it because he thinks the two are a bad match based on personality. I mean he is of course wrong, but it was nice to not have it be a meaningless reason or weird sexism. Also, the FMC has to come to terms with her own personality quirks and be willing to work to get her HEA. I enjoyed these characters immensely and can’t wait for the next one.

4 out of 5 stars

This book was such a cute romance! Even though it is the third in the series, I read it without having read either of the other two. I will definitely be reading the first two in the series, but this one reads well enough as a standalone.

Lady Charlotte is in love with her older brother’s best friend. Even though it’s been years since she last saw John, Charlotte has still held out hope that there could be a possibility for something to grow between the two of them. When John’s brother dies unexpectedly, he returns to settle the huge debts his brother owed. The only option appears to be marrying his brother’s mean-spirited fiancée. Seeing an opportunity to help (and get closer to) John, Charlotte comes up with a scheme to settle his debts.

I loved Charlotte’s character! She is such a strong, likeable character. Even though her character seems in contrast with John’s introverted self, they really being out the best in each other! I loved reading John come alive and grow more confident in himself.

Even though I loved reading about John creating inventions, I wish the author had him come up with an invention original to John. I think lawnmowers and telegrams were a few of the things mentioned. While I still think it’s a cool twist to have had him be the one to “create” those ideas, it would still have been interesting to see him come up with his own idea.

Overall, this was such a cute romance! Strong women characters and a great character with John! I read this one super quickly, and I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves reading regency romance.

*Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and Samara Parish for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Charlotte is probably the best aspect of this book. Parish allows her to be unabashedly kind and feminine without judgment, and that's not something I have seen in very much in my time reading romance.

On the other hand, it felt like too much was happening too quickly and it was capital s Stressful. I didn't feel like I was given the time to process all the things that happened.