Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is an enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys an extroverted fmc & introvert mc. The socio-economic commentary in the book sets it apart from your typical historical romance but like most historical romances I've rated 3 stars, my one major gripe is that the writing and dialogue is too modern for the time period. It's extremely hard to find current HR romance writers that write in a way that sucks you in to the time period as opposed to writing modern characters and plopping them in the 1700-1800s. I dont think this book hits that mark in that respect.

Anyone who is intrigued by the synopsis should give it a try. 3/5 Stars

I received an eARC copy from Forever via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Historical rom-com with family secrets, a scandalous mystery, and... a brother's best friend romance trope?! I'm. In.

Lady Charlotte Lovett has fled her arranged betrothal after hearing some very... dark rumors about her fiancé, and she finds herself embroiled in a plot to expose Viscount Hawley's secrets with the help of Dr. Matthew Talbot, his brother. As they work together, sparks fly, but danger lurks around every corner.

There were a lot of light-hearted moments interspersed with the darker content, which I appreciated. There were some predictable moments, language a little flowery at some parts, but I enjoyed this read!

The romance was compelling, as were the secondary characters!

This novel is a delightful addition to the historical romance genre.

2 stars. This just didn’t work for me. I found it to be mostly bland and boring.

I expected this to be a fun and funny romp. It's not really. It’s very dry and the story drags quite a bit. Everyone is burdened by serious issues. It’s just not the kind of book I expected to get after reading the blurb. Not my historical romance cup of tea.

The writing is trying way too hard to seem historical, but it just ends up feeling clumsy. The historical element didn't make the most sense. There's no mystery around the villain of the story. All that was missing was for him to start twirling his moustache! There's also very little romance. They just occasionally think the other person is hot, but that's it. They have no chemistry. The trope of best friend's little sister, which is a favourite of mine, doesn't really deliver much!

Sadly, a miss for me. I just didn’t care and wasn’t having fun.

This book was just okay. I didn't really connect with the story. Although, I loved Lady Charlotte as a character, I just couldn't get into the mystery part of the story. I would have much rather had the love story and none of the murder talk. My favorite type of character in the regency setting is a woman trying to make her own way. Lady Charlotte definitely hits all those boxes. I would have much rather read more about how she was managing the tea room and all of the ways she got her society pals to come. I thought that particular plot line was fascinating. I also really liked the main love interest. I just didn't like the investigation and all of that secrecy stuff. When I pick up a regency novel I want it to be fluffy and filled with balls and society faux pas and such. I think if you like historical fiction with a mystery element then this book will absolutely be for you.

Based on the fantastic cover I assumed I was going to be reading a fun regency romp (which I did) but it was so much more!! At first, this story might seem a bit absurd, especially with a parrot causing havoc every chance it gets. However, there is so much more going on, from discussion of the slave trade, indentured servitude, indigenous people in England and the Americas, the treatment of artifacts, the place of women in Georgian society... the list goes on. We have Charlotte a strong woman searching for independence so she doesn't have to a marry a sociopath who's already killed multiple wives. Then we have Matthew, said sociopath's younger brother, he was wonderful, it was nice to see a more quiet unassuming male lead who can take action when required! There chemistry was flawless!

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋 (for kisses)
Sex Scene Length: No sex scenes on page
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): No on page steam
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused?
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: Takes a little bit, about 12% (chapter 3)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, not too far in the future
Format: voluntarily read an e-book version of the novel from NetGalley (requested after the pub date)

Should I read in order?
I believe this is a stand alone or first in a future series.

Basic plot:
Charlotte has just been informed she is betrothed – whether she wants to be or not. She simply must prove her future spouse is too awful to marry and engages in his brother’s assistance.

Give this a try if you want:
- historical romance (I couldn’t peg the date, but maybe Georgian? Pre-Regency?)
- brother’s best friend
- villain to defeat
- pets/animals in the story – a parrot and a monkey are featured
- doctor, author and spy hero
- no steam on page but there’s multiple kisses

Ages:
- Heroine is 25, didn’t catch hero (but I think he’s a similar age, as his older brother is 29

First line:
“This gown will be perfect for the betrothal ball.”

My thoughts:
I really appreciated the humor in this one. At some points it maybe felt a bit over the top but it was still enjoyable. The animal friends were hilarious.

I definitely wanted more steam. There were quite a few kisses though!

Overall I liked her writing and fast pace of the story. I definitely want steam in my books at this point, so I’m not sure if I would read her again. Maybe I’d pick up a novella. Those that don’t mind lower steam might really enjoy this romp though. It has a lot to enjoy.

\\\\\ 3.5 \\\\\

Starting things with honesty here, I got so close to DNFing this one but I am glad I did not. Instead, I took a break and when I got back to it, it was like reading something totally different. Not sure if I was in a bad mood for it when I started or if things just picked up after 40% but it worked for me. If I was only rating the second part of this book, it would be a solid 4 stars. But considering my struggle with the whole first part, imma stay at 3.5 rounded up.

My first thoughts on this book were: this is nothing like I expected... The title, the cover, the blurb. I thought I signed up for a historical romance with a bit of mystery. But right now I am just confused about what this is about. After 30% in, there is still no romance in sight. The mystery part didn't advance at all. I pretty much just learned about a coffee shop, for a lot of pages. Also, I didn't get enough information to fall for any character so far, and I am just wondering where this is all going.

I came back to the book after pausing it for a while and somehow it was all getting better and better suddenly.

The characters grew on me so quickly. Sweet, shy and kindhearted Matthew was so damn cute I just couldn't resist him. The more we got to see him, the harder I fell. He was always so caring about everyone (even animals) and when we got to talk about his hard past, my heart just bled for him. Such a wonderful character. I absolutely loved Charlotte and how she fought for herself and for others as well. She really tried to push that whole high society background out to get the life she wanted. Not caring about privileges and really going for happiness instead.

I absolutely loved the friends and particularly her brother who was pushing his friend with her because he saw the perfect match they were. Her parents might be awful but sibling love is so damn satisfying, and the whole found family with friendship and all the people from the coffee shop made it all better! Add to this the sweet animals that were always there to add a bit of fun to this darker story and it really made for a nice entertaining setup!

The mystery part of the book also got clearer and I knew what I was looking for. With some doubts about Matthew at first, it really made it interesting, and I was looking forward to seeing how they would manage to solve all that was going on. There wasn't really a big mystery as in a whodunit type of thing, it was more about how to prove something and get out of this situation but it was still pretty interesting and we got the action going on throughout this story with some attacks and pursuits and all so it kept being pretty page-turner worthy.

The love story started taking more space in that second part and I was really looking forward to our MCs' interactions and ended up really loving their story. It was sweet and they truly cared about each other. It got more and more engaging and I was so rooting for them to get together. It was charming but still passionate and it was so nice.

I loved that we got a little bit of an intriguing setup for book two at the end of this one. This is for sure the way to make me look forward to the next one. And I really loved the character it will be about so I'm curious about it all.

All in all, I ended up enjoying my reading. I think that what got me frustrated at the start might have been that it wasn't what I expected and my mood was off maybe? So I will want to try that author again, I think there is some great potential here and these historical romance mysteries are really growing on me. I also feel like now that the characters have won my heart, it will probably go more smoothly for me in the next one. Looking forward to it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my copy. All opinions are my own.

When Charlotte finds out her parents are arranging a contract to have her married to a ducal heir suspected of murdering his first two wives, she knows it's time to make some changes. She uses an inheritance to invest in a coffee shop for income while she plans to investigate and expose his crimes. Matthew is her brother's best friend and coincidentally also the brother to the man her parents expect her to marry. He's a third son, terrorized by his older brothers during his childhood. Quiet, shy, studious, a physician, naturalist, and secret adventurer, he doesn't feel good enough for Charlotte. They grow closer as they set out to expose his brother. Set in the 1750s this has a modern vibe with Charlotte's independence and outspokenness and Matthew's openness to a wife as an equal partner. Oh yes, I almost forgot. An amazing parrot and monkey add some levity to the situation.

I have tried to lose myself in this story for the last three months. Unfortunately, the characters are coming across as too cliche and one-dimensional. I think the author has promise, I just don’t think this is the book for me.

Man was that a thrilling story!! I was on the edge of my see the whole time! I can not wait for the second one!! Such passion for that time, lots of steam!!! 3.5 stars ⭐️

Charlotte doesn’t want much. A strong cup of coffee out with friends and, I don’t know, maybe to not be forced into a marriage with a guy she’s pretty sure is responsible for the death of his two previous wives?

Times being what they are, both goals are harder to achieve than one might hope.

She’s determined though. Offering some inherited money to a relation to expand their coffeehouse and shaping it into a place that would reject women as customers. Then teaming up Matthew - the brother of her potential betrothed - and her own brother in an unlikely trio to prove him guilty of crimes.

The relationship between Charlotte and Matthew is the slowest of burns. In fact the relationship between Pan the parrot and Banshee the capuchin is much more intense for most the story, a show stealer really. Still, despite the slow start, by the end there is a very satisfactory HEA.
Other than the wacky animal kingdom love match, I think my favorite parts were when people publicly turned on the evil Hawley. Love to see people like that lose their power and position in a wave.

Charlotte has found herself betrothed to Viscount Hawley. This would be any woman’s dreams, except there is still suspicion around Hawley’s previous wives deaths. Through the whirlwind of Charlotte’s betrothal announcement Dr. Matthew Talbot a childhood friend returns from the America’s. Mathew’s return is quite suspicious since he is the estranged brother of Viscount Hawley. Charlotte takes is upon herself to investigate the suspicious deaths and finds herself wrapped up in a mystery.

I really enjoyed this book and love Victorian era mysteries with strong willed female characters. This is right up your alley if you enjoy books by Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas.

I was so excited to receive this one early and I was not disappointed! There was a lot going on which I LOVED because I have adhd so it was very easy for me to not lose any focus and I ended up reading the whole thing in under 5 hours! I cannot wait to purchase my own copy when it releases!

A perfectly fine historical romance! I liked the humor and the other elements of the story outside the romance, but I don’t think I’ll reread this one!

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
┏━━━━━•❅•°•❈•°•❅•━━━━━┓

ੈ♡˳ rating: 3.5/5

ੈ♡˳ thoughts:
when i picked this book, i instantly thought of the show bridgerton. the show, which so happens to be one of my favorite shows, is why i decided to request a copy of this book. while it does have some of the same themes as bridgerton, it is extremely different. some of the romantic aspects are there, and obviously the era is pretty much the same as well. but there is so much more to this book than just a romance story. it’s a bit darker than a book like bridgerton would be, and has a lot more adventure and mystery and suspense. it’s basically like four book genre’s put into one. my biggest issue with the book is that it seems very modern, but then it also seems very outdated at the same time. at some points of the book you can tell it’s based in the 1800s, but that is only because of the words that are used. at other points in the book, if i was told it was 2024, i would believe that as well. the book is also in third person, pov form which i know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. even though it’s not mine, i still read the book though. lastly, there is so much happening in the book that the spice level is basically 0, which is something to keep in mind as well. while i enjoyed the book a lot, unfortunately i had to dnf it around 39%. i just could not get into it. there was a lot going on and i felt confused a lot of the time especially with all of the prose in the book, it seemed like there was nothing to break it up.

ੈ♡˳ quotes:
: ̗̀➛ “His pulse was thundering for Lady Charlotte. It was always for Charlotte.”

ੈ♡˳ tropes:
ꕥ found family
ꕥ he falls first
ꕥ opposites attract
ꕥ different worlds


◡̈ ◡̈ ◡̈

3 Stars--Overall very cute, but not as memorable as I'd hoped.

What I liked: Wholesome/sweet MMC, strong FMC, mystery and intrigue, and who doesn't love the brother's best friend trope.

What I didn't like: the pacing felt off at some points. Too slow then way too fast and too much going on. It was hard to follow at times.

Despite the cover, this book is not as lighthearted as you would think. It kind of annoys me that they used so a fun and bright cover for some of the topics that this book covered (I mean right off the bat we're talking murder). I think that is what gave me my false expectations going into the book.

I had to DNF this at 45%. There was too much going on with the plot that wasn't interesting to me — with the animals and the coffee shop and the bad guys were over the top. The love story wasn't enough to keep me interested in the book.

The words madcap and even zany could be used to describe this book with pirates, a talking parrot, and oh so much more. However, this was also an engaging historical romance with great characters that didn’t shy away from social issues.

I loved this book for the diverse cast of characters, including the animals, the romance and the solid historical notes at the end.

There is an intriguing setup for the next book in the series, and I can’t wait to read it!!

4.5 rounded up

I started this book, put it down because it was slow, then picked it back up a few weeks later and ended up really enjoying it. I really liked how the author blended together the world’s of the London aristocracy with the working class, giving us a glimpse into the world of coffee houses, as well as efforts to support the abolition of slavery. The love story between the parrot and the monkey was a surprise and an utter delight, and these lighter moments really helped to balance out the more serious themes of the book, including trying to stop the arranged marriage of Lady Charlotte to an aristocrat believed to have killed his first two wives.
The book sets up for a series and I will definitely be reading the second

Thanks to Forever for an early e-ARC of the book; all opinions are my own.

Charlotte has in many ways floated through a life not of her choosing, allowing her good looks, titled family, and money, to guide her into the identity her parents want for her. That is until they want to betroth her to a murderous heir to a dukedom. Now, Charlotte must take matters into her own hands, race against the clock and prove her parent's choice is not merely unsuitable, but deadly, or wind-up six-feet under like his first two wives.

Fortunately, her almost-finance is the brother of her twin's best friend, a kindly doctor who rejected his family's view of society, named Alexander, who has been crushing on Charlotte forever. He's also been trying to prove his brother's misdeeds for years but has been unsuccessful. Especially as he also has his own secrets to hide, ones which could jeopardize the works and lives of many others if discovered.

What ensues is not only an intriguing mystery/Robber Bridegroom retelling, but a lovely slow-burn romance between two people discovering their own power and learning that life, whatever it brings, is better together, even if it's not what they'd be taught to expect.

Smart and nuanced, Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man, is the perfect balance between genres, whimsy, and poignancy. A wonderful debut and I can't wait to read more from Violet Marsh.