I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

This was a really fun historical. While this book did not exactly add anything new to the genre it was still a really enjoyable read. My favorite part of the book was definitely Ewan. Loved the taciturn, broody, tortured hero. Lorraine was sometimes too much and was more annoying than charming. Still, I liked her overall even when rolling my eyes at her. This was my first book by the author and will not be the last.

Ewan is a man of few words. Which is a good thing because he can't get a word in while with Lorraine. Ewan has taken a job to protect Lorraine, and he takes it very seriously. It doesn't help that Lorraine doesn't want to be protected. Until he shows her what love really feels like. I really enjoyed Third Son's a Charm.

This novel was a great read with quite a twist from the usual story. Lady Lorraine, the daughter of the Duke of Ridlington was quite a determined woman who knows her own mind. She initially appears to act without thought for the consequences but as the novel progresses, this characteristic reflects her independence. Ewan Mostyn, the third son of the Earl of Pemberly, in contrast, thinks before he speaks. His every action is carefully thought out. Ewan is dyslexic and he suffers as a result, being perceived as stupid. Ewan is anything but stupid. He has a strong sense of character and this makes him an endearing male character.

I enjoyed this romance, and its strength was the primary romance and main characters involved in it. It was well-paced and kept my attention through the end. There was a secondary romance also in the form of the heroine's parents, which did not take up much page space, but it was relevant to heroine's story and was a nice addition.

The heroine, Lorraine, is the only daughter of a Duke and youngest child. She is in her second season and is very ready to get married. She thinks she has found the one and is in love. Her parents are convinced he is after her dowry and discouraged his suit. He is, of course, after her dowry and preys on her need for attention and love. Being the youngest, she has been affectionately ignored. Her parents seem to care about her and her future, but they are too preoccupied with their own pursuits to pay her much attention. While Lorraine doesn't have a bad childhood, she also doesn't have anyone that puts her first. As an enthusiastic and persistent young woman, who is brimming with hormones, she is easy prey for a handsome, glib, fortune-hunting mister. After a failed elopement scare, her parents engage the services of a bodyguard.

The hero, Ewan, is the third son of an Earl, and a war hero. He is a man of few words -- often using one or two word sentences or just pointed looks to convey his meaning. He has a learning disability and is essentially illiterate and had a rough childhood as a result. He is part of a specialized force that took on very dangerous missions and earns the nickname of the protector. Due to his reputation and his (unfriendly) familial connection to the fortune hunter, the Duke hires him to be the bodyguard to his daughter. He is a large and intimidating hero, so an apparent perfect bodyguard.

Ewan and Lorraine meet when he rescues her from oncoming traffic when she darts into the road to catch her dog. This story has a bit of a damsel-in-distress theme, but not in a helpless damsel sense, more in the impetuous sense. Ewan clearly respects and admires her. When Lorraine gets into scrapes, Ewan is there to help her. When Ewan needs help, he trusts her with his secret and they work together to figure it out. I thought this aspect was well done. Their love starts in respect, with a mutual, potent attraction, and grows. Lorraine is understandably confused by her feelings, thinking she is still in love with the fortune hunter but finding she is having a deeper, more meaningful connection with Ewan. Some may have problems with this side of the story, but I enjoyed how she slowly realized the significance in the difference of her feelings for the two men.

This was an enjoyable, entertaining novel that I stayed up way too late to finish. It wasn't perfect, but it was a nice read. I wouldn't recommend to readers who are easily annoyed with heroines, because there were some, what might be described as TSTL moments. My main complaint was the ending felt rushed (this is a common complaint for me). And without getting into spoilers, I felt the ending went the wrong way a bit. I think the author may have been trying to avoid going too far damsel-in-distress, but I think it would have been sweet here.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the concept of Third Son's a Charm, but the book ran a little long for the story it had to tell and dragged in parts. I really had to force myself to finish it. The behavior of the heroine and her hero bodyguard are very modern, not at all in keeping with the time period. Also, the plot device of the heroine getting kidnapped and the hero rescuing her is very very overused.

My favorite part of the book was a side plot involving the heroine's father trying to restore his romantic relationship with his wife.

If you enjoy regency romance stories showcasing contemporary behavior, you might enjoy Third Son's a Charm.

I read an advance reader copy of Third Son's a Charm. It is scheduled to be published in November 2017.

I really enjoyed Third Son's a Charm! The characters were engaging and the romance was steamy!

I really wanted to like this book, but it was just not engaging. The heroine was, to be blunt, an idiot. Truly, she was the epitome of a TSTL heroine. How every one could see that Francis is an awful human being except her is beyond me. And she kept going on about loving him but they haven't even had a proper kiss yet?? It didn't add up, and she just seemed extremely naive. Particularly when she said she would do washing for people if her father cut her off and actually said it can't be that hard. *face palm*

I did like Ewan and thought his character showed real promise. I liked how different he was from the usual hero. But he deserved a better heroine. Lorraine was just ridiculous.

Too slow for me. The story dragged on and the plot and characters weren't interesting enough to grab my attention.

Honestly.. Kind of boring. I was excited because Ewan was a big brute of a man. He was a soldier and he didn't speak. That's one of my favorite HR heroes! And I did like Ewan for the most part but lord Lorraine was a flipping idiot. I mean she was seriously TSTL. I don't understand how she made it as far as she did in life. It was so unbearably obvious that Francis was after her money and she wouldn't listen to anyone about him. Oh and she fell in love with Ewan all of a sudden but still didn't think she wanted to marry him. She was just all over the place and I wanted to hit her.

The story was so predictable. I have read a lot of HRs.. I mean a lot.. so I understand that there are only so many ways to tell a story but this one was just cookie cutter and I feel like I have read the same thing many times before. I have never read anything by this author and I have honestly never heard of her but this wasn't the greatest book. The characters were weak and the story was boring. I still may give her another shot. Depends on what else comes up.

I really enjoyed this! This is the first book in a series based on a group of "spares" from noble families who have survived the Napoleonic wars. Ewan has been hired to be the body guard to Lorrie, who wants to marry Ewan's conniving cousin.

On first being introduced to Lorrie, I was all set to dislike her. The first scene she is in she comes off as incredibly annoying, but I warmed up to her.

Many of the secondary characters were really great too. I liked the little side story of Lorrie's parents. I also am looking forward to reading the other Survivors stories.

I also quite liked that the story touched on issues such as learning disabilities and PTSD.

All in all - a nice, light, romantic read :)

Lorraine and Ewan's story is a strong first book in Galen's new series. It is fresh and entertaining. Galen rarely disappoints and the Third Son's a Charm is no exception. Looking forward to her next novel.

Lorrie and Ewan are the perfect opposites, and you know what they say about that...and they attract so well. I didn't like that the author kept referring to Ewan as stupid, but overall this book was a great read. Ms. Galen is great at making you feel the characters and how well they come alive on the page.

Ewan Mostyn is a very interesting character.

With that being said, he is the only reason why this book got 3 stars!

I have been anticipating this book. I love the trope - rich girl gets a bodyguard and falls in love with said bodyguard. But this wasn't executed as well as I hoped.

Shana Galen has been a hit and miss for me. To be honest, the last book written by her that I absolutely love was Earls Just Want to Have Fun. And that was released in 2015.

Third Son's a Charm has a very interesting premise - third sons born in the nobility, fight in the war to defend England and are now back in London trying to live a normal life. Ewan Mostyn, is one of these men. He is known as The Protector and is working as a bouncer at one of the gaming clubs where he owns a percentage. Until the Duke of Ridlington asks him to be a bodyguard for his wayward daughter. The hook, his daughter, Lady Lorraine, is bent on eloping with Ewan's wastrel cousin!

As I've said before, this is one of my favorite tropes, and I initially liked the first few chapters.

BUT. Yes, there is a but!

She got on my nerves before I even reached the half of the book! It was very, very frustrating. She was too ditzy for me and fell too guileless that I wanted to shake her.

I mean, she was too immature! Too immature for the stoic Ewan!

Ewan is another story, though.

He was the perfect hero, tough but very gentle. There is also a trigger warning for anyone who has been bullied. Ewan was bullied growing up because he had dyslexia! At that time, they did not know what dyslexia was and they thought that he was an idiot. He was also bullied by his cousin, Francis. And not only that, his father also did not treat him right. And what's more, he can't read!

Ewan is a fully developed character. In fact, he is the only saving grace in this book. Really.

As for Lorraine, well, she just felt too shallow. I didn't think that she deserved a man like Ewan. At least, not until she grows up.

The third act also felt rushed. And as a result, the declarations of love felt too shallow.

My Recommendation
The premise of this series is very interesting. Ewan and a group of ex-soldiers - 12 left from their company are now in London trying to build a normal life. They belong to an exclusive club and we meet a few of the 12. For now, the series, The Survivors has 3 books listed and I hope that it will be Rafe and Neil's stories!

Third Son's a Charm is well-written, but it did not wow me at all.

The hero Ewan is a gentle giant with dyslexia. The heroine Lorrie is strong and feisty. It was a fun romance with good secondary characters

I received a copy from the publishers in via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

As anyone reading my blog can tell you, I love historical romances. They have been my favourite genre since I first discovered romances, many years ago. This is one of the best romances I have read in a long while. I have to really love something to give it five stars and I would have given this book more.

I absolutely loved the characters, in particular, Ewan. He is not your typical historical hero. Yes, he is gentry and a returning war hero, but he is also illiterate which is unheard of in English aristocracy.

I cannot wait for the next in the series.

This book particularly touched me having a sibling with dyslexia who was teased horribly for it much like our Hero. Ewan grabbed your sympathy right away and rose above his bad childhood. I came to appreciate and root for Ewan's and Lorraine's characters. They were both brave and kind people. I also liked the subplot of Lorraine's parents and their relationship. Being a body guard for Lady Lorraine in keeping her from his dishonorable cousin put them together and Lorraine's appreciation for Ewan developed nicely. I liked Lorraine's spunk and could not put this down. This is my favorite book by this author. Thank you

I usually quite enjoy Shana Galen's books, but this one just wasn't really for me. I liked the "strong and silent type" hero and for the most part enjoyed how they came together, but the heroine I struggled to feel empathy for, what with her insistence on being "in love" with another guy for much of the beginning of the book. I couldn't quite empathize with her, and I think this is what lead me to not love the book.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I loved this book. I recommend it. It´s an amazing historical romance to read non stop. The beginning is a bit shocking, completely different from the latest books I’ve read. The story flows smoothly with a few laughs. It starts after the war against Napoleon and it´s the first book of a series.
Ewan Mostyn is an ex soldier, a little grumpy, noble and a man of few words. Lady Lorraine is a stubborn, naïve and feisty girl. She is the daughter of a Duke, infatuated with a fortune hunter. Her father engages Ewan as a bodyward and the story unravels with several surprises.
There are a few secondary characters, with a parallel life, most of them ex soldiers like Ewan. I can´t wait to the next books!

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley.

I have always enjoyed Shana Galen's novels as delightful escapist journeys into Regency England, and this book delivered on all the expectations I had, and even promises more as the start of an entire new series based on a group of war heroes, bonded by their experiences and survival of the most dangerous missions in the fighting on the continent. In this first installment, we meet Ewan Mostyn, a character drawn with such care and attention to detail that only a few chapters in the book, he felt like a flesh and blood human being of my own personal acquaintance. Galen does a masterful job of juxtaposing his heroic courage and strength against his foibles and failings (even if some of them, like his dyslexia, are not named, recognized and treated in his own time) to paint Ewan as both a war hero and an ordinary man. I challenge anyone to read this book and not feel Ewan pull at your heartstrings at least a little! Our heroine, Lorraine, is created with that same careful brush, and as a result, she is just as realistic and sympathetic. While the plot is lively and entertaining, for me, it is really the draw of the characters that kept me turning the pages, late into the night. Best of all, Galen takes the opportunity to introduce us to a few more of Ewan's friends who are just as interesting. I can't wait to see their stories in upcoming novels in this series!