The amazing cover and the strange title drew me to this book. I hadn't read anything of Shana Galen, but since it was from Sourcebooks Casablanca, it probably would be something right up my alley.

And indeed! We meet Ewan Mostyn, an ex soldier, who has heroically saved a lot of his comrades during the war. However, he is done with being a soldier. As the third son of a duke, he is seen as the expendable son. Therefore, he never learned how to read and write properly, especially since dyslexia wasn't common knowledge during his childhood. This makes him vulnerable and his self esteem is very low. You just want to hold him and cuddle.

Lady Lorraine (or Lorrie) on the other hand, isn't lacking of confidence. She is a bubbly and sparkly personality. As daughter of Duke Ridlington she is entitled to a large dowry (or to be precise: her future husband will be). Therefore there are a lot of men interested, not so much in her, as in the money she represents. Hopelessly romantic, Lorrie is convinced that Francis Mostyn (yep, Ewan's cousin) is the one for her. So, she tries to elope with him. However, her father hires Ewan to prevent this from happening. Especially since he is convinced that Francis is after her money.

Lorrie is not amused by having the silent and stubborn Ewan as her bodyguard. Especially since Francis tells her that Ewan bullied him as a child. So Lorrie tries everything to escape Ewan and meet with Francis. Their banter is hilarious, and so are Lorries unsuccessful tactics (climbing from trees, but falling into the arms of Ewan, who is waiting outside her bedroom window...).

But slowly, Lorrie learns more about her bodyguard and the reasons why Ewan is trying very hard to keep her from Francis. Maybe Francis is not what he seems. Or is Ewan jealous? The friendship between Ewan and Lorrie is strained, especially when Lorrie finds out that Ewan can't read very well. She wants to help him, but Ewan thinks she only finds it amusing to have 'a project'. Can they overcome their differences?

Just when they start to have a mutual understanding, Lorrie is kidnapped. And now Ewan has to find her, before it is too late...

So, four out of five very swoon-wurthy stars from me for Third Son's a Charm. And a special thank you to Netgalley and Casablanca books for providing the arc.

Third Son's a Charm (The Survivors, #1)
by Shana Galen
Anna Swedenmom's review Sep 05, 2017 · edit
it was amazing

Arguably a four star, however, for many reasons I went five!
This author has brought together a series that looks like it is going to be unusual to say the least. I was very interested in the story from page one. I must say the heroine does not shape up until the middle of the book ... but otherwise all the other characters are wonderful even the secondary ones. From plot to heart to writing, this author is incredible in the way she writes and captivates her readers. I must say suspense, romance, mystery and wonderful layers of emotions is my expectation of the books she writes. To me she has not disappointed. So buy the book it is a good read! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom

This was such a fun book. Shana has written another fantastic story.

In this new series from Shana Galen, we meet the first hero of many (twelve to be precise) in a heartwarming and romantic story. Ewan is hired as a bodyguard to Lorraine when her father wants to curb her attempts to elope with her love. I absolutely loved Ewan's character. Even though he is laconic in nature, the author has given him dialogues that pack quite a punch, whether it is through humor or romance. Initially in the book, I didn't quite like Lorraine's character as I felt that even though she claimed she was in love with Francis, she is happy to be kissing Ewan. But as the book progressed, her character also matured and I loved her by the end of the novel. Now, I cannot wait to read the rest of this series, The Survivors and see how the other characters in this book find their own HEA. I also have to add that I adored the side love story between the Duke and his Duchess.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I loved this story about Ewan, the H, and Lorrie, the h! Our main characters had such chemistry together and had a sweet, steamy romance. I enjoyed how compassionate our h was when discovering the H had a learning disorder (dyslexia), Ewan had such a protective nature, which our naive h needed. I also liked the romance between Lorrie's parents who have lost that special connection throughout their marriage. It was nice to see the parallel love stories. I can't wait to read the next Survivor's story-- I'm hoping it's Neil's story! Overall, it was an awesome read that I would definitely recommend!

I normally enjoy Shana Galen's books, and this one was one of them. This was a different concept, a new series she is starting about survivors and I think you will enjoy. Our hero Ewan, is that is a little rough, but the guy is a survivor you have to give him due. Then we have our heroine Lorrie, who is an innocent, but sassy at the same time, and enjoyable, and it was fun to read about them. I can't wait to continue to read about the continuing stories.

I'm not sure I've read this author before, but I think I will again. Really enjoyed both the H and the h in this story, which is first of a new series by the author. The h is the daughter of a Duke, and fancies herself in love with a bit of a dandy. The H is third son of an Earl, though somewhat estranged from his father, having been a difficult child, in part due to dyslexia. He is hired as a bodyguard for the h, and fireworks follow. Parts of the story are a little far fetched for the period, but I'm okay with that. A sweet secondary story involving her parents weaves through the story, which was nice. Will look forward to the next book.

Hot romance with a PTSD hero who also has dyslexia and is on the outs with his family, a bodyguard trope including several carries of the heroine, and a subplot where the heroines parents fall in love again and realize the power of marrying for love.

This was the first book I've read by this author and I have to say I really liked it! Lorrie was certainly a feisty character and I enjoyed her antics!

Story depicts a duke''s youngest, a daughter, who is starved for genuine affection. She becomes the object of desire by an unscrupulous man, simply for her very large dowry- and nothing else. A foiled elopement makes her father realize that he needs to have her guarded, closely and thoroughly, in order to avoid any future attempts by this or other fortune hunters to compromise her and snap up her dowry. The lovely Lady Lorraine feels she is desperately in love with this young man, Mr. Frances Mostyn, and tries to get him to marry her- with or without her dowry- constantly putting herself in compromising situations.

After the foiled elopement, Lady Lorraine receives a puppy from her eldest brother in an attempt to distract her and help her get past her broken heart, and over the young man that is so obviously using his sister. The puppy, named Wellington, becomes her most treasured companion, filling some of the need she has for affection and love. But even her love for Wellington cannot divert her attempts to get married to this man she believes she loves.

The duke and his wife realize the willfulness of their daughter; they are desperate to protect her from this man's attempts to seduce their daughter and gain her dowry. . The duke sets out to find her the perfect bodyguard and sets his sights on Ewan Mostyn, the third son of the Earl of Pennington, a legitimate member of the peerage. Ewan, as third son, begins his career in the military, coming home from the Napoleonic war a distinguished military war hero with the nickname, The Protector. Ewan knows he will receive no money or wealth from his father, as the third son, so he skillfully learns to invest his money and talents into diverse avenues that prove solid and smart.

The duke approaches him and proposes an astonishing amount of money if Mr. Mostyn will guard his daughter and keep her from eloping or becoming harmed or compromised during the Season, so that she might find a suitable match for herself.

Ewan Mostyn at first refuses the job until he discovers it is from his devious cousin that he would be protecting Lady Lorraine. He changes his mind and accepts.

Lady Lorraine doesn't want the bodyguard and seeks to try to find ways around his protection to still see HER Mr. Mostyn.

Neither Ewan nor Lady Lorraine are able to understand the feelings that begin to develop, despite the verbal sparring and arguments that emerge whenever they are together. Lady Lorraine is determined to marry his devious cousin, and Ewan is determined to do the job he is being paid to do. The resulting story provides great fun and keeps the reader entertained from page one to the last.

I loved this story.

One of the best historical fiction romances I've read in a while! Perfect escapism.

The hero is silent and broody but also a bit broken. He has dyslexia which isn't something I've seen in historical romance before, but it works well here and makes you fall for Ewan even more. Lorrie is a spitfire girl, albeit naive and innocent and she's the perfect compliment to Ewan. He's her bodyguard but of course it turns into more.

Not only did I love our two main characters (especially Ewan, he's such a different character than your normal historical romance hero), but I also loved the side characters. Knowing this is going to be a series makes me eager for the next of The Survivors story because I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpses of their personalities we get in here.

I tried and tried and tried to like this book. It seemed like it had good characters but I just couldn't read about a man that continued to have a low opinion of himself.

Thanks NetGalley, for a copy of this book. A good read: entertaining and good fun. Would recommend this to fans of this genre.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. When I found out that I was approved to read this book I did a little happy dance because I love Shana Galen's books and this one did not disappoint. It's a delightfully fun romp of a romance novel that has everything you need to keep you reading past your bedtime. The hero is big and strong, handsome, steadfast, honourable and leans towards the silent type. One of the flaws that keeps from being too perfect is that he is dyslexic in a time when people didn't really know what that was and so has spent his life feeling not quite good enough. The heroine is funny and charming, not afraid to say what she wants and quite capable of going after it too. There is a cute dog, a nasty villain, some twists and turns, loyal friends to help our hero rescue the damsel and a lovely HEA. I highly recommend this book and delighted to see that it's the first in a series.

Shana Galen is one of my very favorite authors and this book is one of the reasons why. I loved Lorrie and Ewen. Their story was a nice slow burn romance. I loved Ewen, a gentle giant with a crappy family, who doesn't say much and Lorrie who doesn't stop talking. They were the perfect compliment for each other. I also loved the secondary characters. The Duke and Duchess had a sad story but he was willing to fight for her. And Ewen friends were great. I am really looking forward to Neil's story.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book one in a new series by Shana Galen. This series looks like it is going to focus on a group of 12 men that survived the war and now are readjusting to civilian life. In this first book we meet a brute of a man that is rough around the edges but meets the right woman to soften him up just a little bit. Now Lorraine on the other hand got on my nerves. She kind of came across as a ditz at times. I was glad when she finally matured. This looks to be a interesting series.

This novel was a delightful read and I had a few laughs. I enjoyed the characters and the flow of the story. I liked how the author showed that even younger sons can be successful and better than those who feel a sense of entitlement.
Lady Lorraine, the Duke of Ridlington's daughter, is extremely stubborn and independent. She knows what she wants. She is somewhat naive, but as the story progresses, her eyes begin to open. She believes herself is love with Frances, a man her parents believe wants her for her large dowry. She has a puppy, called Wellington, and he is the reason she meets Ewan Mostyn.
Ewan Mostyn is the third son of the Earl of Pemberly. He joined the army an was in a special division that undertook the missions no other unit wanted. He earned the name, "The Protector". Ewan has a reading disability, and many have called him stupid and dumb because of that, when that is far from the truth. He is intelligent and witty. He works at a club and is loyal to his fellow soldiers. He receives an offer to be the bodyguard for Lorrie, since her parents want to keep her away from Frances and other fortune hunters.
Lorrie tests Ewan's patience and she talks much, while he is more selective with his words. Lorrie heard things about Ewan from Frances, which made her weary of him. As she gets to know Ewan, she sees a side no one has seen before. She learns things about him and others, which gives her a different perspective. She begins to fall in love with Ewan and realizes the difference between love and infatuation. Ewan wants to be with Lorrie, but what can he give her as a third son? He tries to push her away, but Lorrie will not go away. Can Ewan and Lorrie fight for the love they both want?

Loved the characters, story and romance! Looking forward to more in this series!

A very enjoyable regency historical that is not the usual bill of fare. While there is plenty of social gatherings and marriage mart activities the main characters are not at all typical. Lady Lorraine is young, rich and beautiful but spirited with a strong will and not easily persuaded to deviate from her chosen path. The hero Ewan is strong, big, loyal to his country and friends and much misunderstood and flawed. The journey to bring them to a happy resolution has intrigue, danger and a nice amount of spice. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.

I was so excited when Shana Galen decided to write a new series. I love all of her books. The Story is about Ewan Mostyn is in a group of younger sons of nobility who met when they were soldiers. Now he is offered a job watching the Duke of Ridlington's daughter.Lady Lorraine wants to be out of her fathers control. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.