Member Reviews

Lady Charlotte always gets her man is a delightful take on historical romance. I absolutely loved both main characters, a rare feat. Charlotte is every inch the appropriate debutante and Matthew the intellectual third son of a Duke. Each falls short of the expectations of society in different ways, but find themselves and grow stronger because of it. I loved Matthew's backstory, deciding to become a physician and scandalizing society because he wanted an occupation. I also loved Alexander, Charlotte's twin brother who truly wants her to be happy.

The only thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me was Matthew's secret backstory. It honestly felt unnecessary and made certain parts of the book feel clunky.

Was this review helpful?

This book had me at the comp list of Evie Dunmore and Bridgerton but I have to admit that had me coming in with super high expectations and this one fell a bit flat. I definitely enjoyed the book and thought it was well written. The characters were interesting and the story was fun and fast paced, but I just didn't click as well to the characters as I would have expected.

Definitely will be checking out titles from Marsh in the future

thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

Was this review helpful?

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh is a captivating historical rom-com with secrets, romance and a great little mystery.
This book hook and ropes you in so quickly. I love this cast of characters. They were fun, engaging and very interesting.
I really, really loved Marsh’s writing style. I found it such a joy to fall into. I loved her bright characters, her dialogue and her humor so much!
Such a charming little story.

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Was this review helpful?

2.5/5.0 stars

There are a lot of great messages in this book about overcoming obstacles and one's past as well going against societal norms and expectations. I appreciated that female empowerment and the fact that the heroine rescued herself and helped the hero realize he needed to believe he was worthy of love, IMO, this book needs a lot more editing. Many of the sweet saccharin sentiments are unnecessarily repeated. The darker moments of the book are lightened by the antics of a parrot and capuchin monkey that will endear some readers and turn off others.

The characters are likable and the basic story is good. Just a lot of baggage in some parts of the book that could use an editor's red pen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Lady Charlotte Lovett has a big problem. Her entitled and wealthy parents plan to marry her off to Viscount Hawley, a man whose two wives have mysteriously died. The only person to help her prove he murdered them is Dr Matthew Talbot, her twin brother's best friend and the younger brother of the viscount.

This book was heaps of fun, with women pirates, a capuchin monkey and a very vocal parrot. I very much enjoyed the sweet slow-burn romance as well as the mystery and intrigue which made this book unputdownable. I adored Matthew, who has had a lifetime of trauma from his father and brothers who physically abused him. Yet he remains a steadfast and supportive hero, there by Charlotte's side, recognising her own agency.

Marsh also carefully weaves in wider societal themes of the time, including race, indentured servitude and slavery, and women's subjugation. Charlotte realises that while she has no power as a woman, she actually has more power as a white woman compared to her mixed-race cousin.

I really hope this book is the start of a series involving The Black Sheep, because I'd love to see Charlotte and comrades in more adventures.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first book by this author. It was well written and had very likeable, and even somewhat atypical, main characters, which I loved. It is very focused on the mystery / thriller plot and the comedy elements, without much focus on the character or relationship development. It reads as more of a comedy-adventure than a true romance, as the two characters actually spend very little time in each others company and a truly tiny amount of time even communicating to each other/getting to know each other. Its a fun comedy-adventure, but leaves a bit to be desired on the romance side of things.

Was this review helpful?

I really really wanted to like this book but the author’s choice of words drove me crazy. I don’t like to feel like I need I dictionary next to me when I’m reading a romance. To me it felt like the author was trying too hard to make this feel of the time. I don’t really need to read about a sack back dress multiple times.

That being said, the characters were fun and I liked the world that was being built. I would’ve liked to read more but I think the writing style just turned me off.

Was this review helpful?

OMG what a fun ride. I loved this book! I love that the woman in this book is courageous and shes a lead character :)

I loved how there were different classes of people that pretty much gave ideas and seeing what would work. The character and mystery of seeing evil being taken down was awesome!!! Love it.

4 star read for sure.

Was this review helpful?

This book was an absolutely wild ride! There was so much going on, and I could not put it down. The characters were so lovable, and the found family was spectacularly done. I adored the romance between Charlotte and Matthew, they were SO adorable. The parrot and monkey were such a fun touch to the book, as were the pirates, and the highwaymen. The mystery subplot was so fun, and I would completely recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

Do not let the cartoon cover fool you - this is an historical romance with some serious themes and not just a romp. Yes, there is a diverse cast of characters that includes a parrot and a capuchin monkey and those animals provide some moments of comedy, but the main plotline deals with thwarting the female main character's betrothal to a psychopath.

The setting here is around the 1750s, which I didn't realize until I got to the author's note. I assumed we were in the 1700s because of the references to wigs, powdered hair, and makeup on the young FMS, Charlotte. The fashion was Georgian as well. There was also mention of the menagerie at the Tower of London, which closed in the 1830s. However, there was a point when "tennis" was mentioned and I thought that term came about later.

Most of the action takes place at a coffeehouse run by Charlotte's cousins, who are mixed race children of a pirate and not recognized by Charlotte's aristocrat parents. The coffeehouse is where Charlotte can be free of the strict lifestyle imposed upon her as her mother prepares her to marry a duke. That coffeehouse is where she also sees Matthew, her brother's closest friend, for the first time in many years. Matthew is the youngest brother of the duke and he has eschewed society to be a physician and naturalist. The coffeehouse society becomes Charlotte's support system and they help her escape her parents' plans for her.

At first, this story might seem like a bit of a farce, especially with a parrot present causing havoc scenes. However, there is so much more to this story, 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. I imagine some of the underlying threads will become more prominent in future installments (this is begging to be series).

What a wonderful surprise this book was!

Was this review helpful?

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh is a romp with an intelligent and courageous female lead character, a villainous fiancé and a strong and intellectual but vulnerable male lead.

When Lady Charlotte is forced by her parents into a betrothal with a duke whose previous two wives died in mysterious accidents, Charlotte believes she will have to extricate herself from the engagement by proving the duke’s crimes. Initially, her rebellion and investment in a coffeehouse to achieve independence seemed to occur very quickly in the book, and I was a bit incredulous. However, what followed was a very engaging story with interesting historical details. I enjoyed reading about the coffeehouses in the Enlightenment, where different classes could get together and debate ideas. It was also most entertaining to see how Lady Charlotte escaped the restraints of her class. And finally, there is mystery and the pleasure of seeing an evil character taken down. Definitely, a fun read.

Was this review helpful?

This was a really fresh and entertaining take on historical romance. The quirky characters and animal friends made it unique. I enjoyed the cousins' family histories and their connections to pirating.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the team at Forever and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC!

This book was fun. This isn’t a historical period I find myself reading when it comes to historical romance, but I enjoyed it. Books with quirky animal companions never fail to make me smile. My drawbacks come towards the end of the book. I didn’t find myself really believing the relationship between Charlotte and Matthew, maybe it was a bit too insta-love and not enough childhood friends to lovers for me. It also felt a bit ok the nose with the “you’ve changed me” dialogue that comes with most romance. Other than that, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good time story with a sprinkling of heists, revenge, and ensemble of fun characters!

Was this review helpful?

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man was my first time reading a book by Violet Marsh. I enjoyed this one but did feel like it was lacking a bit of chemistry. There's a lot of zany stuff going on with pirates, secret coffeehouses, talking parrots, monkeys and an underlying mystery. Charlotte is tasked with marrying a man who has had two previous wives died unexpectedly. She's trying to figure out a way to get out of the marriage when her brother's best childhood friend arrives. She hasn't seen him in years but he has a air of mystery surrounding him. Ultimately, this one was fine but not very memorable.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Violet Marsh, and Forever Grand Central Publishing for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #LadyCharlotteAlwaysGetsHerMan #forevergrandcentralpublishing

Was this review helpful?

I was rooting for Charlotte from the beginning in this very fun novel.

Mystery, found family, romance, and more in a historical fiction novel with a strong FMC, a bookish doctor, an entire cast of enjoyable characters and absolutely, yes, sign me up for that story.

I was very charmed and am hoping that this might be a series starter - fingers crossed.



Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

Was this review helpful?

That you to Forever publishing for this eARC! Historical romances are always tough for me for the first 30% or so, But the crime/heist like element of this book kept me engaged in such a lovely way. The two main characters had really good chemistry, first as rivals who but heads then as romantic partners/partners in crime. This was a story that felt different and fun and dangerous and also steamy! Truly such a good time!

Was this review helpful?

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

Was this review helpful?

Set in early eighteenth century Britain, Lady Charlotte eventually gets the right man after much intrigue and schemes. Charlottte is the daughter of a duke and her parents think it’s past time that she marry, so they’ve picked a fiancé for her…Lord Hawley heir to a dukedom and twice widow…both is wives dies under questionable circumstances with broken necks. Charlottes twin bother is friends with the 3rd son of the duke…Matthew who’s a doctor and naturalist who was terrible abused and bullied by cruel Hawley and the 2nd brother. After years in “the Americas” Matthew is back in Britain but not the puny, gangly boy he was. He’s more confident, stronger and a renaissance man. There are certainly sparks between Matthew and Charlotte and both fear her impending marriage to the haute and mean Lord Hawley. Who is Hawley really, how did his first 2 wives really die, why does he want to marry Lady Charlotte? Matthew, CHarlotte and a wild and interesting ban of supporters…pirates, animals, coffeehouse debaters….work on “unmasking” evil.

Was this review helpful?

I liked that Matthew was an unconventional love interest. Charlotte was ok, but she didn't stand out from other historical romance heroines. Hawley was hard to take seriously as a villain. Did not appreciate the closed door romance despite several steamy make out sessions. Overall, I don't really know what to make of this one. It felt a little bit all over the place: Charlotte is doing her thing at the Black Sheep and there's a lot with the parrot; Matthew has his own agenda; they're trying to fall in love but also they've got his murderer brother to avoid. Some of the scenes with Hawley were cartoonish, or more like he was cartoonish. I don't believe he was capable of getting away with the prior murders. But there were some surprises in the romance that I enjoyed, so that's something.

Was this review helpful?

This book was very sweet. I liked the main characters Matthew and Charlotte, a lot of detail about their past and motives were given in the book so the characters had a lot of depth. It was a good read!

Was this review helpful?