A super fun historical romance with a strong-willed woman who takes her life into her own hands, a secretive animal-loving surgeon, and a bird and a monkey to boot!

When Charlotte is told she will marry a Duke, her first instinct is to run (literally) because the dude's first two wives died mysteriously and suspiciously, and the man himself doesn't seem to be very nice. She decided to start investigating to see if she can get out of the engagement. Matthew is on the same page, except that same Duke is his older brother, and he knows something is fishy with him.

Both characters are very fun and a little silly, and honestly the side characters are even more interesting. This has the potential to be a really fun series with lots of unique characters, and this first installment was a great kick-off.

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the e-ARC!

When Lady Charlotte learns of her betrothal to the nasty and wicked Viscount Hawley, she’s devastated. Hawley has had two previous wives who have died under mysterious circumstances, and she doesn’t want to be next. She quickly picks herself up, dusts of her skirts and starts developing a plan to prove that Hawley is sinister. She starts working with his little brother and her longtime family friend Matthew to try to glean information, but as they get closer, she realizes he might not be what she suspected. As she falls for Matthew, she also knows he’s keeping a secret and she will stop at nothing to figure out what these boys are hiding.

Oh man. If you thought this was gonna be your run of the mill historical romance, you are so wrong. This book is a mystery, adventure and romance all rolled into one. The topics covered are darker but the cast of characters are so fun and interesting, including a filthy mouthed parrot and an exuberant monkey, that it lightens the overall tone of the book. Charlotte is a strong willed and progressive minded FMC. The romance between her and Matthew is a slow burn in this closed door romance. I thought this book was cute and fun and a pleasant read.


I was provided this arc for free. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. Thank you to Violet Marsh and Forever publishing!

This is a very enjoyable Regency Romance with some fun surprises. Charlotte is set to marry a terrible man named Hawley. It is an arranged marriage, and she is desperate to get out of it because she suspects he murdered his previous wife. Matthew Talbot is Hawley's younger brother, just returned from the Colonies, and is also secretly investigating his brother's crimes. Of course, Charlotte and Matthew slowly fall in love, and it's sweet and thoughtful. Marsh does a great job of showing us why they should be together. What sets this book apart is all of the other plot points happening at the same time as the romance. There's some highwaymen activity, some rescuing of indentured servants and enslaved people, and the creation of a female-owned coffee shop/salon. It's a lot, but it keeps everything moving along!

Overall, if you're looking for Romance with a propulsive plot, I recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

A wonderful historical romance with pirates, mixed race characters, a parrot and monkey romance, plus a mystery. Lady Charlotte is betrothed to a man who she suspects has killed his first 2 wives. She sets about trying to prove it with the help of his brother, Mathew, who also has secrets.
Part of the story takes place in a coffee house, which became part of London life in the late 1600s and by 1730 were quite ubiquitous.
Charlotte is strong-willed and has a mind of her own. She meets her cousins, 2 mixed-race women who own a coffee house, and Charlotte herself becomes involved. It is a fascinating story. We learn about how slaves were treated and how there was an underground to help them in London.
The history, romance, and mystery combine to make this quite an interesting book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my EARC. This is my honest review. I hope the author writes more books about this time period.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

DNF @ 48%

I really tried to push through on this book because of all of the positive reviews, and while I think a lot of the rave reviews have validity unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I found the pacing extremely slow, and part of that had to do with just how much was going on. There was SO much going on that things got bogged down which is where I as a reader got lost. I do think there are other people who will really like this book however, if you’re into historical romance and mystery, this very much could be for you! It just wasn’t hitting for me.

✨Jeepers!✨

There was a lot happening here and I was thoroughly confused for most of it. It was nice, but not very memorable (the reason I rounded my star rating down for Goodreads). I don’t think I’d need to reread this one, but I’ll definitely keep reading the series. This was a debut, so I’m excited to see the writing grow. The voice was definitely there, but I would love to see it get a little more kooky and funny.

My confusion had a lot to do with the fact that I received an ALC that had several sections just cut from the book. I didn’t realize I was missing crucial plot points until I was at 27% of the book, which was actually 36% with the missing parts added! I stopped the ALC and grabbed the eARC from NetGalley to try to catch up but ultimately just listened through Spotify.

The audiobook itself was well performed, although the hero’s voice left a bit to be desired. The Scottish brogue was rather underwhelming. I would, overall, recommended the narrator to others. The finished audiobook didn’t skip any parts, so I’d also recommend reading that way if you’re interested.

So take my review with a grain of salt, because I’d have maybe had a better experience if I wasn’t so confused. The pacing was still a bit wonky though, and it lacked tension (for me) since we knew who the villain was from the start. He was a nasty character but also didn’t feel all that dangerous to our characters? Definitely a bit of a Scooby Doo villain. Over the top and a bit theatrical, but not all that interesting or nuanced.

Since we knew the villain from the start, I was kind of just like…cool, so where’s the rest of the plot? The hero was a bit of a vigilante and the heroine did get shot saving him, so that was fun. Charlotte felt like a Daphne for sure. Don’t underestimate her just because she wears pretty dresses and is a lady!! Also bonus points for a supporting character named Hannah >>>

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

There were no on-page sex scenes or even heavy petting. The story didn’t call for it though!



I received an ALC from Hachette Audio and an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

This book was a fun read - part mystery, part romance, part finding your path. I enjoyed the main characters and the adventures they had.

There are lots of side plots and characters but they all support the main story and characters. The twists and turns kept you on your toes.

I loved the swoon worthy quotes like this one - “I have esteemed you since I first laid eyes upon you in the foyer of your parents’ house.”

If you love strong female characters and friends-to-lovers trope this book is for you.

Thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for providing the ARC.

. There was soooo much going on with monkeys and coffee houses and mysterious deaths and twin brother’s best friend with zero chemistry with the sister and the that sister is the woman betrothed to the older brother of her twin’s best friend. Did you get all that?! And despite the chaotic plot the story bored me… don’t ask me how but it did. Anyways… wanted to love this but it was not my cup of tea.

This was such a fun historical romance!

I really enjoyed how this wasn’t just a romance, there was a mystery to solve and a criminal to catch. There were also a wide range of characters from various social classes and professions, which made it so interesting!

The dual POV was also great, we really got to see how Matthew struggled with a terrible childhood being told he wasn’t worthwhile, and Charlotte being pushed to do whatever is “proper” for a lady of her time. I really appreciated her pushing those boundaries and then deciding that she wants nothing at all to do with the aristocracy.

This was a bit of a slow burn, with a lot of angst between these two characters who have known each other since they were children. But she is of a higher station than he is, and it takes him a while to realize that she doesn’t care for material wealth, she just wants to be loved and happy.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a dash of romance, mystery, trickery, and fun!

dnf 31% I tried so hard to get into this book. I tried both the book and the audio and by 30% I was just bored. I almost never dnf historical romances but this one just did nothing for me. I was confused about the time period from the jump and literally had to flip to the authors note to figure out when it was set (1750s). For the love of god historical romance authors, you need to tell us when your book are set. Once I knew the time period I was furious about the cover of the book. Why does her dress and hair look like that? why are they dancing as a couple? why is the woman in the back wearing an empire waist gown? trade published historical romances will turn me from the genre entirely, I have yet to find one that is actually good. Charlotte and Matthew were fine characters but the book spent too much time on them separately that there was no attraction or heat. I know I only made it 30%, but there should be some tension between the two. The book even had the cop out of of they grew up together, so there could have easily been some longing from childhood leading into adulthood, but no. Other than constantly being told they grew up together they do not have the familiarity of two people who grew up together. The writing is clunky and awkwardly phrased. Literally it felt like a weird mix of modern lingo, some historically large words requiring a dictionary, and random historical facts. I had hoped some of this would have been resolved during the editing process prior to the release of the final copy, but as I was listening to the audiobook after publication via Spotify clearly these issues were not resolved. The book has glaring plot holes and the characters are cartoonishly written as good or evil rather than as multidimensional people. I can't make myself continue.

This was just amazing! A mysterious, engaging, wonderful story, with an even more awesome FMC! She is intelligent, speaks her mind, and has so much will & resilience. Exactly what you’re looking for for this time.
This story is opposites attract and there's also disability rep in the form of Charlotte's brother who has a club foot and uses a mobility aid.

I loved the characters and setting, and will definitely be reading more of this author’s work!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man

Lady Charlotte unexpectedly finds herself betrothed to a man suspected of offing his last two wives! So what’s a lady to do in such a situation? Flee her dress fitting and run to her cousin’s coffee house, of course! ☕️

Charlotte devises a plan to invest in the coffee house in order to investigate her unwanted fiancée. When her brother’s best friend, who also happens to be her fiancée’s younger brother, returns from his work overseas, she finds herself drawn to the quiet, intelligent Matthew. But can she trust him in helping her bring down his brother?

I had such a fun time reading about Lady Charlotte and Matthew and all the various other characters that are introduced throughout the book! There were twists and turns in practically every chapter. The story is bonkers and there’s a lot happening, like a monkey falling in love with a parrot, but I just leaned into it and it was fun!

Charlotte and Matthew are both nuanced characters and often ignored or misunderstood by others in society. They both had difficult decisions to make concerning how they wanted to live their lives, but Charlotte particularly was steadfast in making way for the life she wanted. Matthew was too, but he had more to overcome internally, and it took him a bit longer to get there! The relationship between them was almost insta-love, but it worked! I love that Charlotte basically sees Matthew after three years and just wants to take his clothes off to see how his body has changed. Iconic. 😅👏 Another thing I loved, how happy and supportive Charlotte’s brother was about her and Matthew’s relationship!

While I loved the romance, the mystery element was slightly more difficult to follow. There were just so many things going on that it felt the mystery was too drawn out and when it reached its conclusion, I was underwhelmed. It was still intriguing but I did find myself wishing things would wrap up sooner so we could get back to the romance! 🤷‍♀️

Overall, I really loved this bonkers histrom! If you enjoy Tessa Dare, Manda Collins, or Evie Dunmore, you’ll want to check out Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man.

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh
Historical romance.
When Lady Charlotte Lovett is told of her own arranged betrothal to man that is rumored to have killed his previous two wives, she impulsively runs away. She privately invests in a coffee house and helps set it up as a unique two faced business model.
Dr. Matthew Talbot is happy to help Charlotte expose his brother, Viscount Hawley for his criminal and cruel past. Falling for her is easy but keeping her safe will take careful planning.

🎧 I alternated reading this between an ebook and audiobook. The audiobook performance is performed by Katy Sobey who does a wonderful job with several different character voices in a British accent. Emotions and banter are brought to life among the aristocracy of the ton and the back rooms of a coffee house. A large diverse cast includes multiple classes that makes this more than just your average historical romance. Parrot and monkey included.
I listened to this at 1.5 which is my standard preferred speed.
The advantage of an audiobook for historical romances is the accent of England which I certainly don’t hear when reading the book.

Loved the representation of the third son being an doctor, and a woman being a partial owner of a coffee house, both unusual for the times. The best friend and brother was super supportive and I enjoyed the wide cast of other unique characters connected with the coffee house.
Wonderful romance too. Enjoyable and interesting.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Forever.

This was a fun and engaging read. I liked the idea of a society miss taking control of her own life—both financially and romantically. I adored the Black Sheep coffeehouse, especially the secret expansion proposed by Charlotte. There are some really interesting characters in this book. I found Mathew particularly fascinating. He has so many different skillsets and interests, yet he has a very narrow view of himself due to childhood trauma and some truly awful family members. Hannah and Sophia were also intriguing. I’m curious to learn more about their histories.

I don’t think I’ve read many books set in Georgian England. I usually tend to read Regency Era or later. It was interesting to see the subtle differences in this time period. The back of the book includes a historical note which I found helpful and interesting.

I’ve seen a lot of people call this a mystery book. I understand why because there are multiple deaths and other crimes, but to me it felt more like a caper. She doesn’t steal anything, but Charlotte does use her own wits and a group of people with various skills to try to take down a common foe. Either way, it’s a fun read.

This delightful blend of mystery and romance is set in the Georgian era. The story follows Lady Charlotte Lovett, who teams up with Dr. Matthew Talbot to escape a dreaded betrothal to the sinister Viscount Hawley. Their investigation into Hawley's dark past brings them closer, weaving a tale of intrigue, love, and resilience against societal norms. The historical backdrop, complete with coffeehouse culture and early medical practices, adds a rich layer to the narrative. The book also thoughtfully addresses themes like class and gender, making it more than just a rom-com. The cast of characters, including supportive friends and charming animal sidekicks, makes the journey even more engaging. It is a highly recommended read with a twist for fans of historical romances.

Fun romance with mystery

I enjoyed reading Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man. It's a light-hearted romantic romp with overtones of mystery, revealing the living situation of women and intellectuals during that era. I am looking forward to reading a sequel, broadly hinted at...

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Lady Charlotte’s parents has arranged for a betrothal for her to a Viscount and heir to a dukedom. An illustrious match… that is if you don’t consider his two other deceased wives under mysterious circumstances!

Happy in her spinster ways, Charlotte is not going to lay down and take her fate gracefully- she’s going to fight back and prove what a monster her soon to be fiancé is!

Dr. Mathew Talbot, the Viscount’s younger brother also has a beef with his brother, and is trying to make him pay for his crimes. Who better to gang up with on this mission then with the woman being forced to marry him… who happens to be his best friend, younger sister, that he has been crushing on forever!

With help from her brother and cousins, this pair starts falling for each other as they investigate the Viscount. Plenty of hijinx, a parrot, pet monkey, a masquerade and lots of coffee at her cousins coffee house result in an HEA and their problems solved.

This book had a fun cast of characters and a pretty villainous villain. I liked the idea of falling for your betrothed brother, especially with him being your brother’s best friend- a double trope whammy! But I did find that the mystery elements and investigation kind of fell short and instead of getting a really complete wrap up to this element in the story felt more like a good enough ending.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh is available now.

Thanks to Forever Romance for my e-book review copy. Opinions are my own.

This was a fun read. This is my first time reading this author and I hope she puts out more in this vein.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man
By: Violet Marsh
Release Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: ARC from Netgalley and Publisher
Couple: Matthew & Charlotte
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flames: 0
Review:
I am conflicted about how to review this book. There were times when I was confused and frustrated by the plot and dialogue, and then there were times I genuinely liked the characters and mystery. The fundamental flaw of this romance was there was too much going on that didn’t connect. The novel was disjointed, yet I felt the author created vivid, engaging characters that carried the book.

In some parts of the book, I felt like a tornado with too much disjointed information spinning around me. The intrigue and mystery were muddled at times. The dialogue was jarring sometimes, and the turn of phrases didn’t conform to the rest of the dialogue. The couple’s connection was slow in developing. However, in the last fourth of the book, the couple’s relationship flourished.

The outrageous, addicting, unforgettable secondary characters and pets carried this novel. Matthew and Charlotte are surrounded by a menagerie of people and animals that made me smile and laugh out loud. Although most of the book needed work, the fourth quarter came together nicely. I connected to Matthew and Charlotte as individuals and as a couple. I wish this would have happened sooner. The resolution of all the mystery and intrigue worked out well, and I felt the story ended on a high note. There is room for more books; however, I was confused by the teaser at the end of the epilogue. This could turn into an excellent series; all the parts are there. There needs to be some tweaking of the plot devices and story development.
I wanted to love this romance due to the characters, but the storyline threw me. I would read another book if this became a series due to my love of all the secondary characters. Many will love this book, but I couldn’t fully invest or connect.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pirates! Highwaymen! Romance! Lady Charlotte is a fun new book from debut author Violet Marsh. Charlotte's parents want her engaged to an aristocrat. But she has other ideas. Lord Hawley is a murderous, evil man, but his youngest brother is a scientist, explorer and doctor. No wonder Charlotte falls for the youngest sibling.

But unmasking Hawley's misdeeds will take the help of all of Charlotte's eclectic group of friends.

This was a quick read. The romance scenes between Matthew and Charlotte were quite overblown, and I literally had to skip past them to keep from laughing. But the plot was amusing and the secondary characters were interesting (especially the animals!)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.