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.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man

By Violet Marsh - never read author

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Format: e-book and audiobook

Narrator; Katy Sobey

Run Time: 10:11

Publication 3/5/24, Read 3/5/24

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this ARC 🩷 ! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

What to Expect:
☑️Historical Romance
☑️Mystery
☑️Rom-Com
☑️Arranged marriage
☑️Brother's best friend
☑️ Opposites attract
☑️Slavery
☑️Piracy
☑️Gender and racial discrimination

Summary: Lady Charlotte is arranged to marry Viscount Hawley by her parents. They don't care about his sinister reputation, they just want to control Charlotte. She escapes the betrothal ,and plans to find proof that Hawley is responsible for his two previous wives' deaths. Dr. Matthew Talbot is Hawley's brother, but is best friends with Charlotte's twin brother Alexander. He agrees to help Charlotte find dirt on his brother, but he has his own secrets to contend with.


My Thoughts: The narrator read all characters and the voices fit the characters with standouts from Matthew and Charlotte. Their voices were the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly.

The audiobook's flow was steady. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio.

Overall Charlotte and Matthew are opposites, but the more time they spend together makes for a classic historical romance.

My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly. I read both the audio and eBook and loved them equally!

I loved this book! The Regency time period combined with Charlotte’s strong personality made this a fun and compelling read. I liked the added detective like plot, it gave more depth to the characters and kept me interested to see how the mystery played out.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man is the first book I've read by Violet Marsh. If she keeps writing books as delightful and witty as this one, this won't be the last! I hated to put it down I was so engaged with the marvelous characters. Drat my job for getting in the way! So many historical romances take place in Regency or Victorian England, so it was a lovely change of pace being set in the Georgian period.

When Lady Charlotte Lovett is informed by her parents that she is going to be betrothed to Viscount Hawley, she does what any other sensible young lady who's heard the rumors that he killed his first two wives would do - she bolts. She takes shelter at the Black Sheep, a coffeehouse run by her two estranged cousins. Charlotte knows that she must prove that Hawley is a murderer in order to get out of the upcoming betrothal and save herself from becoming victim number 3. Surely someone can assist her...hmmm...how about Hawley's youngest brother, Dr. Matthew Talbot? Matthew is nothing like the others in his family; he's a surgeon, a naturalist and writer, plus he's shy and socially awkward. Like his brother, however, Matthew has secrets, and he doesn't want them to get out as Charlotte looks for evidence against Hawley. So he agrees to assist her. The attraction between them keeps growing, but will it, and they, survive their final showdown with Hawley?

This book was riveting from start to finish. It was an interesting story, but it was the awesome characters that kept me glued to the page. Charlotte was a smart, beautiful young woman. Unfortunately, her parents simply saw her as a doll whose express purpose was to marry a wealthy and powerful man. It didn't seem to bother them at all that it was rumored that he already killed two women; it was their will that Charlotte marry Hawley, who would become the duke when his father died. To me, her parents sounded more despicable than Hawley! Charlotte wouldn't stand for that. She took the inheritance she received from an aunt and went to the coffeehouse owned by her cousins Hannah and Sophia Wick. They were not acknowledged by Charlotte's parents, as the young women had pirate blood in them, and Sophia was mixed race. Charlotte convinces them to let her stay there while she searches for evidence against Hawley, using her inheritance to expand the coffeehouse and have a secret room where women, too, can join in philosophical, political and other discussions. (After all, the coffeehouses in that historical period were referred to as "penny universities".) At the coffeehouse, Charlotte is reunited with Matthew Talbot, who is her brother Alexander's best friend since childhood. My, he's changed in appearance, and Charlotte is drawn to his quiet mien. Matthew has to be careful, because he has some secrets of his own. I will not disclose those here, because it was quite exciting to learn what. Matthew has been doing all these years, besides traveling, drawing, writing books and being a doctor. I was totally not expecting what he wasi hiding! Matthew, too, didn't have a good homelife when young. His father was convinced Matthew was a fae changeling since he wasn't like his bawdy and brash brothers. His father actually had his other sons "test" Matthew to prove he was fae. We're talking about putting a hot iron on his leg, repeatedly holding him down under water, etc. That is one evil family! Matthew loved his mother, but she died when he was young, leaving him defenseless. He spent a good deal of his time in Scotland, and friend Tavish Stewart took him under his wing. Matthew was absolutely captivated by Charlotte; he couldn't believe this beautiful young woman wanted HIM. Of course, we knew right off the bat that they were meant for each other! They were sweet, funny and had great passion for one another. There were some other great characters, especially Alexander, Charlotte's twin and Matthew's best friend. He was born with a club foot, and his parents essentially wrote him off. He wanted nothing more than the two people he loved the most to get together. We also met Charlotte's best friend Calliope, and a Welsh playwright/actor who constantly sparred when they were together. This story was hysterical and swoony at times, but there were some serious topics here, including indentured servants, slavery and child abuse. But it all came together perfectly! The ending seemed to be setting up this as a series; I certainly hope so.

Alas, I must be honest here... The love between Charlotte and Matthew was beautiful, but there was a love story even greater than theirs: the love between Pan the one-eyed parrot and his monkey love, Banshee the capuchin.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Ahh Lady Charlotte... She does always get her man, in more ways than one! I will say that this book was off to a great start and Charlotte was quite the heroine, not letting life happen to her, which is being engaged to a Viscount who may have killed his first 2 wives. It turns out that her brother and his best friend, the Viscount 's youngest brother, is also investigating what's been happening with his brother. Matthew seems like a real Renaissance man being a doctor and naturalist and then also harbouring secrets. It had the potential to be an amazing book but there were a few things I thought was a hindrance:
- the pacing in the middle seemed to sag and didn't bring the story forward
- there were probably a smidge too much going on in the book that detracted from the story itself and all the characters involved partway through
That being said it could have been because Violet Marsh is doing some world building here. All that to say, it ended in a satisfying matter that was quite vivid and hilarious, and I am looking forward to the next one.

Steam: 🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man is a lighthearted and fun historical romance. Readers who enjoy strong heroines, especially those determined not to let their fate be decided by others, will love this book. Charlotte could easily have followed societal convention and instead manages to save herself and other woman from her murderous intended. Matthew is a very sweet character who is head over heels for Charlotte. There are not really any steamy scenes and the mystery takes some zany turns, but Marsh has clearly done careful research on the time period. Readers who seek friends-to-lovers, cinnamon roll characters, and lighthearted historical romances will enjoy Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man.

Thank you to Violet Marsh, Forever, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

This is one of my favorite historical romances of the year so far. There is a plucky heroine and a hero, who is such a cinnamon roll, and just tries to help. It’s a combination of a historical romance, and a cozy mystery, and a romcom altogether. I love that there was a mystery solved, and I really enjoyed the banter, the couple themselves was easy to root for and were delight from start to finish. This is going to be one of my new comfort reads.

A nice historical read, but not very romantic.

I did struggle a little reading this book, the writing was good, but a bit too flowery for me and I found myself skipping a lot of descriptions. Everything was a bit too much for me, but I can see a lot of people enjoying it. The characters are over-the-top and quirky, which isn’t my preference, but they are also very lovable.

Some scenes didn’t make sense to me. In the beginning of the book, Charlotte runs away in the middle of a dress fitting, but it is never addressed again. An unmarried woman was running half-dressed across London, all the way to a coffeehouse where women are no allowed, and her mother said… nothing? I really expected her to actually run away, but the next chapter she’s back home listening to her mother as if no one noticed her little escapade. I was confused and stayed confused until the end.

The big villain of the story didn’t do enough to make me hate him. I know he killed his wives (we’re literally told at the beginning), but he wasn’t present enough in the story to make an impact.

Overall, I wanted a romance and got more of a quirky murder mystery.

DNF-ed at 25%

I unfortunately could not connect with the characters or the story. There was not enough to draw me in as it felt more like a historical mystery than a historical romance. Wishing I could have felt more compelled to continue on with the novel.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

There are so many aspects of this book that I liked a lot. The unconventional approach and premise to a historical romance, for one. The mystery and intellectual aspects, as well. In fact, this book will likely make me seek out more coffeehouse/Salon-type settings in books that I read.

I found this book to be really unique as compared to other historical romances I have read. I think there is definitely an audience for this book if you’re looking for a historical mystery with a lot of other plot aspects of a more typical historical romance.

For me though, it felt like there was just a little romance tacked onto a book that doesn’t really fit my expectations for a historical romance (or the cover of this book). Personally I wish there had been more to the romance. Charlotte and Matthew were both great characters. But I wanted more of them.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. it was action-packed, held my interest and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh which takes place in Georgian England is a story full of intrigue with an interesting cast of characters including a truly vile villain, a one eyed parrot who runs recognizance and did I mention a companionable monkey? All this adds up to a delightful five star reading for me!


While at the modiste, Lady Charlotte’s mother blithely announces that she is to be married to Lord Hawley. Lord Hawley is a duke’s heir. The joining of two ducal houses is a common occurrence for the time period. But sinister rumors swirl around him as he has already buried two wives who have both died under mysterious circumstances. Lady Charlotte does what any level headed person would do. She gathers her skirts, pulls her panniers sideways through the door and RUNS!


She heads to her cousins' coffee house, the Black Sheep. Naturally Charlotte’s family shuns them for being in trade <gasp!> and for her mother’s sister who ran off and married a pirate <double gasp!>. Lady Charlotte knows that she can start there to learn all she can about who Lord Hawley is and if he really has killed off his wives. Her cousins, the mistresses Wick, are leery of her being there but Lady Charlotte has a plan. She proposes a secret salon in the back room of the coffee house that allows both men and women so she can ferret information on Hawley.


Lord Hawley’s brother Dr, Matthew Talbot happens to be Charlotte’s twin brother Lord Alexander’s best friend. Matthew is a third son and is Lord Hawley’s opposite in every way. He has secrets of his own. One of those is the regard Matthew has always had for Charlotte. Another is that he, too, suspects his brother of foul play and, unbeknownst to Charlotte, is also investigating him. But time is running out for Charlotte as their official engagement looms on the horizon.


Matthew and Charlotte along with their friends come together to work on Hawley’s downfall. There were times when I highly doubted they would meet that goal. Hawley seemed to be one step ahead. That is a credit to Ms. Marsh’s writing. I really wanted to see what would happen. I also became invested in Charlotte and Matthew and their friends. I also look forward to reading more about these characters in future books. I do love a series! I highly recommend you grab this book and the beverage of your choice and settle in for a great read!

~Reviewed by Santa for The Romance Dish.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review