Name: Third Son's a Charm
ISBN: 9781492657033

Shana Galen

From the bestselling author of Earls Just Want to Have Fun comes the first in a new Regency romance series featuring the sons of nobility who met as soldiers and are now trying desperately to settle back into peaceful Society. Original.

Third Son's a Charm

Lover of Romance 

Third Sons A Charm brings together a powerful and charming romance that brings together the two most unlikely people into a solid foundation of love and wit…

Third Sons A Charm is a story I was very anxious to read for quite a few reasons. First off, there were quite a few mixed reviews on this one so I was hesitant and probably why it took so long to actually read it but I stayed up until 3 AM reading this one, I just didn’t want to put it down, I became so immersed in the characters lives and their story was quite a journey and quite fun….

So our story begins after our heroine has gotten into some trouble with her parents. She has already tried to run off with a man that is after her fortune and her parents know this about him, but she believes that he loves her. She refuses to give up on him. So her father determined to not see his daughter ruined and married to a horrible man hires on a bodyguard…the best of the best. Ewan is considered to be one of the best, part of an elite group of soldiers that fought against Napolean but he, like many of his comrades, came back with scars both on the outside and inside. But when the Duke of Ridlington comes to him for a job as a bodyguard, he takes it, wanting a change and something different. But he never realized how troublesome Lady Lorraine would be for him.

These two characters were quite a fun mix because they are so different from each other and it was quite a blast seeing how Shana Galen was able to make them work together so well. So our hero is grumpy and moody, barely speaks a word and unable to read. He has suffered much not only from the war but also from growing up. He was always tormented by his cousin in some terrible ways and as we learn about his childhood, I guarantee you will want your tissues because this moment will tear any reader up emotionally. Seeing this big brawn man thinking he is stupid most of his life. It was quite heartbreaking seeing his character, especially in the beginning. I honestly wanted to shoot his father for how he treats his son. But thankfully he has a great group of friends, that all know the trials of war. Our heroine, Lorraine is flight and romantic and doesn’t have a serious bone in her body. She can be a bit naive especially when it comes to this fortune hunter and what I did enjoy seeing was her character growth. She definitely grows up pretty quickly in this book, but what drew me to her is how she fills Ewan with laughter and smiles.

I don’t want you to come to the library because you are a diversion. I want you to come to the library because you are the only true thing in my life. Don’t you see? It’s everything else that’s a diversion.

We see Ewan’s cousin get his just desserts and I truly loved the way their romance developed in this book. It starts slowly with them not liking each other at all….but soon their chemistry changes their feelings and I did like the slow burn romance that builds between them. I found it pretty interesting seeing the dynamics of their relationship because they are truly so different from each other…like oil and water. And seeing them blend together in a delicious mix was true fun. Then we have the friends of Ewan and boy I loved them so much. I love the way they just support each other, always on hand no matter what is happening. We also have a side romance story, or more of two people learning to love again. This side story deals with Lorraine’s parents. Who have both grown apart, had their own affairs, but they still love each other. So we see them come back to each other and these sweet moments were so poignant and wonderful and added a dynamic element to the story that truly balanced it out. One of my favorite aspects of the story that sets Shana Galen apart from a few other regency authors is her attention to detail and emotion. She shows the effects of PTSD, both emotionally and physically especially in our hero Ewan. It can be a bit heartbreaking to read his story but we also see what these young men had to deal with when it came to recovering from the war where there were no therapists or treatments. And seeing him find some healing once falling in love with Lorraine and seeing the way that she accepts him as he is is truly remarkable.

Overall Third Son’s A Charm is an enchanting mix of a regency setting, a enemies to lovers trope, villains who get their justice and a hero who finds the healing balm of love and a young lady that finds the grounding she needs…..FABULOUS!