Book Review: Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh

Title: Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man
Author: Violet Marsh
Pages: 336
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Publisher: Forever
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical
Synopsis:

Family secrets, a brother's best friend's romance, and scandalous mystery combine in this delightfully witty historical rom-com.

Lady Charlotte Lovett should have never run away upon discovering her betrothal. But when one has been promised to a man who, rumor has it, killed his previous two wives, one does what one must. The only thing that can get her out of this engagement is proving that Viscount Hawley is as sinister as she thinks he is. And the person who would know best is his very own brother.

In many ways, Dr. Matthew Talbot is the exact opposite of his sibling—scholarly, shy, and shunned by society. But like his brother, he has secrets, and he doesn’t need Charlotte exposing them in her quest to take down the viscount. It only seems prudent to help her while keeping her from poking her nose in all the wrong places. But as they put their hearts at risk to grow closer to each other, they are also getting closer to a dangerous confrontation with Hawley.

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This is such a fun and unique historical romance, and I adored it. The characters, human and animal, are fantastic, and the romance is super swoon-worthy.

Charlotte only has two months to get out of a marriage to a man who has already lost two wives under mysterious circumstances. Charlotte is smart and determined to take control of her future, and that does not include marrying a reprehensible man. She decides to start a business to gain financial independence, but to be completely free, she must find proof that her future husband was involved in his past wives’ deaths.

Matthew has always been bullied and treated poorly by his brothers, one of whom is about to be betrothed to Charlotte. A man who forged his own path, Matthew is a reserved and intelligent doctor and naturalist. He and Charlotte work together to expose his brother for the dastardly man he is, and Charlotte begins to see Matthew in a new light. I love a good opposites attract, brother’s best friend romance, and Charlotte and Matthew have a ridiculous amount of chemistry. I actually laughed out loud when reading this story. The banter between Charlotte and Matthew, as well as some other characters, is clever and funny, and it made for such a fun read.

There’s also some mystery behind Matthew, which is intriguing, as is the business Charlotte engages in. Overall, I thought the plot was a bit different from the typical historical romance, and I found it refreshing. I eager to learn more about some of the secondary characters, especially Charlotte’s cousins. They were so intriguing, and I enjoyed the relationship they built with Charlotte.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Matthew felt not just blinded but seared from the inside out. Swallowing, he realized he’d been wrong earlier to compare Lady Charlotte to a mere oracle. She was the very goddess of knowledge.

You are neither a prince nor a princess but the ruler of your own destiny.

brother’s best friend
grumpy/sunshine
opposites attract
forced proximity
he falls first

Two-time Golden Heart finalist Violet Marsh is a lawyer who decided it was more fun to write witty banter than contractual terms. A romance enthusiast, she relishes the transformative power of love, especially when a seeming mismatch becomes the perfect pairing.

Marsh also enjoys visiting the past–whether strolling through a castle’s ruins, wandering around a stately manor, or researching her family genealogy online (where she discovered at least one alleged pirate, a female tavern owner, and several blacksmiths). She indulges in her love of history by writing period pieces filled with independent-minded women and men smart enough to fall for them.

Marsh lives at home with Prince Handy (a guy who can fix things is definitely sexier than a mere charmer), a whirlwind (her toddler), and a suburban nesting dog (whose cuteness Marsh shamelessly uses to promote her books).