Third Son's a Charm written by Shana Galen
Publication Date: November 7th 2017
Series: The Survivors #1
Pages: 416
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Ewan Mostyn thinks a job as a duke's daughter's bodyguard will be easy―but Lady Lorraine has a few tricks up her sleeve that spark an undeniable passion...
Fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades, Ewan Mostyn is the toughest in a group of younger sons of nobility who met as soldiers and are now trying desperately to settle back into peaceful Society. Ewan trusts his brawn more than his brains, but when he's offered a job watching the Duke of Ridlington's stubbornly independent daughter, he finds both are challenged.
Lady Lorraine wants none of her father's high-handed ways, and she'll do everything in her power to avoid her distressingly attractive bodyguard―until she lands herself in real trouble. Lorraine begins to see Ewan's protectiveness in a new light, and she can only hope that her stoic guardian will do for her what he's always done―fight for what he wants.
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Ewan Mostyn is a very interesting character.
With that being said, he is the only reason why this book got 3 stars!
I have been anticipating this book. I love the trope – rich girl gets a bodyguard and falls in love with said bodyguard. But this wasn’t executed as well as I hoped.
Shana Galen has been a hit and miss for me. To be honest, the last book written by her that I absolutely love was Earls Just Want to Have Fun. And that was released in 2015.
Third Son’s a Charm has a very interesting premise – third sons born in the nobility, fight in the war to defend England and are now back in London trying to live a normal life. Ewan Mostyn is one of these men. He is known as The Protector and is working as a bouncer at one of the gaming clubs where he owns a percentage. Until the Duke of Ridlington asks him to be a bodyguard for his wayward daughter. The hook, his daughter, Lady Lorraine, is bent on eloping with Ewan’s wastrel cousin!
As I’ve said before, this is one of my favorite tropes, and I initially liked the first few chapters.
BUT. Yes, there is a but!
She got on my nerves before I even reached the half of the book! It was very, very frustrating. She was too ditzy for me and fell too guileless that I wanted to shake her.
I mean, she was too immature! Too immature for the stoic Ewan!
Ewan is another story, though.
He was the perfect hero, tough but very gentle. There is also a trigger warning for anyone who has been bullied. Ewan was bullied growing up because he had dyslexia! At that time, they did not know what dyslexia was and they thought that he was an idiot. He was also bullied by his cousin, Francis. And not only that, his father also did not treat him right. And what’s more, he can’t read!
Ewan is a fully developed character. In fact, he is the only saving grace in this book. Really.
As for Lorraine, well, she just felt too shallow. I didn’t think that she deserved a man like Ewan. At least, not until she grows up.
The third act also felt rushed. And as a result, the declarations of love felt too shallow.
My Recommendation
The premise of this series is very interesting. Ewan and a group of ex-soldiers – 12 left from their company are now in London trying to build a normal life. They belong to an exclusive club and we meet a few of the 12. For now, the series, The Survivors has 3 books listed and I hope that it will be Rafe and Neil’s stories!
Third Son’s a Charm is well-written, but it did not wow me at all.
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| Overall: | 3 |
Have you ever been frustrated with a book that has underdeveloped characters?
About Shana Galen
Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Booklist says, “Galen expertly entwines espionage-flavored intrigue with sizzling passion,” and RT Bookreviews calls her “a grand mistress of the action/adventure subgenre.” She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston’s inner city. Now she writes full time. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.
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