Third Son’s A Charm by Shana Galen

Third Son's a Charm (The Survivors, #1)Third Son’s a Charm by Shana Galen

Series: The Survivors, #1

Release Date: November 7,2017

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great start to a new series!

This was such a fun book to read and almost impossible to put down.

Ewan Mostyn aka Protector aka the Viking is the third son of the Earl of Pembroke. He has returned from the war a hero, he was part of an elite group of men who took the most impossible missions and survived. Ewan is a man of few words and even fewer desires – a place to sleep, the opportunity to bash heads and food are all he really wants or needs to be happy. But beneath his stoic demeanor is a man that has been hurt and doubts his own self worth. I LOVED Ewan – LOVED HIM! Currently Ewan is bashing heads for a living at a gaming hell, but when he is approached by the Duke of Ridlington with an intriguing offer of employment, he decides to take the job.

Lady Lorraine Caldwell aka Lorrie is the only daughter of the Duke of Ridlington and she is madly in love with Francis Mostyn, too bad her father has declined his offer for her hand, so Lorrie decides to elope. She may have failed the first time, but she is in no way giving up! But her plans are thwarted when her father introduces her to Ewan – her new bodyguard and the cousin to Francis. Lorrie still isn’t ready to give up and even though she is captivated by Ewan, she firmly reminds herself that this man was a beast to her true love and she will outwit him! She will keep Ewan on his toes and is a total delight!

The story is sweet and as Ewan and Lorrie begin to have deeper feelings for each other, the reader really saw the struggle Ewan felt, his feelings of inadequacy, his longing for what could never be and his growing feelings for Lorrie. Lorrie also matures during the course of the story, she finally accepts that she never really loved Francis and wants a man that will fight for her, she hopes that Ewan will be that man, but he seems to be pushing her away.

When Lorrie is kidnapped, Ewan realizes that he loves her and nothing will stop him from finding her and keeping her forever.

The story was well written and flowed wonderfully, there is a great cast of secondary characters that add some extremely amusing moments, a secondary romance, secrets, action, steamy love scenes and a beautiful ending! I would be happy to recommend this book and I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an ARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*

The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor

The Bride Who Got Lucky (The Cavensham Heiresses #2)The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor
Tracy’s rating: 2 of 5 stars

Series: The Cavensham Heiresses, #2

Release Date: October 31, 2017

I know I am in the minority here, but I did not care for this book.

Basically the heroine Emma (cousin to Claire from the previous book) is on a mission. Her dearest friend Lena has died and Emma believes Lena’s husband is responsible. Emma is determined to bring the man to justice, single handedly if necessary. Once she has accomplished this, she wants to open a bank that serves only women, thus giving them a way to be independent.

Unable to ignore a death she feels partially responsible for, Emma asks her parents and brothers for help. But when they tell her to let it go, she ends up makes one bad decision after another.

Nick, Earl of Somerton and heir to the Duke of Renton also is on a mission, his one and only desire in life is to make a fortune greater than his estranged father’s and then flaunt it in his father’s face. He doesn’t have time for nonsense or for a wife – but thanks to Emma’s inability to stay out of trouble, he is going to end up with both.

When Nick saves Emma (yet again) from herself, they are caught in an inn together and to save their reputations, marry.

As wedding present Nick gave her the funds needed to start her bank and it seems like Emma has matured and has come to peace with Lena’s death. That is, until she doesn’t get her way then her true colors come out.

I personally found Emma to be one of the most annoying and manipulative heroines I have ever read. And while the story had potential, the execution fell flat. The plot was flimsy and at times down right unbelievable. Nick was the one high point in this book, if not for him, I may have broken my own steadfast ARC rule and not finished the book.

In the previous book, I felt like the author added too many elements and the story ended up being too busy. In this book she managed to stay on point, but the plot line she choose just didn’t work for me – it was not true to the era and was riddled with contradictions. I am not sure if I would be willing to read the next book in the series, but I do know that I would not be conformable recommending this book to my friends.