Tour Review - - Keeping Score

Keeping Score

by Brittany Kelley

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: August 25, 2026

Reviewed by Santa

Michelle Oxford lives and breathes soccer. After an injury that ended her dreams of going pro, she snagged the next best thing: a position as the director of operations for the LA Aces. And even if it’s not quite what she imagined it would be, it’s still better than cutting out soccer altogether.

The only problem? Carefree, wonder boy goalie, Tristan Gold.

Tristan has wanted more than just friendship with Michelle since the moment he laid eyes on her, but nothing would kill her career faster. When she loses a bet, the team gleefully insists she has to take lessons on “being chill” from Tristan himself.

They couldn’t be more different, but Tristan’s always met her perfectionist tendencies with good-natured goofiness, so she reluctantly agrees. The more time she spends with him, the more she likes what she sees . . . and Michelle starts to think that with him by her side, she could do just about anything—even saying goodbye to the future she thought she always wanted.

Santa Says:

Keeping Score by Brittany Kelley was a delightful read for me. It is the second book in a series that centers around a professional soccer team called the LA Aces. I am fast becoming a fan of sports romances. This book was a solid five stars for me. It features a whole cast of characters who work within the LA Aces both on the pitch and in the back offices, as well.

That is where we meet Michelle Oxford, Operations Manager for the LA Aces. She came to them when after a career ending injury in college benched her dreams of being a soccer star in her own right. But she’s smart, talented and more than up to the task. That’s a good thing because her baptism by fire would have  knocked down anyone else. The old owners of the team were shrouded in scandal. The new owner was exacting in what he wanted for the team. Employees were jumping ship in epic numbers. Everything fell to Michelle to not only keep things going but to implement new procedures. She took to sleeping on the couch in the office and was very close to existing on a caffeine only diet. The sour cherry on top was the vultures of the press who were ravenous for one more scandal or for one more brick to be pulled out before the whole organization would tumble.

Tristian Gold was the team’s goalie. He is tall, blond haired and criminally good looking. He was a man well liked both on the pitch and off. He had an easy going manner about him that somehow rubbed off on everyone around him. He cared about his team. He cared about their image in the eye of the public. But what he most cared about was Michelle. He fell in love with her at first sight but never pursued it or admitted it out loud. He kept his distance as a professional.

That all changed when he and Maddie, who worked with the PR department, convinced a normally business-only Michelle to come out for drinks with the team. Something she never did and wasn’t even aware happened on a regular basis. Everyone was there including people from the back office. The night turns out to be a rousing success when Michelle pitched the idea to have the team out in public interacting with charitable events. This led to a good natured shuffleboard bet that pitted Michelle and Tristan against one another. If Michelle lost at shuffleboard Michelle would have to take lessons from Tristian on how to “chill out” a little bit.

Perfect! I love close proximity tropes! As Tristian and Michelle spend more and more time together, Tristian struggles with not letting what he feels for Michelle be known. He doesn’t want to cross any lines but, beneath his bravado, he doesn’t feel worthy of her. This insecurity stems from negative messages from, of all people, his mother. Michelle also struggles, at first, to control her own attraction to him. I had a huge grin on my face when they finally do come together. Just a wonderful HEA for these two.

As always with books that I love - run, don’t walk, to get your hands on this book! The interactions are wonderful. The dialog and banter are equally as terrific! Enjoy! Now I have to go and grab the first book!

Review - - Wild Goose Chase

Wild Goose Chase

by Sarah Adler

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: July 28, 2026

Reviewed by Santa

Antique store owner Callahan Leitner has an illegal taxidermy goose in his living room.

Why? It’s…complicated.

But it may end his career unless he finds a legitimate way to dispose of the bird ASAP. Except, there’s an unexpected wrench in his plans—the frustrating, effervescent Annie O’Neill.

Annie is happy to fill in for her uncle at his antique store; it’s the perfect opportunity to gain more experience before opening a shop of her own, plus she'll finally meet his handsome young business partner. Unfortunately, Cal is nothing like the charming man she expected. She’s tempted to take his apparent dislike personally, until she stumbles upon the source of his moodiness: the contraband waterfowl hidden upstairs.

When the goose goes missing, both of their professional reputations are on the line. As Cal and Annie attempt to track down the bird before it can be traced back to the store, their tentative alliance turns into something much deeper. Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin?

Santa Says:

Wild Goose Chase by Sarah Adler is a five star read for me. Callahan Leitner is stuck. He has his dream job as partner of Virtu Antiques and Collectables but his girlfriend of fifteen years broke up with him a couple of years ago and quickly met and married someone else! His partnership came as a gift from his friend and mentor Graham after he passed away at the same time. He tried to move on with his love life with disastrous results and he misses Graham everyday and hopes he honors his legacy.

Enter Annie O’Neill who arrives at Virtu like a whirlwind. She is the niece of his other partner, Howard, who is off on his whirlwind marriage and honeymoon in Italy. She is eager to learn everything she can about a brick and mortar storefront as she hopes to open one day. And Cal doesn’t quite know what to make of her. She repurposes antiques and sells them on the internet! The horror!

Oh, and then there’s the taxidermied goose that Cal promised his ex he’d look into finding more about, at great personal risk to his and the store’s reputation. Fun fact it is illegal to kill and taxidermy geese based on a law from 1918. Cal’s task is to find out if the goose predates the law or not and to then donate it. So now Cal has to juggle running the store, finding out about the goose and keeping Annie from finding out about it. 

Good luck with that because Annie has a way of getting under Cal’s skin and making him feel things long dormant in him. That all changes when the goose goes missing under Annie’s watch. And so begins the wild goose chase as they follow its whereabouts throughout the city of Baltimore, introducing them to an insane cast of characters and placing them in close proximity to one another time and time again. Which leads them to uncover their true feelings for one another. Not an easy task for two wounded souls.

Ms. Adler weaves throughout Cal and Annie’s story the origin story of the goose which introduces us to Ona and John just after the turn of the 20th century. John is a newspaper editor and illustrator. Ona is an ornithologist and they start a correspondence based on an unusual bird he has seen and captured on paper. She goes down to see him to see if she can see the bird for herself and earn the respect of her peers in discovering a new bird. It turns out to be a ruse but they, too, discover their feelings for one another. Ora is furious with him but eventually forgives him as they then discover this unusual goose! The rest, as they say, is history and brings Cal and Annie’s goose’s journey full circle.

This book kept me turning page after page following these four main characters’ stories. It was hilarious and touching and a little heartbreaking but the HEAs were well worth the wait! I highly recommend picking this one up. And I will be reading her other works, both past and future. Enjoy!

Review - - The Final Score

The Final Score

by Lana Ferguson

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: July 7, 2026

Reviewed by: Santa

 

Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he’s back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. After a lifetime as the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needed him, Jack is left questioning everything he knows about himself.

Abigail Thompson feels like she’s hit rock bottom. It’s only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she’s been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she’s put him through, but it’s looking like his best friend’s spare room might be her only choice.

Jack is flighty, flirty, and a little full of himself—all the things Abby’s learned to avoid in men. However, spending every day together breaks the ice between them, and she starts to realize that Jack might not be who he seems. It’s possible that maybe, just maybe, he might be struggling as much as she is. Soon, confiding in each other leads to falling into bed, and this fling will either play with their hearts—or score them the ultimate goal of love.

Santa Says:

I really enjoyed The Final Score by Lana Ferguson. It is a real feel good story about two people who could not be more different from each other. This novel centers around two people at odds with each other and themselves. Jack is a super star hockey player who is brash and cocky. Abby's life has been nothing but chaotic between her manipulative father and the bursting pipes in her apartment.

Jack exudes self-confidence. To him, hockey is life. His world is defined by two things, love for his sister and the game. He takes both very seriously. However, an injury to his arm changes everything. It requires surgery and time away from the game. Impossible. They are close to winning the playoffs. Next stop is the Stanley Cup. Taking time off is out of the question. He’s tough. He can work through it. He wouldn’t want to disappoint the fans, especially the female ones. And without hockey, well, he’d rather not think about that at all.

Abby just wanted to be left alone as she navigated work, her work in graduate school and her new found half brother whose life her father threw her into. Her poor excuse for a father would not leave her alone. She wanted nothing to do with the man who thought that through her he could gain access to the lucrative Druids hockey team which his ex-wife happens to own! Add to this mess the fact that she must move out of her apartment while her landlord was fixing the water damage in her apartment. She didn’t want to impose on her newly married brother and his wife who also happens to be Jack’s sister. They are disgustingly happily married with a penchant for strong PDAs!

Jack, who continues to ignore the injury to his arm, invites Abby to use his spare bedroom for as long as she needs. Abby has more than enough on her plate! She has enough armor around her to ignore the cocky man! She reluctantly agrees to stay at Jack’s place. What is the worst that could happen? Plenty of close proximity lends itself to this slow burn romance where armor and a lot more falls away as two people in pain learn to lean on each other.  Delicious especially as he falls first and Jack discovers there is a lot more to life than just hockey and Abby finds strength and confidence.

Add this book to your TBR list and be prepared to add Lana Ferguson to your favorite rom com authors. I give it five out of five stars. Enjoy!

Review - - My Favorite Holidate

My Favorite Holidate

by Lauren Blakely

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed by Santa

“Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.”

To Fable’s surprise, her billionaire boss, Wilder Blaine, is more than willing to take on the challenge of playing her holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one for a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and she’s the maid of honor. With her ex also in the wedding party, the two team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season. Their partnership includes participating in the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

What starts as late nights crafting the best popcorn balls for the contest soon turns into a passionate night together, where the sparks between them are impossible to ignore. But when the holidays end, can their winter wonderland romance turn into something real back at the office? Or are they destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s Day?

Santa Says:

Is it ever too early to read a holiday romance? In a word - NO! In fact, now is the perfect time of the year. The air is crisper. Halloween decorations have been out in the stores. Christmas ones can’t be too far behind. My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakley ticks all those boxes and a few others. Fake dating. Close proximity. Family fun in the Rockies with a little winter games competition. I could go on and on. Did I mention the precocious kid and the eccentric Auntie? A five star Christmas gift tied in a big red bow.

Our heroine Fable finds herself in need of a plus one for her sister’s magical Christmas Eve wedding. Her most recent boyfriend, Brady, cheated on her at a Thanksgiving dinner with the caterer! A real classy guy! But he is also going to be at the wedding because he is Leo’s cousin. Talk about awkward.

Her sister Charlotte and her fiance Leo are tying the knot with family and at Leo’s best friend’s cabins in the Rockies. Leo’s best friend and best man, Wilder, has a yearly holiday in the mountains. Wilder also happens to be Fable’s boss. Fable runs the merchandising department for Wilder’s professional football team. Fable loves a little bling and copious amounts of glitter - like a t-shirt cannon’s worth.

Wilder and Fable decide to pretend to be lovers. They need everyone, especially Brady, to believe they are a real couple. But the snow angels work their magic on the pair who were already attracted to one another. They just never acted on it because they never wanted the other person to feel awkward. A beautiful winter wonderland and close proximity from sharing one of the “cabins” work their magic, too. 

Their romance was supposed to end right after the holidays but their make believe romance quickly turns into the real thing! This book was a pleasure to read and so much fun! I was smiling from beginning to end! I highly recommend you pick up this holiday romance. You will not be disappointed!

Review - - Love, The Duke

Love, The Duke

by Amelia Grey

Say I Do - Book 3

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Reviewed by Santa

When the Duke of Hurstbourne receives a letter from his childhood friend asking him to marry his sister Ophelia, Hurst declines. He’s not adverse to taking a bride, but he believes in love at first sight that stirs his desire—not marriage sight-unseen.

Adhering to society’s strict propriety for ladies, Ophelia Stowe has no choice but to present herself as a man to seek the Duke of Hurstbourne’s favor. If not for the dire situation she finds herself in, she wouldn’t have asked for help from the handsome man who had rebuffed her. When the alluring duke’s response is a plan of his own, Ophelia never dreams it would be a proposal of a marriage of convenience.

But the stakes are high, and the good name of the Stowe family will be damaged if a missing antiquity isn’t found. When she accepts his offer, she quickly finds she isn’t immune to the passion building between her and her new husband--or how real the marriage begins to feel.

Santa Says:

Love, The Duke by Amelia Grey is the final book in her Say I Do series. I really enjoyed the series and this book was no different. It was a five star hit from the first page. It includes romance and a bit of intrigue that kept me enthralled throughout. 

Drake Cheston Kingley, the duke of Hurtsborne is at loose ends. He is well aware that he should marry soon. He would marry someone he fell in love with at first sight or not at all. His two best friends have just married and he hardly sees them so he is especially looking forward to some time away with them. His enjoyment is cut short when a letter arrives from an old childhood friend who has become ill. He asks that Drake honor an oath to come to his friend's aid. His friend the good Reverend Winston Stowe asks that he marry, sight unseen, his sister. Drake is stunned and impulsively writes to decline his friend’s request saying he will return home to meet with him instead. He signs the note with Love, the Duke. Memories come back to him. Growing up, Drake’s own father went through his allowance like water, often leaving no money for food or the servants wages. He found himself spending all his time at the Stowe house. They were the loving family he did not have. He would visit his old friend as soon as he could. 

Olivia Stowe was undeniably a beauty so when Drake fails to find her brother and her, she takes matters into her own hands and seeks him. Drake is shocked to find her in his study dressed as a man. It was a guise he sees straight through but Olivia is desperate. She doesn’t seek marriage but his knowledge and access to the ton. Someone stole a priceless chalice from a locked box in the church her brother ran. If the theft is discovered before she can track the piece down her brother would be accused of the theft and her family’s reputation would be ruined. 

Olivia suspects a visiting nobleman who recently visited the chapel and was shown the piece by her ailing brother. A servant only catches part of the crest on the side of the carriage seen leaving the church just after the chalice went missing. Drake offered his assistance as best he could. Olivia took matters into her own hands when she attended parties with her mother. She would search libraries and studies on her own to see if she could find the chalice herself.  

Drake finds himself enchanted with her when he first sees her dressed as a woman across a crowded ballroom. He follows this vision to the study and discovers its’s none other than Olivia. He warns her to not go sneaking into darkened rooms. Drake’s efforts to stop her land them in compromising situations.  

The best solution would be a marriage of convenience where he can keep an eye on her but close proximity works its magic to the delight of this reader. I hope you pick up a copy today and enjoy it as much as I did!

Review & Giveaway - - The Lady Sparks A Flame

The Lady Sparks a Flame

by Elizabeth Everett

The Damsels of Discovery - Book 2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Reviewed by Santa

Lady Phoebe Hunt never anticipated returning from exile. A fatal choice drove her from England, but the death of her father—and the revelation of his debts—has brought her home. Once she settles her father’s estate, she will return to America, where she has reinvented herself. There’s no reason to remain, not even for one gravitationally challenged but deliciously tempting entrepreneur: Sam Fenley.

Samuel Fenley is all ambition. Rising from shop boy to wealthy investor, he’s left knocking on doors that open only for those with a title. Unless he buys the damned door itself—and the estate that goes with it. Sam offers to relieve Phoebe of her burdens, but is her crumbling mansion all Sam wants? Or is it the Lady herself?

When threats from Phoebe’s past spark new dangers, Sam and Phoebe discover that neither is what the other expected. Standing on the edge of disaster, the disgraced Ice Queen will have to decide if she wants to forge through life alone, or let an unlikely hero melt her heart.

Santa Says:

The Lady Sparks A Flame by Elizabeth Everett is the second book in her Damsels of Discovery series. These dovetail off her first series which centered around the lady scientists of Athena’s Retreat. I love when authors do this and I find myself getting comfortable with old friends again. This book supplies that and so much more making a quite enjoyable five star read.

We are reintroduced to Sam Finley who is a charmer with a Midas touch and Lady Phoebe Hart who returns to England from her banishment to the Americas for her part in a deadly bombing. At first glance, it is hard to see how these two could ever fall in love. He is optimistic and gregarious. She is wound so tight and views the world with suspicion and dread. Sam Finley comes from a large, loud and joyous family. Lady Phoebe's mother and sister, like Phoebe, bear the scars of a horrible husband and father. Phoebe spent her childhood getting the brunt of her father’s punishments while protecting her younger sister. 

Lady Phoebe has no time for love or anything right now. She has her no good father’s debts to settle. To do so she must sell everything or enough to see her mother and sister made comfortable. Lucky for her Sam, along with his other varied business interests can help her do that. As a result, they journey to her neglected family home to make those assessments. The sooner this is all taken care of the quicker she can leave behind all her unpleasant memories and return to America.

Sam, however, is in no hurry to get away from her. He has always had a tendre for her and their close proximity is just the ticket. He works his charms to seemingly no avail. But soon cracks can be seen in her armour and she lets him in little by little until it becomes too much. It's not so much that she doubts his love but how can anyone love her when her own father couldn’t. Sam has his work cut out for him.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Lady Sparks A Flame and see how Sam resorts to making a big splash to prove his love. If you’ve never read a book by Elizabeth Everett you can read this one as a stand alone. It has great dialog and banter. There are some dark pieces to the book which may be triggering for some but the author provides a brief warning in the beginning of the book which is very helpful and enlightening.

~~~~~~~~~

Readers, have you read any of Elizabeth Everett's books?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, March 26 will receive a print copy of The Lady Sparks A Flame.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Get Lost With You

Get Lost With You

by Sophie Sullivan

Rock Bottom Love - Book 2

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Reviewed by Santa

Jillian Keller took the long route to her best life, but is now happily settled in her hometown of Smile, raising her little girl alone while helping her brother run Get Lost Lodge. A lover of structure and routine, she doesn’t need anyone disrupting her carefully curated life.

After chasing and achieving his culinary dreams, Levi Bright realizes he’s still missing something he can’t find in a big city. Returning home to Smile, he intends to build a different future for himself, including reconnecting with family and friends, and creating elevated comfort food for a town he loves.

When Levi and Jilly run into each other, past feelings that never had a chance to bloom flare between them… but she’s been hurt before, and falling for her older brother’s best friend seems like a recipe for drama. But sometimes, a second chance at love leads you right where you’re meant to be.

Santa Says:

Get Lost With You by Sophie Sullivan is the second book in her Rock Bottom Love series. Don’t worry, this five star book can be read as a stand alone, too. The book takes place in the idyllic small town of Smile. Everyone and everything about the island makes you want to take the ferry over and have a slice of pie at Pete’s.

Jillian Keller came home again with her daughter Oliie after a disastrous marriage and divorce. Her focus is on her daughter and her brothers’ restoration and launching of The Get Lost Lodge. They hope to attract groups to the lodge to take advantage of the surrounding hiking trails, group activities and great food the lodge would offer. Jillian is not looking out for herself. She is still hurting from her marriage to trust anyone else.

Levi Bright returns to Smile after going off to culinary school. He carved out a very good living. He was head chef in a successful restaurant in Burlington, Vermont but something was missing. He really didn’t connect with anyone there. Levi comes back to Smile to figure out what the next steps look like. As soon as he set foot there again he really felt like he was home again. 

Jillian and Levi run into each other very quickly. Kind of hard not to when Levi was the best friend of Jillian’s older brother. Immediately sparks fly. Levi was Jillian’s school girl crush. Levi had started to have feelings for her before he left.  Levi would like nothing more than exploring those sparks. Jillian is a bit more cautious. However, the fates, and we readers, want to see if second chance romances are real. Circumstances both personal and professional toss these two together more and more.

I, for one, was all for it. Sophie Sullivan writes so beautifully about how love approached with caution and care can bloom into something gorgeous. This is what Jillian and Levi’s relationship was like. Two people with very human traits and faults still able to overcome obstacles that really were no match against their blooming love. 

Review - - Love You a Latke

Love You a Latke

by Amanda Elliot

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: October 8, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.

Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth.

As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.

Santa says:

‘Tis the season, friends, and I couldn’t be happier. Pumpkin spice may be in the air but I’ll take the scent of latkes, those divine potato pancakes with a side of applesauce, any day of the week. And Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot was just the book to put me in the mood. This book has all the magic of the season. A cozy New England town. A spunky owner of a darling coffee shop. A delicious cinnamon roll tech nerd. And New York City alight with holiday charm. It ticked off all my holiday romance boxes and then some.

Now. lest I paint too rosy a picture of this story…there’s so much more to it. The cozy New England town is struggling to come back from near devastating flooding and a noted drop in tourism, the town’s lifeblood. And maybe ‘spunky’, is too generous because Abby Cohen, our heroine, is pretty much the grumpiest coffee shop owner I have ever come across. To be fair, she has a lot on her plate with her business failing and the small business council’s president cheerfully lassoing her into a huge project. However, the cinnamon roll hero, Seth, is still delicious and is the polar opposite of Abby. He never fails to come into her store every morning with a smile on his face. Every. Single. Morning. And New York City is just as bright and vibrant as the giant menorah in the city's Grand Army Plaza. 

The town council meets to discuss what they can do to attract more tourists during the holiday season that is different from any other town. Lorna, the president, latches onto the idea of having a Hanukkah festival and who better to organize it than Abby who is the only Jewish person in the town, on the council and, seemingly, for miles around. Great! Just another thing to add onto her plate. She begrudgingly agrees but finds the usual vendors completely at a loss as to what to provide for the event. A tree lit up with blue and white lights and the shepherds with yarmulkes is not the vibe Abby wants to go for. 

In a desperate attempt to see if there are any other Jewish people she could tap, Abby signs up on a Jewish dating app. In a bizarre twist of fate, she is matched up with none other Mister Sunshine himself, Seth Abrams. Seth makes her a deal she can’t refuse. He will help her navigate the holiday scene in New York where he can help her source vendors and ideas. In exchange, she will pretend to be the nice Jewish girl her mother has been badgering him to bring home to their upper West side apartment to meet them. 

Seth’s parents couldn’t be nicer and embrace her as their own. His friends make her feel like one of the gang as they visit festivals, parks and bars that celebrate the holiday season in grand style. Abby and Seth slowly fall in love though Seth had a head start. It wasn’t just great coffee that brought him to her cafe. Abby also rediscovers her Judaism as she celebrates Hanukkah with Seth’s parents. Abby doesn’t really have any family to speak of. The less said about her parents, the better. Their psychological abuse left deep scars and Seth’s parents are the opposite of them in many ways. Seeing Abby’s healing and Seth’s growth throughout the story is just one of many touching parts of this book. 

If you are looking for a holiday pick me up, Love You A Latke is just the ticket. It is beautifully written and the characters beautifully drawn. I have learned that Amanda Elliot is a relatively new writer. Her other books have garnered some praise. I look forward to reading her backlist, too. Happy Holidays!

 

Review - - Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man

by Violet Marsh

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: March 5, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

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.

Santa Says:

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!