Audio Review ~ Third Son’s a Charm ~ Shana Galen

*I received a free copy of Third Son's a Charm from Tantor Media via Tantor Media. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

Third Son's a Charm by Shana Galen
Narrator: Victoria Aston
Series: The Survivors #1
Published by Tantor Media on November 7, 2017
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Length: 11 hours, 13 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Tantor Media

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.

Third Son’s a Charm served as my introduction to Shana Galen and what an intro it was! The main plot was well crafted and the characters, both main and secondary, were painstakingly fleshed out.  The underlying story of “The Survivors” was also deftly woven in adding complexity to Ewan and his comrades. All the characters were delightfully brought to life by the talented narrator, Victoria Aston. She was also new-to-me and I will seek out more from her.

Highlights:

• Main Plot
  Lady Lorraine’s father fears someone unworthy stealing her heart to get to her dowry. He hires Ewan Mostyn to ensure no one, least of all Mostyn’s cousin who is pursuing Lorrie, manages to put her in a compromising position. Fortunately for Lorrie, Ewan manages to help her understand that she isn’t in love with his cousin and watching that happen was a lot of fun.
• Backstory
  SGalen handily crafts a history of Ewan and his compatriots as having been a special troop of soldiers fighting against Napoleon. She also crafted a background for Ewan, the third son of a Duke, that included a learning disability, leaving Ewan having little self-esteem or faith in his abilities past his brawn.
• Main Characters/Romance
  Lady Lorraine talks a lot and doesn’t always think before doing so or before action. Her impulsiveness provided comic relief often but she’s not dumb or silly. In fact, she’s rather crafty. She really only wanted someone to pay attention to her, having been largely ignored by her parents and two older brothers. Lorrie and Ewan definitely gave each other that something missing from their lives. Getting to witness them falling in love as they each gained confidence in themselves was a delight. Especially since neither expected it and Ewan felt duty-bound to do all he could to ignore the feelings.
• Secondary Characters
  There were many characters who played pivotal roles – there was even a side story involving Lorrie’s parents. But the ones most focused on were the Survivors. Understanding their stations – bastards, third sons, etc., – and how they came to be a part of the group was heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure. I’m eager to get their stories because they all deserve their HEA.
• Victoria Aston
  She narrated Third Son’s a Charm excellently. She was brilliant at dialects and keeping her voices distinct. Her range for men is a little limited but she did well despite the limitation. She is adept at conveying the emotion of the scenes and kept me engaged. I’ll absolutely continue listening to her.

 

Third Son’s a Charm was charming and a wonderful way to meet Shana Galen and Victoria Aston. I’ve already started the second book in the series!

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