Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man

A woman escapes an arranged marriage to a dastardly viscount and falls for his brother instead in this effervescent historical from Marsh (Velocity of a Secret). After Lady Charlotte Lovett’s mother informs her that she is engaged to Viscount Hawley, Charlotte, who believes Hawley was responsible for the deaths of his two former wives, flees—and ends up at the Black Sheep, a coffeehouse owned by her estranged cousin, Hannah Wick. Charlotte offers to use her inheritance from a great-aunt to invest in the coffeehouse and revamp it as a place where women and men can meet and debate on equal terms, hoping that through eavesdropping, she’ll manage to dig up more dirt and prove Hawley’s villainy. It’s at the Black Sheep where she meets Dr. Matthew Talbot, Hawley’s younger brother. Though Charlotte is attracted to the seemingly kindhearted Matthew, she can tell he’s keeping secrets and worries he’s in on his brother’s nefarious activities. As danger mounts, these two prove their devotion to each other through some daring feats, making it easy to cheer for their connection. Historical details about aristocratic privilege and the ills of indentured servitude add texture. The combination of entrepreneurial heroine, swoony hero, and exciting plot makes this a winner. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Mar.)