The Brides of London: an Advertisements for Love collection

Vanessa Riley

Aug 2021 · Sold by Entangled: Amara

About this ebook

Fans of Bridgerton will love these two Regency romances for the price of one, featuring two best friends, each determined to advertise for love.

The Bittersweet Bride: Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband and needs one fast to protect her land, so she places an anonymous ad in the paper. She’s delighted she spends her remaining weeks exchanging flirtatious letters with the perfect man... Until she meets him and realizes he’s the son of the man trying to steal her land.

The Bashful Bride: When sparks fly between timid heiress Ester Croome and a handsome actor, they’re quick to elope. But when she discovers there is so much more to him than meets the eye, in order to save the marriage the shiest woman alive must publicly woo the most desirable man in England...her husband.

Ratings and reviews

I thought that these were two very good romances. These stories are rich with emotion, drama and twists. The writing is well done and I found these books easy to read. I'll be honest and say the characters were a split decision for me. Some I liked and some... not so much. I thought both storylines were entertaining and they kept me engaged. The romance, feels and swoon are plentiful and I found it refreshing that these books had a more serious side to them. I am posting a candid, unsolicited review.

2.5-3 Stars! This book is actually the first 2 books from the ‘Advertisements for Love’ series. The first book, ‘The Bittersweet Bride’ was good but I did feel lost at times, like I had missed a page. I wasn’t a fan of either of the main characters. Theo and Ewan both annoyed me in different ways. Too much back and forth between ‘I love you, I hate you, I missed you, but I still hate you, I can’t trust you, I still love you, etc’. Make up your minds already! I’m just not of fan of books with an easily solved problem with communication from the 2 main characters. It usually just gets me frustrated and asking the book ‘why won’t they just communicate?!’. Communication in any kind of relationship is key! I didn’t read the 2nd book since I wasn’t a huge fan of the first. *I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

Two unique, innovative romances! This book contains two standalone (but interconnected) romances. Both use marriage advertisements to bring the characters together, and both have Black female lead characters who fall for white men. The first, The Bittersweet Bride, is a poignant second-chance romance where the widowed Theodosia gets a second chance with her first love, the father of her child. There's a whole lot of history between these two, and the reasons they were apart are bittersweet indeed. No one deserves a second chance more than Theo and Ewan, and I rejoiced with them at the end. The second, The Bashful Bride, has Ester checking out the man her friend has been corresponding with, only to find out he's the famous actor she's been crushing on for two years. He's equally attracted to her, and instantly proposes to marry her instead of her friend. The happy veneer of their union is quickly overshadowed by some truly heartbreaking history, as well as current circumstances that force them each to be more honest and open with each other. Their road to HEA is fraught with secrets, misunderstandings, pride, and more family interference than any one couple deserves, but it all works out in the end, bringing to light more than a few truth bombs that are as relevant today as ever. These two stories will make you think, not only of the history of racial injustices but also what constitutes a balance of power in traditional relationships. These women are more than strong enough to hold their own without diminishing their partners, and I truly enjoyed both stories. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

About the author

Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of historical fiction and historical romance, showcasing the hidden histories of women of color and emphasizing strong sisterhoods and dazzling multicultural communities. With more than twenty novels in print, her stories tug at heartstrings, elicit a few laughs, and share insights into diverse history during the Georgian, Regency, and Victorian eras.

vanessariley.com