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

The Brides of London is a delightful and refreshing approach to historical romance. My absolute favorite part of this reading experience was seeing the diverse and unique backgrounds of the characters. There is rarely mention of ethnically diverse characters when one reads historical romance, so this book was quite a nice surprise. I applaud Ms. Riley for taking on difficult subject and turning it in to deliciously angsty set of romances. The premise of having women who need the protection and support of a man advertise in the paper is a fresh take on the use of personal ads for making a match of convenience. Each of the women featured in these stories is a force to be reckoned with. They are smart and bold women who possess uncommon courage. Vanessa Riley is an author whose work is new to me. I will be sure to make time to read more of her creations. She provides spectacular insights into a world and class of people who are underrepresented in literature.

Inspirational Realistic Romances BITTERSWEET BRIDE: An amazing story of second chances, a complicated relationship, a business war and an evil guardian. This book will move your soul, make you question your beliefs and helps one to hope for a happy ending amidst the mess of life. A MUST READ. THE BASHFUL BRIDE: Another home run for this author. This book is about the naivete of a young African woman who was born and raised in London. She had a two-year admiration for a young Caucasian actor with dark secrets. He also was an abolitionist. Which in those days was very dangerous. They agree to elope and fall in love after trial and trial of facing prejudice and slurs. An excellent BWWM story. Loved it. It reminds the reader that relationships are like a road; smooth sometimes, muddy other times, full of ruts that joust one about left right back and forth. But one’s devotion, love and belief in one another will help make it through anything. A MUST READ. Reasons I enjoyed this book: Great world building Informative Inspirational Page-turner Realistic Tear-jerker Tragic Unpredictable Wonderful characters

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