I feel like many of my reviews have been lackluster lately and so I caution anyone taking 30 seconds to read my thoughts to take them with a grain of salt.

I didn't love these books. They were individually repetitive and didn't feel as light or uplifting as I typically expect in a historical romance. That being said, the author tackles heavy topics on race, prejudice, and class so I also don't think it could be a "lighthearted romp" and still do its duty there. But... I wanted something in between. I wanted to love the characters and be invested in their causes. I wanted them to stop wallowing in their mundane musings (again, tying back to the repetitive - not the causes they were standing for) and just get on with things. And this sounds so harsh - which I hate - and is not a personal attack against the author in the least (she's talented and I typically enjoy her work.) Unfortunately, these two particular stories were just okay - a little boring with a fair three star rating on my own personal scale.

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.

The premise of this one is very interesting for me and made me anticipate the reading experience with this book. Overall, the book has a great storyline and an okay characterization. I appreciate how the author really showed the depths of these characters, however, this resulted in over-writing for me. I think this book is just too long for what it is and it could have gone another round of edits for conciseness. Most of the time, I'm not able to enjoy the story because of the very slow-paced nature of the writing style and the constant repetitions of thoughts, dialogues, monologues, and the likes. The characters, though they are characterized well, sometimes felt like they are overwritten as well. I wished this book was shorter and much more direct to the point, then I think I would really love the book.

Theodosia Cecil had thought she had seen a ghost. Her lover had died six years ago. What was he doing here now? Finally, she meets him face to face and finds out he did not die. Letters fall from her hand and she rushes to pick them up But he gets them first. She needs a new marriage to protect her son and herself. His guardian is a greedy and unkind man. She loved her husband and when he died, she was beside herself with grief.
Ewan Fitzwilliam had left to go into the military. He and Theo were secretly engaged. The Earl, his dad, had driven him away and he stayed away for six years. During that time he had been reported as dead. Even his older brother was affected by his parents. There were misunderstandings between Ewan and Theo. They needed to talk and stop accusing. I enjoyed the story but had trouble understanding the accusations and was something going to get them talking?
The Bashful Bride
This story is about Ester Croome, the daughter of a wealthy Merchant. She has always been in infatuation with Arthur Bex for years. She is very shy and embarrassed easily. One of her friends,
Frederica Burghley had advertised for a husband. It had turned out so well for her other friend,
Theodosia Cecil. When she was in the hall, she heard her father say that he had arranged a marriage for her. She believed to Charles Jordan, she could never marry him, he was a womanizer. She could never be like her mother or Mrs. Jordan. They just sat there saying nothing, waiting for their husbands to tell them what to do. She would not. All three girls were Blackamoors and they had a lot of prejudice to fight. What made it worse, as they had earned a lot of money.
Arthur Bex was an Abolitionist. He was also an actor and according to Miss Croome, a very good one. Frederica was actually the lady he wrote to. But Frederica knew how much Ester liked him. So she told Ester it was o.k. and went to wait in her carriage.
Both these stories were wonderful. The girls wanted to love and they were so kind to other people.
Theodosia had a great heart while Ester was shy and quiet and Frederica was lively, full of energy.
They all had huge barriers set against them that had to be overcome. The other characters made a wonderful backdrop for Theo and Ester.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Sometimes it can be hard to find historical romances that still find ways to be new/different. Well, that's not the case for The Brides of London. Not only are the two female protagonists POC (which as a Black woman I really appreciate), you also get two stories! And as usual Vanessa Riley outdoes herself with the historical accuracy and knowledge in both of the books.

In the first book The Bittersweet Bride, Theodosia Cecil , a recent widow and estate owner is desperate to find a new husband. Plagued by unwanted advances from her son's guardian and her neighbors out to get her land, Theo must find a trustworthy man to protect her and her son. At the urging of her friend, Theo puts an ad in the paper looking for a husband with the hopes of finding someone suitable. But when she goes to collect her responses, she runs into Ewan Fitzwilliam her first love and a man that she believe to be dead. Now that he's back, Theo must confront her past with Ewan while trying to secure her future. Ewan and Theo must both face what happened between them and what that means for their future. I really liked Vanessa's approach to telling a widow love story. The premise really made it feel fresh. I will say that it was a little more bittersweet than I thought it was going to be. It was well written and I loved the characters as well as the historical accuracy.

In the second book, The Bashful Bride, Ester Croome is mistaken for Frederica who has been corresponding with a potential husband from a newspaper ad. But when Ester comes face-to-face with actor Arthur Bex, a man she's adored from afar for two years, Ester believes she's found the solution to her own problem. Instead of marrying the her father's business associate, Ester decides she should marry Arthur. Arthur needs a wife and Ester needs a way out of this unwanted arrangement, so she proposes that they elope! As the two race to Scotland to elope before they are discover, Ester and Arthur get to know one another. Is this the best idea ever or is it doomed to be their biggest mistake? And Ester can't shake the feeling that Arthur isn't being completely honest with her.

While this second book is a little more light-hearted than the first, it still deals with important issues like race, class and discrimination. I will say that while the characters had a lot of depth and great backstory, at times it was difficult to root for Ester. Maybe that's because she had a lot of privilege and at times seemed unwillingly to accept that life was complicated. But I did love that their relationship did have to overcome some very real bumps and struggles.

Overall, I enjoyed reading both books. They're very quick and easy reads.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In choosing this book, it was a no-brainer. I love bride stories and historicals usually have some fun with all of the tales. In this book, we get two very different stories.

Each had its own needs and gave the reader a choice to enjoy.

There are two books in this collection. These are not the usual historical romances. There are diverse characters going through real issues.

I wasn't sure I was gonna make it all the way through the first book. There was so much hurt and animosity between them, I doubted they could actually get to their HEA.

The second story was light-hearted compared to the first.

This book is actually two books in one, which is always fun, especially when they are related, as these are. Both start with the premise of advertisements in a newspaper to find a mate, but then they go off in very different directions, with different results. Also, the heroines in both books are best friends and feature in each other's stories.

First, let me say that both narratives present diverse historical romances. The heroines in both works are black women in London, and their race is important to their characterization and the plot. Moreover, both stories deal with the intersection of race and class in interesting ways.

I had trouble enjoying the first of the stories (The Bittersweet Bride) is a second-chance romance, and I really appreciated the development of the characters and world in the story, but I HATED the hero. He is a playwright who thinks the heroine abandoned him while he was at war (she was told he was dead). She only learns he is alive when he returns 6 years later. This is a pretty expected set up, but I just felt like he treated her terribly. I wanted to tell Theodosia to hold out for a better husband. I am not as forgiving as she is! So it made it hard to enjoy the HEA. This was also a really slow-paced romance compared to the second one. I would give this one 3 stars.

I much preferred the second story (The Bashful Bride). In fact, I wanted to keep reading even though I had to go to work. In this plot, Theodosia's friend Ester gets the opportunity to elope with an actor she has had a crush on for years. There is so much nuance to the development of the relationship between the hero and heroine as they try to get to Scotland before her family realizes that she is gone. There is a lot a lot of racism and danger. The book is really well done. So it earned the book overall the 4-star rating.

Both stories contain plenty of Shakespeare references, which I always enjoy. I definitely recommend checking these out. The writing is clever, and the author takes familiar tropes and brings in new elements.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

If you haven't read Vanessa Riley, what are you waiting for?!?

With Riley's work, one can absolutely count on representation in diversity and abilities, thoughtful use of language, spare yet perfect descriptions, interesting side characters, surprises in the story, longing and angst, and adherence to history of the era.

This book is made up of two Regency romances, and both deliver! If you've never read this author, this is a great place to start, and then go read her other books!

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.

Previously published, this set of two books, contains THE BITTERSWEET BRIDE and THE BASHFUL BRIDE (Advertisements for Love series). The books revolve around newspaper advertisements, a lady looking for a husband and a gentleman looking for a wife. These two books are multiracial romances. Two Blackmore women want to marry, but face challenges to marry outside their race. Where they live in reality, most of the world does not. Having money is their best advantage, but finding a husband to love and stand up for them is the greatest gift of all. Riley's characters have their flaws, but find the strength to overcome them.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

These two stories were both touching and romantic. It was eye opening to the way things were in England for Black people in that era as well, as I only ever really knew more about American history during that time. So I was actually distracted a lot by thoughts of how things were in so many ways better, yet still fell so short of true freedom. Both couples being interracial were so controversial to say the least, but it didn't matter. Each story has its own issues with trust, love, etc, but the ultimate happy ending was worth it. #netgalley #thebridesoflondon

These were two entertaining novella. The characters were interesting and I wanted to find out how things would turn out. I enjoyed these novellas and would recommend them to others.

These stories feature two very strong willed women. They are minorities in a time when it was extremely difficult to survive as one and yet they thrived. They fought for what they believed in and the love they thought they deserved. They created family and friendships that were solid and unshakable. The author does a good job of showing all the struggles they endured yet they persisted. These are beautiful stories and well worth reading.

I struggled a bit with these stories as I found the writing rather long winded. The first story, The Bittersweet Bride, was complex and complicated from the start and it just didn’t grab me. I didn’t understand why Theodosia was hiding after retrieving her letters, I found Ewan’s animosity unconvincing at first and I couldn’t understand why Theodosia was working out the value of meals sold to tradesmen’s wives. There was just too much going on to allow me to build empathy with Theodosia and Ewan. I just didn’t get a chance to get to know either of them well. I’m afraid that affected my enjoyment of the whole book. That said, I did like author Vanessa Riley’s introduction of women of colour not only as regency heroines but as women with positions in society. That was well thought out and well executed.

This book is a collection of the first two novels in the Advertisements for Love series. I really liked the premise of this series - it’s sort of a 19th century dating service with people advertising for a spouse in the newspaper.

The Bittersweet Bride
Theo married for survival after her fiancé was killed in the war. Six years later, now a widow, she’s shocked to learn that her first love is still alive. Can they overcome the misunderstandings and bitterness between them to rekindle their romance?

I loved Theo and Ewan. The passion is strong between them. Given that Theo needs to marry to protect herself from her son’s guardian, it seemed odd to me that she’d prefer a stranger to Ewan, no matter how badly his parents had treated her. Both these characters have experienced a lot of suffering during their time apart, and it’s difficult to forgive.

The Bashful Bride
To avoid an arranged marriage, heiress Esther elopes with an actor she’s been crushing on for years. But can these two strangers truly find happiness together?

I liked the instant chemistry between Esther and Bex. It was clear they were well matched. I understood the reasons for Esther to be constantly second guessing her decision. Yet I felt like the societal pressures for her to go through with the ceremony would have overwhelmed them. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I must say I was excited for this ARC because I had seen it on IG a lot. I love the idea of people of color in historical romance especially in the England regency period and all that. This one has two stories so yay two for one! I just had issues is the problem. First in the first story especially I did not get why the hero Ewan and heroine Theo couldn't see each others side of the story. The conflict was all internal and after many chapters it got repetitive for me. I was just like get on with it already I did like the idea of Theo being a successful business owner after so many people tried to go against her. When describing Theo's friend as flirty over and over and over, I just couldn't take it. We get it she likes to flirt and sashays a lot! I just kept noticing these little things and eventually I got annoyed. I never really liked Ewan so it just didn't work for me by the end. The second story follows the same system. I did like the second story more but there were more repetitive adjectives and things that overall just distracted me from the story. I would like more from Riley and hopefully she grows as an author and can avoid these things in future books.

The Bittersweet Bride 4 Stars
Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband to help protect her son. The former flower seller turned estate owner posts an ad in the newspaper, and no one is more surprised than she when her first love, the man she thought dead, reappears. Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him.
Not your usual Regency romance by any means & it was certainly bittersweet. The story was very well written & the characters were very well fleshed. The pace of the story was also very good. I particularly liked Theo & all she had achieved. I didn’t warm to Ewan for the majority of the book but he came through in the end. The road to their HEA wasn’t smooth but was a captivating read. This was the first book I’d read by the author & it certainly wasn't the last

The Bashful Bride 3.25 Stars
A friend's newspaper advertisement for a groom nets the most famous actor in London, Arthur Bex,. Shy heiress Ester Croome proposes to elope with the handsome man, who she's secretly loved for two years, in order to escape an impending engagement arranged by her overbearing family.
Trying to outlive the shadow of his villainous uncle, Bex needs to marry quickly—to a woman of good character.
This is the second book in the series but could very easily be read on it’s own. I have mixed feelings about the book, I enjoyed reading it but didn’t love it. The characters were well portrayed & had plenty of depth, the story was well paced but everything just didn’t gel for me & what could have been so very very good just fell a bit flat. I think it was because I found the chemistry between Bex & Ester lacking.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I very much enjoyed both of these books and look forward to reading the remainder of the series. Both books were real and raw and emotional. In my opinion, you can't easily beat a second chance romance or a race to Gretna Green so these were both definitely up my alley. Both books dealt with issues of race and slavery in the context of the time and in my opinion did so very deftly.

The Brides of London: an Advertisements for Love collection
by Vanessa Riley

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.



#TheBridesofLondonanAdvertisementsforLovecollection