The characters are rich. They each have their own distinctive voices. The plot is compelling. It provides the reader with a page worthy session.

This was my first book by this author and now I'm hooked. The Butterfly Bride was a great story about two very stubborn characters Frederica and Jasper. The history knowledge sets the setting for this book and the others in the series. At times Frederia was a true spitfire and wouldn't back down.

I think Vanessa Riley may just be too melodramatic for me. I like the premise, but I just don’t like it in the execution - and I’ve had the same in the previous books in the series, but the blurbs are intriguing and so I keep coming back. I think I just like a bit more humour and a bit less angst. But if you do like the drama, this has all you could want to keep you turning the pages and is well written to boot.

Loved this book it had everything you'll want in a romance novel
The Butterfly Bride definitely made me want to yell at them to just...kiss already but the slow-burn was worth it. At some times I thought I should have read the previous books in this series to get more of their banter but at the same time, I liked that they got the chance to fight and banter and makeup all in one book dedicated to them.

I thought this was an interesting book, on the fence about my feelings for Frederica, but I loved Jasper's character. It does seem to drag on in spots so it took me longer than it normally would to finish the book. This was my first time reading Vanessa Riley, so there's a possibility I'll check out more of her books in the future.

Vanessa Riley is another new author for me, and I rather liked the unusual storyline of an interracial romance which features in a lot of her stories. The resemblance between the couple on the cover and Harry and Meghan has not gone unnoticed.

So whilst I liked this story for the most part, the lower rating results from two things. First three were a lot of Americanisms, more even than usual in books like this and it felt a bit jarring. Secondly i did not care for some of the romantic content. Pages of touching and kissing. I can take some romantic heart, but I just didn't care for way the scenes were written or the length.

They felt a little overdone, even perhaps contrived.

I would be interested in reading more but this author, and indeed the previous books on this series are currently on sale. I just wasn't hugely keen on this one.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for approving my request to read this title. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.

GR bookshelves: historical-romance, romance, yay-diverse-authors, netgalley, 4-to-5-stars, 5-stars-in-my-heart, arc-read, by-and-about-poc, favorites, friend-tp, i-am-a-little-in-love-with-you-char, otp-what, ov, read-in-2018, yay-for-diversity, you-go-girl

I loved it! I don't know what all to say, but Vanessa Riley knows how to tell a story. I have to maybe say that I have a new favorite. I loved seeing some of the characters come in from previous books, and she even did a birth scene which I loved!
I totally wanted this book to never end.

I had a hard time liking Frederica...she just seemed close minded ... I did love Jasper who really was being honorable. The middle of the story was a bit slow for me.

The I love her/him but can't/won't be with him/her got a bit old for me also...I think it went on forever. The mystery aspect of the story was the best part...who is trying to hurt Frederica and why!!!

It's a sweet story, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Review by Monique~~

Frederica Burghley had placed an advertisement in the newspaper for a husband, but unforeseen events leave her little choice: a Yuletide wedding it shall be. Too bad it cannot be to Jasper Fitzwilliam, Viscount Hartwell, who has become such a dear friend in the past year. To add to her distress, someone is trying to hurt Frederica: physical threats have now succeeded the menacing notes she has been receiving. Will Frederica still be alive for a Yuletide wedding, and who will be the groom?

THE BUTTERFLY BRIDE is the third instalment in Advertisements for Love, and while it certainly can be read on its own, some details escaped me, mostly about Philip, the son of Frederica’s friend Theodosia; however, this is my own fault, not the author’s. Frederica is such a splendid character: she is charming, flirtatious, a dash manipulative, dignified, accomplished, proud and rightly so. I loved how she took great care of preserving her precarious reputation; she is the illegitimate, although acknowledged, daughter of the Duke of Simone, but a woman of colour and the progeny of a courtesan. Jasper is a widower, with the obligatory unmanageable children, and I really liked him at the beginning; he was playful and very sweet. He cares very much for Frederica however, he still loves his late wife, and this is where it became problematic for me. While I was glad that our hero’s first marriage had been a happy one, it irked me that he acted like a smitten suitor towards Frederica, while desperately trying to force himself to believe that he could not, would not, should not let himself love another woman. His dilly-dallying went on for such an excruciatingly long time that it slowed the pace down to a crawl after a rather frenzied beginning.

Vanessa Riley’s writing is solid, and often quite witty, however, a couple of twentieth-century expressions rather startled me. I thought the pacing could have been a bit better and the suspense was handled in a somewhat puzzling way. The threats over Frederica’s life seemed to be left dangling, not much was being done, while Jasper was taking forever to decide about where he stood with Frederica, and then the resolution to the mystery was rushed at the very end, and I thought in a very unpleasant manner. My favourite parts of the book are those about the lives of people of colour in Regency England, as well as the wonderful Theodosia. Ms. Riley’s meticulous research and attention to historical detail on race issues are most welcome, as we see precious little on this topic in historical romance; the Author’s Notes are also quite enlightening and should not be overlooked.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Frederica Burghley dreams of being married by Yuletide, but with no prospective suitors in sight, she takes out a marriage ad in the paper. Only her ad has garnered the attention of a killer. One who sends threatening letters exposing his desire to kill her. Jasper Fitzwilliam, the Viscount Hartwell, has been Frederica’s dear friend for the past year. He vows to protect his Butterfly from any harm. Jasper is attracted to the minx, but he is still in love with his deceased wife. He also has three misbehaving daughters he is raising and is not really looking to marry again. But, he can’t help himself from desiring Frederica even though he tries to deny the attraction he has for her. Plus, Frederica wants a husband who can respect her and grow to love her. That was not Jasper. Will Jasper ever be able to realize what he truly wants before it is too late?

The Butterfly Bride is the third book in the Advertisements for Love series and while it can be read as a standalone, I would probably suggest you start at the beginning of the series. Previous book characters do make an appearance in this story and at times I had a hard time following along especially since I never read the previous books. If this does not bother you then you can certainly read this story as a standalone.

Something that I do not see enough of in Regency romance books and found quite refreshing is a woman of color heroine. So, I was quite surprised when I began reading to see that Frederica, our heroine, is the product of a colored courtesan and the Duke of Simone. The Duke loved Frederica’s mother dearly and when she passed, he took on Frederica and claimed her as his illegitimate daughter. All Frederica wants is to be accepted and not thought of as Burghley the daughter of a courtesan. She wants a real marriage one that can grow into love. Now that her father, the Duke has remarried, her situation is even more precarious than before. So, Frederica is determined to go through her list of suitors from her ad to make the perfect match with or without Jasper’s help.

Jasper I had a love/hate relationship with. Sure, he is a good guy and he wants the best for Frederica, but he is constantly fighting his feelings for her and denying what he truly wants as he once had the love of his life and she was still in his mind and in his heart. So, I definitely took a little longer to warm up to Jasper. He has feelings for Frederica and fights them every chance he gets. Sometimes, I felt like it was a bit too much to read about how he felt while he was flirting with Frederica and then turning around and expressing what a great marriage he once had. I was pretty frustrated with jasper and wished he would make up his mind.

The pacing of the story started off really well and I found myself really enjoying the beginning, but the middle slowed down for me and I found myself skimming the story a tad bit. But, it also might just be me because I am not used to clean romances. The writing was superb and I had no issue with the writing whatsoever, but I do like a bit of heat in my romance and here is where I found it lacking. Again, this has nothing to do with the author’s writing style, just my personal preference. What can I say…I am a dirty dirty girl! *Gasps*

I loved the mystery aspect of the story and trying to figure out who wants to hurt Frederica while she searches for the perfect husband for her. I can honestly say that I had no clue who the culprit was although, I did have some ideas. When the reveal finally came I don’t think I was much surprised as this person was pretty creepy from the beginning.

The Butterfly Bride is a charming friends to romance story with a hint of mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. If you love a slow burn historical romance then you will love Frederica and Jasper’s story.

This is my first read from Vanessa Riley. As I haven’t read the other two books in the series, I didn’t see these characters develop into whom they were at the beginning of this novel. I did not see that as a deterrent in my enjoyment of the novel in any way.

Frederica Burghley is the illegitimate daughter of a duke and his late mistress. Since Frederica is illegitimate and of mixed race, she fears for her chance at finding love. While she is very fond of the handsome father of three and widower, Jasper Fitzwilliam, Lord Hartwell, she doesn’t see how a future can be possible for them. Surprisingly, Jasper can’t either. Not because of her race or his lack of tender feelings, but because he’s just not quite ready yet. Frederica is determined to marry by Christmas and won’t be convinced otherwise.

I instantly fell in love with the world Vanessa Riley has created for these complex and dynamic characters to live in. Nothing was easy about this love story and the journey Jasper and Frederica have to make to discover their futures were to be lived together. I would keep a tissue or two on hand as you read the trials and triumphs toward happily ever after. When the final page is read, you will be glad you made the journey there with these characters.

If you haven’t already read the first two books in the series, check them out, because I know I will!

I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the butterfly bride is freddie's story and the third installment of the advertisements for love series. what makes this series unique is that the protagonists are black women making lives for themselves in regency london.

it's not an easy life, but all things considered, as the illegitimate daughter of a duke, freddie doesn't have it so bad. and yet, with her father recently remarried, and her closest friends too, she wants marriage for herself. so she vows to select a groom for christmas. she's had offers. and lord hartwell, is just the guy to help her rule them out.

nevermind their attraction. he doesn't think she wants to be the stepmother to his four daughters. she doesn't want to be someone's second choice. she knows he is still in love with his dead wife and there is no competing with that. but hartwell is unwilling to approve these suitors easily. he doesn't actually want to let freddie go.

and freddie is under some threat, as someone has vandalized her room, stolen her mother's jewels and threatened her life. so hartwell also works to figure this out. he is not willing to risk freddie's life for anything.

once these two figure out that what they share is more than friendship, they sort themselves out. but it takes a while.

**the butterfly bride will publish on october 22, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (amara) in exchange for my honest review.

The Butterfly Bride was great! I hated to put it down as I was reading! There was always something happening that kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what was going to happen!
I adore Jasper! He was a hurting man and had such a hard time seeing past the hurt of losing his wife.
Recommend this book and series!

To read Vanessa Riley is to feel the drape of lace against your wrists, as the rich scent of antique perfume fills the air. It’s transportive, is what I’m saying, over and above the usual. It’s a rare author who can write books that *feel* properly vintage without being stuffy, and it was terribly easy to lose myself in the author’s poetic, crystalline cadences.
Miss Frederica Burghley is the biracial bastard daughter of a notorious courtesan and a duke; she is illegitimate but acknowledged, a privileged but precarious position. Jasper is Viscount Hartwell, a widowed still devastated by the loss of his beloved first wife, and burdened by three unruly daughters who are the terror of their many governesses. Jasper and Frederica wake up in bed together, fuzzy-headed, the day after Frederica’s father’s wedding. They have no memory of how they wound up there—except Frederica’s horrified recollection of bits and pieces of the night before: a hand breaking through her window, a whispered threat, a stolen jewel-box, and the ruins of a wardrobe viciously slashed to pieces. The duke and his new duchess will not put off their honeymoon, so the duke asks Hartwell to protect his daughter while he’s gone. And maybe seduce her, if he feels like it. (Hartwell is properly horrified at the duke’s rather crude suggestion, for all his fascination with Frederica.) Meanwhile Frederica plans to get herself quickly and properly married so the possessive thief will stop threatening her dearest friends and relations. Hartwell thinks this is a terrible idea—he’s not wrong. Frederica thinks Hartwell’s still too much in love with his first wife to give his heart easily—she’s right. There are weddings and suitors and a lot of meaningful piano playing, and (small content note) an emphasis on the dangers of historical childbirth that is both stark and refreshing in a genre that so often presents pregnancy as a wondrous miracle and gift, rather than the hugely risky undertaking it was in the days before ultrasounds, antibiotics, and regular hand-washing.
So yes, this book has a lot going on—but it feels deliberately layered, baroque rather than busy. And a soupçon of Grand Guignol at the end, to make the reader’s heart lurch properly. This is the kind of romance plot where people stick stubbornly to painful decisions even after their hearts have realized the anguished truth; you kind of want to shake them, but in a good way. I was frequently reduced to keeling over on the couch and yelling *argh* out of sheer enjoyable frustration. Frederica in particular is a heartbreaker: lonely and fiercely brilliant but unsure of her place in the world, thanks to a rather unfeeling father and an awareness of how thin the ice she skates on truly is. She deserves every care and attention and it was a delight watching Hartwell slowly come to the same conclusion. This is surely a book to savor with a glass of fine brandy and a snowy window view; and how decadent that there are two prior books in the series for when you happily sigh and set this one aside!

The third installment of the Advertisements for Love series finally brings us Frederica and Jasper’s story (and another beautiful cover!). They’ve been popping up in the other books since a particular incident with a maypole, and I was so looking forward to figuring out how they would end up together! While I think this could be read as a standalone, I think it works much better if you’ve read the other books, especially Theodosia’s (an older Philip makes several appearances, and once of the subplots deals with her pregnancy and labor).

“He stared at this woman he thought he knew, but this was a stranger, an intriguing one. “What is it that you want?”
She blew a fallen tendril from her eyes, and he saw a horrid bruise. “Other than an honorable marriage?”
“Yes, Miss Burghley, other than that.”
“A woman’s dreams are special. If I say them without preparing for them, doing all the things I have to make them come true, they are empty words. I’d rather not say.”


Ever since placing advertisements for marriage in the papers, Frederica’s been receiving threatening notes. It all comes to a head on the night of her father’s marriage to his new duchess, when someone breaks into her bedroom and she only narrowly escapes – ending up in Jasper’s room. While they’d had a flirtatious friendship since they met nearly a year ago, Frederica cut off contact with him when her anonymous writer threatened his daughters. Faced with the villain getting more bold and her father’s marriage, Frederica decides the obvious solution is to get married by Christmas, and enlists Jasper’s help in evaluating her newspaper suitors. Jasper, a widower with three daughters, has another solution – they should get married. Frederica refuses – Jasper’s heart still belongs to his dead wife, nor does she want to endanger them – and so begins an attempt to find a suitable match while hunting down whoever’s trying to harm her.

“This is such a lovely room, but it needs a little dusting. And these treats look nice. But this biscuit has been cooked a little too—”
“Miss Burghley,” he said, “you don’t seem to be a runner.”
“And you’ve never chased, not really.”
“Maybe I have, but I’m slow and subtle. How better to draw you in?”


Frederica believes herself to be blessed beyond measure – after all, her father took her in when her mother, his mistress, died and has showered her with things, if not his love. So what if he refers to her almost the same way he does his dogs or any of his other prized possessions? She knows her worth, though, and refuses to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a courtesan. Instead Frederica desires to be a loving wife in a home full of music, along with continuing her charity work with girls from the street (the reason, we find out, behind this is particularly heart-wrenching). Jasper is… well, he’s a bit of a mess. He’s still grieving for his wife who died two years ago (point in fact, he sends his girls away for the entire month of November so he can basically grovel in grief), but his feelings for Frederica are impossible for him to ignore. Though Frederica feels the same, she doesn’t want to play second fiddle to a ghost, and so most of the book is watching them overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to first admit their feelings for each other and then overcome them. They are such a sweet couple together, though, and it was lovely watching things finally come together for them.

“Yes, I love the Yuletide, for love seems to hold everything together, tighter. And everyone’s a little kinder, kind for no reason at all.”
“Kindness means a lot to you.”
“Lord Hartwell, shouldn’t it mean a lot to everyone?”
“You say this as if you don’t get kindness often.”
She looked at him with that patient smile of hers that let him know he’d said something foolish. “Some mean well. Others run errands. Come along, Lord Hartwell.”


I was ambivalent about the last book, and on reflection I think it was because I didn’t like how incredibly naive Ester was. For whatever reason, while I like flawed heroines, I prefer for them to get their act together quickly! In this book, however, the naive one is Jasper. Time after time, he hurts Frederica’s feelings with thoughtless words and actions. He’s not purposefully hurting her, but it’s just that he’s come from such a privileged upbringing – from his race, gender, and class – that he can’t fathom the small aggressions that Frederica experiences daily. He also takes FOR-EV-ER to make up his mind and realize what he needs to do to persuade Frederica to marry him. This drove me a bit crazy, but I think it’s understandable, given his background. His life has been wrecked by loss and grief, and opening himself up – to Frederica, to his girls – to love again means also opening himself up to the possibility of further loss. So while I normally dislike drama caused by communication problems, the rest of the story was enough to sway me.

The book was well-paced, and I enjoyed the suspense subplot of them trying to discover who’s been sending Frederica threatening letters. There was one portion of it that I felt took too long for them to puzzle out (no, Frederica, for goodness’ sake, you weren’t drunk, someone spiked your drink!), but otherwise I thought it was well done, though I strongly disliked the resolution of it. Ms. Riley manages to navigate smoothly between witty dialogue, sweet romantic scenes, and cutting commentary – she doesn’t shy away from the prejudices Frederica faces because of her race and illegitimacy, nor from the fate of girls and young women turned out on the street.

Overall, this is a charming historical with a holiday twist, with wonderful characters and a satisfyingly sweet romance. I am beyond excited that, thankfully, there will be a fourth book in the series coming out next summer!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A masterful look at the other side of the regency era and the romances that flourished. The characters are flawlessly developed. They are witty and show a depth and range of emotions and feelings. Frederica and Jasper make a beautiful couple who struggle really hard to grasp the fruits of their happily ever after.

While I was unable to wholeheartedly recommend the book for USA Today Happy Ever After, I had a wonderful interview with Vanessa Riley. She shared about her research, her idea behind the book series "Advertisements for Love," how the story of "The Butterfly Bride" came about, and what book is next for her. In addition to this, we talked about her writing habits, her hobbies, and the type of books she reads. And for something fun, she shared where her dream vacation would be (England, of course!) and one surprise fact for her that is not usually known.

https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/10/22/keira-soleore-vanessa-riley-interview-the-butterfly-bride/

Publisher's Description:

Frederica Burghley wants to be married by Yuletide. Or else her father will set her up with one of his friends. The bonbon-loving illegitimate daughter of the duke wants to choose her own husband. Advertising in the newspaper seems like the way to go. But a sinister response, with threats against her life, leads her to enlist the help of her very handsome, dear friend Jasper Fitzwilliam, Lord Hartwell.

A father and widower, Jasper is not only tasked with keeping Frederica safe but also with helping his vibrant friend choose a suitable husband. The more he tries to keep the ever-surprising woman alive and find her a good match, the more Jasper realizes he cares for her. The two friends risk their lives for each other, so they should be able to risk their feelings for a chance at a deep and true love together. But he's not looking for marriage and she's not looking for convenience.

My Thoughts:

This is the first book I have read by this author. The characters are well thought out and the storyline easy to follow. I was never bored.
This book includes an interesting take on the mulatto people of the recency era without stressing the fact that the heroine was in fact of mixed race.
I enjoyed the read and gave this book 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a low sensual rating of 2 of 5 flames. There are only closed door intimate scenes.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

A story of the difficulties life can bring and the way to happiness. Frederica Burghley is in search of a husband before her father finds one for her. Advertising in the paper seemed the logical place to start. Unfortunately it brought out a scary response with threats to her life. She goes to her friend, Jasper who has two children and is a widower. But he ends up doing more than just protecting her, she wants him to help her find a suitable husband! What's a man to do?
Keeping her safe from a dangerous man and caring for her more than he wants, he tries to hold back his affections. After all, he has not gotten over the death of his wife.
This was really a very sweet romance that is part of the Advertisements for Love series. Amusing and heartwarming you will be swept up into the Victoria era and will not want to turn the last page. Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.