Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

Ahhhhhhh this was just such a wonderful book and I just thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn’t want to put this book down. I just fell in love with this wonderful story and it’s wonderful characters. I will most definitely be reading more stories from this wonderful author.

I enjoyed these stories by Vanessa Riley. I found the characters to be realistic, slightly flawed, full of charm, and each couple was utterly perfect for each other. The romance between our MCs was heartfelt and passionate - the perfect combination for unforgettable stories! I recommend this book to all who are historical romance lovers!

3.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥

❥❥**´¨)
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(¸.•´ (¸.•`*📚Review copy provided by author/publisher via Netgalley. All opinions, thoughts, comments, and interpretation of this book are my own. I am not receiving any money in exchange for this review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. More Reviews by Jaime can be found at Alpha Book Club and via Goodreads.🦄

This book contains 2 previously written books.

For the first story, I not only enjoyed the historical aspect of a woman of color not being bound by slavery, but the growth between the two main characters. Such a phenomenal job done by the author.

For the second story, Ester Croome who is what's called a Blackamoor, is being forced to marry a philanderer to help save her father's fabric textile business. In order to escape, she runs off with Actor Arthur Bex ( who unbeknown to him, Ester has been infactuated with him for a while). They run off and trouble follows them. I kept going back and forth between liking the different characters, then not liking them or vice versa

I really enjoyed both books in the series. The author did such a great job with both stories.

An enjoyable pair of historical romances with swoon worthy mains and intense storylines. These stories touched on relationships somewhat outside the norm with understanding and acceptance at a time when these traits were in short supply.
A Very Good Read.
Thank you Vanessa Riley, Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This was a sweet, enjoyable romance collection that left me awww-ing and in a happy dopamine coma for quite awhile after reading it. Much like having the perfect amount of comfort candy.

I read the first of the three books in this anthology "The Bittersweet Bride" and wasn't WOW'd by it. I guess I wasn't up for the social issues it discusses. I just wanted an easy to read romance. I also didn't feel the fight between the parents and the young mother were sufficient for the feud they had. Certainly the color differences were, but I'm not sure she really told the parent's side of the color struggle well. I think that would have made this first one stronger. However the topic of mixed race isn't seen much in historical romance until recently, so perhaps she wanted to ease us into it. I appreciate where she was going with the tale, but felt it was a little soft on the topic. I also would have like to see the issues with the son be more representative of the lack of nourishment she had during her pregnancy and why didn't the babies birth bring up questions from the beginning since she was pregnant before she got married, and in those days there is no way she would have been able to keep her son's issues quiet. She also wouldn't have been able to maintain such a strong business without relying on the steward after her husbands death and she doesn't by all accounts in the book.
So a whole lot of issues in this one for me to continue with the rest of the stories. They are all about couples of color differences and I wasn't sure I could handle such soft stories on the topic.
The romance was good. It was a second chance trust romance that really played out well. The hero interprets information without the full story and blunders quiet often trying to get her to see him again. She on the other hand reads him very well and isn't willing to give an inch. A near tragedy makes them both stop being fools and give each other the truth so they can get past it to their HEA. If you want to see a socially, racially, diverse couple these books are for you. Enjoy.

The Bittersweet Bride - 4 stars

I really enjoyed Theo and Ewan's story. Though choices they made and decisions from others, these two were separated when they were young. It was fun watching these two find their way back to one another!

The Bashful Bride - 5 stars

I adored Ester and Bex's story! Ester has loved watching Bex perform on stage and has fallen in love with that persona, but will she love the real man behind the actor? What a wonderful story!

I featured this book as a Book of the Day spotlight and included it in my weekly roundup and monthly post of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

The Bittersweet Bride...
I had a hard time getting into this one initially, but once I connected, once I felt what Theo felt, once I understood where Ewan was coming from, once I knew how much each would give for the other to be simply happy, I knew I was hooked. Seeing Theo gain her footing and take strength from the name given to her while others were still trying to take it all away. Watching her protect those she loves with her body and soul, even to the detriment of her own happiness. Being there when it all comes together at book's end to share in the...ending. Hey, I'm not spoiling it for you and there is MUCH that happens straight through to the end in this one! As for Ewan, I admit I wasn't his fan initially, especially when he kept being so easily swayed by those that would have anything but his best interests at heart. However, once he got out from under their influence, once he realized everything he believed may have been something else entirely, he was much more likeable and easier to see as the potential happily ever after for our gal Theo.

The Bashful Bride...
Now this one, I connected with immediately. Was it the fact that I just came off reading the prior book and was in the right frame of mind? Was it I was just exposed to the author's writing and was eagerly anticipating more? Was it because the leading lady was someone bookish that held a crush from afar and couldn't possibly fathom how fortune may smile upon her? Yeah, I'm going with the third option...but don't think that fortune part was all sunshine and roses. It began with a sprig of lavender and an answered newspaper advertisement that wasn't even hers, and ended with a rush to the altar, a stark realization of what changes were to come, and an understanding of how different things would be than what they ever thought. Their foundation seemed to be built on truth, and yet with all the hard realities they faced, or really SHE faced, one small secret, one blast from his past might simply be enough to blow a fatal hole in what they might have, if given the chance.

I adored Ester's character. She seemed meek and mild, but when threatened or when those she holds dear were threatened, she was a force to be reckoned with. She went from her sweet, sensible self to a temptress to a free working woman to a voice to support the cause, with the adaptability of the most seasoned actress...all in the name of love. Speaking of the stage, her soon to be husband, Bex, is quite literally her dream come true. He's been her heart's desire since she first saw him on stage, but he'd be the first to tell you not everything is as it seems...and in his case, he has a secret buried so deep that he's not sure who can be trusted with it, ever. He's not a bad man, just a man with a past he'd rather not be connected to, and despite his attempts to expunge the unwarranted guilt from his conscience, it never seems to be enough. But perhaps if he had one person in his corner, one person that could help him show the world that he is more than the past they hold him to...maybe, just maybe he can move forward. That determination, that pureness of heart, that ability to see every man and woman as a man or woman, all endeared him to my heart. Even when it seemed all was lost, I still held out hope for him, not something that can be said about the male lead in most of these types of stories.

So yeah, a great leading lady and a great leading man, with obstacles they didn't foresee and a future that may just not be...but glued to the page is most certainly where YOU will be!

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

I am a big fan of Romance books and I found this one to be a very enjoyable read. I will be looking for more books from this author.

I think this collection by Vanessa Riley is the perfect intro to her work for those not familiar. I really enjoyed it as a diverse spin and approach to the personal ads of the time in London. These two stories are great primers for her other works.

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. The male characters are built especially for the challenges these women experience. I particularly liked the bond of friendship between the main females characters. Their loyalty to each other is unshakable. Their relationship is a sisterhood that outshines that of many blood relatives.

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. Her characters dispell stereotypical myths about people of color through their social status,, actions, professions, and levels of.education. The stories she has created are dramatic yet real with tragedy that is tempered by the humor and merry spirit of three strong females who care for each other in all circumstances. I have found an author whose works will be automatic adds to my library.

I loved the premise of this book and was really hoping to like it more than I did. This is two books in one. The Bittersweet Bride and The Bashful Bride. Ewan in book 1 and Ester in book 2 were both so frustrating. They would both constantly jump to conclusions without trying to find out what was actually going on. If they would have just had a conversation each of these books could have been half as many pages. They were thinking the same things over and over again all through without really deciding anything. So frustrating 😫

Thank you, Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, two well-written stories about bi-racial love.
I felt that both had strong writing and great storylines, the two stories complement each other by using characters introduced in the first. Loved that the author wrote about the situation that many women of color found themselves in at the time period. I really felt the sense from Theo that being a woman of color left her stuck between two worlds never fitting into either, she was either "Theo the flower seller" of the poorer class or Mrs. Cecil of the semi-upper class.
What I didn't care for was so much drama- it was too much in just one story, too heavy. Theo with her grudges, Ewan with his temperament and assumptions, and then you also have the secondary characters of the Fitzwilliam family which also had too much drama wrapped in their lives. In the second story, it was Ester and her back and forth feelings.
While I thought the author's writing style was very well done, it was also a bit hard to read for me. It didn't seem to flow on the page. I found myself having to concentrate on what I was reading which took the enjoyment out of it. It may have been the wordiness of the prose, alot of repetition, or that it was so heavy of a story, I am not sure. It seemed to be this way with The Bittersweet Bride and not The Bashful Bride, which read much easier.

I would recommend this book for a great look at class and racial disparities in Victorian England and for sweet HEA love stories.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for a review

Author Vanessa Riley is an excellent storyteller of diverse historical regency romantic stories. These highly addictive reads had me glued to its pages and unable to put it down. The Bittersweet Bride and The Bashful Bride are exceptional love stories of self-discovery, acceptance, real life emotions and second chances. Both books are rich in content and drama! I loved all the secrets, passion and the journey to discovering that although the road to HEA is littered with conflicts such as race, discrimination, and class differences, true love will and can prevail. #TheBridesofLondonanAdvertisementsforLovecollection #NetGalley

So, this is two books in one. The first book is The Bittersweet Bride. I didn't really care for this story. I found the animosity between the leads to be too much. I just couldn't connect with them or the story.
The second book is The Bashful Bride. I did enjoy this one. I liked the couple in this one and the tension between both of them.
What I really appreciated was the rep in these books and getting the perspective of black people in Victorian London. I think this is really important and can't wait to see more of it in historical romance.

The Brides of London by Vanessa Riley consists of two stories The Bittersweet Bride, a second chance romance, and The Bashful Bride, an unrequited love story.

The Bittersweet Bride is a Long Lost Lovers/Parental Machinations-Now I Hate You mashup. Theodosia is a "Blackamoor" who was left in a terrible situation after her secret fiancé, an earl's second son, was killed a month after joining the military. She found safety, companionship, and a gentle love with an older gentleman, but after his death, she once again finds herself in dire straits. Desperately in need of a husband, she places a newspaper ad, and the consequences are unexpected. A lot of these events happened before the story begins. In the first chapter, Theo runs into a "ghost" in the form of her long-lost and previously dead fiancé, Ewan. Ewan hates her because he thinks she cheerfully jumped from his bed into her husband's immediately after his death. It never occurs to him that she had good reason.

The bulk of the story is I hate you, I missed you, I loved you, I'm not good enough for you, I'll ruin you, I'll save you ... and so forth. I really liked Theo; she seemed tragic and depressed for most of the story, but understandably so. Her main flaw was seeing anything redeemable about Ewan. Ewan just seemed like such an a**. Both of his parents were horrible to Theodosia, as in life-threateningly awful, but while Ewan stands up for Theo off and on, he seems too quick to write his parents behavior off. In addition to wishing Ewan's parents had suffered more for their awfulness, I felt like too much was missing from Theo and Ewan's story. How did a near-illiterate flower seller and an earl's son meet, and how did their love develop? What did they have in common? Why was it so easy for Ewan to believe the worst of Theo? A prologue, perhaps, would have been helpful.

I did find that I liked Ewan more in the few scenes he had in the second book, The Bashful Bride; featuring Ester and Bex. Ester, one of Theo's dearest friends, though it's unclear how they met, discovers that her father has arranged a marriage for her with the son of a business associate. Ester, though she is both terribly shy and painfully dutiful, refuses to be tied to a womanizing jerk. Fortunately, she runs into Arthur Bex, a famous actor, and vocal abolitionist, who she's loved from afar for years. Coincidentally, he's in the market for a bride. The two elope to Gretna Green. If Ewan was aggravating in the first book, Ester had me clenching my teeth in the second. She is all over the place, not in how she feels about Bex, as she does love him, but in how she emotionally jerks him all over the place: Let's marry, let's not, I'll be bad for you, I hate deceiving my parents, my parents deceived me. UGH!! Normally, I love a shy, but-brave heroine, but Ester let me down and I felt sorry for poor Bex.

The diversity in these books is amazing. Riley was able to incorporate reality, diversity, and plot without straying from those classic factors that makes a romance so enjoyable. It was truly amazing to see the way in which Riley was able to include conflicts such as race, discrimination, and class differences while still somehow creating a lighthearted romantic read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. 3.5/5