Vanessa Riley does an excellent job of making you fall in love with Historical Fiction. I absolutely love her work and admire the time and dedication she puts into the research required for the masterpieces she produce.

A Gamble at Sunset was a beautiful story of The Wilcox sisters determined to keep their family business and legacy intact despite poor decisions of the past. Doing so involves fake romances, prejudice outrage, and a Duke that’s willing to take away the burden just to have another chance with the woman he loves.
I recommend this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This story was truly wonderfully written and brilliantly told about the struggle of Blackmoor women, who weren't then accepted by the ton and their repulsive way of showing it.  The content of this book was about an ancient disease but mainly of love, about loving someone so much, that you would do anything for that person, even if it meant suffering by yourself. I found it very entertaining and refreshing. I have to confess that I also got very interested in the Dido painting. And seriously it´s a must to look it up. It makes you just excited for more. I would recommend it to Bridgerton lovers.
I would also like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity for an early copy to read and review.

I found this book a little hard going, partly I think because it was laying the grounds for the eldest sister’s story which was rumbling along in the background and will I assume continue into book 2, before being concluded in book 3 and I didn’t particularly like her. I liked Georgina and the other two sisters and the Black Prince Duke was a great character, just a shame that the hero Lord Mark was so ineffectual. I just couldn’t warm to him and didn’t feel any emotional attachment between the main protagonists. The interactions between the characters tend to formality, with the duke for instance even saying to five-year-old Lydia “but you obey Lady Hampton…”, rather than saying “but you obey your sister…”.
Despite what I’ve said here I look forward to reading Scarlett’s story, with her clever scientific mind and at least two men who might turn out to be her match, it should be an engaging read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Vanessa Riley is brilliant at immersing readers into bygone eras via timeless characters and impressive detail. A Gamble at Sunset follows a group of sisters navigating the regency era as self-made Black women beholden to maintaining the strength of their personal reputations. Enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance romance... this book has everything. With that said, while the plot of A Gamble at Sunset is compelling, but it took most of the book for me to get invested in the characters, which I thought was unusual since I love many of her other works.

Keep Shining
Thank you, Vanessa Riley and NetGalley, for the ARC of A Gamble At Sunset. Below is my honest review.
I was not a fan of Regency Romance until I read a Vanessa Riley book. The lessons I learned are invaluable and thought-provoking.
The Wilcox sisters were not to be toyed with. A Gamble at Sunset gives us strong characterization and storylines. As we delve into this fake relationship, we find humor, and sorrow,
As we ponder the world we inhabit today, it's impossible not to question how much society has truly evolved from the 1800s. A Gamble at Sunset, with its echoes of biblical narratives and its reflection of contemporary issues, invites us to look closer, to see these themes not just in the pages of a book, but in our own lives and families.

A Gamble at Sunset started a little off for me. I am not sure why but I couldn’t quite get a handle on who was who and why everyone was so mad. Buuuuut by their second meeting (kiss in a garden), Mark and Georgie had reeled me in. This book was a fascinating historical romance that told the story of a black woman and a white man. She is from a very well to do Coal Family and he is an aspiring musician and the third son to a minor peer. He falls fast and she is more of a realist. Aware of the prejudices they would face from society and his family. She is not sue her family could survive the scandal. Now the family friend who is a duke (and son of the Black Russian princess) is determined to help them. (Because of a past relationship with Georgie’s late brother in law) honestly I can’t go further without spoilers. But I will say, these two work through a lot to get to their HEA. I loved the characters and I loved that it was about were of the people of color in the ton. I read an ARC and am looking forward to the next book in the series. So if it seems confusing at first. Stick with it. It is absolutely worth it. (But don’t look for steam, there is nothing beyond passionate kisses)

I adored Mark and Giorgina's romance! I am so glad I read this because it has gotten me back into historical fiction/romance and I am now hungry for more. Vanessa Riley's writing shines in this one, and I will definitely be looking into her backlist.

Good book! It’s two love stories in one book. Old flames Katherine and the Duke and Torrance. Then Katherine’s sister- Georgina and Lord Mark Sebastian a composer. I like the characters the main ones and their sisters, and I like the story. A must read!

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for my advance copy! I love historical fiction (especially the regency era) and this book had great setting, characters, and fantastic dialogue. Since I prefer clean, closed-door romances, this book hit all the right notes! (Plus, who doesn't love a good fake engagement story?)

While I did have a bit of difficulty keeping the characters and story straight in the initial few chapters, I was quickly drawn in by the Wilcox sisters and their suitors. Some scenes felt a little long but the dialogue and writing were strong and set the time period very well. I also appreciate how the author leaves a little ambiguity in her writing, not revealing or resolving all the secrets in this first book! I think this sets readers up to continue to fall in love with these sisters and their stories over multiple books.

This was a sweet read with lovely characters and world-building!

Great book! Personally, I wanted more romance and character development, as it felt more like historical fiction with a love story rather than a romance set in historical times. Still, it's a good read, especially for those who enjoy second-chance romance and stories centered around Black women. While it wasn't exactly what I expected, I'd still recommend it for fans of Bridgerton!

As always with Vanessa Riley, great writing, story, and characters. I already wish I could reread it for the first time again.

Full review to come.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I finished this book last night and I loved every moment of it. I was hoping "the confession" would come between Katherine and Jaheel but I assume we are just to imagine how it went. Thats OK, i have a large imagination. This book just had me hooked at all times.

Awesome story! I enjoyed this book, it was a fast read and I liked how the story unfolded. The characters were well done and I would recommend this book to others.

A Gamble at Sunset is another fascinating start to a Vanessa Riley series! The cover alone is captivating enough to draw people in, but I hope the Wilcox sisters win people over the way they did in this first story.

The Wilcox sisters inherited a prosperous coal business, but the eldest’s husband ran it into the group, incurring numerous debts. The story opens with that husband’s death, seen through the eyes of his friend, a Duke who is considered a (half) Black Russian (and some new acquaintances of his). In time, we get chapters from the point of view of the main character in this story, Georgina. This is Georgina’s book, which is about her fake engagement to composer and music teacher, Mark. The oldest sister and Duke’s storyline seems to be spanning the entire series, but there are some heavy hints about what is to come for them.

Of course, the fake engaged couple falls in love, but their relationship is incredibly bumpy. There’s even a somewhat devastating twist at the end that twarts Mark’s ambitions as a composer. All is well in the end, as you’d expect.

One thing that I know about Vanessa Riley‘s work is that she will let the reader be out of the loop for part of a book. You have to be comfortable, and knowing that information will be revealed over the course of the story, and sometimes over the course of an entire series. I love that - it makes for surprises all along the way!

This was an enjoyable, engaging read. The characterisation was great with each person showing both strength and vulnerability. The book is really well researched and some of the characters are based on historic figures. Most importantly it explores the hypocrisy of the ton. Life is fine if you are a rich white male, but if not, society reserves the right to look down on you even when their personal morality sets shocking examples. It is great to see a recognition that we have had a multicultural society for hundreds of years and people from diverse backgrounds have made telling contributions to British life. This needs to be advertised much more widely.

Black regency core at its finest. I think those who love Bridgerton will eat this up!

I found myself a bit checked out. I would’ve liked more focus on the romance and characters than the period/location aspects. It reads a lot like historical fiction with a romance vs a romance set in historical fiction. I wanted to love it though as I love a 2nd chance romance story and it’s centered around Black women. It was still a good story, just different than what I expected! Would absolutely recommend for those who enjoy period pieces.

Georgina is angry at her older sister for refusing help from the Duke of Torrance. She kisses the first willing stranger she meeds but a group reporters catches her in an embrace with Lord Mark. They decide to let the ton think he's wooing her....

I like Mark and Georgina's chemistry. It's a great friendship as well as romance. I love how they share their love of music too.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This is one of the most detailed historical fiction stories that I've ever read in a good while, readers who love character and plot depth will definitely enjoy reading this. The writing style kind of reminds me of the historical stories I consumed years ago which makes this unique in this time. The foundation is laid for this series, there's a plethora of characters and intriguing revelations to explore. I love clean romance, just would have liked a little more engaging romance or happy emotions.

While the concept is fabulous, I would have loved more emotion in this creative historical romance. May Books 2 & 3 bring all the feels as we follow the lives of the fascinating Wilcox sisters -- a dynamic black family in Regency England.

I feel like this book was the perfect setup for me to like, but for some reason, I just didn't jive with the writing style of it. I don't know.