What do you think?
The Brides of Belgravia #2
All Dressed in White
Self-made shipping magnate Joseph Chance never planned on falling in love. He simply needed financing for a new business venture and a marriage of convenience provides it. Then he meets Tessa St. Croix, his future bride, and is instantly smitten. But when the angelic beauty reveals a life-changing secret on their wedding night, Joseph thinks maybe some dreams shouldn’t come true. He leaves England, reconciling himself to a detached, convenient marriage after all.
Eleven months later, Tessa Chance has built a new life for herself in the heart of London. She’s learned her new husband's business and is determined to support herself and her responsibilities. When Joseph returns to London unexpectedly, nothing is as he imagined. His estranged wife has become the one person who can help him secure his company’s future, and her allure can tempt him still. Determined and hopeful, Tessa jumps at the chance to prove herself and justify the secret that tore them apart.
Although bruised pride and broken hearts lie between them, Joseph and Tessa realize the love they once felt has never truly left. If they can learn to forgive each other, they’ll soon discover the truest love can heal all wounds.
Eleven months later, Tessa Chance has built a new life for herself in the heart of London. She’s learned her new husband's business and is determined to support herself and her responsibilities. When Joseph returns to London unexpectedly, nothing is as he imagined. His estranged wife has become the one person who can help him secure his company’s future, and her allure can tempt him still. Determined and hopeful, Tessa jumps at the chance to prove herself and justify the secret that tore them apart.
Although bruised pride and broken hearts lie between them, Joseph and Tessa realize the love they once felt has never truly left. If they can learn to forgive each other, they’ll soon discover the truest love can heal all wounds.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
About the author
Charis Michaels
12 books510 followersCHARIS MICHAELS is thrilled to be making her debut with Avon Impulse. Prior to writing romance, she studied Journalism at Texas A&M and managed PR for a trade association. She has also worked as a tour guide at Disney World, harvested peaches on her family’s farm, and entertained children as the “Story Godmother” at birthday parties. She has lived in Texas, Florida, and London, England. She now makes her home in the Washington, D.C.-metro area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 1, 2019
took a chance on one of the first available books on overdrive and wow did it pay off
I got a wonderful character-driven story about second chances, growing and thriving after dealing with trauma, a hero who is so fucking respectful and understanding, important on-page conversations about consent, and an incredibly wonderful female friendship I only wish we'd gotten more of! ugh love!
Didn't realize this was the second book in the series, though, so I'm definitely going to have to go back and read the first one, but I completely don't mind. I will definitely be reading more of this author in the future.
tw: sexual assault (inexplicit mentions throughout the book and one specific recount by the character), unplanned pregnancy
I got a wonderful character-driven story about second chances, growing and thriving after dealing with trauma, a hero who is so fucking respectful and understanding, important on-page conversations about consent, and an incredibly wonderful female friendship I only wish we'd gotten more of! ugh love!
Didn't realize this was the second book in the series, though, so I'm definitely going to have to go back and read the first one, but I completely don't mind. I will definitely be reading more of this author in the future.
tw: sexual assault (inexplicit mentions throughout the book and one specific recount by the character), unplanned pregnancy
February 15, 2024
Didn't feel it at the start, but this grew on me...
August 16, 2018
4.5 stars. This book was nothing like I imagined it would be, the blurb cannot fully prepare the reader for the intense and emotional story contained within this book.
Tessa St. Croix is in trouble, the kind of trouble only a quick marriage can solve. Violated and left pregnant, Tessa and her friends form a plan. The three girls all have reasons to marry quickly, they take out an advert for husbands, offering their dowries as an investment, they all plan to have white marriages and live their own lives. But when Tessa meets Joseph Chance, she wonders if she can go through with her plan to marry him and pass her unborn child off as his. She quickly comes to care for Joseph and wants to marry him and have a real marriage. But guilt and shame weigh on her and in the end, she cannot deceive him.
On their wedding night, she tells him the truth, not of her rape, but of her pregnancy. Joseph is devastated, he had fallen in love with Tessa and thought she loved him too, despite his humble origins. He is angry, hurt and lashes out verbally before leaving her in Belgravia and sailing off to Barbados.
When he returns almost a year later, he has no plans to seek out his wife, until he learns that she has cancelled his docking arrangements. Forced to see her again, he is angry that he is still attracted to her. But this Tessa is not the same woman he left behind. This Tessa is a pale imitation of the woman he thought he loved and he doesn't understand what changed. He doesn't want to care about her or be involved with her, but his entire business venture hangs in the balance and she has the solution.
This was a beautiful story, filled with a lot of emotion, yes, there is fear, pain, betrayal and heartbreak but that is tempered by witty banter, tender moments, patience and kindness. Be aware, this book does have certain triggers that may be incredibly upsetting for some readers. But in my opinion, it was handled delicately and the reader is not subjected to the actual rape, only the heroine's recounting - if this sort of thing upsets you, this book may not be for you. But if you like second chance love stories, wonderful characters, villains who get what they deserve and happy endings - READ THIS BOOK!
This was the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title. I happily recommend this book and am looking forward to Sabine and Jon Stoker's book!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*
Tessa St. Croix is in trouble, the kind of trouble only a quick marriage can solve. Violated and left pregnant, Tessa and her friends form a plan. The three girls all have reasons to marry quickly, they take out an advert for husbands, offering their dowries as an investment, they all plan to have white marriages and live their own lives. But when Tessa meets Joseph Chance, she wonders if she can go through with her plan to marry him and pass her unborn child off as his. She quickly comes to care for Joseph and wants to marry him and have a real marriage. But guilt and shame weigh on her and in the end, she cannot deceive him.
On their wedding night, she tells him the truth, not of her rape, but of her pregnancy. Joseph is devastated, he had fallen in love with Tessa and thought she loved him too, despite his humble origins. He is angry, hurt and lashes out verbally before leaving her in Belgravia and sailing off to Barbados.
When he returns almost a year later, he has no plans to seek out his wife, until he learns that she has cancelled his docking arrangements. Forced to see her again, he is angry that he is still attracted to her. But this Tessa is not the same woman he left behind. This Tessa is a pale imitation of the woman he thought he loved and he doesn't understand what changed. He doesn't want to care about her or be involved with her, but his entire business venture hangs in the balance and she has the solution.
This was a beautiful story, filled with a lot of emotion, yes, there is fear, pain, betrayal and heartbreak but that is tempered by witty banter, tender moments, patience and kindness. Be aware, this book does have certain triggers that may be incredibly upsetting for some readers. But in my opinion, it was handled delicately and the reader is not subjected to the actual rape, only the heroine's recounting - if this sort of thing upsets you, this book may not be for you. But if you like second chance love stories, wonderful characters, villains who get what they deserve and happy endings - READ THIS BOOK!
This was the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title. I happily recommend this book and am looking forward to Sabine and Jon Stoker's book!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*
August 22, 2018
Set in the 1830’s, this isn’t a light-hearted romp like many romances set in that era. It begins with a young woman in desperate straits; Tessa St. Croix is in need of a rescuer.
Before I go any further, I’m going to put in a trigger warning; the ‘act of quiet violence’ described in the blurb is a rape. Like so many victims of sexual assault, Tessa blames herself; she flirted, she charmed, she ‘led him on’. And like so many, she suffers post-traumatic stress. The way both of these topics are addressed, and how Tessa slowly learns, with the support of her husband, to rise above and move past her trauma, is absolutely incredible. Charis Michaels doesn’t shy away from anything, dealing with the confronting realities faced by so many women of that era, in that their reputations were considered all-important and any blemish considered a disaster of the utmost magnitude, even when no fault of their own.
Joseph, the man who marries Tessa, doesn’t do well when she confesses on their wedding night that she’s expecting another man’s child. Ashamed, Tessa doesn’t explain the circumstances of conception, and Joseph leaves for a long sea voyage to the West Indies with anger and confusion bubbling over. Returning in less than ideal circumstances, he has to deal with having a wife he doesn’t know and a baby son not his own, and frankly I thought he did very well. His kindness and patience with Tessa as they worked through her issues together, his loving support of her goals and ambitions, were wonderful to read. A man like Joseph would be a treasure in any age, and I fell completely in love with him.
Tessa’s searing self-honesty brought a tear to the eye on occasion. Her feelings of guilt, her pain and doubt, the difficulties she faced as she tried to move forward with her life, were heart-wrenching and so terribly relatable. I highly recommend this book, which is part of a series called the Brides of Belgravia, and I’ll be making room for the rest of the series and more of Charis Michaels’ books on my TBR list in the future. Five stars, but with the warning that if you have triggers for rape or sexual assault, this might be one you need to avoid.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through Edelweiss.
Before I go any further, I’m going to put in a trigger warning; the ‘act of quiet violence’ described in the blurb is a rape. Like so many victims of sexual assault, Tessa blames herself; she flirted, she charmed, she ‘led him on’. And like so many, she suffers post-traumatic stress. The way both of these topics are addressed, and how Tessa slowly learns, with the support of her husband, to rise above and move past her trauma, is absolutely incredible. Charis Michaels doesn’t shy away from anything, dealing with the confronting realities faced by so many women of that era, in that their reputations were considered all-important and any blemish considered a disaster of the utmost magnitude, even when no fault of their own.
Joseph, the man who marries Tessa, doesn’t do well when she confesses on their wedding night that she’s expecting another man’s child. Ashamed, Tessa doesn’t explain the circumstances of conception, and Joseph leaves for a long sea voyage to the West Indies with anger and confusion bubbling over. Returning in less than ideal circumstances, he has to deal with having a wife he doesn’t know and a baby son not his own, and frankly I thought he did very well. His kindness and patience with Tessa as they worked through her issues together, his loving support of her goals and ambitions, were wonderful to read. A man like Joseph would be a treasure in any age, and I fell completely in love with him.
Tessa’s searing self-honesty brought a tear to the eye on occasion. Her feelings of guilt, her pain and doubt, the difficulties she faced as she tried to move forward with her life, were heart-wrenching and so terribly relatable. I highly recommend this book, which is part of a series called the Brides of Belgravia, and I’ll be making room for the rest of the series and more of Charis Michaels’ books on my TBR list in the future. Five stars, but with the warning that if you have triggers for rape or sexual assault, this might be one you need to avoid.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through Edelweiss.
July 26, 2019
I really disliked this heroine in this book for her deceit. Tessa plotted with her two friends and used her beauty to dupe a decent, self-made wealthy man, Joseph Chance, into marriage by deliberately withholding the fact that she was already pregnant until their wedding night and he was legally on the hook.
I might have had more sympathy for Tessa, a rape victim, had she told him before the marriage and given him the choice to marry her rather than duping the poor man then springing her little secret on Joseph on their wedding night. I couldn't blame him for get upset and leaving her that night. This was a self-made man and now some rapist's son, who has no biological lineage to James, will legally become James' heir...not by his choice but by willful deceit of Tessa.
I get so sick of "romance" plots wherein the good guy is left to clean up the crap left behind by losers and rapists.
This was just an angst-filled, over-wrought piece of bad drama and not in the least romantic. Tessa's beautiful face is akin to an apple that is shiny on the outside but full of worms on the inside. A marriage that is based on lies and deception will eventually disentegrate. The book's title is either ironic or a sick joke.
I might have had more sympathy for Tessa, a rape victim, had she told him before the marriage and given him the choice to marry her rather than duping the poor man then springing her little secret on Joseph on their wedding night. I couldn't blame him for get upset and leaving her that night. This was a self-made man and now some rapist's son, who has no biological lineage to James, will legally become James' heir...not by his choice but by willful deceit of Tessa.
I get so sick of "romance" plots wherein the good guy is left to clean up the crap left behind by losers and rapists.
This was just an angst-filled, over-wrought piece of bad drama and not in the least romantic. Tessa's beautiful face is akin to an apple that is shiny on the outside but full of worms on the inside. A marriage that is based on lies and deception will eventually disentegrate. The book's title is either ironic or a sick joke.
September 21, 2018
Taking an unconventional bride, one of the group of three young women who advertised for husbands in return for a healthy dowry and transport to London, there to be left alone to make their own lives unencumbered by singledom, children or a husband, this is Tessa’s story. Unlike her friends, Tessa’s life has been a relatively carefree journey, schooled to present a pretty face and be ‘tempting’ to whichever highly titled man should offer for her: one would not be wrong in assuming that she is flighty, superficial and a bit of a tease. But, when a flirtation turns to an attack, and Tessa finds herself pregnant, unwed and knowing she’ll be disowned and turned out, the advertisement brings her an option.
Joseph Chance, pseudo-son to an earl with a head for business, a solid partnership built to import guano as fertilizer, handsome, educated and instantly smitten with Tessa’s laugh, beauty and seemingly open nature, he asks for her hand unaware of her history. A wedding night where the lies of omission and determination to fly down the aisle have finally taken a toll, Tessa comes clean and tells Joseph of the pregnancy. Instantly he’s angered by her lack of honesty, and more questions aren’t asked. He doesn’t know that she was attacked, he believes every shining moment of her personality was a ‘construct’, meant only to give her child a name. As per their agreement, for Joseph is nothing if a gentleman to his very toes, she’s deposited in London at the Belgravia townhome belonging to the Aunt and Uncle of her friend Willa, Tessa must reconcile the trauma of her pregnancy, the anger from her husband, and the shattering of her hopes for the future.
Internalizing the trauma and blaming herself and her flirtatious behavior as the reason she was attacked, and part of the reason that although the agreement of her marriage meant they were to go their separate ways, Joseph’s utter silence. She and her friends get information on pregnancy, delivery and child-rearing, and are doing a marvelous job. But, Tessa also knows that her father, the one who has now disowned her, could provide giant obstacles to Joseph and his partners’ ability to dock and offload their cargo – so she teaches herself, with plenty of trips, questions, notes and hours, how to find new docking space, a crew to offload, warehousing, tariffs and even transportation to customers – all being ready when, earlier than expected, Joseph is back with the ship and cargo.
What a clever switch and pairing here – to take Tessa – to the manor born, and Joseph, son of a domestic but hard work and loyal service rewarded with education, friendship and a position of family in an earl’s household, similar to one of the earl’s sons, they are both people with expectations that don’t match what they actually can do or be. Tessa was quick, clever, smart and determined – and all of that helped to make her ‘famous’ as a great eligible in society and at her home in Suffolk. But, that sort of constant effort needed to delight and charm takes intelligence, and she quickly parlayed her intelligence into a way to make a living for her and the child. Joseph, from his upbringing could aspire to valet, but his loyalty, intelligence, quick wit and determination all brought him wealth, and the importing scheme that he and his friends have devised will bring much more. He’s spent months holding a grudge against Tessa for her ‘deception’, but the key here is he cares. Cares for her beyond any reasonable level, and finds her endlessly fascinating, always able to confound him. But he’s also not a monster, and is willing to hear her side of the story, to understand why she did what she did, and perhaps even try to see if there is some chance there for a them. But he’s also strong-willed with a true anger for anyone who dares to take advantage of others, and he doesn’t actually recognize that Tessa, ashamed from her deception, is as afraid he doesn’t want her as he is afraid of not being worthy of her. Unconventional even for the time, with Tessa’s chosen profession as a shipping clerk, and Joseph’s supporting both her working and her need to recapture her own power as a woman, he’s a much more ‘modern’ male than one may have expected from Historic Romance reads, but a lovely one – sure to be a favorite of many. Again, Michaels has woven a story in two perspectives, sharing the thoughts, concerns, struggles and joys of a couple never quite meant to match as they find their way to happy ever after.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Joseph Chance, pseudo-son to an earl with a head for business, a solid partnership built to import guano as fertilizer, handsome, educated and instantly smitten with Tessa’s laugh, beauty and seemingly open nature, he asks for her hand unaware of her history. A wedding night where the lies of omission and determination to fly down the aisle have finally taken a toll, Tessa comes clean and tells Joseph of the pregnancy. Instantly he’s angered by her lack of honesty, and more questions aren’t asked. He doesn’t know that she was attacked, he believes every shining moment of her personality was a ‘construct’, meant only to give her child a name. As per their agreement, for Joseph is nothing if a gentleman to his very toes, she’s deposited in London at the Belgravia townhome belonging to the Aunt and Uncle of her friend Willa, Tessa must reconcile the trauma of her pregnancy, the anger from her husband, and the shattering of her hopes for the future.
Internalizing the trauma and blaming herself and her flirtatious behavior as the reason she was attacked, and part of the reason that although the agreement of her marriage meant they were to go their separate ways, Joseph’s utter silence. She and her friends get information on pregnancy, delivery and child-rearing, and are doing a marvelous job. But, Tessa also knows that her father, the one who has now disowned her, could provide giant obstacles to Joseph and his partners’ ability to dock and offload their cargo – so she teaches herself, with plenty of trips, questions, notes and hours, how to find new docking space, a crew to offload, warehousing, tariffs and even transportation to customers – all being ready when, earlier than expected, Joseph is back with the ship and cargo.
What a clever switch and pairing here – to take Tessa – to the manor born, and Joseph, son of a domestic but hard work and loyal service rewarded with education, friendship and a position of family in an earl’s household, similar to one of the earl’s sons, they are both people with expectations that don’t match what they actually can do or be. Tessa was quick, clever, smart and determined – and all of that helped to make her ‘famous’ as a great eligible in society and at her home in Suffolk. But, that sort of constant effort needed to delight and charm takes intelligence, and she quickly parlayed her intelligence into a way to make a living for her and the child. Joseph, from his upbringing could aspire to valet, but his loyalty, intelligence, quick wit and determination all brought him wealth, and the importing scheme that he and his friends have devised will bring much more. He’s spent months holding a grudge against Tessa for her ‘deception’, but the key here is he cares. Cares for her beyond any reasonable level, and finds her endlessly fascinating, always able to confound him. But he’s also not a monster, and is willing to hear her side of the story, to understand why she did what she did, and perhaps even try to see if there is some chance there for a them. But he’s also strong-willed with a true anger for anyone who dares to take advantage of others, and he doesn’t actually recognize that Tessa, ashamed from her deception, is as afraid he doesn’t want her as he is afraid of not being worthy of her. Unconventional even for the time, with Tessa’s chosen profession as a shipping clerk, and Joseph’s supporting both her working and her need to recapture her own power as a woman, he’s a much more ‘modern’ male than one may have expected from Historic Romance reads, but a lovely one – sure to be a favorite of many. Again, Michaels has woven a story in two perspectives, sharing the thoughts, concerns, struggles and joys of a couple never quite meant to match as they find their way to happy ever after.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
September 3, 2018
I have to add Charis Michaels as one of my favorite historical romance authors. While I haven't absolutely loved all of her books, I've enjoyed every one of them. I especially enjoyed this one even with the bump in the road that Tessa and Joseph experienced. It was a very sweet love story and it made me smile. There was a bit of angst, obviously but it actually doesn't take up too much of the book. We get to see much of Tessa and Joseph loving each other and weathering the storm of what happened.
If you've liked other books by Charis Michaels before, I think you'll enjoy this one as well.
Quotes and Faves:
♥ This is the first time that Joseph sees Tessa. Joseph stepped toward her as if someone had called his name. He stared.
♥ Her face was even lovelier at close range. And she smelled like a flower. Every flower. She smelled like every flower and the very best flower.
♥ As for his attraction to her, Joseph Chance stared at her like she was a pin on the globe, like the world spun around her.
♥ “Was I drawn to her at first sight?” asked Joseph. “Yes. Do I desire her? More than any woman I’ve known. But it is more than desire. And it’s more than her bloody family and their bloody money. She is . . . buoyant in a way that holds me up. She is so clever. Her wit makes mine funnier. She is wholly confident and capable, and yet I find myself wanting to provide for her. She is alive in a way that makes my own life seem a little less livable without her in it.”
♥ She would have a baby, this was true, but Joseph was the first man in her heart and in her mind. To her, he would be the first. No man before him had ever taken her breath away, captivated her, thrilled her. Any man before him was but a faint, dull memory, insufficient and forgotten.
♥
♥
♥ I lived and breathed you, he thought.
♥ She was just about to unpin her hat and brush the creases from her hair when the door flew open and Joseph strode into the room. “Tessa,” he breathed. His greatcoat swirled around his ankles, and he kicked the door shut with his boot. He looked even better than she remembered, better than he had when he’d first called on her in Berymede. She ran to him and he caught her with open arms and spun them both.
♥ “You were bloody floating. And your hair is glorious. You are . . . iridescent. You radiate in that thin silk and unbound hair and your . . . face. I’ve endured the tight bun and brown dresses for a month and now you’re dressed like a goddess.”
If you've liked other books by Charis Michaels before, I think you'll enjoy this one as well.
Quotes and Faves:
♥ This is the first time that Joseph sees Tessa. Joseph stepped toward her as if someone had called his name. He stared.
♥ Her face was even lovelier at close range. And she smelled like a flower. Every flower. She smelled like every flower and the very best flower.
♥ As for his attraction to her, Joseph Chance stared at her like she was a pin on the globe, like the world spun around her.
♥ “Was I drawn to her at first sight?” asked Joseph. “Yes. Do I desire her? More than any woman I’ve known. But it is more than desire. And it’s more than her bloody family and their bloody money. She is . . . buoyant in a way that holds me up. She is so clever. Her wit makes mine funnier. She is wholly confident and capable, and yet I find myself wanting to provide for her. She is alive in a way that makes my own life seem a little less livable without her in it.”
♥ She would have a baby, this was true, but Joseph was the first man in her heart and in her mind. To her, he would be the first. No man before him had ever taken her breath away, captivated her, thrilled her. Any man before him was but a faint, dull memory, insufficient and forgotten.
♥
♥
♥ I lived and breathed you, he thought.
♥ She was just about to unpin her hat and brush the creases from her hair when the door flew open and Joseph strode into the room. “Tessa,” he breathed. His greatcoat swirled around his ankles, and he kicked the door shut with his boot. He looked even better than she remembered, better than he had when he’d first called on her in Berymede. She ran to him and he caught her with open arms and spun them both.
♥ “You were bloody floating. And your hair is glorious. You are . . . iridescent. You radiate in that thin silk and unbound hair and your . . . face. I’ve endured the tight bun and brown dresses for a month and now you’re dressed like a goddess.”
August 14, 2018
I enjoyed this story for the most part, even if it didn’t necessarily wow me. I thought Ms. Michaels handled the subject matter and the idea of consent very well. The story did surprise me as far as the direction it went and I liked that. I also liked that Joseph wasn’t a former rake as so many historical romance heroes are.
August 2, 2018
Normally I really like Charis Michaels’ work. This story didn’t entirely work for me though. I just didn’t care for Tessa much. What I did like and appreciate, however, was the way Michaels wove consent in to the relationship. It was brilliantly done.
August 10, 2018
Tessa St. Croix, and her friends Sabine and Willow, had posted an advertisement for husbands. They had their personal reasons and Tessa, once the town’s most scintillating jewel, was desperate to marry any man who would have her. Joseph Chance had been interested in the advert as it gave him more money for his business venture, but he didn’t actually want to get married. As he was leisurely looking around, he happened to hear then see the most glorious female specimen he had ever laid his eyes on, and lo and behold, that golden goddess could be his future bride; she was as delightful as she was beautiful. Tessa nearly swooned at the divinely handsome man before her, and he was as enchanting as he was good-looking. Maybe it would all work out. Maybe she could wait a little while until she told him her terrible secret.
From the very first page, I was entirely under Charis Michaels’ spell, and I wondered how I would avoid making an utter fool of myself when writing this review, because ALL DRESSED IN WHITE is just so perfect! I was completely emotionally invested in the relationship, and it was love at first sight with the characters – as it was for Joseph and Tessa – because they are so alive, so enticing, so wonderfully real, totally irresistible. And when the moment of truth happened, it was handled astonishingly well by Ms. Michaels; the first of several literary tours de force from the author. I soon became a sobbing mess, as I read completely enthralled. I was stunned at the briskness of the pace, I had expected some segments to drag, but instead Joseph and Tessa – who were wonderfully complex characters to begin with– undergo a tremendous amount of growth, and the story takes us in many unexpected directions.
ALL DRESSED IN WHITE is a monument of carefully crafted storytelling, of characters who handle their anger, shame, love, mistakes the way human beings ought to. This is a story told from the heart from an author who does not insult her readers’ intelligence, who leaves nothing to chance and takes us on an incredibly rewarding voyage. From the incandescent murmurs of love at the beginning to the perilous climb back from the abyss, I believed in Tessa and Joseph’s every word, every gesture; I also understood why they acted the way they did, and I could empathise with both of them.
I also loved the attention to historical details on the import/export business of the 1830s, on taking care of a baby, on the unfortunate fate of women in eras past, and I adored the fabulous Perry, Tessa’s maid, whose story I dream of reading maybe one day. I have unfortunately not read the first instalment, Any Groom Will Do, and I plan to read it as soon as I can, not because elements are missing, but because I was so extraordinarily impressed with ALL DRESSED IN WHITE (I still don’t understand the title though). The writing is splendid and effortlessly elegant; the dialogues are marvels of wit and intelligence; and Tessa and Joseph are characters of incredible depth brought to life by this exceptionally gifted author; there are few characters of whom I can honestly say that I admired, respected, and loved both of them, even when they are at fault? I turned the last page with reluctance because I had to leave the world of The Brides of Belgravia; what a truly marvellous book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
From the very first page, I was entirely under Charis Michaels’ spell, and I wondered how I would avoid making an utter fool of myself when writing this review, because ALL DRESSED IN WHITE is just so perfect! I was completely emotionally invested in the relationship, and it was love at first sight with the characters – as it was for Joseph and Tessa – because they are so alive, so enticing, so wonderfully real, totally irresistible. And when the moment of truth happened, it was handled astonishingly well by Ms. Michaels; the first of several literary tours de force from the author. I soon became a sobbing mess, as I read completely enthralled. I was stunned at the briskness of the pace, I had expected some segments to drag, but instead Joseph and Tessa – who were wonderfully complex characters to begin with– undergo a tremendous amount of growth, and the story takes us in many unexpected directions.
ALL DRESSED IN WHITE is a monument of carefully crafted storytelling, of characters who handle their anger, shame, love, mistakes the way human beings ought to. This is a story told from the heart from an author who does not insult her readers’ intelligence, who leaves nothing to chance and takes us on an incredibly rewarding voyage. From the incandescent murmurs of love at the beginning to the perilous climb back from the abyss, I believed in Tessa and Joseph’s every word, every gesture; I also understood why they acted the way they did, and I could empathise with both of them.
I also loved the attention to historical details on the import/export business of the 1830s, on taking care of a baby, on the unfortunate fate of women in eras past, and I adored the fabulous Perry, Tessa’s maid, whose story I dream of reading maybe one day. I have unfortunately not read the first instalment, Any Groom Will Do, and I plan to read it as soon as I can, not because elements are missing, but because I was so extraordinarily impressed with ALL DRESSED IN WHITE (I still don’t understand the title though). The writing is splendid and effortlessly elegant; the dialogues are marvels of wit and intelligence; and Tessa and Joseph are characters of incredible depth brought to life by this exceptionally gifted author; there are few characters of whom I can honestly say that I admired, respected, and loved both of them, even when they are at fault? I turned the last page with reluctance because I had to leave the world of The Brides of Belgravia; what a truly marvellous book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 19, 2025
What an emotionally complicated book. It addresses some incredibly difficult topics, but ultimately Charis Michaels's writing style and signature sweetness on page still allows the reader a certain level of comfort while Tessa addresses her emotional turmoil, and Jospeh recovers from Tessa's dishonesty. While the setup is hard, the hard fought HEA is worthwhile.
Tessa St Croix needs to marry, and fast. She has a substantial dowry, so that should help, but she's pregnant, and the father has outright rejected her. If this is discovered, it means complete social ruin. She convinces the besotted Jospeh Chance to marry her, but conceals her condition until after the wedding. Tessa tells herself it'll be ok, she didn't expect him to stick around anyway, but he leaves for an expedition the day after the wedding. On his return, he's shocked to find a very different-seeming woman than the one he married, but one he is still very much attracted to.
While the setup and some of the content in this book was difficult, it's an emotional and important story of growth, acceptance, and understanding. It's a marriage of convenience that at various turns could have gone an altogether different route. Instead we have a romance between two people who don't see each other for the first ten months of their marriage, and have to tear down assumptions and rebuild trust, and the power of love to heal and reclaim.
CW: recollection of SA described on page, pregnancy
Tessa St Croix needs to marry, and fast. She has a substantial dowry, so that should help, but she's pregnant, and the father has outright rejected her. If this is discovered, it means complete social ruin. She convinces the besotted Jospeh Chance to marry her, but conceals her condition until after the wedding. Tessa tells herself it'll be ok, she didn't expect him to stick around anyway, but he leaves for an expedition the day after the wedding. On his return, he's shocked to find a very different-seeming woman than the one he married, but one he is still very much attracted to.
While the setup and some of the content in this book was difficult, it's an emotional and important story of growth, acceptance, and understanding. It's a marriage of convenience that at various turns could have gone an altogether different route. Instead we have a romance between two people who don't see each other for the first ten months of their marriage, and have to tear down assumptions and rebuild trust, and the power of love to heal and reclaim.
CW: recollection of SA described on page, pregnancy
September 4, 2018
This is the second book in The Brides of Belgravia series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone because of the premise of the series. We have here three friends who decide that marriage of convenience is the only way they can solve their problems, so all three decide to advertise in the paper and search for their husbands.
This story was, at times, hard to read because it does tell us of the reason why our heroine must merry, she was raped, and her telling of is heartbreaking.
The author continues to use her wonderful prose to show us the world and characters she created.
If you're a fan of second chance romance, then I truly think you'll enjoy this story as well as this series.
Melanie for b2b
Gift ARC provided by the publisher
This story was, at times, hard to read because it does tell us of the reason why our heroine must merry, she was raped, and her telling of is heartbreaking.
The author continues to use her wonderful prose to show us the world and characters she created.
If you're a fan of second chance romance, then I truly think you'll enjoy this story as well as this series.
Melanie for b2b
Gift ARC provided by the publisher
September 1, 2020
The ebook has so many typos. Points off for the lot of them.
April 27, 2025
I liked this book a lot more than her Hidden Princesses/Hidden Royalty series. This book has a lot of content and trigger warnings, but the author does such a wonderful job portraying it all and the recovery from it is so unique. She also has a whole part on raising a newborn that they never talk about in historical romance books.
So, the main character, she lives a happy life and plays the piano quite well with her wealthy family. By chance, she encounters a captain of the army who dates her, but ultimately rapes her. It’s awful. She is traumatized. She becomes pregnant and when she goes to this captain, he tells her she’s been naughty and avoids her. She is stuck in a lurch. So, she and two of her other female friends put an advertisement out for husbands that will marry for convenience, but then lead separate lives for money. Each of the women have reasons why they want husbands. One is a victim of physical abuse, this protagonist is pregnant and wants to get married so she can pass the child off as her new husbands, and other reasons for the third.
Three men respond to the advertisement and they are all friends. Tessa, the main protagonist, realizes that Joseph, the guy who agrees to marry her, is really a stand up guy. They fall in love, but she keeps this secret of her pregnancy from him. There is a splendid scene where they are alone in the piano room and they are kissing while she is simultaneously playing the piano so no one will suspect anything untoward is going on. It was very well written.
They marry, but before they consummate the relationship, Joseph finds out that she’s pregnant and believes Tessa doesn’t love him and he feels cheated. He goes with his two other friends to the Caribbean to gather guano which serves as an excellent fertilizer. They make a lot of money. Meanwhile, Tessa is living with a friend of a friend with her lady friends, gives birth, hires a nurse, lives in a basement, and has to purchase a goat to help provide milk for her new baby which she names Christian after Joseph.
Tessa’s family shuns her when they find out the truth that she was pregnant before marriage and she is expelled from her family from the scandal. Eight months later, Joseph and friends return, but Tessa has moved their dock because she knows her father would have cancelled his docking rights in his port because of the scandal. Joseph is so impressed at Tessa for finding a better docking station at a better fee while taking care of a newborn and the complications behind everything that he realizes he doesn’t deserve her. He falls a little more in love again after being mad at her for several months. He realizes he shouldn’t have neglected her during her time of need and tries to make up for it. But, Tessa is traumatized by the rape, so they can’t be intimate. So, they then proceed to have a slow seduction to help her get over her first time. After the birth, she refuses to wear bright colors or nice clothing because she does not want to attract the male gaze or attention. She blames herself for the rape, but then Joseph helps her realize it was the captain’s fault and she eventually recovers.
They end up living happily ever after. The other really nice part is that Joseph adopts Christian as his own child even though they aren’t blood related.
So, the main character, she lives a happy life and plays the piano quite well with her wealthy family. By chance, she encounters a captain of the army who dates her, but ultimately rapes her. It’s awful. She is traumatized. She becomes pregnant and when she goes to this captain, he tells her she’s been naughty and avoids her. She is stuck in a lurch. So, she and two of her other female friends put an advertisement out for husbands that will marry for convenience, but then lead separate lives for money. Each of the women have reasons why they want husbands. One is a victim of physical abuse, this protagonist is pregnant and wants to get married so she can pass the child off as her new husbands, and other reasons for the third.
Three men respond to the advertisement and they are all friends. Tessa, the main protagonist, realizes that Joseph, the guy who agrees to marry her, is really a stand up guy. They fall in love, but she keeps this secret of her pregnancy from him. There is a splendid scene where they are alone in the piano room and they are kissing while she is simultaneously playing the piano so no one will suspect anything untoward is going on. It was very well written.
They marry, but before they consummate the relationship, Joseph finds out that she’s pregnant and believes Tessa doesn’t love him and he feels cheated. He goes with his two other friends to the Caribbean to gather guano which serves as an excellent fertilizer. They make a lot of money. Meanwhile, Tessa is living with a friend of a friend with her lady friends, gives birth, hires a nurse, lives in a basement, and has to purchase a goat to help provide milk for her new baby which she names Christian after Joseph.
Tessa’s family shuns her when they find out the truth that she was pregnant before marriage and she is expelled from her family from the scandal. Eight months later, Joseph and friends return, but Tessa has moved their dock because she knows her father would have cancelled his docking rights in his port because of the scandal. Joseph is so impressed at Tessa for finding a better docking station at a better fee while taking care of a newborn and the complications behind everything that he realizes he doesn’t deserve her. He falls a little more in love again after being mad at her for several months. He realizes he shouldn’t have neglected her during her time of need and tries to make up for it. But, Tessa is traumatized by the rape, so they can’t be intimate. So, they then proceed to have a slow seduction to help her get over her first time. After the birth, she refuses to wear bright colors or nice clothing because she does not want to attract the male gaze or attention. She blames herself for the rape, but then Joseph helps her realize it was the captain’s fault and she eventually recovers.
They end up living happily ever after. The other really nice part is that Joseph adopts Christian as his own child even though they aren’t blood related.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2019
Beautifully done second chance romance with a secret baby twist!
Having advertised for an absent husband and white marriage together with her friends Lady Willow and Sabine, Tessa Le Croix is desperate. Raised to be beautiful and charming, yet protect her chastity, Tessa is adept at finding this balance. She is expected by her family to make a brilliant match, until now her many suitors have fallen short of her parents expectations. One day she gets the balance wrong and is raped and then rejected by a handsome soldier when she discovers she is preganant. She know her family will disown her, if they find out, so she must marry quickly.
Joseph Chance former servant and handsome and accomplished man, has had his education funded and been mentored by an Earl. He is keen to find his fortune and is prepared to marry for an injection of capital, but only if the woman suits him. He tracks Tessa down, and they fall in love. He loved the finer things in life, and is enchanted with this frivolous and amusing girl, they fall in love, Court and are
Married really quickly, but Tessa blames herself for her assault, and can’t risk telling Joseph about her condition. However, the lies are tearing her apart, so she confesses after they are wed-she is rejected brutally and she moves into willows aunts basement, and he sails to Barbados to make his fortune.
Tessa becomes New Tessa in the time he is away, and rejects her former frivolity of manner and dress. She wants Jospeh to help her purchase a house so she can continue working to gain independence and support herself and her baby.
Joseph is conflicted. He doesn’t want to see her until he works out what to do when he arrives back in London, but she has cancelled his docking privileges- and he has a hugely valuable shipment at risk.
Tessa has changed, and she keeps wrong footing Jospeh who feels guilty that he has not made more provision for her. She knows a huge amount about the shipping business, she has managed her labour and motherhood capably, and all the pretty dresses and frivolous conversation is gone. He is still intensely attracted to her, but what has happened and how does he deal with this New Tessa.
Tessa has been working on herself. Summarily cast out and abandoned by her family, she decides to be different, to be modest, and diligent, stop using her feminine wiles and flirting in her interactions with men, as she blames herself for the rape and her treatment of Joseph. Can they be friends, will Jospeh forgive her, can she get the Cottage she needs and arrange to discreetly give him his freedom, or is there a chance for them? Her son is paramount, but can there be more?
Joseph is increasingly torment by thoughts of can they be a family. What does she want? How can he make up for his neglect of her wellbeing. How can he make her happy.
Beautifully handled consent issues and PTSD depiction.
Excellent.
Having advertised for an absent husband and white marriage together with her friends Lady Willow and Sabine, Tessa Le Croix is desperate. Raised to be beautiful and charming, yet protect her chastity, Tessa is adept at finding this balance. She is expected by her family to make a brilliant match, until now her many suitors have fallen short of her parents expectations. One day she gets the balance wrong and is raped and then rejected by a handsome soldier when she discovers she is preganant. She know her family will disown her, if they find out, so she must marry quickly.
Joseph Chance former servant and handsome and accomplished man, has had his education funded and been mentored by an Earl. He is keen to find his fortune and is prepared to marry for an injection of capital, but only if the woman suits him. He tracks Tessa down, and they fall in love. He loved the finer things in life, and is enchanted with this frivolous and amusing girl, they fall in love, Court and are
Married really quickly, but Tessa blames herself for her assault, and can’t risk telling Joseph about her condition. However, the lies are tearing her apart, so she confesses after they are wed-she is rejected brutally and she moves into willows aunts basement, and he sails to Barbados to make his fortune.
Tessa becomes New Tessa in the time he is away, and rejects her former frivolity of manner and dress. She wants Jospeh to help her purchase a house so she can continue working to gain independence and support herself and her baby.
Joseph is conflicted. He doesn’t want to see her until he works out what to do when he arrives back in London, but she has cancelled his docking privileges- and he has a hugely valuable shipment at risk.
Tessa has changed, and she keeps wrong footing Jospeh who feels guilty that he has not made more provision for her. She knows a huge amount about the shipping business, she has managed her labour and motherhood capably, and all the pretty dresses and frivolous conversation is gone. He is still intensely attracted to her, but what has happened and how does he deal with this New Tessa.
Tessa has been working on herself. Summarily cast out and abandoned by her family, she decides to be different, to be modest, and diligent, stop using her feminine wiles and flirting in her interactions with men, as she blames herself for the rape and her treatment of Joseph. Can they be friends, will Jospeh forgive her, can she get the Cottage she needs and arrange to discreetly give him his freedom, or is there a chance for them? Her son is paramount, but can there be more?
Joseph is increasingly torment by thoughts of can they be a family. What does she want? How can he make up for his neglect of her wellbeing. How can he make her happy.
Beautifully handled consent issues and PTSD depiction.
Excellent.
August 25, 2018
I purchased All Dressed in White on Kindle yesterday afternoon, and couldn't put it down until it was finished. This is the second book in Charis Michaels' 3 part Brides of Belgravia series, however it reads well as a stand-alone novel as well.
As might be expected from a series called Brides of Belgravia, the hero and heroine, Joseph and Tessa, marry early in the story, and resume their relationship after some period of separation. The separation and reunion are under prickly circumstances to say the least, and the ebb and flow of this relationship is emotional and riveting.
Ms Michaels seems to like making a social statement in her books, and a central issue in All Dressed in White is still an issue of central concern to women today. It is very apparent that Rape Culture is just a newish term for a very old problem. Then (1820's) as now women were derided if they did not present themselves as sexually attractive, and again derided and blamed for men acting on these perceived signals. Then as now, this placed women in conflicted and invidious positions trying to meet impossible social requirements. Not many women then would have been able to express this conflict as eloquently as the heroine, Tessa does. One of Tessa's strengths is her determination and ability to communicate, so there are no painful internal monologues that go on for tortured chapters while the hero and heroine refuse to JUST USE THEIR WORDS. The clarity of communication between Tessa and Joseph was one of my favourite parts of the book. I also loved the depictions of the baby and some of Tessa's interactions with her son felt very familiar to me!
This book will definitely be on my re-read list, and I'm really looking forward to Sabine and Stoker's story.
As might be expected from a series called Brides of Belgravia, the hero and heroine, Joseph and Tessa, marry early in the story, and resume their relationship after some period of separation. The separation and reunion are under prickly circumstances to say the least, and the ebb and flow of this relationship is emotional and riveting.
Ms Michaels seems to like making a social statement in her books, and a central issue in All Dressed in White is still an issue of central concern to women today. It is very apparent that Rape Culture is just a newish term for a very old problem. Then (1820's) as now women were derided if they did not present themselves as sexually attractive, and again derided and blamed for men acting on these perceived signals. Then as now, this placed women in conflicted and invidious positions trying to meet impossible social requirements. Not many women then would have been able to express this conflict as eloquently as the heroine, Tessa does. One of Tessa's strengths is her determination and ability to communicate, so there are no painful internal monologues that go on for tortured chapters while the hero and heroine refuse to JUST USE THEIR WORDS. The clarity of communication between Tessa and Joseph was one of my favourite parts of the book. I also loved the depictions of the baby and some of Tessa's interactions with her son felt very familiar to me!
This book will definitely be on my re-read list, and I'm really looking forward to Sabine and Stoker's story.
January 28, 2025
4.5 stars. Lovely to see Joseph Chance all grown up and experiencing the horniest angst of all time! Alternative title for this book should be “Regency Guide to Edging.”
I wasn’t sure how this would go given we are already told the state of the couple in the previous book - I was worried there would be chapters where they would be apart and pining and sad and angry - but this was way snappier with us getting to see the courtship and the drama of the wedding night and then immediately skipping ahead to the reunion a year-ish later. Loved getting a little glimpse of Joe’s pals Trevor and Piety - his retelling of how he went from servant to family member made me WEEP.
At times the book bordered on too modern for HR in its handling of trauma and healing from sexual violence(the gold standard is The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan in my humble opinion) BUT I loved watching the MCs come to terms with their new dynamic, parenthood, and how to make up for the false start of their marriage while reclaiming parts of themselves that were perhaps lost. Did we need to have a last minute encounter with the villain who assaulted FMC…I don’t know. On one hand I liked that we got a parallel of MMC holding back his rage and violence in order for FMC to take the lead in confronting her past (which we first see at Vauxhall) - on the other hand there is something to be said for letting their consummation mark the end of the road when it comes to her past. I imagine the goal was to ensure readers weren’t left wondering if the villain was running around attacking other girls…fair enough I say.
I wasn’t sure how this would go given we are already told the state of the couple in the previous book - I was worried there would be chapters where they would be apart and pining and sad and angry - but this was way snappier with us getting to see the courtship and the drama of the wedding night and then immediately skipping ahead to the reunion a year-ish later. Loved getting a little glimpse of Joe’s pals Trevor and Piety - his retelling of how he went from servant to family member made me WEEP.
At times the book bordered on too modern for HR in its handling of trauma and healing from sexual violence(the gold standard is The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan in my humble opinion) BUT I loved watching the MCs come to terms with their new dynamic, parenthood, and how to make up for the false start of their marriage while reclaiming parts of themselves that were perhaps lost. Did we need to have a last minute encounter with the villain who assaulted FMC…I don’t know. On one hand I liked that we got a parallel of MMC holding back his rage and violence in order for FMC to take the lead in confronting her past (which we first see at Vauxhall) - on the other hand there is something to be said for letting their consummation mark the end of the road when it comes to her past. I imagine the goal was to ensure readers weren’t left wondering if the villain was running around attacking other girls…fair enough I say.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2019
Tessa lied..... until she didn't and she thought she lost Joseph forever. Three women post an advertisement looking for "investors"; really they are looking for husbands, quickly, and using their dowries as collateral. Tessa is pregnant has been turned away by the father and desperately needs a husband for protection for both herself and her unborn child. Joseph and Tessa fall quickly in love with each other, a happy surprise to Tessa and the reason she can no longer lie to him after the marriage. When she unveils her secret both their hearts are broken and Joseph heads off to Barbados as planned leaving Tessa and her friends in London.
When he comes back he finds a very different Tessa. She has forgone her bright and beautiful dresses for drab ones, her hair is tightly coiled and she is far more reserved then when he left. She has also learned shipping and dock yard business to help her husband when he comes back from Barbados with his goods. She has matured and educated herself in business while he was away and he is shocked and pleased. The tentatively begin to forge ahead.
I loved this couple, and even though this was a very slow burn romance I didn't care because I was to busy rooting for these two. I was so well written, the slow incremental building of trust and them becoming a family. I really enjoyed this one over its predecessor and fortunately you do not have to read the first book because the prologue does a good enough job introducing the story.
When he comes back he finds a very different Tessa. She has forgone her bright and beautiful dresses for drab ones, her hair is tightly coiled and she is far more reserved then when he left. She has also learned shipping and dock yard business to help her husband when he comes back from Barbados with his goods. She has matured and educated herself in business while he was away and he is shocked and pleased. The tentatively begin to forge ahead.
I loved this couple, and even though this was a very slow burn romance I didn't care because I was to busy rooting for these two. I was so well written, the slow incremental building of trust and them becoming a family. I really enjoyed this one over its predecessor and fortunately you do not have to read the first book because the prologue does a good enough job introducing the story.
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February 21, 2025The premise was intriguing: a pregnant woman marrying a man and then telling him she's pregnant (by another man, a rapist). Right after the wedding she confesses the truth and her husband is angry and feels used. Fortunately, he goes off for almost a year to make his fortune, (in guano, was that a metaphor I wondered) and upon his return, the 2 try to rebuild their marriage.
I found it unconvincing as regards the husband. Rather than continuing to be angry and resentful or holding a grudge, he becomes the soul of compassion. He regrets how he left her, is won over by her efforts to forge a new life, and is determined to win her back so that they can consummate the marriage. The last third of the book outlines his strategy to do so, in great physical detail, and to overcome her trauma at being raped.
I liked the premise and the first 2/3 of the book. But I found Joseph's turnaround unbelievable - it's never really explained - and his patience with Tessa is even more unbelievable. He was a saint in his patience. But I am not a saint in mine, and the pace began to lag until I set it aside and finished it later.
Of course, it all ends happily. Overly happy IMHO. One plus is Tessa's efforts to become independent by finding a job and the prejudice she has to overcome. There is somewhat of a feminist message.
So my review is mixed.
I found it unconvincing as regards the husband. Rather than continuing to be angry and resentful or holding a grudge, he becomes the soul of compassion. He regrets how he left her, is won over by her efforts to forge a new life, and is determined to win her back so that they can consummate the marriage. The last third of the book outlines his strategy to do so, in great physical detail, and to overcome her trauma at being raped.
I liked the premise and the first 2/3 of the book. But I found Joseph's turnaround unbelievable - it's never really explained - and his patience with Tessa is even more unbelievable. He was a saint in his patience. But I am not a saint in mine, and the pace began to lag until I set it aside and finished it later.
Of course, it all ends happily. Overly happy IMHO. One plus is Tessa's efforts to become independent by finding a job and the prejudice she has to overcome. There is somewhat of a feminist message.
So my review is mixed.
August 25, 2018
All Dressed in White Charis Michaels is book Two in The Brides of Belgravia Series. This is the story of Joseph Chance and Tessa St. Croix. I have read the previous book, but feel you can easily make this a standalone book if you choose to do so.
Tessa and a two other friends are both in need of a quick marriage with no plans to be a romantic marriage only business. So they advertise their desire of a business type marriage in exchange for their dowries. But Tessa didn't think that she would be attracted to or fall in love with her 'husband', so when feelings start to develop she tells him on their wedding night why she needed to marry so quickly but didn't give him the details of what had actually happened. Joseph only wanted a wife with money to help his business but what he got was a women he quickly fell in love with but then she told him why she needed to marry ...which broke his connection to her. Joseph up and left her but now almost a year later he is back and finding that his wife isn't anything what he thought but is what he needs.
Loved their story...it did have a underline harshness with what happened to Tessa but the author handle the story excellent.
Tessa and a two other friends are both in need of a quick marriage with no plans to be a romantic marriage only business. So they advertise their desire of a business type marriage in exchange for their dowries. But Tessa didn't think that she would be attracted to or fall in love with her 'husband', so when feelings start to develop she tells him on their wedding night why she needed to marry so quickly but didn't give him the details of what had actually happened. Joseph only wanted a wife with money to help his business but what he got was a women he quickly fell in love with but then she told him why she needed to marry ...which broke his connection to her. Joseph up and left her but now almost a year later he is back and finding that his wife isn't anything what he thought but is what he needs.
Loved their story...it did have a underline harshness with what happened to Tessa but the author handle the story excellent.
December 31, 2020
a big difference from Any Groom Will Do and it's a good thing. i really liked how Joseph was incredibly patient with Tessa and her trauma despite her omission of the truth until their wedding. they separated with their relationship in tatters but i liked how Charis allowed them to bond and get to know one another without secrets. i was so invested in the book as i couldn't wait to see them fix their relationship. enjoyed reading this except for the part where Tessa and Joseph talked about work which i skimmed. this was a slower burn than Any Groom Will Do and i felt the sex could have been improved. after holding off for so long, it would have been nice to see a longer sex scene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2018
Tessa St. Croix is a lovely, young woman from a wealthy family who does something that is unusual in 1830's England! She and her two friends decide to post advertisements to find a husband and they get an answer from three men who are interested. Tessa meets her "applicant", Joseph Chance, and they are immediately taken with each other. Tessa truly falls in love with Joseph and he with her. The rest of the story has to do with lies, hidden secrets and the topic of mutual consent to have sex. I thought that the author did a very good job handling that topic and including it in the story. The characters were well-developed and I loved Tessa's insistence to learn about the shipyards and to be employed there. Excellent addition to the Historical Romance genre!
All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels is available from Avon Impulse, an imprint of HarperCollins. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels is available from Avon Impulse, an imprint of HarperCollins. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
November 15, 2023
Took a trope I usually despise--marriage under false pretenses--and made it work. Tessa marries Joseph, but comes clean to him about her pregnancy before the marriage is consummated, and while he's angry, Tessa was absolutely correct in that he would have been MORE angry if she'd kept lying by omission or let him consummate the marriage, leave for Barbados, and come home to a three-month-old after...nine months. Their connection is real, it survives Joseph's absence, and both of them are honest with themselves that they want each other and to make the marriage work. Joseph is also patient and understanding with Tessa's rape trauma, more than willing to work around and through it, and consistent in his assurances to her that it was not her fault, not her clothes or her behavior, it's because her rapist is a bad person.
I kind of hope she never fully forgives her parents. I hope her brothers come around.
I kind of hope she never fully forgives her parents. I hope her brothers come around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2020
I didn't think I'd enjoy this second entry in the series, given the plot outline, but I did. The stubbornness didn't last long enough for me to get impatient.
However, what I did notice was another example of an author who hasn't researched aristocratic titles, use of, and it bothers me. Especially given that Michaels did research slave free enterprises for the heroes to get involved in, according to the notes after the first book. It spoils my pleasure in a read when something that really should be simple is incorrectly done. And while the guano trade was specific to this series, titles are used in just about all historical fiction.
Bottom line, I enjoyed the story enough to forgive, but I still noticed and it still bothered me.
However, what I did notice was another example of an author who hasn't researched aristocratic titles, use of, and it bothers me. Especially given that Michaels did research slave free enterprises for the heroes to get involved in, according to the notes after the first book. It spoils my pleasure in a read when something that really should be simple is incorrectly done. And while the guano trade was specific to this series, titles are used in just about all historical fiction.
Bottom line, I enjoyed the story enough to forgive, but I still noticed and it still bothered me.
March 27, 2019
This book is pretty good. What I appreciate most about it is how Michaels handles the heroine’s reaction to physical intimacy after rape. I’ve read so many romance novels where the heroine experienced sexual assault in her past, but once she and the hero got around to being intimate she is fine. Somehow the heroes are so fantastic that the heroines like being touched and having sex despite the trauma in their pasts. This isn’t especially realistic. Michaels’ take on the hero and heroine’s journey to consummating their marriage is refreshing.
This was the first Charis Michaels book I’ve read, but I’ll definitely consider reading others!
This was the first Charis Michaels book I’ve read, but I’ll definitely consider reading others!
September 3, 2018
Oh, wow what an amazing new read by Charis Michaels. All Dressed in White will not disappoint, no, it will have you up all night reading! I give this a High 5 stars! I absolutely loved our h Tessa St. Croix. What an amazing woman, very determined, independent and so self-assured, a beautiful example for all women! What a truly romantic story between our H and h, I really loved the story-line of the book and one that we don't normally see in romance tales. A truly wonderful read that I would highly recommend to all historical romance fanatics!
November 23, 2019
Handling a difficult subject so very well
The aftermath of rape is never easy and the self blame and embarrassment is always with the victim. To see it handled here with such openness and feeling struck a chord. If victims of rape in our time could only find a "Mr. Chance" who would be willing to take the time and effort to help them through the difficult and conflicting emotions! Beautifully handled, wonderfully executed and gloriously thrilling. In the end I just hope the Captain got a fitting punishment.
The aftermath of rape is never easy and the self blame and embarrassment is always with the victim. To see it handled here with such openness and feeling struck a chord. If victims of rape in our time could only find a "Mr. Chance" who would be willing to take the time and effort to help them through the difficult and conflicting emotions! Beautifully handled, wonderfully executed and gloriously thrilling. In the end I just hope the Captain got a fitting punishment.
March 27, 2019
I loved this! TW: there is a lot of reference to a rape, which happens prior to the book beginning, and I thought the author handled the aftermath with sensitivity. My weakness is books about damaged people healing together, and this one fit the bill nicely. I also loved the smart heroine who tried hard to be a self-sufficient businesswoman in a time when that would have been hard. Second in a trilogy; definitely read the first book first. Can't wait for the third!
February 12, 2020
Consent. Consent. Consent. This author has written a hero who knows the meaning of the word. Thank you. A guy called Joe has become one of my favorite characters because he understands what no means. It’s pretty sad that this is still a bit rare in the age of modern romances, but I actually liked him for other reasons too. He’s totally sweet and patient. I loved this story.
Triggers: Please note that this story references sexual assault and abuse.
Triggers: Please note that this story references sexual assault and abuse.
April 4, 2021
Most of the time the misunderstandings in romances are at least a bit contrived, frustrating plot devices. Not so here. Joseph and Tessa make so much sense, they interact with such mutual respect, it’s all so incredibly believable and romantic. As an assault survivor this was a healing read for me, but it was also so sweetly paced and compassionately written. A strong contender for my top reads of the year.
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