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Advertisements for Love #1
The Bittersweet Bride
Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband to help protect her son. The former flower seller turned estate owner posts an ad in the newspaper, and no one is more surprised than she when her first love, the man she thought dead, reappears.
Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him. She believes Ewan left her—in desperate straits—so she denies the feelings she still harbors for the handsome, scarred soldier. Theo and playwright Ewan must overcome bitter lies and vengeful actions that ruined their youthful affair. Theo must reveal her deepest secret in order to reclaim the love that has long been denied.
Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him. She believes Ewan left her—in desperate straits—so she denies the feelings she still harbors for the handsome, scarred soldier. Theo and playwright Ewan must overcome bitter lies and vengeful actions that ruined their youthful affair. Theo must reveal her deepest secret in order to reclaim the love that has long been denied.
200 pages, ebook
First published January 29, 2018
248 people are currently reading
1857 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Riley
43 books1,695 followersI'm Vanessa Riley, and I write Historical Fiction of dazzling multi-culture communities of the 1750s to 1830s, The Revolutionary Years. I write for readers who treasure and share with friends books that showcase women, power, strong sisterhoods, and love.
Web: https://vanessariley.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
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April 1, 2018This has such great historical detail and premise. But it's a "hero blames heroine for things not actually her fault" book, and I literally can't read those, to the point that if I did therapy I would want to spend time talking about it--this trope actually makes me *physically* uncomfortable and I honestly don't know why. Total "it's not you it's me".
If you don't totally freak out at unjust blame as a trope, this is that rare and precious thing, a historical that actually reflects the racial diversity to be found in Regency England, and was really well written where I got to. Will definitely grab the next.
If you don't totally freak out at unjust blame as a trope, this is that rare and precious thing, a historical that actually reflects the racial diversity to be found in Regency England, and was really well written where I got to. Will definitely grab the next.
February 5, 2018
Note: I do not recommend this book for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, disfigured, or disabled readers.
2.5 stars
I have a bunch of mixed and conflicting feelings about this book.
The Bittersweet Bride is a tightly plotted, rather intense, deeply characterized, complex historical romance. I liked that although Theo is definitely justifiably bitter about what has happened to her, and is fighting for her survival, its a story that focuses on how she is taking action for herself to make her life better, despite rather considerable obstacles and restraints. Riley is a new to me author, and I will definitely be trying her backlist because this was so well paced, and unfolded beautifully.
For the rest of the review, please visit my site.
2.5 stars
I have a bunch of mixed and conflicting feelings about this book.
The Bittersweet Bride is a tightly plotted, rather intense, deeply characterized, complex historical romance. I liked that although Theo is definitely justifiably bitter about what has happened to her, and is fighting for her survival, its a story that focuses on how she is taking action for herself to make her life better, despite rather considerable obstacles and restraints. Riley is a new to me author, and I will definitely be trying her backlist because this was so well paced, and unfolded beautifully.
For the rest of the review, please visit my site.
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March 17, 2023I'm reading "miscommunication" books (I have thoughts about how romance readers talk about miscommunication but I'll spare you on Goodreads. Maybe follow @reformedrakes on Instagram or Twitter if you'd like to hear the eventual thesis)
Ewan has classic second-son syndrome, where he thinks he's being oppressed because his aristocratic family is not enthusiastic about his choices. Theo is a Black woman and is therefore actually oppressed, but Ewan's life of privilege (and belief that he is the perennial victim - that every interrupted desire is a failure someone else must be blamed for) shields him from seeing and empathising with Theo's reality. Theo has had to make difficult choices, and Ewan doesn't try to understand her reasoning.
I thought this was very clever writing on Riley's part. She so clearly painted a picture of a man that needs to grow the fuck up in order to be worthy of the woman he loves.
Ewan has classic second-son syndrome, where he thinks he's being oppressed because his aristocratic family is not enthusiastic about his choices. Theo is a Black woman and is therefore actually oppressed, but Ewan's life of privilege (and belief that he is the perennial victim - that every interrupted desire is a failure someone else must be blamed for) shields him from seeing and empathising with Theo's reality. Theo has had to make difficult choices, and Ewan doesn't try to understand her reasoning.
I thought this was very clever writing on Riley's part. She so clearly painted a picture of a man that needs to grow the fuck up in order to be worthy of the woman he loves.
December 18, 2017
The H/H of this book both came with fascinating backstories that almost make me want to see prequels for both of them. Everything they went through, individually, made for a very interesting road to romance for them. The secondary characters were also interesting, and would make me pick up the next book in the series.
There were some repeated themes in the books (and phrases) that I thought were overused. You can hammer something home, and then you can over hammer...well, you get the point. Also, the villains in this book were all entirely believable and made sense, though one of them made me really sad.
Very entertaining. I enjoyed it.
There were some repeated themes in the books (and phrases) that I thought were overused. You can hammer something home, and then you can over hammer...well, you get the point. Also, the villains in this book were all entirely believable and made sense, though one of them made me really sad.
Very entertaining. I enjoyed it.
July 4, 2023
DNF 75% in. This book was such a hate read for me, that I was furious the entire time I was reading it, then I woke up in the middle of the night, started thinking about it, and got so mad I couldn't get back to sleep for a few hours.
The good: the writing is pretty decent, the plot isn't overall bad, I like Theo and her friends
The bad:
-The love interest, Ewan. He and Theo had a relationship 6 years earlier, she was a virgin and they have sex, his father finds them, Ewan takes back asking Theo to marry him so he can go off to become a soldier, telling her he'll come back in a year and marry her. A month after he leaves, he's reported dead. Theo pretty much immediately becomes another man's mistress, and eventually marries that man. Ewan decides that despite whatever evidence he knew to the contrary, and despite only having been with all of two men, that Theo is now a viper, a whore, a slut, conniving, a gold-digger, manipulative, scheming, and the list of her supposed sins goes on forever beyond that. He is her judge and jury and she's responsible for everything bad that ever happened to Ewan. Not once does he ever stop and think what would happen to a poor "fallen" woman, and a woman of color at that, in Regency England, without a protector and without work. Not once does he stop to consider why a woman might need to immediately marry at that time to avoid further scandal.
Nope, he doesn't care. Ewan can't for one single second examine the way misogyny and racism work in his world; even when he finds out the whole story, he still doesn't seem to fully understand it. When they meet up again after 6 years, several months after Theo's husband has died, Ewan immediately tries to blackmail her into giving up her land/estate like his family wants, by saying that he'll put on a play where she is fully recognizable as the villainous whore (never mind that he supposedly hates his father and wants nothing to do with him, Ewan immediately just falls in line with what his father wants to do to Theo). Ewan stalks her repeatedly, coming onto her land over and over, tries to barge into her house numerous times, including climbing up to her bedroom (and gets very upset whenever she does refuse him entrance to her house because of the way he treats her), follows her around, even inviting himself into the private box of a duke at the theater.
Never listens to her or respects her boundaries. He slut shames her constantly, and doesn't ever acknowledge that she is only a "fallen" woman because she slept with him. He manipulates and tries to seduce her WHILE SHE'S HAVING A PANIC ATTACK, knowing that she's terrified and not really capable of rational thought, and basically tells her while doing so that she's already a whore, so why put up a fuss about putting out to him again. Tells her a few times that he "forgives her" for her transgressions (and is bewildered why she doesn't fall at his feet in gratitude), but 1-doesn't actually forgive her for anything, 2-doesn't apologize for never letting her know for 6 years that he was still alive, 3-doesn't apologize for all the things he's said or thought about her, 4-doesn't apologize for his current actions for trying to take her land and income, and 5-doesn't examine why she did what she did when they were parted.
When he does finally find out that Theo had been pregnant, and that his parents fired her and destroyed her name so she couldn't get any work elsewhere, Ewan STILL tries to put the blame elsewhere, in this case on Theo's late husband instead of accepting his parents' fault. He gets possessive and jealous, and still views Theo as his property, and that she couldn't possibly ever love anyone but him (because he's such a catch, right?). At one point when he's basically broken into her bedroom, and he thinks there's a man in Theo's bed, he rages out, and nearly beats up their kid. Oh but wait, when Ewan finds out that he's the father, the kid becomes his. Not Theo's and his, but his alone. There's probably so much more that I'm forgetting, like I'm sure that Ewan probably also blames Theo for the weather or for the war or something else she has nothing to do with.
-Racism: of course it would have been prevalent at the time, but there is a lot of it in the book. But other than Theo calling Ewan on saying that she's exotic, Theo doesn't do much to stand up to the racism, even though she now has money behind her and can better do it then when she was just a flower girl. And Ewan certainly doesn't ever really stand up to the racism. He doesn't do anything when he hears people at Theo's party saying racist things about her--oh sure, he thinks it's awful that they are saying those things about her (not about her race, her specifically). But he doesn't say anything to them, even though as the son of titled nobility, he had power and authority and would be listened to. When Ewan's family says racist things about Theo, well, he tells his brother that he loves Theo like his brother loved his own wife (but nothing about how messed up it is to say stuff about an entire race or use racist slurs)...and that's apparently enough to solve the brother's racism.
-Ableism: where the son's deafness and poor health is somehow all Theo's fault, or her curse, and the boy is never a character in his own right. There's also this gross scene where Theo has already tried a few doctors and numerous remedies to help her son, but literally the second Ewan comes on scene and finds out about the son's pain, he knows a remedy that helps more than all her and her doctors' years of research. Just to set Ewan up as a lifesaver and an expert here to rescue the little lady from her ignorance. The author has another historical fiction that also has a lot of ableism in it towards mental health issues and PTSD, as well as more slut-shaming [worse, that slut-shaming is towards someone who was kidnapped and raped repeatedly--the book is Unveiling Love if you want to avoid it], so this will definitely be the end of my reading her. Which is unfortunate, I'd love to read more romance books with POC in historical fiction.
-There's another secondary character who threatens Theo with sexual assault, threatens to take away her son, disrespects her boundaries, and tries to coerce her into marrying him. (Honestly, every dude in this book other than the late husband is super gross. And even the late husband is on my list due to setting up this secondary character as the guardian of Theo's child and estate.)
The good: the writing is pretty decent, the plot isn't overall bad, I like Theo and her friends
The bad:
-The love interest, Ewan. He and Theo had a relationship 6 years earlier, she was a virgin and they have sex, his father finds them, Ewan takes back asking Theo to marry him so he can go off to become a soldier, telling her he'll come back in a year and marry her. A month after he leaves, he's reported dead. Theo pretty much immediately becomes another man's mistress, and eventually marries that man. Ewan decides that despite whatever evidence he knew to the contrary, and despite only having been with all of two men, that Theo is now a viper, a whore, a slut, conniving, a gold-digger, manipulative, scheming, and the list of her supposed sins goes on forever beyond that. He is her judge and jury and she's responsible for everything bad that ever happened to Ewan. Not once does he ever stop and think what would happen to a poor "fallen" woman, and a woman of color at that, in Regency England, without a protector and without work. Not once does he stop to consider why a woman might need to immediately marry at that time to avoid further scandal.
Nope, he doesn't care. Ewan can't for one single second examine the way misogyny and racism work in his world; even when he finds out the whole story, he still doesn't seem to fully understand it. When they meet up again after 6 years, several months after Theo's husband has died, Ewan immediately tries to blackmail her into giving up her land/estate like his family wants, by saying that he'll put on a play where she is fully recognizable as the villainous whore (never mind that he supposedly hates his father and wants nothing to do with him, Ewan immediately just falls in line with what his father wants to do to Theo). Ewan stalks her repeatedly, coming onto her land over and over, tries to barge into her house numerous times, including climbing up to her bedroom (and gets very upset whenever she does refuse him entrance to her house because of the way he treats her), follows her around, even inviting himself into the private box of a duke at the theater.
Never listens to her or respects her boundaries. He slut shames her constantly, and doesn't ever acknowledge that she is only a "fallen" woman because she slept with him. He manipulates and tries to seduce her WHILE SHE'S HAVING A PANIC ATTACK, knowing that she's terrified and not really capable of rational thought, and basically tells her while doing so that she's already a whore, so why put up a fuss about putting out to him again. Tells her a few times that he "forgives her" for her transgressions (and is bewildered why she doesn't fall at his feet in gratitude), but 1-doesn't actually forgive her for anything, 2-doesn't apologize for never letting her know for 6 years that he was still alive, 3-doesn't apologize for all the things he's said or thought about her, 4-doesn't apologize for his current actions for trying to take her land and income, and 5-doesn't examine why she did what she did when they were parted.
When he does finally find out that Theo had been pregnant, and that his parents fired her and destroyed her name so she couldn't get any work elsewhere, Ewan STILL tries to put the blame elsewhere, in this case on Theo's late husband instead of accepting his parents' fault. He gets possessive and jealous, and still views Theo as his property, and that she couldn't possibly ever love anyone but him (because he's such a catch, right?). At one point when he's basically broken into her bedroom, and he thinks there's a man in Theo's bed, he rages out, and nearly beats up their kid. Oh but wait, when Ewan finds out that he's the father, the kid becomes his. Not Theo's and his, but his alone. There's probably so much more that I'm forgetting, like I'm sure that Ewan probably also blames Theo for the weather or for the war or something else she has nothing to do with.
-Racism: of course it would have been prevalent at the time, but there is a lot of it in the book. But other than Theo calling Ewan on saying that she's exotic, Theo doesn't do much to stand up to the racism, even though she now has money behind her and can better do it then when she was just a flower girl. And Ewan certainly doesn't ever really stand up to the racism. He doesn't do anything when he hears people at Theo's party saying racist things about her--oh sure, he thinks it's awful that they are saying those things about her (not about her race, her specifically). But he doesn't say anything to them, even though as the son of titled nobility, he had power and authority and would be listened to. When Ewan's family says racist things about Theo, well, he tells his brother that he loves Theo like his brother loved his own wife (but nothing about how messed up it is to say stuff about an entire race or use racist slurs)...and that's apparently enough to solve the brother's racism.
-Ableism: where the son's deafness and poor health is somehow all Theo's fault, or her curse, and the boy is never a character in his own right. There's also this gross scene where Theo has already tried a few doctors and numerous remedies to help her son, but literally the second Ewan comes on scene and finds out about the son's pain, he knows a remedy that helps more than all her and her doctors' years of research. Just to set Ewan up as a lifesaver and an expert here to rescue the little lady from her ignorance. The author has another historical fiction that also has a lot of ableism in it towards mental health issues and PTSD, as well as more slut-shaming [worse, that slut-shaming is towards someone who was kidnapped and raped repeatedly--the book is Unveiling Love if you want to avoid it], so this will definitely be the end of my reading her. Which is unfortunate, I'd love to read more romance books with POC in historical fiction.
-There's another secondary character who threatens Theo with sexual assault, threatens to take away her son, disrespects her boundaries, and tries to coerce her into marrying him. (Honestly, every dude in this book other than the late husband is super gross. And even the late husband is on my list due to setting up this secondary character as the guardian of Theo's child and estate.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
I wanted to like this, but the hero is AWFUL. He's manipulative, abusive, cruel, threatening, and a liar, and his grand plan is to literally show up at the heroine's house every day and harass her until she gives him what he wants. He also found out that the man she's been corresponding with regarding marriage is his brother but apparently thinks he should keep that detail to himself. Oh, and the fact that his family abused her and told her he was dead when he was away at war doesn't stop him from calling her a faithless whore because she got married in the six years he was away and presumed dead. He's utterly disgusting.
August 23, 2018
These are my thoughts while hate reading this book. Might be semi-spoilery.
February 2, 2018
This is such a sweet and tender story of not just love at first sight but second chances, I haven’t read any of Ms Riley’s work before, but I very enjoyed this new romance and she is definitely an author who I would read again.
It is so lovely watching as Ewan and Theo start to get reacquainted again their old passion for each other reignites. These are such a cute couple, as individuals and as a couple they have gone through a lot and they have many obstacles to get past before they can get their Happy Ever After.
It is such an interesting take on the Historical Romance genre, putting an ad in the paper to find a husband is such a modern concept and yet I do like how Riley has turned it and made it apart of the era. This book to me feels very modern and new, it has everything that your wanting in a historical romance but with freshness. It’s a classy and enjoyable and it shows off the author’s stylish writing and her love for this era.
It’s a charming and well written book that takes you on an emotional journey, one that you are clinging to the hope that this journey will end in a very happy ending.
It is so lovely watching as Ewan and Theo start to get reacquainted again their old passion for each other reignites. These are such a cute couple, as individuals and as a couple they have gone through a lot and they have many obstacles to get past before they can get their Happy Ever After.
It is such an interesting take on the Historical Romance genre, putting an ad in the paper to find a husband is such a modern concept and yet I do like how Riley has turned it and made it apart of the era. This book to me feels very modern and new, it has everything that your wanting in a historical romance but with freshness. It’s a classy and enjoyable and it shows off the author’s stylish writing and her love for this era.
It’s a charming and well written book that takes you on an emotional journey, one that you are clinging to the hope that this journey will end in a very happy ending.
January 27, 2018
The Bittersweet Bride is aptly name. There is a lot of bitterness in Theodosia’s life and I can’t say I blame her. The struggles she went through broke my heart and endeared me to her. I wanted nothing but happiness for her, but I wasn’t quite sure if Ewan was the answer.
Until I kept reading.
Poor Ewan! He went through just as much as Theodosia, although none of it was race centered. No, he had a father that wrecked havoc with his life. I felt sorry for him and eventually decided he was good enough for Theo. 😉
If you enjoy historical romances, then you’ll love this read. If historicals aren’t your thing, please take a chance. You’ll enjoy it.
Until I kept reading.
Poor Ewan! He went through just as much as Theodosia, although none of it was race centered. No, he had a father that wrecked havoc with his life. I felt sorry for him and eventually decided he was good enough for Theo. 😉
If you enjoy historical romances, then you’ll love this read. If historicals aren’t your thing, please take a chance. You’ll enjoy it.
January 10, 2018
Originally posted on 80booksblog.com
The Bittersweet Bride is a fitting title for the romance that unfolds in this novel. It is full of conflict to get to that HEA. Maybe a little too much conflict. There's the heroine Theo vs. the hero Ewan's family over ownership of her home Tradenwood. And Theo trying to do what's right for her son. And the unwanted advances of the villain Lester. And Ewan and Theo not trusting each other after a failed romance six years prior. The actual newspaper ad part of Advertisements for Love gets somewhat lost in all of this. There's also the class, social, economic, racial, and gender politics of the day to contend with. It feels a bit overwhelming.
I loved learning about Blackamoors in England; this was my first encounter with even the term itself. It'll be great to explore than more with future books in the series. I'm especially curious about Theo's friend Frederica (and possibly Ewan's brother). Though Ester will probably surprise us. It's always the quiet types...
But, the strength and heart of the novel is Theo, who, as previously stated, faces an uncommon amount of odds - her race, her low birth, and the secret she must keep to protect her son. But, her strong will and determination shine brightly. Theodoshia Cecil is actually too much woman for Ewan Fitzwilliam. That man was lucky to win her heart again, tbh.
And look at that beautiful updated cover! This is what Vanessa Riley deserved in the first place...
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
The Bittersweet Bride is a fitting title for the romance that unfolds in this novel. It is full of conflict to get to that HEA. Maybe a little too much conflict. There's the heroine Theo vs. the hero Ewan's family over ownership of her home Tradenwood. And Theo trying to do what's right for her son. And the unwanted advances of the villain Lester. And Ewan and Theo not trusting each other after a failed romance six years prior. The actual newspaper ad part of Advertisements for Love gets somewhat lost in all of this. There's also the class, social, economic, racial, and gender politics of the day to contend with. It feels a bit overwhelming.
I loved learning about Blackamoors in England; this was my first encounter with even the term itself. It'll be great to explore than more with future books in the series. I'm especially curious about Theo's friend Frederica (and possibly Ewan's brother). Though Ester will probably surprise us. It's always the quiet types...
But, the strength and heart of the novel is Theo, who, as previously stated, faces an uncommon amount of odds - her race, her low birth, and the secret she must keep to protect her son. But, her strong will and determination shine brightly. Theodoshia Cecil is actually too much woman for Ewan Fitzwilliam. That man was lucky to win her heart again, tbh.
And look at that beautiful updated cover! This is what Vanessa Riley deserved in the first place...
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
February 4, 2018
Theodosia 'Theo' Cecil will do anything to protect her son from those that wish to take him away from her. But the only way she knows she can protect him is to find a man to marry that can stand up for her rights. However, when Ewan Fitzwilliam, a man she thought was dead re-enters her life, Theo finds it hard not to think about the past and how good Ewan made her. Will Theo and Ewan get a second chance at happy ever after, or will the vengeful actions of people they thought they could trust keep them apart again?
What a fascinating read Ms. Riley has delivered in this first story of her Advertisements of Love series where the main characters had me loving their back stories and had me hoping that Theo would give Ewan another chance; the dialogue was riveting, as most of Ewan's family are a piece of work and I could understand why he doesn't want anything to do with them; and the obstacles these two face on their journey to happy ever after had me hoping that Ewan would win Theo over because he still loves her.
Both the main characters were riveting due to their past, their back stories and their growing relationship, as Theo does her best to resist Ewan, but it seems she can't because he's always been 'The One'. Moreover, the heroine is strong and brave in dealing with everything she has including the horribleness of Ewan's family and how they treated her in the past. I also liked how determined she was to do anything she can to protect her son, which is proven by her need to marry someone that can help her. Will Ewan be the man she needs or will she end up marrying someone else? Will Theo be able to protect her son without immediately marrying? Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine is the tight bond she shares with her son. He's her whole world and there's nothing she won't do to protect him, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness.
While Ewan, he's a wonderful hero and I couldn't help but sympathize with him when it comes to his family. He has a father that doesn't respect him and a mother that will do anything to make sure he doesn't end up with what she belongs is the wrong woman, even though Theo is the woman he loves and wants forever. I also liked the decisions he ended up making because there's nothing more important than love, family and happiness and Theo will always be home for him. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was how protective he was of the heroine and how determined he was to right the wrongs he made with the heroine in the past, which is proven by the huge choice he makes towards the end.
Overall, Ms. Riley has delivered a splendid read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was strong; the romance was sweet and heart-warming and showed how these two have never gotten over each other; and the ending left me completely satisfied by what the hero does to show the heroine that she means everything to him. I would recommend The Bittersweet Bride by Vanessa Riley, if you enjoy historical romances, the second chance romance trope, or books by authors Rose Lerner, Alyssa Cole, Beverly Jenkins and Cat Sebastian.
December 22, 2017
This captivating novel of historical fiction provided well developed characters attempting to navigate difficult situations where desperate pursuit of their dreams threaten the integrity they hold as dear!
February 4, 2018
Received in exchange for a honest review.
this was a good book. I enjoyed seeing the sassiness in Theodosia. She was independent and loving but also smart and understanding. She knew that in her situation and where she was she needed to protect her son at all costs. She went through a lot to get where she was and now she is looking for a husband.
So she puts an ad in the paper and hopes she can find someone to help her and one she can get along with. Never did she expect to see a ghost. Or who she thinks is a ghost. Once she gets over the shock she is angry. that is the one thing I didn’t quite get. She is a smart women, why not think things through once you got home and see the bigger picture?
Ewan was a strong kind guy. He has a family life that is stressful to say the least. But he is also trying to make it on his own. He just got back and boy is he a little angry. He does seem to have a right but the whole picture again isn’t being seen. He knows what his family is like and what Theodosia is like as well but time and hurt has blinded him as it did Theodosia. He though tries to get to know Theodosia. That starts as wanting to make peace between the families but ends because he loves her. there is also a secret that Theodosia has been keeping that affects him too. I loved how he didn’t go nuts when he discovered it but accepts it and is decent about it.
These two are firecrackers apart but together they are fireworks. The banter is awesome. She keeps him in check and he pushes her buttons. The love and respect is there though. And as they figure out what exactly happened in the past we see Ewan morph into more of what Theodosia needs. He proves over and over how understanding and smart he is. Theodosia proves her pride and independence but also her capacity to love.
their journey to one another is strife with emotion and misunderstandings. As the make their way through all the anger, pain and deceit they emerge stronger and as a family. A good story that has you smile and laugh and hope they figure it all out and come together. It is great to see such sassiness and banter in a historical romance.
this was a good book. I enjoyed seeing the sassiness in Theodosia. She was independent and loving but also smart and understanding. She knew that in her situation and where she was she needed to protect her son at all costs. She went through a lot to get where she was and now she is looking for a husband.
So she puts an ad in the paper and hopes she can find someone to help her and one she can get along with. Never did she expect to see a ghost. Or who she thinks is a ghost. Once she gets over the shock she is angry. that is the one thing I didn’t quite get. She is a smart women, why not think things through once you got home and see the bigger picture?
Ewan was a strong kind guy. He has a family life that is stressful to say the least. But he is also trying to make it on his own. He just got back and boy is he a little angry. He does seem to have a right but the whole picture again isn’t being seen. He knows what his family is like and what Theodosia is like as well but time and hurt has blinded him as it did Theodosia. He though tries to get to know Theodosia. That starts as wanting to make peace between the families but ends because he loves her. there is also a secret that Theodosia has been keeping that affects him too. I loved how he didn’t go nuts when he discovered it but accepts it and is decent about it.
These two are firecrackers apart but together they are fireworks. The banter is awesome. She keeps him in check and he pushes her buttons. The love and respect is there though. And as they figure out what exactly happened in the past we see Ewan morph into more of what Theodosia needs. He proves over and over how understanding and smart he is. Theodosia proves her pride and independence but also her capacity to love.
their journey to one another is strife with emotion and misunderstandings. As the make their way through all the anger, pain and deceit they emerge stronger and as a family. A good story that has you smile and laugh and hope they figure it all out and come together. It is great to see such sassiness and banter in a historical romance.
February 5, 2018
3.5 stars
The Bittersweet Bride is an apt title for this new historical romance by Vanessa Riley set in London that follows widow Theodosia Cecil and her one time love, Ewan Fitzwilliam.
Theo is recently widowed and needs a husband to not only protect her son but her fortune. She places an ad in the paper in hopes of finding a worthy candidate. Imagine her surprise when she walks out of a store after gathering her latest correspondence from potential husbands and sees her presumed dead lover, Ewan.
Theo and Ewan were together six years prior to the events in this book. Ewan thought Theo to be a golddigger after listening to his vengeful father. Theo thought he was dead and is shocked to see him after all these years.
These two obviously had a lot of love for each other despite all the lies and past hurt they both endured. They were very stubborn though and admittedly, I wasn’t very fond of Ewan. He constantly put Theo down and never seemed to be able to fully forgive her. Many times throughout the book, I wanted to scream at him: “Either you forgive her or you don’t, make up your mind!”
Theo was definitely the shining star in this novel and showed herself to be a strong and capable woman regardless of prior circumstances, hence why I thought the title was so fitting.
This was my first read by Vanessa Riley and I enjoyed her writing style and was interested in the plot with these solid characters. However, I thought it was a rather slow build up and became quite repetitive in the beginning. It wasn’t until I got about halfway through the book that I felt the storyline really start to move.
Overall, The Bittersweet Bride was an engaging novel with characters you either love or love to hate.
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
The Bittersweet Bride is an apt title for this new historical romance by Vanessa Riley set in London that follows widow Theodosia Cecil and her one time love, Ewan Fitzwilliam.
Theo is recently widowed and needs a husband to not only protect her son but her fortune. She places an ad in the paper in hopes of finding a worthy candidate. Imagine her surprise when she walks out of a store after gathering her latest correspondence from potential husbands and sees her presumed dead lover, Ewan.
Theo and Ewan were together six years prior to the events in this book. Ewan thought Theo to be a golddigger after listening to his vengeful father. Theo thought he was dead and is shocked to see him after all these years.
These two obviously had a lot of love for each other despite all the lies and past hurt they both endured. They were very stubborn though and admittedly, I wasn’t very fond of Ewan. He constantly put Theo down and never seemed to be able to fully forgive her. Many times throughout the book, I wanted to scream at him: “Either you forgive her or you don’t, make up your mind!”
Theo was definitely the shining star in this novel and showed herself to be a strong and capable woman regardless of prior circumstances, hence why I thought the title was so fitting.
This was my first read by Vanessa Riley and I enjoyed her writing style and was interested in the plot with these solid characters. However, I thought it was a rather slow build up and became quite repetitive in the beginning. It wasn’t until I got about halfway through the book that I felt the storyline really start to move.
Overall, The Bittersweet Bride was an engaging novel with characters you either love or love to hate.
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
April 17, 2020
Am Anfang musste ich etwas hineinkommen und es ist so ganz anders als die anderen Recency Romance Novels, die ich gelesen habe. Aber es hat mir wirklich gut gefallen. Ich freue mich schon auf die folgenden Bände.
January 27, 2018
Widow Theodosia Cecil is so desperate to find a new husband, she is advertising for one in the paper. The reason is to protect her young son, and her home from her son's guardian. The man only wants control of her fortune and business. Because of her appearance and history, the man could easily take it all.
Ewan Fitzwilliam has returned home after his time in the army. He was once believed to have been killed and carries the scars.
The past has not been kind to our protagonists. Our hero made bad decisions and his family we're incredibly cruel. Our heroine loved her husband and felt safe with him. She needs to feel that again.
This is a historical romance with a big twist. The prejudice our heroine and her friends face must have been very difficult in those days, even in England.
An emotional and intense story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Ewan Fitzwilliam has returned home after his time in the army. He was once believed to have been killed and carries the scars.
The past has not been kind to our protagonists. Our hero made bad decisions and his family we're incredibly cruel. Our heroine loved her husband and felt safe with him. She needs to feel that again.
This is a historical romance with a big twist. The prejudice our heroine and her friends face must have been very difficult in those days, even in England.
An emotional and intense story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
December 27, 2017
The Bittersweet Bride, written by Vanessa Riley, is book 1 of the Advertisements for Love series.
I've read other books by Riley and I'm sure this is my favorite by far!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it easy to follow and most engaging! My favorite characters were Ewan and Theodosia. Ewan was from a wealthy family with a lot of money and too much pride. Theodosia was a woman who learned the hard way through everything in life starting with being born to a woman of lower standards and then falling in love with a man whose family thought they were better than others. In the midst of it, she found shelter for a time from a caring friend who defended her...until he passed away and then she was on her own against the world and with a son to protect.
I love the way Riley shows passion and romance in a controversial time and place while showing it in a classy clean read. Throughout The Bittersweet Bride, I saw many times how these characters kept looking back at all the mistakes made instead of finding forgiveness and hope in difficult situations...learning the hard way.
Strongly recommend reading this book. I received this book from Negalley. All thoughts and comments are my own.
I've read other books by Riley and I'm sure this is my favorite by far!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it easy to follow and most engaging! My favorite characters were Ewan and Theodosia. Ewan was from a wealthy family with a lot of money and too much pride. Theodosia was a woman who learned the hard way through everything in life starting with being born to a woman of lower standards and then falling in love with a man whose family thought they were better than others. In the midst of it, she found shelter for a time from a caring friend who defended her...until he passed away and then she was on her own against the world and with a son to protect.
I love the way Riley shows passion and romance in a controversial time and place while showing it in a classy clean read. Throughout The Bittersweet Bride, I saw many times how these characters kept looking back at all the mistakes made instead of finding forgiveness and hope in difficult situations...learning the hard way.
Strongly recommend reading this book. I received this book from Negalley. All thoughts and comments are my own.
December 22, 2017
"Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review"
An engaging and entertaining story about second chances and lovers that overcome their resentment and reunite. I liked the writing style, the characters and their shared past. The way Ewan and Theo worked through their sorrow, bitterness, grief and regrets was well done, without easy solutions. As they realize they can’t go backwards, they talk, cope, accept changes and learn to trust each other.
Some details make this more interesting than the standard historical novel: Theo, the heroine (for starters, she’s a strong woman, but there are other aspects that make her an appealing character), Ewan’s profession, the strong bonds between Ewan and his brother, Jasper. I also liked the way the author approached the war between families and all that hate and greed.
Ewan, with his “bluer-than-blue” eyes, is a gorgeous hero, a former soldier and a playwright.
I'm grateful to the publisher, Entangled: Amara, and NetGalley for providing a free copy
An engaging and entertaining story about second chances and lovers that overcome their resentment and reunite. I liked the writing style, the characters and their shared past. The way Ewan and Theo worked through their sorrow, bitterness, grief and regrets was well done, without easy solutions. As they realize they can’t go backwards, they talk, cope, accept changes and learn to trust each other.
Some details make this more interesting than the standard historical novel: Theo, the heroine (for starters, she’s a strong woman, but there are other aspects that make her an appealing character), Ewan’s profession, the strong bonds between Ewan and his brother, Jasper. I also liked the way the author approached the war between families and all that hate and greed.
Ewan, with his “bluer-than-blue” eyes, is a gorgeous hero, a former soldier and a playwright.
I'm grateful to the publisher, Entangled: Amara, and NetGalley for providing a free copy
December 25, 2017
Bittersweet is right! What a tear jerker, I absolutely loved Theo. Her journey was heartbreaking and triumphant. Ewen on the other hand, was cruel in the beginning, it was hard for me to understand the appeal. He seemed weak of character and not to bright, but he really showed up for Theo at the end. All in all, I enjoyed it.
January 29, 2018
This was a tear jerker, lots of angst and heartbreak! This is a second chance at love story. Full of twist and turns have you turning the pages, deceit, vengfullness and betrayal make this an amazing story. Keep your tissues at hand they will be needed before Ewan and Theo get their rightful happily ever after.
I received a complimentary copy by the publisher through NetGaley for my honest unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy by the publisher through NetGaley for my honest unbiased opinion.
May 29, 2018
Ewan and Theodosia
This book made me think, feel, laugh and cry. Vanessa Riley displays a talent with words that evokes so many feelings and communicates the hurt and tragedy that comes from being othered and exoticized (yeah, I think I just made up that word). This series explores this all too real phenomenon that unfortunately although the setting is 1819, it feels so current and so hurtful even today.
This second chance love story emphasizes the redemptive power of love. There was no reconciliation until the hero fully understood that his actions in concert with those of his family members had created their rift. I loved that Theodosia was not easily swayed to his side despite the fact that she never stopped loving him.
Vanessa Riley is a new to me author. I plan on diving down the rabbit hole and reading all of her books.
This book made me think, feel, laugh and cry. Vanessa Riley displays a talent with words that evokes so many feelings and communicates the hurt and tragedy that comes from being othered and exoticized (yeah, I think I just made up that word). This series explores this all too real phenomenon that unfortunately although the setting is 1819, it feels so current and so hurtful even today.
This second chance love story emphasizes the redemptive power of love. There was no reconciliation until the hero fully understood that his actions in concert with those of his family members had created their rift. I loved that Theodosia was not easily swayed to his side despite the fact that she never stopped loving him.
Vanessa Riley is a new to me author. I plan on diving down the rabbit hole and reading all of her books.
February 22, 2018
The Bittersweet Bride was an engaging read. The love story of Ewan Fitzwilliam and Theodosia Cecil had me at the edge of my seat.
Theodosia was strong and courageous, and my heart wept for her many times as I read. On the other hand, I shook my head at Ewan and his judgmental attitude. Even though I understood his story, I still felt conflicted about his treatment of Theo. At times, I felt he didn’t deserve her. She had been through a lot and I felt that she needed a man who would treat her with more dignity and grace. Nevertheless, she loves Ewan. Despite, my feeling towards Ewan, I think he will do right by her.
Thanks for a great story, author Vanessa Riley. Grab your copy, peeps!
Theodosia was strong and courageous, and my heart wept for her many times as I read. On the other hand, I shook my head at Ewan and his judgmental attitude. Even though I understood his story, I still felt conflicted about his treatment of Theo. At times, I felt he didn’t deserve her. She had been through a lot and I felt that she needed a man who would treat her with more dignity and grace. Nevertheless, she loves Ewan. Despite, my feeling towards Ewan, I think he will do right by her.
Thanks for a great story, author Vanessa Riley. Grab your copy, peeps!
January 8, 2018
A second chance romance. While I enjoyed the journey with the heroine and all of the ups and downs, I would of preferred the hero not be so mean. While that did change it detracted overall from a wonderful story. The life journey was interesting, the charm, the ups the downs, the romance, the growth. Each step was like being there and watching a woman mature in heart and life. I sincerely enjoyed each step with her. I can say my heart was indeed touched. I will look for this author again as this book kept my emotions engaged. I was given this book in return for an honest review via netgalley. Regards, Anna
November 12, 2022
Too much sympathy for horrible characters. I wish I could return it.
February 2, 2018
Originally Reviewed on Bewitching Bibliophile
I snagged this one simply because it was mentioned by a favorite author on twitter, once I got it approved I jumped in. I had just finished reading a historical romance by Beverly Jenkins and was looking forward to another and this was perfectly right up my alley.
Going in I never read the synopsis especially if a fave recommends it. I found that I needed to put this book down and give myself complete time and attention in getting this book established on my reading schedule. I normally read ebooks during the day at work and during travel and save my physical books for being at home, there was so much going on that I needed to wait until I finished everything else and could devote time to it.
The beginning of this novel is a bit of an information dumb as it needs to establish the story and the time period for you, once it's established this novel actually flew by. It's full of angst, people being prideful and stubborn and everything that makes a regency romance the fun read that it is. I loved that this romance was a second chance romance, I guessed what her secret was pretty early on and knew what her motivation was, Ewan?? That boy worked my last nerve, he couldn't see past his pain and never once considered how things could have gone for her once he wasn't around.
Ewan is a good guy who is a bit selfish, he hasn't quite grown up yet despite having been apart of the military and having a close to death experience. Like most men of that time period he had a major double standard and I wasn't really ok with the way he talked to the woman he claimed to love. More than once his brother had to challenge his views before he would begin to wonder if the rumors were just that vicious rumors especially when you considered the sources. I loved that the author showed the complicity and viciousness of some of the women in this era even as they wanted to be protected they threw other women under the bus, even when they could have aided them.
Theo carried a lot of guilt because she wanted to be a respectable woman but she's black and her pedigree didn't allow her the same kind of respect,she clung to the past as a way to make sure she never repeated those mistakes again. While I understand that even her friends could tell that she wasn't as happy as she claimed to be.
I loved that this was a complex story line that dealt with forgiveness and learning to stand on one's own. This demanded that the characters challenge their perspectives of their peers and themselves, while learning to navigate the world as the other did. Theo's experience made it hard for her to trust especially in such an openly hostile environment where they were happy to eat her food but still looked down on her because she was black. She also wasn't alone anymore her actions could hurt her husband's heir and this made her extremely cautious, she feared failing him and disappointing the man who loved her enough to take on society's scorn.
I loved the way in which Theo challenged Ewan, he wanted everything to go back to the way it was and was willing to 'forgive' her for moving on when he most certainly didn't wait for her either. I found myself googling about places and the names people were called especially after the theatre manager made his comment,and like a really good book not only did I enjoy the story but I also learned something.
While I did enjoy this one, I felt it took too long to get to them reconciling, most of the obstacles where self created and each time one got taken care of another was placed in the way. I also felt as if at times we didn't get much on the characters' friends and family, they were simply tossed in the scene without much background given. There was a whole lot going on and every once in a while I felt a little lost on who was who and what was happening.
Overall once the story got started it moved pretty quickly, with secrets being revealed and everyone being left to find out they were supposed to be after it's reveal. I loved the friends and Ewan's brother Jasper and can't wait to find out if one of the friends ends up as his partner. Very interesting read, I learned a bit more about the Regency era and Blackmoors. I can't wait to see what happens to the other girls. It will be interesting to see if we get glimpses of Theo and Ewan even any future children and how that is affected by the world they live in.
★★★1/2☆☆
RECOMMENDATIONS
Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
Happy Reading my loves,
I snagged this one simply because it was mentioned by a favorite author on twitter, once I got it approved I jumped in. I had just finished reading a historical romance by Beverly Jenkins and was looking forward to another and this was perfectly right up my alley.
Going in I never read the synopsis especially if a fave recommends it. I found that I needed to put this book down and give myself complete time and attention in getting this book established on my reading schedule. I normally read ebooks during the day at work and during travel and save my physical books for being at home, there was so much going on that I needed to wait until I finished everything else and could devote time to it.
The beginning of this novel is a bit of an information dumb as it needs to establish the story and the time period for you, once it's established this novel actually flew by. It's full of angst, people being prideful and stubborn and everything that makes a regency romance the fun read that it is. I loved that this romance was a second chance romance, I guessed what her secret was pretty early on and knew what her motivation was, Ewan?? That boy worked my last nerve, he couldn't see past his pain and never once considered how things could have gone for her once he wasn't around.
Ewan is a good guy who is a bit selfish, he hasn't quite grown up yet despite having been apart of the military and having a close to death experience. Like most men of that time period he had a major double standard and I wasn't really ok with the way he talked to the woman he claimed to love. More than once his brother had to challenge his views before he would begin to wonder if the rumors were just that vicious rumors especially when you considered the sources. I loved that the author showed the complicity and viciousness of some of the women in this era even as they wanted to be protected they threw other women under the bus, even when they could have aided them.
Theo carried a lot of guilt because she wanted to be a respectable woman but she's black and her pedigree didn't allow her the same kind of respect,she clung to the past as a way to make sure she never repeated those mistakes again. While I understand that even her friends could tell that she wasn't as happy as she claimed to be.
I loved that this was a complex story line that dealt with forgiveness and learning to stand on one's own. This demanded that the characters challenge their perspectives of their peers and themselves, while learning to navigate the world as the other did. Theo's experience made it hard for her to trust especially in such an openly hostile environment where they were happy to eat her food but still looked down on her because she was black. She also wasn't alone anymore her actions could hurt her husband's heir and this made her extremely cautious, she feared failing him and disappointing the man who loved her enough to take on society's scorn.
I loved the way in which Theo challenged Ewan, he wanted everything to go back to the way it was and was willing to 'forgive' her for moving on when he most certainly didn't wait for her either. I found myself googling about places and the names people were called especially after the theatre manager made his comment,and like a really good book not only did I enjoy the story but I also learned something.
While I did enjoy this one, I felt it took too long to get to them reconciling, most of the obstacles where self created and each time one got taken care of another was placed in the way. I also felt as if at times we didn't get much on the characters' friends and family, they were simply tossed in the scene without much background given. There was a whole lot going on and every once in a while I felt a little lost on who was who and what was happening.
Overall once the story got started it moved pretty quickly, with secrets being revealed and everyone being left to find out they were supposed to be after it's reveal. I loved the friends and Ewan's brother Jasper and can't wait to find out if one of the friends ends up as his partner. Very interesting read, I learned a bit more about the Regency era and Blackmoors. I can't wait to see what happens to the other girls. It will be interesting to see if we get glimpses of Theo and Ewan even any future children and how that is affected by the world they live in.
★★★1/2☆☆
RECOMMENDATIONS
Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
Happy Reading my loves,
January 29, 2018
Theo is between a rock and a hard place. With her beloved husband dead, and her mourning period nearly at an end, she knows she must marry again to protect her young son. The last thing she needs is for a ghost from her past to appear and bring back all her carefully buried regrets. Ewan – once believed dead due to an army mixup – is finally back in England, and is shocked to discover his first love is now his cousin’s widow. Can they both let go of their feelings about the past and make a new future together?
Theo’s life is hemmed in by her “Rs” – what she calls regrets – and those Rs are in some ways more harmful to her than all the racism she faces for being black and the circumstances of her low birth. The root of all her regrets – though perhaps not the most painful one – is that she trusted Ewan enough once by agreeing to elope with him. Theo still loves Ewan, but he’s failed her before by not being strong enough to stand up to his father. Theo has had to make some hard choices, but she owns them. Ewan, on the other hand, at times seems years younger than Theo, despite having been away in the army for more than half a decade. Ewan’s constant jumping to conclusions and willingness to believe the worst of Theo got old. Ewan believes she’s prideful and would never admit she’s wrong, and constantly accuses her of lying, gold-digging, etc. At heart, I think, he’s a good person, but it’s obvious that, had they eloped as intended, their marriage would never have lasted. As he spends more time with Theo, Ewan realizes the story he’s constructed about what happened – the story that his family has encouraged – is missing some major pieces.
There is a lot of conflict and angst: Theo and Ewan’s unresolved romance, Theo’s guilt over Phillip’s illness, Ewan’s conflict with his family, Lester’s scheming to win control of the Cecil estate, plus, of course, their difference in race and class. It was, at times, an exhausting read, because at one point it was very hard to imagine how they were going to end up together given everything stacked against them. Regardless, I think, it is a hopeful book, as Theo is strong, determined, and willing to do what needs to be done. There are some Christian themes running through it, as well as some Bible quotes, which works well with the themes of redemption, though I don’t think it would be overly noticeable to a secular reader. Theo’s friends were lovely, and I’m hoping that they are supposed to be the heroines of the next few books. I also loved Pickens, the butler!
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I’m very much looking forward to the next in the series! Recommended for anyone who loves second chance romances, with a well-drawn back story, and lots of conflict!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“We said, ‘Respectable young widow of means looking for honorable family man of good character for matrimony.’”
The grimace on Frederica’s supple features was comical. Her nose wriggled as if she smelled dead fish. “Oh. I forgot we went the mind-numbing route. We should write back with more color. Something clever.”
Trying not to turn back to the patio, Theodosia crossed her arms. “What should I have said? Blackamoor beauty with babe and loads of baubles, needs beau?”
Theo’s life is hemmed in by her “Rs” – what she calls regrets – and those Rs are in some ways more harmful to her than all the racism she faces for being black and the circumstances of her low birth. The root of all her regrets – though perhaps not the most painful one – is that she trusted Ewan enough once by agreeing to elope with him. Theo still loves Ewan, but he’s failed her before by not being strong enough to stand up to his father. Theo has had to make some hard choices, but she owns them. Ewan, on the other hand, at times seems years younger than Theo, despite having been away in the army for more than half a decade. Ewan’s constant jumping to conclusions and willingness to believe the worst of Theo got old. Ewan believes she’s prideful and would never admit she’s wrong, and constantly accuses her of lying, gold-digging, etc. At heart, I think, he’s a good person, but it’s obvious that, had they eloped as intended, their marriage would never have lasted. As he spends more time with Theo, Ewan realizes the story he’s constructed about what happened – the story that his family has encouraged – is missing some major pieces.
“Resigned, she smoothed her thick cuffs and steeled her spirit with Mathew’s words.
Theodosia, you are a light rising from obscurity. When you focus on helping others, the darkness you think you have will be like the noon sun.”
There is a lot of conflict and angst: Theo and Ewan’s unresolved romance, Theo’s guilt over Phillip’s illness, Ewan’s conflict with his family, Lester’s scheming to win control of the Cecil estate, plus, of course, their difference in race and class. It was, at times, an exhausting read, because at one point it was very hard to imagine how they were going to end up together given everything stacked against them. Regardless, I think, it is a hopeful book, as Theo is strong, determined, and willing to do what needs to be done. There are some Christian themes running through it, as well as some Bible quotes, which works well with the themes of redemption, though I don’t think it would be overly noticeable to a secular reader. Theo’s friends were lovely, and I’m hoping that they are supposed to be the heroines of the next few books. I also loved Pickens, the butler!
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I’m very much looking forward to the next in the series! Recommended for anyone who loves second chance romances, with a well-drawn back story, and lots of conflict!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 5, 2019
In Regency England, a widow is only as safe as the man set to manage the estate wants her to be thus Theo is in big trouble. Her kind and loving dead husband was apparently a terrible judge of character because the slimeball he has looking after Theo and her son will stop at nothing to posses both her fortune and Theo herself. Desperate, Theo secretly advertises for a husband and has two potential suitors when she has the shock of her life. Her first love, breaker of her heart and long thought to be dead ex-lover shows up.
Theo has been through a lot, especially at the hands of Ewan's parents after his "death" and while she was lucky enough to find a comfortable romance with her dead husband that lifted her from her meager origins, now that he is dead no one is willing to accept her past or her race. She is overwhelmed by Ewan's return from the dead but is also cautious and guarded as he does nothing but insult her at every turn and man, that was hard to swallow which leads to where I have some choice words for our dear Ewan.
Ewan wants nothing more than to be a playwright but this profession would be a disgrace for his elite and wealthy family to the point that his father blocks any potential success he might have. It still doesn't stop him from writing an entire play completely based on a poor flower seller who turns her back on true love and sells her soul to improve her status. Yes, that poor flower seller is Theo and yes, Ewan has it all wrong. He also insults her at such a level for so long that there was no redemption for me. He was a jerk. I know we all fall in love with people that aren't good for us and cause more harm than good sometimes but dammit, that shouldn't be how I feel about the hero in a romance novel. If someone is the love of your life, maybe don't be so quick to judge, make assumptions, throw insults and write a whole fucking play that will ruin her life... just a thought. Also, he never could stand up to his folks, especially his mother in their treatment of Theo. By then, I just wanted her to marry a stranger so she'd have a chance with a decent human being.
The other aspect of the story that really bothered me was Theo's son who is disabled. We never really got to know anything about him or his relationship with his mother and sadly, he was reduced to his disability which didn't make any sense. If a character's disability adds nothing to the story then it feels like you just added it for another diversity check mark.
I will say that I think Vanessa Riley is a decent writer. It was an even story with properly evil villains and interesting side characters. I just wasn't able to rise above the jerk of a hero and the token disability.
Theo has been through a lot, especially at the hands of Ewan's parents after his "death" and while she was lucky enough to find a comfortable romance with her dead husband that lifted her from her meager origins, now that he is dead no one is willing to accept her past or her race. She is overwhelmed by Ewan's return from the dead but is also cautious and guarded as he does nothing but insult her at every turn and man, that was hard to swallow which leads to where I have some choice words for our dear Ewan.
Ewan wants nothing more than to be a playwright but this profession would be a disgrace for his elite and wealthy family to the point that his father blocks any potential success he might have. It still doesn't stop him from writing an entire play completely based on a poor flower seller who turns her back on true love and sells her soul to improve her status. Yes, that poor flower seller is Theo and yes, Ewan has it all wrong. He also insults her at such a level for so long that there was no redemption for me. He was a jerk. I know we all fall in love with people that aren't good for us and cause more harm than good sometimes but dammit, that shouldn't be how I feel about the hero in a romance novel. If someone is the love of your life, maybe don't be so quick to judge, make assumptions, throw insults and write a whole fucking play that will ruin her life... just a thought. Also, he never could stand up to his folks, especially his mother in their treatment of Theo. By then, I just wanted her to marry a stranger so she'd have a chance with a decent human being.
The other aspect of the story that really bothered me was Theo's son who is disabled. We never really got to know anything about him or his relationship with his mother and sadly, he was reduced to his disability which didn't make any sense. If a character's disability adds nothing to the story then it feels like you just added it for another diversity check mark.
I will say that I think Vanessa Riley is a decent writer. It was an even story with properly evil villains and interesting side characters. I just wasn't able to rise above the jerk of a hero and the token disability.
July 21, 2018
3.5 to be correct, but I'm rounding up since the things I liked outweighed the things I didn't.
This was a cute story that took a bit of time to get going. I liked our main couple, but they both could have saved themselves a lot of heartache if they just communicated. I really loved the supporting characters, including the butler, Pickens; the hero's brother, the viscount Lord Hartwell; and the heroine's BFFs, Frederica and Ester. I'd definitely pick up any future stories Vanessa Riley wrote about them. I feel like I learned more about them as people than I did our couple. They were given more interesting personalities and more realistic conflicts than our main leads. (Especially, Frederica. She's the acknowledged illegitimate daughter of a duke and is also biracial, so it was fascinating reading about her life.)
There was good tension, both between the couple and with the various major and minor antagonists. I would have liked the final showdown with Lester to be more vindictive, but I'm a petty person. 😂
One critique, if I can get technical. There were some quirks in the writing that drove me nuts. For example, the hero's eyes were always described as "bluer-than-blue." Every. Single. Time. Once or twice, I get, but it's weird for the color to be referred to that way whenever they are mentioned (and this is a romance novel, so they are mentioned a lot.) It's not actually that descriptive. Are his eyes ice blue, sky blue, a warm blue, a cold blue, dark blue, light blue?
Also, and I'm not entirely sure how to describe this, sometimes characters would move around and not be where I expected them to be. For example, a character would be described as rising from his seat, but I never remember reading that he'd sat down in the first place. Another time, the text mentions that a child is sitting on the hero's shoulders, but then a line describes how the hero had to bend down to whisper in the child's ear. This is a super minor issue, but whenever it happened, it confused me and would pull me from the story.
Overall, a cute read that really picks up steam in the second half. I'm looking forward to more of this series.
This was a cute story that took a bit of time to get going. I liked our main couple, but they both could have saved themselves a lot of heartache if they just communicated. I really loved the supporting characters, including the butler, Pickens; the hero's brother, the viscount Lord Hartwell; and the heroine's BFFs, Frederica and Ester. I'd definitely pick up any future stories Vanessa Riley wrote about them. I feel like I learned more about them as people than I did our couple. They were given more interesting personalities and more realistic conflicts than our main leads. (Especially, Frederica. She's the acknowledged illegitimate daughter of a duke and is also biracial, so it was fascinating reading about her life.)
There was good tension, both between the couple and with the various major and minor antagonists. I would have liked the final showdown with Lester to be more vindictive, but I'm a petty person. 😂
One critique, if I can get technical. There were some quirks in the writing that drove me nuts. For example, the hero's eyes were always described as "bluer-than-blue." Every. Single. Time. Once or twice, I get, but it's weird for the color to be referred to that way whenever they are mentioned (and this is a romance novel, so they are mentioned a lot.) It's not actually that descriptive. Are his eyes ice blue, sky blue, a warm blue, a cold blue, dark blue, light blue?
Also, and I'm not entirely sure how to describe this, sometimes characters would move around and not be where I expected them to be. For example, a character would be described as rising from his seat, but I never remember reading that he'd sat down in the first place. Another time, the text mentions that a child is sitting on the hero's shoulders, but then a line describes how the hero had to bend down to whisper in the child's ear. This is a super minor issue, but whenever it happened, it confused me and would pull me from the story.
Overall, a cute read that really picks up steam in the second half. I'm looking forward to more of this series.
September 27, 2022
This book was a solid 3.5 stars. I’m shocked I’m saying that after considering DNFing this book early on. The MMC is an 🤬 to the FMC for the first half of the book. He blames her for everything and will look for the worst in her at every turn when him and his parents are the real villains. The parents for how badly they treated her after they thought he died in war/continue to treat her and him for the constant verbal insults and threats. I’m slightly irritated that the parents and the other villain of this book didn’t suffer more in the end.
The second half of this book does get significantly better. The MMC starts to see things clearly, he apologizes and grovels a bit. He has a lot of character growth. The FMC isn’t without faults either. I really liked how resilient, sweet and strong her character was, but it really annoyed me that she didn’t tell him about their son sooner. I understood in the beginning, but it’s something I think he should have known sooner. While we are on the topic of things that should have been discussed earlier the MMC really should have come clean about the advertisement to his brother and the FMC sooner.
Over all this book made for a good angsty read. The author does a great job of making a character you hate likable by the end of the story. I also want to highlight that I really liked a lot of the side characters. I loved the FMC’s friend Frederica, the MMC’s brother who went from a slightly spineless peace keeper to the level headed voice of reason and the FMC’s butler.
The second half of this book does get significantly better. The MMC starts to see things clearly, he apologizes and grovels a bit. He has a lot of character growth. The FMC isn’t without faults either. I really liked how resilient, sweet and strong her character was, but it really annoyed me that she didn’t tell him about their son sooner. I understood in the beginning, but it’s something I think he should have known sooner. While we are on the topic of things that should have been discussed earlier the MMC really should have come clean about the advertisement to his brother and the FMC sooner.
Over all this book made for a good angsty read. The author does a great job of making a character you hate likable by the end of the story. I also want to highlight that I really liked a lot of the side characters. I loved the FMC’s friend Frederica, the MMC’s brother who went from a slightly spineless peace keeper to the level headed voice of reason and the FMC’s butler.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2018
Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband to help protect her son. The former flower seller turned estate owner posts an ad in the newspaper, and no one is more surprised than she when her first love, the man she thought dead, reappears. Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him.
Not your usual Regency romance by any means & it was certainly bittersweet. The story was very well written & the characters were very well fleshed. The pace of the story was also very good. I particularly liked Theo & all she had achieved. I didn’t warm to Ewan for the majority of the book but he came through in the end. The road to their HEA wasn’t smooth but was a captivating read. This is the first book I’ve read by the author but won’t be the last
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Not your usual Regency romance by any means & it was certainly bittersweet. The story was very well written & the characters were very well fleshed. The pace of the story was also very good. I particularly liked Theo & all she had achieved. I didn’t warm to Ewan for the majority of the book but he came through in the end. The road to their HEA wasn’t smooth but was a captivating read. This is the first book I’ve read by the author but won’t be the last
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
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