Award-winning author, Vanessa Riley, writes Regency and Historical Romances of dazzling multi-culture communities with powerful persons of color. Vanessa’s books are crafted for historical romance reader who admires books that showcase women who find joy in sweeping kisses and strong sisterhoods. Even in the darkness, she promises to give you laughs and to show you how light always prevails and how love always, always wins.
Vanessa juggles engineering, mothering a teen, cooking for her military-man husband, and speaking at women's and STEM events. You can catch her writing from the comfort of her southern porch with tea.
For decades (maybe centuries), during the winter holidays, from Christmas to Kwanzaa to Hanukah, romance novels have enjoyed a special place in the hearts of readers who put happy ever afters at the top of their must-have gift list.
This holiday season will include a wonderful list of feel-good romances titles, but historical romances in particular, are oftentimes the centerpiece of the Yuletide spirit, especially when brightly wrapped in a bow of Jane Austen’s Regency.
My latest release is such a tale. The third novel in my Advertisements for Love series The Butterfly Bride is an OwnVoices story about a 18th century woman of African descent.
A social butterfly mistakenly awakens in the arms of a reluctant widower and seeks a convenient marriage via a newspaper advertisement to hide from a determined killer.
Frederica Burghley wants to be married by Yuletide. Or else her father will set her up with one of his friends. The bonbon-loving illegitimate daughter of the duke wants to choose her own husband. Advertising in the newspaper seems like the way to go. But a sinister response, with threats against her life, leads her to enlist the help of her very handsome, dear friend Jasper Fitzwilliam, Lord Hartwell.
A father and widower, Jasper is not only tasked with keeping Frederica safe but also with helping his vibrant friend choose a suitable husband. The more he tries to keep the ever-surprising woman alive and find her a good match, the more Jasper realizes he cares for her. The two friends risk their lives for each other, so they should be able to risk their feelings for a chance at a deep and true love together. But he's not looking for marriage and she's not looking for convenience.