Vanessa Riley écrit de la fiction historique dans de splendides communautés multiculturelles mettant en vedette de puissantes personnes de couleur. Elle écrit pour des lectrices qui admirent des histoires présentant des femmes trouvant de la joie dans des baisers passionnés et de fortes sororités. Riley promet que même dans l'obscurité, ses récits offriront des rires, démontrant comment la lumière finit par l'emporter et l'amour triomphe toujours.
Celebrated as one of the best summer reads by USA Today, this book promises an engaging narrative filled with compelling characters and a captivating plot. It explores themes of resilience and personal growth, set against a backdrop that enhances the emotional depth of the story. Readers can expect a blend of humor and poignant moments, making it a perfect choice for those seeking an enriching and entertaining literary experience.
"When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband's mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune--and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child--until The Widow's Grace gets her hired as her own son's nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor--and unexpected passion... A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin's dangerous financial dealings for Lionel's sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she's breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust--but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?"-- Provided by publisher
"Queen of diverse historicals Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti"-- Provided by publisher
"Riveting and transformative...evocative and immersive...by turns vibrant and bold and wise...discovering Dorothy's story is a singular pleasure."--New York Times (Editors' Choice) A remarkable, sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true-life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies. Born into slavery on the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, Doll bought her freedom--and that of her sister and her mother--from her Irish planter father and built a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, merchant, hotelier, and planter that extended from the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a glittering luxury hotel in Demerara on the South American continent. Vanessa Riley's novel brings Doll to vivid life as she rises above the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism by working the system and leveraging the competing attentions of the men in her life: a restless shipping merchant, Joseph Thomas; a wealthy planter hiding a secret, John Coseveldt Cells; and a roguish naval captain who will later become King William IV of England. From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London's elite, Island Queen is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor who answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. It is an unforgettable portrait of a true larger-than-life woman who made her mark on history.
Set against the backdrop of Haiti's tumultuous history, the narrative explores the life of the country's first and only queen, delving into the intricate political, social, and romantic dynamics of her reign. The portrayal is both vivid and imaginative, offering a fresh perspective on a significant historical figure.
Charlotte Downing, the determined Duchess of Charming, is on a quest for exquisite lacy slippers from Ella's Establishment to impress the queen. Her journey is fraught with unexpected challenges, including dangerous mishaps. However, her resolve is tested when she encounters a conservative merchant with captivating autumn-colored eyes, who stands firmly against her desires, igniting a thrilling tension between them.
"Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was just the start of Jemina St. Maur's nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was separated from anyone who might know her, and imprisoned in Bedlam. She was freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true identity, Jemina's only chance is to purloin dangerous secrets with help from The Widow's Grace - which means staying steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to him . . . Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Hope, from his family's scandalous reputation. That's why he has dedicated himself not just to the law, but to remaining as proper, upstanding - and boring - as can be. But the closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is tempted to break the very rule of law to which he's devoted his life. And as ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him, and Jemina, to sacrifice their one chance at happiness?"--Publisher description
When she stumbles upon the body of her neighbor Stapleton Hendersons wife, Lady Abigail Worthing, expecting to be under suspicion due to her skin color and her mother's notorious past, teams up with Henderson and together they dive into the treacherous waters of London's high society to find the truth
For adventurous Jamaican heiress Cecilia Thomas, marrying charming military lieutenant Lord Gantry to save him from danger--and herself from mercenary suitors--was a painful mistake. Instead of a passionate life together, she's stranded at his chilly Mayfair mansion with his unaccepting family. Worse, she finds he is actually a spy dedicated to duty over wedlock--and secrets over trust. So when she hears her sister has been driven to her death, Cecilia is determined to expose the powerful man responsible. Assisted by The Widow's Grace, she flees to Covent Garden with a new identity. But can she elude her formidable husband--even as the desire between them continues to flare even hotter?
When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband's mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow's Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she's breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?