Bøker av Vanessa Riley

“Smart and witty . . . the perfect historical read.” —Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling authorNew York Public Library, Bookriot, Vulture, Time Out, and Overdrive Featured Book to Read After Bridgerton!Featured in Entertainment Weekly, O Magazine, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bustle, and Bookish! An Amazon Best of the Month SelectionA Publishers Weekly Summer Reads 2020 Editors’ PickA ground-breaking, empowering, and sexy story from acclaimed author Vanessa Riley that fans of Beverly Jenkins, Evie Dunmore, and Alyssa Cole won’t be able to put down. Join these Rogues & Remarkable Women as they fight for their status, their families…and true love.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?“Vanessa Riley at her finest.” —Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author “I was delighted. Readers on the lookout for Black or disabled characters in historical romance will not want to miss this." —New York Times Book Review “One of the best historicals I’ve read in years.” —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author “Expertly crafted romance.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"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?"--

OMag.com & Bibliolifestyle Most Anticipated Romances of the YearPopSugar Best Romances of AprilPublishers Weekly Top 10 Romances of SpringELLE Canada Summer''s Best Romances A witty and moving story from the acclaimed author of A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby, about the lengths to which a woman will go for the love of her child…and the love of a man who knows her worth. Breaking with traditional Regency rules and customs, Vanessa Riley pens an unforgettable story perfect for fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Eloisa James looking for something fresh and stirring! "Get your fill of scandal, misunderstandings and a secret society to boot." - ELLE Canada “Elaborate storytelling…a more diverse Regency world than is traditionally found. Well-researched, with a fascinating author''s note at the end…A historical romance of impressive heft.” – Kirkus Reviews“Fans of Shonda Rhimes’ adaptation of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books will devour this series.” – Booklist STARRED REVIEW “Move over, Bridgertons. There’s a new set of scandalous aristocrats waiting to take London society by storm.” – Library Journal Masterminded by the ton''s most clever countess, the secret society The Widow’s Grace helps ill-treated widows regain their reputations, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time . . . 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 deevoted his life. And as ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him, and Jemina, to sacrifice their one chance at happiness? RAVES FOR A DUKE, A LADY, AND A BABY “One of the best historicals I’ve read in years.” —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author “Smart and witty . . . the perfect historical read.” —Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Expertly crafted romance.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review “Riley gifts readers a sparkling love story” —Entertainment Weekly

Embracing the true diversity of the Regency era, award-winning author Vanessa Riley brings readers a vibrant historical mystery starring an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing in Murder in Berkley Square the latest novel in her Lady Worthing Mystery series.A marriage of convenience saved Lady Abigail Worthing’s family from disgrace, but she’s finding her absent husband's endless conditions increasingly repressive. Unable to stay at their London home during the oncoming winter, she accepts a ride to the country from her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. However, she's less than delighted that she’s his excuse to avoid a dinner held by Lord Charles Duncan, one of London's most powerful—and relentless—magistrates. More irritating, women are decidedly unwelcome at the evening’s prestigious discussion of criminality—even though Abigail and Stapleton have solved several cases together . . .Then an unexpected blizzard strands them at Lord Duncan’s with his now-houseguests. Suddenly, an evening of fine dining, fine brandy, and insightful debate becomes an inescapable—and deadly—ordeal. The ultimate test for Abigial’s skill. One of the dinner guests is found dead in front of the Berkley Square mansion. And when another party is murdered, Abigail discovers each had received a taunting, prophetic nursery rhyme . . . coincidence, or clues left by a killer on the loose?Through deft interrogation, she learns everyone present is connected to Lord Duncan's greatest failure in the courts: the conviction of a Martinique plantation informant for a murder he didn’t commit. But as Abigail races to find who was really responsible for the miscarriage of justice, she'll be forced to put her own and Stapleton's lives at risk in a gambit that will alter their fates forever—or end them permanently.

"When a duke discovers the woman he loves was tricked into marrying another, the master chess player makes the now-widowed Viscountess the highest-stakes wager of his life in a last-ditch effort to win her affection: he will find husbands for her two sisters--or depart forever"--

'A sweeping look at the political, social, and romantic intrigue surrounding Haiti's first and only queen...richly imagined and wholly original.'Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

ONE OF USA TODAY'S "BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER!"Acclaimed author of Island Queen 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. ?This book is not only a one-sitting read, it's a slice of history that needs to be told. Utterly brilliant, powerful, and inspiring.??Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Always the Last to Know "An impeccably researched, powerfully reimagined tale of sacrifice and success, love and selfishness, and war and independence...Riley's storytelling skills shine."?Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionGran Toya: Born in West Africa, Abdaraya Toya was one of the legendary minos?women called ?Dahomeyan Amazons? by the Europeans?who were specially chosen female warriors consecrated to the King of Dahomey. Betrayed by an enemy, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, Toya wound up in the French colony of Saint Domingue, where she became a force to be reckoned with on its sugar plantations: a healer and an authority figure among the enslaved. Among the motherless children she helped raise was a man who would become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. When the enslaved people rose up, Toya, ever the warrior, was at the forefront of the rebellion that changed the course of history.Marie-Claire: A free woman of color, Marie-Claire Bonheur was raised in an air of privilege and security because of her wealthy white grandfather. With a passion for charitable work, she grew up looking for ways to help those oppressed by a society steeped in racial and economic injustices. Falling in love with Jean-Jacques Dessalines, an enslaved man, was never the plan, yet their paths continued to cross and intertwine, and despite a marriage of convenience to a Frenchman, she and Dessalines had several children.When war breaks out on Saint Domingue, pitting the French, Spanish, and enslaved people against one another in turn, Marie-Claire and Toya finally meet, and despite their deep differences, they both play pivotal roles in the revolution that will eventually lead to full independence for Haiti and its people.Both an emotionally palpable love story and a detail-rich historical novel, Sister Mother Warrior tells the often-overlooked history of the most successful Black uprising in history. Riley celebrates the tremendous courage and resilience of the revolutionaries, and the formidable strength and intelligence of Toya, Marie-Claire, and the countless other women who fought for freedom. ?A riveting read! Richly imagined, meticulously researched, and fast-paced...Vanessa Riley encourages us to rethink history through fresh eyes.? ? Myriam J. A. Chancy, author of What Storm, What Thunder