** Blog Tour ** A Very Modern Marriage- Rachel Brimble

I’m really pleased to be one of today’s stops on the final day of the blog tour for ‘A Very Modern Marriage’.

He needs a wife…
Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan…
But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…

Author Bio –

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street series, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

Social Media Links –

Website: https://rachelbrimble.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelbrimbleauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en

Review-

This is the third novel in the Ladies of Carson Street series and is equally as engaging a read as the previous two. It can be read as a standalone, although I’d heartily recommend reading the others if you haven’t already simply because they are that good!

In ‘A Very Modern Marriage’ the narrative centres around Octavia and her desire to distance herself from her life as a prostitute and set up her own business. Having seen close friends Louisa and Nancy forge a new path for themselves, it only serves to bolster her own resolve to do the same.

She enlists the help and support of William Rose, a mill owner from Manchester and it soon becomes apparent that both of them have feelings for each other which stretch beyond their business arrangement.

As always, author Rachel Brimble captures the essence of the Victorian era perfectly and in this novel, we once more discover the sights and sounds of Bath, but also the contrast of industrial Manchester.

Brimble writes in an easy style with engaging characters that the reader can’t help but root for. The dynamics and interactions between the main characters add depth to the plot and we get a real insight into Octavia’s personality and how previous struggles and family trauma have impacted on the way she deals with her current situation.

A highly recommended read!

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources, NetGalley and Head of Zeus/ Aria Fiction for the opportunity to participate in the tour. Further stops can be found here:

Giveaway to Win £15/$15 Amazon Gift Certificate (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494473/?

My reviews of Rachel’s previous books in the saga can be found here:

** Blog Tour** The Widow’s Vow- Rachel Brimble

**Blog Tour** Trouble for the Leading Lady- Rachel Brimble

**Blog Tour** Trouble for the Leading Lady- Rachel Brimble

I’m delighted to be taking part in today’s first blog tour stop for this latest novel by Rachel Brimble.

Bath, 1852.

As a girl, Nancy Bloom would go to Bath’s Theatre Royal, sit on the hard wooden benches and stare in awe at the actresses playing men as much as the women dressed in finery. She longed to be a part of it all and when a man promised her parents he could find a role for Nancy in the theatre, they believed him.

His lie and betrayal led to her ruin.

Francis Carlyle is a theatre manager, an ambitious man always looking for the next big thing to take the country by storm. A self-made man, Francis has finally shed the skin of his painful past and is now rich, successful and in need of a new female star. Never in a million years did he think he’d find her standing on a table in one of Bath’s bawdiest pubs.

Nancy vowed never to trust a man again. Francis will do anything to make her his star. As they engage in a battle of wits and wills, can either survive with their hearts intact?

The second in Rachel Brimble’s thrilling new Victorian saga series, Trouble for the Leading Lady will whisk you away to the riotous, thriving underbelly of Victorian Bath.

Author Bio –

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 20 published novels including the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

In 2019 she signed a new three book contract with Aria Fiction for a Victorian trilogy set in a Bath brothel. The first book, A Widow’s Vow was released in September 2020 followed by book 2 Trouble For The Leading Lady in March 2021 – it is expected that the final instalment will be released in the Autumn 2021.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here:

https://us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ab0dc0484a3855f2bc769984f&id=bd3173973a

Social Media Links –

Website: https://rachelbrimble.com/

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en

Review-

This is the second book in the author’s Victorian Saga series, set in Bath in 1852. While the history of the main characters from the first novel, ‘A Widow’s Vow’ is useful in understanding the dynamics of their relationships with each other, this can equally be read as a standalone story.

What is particularly striking about this tale is the underlying theme of past history, buried memories and society’s perceptions of the different classes within the Victorian era. All of these combine perfectly within the different characters, but none more so than Nancy and Francis who battle with their demons and past experiences throughout as they struggle to reconcile their heads with their hearts.

The backdrop to the narrative is the appalling conditions for children within the workhouse at that time and, while this is a dark theme throughout, the reader becomes compelled to empathise with Francis’ struggle in his efforts to bring about significant change for their benefit. This for me, was the most interesting aspect of the story and I hope that it is revisited in the next novel.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is definitely worth adding to your reading list. I’m already looking forward to getting my hands on the final book of the trilogy!

With thanks to the author, Aria Fiction and @rararesources for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Further stops can be found here: