A Widow's Vow by Rachel Brimble - Rajiv's Reviews

A Widow’s Vow by Rachel Brimble

Release: September 10th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Aria
Source: Rachel’s Random Resources
Find it at: Amazon, Amazon UK

From grieving widow…
1851. After her merchant husband saved her from a life of prostitution, Louisa Hill was briefly happy as a housewife in Bristol. But then a constable arrives at her door. Louisa finds her husband hanging himself in a Bath hotel room. A note and a key to a property in Bath are the only things she finds. And now she has to answer the debt collectors .

To a new life as a madam.
Besides, leaving everything behind with no other option, Louisa finds more painful betrayals waiting for her in the house in Bath. Left with no means of income, Louisa knows she has nothing to turn to but her old way of life. But this time, she’ll do it on her own terms – by turning her home into a brothel for upper class gentleman. And she’s now firm to spare the girls she saves from the street the horrors she endured in the past.

Enlisting the help of Jacob Jackson, a quiet but feared boxer, to watch over the house, Louisa is about to embark on an unknown life before. Can she find the courage to forge this new path?
In Conclusion, A Widow’s Vow is the first in a gripping and gritty new Victorian saga series from Rachel Brimble. You won’t be able to put it down.

About the Author:

Rachel lives with her husband and their two daughters in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 20 published novels including the Pennington’s department store series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).
Her next project is a Victorian trilogy set in a Bath brothel which she recently signed with Aria Fiction. The series will feature three heroines determined to change their lives and those of other women. The first book. A Widow’s Vow is due for release in September and available for Amazon preorder now.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

A Widow’s Vow Review:

This was a very unique storyline with an unconventional romance that I enjoyed.

Initially, the plot sounded strange. An ex-boxer who loves a madam of a brothel house once he becomes her bodyguard? But strangely, the story works well and was a very nice book to read. The author writes the story in a simple, yet engaging way to make you invest with the characters.

Louisa is an interesting character. I really liked her confidence and determination. At times, she is foolhardy and doesn’t realize the trouble she might get herself into. Also, she is very stubborn with Jacob at times which I found frustrating. Nevertheless, she is mesmerizing. Similarly, I also liked Jacob. His story is a bit slow in the beginning because nothing much happens. For the majority of first half, he is brooding over his life of violence and the guilt over his mother. However, I started to enjoy his character once he interacts with Louisa and considers her proposal. Moreover, in the second half, I enjoyed his character more than Louisa.

Additionally, the supporting characters also blend nicely with the plot. Nancy is wonderful as Louisa’s friend and always by her side. Doreen is a great role model and I liked the wisdom she imparted on Jacob to do the right thing. One person who I thought was very interesting was Octavia, however, we do not see much of her once she joins Louisa.

The author did a very nice job with the story. She paints a dark grim sleazy version of the 1800s and makes it entertaining. There are some interesting twists and turns, like when Chaney attacks Nancy, or the attack on Louisa. Overall, this was a very nice book that I finished in one sitting, and I really liked it.