A Very Modern Marriage

February 18, 2022

A Very Modern Marriage

A Very Modern Marriage
by Rachel Brimble
GENRE: Historical romance

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...

Excerpt:

There was something beguiling about a woman who spoke so eloquently, who clearly knew much of the world and wasn’t afraid to challenge and speak with a gentleman of wealth and standing. She was feisty, certainly. But it was more than that. Octavia Marshall had clear control of her emotions and an aptitude for conversation that challenged and intrigued him, that made him want to be a better man, to impress her with his strengths and play down any weaknesses.

He had never met a woman so mysterious yet open, so tormenting yet serious. It was baffling, but entirely captivating and the combination made his body shift carnally.

Dangerous. That’s what she was… very, very dangerous.

And he had to put a stop to her enchantment.

‘Octavia.’ He reached out as she stopped outside a closed bedroom door, gently but firmly grasping her elbow. ‘We should talk.’

Her hand slipped from the door and concern darkened her eyes. ‘Are you all right?’

William looked deep into her eyes and felt as though he was teetering on the edge of something he couldn’t explain. He released her elbow and pushed his hand into his hair. ‘I didn’t come here to be alone with you this way.’

Her gaze drifted over his face before she slowly lifted her incredible lashes and pinned him to the floor with her brilliant blue gaze. ‘Do you want to be with me now?’

‘I can’t make love to you when—’

‘You won’t be making love to me.’ She lightly touched her fingers to his jaw. ‘This is a business arrangement. The same as any other.’

A spike of something that felt far too much like a blow hit the centre of his chest and he swallowed. What in God’s name was happening to him? Since when did he react so uncertainly to anything… anyone?

About the Author:

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, 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

Q&A With the Author
When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?
I think it must have been when my first novel was accepted by The Wild Rose Press back in 2007 – I burst into tears and finally allowed myself to believe that I might be able to earn money from doing what I love. It was an amazing feeling… and one that I feel again and again with every new contract, if I’m honest!

What advice do you have for a new writer?
Write as much as possibly can, daily if possible - and read A LOT! Reading is equally as important as writing because, as we read, we absorb the skill of plot and characterization without necessarily realizing it. Also, give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft – this was the best advice I was ever given. Once I stopped agonizing over every line and chapter, my work started moving forward and before I knew it, I had completed a novel.
The polishing comes in the following drafts!

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Is there an easy part? If there is, I haven’t found it yet, haha! I suppose the part I enjoy the most is the second draft after I’ve got the initial story down. Then I can review the pages as a complete story, follow the character development etc and then spend time tweaking, changing and improving. Yes, that’s my favorite part so maybe it’s the easiest part for me, too!

What is your favorite part of this story?
Even though this is a romance, I have to admit it isn’t necessarily the connection between Octavia and William… although I do love that, of course! I think it’s the relationship between Octavia and her best friends Louisa & Nancy. This the third book in the Ladies of Carson trilogy (all the books can be read stand alone) so I have watched these women grow and learn as they deepened their friendship. They are very special to me.

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?

Nancy’s scenes with Octavia are always fun to write as was the scene when Octavia and Louisa are in jail – I love it when these ladies land themselves in trouble and I have to unravel the mess!

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?
I need to really think about this as they have all been hard to write about at different times – I get quite emotional when I have to reveal a bit of their backstories that gave them pain or that they are still struggling with.
I suppose in A Very Modern Marriage will have to be Octavia – her insecurity is so sincere, her vulnerability is really close to the surface and, for me, it’s palpable all the way through the novel. She made me tear up several times while telling her story…