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Rachel Brimble
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Trouble for the Leading Lady (The Ladies of Carson Street Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Rachel Brimble (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
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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.
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  1. Book 2 of 3
    The Ladies of Carson Street
  2. Print length
    338 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Aria
  6. Publication date
    March 4, 2021
  7. File size
    2699 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rachel Brimble lives in Wiltshire with her husband of twenty years, two teenage daughters and her beloved chocolate Labrador, Tyler. Multi-published in the US, she is thrilled to have a new beginning writing for Aria in the UK. When Rachel isn't writing, she enjoys reading across the genres, knitting and walking the English countryside with her family... often stopping off at a country pub for lunch and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GTT5H2K
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aria; 1st edition (March 4, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2699 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

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Rachel Brimble

Rachel Brimble

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Rachel lives with her husband and daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Her first novel was published in 2007. Today she is the author of 28 contemporary and historical novels, including the popular Shop Girl series and Ladies of Carson Street trilogy (Aria Fiction). Her next brand new Victorian romance, Dressing The Countess (Harpeth Road) releases May 2024 but is available for preorder right now!

She is currently working on the first book in a brand new WWII series set in her beloved Bath.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Female Entrepreneur Association. When she isn't working, Rachel loves to read or watch far too much TV period and crime dramas while doing her best to complete yet another 1,500 piece jigsaw puzzle...

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
32 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Books Of All Kinds
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling and exciting historical romance
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2021
A compelling historical romance with depth and substance, TROUBLE FOR THE LEADING LADY by Rachel Brimble, is a story that will effortlessly work its way into your heart.

Nancy Bloom always wanted to be a part of the exciting theatre world and when she thought she had gotten the perfect opportunity, she had thrown herself eagerly into the hands of a man who could not be trusted. Now a ruined woman, Nancy does what she must in order to survive, but she has never lost her spark for becoming a star.
Francis Carlyle is looking for the next big thing to win over the elite, but he did not expect Nancy Bloom. But can two wounded people who have learned the hard way that you cannot trust anyone, find a way to believe in each other? And will they be able to let down their guards long enough to let love take a hold of their hearts?

As always with Rachel Brimble's stories, the setting and historical detail in this novel is fantastic, and the time period really comes alive on the page. This is the second book in this series and I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the lives of the ordinary man and woman in Victorian times, while also recognising the harshness of the period which is elegantly woven throughout the character's lives. Nancy is a wonderful character whose grit and spirit shine through at every turn and Francis grew on me as I learned more about him as the pages continued.

TROUBLE WITH THE LEADING LADY by Rachel Brimble is a wonderful historical romance and I look forward to more from this author.
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Julie
4.0 out of 5 stars An emotional 19th Century saga
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2021
A romantic Victorian saga that sweeps readers off to 19th Century Bath, Rachel Brimble’s Trouble for the Leading Lady is another captivating read by this talented writer of historical fiction.

Nancy Bloom has always been enchanted by the theatre. As a young girl, she remembers going to the Theatre Royal and admiring the actors who would take to the stage and bring to vivid life a story that would take her breath away. Nancy had vowed that when she got older, the stage would become her life and when she had been promised an acting career, she truly believed that her dreams were about to come true – until she realised that all that glitters is not necessarily gold. Finding out that the man’s promise had been all smoke and mirrors, Nancy had found herself trapped in a dangerous world from which there is simply no escape – yet her love of the stage never wavered. Hardened by circumstance, Nancy thinks that she will never have the opportunity to make her dream a reality, until ambitious theatre manager Francis Carlyle comes into her life determined to change her mind.

Francis is a self-made man who has not had an easy life either. Determined not to let his lack of fortune or connections deter him from his ambitions, Francis had worked hard to become a success. Nothing and nobody is ever going to send him back to a life he had fought tooth and nail to escape and the theatre manager is always looking for the next big thing to take the country by storm. In desperate need of an actress, Francis has searched far and wide for his next starlet, but to avail. However, little does he realise that he is about to find what he has been searching for in the most unlikely of places…

Nancy has been discovered by the theatre manager – while standing on a table in one of Bath’s bawdy houses! While Francis offering to make her his star sounds like the answer to all of her prayers, Nancy had been betrayed once before and lived to regret it and she is not about to make the same mistake again. However, little does she realise that Francis is a difficult man to say no to!

Francis may have originally been looking for his next star, however, he might just have ended up finding the woman he hopes to spend the rest of his life with – but only if he can convince Nancy to be not just his leading lady, but his wife!

Rachel Brimble is on top form with her latest saga, Trouble for the Leading Lady! A heart-warming and poignant tale about second chances, learning to trust and falling love, Trouble for the Leading Lady is an immensely enjoyable romantic read that beautifully recreates Victorian Bath. Nancy and Francis are two brilliant characters who jump off the pages and theirs is a powerful love story readers will struggle to put down.

Emotional, dramatic and intense, fans of sagas and historical romances will fall in love with Rachel Brimble’s latest novel, Trouble for the Leading Lady.
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SC
2.0 out of 5 stars Plod plod plod
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2021
"Despite his cool tone his Edmund, unease knotted Francis's stomach. The last thing he needed was his servants discussing his associating with a prostitute... Unless it was a case of Edmund protesting too much? Well, Edmund could mind his own business as much as anyone else who felt inclined to judge. After all, Francis knew better than most what they had to [do] in order to survive. Neither he nor Edmund knew Nancy, Louisa or Octavia, which meant neither of them were in a position to judge their way of living."

If you're cool with this sort of declarative, telling-not-showing writing, then maybe you'll like "Trouble for the Leading Lady." I didn't mind the coincidences, and I could have abided the two-dimensional characters, but the plodding prose was just too much for me. I love me some saucy historical fiction, but only when it's well written. ("Playing the Jack" and "The Oracle Glass" are two of my all-time favorite novels.) The barely workmanlike writing here wore me down.

Thank you, NetGalley and Aria, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Top reviews from other countries

Janet Crocker
5.0 out of 5 stars Immerse yourself in the lives of these amazing women.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love the period this book is set in. I loved hearing Louisa's story (A Widows Vow and first in the series). As I was getting towards the end of Louisa's story, I couldn't wait to hear Nancy's story. I really enjoyed Nancy's story and I'm now looking forward to reading Octavia's story. I also love the fact that these books are set in the part of the country near my own home. It's great to be able to actually visualise places mentioned. Thank you Rachel.
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