A Convenient Sacrifice

Butterton Brides #1

by Ann Elizabeth Fryer

After her family's shipping business is ruined by wreckers, Elaina Dawes is forced into a marriage of convenience in order to save her family from poverty.

Did waves of evil carry her to the altar--or is there something else entirely at work?

As she begins to love the tall, mysterious baron that is now her husband, news of her family surfaces from the wreckage, leaving both lies and truth at stake. Will she decide to trust her husband? Or is he part of the evil that brought about her family's demise?

From the delightful village of Butterton to Cornwall's unforgiving coast, Elaina finds life, love, and family.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical, Marriage Of Convenience, Historical Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet read

This was such a sweet and bittersweet story.

I'm all for a hero who steps up to the plate and that's exactly what Zander does when Elaina is given to him in marriage with her brothers' consent.

If you enjoy a marriage of convenience story, then you'll want to pick up this one.

Elaina is kind and gentle in spirit. She takes this forced marriage on the chin and does what she must. What blossoms is her heart as she gets to know Lord Sherborne.

There's quite a mystery around the wreckage of a ship that held her brothers and as the truth unfolds and she learns how Zander has been protecting her, how could she not fall in love with her husband.

I enjoyed the faith that was brought into the story in a very natural way and shone bright as a beacon of hope and rest.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was entirely captivated by A Convenient Sacrifice by Ann Elizabeth Fryer. It’s the first book in the Butterton Brides series, and Regency Romance readers will want to read them all! It was so exciting that I just couldn’t put it down! It’s got mystery and intrigue along with swoony, sweet romance. As you can probably tell from the title, it’s a marriage of convenience romance. I love how the author presented the growing romance between husband and wife. I can’t really say much about that, or I’d spoil it for you! The wide variety of characters (from thieves to lord and ladies) makes it even better. You never know who to trust and who to be wary of. The author really knows how to make a story come alive through her descriptive writing. You’ll feel like you’re there with the characters! It’s well-paced and well-plotted and utterly wonderful! I highly recommend A Convenient Sacrifice!

[Beth | Faithfully Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story immensely! The author's prose is lovely, the characters are endearing, and the plot captivating!

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lovely Start to the Series

A Convenient Sacrifice by Ann Elizabeth Fryer was such an enjoyable read. This was my first book by this author, and I’m already looking forward to the rest of the series.

Elaina’s marriage of convenience quickly becomes something deeper, and I loved watching that relationship grow. The mix of romance, mystery, and a hint of suspense kept me engaged the whole time.

If you enjoy historical romance with heart and a touch of intrigue, this one is definitely worth picking up.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet clean historical romance that made me smile after all of the sex-laden books that I've started lately. The main character was perhaps a bit too naive, but it all made for a nice change for this voracious fiction reader.

[Richelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance - Sweet and Clean
Violence - Mild, though mostly eluded to
Language - Clean
Series - Book One
Christian themes

First time reading this author. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Romance mingled with mystery and intrigue is very well done. The characters are well balanced, and I absolutely love Zander. He is everything you want in your swoony leading man.

I definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

[Elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was great! But way to much religion unnecessarily and senselessly forced into it. And all those prayers. I read for enjoyment not indoctrination

[Denise Troutman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story about a marriage of convenience. It was also a mystery that involved many members of the brides family trying to figure out why a ship was purposely wrecked and members of her family died. It is quite a page turner, with the bride being terrified to marry this man she had never met to save her family from destitution. It is also a very sweet love story of the groom tenderly courting her and loving her. This was my second time reading it and I’m sure I will enjoy it again as the plot takes so many twists and turns and I enjoyed it so much.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
An ok read, but I didn't engage too well with this one. I enjoyed the growing romance between the main characters, but I must admit I got lost with the mystery element. Faith did play a part in this book, but I didn't think overtly.
I may read the others in the series at some point, but not just yet. I read this via Kindle Unlimited.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. It was well written, and I enjoyed the intrigue mixed with a sweet romance. I think that fans of Jane Eyre would enjoy this story. I also liked the way that the main character's faith was portrayed. It did not seemed forced or preachy. My main complaint is that the MMC was a bit too perfect.

[Lydia Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

Enjoyed this book immensely. The story is a cut above others of this nature.
It begins with intrigue regarding a sudden wedding and why it took place. Throughout the book there are more questions than answers, and the author carefully weaves the surprising endings.

[Joy Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. The romance drew me in immediately. I didn’t know there would be a mystery element to it as well (I didn’t read the blurb if it’s in it). Overall a good story.

3.75 rounded up to 4

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the messages of faith. The mystery held my interest when the writing style and romance did not match with my personal reading preference. There were parts that were a little choppy and hard to follow. 2.5 rounded to 3

[Phil Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

so engaging

Felt the mood of the main character throughout - so sweet to see her faith rewarded and the many ways God was faithful to her. Loved it. Sucked me in completely.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loving?

Narrator is part of loving couple. Her husband solves and then brings to justice the villian of a major criminal group.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book club read. This was a good story with lots of intrigue. Kept me curious. A tad shorter novel than I prefer, and I felt everything was wrapped up a bit too quickly.

[Elizabeth Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marriage of convenience story with a bit of mystery to it. She keeps you intrigued and moves the story along well. 

[Bt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the atmosphere of this book - had that gothic feel especially at the beginning with the shadowy corridors and freezing winds and shapes in the night. That was the best part to me, the atmosphere, including the somewhat cozy feeling within the larger unknown.

One of the main problems of this book to me was that it didn't have much of a climax. Things build up decently well... and then fall flat, it just kind of ends suddenly. A lot of the most exciting stuff happens off the page. For instance, Hero goes off to rescue people off a wrecked ship, perhaps right out of the clutches of the enemies... but we follow heroine who is sitting at home and hero doesn't even really talk about what happened.

And at the end, it was very sudden and unexplained and a let down with the murder of the duke. I thought we were building up to this big confrontation or fight scene with him. That was the big climax I was waiting for! I thought he was going to outsmart them one more, big time, and they would have to figure out what to do and win! But nope, the momentum just splatted, and the main characters got a quick and easy out.

That being said, I was really glad the book didn't end "too happy" with everything coming out sunshine and rainbows for everyone.

It also seemed like this book needed some editing help. There are things that I think the book thought were explained, but I was just left confused. By the end, I still didn't understand all about who had done what and what their motivations were, though the main characters were saying they understood. There were also times in the book where someone seemed surprised to learn information, yet they had already learned it earlier in the book (or could have inferred it easily from what they knew). And the two main characters had some odd unfinished conversations and lapses in their communication, considering that they seemed to be portrayed as good communicators. Plus a few grammar/spelling things needed editing.

I did like how Christian faith was portrayed in this book, I thought it was interesting and realistic, without being preachy. I also thought the book did a good job making the villains seem realistic and scary or bad enough to propel the story. And I liked the two main characters pretty well (though I would have liked to "know" them better/more).

I think overall I just wanted "more" from this book. Some of the characters and plot threads felt like they just didn't go anywhere or pay off. I thought this book must be just be leaving things hanging on purpose to try to set up a sequel, but it seems the next book focuses on a different character. I don't know, there was some good stuff here, but I just wanted more - more excitement, more depth in the relationship and characters, more making sense, more payoff.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of this one. I won't read any more of this author as I didn't care for the writing style

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and thought the plot was interesting. I gave four stars instead of five because it wasn’t always a smooth read. She tried too hard to sound like period writing that it interfered with the story. I appreciate the slow romance and the nicely tied up cozy mystery. Mysterious without being scary!

[anon1001 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It’s a closed door historical romance with a healthy dose of mystery and a dash of faith appropriate for the time period. I felt like I was with Elaina and Zander were friends as they fell in love and raced to solve the mystery so no more lives would be lost. If you like Victoria, Holt, Julie Klassen or Mimi Matthews Ann Elizabeth Fryer could be your new favorite author. Her books as of this review are in Kindle Unlimited. This book is a romance in the truest sense of the word.

[Evelyn Foreman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was an experience, a journey, as I followed the lives of Elaina, Zander, Aunt Honora, Carl and so many other impressively depicted characters. Running the gamut of emotions, I shared the shame, sorrow, uncertainty along with danger and intrigue as the story unfolded. I have to say, I have discovered a new favorite author, and hope to have the privilege of reading much more to come from this gifted writer!

[Cathy Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. The unknown intrigue compelled me to try to keep reading, but it wasn't enough to make me want to finish. The heroine was a bit too saintly for me and the author's attempt to make her someone with extraordinary spiritual wisdom, missed the target and made the writing seem shallow. There are so many exceptional writers who create true magic, I do not have the patience to read those who are mediocre.

[Michaela|Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Christian regency romance was lovely. This I my first by this author and most assuredly will not be the last. A marriage of convenience puts two pure hearts together on a slow burn ride to love while mystery floats all around them. A good dose of family and intrigue await you in this novel. Ships and trips and members of ton and more. I can’t wait to dive in to the next book.