What do you think?
Rate this book
Saxons of Hyrstow #2
His Saxon Wife
HIS SAXON WIFE of convenience…Heartbroken after his wife’s death and overwhelmed by the needs of his children, Branton Cutter strikes a marriage bargain with widow, Emma Baker. Despite his immense grief, Branton’s life takes a chaotic turn when the attraction he feels toward Emma is more than that of their arrangement. A temptation that cannot be ignored…To escape the kingdom's widow tax, Emma agrees to Branton's proposal in order to save a proper dowry for her daughter. Little does she know that sharing a house with the broken man will test her patience as well as her desire. While politics between the church and earldom unravel, peril linked to the past looms over the village of Hyrstow. Will Branton and Emma be able to reconcile their feelings in time to ensure their family’s survival?
- GenresHistorical Romance
460 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 18, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 14, 2024
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. Fray, you can WRITE! I thoroughly enjoyed His Viking Captive, so I was very excited to read her second book, His Saxon Wife. Dare I say I liked it more. It covers death during child birth, a marriage of convenience, true friendship, raising another’s children, and a very broody male main character. Through it all, I LOVED Emma. So much. She is such a strong female main character, and I loved getting to know her more in this book.
I also have to say…. The SPICE. The ENDING. Oh my. I already cannot wait for the third in the trilogy. Grateful to have been given an advance copy, and I will encourage everyone to pick up this book! You won’t be disappointed!
Wow. Fray, you can WRITE! I thoroughly enjoyed His Viking Captive, so I was very excited to read her second book, His Saxon Wife. Dare I say I liked it more. It covers death during child birth, a marriage of convenience, true friendship, raising another’s children, and a very broody male main character. Through it all, I LOVED Emma. So much. She is such a strong female main character, and I loved getting to know her more in this book.
I also have to say…. The SPICE. The ENDING. Oh my. I already cannot wait for the third in the trilogy. Grateful to have been given an advance copy, and I will encourage everyone to pick up this book! You won’t be disappointed!
May 12, 2025
What a lovely surprise this was.
March 13, 2024
His Saxon Wife is a medieval (Early England Times) marriage of convenience story of recent widower Bran who has a houseful of kids, and widow Emma who is bound by a deathbed promise to her friend Freda to watch out for them. Bran is an imperfect hero. he gives in to his depression and guilt about Freda's death and lets Emma pick up all his slack while he wallows, not working enough to provide, and checked out on the family. "Branton didn't hide his broken heart. He wore it like a ragged flag on his back for everyone to see." Emma feels so bound to her promise to Freda that she does it all. Fray does a fantastic job of depicting just how hard Emma toils holding together her new family while, as they both note repeatedly, "they'd been married for weeks and he'd not helped her in any manner."
Fray is a marvelous writer, and the book is full of wonderful turns of phrase. She does a thing very early of that is a super effective way to show a depressive time-slip, while getting us to the point where the story can truly start. Her side characters are so well developed (some were in the first of this series, the excellent His Viking Captive), any number of them could carry the next book. Bram is constantly being told by others that he's not treating Emma well enough, and that she is the nicest and hottest woman in the village. There's a great scene where an argument they are having about one thing starts to be about everything (relatable) and later when he goes to his boys for reinforcement they are all like, errr, she's completely in the right and you are lucky to have her.
Bran is a big dummy throughout much of the book, not making room in his memories and grief for his growing attraction to Emma. He frustrated me with his repeated push-pull with her, and his indulgence of his moods and pride, leaving his family's survival to Emma. Emma stepped up so thoroughly he didn't have to at all, which she finally realizes isn't a dynamic that can sustain their relationship. He finally earns that HEA when she is sidelined and he needs to step fully back into the world and all his relationships.
This book deals with serious issues, but it's also romance of the first order. There's a slow build of shared moments and touches in the day to day (apart from their bedroom times) and the reader just wants Bram to get out of his own way and stop being such an idiot. Also Fray can write the heck out of an intimate scene.
If Romance is the genre that centers women's stories, there is no story more familiar to women than ones like this. The on and on-ness of parenting and fears for our children, the silent standoffs and truces with a partner, grief and survivor's guilt, stepping up for a friend, and the head down, one foot in front of the other trudge that sees you through a rough patch or a terrible event and gets you to the other side.
I received this book as an arc.
Fray is a marvelous writer, and the book is full of wonderful turns of phrase. She does a thing very early of that is a super effective way to show a depressive time-slip, while getting us to the point where the story can truly start. Her side characters are so well developed (some were in the first of this series, the excellent His Viking Captive), any number of them could carry the next book. Bram is constantly being told by others that he's not treating Emma well enough, and that she is the nicest and hottest woman in the village. There's a great scene where an argument they are having about one thing starts to be about everything (relatable) and later when he goes to his boys for reinforcement they are all like, errr, she's completely in the right and you are lucky to have her.
Bran is a big dummy throughout much of the book, not making room in his memories and grief for his growing attraction to Emma. He frustrated me with his repeated push-pull with her, and his indulgence of his moods and pride, leaving his family's survival to Emma. Emma stepped up so thoroughly he didn't have to at all, which she finally realizes isn't a dynamic that can sustain their relationship. He finally earns that HEA when she is sidelined and he needs to step fully back into the world and all his relationships.
This book deals with serious issues, but it's also romance of the first order. There's a slow build of shared moments and touches in the day to day (apart from their bedroom times) and the reader just wants Bram to get out of his own way and stop being such an idiot. Also Fray can write the heck out of an intimate scene.
If Romance is the genre that centers women's stories, there is no story more familiar to women than ones like this. The on and on-ness of parenting and fears for our children, the silent standoffs and truces with a partner, grief and survivor's guilt, stepping up for a friend, and the head down, one foot in front of the other trudge that sees you through a rough patch or a terrible event and gets you to the other side.
I received this book as an arc.
March 27, 2024
4.5⭐️ oh my goodness. My heart. 🥹 Emma and Brans commitment to each other. Love that blossomed. Ughh. Pulled at my heart so bad. I found the writing to just be soooooo cozy. This is totally a comfort read. I can't even explain the vibes it brought to me. But I loved it.
Full review!! 👇👇
Book 2 of the Saxons of Hyrstow
"Thank you. For always reaching back into the darkness, even when you don't know if I'll still be there."
I highlighted to many quotes that when I posted on Instagram I couldn't post them all 😅😫
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶🌶
Branton recently lost his wife during childbirth. Now he has a brood of kids to care for & he's barely hanging on. Emma is a widow & a mother, paying a widows tax in the kingdom. So they strike a deal - and get married. No more tax, & Bran has someone to help care for his children.
The very first thing I want to say about this story is how freaking comforting the writing is. I don't know how to describe it. But it's just like wrapping you in a warm blanket. Giving you something hot to drink & letting you know you'll be okay. 🥹
Emma & Bran had inner battles, but they also had a commitment to each other. & I think what made it so real was that while sometimes it was messy, they still were each others crutch to lean on. When they didn't know what the feelings were between them, or they couldn't name them, they could not deny them!!! They had a pull to each other. Yeah, they both already had loves of their lives, but they were also each other's in this season of their lives.
Also, shoutout to Emma for taking care of all those kids lol I totally felt for Bran though thru his grief for Freda. And Emma's grief too, because she was Fred's friend. But she really had to pull him out of the darkness.
Gah this whole story just pulled at my heart. The love was slow burn. Bran didn't want to betray his late wife. And that really had me just 😭 And no matter what Emma was there. To take his wrath. To be his shoulder. Or to just simply be there in silence.
Oh & holy moly!! It was spicy this time around!! 🔥🔥 Like from the beginning!! Yeah maybe it was a bit of hate sex. 🤭🤭 But damn. Something about these big broody Viking men just have me 🫠🫠🫠🥵🥵
I have enjoyed this series so much so far & can't wait to see what comes!!
Read if you like:
♡Historical fiction vibes
♡Big, broody men that just need some love
♡Marriage of Convenience
♡Slow burn love but fast burn spice
♡Cozy
Full review!! 👇👇
Book 2 of the Saxons of Hyrstow
"Thank you. For always reaching back into the darkness, even when you don't know if I'll still be there."
I highlighted to many quotes that when I posted on Instagram I couldn't post them all 😅😫
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶🌶
Branton recently lost his wife during childbirth. Now he has a brood of kids to care for & he's barely hanging on. Emma is a widow & a mother, paying a widows tax in the kingdom. So they strike a deal - and get married. No more tax, & Bran has someone to help care for his children.
The very first thing I want to say about this story is how freaking comforting the writing is. I don't know how to describe it. But it's just like wrapping you in a warm blanket. Giving you something hot to drink & letting you know you'll be okay. 🥹
Emma & Bran had inner battles, but they also had a commitment to each other. & I think what made it so real was that while sometimes it was messy, they still were each others crutch to lean on. When they didn't know what the feelings were between them, or they couldn't name them, they could not deny them!!! They had a pull to each other. Yeah, they both already had loves of their lives, but they were also each other's in this season of their lives.
Also, shoutout to Emma for taking care of all those kids lol I totally felt for Bran though thru his grief for Freda. And Emma's grief too, because she was Fred's friend. But she really had to pull him out of the darkness.
Gah this whole story just pulled at my heart. The love was slow burn. Bran didn't want to betray his late wife. And that really had me just 😭 And no matter what Emma was there. To take his wrath. To be his shoulder. Or to just simply be there in silence.
Oh & holy moly!! It was spicy this time around!! 🔥🔥 Like from the beginning!! Yeah maybe it was a bit of hate sex. 🤭🤭 But damn. Something about these big broody Viking men just have me 🫠🫠🫠🥵🥵
I have enjoyed this series so much so far & can't wait to see what comes!!
Read if you like:
♡Historical fiction vibes
♡Big, broody men that just need some love
♡Marriage of Convenience
♡Slow burn love but fast burn spice
♡Cozy
March 25, 2024
"His Saxon Wife" by C.A. Fray is book two in her "Saxons of Hyrstow" series. I read "His Viking Captive" last year; it was one of the best Viking/Saxon romances I read, and I jumped at the chance to get an advanced copy of this book.
The book opens with the death of Branton Cutter's wife. Heartbroken and needing a wife, he marries widow Emma Baker, who knows she cannot hope to win the love of her new husband.
One of the best parts of the novel was that it did not fall into the “second love is so much greater than the first” storyline. Branton mourns his wife and develops an entirely unique relationship with Emma. When he finally realizes he loves her, it does not trump his previous marriage, but is something new. I loved it.
I also loved the smut, which was spicy in all the best angst-ridden, lust-filled ways. If you require heart-eyes and flower petals, beware there is more desperation and desire in Branton and Emma's early encounters before bodily worship takes place in glorious detail.
The only reason why I've knocked a half-star off is because the book benefits from reading "His Viking Captive" first - not strictly necessary, but it helps - and there is an overarching plot that has a cliffhanger epilogue not related to the HEA.
"His Saxon Wife" does the heavy lifting of many sequels, advancing the story whilst setting up the plot for the next book - this is done well by the author, but it almost felt as though Branton and Emma lost some of the focus as a result. To a certain extent, this is a backhanded compliment: I liked the couple so much I was a bit impatient whenever the story wasn't solely on their romance.
A wonderful book and a series I can't get enough of!
The book opens with the death of Branton Cutter's wife. Heartbroken and needing a wife, he marries widow Emma Baker, who knows she cannot hope to win the love of her new husband.
One of the best parts of the novel was that it did not fall into the “second love is so much greater than the first” storyline. Branton mourns his wife and develops an entirely unique relationship with Emma. When he finally realizes he loves her, it does not trump his previous marriage, but is something new. I loved it.
I also loved the smut, which was spicy in all the best angst-ridden, lust-filled ways. If you require heart-eyes and flower petals, beware there is more desperation and desire in Branton and Emma's early encounters before bodily worship takes place in glorious detail.
The only reason why I've knocked a half-star off is because the book benefits from reading "His Viking Captive" first - not strictly necessary, but it helps - and there is an overarching plot that has a cliffhanger epilogue not related to the HEA.
"His Saxon Wife" does the heavy lifting of many sequels, advancing the story whilst setting up the plot for the next book - this is done well by the author, but it almost felt as though Branton and Emma lost some of the focus as a result. To a certain extent, this is a backhanded compliment: I liked the couple so much I was a bit impatient whenever the story wasn't solely on their romance.
A wonderful book and a series I can't get enough of!
May 30, 2024
I recently finished reading His Saxon Wife, a Viking romance that left an indelible mark on my heart. This book masterfully weaves together themes of loss, grief, and the enduring power of love, taking readers on an emotional roller coaster that is as exhilarating as it is poignant.
The author’s portrayal of loss and grieving is exceptionally real and raw. Branton's journey through his sorrow felt deeply authentic, making me feel every pang of his heartache. While Emma's strong persavernce was inspiring and relatable as a mother and a wife. The Viking setting, with its harsh landscapes and brutal realities, only heightened the emotional intensity, grounding the story in a vivid and compelling historical context.
Despite the pervasive themes of loss, His Saxon Wife delivers a powerful message about the resilience of the human spirit. The characters' capacity to find love and hope amidst their suffering is both inspiring and uplifting. Their journeys are not just about enduring pain, but about finding strength and purpose in the face of adversity.
What I loved most about this novel was its ability to evoke such a wide range of emotions. There were moments of deep sorrow that brought tears to my eyes, but also scenes of tender love and fierce loyalty that filled my heart with warmth. The author’s skillful storytelling ensured that I was fully immersed in the characters’ lives, feeling their joys and sorrows as if they were my own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a richly emotional read that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The author’s portrayal of loss and grieving is exceptionally real and raw. Branton's journey through his sorrow felt deeply authentic, making me feel every pang of his heartache. While Emma's strong persavernce was inspiring and relatable as a mother and a wife. The Viking setting, with its harsh landscapes and brutal realities, only heightened the emotional intensity, grounding the story in a vivid and compelling historical context.
Despite the pervasive themes of loss, His Saxon Wife delivers a powerful message about the resilience of the human spirit. The characters' capacity to find love and hope amidst their suffering is both inspiring and uplifting. Their journeys are not just about enduring pain, but about finding strength and purpose in the face of adversity.
What I loved most about this novel was its ability to evoke such a wide range of emotions. There were moments of deep sorrow that brought tears to my eyes, but also scenes of tender love and fierce loyalty that filled my heart with warmth. The author’s skillful storytelling ensured that I was fully immersed in the characters’ lives, feeling their joys and sorrows as if they were my own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a richly emotional read that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
March 18, 2024
I did not think it possible but C.A.Fray did it again! Wow!
If you were a fan of her debut novel - His Viking Captive - and who wasn’t - you were introduced to Branton and Emma, but but this was before the tragedy that fell upon Branton.
His Saxon Wife is a marriage of convenience and a friends -to- lovers romance between Branton and Emma. Although neither wanted to give into the temptation that could not be ignored they had no choice. The struggle is so engaging and the real life events that take place around them is so thrilling you will not be able to put the book down.
Have I mentioned that the tension that pulls them together and sometimes tears them apart is hot? Oh, well it is! I mean if you’re in to a brooding Jamie Fraser type (or the guys on the Viking shows on Netflix) then you will love Bran.
I will say that as much as I loved Yrsa in the first novel because of her badass physical strength - I fell in love with Emma and her reserved, quiet strength even more.
Although this can be a stand alone novel, I would highly recommend reading His Viking Captive to be even more familiar with the characters in His Saxon Wife.
Well done C.A. Fray, well done.
If you were a fan of her debut novel - His Viking Captive - and who wasn’t - you were introduced to Branton and Emma, but but this was before the tragedy that fell upon Branton.
His Saxon Wife is a marriage of convenience and a friends -to- lovers romance between Branton and Emma. Although neither wanted to give into the temptation that could not be ignored they had no choice. The struggle is so engaging and the real life events that take place around them is so thrilling you will not be able to put the book down.
Have I mentioned that the tension that pulls them together and sometimes tears them apart is hot? Oh, well it is! I mean if you’re in to a brooding Jamie Fraser type (or the guys on the Viking shows on Netflix) then you will love Bran.
I will say that as much as I loved Yrsa in the first novel because of her badass physical strength - I fell in love with Emma and her reserved, quiet strength even more.
Although this can be a stand alone novel, I would highly recommend reading His Viking Captive to be even more familiar with the characters in His Saxon Wife.
Well done C.A. Fray, well done.
December 30, 2025
Spoilers!
Bran is irritating! He keeps telling Emma that Freda will always have his heart, and he still loves her, even though Emma has taken care of him and his kids since Freda death. Then when she reveals the promise she made to his dying wife, Bran is all hurt and feels betrayed.
“But, Bran, I care so much for you. It is why I want a place in your heart. Why being your second choice hurts so.”
“Do you? Or are you so loyal to Freda you’d make me believe you love me?”
He’s the one who kept telling Emma that His first wife would always have his heart. Now he’s all butt hurt because he thinks Emma might not love him? 🙄
Bran is irritating! He keeps telling Emma that Freda will always have his heart, and he still loves her, even though Emma has taken care of him and his kids since Freda death. Then when she reveals the promise she made to his dying wife, Bran is all hurt and feels betrayed.
“But, Bran, I care so much for you. It is why I want a place in your heart. Why being your second choice hurts so.”
“Do you? Or are you so loyal to Freda you’d make me believe you love me?”
He’s the one who kept telling Emma that His first wife would always have his heart. Now he’s all butt hurt because he thinks Emma might not love him? 🙄
March 18, 2024
Amazing book, full of heart and heat! I love these characters and their stories, so captivating! This book although a different tone from the first is every bit as good. So excited for the 3rd book in this series, the wait will be torture.
April 28, 2024
Emma got the short end of the stick when he married our MMC. Poor woman! She is continuously appeasing /stoking the ego of the hero and the man is either absent/ in love with his first wife/mistreats her even when he dumps all his kids on to her.
January 21, 2026
A tidy little historical romance, historically sound without being overbearing.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews