What do you think?
Win a free print copy of this book!
26 days and 09:08:07
10 copies available
U.S. only
Sisters of Stony Ridge Island #1
A Marriage by the Sea
Not yet published
Expected 17 Nov 26Win a free print copy of this book!
26 days and 09:08:07
10 copies available
U.S. only
As the oldest of four sisters, Marissa Axton has spent her life trying to prove to her father that, even though she was not born a son, she can capably manage the family blueberry farm and business on Stony Ridge Island. Regardless of her success, her father insists she marry before he will give her the deed to the farm.
Despite the years he has spent away from the island, Felix Larock can't deny that he still has feelings for Marissa, his childhood best friend. Their friendship has always been a secret because of a long-standing feud between their fathers. However, when he learns that Marissa needs a husband, he rashly proposes a marriage of convenience. But their feelings for each other are far from pretend, and their relationship begins to blossom—until family secrets unravel and threaten to tear them apart.
Bestselling author Jody Hedlund begins a swoon-worthy new historical romance series following a family of sisters living on a picturesque island in Maine with this romantic story of forbidden love.
Despite the years he has spent away from the island, Felix Larock can't deny that he still has feelings for Marissa, his childhood best friend. Their friendship has always been a secret because of a long-standing feud between their fathers. However, when he learns that Marissa needs a husband, he rashly proposes a marriage of convenience. But their feelings for each other are far from pretend, and their relationship begins to blossom—until family secrets unravel and threaten to tear them apart.
Bestselling author Jody Hedlund begins a swoon-worthy new historical romance series following a family of sisters living on a picturesque island in Maine with this romantic story of forbidden love.
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication November 17, 2026
About the author
Jody Hedlund
156 books4,890 followersJody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over fifty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Don’t miss this one! It’s SPECTACULAR.
A Marriage By The Sea is a charming novel about secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness, and about falling in love. It’s a 5-star story about discovering what you want and finding what you need.
Allow Jody Hedlund to sweep you away to 1852 Maine in the series debut for ‘Sisters of Stony Ridge Island’. I knew within pages that this is a series I want to follow; I loved the faith thread, the engaging narrative, and the wonderfully crafted characters. Although there are four Axton sisters, this one focuses on Marissa.
Marissa, 24 and single, has found a way to keep her blueberry farm and expand, but knows it’ll cause division. The alternative means that she could gain everything, but lose the man she cares most about.
I loved the message about forgiveness, about grabbing hold of opportunities to let go of the past, and to take responsibility rather than pass things off. Days later, I’m still thinking about how God brought a character back to Stony Ridge to face the past and about the reminder that God’s forgiveness gives us the power to forgive even when it seems impossible.
If you love marriage of convenience, faith-filled narrative, and slow burn romance, then pick up this one to see why the Axtons and the Larocks have been feuding for decades!
I can’t wait for the sequel and to learn about another Axton sister.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
A Marriage By The Sea is a charming novel about secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness, and about falling in love. It’s a 5-star story about discovering what you want and finding what you need.
Allow Jody Hedlund to sweep you away to 1852 Maine in the series debut for ‘Sisters of Stony Ridge Island’. I knew within pages that this is a series I want to follow; I loved the faith thread, the engaging narrative, and the wonderfully crafted characters. Although there are four Axton sisters, this one focuses on Marissa.
Marissa, 24 and single, has found a way to keep her blueberry farm and expand, but knows it’ll cause division. The alternative means that she could gain everything, but lose the man she cares most about.
I loved the message about forgiveness, about grabbing hold of opportunities to let go of the past, and to take responsibility rather than pass things off. Days later, I’m still thinking about how God brought a character back to Stony Ridge to face the past and about the reminder that God’s forgiveness gives us the power to forgive even when it seems impossible.
If you love marriage of convenience, faith-filled narrative, and slow burn romance, then pick up this one to see why the Axtons and the Larocks have been feuding for decades!
I can’t wait for the sequel and to learn about another Axton sister.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This review by librarian Christine Barth was first published in the Sept. 2026 issue of Library Journal.
The Axtons and Larocks of Maine's Stony Ridge Island may as well be Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets, so deep does their unexplained feud run. But Marissa Axton and Felix Larock have always been friends. When Felix returns to the island to care for his sister, he is forced to rejoin the family lobster business.
He finds his first crush, Marissa, still unmarried and running a successful blueberry farm. When Marissa's father threatens the farm unless she marries that summer, Felix steps into a hornet's nest of family politics. Both of their fathers are angry, and Marissa's life may even be in danger from his rum-running brothers. The only cool head on the island is Victor, Marissa's Penobscot farm-hand, who tries to heal the rift at great risk to himself.
VERDICT: Hedlund ("Shanahan Match" series) excels at writing intriguing historical details without bogging down the slow-burn romance, and the family-run island setting makes for sequel possibilities. Readers of historical romances by Mary Connealy and Julie Klassen will want to check out this marriage-of-convenience tale.
The Axtons and Larocks of Maine's Stony Ridge Island may as well be Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets, so deep does their unexplained feud run. But Marissa Axton and Felix Larock have always been friends. When Felix returns to the island to care for his sister, he is forced to rejoin the family lobster business.
He finds his first crush, Marissa, still unmarried and running a successful blueberry farm. When Marissa's father threatens the farm unless she marries that summer, Felix steps into a hornet's nest of family politics. Both of their fathers are angry, and Marissa's life may even be in danger from his rum-running brothers. The only cool head on the island is Victor, Marissa's Penobscot farm-hand, who tries to heal the rift at great risk to himself.
VERDICT: Hedlund ("Shanahan Match" series) excels at writing intriguing historical details without bogging down the slow-burn romance, and the family-run island setting makes for sequel possibilities. Readers of historical romances by Mary Connealy and Julie Klassen will want to check out this marriage-of-convenience tale.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This review by librarian Christine Barth was first published in the Sept. 2026 issue of Library Journal.
The Axtons and Larocks of Maine's Stony Ridge Island may as well be Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets, so deep does their unexplained feud run. But Marissa Axton and Felix Larock have always been friends. When Felix returns to the island to care for his sister, he is forced to rejoin the family lobster business.
He finds his first crush, Marissa, still unmarried and running a successful blueberry farm. When Marissa's father threatens the farm unless she marries that summer, Felix steps into a hornet's nest of family politics. Both of their fathers are angry, and Marissa's life may even be in danger from his rum-running brothers. The only cool head on the island is Victor, Marissa's Penobscot farm-hand, who tries to heal the rift at great risk to himself.
VERDICT: Hedlund ("Shanahan Match" series) excels at writing intriguing historical details without bogging down the slow-burn romance, and the family-run island setting makes for sequel possibilities. Readers of historical romances by Mary Connealy and Julie Klassen will want to check out this marriage-of-convenience tale.
The Axtons and Larocks of Maine's Stony Ridge Island may as well be Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets, so deep does their unexplained feud run. But Marissa Axton and Felix Larock have always been friends. When Felix returns to the island to care for his sister, he is forced to rejoin the family lobster business.
He finds his first crush, Marissa, still unmarried and running a successful blueberry farm. When Marissa's father threatens the farm unless she marries that summer, Felix steps into a hornet's nest of family politics. Both of their fathers are angry, and Marissa's life may even be in danger from his rum-running brothers. The only cool head on the island is Victor, Marissa's Penobscot farm-hand, who tries to heal the rift at great risk to himself.
VERDICT: Hedlund ("Shanahan Match" series) excels at writing intriguing historical details without bogging down the slow-burn romance, and the family-run island setting makes for sequel possibilities. Readers of historical romances by Mary Connealy and Julie Klassen will want to check out this marriage-of-convenience tale.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A marriage of convenience + forbidden love... written by an author whose stories never fail to deliver? What more could you possibly ask for? Marissa and Felix intrigued me right from the start. She was such a great independent character who wanted to prove that she was capable of managing the family's blueberry farm, despite her father's insistence that she needed to be married to get the deed. Felix has the solution: a marriage of convenience! The problem? Their fathers' ongoing feud. I found myself drawn into their friendship, but even more so into what started this feud in the first place. The romance was swoon worthy and I loved these two together... but it was definitely all the family secrets that kept me wanting to see what was going to happen next. In the midst of all of the romance and family drama, there are also beautiful messages of faith and forgiveness that I really loved. This was the first book in a new series, and I find myself very much looking forward to getting to know all the Axton sisters in the books to come! If you enjoy Christian historical romance, don't miss this one!
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ah, this might be one of my new favorite Jody Hedlund books! A Marriage by the Sea introduces readers to the Axton and Larock families, who have a lot of baggage between them. Felix and Marissa are both relatable characters who experience real struggles that will resonate with readers. As is typical (and much appreciated) of Hedlund’s novels, the romance is oh-so swoony too. I also loved the setting; Maine is a beautiful place that I need to go back to.
I can’t wait for more in this series; I know they’ll be worth the wait! 4.5/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I can’t wait for more in this series; I know they’ll be worth the wait! 4.5/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 8, 2026
This was a lovely marriage of convenience story. I loved the setting of this one! Being by the sea and in the blueberry fields; I felt like I could envision how lovely the area was.
Felix and Marissa had experienced a lot of trauma and heartache in their lifetime. I loved that they had a connection prior to the decision of becoming man and wife. I’m glad they had a deep friendship because it made their growing love much more believable.
There were quite a bit of secrets which I didn’t love, but I understood that they had their reasons and I’m so glad that all of those secrets eventually came to light.
I feel like the ending wrapped everything up completely which may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I appreciated how every person was confronted with their wrongs. I believe this was a beautiful portrayal of forgiveness and restoration. I enjoyed reading this story!
CW: closed door (passionate kisses only), very mild innuendo, family drama/conflict.
Thank you to Revell Fiction, uplit reads, and netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Felix and Marissa had experienced a lot of trauma and heartache in their lifetime. I loved that they had a connection prior to the decision of becoming man and wife. I’m glad they had a deep friendship because it made their growing love much more believable.
There were quite a bit of secrets which I didn’t love, but I understood that they had their reasons and I’m so glad that all of those secrets eventually came to light.
I feel like the ending wrapped everything up completely which may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I appreciated how every person was confronted with their wrongs. I believe this was a beautiful portrayal of forgiveness and restoration. I enjoyed reading this story!
CW: closed door (passionate kisses only), very mild innuendo, family drama/conflict.
Thank you to Revell Fiction, uplit reads, and netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews