A Perilous Marriage

Marriage by Necessity #1

by Ruth Ann Nordin

Mr. Charles Duff was there when his friend married Miss Eris Tumilson. He was also there a couple of days later when his friend was buried.

The newly widowed Duchess of Jowett has been found innocent of any crime, but Charles is convinced she poisoned his friend on her wedding night. The constable, however, doesn’t believe him.

It’s up to Charles to prove Eris did it, but there’s only one way he’s going to get close enough to her to find out the truth.

He’ll need to convince her that he’s fallen in love with her. It’s a dangerous gamble. He’ll need to keep his wits about him at all times. He can’t afford to trust her. Because if he does anything as foolish as fall for her charms, he might very well be the next one to be buried.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Regency Romance, Fiction

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2021

About the author

What's to say? I write a lot. I read often. I sleep little. Once in awhile, I've been known to clean the house. A number of kids live in my house and there's this guy they call dad and I call husband. All in all, it's a pretty good life. :-)

Reviews

[Auj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why, but her books are comfort reads for me. I got this as a freebie, and since I had read and enjoyed her books before, I chose to read it first when I was looking for a book in my Kindle library to read at the gym.

God, I can't imagine still being a virgin at 35. That age is a realistic age to marry nowadays, but Eris would have been so on the shelf, a spinster, back then.

The mystery of whether Duke Jonathan Jowett died of natural causes or not was good. No one would have guessed the murderer because he was never introduced, lol.

I found the end a tad abrupt and ironically, wanted Eris to find out that Charles only married her to prove that she killed his friend & have there being a third-act breakup and a lot of groveling. That's a "secret" that I think he should have confessed to her to be fully transparent. Even though it won't make him look good, if she truly loves him, she'll forgive him. I needed a scene where they brought Lord Hemmington to the constable, and the constable apologized for being wrong. Also, what consequences were LH going to face?

If I wasn't on a book buying/adding ban, I would add Reina's story, The Cursed Earl, to my tbr.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed truth and groveling

[Lady Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately, average. I might give it another chance one day, but as a first-time read, I was a bit put off by how long Charles insisted on being suspicious of Eris. It just made their relationship--particularly their first time together--feel ingenuine, and therefore a bit hard to support.

Ah well, will try again someday, promise!

[Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet with a touch of spice

This was a fun, cute read. The plot wasn’t terribly complicated, but it was enjoyable in its simplicity. The hero believes his best friend has been murdered. He thinks the culprit is his widow, a woman who was married to the bestie for one day. In order to get close to her and try to prove her guilt, he marries her.

Unfortunately, the more he gets to know her, the more he falls for her, and the more he becomes attached to her, physically as well as emotionally.

I absolutely loved the fact that this was dual virgins. Even tho the heroine had been married for a day, the marriage wasn’t consummated, so she is able to give the hero the gift of claiming her innocence for himself.

My two complaints—and the reason I’m not giving this 5 stars—is that there was condom use in their first two love scenes and no pregnancy. Granted, the hero DIDNT trust the heroine, and thought she was a murderer, so the barrier made sense. And subsequent lovemaking was without it. However I was disappointed that there isn’t an epilogue and no babies.

Safe. Dual virgins. No others (other than dead husband of h) and no cheating or abuse. HEA but no epilogue.

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't finished yet, but it is rare for me to want to slap the "hero" of the book silly while I'm reading a novel and yet, I really do. He's a Bleeping idiot.

After finishing

With no proof, he decided that his friend's wife of one day killed him and then marries her to prove it. What an idiot. Then, when he decides that she wasn't guilty it must be her brother. My mind boggles.

This was unusual in that it was all written from the male perspective. It is just too bad that it was written from a stupid male perspective. I also wondered if he might not be a little bit in love with Jonathan, his friend that died.

I didn't really enjoy it, the "hero" chopped and changed his opinions with the wind. Glad it is over, not interested in reading more of this author.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles- Trying to figure out who killed his best friend, he suspects the now widow so he marries her.
Eris- newly widow to a duke who died on their wedding night before they had a chance to "celebrate"

This was an enjoyable story that read like a murder mystery. There was little character depth to Eris, this was mostly about Charles and his love for his best friend that died and trying to find out who murdered him. Very little about the couple and how they grew together and developed a relationship. I am unlike others just because a story has sex in it and both coupes may have enjoyed it, that is not romance or love it may enhance a relationship but that is it. Another pet-peave of the story this was a DUKE that was killed why not suspect the heir to the title but that person was never really mentioned. The story itself was good if one didn't expect it to be a historical romance. The murder was solved hopefully they have a HEA.

[Marcy Barth · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok

I was surprised he kept the reason he pursued her to himself and that it didn’t come out somehow. Not sure I liked that part. I kept thinking he’d slip up and let it out but his deceit stay through the end. I’m not sure when his feelings truly changed from believing she was a killer to love. I guess those points could have been done a lot differently. Just don’t like the fact his lies are still between them. Not sure I’d recommend this one. It left me feelings torn and dissatisfied.

[Christina grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Moral of the story: build a relationship based on nothing but lies and things will still work out in your favour

[Jeanie V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Eris but Charles was infuriating!!! I couldn’t handle his deception and mistrust! All I know was that he loved Jonathan. Forget Eris, forget his cousin Reina, his parents, family… Jonathan was it.

I would have liked Charles to “pay” for his actions, I mean, if I were Eris and found out what he’d done I’d make him grovel for forgiveness. None of that, sadly.

Another reviewer said they needed truth & groveling and I am mirroring that statement.

[Kavitha · Rating 1 out of 5]

-10 if I have to rate. Charley was the worst guy. According to him, the important thing is he was wrong about her. He kept till end and she kept believing his lies. No love actions from both just empty words. Lying to his wife and family is Charles part time job.

[Domi Nika · Rating 2 out of 5]

8Omg, I loved the fist half of the book...🥹

Buuuuuuuuuuut.🙄🫣😮‍💨

The main hero was CRAZY! It was funny, but after a while...it was not. 😮‍💨😪😭

He just lost his BF. His friend died after his own weeding...even before wedding night and gggggg. 🤔

He was like " He was too young to die for heart attack!"🤔

And... "His wife killed him! She was not sad at his funeral..."🙄🙄🙄🙄

Cause she saw him TWICE. Why should she be? She liked him as a person, but didn't know him as a husband. 😔

But she was the last one seeing him alive...🤔

So...🤔

Main H is always like "when I have a plan, it is a slow process blah blah blah..."🙄

But that she is a killer? Yeah, he knew like this...🤌

So he started to be nice to her, had a goal...He wanted to marry her, move into her home (And his BF bedroom) find evidence of her murder and...that's it. 😀

He didn't even think about that she CAN BE INNOCENT. 😇

So, he started to be nice, let her befriend his cousin - even when he was a little bit afraid that she can kill her...🤫

But just a little.

Main h was nice. I understand her quick "Fall in love" with him. She wanted children, but already was 35 years old. 😮‍💨

She had to mourn her husband for a year...🙄

Rules of TON etc...🙄

So when came his wild proposition of quick marriage...she was like LET'S DO IT!🤗

And even when she would never dare to do it, she was like " I live only ONCE! I WANT TO BE HAPPY!"

👏👏👏👏

So she married him. And fun could begin! Firstly, he never drank something she offered. He installed locks in his bedroom...🤫

Was afraid she will kill him anytime! 🫣🫣🫣🫣

But...ya know, she was atrractive...He needed to boom boom chicka chicka with her- so she would believe that he is REAL HUSBAND.👍

So he did.

Multiple times...🫣

Well, he started to think less and less about her being killer.😲

But when her brother came to "meet" her husband, he was like "Noooooooo, he is the killer!" 🫨🫨🫨🫨

Why? He was poor runner.

1. Solved crimes - knew how to clean after himself.🫨🫨🫨🫨
2. After a murder of her husband, he can always go to his sister for money....🤑🤑🤑🤑


It was PERFECT! EVERYTHING MADE SENCE!

Yeah, whatever 🫠

And her brother? He was like "I don't believe him. I don't believe that he truly loves you. These locks? He is lying..."🤥

But she was like "Never!"🙄

And he was like "Maybe he KILLED your husband...I will find out more!"

Gggggg.

Well, in the end, it realy was a murder. But did it some rich lord who lost with his BF in cards...🃏

Didn't want to give him his money....

So he killed him.

I was expecting some...closure. 🤧

Like that he will tell her "he didn't love her when he married her" And she would be angry, litlle bit of feminism to the story...🤯

But NOOOOOOO.😭😭😭😭

She never found out.😭😭😭😭

Everything was perfect...😭😭😭😭

Because it is normal to love widow of your dead BF and sleep in his chamber and home...🥺

Yeah, not weird at all.... 🙄

[Lady Bea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm still trying to understand how MMC (a total idiot by the way) came to the "brilliant" conclusion that it was FMC who killed her husband! He just knew it was her and that was it. Example: "Well, he knew better. She was a murderer, and he was going to prove it."
I couldn't stand his thoughts accusing the fmc of being a murderer and her thoughts of "oh, poor me, I wasn't married even 24 hours" to immediately think "I'm being an idiot, poor Jonathan, after all he was the one who died!"
So the MMC thinks that it was the FMC's brother, who is a runner, who killed his friend! After that I skipped several pages just to see who the killer was and why. And it wasn't even worth it!
I don't know whether to put it on the "read" shelf or the DNF shelf! Not even the fact that he was a virgin helped!

[A.P. Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Ruth Ann Nordin book that I've read, and I wasn't disappointed. I actually went and bought some more of her books after I finished.

For a novella, it has a complex plot that was enjoyable to read. I would have also loved it if the story was longer so we could get to know all the characters better, but the reader is given enough information for the length.

There is a bit of a mystery as the main female character is widowed on her wedding night. This is a horrible thing to happen. The main male character is the dead groom's best friend, who decides to solve the murder mystery. Unfortunately, the first person he suspects is the widow.

As I got this book for free (its regular price seems to be $1.35) and I enjoyed it very much. Ruth prices her books very fairly as the average price is about $4 and, for me at least, it is worth the money.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing.
The historical accuracy did not exist. As it referenced White’s Gentleman’s Club, we can assume it is set in Regency England. However, social mores, class structure and names were not appropriate.
The story itself was maddening. The male protagonist, believing the widow murdered his best friend, marries her in order to find the evidence. He eventually changes his mind and decides it is someone else but never rectifies the situation. Of course he has fallen deeply in love with her in the meantime but it is still a relationship based upon a lie.
Lastly, the pace of the writing is wrong. There is a fast, breathiness to it, that is at times a little stilted. Not what is needed for a historical romance.

[Alejandra Guerrero · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to rate this. The story is cute, feels a little like a RomCom, and I liked that. But it might have been better to have it set in a different time period. There were a lot of anachronistic things happening, and at times the dialogues sounded modern. He flips a million switches along the story and changes his mind more often than he changes clothes. One moment he thinks she's a murderer, the next he's absolutely positive she is innocent. He never tells her the truth about why he married her. They drink tea all the time, as if that's all British people drink; it felt like a caricature, which kinda bothered me. And, finally, most of the dialogues felt stiff and artificial, some were kinda cringey.

[Christiane Robillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original & Suspenseful

Enjoyed this story. It seemed a bit far-fetched at times but the storyline was original. Charles, the main male character, is convinced his friend was murdered by his wife (with only the flimsiest proof). Then he believes it was her brother. Only to discover it was someone else all along. You kinda have to believe the fellow was a bit crazy with grief! But by this time he’s married to his friend’s widow in order to
prove her guilt. How crazy is that! In fact, it was pretty funny. So all in all it was very entertaining and the intrigue lasted to the end. A fun read.

[Starry · Rating 1 out of 5]

what a bastard

A few words about Charles…

Disgusting.
Deceptive.
Cowardly.

I feel sick for Eris that she lost her Maidenhead to a man who felt so much contempt for her at the time. His duplicity took her choices away and at the end of the book he was too cowardly to admit it.

If you like gentlemanly heroes (even if they are rakes) this is not the book for you.

That he ultimately fell for Eris is not a redeeming feature because he most certainly does not deserve her.


Oh and the sex scenes are duds.

[Athena Stamelou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read

This was a actually a fun read. Light without much unnecessary drama. The characters were wery vell fleshed out, although Eris was a bit too naive for my liking. I did enjoy every interaction, however. The story flew fast. It's definitely a page turner since I finished it in only one afternoon.

[Gail Krisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

His best friend dies.

The hero best friend dies. First he is sure his friends new wife killed him. He convinces her to marry him to prove she killed his best friend. But he falls in love with her. He has to find the real kill before the killer kills again.

[William E.Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eris and Charles

This was a very good book and it kept my interest till the very end. This was a love story between Eris and Charles. Charles was trying to find out who murdered his friend and Eris 's first husband.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Love of a Duke

Well this story is about the death of a Duke, his widow of one day, his best friend who thinks everyone is involved, her brother who is investigating his death. Read and enjoy the story.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (3/6/2023)! 🎁

[Robin L · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was stale and cold. I did manage to get through it so it gets two stars instead of one.

[PollyAnna Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

HEA

Happily ever after. One can never go wrong with a book that ends with a Happily ever after. While a little more editing could help this story, it's still a good, enjoyable read.

[Jas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m so angry.

Where’s the apology? Where’s the groveling?

It was such a cop out because it’s too hard to find a believable way for Erie to forgive him.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understandably gripping story of unearthing an unknown and unrevealed mystery by gaining an unexpected life of love and remembrance!

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just not for me. I did not like the guy and using the main girl. I just was not a fan of the story.

[nutella_eats_merenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

DENIAL IS A RIVER IN EGYPT• YOUR HUSBAND IS GA-

dude… come on