4/5
Convenience
This is David and Elena's story. When he is in the war he gets hurt and meets Elena, who he has come to enjoy. When he ask her to marry him what will she say? Will it stay a marriage of convenience? Will it turn to love?
Rogues Fall First, 1
David, Lord Grayston, wakes up in a Crimean War hospital unable to move anything below his waist. Keeping him going through this ordeal is a chance meeting with Elena, a Balkan refugee who has been nursing wounded soldiers. To save her from the battlefield, David impulsively offers Elena a marriage-of-convenience. He promptly weds her, and then leaves her in England while seeking treatment abroad for his condition
After a challenging recovery, David returns to see if they can have a true marriage. Yet he finds Elena is not the woman he left behind; she has forged a life in London despite being an outsider. Although Elena’s experiences of war have left her untrusting of men, the two eventually give in to an intense attraction. When the past returns to haunt Elena, they find that their marriage may have grown far beyond a marriage-of-convenience, if only Elena can let him in.
Excerpt:
“Does the crowd bother you?” she asked, hoping to deflect his concern.
“In this case, they are far enough away. I despise being jostled between people, so I am trying to avoid spaces where people are packed close around me. Here, I’m close to the only person I want to be near.”
She bit back a grin and shook her head, recalling one of the expressions he had used when they first met. “Silver tongue,” she muttered.
“It’s gotten me this far, hasn’t it?”
At that moment, she heard several instruments playing at once, and she looked inquiringly at David, who gave her an enigmatic look and turned forward.
As the musicians began to play, Elena felt every chord resonating throughout her being, as if the tempo created by the strings was a heartbeat that ebbed and flowed through her. She had never heard anyone or anything play like this before, in perfect harmony and accordance. It made her want to cry for the sheer beauty of it, for the soaring high notes that made her feel as she had that night with David, as if she were more attuned to the world, like she was hearing music or feeling pleasure in a new, more wondrous way. She was struck by what this form of art offered: a feeling of being alive brought on by the fleeting nature of beauty, which was sad in its brevity but joyous for having been at all. For a moment, she wished she could live like that, appreciating life in the moment, without her head and heart stuck in the past. But the past had made her, shaped her into who she was. How could she completely forget it? Just then, the music ended, and she felt a sudden inexplicable loss, but then the red and gold curtain rose. A specular forest scene was laid before her, and she noted that Irene had not exaggerated the merits of the scenery. A man entered in an elaborate costume and began to sing. Elena was caught off guard by the beauty of his voice, and she felt tears start to well up, not quite spilling over. During the scene, in which a giant serpent appeared to attack the man, Elena was so enraptured that she did not realize that David had taken her gloved hand. She looked up and found him watching her, and she smiled, again unable to express in words everything she was feeling.
“What are they saying?” she mouthed to him. He leaned over so his lips were almost kissing her ear, his breath a caress, as Elena kept her eyes on the stage.
“Tamino, the prince, has just seen a portrait of the Queen of Night’s daughter and lost his heart to her. He is saying…” David paused momentarily as if he had to think it through. “This image is enchantingly lovely. Like no eye has ever beheld. I feel it as this divine picture fills my heart with new emotion.”
Elena felt as if every inch of her exposed flesh was a canvas of sensation, the notes and his words curling softly against her bare skin. She was acutely aware of every touch, every caress of his voice against her ear. She felt her chest rise and fall as she inhaled and exhaled slowly.
He went on. “I cannot name my feeling, though I feel it burn like fire within me.” He paused again, and Elena felt her body will him to go on. “Could this feeling be love?” He waited so long that she wasn’t sure he would continue, but then she heard him go on. “Yes…yes, it is love alone.”
The intensity of his words and the way he said them against her skin both thrilled and alarmed her. She pulled back and looked up at him, mesmerized but apprehensive of what she would see there. His eyes looked almost black in the dark, full of fire and barely repressed passion. He was staring at her lips, and she heard him draw a ragged breath. Elena was filled with an all-consuming desire to meet his lips, to give in to the passion he had stoked in her through his words and through the music. It was as if it was just the two of them, wrapped up in this moment, in the beautiful, sensual haze of this faraway forest. However, the song ended, and she was suddenly reminded that they were in a room of hundreds of other people, including the judgmental eyes of the ton. She glanced around, which seemed to break the spell that had encompassed the two of them. David looked back to the stage but did not release her hand. Elena turned her attention back to the music, but despite its beauty, it did not distract her from the words she felt were now written across her skin.
While David translated a few more arias for her, he had been correct that she would understand the music without knowing the language. As they walked out at the end of the evening, she felt as though she were floating on air.
“You see now why I was so excited?” Irene hadn’t stopped beaming since they had left their box.
“I wish we could do that every night.” Elena linked her arm with Irene’s. “Though…I suppose if we went to the opera every night, we might not appreciate quite so much.”
“I would,” Irene insisted.
“Only you, Renie. The rest of us might grow a little weary of the same thing night after night.” David rolled his eyes indulgently at his sister, and Elena felt a pang in the region of her heart. How she missed the teasing and comradery of her sisters. She wished she could tell them about the opera, but she struggled to think of how to explain it.
As they sat in the carriage, Elena did something she had never done before and set her head on her husband’s shoulder. She did not know what moved her to do so, but after he whispered those words, she felt a new closeness to him she hadn’t felt before, as if she were compelled just to be near him, to physically touch him. Leaning further against his broad chest, she heard his heart speed up, then gradually ease back to a steady beat. That was an apt description of the man sitting next to her, steady. For all his charm and silver tongue, he was solid and real, and part of her wanted to reach out and grab onto him and never let go. And yet, the other part of her cautioned not to grow too attached to anyone, that her life could be ripped apart again in a moment. But, oh, how she wanted to silence that side of herself as she was lulled to sleep by the steadiness of his heartbeat.
- Series:
- /series-rogues-fall-first/
Product Reviews
4/5
Was this a marriage of convenience or not really?
This was a great first book from this author. I enjoyed it tremendously. I liked that the author depicted war and death so truthfully and did not shy away from it. Elena's past makes her who she is, a strong independent woman who wants to stand on her own. I liked the chemistry between the two. A great story of second chances and learning to trust again. I recommend this book to all historical romance readers.
5/5
Simply put, this is a fantastic historical romance
I’m going to keep this simple: The Baron Takes a Wife is fantastic. For a first book by an author, it’s even more impressive. It’s got a rich, luscious, realistic tone at its start that moves into an aching romanticism. It’s a marriage-of-convenience romance that just gleams. Both Elena and David have been physically and mentally damaged by the Crimean War. For David, the physical impact is more severe; for Elena, it’s the trauma and guilt that impact her the most. She assists in caring for David, and he fears for her safety when he is about to be invalided out of Crimea, so he offers an impulsive marriage proposal. How this turns into the best thing that could have happened to either of them is the heart of The Baron Takes a Wife. David is a dream book boyfriend, always wanting the best for Elena even if that wouldn’t be the best thing for him. Elena has the more challenging scenario, as she carries multiple layers of guilt that are trapping her in a stasis loop of her own making. Seeing David and Elena find their path forward reminded me of all the reasons I love romances in the first place. The secondary characters are also richly delineated, and several of them take paths that I didn’t expect. I particularly loved that a dog had his own plot arc! There is a special feeling in discovering a new author at the start of a career that looks to hold so much promise. Anna Valleria is that for me. I can’t wait to see what she does next with this series and with her writing!
5/5
A great first book by this author
Historical romance, with more of a focus on history, building a relationship, dealing with PTSD, the impacts of war, recovery from trauama, different cultures and society. David and Elena are both damaged, mentally and physically from their past experiences. Their story is a slow burn in that it takes sometime before there is any intimacy between the David and Elena, however it fits with the way their story develops and those scenes are steamy once they get there. I liked how David was just a nice guy, caring and understanding, he knew that Elena was the one he wanted, but made it clear to her that he would take things at her pace and how their relationship developed (or even ended) would be be her choice. It made a nice change from all the Alpha holes I usually read (not that there is anything wrong with those fictional characters either). I also really enjoyed all the side characters, they had such depth to them too, and were integral parts of the story and I loved the dog, Goliath. I can't wait to read the next book Anna Valleria writes.
4/5
A slow burning love growing from the ashes of trauma and mistrust...
Thanks to BookSprout for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion... This is a new to me author, and this is a differing culture/social status, slow burn romance, with themes of war, and trauma as well, in the background of the Crimean War. David, Lord Grayston, is a young man who felt that his existence as a rake and fribble in London Society was empty and in the desire to do more and seek a greater purpose, he joined the military to do his part in the Crimean War. He ends up wounded and waking up in a hospital, unable to walk. His saving grace was a friendship he develops with a woman helping in the hospital that he feels very drawn to, Elena, enthralled by her warmth, and care. His injuries are serious enough, with the loss of his ability to walk, to be sent back to England. Before this happens, he offers to marry Elena and bring her to England, as she has lost her family when her village was invaded by the Russians, and she faces an uncertain future, especially as she planned on following her mentor to the front, to continue to provide aide to the wounded. Elena has suffered trauma herself, after leaving her village, including assault, abuse, as well as mourning her family. She was impoverished, and suffering when she was found by her mentor, given food, shelter, and a purpose in life by nursing and aiding the wounded, and was willing to follow her mentor to the front lines. But that changes when she is encouraged to wed David and travel to Britain. David is offering her safety, and stability through a marriage of convenience, as he intends to travel to seek medical help to relieve his condition and hopefully he would be able to walk again. They are separated for years while she lives in England, and he is in Bern, getting treatment. Elena learns to deal with English Society and develops new relationships with David's family, but still mourns the loss of hers. She does not fit into English high society, being both a foreigner, and of the merchant class. But she finds her place, and makes a good life for herself, helping in the hospital that was built by her mentor after the war. She still lives with a great deal of distrust and scars from her past, and hopes nothing disrupts her contentment in her current life. Except change is on the horizon, as David has overcome his injuries enough to return home. He is hopeful that he can return and his marriage to Elena can become a true marriage. David seeks to court Elena and convince her to give their marriage a real try; to overcome her past and fears, earning her trust and love, as they learn about each other, since they never really had a chance to do so before marrying. I loved the story and how it navigated the emotion and fear of both of their trauma from the war and their experiences, as well as both David and Elena's different views of Society and how they both don't fit in. David is a good man who seeks to earn her trust, and while he is hopeful of a future with her, a woman he has grown to love, he is not willing to cage or smother her, and is the opposite of what she had experienced from other men in her past. 4 stars out of 5
5/5
Captivating historical romance
The Baron Takes a Wife by Anna Valleria is a captivating historical romance that had me hooked from the start. David, Lord Grayston, and Elena, a resilient Balkan refugee, are both deeply compelling characters. David’s determination to turn a marriage of convenience into something real, despite his own struggles, is truly touching. Elena’s strength and independence make her a heroine you can’t help but admire. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the way they slowly build trust and connection feels genuine and heartfelt. This is a beautiful story about healing, love, and the power of second chances. If you love emotional, character-driven romances, this book is a must-read.
4/5
The Baron Takes a Wife!
This is a good first story in the new "Rogues Fall First" series. The story is about Elena, a Balkan refugee, and David, Lord Grayston. It is a touching story where two people meet, marry for safety and convenience and slowly become more to each other. David wakes up to an angel singing but is not sure where he is. He has been injured in the war and was in a hospital. When his angel starts talking to him he slowly realizes he can't see out of one eye and his legs will not move. Elena, the angel, helps him realize that he still has purpose and a reason to live. Elena, has her own scars from the war, to get through. She agrees to marry David for her own safety. Due to his injuries and her past a real marriage may not be possible. I really enjoyed their story and how it develops.
5/5
Great novel
This is a great novel to read the author did a great job writing this novel I really enjoyed this book
5/5
Great story
Extremely well written, full of dram, love, romance, action, society, different cultures, war , PTSD, abuse, emotions, revenge and family. David is a young man who went to war after his father's death, unable to take on both a title, a business and a sister. So he buts a commission and off to war he goes, not really thinking of what could really happen. The next thing hr remembers is a battle, a bang and then nothing. As he wakes up , he hears some humming and what he considers an angel before him. Elena is at the hospital visiting and helping all she can. She returns to visit him and offers to help her learn her English better. As his time ends in the hospital and he is to be sent home, he asks her to marry him. She agrees and together they return to England and his home. It's a different kind of life that she doesn't know. Years pass and then she feels it's time to have more. David is glad and has already fallen in love with her. Between the two of them, there is lots of action, danger and adventure. Would recommend to others.
5/5
Heartwarming story--historical romance written so well
The marriage is a excellently written marriage of convenience that turns into true love as the have the challenges that face them during a war time. It is written so wonderfully and is just a truly wonderful book --love this author--glad to have discovered her.
