Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Bride of a Distant Isle: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Bride of a Distant Isle: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Bride of a Distant Isle: A Novel
    Ebook398 pages6 hours

    Bride of a Distant Isle: A Novel

    By Sandra Byrd

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    An unforgettable romance set in Victorian England, Bride of A Distant Isle is the engrossing story of Annabel Ashton, who fights to save her family home and her mother's honor while trying to figure out if the man she loves wants her—or just wants to use her to achieve his own ambitions.

    Miss Annabel Ashton is a teacher at the Rogers School for Young Ladies in Winchester when she takes a brief visit to her family home, Highcliffe Hall at Milford-on-Sea. She believes her stay will be short but soon learns that she will not be returning to the safety of the school. Instead, she remains at Highcliffe, at the mercy of her cousin, Edward Everedge.

    Annabel protests, but as the illegitimate daughter of a woman who died in an insane asylum, she has little say. Edward is running out of money and puts the house up for sale to avoid financial ruin. He insists that Annabel marry, promising her to a sinister, frightening man. But as the house gets packed for sale, it begins to reveal disquieting secrets. Jewelry, artifacts, and portraits mysteriously appear, suggesting that Annabel may be the true heir of Highcliffe.

    She has only a few months to prove her legitimacy, perhaps with assistance from the handsome but troubled Maltese Captain Dell’Acqua. But does he have Annabel’s best interests at heart?

    And then, a final, most ominous barrier to both her inheritance and her existence appears: a situation neither she nor anyone else could have expected. Will Annabel regain her life and property—and trust her heart—before it’s too late?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHoward Books
    Release dateMar 22, 2016
    ISBN9781476717913
    Unavailable
    Bride of a Distant Isle: A Novel

    Read more from Sandra Byrd

    Related to Bride of a Distant Isle

    Related ebooks

    Christian Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      I Ran Away From Home At 60!

      Feb 20, 2024

      Three decades ago, I celebrated my 30th birthday in the time-honoured tradition of all young people who think they are an adult but have no real idea about life, duty or personal responsibility – I got smashed. In fairness, I had quite a lot to get s

      4 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      Mar 1, 2022

      I met the Bishop on the roadand much said he—same old porridgeI heard as a child, my little bodya “foul sty.” “Love has pitched his mansion.” MaybeLove pitched her silken tent.Love has raised its dwelling inthe place of reproduction, which can be fit

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Face I’ll Never Forget

      Jun 25, 2022

      The Face I’ll Never Forget
      3 min read

    • Article

      Tomorrows

      Mar 15, 2022

      The night, as most nights, was like a dream. At ten, once I’d fed the dog the last scraps off the stove. Once I’d cursed the cat for scratching up my mama’s antique furniture, then welcomed him back into my arms. Once I’d slicked my hair into a ponyt

      26 min read

    • Article

      Little House

      Jun 5, 2023

      On Monday nights our mother made popcorn and served it to us in mugs with milk poured over. My younger sister and I carried our mugs into the family room and ate the popcorn with spoons, like cereal. We were five and seven. Until we were allowed to s

      21 min read

    • Article

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Southern Christmas

      Nov 1, 2023

      A Southern Christmas
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Art of Fiction No. 251

      Mar 15, 2022

      The Art of Fiction No. 251
      20 min read

    • Article

      Dear Frankie

      Jun 6, 2021

      Dear Frankie
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Shortest Day

      Oct 13, 2017

      The Shortest Day
      10 min read

    • Article

      Only a Fragrance

      Sep 1, 2022

      Only a Fragrance
      3 min read

    • Article

      Yuletide Reading

      Sep 24, 2020

      Many classic novels and short stories contains Christmas scenes-merry or otherwise. Can you indentify the works from which these holiday passages are excerpted? 1 “Merry Christmas, little daughters! I’m glad you began at once, and hope you will keep

      3 min read

    • Article

      Not Quite The LAST STRAW

      Dec 6, 2023

      Not Quite The LAST STRAW
      6 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Aug 9, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mrs. Robinson

      Dec 10, 2022

      “Do you think she will like me?” The question slipped from between my lips and hung suspended in the air. My gloved hands were in my lap, and I was wringing them. As the carriage conveyed us and we neared my new husband’s ancestral home, Ashby Hall,

      20 min read

    • Article

      TWO ESSAYS from FINGER EXERCISES FOR POETS

      Nov 1, 2022

      Russian Formalists have a word, “ostranenie,” which means constantly attempting to discover new ways of looking at everyday things. There are almost always two realities rubbing up against one another in every poem, whether they are specified or not,

      10 min read

    • Article

      Mum's The Word

      Apr 20, 2022

      Mum's The Word
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Man I Should Have Married

      Dec 29, 2019

      The Man I Should Have Married
      11 min read

    • Article

      Housewarming

      Dec 1, 2022

      DENNIS MCFARLAND’S most recent novel is Nostalgia. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Short Stories, and the Scholar, among other places. When Kevin arrived at the top floor and stepped into a long dark hallway, he couldn’t re

      21 min read

    • Article

      The BRACELET

      Jan 30, 2024

      The BRACELET
      6 min read

    Reviews for Bride of a Distant Isle

    4.5/5

    30 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Well written, deep story lines and interesting characters.
    • 3/5
      The beginning of the book was chaotic, that got better along the way. But I lost interest after 200 pages, because the same thing kept happening under slightly different circumstances.
    • 4/5
      Gothically delicious! Yes it’s a thing — when it involves an historical novel by Sandra Byrd. I found the audibook of Bride of A Distant Isle to be unturnoffable! This novel has it all — a determined heroine who rises above her circumstances and faces danger steadily, a mysterious and exotic love interest, appearing and disappearing personal items, and some very dastardly villains and creepy lechers. I was soon swept up in the plight of Annabel Ashton as she seeks to uncover the truth about her mother, while dodging marriage arrangements. The setting is all Victorian England with some nods to Malta. I promise you will be caught up in the narrative wondering how a happily-ever-after can ever be pulled off. Kudos to Byrd for a wonderful story!Recommended.Audience: adults.(I borrowed the audiobook from Libby through my local library. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
    • 5/5
      I am always excited to get one of Sandra Byrd's novels. Bride of a Distant Shore is no exception. The second in the Daughters of Hampshire series. In Victorian England, Annabel Ashton is called back to the home of her cousin Edward, Highcliffe. He has run out of money and wants to sell the family home and can not continue to pay for Annabel to stay at the Rogers Day School for Young Women, where she is a teacher.The family has always claimed that Annabel was illegitimate, supposedly the daughter of a man from Malta and because of this she is unable to inherit. Annabel does not believe this and she starts on a mission to clear supposed her illegitimacy and clear the name of her mother who died in an insane asylum put there by her family because they claimed she was insane. Now her cousin Edward wants her to marry and finds a man who Annabel does not like but who would line Edwards coffers. As time goes on secrets come to the surface and Annabel makes the acquaintance of Maltese Captain Dell'Acqua. There is an immediate attraction between them. Can Annabel right the wrongs that have been done to her mother and her good name? I sure do hope so!! But you have to read the book to find out.Like I said before, I have always loved Sandra Byrd's work, from her Tudor stories to this series. Her research is impeccable, her writing understandable, the pacing fast, exciting and sometimes creepy. This is a mystery as well as a romance so you get a bit of both! You certainly can not go wrong with this wonderful author! I look forward to the next in the series, A Lady in Disguise, publishing in 2017.
    • 4/5
      I’d heard many good things about Mist of Midnight, the last novel in the Daughters of Hampshire series when I requested this one. I decided to read the prequel first, although it was not really necessary as they are both standalone books and there is no connection in terms of the characters.
      I’m more used to Regencies then Victorian gothic thrillers cum Romance, but Mrs Byrd’s series would appeal to all fans of historical fiction set at this time I believe. The setting was immersive, and the story kept my attention pretty much from the outset.
      There have been other stories exploring madness and the treatment of those considered mad in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, but I think this one was one of the best. The subject matter was treated sensitively, and was realistic in the context of the tension between the family members. In a way, even the audience and the protagonist aren’t sure if everything was as should have been.

      There were similarities between this and the last book, as it has an English heroine with a rather exotic background. In this case she is half Maltese, believing herself to have been the illegitimate product of an affair between and English gentlewoman and a Maltese soldier. Annabel is strong and intelligent, although a little vulnerable, and the details about Maltese culture and customs are well researched and well incorporated into the story. There was also an interesting twist with her being Catholic- and unusual and perhaps daring step in Christian Fiction. It was necessary to make a lot of the detail work, and was never really an issue with me.

      There’s and handsome dashing hero who may or may not have honourable intentions (like last time), and a suitably awful antagonist, plenty of mystery and intrigue with original twists and turns and a satisfying conclusion. In a way, it gives seasoned historical romance readers all they would want, without so much of the mushiness and cheesiness one gets in some novels. As last time, I did notice a few Americanisms which stood out, but apart from that, no major complaints. I only wish international reviewers like me could get print copies of books like this more easily.

      I received an electronic version of this title from Howard Books for the purposes of review. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.
    • 4/5
      Title: Bride of a Distant Isle (Daughters of Hampshire #2)Author: Sandra ByrdPages: 384Year: 2016Publisher: HowardAnnabel Ashton is a 24-year-old teacher called home to take a trip to London with her cousin and his wife to view the World Exhibition put on by King Albert. Well, it isn’t her home, but her cousin Edward’s as he never lets her forget. He treats her as a servant sometimes or says harsh things to her, but Annabel tries to see the good in him as if he were a brother. Annabel has been told all her life that she was born out of wedlock, her father was unknown and that her mother died in an insane asylum. She has never felt she belonged anywhere as people looked down on her due to the circumstances of her birth as well as her mother’s insanity. She is also Catholic when most everyone else in England isn’t, which causes some friction. She thinks her trip is only for a couple of weeks and then she will return to school to teach, but she quickly learns that her cousin has other plans for her. Annabel, however, has taken a liking to Marco Dell’Acqua, a sea captain from Malta who is visiting her cousin in the hopes of establishing some business arrangements with him. These business dealings could save the family home as Edward will be forced to sell if things fall through with the captain. Her cousin has someone else in mind for Annabel, one who would take Annabel to satisfy debts her cousin owed.As she spends time at home, she begins to find various things that belonged to her mother among her own possessions that lead her to believe maybe her mother wasn’t so crazy and that a big secret is being hidden. As she tries to find proof, she begins to have irrational thoughts and her greatest fear of her own sanity comes into play. She soon is trapped into an untenable situation that could be her end.I thought this story very intriguing with a bit of a gothic feel, but not too much. There were definitely sinister characters as well as romance, deception, mystery and jealousy. I applaud the ingenious method used to cause Annabel to have irrational thoughts. I didn’t like how things were resolved with Clementine as I felt Annabel was too generous toward her. Captain Dell’Acqua was a charmer for sure! I look forward to the next offering from this author.My rating is 4 stars.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
    • 5/5
      Tuesday, March 22, 2016Bride of a Distant Isle by Sandra Byrd, © 2016Daughters of Hampshire, Book TwoAlla fine andrà tutto bene se non andrà bene, non e le fine.All will be well in the end; if it's not well, then it's not the end.An Absolute Ten!My review:I am thrilled to have received Bride of a Distant Isle ~ I have read several of author Sandra Byrd's historicals and looked forward to reading book 2 in the Daughters of Hampshire series. So excellent, I began reading until the wee hours of the morning.The story takes place from May to December 1851, with an Epilogue three years later. I love writings that you can envision and draw you in from the beginning. Thus, is so as Annabel Ashton prepares to leave Highcliffe Hall at Milford on Sea with her cousin, Edward Everedge, and his wife, Clementine, repairing to London to attend the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park.Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all NationsHoping to meet with other investors, Edward greatly anticipated the outcome of having funds to retain Highcliffe, as heir to the country house. Annabel is looking forward to returning to her teaching position at the Rogers Day School for Young Ladies in Winchester following the remainder of the summer season."A lifetime has unraveled and then been re-knit since I'd left Winchester seven months earlier, hoping for a quiet life as a teacher. I had learnt who I was, and that I was beloved, and that I could chance risk and prevail."Annabel ~ Bride of a Distant Isle, 359Today is release day and you are in for a treat!As much as I have enjoyed author Sandra Byrd's other historical fictions ~ I will have to say this was most *i*n*t*r*i*g*u*i*n*g. Pulling in the happenings of the time period, this story was magnificently written. Flawlessly crafted, riveting throughout.***Thank you to author Sandra Byrd and to Howard Books for sending me a review copy of Bride of a Distant Isle. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
    • 5/5
      Once I became totally involved in this book, there seems to be non-stop moments of terror or intrigue, what is going on? Annabel Ashton has grown up an orphan, but with family, that is, her mother’s sister and her family. A constant companion at their estate was her cousin Edward, and now seems to be at his mercy.Annabel is Catholic and at this time period the papists have to more or less hid underground, England is Anglican. Her cousin is interested in money and his right to own the family home Highcliffe, and their may be proof that this all belongs to Annabel.We watch, as Edward and his wife seem to go to all lengths to claim the heritage, including committing Annabel to a mental hospital. They try to marry her off to a very distasteful man; they also use her to get information.If you enjoy a story that is full of action, seems there is never a dull moment, and a bit of romance thrown in, but even then we don’t know for sure, if it true or some other form of the evil that seems to follow Annabel.I wondered if I would like this book from the first, but I loved it, it is full of history, and really keeps your attention.I received this book through Howard Books Blogger Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
    • 4/5
      Title: Bride of a Distant Isle (Daughters of Hampshire #2)Author: Sandra ByrdPages: 384Year: 2016Publisher: HowardAnnabel Ashton is a 24-year-old teacher called home to take a trip to London with her cousin and his wife to view the World Exhibition put on by King Albert. Well, it isn’t her home, but her cousin Edward’s as he never lets her forget. He treats her as a servant sometimes or says harsh things to her, but Annabel tries to see the good in him as if he were a brother. Annabel has been told all her life that she was born out of wedlock, her father was unknown and that her mother died in an insane asylum. She has never felt she belonged anywhere as people looked down on her due to the circumstances of her birth as well as her mother’s insanity. She is also Catholic when most everyone else in England isn’t, which causes some friction. She thinks her trip is only for a couple of weeks and then she will return to school to teach, but she quickly learns that her cousin has other plans for her. Annabel, however, has taken a liking to Marco Dell’Acqua, a sea captain from Malta who is visiting her cousin in the hopes of establishing some business arrangements with him. These business dealings could save the family home as Edward will be forced to sell if things fall through with the captain. Her cousin has someone else in mind for Annabel, one who would take Annabel to satisfy debts her cousin owed.As she spends time at home, she begins to find various things that belonged to her mother among her own possessions that lead her to believe maybe her mother wasn’t so crazy and that a big secret is being hidden. As she tries to find proof, she begins to have irrational thoughts and her greatest fear of her own sanity comes into play. She soon is trapped into an untenable situation that could be her end.I thought this story very intriguing with a bit of a gothic feel, but not too much. There were definitely sinister characters as well as romance, deception, mystery and jealousy. I applaud the ingenious method used to cause Annabel to have irrational thoughts. I didn’t like how things were resolved with Clementine as I felt Annabel was too generous toward her. Captain Dell’Acqua was a charmer for sure! I look forward to the next offering from this author.My rating is 4 stars.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”