The author was careful to lead the reader down the road of this blindness being hereditary and she also has a non-neurotypical brother.
Beth married a childhood friend to escape debt and a predator. Then her husband left for a life of debauchery until his brother dies and leaves him with the estate. He doesn't feel like he deserves the title as he is illegitimate (someone needed to point out to him that the only parent anyone at the time could really prove was the mother). She still fears her predator, who wants her lands and her innocence and also fears passing on the blindness.
It does have a solid dose of crazy-sauce (Blindness! Illegitimacy! Drug Addiction! Predator older man!) it read well and it was interesting. I had fun reading it and it kept my interest. I got where a lot of the characters were coming from and felt that the growth in the relationship was well done. ( )

This book combines two of my all-time favorite tropes: childhood friends-to-lovers and marriage of convenience ~ and boy does it do both of these well!

Beth and Ren have been friends since they were children. They had a close knit group that included Ren's older brother, Edmund, and Beth's eccentric younger brother, Jamie. Beth has been blind since birth, but she has never let her disability slow her down. Her friends help her maneuver around the world, describing to her what she cannot visually see. Instead, she sees with her other senses - touch, scent, hearing. Ren is a blossoming artist, and he takes her along when he paints, and describes the scenery as he works.

The book opens with a scene at the Duke's estate, to which Beth and Ren have been invited to see his collections. The Duke manages to separate Beth from her friend and makes some rather nasty overtures to her. She's only 11 at the time, and it freaks her out. When she tells Ren about it, he agrees that they'll never return because the Duke is so creepy.

Ten years later, Beth's parents have both died, and she and her younger brother Jamie are left by themselves. The Duke sweeps in and asks Beth to marry him, but he's still creepy and weird and she wants to do anything but that. Ren shows up out of the blue and asks her to marry him. They haven't seen each other since Ren was sent away to school, but he ran into Jamie in London and learned that the Duke was closing in on her, and basically arrives to rescue her, knowing that she doesn't like and more or less fears the Duke. Beth can't believe he's proposing, even a convenient marriage, but he eventually convinces her that its for the best, so she agrees. However, he leaves immediately after the ceremony and returns to London to resume his life, leaving Beth incredulous and saddened.

The two go on their separate ways for the next 18 months, until Ren's older brother Edmund dies in the war, leaving Ren as the heir presumptive. Ren arrives at his estate, but informs Beth that he plans to give it to the Duke. Beth finally learns why Ren abandoned her after their wedding ceremony, and begs him to see reason. Giving his estate to the Duke will mean the tenants will starve (just as the Duke's are), and will put the Duke in close proximity to her, whom he sees as easy prey due to her blindness. The two argue and end up sharing their first kiss, which awakens emotions in both of them.

Ren returns to London and Beth follows him, determined to persuade him not to do this terrible thing, which will lead to so much suffering. Ren is struggling with his feelings of guilt, disillusionment, and depression, but can't find solace in his usual haunts of drinking, gambling, and women. He's also reeling from his encounter with Beth, so when she shows up, he offers little argument.

The two charm each other and have a brief honeymoon period, and their relationship grows and deepens. She convinces him to give his estate to the tenants who live on it, which is a revolutionary idea that everyone else in his family hates and works to persuade him not to do. Ren is eventually caught between his family and society, and his love for Beth and her love for their village.

This is a character-driven story, and it is 100% show. The author describes Beth's world of darkness with sumptuous detail, and how she navigates the world using her other senses. She isn't perfect - she struggles in unfamiliar territory, like Ren's London home - but she doesn't let her blindness hinder her, either. She is fiercely independent and loyal to both her husband and her brother, who is probably on the autism spectrum somewhere.

She is both strong and vulnerable. Though she cares for him and is grateful to him for saving her from the Duke, she never expected to have a real marriage with Ren, and their first kiss knocks her off guard. She's moving into uncharted territory and is both fearful and excited. As her feelings for Ren deepen, she is caught in her mother's dilemma - not wanting to be a burden on her husband. She also fears passing her blindness on to any children she might have, because blindness runs in her family. Yet the more she's around Ren, the more she yearns to have what she shouldn't want.

Ren, for his part, is consumed by his guilt and disillusionment over what his life has become. He mourns his older brother, and is loath to take his place as Lord Graham. The Duke is a distant cousin, and giving him the estate seems like the ideal solution, until Beth reminds him of how creepy and horrible the guy is.

Ren's mother is a schemer, though, and is very concerned about what society thinks of her and her offspring. She believes that Ren deserves a "whole" woman as a wife and works to drive a wedge between them.

The Duke has his own selfish reasons for wanting the estate and nearness to Beth.

This was a 5-star read for me right up until the end, where there's some contrived scenes (including an omniscient Nanny who seems to know everything from her tiny cottage between the estates) and an unnecessary Big Misunderstanding that knock the rating down a bit for me. But otherwise, this is a beautiful, lush story of people who find themselves falling in love almost in spite of it all. As long as they are conversing with each other, it's all good: a lovely, gentle story of two wonderful people finding contentment with each other.

This one is definitely a keeper. The author has that ability to gut-punch with her descriptions of emotion, both good and bad. I was rooting for Ren and Beth to find a way to stay together and move forward with their plans, despite the odds against them. This is a book to read slowly and savor, and I definitely recommend it! ( )

Title: Her Convenient Husband's Return
Author Eleanor Webster
Publisher: Harlequin Historical
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Her Convenient Husband's Return" by Eleanor Webster

My Thoughts....

This was a good regency historical romance that involved two wonderful people...Beth and Rendell. I enjoyed reading about this story as we find Beth has agreed to marry Ren [her best friend] due to a way to get out of a debt after the death of her father. However, this wasn't a marriage of love as one would think as this husband soon returns to his old way of life back in London which was away from his wife. Beth is left behind where she is left on the Graham country estate on to help with both families. Oh, I forgot to mention Beth is blind.

There will be a lots of twist and turns for Ren as he will have to return to the Graham estate where their lives will become even more entangled with each other. Will they be able to work out a lots of issues that will come upon them as they are drawn together? What all will come out for Ren that will help pull these two together? What issues would be presented that will keep Ren and Beth apart? Be ready for a story that will have some drama that will keep your attention as you are turning the pages to see what was coming next for these two and also with some interesting secondary characters [especially Ren's strange mother]. I will say this was quite a intriguing read of just how one who had a handicap was able to endure all the circumstances that was presented to her and when these two came together will these things finally be worked out?

Here is a little taste of how that went: as Ren is speaking to Beth....

"I need you to listen. I won't agree to an annulment because I love you and I love being married to you. I love everything about you. I love your spirit. I love your independence, I love your moments of anxiety and the strength it takes you to overcome those moments. I love that you think about things differently."

Well, this is where I say you will have to pick up "Her Convenient Husband's Return" to see how well this author gives the reader one beautiful romantic historical read. ( )