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Book: The Marriage Masquerade

Book: Brides of the West, Book 2

Author: Erica Vetsch

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 8, 2025

A disgraced captain and a runaway heiress—hiding from the past and bound by fate—will their marriage masquerade lead to true love?

Noah Kennebrae, disgraced ship captain, has escaped to a remote lighthouse to avoid his grandfather’s schemes and the ghosts that haunt him. Taking a job under an assumed name, he’s determined to start over—until he meets Annie Fairfax. The feisty housekeeper’s warmth and spirit captivate him, and he falls for her despite his best efforts. But he’s keeping secrets that could destroy her trust…and his chance at redemption.

Desperate to escape the calculating grasp of her father, Anastasia “Annie” Michaels flees home to become the unlikely housekeeper on an isolated island. Working incognito at the lighthouse, she finds solace in her newfound independence and unexpected friendship with Nick. However, as their relationship deepens, Annie’s fear of abandonment resurfaces when she learns the truth Nick has been hiding.

Caught in a marriage masquerade of their own making, Noah and Annie must navigate secrets, lies, and painful pasts in hopes of a future together.

About the Author

Best-selling, award-winning author of The Debutante’s Code, first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum.

More from Erica

I love a hidden identity story! And in the case of The Marriage Masquerade, both the hero AND the heroine are hiding their true identities.

The Marriage Masquerade features Noah, who is running from the guilt of a mistake he feels he made that lost both a Great Lakes ship and several lives. Anastasia Michaels is running away from an arranged marriage.

They both flee to a remote lighthouse on the North Shore of Lake Superior, he as an assistant lighthouse keeper and she as a housekeeper and cook.

The lighthouse in The Marriage Masquerade is based directly upon the Split Rock Lighthouse, one of my favorite places to visit along the North Shore. Situated on a cliff high above the lake, Split Rock is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world.

When I first visited this exquisite place, I fell in love. And when I fall in love with an historical site, I need to know as much of the history of the place as I can. Several of the incidents that occur at the fictional lighthouse in the story come directly from the history of Split Rock.

Filtering liquid mercury, polishing the Fresnel lens, hiding dishes in the oven when the inspector comes, and other happenings in The Marriage Masquerade actually happened in the real lives of the lightkeepers at Split Rock.

Noah and Anastasia’s story is a forced proximity romance, with a dash of hidden identity, redemption, and learning to stand on your own two feet. I hope you’ll enjoy their journey from fearful, guilt-ridden characters to healed through love, confident, and ready to embark on a lifelong journey together.

If you would like to learn more about Split Rock and see glorious photos of this picturesque site, check out: https://www.mnhs.org/splitrock

Devoted To Hope's Review of The Marriage Masquerade

They were both running. From shame. From pressure. From the past. And yet, somehow, the road they took to escape had already been lit by mercy … leading not to a dead end, but to a lighthouse on the edge of everything… where God was already guiding, waiting, and moving.

Erica Vetsch weaves a story as steady and luminous as the lighthouse that shelters Annie and Noah. The pacing is perfect, the characters loveable in a way that lingers, and the Christian faith content? Rich, reverent, and deeply personal. This is a quiet invitation to consider what we’re running from… and who’s already ahead of us, preparing a place to heal.

Annie’s gentle strength, Noah’s quiet ache, the kindness of those who welcomed them … it all felt so real, like I was walking the island with them.

This is the heartbeat of this book: “Proverbs 18:10. ‘The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.’ I’ve read that verse over and over, and I learn something new each day about how God is a strong tower.” Not the masquerade, not even the romance … but the mercy. The oh, so precious kind that meets honesty with grace, offers safety, and never turns away the one who runs toward Him.

I loved this story. For the characters. For the way it tenderly honored what it means to walk personally with Jesus. For the steady light that points not just to love … but to the one true God who meets us where we are and calls us into something deeper, for His glory, and others’ good.

Perfect for readers who love historical romance with beautiful faith content, tender redemption, and a love story anchored in grace.

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher and Celebrate Lit Publicity Group. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on writing and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.