Historical fiction lovers: assemble! This is a must-read for you. The Marriage Contract is a tender, bittersweet, and emotionally powerful story set in the English Midlands during the Elizabethan era. It follows Eliza, the daughter of a yeoman, who is forced to marry a gentleman named Edmund –despite her affection for Francis, the blacksmith’s son and her childhood friend.

Although romantic love drives the plot, this novel is truly about the many shades of love – how it grows, how it transforms, how it feels different depending on whom we love, how we grieve its loss, and how our capacity to love evolves as we ourselves grow.

It’s also a quiet meditation on the hardships women faced in times when they were entirely dependent on male guardians. Eliza lives a relatively comfortable life as the daughter of a wealthy man, yet when it comes to choosing her own path, she has as little say as any woman of her time. The novel powerfully illustrates that in a world without female independence, suffering and heartbreak are almost inevitable.

What I really appreciated about this book is that it doesn’t rely on overly dramatic twists or grand declarations. Instead, the story unfolds with quiet intensity and emotional truth, grounded in the realities of 16th-century life. The characters’ desires, regrets, and sacrifices felt so real and intimate that I found myself completely immersed in their inner lives. The emotional impact broke my heart more than once. And yet, despite all the sorrow, this story brought a deep, unexpected sense of comfort. It felt honest – not tidy or perfect, but very human and grounded in emotional realism.

I won’t be the first to say it, but what made this book especially memorable was the writing. It’s an exquisitely written novel. Every sentence feels deliberately crafted, with a lyrical elegance that draws you into the texture of the time and place, yet never overshadows the story. The author has an extraordinary gift for conveying complex emotions with subtlety and precision—transforming even the quietest moments into something resonant and beautiful. Literarily, it’s a feast: rich, evocative, and deeply affecting.

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of the genre, especially fans of The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. I’m excited to see what Sasha Butler writes next.

The Marriage Contract is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read in a long time, I felt as though I’d stepped through the pages into the Elizabethan era.

The story is a classic, it follows Eliza, a young girl in love with Francis - her childhood friend and a labourer working on her father’s land and tells the tale of what happens when the two are forced to be separated. Despite being fairly privileged, Eliza’s life is not smooth sailing but at the heart of the story is a talented girl who loves fiercely.

I honestly could not put this book down, I felt as through I was tripping over myself to absorb as many details as possible. The final few chapters are incredibly emotional and truly show the incredible bonds of female friendship and love. I was reminded of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell as I read and I truly hope The Marriage Contract receives the same amount of love, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and I will certainly be recommending it.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Salt Publishing for the ARC

I quite often struggle with historical fiction BUT this is one of those books that provokes such an emotive and immersive reading experience and ultimately is a story about the human experience which transcends time and place. Having said that, it was a masterful portrayal of Elizabethan England and especially the place of women in society at the time.
The prose is beautiful and the characters brilliantly fleshed out. You go through the butterflies of first love and loss with Eliza, her strenuous relationship with her father, her mother who could do nothing but love her children fiercely and who did everything to ensure she brakes the generational cycle for them, the beautiful bond with her brother due to their traumatic upbringing, her slow but strong love for Edmund and her multifaceted friendship with Annabel.
I cannot recommend this book enough, it was truly a beautiful story and there were many times I had to take a deep breath and have a little cry. I was fully invested from page 1 and Eliza's story resonated deeply with me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

Beautifully written historical fiction, reads like poetry set in 15th century England a tale of love and its bindings and expectations of family with constraints.

Thank you to Salt Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is a story of love in all its form from tender first love, parental, maternal, sibling, friendship and a deep love that is born from the depths of loneliness. It’s told from a time of when woman were treated like chattel as property and unable to make automatous decisions. The book is set in the Elizabethan era in 1577 and follows the story of Eliza who likes to draw and is in love with Francis, her childhood friend and a labourer. Eliza’s cruel father forces her to marry a gentleman Edmund, while Francis is cast adrift at sea fighting his way back to her. Meanwhile Eliza and Edmund draw closer.

I enjoyed this book, it was very different from others books I’d read, it was a touching emotional read. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, from the first page the authors writing sucked me and I felt for all of Eliza’s struggles. An emotional heart warming read.

The Marriage Contract is an upcoming historical fiction novel that tells the story of Eliza, the daughter of an ambitious yeoman, who is torn between her first love and the man she has been forced to marry, whilst navigating the everyday challenges and heartbreaks of life in England in the 1500s.

This book was beautifully written and I found I couldn’t stop highlighting the countless lyrical descriptions that made me stop and go “wow, that is beautiful”. I felt immersed in the world and the book was very atmospheric, it reminded me of reading some of my favourite classics. I would only have liked to have a few more references that were specific to the time period, perhaps more description about the food or buildings to really put me in 16th century England (but that is just my preference!).

There was one POV that I didn’t enjoy as much as the others but I enjoyed the story and characters on the whole. Overall, this was a lush reading experience that often made me feel like I was in the British countryside on a foggy day (which is a good thing!) and I would recommend this to any fellow lovers of historical fiction and romantic stories that feel real.

Thank you to Salt Publishing and Netgalley for access to this beautiful eARC.

Sasha Butler's beautiful, lyrical narrative style flows consistently through this historical novel set in UK's Midlands. Love, family, hope and conflict are finely handled, and the tropes of family dispute are set against a tender love story and are smoothly woven narrative elements. What Butler does well is capture an evocative sense of time and place whilst at the same time creating characters who are believable and worth caring about. An impressive novel.

Grateful thanks @saltpublishing and @netgalley for the ARC.

Have you ever heard about a book and just known, deep within your bones, that you need to read it?
Well, I saw a post on the publisher's Instagram page about The Marriage Contract and raced to set up a Netgalley account, and here we are a few days later, and my goodness was I right!

Sasha Butler has captured magic and thread it between the lines of her writing.

I adore this book. There are moments that made me cry so hard and rage violently, but others had me giggling aloud and grinning a ridiculously toothy grin. The writing is evocative, every line eliciting a visceral reaction.

Sasha Butler's characters walk confidently off the page and enter your conscience, making you care deeply as you navigate their life with them. I love Eliza with every breath of my being, and if anyone attempts to remind me that she is a fictional character, I shall be displeased with them, to say the very least! In direct contrast to my feelings for Eliza, I despise her father with the same venomous abhorance I reserve for Absalom Cornet, witch hunter and all round abomination from The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Needless to say, I would encourage each and every one of you to pre-order The Marriage Contract (publishing 6th October this year) and when you have read it, come and talk to me about it because *scream* I need to discuss this story with you!

The Marriage Contract by Sasha Butler

Summer in Worcestershire, 1577. Eliza Litton, a talented artist, is in love with childhood friend, Francis. But her tyrannical father, who rules the household with insults and fists, has other ideas. As summer comes to an end, Francis vanishes after a drunken night at the inn and Eliza’s father forces her to marry a gentleman, Edmund.

Thrown into a new, unfamiliar life with her husband who appears distant and cold, Eliza cannot tear herself from the memory of Francis. Yet her feelings for Edmund soften with time; he presents a life to her better than she ever dreamed. He provides her a safety she never had beneath her father’s roof and encourages her to paint, to pursue the things she loves.
I didn't quite know what to expect when reading this , but happy to say I was drawn in from the first chapter , it was totally captivating.
Loved the plot and the characters Eliza and Edmund , a man she didn't expect to enjoy being in the company of.

Bitter-sweet romance set in 16th century England, when women's lives were totally controlled by their male relatives. Eliza, the only daughter of a vicious, violent, upwardly mobile yeoman loves one of her father's part-time labourers. Despite her treatment she stands up to her father, and decides to defy him. He arranges a suitable marriage with a gentleman, and also arranges for the labourer to disappear. However, her new husband is truly a gentle man, and her life improves. But - no spoilers.

It is a well-written, believable tale which I would recommend to anyone enjoying historical fiction. The characters are three dimensional, and all too human.

With thanks to NetGalley and Salt for an ARC.

A beautifully written, emotionally resonant historical romance that truly captures the heart.

The Marriage Contract by Sasha Butler is a compelling and heartfelt tale set in 1577—a period that can sometimes feel distant or difficult to connect with, but here, it comes alive with surprising ease. Despite its historical setting, the prose is wonderfully accessible, making it an effortless read even for those who don’t often reach for historical fiction.

The story follows Eliza, whose life is about to change through a marriage contract that promises more than just societal advancement—it becomes a journey of love, loss, and resilience. What struck me most was how seamlessly the emotional weight of the narrative blended with the rich historical detail. The author doesn’t romanticize the past—instead, she paints a realistic picture of the hardships, duties, and emotional cost of marriage during this era, especially for women. There are some genuinely sad moments that ground the story in the harsh realities of life at the time, but they’re handled with sensitivity and depth.

The characters are undoubtedly one of the novel’s greatest strengths. I adored Eliza's mother—she was wise, warm, and quietly fierce in her own right. Every character felt authentic and likeable, which made the emotional beats land all the more powerfully. Eliza herself is a standout; her growth throughout the story is both believable and inspiring.

That said, I wasn’t especially drawn in by Francis’ time at sea. While it served a purpose in the broader narrative, those chapters didn’t quite hold the same emotional gravity or engagement as the rest of the book. The pacing also lagged a bit in the earlier sections—while the wedding doesn't occur until about 32% in, the story really begins to take off from there. Once it hits its stride, it becomes incredibly absorbing, and I found myself completely swept up in the drama and the dynamics of Eliza and Francis’ relationship.

Sasha Butler has a real talent for creating an immersive atmosphere, crafting historical settings that feel both lived-in and emotionally charged. There’s a poetic quality to the writing that elevates the entire experience, and I appreciated how she balanced the romance with the grittier realities of 16th-century life.

All in all, The Marriage Contract is a richly textured and emotionally satisfying read. It may take a little while to fully settle into, but it rewards your patience with a beautifully layered story full of heart, hardship, and hope. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from Sasha Butler.

Recommended for fans of: character-driven historical romance, strong female leads, and stories that don’t shy away from the complexities of love and life.

It’s been a while since I read descriptions as beautifully written as those that flicker through this Elizabethan-era story of love, escape, art, and growth: from the depiction of the land and its rhythms, to the details of the characters’ surroundings and their daily lives - from the comforting and commonplace to the passionate and the heartrending. They made this a delight.

Set in the English Midlands in the late 16th century, the novel follows Eliza, a Worcestershire yeoman farmer’s daughter, whose violently ambitious father is determined to climb the social ladder by forcing her to marry a gentleman. But - as so often happens - she falls for someone else. And - as happens just as often - the course of love (true or otherwise) does not run smooth.

What emerges is a quietly contemplative and tender exploration of some heavy themes and conflicts, in which dark shadows are matched by golden glimmers of hope.

Highly recommended for fans of thoughtful historical fiction with a gorgeous sense of place, and a look at Elizabethan England in which the lives of ordinary people aren’t eclipsed by the A-list courtiers.

It’s out this autumn.

Big thanks to @saltpublishing and @netgalley for the review copy.

I adore Historical fiction and this book was just amazing.


Eliza, the daughter of a yeoman,is to marry a gentleman named Edmund, however her heart is with her childhood sweetheart and she is devastated.

This is a book that shows all the emotions of what being in love entails. It is set in Elizabethen times and back then, love is no different than it is now.

It is a tender descriptive read that shows us all the kinds of love that there is and the struggles Eliza goes through makes the reader want the best for her.

Sasha Butler’s The Marriage Contract immerses readers in the raw and gritty reality of Elizabethan England. Unlike picture-perfect historical depictions, this novel focuses on the grim realities of the era. At the heart of the story is Eliza Litton, a talented artist determined to carve out a space for herself despite societal constraints.

Eliza Litton, a talented artist in The Marriage Contract, strives for creativity and independence in a patriarchal Elizabethan world. Forced by her violent father into marriage with Edmund, a seemingly cold gentleman who later shows unexpected support, Eliza is torn between her past love, Francis, who disappears after a drunken night, but fights to return. This tangled relationship, shaped by love, betrayal, and control, drives Eliza’s transformation from a trapped girl to a woman claiming her own agency. Edmund’s evolving kindness and Francis’s lingering influence add emotional depth and tension, making the characters’ interactions central to the story’s themes of resilience, loyalty, and self-discovery.

Butler bravely addresses issues such as abuse, control, and patriarchal structures, echoing concerns still relevant today. The quest for personal expression and freedom underpins Eliza’s journey, as does love in its many forms, including betrayal and forgiveness.

Butler masterfully transports readers to Elizabethan London through vivid descriptions that avoid bogging down the narrative with excessive historical detail. The alternating viewpoints of Eliza and Francis add depth and maintain emotional engagement, striking a balance between realism and accessibility.

While the narrative may slow down during detailed descriptions of scenery, these moments contribute to the reader’s sense of confinement alongside Eliza, enhancing empathy for her struggles. This pacing choice amplifies the emotional investment in her journey.

Focusing on everyday individuals instead of royalty or nobility provides a fresh perspective. Butler highlights the resilience of ordinary women battling for freedom in a repressive society, offering an intimate and relatable story that sets it apart from typical Tudor-era narratives.

The novel’s intense atmosphere captures an interplay of danger, hope, and love, with characters like Eliza and Edmund navigating a challenging landscape to find happiness. The Marriage Contract resonates with readers due to its honest portrayal of personal struggles and the pursuit of self-determination.

Thank you to NetGalley and Salt Publishing for allowing me to read this gorgeous book in advance!

The Marriage Contract is set in the late 1500s in the Midlands. Eliza Litton and Francis Marshall are childhood sweethearts and dream of a life together. She is a strong-willed young woman, a talented painter, but her tyrannical father has set his sights higher than a labourer. He wants his daughter to obey, to be seen and not heard.

By summer’s end, Francis has vanished, and Eliza is married to a stranger, a gentleman named Edmund Cecil. He seems cold, and she yearns for her missing love, but could this marriage give her a better life with time?

Edmund encourages her talent, and while Francis battles his way back to Eliza, she finds herself softening towards her new husband…until a revelation is uncovered that will change everything.

This is such a well-accomplished debut and a great piece of historical fiction. You are truly transported to the sights, smells and sounds of the time. It explores Elizabethan values and the lot women were expected to bear, as well as the love that holds people together, no matter the circumstances. Without spoilers, I just loved Eliza as a character and the women she represents. Female artists did exist at this time, but they were not encouraged and certainly not remembered the way they should be.

I cannot wait for more people to read this book. The Marriage Contract is out on 6th October 2025 with Salt Publishing,

The Marriage Contract is a story of forbidden love and self-suppression set in Elizabethan England. Eliza’s comparatively comfortable lifestyle as a yeoman’s daughter is dominated by her father’s violence and control which extends to all those in his household and to his farm labourers. As her father’s thoughts turn to securing his elevation in society, Eliza’s hopes of a happier, safer future are compromised by her duty to marry well.

The tension in this novel was palpable and I read it with a sense of impending doom. The story of finding a second chance at happiness only to discover one’s first love has returned is a well-used plot idea, though this novel stands out because of the infusion of historical detail about life in the Elizabethan period. The incorporation of well-known events of the era, such as Francis Drake’s expeditions and the burning of religious relics to usher in Protestantism, enhanced the historical depth of the novel.

Butler wrote convincingly about the profound impact of first love and how it can shape future relationships. Eliza’s fate was determined by men and was, arguably, never her own to choose. Yet when given the opportunity to grow and flourish, she could not shift an underlying sense of betrayal to her first love. Throughout the novel, I hoped that Eliza would find a sense of contentment and peace and remained unsure about how events would unfold right up until the final chapters.

I recommend this well-written novel to readers of historical fiction, particularly those who have enjoyed Maggie O’Farrell’s writing. Thank you to Salt Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.