Friday, April 26, 2024

Review: The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George

 

The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1) by Harper St. George
Publication Date: April 23th 2024 by Berkley
Pages: 344
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 

My Thoughts:
Cora Dove and her sisters’ inheritances are contingent on them finding husbands far away from New York, their birthplace, thanks to their jerk of a father. So they head off to England in search of husbands.

Leopold Brendon, The Earl of Devonworth, captures Cora’s attention right away when they literally crash into each other. He’s in need of a wife with money and she’s in need of a marriage with a title so they make their arrangement with an expiration date, at Cora’s request. Cora doesn’t want to be beholden to any man, her mother soured her on that, but Leo is a different man from her father.

Leo had his heart broken, so he’s wary of giving his heart to any woman, especially when Cora makes it clear that the marriage is for convenience only. However, they are attracted to each other and in time also come to respect each other. Can they get past their issues to let love in? I hoped so!

Both Cora and Leo had reasons to be wary of a romantic relationship. Cora’s father was something else! I’d love to see him sorry for how he behaved, but I won’t hold my breath. Cora’s mother wasn’t much better, in my opinion. The woman was a big detractor for her girls with her outrageous behavior.

I appreciated that both Cora and Leo were moved to advocate for others and bonded over their righting the injustices of their time.

I really enjoyed The Stranger I Wed. It was a slow burn romance; with multi-layered characters I could relate to and root for! It filled my heart with joy to see Cora find everything she was looking for and so much more with Leo! I’m hoping each of the Dove sisters finds their HEA!

4 Stars



Excerpt:



Book Description:

New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an Earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife. He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets. . . .

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.


Photo Credit: Harper St. George

About the author:

Harper St. George was raised in the rural backwoods of Alabama and along the tranquil coast of northwest Florida. These were settings filled with stories of the old days that instilled in her a love of history, romance, and adventure. By high school, she had discovered the historical romance novel, which combined all of those elements into one perfect package. She has been hooked ever since. She lives in the Atlanta area with her family and loves to hear from readers.

16 comments:

  1. Not sure if it's always the case in real life, but I love the way marriages of convenience turn to real love in books.

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    1. Yes, not sure it would work in real life. Probably not, but I do love it when it works out in fiction!

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  2. Harper St. George is not an author I've read before. I do like that marriage of convenience trope. This sounds like a fun historical romance. :D

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    1. This is the first time I've read her, but I've seen another blogger praise her books. I enjoy the marriage of convenience trope too!

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  4. I love the sound of this one, a marriage of convenience is always a good start to a marriage of love down the road. I have heard great things about this author, but never read anything by her yet. Great review, Rachel.

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    1. I love a good marriage of convenience story too! Thanks, Carla!

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  5. This sounds delightful, I just started being in the mood for historical fiction romances (mostly regency era) and adding a bunch to my list to look for at my library and bookstore, I'll add this one for sure!!

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    1. I really enjoy historical romances! Hope you enjoy The Stranger I Wed as much as I did!

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  6. This sounds absolutely lovely!! I'm a huge fan of couples who stand for justice. The slow burn romance is a bonus, of course. I really need to get into the historical romance genre -- I guess I've been intimidated because a lot of the covers look the same. 😂

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    1. It was and yes, I enjoy a couple championing justice! Hope you enjoy the genre if you dive in! I totally recommend it!

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  7. Sounds like an interesting historical romance. And the cover is beautiful! Great review!
    Lisa Loves Literature

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  8. Sounds quite interesting and enjoyable :D

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