Hello Stranger
The Ravenels, Book 4
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4.2 • 73 Ratings
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of an unconventional beauty who finds passion with the spy who can’t resist her
A woman who defies her time
Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female physician in England, is as daring and independent as any man—why not take her pleasures like one? Yet she has never been tempted to embark on an affair, until now. Ethan Ransom, a former detective for Scotland Yard, is as gallant as he is secretive, a rumored assassin whose true loyalties are a mystery. For one exhilarating night, they give in to their potent attraction before becoming strangers again.
A man who breaks every rule
As a Ravenel by-blow spurned by his father, Ethan has little interest in polite society, yet he is captivated by the bold and beautiful Garrett. Despite their vow to resist each other after that sublime night, she is soon drawn into his most dangerous assignment yet. When the mission goes wrong, it will take all of Garrett’s skill and courage to save him. As they face the menace of a treacherous government plot, Ethan is willing to take any risk for the love of the most extraordinary woman he’s ever known.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This refreshing historical romance dispenses with recycled Regency plotlines, featuring a take-charge heroine inspired by Britain’s first female physician and set in a working class world. Dr. Garrett Gibson has no time for love, but she finds spy Ethan Ransom hard to resist. When Ethan gets tangled up in a dangerous conspiracy, Garrett may be the only person who can save his life. Hello Stranger is satisfying and suspenseful.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kleypas sets the implausible fairy tale of Garrett Gibson, the only woman doctor in 1876 England, in working-class Clerkenwell, but this sanitized version of London has the squeaky-clean artifice of a toothpaste commercial. Garrett, a constable's daughter, nonetheless earned a degree from the Sorbonne and, at age 28, has a state-of-the-art surgery plus a side gig subsidized by tycoon Rhys Winterborne (familiar from 2016's Marrying Winterborne). Into this frankly unbelievable life slouches Ethan Ransom, a kind of Victorian James Bond who spends Tuesdays shadowing Garrett on neighborhood rounds. This makes him conveniently available to rescue her from inevitable harassers. He agrees to tutor her in street-fighting skills, and they scarcely resist the ensuing onslaught of lust. Ethan is a double agent engaged in taking down his corrupt government boss, and Garrett doesn't know the risks she's taking by getting involved with him. There's a sense that Garrett has been cast as a doctor to excuse a liberal salting of research nuggets, and Ethan's Kama Sutra derived erotic skills are annoyingly orientalist. Such details do give an uncommon flavor to a familiar suspense plot, and the anatomical dialogue, while expected, is still good for a chuckle, but there's little here for anyone other than series fans.
Customer Reviews
Interesting
This one was interesting. I enjoyed the perspective of a lower class characters - especially two living interesting and unconventional lives. There was actions and sex and a little suspense but nothing all the overwhelmingly exciting. I liked that Garett and Ransom’s relationship was fairly easy. His character was surprisingly mushy.