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loved it!

Customer Rating:

This books is very different from the typical romance. I didn't think I would like it b/c at the beginning, both characters has other lovers and it seemed like they both had a lot of baggage. But the story was surprisingly emotional and touching. I was expecting a typical erotica romance with more sex than feelings, but i was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think the side story about Rhys detracted at all from the book, it was a good little bonus and added an element of innocence that typical romances offer. I definitely recommend this book. Note: After reading her Georgian Series (Ask For it, Passion for the Game, and A passion for Him) I still find this book the best. It has the most emotion and is more heartfelt, maybe b/c it is more focused on the relationship development rather than the subplot of intrigue and suspense.

A different kind of historical romance

Customer Rating:

When Isabel, Lady Pelham (known as Pel to her friends), and Gerard Faulkner, Marquess of Grayson, agreed to marry, they took polite London society by storm. Theirs was not simply a marriage of convenience, but was also a means for both of them to achieve their own selfish ends. Grayson needed a wife who would anger his mother, whose love he resented, but who would not interfere with his love for another woman. And Pel will have the freedom to take lovers to her bed without worrying that they will fall in love with her and want more, because she is already married. Hurt by her first husband's infidelities, Pel wants to ensure that no man ever falls in love with her again and has the ability to break her heart. Theirs seems like a perfect union for them both, until Grayson's mistress dies giving birth to his child, and he retreats to the seclusion of his estates leaving Pel to fend for herself among the London gossips for 4 long years. When Grayson returns to reclaim his life--and his wife--he is much changed. His shoulders have broadened, his skin has been darkened by the sun, and he has a more muscular physique that indicates much hard work on his part. He also has a rigid and focused determination to win Pel, erase the farce from his marriage, and make her his bride in truth. The Stranger I Married was a different kind of hysterical romance. It's not the story of the rake and the innocent woman he seduces, but instead both of these characters are full of lascivious intent and passionate secrets. Pel is equally matched with Grayson and will not stand idly by while he seeks his pleasures elsewhere. Furthermore, when her husband returns from his long disappearance, Pel's first instinct isn't to welcome him home. Instead, when she finds out that he intends to make her his bride in truth, she sets about trying to find him a mistress so that she can resume her own affairs. This sets the traditional historical romance on its ear, and I loved every minute of it. Grayson is a strong, passionate hero who is determined to make Pel love him. And Pel is a fiercely independent wife who just wants to live her own life. The similarities and differences between these two kept the story moving at a feverish pitch and I couldn't wait to see what happened. Furthermore, there is a subplot involving Pel's brother and an American heiress that left me more than intrigued about what will happen to them. I hope Day decides to give them their own story some day. Anyway, the long and short of it is, The Stranger I Married is a passionate historical romance that is different from anything I've ever read--in a good way. Read it when you've gotten sick of simpering heroines who don't know how to ask what they want, and even more sick of arrogant heroes who don't have to work for anything, let alone true love.

Two rakes, two reformations

Customer Rating:

THE STRANGER I MARRIED depicts two taming-the-rake routines, and it's clear Sylvia Day enjoys her heroes giving chase and pining quite a bit. The routine dealing with our main hero and heroine is mostly imbalanced and unjustified. I disliked both lead characters (Gerard/Gray and Isabel) and the soapy plotting required a secondary pairing (Rhys and Abby) to fill the pages. For an erotica, the love scenes here are just plain. Day's ASK FOR IT (**) is much better in that department. There's no doubt appearance plays a role in attraction, but I found Day's infatuation with superficial appearances even towards the end exhausting. If I didn't know any better, one big erection is as good as any other for Isabel. I had a hard time understanding why Isabel loves Grayson other than his size. Grayson pines so much throughout the second half and voices so much tender drivel for Isabel's delight, I believed him. But she really doesn't do anything to earn all that pining because she never once trusts him. The entire story has Grayson needing to prove himself for Isabel and win her affections as if Isabel has been some chaste virgin her whole life. I found it repetitive and very strenuous to read. There's nothing there, Isabel does little more than seethe and lambaste Grayson the entire book because she believes Grayson is exactly like her first husband who cheated on her. Isabel holds it against Grayson that years ago he was "cheating" on the woman ("Em") he professed to love (who was married) with another woman. Despite the fact that both the women went into the affair with Grayson eyes wide open and knew of his libertine ways. Despite the fact that Isabel has had many paramours herself between her first husband and Grayson. Why is it that Grayson has to constantly prove himself? He was already reformed by the time he returns to Isabel after his hiatus. Isabel believes Grayson wants to sire a child off her and so Grayson assiduously spills his seed elsewhere to allay those concerns (every time). Many times Isabel thinks Grayson with other people and so Grayson must assuage her concerns there. Isabel never surrenders all of herself to Grayson because she believes him exactly like her cheating first husband. If anything, it was Isabel's mistrust and commitment issues that needed reforming. Later when Isabel changes her mind and wants children, the issue drives our lovers apart. Again Grayson needs to prove himself and chase Isabel. I'd love to see Grayson finally discover bliss with someone else after she drives him away (again). Isabel never knows she has a good thing. Let her continue with her paramours as she has been, and take your mother's advise to divorce her! More than once, the book talks about how true love is about accepting the other person with their faults. I don't see any faults with Grayson: he's physically perfect, amply-endowed, titled, and wealthy. Arrogance, high-handedness and lascivious debauchery in heroes are actually celebrated in historical romances like they are in THE STRANGER I MARRIED (Rhys is a celebrated rake too). Hence, I don't consider these qualities all that bad since sexual experience in heroes is a prerequisite more than anything else. It's why readers of romance gravitate towards alpha heroes so much. While threatening Isabel's last paramour Hargreaves in the second half, Grayson (Gerard) thinks to himself that Isabel was not a fickle woman to leave Hargreaves for him. Which is bull because a muscled body, big erection and a quick recovery time in bed are pretty much all it takes for Isabel to submit to Grayson and ditch Hargreaves. I'd say that's pretty fickle. Sex is great [with Grayson] and she gets multiple orgasms for every one of Grayson's. The plotting is mostly immature and soapy. Everyone in the book seeks good sex and lusts for the forbidden affair which appeals so much to women (Isabel, Isabel's mother outside marriage, etc.). You have a marriage bargain that invites both spouses to sleep with everyone but each other. Neither recognizes potential problems that could arise from such an arrangement. Then once Grayson decides he wants his wife for himself, you have these episodic jealousies and outings introduced by other characters. Twice, Isabel chances on Grayson and his former mistress Lady Stanhope (Barbara) in a compromising situation from which Isabel draws all the wrong conclusions. Along with Grayson's scorned mistress, his evil mother pose significant road blocks for Grayson and Isabel's lusty relationship with misunderstandings and misconceptions. After all of Isabel's misconceptions and misunderstandings are out of the way, there's the children issue which rears its ugly head. First, it's hard to believe that Isabel would remain childless with so many men considering the time period's inadequate contraceptive methods. Second, if she wants children so much, just pick a guy like she has previously and get a child from him! The book is so inane and soapy, it turns its attentions to a second pairing: Isabel's rakehell brother Rhys (aren't they all rakes?) and the virgin spinster Abby. Just so we have at least one pairing where there's a handsome rake deflowering the ordinary-of-appearance virgin.

Can't get past the language

Customer Rating:

I mostly enjoyed reading this book. As other reviewers mention, the plot is insufficient to support the length of the book. I had the feeling the author added the heroine's brother's story just to fill in the pages. I had a really hard time getting past the sexual terminology - it smacked of pornography, IMO, and was repugnant to me. I most likely will skim any further Sylvia Day books at the store and not read any more if they all use similar language.

How Lovely	Customer Rating:
This was a first time read for me--I really wasn't expecting much--and WOW! I found it enchanting, amusing and very entertaining. I will not hesitate to purchase another novel by this author! It was subperb!