Release Date: February 27, 2018
Series: The Ravenels, Book #4
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Adult, Romance, Historical Fiction
Source: ARC provided by publicist in exchange for an honest review
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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.
Review:
I've seen Lisa Kleypas' books in passing for years now, and while I've always heard good things, I've never taken the time to actually read one. However, when I read the synopsis for Hello Stranger, the latest addition to The Ravenels series, I decided to finally cut to the chase and read one. I mean, a female doctor AND a spy AND romance?! Hello Stranger sounded like the perfect read.
The result? I found Hello Stranger to be an enjoyable read. I'll admit that it wasn't my favorite read; however, it still was a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.
What I Liked:
- The Strong, Smart, and Sassy Heroine - There's so much to love about Dr. Garrett Gibson. For one, she's the only female physician in England, and if that's not incredible enough, she's also excellent at what she does. She's the type of doctor you'd want on your side, especially if you were facing a tough diagnosis. What I loved the most about Garrett, however, was her gutsiness. She's in a world that's afraid of women taking control let alone being a doctor, but she doesn't let it get her down. She's quick witted. She fights her own battles. She does anything for the ones she loves even if she knows she shouldn't be involved with them. There was just so much girl power to be found within her character, and I couldn't have been happier!
- The Broody Alpha Hero - Ethan quickly wormed his way into my heart as soon as he was introduced. I love a hero that comes to a women's rescue, especially when there as dashing and charming as Ethan. Over the course of the book, Ethan struggles with his inner demons. He feels as if he's not worthy of anyone, especially Garrett. It broke my heart to see him feel this way because Ethan did have so much to offer. I just wanted him to be happy.
- The Romantic Pairing - Banter? Check! Chemistry? Check! A will-they-or-won't-they feeling? Check! Ethan and Garrett were perfect together. Sure, they had the tendency to fight like cats and dogs given how headstrong they were, but at the end of the day, they had such a respect and love for each other, and nothing could beat that.
- West - Is it bad to admit that my favorite character wasn't Garrett or Ethan but actually West? West was a firecracker. He was funny as well as wickedly sarcastic, and even though he didn't have many scenes, he always managed to steal the show when he did appear. If Garrett had been so prefect with Ethan, I definitely would've loved to have seen her with West.
What I Didn't Like:
- The Pacing - Hello Stranger had one of two extremes: rapid fire pacing or turtle like pacing. Throughout I wish the pacing had been more even. I loved the times at which the tension was strong and stakes were high; however, I wish some of it would've been transferred to the slower times.
- The Mystery - Over the course of the book, Ethan deals with a mystery/conspiracy within his line of work. As someone who loves both, I was all over this from the get-go, but I wasn't exactly happy with how it panned out. At first, it was such a big portion of the book, the reason why Ethan was so reluctant to involve himself with Garret, but it never became as well fleshed out as it could've been, in my opinion. By the end everything was so quickly resolved it gave me whiplash like feeling.
- The Lack of "Hook" - As mentioned before, I enjoyed Hello Stranger but I never loved it. It never possessed an unputdownable feeling. I was never racing through, dying to know what would happen next. Yes, I was curious to see how it end, and yes, I hoped that Ethan and Garrett would end up together, but there was something that didn't make it truly stick out to me.
Overall, Hello Stranger has its ups and downs. The characters are what saved the day, in my opinion. Will I be reading more by Lisa? Definitely! I'm happy enough to continue, and it doesn't hurt that I can't wait to see what trouble West gets himself into within the next book.
3 stars!!
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. She is a RITA award winning author of both historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction. Her novels are published in fourteen different languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two children.
Connect with Lisa Kleypas
Facebook: @LisaKleypas
Twitter: @LisaKleypas
Instagram: @lisakleypas
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