I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series, and I was so excited for this one. However, it sort of missed the mark with me. It's well written, but I found myself struggling with staying focused on the story. I would constantly pick it up and put it down. I think it struggled with pacing, and it caused it to be an extremely slow read. This struggled from the first book in the series syndrome because all the characters have to be introduced and the whole series has to be set up so the relationship to me doesn't ever feel fully fleshed out. It's almost an afterthought. Leo and Cora do not give me forever vibes, just right now because it's convenient vibes. Their meeting was my favorite part of the story, but then as we went on, their relationship really gave me nothing, Overall, I was a little disappointed in this. Yes, it was steamier than she normally writes, but that doesn't matter if the character development is lacking. In the Heiress Gets a Duke, it isn't steamy by any means, and I absolutely adored August and Evan because they had their own special personalities that worked well together. Leo and Cora didn't.

I'm hoping book 2 brings back that something special she has because this story in no way shows the best she has to offer. This has been my least favorite book I've read by her.

I loved this! It was kind of Downton Abbey-esque because our FMC is from the US and is on the hunt for a titled man in England. I loved the inclusion of women's rights and our MC's drive.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advanced copy of The Stranger I Wed. Harper St. George is one of my favorite romance authors, and I was very much looking forward to her new series.

I flew through this book; I think I finished it in twenty-four hours! I fell in love with the characters, and I found myself pining after the stoic male lead. I like the sublet hints to feminism throughout the story (and the not so subtle hints, at times) and how the female characters were the saviors. I also enjoyed the tease of characters from her previous series but how the old characters didn't take over the story from the new ones.

The romance and the spice were perfectly balanced in this one, and I could not get to the end fast enough...then, I was sorry it was over when I had turned the last page. I think that is the hallmark of a good book, when you can't read it fast enough BUT still don't want it to end!

Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the review copies!

TL;DR: Harper St. George is the perfect histrom author for you if you’re looking for more modern sensibilities and quick reads. I’ve read all of her books and Loved every one of them!


📚 series info 📚
While this is the first book in a new series, there are call backs to St. George’s first series, The Gilded Age Heiresses, so you may want to start there.

📚 review 📚

Cora Dove is an American heiress with many secrets - her mother is a retired actress, and the late Mr. Dove was not *actually* the biological father of her or her sisters. And the only way she can access the fortune from her *biologial* father is by marrying someone he approves of. But Cora has a plan - a marriage of convenience, followed by a divorce after a few years. Her temporary husband certainly doesn’t need to know about her pen name or habit of writing for feminist papers. Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, is in desperate need of a fortune, and is more than willing to agree to Cora’s terms.

This was one of my favorite marriages of convenience. They get married early on in the story, and the tension builds between them beautifully. I loved all of the subplots, and can’t wait to read about the other two Dove sisters! (And maybe Mama Dove??)

🎧 This was excellent on audio. Maarleveld created several unique characters that were easy to distinguish between.

Cora and Leo fall into an arraigned marriage that asks a lot from them both. The two struggle to work to accommodate friends and family while at the same time they try to learn and understand the the other person in their marriage. I find that the story is very cute and quite charming. It is a slow burn story, but I know things will pick up in the end. The story is a true delight to read. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

Harper St. George has quickly become a name I will not pass up! Her Gilded Age Heiresses series was hit after hit for me, and I can tell this series will be as well! The passing of her plots are perfect for the genre and I really adore her characters. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was fun and steamy! I love a marriage of convenience and this one didn't disappoint, especially once they started falling for each other. But, it took awhile to get there and there wasn't much plot. So while I was entertained and enjoyed the romance, this isn't one that will stick with me for long. Still glad I read it and will recommend it to my regency romance lovers!

3.5 This was fun! I love regency and Harper St, George is a master of it. The perfect balance of sexy but entertaining.

THE STRANGER I WED by Harper St. George

“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.”

I read Harper St. George’s The Gilded Age Heiresses series and enjoyed it, so when she announced a spin-off series about the Dove sisters, I hoped it would deliver similar vibes … and it did!

Cora needs to find an English husband to secure her inheritance and the Earl of Devonworth needs a wealthy wife to support a hill he’s trying to get Parliament to pass. So begins a marriage of convenience. I enjoyed this romance and thought it hit all the right notes.

Read if you like:
🔥 slow burns
✨ smart heroines
💓 forced proximity
💖 season 3 of Bridgerton
🤫 secrets
✨ Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women

Have you read this one? Do you like historical romance?

3.5 Stars — I really loved the sizzling tension between these two. There is definitely attraction between these two and the story takes a slower pace to build up to the moment when characters confess their love to each other. Despite the overall slower pace, there are still a few steamy moments between them.

This was a solid start to a new series. I found Cora’s sisters more interesting than her so I’m excited to see how their romances play out. I have a gut feeling that Eliza’s story will be super angsty.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I thought the storytelling was well done. I liked the characters and how they fell in love. I also liked how Leo was supportive of his wife having opinions and voicing those. I also loved how protective he was of Cora but still allowed her to be her own person. I liked how their marriage went from one of convenience to more. I look forward to reading the books about her sisters and seeing how they find love.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

The Stranger I Wed is a new historical romance series by Harper St. George and I'm here for it. I loved her Gilded Age Heiresses series so was excited to see a new one was headed our way.

Cora Dove is our fmc in this installment. She and her sisters' legitimacy has always been the subject of gossip among New York's finest and continues to stain their father's reputation. When each of the girls receives a dowry from their dying grandmother, their father promises to release their funds only if they can find suitable husbands...away from New York. Cora is determined to do whatever she needs to to get the money and help her sisters and she isn't foolish enough to think she will find love. She just needs a husband who will respect her and England can be a new start.

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. I loved how they were both honest about the fact that this is a marriage of convenience. I'm a sucker for that trope...especially when they realize they can be friends and are actually attracted to each other and ultimately become lovers.

Overall, I enjoyed this first book of the series and am looking forward to more. I hope we get to see more of the characters from the Gilded Age characters too as I always appreciate when authors bring old characters back into a new story so we can see what's going on with them right alongside seeing what's going on with new characters. If you're looking for a new historical romance series to pick up, consider this one. I'll be waiting for the next on in this series to see what happens with Cora's sisters.

This was my first Harper St. George book and I loved it! The writing is so elegant and beautiful with still a touch of modern. Leo and Cora have a slow burn that really simmers for so much of the book, I love that Leo and Cora got to know and respect each other as people first before jumping into bed, despite how much unresolved sexual tension there was. It made the climax (pun intended) that much better! I can't wait for the rest of this series!

Not gonna lie, there were a few scenes that even had me blushing which does not happen often in a historical fiction romance.

This was a fun marriage of convenience historical romance from Harper St. George.
Cora, the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy American, must marry well to receive an inheritance. So she sets her sights on titled British men in need of funds, and comes to an agreement with the handsome Earl of Devonworth. However, she hides the truth about her illegitimacy.
Of course, sparks fly between them and they both struggle with secrets of their own and how much they can trust one another.
I enjoyed this one, especially as it felt slightly different with an American FMC/British MMC, but to me I felt like the two leads lacked chemistry and it was lower stakes than it should have been. Everything was resolved very quickly in the last few pages.

I love romances, historical in particular!
But... not Americans.

I see differences with the naked eye. Americans are more direct, more frank and behave kinda differently.
And I'm more into British, their lifestyle, double meanings and being affectionately in more sensitive manner.

Here, we have an American rich girl and poor British aristocrat. They get married cause she needs a title, he needs a money. But marriages are not so simple as business contracts and their face something that they not expected.

It was good, fine, but not spectacular.

BOOK REVIEW: The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George
Series: The Doves Of New York | Book 1
2024 Publication Date: April 23

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Historical Romance
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

Pages: 364
Genre: Historical Romance
Sub-Genre: Gilded Age Romance | Steamy Romance
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶🌶 (Hot Spicy)
Time Period: Gilded Age
Location: London (England)
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Harper St. George knows how to write a rich and satisfying story with characters that are entertaining and interesting. I loved this enchanting historical story set in the late 1800’s so much, I never wanted it to end.

Cora, the eldest of the Dove sisters, must marry a titled gentleman to gain her inheritance, so she and her two sisters travel to England to find a groom. Once Cora arrives in London, she meets an assortment of potential husbands, but as soon as she sees Devenworth, she doesn’t notice anyone else.

Devenworth needs a rich bride to save his ancestral home. Although he is attracted to Cora, he ultimately marries her for her dowry. They marry first and slowly fall in love as they become acquainted with each other. The more they learn about each other, the deeper they fall. However, they are afraid to let down their guard and trust each other completely.

I loved Devenworth and Cora together and enjoyed all of their encounters. Sparks would fly whenever they were together and I found myself immediately immersed in their story. I felt like I was right there with them and I easily connected with all the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read future stories featuring the two other Dove sisters.

A marriage of convenience turns to love in this first book of the series about American heiresses finding husbands among the English aristocracy. The Dove sisters have always been a subject of gossip in New York for their illegitimacy. Life is getting desperate when Cora is notified of an inheritance. The grandmother she never met has left the three sisters a large amount of money and she confronts the father who never acknowledged them about its dispersal. He sets some conditions she can't fight being a woman without rights. He'll disperse the money to their husbands when they marry. Also, they can't live anywhere where he associates, leaving them no option but to search for husbands out of the country if they want their money. Cora contacts a wealthy heiress she met as a child (Camille, from the Gilded Age Heiresses series) to help with finding potential husband candidates. She quickly meets Leo, the good-looking Earl of Devonworth. Leo is in need of funds and they strike a bargain. They'll stay married for two years with Cora insisting it's a marriage in name only. Leo is an upstanding Member of Parliament working to pass a bill that will help the poor. He doesn't need any scandal to thwart his efforts. Hmmm. Cora didn't mention her illegitimacy, her scandalous writing for a women's rights magazine, oh yes... her mother is an uninhibited divorced actress, her sister an opera singer. What else doesn't he know? I loved their relationship. Both insecure because of their backgrounds but supportive of each other and the quirks they discovered as they got to know each other. I'm looking forward to the next sister's story.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I really enjoyed Harper St. George's debut series and was excited to check out this spinoff. Historical is definitely not my most read subgenere, but I loved interconnected series like this.

Unfortunately this one wasn't my favorite. However! I actually quite liked the romance aspect itself.

In this we are following a young woman who needs to marry someone with a title in order to get an inheritance from the father & family that never claimed her as their own. So she strikes up a deal with an Earl who needs the money she can bring to the marriage.

I love a good marriage of convenience romance. The forced proximity aspect just brings such good tension to the romance.

And I really enjoyed this couples chemistry together. I loved the stolen nights in her room, faking the consummation, tense carriage rides... all of it was top tier.

But this book had - quite literally - zero plot. There was nothing driving this story forward. Instead it was 300+ pages of these 2 characters getting to know each other.

They are together from the very beginning. No big drama, just a quick marriage of convenience. And from there it is sharing secrets, meeting the family, attending dinners, and long talks.

While I love a slow, character driven story, this needed something. Because at the end of this book I was left feeling like there was no point to this story. There was no end goal they were working towards. Nothing they needed to overcome. It was just... a play by play of the first few months of their marriage.

Not sure if I'll continue on with this series. Not because I think it's bad. But because it's a genre I reach for so infrequently, and I don't think this series will intrigue me enough to reach for in the future.