I. Love. Marriage of convenience. You throw in a little strangers to friends to lovers and some “me?? In love with my spouse?? Prepostorous” and I’m all in. Sold. Stock lock and barrel. Add in the fact that Harper St. George does phenomenal historical detail like none other and I devoured The Stranger I Wed.

The whole American heiress needs a title/British aristocrat needs funds is one of my favorite historical romance set ups. It’s a time period we don’t talk about as much in favor of the glamorous affluence of the Regency period. But I love what the mutual exchange brings to the relationship. The way it’s handled by different authors is always so different. And St. George took the up front, we know what each other wants, marry get what we both want, and divorce or separate in two years and everyone is happy.

It’s all fine until someone knows Cora is illegitimate and she can’t let anyone know. Until Leo and Cora become friends and yearn for more but don’t want to ruin what they have. Until they realize they don’t want to separate but how do they tell each other that. Two humans that have more in common than they originally thought (no spoilers but my HEART) and both staunch protectors of each other. I just. Ugh. This is why I read romance. The squishy feelings they don’t know how to handle. The gentle fall into friendship and the headlong crash into love. SIGN ME UP. They’re both so stupid in love with each other and pine so hard. And since the marriage is early on, there’s ample time with them just…learning each other. They’re also just like….super h*rny for each other and I was kicking my feet over it. (Plus historical condom use!)

And obviously, we get awesome historical detail (the author’s note is great!). There’s a little political intrigue (very light), some jerk face MPs that will go to some lengthy means to squash women’s rights, and there’s some right to clean water + critique of industrialization that was absolutely fascinating.

Loved. Adored. Highly recommend. Need the other Dove sisters’ books in my hand yesterday.

Cora Dove has always lived on the outskirts of society. Being born out of wedlock, her father never truly claimed her or her sisters as his own. And yet, her dying grandmother has left Cora and her sisters an inheritance. There's only one catch - they have to marry in order to receive the inheritance. Cora sets her sights on England to find someone who will be suitable to marry her but also be willing to be married in name only. Cora wants a quiet life of her own - away from prying eyes. Will she be able to find such a match in London?

Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth isn't looking to get married, but he has his own reasons to marry. After considering Cora Dove - he decides to marry her. He hears her proposal for a marriage in name only and agrees. They will both benefit out of the agreement. But their forced proximity has both of them longing to make this an actual marriage - will they agree to their terms of try for something real?

The first part of The Stranger I Wed was so fun! I loved the "meet cute" between Devenworth and Cora. Their relationship was always upfront and honest and I appreciated that. But the slow burn was sooo slow and a good chunk of the middle part of this romance fizzled out for me. I found myself putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up again.

I'm looking forward to reading the stories about Cora's other sisters!

An absolutely wonderful and compelling start to a new series! I have loved all of St. George's previous titles and was so eagerly anticipating where she would go next and I can already tell that I love this new world of characters she is bringing us into, Maybe this one didn't have quite the same spark between our couple, but definitely still worth reading and I will be keeping my eye out for the next one in this fun new series.

Unfortunately this turned into a DNF for me at 40%. I've been at 40% for over a month. This is a me problem and not a book/author problem. I think I've outgrown this genre currently and am interested in reading other types of books lately. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book early.

If you love historical romance with characters that are strong, resilient, resourceful, and when they fall … they fall hard this book is for you!

This is the first book in the new series The Doves of New York and is connected to her Guilded Age series. However, it can read read as a stand-alone. There is also plenty of time to dive in and discover Harper St. George’ backlist before this book releases in April.

A marriage of convenience that’s unconventional.
Two strangers will discover that you can be friends, lovers, and more with your spouse.

How far would you go to save those you love, protect your name, and find a love that can stand
the test of time.?

I can’t get enough of Harper St. George and I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait to find out what happens next!

Thank you Berkley Publishing for this advance reader copy for an honest and fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this novel! I’m a big Harper St. George fan, and she outdid herself on this one. There’s just something about her male leads that will have any historical romance reader swooning. Leo might be my new favorite! And Cora was an intriguing and powerful heroine. I loved the slow burn between them and the drama and the danger along the way. Can’t wait to read her sisters’ stories!!

Cora and Devonworth. Such a good pairing, such a funny meet-cute. She's got some unexpected ripostes that genuinely made me smile and he's pretty hot, mostly because he's just a straight-up decent guy (didn't really come across as the reserved so-called Ice Prince to me, though).

The marriage of convenience. I really like it when romance couples have an early negotiation scene, where both parties are as up front as they need to be in order to close the deal. You know some of the backpocket secrets are being kept, just so they can pop out at the most inopportune moment later. But you also recognize them for the promise they are: cutting angst and a slooow-burn.

What didn't I like? The final, super late bit of angst, which crested and then receded as fast as a sneaker wave. It wasn't needed. Also, it's unbelievable that there isn't a scene where Camille and/or the Crenshaw sisters say, "This story looks familiar..."

I loved this!! It was so swoony and sweet. The pining is off the charts and I loved every second of it. Leo and Cora were everything together.

Ok, I’d read the phone book if it included a marriage of convenience trope! And here we go with a Gilded Age, M of C trope, two wonderful realized main characters, and a plot line that holds your interest and intrigues you. Throw in a little suffragette action on their part along with some pubic health and reform politics and I’m there. So will you be, I’m sure.

This contains some sexy bits for your reading enjoyment. I also loved the afterward where Ms. St. George explains the real history behind the action in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Maaaaaaannn this had everything to be stellar! I really enjoy Harper's writing style. Her last series was fantastic and I ate it up. I honestly don't know what happened here.

Drive-by summary:
Cora and here sisters are illegitimate and poor...until her grandmother leaves them all enormous inheritances as a way to feel better about treating them like trash while she was living. Her father will only release the funds if they find worthy husbands outside of the US. This all leads Cora to marry a handsome and penniless Earl she met only once and chose via Bachelorette. They are like the same person and ultimately fall in love.

The pacing was all wrong. the first and last quarter of the book were supersonic speed and then the middle was molasses speed. It felt off. For example, they start connecting when she begins helping him with his speech while also pretending to be sleeping together., but we dont actually read much of it. It's just told to us after the fact. A ton of the book we don't experience in real time. It is told to us by one of their POV after. It was just strange.

What I liked and why I will read the next one?
The characters were just fun. I want to see what her little sister gets into next.

Thank you #NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was very exposition-heavy which just isn’t for me. I stopped after the first section (6%). It has solid historical vibes. I’d guess easy three stars for the target audience and four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

a nice spin off from the earlier "gilded age" series. good plot and characters, especially the minor characters.

Harper St. George writes beautiful, romantic, steamy, FUN historical reads! I love her style of writing. Her books are easy to read and her characters easy to love. Cora and Devonworth's romance was unputdownable. I loved their chemistry and banter. Excited to read the rest of this series!
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for my copy.

The Stranger I Wed is the first book in The Doves of New York Series; a series about three sisters and their mother going to London to try to change their lives, due to manipulations of the 'patriarch' of their family. This first book introduces us to the entire Dove family but focuses on Cora, the oldest sister, and the one who instigates their move to London, after confronting her father and discovering conditions on her inheritance.


When they arrive in London, the sisters begin scouting their prospects and on one such scouting exhibition, Cora meets her future spouse, the Earl of Devonworth when he accidentally runs her over while playing football. As one might expect, they both find the other fascinating and because of the nature of him needing money and her needing a title, they end up marrying fairly quickly after that meeting. Initially the marriage is one of convenience--he needs the cash and she needs the security his title offers; he doesn't want to risk his heart and she most definitely doesn't want that either. What she does want, however, is independence and freedom. As they get to know each other, their resolve to not know each other disappears and with that respect and love blooms. Before you know it, they're writing together, laughing together, and seem like a team--something neither of them anticipated. Of course, because this is a romance, there's that hesitation about whether this development in their marriage is something that they want. With a little conflict and reflection and resolution, these two find their happily ever after and now we get to see Eliza's journey from single New Yorker to the newest belle of London.

A new series set in the same world as the Gilded Age series - with Camille, Violet and August in minor supporting roles!! This time, it’s a new set of American sisters seeking their mates within the ton - but these ladies have a bevy of secrets in their trousseau and everything to lose if they are discovered.

Ok - real talk. I totally loved Cora and her pragmatic approach to seeking a husband. I also found Leo to be endearing in his demeanor, it was unexpected and disarming. Do I wish they had gotten hot and heavy sooner? Absolutely. Were the scenes where they did mash parts worth the wait? Absofuckinlutely. The mirror scene was especially hot 🥵

I look forward to see where HSG takes this new series - I think it’s going to be a wild ride.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

My first book by this author and it definitely won't be my last. I have been meaning to read a book by this author for a while now and I am so glad I got approved for this.This was right up my alley. marriage of convenience is one of my favourite tropes so I devoured this.The writing is great and I read it with ease and the charcaters were multidimensional. Great read definitely recommend. Will be checking the rest of her books out for sure!

thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the ebook!

I always look forward to a new St. George publication, as I appreciate that this author's historical romance stories are just that: romantic while also heavily inspired by real historical figures and events. She is successfully able to portray characters that are ambitious, progressive, and ahead of their times in terms of human rights (the absence of this tends to repel me from the historical romance genre). I very much enjoyed this albeit shaky start to a continuation of the gilded age heiresses series of standalones.

Ultimately, the romance simply fell short for me. I was not a fan of much of the hero's behavior in the latter third of the novel. It featured a lot of push and pull that was unfair to Cora's emotions on account of a mildly tragic prior love affair that existed solely for the sake of more unnecessary conflict. More than that, his inability to communicate and voice his problems dampened my reading experience.

Also, I never want to hear a certain body part be described as "weeping" ever again (and it happened twice in this one).

3.5 stars

A marriage of convenience or something more? The eldest of three daughters of dubious origin, Cora and her sisters come into a fortune rather suddenly. The stipulation? They must marry Englishmen to unlock their inheritances. Never one for sentimentality, Cora makes a careful plan and travels from New York to London with a clear goal: find a husband and then convince him to divorce her so she can keep her independence. Enter Leo, the Earl of Devonworth and a respected liberal in Parliament whose estates are desperately in need of the money an heiress can provide. A marriage of convenience quickly ensues, but as time goes on, inconvenient feelings start to arise.

At its core, The Stranger I Wed centers around a relationship based on respect. Before they fall in love, Cora and Leo respect each other as individuals and as scholars. Cora helps Leo with his speeches, and he accepts her help and openly asks her opinion. It's easy for the historical romance genre to fall into the trap of all passion and no genuine connection, but the author expertly avoids such a trap, instead setting up a sizzling slowburn that is enthralling as well as romantic.

As a heroine, Cora felt true to period. While she valued women's suffrage and independence, her attitude and approach didn't feel like a modern woman thrown 150 years into the past (which is much appreciated by this reviewer who values attempts at historical accuracy almost as much as the romance). Her strength wasn't so obvious as to be annoying and her wit was never aimed at putting others down.

Leo was a swoon-worthy hero. He respected Cora as her own person and valued her companionship enough to be hesitant to further their relationship. The way he pined for her (guys, the pining in this book is off the charts) never felt demeaning, even though he was detailed in his appreciation. Respect and understanding were built into everything he did, so while he was certainly an honorable Victorian gentleman, his habits wouldn't offend modern sensibilities.

As a fan of Harper St. George's other Victorian romances, I must admit that this was one of my favorites. Cora and Leo are so sweet and believable and I loved that the tension was never forced or worsened by unnecessary miscommunication. Watching previous couples flit in and out of the story was amusing, as was the set-up for the next book. Fans of the Gilded Age Heiresses will not be disappointed!

Harper St. George's "The Stranger I Wed" transports readers to the Gilded Age with a captivating tale of American heiress Cora Dove navigating London's high society. Faced with a generous dowry contingent on marrying outside New York, Cora enters a marriage of convenience with Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a pragmatic parliamentarian. This historical romance artfully weaves themes of love, independence, and societal change as Cora champions women's rights alongside her unexpected husband. St. George crafts a compelling narrative with a delightful mix of romance and social commentary, making it a standout in the Gilded Age Heiresses series. The characters' palpable chemistry, the unconventional storyline, and St. George's spicy romance style make "The Stranger I Wed" a must-read for historical romance enthusiasts seeking a blend of passion and societal evolution.

I’m a big fan of Harper St. George and this book was great! It introduces the Dove sisters. Cora is the oldest and when she marries she will get an inheritance from her wealthy father who chooses not to acknowledge her and her illegitimate family. She marries Leo for his title and he marries her for her money- strictly a business arrangement. I like this arc of business turned lovers. This book was a slow burn but fast read. A must read!