This is the first in a brand new series that’s connected to Gilded Age Heiresses and it was pretty good and fun! Like that series we have an American Heiress looking for a titled husband, both with secrets and both not looking for love.

Cora and her sisters just marry to get their inheritance because their father won’t let them have it outright because of their questionable lineage and he just sucks. Cora is determined to make a smart match with a man who values her as an independent woman and finds Leo who is very handsome and liberal but they do not anticipate liking each other. Obviously to get our HEA they end up very much in love.

I enjoyed Cora and Leo’s story. Their relationship is truly built on more than lust or love but respect and understanding for each other and their scholarly opinions. It’s definitely a slow burn because they start as marriage of convenience. I loved that we continue with the Suffrage movement theme with Cora and now including Leo as a man with an ear in Parliament looking to make good political changes. They work on speeches together and sharing opinions. I think they’re a great couple.

My one thing is that I’m a person who enjoys conversation and not internal monologue and while I loved that we get each characters internal thoughts and feelings about things I would have appreciated more talking between them rather than long paragraphs about what they’re thinking. It would have added to the weight of their relationship in good ways to share those out loud.

Overall can’t wait for Eliza’s story coming soon!

I have to start by saying I am not usually a fan of period pieces. This felt like it was written in a very modern voice though. Cora and Leopold both have the need to be wed, so it’s almost too perfect that they’re willing to do this together. But the drama and the secrets will come out eventually, and the angst is perfect. I loved how independent Cora was despite growing up in a time when women weren’t allowed to have a voice. I also loved that Leopold asked for her to speak up on important topics.

a perfect historical romance marriage of convenience between an american heiress and an earl! the attraction and chemistry of these two were absolute perfection and off the charts. a very very good slow burn!

I loved Harper St. George’s Gilded Age Heiresses series and was excited to see she had a new one coming out with the Dove Sisters series. While they are separate series, they are interconnected as the Gilded Age characters are side characters. You do not have to have read the first series in order to enjoy this one.

Cora Dove is the illegitimate child of a wealthy New Yorker, Charlie Hathaway. In order to receive the inheritance left to her by her paternal grandmother, Mr. Hathaway decides that Cora must be married, but not to anyone from anywhere he might have acquaintances. So Cora decides to find herself an aristocratic husband and thus begins her journey to England.

Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, is in need of funds to restore his family home and save his younger brother from debt. When he meets Cora at a house party, he proposes marriage, but Cora has some stipulations of her own.

Throw in a little Victorian era politics through side stories of women’s rights (the married women’s property act) and the development of the public health/water act, and you’ve got an engaging historical romance.

read if you enjoy:
marriage of convenience / forced proximity
secrets
slow burn
she falls first, he falls harder

I already can’t wait for the next book!

📕~ The Stranger I Wed
✍🏻 ~ Harper St. George
⭐~ 4.5/5
🌶️~ 3/5

I received an ARC, and anything shared in this review is solely my opinion!
The Stranger I Wed was my first Harper St. George book, which I read, and she knocked it out of the park, in my opinion! Historical romance is one of my favorite genres, and she wrote such a magnificent story that hooked me from the very beginning. Harper's plot intrigued me from the moment I started the book, and with the characters that she has created, it made it even more enjoyable to dive into her world.

She introduces us to Cora, whom at first we get a glimpse of, and Harper slowly starts to lay bread crumbs in her writing so that we get to know her. I had a connection with her from the moment she made it onto the page, and with each passing chapter, I felt more close to her. We also get to be introduced to her sisters, Eliza and Jenny, who are the secondary characters in this book, though they did make a few appearances, which led to them being part of Cora's journey.

Moving on, we are introduced to Leo Devonworth, who seems to be this prominent individual who is in parliament. As a character, I'd say that he is reserved, though we get glimpses of him evolving throughout the story. When Cora and Leo get to meet for the first time, it's a chef's kiss moment that propels their story to officially start!

Furthermore, I would say that the angst and tension between Cora and Leo are definitely part of the story. Harper is a genius when it comes to writing the scenes in the book. The spice is truly felt between them, and the lead-up to all those moments is well written. Cora and Leo will forever hold a special place in my heart as the ones to start off the series. I'm looking forward to book 2 of Eliza's story! 

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Harper St. George for this e-ARC! I really appreciated it!

This review shall be posted on my Bookstagram page on Monday 15th April, 2024!

It will also be posted and available on my Goodreads and Storygraph page on 31st March, 2024!

Genre: historical romance
New York and London, 1877

Cora Dove is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy New Yorker; he’s supported but never acknowledged them. When Cora’s grandmother dies, she leaves an inheritance, but Cora is required to make a suitable marriage before she’s eligible. Cora reaches out to Camille, Duchess of Hereford, for assistance. Camille agrees to sponsor an introduction to society, arranging meetings with suitable peers who may be in need of Cora’s dowry. Cora is willing to go through with a marriage of convenience for the sake of the money, and when she meets Leopold Brendan, Earl of Devonworth, she’s convinced her plan may actually work. Marriage to a stranger isn’t easy though, and they both find that they want to be anything but strangers.

I love a marriage of convenience, and I love the Gilded Age heiresses that Harper St George brings into historical romances. The failing aristocracy is a favorite aspect for me in later Victorian Era novels, and the way Devonworth’s father is depicted, it’s easy to see how the aristocracy landed where it did. Devonworth himself is an MP dedicated to improving lives. Prior to marriage, Cora spent time writing for a progressive women’s publication under a pen name, and she quickly forms a bond with Devonworth over his political views and helps him polish his speech for a sanitation bill.

A marriage of convenience is a perfect way to force close proximity for a demi hero like Devonworth to develop attraction. Cora has grown up not trusting the people around her, and yet her growing respect and affection for Devonworth may help earn that trust. This features everything I love about a marriage of convenience, with sharp chemistry that made me ache to turn the pages. Cora and Devonworth are total strangers to one another, so this also includes navigating how they can communicate with one another (avoiding an actual miscommunication trope). Plus, there is a very sexy spying-on-a-solo-moment scene.

The Stranger I Wed is technically the first book in a new series, but there are characters from the Gilded Age Heiresses series who feature prominently. You could easily start here, but I’d also recommend reading Camille’s book (The Duchess Takes a Husband, my favorite of the prior series).

People who love romance novels tend to have clear expectations of how a story will develop and where it will end up. As a result, it’s usually not a surprise, once you identify the leads, that they WILL end up together. The issue is HOW, and good romance novelists know to throw plenty of obstacles in the way and include other interesting twists to keep readers hooked.

Harper St. George has had plenty of practice with this, and it shows. This opening to a new series introduces the Dove sisters and their mother, who occupy a somewhat awkward place at the edge of New York’s Gilded Age high society. Although the girls’ father belongs to the wealthy Hathaway family, he never married their mother, and in 1877 illegitimacy is a big deal—not in a good way. Charles Hathaway has supported his second family, up to a point, but he doesn’t want them in his life, embarrassing him before the Four Hundred. When Charles’s mother dies and, in a belated fit of remorse, leaves each of the Dove sisters a large inheritance, Charles sees a chance to get his inconvenient offspring out of his hair. He will transfer the funds only as each girl marries a man who meets their father’s approval—and he strongly suggests that his daughters find those husbands abroad.

So Cora, the eldest and heroine of this novel, heads for the United Kingdom with her mother and youngest sister, Eliza. Jenny, the middle sister, is a talented singer and already in Paris, training for a career in the opera, although she soon joins the others in Britain. Established with their mother’s friend, an American heiress who married into the British aristocracy, Cora soon encounters Leopold, earl of Devonworth. They have a literal run-in at a football (i.e., soccer) game and experience an instant attraction. Devonworth has a title but no money, thanks to a profligate father and younger brother; Cora has neither, but she does have the promise of money once she weds. After a certain amount of hemming and hawing, both bow to the inevitable and marry before really getting to know each other. After all, the match is only supposed to last a couple of years; Cora will then secure a divorce and have full control of her fortune.

What brings the couple together is their shared interest in social change. Cora is a suffragette and a talented writer who has been submitting newspaper articles under a pen name; Devonworth uses his seat in the House of Lords to argue, mostly unsuccessfully, for reforms to benefit working men and women. Soon Cora is helping him punch up his speeches to make them more convincing to the naysayers while driving him crazy by joining women’s suffrage marches. Meanwhile, the two of them are increasingly drawn to each other despite their agreement to a temporary union. But each of them has secrets that must be confessed before they can move forward.

If you like steamy, quite explicit romances with well-developed characters, this one’s for you.

This book checked pretty much all the boxes for me. It made me laugh, it made me swoon, it made me cry, and it ultimately left me with a huge smile on my face. And, I think George has another winner on her hands with this one.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Harper St. George expands her Victorian/Gilded Age world in a wonderful way with The Stranger I Wed, the first in the Doves of New York series. While there are references to the prior series, mainly to previous characters, this series stands on its own, although the other books are absolutely worth checking out if you’re looking for books in a similar vein to this one.
I love how St. George pays homage to and tackles the issues of the time period, like women’s suffrage and providing for the working class (in this case providing access to running water). While these elements are somewhat fictionalized, I like that this exposes that marginalized people’s access to fundamental rights are also not things that just happened in a vacuum, and that not everyone in the past followed the status quo.
Both leads are solid people, and in addition to their causes, rather likable and relatable. I enjoyed how the story slowly revealed how good a match they are, with both Cora and Leo feeling responsible for their younger siblings when they were young. For Leo, it was more of a foregone conclusion, due to the hierarchy of society (even if psychologically it’s still a burden he won’t fully acknowledge he wasn’t fully prepared for), but Cora still has a mother who is ill-equipped for the task and she also had to grow up faster because of it.
While marriage-of-convenience can be very hit-or-miss for me, I really liked that they established a mutual respect early on. That and the pining and emotional connection were very pronounced, and it felt very much like a slow burn to when they actually consummated their relationship. That could be a turnoff for other readers, but as a grayace reader (and I saw someone say Leo read as demi to them, which does make sense in hindsight), one of my turnoffs in many MOC books is the focus on the physical side, while being like “we will not fall in love!,” so it’s nice to have a book that does something different.
This is a promising start to a new series, and based on what’s been teased, I’m excited for what’s to come. If you’re interested in a slow-burn historical romance with a slightly subverted marriage-of-convenience plot, I’d recommend checking this one out!

Tropes: marriage of convenience; MC is a fish out of water
Steam level: 2-3
Book one of a new series. Although it's a standalone, the MC's from "The Duchess Takes a Husband" in the previous series play roles.

3.25 stars. This was a bit of a letdown. The writing is fine. Leo and Cora are both really likable MC's. Leo in particular, is one of those sweet, hot-but-chaste book boyfriend types you can't help but root for. They had the potential for sizzling chemistry; there was a spicy scene in the middle that took me by surprise and got my hopes up. My issue lies with the plot--there isn't much of one. Leo needs to marry money to save his estate and his brother; Cora needs to marry to receive her inheritance, and apparently can't find anyone in the States who's amenable since she and her sisters are illegitimate. The MC's meet cute, and when they formally meet they get along great, to the point that Leo's ready to propose. But they decide they want a marriage of convenience with no sex for reasons I never quite understood or bought into. In fact, I was surprised Cora brought up the divorce/separation idea as quickly as she did, considering the awkward position she was putting Leo in, and I was even more surprised he agreed to it.

Post-marriage there's a smidge of tension and some witty scenes that showcase Leo and Cora's growing rapport. But by the 70% mark, when the Big Secret(s) had been aired out but they still hadn't consummated, the slow-burn seemed rather forced. The major conflicts, such as unhappy Harry making poor decisions and the Dove sisters' background being exposed, are glossed over for future books. The foreshadowing early on that Cora might be in danger from an underworld figure is addressed last-minute and the cause for the Third Act Conflict feels minor and tacked-on.

I thought this author's previous books in the Gilded Age Heiresses series were excellent, but found this just middle-of-the-road. It's not bad, but unfortunately not really memorable.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest review. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity.

“He was coming to suspect that what had seemed like a perfectly reasonable term in their verbal marriage contract would become a bloody nuisance. He wanted his own wife.”

The Dove sisters are Illegitimate daughters of a New York high society business scion who are shipped off to London to secure aristocratic marriages. The oldest is highly independent Cora, a passionate proponent of women’s rights. When she is literally and figuratively bowled over by handsome, powerful Leo Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, she warily agrees to a marriage of convenience to further both of their political careers. Cora’s only non-negotiable term to the arrangement is that the marriage must remain “in name only” for a period of two years.

This novel was enjoyable and an easy, quick read. There is nothing wrong with it in terms of plot or execution, and there is nothing wonderful about it either. It is a solid, middle of the road historical romance. There is no question that the author fulfilled her end of the contract, leaving me as a reader and reviewer with not much to say other than this book is just fine. The cover art is fine. The characters are all fine. The meet-cute is fine. The dialogue is fine. The chemistry and romantic tension are all fine. The pacing is fine. The ending is fine.

If you are looking for a safe, predictable genre read, this will check all of the genre boxes, and that’s not a bad thing! 3-stars is fine! It’s just…perfectly, absolutely, fine. And I've forgotten all the details by the time I started writing this review.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕀 𝕎𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕥. 𝔾𝕖𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖

If you’re looking for a high stakes, spicy, drama filled period piece, then look no further besties—this book right here was a banger! I already knew I loved Harper St. George’s writing because I read the ‘Gilded Age Heiresses’ series, where we met the Doves in the last book of that series (from ‘The Duchess Takes a Husband’).

This one had an interesting blurb that grabbed my attention right from the start. Cora & her two sisters are the illegitimate daughters of a man from one of New York’s wealthiest & founding families. (OOOH SCANDALOUS!). She then travels to London & at a house party meets Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth. he’s interested in her too once he realizes she’s one of the Americans in town for the party he was invited to. He needs a wealthy bride with deep pockets to get his bill passed. & let the PLOT begin!

We even get a “my wife” moment, & Leopold may be up there with Christian (from ‘The Devil & the Heiress’) for me. There’s nothing like a ‘Marriage of Convenience’, slow burn, glitz & glamour historical romance that gets me going! Y’all…if thats your thing, then pick this book up.

Thank you to @berkleypub, @netgalley ,& @harperstgeorge for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PUB DATE: 04.23.2024

#TheStrangerIWed #NetGalley #BookReview #BerkleyPub #HarperStGeorge

I was a big fan of Harper St. George’s previous series. This story follows Cora, a friend of Camille from The Duchess Takes a Husband. However, this book was a much slower burn than that series. I found the dynamic between Cora and Leo interesting, although he was not as strong of a character and his commitment issues were frustrating. I enjoyed their bond over the Suffragist movement and the exquisite pining. I am definitely intrigued to see how the series progresses.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. This is a first for me by this author and this year I am really re-entering my historical romance era and I am so glad I read this. This is a marriage of convenience, out of necessity for the FMC Cora to access her inheritance and for the MMC Leo who holds a prestigious title but with none of the money behind it. They start off with so much chemistry and it was so endearing when they eventually try to call it friendship and me as a reader was just smirking at these two adorable fools. Leo is definitely demi coded which I loved seeing. There is definitely conversations on consent and explanation (some of it eventual cause angst has to come from somewhere) of his feelings on the topic of intimacy after love/emotions.

I guess this is a slow burn but it didn't bother me. There is so much development and time together. That is a big thing for me with romance especially historical, the perception of those lonely repressed times, how people have to withhold even giving each other a platonic hug, I want that mutual pining and it is absolutely there. Leo becomes such a simp for Cora and I absolutely here for it. It is giving Darcy when he overthinks when she puts her arm through his to enter an event or when he just simply can't stop thinking about her or looks forward to their times together.

This is also a "modern" feeling historical in that Cora and to an extent even Leo are feminists. And it isn't written in an overbearing or preachy way. There are side plots that involved women's rights and I felt it realistically fit in with their high society constraints.

Thank you to Berkley for the free book! Again, I loved this so much.

The Stranger I Wed begins a new series by Harper St. George. The Dove sisters find themselves in the predicament of needing to marry in order to receive their inheritance. However, due to their father’s demands, they end up in England looking for titled marriageable men. This book focuses on Cora, the eldest Dove sister, as she begins her marriage of convenience to Leo, Earl of Devonworth. Cora and Leo decide a business arrangement is the best course of action and set about to protect their best interests. But, as happens, living together and getting to know one another begins to change their view on marriage… and each other. I really enjoyed this story! St. George’s characters always have great depth and her dialogue is wonderful. She created quite the scenario with the Dove family and it was fun to watch how London society reacts to them. I am looking forward to more of this series!

Harper St. George has been knocking it out of the park with this series! (Technically this is the first in a new series, but it's connected with her previous Gilded Age Heiresses series and what can I say, it feels like a continuation in the best way.) In this one, we get (surprise surprise) an American heiress determined to marry an impoverished lord ... but wait, there's more! They both have (not very awful) secrets in their pasts that may or may not come out; they are both well-spoken political progressives; and they both agree not to consummate the marriage, and that they will separate/divorce after 2 years of putting a good face on it.

This does mean that it's a pretty slow burn. Also an element of the slow burn? The MMC is demi (not described using that terminology in the book); and because of that, he really doesn't feel much of a need (or desire) to bed "the stranger [he] wed." But as all romance readers know, close proximity leads to friendship leads to "oh no, is this LOVE?"

Another element that makes this one a little different from her previous books is that neither the MMC nor the FMC come from affluent backgrounds. Yes, they both come from privileged backgrounds, but we're not talking about Gilded Age industrial giants or society debutantes.

And yeah, it's a slow burn, but when they get there? They GET THERE.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This was my first book by this author. I’d heard a lot about her previous series and after hearing the premise & seeing the cover I wanted to give this one a try.

I would say it was an okay read for me. I enjoyed the plot and the marriage of convenience storyline but the pacing felt off. The story moved very slowly and even dragged at times. Perhaps it would be better to listen to this as an audiobook.

Read this if you like:
•historical romances
•marriage of convenience
•slow burn
•womens rights

I am not a huge historical romance reader but wow did I really enjoy this one! I adored the pining. I adored them getting to know each other. I adored their feral attraction for each other! And add in some steam on top of it and this book was so delightful!

Thank you PRH audio & NetGalley for the advanced copies!

Illegitimate miss Cora Dove receives a windfall: the promise of a dowry from her dying grandmother. But her father will only release the funds if Cora and her sisters can find suitable husbands far, far from his family in New York. Earl of Devonworth, Leopold Brendon, needs the backing of a wealthy wife to advance his plans in Parliament. But Cora and Leo’s “loveless arrangement” isn’t what either expected.

This is the first book in the Doves of New York series, featuring Cora and her sisters: unlikely American heiresses seeking marriages in London. Cora begins her husband hunt with the assistance of Camille, Dowager Duchess of Hereford, from the book The Duchess Takes a Husband. I liked how the story began, with Cora scoping out potential grooms before a planned house party. She and Leo share a bit of a meet cute which sparks an attraction and convinces him to attend Camille's gathering.

This is a slow burn and, in my opinion, it had a bit of a pacing problem. While the pining and hot-cold emotions from the characters usually work in a marriage of convenience story, it just fell a little flat for me personally. I liked Cora and Leo's chemistry but I thought his commitment issues were a bit of a cop-out and detracted from the relationship rather than add a layer. Their common goals with Parliment and the Suffragette movement could have been a bigger unifier, but by the end I thought it just lost the momentum. I hope the next one brings back the spark I'm used to from St George's books.
 
Tropes: Class Differences, Marriage of Convenience, Delayed Consummation, Women’s Suffrage

Steam: 3

I really enjoyed this historical romance by Harper St. George.
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Cora and her sisters, America heiresses, can only claim their dowery if they find suitable husbands. With their legitimacy in question, they must leave New York and their reputation behind. They set off to England in pursuit of finally securing and claiming what is rightfully theirs.
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⚜️marriage of convenience
⚜️slow burn romance
⚜️women’s suffrage
⚜️first book in a new series
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I especially enjoyed the storyline around women’s suffrage, and the characters and their relationship was refreshing. I loved how the mmc PINED for Cora. It was sweet.
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Looking forward to continuing this series.
Thank you netgalley and Berkeley for the opportunity to read this book!