I loved the author's other series - The Gilded Age Heiresses so I was pretty excited to dive into this new one too! Historical romance books with marriage of convenience are like catnip to me!😍

Cora Dove and her sisters are the illegitimate daughters of a wealthy and powerful man in New York and they've never been acknowledged. When their grandmother gives them all a considerable sum as inheritances, it looks like their situation might turn around, but their father puts forth a condition - to access the inheritance they'll have to be married. So, Cora sets off to London with the hope that she'll be able to find titled husbands for herself and her sisters.

Leopold Brendon, the Earl of Devonworth is in need of funds to save his dwindling estate and pay off his brother's debts. He's also working on a Public Health bill that's facing some opposition. Marrying a wealthy heiress could solve many of his problems, so Leo and Cora decide to enter into a marriage of convenience to solve each other's problems! But, neither of them expected to fall for the other or discover some of the secrets that they've been hiding!

Cora and Leo were both such interesting characters and I loved how their relationship went from strangers to friends to lovers! It's a very slow burn romance as they take their time to get to know each other! And my favorite part was the open communication between them. They discuss everything while ironing out the terms in a very business-like way but they slowly develop feelings for each other 😂 it also had some funny moments like how Cora didn't remember his first name correctly right after their wedding 😂 They were also quite passionate about their respective causes and I loved how they helped each other out!
The supporting cast was quite fun too - especially Cora's mom and her sisters! I'm quite excited to read Jenny and Eliza's stories in the upcoming books!

If you're looking for an enjoyable marriage-of-convenience story, I'd definitely recommend this one!❣️✨

*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Stranger I Wed is the first book in an interconnected, standalone historical romance series set in the Gilded Age from author Harper St. George.

I was immediately grabbed by the premise for this one: an illegitimate daughter of a wealthy New York man is offered means if she’ll find an English husband. Cora, determined to do right by her family and gain her means, departs for England in search of a titled husband to help her gain access to her inheritance funds.

In England, Cora finds herself colliding with impoverished, titled Lord Devonsworth. The two agree to a marriage of convenience, but quickly find that more may be developing as their relationship grows.

I actually really enjoyed Cora as a character and was interested to learn more about her and Leo’s backgrounds. I liked that it was a slow burn romance- that seemed more realistic and fitting given how the two came to be linked.

I found Cora’s family to be of interest - which is good since obviously the series is following the sisters 😊 I am eager to see what happens for Eliza.

While there were a few bits that dragged a little for me, overall I found the story to be interesting and cute. Definitely one I’d recommend for fans of the genre / time period and author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the opportunity to read an early copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

Now that’s some high-octane UST. (Unresolved Sexual Tension)

The Stranger I Wed has a piping hot central couple, a great romance, and sets up the series in a solid, interesting way. I liked everything about this one, and had a lot of fun reading it.

The three Dove sisters were born into scandal – quite literally. The illegitimate children of the mega rich Charles Hathaway, the sisters live in shame on the fringes of society, never officially claimed by their image-conscious father and a burden on his upper-crust family. Cora, the eldest, confronts him with material evidence that she and her sisters are his biological daughters, stepping out of the shadows to claim the money their guilt-laden grandmother has left them. Hathaway, deciding to avoid scandal, promises each of the girls their financial due – as long as they all marry and go to live far away from New York. But if they don’t score a wedding ring, they don’t score the cash.

Cora takes the family to England to hunt up a husband. She wants one in name only; her goal is to get the money, not to find true love. Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth is in search of a wealthy wife whose money will grease the wheels to fund a bill he’s trying to get through parliament which will provide clean water to the working class.

Cora and Leo look at one another and immediately see a way to make their dreams come true. They strike up an on-paper marriage and become friends. Surely desire and love won’t intervene in their marriage, oh no!

You know the song but the tune is quite different, and in the case of The Stranger I Wed, the difference is the chemistry between Leo and Cora. It’s electric, fantastic, sensual, and brilliant. This is a fun ride and St. George knows how to stretch out that longing and make you feel like you’re balanced atop a ninepin waiting for the final shoe to drop.

I liked both of them. Cora and Leo are good people who deserve the love story they end up with. The author, as always, does a good job with her research, properly portraying London and New York and the social whirls there in all their complexity, and manages to make the other two Dove sisters appealing as well.

In the end, there’s a lot of fun stuff happening, but the name of the game in The Stranger I Wed is chemistry. And that, in the end, is what we get here in spades – and what every single page of the book promotes. And that makes it one of the best romances of the year.

As always Harper St. George packs a lot into her novels with the continuation of the FMC Cora helping fight for woman's rights to the MMC Leo's attempts to pass a Public Health bill in parliament. And when it comes to any kind of politics, we all know that secrets in the past have a way of coming to light and effecting everything.

I admired Cora's determination of character in order to secure a future for herself and her sisters in the wake of her paternal grandmother's death. Even if it meant making a deal with the metaphorical devil that her father appeared to be. To not only endeavor on a journey across an ocean but to put herself in a tenuous position such as a marriage of convenience. I loved her instant connection and banter with Leo and although this was very much a slow burn those moments of steam were crackling. I will forever have the window ledge scene emblazoned in my mind with Leo's "Leave us!" as well as the chase to the bedroom scene when Cora was technically "caught" by Leo after having gone to the rally.

I love an MMC that finds that he will risk/give up everything to protect the person that they love. At times I wanted him to get out of his own way, but with his past broken heart, I could see why it was difficult for him to do so. I loved how he was instantly protective of Cora, how he knew she was hiding things in her past from him, but hoped she would one day tell him. Even though that notion came back to bite him... I also adore when an MC is fighting their feelings hard/the moment they come to the realization that they love the other. And Leo's moment was *chef's kiss*

The Stranger I Wed is a great first novel in a series that I am very much looking forward to continuing to read. Harper St. George writes some of my favourite fictional men and I am collecting them all as book boyfriends. Welcome to the club Leo!

The Stranger I Wed is a fun historical romance that approaches a marriage of convenience trope in a unique way. I loved how Cora examined the merits of her options before agreeing upon a marriage, and how her character has a penchant for supporting women's rights. Devonworth -- or Leo, as she endearingly comes to call him -- is her compliment in many ways. He is honorable, forward thinking, and understanding of her circumstances (her need to marry AND later familial details that come to light).

Their romance is a slow burn that unfolds naturally. I appreciate that Cora's view of Devonworth progresses to a level of friendship with very little angst and secrecy between them. Their openness and transparency with one another comes naturally with their deepening intimacy.

Content note: this is an open door romance with 3+ scenes of detailed intimacy. There is also some use of profanity from mild to strong expletives throughout.

This novel was entertaining and kept my attention with the wonderfully written humor and banter between the characters. I loved how Cora and Leo came together, and how Cora is simply relentless and stubborn.

Cora’s strength in the mess of family dynamics only made sense — I’d only imagine getting swept away easily otherwise. Learning of her lineage and everything else, it was for any lack of a better word, a mess.

I absolutely loved how Leo and Cora’s chemistry was almost instantly there. The build up between interactions only fueled the tension. The dual pov only helped to solidify their feelings and the added bits of politics did not put a damper on any of the goings on. If anything the amount of politics truly did belong here and in my opinion, can be hard to sell.

Overall, I really enjoyed this period romance, it’s easy going pace with a solid plot has me wanting more from this author. This delightful tale had me smitten from the beginning, and I’m still thinking about it as I write this review!


Thank you to Netgalley, Harper St George, and Berkley Publishing for the eARC!

I enjoyed Harper St. George’s previous series immensely so I was very excited to start this new one, but unfortunately The Stranger I Wed was a bit of a miss for me. It had a very promising start with an adorable meet-cute and a marriage of convenience, my favorite trope, but somewhere along the way I became bored. The romance was a very slow burn that didn’t quit hit the mark for me once they were together and at times the plot felt very bogged down. Overall, this wasn’t my favorite from this author but I do plan to continue the series, I think it still has a lot of potential.

3.5 stars! The Stranger I Wed is the first book in a new Gilded Age historical romance series by Harper St. George and it includes a marriage of convenience. If you loved her previous series, Gilded Age Princesses, then you will definitely enjoy this series and even enjoy appearances of those familiar characters too!

This has a super intriguing premise that grabbed my attention right from the start. Cora and her 2 sisters are the illegitimate daughters of a man from one of New York’s wealthiest and founding families. Fifth Avenue was her birthright, but her and her sisters were never invited in to the exclusive addresses on the streets. When her birth-grandmother (her father’s mother) passes away, she says she regrets the ways Cora and her sisters were treated and wants to do right by giving them all inheritances. Only stipulation is the inheritance will be held in a trust until each is married. So Cora sets off to husband-hunt, and more specifically title-hunt, in London with her mother and sisters in tow!

Her friend in London, Camille from The Duchess Takes a Husband, sets up a house party to meet eligible, titled gentleman for husband-prospects. But before the party, Cora ends up meeting Devonworth when he crashes into her near the football pitch. She realizes later he’s Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, and he’s intrigued with her too once he realizes she’s one of the Americans in town for the party he was invited to. He knows the ways of aristocracy are changing and that he needs money for his estate and an heir, so he proposes marriage and she tells him about her plans of a marriage in name only and to possibly separate or divorce later. They both know a marriage of convenience will work well for them and make an arrangement to appear to be living as husband and wife for two years. But if a divorce isn’t possible, then he needs an heir by five years married.

This one started off great, had an intriguing premise, but then it kind of just had a lot going on and dragged with the romance. I do now the author’s previous series got better as they went on for me, so I am still intrigued and know that this one was setting a lot up for the series and sisters we are following. I did like how she helped him with his Parliament speeches and it is sweet the way he remembers everything she likes and takes notice. All in all, solid start to a new series!

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own!

I am amused by some people's lower ratings for this book because there was "too much slow burn" (god forbid the sex scenes happen AFTER the 50% mark; what is even the point by then!?!), and obviously I am biased as a slow-burn lover, but I don't think that was the true issue. It's that the build-up TO the relationship moments was kind of just...bland. Fine. Meh.

Cora and Leo are very one-note, paint-by-the-historical-romance-numbers characters. They're nice, which is the kindest thing I can say about them--like, I'm happy, at least, that Leo wasn't a macho asshole who demanded Cora do things instead of asking her. But a politician who works all the time with beautiful blond hair and a perfect jaw is also just kind of ho-hum-whatever, and Cora is just a nice feminist who wants to provide for her sisters. There wasn't a lot of interesting conflict or flirty/getting-to-know-you scenes that could really set this book apart from anything else in the genre.

I gave it three stars because there IS something readable about St. George's writing, and I got through the book without challenge, and I may still read the next book. But it's not my favorite from the author, and if the next book trends the same way, I may end up reevaluating any future reads.

Disclosure: I received a free ARC copy of this book. All thoughts are my own!

This was so good! I love a marriage of convenience! Leo was so amazing. Seeing as he was in the last book I knew he was going to be fantastic but he outdid himself! I mean could he have given into Cora’s temptation a little sooner in my opinion, yes! However, when that slow burn finally ended it was so so so good. Like I needed a glass of wine good.
Cora Dove has come to England with her sisters in order to find a husband so her inheritance can be released from her controlling, jerk of a father. Cora meets Leo in an adorable meet cute. And the attraction is instant.
Leo has a title but no money (sadness) so he must marry an heiress to rebuild his estates and pay off his lazy brother’s debts.
When these two come together quickly and get married you think Excellent let the wooing begin! But Cora has made it clear that she doesn’t want a real marriage because she doesn’t want love. She wants her money and in a few years a divorce. Let’s just say living with the 🥵 Leo makes those plans go up in flames.

The author has written a stunning first book in a new series, The Doves of New York, that completely captivated me. Cora Dove, an American, marries a Brit aristocrat with a title and a grand reputation. Enter Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, who needs her wealth to save his estate and to fund his efforts in Parliament to establish clean water for the working class. They marry for convenience, and I fell headlong into this slow-burn romance that made me swoon. Histficrom fans will adore this!

The Stranger I Wed is the first book in The Doves of New York, a new series by Harper St. George. Cora Dove and her sister’s parentage has been a topic of speculation in New York society which has the family living on the edges of respectable society. An unexpected inheritance from their paternal grandmother changes the course of the sisters’ lives. To receive the inheritance, the young women must find and marry respectable men. Cora, the eldest of the sisters, decided that England was the place to find a suitable husband, but Cora wants a marriage in name only.

Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, is not seeking marriage but has a specific reason for considering it. He needs a wealthy wife to save his estate. When he meets Cora and she suggests a marriage of convenience, he agrees, and they wed. Both find advantages in this arrangement. However, as they spend more time together and get to know each other, they start to desire a genuine marriage.

I enjoyed the previous series by the author and could not wait for her latest book. The Stranger I Wed was an interesting take on the marriage of convenience storyline. I enjoyed the characters, especially watching Leo and Cora’s relationship develop; moving from getting to know you, to friendship and eventual love. However, I did have some issues with this story. The romance took too long to develop, and the pacing slowed towards the middle of the book. This did not take away from the story and it was still a solid historical romance.

It is a lovely historical romance with great characters. I am looking forward to reading the stories of the other sisters! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Cora and her sisters have longed been subject to the gossip of NYC society due to their illegitimate status. When their grandmother leaves them a sizeable dowry, Cora makes a deal with her father that these funds will be paid in full to each of them upon their marriage to suitable husbands far away from NYC. Enlisting the help of Camille, Cora and her sisters travel to England and the marriage mark to find themselves husbands. A fateful Football match brings Cora and Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth into each other lives and as they enter into marriage can they survive all the politics and secrets that lay in their way.

I really enjoyed Cora and Leo’s relationship as they learnt to trust one another enough to admit their secrets. Their relationship is very much built on respect for the different skills they bring to the relationship and the multiple wish to do anything for family. While it was very much like at first sight, it was very much a slow burn…and although I am a fan, there is a small part of me that wanted them to burn just a little quicker!

Overall, I enjoyed the first book in The Doves of New York series, the pacing felt a little off in some places but I am excited to see what Eliza gets up to in Book 2!

3.5 stars. This was sweet, but a little draggy. The narration relies heavily on summarizing and telling; the reader feels one step removed from the action of the story. The MC couple are sweet, both trying to do the best for their families and are honest with each other about their intentions.

This book sets up a short series of probably 3, as the FMC is the oldest of 3 sisters. A possibility would also be the MMC's younger brother.

This was such a good start to Harper St George’s Doves of New York series. Cora and her sisters have basically been shunned by their father and his family their entire lives. But when their grandmother passes away, a reunion of sorts is set in motion, along with a plan to collect on an inheritance that comes with some contingencies. The sisters set off to England to find suitable husbands. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. It was actually my first of Harper St. George’s, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I was not disappointed, and can’t wait to read more! I loved getting to know the characters, the wit, the spice, the time period and setting, the descriptive writing, and that the author quoted Elizabeth Cady Stanton because she is from my hometown! I’m looking forward to see what else is in store in this series. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for this amazing ARC!

Harper St. George’s The Stranger I Wed is gorgeously written and thoroughly researched in a way the author has mastered remarkably with her historical romances. It does an engaging job of setting up a new trilogy while sprinkling bits of the Gilded Heiresses, and it glistens while it does so. Leo and Cora are adorable, although their story is a slow, slow burn that some readers might find underwhelming in a marriage of convenience. Their friendship blooms in a lovely matter and the payoff is worth it in the end, but it’s something to note where preferences are concerned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance reader copy—all opinions are my own.

The Stranger I Wed featured several of my favorite elements in historical romance; a marriage of convenience, a swoon worthy hero, and a brave and outspoken heroine.

Cora has a flighty mother, two younger sisters whose futures she must consider, secrets to protect, and a marriage of convenience to secure; she does not have time to fall for her husband.

Leo, the Earl of Devonworth, has his own reasons for agreeing to a marriage in name only to Cora; he does not have time to focus on his attraction and admiration for his American wife.

The slow burn, the push and pull, the protective and kind hero, the slow build up of trust and love between Leo and Cora; I loved it all.

I’d forgotten how much I love historical romance, but The Stranger I Wed was all the reminder I needed. I cannot wait to read the rest of The Doves of New York series.

"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....

Cora Dove and her sisters' questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York's gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father's reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands - far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That's an earl worth fighting for.

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. He just never expected to crave Cora's touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign - or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets....

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora's budding passion for women's rights taking a dangerous turn, they'll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger - and that love is worth any price."

To fill that void until the new season of The Buccaneers drops!

Oh, this cover drew my attention first, and the synopsis decided me.

I loved this - absolutely adored it. Give me a marriage of convenience and I’m there… that and the slow simmer to burn here were both utterly perfect.

The story flows easily, the writing is fantastic for the time (that’s an important distinction for me as I really appreciate when a book is written to the period in which its set), and the set up for the next title in the series was well set.

This was my first time reading a novel by Ms St. George, and it absolutely won’t be the last - I can’t wait to read more of this series as well as earlier titles 🙂



Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC

I'm a pretty big fan of Harper St. George which is why it's kind of a bummer that I didn't love this book as much as I loved the books in her previous series. I thought the romance between Cora and Leo(pold) was kind of slow and dragged. It very much felt like a slow burn but slow burns give hints of intimacy and longing and this one seems to give little teases and then snatch it away. When the two declare their love for each other at the very end of the book, my reaction was more like a "oh, really?!?!" rather than a "oh, how sweet!"Regardless, I think the set up of the whole series is very smart and I'm invested in the rest of the Dove sisters, I'm hoping that since the first book had the unenviable job of having to set up the whole series, that's partially why it was kind of oddly paced.