The Stranger I Married

When I saw The Stranger I Married in the bookstore last week, I snatched it up. I think it's no secret that I love Sylvia Day's writing, and this book is no exception.

They are London's most scandalous couple. Isabel, Lady Pelham, and Gerard Faulkner, Marquess of Grayson, are well matched in all things--their lusty appetites, constant paramours, wicked wits, provocative reputations, and their absolute refusal ever to ruin their marriage of convenience by falling in love with one another. Isabel knows such a charming rake will never appeal to her guarded heart, nor will she sway his philandering one. It is a most agreeable sham . . . until a shocking turn of events sends Gerard from her side.

Now, four years later, Gerard has come home to Isabel. But the carefree, boyish rogue who left has been replaced by a brooding, powerful, irresistible man who is determined to seduce his way into her affections. Gone is the devil-may-care companion who shared her friendship and nothing more, and in his place is temptation itself . . . a husband who desires Isabel body and soul and who will stop at nothing to win her love. No, this is not at all the man she had married. But he is the man who might finally steal her heart . . .

Before proceeding with this review, I should mention that I had a chance to read the first few chapters of this book some time ago to offer my opinion of its unconventional characters. I told Sylvia that I was intrigued by where the story would go, and I wanted to read more. When I read this book last week, I was convinced that The Stranger I Married may well be Day's best work to date: 5 out of 5.

Conventional readers may be put off by the reasons Gerard and Isabel marry. If that's the case, I hope they will keep reading nonetheless; otherwise, they will miss a beautiful story. The Stranger I Married is not only the story of how Isabel and Gerard fall in love with each other. It's also the story of one man's journey to becoming a man who likes himself. Both these aspects of the story are compelling.

Equally moving is a secondary romance featuring Isabel's brother. I'm not always a fan of secondary romances, as I often find them distracting, but in this case it was cute and not at all detracting from the story.

The Stranger I Married is a subtly drawn portrait of two people who find love and acceptance with each other. I encourage you to read their story.