TEST
Like a lot of readers, I’ve been looking forward to reading Hello Stranger. I’ve read a number of Lisa Kleypas’ novels and some have long lingered in my mind because at her best, Kleypas writes vivid characters and tells great emotional stories. I deeply enjoyed parts of this novel, but I found it a more uneven read than others by this author. In the end, I would have to say that I loved the idea of this book most of all.
Its strong parts really did appeal to me and for some readers, may well carry the day. Ever since she appeared as a minor character in an earlier book in the series, I’ve liked Garrett Gibson, who is described as being the only female doctor in England. Normally a Victorian heroine named Garrett would make me roll my eyes, but I have to admit that I liked the obvious homage to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first female doctor in England. Like the historical Dr. Anderson, Garrett Gibson has humble roots. In her case, Garrett is the daughter of a police constable.
The initial meeting between Garrett and her hero, Ethan Ransom, in this novel is hardly a ‘meet cute’. The two have met on prior occasions but cross paths initially during this story when Ethan intervenes one night as Garrett is walking home from her clinic and is attacked by a group of drunken soldiers. It eventually comes out that Ethan has been following Garrett and watching over her as she walks the streets of London going about her work. Please tell me I’m not the only one who felt a little suspicious of Ethan after that little revelation? I ended up liking him much better by book’s end but the whole ‘I’ve been keeping an eye on you’ thing seemed a tad creepy at first.
The very apparent mutual attraction between these two arises rather quickly in the wake of Garrett’s attack and Ethan’s rescue. Against his better judgment, Ethan can’t resist pushing himself ever further into Garrett’s life and Garrett finds him more likable than expected. It starts with self-defense lessons and just grows from there. In addition to their budding romance, Garrett also finds herself being drawn into Ethan’s political intrigues. Ethan, formerly of Scotland Yard, is now working for a somewhat shadowy figure in the British government. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that lines between who is good and who isn’t get somewhat blurred, and given the spy vs. spy plotting that goes on throughout the book, both Ethan and Garrett find themselves drawn into danger more than once.
I’ll admit that following the finer details of the political intrigue pulled me out of the story from time to time. However, that part of the plot does work in that it helps to enhance the shifting power dynamic between Garrett and Ethan, and this evolving balance of power is one of the stronger points of the book. As the book opens, Garrett is armed with an education that few people of either gender attained in the 1870s and she also possesses a fair amount of confidence in her skills and ability to defend herself. The attack by the soldiers shows her that she is more vulnerable than she realizes and she has to accept that Ethan just might have some skills she doesn’t. However, Garrett does not sit back and simply allow herself to be rescued throughout the story. She and Ethan speak to one another as equals and as the plot moves along, their strengths complement one another. Each has a chance to be the rescuer at various points and I loved seeing these two coming together to work as a team. There’s something very sexy about a romance between two strong characters.
One other strength of this book is one that I’ve come to associate with Kleypas. She has a way of writing scenes that come alive because she captures not only the visual details of a scene but also the emotions these evoke. There is a pivotal scene at one point that takes place at a soirée in which get to see both the growing romance between Garrett and Ethan as well as get a very strong sense of the danger facing them. Kleypas does a great job of weaving both sets of feelings into the scene and as a reader, I could feel its significance as a turning point while I read.
So, where are the weak points? Well, even though I liked the idea of Garrett and Ethan, their romance sometimes feels a bit rushed. I could buy that these two would be attracted to one another, and I enjoyed seeing their story unfold outside of the usual aristocratic venues one sees in British historicals. However, I had a hard time navigating the leap from lust (or even lust combined with respect/friendship) to undying love with these two. I liked them and I liked seeing them together but I wanted to see them really get to know one another more, at least in the beginning.
The book also falters a bit in places because of the hero. While the author’s heroines have been all over the map in my opinion, Kleypas tends to write strong heroes. However, Ethan never entirely comes to life. I could see the ethical quandaries his job pose sfor him, but they lack a certain emotional depth and urgency. He certainly has secrets, but even knowing them, I found his motivations hard to understand and as a consequence, Ethan fell a tad flat. As I read, I kept getting the feeling that his story could have been fraught with angst but I never entirely felt it. This may perhaps be because some of the larger revelations about Ethan’s background are saved until fairly close to the end of the story.
In addition, Ethan’s backstory feels a touch haphazard. He does secret government work, but items such as the fact that Ethan was trained for his work in India felt more like an excuse to throw in titillating details about seduction lessons from the Kama Sutra rather than anything necessary or helpful to the plot. Why not train him in Ireland? Or continental Europe? Goodness knows there was no shortage of crazypants political intrigue going on in those corners of the world during the 19th century.
At its best moments, Hello Stranger provides readers with an interesting heroine and a passionate romance between intelligent, equally matched individuals. The window into non-aristocratic life in Victorian England proves refreshing as well. The story doesn’t always flow smoothly, and I did at times long for a more vivid hero but I’m still happy I read this romance. While my recommendation does come with some qualifications, this is still a book well worth reading, particularly if you like heroines who push at the boundaries for what was acceptable in their time.
Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo
Grade: B
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 26/02/18
Publication Date: 03/2018
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.
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Have read all her books and found them worth reading again can’t wait for the next book t come out keep up the good work
I just read this last night and I have to say I have a vastly different opinion than the review.
I thought the book was an absolute delight, well written, passionate, and had two extremely engaging main characters. I would rate it above even “Marrying Winterbourne” which was a great read for me. I think this is the best book Kleypas has put out in years and up there with some of the best of her works.
It would be hard for me to imagine anyone writing a more intelligent and compelling heroine than Garrett, whose history is solidly based on a real female physician and who never veers into cartoon character territory. She is brilliant, but never too arrogant to admit if she is wrong and has a very charming sense of humor. I thought Ethan was delightful and a wonderful addition to Kleypas’s roster of heroes. He’s dangerous, handsome, charming, brilliant yet kind and manages to somehow be arrogant and humble depending on the occasion. I loved their banter together and they positively struck sparks off of each other. I bought into their romance wholeheartedly especially since it’s been two years since Ethan was first exposed to Garrett. It wasn’t an overnight crush.
I had no problem with Ethan keeping an eye on Garrett as he had been assigned to do that before as part of extra work he took on from Winterbourne. That’s how she was brought to his attention and how he had noticed that Garrett (who frequently worked helping the poorest people in the roughest parts of London) was formally trained in fencing and fighting but lacked “street fighting” knowledge which left her vulnerable to “unsporting” attacks. His dressing down of her fencing master for not preparing her adequately, either through his arrogance or discrimination, was one of my favorite parts as it showed Ethan only cared about Garrett’s safety not societal rules.
It was also explained why Ethan was in India for training as he was selected to receive special training, including martial arts instruction from an “80 year old Indian guru” who based his training “on the movements of animals”. It makes perfect sense historically to send Ethan for training there as it was under British Colonial rule and the British army had happily absorbed specially skilled Indian fighters into their army ranks over the years. Sending someone to Ireland or the continent for that kind of training would make far less sense to me. I think Kleypas has the right of it there and probably researched it very well.
It was also mentioned that Ethan, like an early James Bond, was trained by an expert in the Kama Sutra as part of his “curriculum” so he could extract what he needed by coaxing/sex/romance or alternately by violence, depending on the situation and gender of the person who held the needed information. It also makes sense this would be done in India than somewhere in Europe.
I suppose the bottom line is this book simply worked for me. I sometimes forget that Kleypas is a charming writer with an original way with words, something she shows to advantage here. I enjoyed her unusual descriptions and turn of phrase, which put the writing quality far above the average romance novel. There was no point when I was reading it that the love scenes or descriptions of the characters felt like a rehash of many I have read before (and based on the number I have read, it’s quite a compliment). The smart, somewhat starchy heroine and the street wise handsome rogue with an Irish accent is not a new trope in romance novels, but I was never bored and Kleypas kept me flipping the pages briskly to see how it would all play out.
For me it was way above a B book. I loved it.
Great comment. I do agree with much of what you say, Chris. I found Garrett a very interesting character, well placed in time. The novel itself is set in 1867… a couple years before John Stuart Mill had already put forward a political platform that included votes for women (and a couple years before his The Subjection of Women was published). In fact, I was kind of sorry that a wider discussion on women’s rights was not included.
Another plus side? Not a duke in sight! (Well, there’s some mentioning of the Duke and Duchess of Kingston… but just that.)
The Duke and Duchess of Kingston = Sebastian and Evie. Heh.
Thanks, I think Kleypas puts the work in in terms of research and then softens up the likely prejudices her characters might have had to make them more palatable for a modern reader p, which doesn’t bother me at all in her books. I think Garrett in particular would be exactly the type of person who would be more forward thinking and she does a good job of explaining why Ethan is so receptive to her and her ideas.
One thing I really liked about Garrett was her consistency as a character. To become a female surgeon at that time was an amazing accomplishment and would require a really singular person with a backbone of steel. Garrett is always presented with a “can do” attitude. Even when the odds are overwhelmingly against her, she needs to at least try her utmost or she can’t live with herself. I like that the novel never descended into overwrought angst even at its worst point because that just wouldn’t be Garrett’s character. Even when she’s almost stunned from the blow of discovering Ethan like that she keeps moving forward, even if it’s just by inches. She takes whatever help she can get and remains practical, while Ethan gets to be the more romantic lyrical one.
I agree about the Duke business as well. I’ve gotten to the point where I see “Duke” in a title and it’s a turn off. I’m glad Sebastian was kept offstage and his part was merely talked about, as much as I love him and Evie. Ethan’s background with his adopted dad as a Turnkey was a great bit of accurate historical detail that setup his interest and background with locks. I’ve definitely come to prefer non-noble heroes with more original backstories.
Just finished reading it. Not Kleypas best, but I found it a good read (in fact, better than the last Kelly Bowen which was a disappointment for me). I liked the main characters a lot and the romance worked for me. I was less happy with the side (suspense) plot, which started well but turned out flat by the end.
Unlike other readers, I have been finding The Ravenels series a good one, even if Devil in Spring was meh. On the opposite side there’s Marrying Winterborne which might be my favorite from Kleypas.
Oh – and I have to say… what is WITH that cover?! Because that dress just screams “medical professional”.
Caz- the dress screams oddly conservative modern prom if you ask me. I find it very anachronistic. I actually read the review to see if it was a contemporary because I always liked Kleypas’s contemporaries. :)
Exactly – it’s been a similar issue with all the covers in this series. The UK covers are much nicer (and chronologically appropriate).
It looks like a prom dress to me, too. Screams contemporary.
I almost said something in the review, but yeah, I was thinking 80s prom dress when I saw that cover.
That seems to be a problem with a lot of Kleypas’s covers in the last several years, most of the women seem to be wearing fancy prom dresses or 21st century socialite’s ball gowns rather than anything resembling what the 19th century characters actually would wear. I think a generically “pretty” dress must attract readers? Clearly it’s something the marketing/art department drummed up.
It’s rather like the sorts of dresses Courtney Milan uses on many of her covers, and I remember her saying how hard it was for someone self-publishing to find suitable dresses that could be adapted for covers – I’m sure she mentioned they were almost all wedding or prom dresses. You’d think a massive publisher like Avon could manage something better than an image that looks like a stock photo!
Let me say upfront that I have no inside info of any kind. BUT I wondered if this cover (with its very modern-style gown) was a bid to attract some of Kleypas’s contemporary readers, to try to draw them into her historicals as well.
It also seems to be a slight trend among historical covers. Look at the recent Tessa Dare covers–they also look more ambiguous, not obviously historical at first glance. I think Sarah MacLean even talked online about choices made on her upcoming cover to look more ‘modern’ although I think she was speaking more of the fonts and layout than the costumes.
It is a fine line to walk, appealing to historical romance fans and also trying to catch the eye of people who’ve never read it.
Ah, but the title is a good one! And nowdays so many titles are… hm… basically stupid.
Re: the cover, I think Kleypas (or the publisher) was trying to make the point that Garett was different (for the timeframe). Alas, the idea didn’t work that well.
I haven’t read Kleypas in years so I can’t comment on this series, but am I the only one who didn’t love Devil in Winter? It was good but would have been so much better if the tantalising villainy of St Vincent, set up so well in the previous book, had slowly been overcome by his growing love for Evie, rather than evaporating in the first few pages without much cause that I could see. He was not the same character in his own book that we had been led to expect. One of the biggest missed opportunities in historical romance, in my opinion.
I ADORE Devil in Winter. However, the roaring lion turning to a purring pussycat is an oft-seen phenomenon in historical romance.
I just reread Devil in Winter a week ago, and I have to agree that Sebastian’s character is diluted very quickly. I find, quite honestly, that Kleypas is not a very complex writer and does not often handle three-dimensional characters well. I’m sad to say that I’ve moved away from her as a writer because I do remember a time when I loved her books. Looking back on them though most are not holding up for me. Secrets of a Summer Night is perhaps the only book I still really love.
Devil in Winter is not my fave either. There are others from her that I prefer, as Again the Magic or Marrying Winterborne. In fact, I found that one kind of boring… I’d have to reread it to point exactly why.
Having a huge part of the first book, Cold-Hearted, being devoted to Helen’s story put me off Marrying Winterborne. That is the weakest story in the series to me. I like Gabriel, St. Vincent’s story, because I felt some of the magic of Devil in Winter rubbed off on Devil in Spring. But I really liked Garrett, and I liked Hello more than you, Lynn.
I’m in completely the opposite camp to you, Keira. IMO, the best part of Devil in Spring was the prologue with Sebastian and Evie; the rest was just okay, and Pandora has… what’s the opposite of “grown on me”? over time.
I enjoyed the glimpses of Helen’s story that we got in CHR… but we can’t all like the same things all the time!
Heh! You and I are disagreeing on something! Now, that’s a first. :)
I appreciate the review! I tried the first two books in this series amid glowing reviews and could not finish either, and so with a lukewarm review now, I’m actually happy to skip this one.
Me too! I thought I would get this one from the library, but if you can believe it there were almost 200 holds on Overdrive. I was stunned, this series is just so mediocre compared to other books by Kleypas. A head scratcher to be sure..
I admit to skipping over the middle of this review because I want to be “surprised” when I read it. I am still a firm Lisa Kleypas fan and her historicals have remained on my “auto buy” list with very few other authors despite the ups and downs over the past few years.
I think I am enjoying the Ravenels series more than the average reader is, as each one has been a solid read for me, with the first one being the weakest IMHO. While there isn’t a “Dreaming Of You” or a “Devil In Winter” amongst them yet, I’ve still enjoyed them more than a lot of other romance novels I have been reading lately, particularly historical romances. She may not revolutionize the genre but I still feel I get my money’s worth which is something I haven’t been able to say about my once beloved Amanda Quick and others.
So for now I am looking forward to this book, and Kleypas will remain on my short list with Bourne, Duran and a few others who get my money automatically on publication.
I have to say that based on THIS series, I wouldn’t be able to put Kleypas in the same league as Joanna Bourne and Meredith Duran (and Sherry Thomas when she was still writing historical romance). I haven’t read all her books, and I wasn’t a romance reader when most of her HR was originally published, so I’ve come to it all late, but I think that perhaps we’ve moved on in terms of what we expect from the best historicals.
I would still put books like “The Devil In Winter” and “Dreaming of You” in the best of the genre. Her latest books have been up and down but I still enjoy them.
She is still coming up with different characters and scenarios unlike Krentz/Quick who I really loved, but just writes the same heroine over and over again. Not every book is setting the world on fire but I can’t say I don’t still enjoy them. I’d put her in the same category as Carla Kelly in that her older books are still my favorites but what she is producing now remains solid and enjoyable.
Duran has had a good run lately but there were a couple of her books before (I don’t even remember the names right now) that were fine but didn’t wow me like my favorites of hers do. The one with the heroine who drank and the one with the heroine who pretended to be a housekeeper are among my least favorites, but again in no way bad books. I thought the second Ravenel book with Helen was fantastic and reminiscent of her older books. Kleypas in general has a little less angst which is something I am definitely in the mood for from time to time.
Nice review. I confess, I’m not falling over myself to read this one – in fact, I’ll probably listen as I’ve done with all the books in this series, because the fabulous narration (by Mary Jane Wells) helps to paper over some of the cracks in the storytelling and characterisation. I have to agree with what you say about the heroines in this series – I think Helen from Marrying Winterborne has been my favourite so far (Pandora in the last book drove me nuts) although I’m hoping that Garrett will impress me.
I loved Helen! I’d give her the edge over Garrett but Garrett grew on me.
I also think Rhys has been the strongest hero so far. I so wanted to love Gabriel St. Vincent, but he turned out to be rather bland (unlike his dad!)
There is some rather obvious sequel baiting of West Ravenel in this book, and I have to admit that he looks like he could be an intriguing hero. I’ll want to pick up his book.
Yes, I’d assumed he’d get a book at some point. Otherwise, why did she spend time turning him from slobby to hawt in the first book? :P