The Stranger I Wed

The Doves of New York, Book 1

By: Harper St. George

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

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.

©2024 Harper St. George (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Prepare to be dazzled! Scintillating and deeply romantic, The Stranger I Wed is another winner from Harper St. George. Fans of historical romance will find themselves enchanted by the rich, sensual storytelling, and look forward to what comes next in this fabulous new series."—India Holton, international bestselling author of The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

"From the moment I picked up The Stranger I Wed, I was glued to the pages. This swoony and tender marriage of convenience has all the wit, emotions, and chemistry I love about Harper St George's writing, but it also felt new and I can't wait to see where Harper will go next."—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author

“Gilded Age New York meets Victorian London in Harper St. George’s dazzling new series. The Stranger I Wed is strong, feminist, and scorchingly sexy. This is historical marriage-of-convenience romance at its swooniest. I couldn’t put it down.”—Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author

This is a terrible everything

The narration is flat, the story is boring, the characters are vapid, like chatgpt or a 5th grader wrote it. I got to chapter 23 and couldn't stand it any longer. I have listened to 2 other books by this author, they were much better. Not sure what happened, but don't waste your time, and definitely don't pay for it!

A Good First Book

The Stranger I Wed is the first book in the Doves of New York. Cora is very practical and she needs a husband to gain her inheritance. Leopold Brendan, Earl of Devonworth, is an impoverished aristocrat and a good man. Cora and Leo struck a deal where they would not have a physical relationship but a friendship. Their romance developed slowly and deeply. Harper St George wrote well developed characters and a good plot. I needed Cora and Leo to be together earlier on-page to keep to feel their chemistry develop more so. However, I would recommend this book and I will be continuing on in the series!

I really enjoyed this book

Both the story and the narration were wonderful. The subject of women’s suffrage is the behind the scenes topic and was important to the time. I really appreciate that the author explains needed details regarding the topic at the end of the book. It’s very educational and means that I don’t have to Google every little thing.

Love the story, can't wait for the series!!

The chemistry and the romance yes please. Check all of those boxes. Can't wait to get Jenny’s book.

Missing J Eyre

Harper St George and Justine Eyre are the best team bringing a story to life. Missing Eyre’s narration. Otherwise is a good story.

The pacing was terrible!!

There was little to no conflict 90% of this book and in the last 10% dropped the conflict and wrapped it up in a paragraph. Please don’t waste your time on this book.