Hello Stranger finally gives us the story of Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female doctor in England, and Ethan Ransom, a former officer with Scotland Yard whose current employ is...questionable! Both these characters have been on the fringe of the previous books and I have been so curious about both of them. I love that Garrett is a trailblazer. All the heroines in this series have been strong women in unique ways. I love that about Kleypas' writing.
"As a physician, I can assure you there's nothing humorous about involuntary erections."
Garrett is also still a woman. She begins to have feelings for Ethan and isn't sure what to do with them. However, in typically Garrett fashion, she pushes for what she wants and is direct in her communication. I appreciated that she didn't play the 'ton game. Both her and Ethan are unconventional and it was perfect! Their banter is not the flirtatious type, but witty and direct. They both appreciate the uniqueness of the other and accept them for who they are. After Ethan accuses Garrett of not having a romantic bone in her body, she responds with:
"I reassembled an entire disarticulated skeleton in medical school. There is no such thing as a romantic bone."
She obviously didn't misunderstand him. She is smart and witty and turned the comment back on him in a way that is so Garrett! One might see this as her not understanding non-literal language but that isn't the case at all. I love that she uses this type of language play as humor. Kleypas really shows the intelligence of her characters with little quips like this.
There is a bit of danger in what Ethan is involved in, which added a level of suspense to the story. He is trying to be a double agent, but no one seems to want him to survive! He wars with falling for Garrett, but also knowing that his life is too dangerous for her to be exposed to.
I enjoyed seeing more of West as well! I cannot wait for his story (and Cassandra's!) because he was humorous and charming through Hello Stranger.
Garrett and Ethan were as wonderful as I expected and Hello Stranger was as delightful and endearing as I hoped (and knew) it would be! Kleypas is the queen of historical romance and this book only further solidifies her reign! If you like smart, yet quirky heroines and passionate, principled heroes, Hello Stranger will be one of your favorite reads of 2018!
"Among other things, I'm afraid of cows"
"Because of their size?" Helen asked sympathetically.
"No, its the way they stare. As if they're plotting something"
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: regency
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes, but no epilogue. I kind of expected this since you get little peeks at the previous couples in forthcoming books
The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean, The Highland Guardian by Amy Jarecki, The Scot Beds His Wife by Kerrigan Bryne, Lord of Lies by Amy Sandas...then you will probably like Hello Stranger!
See full review on The Book Disciple