OK, so I’m a sucker for reunited lovers. I’m also a sucker for a story where the girl gets the guy she’s always wanted. Then I also love to see an arrogant rogue get what he deserves, whether that’s a comeuppance, or the heroine, or both. My Lord Strangerdelivers all that and more.

Harriet, Countess Saxon has loved Drew Sinclair ever since she tried to catch a rainbow in his smile. When their fathers arranged for their marriage, no one was happier than Harriet. She thought she could make Drew happy too. She was wrong. He left her on the day of their wedding to find his place in the world. Thirteen years passed and Harriet grew into the toast of the ton, but she never stopped loving Drew, never stopped believing he would return.

After suffering numerous hardships and cheating death on more than one occasion, Drew Sinclair-Saxon returns to London, looking for Twinkle, his wife. He is surprised to walk in during a ball. He is even more surprised when the beautiful woman who approaches him turns out to be his wife. Gone are the skinny limbs and pimples, replaced by a confident and independent woman.

Drew and Harriet’s fall into each others arms, but it doesn’t last long. Drew is far too arrogant and Harriet far too bitter for their love to blossom. It takes time, understanding, the interference of Beau Brummell, and the machinations of a spoiled brat to show them how much they love each other.

I’ve always enjoyed Eve Bryon’s books. She has a way of bringing characters to life – spots and all. Her characters have flaws that make them almost painfully human at times, and therefore all the easier to relate to. Harriet and Drew are no exception. The reader senses the frustration both of them feel when trying to deal with each other, and smiles when they finally connect.

In fact my only problems with the book were Drew’s pigheadedness and the fact that the plot sometimes seemed to go in circles. It’s understandable that Drew should be upset and frustrated with Harriet, but he seemed incapable of seeing things from her perspective unless it proved his own point. This got a little annoying now and then. He seemed to expect her to forget that he’d been away for thirteen years. He expected her to understand why he had to leave but he offered her little understanding in return. It’s this push and pull between them that made the plot seem like it was going in circles. Just when it seemed that Drew and Harriet had reached an agreement, the same old argument would push them apart again.

One arena where Harriet and Drew have no problem agreeing is in bed. Drew isn’t even home one night before he and Harriet end up on the floor of her dressing room. This isn’t what drives their relationship, however. What keeps them together is that bond they’ve had since childhood, the knowledge that no one will ever know them better, and the realization that what they’ve both been searching for has been right under their noses all along.

Despite the circles and the occasional frustration, I liked this book. Drew and Harriet seemed so real to me and I truly liked them both. Neither one of them was truly able to admit just how much they truly needed each other almost to the bitter end, but it was worth it. My Lord Stranger is not your typical romance and some might find it lacking in action and upheaval, but if you like a plot driven by characters you’re sure to enjoy it.