Stranger in My Arms by Lisa Kleypas

Lara's had been an arranged marriage to a man who was cold and mostly absent, so when word reached Lady Hawksworth that her husband was lost at sea, she happily gave up her title and position and proceeded to lead an exemplary life as a volunteer at the community orphanage. But suddenly - after over a year - Lara receives word that her husband is alive and on his way home. While Lara couldn't deny that the handsome man who appeared before her resembled her husband in many ways, and knew things that only he could know, the "new" Hunter was attentive and loving in ways he never had been before. Was it possible that her rake of a husband had reformed - or was Lara being seduced by a cunning stranger?

When Lara (who should have been called Saint Lara quite frankly) found out that she was a widow following the death of her husband Hunter in India, she wasn't devastated. Her marriage had been for convenience only with no love or passion. With the new titleholder in the family home and treating her quite shabbily, Lara now spends her time, and what little money she gets caring for the orphans and children in the local town.

On receiving the news that her husband is alive and well, Lara is overwhelmed. It quickly becomes clear that either her husband has had a complete change of heart, or that he is an impostor.

When Hunter's identity is challenged through the court system, Lara is forced to tell whether or not she believes he is who he say he is, or he could end up in jail or worse still...dead.

Unlike many of the novels by Lisa Kleypas, the characters in this novel are almost cartoon like (possibly with the exception of Hunter). Lara is a saint, and the bad guys wouldn't be out of place in one of those over the top kids movies.

+++++++SPOILER+++++++++

Of course, everything ends happily, but one thing I didn't get was why Hunter's mother would confirm that a stranger was her son really! Would the mother of an impostor willingly allow him to take her child's place?


All in all, not one of Kleypas' better efforts but still had some nice parts to it!

Rating 3.5/5