Product Description

With those words, Lara's life turned upside down. Hunter, Earl of Hawksworth, had been lost at sea. Or so she'd been told. Their unhappy marriage--with its cold caresses and passionless kisses--was over. But now a powerful, virile man stood before her, telling secrets only a husband could know, and vowing she would once again be his wife in every way. While Lara couldn't deny that this man with smoldering dark eyes resembled Hunter, he was attentive and loving in ways he never was before. Soon she desperately wanted to believe, with every beat of her heart, that this stranger was truly her husband. But had this rake reformed--or was Lara being seduced by a cunning stranger?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60374 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-01
• Released on: 1998-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780380781454
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
One year after Lara thought her husband was dead in a shipwreck, he returns home to her. But is he really her husband or an impostor? Although the evidence is inconclusive, this new Hunter Hawksworth is very different, and much improved, from the first. Not given to introspection, Lara is willing to put her doubts aside for this man who embodies all her dreams, and desires her with a ruthless and seductive persistence that overcomes her considerable sexual fears. Inspired by the French movie The Return of Martin Guerre and the original court case on which it's based, this late-Regency historical romance, notable for its compelling sexual tension, spare but evocative dialogue, and deftly drawn characters, asks the intriguing question "Can you ever really know the man you love?" One of the superlative romances of the season. --Ellen Edwards

From Publishers Weekly
Lara, Lady Hawksworth, is sure her husband died in a shipwreck off the south Indian coast, but three years later someone answering to the name of Hunter, Lord Hawksworth, reappears. He's accepted by everyone save his uncle, who'd claimed the earldom in his absence, and Lara, who had hated being married to him. How Hunter wins Lara with his exquisite lovemaking and becomes a better husband than the man who left her is the heart of this sweetly sensual, character-driven Regency historical. Kleypas (Because You're Mine) doesn't give a lot of description so the prose sometimes clunks when she shoehorns facts (e.g., Lara's contemplation of a particularly popular shade of house paint) into her narrative and some phrases jar ("this springy, lean animality"). But for the most part her prose flows well, her dialogue is thankfully natural and she's again shown herself to be a cut above most in this popular genre.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A character-rich love story with a delightful twist!" -- -- bestselling author Jill Barnett

"More than just a fine writer...she's a genuine phenomenon." -- -- Heart to Heart

Customer Reviews

I'LL CHERISH THIS EXTRAORDINARY BOOK 'TILL MY DYING DAY !!!!
I luuuv Lisa Kleypas to pieces. I've read & kept all 16 of her novels. Everytime I finish 1, I'd sigh & think this is her best. Then I'd consume another & say she's outdone herself once again. Before I encountered SIMA, my favorites were Love, Come To Me, Forever My Love, Midnight Angel & Somewhere I'll find you, but this 1 takes the cake. It has the most romantic story & compelling characters ever penned (right up there alongside Lucia Grahame's The Painted Lady). U can't compare Jodie Foster - Richard Gere's corpse & corpse chemistry (in Sommersby) to Hunter & Lara's intense sexual tension. Meet Hunter, the lustiest & sexiest man alive (oh well in romance fiction anyway) that'll make U swoon (have your smelling salts handy). In my biased opinion, he's the most exceptional, unforgettable, adorable, fascinating, passionate, gentle, loving, charming, dashing, wondrous, sensual hero ever created (did I leave anything out ? =P). Lara, a burned heroine with a heart of gold!, was reduced to a mixed state of confusion, misery & sexual daze whenever Hunter was in the vicinity. She's understandably frigid after the painful beddings she endured from her insensitive husband in the past. She resented the fact that just when she had her independence, here comes her long-lost husband to wreak havoc on her life. Lara desperately wanted to believe that Hunter's really a changed man -as he claimed to be- who'd never hurt her again (in & out of bed) & not a chameleon. Hunter was hopelessly entranced by his wife & tried his damnedest to convince her that somehow a second chance was being given to them to rediscover love & trust. Like Lara, I also fell in love with Hunter more with every page I devoured (done 'bout 101 times already), for his unwavering determination to break down her barricade & ice-melting ways to weaken her senses. Hats off to Lara too for not giving in too easily. She panicked at the thought of fulfilling her bargain to make love to her hu!sband after midnight. She put her desperate plan to divert Hunter's amorous attentions into gear by inviting Hunter's former mistress to the ball. Her outrageous scheme backfired & pushed an enraged Hunter over the edge. He finally took matters into his own hands & my oh my... that scalding HOT stairwell scene & the ones that followed were nuthin' short of breathtaking (gulp !) & guaranteed to curl your hair, toes & fingers (yes, really). Ms. Kleypas has really brought her trademark erotic scenes 100 notches higher here. The dramatic chapters at the end were heartsplitting & what a beautiful ending (sniff) !. Words can't do justice to what U'd feel when U finally put this sensational classic down on your bedside table. I never wanted the pages to end then & there. I'd be the happiest woman on earth if Ms. Kleypas'd be so kind as to include Hunter & Lara in 1 of her upcoming books (wistful sigh) !

This was my first read by Kleypas & I really enjoyed it
Using the premise of the famous "Sommersby" movie, but set in Regency England, STRANGER IN MY ARMS tells the tale of a woman married to a horror of a man who's been lost at sea and is presumed dead. When he returns she is shocked and upset. She's made a new life for herself and does not want him back. But the man who returns to her is a changed one, he's kinder, he's honorable, he acts like he genuinely cares for her, and he awakens feelings in her she never had for her husband. He's now a man she could easily fall in love with. But is he an imposter and is everything they're building based on a lie?

I thought this was a very romantic and sensual story. It had a strong, lovable hero and a heroine who was easy to empathize with but in all honesty some of her actions/reactions mystified me. She was a smart, self-sufficient person but she let her nasty Uncle and his abhorrant wife treat her like dirt without a word of complaint. She was also a bit of a tease throughout most of the book. Her "kiss me", "touch me" then "no, wait I've changed my mind stop NOW" made sense the first few times considering her past sexual experiences but quickly got on my nerves when it was continually repeated. She really tortured this poor guy ;)

Even though I saw Sommersby I found this spin on the plot just as interesting and liked it even better because it ended happily. I cared about the characters, felt them fall in love and was only a little annoyed towards the end when their actions didn't ring true to their feelings. All in all this was a very well developed and a touching romance. I really enjoyed it.

KLEYPAS IS BRILLIANT!
I could not believe some of the bad reviews i have been reading!"STRANGER IN MY ARMS"is the beautiful story of a woman who learns to trust a man through his love.I have not yet read a Lisa Kleypas book that deserves a bad review.The characters of Lara and Hunter are wonderful!Hunter adores Lara,and is willing to give her as much time and space as she needs,to release her fears. If you like your men gentle but masculine,tender but passionate,then this is for you.Other Kleypas books that i can recomend...."THEN CAME YOU","DREAMING OF YOU","SOMEWHERE I'LL FIND YOU" AND "BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE",in that order!Don't worry about the bad reviews.They aren't worth the space that they're printed on!