Friday, April 3, 2009

Review of Stranger

Stranger by Megan Hart
• Hardback; 425 Pages

• Publisher: Spice (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 9780373605279


The blurh:
I pay strangers to sleep with me. I have my reasons...
But they're not the ones you expect. For starters, I'm a funeral director taking over my dad's business. Not exactly the sort of person you'd expect to fork over cash for the lust and urgency only live, skin-to-skin contact can create. Looking at me, you wouldn't have a clue I carry this little secret so close it creases up like the folds of a fan. Tight. Personal. Ready to unravel in the heat of the moment.
Unsurprisingly, my line of work brings me face to face with loss. So I decided long ago that paying for sex would be one of the best (and arousing) ways to save myself from the one thing that would eventually cut far too deep.
But Sam was a mistake. Literally. I signed on to "pick up" a stranger at a bar, but took Sam home instead. And now that I've felt his heat, his sweat and everything else can I really go back to impersonal?Let's just hope he never finds out about my other life...


My Thoughts First:
Now remember, I have not read Broken or Dirty yet...
And this is my first book without any paranormal activity since I don't remember how long!!! With that being said... I can say... this book was awesome.
It is an erotic novel, but it had a hint of class about the way the erotic parts were handled; which I appreciated.
I feel in love with Grace. She seems like a neighbor I would have. Her personality was like that of a "real" person you would know. Her job, which she loves, is a bit strange. Funeral Director...
I find myself rooting for Sam, even though he appears to be a pain in the ass as Grace calls him.
The appeal of the book was really good. I did not want to stop reading, because the thoughts I had as to where the book was headed would change. I wanted to cry at some parts, laughed out loud at some, and just plain wanted to beat the sense into someone at some points. But isn't that what a great books make you want to do.


The Plot:
Grace meets strange (enters Sam), has wow sex and leaves. Grace then gets told she met the "wrong" stranger (enters Jack). Her life, as she thought, was normal up until the moment she met Sam. She continued to see Jack though... that is where I kinda was pulling for the poor guy.
Then her life kinds gets a little crazy; broken washer machine, flooded basement, getting in a wreck with company vehicle, two employees who are falling for each other AT work, a relentless father who does want to "let go" of the business he has handed down to her, a sister who is on her case about bring a guy home to meet the family, one man she wants to bed, and the other she can take to bed without any strings. Okay, except for the last two... when have we had a day like that... To much laundry, cooking, cleaning, playing mom-wife-carpool-employee-and everything else in between - I am raising my hand.
Then she meets an older man who lost his wife and he teaches her about life and more importantly - love.



The Main Players:
Grace - She is a doll. I love her sense of pride in her job. She wants to make sure she does better than her dad can ever imagined. Just picture trying to please your father and now picture it on top of trying to show him you can carry on a family legacy. I love her personality; she is really a quite, tame person but she does fight when she believes in something. You will see. On the aspect of how she views a relationship... I tended to want to give her my shoulder to cry on and tell her all things you would tell a friend to get them going. But she has seen death all her life; people losing the ones they love over and over. That would leave me a bit stale on love too. I mean isn't that what we all want... to find our love and keep it forever. At times, I wanted to slap her and ask her what the hell she was thinking on some of the decisions she made, but overall... it worked for her.


Sam - He was a bit mysterious. At one point, early in the story my idea of him was that he was a loafer and didn't have much in life that got him going. But then the story starts to unfold; with the death of his father being the trigger point for him. We learn that he felt he never lived up to his father's images of him. He never got to prove himself to his dad; which we all know in life, - sucks. But they say the bigger the man, the harder they fall.


Jack - I included Jack in here because I was kinda pulling for him. Jack is one of Grace's fellow "friends." He is the reason she met Sam. Grace teaches him about being a better "friend" and he teaches Grace about going after what you want. He is the one that made her see what she could have.


The Unexpected:
Things unexpected... well... I'm really thinking here...
I didn't really expect to see Sam drink the way he did. He wasn't a drunk or alcoholic, but he used that as a "crutch" to his feeling about his father. Which I guess he character seemed stronger than that to me... but like I said the bigger the man, the harder they fall.
Then there is the sister's rumored affair. I wasn't expecting that. You will have to read to see what I am talking about!!!


The Predictable:
The only thing predictable was that she worked a funeral home and you knew there would be talk of death. That really was it.


Smut Factor:
There really was none that. The sex scenes were descriptive... I mean this is an erotic novel... what would you expect and the book delivered. But it wasn't like in your face all the time; which was nice. The scenes were even fun.


What Pleased Me:
The realness of the emotions coming from Grace. She is funeral director in a small town. I grew up and still live in a small town, AND people do talk. Even people you think are you friends. So, her "habit" of paying for sex does not seem too outlandish. I mean, come on... we all know in a small town, who would want to date the person living with the dead. Men are freaky that way. And especially being that she is "the son" her father would want to take over the business, she is doing the best she know how to do.


What Displeased Me:
There is really nothing (even looking at the book now) that I could find that displeased me at all about it. The writing style of Megan Hart, I fell in love with. So... sorry... there was nothing about the book that I did not like. If you find something that you did not like, I would like to hear your thoughts on it, please.



Cover: Can you say OMG!!! I mean... come'on!!! My hubby even commented on it... He asked if I was reading the book with the naked guy on the front!!! I said, "YUP!" I love the simple colors: white... then the background black. I love the fact that it is the hotel door that takes up the cover... leaves you wondering what is to come.



If you are interest to see what else Megan Hart has to offer, please check out her website:
http://www.meganhart.com/novels/stranger.php
And do not forget to browse through her Up Coming Release!! They look hawt!!

Other reviews to come: As soon as my budget allows... I will be reading Broken and Dirty.... so be on the look out for those reviews to be coming your way!

20 comments:

  1. Awesome review Cecile!!

    I still haven't read this yet but I'm hoping to find time soon to start it!! :)

    Happy Friday!

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  2. Thanks Blanche!! It is an awesome read, really. Let me know when you read it!
    You have a Happy Friday as well... Oh, I also left you comments on your page!

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  3. Great Review Cecile:

    I also have this one on my list of April reads, if I ever get to reading. lolololol

    You have made me look forward to it all the more. :)

    Best Regards
    L

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  4. Hey Cecile...

    Very Chuffed, you did wonderful....

    I like it, now hubby will be checking out more of those book covers - Dear god the thought of it.(LOL)

    E.H>

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  5. Hi Cecile!

    Awesome review, it seems that I can never be that logical in my reviews. I write and then rewrite the parts I didn't like, much like everything I write-from school papers on......

    My hubs checks out what I'm reading sometimes as well, but he usually says-which is vampires or witches. I love it when I can say both.

    Dottie :)

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  6. Great Review Cecile! I'm so glad that you enjoyed 'Stranger'. Hart is an amazing author. And see, I told you it was a stand alone. :)

    I loved reading your thoughts and many mirrored my own. Again, great review!

    :) VFG

    P.S. I'm lovin' the Edward shirt that your daughter gave you. Classic! ;)

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  7. Hey Lea!! Thanks!
    Well... it is definitely one to get to for April! I am glad that I made you look forward to reading it. It is really a great read!
    Hugz~

    Erotic... Thanks!
    Yea, now hubby will be watching what I read a little more carefully now... lol!!!

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  8. Dottie... That was what hubby would say first: Another vampire book... So I kinda shocked him when he asked me about this book and saw the cover!!! Ha, I got him! Thank you!!
    I want to write the review as if I would really be talking to you about. Face to Face.

    VampGirl... Thank you! I did really enjoy it. I love the way she writes, real life. It was nice to get away from paranormal for a while... (although that is my thing, lol!) I will be saving my allowance to get the other books from her!!! And you were very right... very stand alone! I can't wait to read the other ones!
    Yea, I had to post the shirt! She is my baby!! She teases me all the time... now that I have the blog... she is like "so is Edward all over it... I can put he all over it if you want!!"
    She is something else!!
    Hope you are having a great Friday!

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  9. LOL! You and MsMoonlight definitely have a shared love of Edward. :)

    Oh I know what you mean. Hart writes real characters and the romance, sex, and ultimately the relationships are so human. It's refreshing really.

    Hey, I noticed you have 'The Vampire Queen's Servant' in your TBR. Would you like my copy? If so, email me at aegumienny (at) hotmail (dot) com with your addy and I'll mail it to you.

    :) VFG

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  10. OMG, 'Cry Wolf' - sooooooooooooo good! I'm totally panting for Charles. He's an amazing hero. Enjoy!!

    Happy Reading,
    VFG

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  11. Yes, I have a deep love for Edward; even my hubby knows, lol. For a young guy... he makes me melt!!

    Yes, I did like that very much about Hart. I mean the drinking part with Sam was very real. Like I even wanted to take the bottle away from him and slap up the head. Real. I liked that.
    I am emailing you right now.

    Yes, I will start on Cry Wolf... I thought I would be able to start it for lunch, but Brooke started with a bad sinus attack at school, so I had to go get here. There went my lunch hour! Oh well... I have this weekend!!!

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  12. Cecile! Sorry I missed this one. It's tough to keep up with the kids sometimes so if I miss any of your posts, just know I didn't mean to.

    First, great review. Second, I'm very happy you enjoyed this book.

    Personally, I'm REALLY big on romance. When I had purchased this book I was under the false impression that it was a romance. As I read it, I realized it really wasn't. It wasn't my kind of read, but I do agree that the author has a phenominal voice and the story was intriguing.

    Once again, great review.

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  13. Glad you liked Stranger too :).

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  14. Hey Barbara... sorry it too me the weekend to get back to you! Thank you! I did enjoy Strangers. I understand where you are coming from saying that the book was not about romance. It was not the typical romance novel, no, I agree with you. It was just a real book though. That is what I thought was different about it, which really set it apart. It wasnt't the sweep you off your feet, put you in another time, make you feel gooshy... it was just like it would have happened to me. That is what I liked about it.

    Amy C... I did enjoy it!

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  15. Hi, i have extra copies of Broken and Dirty, if you like i can send them to you, email me your address, hyuk813@gmail.com
    and great reviews, Stranger is Hart's first book i read as well. i love it, Broken is another great read

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  16. Oh gosh you are tooo sweet!!! I will be emailing you shortly!!! Thanks for stopping by and hope you stick around!

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  17. Alright Cecile, you sold me, I'm going to give this one a try. :)

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  18. Great Review! You know I'm a fan of Ms. Hart too. :D

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  19. Hey honey... I am so glad that you came over to visit... I always enjoy a visit ;)

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I want to thank you for stopping by my place... I hope to see you again!!
I hope you enjoy my little bloggie home as much as I do!
With hugs, love and smiles... Cecile

My Fictional Smutty Boyfriend.... =)

"Quotes"