Books › The Tender Stranger
The Tender Stranger
First published 2006 · 213 pages
A dizzying vacation romance collides with high-stakes danger in this classic tale of taming a hardened, cynical mercenary.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a time capsule of classic, high-stakes contemporary romance. It begins with the sun-drenched, escapist thrill of a whirlwind vacation before sharply pivoting into a suspenseful, action-packed reality. The atmosphere is thick with melodramatic tension and the irresistible pull of opposites attracting. You are swept up in the emotional whiplash of a sweet, sheltered protagonist colliding with a gruff, dangerous alpha male who guards his heart as fiercely as he fights his enemies. The prose is earnest and emotionally heightened, delivering exactly the kind of breathless passion and dramatic declarations genre fans expect. It is a brisk, deeply satisfying read for anyone who loves the trope of a cynical, hardened warrior finally brought to his knees by love.
- Mood
- escapist
- passionate
- suspenseful
- Tone
- earnest
- melodramatic
- intense
- romantic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- taming the alpha · opposites attract · whirlwind romance · danger and desire · hidden identities
- The writing
- Emotionally heightened and straightforward, relying on dramatic declarations and classic romance tropes to drive the passion.
- The arc
- Moves from a dizzying, impulsive infatuation through a shocking reality check into a fiercely fought battle for lasting trust.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave old-school contemporary romances featuring gruff, dangerous alpha males and the sweet, steady women who bring them to their knees.
Content notes
- gun violence
- hostage situation
- dated gender dynamics
About the book
She'd met Eric Van Meer entirely by chance during an unforgettable vacation in Mexico, and with reckless abandon, she'd agreed to marry the mysterious blond stranger. Dani St. Clair, prim southern bookseller, had experienced a passion that exceeded even those in her cherished romantic novels-until a hijacked plane and a daring rescue by Eric revealed his true nature and dangerous work. He said he needed freedom, yet he'd married her. He said he hated women, yet he tenderly conquered her heart. Was it possible to meet a soldier of fortune on the battleground of passion and win the war of love?
Description from Open Library.
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