An American heiress challenges the aristocracy

The Stranger I Wed (Doves of New York #1) by Harper St. George      

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The marriage of convenience trope takes on new insights here. Cora Dove and her sisters, illegitimate daughters of one of Fifth Avenue’s most prestigious families, have been left a large sum of money by their grandmother. Its conditional upon them marrying someone their father, Mr. Hathaway (who doesn’t acknowledge them) approves of, and they remove themselves from New York.

The girls and their mother sail to London (far enough away?) to join the stream of American heiresses marrying into the cash strapped aristocracy. (Approval guaranteed!)

Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, is a vocal member of parliament supporting a variety of forward thinking causes. He  needs to marry an heiress. His brother Harry’s gambling habit is bringing the family coffers to its knees. Their ancestral home, Timberscombe Park, is falling down around his ears. (Why he puts up with Harry’s antics are a mystery to me).

Cora it seems is the answer. Only Cora, a staunch suffragette, makes an unusual request to which Leo agrees.

The path of their romance is somewhat rocky and steamy, but love eventually conquers all.

Interesting premise to the novel but at times  becomes  tad stilted and cliched.

A Berkeley Group ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.