Lover, Stranger (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 511)

Rating:
Summary: A Top-Notch Romantic Thriller
Review: Amanda Stevens delivers another true page-turner with, "Lover, Stranger," a book that quickly manages to overcome its hideous title with strong writing, sympathetic characters, and Stevens' usual break-neck pace. It begins as Dr. Ethan Hunter awakens in a hospital--badly beaten and with no memory. It appears he was attacked in his office, by an assailant who also killed his assistant. Afraid of what he doesn't know, Ethan tries to leave the hospital--and is confronted by a mystery woman named Grace Donovan. She says that his assistant was her sister, and she now wants him to help her find the killer. Ethan feels an immediate connection to her, but is Grace friend...or foe?

Stevens inverts the situation from her earlier book, "The Second Mrs. Malone," (where a woman woke up with amnesia...covered in blood), and tells a story that's just as strong. Grace and Ethan are both a lot more than they seem at first, complex and involving, and Stevens keeps us guessing all the way to the end. The plot thickens expertly, and even the twists that should have been hard to swallow came across believably. There are a lot of reasons the book shouldn't have worked, like the way one plot element bore a suspicious resemblance to one from another Intrigue from just a few months ago. The fact that it came across as a fresh, compelling tale should give Stevens a reason to pat herself on the back. Deeply romantic and packed with action, "Lover, Stranger" (still hate that title!!!) will please the most demanding reader of romantic suspense.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: How does she do it? Amanda Stevens has written another fantastic page-turner. The tension never quits and neither does the romance. This story grabs you from the very first word and doesn't turn loose till the end. I would strongly suggest any romance reader buy this one.