John and Mary Bexley have barely been married a month
when his job with the foreign office takes him to China.
Despite the fact that the mission was not a successful
one, John comes home with a very different outlook on
life.
Mary was a shy young woman when they married and he isn't
sure how they will go along for the rest of their lives.
However, he is married and couldn't face a divorce, much
less afford one.
Mary has always been bullied by her forceful mother and
she resents being sent off to her aunt's house when John
leaves for China. She discovers her Aunt Lavinia much
changed. The household is in disarray and everyone looks
to Mary to take charge. Suddenly, Mary is the decision
maker with everyone in the house coming to her for
answers.
Mary has become a much more confident woman. With word
that John is coming home, Mary must find someone to take
care of Aunt Lavinia. Once she convinces her mother of
the need, her mother allows her to make the decision.
John and Mary must learn the other all over. With John
working hard at his job and making forays into the slums
of London to make connections in the Chinese community,
Mary is often alone. Gradually, she makes friends with
one of her neighbors. That and her art help ease the
loneliness.
When one of John's jealous co-workers plays a mean trick
on Mary at the Lady Castlereagh's ball, John's career is
put in jeopardy, Mary will seek to repair the damage she
has done. Meanwhile, a friend of John's at work and the
granddaughter of her neighbor set out to rectify the
situation in their own way.
It's a pleasure to have Ms. Ashford writing books again.
Regency fans can look forward to an author who knows her
period. MARRIED TO A PERFECT STRANGER is a little slow
starting off since
John and Mary seem to lead separate lives but once I got
comfortable with the characters, it was much easier to
get into the story.
The difficulties that John faced in the workplace reflect
how little people change. Every reader who's had a
difficult co-worker will sympathize with his situation.
Anyone who's found themselves moving to new area will
find it easy to root for Mary as she seeks to make a new
life for herself.
MARRIED TO A PERFECT STRANGER is a good romance which will
strike a chord with every
reader and the difficulties they face in life.
Time and distance have changed them both...
Quiet and obliging, Mary Fleming and John Bexley marry to
please their families and John immediately leaves on a
two-year diplomatic mission. Now John is back, and
everything they thought they knew about each other was
wrong...
It's disconcerting, irritating-and somehow all very
exciting...
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