More Than a Stranger (Sealed With a Kiss, #1) by Erin Knightley

Jun 17, 2012 Shawna rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of witty historicals, friends to sweethearts theme, & G/PG clean romance

Shelves: historical-romance, historical-romance-regency, rt-book-reviews-4-stars, love-letters-diary-correspondence, childhood-ties-friends-sweethearts, friends-to-lovers, kindle, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, masquerade-hide-your-face-identity, offlimits-bf-likekidsister-jailbait, mystery-intrigue-espionage-subplot, erin-knightley, kindle-sample-enticed-me, 2012-reads, action-packed, first-book-in-a-series, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-besotted-so-smitten-its-sexy, hero-brooding, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, heroine-badgirl-improper-scandalous, heroine-beautiful-bombshell, heroine-bluestocking-unconventional, heroine-country-lass, heroine-free-spirit-quirky, heroine-hoyden, heroine-in-pursuit, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, heroine-miss-independent, heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin, heroine-odd-spinster-wallflower, heroine-plucky-lively-feisty-spunky, heroine-sassy-full-of-attitude, heroine-tomboy-lady-in-pants, hh-aristocracy-nobility-royalty, hh-bad-communication-conflict-mgmt, hh-big-constant-misunderstandings, hh-disfigured-injured-scarred-ill, hh-on-the-run-in-hiding, hh-resist-cause-im-no-good-for-you, hh-spy-agent-for-crown-and-country, hr-regency-napoleonic-era-wars, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, i-read-kindle, revenge-deception-secrets-lies, reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances, steam-1-tepid, unrequited-love-crush, hero-gentleman, 3-stars

3 stars – Historical/Regency Romance

This is a pretty good debut, and I enjoyed the author’s writing style and the witty banter between the H/h and the siblings. It features some of my favorite plot devices...heroine crushing on older brother’s best friend, childhood friends/sweethearts maturing over amusing, flirtatious correspondence, seemingly unrequited love, and quirky family relationships.

Unfortunately, the deception, intrigue, mystery, and suspense part of the storyline didn’t work as wel...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Pingle McCloud rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: lovers of sweet romance & friends to lovers theme

Shelves: historical-romance, beautiful-cover, friends-to-lovers, spy, suspense, sweet-love-stories, fencing, hunting, tomboy-heroine, giveaway, signed-copy, favorites, fiction, letters, correspondence, beta-heroes, virgin-heroine, horses, disguise, part-of-series, reviewed, erin-knightley

I was lucky enough to won this signed copy from a giveaway and after I have received this book I started to read it.

This book has a such sweet love story, if you are bored by historical romance with a rake as a hero and need a break from a demanding alpha male maybe this book is for you. It has been a while since I read historical fiction, so reading this one is such a refreshing thing for me.

In the early pages we told that eleven years old Lady Evelyn Moore or Evie was having correspondence wit...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Arely rated it 4 of 5 stars

We start off with Evie and Benedict (then known as Hastings) writing letters back and forth, back and forth... until something forced Hastings to stop all correspondence with Evie. Then he comes back, for reasons unknown to us, and asks his best friend—who just so happens to be Evie’s brother—if he can stay with him for a little while. Richard (Evie’s brother) says yes.
Then he bumps into Evie. Panicked, Benedict hides his identity from her, knowing that she would never forgive him for his last l...more We start off with Evie and Benedict (then known as Hastings) writing letters back and forth, back and forth... until something forced Hastings to stop all correspondence with Evie. Then he comes back, for reasons unknown to us, and asks his best friend—who just so happens to be Evie’s brother—if he can stay with him for a little while. Richard (Evie’s brother) says yes.
Then he bumps into Evie. Panicked, Benedict hides his identity from her, knowing that she would never forgive him for his last letter. And then the story truly begins...
I really enjoyed More Than A Stranger. Benedict’s reasons for cutting all ties from his old life—and his reasons for coming back—are hidden even from the reader. This kept me extremely curious as to what happened in Benedict’s life that he had to go to such extreme circumstances. There are hints to his past and his reasons, but they aren’t revealed until the ending is near.
Evie, on the other hand, is an open book. We know all about her throughout the book, except for the Benedict’s mysterious last letter. We don’t know what he wrote, nor do we know why.
Evie and Benedict are very strong characters, and their meetings always had me laughing or sighing—or both. While Evie could be very stubborn and Benedict could be very pig-headed, they worked together, and you could see it every time they met.
I was always rooting for Benedict and Evie, even at the point when everything went wrong. However, I did feel like Evie and Richard overreacted a bit at a certain scene where what Benedict is running away from catches up to him. It was partly Benedict’s fault, but he had very good reasons and some things he couldn’t control. (I, for one, forgave Benedict immediately, but that’s not a surprise. I am, after all, a romantic ;D )
I also really liked the small twist at the end of the book! I was not expecting it and was very happy with the way things worked out.
I recommend this book for people who enjoy action (though not a lot of it), passion, and most of all, love.(less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Barb Lie rated it 5 of 5 stars

More Than a Stranger is Erin Knightley’s debut novel and her first in her Sealed With a Kiss series.

Our heroine in this wonderful historical romance novel, is Evie Moore, and we meet her as a young child who worships her brother, Richard, who is now heading off to Eton. When Evie gets letters from her brother, he constantly talks about his new friend Hastings.

Benedict Hastings is our hero, and Richard’s best friend. He learns all about Evie, as she writes a letter to him to tell him to back of...more More Than a Stranger is Erin Knightley’s debut novel and her first in her Sealed With a Kiss series.

Our heroine in this wonderful historical romance novel, is Evie Moore, and we meet her as a young child who worships her brother, Richard, who is now heading off to Eton. When Evie gets letters from her brother, he constantly talks about his new friend Hastings.

Benedict Hastings is our hero, and Richard’s best friend. He learns all about Evie, as she writes a letter to him to tell him to back off being her brother’s best friend, as she is already that. This starts a wonderful friendship of letters between young Evie and Hastings. Over the years, though they have never met, the letters built a great friendship of trust, which led both of them to care very much for each other. Then out of the blue, when Hastings graduated, he cut off Evie totally, with no reason, and she was heartbroken.

A few years later, Evie, now a young lady, has decided she wants to work with horses, as has no intention of finding a suitable mate. Her mother is determined for her to go to London for the coming out ball, which Evie no longer wants anything to do with.

Hastings visits Richard, without telling him too much of where he has been. Just that he needs a break and Richard offers him to come with him to his family home. Under the assumption that the family is in London during the season, Hastings accepts. Then to his shock, as he arrives he sees a girl run up to Richard and realizes that he is looking at the girl he loved from afar, Evie. But Hastings as he introduces himself to Evie, lies, as he does not want her to know who he is. He calls himself Mr. Benedict, and with Richard’s help, he keeps his true identity a secret, not wanting to hurt her, or for her to learn the real reason he disappeared.

When Hastings left school, he was recruited by the English government to do undercover work, which even Richard did not know. Hence, his separation from his family and Evie. Though this is not really a mystery, there is some element of danger, as Hastings/Benedict left some baggage behind that will come to haunt him near the end.

But More than a Stranger is a wonderful charming romance. Evie having sworn off men, having had her heart broken by Hastings, finds herself intrigued and enamored by the charming Benedict. Benedict, trying hard not to allow himself to hurt Evie, finds himself falling deeper in love with her, as she is more then he could ever have imagined.

To watch their relationship grow, despite both not wanting this to develop, and Evie not knowing who he really was, was wonderfully done by Knightley. I loved Evie, who was not only beautiful, but vivacious, and extremely likeable. You can’t help but love Benedict despite his lie to Evie.

Knightley did such a wonderful job creating such likeable characters all the way around. Evie’s sister Beatrice, and Richard were great characters too. The amazing thing about this story was the sexual attraction between Evie and Benedict, and you felt that chemistry throughout, without even one sex scene. It was so beautifully done, as we watch them both fall in love all over again. Did Evie find out who Benedict really was? What is the danger that is following Benedict from his past? Is there a future for the awesome couple? You need to read this book to find the answers.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, as well as exciting ending. More Than a Stranger is a wonderful start to a new series, and a wonderful new author in Erin Knightley. Can’t wait to read A Taste for Scandal, which is the next book in this series.

Barb
The Reading Cafe
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Oct 24, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This was an interesting read for me. First, being a debut novel, I relaxed my usual standards a bit. The best part of this novel is that the hero and heroine had a shared past through letters. The chapters were started out with the missives between the main characters. They were witty, and really added to the story for me. They kept the story moving nicely. I liked the heroine, Evie. She wanted to be independent, live a quiet life, and just be herself. What I didn't like was the family scenes. T...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Yellow Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is so lovely, fluffy, and it feels you are in the clouds while you are reading this book. That is how I felt reading this amazing little book, only negative is that it was too short. Maybe a sequel about about Evie's and Benedict's perfect marriage???

The story itself is very well written, character development is well done, and the intensity of the emotions between the characters is portrayed stunningly. As some other reviewers noted the story involves two pen pals who are in fact soul...more This book is so lovely, fluffy, and it feels you are in the clouds while you are reading this book. That is how I felt reading this amazing little book, only negative is that it was too short. Maybe a sequel about about Evie's and Benedict's perfect marriage???

The story itself is very well written, character development is well done, and the intensity of the emotions between the characters is portrayed stunningly. As some other reviewers noted the story involves two pen pals who are in fact soul mates except they don't know that. Benedict at 18 stops their correspondence by insulting her deeply, she runs after him but to know avail. The pain that was incurred to her by Benedict resulted in her being close to her father and she begins working at the stables.

Then we are transported to the day when Benedict seeks out Richards(Evie's brother) help because you know he is a secret agent in a bit of a problem, therefore he feels he needs to run away. Unsuspecting to find Evie in the country home he and Richard embark just to find the whole family there and Evie as beautiful as stunning as she is. In fear of being discovered he does not introduce himself by his real name and Evie is immediately taken aback by how charming and attractive this Mr. Benedict is.

The story revolves around Benedict trying to avoid Evie and Evie as intrigued as she is seeks to win his admiration. The inevitable befalls they both fall in love yet their are uncertain dangers that still must be solved, however we have a happily ever after tale and our heroine and hero end up together.

I really enjoyed the two characters I found Evie to be the Perfect heroine, she had a very great combination of femininity, yet she was strong minded and did not let others take her for granted. Benedict was the perfect hero he was sincerely sorry and he apologized, he did not let his ego take over. He was a true alpha male yet he had a heart. Their love is very intense and lovely I loved the way the author described the scenes between them. A perfect romance tale I highly recommend this book to any romance reader.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Zette rated it 4 of 5 stars

More Than a Stranger is a sweet romance with a spirited heroine and an honorable yet mysterious hero. Evie and Hastings fell in love through letters written over the years as they grew up. Hastings ended the relationship badly and resentment and anger have festered in Evie's heart ever since causing her to close her heart to love. When he enters her life again years later, she is forced to face her feelings and come to grips with the attraction she feels toward Benedict. There was just the right...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh my but this blurb does not do justice to this wonderful, sweet and very touching love story. Ms. Knightley's debut novel tells the story of two people that come to know each other through the correspondence first, and then many years later both feel the physical attraction that was years in making.

Lady Evelyn Moore is a lady to be reckoned with ever since she was a child. She loves her family, but adores her brother Richard , so when someone such as a friend from his boarding school begins to...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was more like 2 1/2 stars, but I'm giving it the benefit because of the unusual relationship between the leads. Half of this book was written exceptionally well-- the author really had a handle on the nuance of relationships, and I enjoyed both the letter snippets in the chapter headers and the byplay between two people who once knew each other intimately without ever having met.

The problem for me came with the intrigue side of the book-- Benedict's profession. (The ending provoked some ey...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Dahlia (yadkny) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical Romance Lovers

As a young girl, Evie got her first taste of true jealousy when she discovered her beloved brother had indeed acquired a new best friend while away at Eton. She was her brother’s best friend, so to put everything to rights, Evie decided to write to this Hastings and establish that the title of best friend belonged solely to her. It wasn’t long before she received a very deliberate response to which she was compelled to reply in her own feisty fashion. And so began the unconventional courtship of...more As a young girl, Evie got her first taste of true jealousy when she discovered her beloved brother had indeed acquired a new best friend while away at Eton. She was her brother’s best friend, so to put everything to rights, Evie decided to write to this Hastings and establish that the title of best friend belonged solely to her. It wasn’t long before she received a very deliberate response to which she was compelled to reply in her own feisty fashion. And so began the unconventional courtship of Evie and Hastings.

Throughout the years that followed Evie and Hastings continued to write to each other and formed a bond and trust that transcended expectation. They became comfortable and confiding in their anonymous companionship. However, just when they were to become introduced for the first time in the flesh, life led Hastings on another path and one that required he cut all ties to his previous life including Evie. What neither of them counted on was the spirit of their relationship to continue on when eventually their paths cross. As they explore this new and yet familiar connection, Hastings must continue keeping his identity secret even while Evie tempts him to distraction. She has shown him the life he could have and the one he wants most with her, but the cost of such desires could be deadly.

From the beginning, the reader is swept away with the lively letters Evie and Hastings write to each other. Their correspondence is sarcastic, witty, and flirtatious and with each new chapter, an enlightening and relevant snippet from their letters is shared. I appreciated that there wasn’t a long dramatic setup and instead immediately focus in on the boy and girl who unknowingly spark a friendship with just ink and parchment. The high stakes drama and mounting consequences from Hastings’ actions is thoughtfully planned and written into the story. All the while, an underlying romantic tension mounts between these two challenging and independent characters.

Although the climax of the conflict was a little long winded, I was nevertheless immersed in the to be or not to be relationship status of Evie and Hastings. This historical read will appeal to romance fans looking for a bit of intrigue and suspense with a promise of charming characters and setting. A delightful start to a new series and debut author!

Review soon-to-be posted @ Night Owl Reviews(less)

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May 14, 2012 Dottie rated it 4 of 5 stars

An exciting read, which I rated at 4.5. The following is my review from RomanceJunkies.com:

MORE THAN A STRANGER by Erin Knightley

When Lady Evelyn’s brother, Richard, went away to Eton, she felt like she had lost her best friend. The only thing that kept her going was his letters home. But when his letters increasingly spoke of his new friend Hastings, she was livid. After all, she was Richard’s best friend and that wasn’t supposed to change just because he was away at school. So she sent a note...more An exciting read, which I rated at 4.5. The following is my review from RomanceJunkies.com:

MORE THAN A STRANGER by Erin Knightley

When Lady Evelyn’s brother, Richard, went away to Eton, she felt like she had lost her best friend. The only thing that kept her going was his letters home. But when his letters increasingly spoke of his new friend Hastings, she was livid. After all, she was Richard’s best friend and that wasn’t supposed to change just because he was away at school. So she sent a note to Hastings telling him that Richard already had a best friend and to leave him alone. This had started up a succession of correspondence between the two of them. But that had ended years ago. Now, after five years on the marriage mart, she is free to live her own life.

After being abandoned at Eton, Hastings Benedict makes a new friend, Richard. When he later begins a correspondence with Richard’s sister, Evelyn, he finds he has a new friend in her and it helps get him through his years at the school. But when he goes out into the world, he is not willing to continue this childhood correspondence and he knows he will have to make himself clear to get her to stop writing. So he sends a biting letter that even today makes him cringe when he thinks of what he put in the letter. Needing to get away, especially from those who want him dead, he thinks of the estate that Richard used to talk about. After speaking to his friend, they travel together to the estate, figuring that Evelyn and the rest of the family would be in London for the Season. However, upon arrival, the first person they meet is Evelyn. Not wanting her to know that he is Hastings after that horrendous last letter he had sent her, he introduces himself, using his middle name, as James Benedict.

Hastings tries to keep his distance from Evelyn, but the attraction between them is just too strong. However, before long, his world and its danger catch up with him. Can he keep Evelyn safe from the threat? When she discovers his true identity, will it destroy the love that has been building between them? Will he leave to keep her out of danger, or will the menace threaten their love and their very lives?

A delectable debut novel, MORE THAN A STRANGER, the first book in gifted author Erin Knightley’s SEALED WITH A KISS series, is a suspense-filled, sensual historical romance that will keep you reading late into the night. In this novel, Hastings has not known a lot of love in his life and Evelyn has pretty much given up on finding love. But once they meet, there is no stopping the sparks that fly between these two headstrong people. With the combination of witty banter, charismatic characters, danger, suspense, passion and romance, Ms. Knightley has penned a winning tale that is sure to find a place on many keeper shelves. This novel is a promising start to a phenomenal career for debut author Erin Knightley and one you will not want to miss. I am now eagerly awaiting the next book in Ms. Knightley’s SEALED WITH A KISS series, A TASTE FOR SCANDAL, which is due out in December.

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com
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Nov 18, 2012 Lindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed for TwoLips Reviews, LLC
4 1/2 Kisses, 0 Peppers M/F sweet romance)

At the age of eleven, Lady Evelyn Moore begins corresponding with her older brother's school friend, Benedict Hastings. Initially her letters are fired by jealousy that her beloved brother has made a friend, and she feels forgotten and replaced. Then he writes back and she starts to really enjoy his biting wit. Despite the fact that they've never met in person, over the next five years they develop a close friendship. The...more Reviewed for TwoLips Reviews, LLC
4 1/2 Kisses, 0 Peppers M/F sweet romance)

At the age of eleven, Lady Evelyn Moore begins corresponding with her older brother's school friend, Benedict Hastings. Initially her letters are fired by jealousy that her beloved brother has made a friend, and she feels forgotten and replaced. Then he writes back and she starts to really enjoy his biting wit. Despite the fact that they've never met in person, over the next five years they develop a close friendship. Then it comes time for him to graduate and move on with his life, and he knows he has to break off his friendship with his dear friend Evie. He doesn't want to, but he knows it's for the best. He needs to make a clean start.

They meet years later, but Benedict doesn't want her to know who he is because she has every reason to hate him for ending their friendship like he did so he gives a false name. Unfortunately, his life is in a big tangle and he isn't in any position to be in a relationship. So he tries to fight the feelings that quickly resurface for his old friend, the only person who ever wrote to him when he was in school.

Evie has been trying to convince her parents to excuse her from husband hunting. She would rather live quietly in the country and run her family’s stables than deal with the dull and haughty members of the ton. Then Benedict comes along and makes her feel things she would rather avoid. She learned years ago not to trust love, but she is undeniably drawn to this man she thinks she has only known for days.

The prologue for More Than a Stranger immediately grabbed my interest and made it difficult to put down. I know this was going to be a remarkable book. I was especially captivated and amused by the quoted letters that they sent back and forth to each other. I'll admit I like my books to have more explicit heat than this, but really, the quality of the story made up for it. The emotional link between Evie and Benedict absolutely shines. Fans of exceptionally well-written historical romance won't want to miss this exciting debut from Erin Knightly.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am not normally the biggest fan of historical romance but this had such a cute premise that I couldn't resist. I loved the idea and execution behind the letters and the relationship that started between the two main characters. I liked that Hastings was a good guy where so often the heros in this type of book I find to be jerks or egocentric. I also liked Evie. There was some of the typical romance elements that I have come to expect that I always have mixed feelings about but it is part of th...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Lady Bocwyrm rated it 4 of 5 stars

I FEEL AS IF I'VE SPOTTED THE LOCH NESS MONSTER! IT'S A HISTORICAL ROMANCE THAT WHILE BEING ALL THAT TYPIFIES A ROMANCE...IT WAS CLEAN! THE MOST SCANDALOUS THING TO HAPPEN IN THIS BOOK IS THE LOVE INTRESTS *GASP* KISS (I KNOW, SHOCKING). NO CLOTHING WAS REARRANGED OR REMOVED (THE LEADING MAN DOES HAVE HIS SHIRT OFF ONCE, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE HE WAS ALONE, IN HIS ROOM, EXERCISING), NO ONE TUMBLED INTO BED WITH ANYONE ELSE (IT IS IMPLIED THAT THEY DID SO, AFTER THEY WERE MARRIED); HANDS DID NOT WA...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Sharyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

3 1/2 stars. I really liked the storyline of this novel with some of my favorite tropes of "Brother's Best Friend" and "pen pals that meet later". Evie is a curious 22 year old, who has survived five Seasons on the Marriage Mart of London and doesn't want to go back for another try, despite her Mother's wishes. Benedict contacts Evie's brother, Richard, after years away and asks if he can hang out at the family's country estate, thinking everyone is already in London for the Season. You see, his...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Ellie rated it 3 of 5 stars

More Than a Stranger, Sealed With a Kiss #1, by Erin Knightley
Grade: B-

“Just imagine the kind of insults I could give you after we’ve known each other more than a day”

Lady Evelyn Moore never thought that she would become best friends when she sent a letter to her brother’s new best friend at Eton at the age of eleven warning him off. After five years of correspondence and falling in love with Benedict Hastings, he abruptly cuts off all ties. Evie is devastated and has spent years putting all of...more More Than a Stranger, Sealed With a Kiss #1, by Erin Knightley
Grade: B-

“Just imagine the kind of insults I could give you after we’ve known each other more than a day”

Lady Evelyn Moore never thought that she would become best friends when she sent a letter to her brother’s new best friend at Eton at the age of eleven warning him off. After five years of correspondence and falling in love with Benedict Hastings, he abruptly cuts off all ties. Evie is devastated and has spent years putting all of her efforts into her family’s horses to mend her broken heart. Now a decade after they first started writing to each other they finally meet without Evie knowing his true identity and Hastings has even more secrets than Evie could have ever imagined.

Benedict Hastings went to Eton a very lonely and forgotten child but he made friends and struck up an unlikely friendship with his best friend’s sister. Five years after making the biggest mistake of his life by hurting Evie he finally meets her face to face but dangers of his job threaten not only her but her family. Hastings will do anything in his power to not hurt Evie again but his lies are catching up with him and it’s up to him to make things right with the woman who has stolen his heart.

More than a Stranger is the first in the Sealed With a Kiss series from Erin Knightley and I think it was a great first book. I did at times find the plot predictable which had my mind wandering at times but i did like the banter between the main characters a lot. What I liked so much about this book is that the characters get to know each other over a period of ten years before finally meeting. I feel like this allows the romance between them to be very believable and had me rooting for them to have a happy ending.

Hastings is a great leading man but all of his lies really bothered me after a while. It seemed that he just dug hole after hole with everyone and it comes back to bite him and ruin everything. Evie was the main reason that I kept reading and enjoyed this book so much. She has a sharp tongue and a quick wit that I really enjoyed and I loved that she didn’t want to be a proper lady of the Ton. I am not usually a fan of historical romance novels, especially the heroines in them, but I did enjoyed this one and if it hadn’t been for Hastings and his lies I would have loved it.

I did enjoy this book and I am excited to read Richard, Hastings best friend and Evie’s brother, book next. I hope the female characters stay smart and strong and that Richard is as charming as he was in this story. I think that this has the potential to be a great historical romance series. (less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Huong rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the perfect romance to lift my much needed spirits. The prologue was an instant hook to the rest of the book. Evelyn and Hastings were absolutely hilarious in their letter exchanges!

Loved Evelyn's strong character also. Thank god, no TSTL behaviors!!! Benedict Hastings, on the other hand, was a little to wishy washy for me. While I loved hearing his perspective on everything, he could've been a bit more alpha-ish for my taste.

Didn't care too much for the mystery backplot, but it had to...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable debut book & looking forward to her next release. Definitely will put Erin on my A list of authors if this book is an example of her writing. The connection btwn the H/H was lovely. Enjoyed the banter btwn them as well as the cast of secondary characters - Evie's family - which was very natural & believeable. Really liked the rapport bwtn Evie & her siblings esp her brother. Also liked the short little snippets of the letters btwn Evie & Benedict at the beginning o...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a delight to read the debut novel of Erin Knightley and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very descriptive and the plot flowed so well. What might have started off as a jealous sister's guarding her beloved older brother Richard, Evie's letters to Hastings turned into a blossoming romance for both of them. For Hastings things took a different path and it wasn't meant to be. There was conflict and mystery, deceit and forgiveness. I can see her sister's and brother each warranting their own stories down...more

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Jul 19, 2012 SidneyKay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-regency

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Three's a crowd

More Than a Stranger is Erin Knightley's debut novel and it is a lovely entree into Romanceland. The book has two charming main characters with a few interesting secondaries thrown in.

The beginning of this book kept me engrossed. I even chuckled at Evie's first letter to Benedict. I loved the correspondence between the two teenage protagonist/love-buds, and I would have enjoyed more of a glimpse into that background. But, twas not to be, because our hero, who by the way is awfully...more Three's a crowd

More Than a Stranger is Erin Knightley's debut novel and it is a lovely entree into Romanceland. The book has two charming main characters with a few interesting secondaries thrown in.

The beginning of this book kept me engrossed. I even chuckled at Evie's first letter to Benedict. I loved the correspondence between the two teenage protagonist/love-buds, and I would have enjoyed more of a glimpse into that background. But, twas not to be, because our hero, who by the way is awfully young...our hero must go off and be a spy. Yep, he must spy for his country and cut all ties with every one including our heroine, Evie. So, Evie, is heartbroken at 15/16. And, then years later he is on the run and decides to hide out at his friend, Richard, country home. Well, you see Richard is Evie's brother and much to the surprise of Richard and our hero, Benedict, the family is still there at the country home. So, even though Benedict is struck numb by Evie's beauty, he decides to lie to her and pretend he is someone else and not the person who wrote all those letters years ago.

Now, some of this book I really liked. I liked that Evie fell in love with Benedict, Benedict the spy, not Benedict the letter writer. And, I loved that Benedict had some major guilt feelings about all of the lies he was telling just so he could remain close to Evie. They had a sweet romance. However, where this book fell short for me was that even though there should have been all of this tension it was for the wrong reason. Oh sure, there was all the tension of Benedict's lies, but there was no love/sexual tension between Evie and Benedict. At least I didn't feel any. And, I think some of that might have been due to Richard.

Yes, Richard the brother. Richard is Benedict's best friend and all through the book he is there. He's like a third wheel; whenever Benedict and Evie are together, there's Richard. I don't have anything against males bonding; I like that in books. However, the very strong friendship bond between Richard and Benedict was more apparent to me than the growing love between Evie and Benedict.

And, while we are talking about Benedict, once again we have a spy who makes me wonder how England survived as long as it did. He's rather ineffectual as a spy, in my opinion.

There is a character in this book who I thought had possibilities and that was the listens-at-keyholes Beatrice. I thought she was delightful. In fact, the family in this story seems like a real family and when they were in the book I enjoyed it. What kept this book from being extraordinary was the romance - Benedict and Evie just didn't connect for me. Having said all that, I do believe Ms. Knightley has possibilities, and I will be picking up her next work.
KaysBlog (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Casee Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, reviewed

More than a Stranger is a sparkling debut from author Erin Knightley, setting the stage for her Sealed with a Kiss series and energetically creating the foundation for a bright new talent in the historical romance genre. I immediately became immersed in Knightley’s Regency world, feeling instantly familiar with both her characters and narrative while also recognizing in the novel her unique ability to spin both a charming romance and a thrilling suspense. Elements of More than a Stranger almost...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Melody May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical

We have the first book to a new novel to a brand new series. It's always interesting to see how the characters will develop in the story. We have Lady Evelyn Moore (aka Evie) who starts writing to her brothers friend when he went of to Eton. She was so sick and tire of hearing how great his new best friend, Benedict Hastings, was. Evie decided to take matters into her own hands and decides to write him a letter to state that he was not Richard's best friend, but she was. So this starts a friends...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebooks, genre-historical-romance, my-hottie-harem, read-in-2012, review-requests

Posted on Under the Covers

Erin Knightley’s debut regency novel, MORE THAN A STRANGER is a surprise waiting to be discovered by all. Immediately upon starting this book, I knew that I had found something special.

Knightley has a distinct and unique voice that I instantly noticed and loved. Her writing is natural, seeming to flow without much effort at all. From the start, her writing captured my attention and didn’t let go until the very end. In fact, it flowed so well that I didn’t feel as if I w...more Posted on Under the Covers

Erin Knightley’s debut regency novel, MORE THAN A STRANGER is a surprise waiting to be discovered by all. Immediately upon starting this book, I knew that I had found something special.

Knightley has a distinct and unique voice that I instantly noticed and loved. Her writing is natural, seeming to flow without much effort at all. From the start, her writing captured my attention and didn’t let go until the very end. In fact, it flowed so well that I didn’t feel as if I was reading at all. The heroine, Evelyn aka Evie Moore and the hero, Benedict Hastings have been long time friends. Despite the fact that they are separated as Hastings resides in Eton, Evie and Hastings still keep in contact through letters. These letters introduces the lovely friendship and most importantly the trust they have developed for one another. Though sometimes teasing and snarky, they reflect a blooming long distance relationship that remains strong until one day, Evie stops receiving these letters from Hastings. Naturally, she wonders what happened to Hastings but no word has been heard from him at all.

Later, Evie’s older brother, Richard and his best friend, Hastings return home but do not know that Richard’s family is there and in particular, Evie. It appears that Hastings wants to keep his identity a secret because when he stumbles upon Evie, he lies to her face, introducing himself as Mr. Benedict instead of Hastings. With Evie’s brother’s help, Hastings is able to keep his true identity a secret. However, Richard’s older younger sister soon finds out. The reason why Hastings wishes to keep his identity a secret is because he fears for Evie’s feelings. Their friendship ended, or rather had been stalled by his actions and he still feels terrible about it.

Normally, I would be angry at any hero who lies to the heroine. However, I couldn’t find myself being upset by his actions. This time, the deception is one that readers actually want the heroine to discover because we know how well they got along through the letters.

Knightley achieves great sexual tension between the hero and heroine. Evie cannot deny the physical attraction she has for Mr. Benedict. So though her body declares its need, Evie doesn’t act on them because her heart belongs to someone else. Or so she thinks...

Fans of Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas and Suzanne Enoch would enjoy this book in a new series. With Lord Raleigh’s book next, I can truly say that I am excited for it and Knightley has gained a new fan in me.

*ARC provided by publisher (less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Nancy Badger rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this, her first published book, Erin brings readers a wonderfully romantic, sweet tale and fills it with anxious moments, pride, misconception, and sexual tension that only a kiss will ease. Her characters are well thought out, bold, headstrong, and seemingly destined for heartbreak, with family histories so different, you want to reach out and the hug them all. I enjoy a well-written book that ‘takes me away’ and entangles me in her characters’ lives so easily. I look forward to her next boo...more

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Dec 10, 2012 taita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-rrrc, fiction, historical-fiction, regency, rlftci-2-012-in-2012, romance, series

Cute and sometimes funny romance. I enjoyed it for the most part but it started to drag after a while and it took some personal motivation on my part to keep on. The premise of the story was unique though so it wasn't a loss of time for me. I did like Evie and wished we could have learned more about Hastings in the "missing years". I was disappointed there wasn't more on the love scene category. Lack of detail on that score makes this book something I would be comfortable sharing with my niece i...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Eulalie12 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually thought this was a 5-star romance but it brought down by the rest of the intrigue which felt convoluted and overly dramatic.

Also, I thought the lack of sex scenes was a mistake. I'm all for the sweet romance but when there is such hot chemistry between the characters the lack of shall we say, more intimate encounters, will necessarily disappoint some readers. I would have gladly exchanged the inane epilogue for such a scene.

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Jul 03, 2012 Alice rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, 2012, historical-romance

Boring as all get-out, waste of time, can I have that hour back?

DROP THE BOOK AND WALK AWAY.

Actually skimmed the last fifty or so pages, read the end and I would have slammed it down in disgust, but I was reading it on my iPad.

If you're looking for a good historical romance mystery, I suggest To Catch An Heiress by Julia Quinn.

Also: how many times is it really fucking necessary to mention that Benedict smells of sandalwood?!

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Apr 30, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well-written debut novel with a headstrong stubborn heroine and a handsome and sweet hero. I prefer my romances a little more on the sensual side and this one was a little too sweet for my taste. But the writing is excellent and I enjoyed the letter-writing aspect of the story about two childhood pen pals whose adulthood prompts the hero to end their correspondence to begin his career as a spy.

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Jun 10, 2012 Sonja rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well done! Loved this debut novel from Erin Knightley. The relationship between the hero and heroine was really relatable and poignant to me. The banter had me laughing out loud. I loved Evie and her family, and I'm excited to see they'll feature in her upcoming second novel as well! GREAT read, can't wait to see more!

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Jul 10, 2012 Katie Herring rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this on my car ride home from the beach.

Really quick read.

As my second "real" romance novel, I've got to say... I'm hooked.

I like how they will all end happily, no matter what.

I thought the word "betrayal" was used way too much; but other than that, I'm glad I read it.

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More Than a Stranger (Sealed With a Kiss #1)

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