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Perfect Strangers
She must not lose him a second time!
Doctors had ordered Zoe Winthrop not to try to see Ross Lyneham. His amnesia following the accident had robbed him of all memory of her. But Zoe was compelled to find out if there was still a chance for happiness.
She longed to tell him who she was and what they had once meant to each other. Yet she dared not, lest he discover that the woman in his past whose cruel betrayal caused his deep distrust of women was Zoe, herself.
Surely there must be some way out of their situation!
Doctors had ordered Zoe Winthrop not to try to see Ross Lyneham. His amnesia following the accident had robbed him of all memory of her. But Zoe was compelled to find out if there was still a chance for happiness.
She longed to tell him who she was and what they had once meant to each other. Yet she dared not, lest he discover that the woman in his past whose cruel betrayal caused his deep distrust of women was Zoe, herself.
Surely there must be some way out of their situation!
187 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1987
52 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Browning
112 books30 followersAmanda Browning (born in Essex, England) is an English writer of over 25 romance novels since 1987.
Browning is a twin, who grew up in a big family in the borders of Essex.
She worked for years in libraries, and when she left her job, she decided began to write. Although her first two manuscripts could not be used, the third was accepted and published in 1987.
She is single and continues living in the old family home on the borders of Essex. She is great-aunt to eighteen nieces and nephews.
Browning is a twin, who grew up in a big family in the borders of Essex.
She worked for years in libraries, and when she left her job, she decided began to write. Although her first two manuscripts could not be used, the third was accepted and published in 1987.
She is single and continues living in the old family home on the borders of Essex. She is great-aunt to eighteen nieces and nephews.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 29, 2016
Re Perfect Strangers - AB kicks off her HPlandia tour with everyone's favorite trope -- Amnesia. The H has got it and the h desperately wants to cure him. The story itself is fairly simple, but AB loves, loves, loves the emo wrecki angst and this will become a big trope throughout her HP career.
It never really pays to delve too deeply under the surface of an AB book, there are inexplicable potholes that just can't be filled - however the angst is usually so pronounced that even a die hard junkie will be satisfied by an AB fix.
The story goes that the H, who is big time hotel magnate and the h, who is a blues singer, meet in Crete and fall in love. The H proposes but a severe wreck injures both of them, the H more than the h. When she is able, she tries to see the H but he has amnesia and a set of parents that would but the Borgia's to shame. They prevent her from seeing the H and run her off.
The h is determined to see her true love tho, so she applies for a singing contract in the hotel he will be working in and manages to make him fall in love all over again - in spite of his anger at being abandoned in the car wreck. Cue the reentry of the Borgia's who reveal that the h ( whom they consider a gold digger and not good enough for their son,) was the woman who abandoned him to his amnesia and trauma after the wreck.
There is a truly ugly scene with the H saying all kinds of nasty and horrible scenes and dumping the h in no uncertain terms. Like Patient Griselda tho, our h just won't give up - she writes letters, co-opts other employees and makes offerings on the Altar of the HP gods to get her true love back. All of this is accompanied by multi page descriptions of the h's hopeless heartbreak and anguish and longing for her love.
Finally the h is told to fly to New York for a mysterious meeting. The H has arranged that she be dropped off at the local court, where judge is waiting there to marry them. After an initial h resistance, which is really the plot cover to allow the H to announce that he has rethought his previous position and is now marrying the h and that he thinks he loves her, the h and H marry and then adjourn to the boudoir for the reunification lurvin' extravaganza.
The H also never gets his memory back, which is some what unusual. We also don't get an explanation as to why it took the H a month to figure out he loved her, especially when everyone around him and he himself knew how badly she was fairing emotionally. We do learn that while the H was quite content to let the h languish amidst the shards of her shattered heart, he had plenty of time to fly around to England and ask her parent's for her hand in marriage.
How the H's parents will react is anybody's guess, since there is no parental confrontation and the H arranges a courthouse wedding to thwart any parental interference. Which really doesn't bode well for the outcome of the HEA, since if the H can't stand up to them openly now, likely he never will.
Still the lurving it up is intense and the emotional exuberance is great and sorta covers up for the complete lack of plausible future for the H and h when his parents cut him off financially. The h just tacitly accepts that she will have to put up with their interference and abuse for the rest of their lives if she manages to stay married to the H.
Still, AB has the trope of seektrit HP h martyr superpowers down to an art form even in this first expedition and the pillars of HPLandia are safely cemented in the high quality mortar of the h's suffering and pain that appears will go on without end, no matter what she might think at the big lurve club mojo moment.
It never really pays to delve too deeply under the surface of an AB book, there are inexplicable potholes that just can't be filled - however the angst is usually so pronounced that even a die hard junkie will be satisfied by an AB fix.
The story goes that the H, who is big time hotel magnate and the h, who is a blues singer, meet in Crete and fall in love. The H proposes but a severe wreck injures both of them, the H more than the h. When she is able, she tries to see the H but he has amnesia and a set of parents that would but the Borgia's to shame. They prevent her from seeing the H and run her off.
The h is determined to see her true love tho, so she applies for a singing contract in the hotel he will be working in and manages to make him fall in love all over again - in spite of his anger at being abandoned in the car wreck. Cue the reentry of the Borgia's who reveal that the h ( whom they consider a gold digger and not good enough for their son,) was the woman who abandoned him to his amnesia and trauma after the wreck.
There is a truly ugly scene with the H saying all kinds of nasty and horrible scenes and dumping the h in no uncertain terms. Like Patient Griselda tho, our h just won't give up - she writes letters, co-opts other employees and makes offerings on the Altar of the HP gods to get her true love back. All of this is accompanied by multi page descriptions of the h's hopeless heartbreak and anguish and longing for her love.
Finally the h is told to fly to New York for a mysterious meeting. The H has arranged that she be dropped off at the local court, where judge is waiting there to marry them. After an initial h resistance, which is really the plot cover to allow the H to announce that he has rethought his previous position and is now marrying the h and that he thinks he loves her, the h and H marry and then adjourn to the boudoir for the reunification lurvin' extravaganza.
The H also never gets his memory back, which is some what unusual. We also don't get an explanation as to why it took the H a month to figure out he loved her, especially when everyone around him and he himself knew how badly she was fairing emotionally. We do learn that while the H was quite content to let the h languish amidst the shards of her shattered heart, he had plenty of time to fly around to England and ask her parent's for her hand in marriage.
How the H's parents will react is anybody's guess, since there is no parental confrontation and the H arranges a courthouse wedding to thwart any parental interference. Which really doesn't bode well for the outcome of the HEA, since if the H can't stand up to them openly now, likely he never will.
Still the lurving it up is intense and the emotional exuberance is great and sorta covers up for the complete lack of plausible future for the H and h when his parents cut him off financially. The h just tacitly accepts that she will have to put up with their interference and abuse for the rest of their lives if she manages to stay married to the H.
Still, AB has the trope of seektrit HP h martyr superpowers down to an art form even in this first expedition and the pillars of HPLandia are safely cemented in the high quality mortar of the h's suffering and pain that appears will go on without end, no matter what she might think at the big lurve club mojo moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2016
This is an amnesia story where the character *doesn't* get his memory back. I think it's the first time I've read that scenario in an hp. The story opens when H/h met again after a horrible train accident which had put the hero in a coma. H/h had been engaged after a whirlwind courtship, but the hero's parents kept him from the heroine and told him all sorts of lies about his former fiance.
The hero doesn't recognize the heroine, but she sticks by him thus causing a boatload of pain and angst for her as he insults her, parades another woman in front of her, and eventually falls for her. All is well until hero's evil parents show up.
This was well done, but I found myself oddly disassociated from the angst. I could see it, but I didn't feel it. Maybe because there were long stretches where they got along and were falling in love? It was more like waiting for the other shoe to drop than angst. All told, though, this was an enjoyable read.
The hero doesn't recognize the heroine, but she sticks by him thus causing a boatload of pain and angst for her as he insults her, parades another woman in front of her, and eventually falls for her. All is well until hero's evil parents show up.
This was well done, but I found myself oddly disassociated from the angst. I could see it, but I didn't feel it. Maybe because there were long stretches where they got along and were falling in love? It was more like waiting for the other shoe to drop than angst. All told, though, this was an enjoyable read.
June 14, 2013
Ross and Zoe met in Crete, fell in love and they were going to get married but an accident caused Ross amnesia. When Zoe tried to see him in the hospital Ross's parents kicked her out and send her away supposedly for Ross's good. Months later Zoe can't wait anymore to see him so she goes to him but she realizes that Ross is now a bitter man. His parents poisoned his mind and told him that Zoe abandoned him because of his illness because she was a singer and they thought she was a gold digger. Zoe is now determined to fight for Ross's love even though he doesn't remember her. They soon get together again but when his parents find out they reveal to Ross that Zoe is the woman who abandoned him after his accident and of course all hell breaks loose.
Another sad and emotional love story by AB. The angst was delicious and the characters were lovable!
Another sad and emotional love story by AB. The angst was delicious and the characters were lovable!
April 12, 2020
Protagonistas: Ross & Zoe
Profesiones: Empresario & Cantante
País: Londres
Profesiones: Empresario & Cantante
País: Londres
February 10, 2022
Kind of abrupt ending.
December 11, 2025
WARNING: This review is extra spoilery- everything's in there. Don't want to mark all spoilers bc it will truncate the review in the comments.
This is an amnesia trope with the hero forgetting the heroine, but not ever remembering her.
The only major issue I have with this one is how they did the ending: it was entirely unnecessary regardless of the excuses given by one of the MCs. I was so outraged!
Anyway. This is an angsty, dramatic tale of lovers ripped apart by a chance accident, amnesia, and interfering relatives (and 1 doctor who according to the book is helping the h, but for some reason did not want them together, even if it is explained later in the book as a precaution so that his parents don't find out and try to remove her again.
So yeah. The MCs were engaged and on their way via a train to visit her parents in America when it derailed. Heroine had broken ribs, an ankle I think, and some cuts/bruises etc. but nothing life threatening.
Hero had more severe injuries that kept him in a coma for some time, and then gave him amnesia, in which he forgot the heroine entirely.
When she's finally able to locate and get to his hospital, his parents deny her, insult her and her career (singing), and his father slaps her across the face! WTF?!
7-8 months later, on a tropical island/resort that the hero and his family own/run, the heroine has found a job as a singer and is waiting for the hero to visit the island.
He does, but does not remember her, and while he is attracted to her, it's no deeper than that at first. He keeps insulting her by treating her like a fly by night affair partner, a gold-digger, a hook-up, etc. and she doesn't tell him who she is.
Anyway, eventually he breaks down and falls in love with her again, but before she can reveal that she's the "evil" gold-digging fiancee who allegedly dumped him in the hospital, his parents show up, insult the heroine, and take hero away from the island. She does try to convince him that she's telling the truth, but he does not seem to believe her.
Out of the blue, a month or two (?) later, heroine gets a message to come to headquarters in NYC for an important meeting.
So she assumes that she's being fired, because that's what international extensive hospitality corporations do- they fly in their low-level employees at various resorts to fire them in person. Yep. That's completely believable!!
Nope, not believable at all.
But it turns out, it's a suprise! wedding!
Because doofus H decided that the ONLY way he could reveal that he believes her and wants to marry her or continue their relationship is... not to travel to the island and have a conversation, not to call and have a conversation, not to write a letter, or give her any kind of message or warning, no.
It's to plan a surprise wedding with absolutely no advance warning.
Naturally she's pissed about this (at least the author got that right) and they have to have a little convo before the wedding can commence, which shockingly it does.
The heroine does not in face dump his ass right there for being such an idiot; she decides to marry him.
Hero did not remember their previous relationship at all; he just realized she was telling the truth via her behavior, his instincts, his parents' behavior, and the testimony of his doctor and his employee Mike, which is actually more realistic than him just suddenly changing his mind based on nothing, so there's that.
They get married, have nice just-married sex, and that's all folks!
This is an amnesia trope with the hero forgetting the heroine, but not ever remembering her.
The only major issue I have with this one is how they did the ending: it was entirely unnecessary regardless of the excuses given by one of the MCs. I was so outraged!
Anyway. This is an angsty, dramatic tale of lovers ripped apart by a chance accident, amnesia, and interfering relatives (and 1 doctor who according to the book is helping the h, but for some reason did not want them together, even if it is explained later in the book as a precaution so that his parents don't find out and try to remove her again.
So yeah. The MCs were engaged and on their way via a train to visit her parents in America when it derailed. Heroine had broken ribs, an ankle I think, and some cuts/bruises etc. but nothing life threatening.
Hero had more severe injuries that kept him in a coma for some time, and then gave him amnesia, in which he forgot the heroine entirely.
When she's finally able to locate and get to his hospital, his parents deny her, insult her and her career (singing), and his father slaps her across the face! WTF?!
7-8 months later, on a tropical island/resort that the hero and his family own/run, the heroine has found a job as a singer and is waiting for the hero to visit the island.
He does, but does not remember her, and while he is attracted to her, it's no deeper than that at first. He keeps insulting her by treating her like a fly by night affair partner, a gold-digger, a hook-up, etc. and she doesn't tell him who she is.
Anyway, eventually he breaks down and falls in love with her again, but before she can reveal that she's the "evil" gold-digging fiancee who allegedly dumped him in the hospital, his parents show up, insult the heroine, and take hero away from the island. She does try to convince him that she's telling the truth, but he does not seem to believe her.
Out of the blue, a month or two (?) later, heroine gets a message to come to headquarters in NYC for an important meeting.
So she assumes that she's being fired, because that's what international extensive hospitality corporations do- they fly in their low-level employees at various resorts to fire them in person. Yep. That's completely believable!!
Nope, not believable at all.
But it turns out, it's a suprise! wedding!
Because doofus H decided that the ONLY way he could reveal that he believes her and wants to marry her or continue their relationship is... not to travel to the island and have a conversation, not to call and have a conversation, not to write a letter, or give her any kind of message or warning, no.
It's to plan a surprise wedding with absolutely no advance warning.
Naturally she's pissed about this (at least the author got that right) and they have to have a little convo before the wedding can commence, which shockingly it does.
The heroine does not in face dump his ass right there for being such an idiot; she decides to marry him.
Hero did not remember their previous relationship at all; he just realized she was telling the truth via her behavior, his instincts, his parents' behavior, and the testimony of his doctor and his employee Mike, which is actually more realistic than him just suddenly changing his mind based on nothing, so there's that.
They get married, have nice just-married sex, and that's all folks!
August 24, 2019
I adore a good romance such as this one. Especially where the couple had to rekindle love and romance...relearn why they loved in the first place. Superb writing and emotions passions and second chances. I just wish the hero got his memory back and his parents suffered for their first breakup.
March 6, 2012
Ross and Zoe were in love but when they got into an accident, they both were injured and Ross developed amnesia. When Zoe, his fiancee tried to see him, Ross's parents turned her away despite her begging and pleading. When Zoe found out were Ross would be, she went to him, only to find out his parents invented a story that she abandoned him, all because she was a blues singer in a club and not rich like they are. Zoe fight's for Ross and eventually Ross knows that his parents lied but can Zoe forgive all the nasty things he's said to her?
The story was cool, with a twist. The normal amnesia stories, it's usually always the woman, this time it's the man. Also normally they get their memories back or they return, etc. However in this one Ross NEVER gets his memory back, which is kind of sad I guess. The emotions were VERY high, I found myself floundering in this novel because of being absolutely emotional. All together it was pretty darn good!
The story was cool, with a twist. The normal amnesia stories, it's usually always the woman, this time it's the man. Also normally they get their memories back or they return, etc. However in this one Ross NEVER gets his memory back, which is kind of sad I guess. The emotions were VERY high, I found myself floundering in this novel because of being absolutely emotional. All together it was pretty darn good!
March 29, 2016
Sinopsis:
Fue como si nunca se hubieran conocido. Para Zoe, los recuerdos de su amor eran preciosos; pero, desde el accidente, Ross no la recordaba, ni siquiera se daba cuenta de que existía. Pese a la oposición de los padres de él, Zoe sabía que su única oportunidad para ser feliz era enfrentarse
a Ross. El empleo en la exuberante isla de Mariposa, donde seguramente se encontraría con Ross, fue una jugada desesperada. ¿Qué haría Zoe si él no la reconocía? ¿Y por qué se había vuelto él tan cínico?
A mi parecer le faltó algo a la historia, no me convenció del todo, aunque estuvo entretenida.
Fue como si nunca se hubieran conocido. Para Zoe, los recuerdos de su amor eran preciosos; pero, desde el accidente, Ross no la recordaba, ni siquiera se daba cuenta de que existía. Pese a la oposición de los padres de él, Zoe sabía que su única oportunidad para ser feliz era enfrentarse
a Ross. El empleo en la exuberante isla de Mariposa, donde seguramente se encontraría con Ross, fue una jugada desesperada. ¿Qué haría Zoe si él no la reconocía? ¿Y por qué se había vuelto él tan cínico?
A mi parecer le faltó algo a la historia, no me convenció del todo, aunque estuvo entretenida.
June 9, 2021
She must not lose him a second time! Doctors had ordered Zoe Winthrop not to try to see Ross Lyneham. His amnesia following the accident had robbed him of all memory of her. But Zoe was compelled to find out if there was still a chance for happiness. She longed to tell him who she was and what they had once meant to each other. Yet she dared not, lest he discover that the woman in his past whose cruel betrayal caused his deep distrust of women was Zoe, herself.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews