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To Trust a Stranger
Was she just a passing fancy?Fern hadn't known much in the way of happiness where men were concerned. And she'd learned to avoid girlish dreams.Then Mr. Right turned up in the shape of Piers Warrender, dynamic, attractive and altogether too disturbing for Fern's peace of mind. She couldn't help falling in love with him.But what was she to Piers - someone important in his life? Surely his decision to marry her meant that he cared - unless it was just expediency on his part?
- GenresRomance
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 8, 1990
About the author
Rosemary Gibson
29 books14 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Author Bio
Rosemary Gibson was born in Cairo, where her father was in the Foreign Service. She spent her childhood in Egypt, Greece and Vietnam, returning to England at the age of eight. Though she took teacher's training at Christ Church College, her working experience has been varied - community service worker, barmaid, gas-pump attendant and ground hostess and receptionist for an airline in Bournemouth, where she first started writing seriously. She began with short stories for various women's magazines before becoming a romance novelist. She lives in New Forrest with her dog, Cindy, and a black cat called Jellybean.
Author Bio
Rosemary Gibson was born in Cairo, where her father was in the Foreign Service. She spent her childhood in Egypt, Greece and Vietnam, returning to England at the age of eight. Though she took teacher's training at Christ Church College, her working experience has been varied - community service worker, barmaid, gas-pump attendant and ground hostess and receptionist for an airline in Bournemouth, where she first started writing seriously. She began with short stories for various women's magazines before becoming a romance novelist. She lives in New Forrest with her dog, Cindy, and a black cat called Jellybean.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 7, 2017
RE To Trust A Stranger - Rosemary Gibson makes the first of two forays into HPlandia before moving permanently to HRtopia with this story of a repressed h and the wildlife photographer H that appears to threaten her livelihood.
This one starts with the 25 yr old h wondering how she is going to tell her boss that she doesn't want to be engaged to him. The h is a widow and apparently it wasn't a happy marriage, tho we don't why. The h has a 7 year old niece that lives with her and the h currently works as the secretary to an English estate owner. She also gets a country cottage as part of the deal and tho her boss is a few years older than her and rather pedantic, the h has been hesitant to rock the boat when he assumes that she is a meek and mild milquetoast who will just marry him because he says.
In fact this h is pretty feisty, she is just very, very controlled and has been in somewhat of a depression ever since her husband died. So the h is trying to figure out how to tell her boss she isn't interested in marrying him and still keep her job and the cottage. She likes the area and her little niece has made lot of friends, so the h hates herself for her cowardice in not telling her boss it isn't on, but she resolves to worry about that another day. She decides to take a little skinny dip in the Avon river instead and while she is swimming, a man drags her out of the water. She is outraged and she tells the man off. She explains that he is trespassing and that she is engaged to the owner of the estate.
The man laughs and kisses her and asks her when the wedding is supposed to be. It turns out that he is her boss's older half brother and the estate is actually his if he comes back to live in England under the terms of his father's will. The h is now really worried. The older brother seems to be an usurper and the h can hardly think it is fair that he just waltz in and take over after her boss has worked so hard to keep the estate profitable.
He also seems to get a kick out of riling the h. There are several H being obnoxious moments where the h is left feeling belittled and a few more roofie kisses that the h wants to melt into but won't let herself. She has been very badly burned in the past, but we still don't know how. Meanwhile the H is flirting with the ladies left and right and we also find out via the h's niece that the H is a big name wildlife photographer. The H and the niece get along famously and the woman who runs the local owl sanctuary is making no bones about chasing after the H. He seems to actively encourage her and the h is jealous but also really wary.
Things come to a big blow up when the h does the hostess duties for an estate dance and the H follows her home and forcibly seduces her. The h is disgusted with herself for responding and kicks the H out. Then she goes to work for the H when she has to resign her old job. Things are very fraught between them as the H is the actual owner of the cottage she lives in and the h is worried that he could kick her and her niece out. The OW is showing up regularly and the h believes something is on between the H and the OW. But when the h becomes preggers from the one night with the H, he forces her to marry him. He continues to see the OW, ostensibly under the guise of helping her with her bird sanctuary.
The h and the H have a few okay moments, but most of the time they are distant and cold to each other. Then the H shows the h a badger sett and then they have a lurve club mojo moment. The next morning the h comes downstairs to overhear the OW telling the H how much she loves him. The h is disgusted and runs out of the house and falls and miscarries. The H tries to see her in hospital, but the h is done with him and kicks him out and tells him they need to divorce cause she has no intentions of being tied to a cheatin slime swiller and the reason for the marriage is gone.
We finally find out that the h's first husband cheated all the time, then he cheated with the h's older sister and they ran off together. The h's niece, who may or may not be the h's dead husband's child with her sister, was in the car where both the sister and the cheatin hubby crashed and died. Once the h held the niece, she couldn't put her up for adoption, so the h kept her and then felt a failure for years for not being able to make her husband happy. The h sees the H as little better than her dead husband, but this time she knows that it isn't her problem that the H is a cheatin toe rag, it is just how some men are.
The H gives the h the cottage she was originally living in and the h gets her old job back with the H's half brother - the H signed the estate over to him as he has own career. A few months go by and the h gets an envelope that she thinks is divorce papers but is actually an invitation to the H's next gallery showing.
The h is in love by this point and so when the H shows up at her door to take her with him, the h is happy to see him. Until he opens his mouth and tells her he loves her and that things will be totally different now. Unfortunately for him, that is exactly what her dead husband used to say every time she tried to leave him and the h isn't buying it again. She tells the H it won't work, once a cheater always a cheater and the H asks her to go to his gallery showing anyways.
The h goes and she sees the H has displayed a picture of her amongst all the really glamorous women he has photographed, so now she believes him when he says he loves her and never cheated on her with the owl sanctuary lady even tho he let the woman choose the furniture for their home. The H claims to have fallen in love with her from the very first time he saw her swimming in the river, but she did not want to know him and so he messed everything up. The h tells him she loves him back and they ride off into the sunset for the big HEA.
This one was okay, but the H wasn't really believable. Mainly cause RG doesn't give us enough of the H even in the h's pov to show that he was actually interested in anything more than sampling the lady buffet. They don't communicate a lot and the whole forced seduction and then forced marriage scenario really did not bode well for long term happiness.
Nor did the H using the OW to make the h jealous really work out well either. The h's backstory comes too late and the H's actions are too blatant to really buy into the h's sudden conversion to love with the H. I just did not see how she resolved the bitterness towards the OW to trust the H enough to stay married to him. The H claims that the OW was just exaggeratedly thanking him, but that scene lacked sincerity as there was no way for the H to back that up, we never see him being really interested in the h except to belittle or mock her or forcibly seduce her.
Still the angst in this one was pretty decent and if you're tempted into swallowing the koolaid along with the h for the HEA, this one is a wrecki angst fest that turns out okay for the more dramatic HPlandia outing.
This one starts with the 25 yr old h wondering how she is going to tell her boss that she doesn't want to be engaged to him. The h is a widow and apparently it wasn't a happy marriage, tho we don't why. The h has a 7 year old niece that lives with her and the h currently works as the secretary to an English estate owner. She also gets a country cottage as part of the deal and tho her boss is a few years older than her and rather pedantic, the h has been hesitant to rock the boat when he assumes that she is a meek and mild milquetoast who will just marry him because he says.
In fact this h is pretty feisty, she is just very, very controlled and has been in somewhat of a depression ever since her husband died. So the h is trying to figure out how to tell her boss she isn't interested in marrying him and still keep her job and the cottage. She likes the area and her little niece has made lot of friends, so the h hates herself for her cowardice in not telling her boss it isn't on, but she resolves to worry about that another day. She decides to take a little skinny dip in the Avon river instead and while she is swimming, a man drags her out of the water. She is outraged and she tells the man off. She explains that he is trespassing and that she is engaged to the owner of the estate.
The man laughs and kisses her and asks her when the wedding is supposed to be. It turns out that he is her boss's older half brother and the estate is actually his if he comes back to live in England under the terms of his father's will. The h is now really worried. The older brother seems to be an usurper and the h can hardly think it is fair that he just waltz in and take over after her boss has worked so hard to keep the estate profitable.
He also seems to get a kick out of riling the h. There are several H being obnoxious moments where the h is left feeling belittled and a few more roofie kisses that the h wants to melt into but won't let herself. She has been very badly burned in the past, but we still don't know how. Meanwhile the H is flirting with the ladies left and right and we also find out via the h's niece that the H is a big name wildlife photographer. The H and the niece get along famously and the woman who runs the local owl sanctuary is making no bones about chasing after the H. He seems to actively encourage her and the h is jealous but also really wary.
Things come to a big blow up when the h does the hostess duties for an estate dance and the H follows her home and forcibly seduces her. The h is disgusted with herself for responding and kicks the H out. Then she goes to work for the H when she has to resign her old job. Things are very fraught between them as the H is the actual owner of the cottage she lives in and the h is worried that he could kick her and her niece out. The OW is showing up regularly and the h believes something is on between the H and the OW. But when the h becomes preggers from the one night with the H, he forces her to marry him. He continues to see the OW, ostensibly under the guise of helping her with her bird sanctuary.
The h and the H have a few okay moments, but most of the time they are distant and cold to each other. Then the H shows the h a badger sett and then they have a lurve club mojo moment. The next morning the h comes downstairs to overhear the OW telling the H how much she loves him. The h is disgusted and runs out of the house and falls and miscarries. The H tries to see her in hospital, but the h is done with him and kicks him out and tells him they need to divorce cause she has no intentions of being tied to a cheatin slime swiller and the reason for the marriage is gone.
We finally find out that the h's first husband cheated all the time, then he cheated with the h's older sister and they ran off together. The h's niece, who may or may not be the h's dead husband's child with her sister, was in the car where both the sister and the cheatin hubby crashed and died. Once the h held the niece, she couldn't put her up for adoption, so the h kept her and then felt a failure for years for not being able to make her husband happy. The h sees the H as little better than her dead husband, but this time she knows that it isn't her problem that the H is a cheatin toe rag, it is just how some men are.
The H gives the h the cottage she was originally living in and the h gets her old job back with the H's half brother - the H signed the estate over to him as he has own career. A few months go by and the h gets an envelope that she thinks is divorce papers but is actually an invitation to the H's next gallery showing.
The h is in love by this point and so when the H shows up at her door to take her with him, the h is happy to see him. Until he opens his mouth and tells her he loves her and that things will be totally different now. Unfortunately for him, that is exactly what her dead husband used to say every time she tried to leave him and the h isn't buying it again. She tells the H it won't work, once a cheater always a cheater and the H asks her to go to his gallery showing anyways.
The h goes and she sees the H has displayed a picture of her amongst all the really glamorous women he has photographed, so now she believes him when he says he loves her and never cheated on her with the owl sanctuary lady even tho he let the woman choose the furniture for their home. The H claims to have fallen in love with her from the very first time he saw her swimming in the river, but she did not want to know him and so he messed everything up. The h tells him she loves him back and they ride off into the sunset for the big HEA.
This one was okay, but the H wasn't really believable. Mainly cause RG doesn't give us enough of the H even in the h's pov to show that he was actually interested in anything more than sampling the lady buffet. They don't communicate a lot and the whole forced seduction and then forced marriage scenario really did not bode well for long term happiness.
Nor did the H using the OW to make the h jealous really work out well either. The h's backstory comes too late and the H's actions are too blatant to really buy into the h's sudden conversion to love with the H. I just did not see how she resolved the bitterness towards the OW to trust the H enough to stay married to him. The H claims that the OW was just exaggeratedly thanking him, but that scene lacked sincerity as there was no way for the H to back that up, we never see him being really interested in the h except to belittle or mock her or forcibly seduce her.
Still the angst in this one was pretty decent and if you're tempted into swallowing the koolaid along with the h for the HEA, this one is a wrecki angst fest that turns out okay for the more dramatic HPlandia outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2022
He is in love with her and it’s obvious because he gives her so many chances while she is being b*tchy to him and annoying and jumping to conclusions.
She has been married before to a cheater. In the beginning of the book she is engaged to the H’s half-brother. The H is her third lover, because she has slept with his half-brother too. I really don’t like the ‘sleeping-with-the-family’ trope.
But this writer has a nice writing style. The writer does not dwell on things, she keeps a nice pace in the story and luckily we don’t get pages full of what the h thinks or how the surroundings look like. So still three good stars.
She has been married before to a cheater. In the beginning of the book she is engaged to the H’s half-brother. The H is her third lover, because she has slept with his half-brother too. I really don’t like the ‘sleeping-with-the-family’ trope.
But this writer has a nice writing style. The writer does not dwell on things, she keeps a nice pace in the story and luckily we don’t get pages full of what the h thinks or how the surroundings look like. So still three good stars.
January 9, 2025
This was just too over-the-top. The h was married at an early age to a man she thought was her true love but got a rude awakening when he spent more time in bed with other women than with her (including her skanky sister)! And they were married less than a year!!! If he was that much of a himbo, wouldn't there have been some signs before they got married, or was she just TSTL???
Then, the morally bankrupt pair run off together, get killed (BOO HOO) and leave behind a baby girl that may or may not have been his and the h adopts her. She lets her heart turn to ice where men are concerned, preferring to string along her boss (the OM), because he'll never thaw her out. They become sort of engaged (how politically incorrect), but hardly ever even kiss. He likes her prim and proper, efficient, unemotional self.
That all changes when the H enters the picture. He's the boss's wayward half-brother (another troubled sibling relationship) who may or may not want control of the family business/estate, much to his step-bro and stepmom's chagrin.
There's the usual sparks fly, unwanted attraction, fighting feelings, etc. and the two of them end up doing the deed by the fire in her cottage. (She cheats on her "fiancé", he sticks it to his brother, how nice of them!) Afterwards, they act like it didn't mean a thing to either of them, when of course, they're both lying.
Well, turns out Boss doesn't want to marry her after all, since he doesn't like the bad temper that she's been displaying lately (due to the H, of course) which makes him realize she's not the reliable old doormat he thought she was, so next thing you know, she's working for the H, who's using the family mansion as his office/home! Of course, she pretends to be enduring his company because she needs a job in the area since her niece is so happy there and settled in school, and he, in turn, is sometimes friendly, sometimes cold and indifferent.
Can it get anymore silly? Of course it can! She's preggers! The H guessed when she got sick during work, thought it was his brother's kid, she got angry and confessed she never slept with him, and now knowing it's his kid, the H tells her (no asking) they're getting married. That makes the little niece, Carrie happy (as well as his housekeeper, who thinks it's high time he settled down) but as for the bride and groom, it's more like an armed truce. She thinks he only married her because of the baby and really wants the attractive young owl conservationist (the OW), whom he works with, because he's a wildlife author/photographer, as well as a businessman. This woman constantly gives him the eye, flirts with him, and gives "if looks could kill" glares at the h. He, meanwhile, doesn't seem to mind the obvious attention he gets from the OW (claiming she flirts with every guy) but does mind the h being on friendly terms with the OM. (It seems now that he's her brother-in-law rather than her fiancé, she enjoys his company more than she ever did.)
Because she thinks he doesn't care for her except as the mother of his future child (and realizes she loves him far more than she ever did her faithless first hubby), she refuses to sleep with him unless she's convinced that he cares, while he thinks she doesn't care and keeps his distance. Talk about futility! This results in her being bitchy and frustrated, while he saves his friendliness and charm for little Carrie, and his indifference/snark for the h.
They actually get to a point where they give in to their desire and make passionate love throughout the night, and just when it looks like HEA is looming, the author makes a real bonehead mistake!
The OW shows up the next morning, and the h overhears her tell the H she loves him while throwing her arms around him, causing the h to run out of the house, trip on the stairs and lose the baby! Then, she goes into a depression, tells the H she wants a divorce, and that he can now be with the OW! He tries to tell her he has no interest in her except professionally and that "love scene" was just her showing gratitude for his agreeing to speak at some conference, or whatever. (The girl loves to show her "gratitude" to the H whenever she can, as well as her "evil eye" to the h! NO WAY was she not interested in him!!) She, of course, doesn't believe him, and despite anything he says, or how much Carrie loves living in the house with the H, she stubbornly moves out and back to the cottage, and also goes back to work for the OM!
Bonehead to the extreme!
Even more so, when the H later states he fell for the h right away but resented her being his brother's girlfriend. Then, after they got naked, she seemed so unhappy about it that he figured she didn't care (when of course, she thought that he didn't care), so he decided to court her the old-fashioned way (by being nice one minute, indifferent the next, makes perfect sense!!!), then when he found out about the baby, etc. etc.
Of course, they finally have their HEA, but I really don't think either of them deserved it.
Skip this one.
Then, the morally bankrupt pair run off together, get killed (BOO HOO) and leave behind a baby girl that may or may not have been his and the h adopts her. She lets her heart turn to ice where men are concerned, preferring to string along her boss (the OM), because he'll never thaw her out. They become sort of engaged (how politically incorrect), but hardly ever even kiss. He likes her prim and proper, efficient, unemotional self.
That all changes when the H enters the picture. He's the boss's wayward half-brother (another troubled sibling relationship) who may or may not want control of the family business/estate, much to his step-bro and stepmom's chagrin.
There's the usual sparks fly, unwanted attraction, fighting feelings, etc. and the two of them end up doing the deed by the fire in her cottage. (She cheats on her "fiancé", he sticks it to his brother, how nice of them!) Afterwards, they act like it didn't mean a thing to either of them, when of course, they're both lying.
Well, turns out Boss doesn't want to marry her after all, since he doesn't like the bad temper that she's been displaying lately (due to the H, of course) which makes him realize she's not the reliable old doormat he thought she was, so next thing you know, she's working for the H, who's using the family mansion as his office/home! Of course, she pretends to be enduring his company because she needs a job in the area since her niece is so happy there and settled in school, and he, in turn, is sometimes friendly, sometimes cold and indifferent.
Can it get anymore silly? Of course it can! She's preggers! The H guessed when she got sick during work, thought it was his brother's kid, she got angry and confessed she never slept with him, and now knowing it's his kid, the H tells her (no asking) they're getting married. That makes the little niece, Carrie happy (as well as his housekeeper, who thinks it's high time he settled down) but as for the bride and groom, it's more like an armed truce. She thinks he only married her because of the baby and really wants the attractive young owl conservationist (the OW), whom he works with, because he's a wildlife author/photographer, as well as a businessman. This woman constantly gives him the eye, flirts with him, and gives "if looks could kill" glares at the h. He, meanwhile, doesn't seem to mind the obvious attention he gets from the OW (claiming she flirts with every guy) but does mind the h being on friendly terms with the OM. (It seems now that he's her brother-in-law rather than her fiancé, she enjoys his company more than she ever did.)
Because she thinks he doesn't care for her except as the mother of his future child (and realizes she loves him far more than she ever did her faithless first hubby), she refuses to sleep with him unless she's convinced that he cares, while he thinks she doesn't care and keeps his distance. Talk about futility! This results in her being bitchy and frustrated, while he saves his friendliness and charm for little Carrie, and his indifference/snark for the h.
They actually get to a point where they give in to their desire and make passionate love throughout the night, and just when it looks like HEA is looming, the author makes a real bonehead mistake!
The OW shows up the next morning, and the h overhears her tell the H she loves him while throwing her arms around him, causing the h to run out of the house, trip on the stairs and lose the baby! Then, she goes into a depression, tells the H she wants a divorce, and that he can now be with the OW! He tries to tell her he has no interest in her except professionally and that "love scene" was just her showing gratitude for his agreeing to speak at some conference, or whatever. (The girl loves to show her "gratitude" to the H whenever she can, as well as her "evil eye" to the h! NO WAY was she not interested in him!!) She, of course, doesn't believe him, and despite anything he says, or how much Carrie loves living in the house with the H, she stubbornly moves out and back to the cottage, and also goes back to work for the OM!
Bonehead to the extreme!
Even more so, when the H later states he fell for the h right away but resented her being his brother's girlfriend. Then, after they got naked, she seemed so unhappy about it that he figured she didn't care (when of course, she thought that he didn't care), so he decided to court her the old-fashioned way (by being nice one minute, indifferent the next, makes perfect sense!!!), then when he found out about the baby, etc. etc.
Of course, they finally have their HEA, but I really don't think either of them deserved it.
Skip this one.
January 29, 2023
Totally forgettable. Although the vine glass-episode stands out.
A young widow taking care of a niece is secretly engaged to her boss when she meets his older brother.
A moment of madness - a pregnancy - a hasty wedding - a faulty carpet...
Hate this trope!
A young widow taking care of a niece is secretly engaged to her boss when she meets his older brother.
A moment of madness - a pregnancy - a hasty wedding - a faulty carpet...
Hate this trope!
November 25, 2022
Enjoyed this despite h jumping to bizarre assumptions with almost no rationale.
Reread and didn’t like much. The love just appeared, seemed more physical than anything else
Reread and didn’t like much. The love just appeared, seemed more physical than anything else
Read
June 18, 2018Was she just a passing fancy?
Fern hadn't known much in the way of happiness where men were concerned. And she'd learned to avoid girlish dreams.
Then Mr. Right turned up in the shape of Piers Warrender, dynamic, attractive and altogether too disturbing for Fern's peace of mind. She couldn't help falling in love with him.
But what was she to Piers - someone important in his life? Surely his decision to marry her meant that he cared - unless it was just expediency on his part?
Fern hadn't known much in the way of happiness where men were concerned. And she'd learned to avoid girlish dreams.
Then Mr. Right turned up in the shape of Piers Warrender, dynamic, attractive and altogether too disturbing for Fern's peace of mind. She couldn't help falling in love with him.
But what was she to Piers - someone important in his life? Surely his decision to marry her meant that he cared - unless it was just expediency on his part?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews