The Unexpected American

by Ann Hulme

Her heart finally convinced her of what her mind refused to admit

Miss Harriet Stanton was independent, outspoken and fiercely attached to her ancestral home, Monkscombe, in the West Country. She already loathed and despised Benjamin Stanton, her American cousin, who was also heir to Monkscombe, since her father died one year ago.

Unexpectedly and unconventionally Benjamin makes his appearance and stakes his claim. He is unspeakably brash and arrogant, but not totally without scruples. Knowing that losing Monkscombe is like losing her soul, Benjamin proposes marriage to Harriet in order that she remain mistress of the house.

After much consideration, Harriet accepts the terms of Ben's agreement. But by the time he declares it's only fair for him to return to America, Harriet is not at all sure she wants to see him go.

Genres: Regency, Romance

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Also published as Ann Granger

On 24 September 2025, her publisher (as Ann Granger) Headline announced that Granger had died at the age of 86

Reviews

[Donnalee]

I tried on this one and read the vast majority of it, but it didn't add up for me. Woman feels upset her home goes to distant relation from America since her father had no sons--I understand, and yup, it's unfair. She is so hostile to the dude though, even when he tries to be nice and says of course she and her sister can keep living there and he will pay the expenses as head of the family, and she says snotty things about him belonging there less than the local crook who gives her grief and wants to molest her. There seems to be no spark, no mutual interest, nothing, and then someone says 'hey marriage would solve the problem of propriety', so they do it, have no feelings for each other besides hostility and apathy and frank terror on her part as a 26-year-old virgin who seems to have no idea what might happen, although she decides she cares about him sort of so is even ruder, of course, and they spend all their time celibately apart and yawnblahblahblah. Oh well. I did like another of her books and might well like her others. Maybe others would enjoy this more than I did--