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THE STRANGER
ISBN
078-0-373-29456-5
Harlequin
Historical
Elizabeth Lane
In The Stranger,
Elizabeth Lane has penned a gripping tale of redemption and
forgiveness.
Caleb McCurdy has a dark past.
Bamboozled into following his outlaw brothers, he is party to the
murder of a young naïve rancher and the scarring, both physically
and emotionally, of his lovely, pregnant wife. Indeed, it is Caleb's
efforts that saved the woman from rape and death, but not the horror
of that day.
After serving prison time for
his accidental role in a robbery orchestrated by his brothers, Caleb
has a burning need to see if the woman survived the ordeal and a
dream of making amends. That her lovely face and gentle ways are
burned into his memory only adds to the urgency. He's changed enough
from the boy he was that fateful day, he doubts she'll recognize
him.
Laura Shafton stayed on the
ranch and is raising her young son. But the scar disfiguring her
face and the emotional wounds from being locked for days in a
springhouse with her dying husband has made her a recluse, wary of
any stranger.
Caleb talks her into allowing
him to lend a hand around the broken down ranch. Keeping her
distance, Laura is secretly grateful for the help because life the
last five years has been incredibly hard. Slowly, carefully, Caleb
wins her trust knowing all the time that if she knew the truth about
him, she'd never forgive him, and he'd risk damaging her faith in
people for good. That he pines for her, but must keep his distance,
is part of the penance he's paying for his part in the deed.
Laura does come to trust
Caleb, even with her son. Her desire comes first, but her love
quickly follows. Caleb has probably loved her from the moment her
saw her that first time when her life changed irrevocably. He's come
to love the boy too. Knowing he must leave before she figures out
who he is and longing for her and the home they could have together,
Caleb finds reason after reason to delay the inevitable-until it's
too late.
Waiting for the truth to come
out, wondering how she would ever forgive him, kept me turning the
pages as the love between Caleb and Laura grows. While the ending
seemed to me to be a little rushed, the love affair between these
two wounded people who heal each other was a wonderful journey. With
engrossing characters and a strong story line Elizabeth Lane weaves
a memorable romance. |
