ABOUT HELLO STRANGER
New York Times bestselling
author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of an unconventional
beauty who finds passion with the spy who can’t resist her
A woman who defies her time
Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female physician in England, is as daring
and independent as any man—why not take her pleasures like one? Yet she
has never been tempted to embark on an affair, until now. Ethan Ransom, a
former detective for Scotland Yard, is as
gallant as he is secretive, a rumored assassin whose true loyalties are
a mystery. For one exhilarating night, they give in to their potent
attraction before becoming strangers again.
A man who breaks every rule
As
a Ravenel by-blow spurned by his father, Ethan has little interest in
polite society, yet he is captivated by the bold and beautiful Garrett.
Despite their vow to resist each other
after that sublime night, she is soon drawn into his most dangerous
assignment yet. When the mission goes wrong, it will take all of
Garrett’s skill and courage to save him. As they face the menace of a
treacherous government plot, Ethan is willing to take
any risk for the love of the most extraordinary woman he’s ever known.
Excerpt;
He heard her
muffled chuckle. She continued to lean against him while the trio of
constables expressed sympathy for the unfortunate patient. Eventually
the men departed with a chorus of hearty farewells. Ethan discovered
that his other arm had stolen around Garrett. Making himself let go
of her was like trying to uncoil a steel spring.
“You should go up
to your father now,” he said with difficulty.
“Eliza will look
after him while I take a few minutes to show you some slides. I have
insect wings . . . pollen grains . . . flower petals . . . What would
you like to see?”
“The inside of a
hansom cab,” he said softly. “I can’t be alone with you,
darlin’.”
Garrett touched the
edges of his vest, fingers clamping on the thin leather. “Ethan.”
A blush rose in her face, like light glowing through pink frosted
glass. “I don’t want to end this. We . . . we could meet in
secret, now and then. No one would have to know. We would make no
claims on each other. We’ll just . . . do as we please.”
The way she fumbled
with the words, so unlike her usual precise way of speaking,
devastated Ethan. He could only guess what it cost her to lay open
her pride like this. He wasn’t certain what she was offering, or
even if she knew. Not that it mattered. He wanted, craved, needed
anything she was willing to give. But he had to make her understand
that it was impossible. And even if it were, the idea was beneath
her.
“Have you had
that kind of arrangement with a man before?” he brought himself to
ask.
Her eyes were the
green of deep summer and lush growing things. “I’m a woman who
makes her own decisions and handles the consequences.”
“That means no,”
Ethan said softly. At her silence, he continued, “You’d be
risking your reputation. Your career.”
“Believe me, I
understand that better than you.”
“Have you ever
shared a bed with a man? Even once?”
“Why is that
relevant?”
Her evasive
response sent a pleasure-pang down to the pit of his stomach. “That
means no,” he said again, his voice even softer than before. He
took a slow breath, trying to steady himself, while his blood sang
with the knowledge that she’d been waiting for him. She was meant
to be his. God, he wanted her beyond any reckoning of earth or
heaven. But her well-being mattered a thousand times more than his
own desires.
“Garrett . . .
I’m a man full o’ trouble. When I vowed to let nothing harm you,
I included myself on that list.”
A frown crimped her forehead. She closed her grip on his vest until
her fists were tight as pine knots. “I’m not afraid of you, or
your trouble.” Her green eyes were narrowed and intent as she
tugged him closer. “Kiss me,” she urged in a whisper.
“I have to go,”
he said shortly, and pulled back while he was still able.
But Garrett moved
with him, her hands reaching up to grip his head on either side, the
way he’d taught her at Baujart’s. The strength of her fingers
electrified him.
“Kiss me,” she
commanded, “or I’ll break your nose.”
The threat startled
a ragged laugh from him. He shook his head as he looked at her, this
fearsomely capable woman who loved geese and was afraid of spaghetti,
and could either wield a scalpel in a complex surgical procedure or
use it as a throwing-knife.
There had always
been a cold streak in him, but he couldn’t seem to find it now,
when he needed it most. He was breaking apart inside. He would never
be the same after this.
“Christ, you’ve
ruined me,” he whispered.
His arms went
around her, one hand gripping the heavy silken mass of her braided
chignon. She guided his head down, and he lost the battle, all his
will vanquished as he began to kiss her as if the world were about to
end.
For him, it was.
ABOUT LISA KLEYPAS
New York Times
bestselling author Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a
political science degree. She
is a RITA award winning author of both historical romance and
contemporary women’s fiction. Her novels are published in fourteen
different languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in
Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two
children.
Connect with Lisa Kleypas
Facebook: @LisaKleypas
Twitter: @LisaKleypas
Instagram: @lisakleypas
BUY LINKS for HELLO STRANGER:
iBooks: https://apple.co/2DJ339o
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (February 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496713476
Digital ASIN: B071FLH733
Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sand castles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.
After college, Tina worked as a NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. The Kebab Kitchen Cozy Mystery series launches with Hummus and Homicide, followed by Stabbed in the Baklava and One Feta in the Grave by Kensington Books. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit 