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My Husband the Stranger

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What if the man you married isn't the man you thought he was?

A whirlwind date led to an elopement. Why wait when you've found your fantasy man? But Evie’s just realized she’s only the means to an end. Her father invented something people are willing to kill to acquire, and she’s got nowhere to turn. Certainly not to her new husband. He isn’t the peace-loving activist he pretended to be.

Riker Holt is an ex-special ops soldier who knows weapons and war. He's made billions as a defense contractor.

He's gone undercover, but he's chafing in this role. He's no bleeding-heart. He's a hard-ass who always gets what he demands. But his new wife is proving as stubborn as sin.

***This title contains the following: graphic language, explicit sex, and light spanking.***

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2016

328 people are currently reading
432 people want to read

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Emery Cross

10 books74 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
Profile Image for Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️.
2,090 reviews36.1k followers
February 14, 2024
2.5 Stars

A lot of potential and I enjoyed it well enough…

But missed a lot of marks and felt very disjointed overall.
Not awful though. Loved the OTT possessive hero.
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,382 reviews896 followers
July 5, 2017
If you’re looking for a quick read with a possessive, jealous hero who takes protection to a whole new level, this is the book for you.

description

I absolutely loved Riker despite the fact that he tricked Evie into marrying him under false circumstances. Evie was a great heroine who stood up to him even when her heart was trying to get in the way. As much as this seems like a lot of push and pull, it never really felt like it was. I totally understood where Evie was coming from and supported her one hundred percent…mostly. Because, dang, that Riker…who wouldn’t want to yield?

description

Told in Evie’s point of view, I do believe this was the best, and possibly only way, to tell this story. Without knowing exactly what Riker was thinking, Ms. Cross allowed me to read into his every action and reaction and that just heightened my anticipation of the outcome.

description

There are few novellas that make me feel like I have read a full book, but this one did. It. Was. Perfect. I am aware that this author has a few other works out there and I will certainly be checking them out.

Heroine POV
Safe
No apparent triggers
Profile Image for Mindy Lou's Book Review.
3,010 reviews799 followers
July 6, 2017
The beginning threw me a bit because it starts out as if in the middle of a story. I also would have liked his pov because he was awfully convincing that he was just using her. The more into the story, the more I could see he cared, which I needed to see. The second half of the book was awesome. He's definitely a dominant alpha, which I like in my Hero's. A good short story!
Profile Image for Jac K.
2,517 reviews490 followers
December 7, 2021
2.5 Stars
This wasn’t bad, I just found it a smidge boring. It’s only 122 pages, so it’s a quick read. Riker and Evie get married (I believe on their first date) things go south quickly, and she soon doubts his motives. For me, it was a bit all over the place. There’s a secret weapon side-plot going on sprinkled with sex, relationship issues, and one chapter of a jelly ex. I needed a little more.
Profile Image for  B.E.Love.
1,385 reviews132 followers
March 16, 2017
I liked this book, and I liked the idea of the book, and in fact never got bored with the book but there were a few things I wish had been slightly different. I love a hero who is a jerk and redeems himself and we see at the end(ish) the hero loves the heroine but I wish we had seen it more or he had explained more so the transformation would have been more obvious and drastic between the jerk and the great hero. I also would have loved his point of view because he does makes such a big turn and I think it would have been fun to be in his head.

And though I loved the idea of this story I did keep thinking well why is she doing this... just because he says so. Yeah sorry your a jerk(at the beginning) and you are just going to tell me this is how this is going because you want something from me. I get it she fell in love with him but I just couldn't stop thinking why is she agreeing to everything he says just because he says it. Don't get me wrong(like I said) I did really like this book and I loved how possessive the hero was, and he does make a turn around so I was very happy with that.I just for some reason had that thought stuck in my head for most of the book(and that was me for some reason) This book was also a easy fun quick read and I liked the authors written style.

I will defiantly check out her other books(?) or future books. I loved that this was a new story idea I have never read. That right there added brownie points for me. This book could be considered over the top but in great ways, like how possessive the hero was and how stalkerish he is(in good ways). The heroine was also unique (at least for me) and I liked her a lot and I like how the hero falls completely for her, there is no one else he see's after the heroine. I highly recommend this book and really enjoyed myself reading this one.
Profile Image for Honey~psychopaths&stalkers.
81 reviews88 followers
July 6, 2017
It was okay, only a couple of hundred pages so I finished it without paying much attention. The story felt disjointed, not knowing the in between time-frame and lacking in details (idk whats happening 90%). Ended up skimming through the whole book. Not for me.

What the hell happened actually? PLEASE FILL ME IN.
Profile Image for L. Jacobs.
Author 1 book119 followers
July 3, 2017
4.5 OTT alpha j/p stars
I really enjoyed this rec from the j/p hero group on Facebook. It had it's moments of cheesy and the heroine got on my nerves a bit but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

It starts with our heroine being upset over what she assumes is a failing marriage to a man that she basically woke up married to a couple weeks earlier, she thinks he's become disinterested and she's hurt and feeling rejected when she gets a phone call from someone telling her that she's being used, that her husband only married her to get the plans that her deceased father left behind for her. She leaves him... and then things get good :D
Profile Image for Samantha K.
141 reviews110 followers
March 12, 2017
Wow! I love-loved-loved this one! I was totally unprepared to be blown away by such a great book. The chemistry between the H and h was spectacular and the H was written perfectly. He is up there with Draco, Vlad, Bones and other super hot controlling alphas. The H made this book for me. He is this super sexy badass ex special ops billionaire who is dominating and very j/p (& controlling) of the h. I also loved the h and how she stood up to him & was so flippant of their marriage (very understandable given the circumstances). She wasn't a doormat. There were plenty of great jealous & possessive scenes! (Be still my heart!) This is exactly what I look for in a great romance.

The only thing I'd change is Other than that, I totally loved this book and will reread again. It's going in my favorites.

Thanks, Ms. Cross. Please write more stories like this (& at least this long) but include a better/longer grovel (make the H suffer a bit). Pretty please.
Profile Image for Debbie DiFiore.
2,715 reviews314 followers
July 1, 2018
The Cover Had Me At Hello

Loved the guy on the cover. He reminded me of my husband, well at least the husband I dreamt about when I was younger. So hot!! But I digress. Loved the story. Loved the Hero. Loved the heroine. Just a great all around read. No unnecessary drama (or cheating) and I wish all books made me feel the HEA like this one did. Awesome book. Thank you Emery Cross.
Profile Image for Raine.
2,463 reviews52 followers
November 19, 2018
Alpha male studliness!!!

This is my first book by third author, but definitely not my last! I would loved to have gotten both POVs, but the only one is from Evie's POV and not Riker's. However, we are still able to get a little bit of his affection for Evie through her eyes, tough we have to read between the lines.

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the suspense, the romance, and the characters. Riker was an unapologetic alpha male and Evie was a strong woman who could hold her own against Riker.
Profile Image for Yesmina.
634 reviews35 followers
August 1, 2025
Barely 3 stars!
The premise is intriguing but the main focus was upon physical beauty. Plus, I did not like the inst-love point.

FMC is the daughter of a crazy science nerd and inventor. He died leaving papers for an important weapon coveted by the military or hit groups and private security. MMC is ex military established a private defense firm and has his eyes set on having those papers.

In a flirty night, MMC convinced gullible FMC to have a speedy vegas wedding. Then he did not consummate the marriage because he felt guilty he deceived her even though he was basically in love with her.

While she did not understand why he's pushing her away especially if he gets hard every time she breathes his way. Soon she discovers he's after her father's papers and ran away and that biasically the first chapter.

PS: I apologize for all my goodreads girlies for my absence. I was feeling terribly sick and couldn't even get my head off the pillow. But good news are: I don't have a virus I'm just PREGNANT. And a bit scared because I had my only son when I was 20 and now I'm 28 and beginning the fuss all over again. But I'm also excited. This is the gest of my hormones nowadays!
Profile Image for Jacqueline J.
3,565 reviews371 followers
October 7, 2019
Pretty good read. Short though. It started off in the middle of the action which was a bit disorienting but only for a bit. As the story went on the beginning became more clear. The hero was super alpha and possessive. Usually I say great to read about but not so fun to live. This time though I was a bit unhappy reading because the heroine never seemed to win any argument or come out on top in any situation and I hate that. Near the end I expected a bit more of the author and her heroine.

On the whole though I enjoyed it enough to stay up past my bedtime to finish. I'll be willing to check out more by this author.
Profile Image for t malik.
217 reviews12 followers
July 17, 2021
why did i even read this
2 stars is charity
Profile Image for Jen ❥.
267 reviews
June 18, 2017
What a surprise find this story was! I really enjoyed this OTT protective alpha male, and the heroine grew on me to where I liked her by the end of the book. Evie started off kind of selfish and immature, but as her vulnerabilities came to light, you could see a lot of her behavior was a coping mechanism. But mostly I just liked how Riker controlled everything and refused to let Evie go, no matter the circumstances. With a perfect hero so well written, Emery Cross is a new author on my radar. I'll definitely be checking out her other work.
Profile Image for Tmstprc.
1,297 reviews168 followers
November 28, 2021
I have no idea how this popped up on my radar, but it completely entertained me.

It’s probably more like 3 stars, but I was surprised the little bit of BDSM didn’t have me closing the book.

Profile Image for Modesty_b.
491 reviews25 followers
April 25, 2019
Ranting ahead...

I don't know why I didn't dnf it...I should have when H n h go to a party and the h looks at him after every other word looking for approval reminding me of a 8 year old meeting the colleagues of her parents...sex scenes were wham bam thank you mam... the was some mediocre...no.no... less than mediocre attempt at bdsm.... (which she was not comfortable in the first place but one growl from him and she's like ..I like whatever you do to me...I wanted to ask her... why can't you just tell him instead of convincing yourself that you like it??)



AND most irritating of all... the h has no life... she drops whatever she's doing... walks out on her friends, out of protests she's organising in the first place and anything else the hero "allows" her to do in the first place saying"duty calls" whenever the H crooks his finger at her... coz you know ...she didn't want to keep him waiting ...coz he gets irritated very fast... ( I wanted to shout... THAT'S a very UNHEALTHY relationship... hey run while you can... oh sorry forgot... they are in looove... banging my head...)

H is portrayed as an ass .. that's it... no development... no changing for the h... no redeeming characteristics at all...

And the idiot h married him after one date and not even after having sex... she literally marries a stranger she met in the bar.. finds out his real face.. (he married her for her father's patent and total misrepresentation ... he tells her he is vegetarian and peace loving instead of defense contractor ) walks out... puts up a nominal fight...has sex with him saying we'll use each other... after all I find him sooo attractive than his previous persona...a suit and hot body ... then suddenly she's thinking " why am I always fighting him...if he wants me to put up natural eyeshadow...I should do it... INSTEAD of the golden glittery one THAT MATCHES MY SHOES AND DRESS" ...WOW... just WOW.. slow clapping...

I THINK I WAS IN A BRAIN FREEZE to keep reading those too the end... just turning pages...

AND if you think that my review is disjointed ... it's because I'm still in brain freeze after reading this.

May be this was written by a first timer/13 year old... why why why did I pick it up... banging my head...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sometime.
1,718 reviews172 followers
December 13, 2021
This is my first book by this author and I really liked it! It's got an H that is crazy bossy, never explains or communicates, but he loves the h like crazy and is super possessive. The h is smart, stubborn, feisty and not a doormat. Because he never explains anything she spends time being confused by misunderstanding, but I like them both so much and the pace was fast so I didn't care. I'm excited to read more from this author's KU back catalog. On to the next!

Safety
Profile Image for Kristi.
594 reviews23 followers
March 16, 2017
There was not enough backstory, even through flashbacks, on why the Hero is interested in the heroine. It was a disjointed, time-muddled story. There was no clear way to figure out what happened when in the story. She's been married a week, then a couple of months alone, and then BAM-they're back together.

I feel like there was much more info in the author's head that just didn't make it to the page. The bones of the story were good but the details were too little.
Profile Image for Varied Books.
1,186 reviews55 followers
June 28, 2017
Decent read. The emotional connection between the H/h wasn't shown so I didn't buy into their relationship. H pov was needed though I did like the h.

Writing was engaging.
Profile Image for Cheesecake.
2,800 reviews509 followers
February 18, 2024
I wanted to like this one more, but in the end I was too puzzled by the H.

We start the book with Evie leaving her mysterious husband because he acts more like a bossy roommate than a husband. She comes back some time later (weeks, days, not sure?) and the hubby starts to manipulate her to do what he wants. Which is to find her father's secret energy discovery/invention thingy. Her father who had been labeled a lunatic by his peers.

Turns out her husband is an arms dealer/manufacturer and uber wealthy and controlling.
...And his character just never makes any sense.
He pretended to be a treehugging vegetarian (nothing wrong with that... that's more my taste too) which is the antithesis of what he is really like. He is more of the authoritarian controlling bully type. But anyways, he pretends to be more like Evie to get her to marry him, to what???? Did he think she would confess that her father was crazy and oh yeah, here's where he hid his secret manifesto over pillow talk??
Perhaps the author is suggesting that he was obsessed in love with her before they ever met and he hatched that plan?
doubtful. Just not seeing it.
Then how he manipulates her into helping him wasn't convincing either. It seemed to mostly be scaring her into complying.

Anyways, I wasn't convinced of their love or the overly contrived plot. In fact. I didn't like the H. He was a pushy overly controlling jerk straight through to the end. I felt he crossed the line between alphaness and dickhead.
I was especially not a fan of his locking her up in his apartment for days, for her own safety, without getting her permission first. I felt like he treated her like a 4 year old, which is NOT attractive.

Safety was lame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sania.
939 reviews
March 19, 2017
Standalone/Cliffhanger: Standalone
Ages of H and h: In their 20s
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: No
>>Detail: N/A
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: No
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes
Profile Image for Joyous.
246 reviews23 followers
February 15, 2024
The book felt very rushed to me. I wanted it to establish some sort of character development but till the time it happened, the book got finished and I was reading the acknowledgements.
Profile Image for ✯ baya ✯.
198 reviews
September 1, 2018
This had a good premise and some good feels in the way the hero reacted and the things he said, but there were a lot of issues:

- The story feels like it just starts bang in the middle of their marriage I feel like I missed a whole chunk because of where and how it begins
- The writing style is shit. There is no gradual build of any feelings or explanations - h has a thought, and suddenly tears are pouring down her face. Very, very shallow experience
- h didn't really have ANY resistance to the H even though she talked about it
- the kidnapping at the end was a poor attempt at conflict.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for R I A.
241 reviews12 followers
November 28, 2021
A short book with mild angst but surprisingly good. The Hero married the heroine for a reason and when she learned about his ulterior motive she walked away. The Hero becomes possessive and is a jerk to the heroine after they met again, but what I love about the heroine is that she didn’t give in too easily. I genuinely enjoyed the Hero’s possessiveness towards the heroine and it shows that he clearly is in love with her from the start.

I recommend this book if you want mild angst and a steamy read.
Profile Image for Victoria.
1,188 reviews94 followers
July 10, 2017
4.0 RATING- This probably shouldn't have rated as high for me as it did but it was a perfect quick read on a lazy Sunday. I absolutely love an over the top alpha hero and this book featured a good one. While I didn't take the book too serious, I think the story could have been fleshed out more for a more complete novel - it would have been nice to include the meeting between these two characters and what transpired in Las Vegas- but it worked fine as written as well. I do wish it would have been written from alternating POV, I missed hearing things from the hero's perspective.
Otherwise, I was a happy camper with this guilty pleasure read. This is my first read from this author and I hope she writes more of these type stories.

Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program.

To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Profile Image for Rose.
695 reviews46 followers
March 14, 2022
This was a super fun read! Super fun characters: Pacifist artsy surfer h with a bit of wild side and a bulldozer alpha J/P H who is majorly obsessed with his woman’s love and safety. I want another just like it only longer!
Profile Image for Rossy.
300 reviews20 followers
June 27, 2022
2.5⭐ So I really enjoyed the idea AND the potential but could have been so much better.

Now, overall I think it was good for a short book.

But it COULD have been great if it was developed into a proper length book and fully developed plot as well as characters.
Profile Image for Marivi Sanz.
254 reviews24 followers
November 6, 2022
Profile Image for Shirley.
923 reviews81 followers
October 9, 2018
I'm confused.. there are some part with abrupt transition that really confusing, the characters & story doesn't sit well with me, i don't understand both main characters sorry, the hero is.. possessive and ..it reminds me of stockholm syndrome, not exactly the same but give the similar vibe, the author doesn't explained how they start love each other or inform us about the hero's background what actually motivated him to do what he did. It just not for me, sorry.
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