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Strangers May Marry
Silhouette romance; Strangers may marry.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
186 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1982
39 people want to read
About the author
Anne Hampson
170 books153 followersAnne Hampson was born on 28 November 1928 in England. At age six she had two ambitions: to teach and to write. Poverty after WWI deprived her of an education and at 14 she was making Marks & Spencer's blouses at one shilling (5p) each.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 16, 2018
Another h who couldn't think her way out of a paper bag. You know an h is an idiot when the OM, who had been seriously pursuing her, says that he realizes now he dodged a bullet because she doesn't have a brain in her head.
Still, this might be worth reading if you want a book where you can exclaim constantly, "Is she SERIOUS?"
Still, this might be worth reading if you want a book where you can exclaim constantly, "Is she SERIOUS?"
May 5, 2016
A nice read, except near the end we have comments about her brain not working and that she can't think. Then the hero says don't try let me think for you. Yes it was written in the early 80's but those lines spoilt the book for me.
September 27, 2015
Loved it...
5+++
5+++
December 28, 2020
Overall enjoyable, good story with real romance.
The flaws are in the plot device of our heroine acting uncharacteristically dumb. She married him to keep the little girl she had informally (and illegally) adopted. Her sister ran off with man married to rich Cretan's family who believe in vendetta, her hubby's old flame threatens our heroine.
At first heroine was smart enough to doubt what OW says and talks to her husband, but on OW's second attack she panics and leaves. I don't quite agree with the reviewer's who said she was dumb, because most of the time she wasn't, but in this instance she really acted stupid.
The flaws are in the plot device of our heroine acting uncharacteristically dumb. She married him to keep the little girl she had informally (and illegally) adopted. Her sister ran off with man married to rich Cretan's family who believe in vendetta, her hubby's old flame threatens our heroine.
At first heroine was smart enough to doubt what OW says and talks to her husband, but on OW's second attack she panics and leaves. I don't quite agree with the reviewer's who said she was dumb, because most of the time she wasn't, but in this instance she really acted stupid.
April 3, 2024
One of the better AH Greek novels.
A lovely, besotted hero who quite obviously adores h from the start.
A h who actually talks to the H about the loony OW until she ridiculously lets herself - and the reader down - by believing an utter farago of lies. But AH needed to get to 189 pages somehow I suppose!
An OM who redeems himself at the end which leads to a very HEA.
Psycho OW doesn't seem to get her comeuppance but I suppose not having the man she wanted is comeuppance enough sometimes.
A lovely, besotted hero who quite obviously adores h from the start.
A h who actually talks to the H about the loony OW until she ridiculously lets herself - and the reader down - by believing an utter farago of lies. But AH needed to get to 189 pages somehow I suppose!
An OM who redeems himself at the end which leads to a very HEA.
Psycho OW doesn't seem to get her comeuppance but I suppose not having the man she wanted is comeuppance enough sometimes.
February 15, 2024
maybe the 'your brain isn't working, let me think for you' line is applicable for not just the mc but the author aswell, just a thought. self -insert is a thing you know... overall fast read but its very choppy and more of an outline or manuscript than a book but the author with 260+ books under her belt no wonder cant put together over 200 pages of coherent structural plot.
April 18, 2024
One of the most dullest conversations starter pack in harleyland. 40 pages in, and nothing was baking. Of course, they talk and talk and hero came on later without much sizzle. Passing on Anne Hampson for now…for good?
August 12, 2025
What a joke!! Why the author would think anyone would want to read a book where the h spends the vast majority of the story pining away for the unworthy OM is beyond me. This h was so ridiculous, the fact that the H loved her showed that, for all his supposed intelligence and character, he was a real dim bulb when it came to women! Her whole martyr act got to be a bore, especially when you consider how the H was willing to adopt the little girl (left on the h's mom's doorstep by the wife of the man the h's sister ran off with and who threatened to kill herself, who Mom decided to keep, atoning for her eldest daughter's behavior, who she never adopted, never told the authorities about, never tried to find the mother and possibly prevent a suicide attempt, if you can believe all this nonsense) while the "wonderful" OM wanted the h to get rid of the kid because he had no intention of being her adopted daddy. To hear the h saying how much she "loved" him over and over ad nauseum makes sense of why she was told she was brainless, because she sure as hell was!
And so was the H, to propose marriage to a woman he just met who keeps telling him she loves another man, and then drones on about a "connection" the two of them have( not love or lust but something else), even while she keeps pining for her (soon-to-be-ex) fiancé. Even worse, when they marry (strictly to get custody of the little girl, at least on the h's part) he wants it to be real and expects kids of their own, so he keeps sleeping with her even though she can't respond, and still wants the other guy. You'd think he'd have a little more pride than that and keep his dick away from a woman who doesn't want it!
BTW: the kid's father ran away with the sister, had two kids with her, planned to dump her but she dumped him first, ran off with her lover and left him with the kids (who he didn't want any more than he did his original kid), since he only married his wife because she was preggers and left her ASAP, and now palmed the other kids off on his sister and told the H to marry the h and adopt the kid because he couldn't care less!
Now I understand! The author must have OD'd on bad soap opera stories, had a nightmare and wrote this nonsense as part of her "soapaholic" therapy.
DNF!
And so was the H, to propose marriage to a woman he just met who keeps telling him she loves another man, and then drones on about a "connection" the two of them have( not love or lust but something else), even while she keeps pining for her (soon-to-be-ex) fiancé. Even worse, when they marry (strictly to get custody of the little girl, at least on the h's part) he wants it to be real and expects kids of their own, so he keeps sleeping with her even though she can't respond, and still wants the other guy. You'd think he'd have a little more pride than that and keep his dick away from a woman who doesn't want it!
BTW: the kid's father ran away with the sister, had two kids with her, planned to dump her but she dumped him first, ran off with her lover and left him with the kids (who he didn't want any more than he did his original kid), since he only married his wife because she was preggers and left her ASAP, and now palmed the other kids off on his sister and told the H to marry the h and adopt the kid because he couldn't care less!
Now I understand! The author must have OD'd on bad soap opera stories, had a nightmare and wrote this nonsense as part of her "soapaholic" therapy.
DNF!
March 18, 2012
read it !!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews