Marrying a Stranger

by Anna Jacobs

When Megan meets Ben Saunders, she’s very attracted and he seems the same, but she didn’t expect him to propose almost immediately. It’d be like marrying a stranger. Only, how can she refuse when they get on so well and he has to go to Australia in a week? Can they make this sudden marriage work?

Genres: Romance

291 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2013

About the author

Anna Jacobs has 87 novels published as of April 2019. She writes historical sagas and modern novels alternately, and in the past has written historical romances and fantasy novels (the latter as Shannah Jay).

She's addicted to story-telling and writes three novels a year. You can find a list of books and series on her website at www.annajacobs.com

Anna reads 3 novels a week. Happy reading, everyone.

Reviews

[Sally Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got this through my monthly book subscription. Told myself to suspend all judgment and read it despite the cover and blurb.

Turns out I was justified in judging it by its cover.

Felt so outdated - the main character was just sat waiting for a man to come and rescue her, didn’t seem to want to make her own happiness or put her own needs first ever.

Also, given that it was written in 2013 I was ever-so slightly surprised that she was supposed to be in her 20s and didn’t seem to know how to work a mobile phone.

The guy’s only redeeming feature seems to be that he was physically attractive. Probably not enough to make up for his complete lack of emotional intelligence, selfishness and dodgy sounding property deals. Not that she ever got to the bottom of what he actually did for a living. Perhaps that would be too much for a simple little woman’s brain to understand.

The book’s only saving grace was that it only took a few hours to read and I’ve read it for you, so you don’t have to put yourself through it.

[Catherine Pinkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* lovely well written book. Great pacing I read it in a day as I wanted to know the ending

[KL Caley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the plot of this book is what drew me in, it is really intriguing. Megan was orphaned as a child and went to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin. Despite adoring her new family as an adult she decides to return to the area of her childhood. During her journeys, she accidentally ends up rescuing Ben from being pick-pocketed. In return, they end up spending a few days together and the attraction between them grows. When Ben unveils he has to move away to Australia she is heartbroken, but then he surprises her by asking her to marry him so that she can go with him. Megan agrees but the rocky road of marriage is long and complicated. What will her family think? What are Ben’s family like? How will she feel being provided for when she has always worked and paid her own way? All these questions and more provide Megan with plenty of turmoil, throw in Ben’s overbearing ex that is desperate to win him back and you just don’t quite know which way the story will go? Can the newlyweds really make their marriage work?

The writing style is a little old fashioned and the story a little slow at times. But, in saying this, there is nothing wrong with a bit of good wholesome romance now and again. The settings were quite quirky in this novel, however the author never let Megan stay anywhere for the reader to become too familiar with the setting (I’m not sure if this was deliberate or not to show Megan’s discomfort at being constantly moved) but it did mean that the reader has to read quite a lot of descriptions from quite a few places. The first hotel and then the house towards the end of the novel were both brilliant locations, particularly the house.

I think Megan is an interesting character, it feels a bit like she’s going through a mid-life crisis. She feels she has a boring job and is yearning for something more. The solution = marry a stranger and move to the other side of the world. Yet somehow as a reader, you do root for her. Ben is a lot more complicated character. He’s very distant and I think as a reader it takes a while to warm to him (and to understand why Megan is so enamoured) – think of a boring Mr Grey. Although the good thing about that is it means he develops later in the novel and you do end up liking him, I just felt as a reader it takes a little longer for you to start to like him. Apart from that, the other characters are pretty good especially Ben’s ex as soon as she appears you mistrust her, dislike her and are ready for her to get her comeuppance – haha!

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Very light, easy summer reading. This is the first Anna Jacobs book I have read and I have already ordered another from this author! For those that enjoy this type of novel, I would recommend Diary of a Whitby Girl by Jessica Stirling. It is historical fiction but a really enjoyable slower paced romance.

Please leave a like if you think my review/feedback of the item was helpful to you. Alternatively, please contact me if you want me to clarify something in my review.

[Kathy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a very light hearted read. This book for me makes a change away from the war years. It's so nice to follow Megan and Ben a man that she hardly knows and has married on impulse and they go from England to Australia. You must read this story to enjoy it. You can never go wrong with an Anna Jacobs book. A recommended 5 star read from me.

[Martyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable. The plot didn’t really match the ending. Still a good book just not what I expected.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but not the writing style.

[Louise Ashdown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a nice little read.

When Megan goes on a little holiday she finds herself playing the hero when good looking rich guy Ben is targeted by a pickpocket. Megan intervenes as she witnesses it happening, as a thank you Ben offers to buy her dinner as a thank you.

The couple are a bit miss matched, she wants love, while he just wants someone who wants the same as him. He makes a proposition to her to marry him and theres a bit of a will she won't she. Will he love her as much as she already loves him.

Great story.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different sort of book for me, I usually stick to historical saga type stories. I have read books by Anna Jacobs before, so I was interested to read this.
Megan is the leading character, she is relatable and charming.
She is stuck in a rut, with life seeming to pass her by and is determined to make some changes, she starts by making a trip up north to visit her childhood home. There through a few unforeseen circumstances, she meets an handsome stranger, from then on her life takes a new exciting direction.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story, it was light and easy to read, held my attention and kept me reading.

[Lauren Swigger · Rating 3 out of 5]

For once I don’t have a lot to say other then this book was MEH. The third act conflict was his ex coming back into the picture and it was solved so fast and out of the blue. Any conflict in this novel was solved so fast and the characters just moved on so fast. I think I would have enjoyed this book if I didn’t know the main characters were going to get engaged because that didn’t happen until half way through the book. Once they got married I thought the drama would pick up this book really plateaued after that. I would probably give this a 2.5 just cause I didn’t hate it but I wasn’t entertained, basically “go girl give us nothing” on the rating scale if you catch my drift.

[Julie Dickerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this pap a 3 star review. Firstly, if you like a completely soppy, very rich hunky man meets working class meek and mild virgin and sweeps her off her feet to live a blissful life, this is for you. It's a magical, whimsical fantasy of love. If you are looking for a strong story of boy meets a girl and overcomes life's troubles, don't worry about reading it. You won't find the story to your satisfaction.

It is, however, a suitable quick read to cleanse your mind after reading other heavier topics.

[Shanel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept reading hoping that the protagonist would, at some point, realized she was in a toxic relationship. So many red flags ignored! The male character took no ownership of his actions and he didn’t grow and evolve. It was infuriating until the end.

[Lynette Christine Aldcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvellous

This book captured my heart, loved every minute. A real love story, funny, endearing, so well written, captivating. Couldn't put it down

[william shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable book

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't what I was expecting, paced well, intriguing read, finished it in a day!

[John Milliner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable story by a master storyteller

[Karen Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant and easy read . Good for bedtime or beach

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

[Kim Beez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Megan the Whiner. First the book has NO sex. She has married the rich sexy, stranger and they have jumped on a plane. On the wedding night, the scene is set and we find out that she has the "V" problem. Great! The pressure is on, for him to make it good. ** Spoiler alert - cut to the morning. No sex scenes please, we are British. What a disappointment to set the scene and not write it. And give us nothing afterward!
So his old girl friend who is married to a good friend of his, is trying it on and monopolizing his time on his honeymoon with Megan. Megan, at the start looks like she is going man-up and battle it out with the bitch, instead becomes Megan the Whiner. Every time he comes back tired after trying to avoid the Ex, waspish Megan makes his life hell. He married her because she was not like the other bitches. Megan never initiates kissing, or sex, or intimacy. She wants to be pandered to and when she doesn't get his full attention, she chucks a hissy fit and storms off in a foreign country, while he has to wait for her in their hotel room. Give the man some points for trying to avoid the Ex, no? Megan, you don't deserve him. There's a lot of travel log, with descriptions of Perth and the Western Australian countryside. I'm almost at the end of the book and its getting repetitive - we're up to her next hissy fit. All the good qualities that Megan seemed to have at the start of the book, no longer exist. In the middle of the book, we get lecture about Megan wanting to work for animal conservation and a bit of a comment on global warming. Written in 2013, and I write this in 2019, the warming is less than effective as we are having a cold summer. Political comments in a fiction book? - no. Don't lecture us. Push your agenda somewhere else. Interesting that she wants to conserve animals, but thinks nothing of fishing then boiling up crabs and prawns. I guess they aren't the animals she wants to conserve. Lots of filler.
The guy will have to get a divorce. Oh, and the whining about spending her rich husbands money? Someone tell her to shut up.

[Lady B of house Sefer · Rating 1 out of 5]

SeeThe main character is a PASSIVE BYSTANDER in the extreme. My life is soooo boring, I'm so unhappy, I will do absolutely nothing to change my situation, if only I had a man. The heroine, and I shudder to call her that, is a, not like other girls girl. She spends the entire book saying how much she hates shopping, makeup and jewelry and all other females love it. This of course earns her esteem in the hero's eyes, because of course we must put other women down in order to build ourselves up. What century what this set in? One where people don't know how to use cellphones, text and want desktop computers. That's right, it's 2013! The male lead is a walking dick with tons of money. We never find out how he makes his millions or if he has a personality. He is of course all the man the wet blanket, blasé woman needs to go weak at the knees. She is, of course, a virgin. And goes from, I've never felt like this before,I hope he likes me, I'm sooooo bad at this - to insatiable sex goddess in about 2 seconds flat. Really a woman who spent 30 odd years never even acknowledging that she has a clitoris, suddenly she has a personality transplant and decides she likes sex after all? God forbid a man be into a sexually empowered woman who knows what she wants in life and in bed. I was astounded to see that is not this author's first attempt at writing by any means. Uhg, which publisher read this and thought it needed to be shared with the world? Do yourself a favour and read something else. Literally anything else.

[Lauren Bardett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marring a Stranger was a quick easy read for me, finishing most of it in one sitting. It was quite a simple storyline with Ben and Megan have strong personalities. Whilst Ben was rather used to making decisions and fixing issues with money, Megan was quite the opposite. She was very independent and not a material girl.

At the beginning, Ben seemed very arrogant, as well as self-entitled and flaunted his success a lot, which I didn't like. It seemed rather mysterious why Ben wanted to marry so quickly. Also, the the way he presumed things about Megan and women in general was angering; but I am glad Megan bit back and stood her ground.

I was skeptical of Cynthia and disliked her approach to Ben, and Megan too. I also disliked how Ben gave into her clear schemes. However, I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Megan and Ben grow, and for Megan to put Cynthia rightfully in her place. Her self-entitlement was very unattractive.

This read make me feel like I was in Megan's footsteps, and so many emotions rushed through me. But I'm glad at the end Ben proclaimed how he truthfully felt, and Megan finally found the one, even if they still need to know each other more.

[Chloe Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book as part of a 3 for £5 deal in The Works and I don’t think I’d have chosen to read it had it not been for that. I liked the idea of the story but not so much the actual story itself. Unfortunately I just found it to be quite boring and I didn’t relate to Megan or her lifestyle at all. And as for Ben, he was utterly misogynistic in my opinion. Comments such as ‘you’re certainly not dieting’ when she ate a three course meal and ‘shall I choose your food for you’ angered me so much! And when he said that most of her clothes weren’t of good quality!!! 🤬He told her what to wear, what to eat, how to drink. It was quite disgusting really! I just didn’t buy into their love story or connect with the two of them as characters, which was a shame, as I usually love a romance novel! Ultimately, they didn’t marry for love. Megan married Ben because she was bored of her life and wanted to move to Australia. She told him that she wouldn’t be his doormat and then proceeded to be exactly that! It’s not the kind of ‘love’ story that I like to read about unfortunately.

[Madeline Pratchler · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading several "heavy' books, I was looking for something light and easy, and this book certainly delivered. Megan meets Ben and is instantly attracted to him and within a week, he has convinced her to get married and move to Australia. She seems childish to me, constantly looking for his approval, and the part where she hurts her ankle seems like a girlish dream to be swept into a man's arms (so many books do this!) She had an interest in conservation - I would have liked to see this developed more, with her taking on a project and making Ben sit back in awe of her instead of her always being bedazzled by him. It has an old fashioned feeling to me and I was amused and entertained throughout! I gave a two-star because of the superficial depth of characters and several grammatical errors throughout.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the story is interesting, how a normal woman fell in love at first sight.

I specifically liked the end of the book when Ben who is so deeply against love and romance finally admits to loving Megan just as she was about to tell him she loves him.

Unpopular opinion but I also enjoyed the character of Cynthia who was sort of the villan of the book trying to get in between Megan and Ben. I enjoyed the way that Ben and Megan laughed at her and did all they could to annoy her when she became their guest at their house. However before this point she was quite an annoying character and its amazing how Jacobs makes the reader dislike Cynthia but at the end we can see that Cynthia was really an important character as the book wouldn't be the same without her.

[Imogen Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marrying A Stranger by Anna Jacobs is a lovely quaint holiday read I can picture Megan being whisked away by Ben to a far way country with little processions between them and more problems going day by day.

Only I found the story to be a little bit rushed and over detailed in parts where more story could be added. I hardly know anything about Ben and his lifestyle only Megan's childish whiny was known through most of the book. My first Anna Jacobs book might be my last I found it hard to enjoy her writing style.

[Margaret Galbraith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have realised by the title it was going to be 'one of those' books but I persevered as I did enjoy the authors other book with the family life and a bit of mystery and crime in it. If you like a soppy love story this is for you or just a quick 'don't need to concentrate' holiday read go for it. The storyline could have gone either way in the end but it was just what I'd expected. No surprises here!

[Marie Tailor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going on the title, it is one of those books that has stereotypical scenarios in it. It is a quick read (done in 2 days) but an easy read.
Megan and Ben get married within a couple of weeks of meeting each other and they move to Australia. Ben is a bit of a conniving man which comes out in the story.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a quick easy read. Was enjoyable to read but was a ‘typical’ romantic scenario and I felt I only got to know the characters on a superficial level. The dialogue was at times cringeworthy but overall it was an enjoyable read. Would be the perfect book to take on holiday and read at the poolside.

[MRS S PUSEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story.

This story was lovely two strangers to have met each other like they did and marry so quick,i was a bit sceptical that his business would never get done and feared it wasn't to be but I was sure it would all work out in the end.

[Hayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice little, easy read. I've never read an Anna Jacobs book before but this did not disappoint! I devoured this book in 3 sittings and felt like the fast pace of this book made it impossible to leave.

I'll happily read another Anna Jacobs book.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is good but the writing is not. It was quite basically written with hardly any romance (smut or otherwise) despite being a book about a married couple.

I did not finish this book but made it halfway and it was nothing interesting for me.