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The Beloved Stranger
Only minutes before Sherrill is to marry Carter, the man of her dreams, she discovers him in the arms of another woman. When Sherrill finds that the other woman is desperately in love with Carter, she decides the wedding must go on--with the other woman as the bride!
Later, as Sherrill arrives at the church to watch the wedding that should have been hers, she stumbles out of the car--and falls into the arms of a passing stranger. When Sherrill looks up to apologize, she sees a tall, handsome man whose piercing eyes seem to see deep within her. Shaken and distressed, Sherrill lets the man help her into the church. He stays close beside her throughout the ceremony and is her encouragement and support through the rest of that painful day.
Soon he is no longer a stranger . . . and more than a friend.
Later, as Sherrill arrives at the church to watch the wedding that should have been hers, she stumbles out of the car--and falls into the arms of a passing stranger. When Sherrill looks up to apologize, she sees a tall, handsome man whose piercing eyes seem to see deep within her. Shaken and distressed, Sherrill lets the man help her into the church. He stays close beside her throughout the ceremony and is her encouragement and support through the rest of that painful day.
Soon he is no longer a stranger . . . and more than a friend.
315 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1933
46 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
572 books564 followersalso wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 9, 2020
I never thought I would feel sorry for the other woman, but here we go. Arla is actually the original woman, hometown sweetheart of one of the most emotionally bankrupt characters ever. Arla comes to plead (and I don’t know why) for Carter to not marry the heroine. He promises her it will be okay and they can be together later. The h has money, and this is 1933 smack dab in the middle of the depression. Although to be honest, given the stupidity of poor Arla and her love for Carter this could have been written last week, We have NOT come a long way, baby. I don’t know if the younger generation is familiar with that ad slogan, but it was prevalent in the 70s. The 1970s.
The most implausible marriage ceremony with a bridal substitution occurs after the h hears this conversation, but this is a romance novel so let’s go with it. Arla gets her man, poor thing, and the phrase Be careful for what you wish for. was made for poor Arla.
The heroine meets a handsome stranger at her ex-wedding, but who cares. The real interest is with poor besotted Arla and Mr. Morally Bankrupt. The sad thing is that Arla knows what a ratfink Carter is and hopes to save him from himself. Every time she gets a glimmer of the boy that carried her books she gets slapped down again.
The ending has the heroine leaving for a real honeymoon with all her virtue and Goody Goodiness intact as apparently martyrdom has paid off for once. Arla is left with the clear knowledge that keeping Carter on the straight and narrow will be a long and arduous task and will probably end in failure. Sad but well done and very contemporary.
The most implausible marriage ceremony with a bridal substitution occurs after the h hears this conversation, but this is a romance novel so let’s go with it. Arla gets her man, poor thing, and the phrase Be careful for what you wish for. was made for poor Arla.
The heroine meets a handsome stranger at her ex-wedding, but who cares. The real interest is with poor besotted Arla and Mr. Morally Bankrupt. The sad thing is that Arla knows what a ratfink Carter is and hopes to save him from himself. Every time she gets a glimmer of the boy that carried her books she gets slapped down again.
The ending has the heroine leaving for a real honeymoon with all her virtue and Goody Goodiness intact as apparently martyrdom has paid off for once. Arla is left with the clear knowledge that keeping Carter on the straight and narrow will be a long and arduous task and will probably end in failure. Sad but well done and very contemporary.
May 18, 2018
The story opens with Sherrill making last minute bridal preparations before her limo ride to the church to marry Carter, the exciting and endearing man of her dreams. As she stealthily sneaks across the house on a final errand, Sherrill happens upon her groom kissing his secretary/girlfriend, Arla. He is urgently explaining to her how much better off they will be after he marries Sherrill and her money. Arla is not easily put off and threatens to kill herself. Carter tears himself from Arla and departs for the church. Sherrill knows she can’t go through with the ceremony and decides to trade places with Arla. They are after all the same size with practically identical hair. The ladies pull off the big switch in record time and rush off to the church with the groom none the wiser, until Arla meets him at the altar.
Meanwhile, Sherrill is watching the ceremony from the church balcony when Graham Copeland enters the story. He is the mysterious perfect gentleman who takes care of every detail to make the switch legitimate, from securing the new marriage license to standing in as Sherrill’s date at the reception. And that’s only the beginning of his charm.
Carter and Arla go off on Sherrill’s transatlantic honeymoon cruise, and they find neither to be the prize they had hoped for. Meanwhile, Sherrill and her dear Aunt Pat welcome Copeland into their hearts and home. Yes, the premise is unbelievable but the characters are interestingly fun representatives of human nature. A couple of mysterious twists, a fast-paced unfolding, and an unexpected ending make this lightly romantic, squeaky clean read enjoyable.
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH?
DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS!
GENRE: Christian Romances
TONE: Chaste; Heartwarming; Inspiring
- Lynette, Programming Administrator
Meanwhile, Sherrill is watching the ceremony from the church balcony when Graham Copeland enters the story. He is the mysterious perfect gentleman who takes care of every detail to make the switch legitimate, from securing the new marriage license to standing in as Sherrill’s date at the reception. And that’s only the beginning of his charm.
Carter and Arla go off on Sherrill’s transatlantic honeymoon cruise, and they find neither to be the prize they had hoped for. Meanwhile, Sherrill and her dear Aunt Pat welcome Copeland into their hearts and home. Yes, the premise is unbelievable but the characters are interestingly fun representatives of human nature. A couple of mysterious twists, a fast-paced unfolding, and an unexpected ending make this lightly romantic, squeaky clean read enjoyable.
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH?
DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS!
GENRE: Christian Romances
TONE: Chaste; Heartwarming; Inspiring
- Lynette, Programming Administrator
August 1, 2020
Rating: 4.9 / 5
Yet another perfect read by Ms. Hill, and this time with what is...a shocking beginning in the world of Christian romance, I must say.
Sherrill Cameron is about to marry the man of her dreams (she thinks), only to find out an hour before her wedding that Carter is in fact in love with another woman. Deciding not to stand in the way of love, Sherrill gives up her place and retreats into the shadows, only to find salvation in the arms and with the help of an unexpected "Beloved Stranger".
Plot-wise, this is an interesting story of Ms. Hill's within a domestic setting, something that I would set just one slight level below my love of her more adventurous stories like A Voice in the Wilderness or The Finding of Jasper Holt. For what it was, in both its message of acceptance and finding God through heartbreak and sorrow, I really appreciated it and quite liked how the characters interacted with one another. Granted, in this one it's not all daisies and good cheer, as not everyone gets a complete happily ever after, but the morals of the story are, as always, good, and therefore worth appreciation.
All in all, I really enjoyed this read and look forward to putting it on my shelf. Re-read in the future? Most definitely!
Yet another perfect read by Ms. Hill, and this time with what is...a shocking beginning in the world of Christian romance, I must say.
Sherrill Cameron is about to marry the man of her dreams (she thinks), only to find out an hour before her wedding that Carter is in fact in love with another woman. Deciding not to stand in the way of love, Sherrill gives up her place and retreats into the shadows, only to find salvation in the arms and with the help of an unexpected "Beloved Stranger".
Plot-wise, this is an interesting story of Ms. Hill's within a domestic setting, something that I would set just one slight level below my love of her more adventurous stories like A Voice in the Wilderness or The Finding of Jasper Holt. For what it was, in both its message of acceptance and finding God through heartbreak and sorrow, I really appreciated it and quite liked how the characters interacted with one another. Granted, in this one it's not all daisies and good cheer, as not everyone gets a complete happily ever after, but the morals of the story are, as always, good, and therefore worth appreciation.
All in all, I really enjoyed this read and look forward to putting it on my shelf. Re-read in the future? Most definitely!
April 5, 2018
Sherrill finds out as she's preparing for her wedding that her intended groom has been unfaithful. What happens next is what makes this story so enjoyable.
I loved Sherrill's attitude. I love the 'stranger' and the different storylines. It's interesting that we follow the jilted groom and his new bride, who turns out to be a fairly likeable character in her own right.
Overall, this is a fun story, still very strong in the Christian message (preachy at times) but still sweet. And most of all, I like how our heroines in these books are kind of scrappy - not what you'd expect given when the books were written.
Definitely a 'must read' for fans of Grace Livingston Hill!
I loved Sherrill's attitude. I love the 'stranger' and the different storylines. It's interesting that we follow the jilted groom and his new bride, who turns out to be a fairly likeable character in her own right.
Overall, this is a fun story, still very strong in the Christian message (preachy at times) but still sweet. And most of all, I like how our heroines in these books are kind of scrappy - not what you'd expect given when the books were written.
Definitely a 'must read' for fans of Grace Livingston Hill!
July 16, 2016
It's so refreshing to read a sweet, Christian romance novel. This wasn't the deepest story but most romance novels aren't. It was a quick, pleasant read and a good reminder that even in the worst circumstances, God has a better plan for us than we have for ourselves.
July 31, 2023
Imagine getting dressed for your wedding - the lovely dress, the veil, the flowers, the silver slippers, and then catching a glimpse of your groom dressing in an adjoining room. Sherrill Cameron is fascinated by her handsome bridegroom putting the finishing touches to his elegant outfit, and stays hidden in a darkened doorway watching. So both of them are startled when another woman steps into the room! Sherrill recognizes Carter's secretary, and listens in horror as Arla pleads with him not to marry Sherrill, because she knows that he loves HER, and will be making a mistake. But Carter puts her off, in essence saying that he has to marry money to save his business. But before he casts her off into a corner, he embraces and kisses her and says he will actually see more of her after he is married.
Sherrill is aghast and furious at her double-timing fiance. Arla is sobbing in a corner, and Carter has left for the church. Deciding that she won't marry Carter under any circumstances now, Sherrill commands Arla to don the wedding dress and be a substitute bride. They make the switch, and Sherrill is relegated to watching her own elegant wedding from the choir loft. But on her way into the church, she catches her dress on her car door and is saved from pitching into the street by a passing stranger. The young man is concerned about her because she is obviously under extreme stress, so he accompanies her into the choir loft and watches the wedding with her. Hearing only the briefest of explanations, he also offers to stay at her side during the reception and help her deflect the myriad questions everyone will have. She is very grateful and the two of them deeply bond over this difficult experience.
But the next day, Sherrill discovers that her elegant, expensive necklace is missing! Was she a fool to trust the stranger? Or is there some other explanation for the missing jewels?
Sherrill is aghast and furious at her double-timing fiance. Arla is sobbing in a corner, and Carter has left for the church. Deciding that she won't marry Carter under any circumstances now, Sherrill commands Arla to don the wedding dress and be a substitute bride. They make the switch, and Sherrill is relegated to watching her own elegant wedding from the choir loft. But on her way into the church, she catches her dress on her car door and is saved from pitching into the street by a passing stranger. The young man is concerned about her because she is obviously under extreme stress, so he accompanies her into the choir loft and watches the wedding with her. Hearing only the briefest of explanations, he also offers to stay at her side during the reception and help her deflect the myriad questions everyone will have. She is very grateful and the two of them deeply bond over this difficult experience.
But the next day, Sherrill discovers that her elegant, expensive necklace is missing! Was she a fool to trust the stranger? Or is there some other explanation for the missing jewels?
March 2, 2017
This was such a sweet book. I loved how it jumped right into the story, you didn't get bogged down with lead up or backstory. I did feel like the romance was a tad fast, because they haddn't known each other that long, but it was still really good. Grace Livingston Hill's books are always refreshing to read.
May 4, 2024
I found this book in the antique section of a used book store and brought it home with me because I thought that the first page just sounded so sweet. I had no idea what it would be about going into it and was thoroughly shocked about everything that happened at the beginning. Overall, it was a very sweet, wholesome book and a lovely little read.
March 30, 2010
I thought it would be an interesting change to read this. Considering it was published first in 1933 I was intrigued. The writing style was a bit flowery and very repetitive. For 5-15 pages the main character, Sherrill, relates some events to her elderly aunt in which the reader is already VERY familiar. No new insights were given. No funny quips. There is really little romancing going. The lover appears at the beginning and shows up at the end. Oh and supposedly they are in love. I would have liked some character development. Sherrill got more and more annoying as the book progressed. She is a snob (rich people are more important than filthy, uneducated, poor serving folk). I found it utterly exasperating how Sherrill discovered God, and made Jesus her "personal savior." How is old the girl anyway? She acted like a little kid A LOT.
Sherrill's ex has his own little side story, which was boring. I did not care about him or his wife. I felt as if the author had little to say about her main character and tried to entertain the reader with their dull side of things.
Sherrill's ex has his own little side story, which was boring. I did not care about him or his wife. I felt as if the author had little to say about her main character and tried to entertain the reader with their dull side of things.
July 24, 2015
Read in February, 2012
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I've probably read this more than any other Hill novel (with the possible exception of "The Substitute Guest"). Such a great story!
There are editing gaffes in these "gently updated" editions that drive me nuts (for example, in this one, they changed the original "Mrs. Battersea hove into view" to "Mrs. Battersea hovered into view"--for heaven's sake, "hove" IS a word, and moreover, a much more perfectly descriptive word in that scene!)...but...unless a reader is an obsessive GLH geek like me, they probably won't notice. :)
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I've probably read this more than any other Hill novel (with the possible exception of "The Substitute Guest"). Such a great story!
There are editing gaffes in these "gently updated" editions that drive me nuts (for example, in this one, they changed the original "Mrs. Battersea hove into view" to "Mrs. Battersea hovered into view"--for heaven's sake, "hove" IS a word, and moreover, a much more perfectly descriptive word in that scene!)...but...unless a reader is an obsessive GLH geek like me, they probably won't notice. :)
May 27, 2013
It was so sweet. I love how he saved her that dreatfull day and i love how he introduced her to Christ. Yeah maybe he should have visited more - but then he wouldnt be a stranger, maybe the affection should have been more descriptive - but then it was written in 1933, so yeah at that time even if the Author wanted to be descriptive I dont think he publishing company would have allowed it. So I am glad that instead of focusing on the phisical aspect she focused on spiritual and made an awesome book of it!!
February 22, 2014
Grace is a great writer. she brings live to what writes. i am so happy that my mom gave one of books when was a young lady she has helped me to live closer to god in my life. i will be happy to give my young niece and my younger great niece them both some of her books to them. if you have young lady in your life a good book to start to get put your mind to rest and know that she is readomg great book.
November 22, 2017
The story stretches my credulity, but was actually handled quite well. I liked that she did not drop the story of the bad bridegroom, but carried it through and gave him hope for redemption even though she realistically did not have it happen before the end of the book. I would have liked more contact between the hero and heroine before the HEA, but they were both so nice that anyone could fall in love with them.
February 7, 2019
So many life lessons in this book
What a sweet story. There are so many life lessons in this book. If we look to God first when considering a husband or wife, we would have happier marriages and fewer divorces. I speak from experience in some of my choices in my own life. What a wonderful writer Miss Grace is and her name fits her well.
What a sweet story. There are so many life lessons in this book. If we look to God first when considering a husband or wife, we would have happier marriages and fewer divorces. I speak from experience in some of my choices in my own life. What a wonderful writer Miss Grace is and her name fits her well.
April 25, 2010
Copyright 1933 - check it out! After reading the first few pages i thought it was almost too sappy to continue but I am glad I did. Sweet story with great characters - people with integrity, recognizing the importance of marriage and commitment.
July 3, 2016
The real kind of love.
Sherrill finds out the hard way that her fiance had a wayward heart. Little did she know that greater love awaited, not only of a godly man but best of all a close relationship with God himself. A beautiful story of love and salvation.
Sherrill finds out the hard way that her fiance had a wayward heart. Little did she know that greater love awaited, not only of a godly man but best of all a close relationship with God himself. A beautiful story of love and salvation.
December 27, 2009
Another Grace Livingston Hill book - one of 3 in an anthology called Wedding Treasury. 1920's Christian romance books still in print today.
February 16, 2010
A cute story. A bit far-fetched but well written and enjoyable.
May 8, 2012
You can read my review at... http://forhisgloryandpraise.wordpress...
June 8, 2012
light, fun, quick read
February 7, 2013
I devoured GLH novels when I was a teenager and am pleased with these reprints. Gorgeous covers and none of that "updated for today's reader" nonsense.
October 18, 2016
Very refreshing to read Entertaining spiritual uplifting
September 10, 2016
Halarious in it's sentimentality.
September 17, 2014
Enjoyed it
January 27, 2015
Not the most amazing of Hill's works, but there is something so soothing in her writing. Something so sweetly old-fashioned and God-honoring.
May 28, 2015
I really liked this story..... very cute and light read... enjoyed it allot!!!
January 21, 2016
A gallant stranger helps a bride when she realizes her husband to be is unfaithful.
Read
May 5, 2016great read
September 26, 2021
Interesting plot. Lovely story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews