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The Stranger
When a mysterious young man stumbles into the life of the recently widowed Claudia, he reignites her sleeping sexuality. But is the handsome and angelic Paul really a combination of innocent and voluptuary, amnesiac and genius? Claudia's friends become involved in trying to decide whether or not he is to be trusted. As an erotic obsession flowers between Paul and Claudia, and all taboos are obliterated, his true identity no longer seems to matter.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 6, 1997
11 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Portia Da Costa
170 books514 followersI'm a Sunday Times, New York Times and USA Today bestselling British author of romance, erotic romance and romantic fiction. My novels have been published by a variety of different houses, both in the US and the UK, and translated into many languages including German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Japanese. I'm best known for my many novels for the pioneering British erotica publisher Black Lace and I writing books with contemporary, paranormal and occasionally futuristic settings. I'm now venturing into historical erotic romance too, with a new novel for Harlequin Spice set in London in the year 1890.
I also write as Dorothy Starr and Megan Paul
I've been writing for publication since 1990, and have had over twenty novels published and around 100 short stories. I've contributed to many different short story anthologies and women’s magazines. I've also written a number Spice Briefs for Harlequin.
I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, the Passionate Ink RWA Chapter, the Romantic Novelists Association [UK] and the Society of Authors [UK].
I live in the heart of West Yorkshire, UK, with my husband and my cats. When I'm not writing I enjoy reading, watching TV and movies, hanging out on Twitter and Facebook, and online life in general. I was formerly a librarian and have also worked in local government.
I also write as Dorothy Starr and Megan Paul
I've been writing for publication since 1990, and have had over twenty novels published and around 100 short stories. I've contributed to many different short story anthologies and women’s magazines. I've also written a number Spice Briefs for Harlequin.
I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, the Passionate Ink RWA Chapter, the Romantic Novelists Association [UK] and the Society of Authors [UK].
I live in the heart of West Yorkshire, UK, with my husband and my cats. When I'm not writing I enjoy reading, watching TV and movies, hanging out on Twitter and Facebook, and online life in general. I was formerly a librarian and have also worked in local government.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 10, 2017
This review and the rest of the crap I write can be seen @ my blog Bark's Book Nonsense . Stop by and say hey.
Someday I promise to write an actual serious review. But that day is not today.
Instead I decided to pluck another great piece of literary fiction from one of my tbr piles.
The Stranger has been sitting on the bottom of a pile of other unloved books ever since I bought it brand new in 1997.
Claudia is a widow in her 40’s and one day while strolling about her property, she spies a beautiful, naked young man having a good time with himself. She leaves him alone since he wasn’t harming anyone except maybe himself. Because that’s not creepy at all . . .
Later that evening a storm moves in and she hears some frantic knock, knock, knocking on her front door.
What’s a girl all alone in the world to do? Why, open up that door, of course! Turns out it’s the young guy she spied on earlier. He’s afraid of the rain, I guess, because rain is scary, and he’s in need of a safe, warm, place to call home. He also has no memory of who he is but he sure knows how to make himself at home pretty swiftly . . .
Thus begins Claudia’s reawakening to the saucier things in life. Now she finds herself looking at everyone in her circle as a potential sexual plaything and they’re all up for it because, well folks, this is a Black Lace book, after all. It’s incredibly unrealistic but, hey, does anyone read these for the realism?
So clothes are dropped and stuff happens between one, two, and sometimes three people that I will leave up to your imagination. In the end Claudia finds her womanly super-power and everyone is blissfully exhausted and I have learned two new words!
‘Oh God! Oh my God!’ chuntered Paul as she plagued and played with him.
Chuntered: to mutter or grumble incessantly in a meaningless fashion.
And, my personal favorite: The Love-eye!
Nope, not that kind of love-eye! I admit I was afraid to look that one up but I think I got the gist.
This was okay in dribs and drabs but it got repetitive. I think I’m spoiled by today’s novellas. A full out novel about “awakenings” is possibly 200 pages too many.
Visit my blog and say hey @ Bark's Book Nonsense.
Someday I promise to write an actual serious review. But that day is not today.
Instead I decided to pluck another great piece of literary fiction from one of my tbr piles.
The Stranger has been sitting on the bottom of a pile of other unloved books ever since I bought it brand new in 1997.
Claudia is a widow in her 40’s and one day while strolling about her property, she spies a beautiful, naked young man having a good time with himself. She leaves him alone since he wasn’t harming anyone except maybe himself. Because that’s not creepy at all . . .
Later that evening a storm moves in and she hears some frantic knock, knock, knocking on her front door.
What’s a girl all alone in the world to do? Why, open up that door, of course! Turns out it’s the young guy she spied on earlier. He’s afraid of the rain, I guess, because rain is scary, and he’s in need of a safe, warm, place to call home. He also has no memory of who he is but he sure knows how to make himself at home pretty swiftly . . .
Thus begins Claudia’s reawakening to the saucier things in life. Now she finds herself looking at everyone in her circle as a potential sexual plaything and they’re all up for it because, well folks, this is a Black Lace book, after all. It’s incredibly unrealistic but, hey, does anyone read these for the realism?
So clothes are dropped and stuff happens between one, two, and sometimes three people that I will leave up to your imagination. In the end Claudia finds her womanly super-power and everyone is blissfully exhausted and I have learned two new words!
‘Oh God! Oh my God!’ chuntered Paul as she plagued and played with him.
Chuntered: to mutter or grumble incessantly in a meaningless fashion.
And, my personal favorite: The Love-eye!
Nope, not that kind of love-eye! I admit I was afraid to look that one up but I think I got the gist.
This was okay in dribs and drabs but it got repetitive. I think I’m spoiled by today’s novellas. A full out novel about “awakenings” is possibly 200 pages too many.
Visit my blog and say hey @ Bark's Book Nonsense.
August 10, 2020
I am one of the nerds who was just here for a doctor who related giggle. The narrative and characters embody all the worst erotica cliches, most of whom act quite creepy and morally depraved. Thanks to Chibnall this can now be read as a winding all doctor orgy! Not even that good to laugh out, but the intentional selfishness as well as some accidental references are still enough to amuse. If nothing else it proves that the sexy romantic doctor was definitely sparked by Mcgann and not just Tennant!
June 25, 2013
I found the book very bad.
The story is very improbable, the characters are not well-crafted. There is a romance, because there's nothing romantic, suspense is laughable, the vocabulary is very pimp and scenes of relationships are bad and abrupt and frankly pornographic (not erotic), besides having very content gay and bisexual which, without any prejudice, I do not like. Honestly, it seems a porno low quality poorly written.
The story is very improbable, the characters are not well-crafted. There is a romance, because there's nothing romantic, suspense is laughable, the vocabulary is very pimp and scenes of relationships are bad and abrupt and frankly pornographic (not erotic), besides having very content gay and bisexual which, without any prejudice, I do not like. Honestly, it seems a porno low quality poorly written.
April 8, 2018
Thank god that torture was over for the infamous 8th doctor porno story.
Claudia was so god damn annoying and thinking herself the best and flawed at everything and im sorry but i've read better fanfiction than this.
people actually read pure erotic smut like this???? HOW???
Claudia was so god damn annoying and thinking herself the best and flawed at everything and im sorry but i've read better fanfiction than this.
people actually read pure erotic smut like this???? HOW???
July 21, 2013
I can't believe I bothered finishing this book!
April 5, 2018
Sbg janda kaya yg berusia parobaya, Claudia selama ini kesepian. Hingga dia menemukan sesosok pria muda yg sedang bermasturbasi. Dan saat petir badai bergemuruh, pria tsb yg ketakutan (jadi mirip anak kecil) menggedor pintu rumah Claudia, dan kemudian kalian tahulah... Eheeemmm...
Belakangan diketahui nama pria tsb adalah Paul, yg amnesia (bahkan namanya jg tidak tahu kalau Claudia tidak menemukannya pd keliman baju). Paul hanya menginginkan sex dimanapun dan kapanpun seperti seorang pecandu seks. Fantasi dan hasrat seksual Claudia juga makin menjadi-jadi, mengekspansi kemana-mana dgn liar. Dia berfantasi Dr. Beatrice (dokter yg memeriksa Paul) yg lesbian, juga berhubungan seksual dgn gadis (teman baiknya) yg lebih muda, Melody. Dan makin dekaden ketika Claudia melakukan hubungan seksual dominatrix dgn pengacaranya, Tristan. Semakin melantur lagi dgn anal seks yg dilakukan di tempat terbuka yg diintip oleh Beatrice. Saya lihat author terlalu memaksakan semua fantasi, adegan dan posisi seksual yg ada di muka bumi ini, bukannya terangsang malah membuat saya (maaf ya) jijik. WTH.
Klimaks cerita juga terlalu dibuat-dibuat dan buyar sudah harapan saya dgn janji Claudia pd Paul (nggg... Saya gak mau spoiler, baca saja sendiri). Sungguh aneh menjanjikan relationship spt itu dan jelas krn saya penganut garis keras komitmen, saya merasa "ajaib" dgn hubungan apa yg akan dijalani mereka. Walaupun dikatakan sejak mereka bertemu, satu sama lain mengubah masing² pihak, tapi yg ini sih bukan mengubah ke arah yg lebih baik tapi mengubah seorang janda baik² menjadi seorang nymphomaniac dan seorang anak muda menjadi sex addict. Lagipula adegan seks yg dijabarkan serba nanggung mnrt saya. Atau sudah keburu ilfil juga. Entahlah.
Belakangan diketahui nama pria tsb adalah Paul, yg amnesia (bahkan namanya jg tidak tahu kalau Claudia tidak menemukannya pd keliman baju). Paul hanya menginginkan sex dimanapun dan kapanpun seperti seorang pecandu seks. Fantasi dan hasrat seksual Claudia juga makin menjadi-jadi, mengekspansi kemana-mana dgn liar. Dia berfantasi Dr. Beatrice (dokter yg memeriksa Paul) yg lesbian, juga berhubungan seksual dgn gadis (teman baiknya) yg lebih muda, Melody. Dan makin dekaden ketika Claudia melakukan hubungan seksual dominatrix dgn pengacaranya, Tristan. Semakin melantur lagi dgn anal seks yg dilakukan di tempat terbuka yg diintip oleh Beatrice. Saya lihat author terlalu memaksakan semua fantasi, adegan dan posisi seksual yg ada di muka bumi ini, bukannya terangsang malah membuat saya (maaf ya) jijik. WTH.
Klimaks cerita juga terlalu dibuat-dibuat dan buyar sudah harapan saya dgn janji Claudia pd Paul (nggg... Saya gak mau spoiler, baca saja sendiri). Sungguh aneh menjanjikan relationship spt itu dan jelas krn saya penganut garis keras komitmen, saya merasa "ajaib" dgn hubungan apa yg akan dijalani mereka. Walaupun dikatakan sejak mereka bertemu, satu sama lain mengubah masing² pihak, tapi yg ini sih bukan mengubah ke arah yg lebih baik tapi mengubah seorang janda baik² menjadi seorang nymphomaniac dan seorang anak muda menjadi sex addict. Lagipula adegan seks yg dijabarkan serba nanggung mnrt saya. Atau sudah keburu ilfil juga. Entahlah.
February 23, 2021
The Stranger, aka. the one where The Eighth Doctor gets a bump on the head and immediately starts wanking into a stream, unlocking the insatiable sexual desires of an entire village in the process.
Yes I am here because of this book's inarguable connection to Doctor Who. I don't have to list the obvious pointers that 'Paul' is the Eighth Doctor, plenty of other reviewers have done that. Yes I know that 'Paul' is given some cobbled-together identity at the end of the book but frankly I'm not buying it. The chapter is called 'Regeneration' for goodness sake. Or maybe I'm just clinging onto 'Paul' being the Doctor as justification for me having read to the end of this drivel.
The protagonist Claudia is the worst sexual maniac I have ever read about. I can't believe that it was Eight pleasuring himself in her back garden that unlocked these desires, he's not that handsome. Remember this is a woman who we are introduced to when she is fantasising about her dead husbands ghost cheering her on as she copulates with imaginary stable boys in the woods. She's not abnormal though as most of her friends and acquaintances turn out to be equally as perverted.
This is a strange book from a twisted mind. Tell you what, it doesn't pack its punches, it sets out exactly how it's gonna be from page one.
Yes I am here because of this book's inarguable connection to Doctor Who. I don't have to list the obvious pointers that 'Paul' is the Eighth Doctor, plenty of other reviewers have done that. Yes I know that 'Paul' is given some cobbled-together identity at the end of the book but frankly I'm not buying it. The chapter is called 'Regeneration' for goodness sake. Or maybe I'm just clinging onto 'Paul' being the Doctor as justification for me having read to the end of this drivel.
The protagonist Claudia is the worst sexual maniac I have ever read about. I can't believe that it was Eight pleasuring himself in her back garden that unlocked these desires, he's not that handsome. Remember this is a woman who we are introduced to when she is fantasising about her dead husbands ghost cheering her on as she copulates with imaginary stable boys in the woods. She's not abnormal though as most of her friends and acquaintances turn out to be equally as perverted.
This is a strange book from a twisted mind. Tell you what, it doesn't pack its punches, it sets out exactly how it's gonna be from page one.
April 27, 2021
Steamy
September 15, 2024
Ridiculously enjoyable if utterly implausible.
December 23, 2024
Well, I’m always happy to read Eighth Doctor nsfw fanfic 😂 And Claudia makes a nice companion!
March 8, 2016
This was just a terrible book. I've actually been looking at this book to read for a while but I'm glad I didn't pay full price and picked it up from a charity shop.
This did sound like a very interesting read but it was just too unrealistic. I was hoping for more of a story than just sex, sex and sex.
You don't get to know the characters or to understand them. The lead woman, Claudia, is having affairs with different people left, right and centre. One moment she was having a platonic relationship with her best friend, that helped her through her husbands passing, then the next moment Claudia suddenly has massive feelings for her, and is all over Melody after leaving her husband several minutes ago! I skipped most of this book because of how unrealistic it was. In my eyes, Claudia was just sleeping with everything that moved.
At the end everything was rushed, we finally found out more information about Paul but then it just suddenly ended. Like I said, I was skim reading most of it near the end. I just got bored of it. "The Stranger" was only really around to meet her new found sexual needs, she didn't help him at all with his situation.
I normally don't post reviews, especially when I didn't enjoy it because I usually just move on, but I couldnt not say anything. I'm very disappointed in this book, I do have another one written by the same author, but now very hesitant to read it.
This did sound like a very interesting read but it was just too unrealistic. I was hoping for more of a story than just sex, sex and sex.
You don't get to know the characters or to understand them. The lead woman, Claudia, is having affairs with different people left, right and centre. One moment she was having a platonic relationship with her best friend, that helped her through her husbands passing, then the next moment Claudia suddenly has massive feelings for her, and is all over Melody after leaving her husband several minutes ago! I skipped most of this book because of how unrealistic it was. In my eyes, Claudia was just sleeping with everything that moved.
At the end everything was rushed, we finally found out more information about Paul but then it just suddenly ended. Like I said, I was skim reading most of it near the end. I just got bored of it. "The Stranger" was only really around to meet her new found sexual needs, she didn't help him at all with his situation.
I normally don't post reviews, especially when I didn't enjoy it because I usually just move on, but I couldnt not say anything. I'm very disappointed in this book, I do have another one written by the same author, but now very hesitant to read it.
November 20, 2012
I loved this book.
It wasn't your regular man meets widow and fucks her brains out. It was so MUCH better.
From the start we get an insight into the fantasy, desires and lusts of a middle aged widow who is exploring what it is to be single again. Then, as if by divine intervention, Paul falls into her lap. Literally!
His confused state makes him the perfect man! He's a blank canvas. Ideal! He's also got a sexual appetite that could rival a bunny in heat!
Helping our lovely Claudia discover more about her own sexual hunger and also her hidden and forbidden desires.
A book CRAMMED with sex, sexual discovery and the constant question of who exactly is this hot piece of hunk? Where is he from? But most importantly....will Claudia be able to give him back?
A must read for erotica lovers!
It wasn't your regular man meets widow and fucks her brains out. It was so MUCH better.
From the start we get an insight into the fantasy, desires and lusts of a middle aged widow who is exploring what it is to be single again. Then, as if by divine intervention, Paul falls into her lap. Literally!
His confused state makes him the perfect man! He's a blank canvas. Ideal! He's also got a sexual appetite that could rival a bunny in heat!
Helping our lovely Claudia discover more about her own sexual hunger and also her hidden and forbidden desires.
A book CRAMMED with sex, sexual discovery and the constant question of who exactly is this hot piece of hunk? Where is he from? But most importantly....will Claudia be able to give him back?
A must read for erotica lovers!
January 20, 2014
Claudia is a rich widow who finds a hot young amnesiac on the doorstep in the middle of a thunderstorm. Obviously she takes him in and gives him a good seeing to. And another one. And another. And then she decides she'd quite like to try the Sapphic side of life for a while. But the hot young guy with no memory still needs special attention so she forms a menage a trois. It's porn, you don't need to know any more. It does what it's supposed to.
July 11, 2016
Another summer vacation read that's primary goal is to um, set a mood. Let's go with that.
This one just wasn't for me. Some scenes worked really well. Others left me wanting to skip over completely. As soon as the need to pee was mentioned, it should've been a clue. Mention it a few more times in the same chapter and well, really, what did I expect would happen? Anyway... some good, some not so good. Not the best of this sort of book. Not the worst either.
This one just wasn't for me. Some scenes worked really well. Others left me wanting to skip over completely. As soon as the need to pee was mentioned, it should've been a clue. Mention it a few more times in the same chapter and well, really, what did I expect would happen? Anyway... some good, some not so good. Not the best of this sort of book. Not the worst either.
August 11, 2013
Oh dear.
After enjoying The Accidental Call Girl by this author I was so excited to see she had a long back catalogue I could read through. This one was not for me at all. The plot was middle aged woman decides to shag everything with a pulse after meeting a sexy stranger. She didn't even need to be attracted to them or like them.
Eww.
After enjoying The Accidental Call Girl by this author I was so excited to see she had a long back catalogue I could read through. This one was not for me at all. The plot was middle aged woman decides to shag everything with a pulse after meeting a sexy stranger. She didn't even need to be attracted to them or like them.
Eww.
August 4, 2013
It started out great. Slightly far fetched, but still erotic. What changed it for me was the introduction of the bisexual element. It just pushed the believability too far. I'm a huge fan of Portia, but this was just a little disappointing.
January 12, 2011
One of the first erotic novels that I read. Need to re-read.
April 26, 2016
I didn't lke this book at all to the degree that I don't want to read anymore of her books. I didn't finish it.
July 24, 2013
Não consegui ler todo!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sem história que cative!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 23, 2013
too slow for me
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews