Customer Reviews

Two Weeks With a Stranger (Avon Romantic Treasure)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not going to summarize the novel since many other reviewers have already done so. I also haven't reviewed on Amazon for a while, but I had to come give this book a review since I bought it based on all the great reviews...and was very disappointed.

*Might contain spoilers*

I felt that the heroine is highly inconsiderate of the hero and the requirements of his job. In my opinion, it would be very dangerous to tell your new wife that you're an English spy as they still knew next to nothing about each other. No one can predict how the marriage would turn out, so why risk telling Lucy that? I think it's a practical and logical decision on Simon's part. However, ever since she discovers the true reasons behind his flirtations with another woman, Lucy declares that she can no longer trust Simon since he did not share every single detail of himself with her. I hardly think anyone in his position would.

And although he explained everything, gave her his private journal to read, and professed his love, she is still unable to get past the fact that he lied...in order to protect himself, her, and England mind you! I think that's not only childish but also irrational behavior on her part.

In addition, when she still thought he was courting another woman (not only did he leave Lucy to follow the other lady out into the garden, he employed his friend to distract Lucy), the best idea to pop into her head was to seduce her husband back...

All the while though, Lucy claims that the marriage cannot survive on only sexual passion, yet she cannot be strong enough to refuse him her bed. If she is always willing, then why would Simon be the one to refuse? However, she continually makes him feel guilty about sharing sexual relations with her.

Finally, some of the heroine's actions in general are idiotic. During the climax at the end, Lucy "bravely" runs into a room where an enemy is pointing a gun at her husband so she can reveal the enemy's secret identity to him. Simon is clearly already in a dire situation and him knowing would not have changed anything. Secondly, it is kind of ridiculous to simply run into a room unarmed. Granted, it gave Simon the opportunity to make a move while the enemy's attention was diverted. However, the enemy could've easily killed Lucy...and frankly, part of me wished that was what happened.

I adored Simon and that is the only reason this book was given more than 1 star. Lucy is selfish, inconsiderate, and a hypocrite. Overall, I enjoyed the secondary romance MUCH MORE than that between the main characters. Fox and Gin's interactions are a lot more electric and attention-grabbing; I wish they were the main characters instead

Note: As reference, I love novels by Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Sabrina Jeffries among others.

The new Countess of Devingham is looking forward to life with her husband. Lucy is the daughter of a squire and when the Earl of Devingham asks her to marry him, she agrees. She knows Simon as a bookish man who grows roses. She assumes that they will be happy together in the country and that perhaps she will fall in love with him. She does not expect that after their wedding night, and the passion it contained, she would wake up to find that her husband had left for London, leaving her behind at their country estate.

Simon Severton, Earl of Devingham, is in need of a wife. He wants a simple, country miss who will remain at his country estate to raise his children and tend to his home. He picks Lucy because she is a simple country girl who will not want to engage in the gossip and balls of the ton, but will be content with life in the country. Meanwhile, he will continue to reside in London and carry on his work as a spy for the British government. What he does not expect, is that Lucy will not be content in the country and will instead follow him to London in an attempt to save their marriage.

Two Weeks With a Stranger started off strong. There was no long wait for the hero and heroine to get together, because when the book began they were already married and our first glimpse of them was on their wedding night. Lucy seemed a sweet enough heroine, if a bit innocent for my tastes, and she honestly believed that her marriage would be a happy one and that she and Simon would one day grow to love each other. Her surprise when he ran off and left her the next day was understandable. When she traveled to London win him back, I was all for it. Good for her for sticking up for herself. But shortly thereafter, I stopped caring. Simon was not a hero I could root for and fall in love with. He treated Lucy like a stubborn child, ordering her back to the country and refusing to give their marriage a chance. Throughout the book, his condescending tone and arrogant attitude made him difficult to like. As much as I liked Lucy, and enjoyed the beginning of the book, the fact that Simon's character never seemed to grow was a big drawback for me.

Similarly, the subplot with Simon's role as a spy and how his secrets affect their marriage was never fully developed. I understood Simon's sense of duty, and I sympathized with Lucy's sense of betrayal, but I never felt enough of a connection to the characters to care much beyond that. I've read so many other great romances lately, I'm not able to recommend this so-so one. Instead, I'd recommend you check out And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke or The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt.

Earl Simon Devingham can't believe his luck. Just married to Lucy, he finds himself enjoying his marriage bed immensely. Though he married Lucy for pragmatic reasons, Simon is pleasantly surprised to find her just as captivated with consummating their marriage as he is. He can't wait to teach her everything he knows. That is, until his supervisor sends an urgent message and Simon must leave his newly wedded wife immediately without any explanation.

Lucy Heathpot, the new Countess of Devingham can't believe her luck. While she is fully aware that Simon proposed for reasons other than love, Lucy knows that the wonderful wedding night she just experienced couldn't have been faked. Waking up deliciously sore, Lucy goes in search of her new husband only to find that he has left her for London; without telling her why.

Simon knows duty before pleasure but is having a difficult time with his latest assignment because he can't stop thinking about his wife. When Lucy shows up on his doorstep intending to stay, he does his best to keep her at arm's length. When she suspects his infidelity, he is unable to explain just how wrong she is because to explain would mean surrendering his mission for the Crown and that is something Simon refuses to do.

Two Weeks with a Stranger was a delightful book to read. Full of intrigue and sensual situations, I found both characters extremely stubborn but much suited to each other. Then, I have to admit that Ms. Mullins stumped me with the antagonist in the book and I love when an author does that. Two Weeks with a Stranger would be a great additiolibraryn to anyone's library.

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

To me, this was a little slow moving. There was so much plot and not enough of how they fell in love and the relationship developing between them. It was a decent read with a little mystery, but I ended up wanting to know more about the interesting side characters than the main couple.

Simon Severton, Earl of Devingham, is a spy for England. He nonetheless needs a wife and heirs, so he marries Lucy Heathpot, the daughter of a local squire, but keeps his occupation a secret from her. After a quite pleasurable wedding night, Simon is called away to London and leaves while Lucy is still asleep. He assumes that, as a country girl, she will be content to wait for him on his rural estate - so that he can attend unhindered to the Crown's business. In fact, this is one of the primary reasons he selected Lucy as his wife. Everything goes along swimmingly for Simon for several months, that is, until Lucy suddenly appears on his London doorstep. Simon is trying to woo a sexy Italian beauty who is suspected of holding vital government secrets, but Lucy's presence threatens his mission and drives him to distraction. He is adamant that Lucy returns home, but Lucy suspects his affair and is determined to stay and defeat her competition.

This is a fun, feel-good romance with never a dull moment. Lucy is definitely no country bumpkin and is more than up to the challenge of her marriage and London society. Simon is sweetly clueless about his new wife, and it is fun to watch him get an education. He clearly gets more than he bargained for in Lucy, but wisely realizes that this is not a bad thing. He is tender and funny as he alternately rebuffs and embraces his tempting wife, determined to get her away from his work, but desperately wanting her to stay. The suspense element is not taken too seriously, and the moments with the "other woman" are kept to a minimum, and so do not detract from the romance. There is also a fine supporting cast of friends. There is nothing too deep here, but this is a good, well-paced story, and the romance is sweet and gratifying. All in all, a very enjoyable read.

I enjoyed reading Two Weeks With a Stranger. Simon Severton,
Earl of Devingham is in need of a wife. Lucy is the daughter
of a local squire and when Simon asked her to marry him she
agrees. After their sensual wedding night, while Lucy was
asleep, Simon was summoned by his superior back to London
leaving her in their country estate. He didn't tell Lucy he's
a British spy. The next morning when Lucy awakens to find
a note from Simon, announcing his return to London. After
several months Lucy decided to leave for London to be with
her husband. She thinks her husband is having an affair.

I liked the secondary characters. Gin an American and
Foxworth (spy) have a chance with their story. I thought,
they were a great match, even though, they were disagreeing
on everything. There were times, I thought, it was hilarious,
when Gin tells Foxworth she wanted to be a British spy.
Two Weeks With a Stranger was a delightful read. Full of
intrigue. Never a dull moment with Lucy and Gin.

I highly recommend..

Lucy is the new Countess of Devingham. Her wedding night was a beautiful thing giving her hope that her new marriage will be more then a marriage of convenience. But when morning arrives she wakes to an empty bed a note from her husband telling her he's gone to London. This won't do and she follows her husband to the city not realizing things are not exactly as they appear. Simon is the Earl of Devingham and when he marries Lucy it's with the belief that she will be a biddable and understanding wife. But she fires his desire and it's hard for him to concentrate on his sworn duty to the Crown. Will he be able to walk the razor fine line between his two lives or will they collide?

I have been a long time fan of Ms. Mullins for years. She never disappoints when it comes to reading a romantic story with enough twists and turns to set her stories apart from other authors. This time around we are treated to a story that begins with a marriage of convenience. Simon and Lucy are a romantic pair that will enchant readers from the beginning. Such an unlikely pairing and yet the romance is believable and highly entertaining. Simon is a complex hero and it's very understandable why his Lucy falls in love with him. Lucy is not easily put off making her a very good match for our hero. This is a sensual love story and one fans of Ms. Mullins will enjoy. This is a title I have no problems recommending. Courtesty of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Two Weeks With a Stranger by Debra Mullins was a great find! I love historical novels with a spy theme. In this novel Lucy marries Simon, the Earl of Devingham only to find that he leaves their home after one special night. She comes to England after rumors of his affair - lot of sparks and great story. The secondary of story of sazzy american and Fox (a spy) was terrific - I hope she makes it into it's own novel.

This was my first experience with this author and I really enjoyed it. It was hotter than I was expecting. I will definitely read more of her books.

I enjoyed the book because it was different than the usual "sex first romance later and marriage last of all" storyline. The book starts out on the couple's wedding night so that much is a given. But they married for practical reasons, not love. The book is about falling in love (and a little spy business).

It's interesting that one critical review disliked Lucy and another disliked Simon. Neither one of them was perfect -- they both made mistakes. Simon left with no explanation and conducted an apparent affair right in front of Lucy. Lucy was more angry that Simon didn't tell her he was a spy than when she thought he was having an affair. I could understand both positions and really enjoyed the process of Simon and Lucy finding love in their marriage. I hope Ms. Mullins continues with Foxworth and Gin's story and another spy adventure in which Lucy and Gin can work with Simon and Fox.