Title: Strangers
Author: Barbara Elsborg
First published November 1, 2009
309 pages, ebook
ISBN: 9781419922060 (ISBN10: 1419922068)
Rating: 3.92
Overview
In Barbara Elsborg’s novel Strangers, Kate Snow is done with bad boys but fate has other plans when a chance encounter with the ultimate bad boy, Charlie Storm, changes her life forever. Charlie, a renowned pop star and on the brink of movie stardom, is battling his inner demons when a near-death experience brings him face to face with Kate.
Despite their rocky start, the connection between them is undeniable and they soon realize that they can’t be without each other. As they navigate the ups and downs of their newfound relationship and Charlie’s rise to fame, they cling to each other as their safe haven.
Strangers is a captivating story of love, trust, and the price of fame that will leave readers yearning for more.
About the Author
Barbara Elsborg resides in the southern English county of Kent. As a child, she wished to become a spy but quickly abandoned the idea after confessing to others without any pressure.
Although she was passionate about volcanology, it proved too intense for her to handle. Similarly, her dread of sharks thwarted her aspirations to pursue marine biology.
Consequently, she spent a few years effectively marketing cyanide.
After raising two ungrateful, problematic children and antagonizing her loving, devoted, and attractive husband (who can now heave a sigh of relief), Barbara finally has the time to indulge in a relationship with an enthralling, tech-savvy male – her laptop.
Her books showcase idiosyncratic heroines and delinquent boys, and she wishes that they are as entertaining to read as they are to write.
Editoral Review
In her 2009 novel Strangers, Barbara Elsborg delivers a captivating and often heartbreaking story of love, loss, and redemption. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for weaving intricate plotlines, Elsborg creates a world that is both familiar and exotic, drawing in readers with its vivid descriptions and nuanced characters.
Set in contemporary England, Strangers explores the lives of two people from vastly different backgrounds who are drawn together by mutual attraction and shared trauma. One is a successful businesswoman who has fled a traumatic past, while the other is a former soldier struggling with PTSD and the fallout of his military career.
As they navigate the complexities of their relationship, they must also confront the dark forces that threaten to tear them apart, including corrupt officials, violent gangs, and their own inner demons. Elsborg excels at creating complex, multidimensional characters, and Strangers is no exception.
From the protagonist Anna’s fierce determination to the love interest Sam’s tortured past, every character in the novel is fleshed out and believable, with motives and desires that are as varied and nuanced as real people’s. Elsborg’s writing style is both lyrical and precise, with sentences that seem to flow effortlessly from one to another, creating a seamless narrative that is both deeply emotional and intellectually engaging.
Despite its many strengths, Strangers does have a few flaws that readers should be aware of. The pacing can be slow at times, and some of the supporting characters are not as well-developed as they could be.
Additionally, the novel’s focus on trauma and mental illness may be triggering for some readers, so caution is advised. Overall, however, Strangers is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and literary fiction.
With its complex characters, richly drawn settings, and heart-wrenching storylines, it is a novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished it. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4/5 stars