For Love of a Stranger is quite a bizarre hybrid by today’s standards. It’s a hybrid of glitz-lit stories that were so big back in those days, but the core romance is idealistic and familiar even to this day. The only problem here is that Clarissa is a very bland heroine – it’s hard to care for someone whose life is already 99.9% perfect and is about to be 100% so by the last page – and Sean’s behavior is often selfish and self-absorbed in nature. His treatment of his wife is also cringe-inducing at times because he’s so… callous. Susannah correctly pegs his “devotion” to her as one borne of guilt, but his devotion is half-assed in nature, so he can take his guilt and choke on it.

The most interesting character is the tragic Susannah, who despite everything manages to hold her own very well in this story. It helps that the author doesn’t go the easy route and turn this character into a screeching, mad wife locked away in the attic, but at the same time, it’s frustrating to follow this more well-drawn character as she will always be second fiddle to the bland and personality-free Clarissa. I like that these women get along well, but cringe when Susannah, like everyone else in this story, can only sing praises of Clarissa’s awesomeness after knowing her. Even Susannah’s mother is like, ooh, Clarissa is fantastic, and it’s clear why Sean wants to tap that. Oh give me a break – Clarissa becomes an obnoxious character after a while because everyone in this story is shoving her perfection down my throat and then down some more.

Oh yes, another thing I like about this story – there is something about the opulent narrative style that appeals to me. The author has a poetic way of setting up the romantic scenes, so much so that even if I have so many eye rolls to give to Sean and Clarissa, a number of their scenes make me hold my breath without me realizing it. Those scenes are so… I wouldn’t say loving or dramatic, it’s more like those scenes are just beautiful to read, if I am making sense here. The author’s phraseology can glow radioactive purple at times, but I find that there is a lyrical, thematic grace to the whole thing. See the excerpt above and the way the author shows me how “long” Clarissa is – I find that there is a soothing, hypnotic cadence to the way the words are arranged in the author’s sentences. There is one scene where these two just reach out and hold hands. It sounds hokey and even corny when I describe it, but the way that scene is written makes me smile wistfully and inhale a little deeper after every word.

Do I recommend this one, if you can find it? Well… I probably shouldn’t. The story is pretty average mostly because the hero and the heroine are blandly perfect, and if you end up being on Susannah’s team, you’re in for at the very least a deep steadying breath – the author’s narrative can be such that, despite how hokey things can be here, you sometimes find that certain characters have moved into your heart without you realizing it, until your heart begins to crack into pieces. Given that this book probably sells for a few cents at a used bookstore these days, though, I suppose there is nothing much to lose in giving this one a try.

Boy, am I so glad that I’ve finally read something by my favorite author Lily Devine… wait, Denny? Dewey? Never mind.