Maggie’s favor turns out to be more than working for room and board, however. She needs a husband, at least until the bank will loan her money and she can start to make a profit from the ranch. Cain MacCallister was willing to work for food and a place to stay. He’s startled to hear what Maggie has in mind. Sure, he’s attracted - a man who has been in prison for a long time is always attracted to a female after getting released - but he’s been married for real before. He isn’t interested in a fake marriage of convenience. That is, he isn’t until he sees Maggie’s enemy bullying her. Cain won’t put up with that. They get married as soon as possible.

Cain is a complicated hero. He has killed someone - admittedly in self-defense and understandably, but he went out looking for trouble to start with. He still won’t back down from trouble although he no longer actively goes out to seek it. His previous marriage was a perfect one until Annie was killed in a robbery. After that his life went into a tailspin and he hasn’t had the chance to recover. At least he hasn’t until he meets Maggie.

Maggie isn’t looking to be anyone’s rescuer even though Cain’s sexy charms have gotten her itchy ever since she met him. She has enough problems of her own. Her previous marriage was less than perfect by the time her gambler husband committed suicide. It isn’t enough that she might lose the one place she’s learned to call home. She has begun to hear rumors that her husband was helped along in his death. Maggie is attractive, not just physically, but because she doesn’t whine over her fate and she works to make her life better.

These two are tough enough to face problems. Where they finally almost fall apart is when they have to face the possibility of something good coming into their lives - love and a happier future. How Cain manages to let go of his past to face the future is nicely done. This Perfect Stranger is a well-written story with an interesting hero and heroine, both of whom have been wounded (literally and figuratively) but refuse to give up. Once they learn that you shouldn’t give up on love, no matter how painful the emotion can be, they reach their well-deserved HEA.

--Irene Williams