The Cruelest Stranger

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book but I certainly didn’t expect to be taken on such a conflicting ride of emotions! I didn’t fall in love with Bennett at first, which I’m sure was Ms. Renshaw’s plan all along. I also didn’t fall in love with Astaire right away because, like Bennett, I wasn’t buying the whole pie-in-the-sky “act” I’m not sure if that was also Ms. Renshaw’s intention but I certainly appreciate her taking the time to reveal her characters, flaws and all, in such a way that I began to connect and identify with each in different ways and for different reasons. I loved the story line…I was invested in their experiences and rooting for them. I was nervous for them and anxious that they wouldn’t get the HEA I wanted for them. Ms. Renshaw put enough angst and conflict throughout the story to keep me interested and I’m very happy with this book! I will definitely purchase it when it comes out! A good indicator that the book I read was great is that I’m left feeling like I didn’t get enough and I want more…this book delivered on that! Congrats, again, Ms. Renshaw! Well done!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I love when a book can grab hold and keep me so pulled in that I do not want to step away, even for a moment. I had that with this book. We meet Astaire, kind, caring, with a painful past but still a positive force. Bennett definitely starts off cruel and heartless but as I dove deeper into the book, I was able to dig deeper into his personality, his life and what makes him tick. I loved how they clicked, even though it wasn’t all positive, it was still powerful. A great back and forth, a lot of feelings and heart. There’s a bit of outsiders try to cause trouble, there’s a young, adorable girl that you want to squeeze and it all works to create an amazing story! A must read!

WOW I could not put this book down, it had me from the first page to the end. A mix up on a blind date leads Astaire and Bennett to cross paths. Bennett is rude and does not want to trust anyone, Astaire is a sweet person who knows there is good in everyone even Bennett. They are both guarded and have had tragedy in their pasts. Do they believe that fate has brought them together? Will opposites attract and give into their sizzling chemistry? The story has drama, love, heartache and twists and turns. A great read that will not disappoint, get out the Kleenex and enjoy.

Bennett And Alistaire’s Beautiful And Angsty Journey Is About Two Very Lonely Souls. The Banter Is Fabulous!

Alistaire Carraro, twenty-six, cannot say no to anything or anyone, so she finds herself on a blind date in a suburban Chicago bar despite the fact that she isn’t ready to move on. One year ago exactly, her fiance Trevor was killed in an accident, and she just isn’t ready think about what comes next. Tragedy and hardship has followed her for her entire life. Nevertheless, she always looks for the positive in people and situations, so despite her reservations she puts on her happy face.

Growing up, Alistaire never knew her father and had a mother that gave her up to the state. By the time she was fourteen, she had been in thirteen foster homes. The best thing that happened to her was Linda, who adopted and saved her. Linda showed her what love and family mean. She taught Alistaire that the past doesn’t dictate the future and gave her the tools she needed to be successful in life. But Linda died several years later, during Alistaire’s freshman year at Indiana State.

Fortunately she had met Trevor by then, the love of her life. His unending kindness and compassion made him perfectly compatible with her bright and optimistic personality. They both became teachers and moved to Worthington Heights, Illinois. Alistaire’s job as a kindergarten teacher suits her perfectly, but without Trevor she is both alone and lonely. She craves affection as a result of her rough childhood.

Bennett Schoenbach, thirty, is a practical man. He doesn’t care about much because caring leads to weakness, and weakness leads to self-destruction. Any sign of softness in the Schoenbach family is like suicide. The Schoenbach name is like royalty in Chicago. Bennett’s mother thrives on her social standing; she cares more about that than she ever did about being a mother. His sister Larissa never stood a chance.

Some call Bennett cruel, arrogant, heartless – but he doesn’t care. He assumed ownership of the Schoenbach Corporation when his father died five years ago. It hasn’t escaped him that half his employees despise him. He doesn’t care, but he isn’t a monster. He helps out occasionally with college money, mortgages, new cars, etc. – but he only does it anonymously. He doesn’t need thanks.

Bennett loves Greek philosophy, which may play a part in why he finds it so entertaining to rile people up and watch them squirm. He always gets the last word in, and nothing is more thrilling than an angry romp. He doesn’t do relationships and doesn’t believe in marriage. It is one and done for him.

Anger brews and insults fly when Bennett and Alistaire meet at Ophelia’s, a local bar. Yet underneath their frustration, an instant attraction draws them to one another. They are opposites, so they have a difficult journey. Miscommunication and misunderstanding threaten every step forward. Despite their very different backgrounds, both Bennett and Alistaire suffer from childhood neglect. Their responses are entirely opposite, though. Bennett internalizes his darkness which explodes from time to time, while Alistaire maintains an angelic outlook that helps her through tough times. Coincidence play a role in this story, and several matters arise that test the new couple’s strength. They eventually earn a beautiful HEA.

Bennett and Alistaire’s beautiful and angsty journey is about two very lonely souls finding solace in one another despite their very different personalities. It is a story about childhood neglect and refining family. It is very well-written. The plot is somewhat complex. The characters are well-defined and feel real. The banter between Bennett and Alistaire is fabulous! The POV alternates between Bennett and Alistaire. I rate this book five stars.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Astaire and Bennett meet at bar on a rainy night. Astaire is there for a blind date and she mistakes Bennett for the guy. Bennett is there to get out of the rain. The two instantly clash but later come to meet again. This is a love story of two people that have tough times to overcome. A great read full of steam, angst and plenty of drama.

The Cruelest Stranger was a mystery right from the synopsis. I was intrigued from the first word. This story had avast range of highs and lows. It took not time to feel the irresistible pull of solving the mysteries of these characters. Our leading man was a tough nut to crack, but oh so deliciously satisfying once you got his measure. HE exhibited many traits that would drive me insane in reality, but in the book world, it was decadent. He was cold and ruthless and totally unapologetic. Our leading lady was possessed with a caring and nurturing nature, and he pushed all her buttons relentlessly. Together they were a powerhouse of emotions and spunk. I experienced tingles, breathlessness and frustration. Oh so many feels. Oh such a wonderful story. 5 stars.

***** Intense
Excellent romance, with very good characters. Winter Renshaw succeeds in transmitting an emotionally charged story, which is intriguing, but the strength of her characters carries all the emotion from the beginning to the end. At the beginning, I loved to hate Bennett who is facing the kindness of Astaire.
Astaire is still thinking about her fiancé who died the previous year. She is a kindergarten teacher and one of her colleagues arranges a blind date for her, but she confuses him with another man, Bennett, and she is brutally rebuffed. She follows him and discovers that he is going to a funeral chamber. Intrigued, she decides to find out who he is. He’s hated by his employees and his acts of kindness are quickly forgotten. His mother is hateful and heartless, manipulating others without any remorse.
Yet from coincidence to coincidence, Bennett the embittered and Astaire with a big heart, discover themselves despite the bitterness and lack of confidence in Bennett’s human being.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

3.5
Bennett is cold and hard, always searching for a person’s ulterior motive. Astaire sees the positive. She’s a kindergarten teacher, loves kids, volunteers, etc. She doesn’t let her past bring her down. Even though she has tons of reasons to be hateful.

This is a tough one for me to rate. I absolutely love this author’s writing style and complexity of her stories. I did like that the obvious “health” connection wasn’t stretched out into a big mystery (the day after Bennett finds out, he talks to Astaire). I always love a surprise, and the author delivers a twist regarding Honor that’s revealed early on and contributes to the building drama that becomes the driving force of the story. And there are tons of emotions woven into this book. And through the course of the tale, Bennett develops into a beautiful man who is all kinds of swoon worthy.

Overall, the basic elements were there that I’ve come to expect from another amazing Renshaw story, but the pacing seemed a tiny bit off for me. Some parts felt rushed, some characters changes were too abrupt to be plausible, and their relationship happened so quickly I saw it more as convenient than romantic. In spite of my issues with this book, I’m positive others will read and absolutely love this story.

/I received an early edition of this book. This did not affect my opinion of the story or content of my review./

I received this book as an ARC for a voluntary and honest review. I can not tell you how much I enjoy Ms. Renshaw’s books. She has a way of pulling you into the story and her characters are all really awesome, many have baggage of some kind but that’s what makes them great. I devour her books, in usually 2 days. Like I got notification of the ARC but couldn’t get it downloaded due to my internet being out from a storm and I was totally upset that I had to wait.
Astaire has had her share of heartache, a kid in the foster system, adopted as a teenager only to loose her adoptive mother in college, met the love of her life who died in a car crash a few months before their wedding. (see what I mean baggage) But despite this she maintains a very sunny and “glass half full” mentality on life.
Bennett was born into a high class family, grandfather started a billion dollar company and the children wanted for nothing monetarily, but love from their parents would’ve been nice. If you looked up dysfunctional family in the dictionary, you’d find the picture of his family. His brother Errol is a troll, and we won’t discuss his mother… For that reason Bennett portrays himself as a jerk, but kind of like the Grinch, as he does many wonderful things but all anonymously. He views life well as “glass half empty”
Astaire and Bennett meet by accident at a Bar, he fits the description of her blind date, but she was wrong, and he thought she was using that as a line to pick him up; he was rather mean to her. While most people would’ve said “I’m done with that jerk,” Astaire does not, because she realizes he has just lost a family member when she follows him to a funeral home when he forgets his umbrella. Scouring the obits, she finds one for a female with his last name, and she assumes he’s lost his wife. She reaches out to him basically because she knows how he feels. From there they have a bunch of chance meetings and she is able to crack his hard exterior to see the large heart he really has.

Whenever I start to post a review of a book I just read I ask myself to think about what parts of the book spoke to me the loudest and write about those. With the Cruelest Stranger I realized that my review would end up being as long or longer than the actual book. That being said, this might just be Winter Renshaw’s best and most meaningful book I have read to date. Holy Batman! I was definitely not expecting Bennet and Astaire’s story to captivate and hook me from the first few words I read. In other books you read about the coincidences within the story that occur and almost always I know in advance what and when to expect them but I was totally blown away when each and everyone bombshell exploded. I have nothing left to say except that you must read this book which I think will affect you as deeply as it did me.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and totally voluntary review.