Title: Stranger in a Foreign Land
Series: Dreamspun Desires 61
Author: Michael Murphy
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (216 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (3rd July 2018)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: đź’–đź’–đź’– 3 Hearts
Blurb: After an accident stole his memory, the only home American businessman Patrick knows is Bangkok. He recovers under the tender ministrations of Jack, an Australian ex-pat who works nights at a pineapple cannery. Together they search for clues to Patrick’s identity, but without success. Soon that forgotten past seems less and less important as Jack and Patrick—now known as Buddy—build a new life together.
But the past comes crashing in when Patrick’s brother travels to Thailand looking for him… and demands Patrick return to Los Angeles, away from Jack and the only world familiar to him. The attention also causes trouble for Jack, and to make their way back to each other, Patrick will need to find not only himself, but Jack as well, before everything is lost….
ISBN: 978-1-64080-250-6
Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Reviewer: Prime
Review: Michael Murphy is a new author to me and I have to say, with soap opera type clichés, Stranger in a Foreign is, generally, an enjoyable read. All the relevant information is there in the blurb, so I won’t go too much into the storyline because it will be so very easy to spoil. The only reason I rated it as I have because, despite enjoying the story, it really was a soap opera and full of stereotypes more so than in your typical Dreamspun Desires romance.
The story is about Patrick, who promptly is involved in a car accident shortly after arriving in Bangkok, Thailand. This results Patrick into basically forgetting who he is and the world around him. Enter knight in shining armour, the Aussie bum Jack. Jack is your stereotypical Aussie, who of course has now overstayed his visa. Meanwhile, Patrick’s amnesia is stereotypical in that you will have to suspend your disbelief when he forgets more than just his name and family and life – he doesn’t display any understanding of shopping centers and airplanes. Amnesia doesn’t work like that, so as I said you need to suspend your disbelief.
Jack looks after Patrick and as the weeks roll on they fall in love, all the while knowing that Patrick, now called Buddy, could get his memories back. Their private world is destroyed when Patrick’s brother finds him and convinces him to return to his wealthy family in LA.
Patrick tries to find himself and, in the end, knows that he must make a stand for himself to get his happy ending. All this culminates in a sugary sweet ending.