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Product Description
Product Description
Ruined! No one could ever accuse Rebecca Tremaine of being a proper young lady. She's wretched at embroidery, pitiful at the pianoforte, and entirely too informed about the human body, courtesy of her father's scientific journals. And now she's been compromised by a dandy she despises! When her parents arrange a hasty marriage, there is only one man she can turn to for help. Rescued! No one knows that Irish groom Connor Riordan is the fifth Duke of Dunbrooke, "killed" in action at Waterloo, and he wants it to stay that way. But a true gentleman never turns away a damsel in distress. Soon Connor and Rebecca dash away-only to be pursued by bumbling highwaymen, a scheming duchess, and Rebecca's fiance. Ravished! Being with the beautiful and desirable Rebecca jeopardizes Connor's secret every day-and tests his willpower every night. For if ever there was a reason to bring the Duke of Dunbrooke back from the dead, it would be to make Miss Tremaine his Duchess!
About the Author
San Francisco-based romance author Julie Anne Long has been a storyteller from almost the moment she could write: her first completed work of fiction was an illustrated (courtesy of Crayola) opus about talking apples. Her second full-length work of fiction, the Regency-set historical romance THE RUNAWAY DUKE, will be published by Warner Books in August of this year. So how does one make the leap from talking apples to historical romance? Well, as you may have guessed, Julie’s career trajectory wasn't exactly a straight one. Though it seemed straight enough at first: she was editor of her fifth grade class newspaper (Mrs. Little’s class at Glenmoor Elementary in Fremont, California, did indeed have one), of her high school paper, of her college paper. She began college as a Journalism major and ended up with a degree in Creative Writing. She won a few writing awards. She gulped down history books and romance books and literature of every stripe—Jane Austen was an early favorite, Laura Ingalls Wilder earlier still. She published a few articles. She loved writing and dreamed of being a novelist, and—well, it seemed she was heading in that direction. But writing had some stiff competition for her affections: namely, electric guitars. Not to mention the men who played electric guitars. Midway through her college career, Julie Anne Long bought a Fender Strat and then, much to the horror of several of her English professors, set out to be a rock star instead of a novelist. She managed to make a reasonable success of it for about eight years, playing guitar, writing songs and singing in bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. But when the charm (ahem) of playing to four people at midnight on a Wednesday in dark sticky clubs finally wore thin, Julie realized she could incorporate all of the best things about being in bands—drama, passion, and men with unruly hair—into novels, while at the same time indulging her love of history and research. So stuffed her guitars in the back of her closet and reached instead for a keyboard—the computer variety—and returned to her first love, writing. Which is how the THE RUNAWAY DUKE— the story of a wayward bride, a blackmailing dandy, a scheming duchess, two bumbling highwaymen, a pack of gypsies, and an Irish groom with a very big secret—was born.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a total pleasure,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Mass Market Paperback)
I took a chance on this book because it was a Top Pick, and I read it in one sitting. I seriously couldn't stop! It just kind of pulls you in from the moment you meet the hero at Waterloo, where he walks away from his birthright, to the very end, which I won't mention. :) I kept wanting to tell people about the book while i was reading it, I was enjoying it so much. It's so funny and sweet and sexy! The plot is fresh and surprising. All of the the characters are fully drawn and memorable, and the hero, Connor Riordan, is the man we all wish we could have. He's flawed in a way we can all related to, but tender and decent and kind. I love his struggle to face up to his past in his race toward the future. And Rebecca is so spirited and funny, and just totally believable. I'm not sure I'm describing this book the way I'd like to, but I recommend it highly. I LOVED it. I'd love to see what the author, Julie Anne Long, comes up with next.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I didn't want it to end!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Mass Market Paperback)
This really IS a marvelous book! I couldn't put it down and I hated for it to end, though I don't know how Julie Anne Long would do a sequel. Maybe Cordelia and Edelston? I don't think I've ever read a historical romance quite like this. I loved all of the characters, even the villains, Edelston and Cordelia, are sympathetic and full-bodied characters. The hero Connor, is SO sexy and real. The romance between Connor and Rebecca happens tenderly and naturally, which makes it even sexier. This book has everything: it's genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, emotional (I actually choked up at one point), sexy and unpredictable. It was very refreshing. I hardly ever write reviews, but this book is by a debut author, and she really deserves to be read. I can't wait for her next book. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying The Runaway Duke!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (85 customer reviews) 69 of 78 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really 3 1/2 Stars -- Pleasant but not really memorable,
By ellejir "ellejir" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a respectable effort for a first book by this author. The character of Connor as the hero is likable enough and unusual. He is the heir to the "richest dukedom in England" (aren't they all!) but in the confusion after the Battle of Waterloo, he is presumed dead and he escapes to a life of anonymity. This is the fulcrum about which the book turns; unfortunately, to my mind, it is not a very believable plot device. The stated reason for his flight is that his father (the Duke) is emotionally and physically abusive and that Connor feels constricted by his role as the Duke's heir, but to abandon a life of wealth and position to become a groom (with a phony Irish accent) in a country baron's stable for eight years seems an extreme reaction. What ever happened to traveling the world, waiting for the old man to die? Supposedly, Connor had stayed in England for so many years instead of emigrating to America (as he had planned) because he was fond of his employer's daughter, Rebecca. Since she is only 12 years old when he first meets her (himself a grown man in his 20's), that idea is far-fetched and even a little bit creepy.The character of Rebecca Tremaine as the heroine is less interesting to my mind. She is given some unusual characteristics to make her seem more unique, but her interests in medicine and anatomy seemed forced to me, and her behavior frequently is rather childish (not surprisingly, since she is only 17 or 18 years old.) The story strays too close to that time-worn plot of the experienced older man brought to his knees by the adorable, spirited ingenue to be truly memorable (see Georgette Heyer's "These Old Shades" for such a plot in one of its original iterations.) The book has lots of action as Connor and Rebecca travel around England, on the run from Rebecca's parents and troops of murderous highwaymen and fall in love. The writing is generally good (although the plot relies on some ridiculous coincidences, for example the whole locket incident), the romance is sweet and the story entertaining. In summary, this is a quick, light read that I imagine will please readers who enjoy books by Julia Quinn, since the tone seemed similar to me. 23 of 28 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!,
By Ramani - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Mass Market Paperback)
I love discovering new voices, and Julie Anne Long had me from page one. I defy you to put this book down once you start! :) The charming writing keeps you reading from one lovely scene to the next, and the characters are vivid and loveable. I love that you get the point of view of the villains and other characters, too, not just the hero and heroine -- it makes the book feel much more deep and rich. Connor is the kind of guy we can all identify with: he runs from his responsibility thanks to a violent past, but then faces up to it in the end. And plus he's so gorgeous and sexy and kind! Rebecca is so funny and fresh, not quite a bluestocking but a girl with dreams that her parents didn't do enough to discourage. And when the fall in love, the romance is handled so sweetly and naturally, it's very moving and sexy. The duchess and Edelston are great characters, too, as are the highwaymen and the gypsies. All the characters live and breathe and leap off the page. I'm not the best writer, here, but I did want to share my opinion of this book. I like Sabrina Jeffries, Lisa Kleypas, Stephanie Laurens and Mary Balogh, to name a few, to give you a sense of what I like to read. I'd add Julie Anne Long to that list. I hope her next book is as good.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Almost there,
By Lunimar - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Mass Market Paperback)
I started this book after I had read To Love a Thief by the same author. I was impressed with her wit and her character which are, in general, full of depth and humor.This first book is an impressive effort. The story is different (not the done to death forced marriage etc) and the characters definitely have flare. Although I did enjoy the stories and the character the conversations were rather stilted and I nearly couldn't stand the ending. Though that could be considered a matter of taste rather than technique or writing style. Overall I enjoyed the book, it's ok, I won't read it again but whenever Ms. Long writes another I will be third or fourth in line to take a look =). |
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