The Runaway Duke (Warner Forever) [Mass Market Paperback]

Julie Anne Long (Author)

Book Description

Series: Warner Forever | Publication Date: August 1, 2004

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!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightful debut novel—brimful of wit, action, passion and romance." -- Mary Balogh, New York Times bestselling author of Slightly Tempted

"Marvelous... Impossible to put down... Overflows with intelligence, wit and warmth. Put THE RUNAWAY DUKE on your 'must read' list!" -- Romantic Times BOOKClub Magazine

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Forever (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446614254
• ISBN-13: 978-0446614252
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #419,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

San Francisco Bay Area native Julie Anne Long set out to be a rock star when she grew up (and she has the guitars and fringed clothing stuffed in the back of her closet to prove it), but writing was always her first love. She began her academic career as a Journalism major, then realized Creative Writing was a better fit for her freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. Still, for years she worked by day in finance, software development, web & graphic design, and marketing and promotions...until the fateful day when playing guitar in dank, sticky clubs by night lost its "charm." Which is when she realized she could incorporate all the best things about being in a band--namely drama, passion and men with unruly hair--into novels, while indulging her love of history and research. Since then, her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America Rita, Romantic Times Reviewer's choice, the Bookseller's Best and the Quills, and reviewers have been known to use words such as "dazzling," "brilliant" and "impossible to put down" to describe them. Her latest, WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE, was chosen as one of Amazon's Best Book of 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really 3 1/2 Stars -- Pleasant but not really memorable, September 15, 2004

By 

ellejir "ellejir" (Virginia, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Warner Forever) (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.

33 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not that bad...., August 23, 2004

By 

Just a Dreamer "[e-mail]" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Warner Forever) (Mass Market Paperback)

But it took me over a week to get through it. Not a keeper for me, but worth reading. A pretty, good, first book for this Author....Seems so many reviewers here, gave this book a lot of stars, but it was a yawner for me. Just didn't have that zap, to keep me going.
My house is clean, Im gaining weight, which means, I better find a good book fast, or my buttons will pop. I rate my stars by how hungry I am, and Im stuffed... =) Meaning, I put the book down way too much.
Story line was good, and I loved the Duke, but Rebecca the heroine, was as dull as she could be (might be the age 17/18). Edelston was funny, I really liked him.

Worth reading, but not keeping. But, I will be on the look out for more by this Author, she has potential.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, August 2, 2004

By 

Ramani (Everywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Runaway Duke (Warner Forever) (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.