Customer Reviews

The Runaway Duke (Warner Forever)

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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 =).

I'm not sure what I can say about this book that hasn't yet been said, but I still feel compelled to share. It was really just a joy to read. Something about it made me smile pretty much the whole way through, and if you start reading it at night, i'm betting you won't get any sleep. I'm 64 years old, and my daugher is 42, and we both just loved it. She's passing it on to her daughter, too. We all love romances set during the Regency period, and I can't think of a nicer way to escape than with a book like this. All of the characters are well-developed and the dialogue is both witty and intelligent. And the sex is steamy enough but not too anatomical, if you know what I mean. It was just a pleasure. I'm looking forward to Long's next book.

They tried to sell this to me at Waldenbooks, but I waited, and got it with a coupon on Amazon. :) I found it really lovely. I couldn't put it down, and that's my five-star standard. I'm not sure it's flawless, but I didn't care, because the story just had me smiling throughout, the dialogue was easily on a par with Julia Quinn, and the story was different from anything I've ever read. I didn't want it to end! I recommend it. I'm a Teresa Medeiros fan, if that helps, and I read Lisa Kleypas and Candice Hern. I think fans of those writers would really enjoy this book.

Five stars because this book did such a great job of grounding comedy in real tenderness and depth, and I couldn't stop reading it. The characters are never caricatures, not even the bad guys, the highwaymen and Cordelia and Edelston. Connor and Rebecca are real from the moment you meet them, and I liked them immediately. Connor is one of the most unique heros I've encountered in awhile. And heartwarming may be a schmaltzy word, but the book I think is, because you really believe in their romance, that they were meant for each other. It's a true friendship and connection that grows into a love that was just waiting for the time to be right. There are all kinds of wonderful little scenes and characters, too. I've shared it with a few friends and they all liked it, too. Wonder what else Julie Anne Long has in store? Hope she keeps writing.

I'm trying to think of who to compare this writer to...Julia Quinn, maybe? But no one really seems to fit, which must mean The Runaway Duke is unique. I found this book delightful. The plot is fast-paced and a bit of a romp -- it's almost like watching a movie. The characters are multi-dimensional, likeable and memorable, and the dialogue is terrific: very funny, but sweet, too, and the romance is truly tender and realistic; you believe they care for each other deeply. I really enjoyed watching Connor and Rebecca's relationship develop; in a way I identified with it (I married my older brother's high school best friend). I recommend this book highly, and I'll look forward to more by Julie Anne Long.

My test of a good romance: is it compulsively readable, really difficult to put down? Are the characters believable? Do you like them? Is the romance convincing? Is it sexy? Do you laugh out loud at least once? Do you choke up at least once? Are you both happy and sad when the book ends? The Runaway Duke passes my test. Though at times the plot veers a little into the contrived, you forgive it, or you don't even really notice, because the story is so completely entertaining. The characters are vivid and fun: Rebecca is curious to a fault, a little naive and indulged, but she becomes a woman who discovers the extent of her courage and what it means to love and trust someone. Connor is running from a violent past, but in the end he realizes that the things he ran from are no longer relevant to his current life, and that his responsibilities are no burden, especially when he has a soul mate in his life(well, he didn't use those words, of course, but that's the gist). IT's like watching two people you know grow up before your eyes, or something. Connor is a slightly unorthodox hero, but I liked that; he was very sexy and real. The supporting characters are fully-realized, too. The dialogue was some of the best I've read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I've passed it on to my friends with hearty recommendations. So that's my test. :)

I finally put this book down. I just can't finish it. I can't get past her age. 17 seems awfully young. Maybe she is older later in the book, but I didn't read enough to see if that is the case. I know in that time, girls married younger, but I just kept thinking, "She's just a kid!". And Connor's habit of calling her wee Becca over and over just annoyed me to no end. It made him sound like some middle-aged pervert. It kind of gave me the creeps. I didn't find it endearing or sweet, simply grating and goofy. I really wanted to like this book. The duke disguised as a groom appealed to me, but I think Johanna Lindsey's Man of my Dreams was a far superior and immensely more enjoyable book.