historical

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.

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!