The Runaway Duchess

Joanna Lowell

Jan 2022 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

A runaway bride dumps a duke and rewrites her own love story in this enchanting Victorian historical romance from the author of The Duke Undone.
 
Pretty and pampered, Lavinia Yardley always dreamed of becoming a duchess. But family disgrace forces her into marriage with the most vile duke in England, and she finds herself desperate for a way out. When a rustic stranger mistakes her for globe-trotting botanist Muriel Pendrake at a train station, Lavinia has a split second to decide whether to submit to her fate or steal someone else's.

Neal Traymayne spent his youth traveling the world as Varnham Nursery's most daring plant hunter. Now he runs the nursery and is ready to settle down with a like-minded wife who'll fit right in with his large, happy, down-to-earth family. His correspondence with Muriel Pendrake proved they're the perfect match. Odd that the woman in the flesh seems more like a society belle than a scientist.

As they tramp the Cornish moors together, Lavinia and Neal discover a wild and rare desire. But this blossoming love is rooted in lies, and when the real Muriel Pendrake shows up, they can't hide from who they are. The truth may wither their hopes of happiness, or it may bloom into the sweetest love of all.

Ratings and reviews

The Runaway Duchess is the second book in the Duke Undone series. We met Lavinia Yardley in the first book of the series. She was engaged to Anthony Philby, Duke of Weston, who was the brother of the man she really loved, George. When George died, and Lavinia's father stole from the Weston family, shame was brought upon her family and she became an outcast in society. When the only choice left for Lavinia is to marry Peter, the Duke of Cranbrook, she reluctantly agrees. Cranbrook is a nasty, old goat that makes Lavinia ill just looking at him. While on their way to their honeymoon, Lavinia sees the chance at running away from Cranbrook and decides to take it. So what if the nice, common man she met, Neal Traymayne thinks she is Muriel Pendrake, a fame botanist. As Neal and "Muriel" get to know each other, they both are smitten. The more time these two spend together, the deeper these feelings become. Just when it seems as though Neal has found a woman he wants to be his bride, secrets start coming out. Once Neal and Lavinia are truthful with each other, sparks really start to fly. Everything is going wonderfully until Lavinia's past comes back in. Just when it looks like all is lost, Lavinia finds just what she was hoping for and finally gets a happy ending. This historical romance story was ok. I loved the first book in the series but I really had a hard time getting into the first half of the book. At times the scientific stuff seemed too wordy. But then there were times that I just loved Lavinia and Neal together. Both of these characters tended to either do what others expected of them, or they ran away from their problems. I really did enjoy their happy ending though.

Such a beautiful & fun story! I loved the main setting of 1880s Cornwall. I really enjoyed the beautiful writing style that the author has chosen to use when describing the settings & locations as well as the characters' clothing. I liked the botanical theme of the book it was interesting & unique! The wit & banter in this book is wonderful. I highly recommend reading "The Runaway Duchess."

About the author

Joanna Lowell lives among the fig trees in North Carolina, where she teaches in the English department at Wake Forest University. When she's not writing historical romance, she writes collections and novels as Joanna Ruocco. Those books include Dan, Another Governess / The Least Blacksmith, The Week, and Field Glass, coauthored with Joanna Howard.