The Dark Earl and His Runaway

Friendship #5

by Julia Donner

Leticia Carlton has been told she has nothing to recommend her but an unsuitably clever intellect and a respectable fortune, but until she reaches the on-coming age of twenty-and-one, she can make no use of her few attributes. Her unsavory cousin holds the purse strings and has plans for her future, namely marriage to a frightening adventurer. What she needs is a shining knight galloping to her rescue, but the savior she ends up with turns out to be a friend from her childhood with a hair-trigger temper, tender heart, and tarnished armor.

Genres: Historical Romance

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Julia Donner (aka M.L.Rigdon) grew up in historic Galena, IL, USA, and spent most of her time in the museum of her aunt, who encouraged her interest in history and understood the need to cherish a dream. She started writing in secret in her teens and never stopped, merging it with her mother's encouragement to study theater and music, which led to performing in the Midwest, California and as far away as Austria.

Donner never forgot what it was like to write alone as a girl and is a happy member of Summit City Scribes. Concern for the failing educational system led her to develop Your Futures in Ink, a panel of local and regional authors, who go into to schools to encourage students and answer questions about writing.

THE TIGRESSE AND THE RAVEN, first book in the regency Friendship Series, is an RWA contest finalist. The ninth book in the series, A ROGUE FOR MISS PRIM and the tenth, AN AMERICAN FOR AGNES, are available now. A LAIRD’S PROMISE will be released by Spring 2018.

Reviews

[Laura Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many loose ends

There were many story lines introduced by the author but never pursued, instead we have a robust sex life for the lead couple and characters from previous books rehashing their relationships with each other. This could have been a good story if author had followed through with the life story of Bainbridge and Leticia instead of just filler.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt too fast, there was a lot going on and it felt like it ended rather abruptly, which was too bad because I really liked the two main characters and would have liked them to be more fully developed.

[Lazy Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

So needs editing

I honestly wish I had put this book down when it began to get weird. It started out okay but then it just became sort of disconnected. Then they are getting married and her husband is already ready to consummate the marriage very noticeably in his tight pants? They rushes her from the chapel, leave his friend and goes to the bedroom to do the act. Please? Who is that much of an ass? Pages 212 to 227 were so out there not making sense that I kept rereading to see what I was missing. It wasn't me. Then the arrival of carriages full of friends coming to meet the happy couple??? No warning, nothing? Then his mother and a sister who he knew nothing about? Too much. I keep on because I enjoyed her other books. This was...not even one star.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, Julia Donner's books aren't that deep, and this was no exception. Not much of a plot, no twists and turns; pretty simple. However, she does write beautifully and I've never run across an author who can tell a *classy* boner story like her. I, personally, appreciate a sophisticated approach to boning.

[JTot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I enjoyed this book. I am not sure if the big impediment was a good enough reason for the hero’s decisions to do nothing. There just seemed to be a lot of dilly dallying on his part in finding her, dealing with Holcomb, and with his mother…if she hadn’t run away and accidentally found him…just a little bit too contrived. UNLESS he is a little lazy of mind…and if that is true I feel like it would have been nice to acknowledge that has a flaw.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best so far!

Book five in the series, and it’s the best so far! Engaging and fun, and So deliciously romantic, with both lead characters straightforward and endearing. Highly recommended.

[Old Scot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this series and enjoying it. This particular book, however, is different from the others because it takes place in more or less one place, and the two main characters are just so sweet! We've seen the hero as a supporting character in the earlier books of the series - a man of violent action and few words. Now we get to see some more of his character, and his motivations. The story gives us both characters' viewpoints. Both characters are straightforward and without guile and actually talk to each other and seem to like each other, which I enjoyed.

My only disappointment is that, after the hero's big secret is revealed, we barely see the couple interact with each other for the rest of the book, as most of the third act is concerned with other characters.

And I wish American authors would learn what a vest and pants are in the UK!

Nonetheless, this is a really nice, recommended read.