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Charming the Runaway Duke
Can a duke in disguise win his long-lost bride? It'll take a Christmastide miracle.
Lady Amelia has never met the man she has been promised to marry...and she certainly doesn't expect to meet him at her family home over the holidays. After all, everyone knows The Duke of Harlow never returns to England. He is so notorious for fleeing from obligation—and his future wife—that the ton have labeled him the Runaway Duke.
Lady Amelia does not even know what the man looks like. How is she to know that her long-lost fiancé is the very man she's falling for? That the man who steals her very first kiss is, in fact....the duke in disguise?
99 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2019
145 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 7, 2025
It was a cute instant love story with a play on Shakespearean comedy. This quick read only took me an hour or two and was light enough to be read while my brain is mush.
January 20, 2021
Charming the Runaway Duke by Maggie Dallen is fun and entertaining. I am always in favor of sweet clean romance. The story was short but I think Ms Dallen was able to get all the ideas in it. The book did not feel like it was lacking as some novella's do. This story has mistaken identity, running from responsibility, appearing to fall for the wrong person, making amends, and a HEA. I would certainly recommend this book.
December 2, 2019
Royce Duke of Harlow & Lady Amelia were betrothed as children & met briefly as young children. He is so notorious for fleeing from obligation and his future wife that the ton have labelled him the Runaway Duke.
Amelia & her cousin Madeline are going to travel to Italy in the New Year to find the elusive duke. Then they are visited by the Alec Earl of Tolston & Royce, who says he is Mr Greenwald, the duke's solicitor. Problems arise when Royce thinks Amelia is the companion & he's immediately smitten by her plus Amelia is smitten by the solicitor.
A delightful fun short story, which I read in a sitting. Charming characters & a story line that flowed really well. Of course Royce pretending to be a solicitor is bound to go pear shaped when Amelia finds out the truth. I really liked both Royce & Amelia who both suffered a coup de foudre. I also liked Alec & Madeline & hope they too have their stories.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Amelia & her cousin Madeline are going to travel to Italy in the New Year to find the elusive duke. Then they are visited by the Alec Earl of Tolston & Royce, who says he is Mr Greenwald, the duke's solicitor. Problems arise when Royce thinks Amelia is the companion & he's immediately smitten by her plus Amelia is smitten by the solicitor.
A delightful fun short story, which I read in a sitting. Charming characters & a story line that flowed really well. Of course Royce pretending to be a solicitor is bound to go pear shaped when Amelia finds out the truth. I really liked both Royce & Amelia who both suffered a coup de foudre. I also liked Alec & Madeline & hope they too have their stories.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
January 5, 2020
Sweet and short.
January 19, 2020
A sweet and charming short story. Enjoyable reading. 4☆
January 29, 2021
Adorable 4 1/2 stars!!
I absolutely adored this story. It's like the fifth book I've read by this author. I really enjoy the writing style. Royce is so adorable and is unlike any other duke I've encountered in a romance. This is a really cute story and makes for a quick, lighthearted read. FYI it is a clean romance. Happy reading!!
I absolutely adored this story. It's like the fifth book I've read by this author. I really enjoy the writing style. Royce is so adorable and is unlike any other duke I've encountered in a romance. This is a really cute story and makes for a quick, lighthearted read. FYI it is a clean romance. Happy reading!!
November 21, 2019
Whilst this is a lighthearted Regency romance, it is nevertheless laced with pain as Amelia has been sidelined for years by her fiancé who sees no reason to make his appearance in her life. His actions have affected her on more than one front, leaving her vulnerable and disappointed. Nevertheless, Amelia is a generous and kindhearted woman who brings smiles and showers everyone in her wake with kindness. Finally, deciding it is time to insert himself into her life, The Duke of Harlow hides his true identity, hoping to get a better understanding of his future bride. Whilst he gets far more than he ever bargained for, his actions bring even more pain. This novel is a well-written parody of one of Shakespeare's comedies and fortunately does come to a happy conclusion. This is a clean and warm-hearted romance but for some reason, I was left with an ache for all that Amelia endured. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
December 2, 2019
ONE MAGNIFICENT TREAT!!!
Enthralling! Maggie shakes it up, laying 'em out, dropping the bomb and leveling the field with this explosive treat that hooks you from the start and reels you in for the duration. Mastering the ups and downs, weaving a cocoon so intricately and tight, draws you deeper into this tangled web until everything else ceases to exist. Producing amazing, well rounded scenario's, ramping up the excitement and adrenaline with such intensity and precision, melding this gem together flawlessly. The chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back exposing an undeniable bond and amplifying affections that catapult this jewel to life beautifully. The personalities are well matched and blended with just enough flaws for diversity. The characters and scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and colorful descriptions so rich and lively, they blend and flow magnificently. Remarkable job Maggie, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
Enthralling! Maggie shakes it up, laying 'em out, dropping the bomb and leveling the field with this explosive treat that hooks you from the start and reels you in for the duration. Mastering the ups and downs, weaving a cocoon so intricately and tight, draws you deeper into this tangled web until everything else ceases to exist. Producing amazing, well rounded scenario's, ramping up the excitement and adrenaline with such intensity and precision, melding this gem together flawlessly. The chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back exposing an undeniable bond and amplifying affections that catapult this jewel to life beautifully. The personalities are well matched and blended with just enough flaws for diversity. The characters and scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and colorful descriptions so rich and lively, they blend and flow magnificently. Remarkable job Maggie, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
January 1, 2020
Enjoyable Short Story
Lovely short story, first I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to the next in the series which is Adelaide' s story. The book was well written, and a poignant story of a young lady would had been betrothed to a Duke since being a child, and he had been on the continent for years only to come back and meet her in cognito, which went terribly wrong. Amusing at times but mostly a story of misunderstanding and 'hurt' on Lady Amelia's part.
I would thoroughly recommend this book.
Lovely short story, first I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to the next in the series which is Adelaide' s story. The book was well written, and a poignant story of a young lady would had been betrothed to a Duke since being a child, and he had been on the continent for years only to come back and meet her in cognito, which went terribly wrong. Amusing at times but mostly a story of misunderstanding and 'hurt' on Lady Amelia's part.
I would thoroughly recommend this book.
November 24, 2019
This was a sweet story, perfect for some holiday cheer. Dallen engages in some mistaken identity, even referencing Shakespeare to let the audience know she is going to do it. This may be a troupe many have done but Dallen does a cute job of it. As a short story, the deception doesn't last too long, just long enough for both Royce and Amelia to make some hand slap choices before finding their HEA. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
December 7, 2019
Another lovely short story, just in time for Christmas. It was a sweet story that fills your heart with joy and humour. The characters are wonderfully written as you would expect from Ms Dallen. It is a nice set up for the next book. There is no sex in this book. I received this as an ARC and was very happy to do a review.
December 2, 2019
Great short little read. My heart broke for Amelia who has been engaged since she was very young and after years of waiting for her fiancé to come to her she has decided that it’s time she find him. While Amelia is a sweet and kindhearted woman she has been hurt by Royce’a actions and made fun of by her peers. After years Royce has come back and is ready to meet his future bride but goes about it all wrongs and all though he finally realizes what he’s been missing he has again hurt Amelia with his deception. This is a really cute read but my heart went out to Amelia for sufferings for so long and I just wanted to smack Royce some times but was very happy to read about him work to make up for his past transgressions. Lovely read definitely recommend!!!
Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book
Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book
July 28, 2020
I’ve already read all of the School of Charm books (1-3 so far) and absolutely loved them. They keep referring to this couple so I did a bit of research and found the book.
Unfortunately this story was a bit disappointing. I only gave this one three stars because the Duke of Harlow was a bit of a douche. I think this book would have been better if Amelia had made him suffer a bit more for ignoring her for so many years and tricking her about his identity.
I don’t really feel like there was time in this book for him to redeem himself, so I never got to like him. It would have read much better if you could see in detail how her wooed and courted her in front of society at the end. I just didn’t get to see enough of him making amends and being charming to Amelia, which would have finished the story off so much better.
Unfortunately this story was a bit disappointing. I only gave this one three stars because the Duke of Harlow was a bit of a douche. I think this book would have been better if Amelia had made him suffer a bit more for ignoring her for so many years and tricking her about his identity.
I don’t really feel like there was time in this book for him to redeem himself, so I never got to like him. It would have read much better if you could see in detail how her wooed and courted her in front of society at the end. I just didn’t get to see enough of him making amends and being charming to Amelia, which would have finished the story off so much better.
December 2, 2019
Shakespeare-flavored romance
I liked the premise of this story with its hat tip to Shakespeare's "As You Like It".
Royce is an immature schmuck & poor Amelia is his victim. Twice over. I'm with Amelia, it's amusing & romantic in a play - not so much in reality (never mind that her reality is fiction just work with me here, lol). It is sweet that Royce works so hard to try to make up for it.
It's relatively short, maybe a bit too short, and it had that je ne sais quoi, hard to define quality where it felt like it might be setting things up for a series so it was gratifying to learn that it is. I was shipping Madeline with the Earl though 😄
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses
I liked the premise of this story with its hat tip to Shakespeare's "As You Like It".
Royce is an immature schmuck & poor Amelia is his victim. Twice over. I'm with Amelia, it's amusing & romantic in a play - not so much in reality (never mind that her reality is fiction just work with me here, lol). It is sweet that Royce works so hard to try to make up for it.
It's relatively short, maybe a bit too short, and it had that je ne sais quoi, hard to define quality where it felt like it might be setting things up for a series so it was gratifying to learn that it is. I was shipping Madeline with the Earl though 😄
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses
January 14, 2021
I found this book for free on Amazon via Freebooksy; this is my honest review.
-I loved the premise of the book, which brought me to buy it and read it.
-I do not blame Lady Amelia flirting with Mr. Greenwald. She was pushed away from everything because she was promised from birth, never experiencing what her friends did: dancing and flirting and being courted, and then a first kiss. Let's not forget she was treated "rather like a forgotten parcel" by her uncle too.
-The Duke of Harlow only wanted “to make my bride-to-be fall in love with me,”, but it crashed because she was falling in love with his solicitor! Which is why she was so ashamed and angry.
-I gave 4 stars because before they both knew who the other was they had fun and it was cute.
-I loved the premise of the book, which brought me to buy it and read it.
-I do not blame Lady Amelia flirting with Mr. Greenwald. She was pushed away from everything because she was promised from birth, never experiencing what her friends did: dancing and flirting and being courted, and then a first kiss. Let's not forget she was treated "rather like a forgotten parcel" by her uncle too.
-The Duke of Harlow only wanted “to make my bride-to-be fall in love with me,”, but it crashed because she was falling in love with his solicitor! Which is why she was so ashamed and angry.
-I gave 4 stars because before they both knew who the other was they had fun and it was cute.
December 17, 2019
3.5 stars. A cute and sweet Regency romance, with a little bit of humour. If you are looking for a low angst, clean, instalove story you will love this one. I did find it lacked some of those period details that stand it out as a Regency. The picture and setting were during the Christmas holiday, but there was not much of a Christmas vibe, other than the mention of it being the holidays. Characters were decently developed for a quick read. Overall, an enjoyable story. *I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
December 7, 2019
Shakespeare was right - lies create tangled webs!
A delightful story, even though getting through some of the emotional turmoil proved rough. Between Royce lying and Amelia jumping to erroneous conclusions lots of heartache ensues, reminding us of the importance of clear and forthright communication... especially in matters of the heart. The conclusion was lovely, however, and particularly fine for two romantics.
A delightful story, even though getting through some of the emotional turmoil proved rough. Between Royce lying and Amelia jumping to erroneous conclusions lots of heartache ensues, reminding us of the importance of clear and forthright communication... especially in matters of the heart. The conclusion was lovely, however, and particularly fine for two romantics.
December 20, 2020
The idea behind the plot for this book just didn't work for me. The heroine's intended has been away for several years, doesn't know her, and wants to observe her without her knowing who he is. I thought that was a cowardly of him. Why she'd want to spend so much of her life waiting on him to return to claim her was another problem I had with her. I know this was a take off of a Shakespearean play, but it didn't intrigue me at all.
March 22, 2022
This should be listed as the prelude to "The School of Charm" series, as it introduces and explains the original setup idea for the school.
They were promised to wed as children, but he had not returned to meet his obligation. The Ton called him "The Runaway Duke", and caused her torment because of her missing fiance.
So when the Earl and solicitor appeared, she wasn't surprised.
However, what happens next, well it was truly confusing.
They were promised to wed as children, but he had not returned to meet his obligation. The Ton called him "The Runaway Duke", and caused her torment because of her missing fiance.
So when the Earl and solicitor appeared, she wasn't surprised.
However, what happens next, well it was truly confusing.
December 2, 2019
Lady Amelia and Royce - the Duke of Harlow have been engaged for years though they have never met in person. The Duke has no desire to get married so he avoids coming to England altogether! Things change for both of them when she unknowingly meets him at her parent's house... A great read - clean, regency romance!
December 8, 2019
5 Stars!!
Such a wonderful, sweet romance. I just loved Amelia with her positivity and strength. The Duke was quite charming too. Their story is such a quick read I wish there was more, but I'm quite content with the ending! I highly recommend this short and sweet holiday read.
Final Rating: 5 Stars
Such a wonderful, sweet romance. I just loved Amelia with her positivity and strength. The Duke was quite charming too. Their story is such a quick read I wish there was more, but I'm quite content with the ending! I highly recommend this short and sweet holiday read.
Final Rating: 5 Stars
December 18, 2019
If u are looking for a very quick and sweet read then this book could be it but otherwise I must admit that I was a bit disappointed. It was lacking in settings and atmosphere, also the ending was a bit cheesy but the beginning was promising and fun. I gave it 2.5 stars.
If u want to read a wonderful and romantically sweet historical holiday novella then I would recommend A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
If u want to read a wonderful and romantically sweet historical holiday novella then I would recommend A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
December 15, 2020
This is the first book I'm reading by Maggie Dallen, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. The scenes and characters are so well shaped that I could easily follow the story in my mind's eye. It's a nearly clean read, with only one shall/will blip in this wonderfully smooth story and I truly appreciate that. I look forward to reading more of her historical romances.
December 27, 2020
*3.5 stars
I found this historical to be super fun and sweet!
This is a clean romance (no steamy times here) and I found it really enjoyable!
I was a little disappointed because I thought that this story would have more to do with Christmas, but that was a very minor part of this story.
If you are looking for a clean historical, I recommend this one!!
I found this historical to be super fun and sweet!
This is a clean romance (no steamy times here) and I found it really enjoyable!
I was a little disappointed because I thought that this story would have more to do with Christmas, but that was a very minor part of this story.
If you are looking for a clean historical, I recommend this one!!
May 5, 2021
What a lark! Although this was a very short novella, it still held everything a reader of romance novels could ask for. It had drama, angst, chemistry, romance, and a smidge of humor.
However, I will never understand the need of an author to write such deceit into a love story...at least between the two main characters.
However, I will never understand the need of an author to write such deceit into a love story...at least between the two main characters.
January 11, 2025
A sweet story! I thought the hero and heroine very young in their perception of things, as well as how they went about doing things, but they were well-suited for each other. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. I didn’t want to stop reading! If you enjoy sweet, clean, Regency romance, then you might enjoy this book.
November 24, 2019
This fun and lighthearted mistaken-identity story actually makes me want to read more in the series, even though historical romance / Regency is not my natural reading habitat.
But I simply adore Maggie Dallen's writing and I had so much fun with these characters and their banter!
But I simply adore Maggie Dallen's writing and I had so much fun with these characters and their banter!
November 25, 2019
I am not always keen on duping someone in a relationship but this sweet story won me over. Royce and Amelia’s romance is lighthearted even though Royce definitely deserves the censure he receives. He redeems himself in the most romantic way.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
February 28, 2020
BEAUTIFUL STORYLINE
What a lovely story of an arranged marriage from birth! I always thought they met at some point but I guess not always true! Good writing looking forward to more novels!
What a lovely story of an arranged marriage from birth! I always thought they met at some point but I guess not always true! Good writing looking forward to more novels!
December 24, 2020
If I took a sip of wine for every time he used the words pixi or minx to explain the lady in this book....I’d be drunk before I got half way thru. Which is saying something cause this book is less than 100 pages haha
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews