Runaway Heart

by Claudy Conn

Spirited Chelsea decided she’d sooner run away to London than return to her vain and selfish guardian, Aunt Augusta.
But in her wildest dreams, she never imagined her dear godmother would arrange a Season—or convince the ton’s most eligible bachelor to take her under his wing.

Lord Wainwright was a handsome rogue who was not interested in coy games and missish airs. He expected a country mouse with no polish, but instead he found a thoroughly engaging minx, and was oddly irritated by all the male attention she received.

Chelsea with her unspoiled eye saw beyond Wainwright’s pursuit of hedonism to the intriguing man underneath. But to her shock, it appeared his heart belonged to her horrid Aunt Augusta!

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

390 KB 72,000 word count

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Adult, Ebooks

149 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 1990

Reviews

[angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This was a wonderful romance. My favorite character was Chelsea, she’s so innocent, yet full of strength, determination and quite smart. She certainly knew how to get her way. Although, all the characters were great and interesting.

This book was definitely worth the read and I definitely enjoyed it.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It always frustrates me when I read a book that could have been great with a little (or a lot of) editing. The trustee and the godmother spent an inordinate amount of time saying over and over, "She's been mistreated. We didn't know. Augusta lied to us." Really. We got it the first time.

And what's with the "feelings" everyone is getting? It's even written that way. "She got a 'feeling' when he was around." Even the clean romances I've read don't say that. And come to find out, this is far from clean. I mean it's not porn, but I can't figure out why the author started out afraid to use sexual words when by the end of the book, she was using "tits" and had an innocent virgin kissing a "cock" during her first experience.

I read Regency romances all the time and the dialogue and action was just not realistic to the time period. A young virgin would not have been sleeping nude in her bed. It's England, it's cold, and according to every other book I've read, she would have been in a nightgown.

The final straw was when the hero shouted, "Give them what for!" I can honestly say that in the hundreds of historicals I've read, I've never seen that phrase in one before.

I did finish this book, but it was hard to read.

[Ivy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. The heroine was great and the hero was an asshole manwhore who had had an affair with the heroine's late uncle's second wife. Augusta, the aunt, was a really dirty slut who used to cheat on the uncle and who had orgy parties after he died. I couldn't get over how the hero could have lowered himself to sleep with this evil human cum dumpster mattress. She was so jealous of the heroine's youth and beauty that she became even more evil and vindictive when the hero dumped and ignored her dirty ass. However, the bitch got what was coming to her in the end ! The hero finally gave in to his love for the heroine and gave up his dirty man whore ways for a HEA.

[Dione Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was a surprise! Found this short story on Smashwords (for free) and even though there was one steamy scene for the most part it was an amazing 1800's romance! Just my type of story. How I really do admire a gallant but not to innocent and pure gentleman that sweeps a sweet, witty and charming heroine off her feet! This is my first Claudy Conn story but I would say that it is very impressive. Most of the time I would be a little put off by scenes or POVs that don't have the smoothest of transitions but the plot was so delightful that I had to overlook it. I actually wanted to give it more stars just for keeping me seated, not being able to stop reading because I had to know what would happen next.I will have to read some of Conn's other works (in hopes that they are just as good).

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beyond words to me, and definitely deserves 6 stars. :)

Claudy Conn definitely knocks another one right out of the park. From start to finish I was completely hooked. I totally fell in love with Chelsea and think that she is by far my favorite historical heroine so far. She was so relatable and I'm sure that everyone will find a little of yourself in her.

The story and characters that unfolded were amazing and I was totally pulled into their world. I definitely recommend this book and I know that you will love it as much as I did. :)

Thanks again Claudy for another amazing book!! <3

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous Historical Romance, had me hooked from the first page.
Chelsea a young innocent little minx, who said just what she thought most of the time. Sam her best friend, their playfull teasing, so made me laugh. Was Sam the one for Chelsea ? or was it the very charming Lord Brett Wainwright who had been asked to squire Chelsea about in her first London season. Some twists n turns as the path of true love rarely runs smooth. I thoroughly enjoyed .... hope you read it too.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/1/2019)! 🎁

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,75 stars

[Dawn Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claudy has done it again in this light hearten love story. She has the ability to bring you back in time with her writing.
The vivid details form a exciting scenes in my mind making me feel as if I was in the story the whole time.

This story was extremely well written. This characters in this book had so much passion. I had lots of hilarious laughs while reading this. This pace flowed perfectly.

Brett, a daring, confident, handsome man. He is somewhat of a rogue. He is known as a ladies man. He is asked by his aunt who he adores to accompany her god daughter around town. His aunt wants him to show the ton of Chelsea. He is not happy about this but he can’t say no to his aunt. Little by little, as the days go by he becomes enchanted with Chelsea. He realized very quickly that Chelsea isn’t like any of the women he has ever known. He is drawn to her.

Chelsea, a spirited, smart, outgoing, outspoken, beautiful young lady who is left at school by her cruel step mother. She decides to take matters into her own hands and leave school with the help of her best friend. They make their way to the person who her parents made her trustee. Finally she is where she belongs. Her godmother introduces Chelsea to her handsome nephew.

I love Claudy’s characters. They are very lovable and unforgettable. The secondary characters in this book stood out no matter how small of a part they played in the story. I found this to be a very quick and easy read. You won’t want to stop reading. I adored this book from the very first page to the very last page. You will not be disappointed.

Rating: 5 Stars
Sexual Heat Rating: 4 Smoking Hot Stars
Cover: Fits the story perfectly
Overall: I enjoyed this story very much. I wish it was longer though.
Will I read more from this author? Yes, without a doubt!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runaway Heart, takes you for a spin and around the block. Through the love, hate relationships, and the underlying ones as well, Claudy Conn, in Runaway Heart brings you to the top of heartache and the to the downfall of miss guided presumptions, and back up again. Claudy's writing style is easily read, but just as polished as Lord Wainwright's shiny shoes. And the characters of Wainwright and Chelsea are relatable, yet different than many other regency characters I have had the experience of reading about.

Escaping the horrible grasps of Aunt Augusta, has always been what Chelsea has striven for since the death of her uncle. Abandoned at finishing school, Chelsea with the help of her friend Sam Martin escape and come into the care of her trustee Lord Lytton. Who has arranged soon after for Chelsea to have her day, her season, at the care of Lady Daisy Dobson. Chelsea a spirited girl is in search of her true love, and soon becomes thoroughly betaken by the Lord Wainwright, the most eligible bachelor in town. Taken under his wing, per favor of his Aunt Daisy, Wainwright, soon finds himself irritated not by Chelsea but the men that surround her. But, Wainwright finds he underestimated his first reaction to this country school girl. However, with Aunt Augusta pursuing Wainwright's heart, the question becomes will Chelsea be able to overcome her own relative to win out his heart?

Overall, Runaway Heart, gives you three really well written romances within its pages, some a more subtle while others are lovey dovey from the start. Claudy Conn does a wonderful job in her contribution to the historical regency romance novels, and keeps your heart in anticipation every step of the way.

[Jennifer Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Opinion:

I wasn't sure if I would like this book, not because of the author or any other reasons but one its a romance book. I don't read romance books unless its a paranormal romance genre. I find romance books are boring and have no point to them well I think this book has changed my mind. Who knew this short story book would change my mind about romance! Anyways, back to the what the book was about. I first started out feeling bad for Chelsea and the life she was living by being by herself. No parents and what I call a pain in the butt aunt who doesn't care about her. Then Lord Wainwright comes into the picture. Even through you can't really see him because after all it's a book but you can tell he is sexy! Lord Wainwright is a ladies man who I think doesn't know how to love but after hanging out with Chelsea he is memorized by her.
Given some parts of this book you could see coming but the way Claudy had wrote those parts in was better then what I had imagine in my mind. I'm glad I was given the chance to read this book and that it was free for me to get it! The romance between Chelsea and Lord Wainwright is dreamy and charming. Also, how the author's writing was in descriptive and not run on was amazing. I will be reading more of her work for sure! And maybe I see some more romance books in my life.
Star Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runaway Heart by Claudy Conn
Orphaned and neglected by her hateful aunt, Chelsea Halloway is still in the care of Mrs. Farthing at her boarding school, even though she’s almost nineteen. When she’s told that she will be returning to Aunt Augusta, Chelsea quickly gets her good friend Sam Martin to help her escape so she can find and speak to her trustee, Lord Rupurt Lytton. Before she knows it Chelsea is the belle of London thanks to her godmother, Aunt Daisy and Lytton.

Lord Bretton Wainwright wants nothing to do with marriage or debutante’s but when his dear aunt asks him to help escort Chelsea about so she will get noticed….he does. What the rogue did not expect was that the little minx of a girl will break down his walls and make him desire her more than he ever thought possible.

Set in Regency times our characters rub shoulders with historical figures such as Beau Brummell and Lady Jersey as well as sightings of Byron and the Prince Regent. As always you have the villains you want to pummel and a heroine with a heart for strays….animal and human alike. An enjoyable story with action, jealousy and of course….romance.
**Sexual situations
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...

[Franjessca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review posted on Book Lovin' Mamas

The villains in the story are ruthless, and it seems it is a family trait.  They will do anything to get what they want.
Claudy Conn knows how to transport you back in time where men tried everything to sweep a woman off their feet so they can marry them.  I will say this; Lord Wainwright can sweep me off my feet anytime.  I'm jealous over Chelsea.
The steamy scenes between the characters will require you taking a cold shower afterward though, so be prepared ahead of time. I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading historical romances is a fan of Claudy Conn and loves to fall in love with a rogue who becomes tamed because of one beautiful young lady who changes his ways.
Claudy Conn even gives you a sneak into other stories that she has written after you read, "Runaway Heart," which will make you want more anyways.
I know I cannot get enough of Claudy's books.  =)

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for historical regency romance for sure! This was my first Claudy Conn read and I liked it. I loved the characters and the time frame (1800's) in London. Chelsea is rather young and naive, who is a little outspoken, but perhaps learning when/how to talk takes time and maturity.

One of the characters that really helped make the story for me is her best friend, Sam. Sam and Chelsea had a lot of good, laughable scenes that I loved.

And of course there's that gentlemanly man: Lord Brett Wainwright. Who wouldn't be smitten with a sexy, caring, gentleman who gives you attention? Especially after having been abandoned after Chelsea completed her finishing school so was alone. And he discovers he had misjudged the beautiful Chelsea whom men flock themselves around. Jealous much, Brett?

If you like some steamy romance, London, and belles in the 1800's, give this book a shot. There's some good twists in it too that I didn't mention. You just need to read it.

[Nicole Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking Romance!!!!!!

What a divine romantic story. This was my first regency romance and the first book I read by Claudy Conn. I loved the characters in this book. Chelsea is a very strong willed young woman. I love this because in this time period women are supposed to meek and let the man lead. I admire Chelsea who dares to be different. She is tenacious, sassy, and always speaks her mind. Her determination to seek what she wants gets her into some pretty uncomfortable predicaments. I also love the hero in the story Lord Brett Wainwright. Strong, rich, handsome, and an ego bigger than life. He is just as tenacious as Chelsea. He vows to never to be serious about one woman or get married. But all this changes after getting to know Chelsea. He finds her personality refreshing and sees it as a challenge he wants to conquer.

Also what fascinated me was the descriptive storyline and that is was not predictable. There was mystery, action, and a beautiful yet funny love story. The details about the characters with what they were wearing and their surroundings made you see and feel like you were there in the book.

Claudy delivers an eloquent and fascinating romance. This books really made me swoon. I will definitely be reading more regency romance and more of Claudy Conn's books.

[Frankiejohnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free Kindle
HOT romance
Historical - Regency

Set in Regency England, but used terms like "cock" and "hard-on". It took me out of the 1800's. Also I had a hard time with the dialog changes from heroine to villain. The author back tracked to get the villain’s side of the same events. A little back tracking is fine, but when you completely redo the scene it is distracting. Yes, I know he used chloroform on a handkerchief... you don't need to spell it out, along with his history of how he learned to use it. and how he hated his first wife. we know this already, we already read that he killed her 3 previous times in the book.

Ok, so that is what I didn’t like about the book. How about what I LIKED!! I did like the both the Hero and Heroine. Chelsea is lovable and sweet, but a smart fire cracker as well! I loved that she had her best friend Sam to banter with. I love that Sam gets his own secondary romance. I love Aunt Daisy and Lord Lytton and their secondary romance. And I love the Hero Brett! He is like Cary Grant… handsome, suave, and falls for Chelsea because of who she is, not because she is beautiful.

Happy reading!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Runaway hearts is a lovely romance story set in the Regency period. I loved the history, the vocabulary and the narrated way the characters would have spoken in those days! Full of light-hearted humour, passion and adventure, it’s a lovely little story.

We meet Chelsea an orphaned young woman, still at school after her friends left a year ago, who has been neglected by her Aunt Augusta, a horrid woman, only interested in herself and who she beds.

With the help of her good friend Sam, Chelsea seeking out Lord Lytton who is in charge of her estate to seek refuge and finds her godmother Lady Daisy in his company, as they happened to be meeting to discuss Chelsea’s future, state of affairs and the cruel Aunt Augusta who had spun lies to cover up her neglect.

Now living with Lady Daisy, Chelsea meets Daisy’s nephew Lord Brett Wainwright who has been persuaded to escort Chelsea on outings and meet other people. Now well cared for and flourishing in London Haute Ton, Chelsea finds that she is the centre of attention, though not all the attention is good and there are plotters and schemers at work.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like women characters that are smart, brave, plucky, adventurous, and never hesitant to speak their mind in a "tell it like it is" manner, you will love Chelsea and this book. The setting was in the 18th Century with historical figures such as Beau Brummell and Lady Jersey as well as sightings of Byron and the Prince Regent. This book had many exciting twists and turns. Scary at times, but very exciting as Chelsea seemed to always be in control of her life, as well as everything happening around her. She was immensely wealthy but didn't act like it. Other than one very explicit sex scene, it was quite clean and very romantic. I especially loved how she was willing to get involved to rescue the downtrodden, be it people or animals. At times it was difficult realizing she was a girl and only nineteen. This was one of the most interesting an awesome romance books I have ever read.

[Crystal Yawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is from: RUNAWAY HEART (Kindle Edition)
This was an enchanting quick read. My first attempt at regency romance. It took longer to get through because of looking up words for definitions, plus a discussion with friends on weather chit is good or bad (still not sure).
Overall i enjoyed the book. Will read more of this genre in the future. I enjoyed the conversations very much. The old english was very different.
I enjoyed the spunkyiness of Chelsea's character. Here mannor was bold and brazen for the time period. Augusta made a enjoyable villion, but her brother fell flat.
My problem was the sex scene. For the time period and high society, it didn't fit. The words are harsh, cock, tits and not well received by me.

[Cheesecake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really liking this author's books. There are quite a few available free which I always appreciate if I haven't read someone before. This one I bought because the storyline sounded like my cup of tea. It was just what I hoped it would be. A strong yet innocent heroine, a sexy yet jaded hero, some good side characters and an evil OW. The hero discounts Chelsea at first, but gradually he falls for her almost against his will. 'Cause she's just so captivating of course! A fun read and I look forward to reading more by this author!

[Laura Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another story by Claudy Conn, so easy to fall in love with. This book review has been a fight for the world, and finally I got it up!

Chelsea was so very easy to connect and fall in love with. She has to live with her cruel guardian, (Who is easy to hate.) she's sharp and witty, what else can a heroine need to be amazing? A plot line that can amuse you through the night, a quick read worth picking up.
If you want a Regency Historical Romance this is a read to look at.

[Just Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Runaway heart is one of those you read and then forget about.

The book was decent, but didnt have that "pull".

The writing did not pull me in either, but I really liked the premise of the story.

Read: 11/02/2013
1st rating: 2 stars
Genre/sun-genres: Historial romance
Cover: 2 stars
Will I recommend: No

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit by Claudy. The characters in this book seem so real that they could be your next door neighbors. The book held my attention and I could not put it down. I'm sure you will enjoy this book and I also recommend it.

[Melanie Tikalsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good story. True to Claudy Conn form, you fall in love with the characters pretty quick. The heroine is strong willed with a good moral background. The hero and villain are well developed as well. Another hit for Claudy Conn! yay!

[Claudy Conn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Available at Smashwords and all romance for FREEE.
Later it will be avail at Barnes and Amazon for free.

[Jamie Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good reading. Chelsea is a very cheekie character.

[Aou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too perfect h, too sweet H thus boring story for me!

[Zariareads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I did not like this when I found out he slept with her aunt who is a disgusting woman.
He also was an manw*hre. I don’t like when the leads are that. The way he only thought about sleeping with others all the time. But it made it worse when he had a thing with her evil aunt🤢

[Mettesknit · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was cozy, but the writing immature.

[J.W. Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Start to finish. Only issue was way tooo short. Give me part 2 lol. Or their kids. Something. I need more


First of Conns books ive read. N very pleasantly suprised.