Lady Dianna Blackstone has no desire for marriage, and as an untamed spirit, she has always craved for more freedom. When her parents announce that she is soon to begin an official courtship with the arrogant Duke of Wharton, Dianna is left with no choice but to run away from her worst nightmare. After disguising her identity, she finds a position as a maid in a nearby village, but unfortunately, her employer turns out to be painfully unpleasant. In an unexpected twist of fate, her detestable intended will track her down, making Dianna's heart skip a beat as he meets another side of him. Will Lady Dianna manage to escape this living hell and give love a chance? Will she realise that the Duke might be more than what he seems and the one who will bring light to her life?
Lord Jonas Haddon, Duke of Wharton, comes across as very arrogant, but deep inside, he is a caring man who hopes to marry out of love and lead an ordinary life. Intrigued by the boldness and independence of Lady Blackstone, he is determined to find her after hearing she ran away. When he finally discovers she is hiding out as a maid, he does everything in his power to prove that he is not the prideful man she thinks him to be. It won't be long until he realises that he can't think of a future without her, seeking to court her even in her position as a maid. Will the charming Duke convince Dianna of his genuine feelings and good intentions? Will he manage to claim the heart of the only woman who has invaded his dreams and occupied his every thought?
While feelings of affection start to blossom between Dianna and Jonas, Dianna's tyrannical employer makes her life miserable even to the point of her own devastation. On top of this, no matter how hard Jonas tries to persuade Diana to return to her old life with him on her side, her pride does not allow her to give up so early. Will Dianna find her desired escape and could Jonas be the true salvation she has been looking for? Could their everlasting happiness have been right in front of them this whole time or will poor decisions trap them into an unbearable life?
"A Duke's Fleeing Bride" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
I did not finish this book. I am prepared to overlook the occasional historical blunder by a novice HR author, but I notice that this writer has published a number of other titles that are presumably also depicted as “Historical Regency Romance”. On that basis, a reader should be able to expect something better than a Duke advising his mother that he is prepared to be introduced to a prospective bride because “I would not mind learning whether she lives up to the hype”. Is it possible that the author believes that this saying was one used in Regency England? Presumably so - and therefore she saw no reason to check her presumption via a dictionary, or even via Google. If she had done so, she would have discovered that this Americanism was not even being used in the United States for at least eighty years and, arguably, much longer. The comment might now be relatively universal in English-speaking countries, but it would most certainly never have passed the lips of an English Duke living in the first half of the nineteenth century. There is no way that I could bring myself to finish this book. I ploughed through the repetitive nothingness of Chapter One, including the bizarre outburst by the heroine’s father in the “dining hall” when he lambasted the maid from entering, at dinner time, with a “pitifully arranged platter”. I then trudged into Chapter Two, where I was again brought up short - initially by the boring exchange between the Duke and his mother, which mirrored the dreary and repetitive dialogue of Chapter One. I was already thinking about giving up, but I thought something interesting might, might happen. When the Duke offered up his line about “living up to the hype” I realised that my cautious optimism was unfounded. This title may have been transformed into an extraordinary tale at the beginning of Chapter Three but nothing I read before the “hype” led me to believe that was possible. I gave up. The star is for the cover design. Although the notion of a heroine’s back facing the reader has now been done to death, I was attracted by the cover and the designer deserves a star.
Disappointed isn't A strong enough word! I slept😴 through most of this one. Pet peeve of mine is continuing mistakes made of not properly addressing nobilty. A Duke is always a Duke and is addressed as such or by Your Grace. The daughter of an Earl is Lady and first name. On and on it went with basic historical errors. There were also many instances of modern day words and phrases in this supposed Regency Era novel.
Otherwise it was an ok story, but it was a complete fantasy in the worst way that never would have happened. It needs editing to fix the above named problems, which completely ruin the story. Authors📚 also need to learn how to end a book without dragging it out for extra unneeded chapters.
Worse story ever attempted by me. Literally unbelievable
This story was really just too much. Dianne was insane to say the least and Jonas no better. There was no reason for her to be a perpetual slave to Mr Heath and do the type of work he asked. On top of all that she could have gone back home at any given time. Independence is one thing but stupidity is another. This story was outrageously unreal and made no sense. I skipped most pages and only kept flipping pages not believing that Dianne could be so .........
This is an unexpected theme and one that is, in fact, scandalous for its time. It was lovely to watch the maturation of both Dianna and Jonas from the spoilt children of titled parents. Although Dianna's behaviour was appalling, her interactions with the nasty Mr Heath were the beginnings of better conditions for all working people. She was within her rights to challenge him and his reactions were the worst an employer could be. The poor and working people of this period suffered greatly from their employer's tempers and self-righteousness. Mr Heath's treatment of Dianna in forcing her to go to the cottage and becoming his prisoner was shocking, but probably not all that uncommon that he would treat her as his possession. At least he did not force himself on her as was also common. It was interesting that Dianna's own father thought nothing of berating poor Libby, his own maid and that Dianna apologised for him. Her thoughts were already on the plight of the household staff, even before she experienced that life for herself. As well as a lovely romance with acceptance on both sides for their character flaws, this work is a study on the working conditions of the time and, as such, quite thought provoking. I would have liked to know Simon's background that led him to become a respected businessman. There must be a success story there! I read and reviewed this ARC voluntarily and gave it 4 stars.
I have a real pet peeve about authors writing historical and Regency romance - especially when it it set amongst the English nobility.
And its about titles. And how you address people with titles. And how you should NEVER address them.
And its not hard research to do - but really, it needs to be the absolute basic research that authors should do.
An unmarried lady - daughter of an Earl, is always addressed as Lady FirstName. NEVER Lady Lastname. A Duke is NEVER addressed as "My Lord" or "Lord Lastname". EVER. From his birth, he would be addressed by his hereditary title (usually a Marquess - say Marquess of Blob - and he would be called "Blob" by close friends). Close friends would call him by his Title (e.g. Duke of Splat - known to his intimates and family informally as "Splat"). And called by those not close as "Your Grace".
It's a real problem I have with authors, and it can totally ruin the image that the story builds.
This had a fairly good story idea - but it was ruined every time that a person was incorrectly addressed. It pulled me out of the period and out of the story.
I read this entire book. It was disappointing to say the least. The character of the lead woman could have made a good story but the supporting character of the Duke is not believable at all. He is too weak and does not act like a Duke at all. A Duke would never have stood to be treated the way he was treated by his subordinates especially the man who mistreated the lead character. I did not put the names of the characters because quite frankly it was everything I could do to finish reading the book. To be fair I will read another book by this author just to see if it is any better than this book. To be better hopefully this author will research how the nobility act because there is no way a Duke would be that weak and stand for his subordinates to treat him that way. Especially the constabulary and the man who mistreated the noble woman pretending to be a maid. This story left me thinking the author did not research the position and actions of how a Duke acts.
Ohhhh, how I disliked Lady Dianah when first I met her. She was rude, opinionated and very proud. She had one good quality which was she was independent. She wanyed independence and thought her parents cruel not to give in to her every wish. The fact that they wanted her to meet a duke and think about marriage was like torture to her. The duke, Lord Jonah, she felt he was too full of himself and would not even try to be polite. She even ran away from home because they were trying to let her get acauainted with him. The rest of the story is a one in which Dianah learns several lessons and the reader gets to know Lord Jonah is a truly splendid young man with a lot of patience. This book took me lo her to read than most because it made me mad at Dianah and then about my own character defects. This story is about the power of change and redemption. I gave "A Duke's Fleeing Bride" by Alice Kirks 4 stars.
But I found it a bit repetitive and threatened several times to put it down. However that is not my character, if I am intrigued by the first few chapters I will generally persevere to the end. And, I did, persevere but it wasn't easy. I loved the story line and understood everything she was trying to do and rooted for her. I am glad she was enlightened by her experience and chose to do something.
I loved the supporting characters Minnie and Simon, they are the friends everyone should want; honest and truth tellers. With friends you can reject their truth without fear or threat that they will reject or abandon you. Everyone knows the truth when they hear it, but it may have to marinate a bit before they're ready to act on it.
Please enjoy the book if you're reading till the end, I was glad I didn't abandon it.
This book tried to cover too many issues, don’t waste your time
This book feels as if it was written by a child or a teenager. There is no rhythm to the writing. Every interaction is explained as if the reader could glean even the simplest notion. I kept waiting for it to end and finally just gave up after 300 pages of pure nonsense. I just happen to be someone who will push through no matter what and look for the silver lining. Let me be clear there isn’t one. Poor writing, poor syntax and just too many topics in one book. Don’t run away with an idiot idea of becoming a maid and then come back and try to save the world based on one very limited experience. It sounded goofy.
I cannot imagine going to such extreme lengths to prove my independence. I believe her selfish instincts made her take a job that she was not prepared for, and then behaved like she was somebody. And to have a potential suitor that respects her feelings and goes out of his way to support her. This is an amazing, challenging book to read. It reminds you that women do have a voice and should be respected when using that voice. We just need to use it for good and not because we want our way. It was an interesting read and encouraged me to be more determined to make a difference with the people around me.
I greatly enjoyed the storyline of this book. Although it had an often-used theme, that of the heroine running away in order to avoid marriage to a dreaded gentleman, the story went much further, detailing the experiences of the heroine which were harrowing, to say the least. It was very interesting and suspenseful. That said, the dialogue was stilted, awkward and filled with typos, syntax and grammatical errors. The characters were not particularly relatable, nevertheless, they were likeable and the affection of the male character was very touching and heartwarming. A good read.
I had trouble with this story. It was just to farfetched.
1. A duke was not referred to as Lord but His Grace or Duke. I have a problem with characters not being called by their correct titles. 2. Dukes don't gravel, but this one did. Jonas came across as graveling for Dianna's affections. 3. What Lady of the Ton would rather be a maid then marry a young handsome rich Duke? This in itself makes no sense. 4. Dianna's arrogance believing in the Era she lived in that she didn't have to get married, just work as a Maid was just to farfetched! Maids were often abused in all kinds of ways by there employers.
Oh it's a fine read. Dianna is a woman who knows her own mind and she thinks her suitor is a horrible arrogant man. She's turned off by him. Her parents wish them to marry and she balks at the very idea. In her mind, anything is better than marriage to someone she cannot love or respect. Imagine her surprise when she takes on a job as a maid and sees how hard life really is outside the nobility. It's definitely an eye opener and it teaches her true grace, humility, and a deep appreciation for the blessings in her life. While it's a good story, it's not something I would want in my personal library.
The main character in this story is a free spirit who rebels at every turn at the restrictions of society, especially when it comes to being forced into marriage, believing that all men are arrogant and pompous. But when a duke comes calling, will she obey the edicts placed upon her? Or will she find a way to rebel again, even if it devastates her family, and places her own life in danger? I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It's a clean story with no bad language, no explicit sexuality, and is a nice romance.
A delightful tale and a plot that is very different
This is a delightfully written tale that has a plot that is very different to the norm. The characters are brilliantly crafted with a particularly strong and determined heroine. The emotional journey that she has to endure keeps you enthralled right to the end. The extended epilogue brings us a wonderful insight into their later lives and expectations for the future. I read an ARC copy.
She came to understand her life a bit better. I fell in love with the cover and could not wait to read the book. The book was excellent it showed a young lady who is very stubborn and wonderfully flawed it makes the story feel more real I adore it when an author brings that to their work. I also like that the book was a refreshing twist to a classic plot. I enjoyed the book and happy to recommend it.
A Duke's Fleeing Bride A Historical Regency Romance Book
This is a very wonderful story about Dianna that thinks of marriage as a cage and she will be unable to be her self Her parents betrothed her to a young Duke named Jonas and she runs away and works as a maid and is mistreated by the bossShe is found by the Duke and they fall in love.The characters are determined The extended epilogue shows life many years later with a happy ending
Intriguing cover can't make up for triple-spaced block paragraphs, the mark of a rank amateur. Speaking of rank, a Duke is never Lord (Surname). If a writer doesn't know what books are supposed to look like and can't do the most rudimentary research on peerage titles and forms of address, I want nothing whatsoever to do with this (free) nonsense.
She is determined to have her independence, almost no matter what the cost. She goes to work for a man that work her very hard because of her saying she can do anything a man can. Jonas finds her chopping wood from a tree she has cut down. Jonas decides he is going to help her whether she wants him to or not. They eventually decide they love each other and break down the walls between them!
The author grabbed my attention at the very beginning of the story and held it till the very end. The main character who was independent and stubborn set out to pursue her freedom, but found herself losing the bit she had. However, she would not give up. What she endured ... led to the freedom of young maids who suffered unbearably at the hands of their masters. Read and enjoy!
Dianna doesn't want to get married to Jonas as she dislikes him. But will he be able go change her mind? But before that happens she runs away to work as a maid. Her employer is an awful man that pushes her too far. She is unable to escape and she is trapped. Jonas needs to find Dianna before it is too late as he realizes that he needs her. But will they make it through this alright? A good read
In chapter one, one of the primary characters uses the word, "hype." A quick check of the word's etymology shows it didn't appear until the early 1900s. It's unlikely the word was in popular use before then, and then limited to American criminal groups. That it should appear in a book set, presumably, in the 1800s makes me 🤔🤔🤔 the author's attention to details. Couldn't get past chapter one after that
Unbelievably amazing story of strength and determination
What an amazing story about Dianna and Jonas as well as how their friends, Simon and Minnie complemented wonderful story. I loved the characters and the twists and turns to such a wonderful and unexpected ending. Congratulations, great works!
This was such a great story. Lilly falls for the prince ment for her twin Primrose II. The prince falls for Lilly but she is not the princess, her twin is. They swapped places and botched up their parents plans. Now how will they straighten out the mess they made. Read this lovely story for yourself and find out.
The writing is fine. The story is interesting. But Dianna is everything I wouldn't want my friend to be. Prideful, uncaring, thoughtless and stubborn. I really couldn't find any redeeming qualities that would make Jonas stick with her through all of the consequences from her selfish decisions. Glad she finally apologized!
It’s a sad day when a woman feels the need to run away from a potential husband. This is a lovely tale of the woman who ran, and the man who wouldn’t let her go. I enjoyed it even when I wanted to shake her by the shoulders. You should pick this up too if you like regency historical romance novels.
Jonas has agreed to court Lady Diana but she has other plans & is gone before anyone knows. She finds a job but her master of the house is cruel. Jonas looks & looks for her & finally is rewarded but he keeps her secret until she disappears. He never gives up & finds her just in time. She agrees to go home & at last they marry.
The lady doesn't like the duke her parents are pairing her with, in spite of her vocal declarations of dislike for him. When faced with their plans to marry her off with or without her consent, she runs away. He finds her, proves he isn't the arrogant man she thought he was, and rescues her from her wicked employer.
The story is nice with a happy ending but the characters, sometimes I felt it is a school teacher talking. Unbelievable! Dianne would have died in the river, if Jonas had not saved her, and all they did was talk? No court ? No jail? The homeowner abducted her … I would have given it 5 starts if the characters were more believable
Dianna tells everybody she doesn’t want to marry! But no one will listen, being forced into it with a Duke, she runs thinking she will gain freedom! Big mistake, now a maid for a cruel man, and sees no escape! New twist to an old story!