Six months ago, Nicholas Lytton, the randy prince, was in Rio de Janeiro having a good time, when he is told that his father and his brother are dead. Nicholas is destined to become the heir to the throne of Callanos, something he never expected. Nick has not changed his playboy ways, and popular opinion favours the Duke of Rushing to take his place instead. When faced with dishonouring his family's legacy, it's shape up or ship out. Nick was an Olympic calibre athlete, he never quit then, he's not going to quit now. While on his morning run, he comes across a woman who catches his eye: Isabel Reynolds is the assistant to the head gardener. They strike up a running partnership, they are very much attracted to each other, but Isabel is very much reluctant because she is hiding, and she needs to remain hidden.

Robin Covington never ceases to impress me! Nick is a playboy, he doesn't even live in Callanos, he appears rather shallow and irresponsible, and yet when he is faced with a situation he never wanted, he raises to the occasion; his growth as a person is very impressive and totally believable. Isabel is a compassionate, passionate woman, an athlete as well, and the progression in the relationship between her and Nick is slow and organic: they become friends, but the secrets she harbours threaten any form of relationship with the prince, not to mention all the political intrigue Nick faces.

I often have problems with fictitious countries, but Ms. Covington makes it work for me, mainly because Callanos is small, it seems located in the vicinity of Monaco; it's plausible. Robin Covington was always a very gifted writer, and amazingly enough she's getting better all the time: the prose in THE PRINCE'S RUNAWAY LOVER is more fluid than ever, crisp, and eloquent; it's a total delight! The characters are very well-defined, even minor ones, character development is superb, attention to detail with regards to the political side is impeccable, and the story is very solid with the addition of an unexpected suspenseful angle.

THE PRINCE'S RUNAWAY LOVER is a perfect example of what happens when an author gets everything right: magic!