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!
Sign: Libra He's hot, irresistible…and he will always make
sure you're satisfied. Crown Prince Nicholas Lytton was
never
supposed to be ruler of Callanos. He was the “spare to the
heir,” pursuing a decadent life of the rich and royal—
extreme
sports, physical pleasures, and glorious irresponsibility.
Until his brother died. Now Nick is to be coronated king,
and
no one believes he's ready. The best way to secure his
crown
is to do the unthinkable…find a queen. While Isabel
Reynolds
works in the palace gardens, she has no desire to draw the
attention of the way-too-flirty, would-be king. For she's
not
the woman everyone thinks she is. Even if she wanted—or
was
tempted by—the promise of love, it would only end in
disaster.
Because while Isabel may be able to catch a king, her
secrets
would only destroy him…