The Runaway Viscount by Darcy Burke is a historical romance and book three of the Matchmaking Chronicles. I haven’t read the previous books in the series so, I read this one as a standalone. I have read Darcy Burke’s work before; I loved reading the Phoenix Club Series, also a historical romance, so I am excited to read more books by the author.
Juliana Sheldon is a widow, whose husband has left her enough wealth to live comfortably. While travelling she gets stranded at an inn because of a snowstorm. At the inn, Juliana meets Viscount Adlington. Viscount Adlington aka Lucas Trask, is an heir to the earldom. When Juliana and Lucas have a great time together and share a passionate affair while they are stranded at the inn. Lucas leaves in the morning before Juliana wakes up and even though she didn’t have any expectations from him, it hurt.
Two years later, Juliana and Lucas’s paths cross again at a matchmaking party. Lucas is finally looking to settle down but his rakish reputation precedes him. Lucas is delighted to see Juliana but she gives him a cold shoulder. Both of them have thought about each other since their time together at the inn but Lucas leaving Juliana the way he did is something she has trouble moving on from. Lucas has changed over time so has Juliana. She has trust issues and given her history it feels justified. Lucas has to work hard to prove himself to Juliana and even to his own conscious.
The narration of the story is from Juliana’s as well as Lucas’s point of view. I think this gave me a good perspective about these characters and their motives. Juliana and Lucas hit it off from the moment they meet at the inn. Their chemistry is evident. They get to know each other a little and seems like it could work between them. Although they wish they had more time, their expectations are realistic. Lucas doesn’t mean to abandon Juliana the morning after they sleep together but his almost casual action and a deep emotional impact on Juliana. It’s so satisfying to watch them work things out two years later and this time find a way to make things permanent they thought were wishful thinking at the inn.
The Runaway Viscount by Darcy Burke has everything I was looking for when I picked up another historical romance. It has romance, interesting characters, and a good pace for the plot. I didn’t know any other characters because I read this as a standalone but it really take me away from the story. I enjoyed reading this book.
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