Title: Duchess On The Run
Author: Christa Fairchild
Published in 2005 by Vintage Romance Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 0-9770107-4-0
Related Books: N/A
Other Books by : N/A
Elizabeth can not believe that her sweetheart, Barney, has humiliated her in such a fashion. At least she was able to see him for the cad he was before they said their ‘I do’s.’ How could she have been so blind? Of course the old saying, ‘love is blind,’ in her situation held the truth. He never returned any of her letters and the fact that another woman gave birth to his son when he left to join the Air Force was the very last straw. There was only thing left for her to do. Packing her bags, she decided to go leave for America and live with her grandparents in Boston. Perhaps there she could go on without her life.
Elizabeth is surprised when she receives a letter from Barney asking her to return to him. He must be crazy; she would never get back with some illusion. Deciding to start fresh, Elizabeth answers a newspaper advertisement for mail-order brides. In no time she is corresponding with Graham Ballard. Most women would probably be discouraged if they read about small children already a part of the family, but not Elizabeth. She begins to feel a closeness to the Nebraska farmer and his two children. His letters were a most welcome sight. Another thing that weighs on her mind is what happened not long after she arrived in Boston. She found herself being followed by a young man. When it begins to trouble her, she confides in her stalker to her grandparents. With her troubled past with Barney, along with the young man who seems to shadow her, she decides to board a train designated for Broken Bow, Nebraska, to meet a stranger that she hopes will one day be her husband. She hopes in time all the past will be something that she can bury.
It hadn’t been Graham Ballard’s plan to advertise for a mail-order-bride. He needed someone to be a mother to his children but with his shyness, not to mention the limited number of single women in the area that prevented him from finding someone, the twenty-eight year old farmer decided to take his Pa’s advice. He had more work on his hands and he needed help raising his small children. Perhaps this time he would strike it lucky and find a loving woman not only to the children but to him as well.
Graham Ballard’s first marriage was a complete disaster. When she first stepped off the train, Mariana was the prettiest woman that he had ever seen. Not only that she made him feel most lucky. He soon discovered the inside of her heart was far from pretty. Mariana was not loving at all. She was shallow, desiring only gowns, trinkets and worldly items. She never wanted his love, only material possessions. She only stayed long enough to inflict pandemonium and give him heartache. And when she left him and their two little children, it had been the coldest day in December that he would never forget. Luckily his sister had been a blessing in helping out but now he needed a wife, a mother to his children again. When Graham receives letters from Elizabeth, he believes in his heart that she is different. He could even tell that in her very first letter. He hopes to meet her one day and piece together a real relationship with a real family. He has no idea that he may meet her earlier than he imagined and she may not be alone. His family may soon be growing in leaps and bounds. The only other thing that concerned him was if the life he had to offer would be good enough for her?
Duchess On The Run is a delightful romantic story that will have you spellbound. I was amazed how both characters had problems in their lives and learned to face them head on. They both were very believable in their actions. Elizabeth with her mistakes with Barney as she leaves her homeland to go to America only to end in Nebraska learning to live on a farm. It was a complete turnaround for her, not to mention accepting the role of being a mother to two children that were not hers. Here is a woman that has seen hurt and felt the pangs yet guards her heart to not experience that again. How many women haven’t met a similar Barney in their life and been scarred by his antics? But when Elizabeth meets Graham and lands in Nebraska, she sees a different slice of life that is much more meaningful. And Graham who has scars himself but wishes to find that one true relationship that will last for life. Duchess On The Run was a story that I couldn’t stop reading until the last page. The secondary characters blended in well creating a smooth flowing story with some twist and turns as they pulled at our hero and heroine every way they could to cause some form of doom in their life. I loved how Elizabeth and Graham throughout it all kept their composure and sought to work things out. They had a certain chemistry about them that made you feel they were real and that their hearts were reaching out to each other but they didn’t wish to rush into it. They wanted to be sure of their feelings for each other. I thought that was good since they both had been previously made unhappy and hurt by others and didn’t wish that experience again. Elizabeth as a duchess and Graham as a hog farmer, one would wonder if she would ever be happy, but when a person falls in love and follows their heart, nothing else seems to matter. They made the book an incredible satisfying read.
Christa Fairchild has cleverly composed a love story with doubts, entanglements, betrayals, and real problems that many face. She gives Elizabeth strength to face her problems head on yet gives her a tenderness that touches the reader. I loved the way Ms. Fairchild created Elizabeth as a woman who stands by her man no matter what. Elizabeth heads to Nebraska hoping to find that one true love and the way Ms. Fairchild produced it was like a small fire lit then slowly more twigs added then logs placed on top until both characters were really sure it was what they wanted, and when the bonfire was at its highest peak, nothing could come between them. She creates a bit of mystery and intrigue to the couple by allowing the reader to wonder if they will really make it in their relationship. I found myself rooting for the characters she created. It is nice in our time to find a sweet romance that is not loaded in all kinds of love scenes that young adults can read without blushing. This is a thumbs up book that garnishes a very good read in my book. I look forward to more books by Ms. Fairchild. This is a book that I recommend to all ages. Visit Vintage Romance Publishing for your copy today. To read more about Ms. Fairchild, visit her website
Happy reading,
Linda
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