Without preamble, this novel jumped straight into the story with Cassandra on the run. I really tried to like her but I found her character to be weakly drawn. Of course, Cassandra was the most beautiful and fascinating woman to ever exist – and still only a teenager! She embodied the damsel in distress trope. She was too trusting and cried way too much.

Likewise, Lord Irlam, or ‘Hal’, embodied the archetypal brooding hero… but not in a good way. He often came across as condescending towards Cassandra, with their age gap adding to the feeling that that their relationship was inappropriate. I don’t automatically dislike the age gap trope, but in this instance, due to Cassandra’s extreme naivety, their dynamic felt uncomfortably imbalanced. How I felt about the main characters didn’t help set up their romance to succeed. Hal instantly lusted over Cassandra, with Cassandra’s reciprocal feelings not too far behind. Their relationship wasn’t given a solid foundation and I wasn’t invested.

Overall, as the characters lacked nuance and the romance was rushed, I wasn’t invested in the outcome of the story. I wish it was afforded more depth, as everything felt frivolous.

The Runaway Heiress is the first book I have read by Emma Orchard and it won’t be the last. Emma’s style is very Heyer esque but with lashings of steam which make it a perfect mix.
Cassandra Hazeldon had to take refuge after her uncle tries to force her to marry his odious friend. Fearing for her virtue she manages to hide in a mansion in Mayfair in the dead of night. When Hal, Lord Irlam finds her asleep in his library, he is duty bound to offer his protection. Posing as a friend of Hal’s sister, Cassandra is introduced to the social whirl of Brighton.
Cassandra and Hal find it difficult to ignore their mutual attraction but before they can truly acknowledge their feelings for each other, the unwelcome arrival of her uncle prompts Hal to propose in a very public manner. Suddenly thrust into a marriage in which they find they are more than compatible physically, Cassandra and Hal must learn to trust each other emotionally. But can their marriage survive their insecurities?
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It is really very well written and the characters are well developed. The style of writing can take a little getting used to because it is very reminiscent of Heyer but I liked that it wasn’t too modern. It suits the setting. The story flows well and mainly focuses on the relationship between Hal and Cassandra. I liked that we saw Hal’s perspective and we can see his confusion while trying to work out his feelings for Cassandra. He was a bit blind and oblivious at times though and a quick conversation would probably have saved much angst. Cassandra was a great heroine. She was brave, resourceful and it was nice to see her grow in confidence.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to Emma’s next book. I received an advanced review copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found the first 20% of The Runaway Heiress really engaging but from there on my interest peaked and waned. The heroine, Cassie was interesting in terms of her thinking but also she was a bit too quick to trust her new protectors and love interest. I liked Hal, the MMC, but also he was demonstrating signs of insta-something very quickly. That became the underlying foundation for what they had and I wanted a bit more of a harder-fought feeling in the earlier parts of their time together.

We did get trouble later on but I didn't enjoy the reason for their misunderstanding. The Georgina storyline felt Wickham and Lydia to me. I wanted a bit more of the family so that I could understand Hal and why he was the way he was.

Overall, the characterisation felt a little superficial. Both separate and together, I wanted to dig deeper with these characters but there was limited scope. The dialogue in the intimate scenes felt a little awkward to me but I recognise this might have worked for other readers.

This wasn't as strong as the first book I read from this author, but I will read a future read to see if it works better for me.

Oh how I wish I could meet the truly wonderfully romantic Hal in my everyday life but sadly I’m not an heiress and have no need to run away so there is little chance and I must be content to read about him in this excellent regency novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Orchard’s first romance - The Second Lady Silverwood- even though it wouldn’t be a genre I am normally drawn to - it was recommended and once I started reading I could not put it down.
If anything “ The Runaway Heiress” is even better- I just loved the opening pages- they really drew me into the story immediately and once again I raced through this novel, barely pausing for breath.
Maybe I was in a romantic mood- my eldest son has just got married after all - but I just loved the “will they won’t they” aspect of the plot and the way Hal whisks in to save Cassandra. What a dashing man and as I said earlier, one I’d love to meet!
Cassandra herself was such an engaging and empathetic character, so brave and honest. It took a lot of courage to behave as she did, particularly living in a time where women were usually controlled by men and could easily lose their reputation and hence their chance of a happy life.
I must also add that the book has been particularly well researched with a lot of interesting new words pertinent to the time period- what is a “spencer”, how long is a “sennight”? I really enjoyed looking up the meanings!
As in Emma’s first book there is a lot of what I would describe as saucy content. Fortunately I was using my kindle so others were unaware of what I was reading. It’s definitely a fun read which transported me to sunny Georgian Brighton on a dark autumnal night.
This book is definitely recommended to all lovers of romance and even to those who have not read this sort of book before. I shall await with eager anticipation the next book by this excellent author. Five stars from me!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

This was a well written regency romance. With a dramatic start, a hint of danger and separate strands to the plotline, the book captured your attention. Unusually, the marriage came half way through and not near the end. This acknowledged that even if there is a case of love at first sight, you still need to get to know a person. All 8n all, a decent read

I did enjoy this story very much. I liked the main characters of Cassandra and Hal. Cassandra was a brave lady but also quite forthright, that is, until a misunderstanding when she didn’t explain things for some time. Hal, Lord Irlam was an honourable man, who helped Cassandra but also felt an instant attraction to her. Hal has had to care for his younger siblings since the death of his parents, not always an easy task. His sister, Georgiana has a kind heart but does tend to get herself into trouble. This was an entertaining story, it moved along at a good pace and had a happy ending.

Quite a change from my usual reading genre, but I finished this incredible regency romance last night and LOVED it! Hot and sexy with fantastic characters and sizzling chemistry! I didn't want it to end.

The first book I've read by the brilliant Emma Orchard, but definitely won't be the last!

The Runaway Heiress is the second book in the series by Emma Orchard. I had loved the first one and had similarly high expectations from the second one, but have to say that this one is not as good as the first book in the series. The plot revolves around Cassandra, who has run away from her uncle to escape an unwanted marriage and Hal, who rescues her. Suffice to say that the book is still very much a highly erotic Georgette Heyer and the characters are engaging, but the storyline is not as robust. Once Cassandra and Hal get married, jealousy creeps in because of Cassandra's interactions with an old male friend; however, this part of the story seems forced.
That said, this is still a very enjoyable book to read and I am looking forward to another book by the author.

I really enjoyed the author's first book so was excited to pick this one up. While I did enjoy this I do think the first one remains my favourite.

I love the little call backs to her previous books (though reading it would in no way be necessary to read this book)

Emma Orchard does a great job of creating fully fleshed out characters, you understand them, their choices, why they are the way they are. I love that the characters are imperfect people.

It was also really nice to have a little bit of diversity in the book with the inclusion of minor side characters who are queer.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book

Fun Regency romp. This has a lot of the Georgette Heyer about it BUT it's made the genre a lot more modern - which I loved.

I enjoyed this regency romance, full of great characters that were well thought and fleshed out.

A great romance book with a little spice to keep me engrossed

Some of the pacing was off flipping and bit to and throw and the second did seem to drag a little but not to much to put me off.

I will look forward to read this author again

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

Thank you to the publisher for the arc. I think I'd recommend this for fans of a good old regency romp: the characters (and their chemistry) are brilliant, and really make the novel. Personally, I felt the pacing slightly off, with things happening in an odd order, the second half seeming overly long and too much emphasis given on certain scenes and not enough on others. But with that being said I flew through it, and would be interested to read more from this author!

Cassandra Hazeldon, heiress to her family estate, is under the guardianship of her uncaring Uncle who plans to wed her to his friend. Seeing her chance to escape she takes it, and ends up at the home of Henry Pendlebury, Lord Irlam (or Hal to his friend). Although she believes the house to be empty apart from staff she awakes to find herself face-to-face with the Lord. Upon hearing her story Hal decides to protect her from her unscrupulous uncle and his lecherous friend.

I enjoyed this typical regency romance. The main characters romance starts to blossom and then falters. As always the lack of communication exacerbates this, along with family responsibility and a fortune hunter. There are a few spicy scenes thrown in (is it just lust or could it be more?), before the inevitable happy ending. It’s an enjoyable read, that I read in one sitting. I’ll look for more by the author.

Very excited to read/review this title. Will be sharing.a full review and thoughts soon. Im not usually a huge historical fiction person but with the recent Brigerton and it's spinoffs the appeal has grown. I love the storyline about this orphaned girl and all the adventures that await her and how she is going to have the dashing Hal change the entire course of her life.