And the Miss Ran Away With the Rake, Rhymes with Love by Elizabeth Boyle

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Historical Romance

Goodreads Summary:

"Daphne Dale never could have imagined that when she answered an advertisement in the newspaper that she would find true love. Now she has the opportunity to meet her unknown suitor, but it means traveling to Tabitha’s wedding, and into the heart of her family’s sworn enemies. Everyone knows the Seldons are terrible rakes and bounders, but Daphne will risk anything to gain the happiness she is certain is right around the corner.

Lord Henry Seldon is aghast at the latest addition to the house party guest list—one would think after the unforgettable scandal Daphne Dale caused at the duke’s engagement ball, she wouldn’t dare show her face at the duke’s wedding. But here she is, poking her nose where she shouldn’t and driving Henry mad . . . with an unforgettable passion that will turn enemies into lovers"

Elizabeth Boyle writes some of the best comic dialog around.  If you want a book with lots of laughs, fun characters and exciting ending And the Miss Ran Away With the Rake is for you.

The two main characters are wonderful.  Daphne Dale wants a sensible husband.  She is in London for the wedding of her friend Tabitha Timmons to the Duke of Preston and plans to find that husband while she is there. 

Lord Henry Seldon is the sensible one of his family.  Uncle to Preston (the Duke) he has managed the family business and keeps everything from falling apart for his entire life.  He has never been considered a rake before.

Letter writing brings them together and when Daphne and Henry first lay eyes on each other at the ball for Tabitha and Preston they know they are destined to be together.  That is until they find out that she is a Dale and he is a Seldon.   It seems their families have been enemies for generations.  Each reacts with horror and then the fun begins.  This is where the great dialog comes in. The book was filled with too many scenes where I could not stop laughing to keep count.

Watching the two of them fight their attraction was wonderful.  They went to great lengths to try to stay apart.  It did not help.  They would be in the same place and their interaction always deepened the attraction. Daphne sees sensible Henry as a rake.  Henry sees Daphne as anything but sensible. They are made for one another.  They have to fight both of their families and that adds to the fun.  Even how they finally manage to get together is unique.

Look for a really fun filled read in the second Rhymes with Love book from Elizabeth Boyle.   Along Came a Duke (click to see my review) is the first book .

Avon published And the Miss Ran Away With the Rake by Elizabeth Boyle in 2013.