Scandal and the Runaway Bride by Donna Alward
Heirs to the Empire #1

Exactly what one looks for when reading a Harlequin Romance! It might be formulaic but just what one expects, and it was also a great deal of fun. The runaway bride, the reason she ran, the way the other brother doing his part to help out family and prevent scandal fell for the runaway in a way the groom-to-be couldn’t and wouldn’t and then there was a lot of family to provide support, criticism, drama and more and of course…there was the romance and kisses and a little bit more. True love in such books in not usually smooth sailing so there were also obstacles to overcome and both Will and Gabi did so by the end of the story. I am curious about who will be next up in the series and also wonder if the groom, Stephen, will ever get it together. I enjoyed this book and thought it was good fun if not terribly deep…and during a pandemic…just the right amount of escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars ( )

Very good book that I read in one sitting. I loved the depth of the conversations between Will and Gabi, the wonderful supporting characters, and the vivid descriptions of the setting. It opens at the wedding of Will's brother Stephen and his fiancée Gabi. Except that the bride didn't show up. Determined to protect his family, Will comes up with a cover story and then takes off searching for the missing bride. He's the only one in the family who knows the truth of their engagement.

Gabi's arrangement with Stephen was purely business. Stephen's father recently died, putting him at the head of the family and business. Gabi's father is ill, and she is in charge of their family business while he recovers. Stephen makes a business proposal that includes Gabi marrying him and providing an heir. Gabi panicked on the wedding day and realized that she couldn't marry a man she didn't love, even to help her family. So she ran.

When Will catches up with Gabi, he is extremely angry with her. Not so much for what she did but because of the timing. Because he knows the truth and disapproved, he understands Gabi's feelings. I loved watching him come up with a plan that would protect both Stephen and Gabi. However, he never expected the turn his plan would take.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Will and Gabi. Will is determined to protect the family, and Gabi feels guilty enough to go along with his plans. Will spirited her away to the family chateau in France where they planned to wait out the media frenzy. Once Will got over his anger, he respected Gabi's bravery in doing the right thing by calling off the wedding. During the time they spent together "hiding out," Will and Gabi became friends. Neither expected the growing attraction that sprung up between them. Though both of them fought their feelings, it was no use.

I ached for them both because of the obstacles that made a relationship difficult, if not impossible. The biggest was Gabi's former engagement to Stephen. Both she and Will felt that it would be disloyal to him to pursue their feelings. On Will's side, there is the gratitude he feels toward Stephen for saving him from a destructive path when he was younger. There is also the business relationship between the two families' companies. Gabi's fears about her abilities to run the family business were a motivating factor of her actions during the book. I loved how Will's support helped bolster her confidence. It also made her love him even more. When their relationship is discovered before they are ready, both Will and Gabi decide to face it head-on.

The scenes at the Pemberton estate were heartbreaking. I hurt for both Will and Gabi as they dealt with his family's attitudes. It was especially painful to witness Stephen's actions as they struck at the heart of Gabi's insecurities. I didn't blame her for what she did then and loved the strength that she showed. The ending was fantastic. Once the truth was out, I loved how Will's sisters got involved in bringing them back together in a sweetly romantic scene.

It was interesting to see the differences between Will's family and Gabi's family. There was no doubt about the love that existed, but the differences in the expression of that love were significant. I much preferred Gabi's family and their exuberance to the more reserved Pemberton's. And I ended up detesting Stephen. It will be interesting to see if and how he redeems himself. ( )