The Rancher's Runaway Princess

Brody Hamilton is the owner of a ranch and is looking to make an alliance with the royal family of Marazur and their world-renowned horse stables. Lucy Farnsworth is representing the royal family as she heads to Hamilton's ranch to broker a deal. What she isn't telling them is she is the princess, something she only found out a few months ago. Brody has been hurt before by a woman who lied to him and he has no patience or trust for anyone hiding secrets. He knows Lucy isn't telling him something, but even so, he can't help but be intrigued by her. Lucy is emotionally fragile and the comfort she finds at the ranch, and in Brody, is something she has been missing. But they come from different worlds and love may not be enough to bridge the gap. The Rancher's Runaway Princess has all the elements of what many women dream of - love, dark, handsome men, royalty. Brody is that wounded kind of man most women want to wrap their arms around and make everything better. Lucy is very fragile, but when she's not crying, she's a fun, competent woman. With a fairy tale ending, this is a classic romantic adventure. Niki Lee Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The Rancher's Runaway Princess by Donna Alward Lucy Farnsworth has lost her balance. Her roots have been heaved up with the loss of her mother and the discovery that her father is actually alive and the monarch of a far away country. Joining him as Princess is a promise she made to her mother, but her heart yearns for something simpler, something pure. Only in the company of horses does she find some solace. In desperation to prove herself to her father, she embarks on a journey to enrich her father's royal stables by making an agreement with a successful ranch owner in Canada. The difficulty lies in working with Brody Hamilton, the ranch's owner. He's sexy, moody, and confusing. Brody's life has been anything but easy and he resents the people that play "princess" - his ex wife taught him that lesson all too well, abandoning him in the darkest time of his life. With the loss of his family, Brody took on the ranch by himself. Now he has an opportunity to really put it on the map - an agreement with a Royal stable. But the negotiation isn't easy when the beautiful woman sent by the King is clearly hiding something. He can't bring himself to trust another princess. In keeping her identity secret, Lucy engages Brody's suspicions. In turn he hides his difficulties from her. As the two work out their differences, they also find a sense of belonging, a bond that blooms with sensuality and finally love. This book has a lovely flow to it - it pulls you along with the evolution of the characters in a way that leaves you with a smile on your face. Well written and descriptive, this book is a wonderful weekend read.

This is another excellent book from Donna Alward and it's going on my 2009 Top 10 list! Using the majestic Rockies as a backdrop, Donna Alward weaves lonely despair and heartbreak together into an emotion-packed story that had me crying on pg 46 no less. In the past few months, Lucy Farnsworth's world has been ripped apart upon the death of her mother and she's been expected to settle half a world away with strangers. The only thing that Lucy finds familiar are the palace horses where she shines in her knowledge. Not knowing what to do with his newfound daughter, the king sends her on a business trip to an Alberta ranch. Lucy wants to hide out and doesn't tell anyone she's really a princess. And there, in the stable, Lucy finds the daughter of a familiar horse from when her mother was alive and it threatens to be her undoing. And who happens to witness the scene but the ranch owner, Brody Hamilton who believes Lucy is not who she seems. He thinks she's out to sabotage his current set-up although he can't figure out why. There's just something...shady...about Ms Farnsworth. Not only that, Brody is physically drawn to the woman even though she reminds him too much of his ex-wife. It's just as well Lucy and Brody are trying to act nonchalant towards each other because if they ever did step up to a physical as well as emotional relationship, what would Brody do when he finds out her royal status? Heat Level: Sensual My Rating: Excellent - 5 stars (Top 10 list) [...]

Brody Hamilton has dedicated himself to making a success of Prairie Rose Ranch. He's got the perfect opportunity to form an alliance with one of the greatest stables in Europe but dealing with King Alexander's representative is more distracting than he'd anticipated. He senses that Lucy's hiding something but can't quite figure out what or why and after what he's endured over the past couple of years he's not about to assume that anyone is who they claim to be or trustworthy. Lucy Farnsworth's life has taken a drastic turn in the past couple of months. She learned that she's royalty, lost her mother - the one person she's always counted on, and everything she's known and loved is suddenly gone. Her love of horses is one thing that's carried her through this whole ordeal and when King Alexander sends her to a ranch in Canada she views it as a chance for normalcy - at least for a little while. That is until she meets the ranch owner, Brody, and realizes that there's more at stake than an international alliance. As Princess Luciana of Marazur Lucy feels out of place and uncomfortable, but as just plain Lucy she feels a measure of safety. It's what she knows and she's far more comfortable dealing with horses than royal duties and the expectations of being a princess. When she's sent to Canada to check out Brody's operations, his stock, and the man himself she makes the decision to keep her true identity a secret. She introduces herself as Lucy Farnsworth and allows Brody to believe that she's the head of King Alexander's stables. Brody and Lucy definitely don't get off to a good start. They're both mistrustful of each other and not looking to get involved in any sort of emotional relationship but as they come to know each other and through each of their confrontations a healthy respect develops and so does a sexual desire that they try hard to ignore. She won't be there very long and Brody certainly has more than his own share of issues to deal with and nursing a broken heart isn't one he's interested in incurring. Donna Alward tells a compelling story throughout the pages of THE RANCHER'S RUNAWAY PRINCESS. Lucy's unique situation makes her a character readers will be able to empathize with - she's down to earth, witty, spunky and brokenhearted. Her sense of `self' has been ripped away from her and she's struggling with who she is and what it means to be a `princess.' Brody's suffered his own devastating chain of events and trusting people isn't something he does easily but Lucy proves herself reliable and despite himself Brody falls for her. This is a truly heartwarming story with an utterly charming ending that had me sighing in appreciation. Ms. Alward's next book HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE will be released in June 2009. Hired: The Italian's Bride (Romance) Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies