cover image The Runaway Princess

The Runaway Princess

Christina Dodd. Avon Books, $7.99 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-380-80292-0

Dodd (A Well Favored Gentleman) transports readers into another enticing place and time, in this Regency with an inventive plot and sparkling characters. When English orphan Evangeline Scoffield comes into an unexpected inheritance, she decides to spend the money on an adventure. She travels abroad and masquerades as a ""lady of mystery"" at a Spanish resort. Everyone is awed by her aloofness and poise, convinced that she must be of royal lineage. When a handsome man claiming to be Prince Danior sees her, he insists she is the runaway princess of Serephinia--his betrothed. Evangeline goes along with the prince's declaration and finds herself in the middle of a war, and in mortal peril. When she tries to explain who she really is, nobody will believe her, including the gorgeous prince. Evangeline soon learns that she's destined to fulfill a prophesy and marry the prince, whether she wants to or not. Dodd's delightful story should gain glowing reviews from her growing horde of fans. (Mar.)