The Runaway Heiress

In 2014, Harper St. George published a novella called Her Forbidden Gunslinger, the prequel to a trilogy of novels set in 1880s Montana Territory. Now, those books have all been updated and republished with new titles. The prequel novella is now titled The Runaway Heiress, and it introduces readers to a world of wealth amidst hard-working miners. The Gilded West is a full series I’m excited to read now!

Why I Chose This Book:

Harper St. George has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I’ve read her full Gilded Age Heiresses series and am now in the middle of her Doves of New York trilogy. However, I’ve also been wanting to read all of her earlier works. Since she’s just republished the full Gilded West series, I’ll read all of these books, and based on The Runaway Heiress, I’m sure I’ll enjoy them all.

What I Liked:

• Sophie isn’t a simple damsel in distress. She’s on a mission to escape her unwanted marriage, one way or another!
• Gray has his own agenda… and though he keeps secrets, he has good reason to!
• Forbidden romance
• Escaping a horrible family member and equally bad future

Final Thoughts

This was my first time reading a historical romance set in the United States or in the American West. (My historical romances are usually in Europe!) It was fun to read this kind of love story set in a new setting for me, and I like how this set up the scene for the rest of the series. As always, I love Harper St. George’s writing style here.

The Runaway Heiress was an enjoyable and quick read, and I look forward to reading the three full-length novels of the Gilded West series. I’m also excited to read her other older series (lots of Vikings!) as well as continuing her current Victorian-era series.

Get the Book

You can buy The Runaway Heiress here – it’s available as a paperback and ebook.

The Runaway Heiress by Harper St. George
Series	The Gilded West (Prequel Novella)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	Montana Territory
Number of Pages	110
Format I Read	Ebook
Original Publication Date	January 16, 2025 (Reprint)
Publisher	Independently Published

Official Summary

A forbidden attraction sparks between a captive heiress and the gunslinger tasked with delivering her to her wedding in this prequel novella to Harper St. George’s The Gilded West series.

Sophie Buchanan is trapped in a gilded cage. Outwardly, she lives a charmed life as the beloved niece of one of the wealthiest men in Helena, Montana Territory, but beneath her elegant façade lies a burning need for revenge. Her uncle orchestrated the accident that killed her parents so he could gain control of their fledgling mining empire. When he arranges a loveless marriage for her—the final part of his plan to control her fortune—she knows it’s time to escape.

Standing between Sophie and freedom is Gray, the rugged gunslinger her uncle hired to guard her. But Gray has secrets of his own and letting Sophie escape will ruin the carefully laid plans that will bring her uncle to justice. As much as he wants her for himself, Gray is bound by duty to give her up…even after a forbidden night together changes everything.
As their worlds collide against the opulence of the wealthiest town in the West, Sophie and Gray are forced to choose between duty and a forbidden love that threatens to destroy them both.

Note: This book was originally published as Her Forbidden Gunslinger but has been reedited and updated.