Category: Romance Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Type: Fiction
Pages: 392
Copyright: June 24, 2019
ISBN-13: 9781509227051
Price: $3.99 (eBook)
Fierce passion or long-cherished dreams...she can't hang onto both.
Fierce passion or long-cherished dreams...she can't hang onto both.
Chasing a big-city art gallery job, Laurel detours to Eugene, Oregon to help her spitfire great aunt into assisted living. While on a run, she’s harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered hottie rescues her by pretending to be her boyfriend--with a kiss that makes her wish it were true. But she's only passing through.
Their fierce chemistry burns up the sheets—and the couch, the shower, the woods...but falling in love could cost Laurel more than she’s willing to sacrifice. She can't stay in Eugene, and he can’t leave. His only hope is to convince her those big-city lights have nothing on her inner sparkle.
Excerpt
He stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat rolling off his body.
A flush painted his cheekbones and his long, straight nose. Exercise, sunburn, or something more interesting?
The air between them vibrated with tingly energy. She focused on the floor, because looking into his face felt too dangerous.
He moved still closer, his toes nearly touching hers. “We’re good now?”
Her gaze slid up from his long, muscular calves, covered with blond fuzz, to his powerful thighs, to the impressive bulge between them, then up his slim torso, his muscular chest, his broad shoulders, until her gaze rested on his face.
His lids lowered, his lips parted. As if magnetized, her fingertips skimmed up his arm.
Stop. She dropped her hand. “We’re good. I’m sorry, Doug. I saw something between you two, and I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”
His smile blossomed slowly. “I’m glad that’s all cleared up.”
Not all, but it’s a start. Another thought, a crazy one. I could just kiss him, right here, right now. Get it over with, see what happens next.
Once that seed was planted, it was as if a giant electromagnet switched on, tugging them together. Its power hummed in her bones. Invisible sparks crackled between them. She slid a few inches closer.
Professional Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 sparkling stars!
Laurel has big dreams for her life, but so far nothing is working quite the way she wants it to. She wants to work in the art world and live in a big city, but when she loses her gallery position, her parents arrange for Laurel to stay with her great aunt Maxie for the summer to help the older woman transition into assisted living. She still dreams of saving enough money to move to San Francisco with her friend and join the big-time art scene.
While living in Maxie’s small town she meets a fellow runner named Doug, who lives in town and teaches at the local high school. His mother is in the same assisted living facility that Maxie is moving into, so Laurel and Doug run into each other a few times – and then literally decide to become running buddies. One thing leads to another and Oh! My! The chemistry crackles between them and the sex scenes are steamy good! And yet, Laurel still isn’t sure she’s ready to give up her dreams and settle for a small town guy and a small town life – no matter how right things are between them.
The author writes with humor and heart, giving us a country mouse / city mouse relationship, where the two aren’t as different as they might think, and Laurel needs to open her eyes to the possibilities right in front of her. The secondary characters were lots of fun to read as well - I adored the colorful great aunt, and her gaggle of young artistic friends. The author sends the readers through a rollercoaster of emotions before giving us our happy ending, but it’s well worth the journey!
5 sparkling stars for this one, and I look forward to reading more from this author! Reviewed by Katie O'Sullivan on June 27, 2019
Love can conquer all!
Laurel goes to Eugene, Oregon to help her Great Aunt Maxie pack up her house for a move to retirement home. Aunt Maxie is a ninety yr old artist who has helped Laurel through college and trying to find her artistic side she so wants. Laurel has lots of baggage regarding family and life in general. On her first day in Eugene, she meets Doug, a tall, beanpole, bald male, who is a runner, teacher and coach. She gets back to Maxie's after a run, and Maxie doesn't know who she is. Doug takes over and calms Maxie til she remembers. His Mother has dementia too.
This a well-written story of life: values, realities, wants and desires. Laurel has a certain place in life she desires. Since she doesn't think she's artistic, she wants life as a gallery manager in a large city limelight. Doug likes himself, teaching, helping kids in Eugene where is family resides.
Doug and Maxie help Laurel get a job in a bookstore. Then try to show her how reality can change. This book is her journey. It is well worth the read. I enjoyed the journey. The author made me so mad at times. I recommend this book. I will read more books by Sadira Stone. Reviewed by Cay Scheumack on July 7, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, steamy romance with a relatable cast of characters
Wow this author can write! I was immediately immersed in to the lives of Laurel and Doug in Runaway Love Story, a vibrant, steamy romance with realistic dialogue and a relatable cast of characters.
Doug and Laurel have a lot in common from their enjoyment of running to their tall and lanky bodies to their less than successful love lives.
Doug is a sympathetic protective hero. He’s a sweetheart divorced because his grasping ex only appreciated his very well endowed body not the man -a high school history teacher and running coach- he is. Doug’s lonely and looking for a meaningful relationship with a woman who isn’t a phony.
When Laurel comes to town Doug is smitten. But for Laurel returning to Eugene, Oregon to help care for and move her beloved aunt Maxie into assisted living is a step into the past and its perceived failures.
Laurel would rather be in San Francisco trying to make a go of her art career. But she got fired from her last job and is broke so she goes home to her parents including her toxic, brow beating father. Laurel’s self esteem is low, and sarcasm and running away are her methods for dealing with her feelings and memories of her mother’s tragic response to her father’s infidelity. A reckoning comes in the form of realistic confrontations and conversations and by the end of the story Laurel is in a much better place emotionally and ready for a mature relationship with an amazing man.
With Aunt Maxie leading an amazing real cast of characters including Clara and Nick from the first book in this series and Eugene Oregon with it’s art and athletic scene vividly depicted, A Runaway Love Story is a hopeful story about a man who sees his woman’s sparkle when she doesn’t see it in herself.
The story stands alone from the first book in the series.
I received an advanced review copy from the author with the hopes that I’d leave an honest review. Reviewed by Showmethelove on June 25, 2019
