A forty-three-year-old divorcee finds love in the arms of a younger man while training for the hardest race of her life. Which will prove to be more difficult? Running a grueling one hundred thirty-five mile race through Death Valley or the not-so-socially acceptable relationship her family can’t handle?This novella was originally part of the Wanna Be Bad boxset, under Everleigh’s other … other pseudonym. Three thousand words have been added in a fun, romantic epilogue.
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ONE STEP AT A TIME
What a fun story of an older woman and younger man. The story will have her moving forward after her ex-husband of over twenty years left her for a nineteen-year-old. Sometimes in life, you need a second chance to find your soul mate.
“An unrealized idea not expedited and done to completion is only a vision.”
Shaylee Markle is a forty-three-year-old divorcee, mother of twin college-aged children, has decided to enter the most grueling race, The Badwater Ultramarathon, a one hundred and thirty-five miles course in Death Valley, California. She has only weeks left to train and prepare for this extreme event. Ryan Banks, nearly thirty, is a fitness training and will become Shaylee’s trainer, friend, and even her lover.
“Like an ultra-marathon, you put one foot in front of the other, and kept moving forward.”
The plot will have Shaylee determined to enter and finish the race and Ryan will become her strongest supporter and trainer. Ryan has completed the shorter Badwater in North Carolina that was eighty-five miles and knows what to do to help prepare her. Just as these two become comfortable with each other in training and up their relationship to a more personal one, trouble enters the picture in the form of her children. Can Shaylee continue training without the support of Ryan? It takes a team to ensure the well-being of the runner for the race, and both Ryan and Caleb will be her strength during the race.
“Defiance, strength, will, character, everything that made for a perfect happy ending.”
The story has a strong older female who shows determination and intuitive to reach out and grasp what she wants in life. Refusing to be a pushover like in her failed marriage, she will be assertive, dominant, and aggressive in her goals and relationship. Age is just a number. There are several explicit sex scenes in this story.
“We have been racing toward all these different goals for a while now. Why don’t we just stop racing for a bit? Relax. Enjoy the moment.”
Note: This story appeared under a different title in the Wanna Be Bad box set. It has been updated with an epilogue that adds just that perfect splashy ending.
If you’re a fan of unconventional, unique romance, you’ll love this offbeat but utterly charming story by Everleigh Clark!
Ryan Banks is a true catch! Hot and sexy personal trainer, all around great guy, he’s any woman’s dream. But even with everything he has, love seems to have passed him by. He has friends, family, and his job. The rest can wait, right? But all those thoughts going spinning down the drain when he meets Shay Markle, a 43-year-old divorcée. Seriously? She passes out while training like a crazy woman in the gym’s sauna? She’s beautiful, smart, confident…what’s not to love? What does it matter if she’s more than ten years older than him? But Shay makes it clear she’s only interested in Ryan as a trainer. Her divorce left her vulnerable and insecure. She has a goal. She plans to reach it at any cost. The 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley isn’t for rookies! As Shay struggles through the race preparations, she keeps telling herself it’s JUST training and nothing more. She also makes that fact abundantly clear to Ryan. While both feel a deep attraction, it’s just not socially acceptable to be romantically linked. The fact that Shay’s family immediately jumps to the conclusion that she and Ryan are involved in far more than just training and very vocally don’t approve only cements her resolve. But Ryan’s clear. The age difference makes no difference to him, but he’ll never push. He respects and accepts her boundaries. As the race approaches, things have never been more unclear for Shay. She depends on Ryan in so many ways. She can’t get through this without him. Could there be something more? Is she even willing to take the chance? What if everything shatters around her? Can she handle that again? She could lose everyone and everything in her life. It all comes down to one thing. What’s more important, the opinions and thoughts of others or living true to herself?
This novella’s an expansion of a short story originally published as part of an anthology written by Ms. Clark under another pen name. It’s delightful, charming, and surprising in ways I never expected. What captured my heart was the story’s premise and its characters. Although the older woman/younger man scenario has become slightly more acceptable, there are still real obstacles to be faced in any such relationship, be it friendship, romantic, or otherwise. Shay and Ryan are perfect examples of the frustration, unfairness, discrimination, and lack of acceptance that permeates our society. The facts that Ryan cares enough to put Shay’s needs first, genuinely be a friend, and support her dreams are incredibly rare. But Shay is just as intriguing. She’s conflicted in so many ways. She’s also incredibly complex. She doesn’t just want to finish this race. She NEEDS it. Her relationship with Ryan is so complicated that it truly rips at her soul. The devotion these two show to their principles and goals is inspirational. Everleigh Clark has done a superb job of demonstrating just how hard any relationship can be. She’s also spot on in her description of the harm friends, family, and society in general can unwittingly impose on those closest to them. For me, this is a remarkable story of perseverance, pushing past expectations, and learning to accept yourself for exactly who and what you are. Everleigh Clark has created characters that push the limits and soar to the stars. Racing Toward Love deserves nothing less than five stars!
One final note. Please be an informed reader! This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language and sexual scenes. This may not be the book for you If you don’t enjoy this genre. Think hard before buying any book you know you won’t enjoy. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon. Use these resources. DON’T LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WON’T ENJOY THE BOOK. It’s not fair to the author. She works very hard to provide a quality work product. If you know you’ll object to the book’s subject matter before you buy it, you’re doing yourself and the author an extreme disservice.
Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!
An extremely well done story about a woman who connects with a younger man. The emotional depth that is in this story was tremendous. It wasn’t just the relationship but the goals that she set for herself. I teared up while reading this story. A tremendously heartwarming romance. The ending is fabulous, a great wrap up of the story.