The Bachelor meets The Runaway Bride in this addictive romance novel about a reality TV producer falling for her would-be star: a Montana heartthrob who wants nothing to do with the show.“Quintessential Lauren Layne goodness—a sassy, feel-good and entertaining love story infused with laughter, sizzling chemistry and heartfelt romance.”—USA Today Jordan Carpenter thinks she’s finally found the … Today
Jordan Carpenter thinks she’s finally found the perfect candidate for Jilted, a new dating show about runaway grooms: firefighter Luke Elliott, a known player who’s left not one but three brides at the altar. The only problem? Luke refuses to answer Jordan’s emails or return her calls. Which is how she ends up on a flight to Montana to recruit him in person. It’s not Manhattan, but at least the locals in Lucky Hollow seem friendly . . . except for Luke, who’s more intense—and way hotter—than the slick womanizer Jordan expected.
Eager to put the past behind him, Luke has zero intention of following this gorgeous, fast-talking city girl back to New York. But before he can send her packing, Jordan’s everywhere: at his favorite bar, the county fair, even his exes’ book club. Annoyingly, everyone in Lucky Hollow seems to like her—and deep down, she’s starting to grow on him too. But the more he fights her constant pestering, the more Luke finds himself wishing that Jordan would kick off her high heels and make herself comfortable in his arms.
Praise for Ready to Run
“A luscious LL read wrapped in small-town charm—I can’t wait for the rest of the I Do, I Don’t series!”—Jessica Lemmon, author of the Real Love (Candy) series
Lauren Layne’s New York Times bestselling Oxford Novel series can be read in any order:
IRRESISTIBLY YOURS
I WISH YOU WERE MINE
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
I THINK I LOVE YOU
Don’t miss any of Lauren Layne’s hot reads:
The Love Unexpectedly series: BLURRED LINES | GOOD GIRL | LOVE STORY | WALK OF SHAME | AN EX FOR CHRISTMAS
The Sex, Love & Stiletto series: AFTER THE KISS | LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH | JUST ONE NIGHT | THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE
The Redemption series: ISN’T SHE LOVELY | BROKEN | CRUSHED
The I Do, I Don’t series: READY TO RUN | RUNAWAY GROOM
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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I love me a Lauren Layne book and this one is no exception. Ready to Run is the first in Ms Layne’s I Do, I Don’t series. It’s a sweet, sassy, and downright fun story!
Ready to Run is based on the reality TV show, Jilted. Jordan Carpenter and her sidekick, Simon, are headed to Lucky Hollow, Montana to find their bachelor for the first show. What makes Jilted different from The Bachelor? Jilted is about finally stopping a serial runaway groom. The perfect groom? Seems to be Luke Elliott according to Jordan’s research. Problem? Luke wants absolutely nothing to do with Jordan or the show. And that’s how City Girl meets Country Boy.
Ready to Run is full of wonderful, witty characters that you’d love to sit down and have a beer or glass of wine with and just hang out. This book is just pure fun.
I decided to read READY TO RUN because the reality show being cast by Jordan called Jilted sounded like a clever idea.
This is a small town romance that reminds us everything may not be as it seems. Luke has left three brides at the altar making him the bachelor candidate for Jilted. He wants no part of it.
For Jordan this is also a trip back in time to the small town life she lived before moving to NYC and coming to terms with why she left.
The story has firefighters, a county fair, people that actually enjoy running. It is steamy, angsty and the time honored test of trusting one another.
I love Lauren Layne books and read most of them but ‘Ready to Run’ is definitely my favorite. It was a sweet and really fun read that I could not put it down until I was done with it. I will do my best to write this review without spoiling the story for you.
Jordan Carpenter is a TV producer and she is trying to find the male star of the new show called Jilted, which is almost same as Bachelor but for runaway grooms. When she read the local newspaper article, she finds out about Luke Elliott, who left three brides at the altar. On paper Luke seems like a perfect candidate for the show but Jordan is having a hard time to reach Luke. All the e-mails, calls and voice-mails stays unanswered which leds Jordan to travel to Lucky Hollow, Montana with her co-worker Simon Nash. OMG! I adore Simon. He is the coolest, sweetest and funniest guy ever But Simon is not the only side character you will like, I assure you that all the side characters are awesome. Our hero Luke is a firefighter, who is hot, loyal, and caring unless you are Jordan Carpenter Jordan is beautiful, smart, determined and tenacious. When she finally finds Luke, she is sure that she can convince him to accept her offer. However, Luke wants absolutely nothing to do with the show or the money. So instead of packing and going back to NYC, Ms. Tenacious Carpenter rents a house for a month and starts living in Lucky Hollow. Jordan is not foreign to small town life because she grew up in one. She is from a small town called Keaton in Kansas but she hasn’t been back her hometown over twelve years. Even though it seemed like a good idea to start living in Lucky Hollow at the beginning, it becomes harder for Jordan because of the memories it brings back and adding Luke into the mix makes it harder. Sexual attraction is hard to resist for both of them. Their chemistry is off the charts and they are fighting really hard to resist the attraction. Everyone in Lucky Hollow likes Jordan, which annoys Luke more and more and because of this he becomes ruder to her. Their constant fighting and banter starts wearing them down and with time Jordan starts growing on Luke. At some point he hates himself for being so rude to Jordan and decides to be her friend but he still refuses to talk about why he walked out off three weddings. When she starts learning the truth about the weddings, she realizes Luke is not the man she thought he was. If you want to know what happened before the weddings that made Luke a runaway groom and/or what will happen between Jordan and Luke, you have to read the book What I can say is that Luke will be your new favorite book boyfriend for sure
‘Ready to Run’ is sweet, funny and emotional book, which you won’t be able to put down. Also the good news is there are more books to the series. Second book ‘Runaway Groom’ will be published on January 30, 2018, which is about Jilted’s star Gage Barrett and the third book ‘Just Run With It’ will be published on March 20, 2018. I cannot wait to get my hands on these :))
Would I recommend this book: Yes
Would I re-read this book: Yes
Would I read future books by this author: Yes
This was a fun, flirty, and sweet read. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next one in this series. I definitely recommend this author, this book, and this series.
love her books
I’m so glad that I was introduced to Lauren Layne by Loveswept! Ready to Run is now the sixth book I’ve read by her, mostly because I read the Oxford Series and Walk of Shame. I’m learning that Layne is quickly becoming a go to author. She constantly provides sweet, feel good stories that always keeps me intrigued.
Ready to Run was really fun because of the way Jordan and Luke start out. He wants absolutely nothing to do with the reality show that she keeps trying to recruit him for. He comes off as a brooding hot fire fighter when in fact he’s probably one of the most loyal and lovable men out of them all. The banter between these two had me laughing. Jordan didn’t want to give up on recruiting Luke. She’s persistent and tenacious but she’s just as stubborn as he is. They had this delicious enemies to lovers progression with explosive sexual tension that sucked me in from start to finish.
I also really enjoyed the small town feel of Luke’s friends and family from where he lives. They are all involved in everyone else’s business but they all love and support each other. The way they accepted Jordan into their lives was sweet. I enjoyed the way they latched on to her and kept giving her small intel into Luke. Subtle pushing on their end.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you are looking for some good old small town charm with a sexy firefighter, feisty city girl, lots of sexual tension and some fun laughs, then this is the book for you. And if you haven’t read Lauren Layne before, you need to. She has become one of my escape artists that I go to when I want to cleanse my palate from my love of dark books and just read a happy and good feeling book.
Favorite Quotes:
“That is one hot firefighter… Every last one of them belongs on a naughty calendar.” She gave him a look with a raised eyebrow. “If you don’t get ahold of yourself, they’re going to have to turn the hose on you.”
He’d spoken with his mother just yesterday, and she’d launched into a fifteen-minute description of an article she’d read about how men’s reproductive systems age just like women’s and if he was going to give her grandchildren, he’d better get on it. He’d claimed a fire emergency before she could describe what or whom exactly he was supposed to get on.
Call me a girl, and I’ll do just about anything you want. The men in your town have been ma’am-ing me, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
Small population means limited number of eligible men and women. Anytime there’s fresh blood, the sharks circle.
My Review:
Jordan was intrigued with uncovering Luke’s story and signing him as a star of her new reality television show. Luke was dead-set on keeping his history under wraps. They were in a duel to out-stubborn each other while his small meddlesome community was uncommonly tight-lipped. Jordan grew even more determined with the thought that there must be something more to his story if no one was willing to spill the beans. She wouldn’t give up and he wouldn’t give it up. I enjoyed the premise of Ready To Run and the surprisingly nuanced and complex story behind the story. Ms. Layne has a definite knack for creating complicated and endearing characters who are flawed yet ever so enticing, and I just adored Luke. I also appreciated the storyline being well-balanced between the heart squeezes and humor. (less)
Ready to Run by Lauren Layne is another amazing book which I highly enjoyed! I was completely captivated with this book, not putting it down until I finished it! I spent my afternoon laughing and then yelling at the characters in the book!!
Jordan Carpenter is on the hunt for Luke Elliot. Jordan works for a TV network who came up with an idea similar to the Bachelor, a show called Jilted, which will focus on runaway grooms. Tracking down Luke is not as easy as it seems but convincing him to do the show is making Jordan’s job even harder.
Luke Elliot, firefighter, all around good guy, and a sexy country boy, left 3 woman at the altar. At least that’s what he’s let everyone believe. When Jordan comes to town searching for him, Luke is instantaneously taken with the City Girl who is pushing his boundaries.
With an entire town conspiring together against Jordan and Luke, will Jordan be able to get Luke on the show to find his one true love? Or has Luke already found love in the most unlikely place?
I adored this story! I love Jordan from page one and fell in love with Luke the moment he stepped onto the scene. I enjoyed their chemistry, and their witty banter but when Luke got snarky with Jordan? WOW!! I just completely felt her heart breaking!!
I was 100% drawn into this story and read the book in one sitting! I had no intention of putting it down, it was wonderful!
I loved reading Ready to Run by Lauren Layne, book one in her new I Do, I Don’t series. As the sales line says, it is definitely the Bachelorette meets the Runaway Groom. New York City assistant, Jordan Carpenter is trying to secure Luke Elliot, a three-time runaway groom, as the star for an up and coming television show, Jilted. Luke, a firefighter in the small town of Lucky Hollow, Montana, does not want the details of why he was a no-show groom to get out to the public. Coming to Lucky Hollow is like going home for former small town girl, as many of the residents befriend her. The more she gets to know to Luke the more she respects, understands and falls in love with him.
I really loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms. Layne wove a wonderful story, drawing me in and not letting go until I read the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
This first book in the I Do, I Don’t series was so much fun to read!!! It kept a smile on my face from start to finish.
Jordan works for a reality tv show and is looking for her first bachelor. She travels to a small town to convince Luke, who has left three brides at the alter, to sign up. Luke ignored all of Jordan’s emails and calls for a reason: he has zero desire to be on her show and there’s nothing she can offer or say that will change his mind. The longer Jordan spends in town and the more she gets to know Luke, the more she realizes that there’s more to him that meets the eye and maybe the world of reality tv isn’t as real as everyone thinks it is.
I loved the start of this new series so much!! LL never fails to draw you in to the story and feel connected to every single character. I loved everything about Luke and Jordan. I was biting my nails waiting for their secrets to be revealed and swooning at every interaction between them. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the Jilted series!!
What a FUN story to begin this new series! I curled up on a rainy afternoon to read this one and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough but way too soon was finished. Jordan Carpenter is tasked with the job of recruiting the newest contestant for a reality TV show to feature Luke Elliott who left three brides at the altar. He refuses to respond to her emails or phone calls so she shows up in his home town and the fun begins. The town rallies behind her but are they helping her recruit him for the show or is there matchmaking behind all the BBQ, running path directions, and kissing booth competitions? So much fun and witty banter and the back stories to keep everything fresh and exciting for the new series. There is a peek at the next book and I am looking forward to it.
I recommend this one!
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The craziness of reality TV meets the beauty of small town living and creates some delicious down home scandal. Ready to Run doesn’t take itself too seriously. Lauren Layne has concocted a bushel of joy with her usual sassy style and ingenious characters. A groom on the run, a woman in hot pursuit and a small town full of matchmaking citizens lead to some crazy antics. Lucky Hollow is dangerous to the heart but pure magic for the soul.
As I was starting to write this review, I realized that I have NEVER given this author, Lauren Layne, less than a 5-star rating on any book that I’ve read by her. That’s pretty amazing!! I can’t say that about too many authors.
So I guess it comes as no surprise that I gave this one five stars as well. Once again, Layne has created some unforgettable characters. Jordan is our leading lady this time and she’s this polished city girl and she is as stubborn as a mule. Jordan goes for what she wants and she refuses to take no for an answer. You find out really quickly that when Jordan hears no, she interprets it as “find another way”. And sometimes … the ways she tries to go around that no are absolute genius. You can’t help but just love her right from the beginning.
And on to my favorite … good ol’ Luke. Luke is a country boy. A hunky country boy. A hunky firefighter country boy, actually. Goodness. With each word I added on there, it made me want to read this book all over again. Luke is as loyal as they come. He sticks by his friends and will take a beating if it will protect someone he cares about. I think the best thing about Luke is how he would let Jordan get under his skin and not even realize it. Let me tell you, it made for some interesting situations. The booth!!! OMG. If you have to read this book just to hear about the booth, it would be totally worth it. That was one of about a hundred of my favorite scenes in the book.
The story flows so smoothly along that before you know it, you’ve read the whole thing and you’re left sitting there wishing that there were more pages. Layne just writes such a great romance – the sex scenes are steamy, the laughter inducing situations are heartfelt and hilarious, the few sad parts are soul crushing and as a whole, the story is absolutely unforgettable. Here’s the deal … if you’re looking for a new author and you’ve not read anything by Layne (first of all, shame on you), give her a shot – she’s one of my favorites and an author I can go to if I want a guaranteed amazing reading experience. Especially if you read this one.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *