She hates average…he’s as average as they come.High school history teacher Doug Garvey is trying to enjoy his last few weeks of summer vacation, but receiving his final divorce decree hits him harder than expected. After a brief fling fizzles, he fears love just isn’t in the cards for him. If only he could find someone who’s real, someone interested in something beyond herself…maybe a new … running partner who can keep up with his more carnal appetite. When sexy, straight-talking Laurel runs across his path, he dares to hope again.He’s done with social-climbing posers…she’s ambitious and has big dreamsFired from an art gallery, Laurel Jepsen shelves her pursuit of an art career in San Francisco to help her beloved great aunt Maxie move into assisted living. While out on a morning run, she’s harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered hottie steps in, pretending to be her boyfriend with a kiss that makes her wish it were true. But she’s only passing through, not looking for a relationship.Their fierce chemistry burns up the sheets–and the couch, the shower, the forest–but falling in love would ruin everything. Laurel can’t stay in Eugene, and he can’t leave. Doug’s only hope is to convince her the glittery life she’s after could blind her to the opportunities already in her path.
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A well written story with a very good storyline by a new Author to me. Once I started I was not putting the book down until I was finished. High school history teacher Doug Garvey and Laurel Jepsen, have things in their pasts to get through, they meet when he comes to her rescue by pretending to be her boyfriend. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I will be looking for more books by this Author. I received a copy from Hidden Gems and I am voluntarily reviewing.
Sadira Stone, ‘Runaway Love Story’.
The Book Nirvana Two.
As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 3,5 stars (of 5).
In general: Sweet love between two caring persons.
Main characters:
– Laurel Jepsen (31).
Born and raised in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Her parents didn’t like her artistic ambitions (“Not practical”), but with the help of her great aunt Maxie (now 90), she could succeed in her Art studies and find a job in a trendy Portland art gallery. But she was fired and had to return home. Her parents emphatically ask her to go to Eugene and care for her great aunt for a time because she shows the first dementia signs. Laurel loves aunt Maxie and agrees. In Eugene she also takes a job in a cosy, tasteful bookshop annex coffee shop. But she keeps dreaming about an art job in a big city like Portland or San Francisco.
– Doug Garvey (39).
Cross country coach and History teacher on a High School in Eugene. He just divorced from his wife Tiffany, who expected more ambition and wealth from a husband.
Doug’s mom is suffering from Alzheimer too. So he wants to stay in Eugene and care for his mom.
The author, Sadira Stone, describes with insight and a lot of feeling how Laurel and Doug care for their old relatives and how sad and cruel Alzheimer is for patient and family. In addition she writes a sweet love story about the deepening relationship between Doug and Laurel. For me this story – especially in the end – was a bit slow: when Doug expressed his love for her, Laurel has her doubts and when Laurel wants commitment, Doug hesitates or cannot overcome his anger or wounded pride that Laurel had her doubts. And so on.
All in all: a nice novel with wonderful (additional) characters and a lot interesting info about art, running, teaching and life in a medium-sized city on the West Coast.
R. Huiszoon.
Running is not my thing.
Well, let’s be honest here; physical activity is not my thing.
So I admit I was a little dubious diving into this story…I mean, it seemed there was a chance it would extoll the virtues of jogging, and make me remember I should be actually DOING something, not sitting reading.
Um, not so.
I sat.
I read.
In fact, I devoured the entire book in two sittings.
This is such a lovely, believable story with the characters masterfully drawn, dealing with their real-world problems and doubts instead of the ‘fluff’ that often permeates romance. In fact, the characterization is so excellent, and the scene-setting so vivid, I’d say this veers to being Women’s Fiction. Okay so, really HOT women’s fiction, because-those sex scenes!! *fans self*
The absolute standout feature, though, is the dialogue. There is not one instance where the dialogue becomes contrived or unnatural. In fact, I suspect the author must have eavesdropped and recorded conversations!
All up, a lovely story and I suspect there is a character in there who may star in book three….??
Lovely Contemporary Romance with All the Feels
I have read three books by this author lately—their first time I have ever read any of her books—and she has been able to make them all so very different in both the basic plotlines and the feels of the stories. The first one I read was an easy, flirty, chick-lit beach read. This one is as far from that as possible. The heroine has a lot on her plate, having recently lost her job and now helping her great-aunt Maxie sort through her life before she moves into assisted living. Maxie is a character and an awesome lady, but she’s also having issues with dementia, which are so heartbreaking. Having had a parent with dementia, that element alone brought the feels for me. The heroine also has problems with her parents’ acceptance of her life choices. Her father is a particularly difficult man. The heroine figures she is just passing through Eugene, moving from her former Portland life to the possibility of expanding her artistic connections in San Francisco. This stop with her great-aunt is just temporary.
Or is it? Meeting the hero, who is going through his own rough patch post-divorce, has the potential to take her life in a completely different direction, but will she let it? The author did a fantastic job with all the characters in this book, making them seem so vividly real. You couldn’t help but feel for the 90-year-old great-aunt as she has to up-end all she’s ever known due to her stage in life. The hero is also sympathetic; though he has been separated from his wife for over a year, the divorce isn’t final until the book opens. Oh, and I should mention that this book is steamy! The author writes sensual scenes very well. They completely fit the characters, which not all romance writers manage to accomplish, and they are totally hot without being cringe-worthy. Love that!
Two of the tiniest quibbles: (1) I’ve never found falafel to be garlicky (it’s more redolent of Middle Eastern spices) and (2) a divorce cannot be finalized until the final disposition of marital assets takes place—at least in California where I had my divorce. Other than those, I found this to be a touching and sweet contemporary romance. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Great story! This is book two in The Book Nirvana series. I haven’t read book one yet, but I definitely will after this one. I really enjoyed this book and even though it’s part of a series it reads as a standalone. I’m sure I would have had a little more backstory on the residents in the story, but I never felt lost or like I was missing something. I can’t wait to dive in to book three. This book was well written and packed full of emotions, happy, sad, frustrated, hot and bothered and even a little annoyed.
Laurels in town to help her great aunt Maxie move into an assisted living facility. Maxie is the only person in Laurel’s family that really gets her and supports her. She has a strained relationship with her parents. Her father is overly critical and for lack of a better description a donkey’s butt. She’s just lost her job and as soon as she helps Maxie, she’s dashing off to San Francisco to stay with a friend and find a job in an art gallery. Laurel honestly doesn’t seem to know what she wants in life. She meets Doug when she’s out for a run and he saves her from harassment from some local teens. They attracted to each other but kind of dance around it for a while. Laurel doesn’t want to get involved since she doesn’t want to give up her dream like her mother did. Laurel is stubborn and doesn’t realize that dreams are flexible. They should be ever changing as you grow, and things change in life. Will Laurel run away from Doug or does she have the staying power to grab on to something good?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great story from page 1!
After getting fired from yet another job, Laurel Jepson returns home to some family drama. After a little insistence from her parents, she moves in to help an elderly Aunt sort out her affairs before moving into a retirement community.
She’s not thrilled with this new plan and vows this is only temporary. Maxie has done a lot for her through college so she reluctantly agrees.
While out on a run, she encounters some fresh teens hackling her. Until a man comes to her aid. Both runners, Laurel and Doug have steamy, spicy chemistry from day one, but Laurel has big plans for her future and they do not include small town Eugene or falling in love. Laurel struggles internally about giving up her dreams, but between Maxie and Doug she can’t deny that her feelings start to waver.
Early on Doug realizes he has a strong emotional and physical connection to Laurel, while Laurel is a little more guarded and set on not letting anyone foul up her big city plans Around 70% in I was a little frustrated with the back and forth, on and off again relationship. I gave it five stars because the style of writing was great and I was immediately captivated by Laurel, smitten with Doug and we all have an eccentric Aunt like Maxie.
Wow! This tender story – not to mention very steamy! – is a great read. I’m encouraged to take up running again… *Grin*. I love how the bookstore returned along with the small town and familiar cast from book 1. Maxie is, of course, my favourite character. Lots of tension, working out what dreams truly are, and great worldbuilding.
BTW, I received an ARC from the other and this is my honest opinion.
Another great book by Sadira Stone. I recommend this to everyone who loves romance, books, running and real-world relationships.
This is the first book in the sizzling Nirvana Series. I loved it. I won’t recap the story, you can read the blurb. I will tell you that the author writes with humor, Great Aunt Maxie was fantastic along with her group of artsy friends. I laughed out loud so many times at her antics.
The relationship between Laurel (city gal) and Doug (country guy) is not as different as they appear. Laurel is so sure of what she wants that she completely overlooks the promising future that is right in front of her.
The family dynamics on both sides keep the book interesting while the chemistry sizzles between Laura and Doug.
This is a well-written story with lots of heart that I truly enjoyed. I’m going to have to go back and read the first book in the series. I highly recommend this book, if you like your romances spicy hot!
When an author’s debut book is a 5 star read, you are always a little nervous about their sophomore attempt holding up and living up to expectations.
No worries with Sadira Stone’s second book, RUNAWAY LOVE STORY. It’s as fabulous as her first novel, THROUGH THE RED DOOR.
Runaway Love Story deals with free spirit and wannabe artist Laurel, and down home good guy and teacher, Doug (whom we first met in TTRD). When Laurel comes to Eugene to help her great aunt move to an assisted care facility, she meets Doug during a run one morning and one of them falls hard and fast for the other.
The problem? Laurel’s situation is temporary. Eugene is just a stopover on her way to bigger and better things in San Francisco. Doug loves his home town and doesn’t plan on leaving it. Ever.
Told in her typical smexy and descriptive style, Stone weaves a story of two people with burning-up-the-sheets chemistry who need to figure out if they can compromise what they each want in order to find their HEA. Their road is rocky, emotional, and ultimately thought provoking, because each of them brings a lifetime of emotional baggage along for the ride. How they learn to deal with that – and if they learn to deal with it – is the crux of Stone’s story.
And it’s a goodie!
Laurel, Runaway Love Story’s heroine, is a free-spirit who wants to be an artist. Her plans are derailed time and again by her own lack of commitment and tendency to run away when things don’t go her way. Her plans are again derailed, this time by outside forces: her aunt, Maxie, is 90 years old and suffering from memory loss. Maxie has mentored Laurel and paid her college tuition, so Laurel “owes” her. So Laurel returns to Eugene, OR to help Maxie move into an assisted living facility. Laurel envisions her situation with Maxie to be a temporary stopover as she plans to move to San Francisco and run an art gallery.
While running, she meets Doug, a good guy/teacher whose mother is in the same assisted living. Not your average romance hero, Doug is tall, lanky—and bald. Laurel is six feet tall, so he’s a good bit taller. He has deep roots in Eugene and doesn’t plan on leaving. These two have hot chemistry but must work out if that is enough for them to weave a life together.
Stone’s use of every day situations like putting a loved one in a nursing home brings a deep humanity to this novel that is usually lacking in romance, especially one this hot! It certainly elevates the book above the usual romance. Laurel and Doug face a rough road with lots of potholes and emotional baggage as they try to find a compromise that will let their relationship blossom. I read it in one sitting.
Fitting title
Since they met while running and are both hesitant as far as relationships are concerned, I was curious how they could possibly have anything meaningful. Ms. Stone brought these two characters to life. Doug was quite likable; however, Laurel not so much. This isn’t your typical boy meets girl love story by any means, although it is an interesting read.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
3 Stars, which puts me in the minority here. Ms Stone is a first-time author for me, I wasn’t overly impressed, but I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, either. I was intrigued by the premise of this story which is why I picked it up. Laurel and Doug are interesting characters, but they didn’t change much throughout the course of the story. In fact, Laurel became tedious and Doug’s excusing her became annoying. Most of the book dragged, seeming to repeat the same scene, just found a different setting to take place in. It was a quick read, though and I’ll admit I skimmed some of it. I wasn’t blown away.