A tenacious optimist. A broken spy. Explosive chemistry. Caught in a web of secrets and lies, Ronan McAllister is forced into retirement from the CIA and returns to his hometown. While his family welcomes him home with open-arms, he struggles to leave his past behind through the thick fog of PTSD. Payson Roberts is mostly content with her quiet life in the quaint town of Seaview. Ever the … Seaview. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find the one, but her fruitless search is starting to wear down her eternally sunny demeanor. As a favor to her best friend, and against her better judgment, she agrees to hire her friend’s irritable, jackass of a brother to help out around her beloved antique shop.
Incendiary sparks fly. Ronan pushes the fairy-eyed Payson away with insults and offense to save her from himself. But, can Ronan protect Payson from the dangers of his past?
Get lost and fall in love again in the small town of Seaview, Maine. Romance and international espionage ignite in this captivating and enchanting contemporary romance. Yes, you can read this as a standalone – again and again if desired ;).
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WOW! What a pleasant surprise! Running Home pretty much has it all: a damaged hero returning home after a decade undercover, a damaged heroine who is waiting for her James Bond, a family that is supportive and close-knit (hero’s), and another family who suffered trauma that left lasting scars. The first half of the book is pretty tame, all things considered. The last half? That’s where the action really begins. There’s not really over-the-top drama in Ronan and Payson’s relationship which is refreshing. Nope, the tension comes in when Ronan’s former life intrudes in a big way. This is the first book that I’ve read penned by Ms. Thorne, it won’t be the last.
This book has it all. A damaged hero returns to his hometown and finds his path to a happy future. I liked Ronan a lot! Seeing him find himself again was great. Payson is a fabulous match for him. I really enjoyed the story and the way they fit together. The relationships with his and her family were realistic and helped add depth to the main characters. While the story has the feel of a small town romance it has an added depth of suspense and surprise that fit well in the story.
I received a copy through Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Four and a half stars. This is my first book by this author and I am very glad I picked it out to read. I know I will have to get book one in this series and catch up before book three is released.I was hooked from the beginning. Payson is a wonderful character who is not only optimistic but very intuitive. Ronan is incredibly dedicated to his career and suffering from PTSD. I don’t know how realistic the spy stuff is, but in the end it doesn’t really matter. I thought from the length of the book, it would be slow in places but it never seemed to drag. Their journey together is interesting and it was time worth spending to read this book.
I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Beauty and the Beast theme with steam, angst, danger…LOVED it!
After nine distinguished years in the CIA and an injury, Ronan McAllister has come home under his own name (a first for him for a long while) to make a new life. Because he’s been undercover for so many years he looks like an unkempt mountain man and he’s just as growly as a bear. He’s plagued with PTSD from some horrendous things he saw and unfinished business. In order to get her son out of his shell, Laura gets Ronan a job as handyman to a local antique shop owner, Payson. Whoa…they DO NOT like each other the moment they are introduced. Both have preconceived ideas of who they each are before getting to know each other. Just as Ronan was feeling good about his future, the inevitable occurs: his life as a spy comes calling…
The passion that Payson and Ronan have for life, fun and each other by the middle of the book is awe inspiring. Loved the character development in this well-written, intriguing romance/spy novel. You get it all in this book that’s for sure. The Beauty and the Beast story is one of my favorites and I think Ms. Thorne has done a good job making Ronan our Beast, wink. A must read…
I received an advance review copy for free through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mcallister; Ronan Mcallister. Review of Running Home.
Battle weary CIA Operative Ronan is shot on assignment searching for Peter young, an arms weapons dealer and is forced to retire. Ronan decides to go back to his hometown to recover and reconnect with his family. His mother Laura finds a job for him at Flotsam Antiques. A rare antique shop owned by Payton Roberts. Ronan’s job is to build shelves for her shop. Ronan is reluctant at first, however, he takes the job. He is grouchy and insufferable at first towards Payson. They argue all the time and have different opinions. Each is not the other type. However, somehow something breaks and they first become friends as well as lovers in the end.
This book was epic! I felt i was reading two books in one. lol. We get to know Ronan at the beginning of the book as we are dropped in the middle of a battle with Ronan and is shot.We are then taken to Seaview Maine to get to know Ronan’s family as well as his boss Payson Roberts. The characters are wonderfully lovable and fun. They reminded me of my family. The chemistry between Payson and Ronan was incendiary from beginning to end. The action was frighteningly nail-biting even though you knew Ronan was going to win. Or at least you hoped. Lol. I also loved the scene when the book became self aware when Payson catches Ronan reading a Jason Bourne novel and Payson asks him if he’s read Tom Clancy novels. Lol. I laughed out loud. The pace was kind of slow in the beginning, however it picks up speed a few pages after. The reader is in for one hell of ride after that. I have not read the first book by this author but i will now b/c i love the characters. I miss them all ready. Lol. I wish to thank Booksirens.com for giving me a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.