Kayla Reynolds was chasing her dream.
Determined and eager to make it in the corporate world, Kayla changed everything- her image, lifestyle, and outlook on life, putting her career first and her personal life second. That was until her first day, the first time she got a glimpse of Miles Blackwell. Corporate CEO and part owner of ETV, and not to mention, incredibly handsome, Miles Blackwell took Kayla by surprise, stealing her heart as he did.
But nothing had ever come that easy for Kayla. Life had always seemed to have a personal vendetta against her, stepping in when everything seemed too good to be true, reminding herself of whom she really was. It wasn’t until she met Merrick Drake that she realized when to stop; when running was no longer an option. For the first time in her life she had someone she could relate to; someone who wouldn’t judge- who saw the person she was inside. She and Merrick connected…on more levels than one.
When life was too much to handle, they ran.
But there was only one person that could make Kayla stop for good. Only one man that made her want to stay.
Would Kayla finally stop running or would it all be too much to handle?
~Where to find Running from Forever~
~EXCERPT~
She let out an exasperated breath. “No. No, I gotta figure this out.” She turned to face me, legs crossed, intertwined. “I don’t know what to do, Merrick.”
I felt it in my chest. She was lost, pleading for help. I didn’t know if I was the best person to help her. I’d lived just as fucked up a life myself. From the age I could run, I did, staying at friend’s houses almost every day of the week, stopping home quick after school just to make sure my mom hadn’t overdosed and was dead on the floor. I did this almost my whole life…up until I ran here.
“I can’t really help you, babe, if I don’t know what happened,” I told her as sympathetically as I could, looking into her sad eyes. Even if I wasn’t the most qualified person to give advice, I wanted to help, but I also needed to know what happened first.
Kayla rubbed her face with her hands, keeping them over her eyes for a minute longer. She was thinking; questioning if she was ready to spill. I didn’t want to force her to do it, so I sat there quietly. I wish I could just sweep her up and run far, far away; take her away from all the bad in her life permanently, but that would mean I had to run again, and I was done running. I couldn’t do it anymore.
“I loved him.” Her voice was a whisper. She removed her hands from her face but only to look down to her crisscrossed feet. She couldn’t look at me while she told me, and I was okay with that. “I let my guard down when I knew I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it.”
When I saw that this novel was part of a series of novels I had a bit of a freak out but let me alleviate any concerns you might have by telling you that you don't have to know anything about the other books to enjoy this one. WHEW! I'm sure knowing the stories of other characters would have heightened my enjoyment but I didn't feel that I was missing out on anything by simply starting with this novel. OMG I did that too. Heart attack central over here, when I saw it was technically #5...but saw the spin off note and backed waay from the ledge!
~OUR REVIEW~
This novel is interesting because it offers 3 different viewpoints but rather than intertwine them, Ashley Wilcox starts the story with Kayla, the middle section is Merrick's, and the final third ends with Miles. I don't recall having read a novel structured quite that way so it was an interesting approach.
I wasn't sure about it at first either. It is laid out that way in the table of contents, so we had an idea, but I am still grappling with the necessity of Merrick's point of view. I'm thinking (since I did really, really like him as a character) was to show a genuine portrayal of his feelings...and what better way than in his head...but since I haven't asked this question of the author I can't be sure!
When Kayla leaves her boyfriend to pursue her dreams in the city, she does it with a note and a ton of guilt...but not enough guilt to stop her. I have to give her credit, she was gutsy and brave and determined to go after what she wanted and while the job she lands isn't prestigious, it does get her foot in the door. As she's learning the ropes she has flirtatious run ins with the CEO of her company, makes some new friends (Merrick), tries to not mess up with her stern new boss, and begins to settle in to her new life. Before she can really catch her breath her sister turns up needing a place to stay and Miles (hot CEO) is actively pursuing her. Some unfortunate turn of events occur and Merrick takes over the story.
I honestly couldn't believe it when the story begins with her leaving her boyfriend of 3 1/2 years...yes I said YEARS...behind to pursue her dreams via note. It was a pretty heartless thing to do, and certainly put her in a position to have to fight her way back to being a likeable and redeemable character. I think she made a great effort in this, but definitely because of Merrick...not Miles.
Merrick is an interesting dude. He owns a bar and he also races bikes. He's a genuine friend to Kayla and provides her comfort and laughter and shelter as she tries to figure out how to move on from the event that sent her running to him. I'm so glad she has him because there is such affection and adoration that is shared between them...just what she needed to give her time to get her head together.
He turned into an amazing friend for her! I for one am always for a story with a guy and a girl that are strictly platonic friends. That doesn't come around often, and most significant others don't really believe it possible but I really enjoyed their dynamic. It helped Kayla come back down to earth and be able to handle the whirlwind world that is Miles.
Our final perspective comes from Miles and it definitely helps to see what he's been up to and why. He isn't quite the douche I thought he would be and the redeemable qualities helped me get over my strong dislike that I was harboring for him.
Yeah! While he was hott with two T's...he did seem too good to be true! So when we finally get to his POV, it really made all of the POV's make sense and made him 100x more relatable! Okay, so I liked him by the end!
This novel moves quickly as does the romance. If you are looking for a quick reading fix, check it out. Also, Merrick's teaser for his book is crazy good! Can't wait!
Shelley: 3 Stars
Courtney: 3 Stars
~About the Author~
~Author Links~
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Post a Comment
Comments are bloggy food.
Feed our blog...