Series: I Do I Don't

I. Loved. This. Book! It was hilarious, sexy and so much fun! So check out my Five Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy!

Runaway Groom (I Do I Don't #2)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

For one charming playboy, getting cast on a Bachelor-esque reality TV show is the shock of a lifetime—until he finds love where he least expects it. And now the chase is on!

Gage Barrett’s reputation as a ladies’ man has been greatly exaggerated, but none of that matters after a drunken bet lands him on Jilted, a reality TV show that matches runaway grooms with wannabe brides. Now he’s stuck at a Hawaiian resort with nineteen women competing to drag him back to the altar—and one contestant who’s even more miserable than he is. Gage has no idea how feisty, independent Ellie Wright wound up in the cast, but it’s obvious she hates his guts. And if there’s one thing Gage likes, it’s a challenge. . . .

Ellie can’t believe she let her best friend talk her into exchanging her dignity for a glorified bikini contest. Still, she could use the exposure—her business is struggling—and she’ll probably be one of the first to get eliminated anyway. But Gage isn’t the shallow jerk Ellie anticipated—and he’s in no rush to send her home. As stolen kisses turn into secret trysts, she finds herself losing track of what’s real and what’s for the camera. With the wedding finale looming, this runaway groom is tempting Ellie to start believing in storybook endings.

Review:

Runaway Groom was hilarious, sigh worthy, crazy at times and so much fun!  If you’re a fan of the Bachelor, Bachlorette or Lauren Layne, then I have a feeling you’re going to absolutely love this book!  Back before I had kiddos, I’d get together with friends, make dinner and we’d eat, talk and laugh while watching those shows.  So when I heard that this book was going to be about a Bachelor-esque reality tv show I was sold.  I forgot how much I missed this type of drama in my life and I found myself laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

But once, just once, I want someone I care about to look at the crapshoot that is my life, to take in the Jilted contract and the Killboy movie shoots and the never-ending tabloid rumors and say, “Yeah, that stuff sucks, but Gage is worth it.”
I want to be worth it.
Just once.

Famous movie star and player extraordinaire, Gage Barrett, lost a drunken bet which landed him on the tv show Jilted.  It’s a lot like The Bachelor, except it’s about a past runaway groom (him) being matched up with potential brides.  And in the final episode, there’s to be a wedding.  While Gage stuck to his agreement to be on the show, he definitely wasn’t happy to be there.  And while he was grumpy about it, a tiny part of him couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this was for the best.  His heart was broken in the worst of ways and this could be the perfect distraction he needed.  Ohhh I absolutely loved Gage and his wounded, playful, seductive, charming ways.

“Send me home, Gage. Please. It’ll be better for both of us.”
He studies me. “You really want that?”
“I’m a businesswoman, not a groupie.”
He’s silent for a moment. “True. You did compare my eyes to avocados.”
“Exactly. You usually get, what . . . moss?”
His lips twitch, although the smile doesn’t reach his mossy eyes. “Emeralds, mostly.”
I turn away with a snort, opening the door slowly, listening for voices. When I’m met with only silence, I stick my head out.

To start the show off, Gage met all of the possible brides.  The shenanigans and drama started right from the get go, well until he met contestant Ellie Wright.  You see, Ellie is kinda like Gage, because she was not happy to be there either.  She never thought she’d make it as far as she did, and the only reason she was sticking it out was so her business could hopefully get some free publicity.  From the first time Ellie and Gage met, they got off on the wrong foot.  And it wasn’t the only time that happened lol.  The tension and emotions coming off of the both of them created a whole lot of banter that had me smiling, laughing and begging for more.

I want her lips against mine, her body under mine. I want her to sigh my name. I want to make her gasp. I want her to want me back, to fight for me.
But she won’t. I see it in the stubborn set of her chin, the confusion in her eyes, as though she can’t figure out why the hell I’ve singled her out.

But the story isn’t just about the two of them.  They’re in the middle of a reality show, and there’s also the producer, crew and all of the other woman.  And it was a crazy mesh with lots of drama behind the scenes.  The other women ranged from the sweet girl next door, to gorgeous supermodels to bat shit crazy.  Although there was wayyyyyyyy more contestants in that last category ha.  So we watched, along with Ellie, as these women would go to great lengths to get Gage’s attention or even spend a second of alone time with him.  The stuff that they would do was so insanely over the top, yet so perfect for reality tv, that I found myself laughing so hard that I just couldn’t stop the tears pouring down my face.  And it kept happening again and again.  If you adore hilarious drama, you’re definitely going to get your fill in this book.  I absolutely loved it!

For the second time today, my eyes sting with the threat of tears—for myself, yes, but also because I’ve been so damn worried about not letting him hurt me that I haven’t really realized . . . what if I hurt him?
And why does that bother me so much?

Shockingly in the middle of it all, Ellie and Gage found moments where they were alone with each other.  Where they were away from Jilted, the cameras and the other contestants.  And they started to see a different side to one anther.  Yet it’s all so complicated because Gage has a part to play in front of the camera and Ellie is stuck in her horrible assumption of who Gage is as a person.  And of course her thoughts are verified when he’s in front of the camera.  It was inevitable that feelings got hurt and I found my heart aching for the both of them.  But underneath it all, it created a whole lot of emotions and I loved when they were arguing.  They were intense and the tension between the two of them was electrifying.  It was so addicting and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out!  So yes, I definitely recommend this book. Runaway Groom was sexy, hilarious and oh so addicting.  I absolutely loved it and I hope that if you give it a try, you’ll love it just as much as I did!

PS This book is a stand alone.  It’s characters aren’t found in the first book in this series, Ready to Run.

*ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing – Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
 

Buy Links:

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Ready to Run was beyond adorable and so much fun! Definitely check out my 5 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy!

Ready to Run (I Do I Don't #1)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

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.

Review:

Ready to Run was absolutely adorable and so much fun!  It reminded me all over again why I fall so hard for Lauren Layne books.  I always want to be bff with the girl, I fall madly in love with the boy, and there’s a group of friends that I would love to have in my life.  Plus the pages are filled with fabulous banter and a storyline that captures my heart.  It always makes for the perfect romance book that I can easily get lost in.  So if you adore small town charm,  a couple that goes from hate to love, and characters that leap off the pages, then you should definitely give Ready to Run a try!

“Wait, Luke.”
He paused but didn’t turn around.
“You know I’m right about everyone wanting you to do this show. Why is that?”
His shoulders tensed even more than they already were.
But the only answer she got was the slam of her front door shutting behind him.

Jordan Carpenter is on her way to hopefully snag the guy that will star in her new reality tv show.  It’s called Jilted and while it’s similar to The Bachelor, the main guy has been a runaway groom.  And the guy she’s after, Luke Elliott, has left three women at the alter.  When I read that I was completely perplexed.  Especially when we witness how much the whole town loves him.  Plus did I mention that he is a firefighter?!  Ugh, so hot!  So I was more than intrigued!  From the first few pages the storyline felt unique and I already loved all of the characters.  I just knew that the rest of this book was going to be a huge hit for me!

“Have you?” She smiled back. “Saved a cat?”
He winced and looked away and she gasped. “Oh my gosh, you have, haven’t you? You’ve saved a freaking cat. You couldn’t be more perfect if you tried.”
His eyes locked on hers, and Jordan backpedaled . “Not perfect for me. I meant for the show. . . .”
It was the wrong thing to say.

Jordan and her colleague/friend, Simon, easily made connections to the people that lived in Luke’s quaint little town.  It was so heartwarming to see how welcoming they were to them.  And as Jordan slowly met Luke’s friends, I was happy to see that they truly wanted Luke to do the show.  Yet there’s a huge snag, which of course had me grinning.  Luke’s dead set on not being a part of the show, and not liking Jordan.  Even though he feels an attraction to her.  And he’s not the only one fighting it, because Jordan feels it towards him too.  Thankfully we got to alternate between Luke and Jordan, so I could see all of their thoughts about one another.  I’m a huge fan of a dual-narrative!  Especially since the sexual tension between Jordan and Luke was mixed with banter, and that made for some explosive scenes.  I had to know what they were thinking!  

The more they touched, the more they wanted, the longer they kissed, the harder it was to stop.
And it had to stop. This was . . .
Luke’s mouth moved from her lips to trail down her neck, and her head fell back with a gasp.
Madness. This was madness and irresponsible, and . . .
Career suicide.
Luke’s hand was on her waist, sliding up over her rib cage . . .

If you’re wondering if Jordan is too pushy with Luke, the answer is definitely no.  I mean, yes she moves into his town and infiltrates his life.  Yet it doesn’t really feel like that since she establishes real friendships with so many of the town’s people.  And she backs off from Luke too.  But looking back, I think it all worked so perfectly because Jordan is this warm, friendly, person whereas Luke could be at times grumpy, standoffish and a jerk (that’s my favorite kinda guy, in case you didn’t know lol).  Oh, I couldn’t help but love him when he was a jerk…..there’s just something so addicting about a relationship that has animosity.  I root that much harder for them!  And the way it all ended?!  So many happy tears were streaming down my face.  This book made me so elated and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to all of the new friends I made.  So yes, I definitely recommend Ready to Run!  Here’s hoping you love it as much as I do!

“We’re not sticking around here,” Jordan explained. “We’re about to storm a firehouse.”
Simon rested a hand across his chest. “Oh sweet Jesus, I think I might faint. Do you think I could talk one of them into wearing just the suspender things, no shirt?”

PS I loved, loved, loved Jordan’s colleague and friend Simon.  The friendship between them had me smiling and laughing and he was such a fabulous person to have in this book!  It made me desperately want to have a novella just about him!

*ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing – Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

 

 

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles)
Ready to Run #1 Reviews: Jen	Runaway Groom #2	Just Run With It #3

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