Reviewed by Desere
Sisterly love is a bond stronger than most, and you will do anything and everything to protect your big or little sister no matter what. But if you stumble upon her secret and in the process lose the perfect image you had of her, what would you do, stand up and fight or let it go? Worse if you fall for her ex , who is the carrier of the painful secret, would you grab the chance at happiness or walk away from it in the name of family?
In the new Sally Clements read she took me as reader on a journey of truth finally setting a man free of years of lies, a family coming together to forgive and a new love blossoming into a life time of happiness.
The read is about April, her sister June, is getting a second chance at happiness she is finally going to make it down the isle to a groom that is standing firm and in place at the end of the long brides walk. But April has to get rid of the first no show groom Matthew first, and make sure he does not do anything to spoil her sister's big day or upset the family that hates him.
A emergency forces her to move in with the no good run away groom and soon she finds herself attracted to the enemy, and no matter how hard she tries to tell herself to stay away, he will break her heart just as he had June's, she simply cannot avoid the sexual pull and simply must have him. Only when she discovers the truth of June and Matthew's relationship all those years ago, she has to face a life altering decision. Does she go down burning with or without the man she loves, for the family will never let their hatred go and is certainly not welcome to break yet another daughter's heart.
The character of April was great! I loved that she was so feisty and ready to kick butt no matter who it is that messes with her or her family. It gave her that really go getting attitude and I immediately loved her, in so many reads I find the heroine too weak or just going with the flow. April being a 'don't mess with me" gal let me as reader really appreciate her. I also loved that she stands up and fight knowing the consequences can destroy many lives yet she gets it over with and pushes for her happiness. Yet she also does reach a point where she simply backs down, this touch from the author made the character more realistic as in real life we all fight for what we want but at some stage we do back down when it all seems to to turn against us or in this case that the person we are fighting simply does not want to be around.
The character of Matthew was a very likeable one, however I did find myself at some point going into " I am going to smack this guy if he does not snap out of it right now" mode. However the author did a great job at showing his reasoning for his actions as true and completely understandable when explained. I loved that the author made him fun , yes ladies loads of fun. He is all about surprises, and this gave the read that sweet and sexy flow.
The backdrop settings were very nicely incorporated by the author and matched the story line very nicely.
The dialogue was kept light and fun, laced with sexy and emotional humour.
I walked away with a feeling of happiness and content, the author gave it her all and as reader I did not need to at any stage hit the "book is lacking this or that" phase.
A highly enjoyable afternoon read, filled with passion, love and moments of the truth setting free those who deserve happiness.
I highly recommend this read for all Sally Clements fans and for anyone looking for a romance read that will leave you feeling as if a part of your heart and soul has just been touched by true love.
5/5 star review ~ Loved it!
" Only the past stands in the way of their future"
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Reviewed by Maria
April Leigh should hate Matthew Logan. He's the reprobate who left her sister standing at the altar. Well not literally, but he jilted her right after she miscarried his baby. What sort of person acts so callously? He deserves to rot in hell. Right?
Family loyalty is a strange thing. For one thing, it can cause blindness. Blindness to the truth. And that's what April is about to discover when she meets Matthew on neutral territory. They both live and work in London, away from the prying eyes of the locals in Brookbridge, a village in Ireland which seems to lie on Ireland's east coast, by my reckoning. God knows, I should know, homesick expat that I am.
As a work of the New Adult genre, RUNAWAY GROOM is a romance all right, but it's a bit more than that. The focus isn't just on romance, but on personal growth and family intrigues. April's hard working barista-turned-fashion-designer character shines in comparison to her manipulative sister's. The Leigh family is a modern Irish family with amicably divorced parents and a Spanish stepmother with whom they have no issues. The Leigh father remains responsible and committed to the welfare of his former wife and two daughters, although in a second marriage. All in all, it's a fresh, contemporary read with characters to whom we can relate and a storyline which draws the reader in.
Another gem from Sally Clements. If you love romance and even if you just like to read contemporary Irish fiction, then don't miss this one.
5/5
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Reviewed by Nancy Crocker
In Runaway Groom by Sally Clements: You are lead to believe that Matthew Logan was the lowest of the Low when it came to being a fiancé . Seven years ago he was engaged to marry his then pregnant girlfriend June Leigh. But when June miscarried Matthew did a runner or did he?Now June is marrying her new Fiancé Michael and has sent an invitation to Matthew. When June's younger Sister April Leigh finds out she plans to put a stop to it. Growing up April always had a crush on Matthew, not that he would have noticed. But in the seven years since she has seen Matthew, he has only gotten better looking.
April is a barista in the small coffee shop below her apartment. She dreams of being a Fashion Designer. April has just completed her collection of dresses and is waiting for her first show in a couple of months. She has just one more dress to make, her sister's wedding gown which will also be her showstopper.
Matthew Logan carried around a stigma for seven years. He runs his own advertising company and while others have failed, his company has survived. Now he is hoping for a new client that will help push his company to the very top. Matthew has no intention of going to June's wedding, but when April shows up at his door he decides to hold off on telling her that.
When an accident happens at The Coffee Shop, Matthew is there to offer April a place to stay and to work on replacing her collection. Of course being together 24/7 will force these two to address their attraction to each other. And secrets will be revealed.
I have to say I loved April's Character and for the most part Matthew with one exception. He lost major points when he told April he would be somewhere and never showed up. Never called, texted ...nada ... So not cool. And if we want to talk about characters ... June needed to be smacked. All the lies and selfishness, I found nothing what so ever redeeming about June. Sally does a great job of making feel the characters strengths and weaknesses.
I recommend it to any romance readers.
4.5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
