Please join us in celebrating the release of THE UNWRITTEN SERIES box set by Lauren Runow!
Title: THE UNWRITTEN SERIES
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Lauren Runow
Release Date: July 12, 2016
Book Description
* The Unwritten Series is the boxed set of Unwritten and Rewritten.*
Charlie Ashley, or Mr. Ashley as his clients know him, is a high-end male escort who gets paid thousands for whatever services his clients require. He’s lived the last ten years alone, not letting anyone in, enjoying his success and provocative lifestyle.
Allison Hayes has no idea the man she is falling in love with is a male escort. She connects with Charlie through their love of music, playing a taunting game asking herself if she loves him, hates him or if she is going to save him.
After meeting Allison, Charlie enters a world where everything he knows no longer makes sense, leaving him too scared to move forward, yet making it impossible to look back.
But can he give up his entire life for love?
Excerpt:
At five o’clock the next day I walk toward Starbucks to see if Allison will show up. Standing outside the door, I peek in through the window and see her sipping her latte, listening to music. Her hair is softly curled, pulled halfway back showing off her sensual neckline and her soft pink lips. I’m stuck, just watching her like a crazy man.
A strange feeling overcomes me and I start to question myself. What the fuck am I thinking? Why am I even meeting this girl? I can’t date!
I turn to leave just as she looks up and we lock eyes. Slowly a smile comes over my face and like a moth to a flame, I open the door to walk in.
“Fancy meeting you here. Are you waiting for someone by chance?” I jokingly say walking up to her and placing a small kiss on her cheek, before pulling up a chair next to her.
Allison’s face blushes from my touch. “Why yes, this mysterious guy just up and left yesterday and I was intrigued to know why.”
“Sorry, I had an appointment and I was running late. Plus, I wanted to see if you would play along.”
I try to hide how turned on I am by the sight of her but she’s wearing a loose white shirt, short blue linen shorts, with high wedges that make her tan, fit legs look long and delicious and I can’t help it. All I can think about is having those legs wrapped around me and I know I’m in deep trouble when it comes to this girl.
“Oh, so you’re into games, are you?”
“Games?” I pause, touching my finger to my lips, tapping it like I’m trying to think of something to say. “More like playful inquiry. That way I know you’re interested. Which I like… I’m going to get something to drink, can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m good, thank you though.”
I walk up to the counter and ask for a glass of water. I don’t plan on staying here but all of a sudden my mouth is so dry and I need a break from her to calm my nerves.
I look down at my outfit, questioning if I made the right decision by dressing more casual for our meeting. I have on my Varvatos jeans, collared black shirt and leather Chuck Taylors. I always have on a suit when I meet with a woman but it didn’t feel right with her. She’s not a client and for once I wanted to wear what I actually wanted to wear.
I turn around and catch Allison gazing at me and she flushes as I smile and give her a small wink. Ok, I made the right decision.
“You like the view?” I smirk, walking back with water in my hand.
Allison flushes while a small smile escapes her lips. I’m sure I just embarrassed her pointing out that I caught her checking me out and I instantly regret asking the question. I don’t want to be that cocky guy with her. I just want to be me, not someone else I try to be everyday.
When she doesn’t reply I ask, “What are you listening to today?”
“You know, a little of everything. I’m really into Rise Against lately. The Unwritten Law channel on Pandora plays them and they seem pretty cool.”
“Yeah, I’m familiar, Savior is one of my favorite songs. It’s all about trying to figure out if they can still love each other after everything they’ve been through. She doesn’t hate him and she’s just trying to save him but he thinks he can’t be saved.”
“Impressive,” Allison tilts her head in affirmation.
“So, is this love…?” I pause to see her response. Reaching closer, I whisper in her ear, “Because I’m definitely not the answer…”
Perplexed by my tone, she questions, “Hmm, should I take that as a warning, or are you asking me to save you?”
“I’ll let you be the judge of that,” I reply while I sit back, sipping my water and sending a look her way.
My Review
Book 1
I won this during the Shh...Holiday Gift Drawing 2015 and based on the synopsis I started reading immediately as it hit my Kindle. I then proceeded to message the poor author because OMG the angst. My throat was in my chest for the entirety of the first 60%. Then just as things seem to be going well, BAM! Hit with an ending that left me scrambling to download book 2.
Charlie is an escort. For the last 1o years he's only been known as Mr. Ashely to his clients.With only a handful of close friends and never having had a serious relationship, he's knocked down by Allison. First seeing her during a concert of his favorite band and then again later at a coffee shop, he finally gets he nerve to introduce himself But when things seem to be going well, he's reminded about what he does for a living and how she'll never accept him. He tries to stay away but finds himself unable to.
Allison has no idea about Charlie's real job but what she does find odd is his reaction to her. He's close one minute then distancing himself the next, but she can't stop herself from falling in love with him. But when everything comes crashing down as the truth is outed, Allison is left completely devastated and shell shocked.
I know going into a book about an escort that their will probably be some other woman/men involved with either the hero or heroine. That said, I appreciated Charlie's approach to dating Allison. He wasn't perfect and made some mistakes that I really didn't like (like at all) but with his troubled past and his entangled future, I kind of understood.
By the end I was panting for more and needed to see how it all played out. Lauren did a fantastic job with her debut and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Book 2
This is the continuation of Charlie and Allison's story. Picking up where Unwritten left off, Charlie heads back to the states by himself while Allison finishes up her internship in Paris. Back home he has to make decisions about the life of his one time turned crazy client and his unborn child. During that time things behind the scenes start to develop all leading to an explosive ending in which Allison and Charlie have to decide if they can make it together or not.
In this addition we also get introduced to one of Charlie's good friends, Paul and we also get to know Allison's sister Nichole better. Together these two heat up the pages and start their own love affair. Both are so used to hiding behind their jobs that they've never developed real relationships with anyone before. But they are perfect together and have to decide if their fears of intimacy are stronger than their pull to each other.
While I really really liked Paul and Nichole's story, most of Allison and Charlie's seemed to drag a bit for me. They also seemed to not have gotten over making some of the same mistakes they made in book one and that at times was a tad frustrating. Then when things get hard, Charlie makes a really stupid decision that had me really upset with him and grossed out all at the same time. Then how Allison just brushed right over it left me a little flabbergasted. But they really wanted to be able to move on. Parts like that just lacked a bit of depth I think the first book had and made me lose a bit of respect for Charlie. So thank goodness for bad boy Paul.
Even if there were parts that bummed me out, the story as a whole left me with warm fuzzies. It was heart pounding and heart wrenching but I could feel the pull each couple had for each other. The love and adoration shined through the pages reminding me why I love reading romance.
Reviewed by Paige
★★☆ 4 "OMG The Angst" Stars ☆★★
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About the Author:
Lauren Runow is the author of two Adult Contemporary Romance novels, Unwritten and Rewritten.
When Lauren isn't writing, you'll find her listening to music that speaks to her, at her local CrossFit, reading, or at the baseball field or skatepark with her boys. Her only vice is coffee, and she swears it makes her a better mom!
Lauren is a graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco and is the founder and co-owner of the community magazine she and her husband publish. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons.
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