C2’s review The Art of Running in High Heels (Chinooks, Book 7) by Rachel Gibson
Contemporary Romance published by Avon 26 Dec 17
Ah, Faithful Reader, ever read a book that makes you feel old? Not like “OMG these characters are babies and what language are they even speaking?” old. Old, as in, “I remember reading your parents’ book and we are progressing in real time” old. That’s where I am with this book. Gah! *looks around for cane to shake* YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN! Ahem. Let’s do this thing.
Sean Knox has just transferred (do not come at me about my lack of hockey terms, people) to the Seattle Chinooks. He hasn’t developed a comfortable relationship with his coach, former Chinook John “The Wall” Kowalski, yet, but Sean knows his value to the team. One of the reasons he came to Seattle was to be closer (but not too close) to his mom – she lives in a small town in Canada that isn’t very far away. When she calls him about her latest terminal disease (she’s a hypochondriac, yo), Sean arranges a private seaplane flight to check in on her. The last thing he expects to see running down the pier just before takeoff is a runaway bride.
Lexie Kowalski decided (unbeknownst to her parents) to be on a Bachelor-ish TV show to promote her currently-online/soon-to-be brick & mortar business. Her plan was to be on enough episodes for some good publicity and then be gone…she did not factor in her competitiveness. So she won and now is expected to marry a guy she’s known a few weeks and barely been alone with – on national TV. At the last minute, Lexie decides she can’t go through with it and bolts. With the help of a couple of childhood friends, she ends up on a seaplane headed for Canada. Conveniently, since she’s been tied up with the whole TV show thing, she doesn’t recognize Sean as one of her dad’s players.
What follows is all sorts of fallout from poor choices. The fans of the show are mad that Lexie left the guy at the altar. Tabloids and talk shows are offering prizes for anyone who manages to track her down while she’s hiding! Her parents are mad she didn’t tell them anything about being on the show – but she knows that will blow over. Her business plan tanks because people hate her now…especially after a photo of her kissing some random dude (Sean, of course, but the photo only shows his back). So, of course, Lexie decides the only thing to do is concoct a fake romance/break-up/make-up to try to gain some public sympathy. And she manages to get Sean to go along with her.
I do like Sean. He has issues, but he knows he has them and is dealing with them, mostly. It’s nice to see his relationship with John develop a bit (even more would have been nicer). He even manages to understand his mom a bit better. And it is also nice to see some familiar faces from the Chinooks series pop up, whether in person or just in passing mention.
I don’t know, Faithful Reader. I mean, this book is enjoyable…if you don’t think too hard about what’s happening. I’ll admit I’ve never seen an episode of The Bachelor or any of those shows, so maybe I’m just icked out by the whole premise. While I understand Lexie’s decision to be a part of the show to help with publicity, why not tell her parents? They are a close family, apparently. And I struggle with her portrayal of being an extremely organized list-maker who occasionally goes completely off the rails. She’s in her mid-to-late 20s. WTF??
It isn’t that the book is awful. We’ve discussed popcorn books, haven’t we? The kind that are fine to read but don’t leave any real impression after? Filler books to read while you’re waiting for something else. That’s what this was for me. BUT I did manage to read it, even while dealing with a horrible reading slump, so that says something. Right?
Should you read it? If you like The Bachelor, maybe. If you’re a hockey fan, maybe. If you’ve read the other Chinook books and hate to miss parts of a series, probably. I recommend getting it from the library, though.
Grade: C-
Summary:
Running in five-inch stilettos is an art form
Leaving your fiancé at the altar on live television is a disaster. Lexie Kowalsky thought she was ready to get married in front of millions of people, but at the last minute she fled the set of television’s hottest reality show, Gettin’ Hitched. Wearing a poofy white dress and a pair of five-inch sparkly shoes, Lexie hopped a float plane for Sandspit, Canada. She figured no one would find her there. But she was wrong.
Sharing her flight was the Seattle Chinooks biggest star, Sean Knox. Lexie wasn’t just a reality-show runaway, she was his pain in the butt coach’s daughter. She was chaos and temptation and definitely off limits, but getting her luscious body out of that wedding gown, he couldn’t resist getting her in his bed for one amazing night.
Then a photo of Sean and Lexi breaks the internet—and suddenly they’re both swept up in a crazy plan to spin the whole story. But you can’t run from love—
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