Tabs’ review of Running Into Love (Fluke My Life, Book 1) by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Contemporary Romance published by Montlake Romance 26 Sep 17
It’s probably best if we get right down to it. The title of this book comes from the fact that the heroine literally runs right into the hero while she is running in a busy NYC park with her eyes closed. I’m trying to think of a more ridiculous meet cute, but I’m seriously drawing a blank. I mean, it’s so absurd and the title is so silly that it feels like it should be a parody. It also doesn’t make a single lick of sense. Why was she running with her eyes closed? Is this something she regularly does? Why is this cute?!? Who knows, it’s never addressed. If you’re wondering if this is a sign of more vague ridiculousness to come, why yes, yes, it is.
After our heroine, Fawn, bowls over a hot guy in the park. Then she goes home and realizes that said hot guy is her brand new across-the-hall neighbor. Of course he is. Hot guy Levi is entirely smitten for some reason, but Fawn’s majorly burnt out on the dating scene and is wary. He eventually wins her over by being hot, making her dog fall in love with him, and being a persistent bossy alpha male. She continues to win him over by being adorkably absent-minded and getting involved in unlikely hijinks.
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a true guilty pleasure author for me. On the one hand, I have bought literally every single one of her books. On the other hand, they’re so problematic that I would hesitate to recommend most of them to others. This is Reynolds’ first book with a publisher and I will say that I noticed a definite improvement in editing. What I don’t notice, however, is an improvement in the level of misogyny.
If alpha heroes who use “Babe” as a sentence are not your bag, then you should definitely steer clear of this book. Reynolds’ style is heavily influenced by Kristen Ashley and that means that her heroes are often damn near unbearably high-handed and bossy. Sometimes I can deal with this, and sometimes I want to toss the hero out a frickin’ window. Unfortunately, Levi falls more in the latter category for me. For every one thing he does that is genuinely likable, there are four frustrating things and one borderline-abusive thing.
This book barely holds together. So many things don’t make sense that it only works if you don’t stop to look at any one bit too closely. It also really feels like the author was writing two books with two different tones and then mashed them together. The romance is wacky and twee. The suspense side-plot involves Levi investigating murdered sex workers. Why are those two things in the same book? No good reason except to increase the page count, as far as I can tell. This book was a big all-around miss for me.
Grade: D
Summary:
Fawn Reed has kissed one too many toads and has finally decided that Prince Charming doesn’t exist. After countless mishaps, mistakes, and unmitigated disasters on the dating scene, she’s decided to give up and move on with her life…solo.
Everything changes, however, after Fawn runs into Levi Fremont, a homicide detective new to New York City.
Dedication to the job has rendered Levi’s love life nonexistent—until he moves in next door to the free-spirited Fawn. After a series of comedic run-ins push them together, will they finally give in to the inevitable and realize—maybe—they are perfect for each other?
No excerpt available.
