Giveaway & Review: Running on Empty by L.B. Simmons

**Giveaway at bottom of post**

My Rating: Date Me Now (4.5 stars!)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Steam Level: mild - warm

“You’ll never have your happy ending unless you’re brave enough to open the book and start your story.”

Running on Empty was an emotional roller coaster for me and I loved every dip, spin, and drop. It’s a story of love, healing, and family. While laugh out loud funny at times it is also heart wrenchingly emotional and I had tears in my eyes multiple times. It begins three years after Alex has lost her husband, the father of her 3 beautiful baby girls, in a tragic accident. Blake, and old childhood friend, rolls in on his motorcycle and beings to slowly crack the shell Alex has built around her to protect herself. 

Alex was a beautiful selfless person any way you looked at her, she was doing her best to hold everything together for the sake of her children. After losing the love of her life she is hesitant against ever opening up her heart up to the potential of that kind of pain again. There were a series of decisions that she made when she was a child/teenager that I didn't agree with, but what teenage is perfect or can understand the long term consequences of their decisions at that age?

“But these girls…they mean more to me than my own life. I’ll do everything in my power to keep them from being hurt ever again. That is what defines me. I already had my happiness and I live for them now. I’m okay with that.” - Alex

Blake is almost too perfect. He is tall, handsome, caring, and AMAZING with Alex’s girls. He has many layers that come out during the book (I won’t say more because I don’t want to give anything away). The development of Alex and Blake’s relationship is slow but heart-warming and the last 15-20% blew me away. 

The cast of secondary characters were instrumental to the setting and feel of this story. Harlow, Alex’s best friend, was hilarious, supportive, and not afraid to speak her mind. I adored her! And Alex’s girls…what can I say. They were amazing and had me laughing out loud and also tearing up. As a mom of 2 kids I can personally relate the relationship between Alex and her three children, it was beautifully written. And every time I read a scene involving those 3, I couldn't help but picture the girls below. Come on I know you did too!!

A beautifully story of healing and love that I highly recommend. I read it one afternoon, I couldn't put it down!

To purchase from Amazon --> CLICK HERE

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~ERIN