The Trouble with Runaway Brides
by Piper Rayne
Self-Published
Book 3 in the Lake Starlight Series
I should not still be hung up on my high school girlfriend.
I’m a billionaire, with a penthouse in New York City, a private plane, and was recently crowned one of Manhattan’s most eligible bachelors.
She’s engaged to my rival. A real prick of a guy whose family is about as famous as mine. So, pictures of the happy couple are plastered everywhere, and it’s driving me insane.
The last time I spoke to her was my freshman year of college, and I never imagined I’d bump into her at a crowded restaurant in the busiest city in the world. But fate had other plans, and when I innocently suggest that the press wouldn’t bother with her wedding plans if she held it in our small Alaskan town where we grew up, I had no idea she’d take me seriously.
Now, I find myself helping her plan the wedding at my dad’s luxury resort while the town’s gossip app follows our every move, afraid that their golden boy will get his heart broken twice by the same girl.
But that’s impossible because she stole my heart when we were fifteen, and never gave it back.
Genre
Triggers
Runaway Bride
I'm in a bit of a reading slump, so I figured why not go back to some series' that I really enjoyed, and get caught up?
In the mood for a contemporary romance with hints of humor, I knew I had to get caught up in Piper Rayne's Lake Starlight series.
I really enjoyed The Trouble With Runaway Brides.
Was it perfect - no.
Did it ruin the story for me as a whole - again, no.
I loved finally getting the history that was hinted in the past books between Kenzie, Lance and Easton.
I'm such a sucker for first love stories. Falling in love in high school. I'm always invested in why they broke up, and everything that happened in the time they split to the present.
I just gobble that shit up.
The Trouble With Runaway Brides had all the elements I love in this trope.
Lot's of history and love that can't help but be felt even as adults.
The tension!
The romance!
The drama!
This book has it all.
The only thing I didn't like about this book, was that I definitely felt like Kenzie's character could have been explored more.
She started out with a top tier love. Lance was the tier Kenzie should have been using in her adult dating life.
What happened to Kenzie to make her settle? Why is she okay with her fiancé treating her the way he does? Why is she okay with him not remembering important details about who she is? Why is she okay with being treated like he was checking off a "to do" item off his list?
Why, why, why?
I mean, besides her reason at the end, because I gotta say, how could you settle after already experiencing the greatest love?
Perhaps other readers are not looking for those details, but those details make a story so much richer, which is what this book was missing.
While I ultimately loved this book, it did fall flat in some areas. I got to say though, Piper Rayne knows how to suck me in and purchase that next book with those endings.
Lance: “You don’t have to worry about me, okay, Mom?”
She laughs.
Brooklyn: “Tell that to me after you’ve had kids. Worrying about you isn’t a choice, sweetie, it’s a career.”
Lance: “So, you’re here.”
Kenzie: “Yeah. And so far, no one has tried to kill me. How much do you think the bounty is on my head?”
Blake laughs because the man hates tension and conflict.
Lance: “I’d say a hundred dollars. It’s the taxidermy that will really cost them when they want to mount your head.”
Blake laughs again, harder this time.
Blake: “Oh, that’s a good one.”
I can tell it frustrates Kenzie because she shakes her head.
Kenzie: “Maybe I should announce you next time? Here comes the golden boy, His Highness Lance Whitmore.”
Lance: “That would be nice.”
Wyatt: “Well, you two have fun,”
Lance: “I’m not sure fun is the word I’d use.”
Lance hugs his dad and kisses his mom on the cheek.
Lance: “Have a great day and be sure to continue to find entertainment in my life, not yours.”
Brooklyn: “Oh, sweetie, we’re boring old married people. You’re our entertainment.”
Mrs. Whitmore laughs.
We arrive in Sunrise Bay and Geoff gushes when he takes in the small town.
Geoff: “That’s it, we’re moving here,”
he says to Blake.
Geoff: “Let’s be their token gay couple.”
He laughs.
Geoff: “It’s like when siblings replicate old family photos when they’re older, from when they’re all in the bath or something,”
Blake: “What are you talking about?”
Holly: “I just made Easton do one with his sister,”
Mrs. Bailey says with a grin.
Holly: “I love it. Come on, guys.”
Brinley: “Um…”
Brinley’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. For the first time, I notice the ring on her left ring finger. It’s a beautiful round diamond that suits her perfectly. She looks really happy even though, at the moment, she’s sharing a look with Easton that orders him to control his mother.
Easton: “I don’t think—”
Austin: “Easton, it will make your mother happy. Just do it,”
Easton: “Sorry,”
he mumbles to Brinley and crouches for her to jump on his back.
Easton: “Let’s hope I can still hold you.”
She smacks him on the back of the head.
Easton: “Damn it, I’m kidding.”
Holly: “Easton. Language,”
his mom scolds him.
Easton: “Hate to break it to you, Mom, but I’ve said a lot worse in these halls.”
Austin: “Just let her take the picture.”
Mr. Bailey gives his son what I remember is his disciplinary look.
Brinley: “I got really lucky, Kenz. I found two men in one lifetime who loved me wholeheartedly and I’ll never take it for granted.”
Her eyes meet mine.
Brinley: “I hope you can say the same because I know Lance loved you with everything he had. Hopefully Will does too.”
She salutes him.
Brinley: “Gotcha, boss.”
Van: “Stop calling me that,”
Van says, filling a beer from the tap for one of the customers who can’t stop looking at Brinley.
Brinley: “Daddy?”
Van: “Jesus, Brin.”
Lance: “Break ’em, East.”
Easton: “My pleasure.”
He lines up his shot and hits the triangle, sending the number five into the corner pocket.
Easton: “Solids.”
Brinley: “I like stripes, like landing stripes, or at least Van does.”
Kenzie giggles.
Kenzie: “I think you mean landing strips.”
Easton: “Fuck, Brinley, you’re our cousin. We don’t wanna think about that.”
Easton’s body shakes and I can’t argue with him. Brinley sits on the stool next to Kenzie since it’s still Easton’s shot.
Easton: “Remember when we looked up how to shave down there?”
The tip of Easton’s stick hits the cue ball, but it barely goes anywhere.
Brinley: “Ha! You missed!”
Brinley jumps off her stool.
Brinley: “Mind if I go first?”
Kenzie motions to the table for her to go.
Easton: “You ladies want to play dirty?”
Easton comes over to me and sips his beer. I slide mine toward him.
Easton: “You DD?”
I nod because, apparently, I still feel this intrinsic need to be the one who makes sure Kenzie gets home safely, which is irritating as hell. Brinley lines up her shot.
Easton: “Remember when we played swords with our dicks?”
Easton says, earning a few looks from the people nearby. But his strategy is effective because Brinley misses the cue ball entirely.
Lance: “FYI, that never happened.”
I’m loud enough for everyone around us to hear. I walk over to the pool table and set up my shot.
Brinley: “Hey, Kenz, let’s go to the spa tomorrow and get Brazilians,”
I hit the cue ball, but it hits the ball I was aiming at on an angle I didn’t want and banks off to nowhere.
Brinley: “This is fun,”
Brinley says with a wicked grin
Brinley: “I’m horny now. Take me home. Is Van off yet?”
She heads up the hill, and I throw the bottle in the trash on the way to catch up to her. We arrive at my truck that’s parked in front of Brinley and Van’s apartment because the street parking was so crowded I couldn’t get a spot near Lucky’s when we arrived.
Easton: “Can I crash at your place?”
Easton asks Brinley.
Lance: “I figured I’d drop you at home,”
Brinley: “Of course. Mi casa es su casa.”
She puts her arm around him. I pull out my phone to message Van, but he’s already coming down the stairs from their apartment. He probably had no trouble hearing them up there.
Van: “Have fun, babe?”
Brinley: “So much. I love you and I’m horny… Daddy.”
She laughs so hard she burps, then she slaps her hand over her mouth.
Brinley: “I’m gonna be sick.”
Van rushes her over to the trash can, where she throws up.
Easton: “Buzzkill,”
Easton says with a laugh.
Van: “Let’s go, Brin,”
Van says, ready to carry her, but she runs over to the window of my truck and knocks on the glass. She puts her thumb up and shouts,
Brinley: “Make sure you use protection, you two.”
Lance: “Jesus,”
I say under my breath, climbing into the driver’s seat.
Kenzie: “You don’t know anything about our relationship.”
Lance: “I know you aren’t happy.”
It feels as if he just threw acid in my face and the only thing I can think to do is lash out.
Kenzie: “You don’t know that.”
Lance tilts his head and stares at me.
Lance: “I know every one of your smiles, and the one you reserve for him isn’t the same one that reaches your eyes. It isn’t the one that lights up your face. Last night, those smiles were true happiness each and every time.”
Lance: “Do you really want to know why I fucking care?”
Kenzie: “Yes!”
I throw my hands up at my sides again.
Lance: “Because I still fucking love you. Because if you’re not going to be with me, then it at least has to be someone better than me. And Will fucking Asbury is far from better than me. I regret my decision to break up with you every damn day. I can’t keep a woman in my bed for more than a night because they aren’t you. Because you’re the only woman for me and I lost you a long time ago.”
Kenzie: “Lance.”
Tears spill down my face onto the hardwood. His hands shake as they cup my face and tilt my head up so our eyes meet.
Lance: “I know this is shit timing. I know I have no right to ask you this, but please don’t marry him. Give me, give us a chance.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It’s what I wanted to hear for so long, but the timing is all wrong. He’s too late.
Kenzie: “I—”
Lance: “I’m not sure what else I can say. I was young, stupid, and naive. I’ve tried to stay back. I’ve tried to keep my mouth shut. But I don’t think you’re happy and that’s when I can’t keep quiet because you deserve all the happiness in the world.”
Brinley: “It was her and Great-Grandpa Philip’s hideaway.”
Lance: “Like a sex place?”
My face screws up.
Brinley: “Ew, don’t talk about them like that.”
She pretends she’s going to vomit.
Brinley: “From what I know, I think we each have letters from her and that Calista is the keeper of them. And if you think you’re having a bad day, I had to interrupt her and Rylan having sex to get this, which is code for I saw Rylan’s naked ass drilling into our pregnant cousin on the kitchen table.”
Lance: “Jesus, Brin, I did not need that visual. Why were you in their house anyway?”
Brinley: “They didn’t answer, so I went around to see if they were in the backyard or something and their drapes were open. I’m scarred for life.”
Lance: “Now I am too. Thanks for that.”
Brinley: “This is where it all started. Right there in that building. You realize you’re going to get married to Will one room away from where you first fell in love with Lance, right?”
Kenzie: “Jesus, Brinley! What don’t you understand? What happened to being neutral?”
Brinley: “I can’t. I thought for sure it would only take you a few days, but why are you still denying your feelings for him?”
Thankfully no one is around since our voices are getting louder and louder.
Kenzie: “Because…”
I don’t even know how to answer.
Kenzie: “He hurt me, crushed me. I was devastated. I didn’t even recognize myself. For four years, I walked around that campus like a zombie, concentrating only on my grades. I wanted to graduate and get out. He threw us away like I hardly mattered. I just got myself back and I can’t go back to being that person. So, this is just easier.”
Brinley: “What’s easier?”
I throw my arms out at my sides.
Kenzie: “It’s easier to marry someone like Will because he can’t hurt me like that.”
Brinley: “Yes, he can. It doesn’t hurt you the way he hasn’t been here the whole time? How he’s shown little to no interest in making sure your wedding day is special?”
I look away, blinking rapidly, and wipe the tear from my eye.
Kenzie: “He can’t hurt me because I don’t love him like I loved Lance.”
This Saturday, my heart will break as I promise my life to someone else, but it’s for the best. I’m in charge of who can hurt me now.
Mom: “My beautiful girl.”
My mom comes over and has me bend down so she can kiss my cheek.
Mom: “I have dreamed of this day for you for so long.”
Dad: “He’s a good provider,”
My mom smacks him.
Mom: “We had two dimes when we got married. Marriage isn’t about providing.”
Dad: “It used to be centuries ago.”
My dad winks at Brinley, who giggles.
He loves to razz my mom.
Easton: “So, really, what changed now?”
Brinley: “He sent her a shawl.”
Brinley turns around to look at us in the back seat, wiping away tears.
Easton: “A shawl?”
Easton says as though it’s absurd.
Brinley: “You’re worthless when it comes to the art of romance, East,”
Lance: “Take it all off. I can’t stand that this was for another man.”
She places her palms on my cheeks.
Kenzie: “It was never for him. I’ve been yours since I was fifteen and I’ll be yours for as long as you’ll have me.”
Lance: “Forever. I’ll have you forever.”
Kenzie: “Holy shit, you are so good at that,”
Lance: “I just know how you like it, but that nipple thing? That new?”
She laughs.
Kenzie: “Exploration. Found a new thing for myself.”
Lance: “I want to watch you explore yourself some time.”
P.S. If the universe screwed me and you didn’t marry Kenzie, I’m terribly sorry. Welcome to the Bailey family, new girl. But I’m 99.9% sure that I’m right. At least, I hope. Oh well, if not, I’m gone and there’s nothing you can do to me. Haha.
Comments