This is a heartwarming romance story based on Titanic.
The author does an amazing job at setting the scene
A well written book

I love anything Titanic related and this was a great setting for the book. I loved the characters and found it emotional at times.

I've always been Interested in anything to do with the titanic suce a remarkable story that ended in tragedy for so many so I knew I was going to enjoy this book Ava's story is a remarkable one as she escapes from Ireland after being accused of stealing while in service. and her remarkable resilience facing everything that is thrown at her. When she meets Lord Blackthorn 'Buck' on the titanic ' and he secures her the position of a ladies maid to the Countess of Marbury her life takes a different path and her life changes forever. You can sense the terror from the moment the ship hits the iceberg and the story is written brilliantly and the characters are very believable. A great read

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

The thought of a book based on the Titanic was appealing. But I should have paid more attention to the description and that the book is a romance. I’m sorry, but that doesn’t appeal to me! Though the author does a great job of providing wonderful descriptions. While the story of the Titanic is tragic with so many people losing their lives, there are individuals who survived and how their lives were affected by their experience that horrific night.

The history of the Titanic is enough to pull you into the book. But then you add the intrigue and the effort to dream of a new life and you will be sucked in…even with the romance aspect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Runaway Girl by Jina Bacarr is a book I have wanted to read for some time. I love stories set around the Titanic and that time period.
Ava is a beautiful read headed girl, the resemblance to Kate from the film Titanic stops there, as she is wrongly accused of stealing and has to escape Ireland, her only escape being the Titanic. I was thinking i really hope this is not to like the film and as I read I could see that this was in fact much better and more exciting.
Aboard the ship Ava is rescued by Captain 'Buck' Blackthorn, he is intrigued by her beauty and she by his handsomeness, but they are divided by class. The countess aboard the ship is also in love with Buck and there begins and interesting love story as she is engaged to be married.
I cannot say to much more without giving to much away but this love story was a joy to read. I particularly liked reading about the difference between the classes and a more in depth look at what happened the night of the sinking. The characters in this story are what make this a great read the backdrop of the Titanic is an added bonus.
The Runaway Girl was a delight to read and one of my favourite reads this year. I cannot wait to read more from Jina.

Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing. She's quite rightly panicked. She has to think fast and decides she has to flee Ireland. But where to? After an eventful journey to the port, she ends up on none other than the Titanic.

In her bid to escape, she meets a host of interesting characters, and I was praying she got to the ship. There is so much excitement and tension in her initial journey to the ship that I felt invested in her and was rooting for her.

Captain 'Buck' Blackthorn, promises to be her protector. Sparks fly between them. Disguised as a maid, she has to go through more adventures to fit in on the famous ship.

The atmosphere is great between him and Ava, but the Countess also has eyes for him....

One night will change everything.

I urge you to read this beautiful novel. I have watched Titanic more times than I'm able to count but it grips at my heart every time. The Runaway Girl did the same.

Be prepared for a voyage of discovery, secrets danger kindness trust joys and sadness in this phenomenal book. I wanted to go right back to the beginning as soon as I'd finished it.

Jina Becarr is a new author to me and her writing style is utterly absorbing and I was touched by all the characters especially by Ava and her plight. I thought all the characters were strong but especially her and she was brave, positive and a fighter.

Thanks to Jina Becarr and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars

This is such a great introduction to a new-to-me authors work and even better I have started reading her work at the start of a brand new series, how better could a person get?!
I will admit that even though I have heard a lot of great things about Katie Ginger’s work, this is actually my first of her books I have read and I am so pleased to say that she well and truly lived up to such great expectations and I will certainly be seeking more of her books out in the future, as I think her cheerful and feel-good writing is exactly what we need to cheer us all up in these weird days we have found ourselves in.
After her divorce, Stella and her gorgeous King Charles Spaniel; Frank, makes a dash to the beautiful village of Swallowtale Bay, where she rather impulsively buys the local gift shop plus two-holiday lets and plans to make a whole new life for herself in this quietly charming and idyllic village. There she meets a single mother and fellow divorcee; Lexi who currently works in the shop next door and as you can expect with two women having so much in common they soon make the best of friends. And Miles who is a grouchy grumbling grump, a man who is a little peeved as he had his own eyes on the very shop Stella has bought.
All s pretty much OK for Stella and her newfound way of life, that is until someone in her new home starts spreading gossip about Stella, anyone who has watched an episode of Emmerdale of Midsummer Murders will know that gossips spread like wildfire in these cosy little villages and to top it all her ex-husband is getting married and has invited her to his wedding….well, that isn’t uncomfortable, is it?
Will Stella go to this wedding? Will she get to the bottom of the gossip and who is behind it? And more than that will she be able to find her happiness in the new home she has found for herself?
I absolutely love a book which has a real friendship for life feel to it, yes there is love in there too but it is the unbreakable bond between true friends that I really loved, This is what we need more of from books, we need that added layer of good strong female friendships that the reader can relate to instantly.
This book is full of good-natured banter, romance, I love the small village community that is so strong within Swallowtail Bay, nothing is perfect but this group of intriguing and highly likeable individuals come together, I love that and it was such a joy getting to know Stella, Lexi and Miles, I am very excited to see what comes next in this series.
Overall, am enjoyable, non-taxing easy read story that is all about friendship and love, a cosy little drama that will pull at the heartstring far more times then I can count.

I’ve always been a sucker for stories about Titanic, so much so that when pitched a historical romance on board the ship, I bit, even though I don’t read that genre. But The Runaway Girl: A Titanic Love Story definitely proved a worthy diversion. Author Jina Bacarr’s novel, a revised version of her earlier book, Titanic Rhapsody, is a wonderful coupling of James Cameron’s version of the tale with My Fair Lady.

To read the complete review, click on the link below.

Ava, wrongly accused of theft by her employer, has no alternative but to run. She is an independent spirit, who knows there is more to life than being a servant. However, her religious upbringing, makes her constantly question her wilder impulses.

The Titanic, on its maiden voyage, calls at Queenstown, she buys a steerage ticket and heads towards what she hopes is a better future. Losing her ticket and being pursued by the authorities before the ship docks set the tone of the journey. Serendipity means she finds a protector, in Buck, the second son of Duke and an irreverent gambler. He hides her in plain sight as a lady's maid for his good friend Fiona, The Countess of Mayberry. She is travelling to New York to marry his friend Trey. The chemistry between Buck and Ava is instant and intense, but there are many conflicts to their relationship.

The plot twists dramatically when The Titanic meets its fate, and Ava makes a decision that affects the rest of her life. The setting is glamorous and, because you know what happens to the ship, there are undertones of suspense, wondering what will happen to the protagonists in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The romance is sizzling and forbidden and the characters are complex and relatable.

The last part of the book is full of conflict and romance, against the judgemental setting of New York society. The ending is romantic and shines a little light on such a tragic event.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I know that this will sound superficial to some but I have to admit that the striking cover was the thing that caught my interest at the beginning. Well the main character does have red hair and us ginger haired folk must stick together. Sorry back to the review I do go. When I read the synopsis I just knew that this was the book I needed at the moment- a distraction from everything that was going on around me. Well 'The Runaway Girl' was certainly the distraction I needed and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Runaway Girl' but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of Ava O'Reilly. True to the red haired stereotype, Ava is a feisty young woman, who knows her own mind and she certainly has a temper on her. Ava worked in service but thanks to the vindictive daughter of Ava's employer, Ava loses her job after she is accused of theft. We all know that she didn't do it and that when she was found in the library, she was only trying to better herself which is to be applauded rather than her be condemned for having ideas above her station. Ava has the dream of going to the United States of America to build a new life for herself. She just so happens to buy a ticket for the Titanic (the ship not the film) and we all know how that ended up. There are a few hairy moments for Ava when she initially gets on board the ship and I kept hoping that she would escape her pursuers and that she would survive the journey. What happens? Well you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, as soon as I started to read this book, I was hooked. As I said the cover caught my attention initially and the pages inside the covers sealed the deal. I totally immersed myself in the story to the extent that I was able to shut out all other distractions and focus solely on the book. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. I had wanted to read the book over the course of a day but life got in the way, which meant that it took me three or four days to finish the book. 'The Runaway Girl' was certainly on my mind a lot, the story has stayed with me for a fair while after I finished reading the book and I kept thinking about the characters as if they were just as real as you and I.
'The Runaway Girl' is extremely well written. In Ava, Jina has created an extremely likeable character that you can't help but root for. This book was so well written and such vivid descriptions were used that I really did feel as though Jina had put me in a time machine and sent me back to 1912, with all of the relevant sights, sounds and fashions. I also felt as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Runaway Girl' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Jina's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*

Ava has been accused of stealing her boss diamond bracelet in Ireland. To escape, she is given a third class ticket to aboard the Titanic. Even though they're still looking for her aboard she ship, this is her only chance to escape.

Once aboard the ship, she meets Buck and is immediately smitten. He's known as player but offers to help Ava out and finds her a job as a lady's maiden for the countless on board. Not realizing she is entering a live triangle, Ava is happy to have this opportunity.

As soon as Ava lets rearguard down she is found by security and locked in a cell where nobody knows of her location. Suddenly, the ship starts letting water in and Ava is wondering how she will survive.

I really enjoyed this story and happy that I requested it. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A sweeping historical romantic read rich in atmosphere, emotion and intensity, Jina Bacarrs The Runaway Girl is a heart-warming and intriguing tale that is absolutely perfect for curling up with on a cold afternoon.

A sweeping historical romantic read rich in atmosphere, emotion and intensity, Jina Bacarr’s The Runaway Girl is a heart-warming and intriguing tale that is absolutely perfect for curling up with on a cold afternoon.

Ava O’Reilly has been wrongfully accused of stealing and she does not know what to do. With so much stacked against her and nobody to turn to, Ava must think fast if she does not want to end up falling foul of the law. Aware that her cries of innocence would fall on deaf ears and that nobody would ever believe that she wasn’t a thief, Ava realises that the only option available to her is to flee Ireland and hope to start afresh elsewhere. Luck seems to be on her side when she grasps her first chance at escape – and ends up boarding the ill-fated ship of dreams, the Titanic. Will Ava end up leaping from the frying pan into the fire? Will her decision to seek sanctuary on the Titanic end up being the biggest mistake of her life? Or will fate continue to work in mysterious ways?

When she runs into dashing gentleman gambler Captain Buck Blackthorn, it looks like for the first time in ages, the odds might well end up being stacked in her favour. Buck promises to protect her and to keep her safe from danger and with the assistance of his good friend, the Countess of Marbury manages to secure her a ‘job’ as her maid. Buck had been intrigued and attracted to the fiery Irish beauty from the very first moment he clapped eyes on her, yet little does he realise that there is somebody very close to home who is head over heels in love with him: the Countess of Marbury herself…

When tragedy strikes on that ill-fated night that changes the lives of the passengers aboard this ship of dreams forever, a terrified Ava ends up losing sight of her protector Buck and is forced to make a devastating decision that will shake the rocky foundations of her existence once more. Will Ava and Buck ever be reunited? Or has fate torn them asunder for good?

Jina Bacarr is a master storyteller who has written an evocative and enthralling historical tale spiced with heart-breaking intensity, nail-biting emotional drama, poignant romance and pulse-racing intrigue. The Runaway Girl is a tale of second chances, cruel twists of fate, healing from the past, vanquishing old ghosts and finding the courage to start over that features brilliantly realised characters that leap off the pages and come alive from the moment they make their first appearance in the novel.

A talented writer with an ability to make the past come to glorious life, Jina Bacarr is a writer to watch out for and one whose books have gone straight to top of my auto-buy list.

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a fascination with the story of the Titanic. I must have seen the movie over a hundred times, I can easily recite scenes from the movie, I’ve seen almost every documentary there is about the Titanic and I’ve been to the Titanic Artifact Exhibition in Amsterdam a view years ago. So when I saw the cover of ‘The Runaway Girl’ on Netgalley, I knew this was a book I wanted to read. And I was super excited when I received the email telling me I was chosen to read this book.

In ‘The Runaway Girl’ we meet Ava O’Reilly. Ava has been accused of stealing and the only chance at a better life is getting on board of the Titanic. As a third class passenger, Ava doesn’t have a lot of luxury. But getting to America is her only goal. When she enters the ‘ship of dreams’ she soon meets Captain Buck Blackthorn. He is out of her range, but there is something between them they can’t deny. But there’s also Buck’s friend, the countess of Marbury, who has been in love with him for a long time. And on the fateful night the Titanic hits an Iceberg both Ava and Buck need to make a difficult choice.

Well, this review is a hard on to write because I didn’t like this book all that much. From the moment I started reading, I had trouble liking the main characters Ava and Buck. I felt like this story was going too fast, and I didn’t really get a chance to really know the characters that well. And because of that, I didn’t really feel the connection between Ava and Buck.

The other part I had trouble with was the way I found this book to be to much like the movie. And not the Titanic part, but the romance part. The way they where from a different class, one of them being put in ‘jail’ while the Titanic hits the iceberg. To me it just felt like to much happened the same way and I was a little disappointed about that.

What I did enjoy was the author’s way of writing. I could easily imagine being in 1912 besides the characters and it was fun to walk through the Titanic again. You can definitely see the author did her research about the Titanic.

Overall, my expectations might have been to high for this book. And as a historical romance novel I didn’t feel the romance all that much.

There is always something fascinating about stories which feature The Titanic. I’m a sucker for tales of tales of ‘first class’ and’third class’ passengers and really enjoy various viewpoints. I’m always amazed at how ahead of its time the shoip was. What would it have been like to have been a passenger?

I was on the ship with Ava O’Reilly who is sacked from her job for apparently stealing something. She escapes onto the Titanic and manages to get a job as a lady’s maid. The lady in question is about to get married but she is in love with someone else. She needs to marry for money and not for love.

I always want to warn these people off the ship. It’s weird knowing what happens to the ship but not what happens to them. It’s like a parallel universe and I find this kind of story fascinating. People like Fiona and Ava could have existed and been on that ship. Maybe some people like them were.
There’s lots to enjoy in this book and to get involved with. The romance, history, intrigue, scene setting and so much more. I haven’t read anything by this author before but this is certainly not the last!

Would a poor Irish girl on the run get a future with an impoverished lord when tragic circumstances bring them together before tearing them apart...

I confess while reading the various scenes set during the sinking of the ship, I have the movie in mind, imagining Buck in the corridors then low levels trying to rescue the girls or the lifeboats rowing away from the disaster, surrounded by the many bodies of the ones left behind to die.

Buck and Ava gave themselves a merry chase, each going after the other to better avoid the other party right after, both blind to their own feelings when others could only witness how deep their sentiments have taken hold of them.
Ava is an obstinate and stubborn young woman, she has a knack to run in problems and hold her tongue. And by infuriating the wrong woman, she put her living and freedom in danger.
Still, she struggles to keep her temper in check, even when she is fully aware she should. Lucky her, she faces Buck and no one else.
So when fate intervenes and opens up a whole new future, she is lost, what counts more wealth or love.
Buck has always seen himself as unworthy, of good birth but not on the right order. So he takes what life has to offer and without engagement he enjoys it with own means.
So when, for once he meets a young woman who makes him rethink everything, but he even when he acknowledges to himself his feelings for her, he does not see how he would be able to support a wife when he struggles himself with his own living.

This is a slow burn romance where the main couple plays hot and cold with one another, unable to stay away but also not able to be together. I was often upset at them for being the cause of their own heartaches.
Luckily for them, others will take matter in hands.
4 stars.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Boldwood Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

The Runaway Girl is an interesting quick read. If you enjoy stories about the Titanic, this story is for you. Our main character (and from when's perspective the story is told) is Ava, a working class Irish girl who is falsely accused of stealing a piece of jewelry from her employer. Innocent, but wanted by the police, Ava escapes the house and finds out the next ship leaving Ireland is the Titanic for which she buys a ticket with some of the only money she has. Ava point of departure is last stop before Titanic heads toward New York. Ava is spotted boarding the ship by another passenger - Buck, who is immediately drawn to her. Buck and Ava's paths cross when his friend's lady's maid gets injured and needs a replacement. Buck asks Ava to fill in - not only to help her evade the authorities but also help the Countess. We all know what happens to the Titanic....but what will happen to Ava, Buck and the others?? Read to find out.

I couldn’t resist this book with its eye catching cover. I love anything to do with the Titanic so I was really pleased to get this!!

Ava O’Reilly has been sacked from her job for supposedly stealing a bracelet from her employer. She finds herself on the Titanic being chased by the police. Lord James Blackthorn has a proposal that she works as a lady’s maid for his best friend Fiona-Winston Hale, who is due to marry Treyton Brady a ladies man who needs to marry to get his inheritance. Fiona is in love with James but needs to marry a man with money.

This is such a heart warming romance, loved that although Fiona and Ava were worlds apart they had fallen for the same man and became close companions.

The vivid descriptions made this book come to life, and although we all know that the Titanic had a tragic ending this story showed how the survivors continued with their lives afterwards.

This is my first book by this author, I fell in love with this journey of discovery and love and will happily look out for her next book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

An entertaining and well written Titanic romance. Good plot with well crafted characters. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.