You know when you want something to be so much more than it actually is? That is exactly how I felt about Etiquette for Runaways. I was hoping that I was going to get a story that was character driven with May Marshall breaking glass ceilings in a world which keeps debutants in their place. What I felt went wrong with Etiquette for Runaways is that there was a lack of focus. It wanted to be both character and narrative driven but struggled to find a balance or at times to prioritise. I also felt that it tried to pack too much in and so the story got lost and I found myself unable to care for the characters all that much.

Etiquette for Runaways wasn’t a bad novel it just failed to deliver on what I wanted ad expected it to be.

Etiquette For Runaways by Liza Nash Taylor is available now.

5 of 5 Stars! Liza Nash Taylor is going to be a force of nature in the writing industry. I absolutely loved the story. The “why”;they move to Paris It’s really a wonderful hotel. I loved that they are seamstresses on top of beauties. My stepmom was the seamstress and she absolutely loved it so I know this book would have meant a lot to her. She really reminded me of the main character. I could feel myself at each location, I could sense any moments if angst. Everything was practically jumping off of the page and when that happens I know that when I am reading a spectacular. thank you Liza Nash Taylor, I’m very excited for your next piece of work.

Pub Date Aug. 18, 2020

Thanks to the LizaNashTaylor, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; all opinions are mine.

#EtiquetteForRunaways #LizaNashTaylor #NetGalley #AnniesFavorites

What a great historical fiction read! I really enjoyed the Jazz Age setting and loved watching May go from Virginia to New York to Paris. Talk about a book that will have you flying through the pages! I loved it!

Did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I'd expected something else. I may pick it up again at another time and try again.

My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review issue 94 (November 2020):
Taylor chooses two iconic Jazz-Age settings—New York and Paris—for this roller-coaster of a historical novel. May Valentine Marshall is a girl who always finds herself on the outside looking in wherever she goes, whether the cotillion society of Virginia, the hectic world of New York’s “black-and-tan” nightclub scene, or the dreamlike environment of Montmartre. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, May depends on her childhood friend, Byrd, and her housekeeper Delphine for emotional support—but a scandal that results in her expulsion from Mary Baldwin College in 1924 distances her from her family and friends and propels her to the Big City.
Taylor is notable for publishing her debut novel at the age of 60, and the wealth of her own experiences living in all three settings comes through in her sparkling descriptions of the two glamorous cities. The third setting, northern Virginia, is rendered so lovingly and beautifully that readers will wonder why May ever wanted to leave.
Taylor keeps piling on poor May’s misfortunes: her father is a moonshiner in trouble with the feds; her New York adventure turns to disaster when her ne’er-do-well roommate gets her addicted to cocaine, and her dream job in Paris as a costume designer for the scandalous Les Folies Noires show is snatched away by medieval union rules. All this happens in a single eventful year, and the narrative begins to creak under the weight of all the trauma that Taylor loads on a frustratingly passive heroine. May’s kindheartedness and progressive attitudes toward race are often at odds with her naivete and humorlessness. She manages to be both obstinate and impetuous in the same moments, obsessing over small details in a way that makes the pace drag a little despite the fascinating supporting characters (one of which is modeled on Josephine Baker) that she befriends in her adventures.

#EttiquetteForRunaways is a coming of age tale of a young woman in the 1920’s.

An interesting book which took me on her journey through prohibition, trouble with the law, making the wrong choices in love, an absent mother, racial injustice and addiction.
Wonderful to see the flapper & jazz age through believable eyes, in such interesting locations.
I do think the author could have gone deeper and there was more to be said about Byrd & May at the end, but I have found out a second book continuing from this one is going to be released soon! I can’t wait to read it.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

In this debut novel set in the 1920's during prohibition. May is a strong Wilkes character who has not had an easy life. Also one with flaws including getting expelled from college which in these times is a scandal. Looking to escape she runs off to New York with hopes of a new life and second chance. She finds more than she was bargaining for and more trouble she finds herself looking for her purpose and happiness. A very enjoyable read I look forward to reading more books by This author thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Release Date: August 18, 2020

About The Book:

A sweeping Jazz Age tale of regret, ambition, and redemption inspired by true events, including the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935 and Josephine Baker’s 1925 Paris debut in Le Revue Nègre.


1924- naive May Marshall is expelled from college for a transgression and comes hone to Virginia to help in her fathers business only to find out his orchard is now a moonshine business. Despite warnings from a childhood friend Byrd, she stays on to help.
After her father gets caught May goes on the run and tries to reinvent herself in New York. New friendships and the nightlife of the Jazz age all lead to both temptations and opportunities and May finds herself in Paris, where her luck ends and she must make some hard choices.
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My Thoughts:
We see May go from life at her fathers orchard in Virginia (which no longer was what she expected due to her father now running a moonshine business) to the nightlife and temptation of Jazz Age New York and then the glamour of Paris, where she has some independence and experiences these things for the first time and can make her own choices.
This was a great book with characters who aren’t perfect and can make very bad decisions. I enjoyed seeing Mays journey even as hard as it was and experiencing the time period through her eyes. I recommend this for fans of historical fiction, and the prohibition/Jazz Age.

Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours and Liza Nash Taylor for the review copy and having me as a part of this tour.

May is a young lady from a farm in Virginia. She has been expelled from college and comes back home. She ends up helping her father run moonshine. But, the authorities close in and she high tails it to NYC. Well…this is just the beginning a new chapter in her life.

This story is intriguing all the way through! However, there are places where it is a little mundane with some details. But, this is minor. May is such a great character. She starts out as timid and follows MOST of the rules. Then she falls into the wrong crowd and makes some huge mistakes. I enjoy a character which grows up in front of your eyes. And May truly does. She takes ownership of her mistakes and does everything she can to rectify them.

Then…the setting of the Jazz Age in NYC and Paris…OH MY! Plus, May has a mystery in her background. This is what leads her to Paris.

Now, let me say, this cover is misleading. This is not how I pictured May or someone in the Jazz age. So, never judge a book by its cover!

This is a wonderful novel! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Etiquette for Runaways is a beautifully written debut novel! This is my favorite book of the year so far. I can't wait for the Liza Nash Taylor's next book!

Holy wow, y’all! I did not expect to love this one as much as I did! I mean, I knew I would like it, but it’s a debut novel. Sometimes, I only JUST like a debut novel. But, this one…….this one I fell in love with. From the start, Liza Nash Taylor hooked me, and kept me on a whirlwind ride throughout. I fell hard for her characters and the setting was beautifully depicted and came to life for me.

This historical story is set in the 1920’s, one of my favorites to read about. I mean, I love the jazz & flapper girl era. Something about that time period that just calls to me(I always tell folks I was born in the wrong era!). May’s character was beautifully, flawfully chiseled. She was real. She made huge mistakes in life, but following her story was a wonderful vacation. I loved following her on her runaway journey to New York & Paris, seeing the sites through her eyes.

This historical novel will leave you full of emotions. From sadness & heartache to anger & a few smiles, this book is wonderfully written, and captivating. Nash Taylor is an author who shows true talent and I look forward to reading more of her novels just like this one. If you want a story that will envelope you, take you on a twisting journey, and make you feel a true part of the story, grab this one up now!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Special thanks to Suzy Approved Book Tours for providing our copy of Etiquette For Runaways by Liza Nash Taylor in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Disclaimer: I don’t read for reality okay? I love romance and HEA and this is not that. Yet, I really enjoyed this book!

Historical Fiction in Paris, Virginia & NYC
Nash Taylor gives us a good chunk of May’s backstory in Virginia. This is a historical fiction novel. I love the different places & times this book takes me.

May tries to keep her heart compartmentalized. Throughout the book, May plays it close to the vest. readers see May carries a great burden of shame because of what other people think about her. We see how that shame causes her issues. May’s lack of vulnerability really changes her life path.

Vulnerability & Escaping the Past
May only tells people what they need to know. There are a lot of ways I can relate to her. Small town expectations & people thinking they know you but they really don’t. She grapples with this as she tries to move on & start fresh.

The Verdict

I really like this one! It’s got some twists and turns as May is finding her way. Read Etiquette For Runaways by Liza Nash Taylor if you’re a fan of literary and/or historical fiction & enjoy stories about women finding their way.

Absolutely amazing. From the seamless writing to the vivid characters you just want to crawl into this book and stay there for a while. Pick up this winner of a book and prepare to be dazzled. Not to be missed. Happy reading!

"The world was a big place, full of mistakes just waiting to be made, but maybe, she thought, just maybe, there were some second chances too."

Etiquette For Runaways is a beautiful debut novel set during the Prohibition. The protagonist is May Marshall, a 19-year-old who is expelled from college after a scandal and returns to her home on a Virginia farm to find her father is now a moonshiner and the demons from her past are still alive and well. When the law catches on to her father's business, May goes on the run to New York City and reinvents herself as May Valentine. Taking work as a seamstress, she falls in love with Jazz and the club life and eventually lands a job designing costumes which takes her to Paris. Along this incredible journey, May must come to terms with the her past actions, the trauma of being abandoned by her mother and her feelings for a childhood friend who wants her to leave her new life behind and return to their farm town.

I really enjoyed how vividly Lisa Nash Taylor depicts May's worlds. From the family's rural apple farm and market to the glamour of 1920's NYC and Paris, the places come alive. I also loved the characters she created. May is truly flawed but you can't help but root for her even when she's making terrible choices and her friends and family are wonderfully drawn - Byrd, the boy-next-door who's been like a brother to May but would like to be more; Rocky, the Black elevator operator who helps her adjust to life in New York while also finding a way to express his true self; Dora, May's self-centered opportunist of a roommate; Janie, the showgirl who becomes her friend; Delphina, the help who raised May after her mother left; and even Florence, the ladies room attendant at the hotel where May works, is someone you feel like you know.

I read a lot of historical fiction and this book is unique, a moving coming-of-age story that is anything but predictable. Be sure to read the author's note at the end - how she came up with the plot is extraordinary. I'm looking forward to reading a lot more from Liza Nash Taylor.

Thanks to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and the author for an advanced ecopy of this novel to review.

I rarely read this genre but this one pulled me right in and I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. ⁣
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This debut novel is set in the 1920's. It flows so smoothly and deeply that you feel as if you're a part of the story. May is on a mission to put her past behind her. Set in Virginia, New York and Paris. The characters are lovely and relatable. Glamour, jazz, moonshine. I don't want to give anything away, but if you're looking for an amazing read, you'll find it right here!⁣

Thank you to @getredpr, Blackstone Publishing, and Liza Nash Taylor for my gifted copy of Etiquette for Runaways! Historical Fiction fans, this one is for you!

May Marshall is a young woman who has been expelled from college following a scandal, and is in exile at her father’s farm. After he gets busted for making moonshine, May goes on the run to New York City, where she reinvents herself as May Valentine, a seamstress. May finds work at a hotel, and then at a costume shop, where the opportunities really start to come her way. She learns a lot about the world and herself very quickly.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Historical Fiction book that I loved, but this one did it! The characters were well developed and thoughtful, the action moved at a timely pace, and the novel seemed very historically accurate. I loved May’s growth throughout the book as she learns more about the world beyond Virginia, which includes topics such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and discrimination. Taylor does a wonderful job of going into depth within the plot about these issues and showing how her various characters handle them.

Etiquette for Runaways is out now! It would be a fabulous book club or buddy read pick for historical fiction fans. I can’t wait to see what Liza Nash Taylor writes next.

I found this story to be very slow in the beginning, which almost made this one a “DNF” for me. However, I stuck with it and I’m happy that I did as it improved quite a bit!

The reason for the star reductions is the fact that there was no clear ending for May; I didn’t really like May’s actions in the story, but would have wanted to know if her and Byrd find a way back into one another’s hearts and if she returns home to Virginia.

Review Liza Nash Taylor, the author of "Etiquette for Runaways" has written an enthralling, intriguing, intense, captivating, and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this novel are Fiction and Historical Fiction. The timeline for this story is approximately 1924. The story goes to the past and future when it pertains to the characters and events. The story takes place in Keswick Virginia and New York City and Paris. The author describes her dramatic cast of characters as complex and complicated. Moonshining and the jazz age are discussed in this story. There are secrets, betrayals.crime, and lies.

May Marshall, the protagonist in this novel, makes wrong choices and mistakes in life. Some of her mistakes are the cause of her insecurity, embarrassment, and shame. May's father has an illegal thriving moonshine business that she becomes involved with. May is also obsessed with finding the mother who abandoned her, leaving her not only with a broken heart but a broken piece of a porcelain doll that she keeps with her. May does have some good friends that look out for her, and some that betray and hurt her.

May wants to find a way to be an independent woman and wants to explore and have adventures. Some of her adventures take her to interesting and dangerous places. I appreciate that the author vividly describes the characters, events, scenery, and plots. Many of the descriptions of foods, hotels, homes, costumes, clothing, and jewelry are intriguing.

I love how Liza Nash Taylor discusses problems such as alcoholism, drug use, illegal liquor, discrimination of races, and classes. The author also mentions the importance of self-worth, communication, honesty, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this memorable and thought-provoking novel to other readers. Happy Reading!!! (less)

This story of May, trying to distance and separate herself from her father and their life on their farm. She leaves for NY, a path her mother had also journeyed down as well. She gets an opportunity to relocate again to Paris, but when she hits a string of bad luck everything she seems to be burning to the ground. See how she maneuvers and aims to take control of her own life.

A carefully wrought and beautifully imagined coming of age story set in 1920s Virginia, New York, and Paris. May has had much sorrow in her life- her brother died, her mother was an addict who abandoned the family, she's sent away from college, her father is now moonshining. She opts to head for New York where she makes a life (and some bad choices) and falls in move with jazz, among other things. She flees to Paris rather than return to Virginia but she can't leave herself behind. She's always searching for her mother and for peace- and she owns her decisions. It's atmospheric and the period details elevate the story. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. An excellent read.