Lisa Childs story The Runaway is a mess from the different points of view to the romance that doesn't make since. The story feels forced as do the characters in the different scenes. The story lacks a natural flow the authors has shown many times before. The synopsis and the story do not match leaving readers wondering what are they reading?

The book lacked any flow that would keep readers wanting to finish the story. As a reader I struggled to finish the story that seem to stall out and end with a unexpected twist.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Lisa Childs The Runaway.

A gripping psychological, atmospheric thriller. This is a book I would have liked to have read in one or two sittings so I could keep the many characters straight in my head. Great read. The romance was definitely as secondary story line. It kept me guessing to the end although it does end with a cliffhanger.

Rosemary Tulle is trying to gain entrance to Halcyon Hall, a so-called new age treatment center, to see her sister Genevieve. When Rosemary arrives at Halcyon Hall she is denied entry. Her name is not on "The List." Many years ago Halcyon Hall was known as Bainesworth Manor, an insane asylum. Have things really changed there? Rosemary is determined to see Genevieve. Will she find a way to get in?

What an edge-of-my-seat, bone-chilling read. The Runaway by Lisa Childs is filled with action, suspense and mystery. I liked how Ms. Childs kept me guessing throughout this story. I'm glad I got to read about one of the mysteries being solved.

Rosemary gets a phone call from her sister desperately asking her to come and get her. This was a dark, almost gothic feeling suspense. I found myself skimming parts of the book, but I did want to see how it ended. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

"Help me...Mom and Dad sent me away to this horrible place, and I'm scared. So scared..." Genevieve is scared Genevieve is alone and reaches out to her sister for help. By the time her sister makes it to where Genevieve is staying, she is gone.

This story has a lot going on. I liked the premise but it was very disjointed. I may give the next story a chance, but the writing did not flow easily for me.

I picked up this book because I am a huge fan of romantic suspense from authors like Lisa Jackson, Karen Rose, and Tami Hoag. I've never read a book by Lisa Childs so perhaps I went into this expecting too much. The blurb about a strange call and an abandoned asylum are exactly the kind of beats I want to read in suspense. However this book was a bore and didn't use any of the down time in the action to build tension. A lot of other reviews I see for this book go on and on about the atmosphere in this book and I have to wonder if we all read the same book. This was flat and does not work as a romance either. If you're looking for romantic suspense with a creepy old hospital as the backdrop I'd recommend Absolute Fear by Lisa Jackson before this book.

I could not get into this book. I tried several times, reading a bit here and there and it just didn't keep my attention. I think it was the writing of the book and how it was paced. Just wasn't my cup of tea.

Loved it! Dark in places, intense, couldn't stop reading. When I began the book, I left it for quite a while before I picked it up again, I'm so glad I did. I think for me, it's just personal choice. I enjoy a film starting with intense action but with a book, I don't enjoy being thrown straight into the action. I'm not attached to it, I'm not interested because I don't know the characters. It just didn't grab my attention unfortunately. I prefer the story to build and to get to know the back story of the characters. Having said that, I'm so glad I carried on reading because the plot was great. I loved getting to know the characters. It really was edge of the seat stuff once I cared about the main character and what happened to her. I literally couldn't put the book down, finished it really quick and stayed up half the night. Always a good sign of a gripping book. However, it was left with loose ends which is slightly annoying but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there is or will be a follow up book. Highly recommend!

I love an overly dramatic moment in a novel. But this novel seems to exist solely of dramatic moments. It's all a bit too much. I wanted to love this book because this genre is a favourite of mine, but the writing pushed me right out of the story. Perhaps this book just isn't for me. Im sure it will find its readers.

Not my favorite read this year. It felt a little flat to me. While the characters (some of them) had a bit of depth, they weren't likable, the situations didn't seem plausible even for fiction it just made me want to strangle some of the characters. It wasn't bad just not fantastic...

Atmospheric, mysterious, and chilling, this book is utterly compelling and near impossible to put down. This atmospheric little town and everything in the story completely enveloped me. I can’t wait to read more of this series and I want to know more about Bainsworth Manor! The curiosity is real and it is strong! I want to jump into the eerie world of this story, if only to see this creepy, intriguing town filled with mysteries and unexplained happenings on every corner.

I have to say that some of the characters weren’t exactly like-able, but the author's atmospheric writing and the intriguing story that she penned, more than made up for my dislike for the characters.

If you’re a fan of atmospheric thrillers and gothic horror type stories, pick this one up!

I am going to be impatiently awaiting the next installment in this story!

The Runaway by Lisa Childs

Suspense, twists, and turns that you don’t see coming! Several times I thought I had it figured out, but this author is fantastic and I plan to read more of her books.
This book is about Rosemary rescuing her sister from an asylum that is not exactly what it is purported to be in its brochures! Without giving away any spoilers this book is a great book to read because you definitely want to know what,who,and wow!

Thank you to the authors and publishers who work diligently for us the readers!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

The Runaway by Lisa Childs gave me chills that I still can't get rid of. This book is intriguing down to the very last page. Might there be more to story? This reviewer hopes so.
I recommend this book to lovers of mystery, chills, and thrills. It truly is entertaining. It isn't one that I would read at night alone... or maybe I would if I had been able to put it down when I started reading during the morning.

Lisa Childs book The Runaway is awesome! I can’t wait for more. This is the first novel I’ve read from this author but it won’t be the last. It’s an nail biter. I read it two sittings. The characters really pulled me into the story and made me care what happens to them. Thanks to NetGalley and the author and her publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of The Runaway.

The blurb of 'The Runaway' has a seductive lure to it, which was what led me to request for the ARC: Rosemary Tulle's in a rush to locate her sister and she's given the runaround at every turn, even as she runs into a man whom she finds herself unable to forgive.

But as soon as I started 'The Runaway', it became clear that this wasn't quite the book for me as I went through numerous switches in POV (making this feel more like a mystery/thriller type of book without any romantic bent), a plot that felt like it was too choked to advance because of these bewildering switches and supposedly romantic protagonists who just didn't exactly get a proper build-up from the very start.

Child's writing itself isn't the issue; she gets on well with atmosphere and unearthing character motivations/feelings and thoughts. But this just wasn't a book that I could comfortably get on with, let alone finish, unfortunately. Again, this might just be a case of my own preferences and reading inclinations, as I'm suspecting that there's a particular set of rules that I unconsciously adhere to whenever there's a 'romance' tag attached to a book's category.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity however I had a hard time staying with this book! It did not work for me however to each his own as they say in reading material! I could not fall for any of the characters! I felt they needed more development!

First I've read by this author. Enjoyable, quick read .. nothing too deep - not the best I've read this year but not bad.

Thank you #netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for the eARC.

I really liked the setting and the mystery. But I did have a hard time liking the characters. How could you spend so many years thinking this guy had committed such a horrible act but then fall for him. I found it hard to believe

This book was awesome! I didn't know who the kidnapper was. I want to know more about Bainesworth Manor.
I really want to read the next book in the trilogy.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

There was so much do enjoy about this book, the atmosphere , the story, the mystery and the danger! The author captures the sense of intrigue early on and it stayed all the way through. My only gripe is the relationship between Rosemary and Whit..from thinking he did this horrendous thing to trusting him, it felt to quick and rushed! The romance seemed a bit false