I really enjoyed this fun romance. The story was great and Elle and Nash made great lead characters. Really enjoyable well written escape and I would totally recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to a review copy.

This is a quick fun easy read. Noelle is a runaway bride just minutes from taking her vows when she hides out in Nash’s truck. He helps her escape. Nice story, good characters, ending left me wanting a bit more story though.

This book was provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an honest review. All of the thoughts and opinions are my own.

My oh myyyyyy.
After being in a week's long reading slump this book is just what the doctor ordered. It was short and sweet and so cute, tho kind of unrealistic and too fast paced at the same time.
However I will whole heartedly give this book 3 stars just for cuteness and in celebration of the slump ending.

Noelle and Nash are definitely a grumpy/sunshine pairing. I loved Noelle and her sunny disposition - even in the face of all the things happening in her life. When we meet her she is days away from a wedding to a man she loves - even if she is feeling a little rocky on their relationship. She chalks it up to nerves and stress of dealing with her extremely controlling mother. When things go seriously off the rails, Noelle feels like she has no other choice than to make a run for it.

Nash is at Noelle's wedding because he went to school with the groom and their parents are friends. Nash is a veteran and is dealing with PTSD and a lot of guilt. He isn't at the wedding voluntarily and when it gets to be too much - he heads out before the ceremony. He finds Noelle hiding in his truck - and helps her make her escape. He ends up taking her home to his hallmark perfect town near Big Bear.

He and Noelle are so sweet together - as he introduces her to his found family in town and helps keep her grounded and supported as she deals with the implosion of her life as she knows it. I appreciated that even though this is a romance, the author didn't jump the gun right into love and sex between Noelle and Nash. They definitely make a love connection - but given the turmoil and upheaval Noelle is experiencing - she lets that relationship start - but doesn't jump immediately to Noelle moving in or something like that.

This is a sweet and lovely holiday read. It definitely has all the cozy vibes you need with a Christmas romance!

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley, but my 3.5 Star review is all my own opinions!

Too cheesy for me. A fun easy story but characters lack depth and situations are not realistic. Didn’t seem believable that Noelle and Nash would fall in love as she’s escaping from her wedding, surely she’d be preoccupied with other things.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC in exchange of my honest review.
The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay is story of Nash, retired ex-military and Noelle, aspiring law student. As the title says Noelle can no longer her gut feeling that something is wrong, and she doesn't want to get married. Five days before Christmas is late to accept the truth, still it's never too late. So, Noelle, leaves her current fiancé at the alter and runs away with help of her cousin. On running away, she bumps into Nash, who is former team mate of her ex-fiancé. Their eyes meet and they know something is there but it's too early. Noelle aka Elle just left her fiancé and Nash isn't looking for love. Yet.

So, Nash helps Elle escape the wedding. They end up in Blitzen Bay where Nash is living. Noelle falls for beautiful Blitzen Bay and Nash, however she doesn't want Nash to be her rebound guy so, she leaves and what happens then… you gotta read the story but spoiler alert, it's a HEA…

The Runaway bride of Blitzen bay is quirky, cute and sweet romantic comedy with flowing writing, great cast of characters. It's an insta-love, opposite attract romcom; curling up with your favourite blanket and drink is recommended!!

This is a cute, fun and fast read. The characters and location are great. I cannot wait until the second book.

thank you NetGalley for the arc!

synopsis:

Noelle’s getting married in three days. It’s a dream come true—for her mom. For Noelle, it’s starting to feel like the walls are closing in. She’s known for months that something’s changing—namely, her fiancé. He’s becoming someone she doesn’t know anymore. She’s tried to ignore it, but her gut’s telling her that she’s marrying the wrong person.



Nash retired from the military three months ago. He’s not in the mood to celebrate anything. He just wants to be left alone. His high school buddy’s getting married in a few days. He has no desire to go, but every time he tries to throw the invitation out, an alarm goes off in his head. For some reason, he feels like he’s supposed to be there.



It’s thirty minutes before the wedding starts. Noelle’s in her wedding dress. Nash is in his seat. The universe is trying to bring these two strangers together. Is it ever too late to meet the man of your dreams?

A lovely book with a great cast of characters. Beautifully written and I got really invested in the story. I would highly recommend reading this one. A clever, engrossing story with fabulous characters and a perfect ending.

First book by this author for me and I really enjoyed the story! Thrilling plot that had me laughing and enjoying the characters! Highly recommended!

This is the quintessential rom-com. I wanted so badly to hug Noelle and tell her she was doing the right thing. And then there's Nash, who is basically perfect: a bit brooding but not overly so, and obviously super sweet. I loved the Christmassy vibe and fun winter antics. Noelle and Nash have a very sweet sort of chemistry (and this is closed door, for those who like their books "Minnesota spicy," (aka ketchup. My mom thinks ketchup is spicy. She might think this book is a little spicy too, who knows.) I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Ms. Schwartze is a new-to-me to me author so I didn't have any particular expectations going into the story. I was very pleasantly surprised! Noelle is about to get married, and as the big day approaches, she begins to have serious doubts about her decision. Nash has been invited as a guest to the wedding and he is the perfect stranger to help her make her getaway when she decides she can't go through with the wedding. What ensues from there is a fun-filled adventure and a journey of love and self-reflection. The characters will steal your heart in this beautifully written and enchanting tale. A holiday story that is great for any time of the year! I will definitely be looking for more of this author's work!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This story is set at Christmas so if you’re looking for a Hallmark style movie you may like this. I was looking for a Runaway bride type story but sadly this story lacked any of the charm and wit of the movie and there was no banter or chemistry between these two people who are supposed to instantly fall in love with each other.

The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay was a heart-warming, fun story that I enjoyed reading. Its a story about doing what's best for you, and not bothering about what other people think and its also about finding your self and finding love. This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed her writing style. I loved reading Noelle's journey of self discovery and I really loved that she found the strength to follow her mind and do what is right for her. I loved that Nash was at the right place at the right time and I loved how caring and protective he was towards her.

This was a sweet clean romance that was fast paced and enjoyable and will put you in the Christmas spirit. I would recommend it to romance lovers.

My first book by Donna Schwartze and I loved it. This is a small town rom-com that I digged through and I love a slow burn rom and I enjoyed it. f you love a slow burn romance at Christmas you will enjoy it . This book is a delight and perfect for any cold day. A huge thanks to the publisher for my complimentary copy.

Admittedly, I wasn't familiar with Donna's books, but when I saw that The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay was a small town rom-com, I quickly dug in and it did not disappoint! ⁠
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This book is so incredibly wholesome with a slow-burn romance set to the backdrop of Christmas, and while it gently touches on the traumas caused by parents and PTSD from being in the army, this love story is like a warm hug on a winter's day. ⁠
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I related deeply to the MC who evidently is a recovering people-pleaser, and clearly, has an overbearing mom who abuses that quality of hers. ⁠
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While this story is a romance of the best kind, I liked that the MC didn't give up on finding herself. Honestly, this book gives all the warmth and fuzzies - even the side characters were amazing and everything we all need when facing a life crisis (please can I have a Sam in my life?). ⁠
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10/10, this was such a great book and one that I will definitely be rereading during the festive season. ⁠
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➡️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
➡️ Spice: 0/5⁠
➡️ Available on KU⁠
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*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Absolutely love this series. Nash and noelle's chemistry is a page turner. Almost wished i could have read this for the first time closer to Christmas as it kinda put me in a Christmas festive mood. But overall loved the book and now can't wait to read kit's story

Really enjoyed this book. It’s a cute hallmark-like romance. Although it wasn’t uniquely special or memorable in comparison to other contemporary romances I’ve read. I still deeply enjoyed it.

This book was adorably cute. Noelle decides to leave her fiancé at the altar when she climbs into Nash’s truck. I loved this book so much. Noelle’s name is so cute
And I loved all the Christmas in this book ! 5/5 would recommend

Review posted via. Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4737217737
Noelle is getting married, except she does not know if she wants to go through with it. Nash just got out of the military. He grudgingly attends his high school buddy's wedding. When Noelle runs away just before the wedding, Nash becomes her getaway.

This was a cute Christmas time novel for the holidays. I had a hard time getting into the story. The inner monologue of Elle was not my favorite. Noelle and Nash did not meet until a good part of the way through the novel. I might recommend this book to my family and friends.