Anytime I need to inject some book momentum into my life, I just need to read some Emma St. Clair. She always hits it out of the park for me, and this book is no exception.

I may not like a bad boy in real life, but I play someone who does in my reading life. I'm here for more of Van and his snark and penchant for fun! Plus he is SO CHARMING. The way Emma balances his bad boy persona with his more gentle side that he only shows Amelia and his sisters is just perfection.

Amelia is so relatable. Writing the end of the story in her head instead of living it out is so frustrating to read and yet, I do it, so I get it. I loved her character arc here.

As always the Appies text chain was so fun and that alone could be a whole hilarious book. Give us some bonus scenes from the text chain Jenny and Emma!

I will be forever recommending this one!

Content Warning (from author): Parents passing away (past), Divorce and parental neglect (past), Cheating boyfriends (VERY present), Some punching, Some pinching, Criticism of Keanu Reeves’s body of work

Thanks to the author for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for letting me get an arc of this book. It was SUCH a fun read, a perfect choice for anybody in a bit of a reading slump wanting something that leaves you giggling and rolling your eyes (in a good way). The miscommunication trope is my LEAST favorite trope, so it says something that I gave this book such a high rating. Definitely a fun time and also a tad bit tug-on-the-heartstrings kind of book. 4.5, would recommend.

This rating is on Goodreads too!

Thanks to @bookedwiththeemilys @jennyproctorbooks for the #gifted copy of this book!

We're back, back back again in the Appies world! The Appies Hockey universe is one of my favorite places to be and Emma hits it out of the park once again.

This time around we follow Van, the mouthy bad boy of the this tight knit team. If there's one rule this rule-breaker follows it is this: never date the coach's daughter. However, when Van finds her groom cheating on their wedding day, he can't stand idly by. What ensues is Van suddenly juggling a fist fight, a jilted runaway bride, and a secret deal with the coach to escort the bride on a vacation to forget this whole day ever happened. But while enjoying the Florida sunshine with Amelia, the two of them come to realize there's a bit more than just a spark between them. I won't give anything else away, but you certainly won't want to put this book down to see what happens next.

I loved Van in the other Appie books because as Emma puts it best in her author's note at the end, Van was prime real estate for hidden depths. He only presents what he wants others to see, so it was so wonderful to see a different side of him around Amelia. The romance was a bit instalove for my tastes, but it makes sense given the plot of the book. While their days in Florida were lovingly sweet, it's not until the two return to Harvest Hollow that this becomes a true rom-com romp that you'll want to make popcorn to munch on as hilarious chaos ensues.

If you're looking for a romance that checks off a lot of tropes (forbidden romance, forced proximity, hockey romance, and even a few secret fun ones), make sure to check out this one out.

I’ve really been enjoying the appies series by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor. Each of the stories has been better than the last in my opinion. These are great options for people who want a hockey or sports romance without the spice and explicit content those typically have. I also think Emma St. Clair is an excellent option for people who typically like “spicy” romance. She manages to include enough nuance and innuendo to make it feel like there is heat and chemistry between the characters without any explicit content whatsoever. I often find that authors in the “clean” or “sweet” romance genre can be a bit too cheesy and watered down, but I don’t feel that way at all when I read Emma’s books. There’s tension without too much drama, and they always make me laugh and smile. I especially liked Runaway Bride and Prejudice for its unique storyline and pacing. I had a hard time putting it down once I got to the second half of the book! I can’t wait to see more from this series!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Each book in this series is unique and perfect. I didn't expect Van's story to surprise me so much, every time, in every chapter I thought I knew what was going to happen but no, I was very wrong, there is no way I could have seen it coming.
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The Appies are already one of my favorite teams, each character within this team is a box of surprises that leaves you with that feeling that only a perfect book boyfriend can cause. I really enjoyed this serie so much.
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Van is the most misunderstood of the team's players, with his reputation as a serial dater, and always flirting with every woman in his path, no one takes him seriously. And for a few months he can’t blame them, he hasn't been on his game since he met the woman he thought that could be the one and but he never saw her again.
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Until the moment he has to be present at her wedding, with another man.
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Amelia should be thinking about her fiancé minutes before going to the altar but something seems very wrong, and she can’t stop thinking about the man she met months ago and never saw him again until the rehearsal, but when she ends up discovering that he fiancé cheated on her. That man she met months ago, who turned out to be one of her dad's players, seems to be the only get away car available.
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What does a woman do when she discovers that all her plans and dreams collapse, when everything around her is chaos and the man she couldn't stop thinking about is by her side but off limits and she still has the tickets and reservations for her honeymoon?
well, you're going to have to read it and no matter how much you think you know what's going to happen, there's a good chance that you won't guess right
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Very good characters, excellent plot twist and things that I didn't see coming but I enjoyed a lot. You can never go wrong with an Emma St. Clair book
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Thanks to Emma St. Clair and her team for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my voluntary and honest opinion

This story was so much fun to read! You never knew what was going to happen especially when the guys from The Appies are involved. Coach has always had one absolute rule for his players, and that is to NEVER date his daughter. Of course he should have known that Van was going press his luck.

There are so many fun twists and turns in this story, to say much more would mean I’d be ruining the experience for others.

This is a good, clean romance with lots of fun chaos that ensues.

What a lovely read! I always love Pride and Prejudice spin offs as Jane Austen is one of my favorite writer. This book did not disappoint and have you feeling all emotions. From character growth to humor to wit, it was impossible to put it down. A definite must read!

If it's a riff on Pride and Prejudice, I'm in, but pair that with hockey?! Yes. That aside, I have loved all of the books in this series and this one about Van and Amelia was great. In fact, I think this is probably my favorite overall so far. There was great dialogue and I just liked the overall feel of the story in general. 5 stars!

Overall, this story was fun and unique. The characters grew together as a couple, got to know each other, and ultimately the HEA was successful. I do feel like this book lacked a bit of depth. For the coach/Van relationship to be SUCH a big deal even towards the end with no real explanation behind why the coach would think so poorly of him, was a bit odd. I felt like there was a piece of development missing there around Van’s character.

The idea characters of Van’s sisters were a nice break from the main storyline, but seemed a bit more like filler than an integrated part of the story.

The concept was different and I did appreciate that!

I have fallen in love with this series and I was so excited to get a chance to read this book! This series is so good and each character is so like able and sweet. I would highly recommend this series!

In this book, we follow Van, the much-loved hockey player from the Appies, and Amelia, the coach’s daughter. On what should have been Amelia’s wedding day, Van discovers that her fiancé was cheating on her. Instead of walking down the aisle, Amelia cancels the wedding and makes a bold decision and asks Van to join her on what would have been her honeymoon.

As someone who has followed Van’s journey throughout the series, I was excited to finally dive into a book centered on him. I’d always been curious when he would leave behind his womanizing ways and embrace commitment. From the beginning, Van shows he’s more than just the flirtatious athlete we’ve seen before—he’s a true gentleman, stepping up for Amelia. Watching him evolve and seeing his genuine care and protectiveness towards Amelia was truly heartening.

This book hit all the right notes for me. Van and Amelia’s chemistry was palpable, and their journey together was filled with emotional highs and lows, sprinkled with humor, warmth, and wonderfully written banter.

On top of the romantic storyline, the camaraderie between Van and his teammates added an extra layer of fun. The text thread of the “dream team” kept the book funny as hell, and showcased the tight bond they share, which has always been one of my favorite aspects of this series.

Overall, this was hands down my favorite book of the series so far. It was a delightful, emotional rollercoaster that left me smiling. I couldn’t put it down, and the unexpected turns in Van and Amelia’s story kept me engaged until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Loved it! Runaway bride is one of my fav movies so I was excited for this. This book was fun to read and laugh out loud funny. And I really loved Van’s sisters! I wish they had a big part in the story line.

This was my first of the Appie series but now I’ve got to go back and read them all.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the arc. Opinions are my own.

Instalove, hockey, forbidden romance — mix those with a good dose of humor, and voilà, you get this gem! But honestly, from a book that starts with a runaway bride, you know you're in for a treat. What I really loved, though, was Van’s point of view — everyone deserves a Van in their life. So don’t waste any time, read it, and then go find your own Van!

“This life we’ve built, Mills? It’s the furthest thing from duty. It’s a choice—you’re a choice—I’d choose every day all over again.” Van and Amelia's story is full of banter, runaway brude, a soft hero, crazy teammates and a mad father and it's an amazing one. The Appies and their love stories are the best

First of all, Thank You Netgalley for the ARC granted. I truly like when books make references to other books , startingby the title, and this making it to one of my beloved stories in the whole literary world (yes, Lizzie e Darcy <3 ) I just couldn't not love it. I have read the previous stories from this series and was compeled to read the next ones. Totally recommended!

I really enjoy the plot of this story and how Amelia and Vans love story played out. Drew was a pain and really annoyed me and I couldn’t be happier once he was fully out of Amelia’s life but I did really enjoy the scenes where Van stood up against him for Amelia. My favorite characters have got to be Van sisters as I loved every second they were mentioned. I was not expecting the twist when part two started which I love because that doesn’t happen often for me.

This is my first book in this series and my first from this author, and it was utterly charming. Emma St. Clair delivers a romance with the one bed trope (which never gets used!! Kissing only in this series!!!), but it doesn’t feel tired. If you don’t fall in love with the bad boy MMC or the runaway bride, you will fall in love with the hockey team community setting and the supportive sisters that are literal family. St. Clair knows the audience and doesn’t shy away from Marvel and TS references while offering deeper themes if the reader wants them. If you love Fearless or Getaway Car, or if you enjoyed Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners, you’ll fall for Runaway Bride and Prejudice.

RUNWAY BRIDE AND PREJUDICE
by Emma St. Clair

Ive been LOVING this series of Appies AHL team and this book did not disappointed me at all.
The world of Harvest Hollow and AHL team has written so well, it is our magic. Can I move there, like asap?

This book is for our ”bad boy” of the team, Van and how he met this girl, who (surprised - not surprised) happened to be the coaches only daughter. They end up to share honeymoon suite in resort at Florida. And the rest is history as they say, even everything didn’t go smoothly…

I couldn’t put this book down. I was on the edge to know what gonna happen next. Even in the end; all the hustle was so funny - and looked so this couple, so it was perfect ending of this book.

NOTHING LESS that 5 / 5 stars!!

I started into this book with super high hopes after just having finished Logan’s story, which was superb by the way. Welllll…things didn’t go quite as I’d hoped. I feel like this book had a lot of fluff and not a whole lot of oomph, if you know what I mean. It just felt lacking in some way, like I had just read a bunch of drivel. Now I’m not necessarily saying I disliked the book, I just didn’t particularly like it either. It was one of those books I didn’t really feel any real motivation to read.

So after saying all that, this book did have quite a few fun scenes. The beginning was certainly filled with lots of action and fun plot lines. Van was your typical misunderstood “bad boy” and Amelia was the “off-limits” girl. Of course in a dramatic turn of events, they end up on a tropical vacation together and sparks start flying! Things are going just fine and dandy until the morning it’s time to head home, which happens to also be the morning after a surprising turn of events 🫢 Now begins the break up period where lots of miscommunication tends to ensue. Thankfully I didn’t feel like this book did too bad with that. There towards the end the story wrapped up pretty good.

“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝.”

“𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚌 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠.”

Top moments:
👰🏼‍♀️ Van getting hit in the head with an angel statue
👰🏼‍♀️ Van saving Amelia and taking her on a scenic drive
👰🏼‍♀️ Recipe for a bad boy
👰🏼‍♀️ Shopping in Walmart at 10 pm
👰🏼‍♀️ Rules for being a runaway bride
👰🏼‍♀️ Pinching
👰🏼‍♀️ Zip-lining over alligators
👰🏼‍♀️ Evenings on the beach
👰🏼‍♀️ “Hotshot”

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me with this arc. All opinions are purely my own.

What a swoon fest! Runaway Bride and Prejudice by Emma St.Clair was full of warm and sweet feels. It's the kind of romance book that makes you feel all giddy and light headed. Van and Amelia are so adorable and cute together. The bromance of the Appies is epic. At the end, you will close the book with a permanent smile on your face and stars in your eyes.

🏒 sports romance
🏒 coach's daughter & bad boy of the team
🏒 runaway bride
🏒 forced proximity
🏒 rom com

Appie's star player Van has a reputation that's often exaggerated. He met Amelia randomly one night in a restaurant but ducked out when he realised she is the coach's daughter. But he didn't forget that night of easy conversation and instant connection. He didn't imagine in his wildest dreams that he would have to help Amelia to escape from her own wedding after he exposes her cheating fiance. Now they are in Florida, for the hotel that's been already paid by Amelia for her honeymoon. He thought he can hide his feels and just be there for her as a support..but both of them are feeling a lot to resist.

Van is known as the playboy of the team but he is actually a complete sweetheart and a total softie. He cares a lot about everyone. His sisters. His teammates. But his parents are the very definition of toxic relationship and that's why he didn't believe in true love. But meeting Amelia shifted something in his heart. Now she is off limits. And she is vulnerable too. She didn't exactly love her fiance but the betrayal definitely hurt her. Van was an excellent support system. He made her laugh. He accompanied her to many adventures of her choice. He didn't judge her. He let her break and then held her pieces together. He cannot help his charm and seduction but Amelia was absolutely OK with it because she was insanely attracted to him too and his sweetness made her fall harder. Now what's a good love story without some misunderstanding and some tears and some grand gestures? But that was short lived and easily resolved. The Appies as a team is awesome. I loved the entertaining text message threads so much. This book doesn't have a lot of spice but the plot and the characters won't let you feel the lack of sexy times.

I reviewed a complimentary copy voluntarily