Review
KIRKUS REVIEWWhen Lexie Kowalsky abandons her reality TV groom at the altar in Seattle and hops on a seaplane to Canada, she shares the flight with handsome Sean Knox, who joins her on a crazy roller coaster of publicity, spin, and romance until they realize they're truly in love.
Lexie joined a reality wedding show to garner a little free publicity for her designer pet-clothing business but is stunned when, thanks to her competitive nature, she wins the groom. When true reality hits--she's expected to marry a man she doesn't love--she flees, jumping aboard a seaplane preparing for takeoff. There, she meets Sean, who's headed to Sandspit, Canada, to visit his hypochondriac mother. Sean and Lexie share an immediate attraction, but Sean is determined to keep his distance. Not only is she swimming in drama, but she also happens to be the daughter of John Kowalsky, head coach of his professional hockey team, the Chinooks. However, a photo of Lexie and her "mystery man" goes viral, turning public opinion against her and threatening her business. Back in Seattle, Lexie convinces Sean to pose as the love of her life and the reason she couldn't marry her TV groom, which forces them to navigate their families, the television audience, and the Seattle social scene. Somewhere along the way they fall in love, but the journey to figuring it out and admitting it is both heart-wrenching and funny. Gibson's (Just Kiss Me, 2016, etc.) Chinooks have been a favorite romance series for two decades, and this, the next chapter for Lexie and her parents, the stars of Book 1, is a highly satisfying revisit. Gibson blends emotional and comic details without turning farcical or melodramatic, showing subtlety and finesse in her storytelling and characterization.
A perfect balance of heat, humor, quirkiness, and refinement.BooklistThe Art of Running in Heels. Gibson, Rachel (Author)Dec 2017. 384 p. Avon, paperback, $7.99. (9780062247476). e-book, (9780062247483)Gibson fans will be excited to read this second-generation romance. John and Georgeanne, from Simply Irresistible (1998), are not excited that their daughter, Lexie, is starring on a Bachelor-style reality show. The scene then switches to the new Seattle Chinook hockey player, Sean, on a helicopter, watching Lexie run toward the aircraft in high heels and a huge wedding dress, having bolted from her wedding after winning the show. Her plan is to escape to a small Canadian town, where Sean is heading, skipping out in the middle of the season to check to make sure his hypochondriac mother is not really dying, irritating his coach, Lexie's dad. Lexie and Sean generate fun chemistry as they agree to pretend to be together so Lexie's business can survive the fallout from her abandonment of the show. Their arc from somewhatselfish people to a successful couple adds depth to the story, which so cleverly echoes that of Lexie's parents. Gibson delivers her trademark sexy, zany fun. Fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' football series will also enjoy this.-- Amy Alession The Art Of Running In HeelsPublisher's WeeklyGibson's seventh Seattle Chinooks hockey romance delightfully recycles her premise from Simply Irresistible (1998). NHL star Sean Knox gets tangled up with a runaway bride who happens to be the daughter of his coach, John Kowalsky. Lexie Kowalsky has no choice but to bolt from her live-TV wedding extravaganza. She initially joined the Gettin' Hitched reality show to promote her dog clothing boutique, but her competitive spirit (and beauty) propelled her to the altar without really getting to know her groom. It's an easy decision to jump on the same small plane Sean is taking to visit his mother in tiny Sandspit, Canada. Lexie doesn't recognize Sean, who wonders whether he should spill the beans, but he doesn't intend to get involved with Lexie, as he's walking on eggshells getting to know his new coach. Intentions fall by the wayside once he gets Lexie out of her gown and stops resisting the warm, intelligent woman with a strange dog and a knack for handling his wacky mother. Gibson fans will adore cameos by previous protagonists in this cheerful, quick-paced tale.
About the Author
Rachel Gibson began her fiction career at age sixteen, when she ran her car into the side of a hill, retrieved the bumper, and drove to a parking lot, where she strategically scattered the car’s broken glass all about. She told her parents she’d been the victim of a hit-and-run and they believed her. She’s been making up stories ever since, although she gets paid better for them nowadays.
