Book Review: Running Man by Jennifer Young

Read Joyful Antidotes and you will see a mix of books mentioned; from self-help, to classics and contemporary fiction. Often, I try to be as sophisticated as possible but, like many, I am a sucker for a good love story. I thought that was what I was getting when I picked up Running Man by Jennifer Young, but what I got was so much more.

Giorgia Manfredi is a wealthy heiress who, with her father, Ugo, runs a luxury hotel on Lake Garda. Beginning to think that she will have no life beyond the hotel, she falls in love with jogger Danny Davies after he rescues her from a mugging. However, Giorgia learns that falling in love isn’t as simple as it seems.

The blurb makes Running Man sound like it is your standard, predictable love story, and in ways it is. However, while it may be easy for some to guess the outcome of the story, there are many complexities set within the book which makes it a great read. Through the well-written characters of Giorgia and Danny and their families, and Matt, the trusted hotel employee, we can see the parallel but blurred lines of rich v. poor and good v. evil, and the need to grow v. the expectations of staying loyal. The somewhat simple storyline leads the way for Young to show the reader that everything is not what it seems.

In my opinion, Young did an excellent job in regards to character and story development. Based on the previous paragraph of this review, it would be understandable to presume that this story would have a rather preach-y vibe. Yet, it was very far detached from being so; the characters were too relatable. We see a rich family with problems money just can’t help, a character who is determined to fix an almost fatal mistake by going straight, and a man on the brink of a breakdown. It was Giorgia’s father and his depression storyline which hit me the most as it gave a true representation of how the illness can affect those around us.

Overall, this was a very pleasant read which, thirty pages in, erased my initial skepticism of it being a worn-out love story. If you want a bit of romance but also a story which keeps the mind thinking, Running Man is the book for you.

I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.