Runner

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ FOUR & 1/2 - STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

> > Judging a Book by it's Cover < <
Handsome young man peers out window, watching another man jog by. Background looks misty or foggy, obscuring any other features of the neighborhood. The left hand on the window does not look like it belongs to the man at the window, strange placement and spatial differences. Strong, bold title and author fonts. Intriguing synopsis.

> > Looking Deeper < <
POV ~> First person, Matt's POV.

If your heart doesn't break, even just a little, for Matt then you surely must not have one beating in your chest to begin with. Matt's story is emotional. From the time he was sexually assaulted at sixteen by a trusted figure to now, thirteen years later, Matt has battled nightmares, terror, depression, anxiety / panic attacks, OCD, and a form of agoraphobia. It's not until murder mystery author, Charlie, moves to town and takes to jogging the dead end road that runs past Matt's house that Matt starts to feel that his safely isolated world is truly lonely. Charlie seems like a nice guy and made fast friends with Matt's brother, the sheriff. An accident brings the two even closer, bringing each man a completion and balanced inner peace that neither expected.
The secondary characters are few, but lend a supportive role to the plot. The old store owner tries to steal his scenes in the most enjoyable ways. The story is dynamic, emotional, and perfectly paced. There are conflicts along the way that are addressed in very human ways, often in not the most efficient manner, but more real for their flaws. Predictability was low. In fact, I'd kind of hoped for some wonderfully tragic news to reach them regarding a certain person but sadly that not never happened. The ending is solid and satisfying with a playful hint that their story was not over (although more may not be written).
Overall, YES, I would recommend this book to any of those M/M readers that love the perfectly flawed, wounded warriors, tragic past type characters and tropes. It's well-written characters draw you in and Matt will SHRED your heart early-on with his struggles!
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Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.45 ~ Stars: 4 (4.5 if I could!!)

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⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from Dreamspinner Press with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐

Runner (ebook edition)
by Parker Williams

“It takes courage to ask for help.”

Bookish Lovers, I have a fantastic recommendation for you!
It’s called Runner. It is an LGBT novel, a mm romance. And I am in LOVE with this story, from the beginning to the end it was everything!


Something terrible happened to Matt when he was barely 16, now almost more than a decade later he lives in isolation, this is Matts story how he overcomes his intense anxiety, manages his OCD, PTSD, and fights for what was taken from him all those years ago. HIS. LIFE!


13 years. It has been that long since Matt has interacted with people, he hasn’t had anything but acres of land and his treasures that keep him calm. That is until the charming Charlie runs into his life. You see Matt doesn’t trust anyone, he also pushed his mother and his brother away, the only kind of communication with the outside world he has, is a few random calls to his brother, and to place an order for food from the town so many miles away to deliver. Though he tends to just live off his own land, fish from his pond and the fruit and vegetable he grows and cans himself. He has made himself a safe life, he likes structure and his own routines and chores, he has a schedule that he must stick too. If he feels like he is being threatened he has massive panic attacks, to calm him down or to center himself again he must touch his treasures that are placed around his home before he calms.


“Life is hurt, Matt. “


But over the last 6 months a mystery man keeps using his road to jog upon, and for that entire time it makes him unsettled, he rings his brother over the duration of the 6 months to make the man stop, Matt’s brother Clay is the town sheriff. Clay misses his brother so damn much, the brotherhood these two have is just beautiful. anyways, the jogger is Charlie and Clay tells Matt that the man isn’t doing anything wrong, he just running and he is not doing anything illegal, and that until the jogger does something criminally wrong then he would step in, but other than that to get used to it… over time Matt puts the jogger into his routine and at 10 am every morning he watches this man run past, then one day the man waves at him… and Matt freaks out and rings his brother again, Clay makes or he really just threatens Matt that if he doesn’t try and *fix* himself that he will have no other choice but to ring the judge and get control of Matt and put him into a programme that can help him, Matt isn’t into that one little bit, he is fine. He has his treasures, his home 20 acres of land, his pond that he fishes at, and most of all he is safe! But his brother makes this ridiculous challenge for him to go and say hello to the jogger and find out his name, he gives him 7 days to do this, or else he will step in, and if he does get his name just maybe Clay will talk to the jogger… (maybe) on the 7th day Matt just does that, he digs deep and his brave, freaking the f* out but he needs this dudes name…and what happens next is something you all must read about.


What Matt wasn’t expecting was Charlie, he is charming and kind and beautiful and makes him want things he has never dreamed of before, if he wants more than the life he has created for himself he must let Charlie in, he must learn to trust again. But what if that trust gets broken?


“What is normal? Who decides?”


I really loved this story, a few things happened that shook me, and one thing that happened my heart ended in my tummy, the emotions this story makes you go through is powerful and beautiful I had been in the worst mm funk of late, nothing was catching my attention. Until I picked up this I NEVER found myself getting bored, I was so captivated with the characters, and this story; even though this is only in one POV Matts, that was okay. I loved going on his journey to find hope and trust again. It never felt dragged out, I know that this is fiction and for what this story is about I really thought the author has done an amazing. There isn’t a lot of sex in this one, so if you’re looking for a quick sexy read this isn’t the one for you, there is a lot of finding yourself, growing and falling in love for the first/second time. There is a lot of heart, a lot of freaking out, a lot of growth and a lot of swooning. I loved Charlie and I loved Matt, their story was everything!
I loved Clay, but then I didn’t and then I did again. Like I said all the characters play a major part in Matts life, and it is truly wonderful to read about.  Their relationship as brother was so lovely.
Runner is such a charming story.


“Sex is great, but it’s not the be-all of life. Things like this—sitting on the porch, watching the moon, holding you—those are the important things I want to have every day.”


Parker Williams has been around for a while, I have seen his stories but not until I received an arc of this story have I read him before, I think in the future I will check out his other work. I honestly think you will enjoy this story, with an open mind. There are definitely triggers for some that might feel uncomfortable, but it is done in a way that wasn’t graphic or disgusting.
This is Matts story, go along with him and find out how he took back his life, fell in love and found that he could trust the right people. So many beautiful moments in this story, the perfect balance of all the things I love in a story. I also love the cover of this book, so random I know!  but as you all know me I do love a good cover and that the cover and the story of the book match is just perfect!


“I want to give you my heart, Matt, because, of everyone I know in the world, I think it’s the safest with you.”


Arc was generously given to me to read for an honest review by the publishers.