Betty St. Claire is perfectly content with her life. Having sworn off relationships, her life revolves around work, friends, and reality TV. Why would she step outside of her comfort zone when it’s so very comfortable? But when her best friend's brother moves two doors down the hall from her, her rules and routines will have to learn to be flexible.
Josh Pine is starting a new chapter in his life. New city, new job, and a new appreciation for his new neighbor. He may be the one who moved into her building, but she’s the one living rent-free in his head.
When a work fitness challenge puts a marathon in Betty’s future, Josh agrees to help her train for it. Their mutual attraction builds with every mile and soon running isn’t the only thing that's getting their heart rates up. They will need to work past old heartaches and hang-ups if they want a chance at going the distance.
K.M. Gillis writes contemporary romance novels with laughs, spice, and happily ever afters. She lives with her husband and daughter in Prince Edward Island.
Running Into You was such a fun read! It follows Betty and Josh (Dual 1st person POV) getting reacquainted after years of not seeing each other. Josh a High School P.E. teacher gets a new job and move away from his childhood town to Boston. Betty, Josh’s sisters best friend since 5th grade, currently living in Boston, used to have a crush on Josh when they were younger. Josh happens to not only be moving into the same building but the same floor! I’ll let you imagine what happens from there. We get to see a main character with anxiety, that very much affects her at times, grow and let go of emotional baggage other have piled on her.
This book was hilarious, witty with a little bit of spice, 3 or 4 scenes. It captured me immediately and I was always reluctant to put it down. I am impressed that this was K.M. Gillis’s first book, as it showed no signs and I want to be on the ARC for the second in the series. (Please K.M.🙏🏻) Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy of these amazing book. I can’t wait to see it release in June!
This book is the perfect cozy romance book! I snuggled up on my bean bag chair and read this absolutely amazing book in one sitting! This book is the absolute perfect romcom!
Betty St.Clair and Josh Pines romance story is the perfect friends to lover slow burn! I absolutely loved both of these characters!
First of, THANK YOU to K.M. Gillis for the ARC of this book!
This review may contain a little spoilers.
I absolutely loved this book!!! Has definitely made it to one of my favorites this year.
Josh and Betty, omg I just knew I was going to love them from the beginning. Since he open the door for Betty the first time. When she went to his parents house. I loved their chemistry. I loved them together.
But let me tell you why I loved them individually.
Betty, who is the FMC. She is just too cute. I mean c’mon, she starts training to run when she knows nothing about it. Goes to lululemon for running gear, and she buys new shoes. And of course she had to get girly girl shoes. Lol which I would have totally done so myself. If I told you I didn’t relate to her a little, I would be lying. I do t want to say a lot cause I don’t want to ruin it for you. But I’m sure you’ll fall in love with her too.
Josh, he’s such a gentleman! I fell in love with him since day one. Just so attentive, caring, and Gosh JOSH 😍😍😍😍 LORRRRRRTTTT!!!!! I’ll be lying if I didn’t get flustered and heated at those spicy scenes. I’m like GIRL!!!!! (Telling the author) you making me get some 🔵🔵 here! Okay, I don’t love him just cause how he made me feel at those spicy scenes, I really did fall in love with him. And definitely wanted him to stay with Betty. I was rooting for them from the beginning.
The author, I loved the writing in the book, like she was so attentive to details. I swear I was left with wanting more. I didn’t want the book to finish.
Overall, this book is great! If you in to romcom, this one is for you!!! You will not be disappointed. “This I promise you.” Lol 😂
This book was such a nice surprise. This story follows Betty (FMC) who has been learning to be more independent since her toxic relationship and Josh (MMC) who just got out of a long-term relationship and is ready to see where the single life takes him. Betty, since she was in her teen years had a crush on Josh but nothing ever happened since he had a girlfriend. Once, Josh moves to the same town and the same BUILDING as Betty, certain feelings ended up appearing. Josh ended up helping Betty prepare for a marathon, and one thing led to another and they ended up having a little benefits situation (which was HOT). Honestly, I loved how Josh was so patient with Betty, she was very vocal about how she was not looking for a relationship but the way he treated her and showed how much he cared was so freaking beautiful to read. Betty's trauma was explored throughout the story, it wasn't just a little mention about her insecurities but rather she faced them and got herself ready to overcome that hurdle for that she can feel deserving of love. Josh was so patient, loving, and caring he was so perfect and so attentive. I absolutely loved this book and i hope we get to see more of them because they just compliment one another so well and i do feel a little empty :(
i cannot wait for maggie's and callum's book, i am excited to see how he will treat her and make her feel special because she has been thru it
(the rating might change for the better (i am looking forward to a bonus epilogue ngl))
I feel bad for DNFing this book. I wanted to like it so much as it is one of my favourite tropes, best friend’s older brother.
However, the plot is very predictable, the writing is bland and the romance is forced.
The MFC is an insecure woman who has it in her head that she is not relationship material. And when she finally is in a relationship the A**hole tells her she’s not fit to be anyone’s wife or mother! For what reasons? Well, I dunno because at 70% we still have no clue what transpired.
The MC has been in a relationship for 11 years where his GF has mapped out his life for him according to what SHE likes and wants. Mind you, it takes him over 10 years to realise he’s not happy and when he finally dumps her he doesn’t even miss her or give her second thoughts 🤔
The MCs become neighbours and reminisce old times. They hookup, she doesn’t want more because as mentioned before she thinks she’s not worthy. He doesn’t want more because he just got out of a horrible long term relationship.
She suddenly realises “let me dump him before he dumps me” and hence the third act breakup. 🙄
70% in and there’s no love lost between myself and the MCs. Couldn’t care less actually whether they get together or not 😎 I lost interest so thank you, next!
I would like to start off by thanking K.M. Gillis for a free ARC copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a cute and cozy romcom book that follows Betty and Josh. It is the perfect friends to lovers slow-burn with a little bit of spice. This book is dual POV, talks about anxiety, abusive relationships and family issues.
This was beautifully written and I enjoyed reading it!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Running into You is a spicy slow burn romance with a dual pov. In her teens, Betty pined after her best friend’s brother who was already dating someone. Ten years later, the said brother is recently single and moves into Betty’s building. There’s lovely banter and a lot of spark from the onset. I love how the author portrays the main characters’ insecurities and pays attention to detail. I also loved the supporting characters. This wasn’t just a chick lit romance; the book also tackled some serious issues including toxic relationships and parental issues. Though this book is slow burn, there was a good amount of spice, too. If you’re a fan of Tessa Bailey and Emily Henry, you’re going to love this book. I can’t wait for the sequel that tells Maggie’s story, as she was one of my favorite characters.
Running straight to buy everything by this author.
I totally have a new fave romcom author. This book hit all the notes. The unrequited love Betty has had for Josh. The forbidden aspect of it being her best friend's brother. The self-doubt from a crap mom and a crap ex. Not to mention comparing herself to everyone. Boy can I relate. KM is now a 1 click buy for me from now on.
received this as an ARC and i loved it so so much! i loved to get to know betty and josh, and i loved the chemistry between them so much 🤩 this was definitely the type of book i needed right now! i can't wait to read the author's next book coming in november
I am over the moon to have been given my 1st ARC to read by the lovely @romancereadsrebel ❤️
Running into you is a story about Betty and Josh and how after spending lots of time together as children due to Betty being best friends with Rilla (Josh's sister) they ended up not seeing each other for a long time!
Then a newly single Josh moves 2 doors down from Betty, they start hanging out more and Josh even agrees to coach Betty for a marathon 😱
Due to Betty's past they end up not seeing as much of each other until eventually she decides to tell Josh the truth about how she feels.
This story tackles some touchy subjects really well, I loved all the characters and how they all played a significant part in the story. I love the friendship between Betty and Maggie and they really show how true friends are meant to be 🙂
I found it hard to put this down and loved every page! I felt so many emotions while reading and its definitely a book I would read again!
It's a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 from me! Beautiful book and I loved it ❤️
4.5 ⭐️ This was such a cozy and cute romance debut! Betty has had a crush on Josh since they were kids. He is her best friend’s brother and has been in a long term relationship for the past 10 years. He’s just moved to her apartment complex in Boston and has a new job as a PE teacher. Betty gets challenged to participate in a marathon. She needs someone to train her and Josh helps her out. There is anxiety rep and so much more as these two fall in love! 🏃🏻♀️👟
Tropes: Best Friend’s brother Anxiety rep Childhood crush to lovers Neighbors 1st person dual POV
I received ‘Running Into You’ as an ARC and after a long day at work I absolutely lost myself snuggling into this story about childhood friends finding each other as adults and coming together.
Betty and Josh’s banter was so fun to read and the duel PIV had me smiling as they were both flirting but wondering if the other was flirting and hoping to be flirted with back *insert cute vibes*
The friends circle on both sides were just de-lightful, as they were all rolling their eyes while listening to each characters ‘what if’s’ as they could feel the main FMC & MMC electricity which was funny
If you like binging on Friends or Sex & the City you’ll enjoy this cute little ride
This this is absolutely a comfort read type of book, I loved it!
This is a sweet and quirky best-friend’s-brother / friends-to-lovers that makes you feel all giddy and bubbly inside.
The characters are wonderfully written, they are relatable and lovable and have great development! The MMC is sweet and steadfast cinnamon roll and the FMC is strong and adorable!
Reading these characters (supporting characters included) brings a warmth and comfort that pulls you in and makes you feel a part of the story!
I also loved the storyline, it flows so well and is easy to read, and so so difficult to put down (don’t even put it down just keep reading until you reach the back cover).
Moreover, this book broaches some difficult topics but not in a way that shifts the focus from the storyline, it’s fantastic!
This is my favourite book this month. The catchy cover becomes more appealing once you finish the book because you can appreciate the attention to detail, like the two flights of stairs, the colour of Betty's shoes, and Josh's workout attire. The blurb is nice and will pull in romance readers. For the author's debut book, the cover, blurb, and title look very refined. I'm eager to read more books in this series. I gobbled it up in a day. If your favourite book from the Twisted series by Ana Huang is Twisted Hate, you'll definitely like this.
Betty is a song by Taylor Swift, and Josh is the name of one of my favourite fictional characters; Betty and Josh in this book are equally good. It's written in dual POV. I enjoyed the pace, although the ending felt incomplete and could've been drawn out a little. I always say that the best writing is when a reader can't step away from the book to think of anything else, and this is one of those books.
I love both the main characters. Betty is wise and confident. Her talk about her preteen and teen bodies is relatable. Books about girls with big boobs appeal to me on a different level. I like how quickly she shuts down Josh's idiocy at the bar. I like that the author made Callum a male friend instead of them trying to spite mutual jealousy through a female friend; I hate that trope because it's embarrassing for the unwanted ones. I'm damn sure I'm a Betty.
I like how Josh impresses the grandma administrator at his school and how he enjoys living alone. I like his realisation that Eleanor was only inconvenienced by what people would say instead of being interested in them being together long-term. This book is yet another proof that all fictional Joshes are funny dreamboats. He's a sexy male teacher and runner, her best friend's older brother, her childhood crush, and he genuinely cares for her—what's not to love?
I love their witty quips and how the characters that are into each other constantly find ways to be physically close. My favourite phrase is "stationary bike Barbie."
I love the detailing in the sports shoe purchase scene. I'm positive the author tried it herself or had someone close to her try it. I was so embarrassed at Josh's POV, where he's thinking of Betty's bouncing breasts when she ran. Ugh, I wish that wasn't mentioned, although it's realistic.
It's a splendid, funny, and powerful story. There are so many good scenes, like Josh flexing after his workout, him and Andrew hitting on Elizabeth the same day, him talking to her through the door when she's naked, a stranger checking in on Betty during her tense dinner with her mother, her reasoning being signing up for the marathon, the jealousy moments with Colby, and so many more.
Apart from the Taylor Swift connection, chapter thirteen is really my favourite. There's so much sweetness and love in that chapter that I can't put it into words without highlighting basically every moment. I was laughing till my sides ached, and I had tears in my eyes.
I'm totally going to have my best friend buy this book when it releases so we can gush about it together. If you're a rom-com lover, you need to read this book ASAP. Kudos to the author on a fantastic debut.
I received an e-ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
✨BOOK REVIEW (ARC)✨- Running Into You by K.M. Gillis
Omg this was such a cute read. I loved every second of it. Well except for the running, Betty is a better woman than me. Josh was just too adorable.
Ms. Gillis knows how to write a friends to lovers/ best friends older brother story. I had a warm fuzzy feeling the whole time I was reading it. Even thought this was a light hearted read, Betty still has to tackle her “relationship” with her mother.
Congratulations on your debut novel. I can’t wait for the second book in the series.
Disclaimer - I’m bookstagram friends with the author
BOOK DESCRIPTIONS:
You can't run from your feelings
Betty St. Claire is perfectly content with her life. Having sworn off relationships, her life revolves around work, friends, and reality TV. Why would she step outside of her comfort zone when it’s so very comfortable? But when her best friend's brother moves two doors down the hall from her, her rules and routines will have to learn to be flexible.
Josh Pine is starting a new chapter in his life. New city, new job, and a new appreciation for his new neighbor. He may be the one who moved into her building, but she’s the one living rent-free in his head.
When a work fitness challenge puts a marathon in Betty’s future, Josh agrees to help her train for it. Their mutual attraction builds with every mile and soon running isn’t the only thing that's getting their heartrate’s up. They will need to work past old heartaches and hang-ups if they want a chance at going the distance.
I was so lucky to receive an ARC of this adorable book from K.M. for review. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I lost sleep over this book. I literally could not put it down and stayed awake reading 'one more chapter' until I was at the end pages.
Josh is such a cinnamon roll, will-do-anything-for-you, type character. I mean, you had me at BSB vs. N'SYNC. He's absolutely swoonworthy and the banter between him and Betty is top tier. Our FMC Betty is so relatable in that she's kind of your every-woman. She's been burned by relationships in the past, is at a job that she doesn't exactly love, but is good at, and has an interesting family dynamic. Plus, she hates running which is all of us, right?
I am such a fan of how K.M. effortlessly added inclusivity in this book. It seemed so true to life to have a diverse group of friendships/relationships, mental health issues, family trauma, etc. The only thing I'm disappointed about with this book is that I wasn't able to read it sooner.
I love supporting Indie authors!!! I was gifted this ARC and it blew my expectations out of the water. I absolutely love cute and cozy romances and this book delivers. That doesn't mean there was some serious topics tackled in this book. There was. But it was done well, wasn't dragged out and had a good balance of delving into some of the characters traumas but also having some comedic relief.
Josh and Betty's had wonderful chemistry and some hilarious banter. Check this one out if you like:
*My best friends brother *Slow burn *Childhood crush *Friends to lovers *Forced Proximity
This book releases June 15th but add it to your shelf now!
This was just a quick fun read for me and it lived up to that! Did I enjoy the side character besties more? Yes. Will I read their book? Probably not. I felt like the book didn't really have a plot and it was just vibes? Which I don't mind! In a vibe book girly, but I'm also a slow burn girly and things went way too quickly for me so yeah.
This was a great book. An easy but entertaining read featuring characters you'd want to be friends with. It's a romcom, but also tackles issues like anxiety and difficult family relationships. The dialogue and funny banter was my favourite part. Can't wait for more from this author!
First I wanted to say thank you to the author for sending me the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Rating 3.5 stars
Betty has been in love with Josh her entire life. However she forces herself to move on when she realizes he will never feel the same way. Many years later, Josh has broken up with his long time girlfriend and coincidentally moved in next door to Betty. After regrettably agreeing to run a marathon for a work event, Betty enlists Josh's help to get her into running shape. All that and more ends up happening of course...
I would like to note that due to my last couple reads not being the best, I was reading through this while also battling a wicked reading slump!
First I'd like to say that I loved how the author made the characters feel real by not making their lives perfect. They had parental problems, mental health problems, toxic relationships, and even lame dates. I loved Josh and his desire to become a gym teacher over being a lawyer like his father wanted. I especially had a soft spot for his sister Rilla, and just the general fact that shes funny as hell. I love how unfortunately real Betty's relationship with her mother was and how she girl bossed and handled her. Lastly i thought the spicy scenes were well written considering it's the authors first novel.
Some of the things I didn't vibe with as well are probably more personal preference than anything else. I wasn't a huge fan of the timeline of the story. It felt like something that was supposed to take place over a few months at least but in reality it was maybe a month. The fast paced timeline didn't fit with the storyline in my eyes. The writing style as well wasn't fit to my style as a reader. It read a little bit like a Wattpad novel, while not bad at all, just not my preference anymore. The plot was also mildly predictable. I felt what was coming was a tad obvious from the very beginning. And the plot overall fell flat for me.
Overall it was a cute book but not something I'd pick up unless I was looking for an easy, light read.
Thank you again to the author for sending me the ARC to this book! It was a very exciting thing I got to experience🖤
Sweet & Fun, plus it had a great cast of characters.
Quotes:📖 Me: 5:30 a.m. Betty: ? Betty: tell me that was autocorrected Me: Nope. Sweet dreams, Speedster. Betty: ducking hell
Thoughts: 💡 This was very cute. The banter was adorable and funny and I loved both the romance and all the relationships between friends and family. This is remarkably well written and very fun.
Fun Bits: ⚜️ Sweet Romance ⚜️ Healthy Supportive Friendships ⚜️ Funny Banter ⚜️ Positive Diverse Representation ⚜️ Emotional Support Pillow Carol
Important Note:✨ This is book 1 in the series but can be read as a standalone.
Stats:📊 Spice Scale: 3 🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5 Character Dev: 5 💙💙💙💙💙/5 Genre: RomCom/ Sports Romance 📕 Tropes: Best Friends Brother, Friends to Lovers, Close Proximity, Slow -Burn📘 Release Date: June 5, 2023🗓️ POV: Dual👩❤️👨
This was such a fun book and it got me out of a bit of a reading slump. The main character Betty is a lot like me, so I feel like I understood her pretty well. The dynamic between her and Josh was electric. And every single character in this book has their own distinct story and voice and is written quite well.
Running was my passion for a long time and I miss it dearly. I was expecting this book to mostly be centered around running and that led me to pick it up, but running was actually just one of many aspects in this story. One of the overarching themes was standing up for yourself, letting go of harmful relationships and going after what you need. This theme comes up in several storylines in different ways.
There was also a lot of fun sprinkled throughout. One of Josh’s coworkers constantly using NSYNC references for instance. I enjoyed that very much.
Betty and Josh are childhood friends. She had a crush on him back when they were in school. But one they graduated, and moved their story ways, that crush ended... Or so Betty thought. Josh ends up starting a new life in Boston being a high school PE teacher. What he doesn't know is, he's moving into the same building and the same floor as his friend Betty St. Claire. Betty on the other hand, has her life made. Friends, work, and reality tv keeps her in her comfort zone. She's sworn of all dating and relationships after having bad luck. However, she soon finds that Josh Pine has moved in 2 doors from her. They reconnect, and she tells him she's got a fitness challenge coming up and he agreed to train her. While training, they reconnect, and remember their lives together. They get passed heartaches and begin a new relationship. While running is something that gets their heart rate up, it's not the only thing! There's a little spice in the book. Just enough to tell you but leave it open for your imagination.
Betty loves her routine and is not interested in starting a relationship. When Josh, her best friend’s brother moves down the hall from her, she begins to question her need to distance herself. Josh has just exited a long-term relationship and thinks he can settle for a fling. When they begin training for a marathon together, sparks start flying. Can they change their ways or is this relationship not meant to be?
I am new to romance, and it is fun to read. This novel gave me butterflies at the cuteness, and there were some spicy parts too! The author also provided a glimpse into some mental health struggles, which I appreciated. The characters were interesting but a little tropey. I liked Maggie the most, one of Betty’s best friends. She has a lot of character depth and growth and I also found that she had several laugh-out-loud lines.
The romance was cute, but a little predictable, but I think that’s to be expected in this genre. Overall, I did enjoy it as I lounged in a hammock in the sun to read it quite quickly.
I felt that Betty and Josh’s voices were similar at the beginning, making transitioning between viewpoints challenging, but I noticed it less as the story went on. I also think training for a marathon might have been a little too big. Betty only changes her exercise routines, but then expects to be ready to run a full marathon in less than a year. I think maybe doing a half-marathon would be more realistic. But once again, anything can happen in the romance genre!
If you want a light, fun summer read, check out Running Into You, available June 5, 2023.
A big thank you to K. M. Gillis for the ARC of Running Into You in exchange for an honest review.
dnf @ 22% - if you liked apple of my eye by allie marie, this may work for you. i didn't like that book so. it reads like a debut. they're old friends, but there's too much instalust. i'm bored.
If you love a good best friends brother romance then you need to get your hands on this! K.M. Gillis did an amazing job making it so you can connect with the characters