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Vampires of Fate #1
Running Home
Death hovers around Ellie Morgan like the friend nobody wants. She doesn’t belong in snowswept Ossipee, New Hampshire; she doesn’t belong in the frigging gift shop she works at, she doesn’t belong with people that death will always take from her, and she definitely does not belong at this black tie party with Kat. But that is where she is, and where he is. Nicholas French, the man who mystifies her with a feeling of home she’s been missing, and impossible knowledge of her troubled soul.
Nicholas followed an abomination that is one of his own, but soon finds fate has driven him to New Hampshire as more than a bystander. He reveals himself to Ellie as being of the Shinigami, a heroic vampire order that “save” their victims from more tragic ends. He knows why Ellie is human repellent, and why physical agony grips them when apart. The Shinigami are cornered into isolated human lives, plucked out when they have no one left to be created for their higher purpose. Ellie is destined to be a legendary Shinigami, and Nicholas her creator.
Nicholas and Ellie’s fates intertwine closer when his latest victim in waiting turns out to be the only person who tethers her to this world, Kat. Fate will not be ignored, and in the only real choice Ellie has made in her life, she must determine a horrifying path; let the vampire who would make her a hero wither to shreds or sacrifice the life of her closest companion.
Nicholas followed an abomination that is one of his own, but soon finds fate has driven him to New Hampshire as more than a bystander. He reveals himself to Ellie as being of the Shinigami, a heroic vampire order that “save” their victims from more tragic ends. He knows why Ellie is human repellent, and why physical agony grips them when apart. The Shinigami are cornered into isolated human lives, plucked out when they have no one left to be created for their higher purpose. Ellie is destined to be a legendary Shinigami, and Nicholas her creator.
Nicholas and Ellie’s fates intertwine closer when his latest victim in waiting turns out to be the only person who tethers her to this world, Kat. Fate will not be ignored, and in the only real choice Ellie has made in her life, she must determine a horrifying path; let the vampire who would make her a hero wither to shreds or sacrifice the life of her closest companion.
322 pages, ebook
First published July 22, 2013
43 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Julie Hutchings
19 books76 followersJulie Hutchings is a pizza hoarding, coffee swilling, beer guzzling, karate loving book geek with a love of all things creepy and obscure. She lives in America's Hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts with her hilarious husband and two genius children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 29, 2013
Full disclosure: Julie is my writing partner. Twice a week, she invades my house with a six pack of something. I feed her. Mayhem and foolishness ensues. Books are born.
Like this one. I was the first person who ever got to read Running Home. I read it all in one sitting. I was so in awe that my friend that I've known since elementary school wrote a real book. It draws you in with it's layers and it's side characters. I love Kat, Ellie's roommate. And I love Chris Lynch. He's wonderfully horrible.
But Running Home tricks you. It makes you think one thing, because that's what Ellie has convinced herself of. When you learn the truth, you are just as floored as Ellie. You feel her anxiety of trying to figure out how to fix the situation. This is why I love first person narration. You get to be surprised right along with the narrator.
This is the first in a series. Julie's got a lot of work coming down the pike, and you want to keep your eye on her so like me, you can say you knew her when.
Like this one. I was the first person who ever got to read Running Home. I read it all in one sitting. I was so in awe that my friend that I've known since elementary school wrote a real book. It draws you in with it's layers and it's side characters. I love Kat, Ellie's roommate. And I love Chris Lynch. He's wonderfully horrible.
But Running Home tricks you. It makes you think one thing, because that's what Ellie has convinced herself of. When you learn the truth, you are just as floored as Ellie. You feel her anxiety of trying to figure out how to fix the situation. This is why I love first person narration. You get to be surprised right along with the narrator.
This is the first in a series. Julie's got a lot of work coming down the pike, and you want to keep your eye on her so like me, you can say you knew her when.
June 16, 2013
Where in the hell do I start? This book is AWESOME.
Dialogue for me is majorly important, and the conversations between these characters are so delicious I could just fall right into them. I love Nicholas' snarky and witty comments, and the way he and Ellie communicate is so real you feel like they are out there, somewhere.
The ending took me by surprise, and I love that - when you think you know what's going to happen but the author changes up on you, and yet it still makes perfect sense.
It's dark but beautiful and so well written - I read this in PDF format and I kept trying to highlight lines I wanted to remember like you can with kindle books and being mad when I couldn't! Seriously, there are some parts where you'll stop reading just to savour the beauty of the passage and of the expression. Ellie has a voice that's all her own. Love it, and if you're on the fence, go for it. You'll be glad you did.
Dialogue for me is majorly important, and the conversations between these characters are so delicious I could just fall right into them. I love Nicholas' snarky and witty comments, and the way he and Ellie communicate is so real you feel like they are out there, somewhere.
The ending took me by surprise, and I love that - when you think you know what's going to happen but the author changes up on you, and yet it still makes perfect sense.
It's dark but beautiful and so well written - I read this in PDF format and I kept trying to highlight lines I wanted to remember like you can with kindle books and being mad when I couldn't! Seriously, there are some parts where you'll stop reading just to savour the beauty of the passage and of the expression. Ellie has a voice that's all her own. Love it, and if you're on the fence, go for it. You'll be glad you did.
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July 26, 2013
Great stuff!
Running Home is a cool and uniquely realized vampire world. Read it for that alone. But the novel also speaks to the suspicion all of us mortals have who feel we may have unrealized supernatural skills. The story brings forth that little voice who tells us we have things this world just hasn't brought out yet.
Who wouldn't want to live with a couple of vampires for a while, telling us we were meant for something more?
But in Running Home, the stakes get higher, things aren't always as they seem, and unexpected events and guests show up. The plot builds to a crescendo all the way up to the last word. I wanted to high-five the author after reading the last line.
I loved reading this book. I wanted to know what happens next in the story, and was pulled along consistently, sometimes with a rush, but always with a strong flow. Strong characters and a great dialogue.
Running Home is a cool and uniquely realized vampire world. Read it for that alone. But the novel also speaks to the suspicion all of us mortals have who feel we may have unrealized supernatural skills. The story brings forth that little voice who tells us we have things this world just hasn't brought out yet.
Who wouldn't want to live with a couple of vampires for a while, telling us we were meant for something more?
But in Running Home, the stakes get higher, things aren't always as they seem, and unexpected events and guests show up. The plot builds to a crescendo all the way up to the last word. I wanted to high-five the author after reading the last line.
I loved reading this book. I wanted to know what happens next in the story, and was pulled along consistently, sometimes with a rush, but always with a strong flow. Strong characters and a great dialogue.
June 7, 2013
I love, love, love this book.
That's an understatement. I'm a picky reader, if I don't love it in the first few chapters, forget it, I put it down and walk away.
I was seized by the need to find out what was to come in this story... Ellie intrigued me. Experiencing her relationship with Kat was very revealing of her character. Who doesn't have that goofy friend who's a complete opposite but still manages to pull out the best in you? The depth of their relationship was a complicated layer that gave Ellie a soft spot, something she wasn't accustomed to. Ellie's relationship with Nicholas was what really hauled me in. I was haunted by their connection, both emotional and physical. As Ellie explored her relationship with Nicholas I wanted more. I wanted to discover where she was headed, what she was meant for, how she would find her way and I couldn't. Put it. Down.
Ms. Hutchings gives a dialogue that is realistic and relatable. The magic of the supernatural is so well written you don't need much imagination to see it take shape in your head. I could dream some of the imagery and not come out with as many beautiful details. I felt the angst, anguish, anxiety, heartache and pure joy that these characters did and was more than satisfied with the depth in both the characters and story line.
I sure hope there's a sequel, because I'm still asking myself, what's next?
That's an understatement. I'm a picky reader, if I don't love it in the first few chapters, forget it, I put it down and walk away.
I was seized by the need to find out what was to come in this story... Ellie intrigued me. Experiencing her relationship with Kat was very revealing of her character. Who doesn't have that goofy friend who's a complete opposite but still manages to pull out the best in you? The depth of their relationship was a complicated layer that gave Ellie a soft spot, something she wasn't accustomed to. Ellie's relationship with Nicholas was what really hauled me in. I was haunted by their connection, both emotional and physical. As Ellie explored her relationship with Nicholas I wanted more. I wanted to discover where she was headed, what she was meant for, how she would find her way and I couldn't. Put it. Down.
Ms. Hutchings gives a dialogue that is realistic and relatable. The magic of the supernatural is so well written you don't need much imagination to see it take shape in your head. I could dream some of the imagery and not come out with as many beautiful details. I felt the angst, anguish, anxiety, heartache and pure joy that these characters did and was more than satisfied with the depth in both the characters and story line.
I sure hope there's a sequel, because I'm still asking myself, what's next?
June 17, 2013
First of all, I'm thrilled to have been able to read Running Home before publication! I'd been hearing such wonderful comments and reading some pretty enticing quotes from other early readers, I flailed when Julie offered me a chance to read it right away.
The characters pulled me in from page one. Eliza and Kat leaped to life, and I felt I knew them in seconds. Julie's amazing descriptions built their world in my imagination, and the mystery pulled me straight inside it. Who can resist a mysterious stranger like Nicholas, especially when he seems to understand Eliza completely from their first meeting? He says things to her that she doesn't comprehend on the surface, but touch her very soul and resonate with her deepest, most troubling feelings. As he slowly reveals the secrets of his life, we are pulled along with her into a startling revelation about the true nature of both Nicholas' and Eliza's purpose in the world.
I am dying to know what happens next!
The characters pulled me in from page one. Eliza and Kat leaped to life, and I felt I knew them in seconds. Julie's amazing descriptions built their world in my imagination, and the mystery pulled me straight inside it. Who can resist a mysterious stranger like Nicholas, especially when he seems to understand Eliza completely from their first meeting? He says things to her that she doesn't comprehend on the surface, but touch her very soul and resonate with her deepest, most troubling feelings. As he slowly reveals the secrets of his life, we are pulled along with her into a startling revelation about the true nature of both Nicholas' and Eliza's purpose in the world.
I am dying to know what happens next!
August 9, 2016
I'm a sucker for vampire books, though don't care for stories with excessive gore or sexual content. Running Home was a fresh take on the good old fashioned vampire love story. The writing is fluid and magical, with hints of character humor (I laughed out loud a couple times). I love how Hutchings incorporates Japanese mythology/folklore as a twist. I can't wait to see where the sequel takes us! I enjoyed how flawed characters were combined with magical elements, feelings and desires. I swear every time Nicholas turned up, I could smell cookies in my house ;) I loved his powerful allure, and yet he was at times vulnerable. Ellie is such a wonderful MC. Throughout the story she grows as a character and I can't WAIT to see where we follow her in Running Away! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
June 16, 2013
This was an incredible book. For full disclosure, Julie Hutchings is a good friend of mine, but that's never stopped me from having an honest opinion of the book.
I loved this book. The mystery at the beginning of who and what Nicholas, Roman and Chris were drew me in immediately. Eliza, our heroine, is wonderfully human. She makes mistakes. She's confused by things that happen sometimes, but she refuses to back down or take an easy way out. She's loyal and caring.
The vampires in this story were a breath of fresh air. I've read a fair number of vampire stories over the years. I love vampires. I've moved away from them in recent years though because there's often such similarity. I tend to like stories that change things, twisting the familiar into something new. Hutchings has done that beautifully here. These vampires aren't like anything I've read before and the culture and history they have is incredible. I don't want to say too much about it here, as I have no desire to spoil things. I was totally enthralled by them and their world.
I definitely recommend this book. My only problem now will beat least pretending to be patient as I await the sequel. As it is, this book has been on my mind since I finished it a few days ago. Definitely going to be rereading this one.
I loved this book. The mystery at the beginning of who and what Nicholas, Roman and Chris were drew me in immediately. Eliza, our heroine, is wonderfully human. She makes mistakes. She's confused by things that happen sometimes, but she refuses to back down or take an easy way out. She's loyal and caring.
The vampires in this story were a breath of fresh air. I've read a fair number of vampire stories over the years. I love vampires. I've moved away from them in recent years though because there's often such similarity. I tend to like stories that change things, twisting the familiar into something new. Hutchings has done that beautifully here. These vampires aren't like anything I've read before and the culture and history they have is incredible. I don't want to say too much about it here, as I have no desire to spoil things. I was totally enthralled by them and their world.
I definitely recommend this book. My only problem now will beat least pretending to be patient as I await the sequel. As it is, this book has been on my mind since I finished it a few days ago. Definitely going to be rereading this one.
May 29, 2013
I feel very lucky to get to read this before publication, and there were so many things I loved about this book! Julie brings a wonderful twist to vampire lore, and I was fascinated by the Japanese elements which filtered through. The prose is gorgeous, balancing richly gothic romanticism with contemporary humour and warmth, really bringing to life a very dark and intense story. Totally gripping!
January 3, 2014
This book is a bit like riding a roller coaster. It starts clicking along the track, and there's a slow build ... and then you get to the top of the first incline and it's all waaaaaah!
I only had a couple of tiny niggles with "Running Home". One was the way Eliza (as Ellie is commonly known) fell madly in love with Nicholas from the first time she saw him. She passively accepted some pretty possessive behaviour from him early on as well. However, my frustration at insta-love was mollified when it became apparent that her emotional attachment actually has a cause, and is something that greatly concerns Nicholas.
The other was that it took Eliza much longer than me as a reader to figure out what Nicholas's big secret was. And because I figured it out early, her not putting it together made me want to sit her down, give her a coffee and explain a few things.
HOWEVER. Before you think I'm hating on the book, I'm not. I may have seen Eliza's fate coming, but I didn't see the final plot twist in the book, and woah. That will knock your socks off. Also, I loved the dialogue. Loved it! And the particular vampire mythology is something I haven't seen before, which is saying something given how many vampire books are on the market. By the end I was a little bit in love with Nicholas too (don't tell Eliza). And also his best friend, Roman. And Kat. And Eliza.
Not Lynch, though. He's a douchebag.
I give this 4.5 stars! :D
I only had a couple of tiny niggles with "Running Home". One was the way Eliza (as Ellie is commonly known) fell madly in love with Nicholas from the first time she saw him. She passively accepted some pretty possessive behaviour from him early on as well. However, my frustration at insta-love was mollified when it became apparent that her emotional attachment actually has a cause, and is something that greatly concerns Nicholas.
The other was that it took Eliza much longer than me as a reader to figure out what Nicholas's big secret was. And because I figured it out early, her not putting it together made me want to sit her down, give her a coffee and explain a few things.
HOWEVER. Before you think I'm hating on the book, I'm not. I may have seen Eliza's fate coming, but I didn't see the final plot twist in the book, and woah. That will knock your socks off. Also, I loved the dialogue. Loved it! And the particular vampire mythology is something I haven't seen before, which is saying something given how many vampire books are on the market. By the end I was a little bit in love with Nicholas too (don't tell Eliza). And also his best friend, Roman. And Kat. And Eliza.
Not Lynch, though. He's a douchebag.
I give this 4.5 stars! :D
August 14, 2015
OK, I may have stalked Julie a little before reading RUNNING HOME, another book that I’d had sitting on my kindle for what seems like ages.
BIG MISTAKE!
I had all the feels whilst reading this book and I absolutely loved it.
I had smiles – brought about by the thought of a cold winter whilst I was baking in high temperatures sitting around a pool (on holiday at the time of reading) I had tears, proper big sobbing tears at a certain part in the book when I got that dreaded feeling that Julie was going to destroy everything with a horrible plot twist And then there was laughter and the nodding of my head as I realised all was well.
I loved all the characters, they were vibrant and full of life (well as alive as you can be if you’re a vampire). I caught on to the secret Nicholas was keeping from Ellie, but that didn’t take away anything from the reveal later on. I loved the way Julie described her take on her vampires and all the mythology that came with them. And I loved her writing – gorgeous. Infact, I loved everything about this book.
My grabby hands have already reached out for the second book in the series which will NOT sit on my kindle unread for any length of time.
This has a massive 5 shooting stars from me!
BIG MISTAKE!
I had all the feels whilst reading this book and I absolutely loved it.
I had smiles – brought about by the thought of a cold winter whilst I was baking in high temperatures sitting around a pool (on holiday at the time of reading) I had tears, proper big sobbing tears at a certain part in the book when I got that dreaded feeling that Julie was going to destroy everything with a horrible plot twist And then there was laughter and the nodding of my head as I realised all was well.
I loved all the characters, they were vibrant and full of life (well as alive as you can be if you’re a vampire). I caught on to the secret Nicholas was keeping from Ellie, but that didn’t take away anything from the reveal later on. I loved the way Julie described her take on her vampires and all the mythology that came with them. And I loved her writing – gorgeous. Infact, I loved everything about this book.
My grabby hands have already reached out for the second book in the series which will NOT sit on my kindle unread for any length of time.
This has a massive 5 shooting stars from me!
December 22, 2013
I'm just going to do a quick summary.
Ellie doesn't fit it in.
Out at a party with her friend, Kat, she meets a guy named Nicholas.
Nicholas is a hunter and becomes infatuated with Kat.
Their relationship is a quick one. I meet you. I want you. Let's be together. At times their emotions for each other are unbelievably and I didn't see the attraction. Nicholas would be in her space one moment and cold and distant the next. One minute he would tell her how bad he cared for her and the next moment he would say something patronizing and condescending and she would easily accept it.
Kat's friend is dating another vampire that Nicholas and his friend constantly deem as evil. Kat does nothing to help her friend for a long time and then she just warns her he's not a good guy.
I'm going to stop there as my attitude won't get any better and I don't want to hate on it. It just wasn't my cup of coffee. The emotional aspects need to be worked on. The characters and story just didn't grab me. Julie's prose is the only thing that saved this read.
May be accepted better as a teen read~
*I was given a copy of this read in exchange for a honest review*
Ellie doesn't fit it in.
Out at a party with her friend, Kat, she meets a guy named Nicholas.
Nicholas is a hunter and becomes infatuated with Kat.
Their relationship is a quick one. I meet you. I want you. Let's be together. At times their emotions for each other are unbelievably and I didn't see the attraction. Nicholas would be in her space one moment and cold and distant the next. One minute he would tell her how bad he cared for her and the next moment he would say something patronizing and condescending and she would easily accept it.
Kat's friend is dating another vampire that Nicholas and his friend constantly deem as evil. Kat does nothing to help her friend for a long time and then she just warns her he's not a good guy.
I'm going to stop there as my attitude won't get any better and I don't want to hate on it. It just wasn't my cup of coffee. The emotional aspects need to be worked on. The characters and story just didn't grab me. Julie's prose is the only thing that saved this read.
May be accepted better as a teen read~
*I was given a copy of this read in exchange for a honest review*
June 3, 2013
Firstly... Honoured... Just floored to be offered the opportunity to be one of the first people to read this gripping tale...
Each character had me swoon with either their sheer normality, striking splendor, oozing charm, mmmm and those evil snarls...
I will admit, I didn't read it in one sitting, for the sole reason, that I knew the pages left to read were decreasing much too quickly...
Running Home has had my mind totally absorbed since the first paragraph.
Julie Hutchings, you have created such a delectably insatiable monster, in this book, and this fan! More please...?! x
Each character had me swoon with either their sheer normality, striking splendor, oozing charm, mmmm and those evil snarls...
I will admit, I didn't read it in one sitting, for the sole reason, that I knew the pages left to read were decreasing much too quickly...
Running Home has had my mind totally absorbed since the first paragraph.
Julie Hutchings, you have created such a delectably insatiable monster, in this book, and this fan! More please...?! x
June 27, 2013
Review to come!
But let me say in the meantime, this book is amazing!
But let me say in the meantime, this book is amazing!
September 24, 2014
(Warning: Contains adult language not suitable for all readers.)
For the full review including all images, go to the Dragon Blog
A couple weeks before I finished reading OF BREAKABLE THINGS by Amy Rolland, a YA Fantasy, I read RUNNING HOME by Julie Hutchings.
Talk about two vastly different books.
Julie's book is definitely New Adult, but classifying its genre is a bit more difficult. It's a bit Urban Fantasy, a bit Paranormal Romance, and a touch Horror too... At least, that was the end result IMHO.
I know Julie on Twitter and totally adore her, plus I'm a fan of the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genre, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I'd have RUNNING HOME on my TBR list.
Of course, being that this is the post-TWILIGHT world of vampire novels, every vampire book I consider reading gets the "how hard is this trying to be the next TWILIGHT" and/or "how hard is this trying not to be TWILIGHT" evaluation, because Holy Mother of Fuck, that seems to be what the realm of PNR involving vampires has been reduced to.
On the surface, I was a bit concerned.
Ellie is essentially an average, uninteresting girl in a dead-end job, living in a podunk town in New Hampshire (read that as OPPOSITE SIDE OF COUNTRY FROM LOCATION OF TWILIGHT) and is destined to meet vampires, though vampires are not public in the world of this book, and she will (of course) find the answers to her life of mediocrity in this vampiric discovery and an inexplicable connection with Luscious Mr. Hot Fangs of Mystery.
Uh huh...
But this is where I get religion.
Praise be to the glorious Holy Mother of Fuck that the superficial similarities are just that, superficial.
If I had started getting a Twilighty vibe when reading RUNNING HOME, I would have been running for the hills. Except that sounds exhausting, so I probably would have just deleted it from my Kindle, and told Julie, "Jesus H. Christ, chick. I love you to death, but your book sucks hairy sparkling RPattz balls. WTF?"
But HALLELUJAH!
Praise Julie!
Get jiggy with it!
RUNNING HOME is sparkle-free.
And by that I mean, it's not actually Twilightesque. Like not a sparkle to be found except in appropriate contexts like Christmas and New Year's parties and shit like that.
So what is RUNNING HOME?
That's a good question, and I'm so glad you asked because that's where I was headed with this whole ramble.
First of all, RUNNING HOME is one of the most clean, well-written, clearly thought out, and concisely executed novels I've read in a long time. There's nothing superfluous about the characters or plot lines introduced throughout the book. Everything serves a purpose, and their purposes are truly served well.
The world-building isn't complicated since everything takes place here, only not here because, well, you know, there's vampires... duh. That allowed Julie to focus on my three favorite things about reading this: insanely awesome characters, endearing and seriously fucked up relationships, and culturally rich mythology.
Whether I loved them or hated them or love/hated them, Roman, Kat, and Lynch were a cast of characters whose relationships with Ellie and Nicholas pulled everything into a cohesive plot with webs of intrigue, history, and loyalty to play realistically into every action and reaction as events unfold.
My one gripe about the characters: Kat.
There were several times when I felt like Kat toed the TSTL line. I believe Julie is far better a writer than to write that sort of character, which is probably what kept her from fully falling into the To Stupid To Live abyss where I just hated her, but I can't say I ever connected with her or pitied her situation.
Honestly, I felt entirely indifferent as to whether or not Kat became a vampire snack. Kat was RUNNING HOME's True Blood Tara for me.
However, I totally felt miserable for Ellie because of Kat's situation, and maybe that was the whole point. She loved Kat dearly. Kat was her only friend. Unfortunately, Kat was one of those chicks... She was doomed to be one WTF moment after another for Ellie. She was Tara to Ellie's Sookie, only True Blood Sookie is a dumbass bitch.
But Ellie. Love. LOVE.
Ellie is that mix of young, naive, and stupid yet strong and fierce and determined despite not really knowing anything.
I mean, she doesn't exactly live in Cluelessville, because she's quite self-aware and gets the fact that her life is mediocre yet kind of a bizarre mindfuck once Nicholas shows up in the picture. But she's figuring shit out as she goes along, even if figuring out means sometimes realizing YOU KNOW NOTHING ELIZA MORGAN. She makes mistakes, and she gets things right.
Hindsight's always 20/20. Ellie is real like that, and that's how Julie writes a seriously great heroine in her story.
Oh, and Nicholas French...
Let's just talk about Nicholas French for a minute.
Julie dream cast Nicholas as Robert Downey, Jr.
This is a dream casting I can totally get behind. I am 100% on board with this.
I read RUNNING HOME imagining Nicholas as RDJ, and I swear it made every scene with him just 250% better.
From the voice to the mannerisms to the cocky and arrogant yet still somehow sweet personality, RDJ is so very Nicholas in my mind.
Nicholas French is a swoonworthy vampire even swoonworthy vampires could swoon over. He's just that swoony.
What makes him so?
He's a hard, soft, sweet, arrogant, thoughtful, egotistical, helpless badass YUMBALL. I'm not sure Julie could have made him more multi-faceted if Nicholas were an expertly cut, handcrafted diamond.
And the sexual tension? *fans self*
Yes. This.
This is the way you write an amazing romance without the hero and heroine fucking like bunnies.
At the moment of THE KISS, I was all OMGOMGOMGOMGFINALLYOMGYES!!!
Yet as amazing at it was, the most delicious part of RUNNING HOME is the mythology behind its vampires.
The Shinigami.
I promise it has nothing to do with sushi, though with the Japanese-based cultural references for the creation of Julie's mythology, many of the terms used made me crave sushi.
What's delicious about the mythology is how intricately woven into the story and carefully crafted it is. There is no info dump about how the Shinigami survive or why they exist. In fact, it's a bit like pulling fangs from a rather resistant vampire the way Ellie (and readers) manage to get any information about these mysterious supernatural beings.
Nicholas may be yummy as fuck and sex on legs, but he's not exactly a "let's open up, talk about our feelings, and share our life stories" kind of guy. But the two steps forward, three steps back emotional dance with him is all part of the delight that is reading RUNNING HOME.
I won't give any spoilers about this fantastic version of vampires, but don't expect to crack open the book and figure them out quickly. Really, don't expect to have it all figured out by the end either.
This leads me to the big question I always have about books I read.
Does this work as a standalone novel, or is RUNNING HOME a series only book?
Once again, thank you, Holy Mother of Fuck. Julie found the sweet spot so few authors manage, and left me satisfied.
RUNNING HOME home stands strongly on its own two literary legs with all major plot lines tied to conclusions that didn't leave me on a path of murderous destruction. It came in for a smooth landing and felt like a final chapter to a good book; however, it dangled the proverbial carrot in front of me to need more from it.
And EHEHEHEH, as I'm writing this review, (on July 14th) an eARC of RUNNING AWAY is sitting on my Kindle Fire just waiting for me to dive in.
Julie: <3 <3 <3 Thank you for that.
I'd say don't hate me for it, but I don't honestly give a flying rat's ass if you do. I will have already read the second book in this series by the time this review goes live. *evil laugh*
So, in the end, what's my final call on RUNNING HOME?
I'm not easy to please with books because I am incredibly nitpicky, so I don't often rate and review books, but this had the qualifications of a standalone book and a first book in a series that I could fall into and fall in love with.
Final rating: 5 STARS. The writing was tight. The story was compelling. The characters' flaws and strengths balanced one another to create the perfect freakshow version of Cirque du Soleil in their entangle web of relationships that it just worked on every level.
For the full review including all images, go to the Dragon Blog
A couple weeks before I finished reading OF BREAKABLE THINGS by Amy Rolland, a YA Fantasy, I read RUNNING HOME by Julie Hutchings.
Talk about two vastly different books.
Julie's book is definitely New Adult, but classifying its genre is a bit more difficult. It's a bit Urban Fantasy, a bit Paranormal Romance, and a touch Horror too... At least, that was the end result IMHO.
I know Julie on Twitter and totally adore her, plus I'm a fan of the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genre, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I'd have RUNNING HOME on my TBR list.
Of course, being that this is the post-TWILIGHT world of vampire novels, every vampire book I consider reading gets the "how hard is this trying to be the next TWILIGHT" and/or "how hard is this trying not to be TWILIGHT" evaluation, because Holy Mother of Fuck, that seems to be what the realm of PNR involving vampires has been reduced to.
On the surface, I was a bit concerned.
Ellie is essentially an average, uninteresting girl in a dead-end job, living in a podunk town in New Hampshire (read that as OPPOSITE SIDE OF COUNTRY FROM LOCATION OF TWILIGHT) and is destined to meet vampires, though vampires are not public in the world of this book, and she will (of course) find the answers to her life of mediocrity in this vampiric discovery and an inexplicable connection with Luscious Mr. Hot Fangs of Mystery.
Uh huh...
But this is where I get religion.
Praise be to the glorious Holy Mother of Fuck that the superficial similarities are just that, superficial.
If I had started getting a Twilighty vibe when reading RUNNING HOME, I would have been running for the hills. Except that sounds exhausting, so I probably would have just deleted it from my Kindle, and told Julie, "Jesus H. Christ, chick. I love you to death, but your book sucks hairy sparkling RPattz balls. WTF?"
But HALLELUJAH!
Praise Julie!
Get jiggy with it!
RUNNING HOME is sparkle-free.
And by that I mean, it's not actually Twilightesque. Like not a sparkle to be found except in appropriate contexts like Christmas and New Year's parties and shit like that.
So what is RUNNING HOME?
That's a good question, and I'm so glad you asked because that's where I was headed with this whole ramble.
First of all, RUNNING HOME is one of the most clean, well-written, clearly thought out, and concisely executed novels I've read in a long time. There's nothing superfluous about the characters or plot lines introduced throughout the book. Everything serves a purpose, and their purposes are truly served well.
The world-building isn't complicated since everything takes place here, only not here because, well, you know, there's vampires... duh. That allowed Julie to focus on my three favorite things about reading this: insanely awesome characters, endearing and seriously fucked up relationships, and culturally rich mythology.
Whether I loved them or hated them or love/hated them, Roman, Kat, and Lynch were a cast of characters whose relationships with Ellie and Nicholas pulled everything into a cohesive plot with webs of intrigue, history, and loyalty to play realistically into every action and reaction as events unfold.
My one gripe about the characters: Kat.
There were several times when I felt like Kat toed the TSTL line. I believe Julie is far better a writer than to write that sort of character, which is probably what kept her from fully falling into the To Stupid To Live abyss where I just hated her, but I can't say I ever connected with her or pitied her situation.
Honestly, I felt entirely indifferent as to whether or not Kat became a vampire snack. Kat was RUNNING HOME's True Blood Tara for me.
However, I totally felt miserable for Ellie because of Kat's situation, and maybe that was the whole point. She loved Kat dearly. Kat was her only friend. Unfortunately, Kat was one of those chicks... She was doomed to be one WTF moment after another for Ellie. She was Tara to Ellie's Sookie, only True Blood Sookie is a dumbass bitch.
But Ellie. Love. LOVE.
Ellie is that mix of young, naive, and stupid yet strong and fierce and determined despite not really knowing anything.
I mean, she doesn't exactly live in Cluelessville, because she's quite self-aware and gets the fact that her life is mediocre yet kind of a bizarre mindfuck once Nicholas shows up in the picture. But she's figuring shit out as she goes along, even if figuring out means sometimes realizing YOU KNOW NOTHING ELIZA MORGAN. She makes mistakes, and she gets things right.
Hindsight's always 20/20. Ellie is real like that, and that's how Julie writes a seriously great heroine in her story.
Oh, and Nicholas French...
Let's just talk about Nicholas French for a minute.
Julie dream cast Nicholas as Robert Downey, Jr.
This is a dream casting I can totally get behind. I am 100% on board with this.
I read RUNNING HOME imagining Nicholas as RDJ, and I swear it made every scene with him just 250% better.
From the voice to the mannerisms to the cocky and arrogant yet still somehow sweet personality, RDJ is so very Nicholas in my mind.
Nicholas French is a swoonworthy vampire even swoonworthy vampires could swoon over. He's just that swoony.
What makes him so?
He's a hard, soft, sweet, arrogant, thoughtful, egotistical, helpless badass YUMBALL. I'm not sure Julie could have made him more multi-faceted if Nicholas were an expertly cut, handcrafted diamond.
And the sexual tension? *fans self*
Yes. This.
This is the way you write an amazing romance without the hero and heroine fucking like bunnies.
At the moment of THE KISS, I was all OMGOMGOMGOMGFINALLYOMGYES!!!
Yet as amazing at it was, the most delicious part of RUNNING HOME is the mythology behind its vampires.
The Shinigami.
I promise it has nothing to do with sushi, though with the Japanese-based cultural references for the creation of Julie's mythology, many of the terms used made me crave sushi.
What's delicious about the mythology is how intricately woven into the story and carefully crafted it is. There is no info dump about how the Shinigami survive or why they exist. In fact, it's a bit like pulling fangs from a rather resistant vampire the way Ellie (and readers) manage to get any information about these mysterious supernatural beings.
Nicholas may be yummy as fuck and sex on legs, but he's not exactly a "let's open up, talk about our feelings, and share our life stories" kind of guy. But the two steps forward, three steps back emotional dance with him is all part of the delight that is reading RUNNING HOME.
I won't give any spoilers about this fantastic version of vampires, but don't expect to crack open the book and figure them out quickly. Really, don't expect to have it all figured out by the end either.
This leads me to the big question I always have about books I read.
Does this work as a standalone novel, or is RUNNING HOME a series only book?
Once again, thank you, Holy Mother of Fuck. Julie found the sweet spot so few authors manage, and left me satisfied.
RUNNING HOME home stands strongly on its own two literary legs with all major plot lines tied to conclusions that didn't leave me on a path of murderous destruction. It came in for a smooth landing and felt like a final chapter to a good book; however, it dangled the proverbial carrot in front of me to need more from it.
And EHEHEHEH, as I'm writing this review, (on July 14th) an eARC of RUNNING AWAY is sitting on my Kindle Fire just waiting for me to dive in.
Julie: <3 <3 <3 Thank you for that.
I'd say don't hate me for it, but I don't honestly give a flying rat's ass if you do. I will have already read the second book in this series by the time this review goes live. *evil laugh*
So, in the end, what's my final call on RUNNING HOME?
I'm not easy to please with books because I am incredibly nitpicky, so I don't often rate and review books, but this had the qualifications of a standalone book and a first book in a series that I could fall into and fall in love with.
Final rating: 5 STARS. The writing was tight. The story was compelling. The characters' flaws and strengths balanced one another to create the perfect freakshow version of Cirque du Soleil in their entangle web of relationships that it just worked on every level.
August 23, 2017
I am a vampire, Eliza. 5 HEARTS OF DESTINY
What right do I have to consider myself a hero? Because you have to. This burden is your destiny. What are you feeling, Eliza Morgan? Do you feel like this world wasn’t meant for you? You were meant for more. Destiny is waiting to claim you… WOW! WHOA! HOLY... I AM BLOWN AWAY, TRULY. BLOWN. AWAY!! This is a Vampire book like no other I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and I have read a TON of them as Vampires are my first, main and only True Love in the World of the Paranormal. Other than the short story Julie shared a little bit ago, this is my first true tasting of her phenomenal storytelling and I. AM. ADDICTED. Julie doesn't tell a story, she shares it! She has me living it, feeling it, believing in it, loving it, I even thought my name was Eliza for a bit, THAT is how deeply affected, how deeply ensconced I was - AM - with this beautifully horrific tale! Now I can't tell you why I say it's "beautifully horrific" because that would be spoiling the story, ruining the secrets & the thrill for you, so just trust me when I say that Running Home is a book you NEED TO READ!! I can only hope I don't have to wait too long for my next Shinigami Vampires fix, but I do need time for my tears/eyes, mind, nerves & heart to recover! At the beginning, for a short time, the odd moment here and there, I felt "lost", like there is this Big Secret, something happening over & above me, then at times I felt just like Eliza - that I am the only one let in on the Big Secret, the only one that gets it, that truly understands it all - the path, the significance, ALL OF IT! Now if I have to say that I am a very avid reader who has a great idea of what I will like without even reading the whole product description/blurb, so I didn’t know much about this other than it was a Vampire book! But really? What more do I need to know! I love ALL Vampires – good, bad, sexy, sparkly, naughty, I love them all! The originality & uniqueness of Julie's Vampires, how creative, heart-wrenching, amazing, fascinating and powerful the Shinigami Vampires are is just so FANGING AWESOME!!! I love that they are all different, they don't have the same abilities, how the feeding happens, the repercussions of feeding or not feeding...and so much more that I can't share! To say I am fangirling here is such a massive understatement!! Julie had me so captivated and intrigued that I started the book and kept on reading all the way until the very end, with only a couple of breaks to gather myself up, stop the tears, so that I could keep on reading! And since this is a full length book of 300+ pages (according to Amazon) that is saying something!!
What right do I have to consider myself a hero? Because you have to. This burden is your destiny. What are you feeling, Eliza Morgan? Do you feel like this world wasn’t meant for you? You were meant for more. Destiny is waiting to claim you… WOW! WHOA! HOLY... I AM BLOWN AWAY, TRULY. BLOWN. AWAY!! This is a Vampire book like no other I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and I have read a TON of them as Vampires are my first, main and only True Love in the World of the Paranormal. Other than the short story Julie shared a little bit ago, this is my first true tasting of her phenomenal storytelling and I. AM. ADDICTED. Julie doesn't tell a story, she shares it! She has me living it, feeling it, believing in it, loving it, I even thought my name was Eliza for a bit, THAT is how deeply affected, how deeply ensconced I was - AM - with this beautifully horrific tale! Now I can't tell you why I say it's "beautifully horrific" because that would be spoiling the story, ruining the secrets & the thrill for you, so just trust me when I say that Running Home is a book you NEED TO READ!! I can only hope I don't have to wait too long for my next Shinigami Vampires fix, but I do need time for my tears/eyes, mind, nerves & heart to recover! At the beginning, for a short time, the odd moment here and there, I felt "lost", like there is this Big Secret, something happening over & above me, then at times I felt just like Eliza - that I am the only one let in on the Big Secret, the only one that gets it, that truly understands it all - the path, the significance, ALL OF IT! Now if I have to say that I am a very avid reader who has a great idea of what I will like without even reading the whole product description/blurb, so I didn’t know much about this other than it was a Vampire book! But really? What more do I need to know! I love ALL Vampires – good, bad, sexy, sparkly, naughty, I love them all! The originality & uniqueness of Julie's Vampires, how creative, heart-wrenching, amazing, fascinating and powerful the Shinigami Vampires are is just so FANGING AWESOME!!! I love that they are all different, they don't have the same abilities, how the feeding happens, the repercussions of feeding or not feeding...and so much more that I can't share! To say I am fangirling here is such a massive understatement!! Julie had me so captivated and intrigued that I started the book and kept on reading all the way until the very end, with only a couple of breaks to gather myself up, stop the tears, so that I could keep on reading! And since this is a full length book of 300+ pages (according to Amazon) that is saying something!!
December 26, 2020
DNF .... UGH! Boring!
May 16, 2025
DNF 28% through. I really tried.
March 2, 2014
Thumbs up for Running Home, a vampire novel recommended for fans of paranormal horror-romance, unusual heroines, love affairs with equal parts passion and nuance, and richly evocative writing.
First things first: is it a good vampire novel? Does it bring something different to the table? Yes, and here’s why. It was an incredibly smart decision to spice up the Original Recipe vampire tale with elements of Japanese Shinigami mythology. It adds depth and shading to what’s usually a pretty straightforward obstacle to romance. In this universe, a vamp who wants to sidestep a human kill has to fight more than just hunger and base instinct – he has to fight fate itself. It’s a powerful, agonizing dilemma that really bears fruit in the second half of the novel, when [SORT-OF SPOILER ALERT] romantic lead Nicholas learns he’s fated to kill someone close to Eliza, the girl he loves.
That brings me to Running Home’s secret weapon—the thing that sets it apart and makes it a hugely appealing read even if you’re not into vampires. Eliza is a great narrator with a specific voice that resists cliché or easy categorization. She can be sullen and withdrawn, but she’s also capable of great tenderness and vulnerability. She’s wry and smart (how can you not love a character who warns her best friend not to dress her “like a human cupcake”?), but she never comes across as a cookie-cutter snarky heroine. She has a quiet strength, but Nicholas is her weakness, and Running Home has the guts to fully explore all the beauty and ugliness of a first love that starts to snowball into obsession. There’s a very good reason Eliza and Nicholas fall for each other so hard and fast (which I won’t reveal here), but even if you take out the vampire element, there’s so much to relate to here: the insecurity and maddening uncertainty of a relationship’s early stages, the almost palpable joys of discovering someone who really gets you. Those relatable parts really anchor the story and keep us on Eliza’s side, even as we facepalm at some of her decisions (hooray for heroines with realistic flaws!).
The deliberate pace of the book’s first half is somewhat surprising, but I actually found it refreshing, especially since the writing is so strong and vivid. I liked that the character development wasn’t perfunctory; we spend a nice stretch of time really getting to know Eliza and her best friend Kat (great female friendship, by the way) and seeing her relationship with Nicholas develop before the plot amps up in the second half. If I didn’t know Eliza so well before the plot started twisting and turning, those twists and turns might have been much less affecting. Plus Hutchings seeds the first half with just enough mystery and small-scale horror, so it’s still a page-turner that builds smoothly to later events.
Also: the end. There’s a development in the final chapters that made me gasp and put my Kindle down for about five minutes. I hated that it happened, but I knew exactly WHY it had to happen, and I respect an author who follows a plot thread to its logical end, even if it devastates the reader. What happens at the end raises a ton of fascinating questions, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out in the sequel, Running Away. (I hope we don’t have long to wait!)
First things first: is it a good vampire novel? Does it bring something different to the table? Yes, and here’s why. It was an incredibly smart decision to spice up the Original Recipe vampire tale with elements of Japanese Shinigami mythology. It adds depth and shading to what’s usually a pretty straightforward obstacle to romance. In this universe, a vamp who wants to sidestep a human kill has to fight more than just hunger and base instinct – he has to fight fate itself. It’s a powerful, agonizing dilemma that really bears fruit in the second half of the novel, when [SORT-OF SPOILER ALERT] romantic lead Nicholas learns he’s fated to kill someone close to Eliza, the girl he loves.
That brings me to Running Home’s secret weapon—the thing that sets it apart and makes it a hugely appealing read even if you’re not into vampires. Eliza is a great narrator with a specific voice that resists cliché or easy categorization. She can be sullen and withdrawn, but she’s also capable of great tenderness and vulnerability. She’s wry and smart (how can you not love a character who warns her best friend not to dress her “like a human cupcake”?), but she never comes across as a cookie-cutter snarky heroine. She has a quiet strength, but Nicholas is her weakness, and Running Home has the guts to fully explore all the beauty and ugliness of a first love that starts to snowball into obsession. There’s a very good reason Eliza and Nicholas fall for each other so hard and fast (which I won’t reveal here), but even if you take out the vampire element, there’s so much to relate to here: the insecurity and maddening uncertainty of a relationship’s early stages, the almost palpable joys of discovering someone who really gets you. Those relatable parts really anchor the story and keep us on Eliza’s side, even as we facepalm at some of her decisions (hooray for heroines with realistic flaws!).
The deliberate pace of the book’s first half is somewhat surprising, but I actually found it refreshing, especially since the writing is so strong and vivid. I liked that the character development wasn’t perfunctory; we spend a nice stretch of time really getting to know Eliza and her best friend Kat (great female friendship, by the way) and seeing her relationship with Nicholas develop before the plot amps up in the second half. If I didn’t know Eliza so well before the plot started twisting and turning, those twists and turns might have been much less affecting. Plus Hutchings seeds the first half with just enough mystery and small-scale horror, so it’s still a page-turner that builds smoothly to later events.
Also: the end. There’s a development in the final chapters that made me gasp and put my Kindle down for about five minutes. I hated that it happened, but I knew exactly WHY it had to happen, and I respect an author who follows a plot thread to its logical end, even if it devastates the reader. What happens at the end raises a ton of fascinating questions, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out in the sequel, Running Away. (I hope we don’t have long to wait!)
October 13, 2013
Running Home is a book that has been missing from my shelf for many years. A new release from author Julie Hutchings, it is an urban fantasy novel full of addictive charm, engaging, self-aware characters, and a well-researched, powerhouse plot. In truth, the recent craze of urban fantasy novels has largely passed me by, as those I have read have left me dissatisfied. This is not the case with this story. It may not be my typical genre, but Running Home is definitely my kind of book.
It tells the story of Eliza, a small town girl in backwoods New Hampshire. On the plus size of the clothes rack and the wrong side of twenty-five, her life is simple, steady, yet ultimately dull. A pragmatic girl with an unhappy history, Eliza accepts her lot in life, mainly because she's afraid of losing the one thing she still has: her best friend, Kat. As unremarkable as Eliza thinks herself, she manages to catch the undivided attention of the local bookshop owner, Nicholas French, and their whirlwind not-quite-romance takes our girl's life down an entirely different path.
Pithy, tongue-in-cheek and adventurous, Hutchings has woven a world you can believe in: a new way of seeing the ordinary. Her villain, Chris Lynch, is delightfully repulsive and I wouldn't kick her Nicholas French out of bed for all the money in the world. Her protagonist, too, is my kind of girl.
It is rare for me to really connect with female protagonists but, with Eliza, it was effortless. I loved her snippy, self-deprecating remarks about how well she was taking the revelation that vampires existed. I loved that she sucked in her stomach the way woman (myself included) are wont to do when they're in a dress that's a shade too tight. I loved that she had a backbone, and that romance didn't reduce her to a quivering wreck of helplessness. I loved her.
The magical blend of character sensibility and unique mythology sucks you into the world of Running Home and doesn't release you from its thrall until the last page. Although, at times, the reader will be screaming for Eliza to take just one. more. step. in her assessment of her relationship with the creature-comfort-loving Nicholas, the book carries you on a fast-paced, believable journey of self-discovery and fantastical fates. When the Sophie's Choice of endings reared its ugly head, I was genuinely worried as to how it could possibly resolve itself in the way I wanted it to.
This is a book that is pure fun and definitely worth your time. This is a book you will care about. This is a book you want to read.
While some might compare Running Home to another, well-known urban vampire fantasy franchise, for me, the choice is clear. Never a fan of the book-that-shall-not-be-named, I was reserved when picking up Hutchings' latest work. I will never regret that I did. I honestly can't remember a time when I've enjoyed a vampire novel so much. In my opinion,Running Home far exceeds its genre's peers in imagination, quality of writing, character development and every other category you might hope to name.
I stayed up all night to finish it.
It tells the story of Eliza, a small town girl in backwoods New Hampshire. On the plus size of the clothes rack and the wrong side of twenty-five, her life is simple, steady, yet ultimately dull. A pragmatic girl with an unhappy history, Eliza accepts her lot in life, mainly because she's afraid of losing the one thing she still has: her best friend, Kat. As unremarkable as Eliza thinks herself, she manages to catch the undivided attention of the local bookshop owner, Nicholas French, and their whirlwind not-quite-romance takes our girl's life down an entirely different path.
Pithy, tongue-in-cheek and adventurous, Hutchings has woven a world you can believe in: a new way of seeing the ordinary. Her villain, Chris Lynch, is delightfully repulsive and I wouldn't kick her Nicholas French out of bed for all the money in the world. Her protagonist, too, is my kind of girl.
It is rare for me to really connect with female protagonists but, with Eliza, it was effortless. I loved her snippy, self-deprecating remarks about how well she was taking the revelation that vampires existed. I loved that she sucked in her stomach the way woman (myself included) are wont to do when they're in a dress that's a shade too tight. I loved that she had a backbone, and that romance didn't reduce her to a quivering wreck of helplessness. I loved her.
The magical blend of character sensibility and unique mythology sucks you into the world of Running Home and doesn't release you from its thrall until the last page. Although, at times, the reader will be screaming for Eliza to take just one. more. step. in her assessment of her relationship with the creature-comfort-loving Nicholas, the book carries you on a fast-paced, believable journey of self-discovery and fantastical fates. When the Sophie's Choice of endings reared its ugly head, I was genuinely worried as to how it could possibly resolve itself in the way I wanted it to.
This is a book that is pure fun and definitely worth your time. This is a book you will care about. This is a book you want to read.
While some might compare Running Home to another, well-known urban vampire fantasy franchise, for me, the choice is clear. Never a fan of the book-that-shall-not-be-named, I was reserved when picking up Hutchings' latest work. I will never regret that I did. I honestly can't remember a time when I've enjoyed a vampire novel so much. In my opinion,Running Home far exceeds its genre's peers in imagination, quality of writing, character development and every other category you might hope to name.
I stayed up all night to finish it.
August 15, 2014
Psychocat Reads Review of RUNNING HOME by Julie Hutchings
RUNNING HOME was another of those books floating around on my TBR list. It looked interesting, but it had a slight TWILIGHT vibe that made me a bit nervous. Of course, Mel and I are both friends with Julie on Twitter, so when we invited her to guest on the Dragon Blog that meant it was time to read.
Now that RUNNING HOME made it off my TBR list, let's see how it held up to Psychocat's claws.
The Characters: Reading the blurb, I was a bit worried that Ellie was going to be another Bella. It didn't take long to get over that. She didn't quite find place in my all time favorite characters, and there were a few times I wanted to smack her, but I think RUNNING HOME wouldn't be quite as good if she had been too perfect.
Nicholas, on the other hand, was all matters of yummy and delightful. Julie's dream casting of Robert Downey Jr as Nicholas French is spot on perfect. She brings Nicholas to life as a character full of depth and contradictions. I can't wait to see what she does with him in the next book.
The Relationships: Though not really a romance, there are plenty of relationships running through this book, and plenty of tension between Ellie and Nicholas. The relationship between Ellie and Kat is the type of friendship that every girl needs. The connection between Nicholas and Roman is one that can only before formed based on many years together. What's between Ellie and Nicholas is enough to fill an entire book and keep you turning pages wanting more.
The World or Mythology: RUNNING HOME is a vampire book, but Julie's Shinigami are unlike any other set of vampires I've read about. You'll have to read the book to find out more, because learning about these very non-sparkly vamps is a big part of what will suck you in. Don't go in expecting some getting to know the Shinigami tutorial early in the book. You won't get that. What you will get is an education through Ellie's eyes.
Jen's Final Rating: 5 STARS! Once I started reading, it was next to impossible to stop. I had to know what was going to happen, and what it all meant. Holy hopping hell-bunnies am I glad I have an eARC of RUNNING AWAY, because I can't wait to see what happens next.
Psychocat's Final Rating: This book was just her style - a dark edge with a side of violence. She'll take the Shinigami over their sparkly counterparts any time.
RUNNING HOME was another of those books floating around on my TBR list. It looked interesting, but it had a slight TWILIGHT vibe that made me a bit nervous. Of course, Mel and I are both friends with Julie on Twitter, so when we invited her to guest on the Dragon Blog that meant it was time to read.
Now that RUNNING HOME made it off my TBR list, let's see how it held up to Psychocat's claws.
The Characters: Reading the blurb, I was a bit worried that Ellie was going to be another Bella. It didn't take long to get over that. She didn't quite find place in my all time favorite characters, and there were a few times I wanted to smack her, but I think RUNNING HOME wouldn't be quite as good if she had been too perfect.
Nicholas, on the other hand, was all matters of yummy and delightful. Julie's dream casting of Robert Downey Jr as Nicholas French is spot on perfect. She brings Nicholas to life as a character full of depth and contradictions. I can't wait to see what she does with him in the next book.
The Relationships: Though not really a romance, there are plenty of relationships running through this book, and plenty of tension between Ellie and Nicholas. The relationship between Ellie and Kat is the type of friendship that every girl needs. The connection between Nicholas and Roman is one that can only before formed based on many years together. What's between Ellie and Nicholas is enough to fill an entire book and keep you turning pages wanting more.
The World or Mythology: RUNNING HOME is a vampire book, but Julie's Shinigami are unlike any other set of vampires I've read about. You'll have to read the book to find out more, because learning about these very non-sparkly vamps is a big part of what will suck you in. Don't go in expecting some getting to know the Shinigami tutorial early in the book. You won't get that. What you will get is an education through Ellie's eyes.
Jen's Final Rating: 5 STARS! Once I started reading, it was next to impossible to stop. I had to know what was going to happen, and what it all meant. Holy hopping hell-bunnies am I glad I have an eARC of RUNNING AWAY, because I can't wait to see what happens next.
Psychocat's Final Rating: This book was just her style - a dark edge with a side of violence. She'll take the Shinigami over their sparkly counterparts any time.
November 17, 2014
As a paranormal romance, this book has a sexy love interest and a believable struggle. As a horror, it disappointingly picks up steam only at the end.
This is a story about Ellie, a woman who has lost nearly all of the important people in her life, save one. As she drifts, she’s drawn into a dark world of vampires–not the sparkly, gentle kind, but the ones who operate under fate’s command. The further in Ellie slips, the more macabre her story becomes. I loved the twists and turns, and as soon as I thought I’d figured out where the plot was going, it jolted me another way. The ending itself left me breathless. Simultaneously, I wanted to throw my Kobo at the wall and drive to Ms. Hutching’s house and sit on her until she finishes the sequel.
Part of the reason I gave this book three stars was my own preference for horror and the paranormal over romance and tingly love. The beginning drags, and the plot takes too long to get to the juicy parts. Running Home‘s strength lies in the chilly nighttime, but it spends too much time in the lazy afternoon. When the darkness hits, it’s too late and too short, and I found myself craving more.
As for the nuts and bolts of the writing, I’m disappointed in the publisher, Books of the Dead Press. Though Ms. Hutchings is a strong writer, the book could have used a more thorough developmental and copy-editing pass. Her descriptions were unique and interesting, but some of the sentence constructions and a few grammatical errors pulled me out of the writing. I’m critical of all published work, but especially small presses because of their responsibility to their writers. If self-publishers are hiring professional editors, small publishers must compete. Otherwise, why would us authors go with a small press?
I recommend Running Home, especially for those looking for solid paranormal romance fare. I can’t wait to see more from Ms. Hutchings and hope that its follow-ups descend deeper into the midnight that lurks at the end of this one.
Also posted on my blog on Mon., 10/14.
This is a story about Ellie, a woman who has lost nearly all of the important people in her life, save one. As she drifts, she’s drawn into a dark world of vampires–not the sparkly, gentle kind, but the ones who operate under fate’s command. The further in Ellie slips, the more macabre her story becomes. I loved the twists and turns, and as soon as I thought I’d figured out where the plot was going, it jolted me another way. The ending itself left me breathless. Simultaneously, I wanted to throw my Kobo at the wall and drive to Ms. Hutching’s house and sit on her until she finishes the sequel.
Part of the reason I gave this book three stars was my own preference for horror and the paranormal over romance and tingly love. The beginning drags, and the plot takes too long to get to the juicy parts. Running Home‘s strength lies in the chilly nighttime, but it spends too much time in the lazy afternoon. When the darkness hits, it’s too late and too short, and I found myself craving more.
As for the nuts and bolts of the writing, I’m disappointed in the publisher, Books of the Dead Press. Though Ms. Hutchings is a strong writer, the book could have used a more thorough developmental and copy-editing pass. Her descriptions were unique and interesting, but some of the sentence constructions and a few grammatical errors pulled me out of the writing. I’m critical of all published work, but especially small presses because of their responsibility to their writers. If self-publishers are hiring professional editors, small publishers must compete. Otherwise, why would us authors go with a small press?
I recommend Running Home, especially for those looking for solid paranormal romance fare. I can’t wait to see more from Ms. Hutchings and hope that its follow-ups descend deeper into the midnight that lurks at the end of this one.
Also posted on my blog on Mon., 10/14.
July 26, 2014
I have two favorite things about Julie Hutchings' novel Running Home. First, I loved her characters. She has crafted complex, fully formed characters that jump from the page. By the end of the book you feel like you've actually met them - and may want to invite them over for dinner.
The second thing I love about this book is how she pulled the mythology of the Shinigami into the story, turning what could have been another tired vampire tale into something else entirely. She turned the typical vampire trope on it's head by imbuing them with god-like power over the fate and destiny of humanity.
I do feel the novel could have used some additional editing work. The storytelling is strong, she has an excellent voice, but there were some editorial challenges that pulled me from the story in a few places.
Julie Hutchings is a master at creating scenery and settings that I felt I could walk through and touch. I especially liked the scene at the lake, I felt like I'd been shrunk down and carefully placed into a snow-globe moment! If you are a fan of paranormal romance I definitely recommend you add this to your list.
The second thing I love about this book is how she pulled the mythology of the Shinigami into the story, turning what could have been another tired vampire tale into something else entirely. She turned the typical vampire trope on it's head by imbuing them with god-like power over the fate and destiny of humanity.
I do feel the novel could have used some additional editing work. The storytelling is strong, she has an excellent voice, but there were some editorial challenges that pulled me from the story in a few places.
Julie Hutchings is a master at creating scenery and settings that I felt I could walk through and touch. I especially liked the scene at the lake, I felt like I'd been shrunk down and carefully placed into a snow-globe moment! If you are a fan of paranormal romance I definitely recommend you add this to your list.
August 20, 2013
Julie Hutchings has taken the familiar vampire romance trope and introduced new life into it by reimagining blood suckers as avatars of the Japanese gods of death (shinigami), giving them a interesting set of new abilities and burdens while still designed to please fans of Stephanie Meyer and Charlaine Harris. Where she really succeeds, however, is confronting the reader with the concept of powerlessness in the face of fate. Hutchings' vamps are less about death-dealing than they are about serving an established order that, like it or not, does not always end with a fairy-tale happy endings and a wedding in the big castle. Without giving too much away, Hutchings subtly imbues her main character, Ellie/Eliza, with a growing acceptance of her unavoidable fate as embodied by the stunningly beautiful man she loves. Even her ability to love Nicholas freely is called into question as she is swept along by the vicissitudes of his designs on her present and future. It's a wonderfully insinuated and well-realized subtext that I think both reveals and subverts a reader's expectation of speculative romance in the post-Twilight era.
October 13, 2013
“This is going to scare you. I can say try not to be afraid but you will be.”
They're not just vampires, they’re gods of death.
I’m really glad I stumbled across this book on the day of its release. I got stuck in the DMV and luckily I had my kindle with this new treasure loaded onto it.First off, a previous review characterized Ellie as passive. I have to disagree with that. I can understand her hesitation to acknowledge what is clearly unusual. I have trouble speaking up when someone butts in line. I can’t imagine how I would manage a vampire entering my life!
I was surprised to discover a new and intriguing twist on vampires. I’ve read a lot of vampire fiction but never found one that incorporates Japanese lore. This novel offers a new legend, new abilities, and a plot that keeps the reader guessing.
Julie Hutchings has a great style of writing. Her descriptions are vivid and before you know it, you get lost in Ellie/Eliza’s world. It’s a great read and I can’t wait for the sequel.
They're not just vampires, they’re gods of death.
I’m really glad I stumbled across this book on the day of its release. I got stuck in the DMV and luckily I had my kindle with this new treasure loaded onto it.First off, a previous review characterized Ellie as passive. I have to disagree with that. I can understand her hesitation to acknowledge what is clearly unusual. I have trouble speaking up when someone butts in line. I can’t imagine how I would manage a vampire entering my life!
I was surprised to discover a new and intriguing twist on vampires. I’ve read a lot of vampire fiction but never found one that incorporates Japanese lore. This novel offers a new legend, new abilities, and a plot that keeps the reader guessing.
Julie Hutchings has a great style of writing. Her descriptions are vivid and before you know it, you get lost in Ellie/Eliza’s world. It’s a great read and I can’t wait for the sequel.
August 12, 2016
Slight Spoilers.
I liked the idea of the new mythology of vampire that Ms Hutchings created. It was imaginative. Although theologically it didn't always make sense. They're doing good, but they're still evil. How can that be? All that guilt. Even though you know you're saving others from worse pain. Just doesn't make sense. Hero or villain?
But what I didn't like was the secret keeping and the cryptic speeches that Nicholas kept making. A little honest discussion and things would have resolved much sooner and perhaps without the pain. Of course there wouldn't much book left. Between each of the main characters crying "I'm not worthy." and the shallowness of Eliza always saying, "He's so beautiful." in one way or another, on each and every single bloody page... It dragged. I wanted to get out a red pencil. Perhaps it should have been a novella. Wait! It's only 198 pages, maybe it should have been a short story.(Or a Twific.)
I liked the idea of the new mythology of vampire that Ms Hutchings created. It was imaginative. Although theologically it didn't always make sense. They're doing good, but they're still evil. How can that be? All that guilt. Even though you know you're saving others from worse pain. Just doesn't make sense. Hero or villain?
But what I didn't like was the secret keeping and the cryptic speeches that Nicholas kept making. A little honest discussion and things would have resolved much sooner and perhaps without the pain. Of course there wouldn't much book left. Between each of the main characters crying "I'm not worthy." and the shallowness of Eliza always saying, "He's so beautiful." in one way or another, on each and every single bloody page... It dragged. I wanted to get out a red pencil. Perhaps it should have been a novella. Wait! It's only 198 pages, maybe it should have been a short story.(Or a Twific.)
August 11, 2013
Julie Hutchings deserves a hell of a lot of credit for this novel.
The tone comfortably fits within the YA Paranormal Romance bracket, but the real skill is the way in which her story can also appeal to those of us who would normally run a mile from this genre. This is a horror novel that can be also be read by jaded adults like myself, having far more to offer than Twilight style horror-lite, and also pull off that elusive trick of leaving us wanting more.
The vivid descriptions which call upon references to all the senses, alongside the avoidance of vampire cliche which so often verges on parody in other novels, are additional positives to this story which I am happy to recommend.
The tone comfortably fits within the YA Paranormal Romance bracket, but the real skill is the way in which her story can also appeal to those of us who would normally run a mile from this genre. This is a horror novel that can be also be read by jaded adults like myself, having far more to offer than Twilight style horror-lite, and also pull off that elusive trick of leaving us wanting more.
The vivid descriptions which call upon references to all the senses, alongside the avoidance of vampire cliche which so often verges on parody in other novels, are additional positives to this story which I am happy to recommend.
March 18, 2014
A very different Vampire novel from what I may have been expecting, the prose style and plot kept me gripped to the end, and the Japanese culture/mythology edge was a good touch, but would like more of this in the sequel.
Regardingthe plot, it definitely twisted in unexpected directions and the ending was not something I saw coming. The characters were well fleshed, and it was nice for the female leads to exist in a strong friendship and not just be your typical 'oo a vampire, swoon' characters that are so common.
All in all, no it's not Stoker, but nothing else is, it's a fresh exciting twist on the Vampire novel, so I look forward to the next one.
Regardingthe plot, it definitely twisted in unexpected directions and the ending was not something I saw coming. The characters were well fleshed, and it was nice for the female leads to exist in a strong friendship and not just be your typical 'oo a vampire, swoon' characters that are so common.
All in all, no it's not Stoker, but nothing else is, it's a fresh exciting twist on the Vampire novel, so I look forward to the next one.
October 21, 2014
Running Home really captures the intoxication of a hard fall into love, but raises the stakes and consequences.
Relatable (i.e. flawed, occasionally terrible, but ultimately good and struggling just to make it through the day) characters feel like our friends and loved ones. At times you think "why do I like you again?" but then, without trying, they remind you. Because they're family. Because they're home.
It also offers a fresh take on vampire mythos; one that really justifies the existence of these so called monsters and makes them not only relevant to the world of Running Home but absolutely vital to it's existence.
Relatable (i.e. flawed, occasionally terrible, but ultimately good and struggling just to make it through the day) characters feel like our friends and loved ones. At times you think "why do I like you again?" but then, without trying, they remind you. Because they're family. Because they're home.
It also offers a fresh take on vampire mythos; one that really justifies the existence of these so called monsters and makes them not only relevant to the world of Running Home but absolutely vital to it's existence.
February 27, 2014
To say that this book contained surprises and twists would be a blatant understatement. I was left amazed by the main character, Eliza's personality and her quest to find her purpose in life. The characters are splendidly thorough and a joy to witness as they come alive on the page. Julie Hutchings's finite instinct for crisp and free flowing prose allowed this book to read like drinking a glass of cold water. I apologize that this review is so short, but mere words alone cannot describe how entrancing this novel was to read. Amazing.
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