Run Darling

Toy Runners #3

by Adriana Herrera

She knows exactly how to jingle his bells…

All Arabella Gaspar wanted was to buy some fun sexy grown-up toys for her first time leading her house’s run, but after one or two—okay, a dozen—threats from Magi who don’t think a girl should be a Toy Runner (eye-roll) her overprotective brothers have stuck her with none other than Rhyne Carrasco to be her bodyguard. So what if she had a crush on him once? He’s made his feelings about her abundantly clear. And she has moved on. But she isn’t above showing the man exactly what he’s missing.

Rhyne Carrasco has one regret in his life, and her name is Arabella Gaspar. His best friend’s younger sister, the darling of the House of Gaspar, and the bane of his existence. Rhyne has kept his distance for years, running from her tempting smart mouth and delectable body. But the girl he left seven years ago is very different from the woman he’s now tasked to protect.

This Arabella is grown…and sexy as hell. Self-assurance and sensuality radiate from her, and Rhyne cannot stay away. When an accident in the toy factory keeps them in the North Pole and the same bed for the night Rhyne sees his chance to make her his. It is high time he claimed what is his, and he intends to make sure it’s forever.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Holiday, Audiobook, Christmas, Fantasy, Holiday Romance

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

USA Today bestselling author ADRIANA HERRERA was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last 15 years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people, getting unapologetic happy endings.

Her debut Dreamers, has been featured on Entertainment Weekly, NPR, the TODAY Show on NBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Oprah Magazine.

When she's not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a social worker in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Reviews

[piper monarchsandmyths]

i didn’t know this was omegaverse when i started it

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This one sadly just wasn’t it for me. I went in expecting a holiday romance novella, but this one reads like erotica instead. Which I’m not against, I just didn’t expect or want it for this story. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I really enjoyed Her Night with Santa in this series so I was expecting more plot along with the steam if that makes sense. This is brother’s best friend and includes lots of time with toys and jumps right in to the action, so there is that if you’re looking for that kind of read. Audio is on hoopla, as most of this author’s reads are, so definitely check there if you have access and want to give this one a whirl.

[Katie ratherbereadinggg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars I read the reviews before picking this one up, so I knew it was mostly smut. It was 🥵🥵🥵 and there was enough story that I wish we had gotten more.

[Brianna Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one jumps right into action but it’s a bit overwhelming from my view. Including “toys” with a Christmas theme is actually pretty clever but it was a bit too erotic for what I was expecting. Also very short so the whole thing felt like intimacy and I didn’t love that.

[christinac_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ★

Okay LMAO. I did not expect this to turn out the way that it did. I was out here running in thinking it was gonna be this cute holiday romance featuring Latinx characters but instead I got some heavy Christmas smut featuring Santa's elves with grumpy x brat, age gap (25-40), a growly throw-her-on-his-shoulder-and-whisk-her-off-to-ravage-her brother's best friend, and a whole lot of smutty toys.

It was fun and just as expected for Christmas smut, although there were some scenes that had me cringing. In any case the good news is she really does know how to jingle his bells!

The narrators weren't my cup of tea at all but the book itself was quite fun. Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[susana ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

smuttyyyy

[Dani.Reads.Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m honestly not sure what I just read, but I know it was unhinged, spicy, insane, and so thoroughly entertaining I will be reading the other novellas in the series, for sure.

This is an erotic novel. The plot is just spice. This is an omegaverse second-chance brothers' best friend bodyguard she-sells-sex-toys Santa’s helpers in the North Pole she’s always wanted him erotic novella and it was amazing.

It’s short and sweet but it packs a punch. I definitely recommend the audio, the narrators did a fantastic job.

[Lindsey (30Something_Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Umm. Adriana, what?😅

You know that audio, it's enough slices!? This one suffered from too many slices. We needed like... Two less slices for this one to work.

The lore in this series never truly made much sense but it just got wilder. Adding in the alpha/knotting portion could have been fine but compounded with the:

➡️ Brothers best friend
➡️ Body guard
➡️ Him being a widower
➡️ Age gap
➡️ Exhibitionism
➡️ Toys
➡️ The FMC being SO thirsty

It was.... Too much.

Unfortunately the audiobook for this one was NOT for me. The FMC sounded like a total idiot and the MMC- who is supposed to be an alpha in his 40s- sounded really young. It just didn't work for me.


Series Ranking:
1. The Toy King
2. Her Night with Santa
3. Run Darling

[Zabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2.5/5 📚303

🇺🇸the smut was nice but overall, the story, the characters, and the writing weren’t enjoyable. Very cringy.

🇫🇷le spice était sympa mais le reste, l’histoire, les personnages et le style d’écriture ne m’ont pas convaincue. C’était un peu gênant par moments.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this new one was my favorite of the 3 in this series. The "I've loved you for years" trope always gets me good.

[Cayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one got a little weird

[Stephanie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini Audiobook Review: WHEWWWWWWW I did a marathon of the three novellas in one sitting and it took everything out of me.

I had never read Adriana Herrera before but I knew she was excellent and heard specifically that this series was spicy. The rumors are most certainly true. This was probably the spiciest collection of work that I have read. So I might as well go out with a bang!

I am going to combine reviews for all 3 novellas into one:

Her Night With Santa
Sapphic, Santa's daughter
This is a sapphic romance and the shortest of the 3 novellas. Within the short amount of pages/minutes, you get a the scope of story and still had me gagging (no pun intended).

There really isn't much plot within these books and things move rather quickly.

Content Warning from Storygraph:
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent

The Toy King
Brother's arranged woman, fated mates
I think this was my favorite of the 3 and the first one I listened to. The male narrator's (Gomez Pugh) voice was so sexy that it really made the story for me. I just enjoyed the chemistry between Valente & Kessina. It felt real while of course being super spicy.



Content Warning from Storygraph:
Graphic: Sexual content

Run Darling
Age gap, brother's best friend, long time pining
This is pretty much my reaction throughout most of this book.

Whenever I thought it couldn't get more filthy, Herrera proved me wrong! This does include knotting so if that is something you are into, you'll enjoy this!

Content Warning from Storygraph:
Graphic: Sexual content

If you are looking for very spicy novellas that give you a little of everything plus LOTS OF TOY ACTION! Check these out!

[tinynightingales · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a raunchy dip into santa-esque world of toy delivery and christmas magic. Arabella is the newest toy runner in her magical toy runner family and she has something to prove. This Christmas may be her only chance to prove to her family that she deserves a place in the family business, prove to herself that her dreams can be reality, and prove to Rhyne, her dream man, that they belong together. Rhyne, however, is her bodyguard, her brother's best friends, 15 years her senior, and wholly off limits...except maybe he isn't.

This book includes:
- age gap romance
- loose use of bodyguard and brother's bff tropes
- toys of all fun shapes and sizes
- supernatural santa elements
- dual POV with unique narrators for each protagonist

"Run Darling" just wasn't for me. I found the dialogue cringy and the narrative style was very tell not show. I also felt there was some POV mixing from third person omnipresent and first person limited. For example, Arabella might say that she can't bring herself to turn around a face Rhyne, but then will describe what Rhyne's expression is while still insisting she hasn't turned to look at him. I also felt that the trope use was gimmicky and I wish readers would have gotten a second to get to know the characters and the world before we were thrown into the extracurricular activities.

The general audiobook production was good, however, I found it grating the way Arabella's narrator over pronounced the character's hispanic last names. As a native spanish speaker, it was really hard for me to get past. I also don't think the narration needed to use each characters first and last name together so often (like every 15-30 words), but that may again be personal preference.

I'm sure there are readers who would enjoy this, it's just not for me.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, TAdriana Herrera, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this book.

[Bhuku · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a romance, so I was surprised to find that it's actually erotica. Erotica is not my thing, but it was my mistake, this was an ARC, and it's short (<3.5 hours as an audiobook, and even shorter because I listened at 2x speed) so I soldiered on while cooking... until about a third of the way in, when I just could not go on. Still, I gave it 3 stars instead of 1 because the problem was my taste (I don't like the genre) and not the work itself.

So, first off, this is Santa's elves porn. I was surprised by how childish the reader sounded, complete with upspeak, given that it's porn... but I guess that's because she's meant to be an elf? Maybe fans of bratty sub vibes could like it.

I think this'll be a fit for people who like:

- one bed trope (it's present)
- gruff MMCs
- off-page (pre-story) pining
- holiday naughtiness

I stopped because, while it was amusing to listen to porn while chopping oblong veggies with a sharp, sharp knife, erotica just isn't for me. I should have known, based on her job working with sex toys, but I thought this was a romance with an FMC who had an unconventional career and I thought that would be hilarious and ripe for antics and gaffs.

Thanks, NetGalley and Adriana Herrera, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bergströms Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A spicy AF midwinter gift giving themed short story set in a mixed-species fantasy-verse of its very own. A story filled to the brim, with the joy of giving (and the receiving is quite joyful as well), and to top it off, there’s a huge knot at the end...”

This book is a bit of a marvel. It’s a solid 3,5 ⭐️, with a nicely narrated audio, making it easy to enjoy anytime… well maybe not ANYtime, really… Might not be appropriate for the office lunchroom or the car stereo on family road trips. Earbuds are strongly recommended.
I’d estimate the NSFW content to be about 87% of the books running time.

Good to know: This is a smut-centric and cheeky, whimsical fantasy that might just be a tiny nipple-length or two shy of crossing the line over into all out horny-rotica/book-porn/a one-handed-read (!!) or whatever one might call it.
But that’s just it, it doesn’t shy away from that or make ANY apologies.
This is a bold, FUN, freaky and oddly sweet and cozy read, that just happens to include non-anatomically correct Christmas shaped “bedroom-toys”, vagina-shaped holiday ornaments, aurora boreal, sleigh rides and stimulating swag in droves (and other places!!).

Q: -Is there’s a romance sub-genre called “Erotiromcomantasy”? -If not, I’m coining it!

[Carmen M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced audio copy of Run Darling by Adriana Herrera in exchange of an honest review.

"Adriana Herrera's 'Run Darling' is a delightful holiday romance that combines an age-gap trope with the forbidden allure of a brother's best friend and a bodyguard element. The story revolves around Arabella and Rhyne, whose unexpected encounter during a Christmas shopping trip leads to rekindled feelings and undeniable chemistry. The romance between them is surprisingly sweet, and the steamy scenes are captivatingly written, adding an extra level of passion to the narrative. Despite its short length, Herrera manages to craft a fully fleshed out world, immersing readers in the festive atmosphere of the holiday season. However, some readers might have mixed feelings about the narrators of the audiobook, particularly when it comes to the delivery of the sex scenes. That being said, the audiobook provides a quick and tantalizing holiday escape.. Overall, 'Run Darling' is a heartwarming and tantalizing romance that will leave readers feeling festive and satisfied."

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5

This was an erotic Christmas novella so it won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I love Adriana Herrera’s writing so much that I am in the process of reading her entire backlist and will continue to read anything she releases.

Run Darling is an age gap/brother’s best friend/bodyguard romance where Arabella is out buying sex toys for this year’s Christmas run and for reasons ends up stuck with Rhyne, her older brother’s best friend who she once confessed her love to only to get rejected. The romance was surprisingly sweet, the sec scenes were steamy, and I was honestly surprised at how fleshed out the world was for how short the book was.

I didn’t love the narrators but I’m not sure how much of that was actually the narrators and how much was not generally preferring to listen to sex scenes. That being said, the audiobook was under 3.5 hours so if Christmas smut will help you get into the holiday season or you need a quick read to reach your Goodreads goal I recommend this!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this novella! I think it’s my favorite out of this series…truly a feat considering that I’m not a fan of age gap romances 😂

The steam in this was just IMMACULATE. The way Rhyne was absolutely worshiping Arabella? This is what I’m here for in romance. A dom man can be tolerated when he also clearly treats the woman like she hung the moon 😌 That’s always a delight to read.

There wasn’t much else to this novella tbh. Sure, the conflict of the age gap was there. There were some tensions our main couple had to work through because of it, but most of it is truly just talked out. We never get to the part where they tell Arabella’s family, but that’s okay. I’m happy with this just being heavy steam 😂👌🏻

Anyway. I’m always glad when I get a banger from Adriana Herrera as it’s not always the case.

[Sofia (Bookish Wanderess) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my last book of 2023 because I figured that it would be fun to read a romance by one of my favorite authors. But this ended up being more erotica than romance and it was not what I was expecting. Moreover, I had some issues with this novella. I didn't mind the age gap but I did mind that the hero knew the heroine since she was a young girl and that's always icky to me, also at the beginning she sounded so naive and young so that didn't help. Overall, the steamy scenes which are most of this book were well-written, but the amount of sexual displays in front of random people who weren't willing participants and that a lot of time were people that were there to serve them (waiters or sellers) and couldn't really say anything, didn't sit right with me.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and adriana herrera for providing me with this alc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

holy crap y'all this was hot!! i'd seen so many bookstagrammers talking about the steam, but i was not prepared!! i enjoyed the rest of the toy runners series because of just how fun, hot, and unhinged they are. this brother's best friend, age-gap, omegaverse, holiday romance was pure smut that served up just the thing one needs to warm up during the winter season!!! as usual, the latinx rep was so well done as usual. definitely going to be picking up more of adriana herrera's holiday romances after this delightful series!!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was flipping thrilled to see that Adriana Herrera was going to be adding to the Toy Runners world this year! Are you kidding? Steamy, magical, sexy Santas? Sign me up every time. But especially an age gap romance about an older brother's best friend.

I love everything about the concept of these Toy Runner families that the author's created in this series. The concept of sharing the Santa duties is good stuff. The concept of one of the families adding adult toys into their run is yummier!

This was super hot. Unsurprisingly. Just a spicy little jaunt through the North Pole. It was kind of surprising just how romantic it was. Rhyne Carrasco is a straight up romantic, and the date he planned for her is straight out of a dream. Even without the super steam levels this is perfect for a cold winter's night in.

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's romance and then there's erotic. And Run Darling definitely falls more on the erotica side.
Arabella has had a major crush on Rhyne forever. But he's her brother's best friend. Now that she's all grown up and confident in who she is, Rhyne cannot deny his attraction. And, Well, fuck 🥵🔥
This is fast paced with a little plot and a lot of sex. Enough to heat up your cold, winter nights.
The audio was pretty good. I much preferred the female narrator over the male for their performances of the characters. I expected something different for Rhyne.
Overall, a smut heavy listen with diverse characters that definitely heats you up. 3+ stars

[Zaji-Kali (ZajiKaliReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another HOT one to finish the series off! 🥵 This one features pining, brothers best friend and bodyguard! Plus there’s a brat x brat tamer dynamic that I absolutely loved in this one as well!

Run Darling does have a big of omegaverse aspects with alphas and knotting. Loved Rhyne 🥰

Definitely recommend this read and I think it’s probably one that would be a good read even outside of the holidays as it has the smaller amount of xmas stuff!

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Merry Christmas Papi (;

This is an erotic NSFW Christmas novella, I was defiantly not expecting this to play out loud on my phone at work during a spicy scene... Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ARC of Toy Runners book 3! (:

Run Darling
By: Adriana Herrera
Narrated by: Victor Quixabas, Ramona Master
Series: Toy Runners, Book 3
Release date: 12-05-23

[SarahinWanderland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who says adults can't ask for toys for Christmas too? We just want *adult* toys. And Arabella Gaspar, a toy runner, wants to deliver.

Scorching hot, spiciest Christmas novella that I have read so far this year. Toy play for days. JFC read this one at night. Immediately adds Adriana Herrera's entire backlist to my TBR.

[Tañia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was all smut and zero plot it was mf-ing delightful!

I loved how free Arabella was with what she liked and wanted and Rhyne was feral for her.

The audio was fantastic! I wasn't crazy about the male narrator though but luckily he only had 2 chapters 🙄

If you're looking for a steamy, zero angst, holiday novella, this is it. You're welcome.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wooo spicy spice hah 🔥 age gap, forbidden romance, one bed. This was a super quick novella. I enjoyed the fantasy elements and just mainly struggled with the same thing I usually do with novellas - how do you build enough around characters that it’s not just smut with no plot? AH is definitely a talented writer and the cover of this novella is gorgeous.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super excited to see another addition to the Toy Runners series and this on did not disappoint. Adriana Herrera knows how to bring the romance and the heat. 🔥🔥.
If you are looking for a steamy, sexy romance pick this book up

Tropes are:
Age gap
Work place
Dad's friend
Sex Toys

[Hijinx Abound · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, hot and dirty.
Love these Christmas novellas.
Will say that I started with the audio but had to quit because the female narrator was too perky. I felt like there should be torros in the atmosphere. And that’s not sexy.
Read the rest on kindle.

[Melanie MacInnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3% plot 97% smut. So many tropes. And Christmas theme sex toys. With a bit of magic, elves, and omega verse thrown in. Unhinged - not necessarily in a good way though. Very mood dependent. It didn’t have holiday vibes, other than the characters are toyrunners at a workshop near the North Pole.