Bourbon Runaway

Bourbon Canyon #2

by Walker Rose

Everyone calls me a recluse since the accident, but there was one woman’s wedding I wasn’t going to miss. I didn’t think I’d end up coming home with the bride.

Now I have a runaway bride in my Montana cabin who needs some time to hide and lick her wounds. Summer Kerrigan is from the local bourbon empire and she’s like her name. She brightens my mountain cabin even on her worst of days. Too bad she’s been off limits since she dated my brother in high school. It doesn’t matter that fifteen years have passed since we lost him. She was his. She’ll never be mine. I’m too broken for anyone since the accident that killed my brother and left me with lifelong injuries. Yet when she goes back to her regular life, I can’t forget her. Turns out I don’t have to. Right before a big storm, she brings me groceries—and gets snowed in. Staying away from her has always been difficult, and now the weather has made it impossible. It’s tempting to let her all the way in, but no matter what we feel, my pretty bourbon runaway doesn’t belong with a damaged mountain man.

Genres: Romance, Small Town Romance, Forced Proximity, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Cowboy Romance, Westerns

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2024

Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou]

Part 2

I was anticipating for this part, however I wasn’t immersed in it.
The storyline was slightly outstretched and there was plenty of back and forth, aspects that lessened my interest.
Maybe I will give it another chance in the future.

Dnf @ 31%

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Walker Rose and it will not be my last!

I haven't read too many runaway bride romances but this one really piqued my interest in a hurry. And once Summer is whisked away to Jonah's cabin, we now are in an interesting forced Proximity situation. One weekend stuck together leads to another when a snow storm traps her there after she brings some supplies. It's almost like she just can't stay away.

There's so much history between them and a lot that has been left unsaid. Jonah is a tortured soul and he has kept to himself since the accident that lost him his full mobility as well as his younger brother. He's even more tortured by the fact that Summer had dated said younger brother. So YEAH, there are some things between them.

I really loved watching them slowly open up to each other. It's been 15 years since that accident, but the wounds are still fresh in some ways. Seeing Summer slowly start to poke and prod.. she was very brave. She is attracted to Jonah and if he can just let her in.. they could really be something special. If Jonah wants that.

Once they pop the bubble of tension and start getting hot and heavy, the revelations start to pour out. The only question is, are they ready to move past their history and look to a future?

I was also intrigued by some of Summer's siblings and I can't wait to see what their stories will be too.

5 stars
3 on the spice scale

[Megan Coggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grumpy mountain recluse with a disability. Yep that’ll do it.
I will read and love every book with that MMC.

Summer & Jonah
Runaway bride
Dead brothers ex girlfriend
Grumpy x sunshine
(Which are more of my favorite tropes)

Snowed in
Grief & loss
Angsty

I’m gonna be brave and say this will probably be my favorite of the series.

[Davy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was loving this until third act breakup and that bitch jackie has a hand in helping him figure shit out? Nah man, nasty work

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad to return to Bourbon Canyon, I love this series. Jonah and Summer’s story hooked me in from the first page. Both are a little broken; they carry some guilt, and a secret or two. But together and a few snowstorms heal together, but not without reflection and speed bumps.

Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Cordy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Better than the first. Still awkward, and bordering on a blatant rip-off of Elsie Silver.

[Melodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always age up characters in my head but here I had to do the opposite. There's no way these are full grown adults. No way. They keep acting like 15 year olds
I'm sorry but the conflicts just don't make any sense, there's no rhyme or logic to it.

[TheSassyNerdBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Walker but it most definitely won’t be my last! I honestly could not put it down.


This book follows Summer and Jonah’s book and I am obsessed! I honestly haven’t been able to stop thinking about these two since I finished the book. Now, I will try my best to do this book justice with my review.


Summer, the FMC is about to get married to Boyd but instead of marrying him she runs off with her hot-as-hell mountain man who just so happens to be her older brother’s best friend, Jonah


Jonah, the MC has been hiding away from everyone and everything since he and his younger brother were in a tragic accident leaving him scarred and injured which left him with lifelong limp and he now has to use a cane for the rest of his life. He also lost his younger brother in an accident, who was at the time Summer’s boyfriend and he still harbours a lot of guilt and grief throughout these years.


After running out on her wedding, Summer is trying to figure out where her head is at and trying to give herself some time. During this time, she is starting to realise just how bad her now ex-fiancé was treating her in the last couple of years.

A massive snowstorm hits, leaving Jonah and Summer snowed in his cabin and it doesn’t take long for the sexual tension to rise… the chemistry between them strengthens… Are they able to fight the undeniable attraction they have for each other or will they give in to it?


This book tackles a lot of different topics… Grief, loss, healing, mental health, love after loss, overcoming insecurities and so much more.

It was definitely not a light read. It was a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried and I swooned. It was extremely well written. The characters and relationships developed between Jonah and Summer at the perfect pace and I was hooked from the very beginning right through to the very end.

I can’t wait to see what else Walker has up her sleeve and I can’t wait to check out her backlist. This is a well-deserved 5 STARS!

[AnnaRobyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Swoon🫦🫦🫦
LMAO 🤣🤣🤣
Tears 🥹🥹🥹
Banter 😉😉

Small Town / Forced Proximity / Friends to Lovers / HEA

Bourbon Canyon #3 - On Valentine’s Day, Summer Kerrigan is about to get married, but she’s having doubts. Her sisters notice her distress and tell her it’s okay to call it off. She messages the groom to meet her, and when she tells him it’s over, he slaps her and is about to punch her in the stomach. He is suddenly stopped and forced against the wall, a cane at his throat. Jonah Dunn is the man with the cane, an old school friend. Summer is mortified by her fiancé’s behavior and wants to get away from the church. She can’t go back to her place, and she doesn’t want to go to her mom’s, so Jonah offers to take her to his place. They end up getting snowed in, and … well … I can’t give away any more. Suffice it to say, this story had some deep trauma to work through for both our main characters. Another great read in this series … I’m halfway done, so excited for Autumn’s story next.

[Jacklyn B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I know I needed a Mountain Man book boyfriend before reading this? No I did not…but apparently now I do!!
 
I really loved Summer and Jonah’s story! This is one of those books that will have you laughing and swooning then grabbing for some tissues! These two together are perfection.  Both had been struggling with guilt and grief and regret and getting snowed in together was the best thing for them!  I really loved how the tension grew until they couldn’t deny their chemistry and attraction anymore.

Jonah had insecurities I loved how Summer helped him see past them! She was sassy and it brought out Jonah’s sweet side. I loved how she saw the art in his work.
 
I love this entire series and recommend giving it a read!!

✨What to expect:
🏡Small Town
💍Runaway Bride w/ toxic ex
🩵Forced Proximity
🧡Reclusive Mountain Man
💋She Falls First
⛈️Grumpy Hero
🔸Foster Family Rep

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!

[grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

book #50 of 2025 for me!!!! #goalcompleted

(why doesn’t goodreads post reading goal updates anymore????)

[Laurenreadingrecs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Tropes:
💛runaway bride
🩵it’s always been you
💛brothers ex girlfriend
🩵toxic ex
💛 tragic pasts/ healing
🩵dual pov

This is my second book that I’ve read from Walker and I was not disappointed at all. Although it’s book 2 it can be read as a standalone.For a better reading experience I would recommend reading in order, as there’s overlap of characters. This is Jonah n Summers book.

The FMC, Summer, is set to be married to Boyd.. but instead of marrying him she flees with Jonah, who is her older brothers best friend and her high school boyfriends older brother… whom she hasn’t seen in 15 yrs.

The MMC, Jonah, is a bit of a reclusive guy. He rarely ventures out because of his injuries sustained in the accident he obtained and the loss of his younger brother, Eli. He still has a lot of grief over the accident and always had a thing for Summer, unbeknownst to her. He also has lots of insecurities due to his injuries from

Jonah takes Summer to his cabin and workshop to let her just be.. to figure out and o boy did they really figure it out.

The book had a lot of different stuff it dealt with.. loss, healing, love after loss, holding onto unwarranted guilt, grief… it also has a lot of tension, caring and love.

This was such a great book and I highly recommend starting this series if you like these tropes 🩵

[Lyla Nadeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a small town, reclusive/ grumpy MMC and a runaway bride. This story had a lot going on. There was a lot of going back and forth and drama from the past. There was some character growth and and it was a very easy read but for me I just couldn’t get into it and it dragged a little with the need to focus on the past and not work things through together but I would recommend to anyone looking for something with that small town feel.

[Rachel Nahabedian · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

So this book wasn't really what I was expecting (in a good way). The amount of emotions I felt reading this would normally have turned me off, but I just ate it all up. It was a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried and I swooned, I slammed my kindle shut in frustration.

This book tackles a lot of different topics including grief, loss, healing, mental health, love after loss, overcoming insecurities (physical and mental) just to name a few. This was not the light read I imagined it would be when I saw the title. No Julia Roberts/Richard Gere in this (although, they kinda do make an appearance).

Jonah is broken physically, mentally, but mostly emotionally--sidebar: Jonah Dunn and this cane of his and what I imagine his face/body looks like...I just can't...I didn't know canes could be so sexy-- and Summer is here secretly pining for him for 15 years wanting to do nothing but help him see that he's still the man (the hot, sexy, fully formed man) that she fell in love with all those years ago. Summer is equally as broken (just mentally and emotionally) and has secretly been punishing herself all this time (so secretly that even she didn't know she was doing it). Her smart mouth and sunshine and his grumpy moodiness help remind the other of who they were/are. The way they heal each other and help each other untangle these big feelings (sometimes with the help of family) was just very real to life for me. The issues with conflicting feelings and how they were handled was refreshing because love and grief often clash and something's gotta give.

I think Jonah is my new favorite book boyfriend (for the moment) so thank you to Walker Rose and The Author Agency for this ARC. I can't wait to go back and read book 1 and then book 3 when it comes out.

[B (ReadLikeB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC but all thoughts are my own.

This was my first time reading this author and I know I'll be back for more! I love a good Runaway Bride story and this one was fantastic. Especially when you throw in a MMC who's a little broken, and surprise, the MC's have a shared past.

Summer is our Runaway Bride and Jonah is the man who helps her make her escape not just from the wedding, but from the rest of the world for a few days. It's a bit of a shock since he's a recluse who rarely goes into town and pretty much keeps to himself and his workshop. When a snow storm rolls into the area and Summer ends up snowed in with our grumpy mountain man, things take a spicy turn. Not only that, but old wounds are opened and healed, stories are shared, and trauma is explored. This book really does cover a lot of different themes.

I thought the story flowed really well, and the writing was solid. I think the author handled tough topics in a really well rounded way.

[Nicole (literary_nics) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer runs out of her wedding at the altar (well almost) after realising she absolutely does not want to marry the groom. Her fiance doesn't take it so well, and she's rescued and whisked out of the church by none other than her childhood ex-boyfriend's brother, who's turned into a bit of a recluse over the years due to a horrific accident. The weather is not on their side however, and they end up getting stranded at his cabin forcing them to confront some sad misunderstandings from their past in order to move forward.

I loved seeing them fall for each other, and felt it had a realistic time frame. Normally these 'stranded in the cabin' tropes move so fast and have them together after a day or two, but that wouldn't have worked for this couple as they had a lot to work through with their past and with their individual life experiences.

I love the big family that Summer is from, and I'm so excited that we get to have a book for each Bailey/Kerrigan sibling.

[Rachel McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this series. I was so excited to return to the Bourbon Canyon world after reading Bourbon Lullaby. The connections of these characters in this small town run so deep and they’ve gone through some major traumas that brought them that much closer together, of course when they weren’t tearing them apart. Making up is the best part through right? I think when the stakes are higher it makes the ending that much sweeter. I also really enjoy the forced proximity of the snowy mountain cabin. It is one of my favorite settings and tropes. The only reason I gave this a four star and not a five was because it took me a little bit to get pulled in (which had more to do with me I think than the book itself) but once it did I was hooked.

[Lizzy •lizzy.slittlelibrary• · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodbye. I am a goner for Jonah and Summer!

Jonah is the grumpiest mountain man and he needs someone like Summer to break through those walls. When I tell you I was hooked from the start, I could not put their story down!! They are the embodiment of a soulmate couple. Their journey getting to each other was not easy and it made their connection that much more meaningful. I am talking 15+ years and a runaway bride situation!! Imagine the drama!

Walker gave us all the feels with this one! I am talking from the sad, to the swoony, to the spicey! You will not go wrong with picking up this book! It was thoroughly enjoyable!

[Vanesa Sandoval-Monrroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ☆

This was my first Walker Rose book but definitely not my last.

I had a good time in Bourbon Canyon. The characters were definitely lovable and the overall feel of the book was a good time.

I wish I felt a bit more invested in the characters, they fell a bit flat for me but overall, this was a good read. I can’t wait to dive in more of Walker Rose’s books in the future.

Thank you to the author, Walker Rose and The Author Agency for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bourbon Runaway, the next installment in the Bourbon Canyon series, is another captivating read. Summer, the runaway bride, finds refuge with Jonah, her ex-boyfriend’s brother, Eli. Jonah takes Summer to his mountain cabin to help her regroup.
As they spend time together, they discover that they both harbor deep feelings and emotions that need to be addressed before they can fully commit to each other. The author’s beautiful writing style kept me engrossed from beginning to end until the very last page.

[Samantha Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved. Jonah and Summer’s relationship was so beautiful. I really appreciated how Jonah and Summer both healed each other and healed themselves. Jonah gave Summer a safe place after helping her get away from her toxic ex at the altar. Jonah and Summer have a long emotional history considering she dated his brother who has since passed on. Jonah and Summer both had their own trauma to heal from. And Jonah was so good to Summer and vice versa. I didn’t want this book to end at all.

[kotah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. I love the representation of a disability with the MMC and I REALLY loved that the MC’s were older.

This was a unique story for me! However I didn’t love the MMC he could be a major asshole to where I would side eye. And although they were older both MC’s would act like teenagers in disagreements lolol.

But when it was all said and done I enjoyed it, I love a good third act breakup so it was a good time overall.

[Gwen Melton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt all of the emotions while reading this book! I laughed, I cried, and I even screamed at my kindle a couple of times! I'm not a huge fan of small town, slow burn romances, but this one was really good! I loved how sassy Summer was and how she brought out the sweet gentle side of Jonah. If small town romances are your thing, then this is a must read!

[Amanda Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer & Jonah are one of my favorite couples. They have a complicated past that almost feels insurmountable, but they manage to work through it with help of two top-tier tropes: runaway bride & snowed in!

This is definitely my favorite book in the series and it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

[Candace P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I love this series so much! Bourbon Runaway is filled with all the emotions... love, loss, guilt, insecurity, overcoming physical injuries... and Walker Rose did an amazing job capturing all of them.

I absolutely fell in love with Summer and Jonah together from the very first chapter! I could feel the tension building every page and it was epic once it boiled over!

I thought Walker did a beautiful job portraying the emotion behind a life changing injury and battling with the emotions and limitations that comes with that.

I can't wait for more in this series!

[Jaden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book by this author and I am officially a fan

[Eria SB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small town romance, with an insecure and recluse grumpy male character that is still blaming his self for his brother’s death and a sunshine, equally insecure and self derisory female that likes the brother of her passed boyfriend…. It could have been shorter and maybe more entertaining as some parts were repetitive.

[Chelsea Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you’re looking for a fun, fast paced, small town, cowboyish vibe romance series, then I definitely recommend this one!!

[Madison Breaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am eating this series up!