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The Runway Affair: A second chance lesbian romance
Adeline
Scarlett Marie was my entire life—until she was gone.
Eight years later, my life is nothing like I dreamed.
I’m working dead end jobs, struggling to survive, until I take a position as a nanny.
I thought this would be the direction my life needed until she opened the door: the woman who shattered my heart when I needed her most.
She created a name for herself without me.
I should run, but I have nothing else, so I stay.
The moment my skin touches hers, the moment our lips touch, the feelings I buried deep reignite.
Can I forgive her for the sake of happiness? Or will this ruin everything I worked so hard to rebuild?
Scarlett
Adeline Grace was my heart—until she broke it.
The day she broke my heart was the day my life changed.
I’m an award-winning fashion designer, a multi-millionaire with a seemingly happy life. That is, until my wife was killed and my life went up in smoke.
A year later, I’m back in the headlines and ready to create, but with young twins, I need a nanny.
The girl who broke my heart was the only person to apply.
I can’t deny her, but I can’t seem to forgive her either.
Eight years is a long time to leave questions unanswered.
Will this break my heart again, or can I forgive the girl who destroyed it?
Originally published in may 2024 but has sense got a new makeover!
Scarlett Marie was my entire life—until she was gone.
Eight years later, my life is nothing like I dreamed.
I’m working dead end jobs, struggling to survive, until I take a position as a nanny.
I thought this would be the direction my life needed until she opened the door: the woman who shattered my heart when I needed her most.
She created a name for herself without me.
I should run, but I have nothing else, so I stay.
The moment my skin touches hers, the moment our lips touch, the feelings I buried deep reignite.
Can I forgive her for the sake of happiness? Or will this ruin everything I worked so hard to rebuild?
Scarlett
Adeline Grace was my heart—until she broke it.
The day she broke my heart was the day my life changed.
I’m an award-winning fashion designer, a multi-millionaire with a seemingly happy life. That is, until my wife was killed and my life went up in smoke.
A year later, I’m back in the headlines and ready to create, but with young twins, I need a nanny.
The girl who broke my heart was the only person to apply.
I can’t deny her, but I can’t seem to forgive her either.
Eight years is a long time to leave questions unanswered.
Will this break my heart again, or can I forgive the girl who destroyed it?
Originally published in may 2024 but has sense got a new makeover!
- GenresLesbian
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 3, 2026
May include some minor spoilers!!
First off, I just want to say, thank you for the content warnings, however, the sexual abuse is more detailed than what the warning infers. Yes, it’s a flashback scene but both main characters describe the acts of sex abuse.
The first part of the book depicts the relationship between Addie and Scarlett their senior year of high school. I’m not sure if it’s because they are younger or if its the POV, but I did find the diagogue to be a little sappy and repetitive. This is just my opinion though and I think I’m just being a bit picky, especially because I’m not as used to reading in 1st person POV. Once the MCs are older (fast forward 8 years) it does get better. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and I found myself wanting to scream at Addie and Scarlett to get their heads out of their asses and communicate!!! They would know what really happened when they were seniors if they just communicated about that time. I really wanted that tension and miscommunication to be over so they could get back together.
Remi and Rhyder are so freaking adorable. They are very precocious. It was even more adorable when they meet Jordy and know about gender identity.
There is a LOT of spice in this. If that’s your thing, you will love this. I like spice, but it was a bit too much for me. Yes, we have the history of Addie and Scarlett, so there doesn’t need to be as much relationship building as most romance novels, but it felt like the author was using sex over a connection at times. I do realize that they have a history, but I wanted a little more show than tell.
To have Remi call Addie, mama, literally the second after they announce their relationship, I’m sorry, but that’s weird.. that’s not okay to me. Buuut this is just a personal thing for me and it doesn’t really take away from the story.
Despite the things that bothered me, I did really enjoy the story. I wrote this review as I went and edited some things. I’ve taken out some criticism because I think I was being a little too critical. The author is a great story teller and I did find myself wanting to know what was going to happen next.
The found family in the story was wonderful as well. I loved getting to know Mile and Jordy. I’m so glad that Addie has them both in her life. The plot of the story is so interesting to me and has a level of danger that I’m not used to but I loved it. Dealing with the stalker made The Runway Affair stand out from a typical romance.
I was both wrong and right about who the stalker was. Holy cow, the last 20% of this book is so action packed. I had to make myself go to bed.
The ending was adorable and everything I could want in two epilogues! I realize I nitpicked a lot it seems like in this review but honestly overall, I did really like this book! It wasn’t quite a 4 due to those criticisms I had but it’s a solid 3.75. I don’t often rate books with .25 intervals but this deserved more than a 3.5. I also loved the helpline numbers at the end of the book due to sime of the triggering topics throughout the story. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
First off, I just want to say, thank you for the content warnings, however, the sexual abuse is more detailed than what the warning infers. Yes, it’s a flashback scene but both main characters describe the acts of sex abuse.
The first part of the book depicts the relationship between Addie and Scarlett their senior year of high school. I’m not sure if it’s because they are younger or if its the POV, but I did find the diagogue to be a little sappy and repetitive. This is just my opinion though and I think I’m just being a bit picky, especially because I’m not as used to reading in 1st person POV. Once the MCs are older (fast forward 8 years) it does get better. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and I found myself wanting to scream at Addie and Scarlett to get their heads out of their asses and communicate!!! They would know what really happened when they were seniors if they just communicated about that time. I really wanted that tension and miscommunication to be over so they could get back together.
Remi and Rhyder are so freaking adorable. They are very precocious. It was even more adorable when they meet Jordy and know about gender identity.
There is a LOT of spice in this. If that’s your thing, you will love this. I like spice, but it was a bit too much for me. Yes, we have the history of Addie and Scarlett, so there doesn’t need to be as much relationship building as most romance novels, but it felt like the author was using sex over a connection at times. I do realize that they have a history, but I wanted a little more show than tell.
To have Remi call Addie, mama, literally the second after they announce their relationship, I’m sorry, but that’s weird.. that’s not okay to me. Buuut this is just a personal thing for me and it doesn’t really take away from the story.
Despite the things that bothered me, I did really enjoy the story. I wrote this review as I went and edited some things. I’ve taken out some criticism because I think I was being a little too critical. The author is a great story teller and I did find myself wanting to know what was going to happen next.
The found family in the story was wonderful as well. I loved getting to know Mile and Jordy. I’m so glad that Addie has them both in her life. The plot of the story is so interesting to me and has a level of danger that I’m not used to but I loved it. Dealing with the stalker made The Runway Affair stand out from a typical romance.
I was both wrong and right about who the stalker was. Holy cow, the last 20% of this book is so action packed. I had to make myself go to bed.
The ending was adorable and everything I could want in two epilogues! I realize I nitpicked a lot it seems like in this review but honestly overall, I did really like this book! It wasn’t quite a 4 due to those criticisms I had but it’s a solid 3.75. I don’t often rate books with .25 intervals but this deserved more than a 3.5. I also loved the helpline numbers at the end of the book due to sime of the triggering topics throughout the story. I will definitely be reading more from this author!
January 3, 2026
Honestly, CL Smoke doesn't miss.
I've read everything she's had available, and this is right up there with her other work for me.
I fell in love with Addie and Scar right away, and I was devastated when Scar's father did what he did.
Watching them grow together again as adults was amazing. And the spice, it was spicing. This is one of the spiciest books I've read by Smoke.
The chemistry was top notch, the twins were the perfect adorable bridge to repairing the fractured relationship, and the twists were unexpected.
Highly recommend if you enjoy a second chance romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you want to throw your book/device.
I've read everything she's had available, and this is right up there with her other work for me.
I fell in love with Addie and Scar right away, and I was devastated when Scar's father did what he did.
Watching them grow together again as adults was amazing. And the spice, it was spicing. This is one of the spiciest books I've read by Smoke.
The chemistry was top notch, the twins were the perfect adorable bridge to repairing the fractured relationship, and the twists were unexpected.
Highly recommend if you enjoy a second chance romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you want to throw your book/device.
January 12, 2026
YEAAAAH HOLD ON GUYS THIS WAS FUCKING 5 STARS OFC- 😭😭😭😭😭
this book SLAPPED me with romance, shook me by the shoulders, and then said “relax, it’s a happy ending” and honestly thank you for that like guuuyssss the runway affair was sooo nice and cozy it felt like living inside a taylor swift love song but SUPEEEER SAPPHIC???? and wearing couture. pure yearning. pure romance. i was melting. really. I HAVE NEVER READ ABT MOOOORE ROMANTIC CHARACTERS??????? adeline and scarlett were written with so much heart it hurt messy, soft, stubborn, in love, scared, trying juust every emotion made sense. no one felt flat. no one felt fake. i cared DEEPLY. AND THE TWINS. listen. i do NOT like kids. at all. (yes i'm sorry man & kid hating lesbian here 🫠🫠🫠) usually kids in books make me sigh and skim (just like in real life....)BUT REMI & RHYDER???? jail. straight to my heart. they were so well written, so sweet, so natural, not annoying, not cringe, just tiny bundles of love and chaos. i would die for them actually????? i want these kids. this author did the IMPOSSIBLEEEE 😭😭😭😭 the romance was romancing. second chance sapphics with eight years of unresolved feelings were devastating. healing. cinematic. every touch felt earned, every moment felt intentional. 😭💞💞💞💞 very taytay coded very “this love came back to me” energy. and yes. the spice. perfect amount. frequent, romantic, emotionally loaded like alright.....normally i like it darker and kinkier but for THESE CHARACTERS?? this was exactly RIGHHHT!!!! AND THE ENDING.
a REAL happy ending. not bittersweet. not “implied.” HAPPY happy. the kind that makes your chest feel warm and safe and a little emotional because wow, they earned it. LIKE REALLY EARNED IT. 😭😭🫶
this book SLAPPED me with romance, shook me by the shoulders, and then said “relax, it’s a happy ending” and honestly thank you for that like guuuyssss the runway affair was sooo nice and cozy it felt like living inside a taylor swift love song but SUPEEEER SAPPHIC???? and wearing couture. pure yearning. pure romance. i was melting. really. I HAVE NEVER READ ABT MOOOORE ROMANTIC CHARACTERS??????? adeline and scarlett were written with so much heart it hurt messy, soft, stubborn, in love, scared, trying juust every emotion made sense. no one felt flat. no one felt fake. i cared DEEPLY. AND THE TWINS. listen. i do NOT like kids. at all. (yes i'm sorry man & kid hating lesbian here 🫠🫠🫠) usually kids in books make me sigh and skim (just like in real life....)BUT REMI & RHYDER???? jail. straight to my heart. they were so well written, so sweet, so natural, not annoying, not cringe, just tiny bundles of love and chaos. i would die for them actually????? i want these kids. this author did the IMPOSSIBLEEEE 😭😭😭😭 the romance was romancing. second chance sapphics with eight years of unresolved feelings were devastating. healing. cinematic. every touch felt earned, every moment felt intentional. 😭💞💞💞💞 very taytay coded very “this love came back to me” energy. and yes. the spice. perfect amount. frequent, romantic, emotionally loaded like alright.....normally i like it darker and kinkier but for THESE CHARACTERS?? this was exactly RIGHHHT!!!! AND THE ENDING.
a REAL happy ending. not bittersweet. not “implied.” HAPPY happy. the kind that makes your chest feel warm and safe and a little emotional because wow, they earned it. LIKE REALLY EARNED IT. 😭😭🫶
December 28, 2025
Duel 1st Person POV. 4.5🌟 4🌶️. 508 pages
I knew from the minute I read the Hades duet and then Merciless Queen that C.L. Smoke would be an insta buy author for me. So when The Runway Affair was released I quickly finished what I was reading and ran to read it.
I was a little apprehensive, as contemporary romance really isn’t my thing, I hate the repetitive tropes the genre tends to over use, but The Runway Affair managed to avoid a good few of them (third act break up, nowhere to be seen). The dynamic between Adeline and Scarlet was magnetic and when you throw in a couple of cute kids and a whole heaping of spice what’s not to love.
I appreciated that the book still had a few darker elements to it, making it stand out from the usual copy and paste contemporary romance and I thoroughly enjoyed devouring this book in a single day. However, I do have to point out that it is rather repetitive in parts, but it doesn’t detract from the overall story. Another solid release from C.L. Smoke and I am waiting on tenterhooks for Savage Queen and Haven.
TW: mentions of childhood SA, religious trauma, homophobia, murder of spouse, stalking, kidnapping, repetitive attempted murder, loss of a parent. Please read responsibly
Must Read if you Love:
✨Contemporary Romance
✨Second Chance Romance
✨Femme / Femme Pairings
✨Boss + Employee
✨Childhood BFFS to Lovers to Strangers to Lovers again
✨Forced Proximity
✨Found Family
✨Cute Kids
✨Stalking + Attempted Murder
✨So Much Spice!
I knew from the minute I read the Hades duet and then Merciless Queen that C.L. Smoke would be an insta buy author for me. So when The Runway Affair was released I quickly finished what I was reading and ran to read it.
I was a little apprehensive, as contemporary romance really isn’t my thing, I hate the repetitive tropes the genre tends to over use, but The Runway Affair managed to avoid a good few of them (third act break up, nowhere to be seen). The dynamic between Adeline and Scarlet was magnetic and when you throw in a couple of cute kids and a whole heaping of spice what’s not to love.
I appreciated that the book still had a few darker elements to it, making it stand out from the usual copy and paste contemporary romance and I thoroughly enjoyed devouring this book in a single day. However, I do have to point out that it is rather repetitive in parts, but it doesn’t detract from the overall story. Another solid release from C.L. Smoke and I am waiting on tenterhooks for Savage Queen and Haven.
TW: mentions of childhood SA, religious trauma, homophobia, murder of spouse, stalking, kidnapping, repetitive attempted murder, loss of a parent. Please read responsibly
Must Read if you Love:
✨Contemporary Romance
✨Second Chance Romance
✨Femme / Femme Pairings
✨Boss + Employee
✨Childhood BFFS to Lovers to Strangers to Lovers again
✨Forced Proximity
✨Found Family
✨Cute Kids
✨Stalking + Attempted Murder
✨So Much Spice!
December 30, 2025
More than what I expected
Ive read some other books by the author and this one was more than what meets the eye. Would highly recommend, you won't regret it.
Ive read some other books by the author and this one was more than what meets the eye. Would highly recommend, you won't regret it.
December 31, 2025
arguably 3 times was one too many and i love the angst but come on
January 10, 2026
3.5, I found it to be very repetitive and predictable with the 'twist'. overall a decent read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2026
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews