The Runaway Groom

The Grandview Hotel #3

by Taylor Knox

Genres: M M Romance

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2026

About the author

Taylor Knox writes emotionally rich MM romance about the men who risk everything—on the job and in love. Set in the world of firefighters, EMTs, and those who love them, her stories blend high-stakes action with slow-burning chemistry, deep vulnerability, and the kind of found family that heals old wounds.

She’s fascinated by the contrast between strength and softness, tradition and transformation—and her characters always face more than just fire. Whether it’s a rookie trying to prove himself or a battle-hardened captain learning to open his heart again, Taylor’s romances deliver intensity, tenderness, and hard-earned happy endings.

When she’s not writing about men falling in love against the odds, she’s drinking too much coffee, falling for fictional crushes, and pretending her search history is all for “research.”

Reviews

[NitaBee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled with this book because a lot sounded like AI. I even ran some through AI detectors out of curiosity and it came back 81%

Examples

"But did you hear what he said at the end? 'Don't ever disappear like that again.' That's not rejection. That's a father scared out of his mind who doesn't know how to say it."

"He could barely look at me after I told him."
"He'll need time. The gay thing is a lot for him to process on top of everything else." Tristan shrugged. "But he didn't walk out. He didn't disown you. He said you're his son. That matters."

“It wasn't forgiveness. It wasn't closure, not really. But it was honest. And maybe that was enough for now.”

Some sections of text were repeated or felt repeated.

I felt so bad for jilted bride Elizabeth and glad she got to confront Tobias.

I liked the idea/story but the writing threw me off.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept and if I squint, the romance was OK. Knox should make up their mind, though, whether Tobias has genuinely been abused by his family or not. Because walking back the abuse situation in the 2nd half paints him as a wimpy coward.

This was not well proof read (e.g. character T wants to be introduced to character V—whom he's already met in the previous chapter...). Also multiple examples of one of my bugbears—dual PoV, where what's happened to A in chapter 1 is rehashed by B in chapter 2, often using long chunks of the same dialogue.

[Sara Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one needs to go back to editing. It was repetitive as fuck. My head HURTS 😫😩 Book 1 and 2 were good but this one was bad.

Tobias runs out on his wedding and Vance, head of security finds him and takes him home. Cool started good.
Tobias spents 70% of the book cleaning and cooking for Vance. There was NO arm brushing, NO shirtless ogling, NO almost couch cuddling. They went from roommates to oh yeah were supposed to be attracted.

Then the repetitiveness starts. They had same conversations at different times but each time was like it was the first time. Examples below...

💥They rehash the fountain scene from the last book 3 times! Vance saves Tobias from falling in a fountain. rehashed on PG. 8, PG 18, and PG 26-30.

💥Tobias finally decides to meet Tristan, his brother, at a diner months after he disappeared just to let him know he is alive and well. At the end of the meeting Tristan walks out to meet Vance.
PG 215
"Tristan, this is Vance." I reached for Vance's hand, lacing my fingers through his. "Vance, my brother." Tristan extended his hand. Vance hesitated, then shook it. "Thank you," Tristan said. "For helping him. For giving him a safe space."

Fast Forward to PG 245. Tristan is asking to meet Vance??
He (Tristan) grinned. "So, when do I get to meet this Vance character? I've done my background check, but I want to see if he's actually good enough for my little brother."
"He is." I managed a weak smile. "Trust me. He is." "We'll see about that." The elevator descended. "I'm a tough judge." "I know. That's why I love you."

***Ummmmm WTG THEY ALREADY MET!**

💥Tobias and Vance have a conversation where Tobis comes out. "Im gay" THEY HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION nearly identical just different order. PG. 132 nd PG 203

PG 132 Vance was quiet for a moment, processing. "Does Elizabeth know?"
"That I'm gay?" I shook my head. "No. Nobody knows. Except for my brother Tristan."
"He knows?"
"I told him junior year of college. We were drunk, and he was going on about some girl he was seeing, and I just..." I took a long drink of bourbon. "I told him I'd never felt that way about anyone. About any woman. He looked at me and said, 'Yeah. I figured.'"
"He suspected?"
"He's observant like that. Noticed things I thought I was hiding." The memory was warm, even now. The relief of finally saying it out loud. The way Tristan had just nodded, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "He told me it didn't change anything. That I was still his brother."
Vance's hand found mine in the darkness. He squeezed. "And your parents?"
"They don't know. I never told them." I traced a finger along the rim of my glass. "I thought about it once......(a lot more conversation)........"He asked if I loved her. I said love wasn't the point. He said love was always the point." I finished my bourbon. "He refused to attend. Said he wouldn't watch me do this to myself."
"Smart man."

PG 203. "What about Tristan?" He went still.
"Your brother," I clarified.
"You said he didn't come to the wedding. That he knew something was wrong." "He knew I wasn't happy. He just didn't know why." Tobias's voice was quiet.
"I'm not sure I knew why, back then."
"What do you mean?" He was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Junior year of college. We were both home for Christmas, both drunk on Dad's expensive scotch. I told him I'd never felt about any girl the way he talked about feeling. That something was different about me, but I didn't know what." He paused. "He just looked at me and said, 'Yeah. I figured. We'll work it out.'"
"That was it?"
"That was it. He never pushed for more, never tried to label it. Just accepted that I was different, even when I couldn't explain how." Tobias exhaled slowly.
"When I told him about Elizabeth, he asked if I loved her. I said love wasn't the point. He said love was always the point."
"Smart guy."
"He refused to come to the wedding. Said he couldn't watch me do something that felt wrong." Tobias's voice cracked slightly. "I was furious at him. I thought he was abandoning me when I needed him most. But he was the only one who saw what I couldn't admit to myself."

[Miyawakiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I genuinely like the general gist of this book, if we get down to the details, there's too many inconsistencies to ignore. ☹️

1. Quite a few scenes and details are repeated, word for word. Like when Tobias tells Vance the story of how he came out to his brother. 😓 He told the entire story to him twice in two separate occasions.

2. Tobias suffered his whole life as someone who has never felt cherished, important or seen. But somehow he's the one at fault for running away. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The parents were supposed to be neglectful, snobby and cold. But they turned out to be loving and doting. So which is it?

3. The romance didn't develop very well. It felt like they went from roommates to lovers rather randomly. 🙃

This book needs an editor and beta readers but the general idea had potential. 🥲

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu gostei dos personagens, mas achei várias passagens repetidas.

[Elise H]

DNF at 24%
Too much repetitions and contradictions… is it AI written?

[C. 🦋🩵 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alors Tobias et Vance sont super mimi mais je sais pas j’ai pas tant accroché que ça

[Ella]

A.I