Fame gave her a reason to hide. Can anyone unlock her guarded heart?
Reality star ADDISON LEWIS had the perfect life in LA. Or so she thought. After her fiancé betrays her she’s left with one option. Escape. But is anywhere safe from the relentless paparazzi?
LOGAN HART is caught off guard when a mysterious young woman becomes stranded at his family’s ranch. Past heartbreak makes him reluctant to let anyone close, but the city girl’s amusing antics draw them together.
While two lonely hearts collide and secrets loom on the horizon, could God be orchestrating something miraculous behind the scenes?
Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author of over a dozen books and a stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing inspirational romance and encouraging blogs. Rachel completed her first series, the Riley Family Legacy Novellas in 2014 and is now working on the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming and Brides of Pelican Rapids Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons.
Addie was lost. Hopelessly, irrevocably lost. (Ok, irrevocably isn’t really valid because she did get unlost, but it sounds good, so we’ll go with that!) Her GPS had failed her and now her car was stuck and it was starting to rain. Then her heel broke off and her designer shoes were coated with mud. Could things get much worse? They could!
I love the way this story started and that Addie and Logan didn’t have a very good first meeting. It was totally the spoiled city girl meets handsome cowboy as a damsel in distress scenario, only it wasn’t. Addie wasn’t really spoiled – she was broken. Devastated by her cheating fiancé, all she wanted was a place to escape to and regroup.
The characters were great! Not just Addie and Logan but all of them, really. Well, except for the scumbag ex. I liked the way that the author set things up for several more stories in this series already. I’m already trying to figure out how things will ever work out for Bella – I guess I’ll have to find out in a couple weeks when I read her story in Chasing Embers which will tell her story. Be sure to check back on August 23 for my review, the blog tour and giveaway.
Back to the story. While there were some expected things, the kind that are really necessary for this genre, the story was original and fun. And tender and sweet. I loved Gramps and the heart that he had for his family and especially for the Lord. While he loved to fish, he was also a fisher of men.
I’ll let you in on a secret. When I picked this up to read, I thought I recognized the author’s name from another book – but I was wrong. This is the first of her books I’ve read. I’m not sorry at all, though and know it will not be the last!
Escaping Reality is a well-written love story set on a Montana ranch. Addison Lewis comes from a rich, movie mogul family hounded by paparazzi everywhere they go. She decides to leave L.A. on a road trip and finds herself stranded and is rescued by Logan Hart. Can broken-hearted Addison find happiness on a ranch in the middle of Montana?
The writer weaves a wonderful story with lots of unexpected surprises and twists. The story brought a smile to my face with some of the playful banter between the characters and other times parts of the story brought tears to my eyes. I could definitely relate to the characters and felt their joy and pain. The descriptions of the Heart Ranch and daily activities made me feel as though I was there.
I loved seeing the growth in all the characters as they overcame their struggles to let go of the past and the courage to embrace their future. Escaping Reality was a great read and I can't wait for the next one in the series.
This was a good, sweet romance. Addison is a socialite. Not the kind of person Logan would ever associate with. He is a simple rancher who wants to be left alone. When Addison is stranded on his family's ranch and he is the one who brings her there, he is strangely drawn to her.
Logan's backstory is heartbreaking and the author does a wonderful job of letting their story unfold. Was it perfect and easy? No. That isn't reality. Did it require grace and faith? Absolutely it did. I also really liked Addison's family and how they handled everything. I will read more from this author.
It was a 4/5 for me.
I received a copy of this book for free. I was not required to write a review of the book, much less a positive review.
I laughed and cried while reading this book. It's a well written story that I didn't want to put down. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Addie seems to have it all. She comes from a very wealthy and well known family. Her dad is an actor and Addie is engaged to be married. What more could a girl want? The big day arrives and Addie starts to have butterflies. She isn't sure if this is what she really wants. Is she really in love? Something happens before the wedding takes place that finds her running out of town and away from the paparazzi . What happened to make Addie run away from her wedding?
She finds herself in a town where the land is beautiful and she is far away from noise , reporters and the man she thought was the right one. I really enjoyed getting to know Addie and watching her discover another place where life is simpler. She finds herself stranded on the side of the road and along comes a cowboy to rescue her. The banter between her and Logan is great. Addie is determined that she doesn't need his help, but soon realizes she could find herself all alone on a dark road late at night. Being stubborn sometimes gets us in trouble.
Logan has come back to his family's ranch to help out since the accident that devastated his family. Will Logan be able to get over the pain he feels for an accident that caused a great loss to the family? As he gets to know Addie he starts to let his guard down and begins to have feelings for her. Will Addie be able to tell Logan about her family? The story is very well written and has such great characters that I found myself engrossed in the story. I had to read it to the very end without stopping.
The book has so many great lessons for us. Logan is dealing with bitterness when he finds out that Addie has been deceiving him. Will he let bitterness come between them? "Don't let bitterness take root in your heart." Is he angry at Addie or is there something else that is causing his anger ? The story flows so well as each character goes through trials. They will have to look deep inside themselves and ask God for help. Be sure you pick up a copy of this book and discover what happens when bitterness, deceit, unforgiveness and loss will do to your life if you don't let go and let God heal your broken heart.
"Come to me , all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit for an honest review.
I enjoyed this Christian romance. The plot was rather predictable but I really liked the characters. They made the book a delight.
Addison is part of a media popular family. She was a well known TV personality herself. And she had just run away from her wedding rehearsal – after her fiance was caught kissing another woman. And now she was stuck in the mud on a rural Montana road, miles from the secluded getaway where she hoped to put her life back together.
Enter Logan, a bearded horse rider who would rescue Addie and take her to the family ranch. But Addie has no trust for a man and sparks fly. It isn't too long, however, and a different kind of spark begins to kindle.
I had a like/dislike attitude toward Addie. She has been deeply hurt and it just might be that a family like Logan's will help in the healing process. But she is not honest with them and hides that she is a TV star. That comes back later to hurt Logan and sabotage their budding romance.
It was the secondary characters that I really liked. Logan's grandfather is a wise man and gentle in his advice. He is a great mentor character. I liked Logan's mom too. She has been hit a hard blow by the loss of a son and her own debilitating injury. Yet she is able to evaluate her family's situation and provide good counsel. My favorite character was Dylan, the young deaf nephew of Logan. He faced a tough future and needed strong mentoring. My least favorite character was Jared, the jerk who betrayed Addie on the way to the altar. Skatvold did a good job of getting me to dislike him.
Discussion Questions at the end of the book cover some of the themes. There is the theme of loyalty within a family and among friends. Addie must decide if she will be honest, even if it means the loss of potential love. Logan faces the challenge of overcoming what he feels was a major failure on his part. Logan's parents face the daunting task of passing on the ranch to the next generation.
I recommend this novel to those who enjoy a good romance with a wonderful setting and great characters.
I received a complimentary egalley of this through Celebrate Lit for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
"Escaping Reality" by Rachel Skatvold is a great title for this book because Addie is looking for an escape from her life as a reality star.
This book is an easy story to read and follow and one that brings smiles as you are reading it. Addie's Character is an easy one to like and one that is so true to life, escpecially to me as she is always falling ( if you know me personally you know what a klutz I am).
I was caught up in this story right at the beginning.
"Escaping Reality" is a good clean love story. Some readers might think the love happened too fast ( two days after the characters met), but I love it after all it is fiction and haven't anyone heard of love at first sight?
"Escaping Reality"is not a story that is filled with all happy moments, there are quite a few scenes that had me saying out loud "No, that isn't supposed to happen, I want this to be a happy story". It is a happy story but has real life in between the pages.
Rachel Skatvold has written "Escaping Reality" so well that this reader wishes the Hart family were real and I could go vist them on my next vacation.
"Escaping Reality" is the first book in the ("Hart Ranch" Series) but I think the ending was perfect, no cliff hanger. There are a few questions about minor characters that I think could be answered in future books.
I would recommend this book to any reader who likes clean books with this warning have a few kleenex handle.
I am giving five stars to "Escaping Reality" by Rachel Skatvold I was given a copy of "Escaping Reality" by Rachel Skatvold by the author and Celebrate Lit for my honest review in this book tour.
Escaping Reality is a cute love story between a hiding reality star and a Montana doctor-turned-rancher. I really enjoyed watching the rich, pampered Addison try to adapt to life in Montana, and Hart Ranch is definitely a place I'd like to visit!
Logan's family was very interesting—from his bubbly sister Belle to his deaf nephew Dylan to his paralyzed mother to his granfather. I really enjoyed getting to know the Hart family, and I especially enjoyed Gramps' influence on Addison.
I have to admit being a bit disappointed in the romance, though. I didn't feel the chemistry between Addison and Logan, and I didn't really care if they ended up together. Sometimes, their dialog didn't seem natural, and the big roadblock to their happiness could have been cleared up with a simple conversation. However, I did think the most interesting section of the book came about because they didn't ever have that conversation, so even though I would have preferred the misunderstanding never happened, it did serve a purpose.
Escaping Reality is a book that I wanted to like but ultimately felt let down by, mainly because the romance didn't resonate with me. Still, as a clean book with strong spiritual content, I think it's a book that many readers who are looking for a sweet romance will enjoy. 2-1/2 stars.
Disclosure of material connection: I received a free copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.
First of all, I loved this book. When Sandra of Celebrate Lit Publicity Group offered it to me as an Advanced Reading Copy, I thought, what a great way to read a new author. And to say I was not disappointed would be an understatement. The cover with its cowboy coming out from the trees as well as the clear skies and a picture of the heroine drew me in, as did the blurb accompanying it. Stepping into the story as the famous GPS directs a lost driver was easy. If you have ever heard or heard of the “recalculating” voice (and who has not?) you will understand. We may never had the opportunity to actually escape our own reality, which makes it all more rewarding when we can do it successfully with a beautiful woman from the city to a remote resort complete with horses. Having met Logan Hart and his family I am anxious to learn more about his family through the Hart Ranch Series that Rachel promises to write for us! If you enjoy clean, wholesome romance novels with a bit of mystery, I think you will thoroughly enjoy this one! Thank you to Sandra Barela of Celebrate Lit Publicity Group, and author Rachel Skatvold for the opportunity to read this novel. I was given a free ARC Ebook in exchange for an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions stated are my own.
Escaping Reality is the first in Skatvold's new Hart Ranch romantic fiction series, and it reads much like a Hallmark movie. The reader is drawn in to the story from the first paragraph. This page-turner begins as feisty newly-blonde heiress/actress Addison Lewis is rescued by a ruggedly-handsome blue-eyed stranger on horseback. Although they successfully navigate a treacherous return to "civilization," Addison and her hero (aka Logan Hart) do not have a harmonious beginning to their time together.
Rachel Skatvold does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the dynamics of the push-pull of character interaction as well as the inner workings of self-discovery for each character. Although the subjects of faith, salvation and family values are woven throughout the story, they are handled gently as each character individually comes to terms with their own faith and commitment.
All in all, I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to enjoying the next book in the new Hart Ranch series! A 5 of 5 stars! Thank you, Rachel Skatvold for this fun read!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
Escaping Reality takes on a wild ride with Addison Lewis, spoiled heiress and jilted fiance, on a trip into the wilderness to get away. Logan is also escaping his own reality at his parent's ranch and though the spread is huge, it just doesn't seem big enough for the both of them.
I love the banter between Addison and Logan. I love how each new situation revealed something new about the characters so that the novel, though not long, is packed full of characterization and plot. I lovely start to a new series.
I think that readers of Christian romance will like this even those who don't normally sway towards Westerns as there isn't much description of the day to day ranch life to take away from the character development. There is, however, enough to keep reader's who love westerns happy. A very nice blend that I highly enjoyed. I was given this book free for an honest review, which I have provided.
Addison is a spoiled, rich girl who has just left her fiance behind - for good reason. Logan is trying new things while helping his parents at their ranch. When the two first meet, it is not a happy moment. Addison is brought into a world that is very different from her own. Slowly, she begins to unwind and enjoy the ranch and the Hart family. Her reality begins to change for the better.
This is a story of two characters finding themselves. Through escaping their own realities, they find happiness, the love of family, and God. This story brought tears to my eyes and smiles to my lips. I loved all the characters, especially Gramps. The setting is based on a ranch, which one can view as simply beautiful. There's a scoundrel in the story, as well. Skatvold does a great job describing the characters and in showing that God's love can do anything.
I was given a free copy of this book for my honest review.
This was a great weekend read! I loved the witty banter and sparks that flew between the main characters and the supporting cast! Addie pretty much falls into Logan’s path and has no other option than to go with him. A very detailed story with great threads of secrets, betrayal, major trust issues and pasts to overcome. Addie certainly has an excuse to hide away. I adore Logan’s ranch and how it plays such a role in helping Addie grow up. There are many events that happen to shape Logan and Addie’s time together and their future. Logan’s family has a lot to work through also. Horses, fishing, paparazzi and even a mountain lion get in on the story and make this a page turner! The story flowed and kept moving enough to make this a quicker read. I didn’t want to put it down! I can’t wait for the next one – there were a few characters I wanted to have their own happy ending. I received book for an honest review.
On the surface “Escaping Reality” appears to be one of those escapist romance novels but it is so much more than that. True, there is ample romance to satisfy even the most avid romance addict – but in addition, there are life lessons to be absorbed from its pages. Lessons about faith, trust, and learning to accept God’s plan for your life.
The down-to-earth and realistic characters were wonderful. I loved how accident prone Addie was, especially in view of her famous family and occupation. And Logan, despite his initial strong dislike of Addie, was just too nice a guy to be mean to her. Gramps was special too with his nuggets of wisdom and understated advice scattered throughout the pages.
“Escaping Reality” was easy to read with its steady plot, vivid descriptions, and lively dialogue. I will definitely be looking for more novels by this author.
A copy of this book was provided for review by Celebrate Lit.
I liked Logan and Addie and I really liked Gramps. He was so open and got people to think things through. There are several sub-plots going on throughout the book with Ava and Dylan, with Belle, with Mrs. Hart, and with the future of the ranch. It didn't seem crowded, but filled out the details well. The characters "gulp" a lot. I found it sort of odd to have that word used so much. I did like Addie's spiritual story arc. I found the book to be easy to read and I found myself wanting to visit Hart Ranch. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book in order for me to give an honest review and participate in the book tour with Celebrate Lit. All thoughts and opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.
I really enjoyed escaping reality. The characters are lovable but also flawed. That makes them more real. We've all tried, at one time or another, to escape for peace of mind. Unfortunately, no matter where we go our troubles will always find us. God is the only source of true peace. My favorite character in the book was Gramps. He had an easy going way about him. He may know all your secrets but he never shared or judged. I absolutely LOVED Escaping Reality and I believe you will too!
*I received a copy of Escaping Reality from CelebrateLit in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed above are my own :)
This is the first book that I have read by this author, & I can't wait to read the next book in this series! An easy, captivating book, Escaping Reality is something with which everyone can identify. I loved this quote: "He's creative and...delights in seeing His children doing something with the talents He has given them." Another one of her great quotes: "People can get weighed down with invisible baggage, too." I love the 2 main characters Logan & Addy, who have to deal with their past, have their own secrets, and learn to trust and forgive each other. Great real-life lessons!
Who doesn't want to get away from it all sometimes? That's exactly what Addie is looking for and she finds it in an unexpected location. Add in a handsome cowboy and everything is dandy. Or is it...?? Not exactly. I love the idea of a reality star finding her true self. We're all chameleons at times and it was intriguing to watch her find herself somewhere she never expected to land. This adorable romance has everything going for it!
What a sad, entertaining yet romantic story! I felt so bad for Addison and I enjoyed the run ins with Logan. Both wanted no new romance but when lonely hearts collide… what can you say? Meant to be? I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it as a heart warming romance with some amusing antics for sure! I was gifted a copy for review.
It is not easy being in the spotlight, even if it is a big part of your life. It isn't easy moving beyond the dream paralyzing fears of failure and guilt. Join Addie and Logan as they discover love, freedom and the ability to overcome insurmountable obstacles.
I enjoyed Rachel's story. I appreciate shorter stories that I can sit and read straight through but that also have a deeper lesson. My fave character might have been Gramps. Read for yourself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.