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Runaway Tess

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A new job and a new city every few months is what Tess lives for. The adventure of constant change drives her passion for travel nursing. At least that's what she's been telling herself for years. Going back home for a family wedding, her sister sets her up on a blind date and Tess quickly falls for Evan, the perfect gentleman, even if it was for one night only.

When her next move takes her home for the summer, a chance encounter brings her right back into Evan's arms. However, falling in love quickly brings up old memories and flashbacks from a time Tess had long ago tried to forget. The deeper in love she falls, the more she realizes how the events of the past have shaped who she is. Tess must dig deep within herself, reliving the past, and question her real reasons for living her life the way she does if she wants to truly fall in love.

At the end of the summer, will Tess stay for Evan or accept her next travel nursing assignment?

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2020

12 people are currently reading
56 people want to read

About the author

J.M. Spade

4 books71 followers
JM is a mother, a wife, a nurse, a pit bull owner, and an author. She loves Michigan Football, traveling, spending time with her family, and listening to audiobooks! Reading and reviewing books are things she enjoys in her spare time, when she isn't writing the next hit novel.

She loves to write about nursing because it's the type of books she would like to read. Writing has always been a passion of her's but writing medical fiction is exhilarating!


Check out her Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thisreadingn...

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews128 followers
Want to read
April 16, 2020
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/16/2020)! 🎁
Profile Image for J.M. Spade.
Author 4 books71 followers
April 8, 2020
Discovering the root of Tess's reluctance for love is the base of this romance novel. Evan is the perfect gentleman, but he's determined to get to the bottom of what happened that night - hoping that by doing so, Tess will finally settle down.
1,834 reviews3 followers
April 17, 2020
Good

I have kind of mixed feelings about this book. It is a well written romance. However I thought that it would be more light hearted. Tess is really emotionally crippled. With good reason. The ending is a little bla. It needs an epilogue that leaves the reader with that happily ever after feeling.
Profile Image for Debby.
15 reviews
March 1, 2020
Looking at the title alone of this book, I thought it would be about a teenage runaway. Instead I found this very life reflecting book about a young womans trials and tribulations of a traveling nurse, with PTSD, that has to make some important life changing decisions.


Tess goes home for a family event only to find out that her sister Holly and Hollys' husband Martin have set her up on a blind date with a man named Evan. Tess, agrees and thus the beginning of her travels toward inner peace that not only change her life direction but that of all around her.I

I found this book to really give me pause as I read. I found myself to be reflective of my life. I felt as if JM Spade had reached into my heart and pulled my deepest fears out into the light. I also loved the mix of emotions and humor throughout the story lending so much reality to the characters. I have had few books touch me the way that I found myself touched by this well rounded and moving book.

Well done JM Spade! Thank you!
Profile Image for Anja Peerdeman.
316 reviews2 followers
March 11, 2020
Brilliant and heartwarming. Reading this was utter enjoyment.

This story makes you believe that, no matter what bagage you carry, there is someone out there who will love you to pieces. And if you’re very, very lucky, it could be someone like Evan.

You know, I told myself I was going to read for half an hour before doing all the important stuff. Turns out that to finish reading the story WAS the important stuff. The writing’s perfect: you are aware Tess has PTSD, that something traumatizing happened to her when she was 19, but you don’t get it spelled out for you until the end of the story. Still, I totally didn’t feel like too much information was missing to enjoy the storyline. Loved, loved, loved it.
Profile Image for Karen (kmo.reads).
449 reviews30 followers
March 15, 2020
This is the 3rd book I have read by JM Spade and definitely one of my favorites! Tess is a travel nurse who fears settling down and getting to close to people until her sister sets her up on a blind date with Evan. She falls quickly for him and still she struggles with anxiety over her past that she almost blows. He is such a good guy and is willing to figure it out. We learn that her past has haunted her for so long and the secrets are shocking. This book was full of so many emotions - heart wrenching, funny, compassion. I don't want to spoil it for others, but this was a quick read for me. I couldn't put it down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Mzlegz.
756 reviews2 followers
March 29, 2020
The hilarious situations Tess and Evan found themselves in had me crying laughing!! One of my favorites was after Taco Bell...’OMG, what is that?’ 😂 And his mother didn’t make it any better LOL!! But then there were serious moments that made me cry like I was there sharing in those moments. Evan was not ashamed to show his sensitive side and I loved that! “You’re my person, Tess.” 🥰 Happy they were able to work it out and that he didn’t give up on her. I used to wish for a younger sister, but God knew what He was doing. Had I had one anything like Holly, she would probably be missing!!
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Teri Griffis.
1,130 reviews6 followers
March 16, 2020
I received an ebook from Story Origin and this is my voluntary review. This book caught me right away because Tess is a nurse and so was I once upon a time. This book is very well written with fabulous characters and you will enjoy every page. Read is a traveling nurse so she never had to commit to a relationship but has she found the "one"? What to do, what to do! Enjoy! 📚📚
Profile Image for Dorothy  Scott.
919 reviews4 followers
March 17, 2020
Tess loves her profession as a traveling nurse. It gives her enriching experiences and allows her to keep moving to avoid being hurt. She has come home, and now feelings for Evan are complicating her life. I enjoyed the way the characters worked through difficulties.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Alicia.
72 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2020
Seeing how much this author has progressed and changed since her first book warms my heart. She handles some tough topics, like PTSD, and meets them head on, while still keeping the novel light and funny. This was a truly fun read.
Maybe we’ll get a sequel following Holly...?
239 reviews3 followers
March 16, 2020
Runaway Tess is a good book to read. Tess has the job she enjoyed very much and a secret she carried for a long time. What she does you will have to read the book to find out. You will enjoy it.
1,758 reviews12 followers
April 8, 2020
Angsty, sexy & healing love story...
So many truths kept from the couple that seemed destined for happiness but I still wanted to slap some sense into them both at times. Eventually they got to understand what kept them apart & they would move heaven & earth to find a way to be together forever. I received an arc & this is my honest & voluntary review.
Profile Image for Shebb.
775 reviews
March 17, 2020
This was my first read by JM Spade and I enjoyed it! The dark moments, the snort-laughing moments... I liked reading Tess' story, warts and all. Oh, and Evan? Oh my goodness, talk about making my heart flip-flop with his chivalrous manner, compassion, kindness, and love. He reminded me of my husband. 😍😍

An emotive story full of many surprises, some good, some bad, but all part of the journey.

NB I received an ARC of this novel.
490 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2020
As a travel nurse, Tess moves around every few weeks. Up until she met and fell in love with Evan, it never had been an issue. Now, she has to make a decision…
The story is very emotional. We get to know Tess and her deep secrets, the hurts she carries around. Evan is a strong and compassionate character who helps Tess heal on all levels. I found this book, along with “Surgical Complications”, easier to read than the other books from JM Spade.
611 reviews6 followers
March 10, 2022
It was hard for me to imagine what her life was like and her reaction to everyone until everything came out near the end of the book. I felt so sorry for Tess. When she finally found love, she was afraid to admit it. It almost eluded her. The whole story was brilliantly written, with flashbacks to help put things in perspective and explain why Tess feels the way she does. Her anxiousness and heartbreak almost made me cry with her.
7 reviews
June 23, 2020
Loved this book!

This book had me laughing when I imagined the words written It was a great book and I wished that it would have gone on longer.
5 reviews
September 20, 2020
Light reading at its finest. Didn't end the way I expected - but the ending brought a smile to my face.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Cole.
373 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2020
Original review can be found at: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-r...

**A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**

I have been watching the progress of this book as the author wrote it. I couldn’t wait to read it. When the author asked if I would read her next book I did a little happy dance and answered with a hearty yes! I knew that it would be as good as the other ones that I have read by her. I immediately started reading it the day I received my copy.

Tess is a travel nurse. She moves around and never stays in the same place twice. The only place she has returned to multiple times is her home in Michigan. Each year she takes an assignment there to visit friends and family then moves on. All that changes when she gets set up on a blind date with Evan by her sister. I absolutely devoured this book. I literally read it in two nights it was that good. The main characters had flaws. Tess had two traumatic events when she was 18 resutlting in her doing travel nursing. She never could get attached romantically to anyone that way. These flaws that she had made her relatable, perhaps not to me but to some it may speak right to them. Evan might not have major one but he is 30 something and still living with his mother. Albeit it may be in the basement and he may now own the home but he and his mother found a routine and it works for them.

The anxiety and PTSD that Tess felt whenever she tried to be intimate was really. I don’t have anxiety in that way but I do have anxiety. I knew the feeling of that crushing panic that hits you all of a sudden. Its really and at times very scary even though you know nothing is actually wrong with you, you feel like you are going to die. Evan being patient with her and holding her hand and asking to comfort her when that happens is so sweet. I wish all significant other were like that. I have nothing bad to say about this book. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Tess, hopefully in another book!!
Profile Image for Bethany Godwin.
184 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2020
I thought that the premise of "Runaway Tess" was cute and I love how the title ties into her inability to stay put. I also found myself really drawn into Tess's backstory and the idea of her being a travel nurse (I mean, how cool?!). However, I guess Spade's writing style doesn't match up to my reading preferences because I thought the book lacked depth. In some ways, though, she reminds me of Kendall Ryan (though not in the X-rated, steamy ways), particularly in the newness of the relationship between Tess and Evan and Tess's need to find herself and deal with the issues from her past.

In the end, though, if you're looking for a quick, easy love story, this is a good option.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,197 reviews22 followers
November 6, 2021
This is my first experience reading something by this author and I really enjoyed it. The title threw me off a bit in that it appeared to be a story about a true runaway. But the title made more sense once I got into the book. It is so much more than that. A really well-written story that takes you into the life of a travelling nurse who suffers from PTSD. Full of emotion and even a little humor, this takes us on Tess' journey of reflection and her struggles with facing her fears. An excellent, touching story that I am glad to have had the chance to read.

I received a complimentary copy from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving my review.
125 reviews3 followers
March 18, 2020
Runaway Tess was very fun to read! Tess is a travel nurse so she doesn't stay in the same city for a long time. During the summer, she goes back to her home town in Michigan to be with her family. Her sister and BFF Holly sets her up for a blind date with Evan to go to the wedding of her cousin. Tess just goes along with it, but actually she doesn't want to fall in love ever again. Well, that didn't work out! She fall head over heels for him and it's the start of something beautiful. She struggles a lot with her past and during the story we learn more about what happens. I really enjoyed this story a lot! The characters were amazing! There were both heartbreaking and beautiful romantic moments. I would definitely recommend this book! Can't wait for the next book of JM Spade!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,352 reviews10 followers
March 15, 2020
This was a good book.... Not what expected from the looks of the cover but an amazing book
Profile Image for Stacey Gomez.
1,108 reviews17 followers
March 15, 2020
This was an ok story. The blurb sounded great, but, I was thrown from the multi-person pov from each chapter. I sort of wish it was just from Tessa and Jakes pov.
Profile Image for Claudete Takahashi.
2,644 reviews38 followers
March 17, 2020
I enjoy reading JM Spade´s books and this one was no exception. It´s easy to read and provides food for thought as there were too many things left unsaid and not taken care of resulting in a rootless life. Once you start reading the book you don´t want to stop because you want to know what happens next. It´s easy to make a parallalel between the book and things we deal with in our lives.
I received a copy of this book through Bookfunnel/author in exchange for an honest opinion.
Profile Image for Marian.
114 reviews3 followers
April 4, 2021
It’s the story of a traveling nurse who experienced something traumatic when she was young and hasn’t been able to settle down since. She meets Evan, handsome, kind and gay? Eventually, she has to decide if she wants to stay or keep moving from place to place.
❤️ It was a fun, fast and light read even though it touched on some heavier subjects. It’s Low steam, which is a plus for me.

Tw: sexual abuse.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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