What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sheriff's Runaway
She ran to save her life...
As the sheriff of Caston Springs, Colorado, Mick Hayes knows every member of the small town. While his day-to-day life doesn't change much, he enjoys being the one people turn to for help and guidance. So when a mysterious woman turns up in town and faints in the local diner, he’s more than a little intrigued. What he doesn’t expect is to take one look at the woman and fall for her. He’ll keep her safe, even if it means putting his life on the line.
Returning to her family home one night, Rainey Smith is surprised to discover that her father owes loan sharks thousands of dollars. Their new price to settle the debt—her. Scared for her life, she flees New York and finds herself in Caston Springs, Colorado. But trying to keep a low profile in a small town proves difficult, especially when the sheriff's piercing blue eyes capture Rainey's attention. He promises to keep her safe, but there’s no hope for her heart. One glance is all it takes for her to know that home is wherever Mick is.
Trouble is coming to the small town of Caston Springs. Yet when it strikes, will Mick and Rainey be ready?
Caston Springs Series:
Book 1, The Sheriff’s Runaway
Book 2, The Cowboy’s Cop
Book 3, The Soldier’s Poet (Coming 2022)
Spin-off Novellas:
All the Rage
None the Wiser
Author Note: This book was originally published in 2014 under the title, Burning Rain. Please be aware that this book may be triggering for some readers as it contains violence, offensive language and mature topics.
As the sheriff of Caston Springs, Colorado, Mick Hayes knows every member of the small town. While his day-to-day life doesn't change much, he enjoys being the one people turn to for help and guidance. So when a mysterious woman turns up in town and faints in the local diner, he’s more than a little intrigued. What he doesn’t expect is to take one look at the woman and fall for her. He’ll keep her safe, even if it means putting his life on the line.
Returning to her family home one night, Rainey Smith is surprised to discover that her father owes loan sharks thousands of dollars. Their new price to settle the debt—her. Scared for her life, she flees New York and finds herself in Caston Springs, Colorado. But trying to keep a low profile in a small town proves difficult, especially when the sheriff's piercing blue eyes capture Rainey's attention. He promises to keep her safe, but there’s no hope for her heart. One glance is all it takes for her to know that home is wherever Mick is.
Trouble is coming to the small town of Caston Springs. Yet when it strikes, will Mick and Rainey be ready?
Caston Springs Series:
Book 1, The Sheriff’s Runaway
Book 2, The Cowboy’s Cop
Book 3, The Soldier’s Poet (Coming 2022)
Spin-off Novellas:
All the Rage
None the Wiser
Author Note: This book was originally published in 2014 under the title, Burning Rain. Please be aware that this book may be triggering for some readers as it contains violence, offensive language and mature topics.
- GenresRomance
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2014
14 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Williams
45 books299 followersMelissa Williams lives and works in Toronto, Ontario and loves to surround herself in the random and ridiculous. When not writing steamy romances, she enjoys watching bad reality T.V., drinking wine and basking in the sun. But more often than not she can be found reading in her favorite comfy chair with a coffee by her side. For the latest updates and more about Melissa, follow her on Instagram @MelissaWilliamsWrites
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y6e5fhzd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaWilli...
Instagram: @MelissaWilliamsWrites
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 11, 2026
The Sheriff's Runaway bk 1 [Caston Springs Series]
These books follow the Hayes family
This book Follows Mick and how he finds love.. I enjoyed this book and i am looking forward to reading book 2 to see Chase's story and each book follows a different Brother..
Mick is so sweet, kind, smart, caring, likes looking out for his family and friends , Works as the Sheriff, Always there for anyone that needs help, strong, has a big heart, he does not want to let anyone get close to him because he has been hurt in the past..
Rainey is sweet, smart, kind, She is a Waitress, Strong Character, she has been hurt in the past and she has a sad past, she does not have any friends, she likes the feel of Caston springs town and how they make you a part of the town and their family, she likes reading books, a lot happens to her before she gets to the small town which made me not want to put the book down because she is so caring and a strong character..
This book is packed full of:
⦁ Awesome characters
⦁ Sheriff Romance
⦁ Strangers to Friends to Lovers
⦁ Virgin Trope
⦁ No 3rd act break Up
⦁ Some Steam
⦁ A wee bit of slow burn [Hero wants the heroine to heal until she is ready to date]
⦁ Tattooed Hero
⦁ Heroine has Nightmares
⦁ Sweet Caretaking [Hero looks after the heroine]
⦁ Contains: Violence, Heroine goes to a small town after being hit really bad to hide from the bad guys, Dark Topics, kidnapping and Some Offensive Language (You will see that in the Author's Note page in the book]
⦁ Love at first sight
⦁ Forced Proximity
⦁ Protective Hero
⦁ Possessive Hero/Touch her and you die trope
⦁ Dark Themes
⦁ Strong family Relationship [Hero and his brothers are close and live together on their Ranch]
⦁ This book was Originally called Burning Rain
⦁ Fast Read
⦁ Action packed
⦁ Mystery
⦁ Small Town Romance
⦁ Each book follows different Brother
The Strong family Relationship in this book between the brothers you can feel how much love the Hayes brothers have for each other and how much they try to help anyone that needs help..
I really liked the friendship between Rainey and Mick because it was so sweet.. I also liked seeing them getting closer as the story goes along because it was amazing to see her happy now that she was in the small town and could be happy for a bit.. It was nice to see her making new friends with Ruby, Chase and Don as well..
Fav characters are:
⦁ Mick [Sheriff]
⦁ Rainey [Waitress]
⦁ Chase [works on Ranch, Brother to Mick]
⦁ Don [Co-owns a car garage, Brother to Mick]
⦁ Ruby [Owns a diner]
⦁ Doc Baird [Doctor]
⦁ Grey [Deputy, Works with Mick]
⦁ Connors [Works with Mick]
It was sweet that everyone in the small town came together when the Hayes brothers need help with fixing their kitchen after a fire.. Its nice to see that anyone in the small town would help out anyone that needs help..
Characters i did not like:
⦁ Bobby [Bad man]
⦁ Jerry [Bad man, Works for Bobby]
⦁ Patrick [ Bad man, Works for Bobby]
⦁ Richard [Rainey's Dad]
These books follow the Hayes family
This book Follows Mick and how he finds love.. I enjoyed this book and i am looking forward to reading book 2 to see Chase's story and each book follows a different Brother..
Mick is so sweet, kind, smart, caring, likes looking out for his family and friends , Works as the Sheriff, Always there for anyone that needs help, strong, has a big heart, he does not want to let anyone get close to him because he has been hurt in the past..
Rainey is sweet, smart, kind, She is a Waitress, Strong Character, she has been hurt in the past and she has a sad past, she does not have any friends, she likes the feel of Caston springs town and how they make you a part of the town and their family, she likes reading books, a lot happens to her before she gets to the small town which made me not want to put the book down because she is so caring and a strong character..
This book is packed full of:
⦁ Awesome characters
⦁ Sheriff Romance
⦁ Strangers to Friends to Lovers
⦁ Virgin Trope
⦁ No 3rd act break Up
⦁ Some Steam
⦁ A wee bit of slow burn [Hero wants the heroine to heal until she is ready to date]
⦁ Tattooed Hero
⦁ Heroine has Nightmares
⦁ Sweet Caretaking [Hero looks after the heroine]
⦁ Contains: Violence, Heroine goes to a small town after being hit really bad to hide from the bad guys, Dark Topics, kidnapping and Some Offensive Language (You will see that in the Author's Note page in the book]
⦁ Love at first sight
⦁ Forced Proximity
⦁ Protective Hero
⦁ Possessive Hero/Touch her and you die trope
⦁ Dark Themes
⦁ Strong family Relationship [Hero and his brothers are close and live together on their Ranch]
⦁ This book was Originally called Burning Rain
⦁ Fast Read
⦁ Action packed
⦁ Mystery
⦁ Small Town Romance
⦁ Each book follows different Brother
The Strong family Relationship in this book between the brothers you can feel how much love the Hayes brothers have for each other and how much they try to help anyone that needs help..
I really liked the friendship between Rainey and Mick because it was so sweet.. I also liked seeing them getting closer as the story goes along because it was amazing to see her happy now that she was in the small town and could be happy for a bit.. It was nice to see her making new friends with Ruby, Chase and Don as well..
Fav characters are:
⦁ Mick [Sheriff]
⦁ Rainey [Waitress]
⦁ Chase [works on Ranch, Brother to Mick]
⦁ Don [Co-owns a car garage, Brother to Mick]
⦁ Ruby [Owns a diner]
⦁ Doc Baird [Doctor]
⦁ Grey [Deputy, Works with Mick]
⦁ Connors [Works with Mick]
It was sweet that everyone in the small town came together when the Hayes brothers need help with fixing their kitchen after a fire.. Its nice to see that anyone in the small town would help out anyone that needs help..
Characters i did not like:
⦁ Bobby [Bad man]
⦁ Jerry [Bad man, Works for Bobby]
⦁ Patrick [ Bad man, Works for Bobby]
⦁ Richard [Rainey's Dad]
September 29, 2021
Not bad but not great
Would have given a 2.5 if I could. Lots of mistakes. Spelling and using the wrong words. Ex.:
She wanted to “wonder” around town.
She couldn’t wait to visit the “sables”.
I only mention mistakes in reviews if they’re frequent and that was the case here. At least 2-3 per chapter. It makes for a very disruptive read.
Other than that, I’m not sure why this didn’t work that well for me. It was a little boring. I found my mind wandering (see what I did there?) and had to re-read pages several times. The danger aspect of the story dragged on a little long.
Would have given a 2.5 if I could. Lots of mistakes. Spelling and using the wrong words. Ex.:
She wanted to “wonder” around town.
She couldn’t wait to visit the “sables”.
I only mention mistakes in reviews if they’re frequent and that was the case here. At least 2-3 per chapter. It makes for a very disruptive read.
Other than that, I’m not sure why this didn’t work that well for me. It was a little boring. I found my mind wandering (see what I did there?) and had to re-read pages several times. The danger aspect of the story dragged on a little long.
February 9, 2026
Way too many errors!
This book is in desperate need of a thorough proof read and edit! Repeated errors distract from the story and became annoying.
The story line is a bit instalove, has a decent amount of heat and a touch of suspense but there are holes in the plot that had me rolling my eyes; such as how did the thugs find her? Easy read but forgettable, unfortunately
This book is in desperate need of a thorough proof read and edit! Repeated errors distract from the story and became annoying.
The story line is a bit instalove, has a decent amount of heat and a touch of suspense but there are holes in the plot that had me rolling my eyes; such as how did the thugs find her? Easy read but forgettable, unfortunately
May 29, 2021
Ok story but too instalove bive...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews