Claiming the Runaway

by Emma Bray

When Hadley's stepdad creeps into her room one night, she knows she has to run away from the only home she's ever known before he steals her innocence. She doesn't know where she's going, only that she has to run.

When Damon sees a frightened girl run into the bar looking like a fish out of water, he knows he has to help her. She's the most beautiful little thing he's ever seen. She's an angel, but the problem is he's a felon, and he has no business claiming such an innocent creature.

That doesn't stop him from wanting to, though.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Smut, Short Stories

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2021

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Emma Bray writes intense, steamy romances with possessive alpha males who’ll stop at nothing to claim the women they want. Emma’s instalove stories are filled with heat, passion and happily ever afters.

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Reviews

[*˚Remnant Light ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3/5 stars**

Simple but decent story. After her step-father tried to force himself on her, Hadley runs aways and finds herself entering a bar, the first place she thought safe to be. At this bar, Damon is casually drinking his scotch until he sees that pretty little woman being harrassed by some drunk guy. He quickly comes to her rescue and discusses with her a bit afterwards. Letting him know that her home isn't safe for her anymore, he proposes to let her stay with him in his apartment, which is too big for him alone. And after some hesitation, she accepts.

Damon was a little bit strange to me, in a good way. On the spectrum of OTT heroes, I think he would be one of the closer ones to acting like a normal guy. Of course, he had some possessive and obsessed moments but nothing actually close to insane. He was caring and respectful towards Hadley, making sure she was provided for and comfortable around him. He didn't ask for much other than being allowed to be around her, although he couldn't accept the idea of her being with another guy; he was still willing to just be her friend, her protector (and not let other guys approach her).

She’s the light inside my darkness, the sunshine that brings warmth to my dreary world.
-Damon

As for Hadley, right away, I thought she lacked personality. I mean, she was the usual sweet and innocent little virgin we so often see in this type of novellas but I really didn't find her interesting. Her choices really made me roll my eyes, and if at the start it was an okay-ish behavior, I thought she was an idiot at the end. You know, when the heroine tries to ''save'' the hero without communicating and just does something stupid? Yeah, I didn't really like her overall.

The beginning and middle part were alright. I thought it was an enjoyable novella, quick and sweet, based on respect but still with some OTT flavors. The ending, I really hated though. The very last chapter brought up drama and idiotic decisions, just to be solved quickly within the same chapter. It honestly felt like the author just wanted to annoy me a bit before finishing the story. That ending felt rushed and unnecessary, and it made me lower the rating a bit.

Certain things could've been done better but overall, it wasn't a bad story. More on the average side of good. What you'd expect from a short story and simple plot.

✔️HEA Epilogue: 5 years later, they are married and have a 4 year-old daughter, and own a garage
✔️Novella
✔️Dual POV
✔️Age gap H is 26 and h just turned 18
✔️Possessive/ Obsessed/ Protective H
✔️Sweet/Virgin h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
✔️Safe
✔️Separation Maybe 2 hours, because h is an idiot
🔥 Steam level: 2/5 It was okay, very generic
⚡Content warning No condom/ No safety talk/ No mention of birthcontrol. Foreplay/ Fingering/ Oral sex/ First time/ Biting (slight)/ Against a wall/ Dressed
⚡Trigger warning Sexual harrassment/ Mention of drugs (pills)/ Attempt rape on h/ Blackmail

Would I recommend this novella? It was alright. Ending sucked but the story in itself was enjoyable and cute.

**Note that I do not rate novellas and full-length books by the same standards**

[Melluvsbooks]

02/2022 - tried again. Still still not for me. 😬

07/2021 DNF - instalove

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of smut- more than I’m willing to admit in public lol… but this beginning did not work for me. Hadley is a young woman running from her step dad that’s trying to make a move on her. She ends up in a bar where she meets Damon. Damon immediately sexualizes her, takes her home, buys her clothes, and thinks some more about how she’s probably a virgin and he’d love to take her “cherry”. He talks about how he wanted to put her in lingerie, but instead bought her panties with fruit on it, to represent what’s between her thighs… like, dude, she was just in a situation where a nasty ass man was trying to get in her pants, can we take a step back and just let her rest for a minute? But no. He buys her pizza and notices that she moans while eating it. I guess a girl can’t appreciate some good pizza. It was all too much for me. Then, he admits that he’s a criminal, just got out of prison six months earlier, and she’s all “you’ll never hurt me”. *Cue gargantuan eye roll*

But then there’s a little reprieve (can’t be much with only 90-something pages), and things got a little better. Damon starts to treat her like a human being instead of just a sexy little girl. He calls her his angel, and keeps his hands to himself, which was nice. Hadley makes the first move which, after the beginning, was a necessity.

Then we get what’s popular in most romance books- heroine in trouble, hero saves her. There wasn’t anything mind blowing, it was a nice little novella with some good smut.

3 stars

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Emma Bray book and it acc went really well 😌🤝.

[Chalice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The couple: Damon and Hadley

Romance trope: age-gap
Length: 98 pages

Plot: Newly 18 Hadley finds herself out in the cold, literally, one night when she has to run away from her stepfather. She runs into a local bar, and is found, protected, and rescued by Damon. Damon knows he's too old and too rough for young precious Hadley, but he feels like she's the one he's been waiting for all along. He takes her home with him and helps her find a job, and eventually, he tells her how he feels. But her stepfather is still the villain in the background.

Commentary: I liked this one. It felt as sweet as it was filthy. Damon was not too long out of prison and knew that he probably wasn't the best person for Hadley, but he also knew he could protect her and take care of her (which is exactly what made him the best person for her). The truth is, I really liked that he was a regular guy with a job in a mechanic shop and she got a regular job as a waitress. No billionaires, no MMA superstars, no improbably eighteen-year-old librarians (why have I seen that so often in the last year?! Do y'all realize that librarians actually have master's degrees? It's a whole serious time-consuming thing!) - just regular people being all regular.

[Kate Russo ❦ (Rina Kent’s Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her step dad deserves every bad thing u can think of n it still wouldn’t be enough
Also ngl since his name is Damon I did picture Damon from the vampire diaries even though he was described nothing like him

[help · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think, emma bray needs to write more
pleaseeeeee my tbr is depletinggggggg

[Madison T Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Sweet

I love a good insta love story with billionaires, but there’s definitely something about a good insta love book with real characters. The writing was amazing and this was a quick, hot and steamy read.

[Sam Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadley & Damon. I enjoyed how normal(ish) Damon was. I feel like in novellas you don't see too many heros with rational thoughts and although his weren't completely tame, they were about as close as you could get. He knew he needed Hadley in his life and he was planning to keep her any way he could. I also really liked how Hadley went back to her dad at the end to save Damon. Was it stupid? Yes. But it really showed how much she cared about him, he didn't sign up for any of that, she was probably thinking that he shouldn't have to pay the cost of helping her.

[S A]

Quick read. Novella.

[ziyuan ʚɞ Reads Dark Smut. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book I read of Emma. This one was god dm amazing!!! AMAZKNG AS fk. I savoured every single word of this one, and I truly am fall in love with Hadley and Damon.

I look back down at the girl and am almost bowled over by the most innocent-looking, sapphire blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re framed by thick, dark lashes, and my chest tightens painfully.

Jesus, I knew she was beautiful from the glimpse I’d gotten of her across the bar when she’d burst into the place, but up close, she’s nothing short of a fucking angel.

Her skin is porcelain, the cheeks tinged pink from her exertion, and her lips are sinfully full and rosy, the kind of lips that give teenage boys wet dreams.

Hadley run away from his stepfather, and accidentally run into Damon’s eyes. Since that moment, she became the moon, the star, the sun, the universe, the core of Damon.

I put the shirt on after I awkwardly take a quick shower, taking care not to mess up the wrappings on my feet. His shirt smells like him, and I take a deep breath, inhaling his scent of laundry detergent and something decidedly masculine and woodsy.

The shirt hangs down below my knees, and the sleeves come down below my elbows. That’s how much bigger than me he is. I try the pants, but they fall off my hips even after I roll them up several times, so I finally just pull them back off. The shirt is long enough to cover me anyway. I’m not wearing a bra or panties, but I’m just going to be sleeping in here alone anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.

Just like Damon felt, Hadley was so so adorable and like an angel. Hahahaha.I love this little thing already!!

She nods. “I believe you.”

My chest swells at those three little words. She believes me. No questions asked. She trusts me.

She’s an angel.

I watch her take another bite of her pizza. She closes her eyes and moans again, and I fight back a grin. The girl really enjoys her food.

I’ll feed her whatever she wants every day. I’ll do anything to keep her safe and happy.

She’s my angel, and I’m going to take care of her.

Hadley was brought to Damon’s apartment, but he didn’t take advantage of her, instead he took care of her so well. He helped her finding a job to make her happy, he cooked delicious meals for her, he picked up her every day.

I realize I’m completely fucking obsessed with her, but god help me. I can’t stop. I need to look at her a hundred times a day—at least.

She’s the light inside my darkness, the sunshine that brings warmth to my dreary world.

I mean it. Even if she never wants to be anything more than friends with me, I have to have her in my life. She’s like a drug that I’m addicted to. Every glance at her is a hit that sends a high throughout my system.

Of course, I know it’s selfish, but I know there’s no way I’ll ever be able to let her be with another man. It would destroy me if she let another man touch her.

Hadley was worshiped she felt nothing but saft being with her Gaint guy. She waited for him claiming her, but Damon was a gentleman and he wanted her be comforted, until one day, she showed how much she wanted her.

I’d had a nightmare about my stepfather, but when I woke up to Damon comforting me, I’d wanted nothing more than to just stay in his arms forever—this big, muscled, tatted felon who most people would be frightened of at one glance but who’s the only person I’ve ever really felt safe with.

Damon’s the only one I would ever trust to take my virginity. And I desperately want him to right now. He makes me feel safe and wanted and beautiful.

Damon was in prison for dealing drugs, but he didn’t recognize what he did, Hadley wasn’t afraid of him at all, she knew he would never ever hurt her. She was his everything thing.

“I love you, Damon,” I tell him, my voice shaky in the aftermath of our passion.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he tells me with a kiss to the back of my head, “so fucking much.”

Epilogue was years later and they were so freaking perfect for each other. Theirs story was like beauty and the beast. And I couldn’t get enough of them!!! I love this one sooooooooooooOOOOoooooOoooooOoOooo much!!!!♥️♥️♥️

[Tabatha Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright, I definitely like the vibe the author has. It’s a short novella, just over 70 pages so it has to be instalove. I like instalove so I’m good with that.

Very sweet, very innocent h. H is an ex con but he’s not a bad guy. More of a wrong time, wrong place thing. It was kind of refreshing to have him be a regular blue collar guy. It seems like everyone is always a billionaire even if they shouldn’t be or there’s no necessity for them to be a billionaire. She’s just turned 18, I don’t recall being told Hs age but it didn’t seem like a large gap so I’m assuming he’s in mid 20s.

He’s 100% on the instalove boat. She’s not too far behind him. Very low angst, despite not being a billionaire he’s a good guy with good friends so he’s able to set h with a waitressing job in the bistro right next to his garage. Eventually evil stepfather rolls up to toss a wrench into their newfound happiness but H has it covered.

Story 3/5, Heat 2.25/5, Angst 1/5

Medium burn, they get intimate right around half way but it is a short novella so it feels fast (not a complaint, I like that it wasn’t slower)

No condoms, virgin h, no manwhore, no OW drama, OM drama, no push away, no separation. No cheating, no cliffhanger and HEA

Safety - I’d call this safe. The h runs away from evil stepfather who was attempting to molest her in beginning of story. She’s clearly not on board with him and H eventually takes care of business.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a quick little read, the basis was good. It was enjoyable, but it didn’t hit me as “absolutely amazing”. I know it’s a novella and it won’t be some long drawn out thing. I just hoped there would be a little bit more of a slow burn rather than just reading that it should be a slow burn.
The time lapse was vague, so how much of a slow burn that it was, I have no idea. Was it days? Was it weeks? Months? No idea. There were just a few details that were missing - though it wasn’t a make it or break it aspect.
Hadley just seemed… naive. As an 18 year old I guess that makes sense, but more naive than any 18 year old would be in this space of time. You can still be innocent without being completely oblivious. That being said, for the most part, the actions and reactions she had matched up with her age. I like the age difference aspect, guilty pleasure, whatever. It’s not something that I get to read often because for me there’s “too much” of an age difference. That’s just a personal preference.
The only thing I would say about Damon is… I just wish it wasn’t a one track mind. Hadley. Sex. Mine. Hadley. Mine. Sex. He man-sex- rawr-mine. It got old for me really quick.

That being said, as a one time read, it was enjoyable. Could have been better, but it wasn’t horrible and I’m not sorry I took the time to read it.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story with a simple plot. Hadley has a rough home life, and her step-father is a creeper. Now that she is 18 he feels she is free-game for him to molest. She runs away to a local bar, where she meets ex-con Damon. Damon invites her home, to keep her safe. He is willing to be friends, but does not want anyone else to have her. He helps her get a job as a waitress. Eventually he tells Hadley about his feelings for her.

It was nice to read about regular people for a change. I liked Damon. He is an ex-con, and owns it. He is a mechanic, and an average working joe. Not a fan of Hadley. She does not seem to have much common sense. Who thinks a bar, and alcohol influenced patrons, are a safe place for an 18 year old? Parts of the story were good, parts felt rushed.
I was not a fan of the narration. It sounded choppy, and did not have the flow of regular speech, especially in the beginning. It smoothed out some later in the book. I found this distracting from the story. I would be interested in more stories about Damon.

I received a free copy of this audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's the first I've read/heard by this author. The storyline was interesting and I was hooked from the start as Hadley makes a desperate escape from her home at night when her stepfather sneaks into her bedroom and tries to force himself on her. Ducking in to an open bar for safety, she is spotted by Damon, who immediately steps in to help her and offers her his spare bedroom when she has no where to go. Wonderful chemistry between the two of them. He thinks she is an angel and the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. But he's a felon and doesn't think she'll want him if she knew his past. Hadley thinks Damon is the kindest, most thoughtful person she's ever met, and when she understands he's attracted to her, she makes her own attraction to him clear.

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Erika Annette. She did a good job with the narration. But I was disappointed to not have a strong male voice to narrate Damon as he was tall, muscled, and intimidating, and her "male" voice didn't do it for me. But this was a short book and by the end it didn't bother me anymore.

Overall: 4.5 stars
Story: 5 stars
Performance: 4 stars

[hottie men · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claiming The Runaway is the story of Damon and Hadley.

She runs away from her stepfather who tried to rape her and runs into Damon at the bar and leaves with him. She lives with him until she finds a job and the tension is high. Finally, she has a bad nightmare and he comes in while she screaming and holds her until she calms down and she makes the first move until he breaks and he claims her. Her stepfather blackmails her by telling her he'll land Damon back in jail if she goes back to Damon. Damon is an ex-felon for a crime he had no idea he was committing when he was driving the truck with narcotics. She goes back to her stepfather and as he's trying to touch her, Damon nearly kills him but didn't because of Hadley and also his reputation for crime. HEA and kids included (Paige).

Solid 4/5

[Bluestockings Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

● 72/73 Kindle pages (~19k)
● Free on KU (free to buy today)
● Dual 1st person POV

My standard novella/novelette disclaimer: Since they are too short for major plot/character development, your enjoyment will hinge pretty heavily on whatever tropes (or kinks) you're looking for:

● Instalove
● Blue-collar, alpha-mallow MMC. (He's protective, but really respects her agency.)
● Hurt/Comfort (He tends her injured feet, soothes her nightmare, etc.)
● Mild size kink (huge MMC/petite FMC)
● Naïve virgin FMC (mild corruption kink)

So this was overall pretty good for such a short book, with several "damsel in distress" moments where the MMC is the hero. Smut was good: 3 scenes with some dirty talk, several "Mine!"s & one "good girl". My big complaint is near the end, when the FMC is blackmailed by her stepfather, and makes the utterly horrifying & insane choice to abandon the MMC with no word, and return home to her stepfather, knowing he will rape her. Just to protect the MMC from a threat of returning to jail. (It doesn't get that far, but still!)

(Check my profile for info on my scoring system.)

gratuitous 🥵 quotes:

“Shh,” he quiets me as he strokes my hair, still pushing slowly in. “You’ll adjust to me. I promise, baby, and I’ll go slow.”

&

“Motherfucker,” he groans out in between clenched teeth, “if your little pussy keeps sucking me off like that, I’m gonna get you pregnant again, sweetheart.”

[Chelsea Syrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and would’ve given it 5 stars but the grammatical errors kept pulling me out of the story. Nothing was misspelled, but some words were missing or the wrong word was used (closet instead of closest for example). If the author updates the kindle version with less mistakes, I can give it the proper review. Still, I really enjoyed this novella!

Ps - one small thing that did* bother me story-wise is that Emma uses the same phrase to in every single book of hers I’ve read so far. When the H finally takes the h’s virginity, he will stay still for a moment after busting her cherry and then he says “gotta move”. Maybe switch it up a little so it’s not like the same book.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Hadley and Damon’s story. She escapes stepfather’s advances by running away and wanders into a bar where he comes to her rescue. He’s instantly drawn to her, wants to help her in any way he can, even only as a friend, so he offers her a place to stay. Things turn hot very quickly. This is a sweet and romantic story with a side of heat. I enjoyed how normal he is. In these stories you don't get to see too many heroes with rational thoughts. He knew he needed her in his life and he was planning to keep her any way he could, even only as a friend.

[Monae Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short spicy 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️ read. This is a story about a young woman named Hadley. She was nearly attacked by her stepfather when she ran off. She ended up in a bar barefoot. Guys in the bar noticed her. She ends up being protected by an older guy named Damon. He ends up taking her out of the bar and to his house. You learn that Damon had been in prison for some time. Damon is instantly attracted to Hadley. She feels safe with Damon. Her stepfather ends up finding her but she is saved by Damon. This story was short but quite spicy. I wish this book had been longer.

[laura.lovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all Emma Bray books I‘ve read till bow and this one was no exception.

It’s sweet and steamy and all in between.

She is on the run from her stepfather, who got too touchy and wanted something she didn’t want to give - her virginity. Her mother was too catatonic to care so she run away - barefoot and in her pjs.

That’s how Damon finds her and couldn’t do anything other than helping her.

That’s how she becomes his roommate.

And one night she becomes more and that’s how it will stay.

But than her stepfather comes back…

Tropes:

Virgin FMC
HEA
Instalove

Spice:

🌶️🌶️

[Dorothy Holness · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 ⭐️s

This was okay/good. Hadley was running from her disgusting stepfather who tried to rape her. Thank God she finds Damon. He helps her get on her feet before he claims her for himself. I love HEA. I dislike when the woman is barely legal. But thank goodness Damon was only 8yrs older than her instead of 20 or 30. In the end her stepfather got his just dessert. Okay/good read.

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 2 out of 5]

2✯

°Virgin heroine
°Celibate hero
°Dual POV
°H(26)/h(18)
°Dumb heroine
°Insta love/lust
°OTT alpha hero
°No OW drama
°I didn't like that she made the first move
°The h was almost sexually assaulted twice by her step-father
°No cheating or scenes with OP
°Least favorite line: "This is the most beautiful little pussy I've ever seen, sweetheart." 🙄
°Epilogue: 5 years later -married with a kid

[Shirley Rentzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good

Short books that are actually good are rare! It seems like it's a big thing now but few are written well, this book was good,fairly well written. When I want to read another short book I will definitely keep this writer in mind. Quick, worth your time to read. Shirley

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super sweet and smexy novella ❤

Cute storyline, well written, wonderful characters, and hot smexy times. Everything you're looking for in a palette cleansing novella. This was my first Emma Bray novel and it definitely won't be my last!

Trope: Instalove
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Angst: 😱😱😱/5
Smexy:🔥🔥🔥/5
Triggers: none

[LiLu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

OMG! Loved reading this story. It started off scary, but, somehow she wound up where she was meant to be. The place where her guardian knight just happened to be. No shining armor, definable not an angel, but a good guy who falls fast and hard. And he waits for her and her feelings to catch up. What a fabulous happily always together for them. Yup, loved it!!

[Tracy Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadley realizes she must leave when her step-dad starts to get out of line. She has no where to go and no plan in place she just runs. When she enters the bar barefoot she draws the attention of Damon the tattooed, muscled bad boy. He wants to protect her and see's how frightened she is. You'll enjoy this short and steamy read!

[Tamotha clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Sweetheart

This quick short story with a great storyline and has so much details for I enjoyed every moment of this. And he male lead is a great boyfriend and the female character. I was delight from the beginning to the happy ending. I will be reading more books by this author. Emma Bray.

[Alex Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4/5
I kind of hate how much I loved this one. Hadley was so vulnerable but Damon was so patient with her. He never pushed her for anything and was content loving her as his roommate.
He protects her a couple times from her dirt bag stepfather.

TW: attempted rape by stepfather (twice)
No cheating. No breakup. Low angst. Child (4year old daughter) in epilogue 5 years in the future.

[Readiculous 📚🖤👱🏼‍♀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexa Riley move over because Emma Bray has entered the building!! Even though this book had many similarities with the previous book I read (stalker’s obsession), I still liked it a lot! An totally OTT hero and storyline, but utterly delicious! Wonderful escapism, short and sweet! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️