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Stealing Away: When Wrong is the Only Choice
What would you do with someone else’s identity?
Jaynie is hiding something. Everything. But she has planned her getaway meticulously. What can go wrong?
Three new identities? Check.
Money? Check.
Three-day head start? Mistake.
Getting involved with Zach? Mistake.
When their paths intersect, neither could have predicted the explosive outcome.
Zach is determined to discover Jaynie’s secrets, without revealing his own. But Jaynie knows better than to trust him.
When the people chasing her close in, Jaynie is confronted with a shocking new threat. She must make a drastic, agonizing decision to save herself. Or save Zach. Could she possibly do both?
Jaynie is hiding something. Everything. But she has planned her getaway meticulously. What can go wrong?
Three new identities? Check.
Money? Check.
Three-day head start? Mistake.
Getting involved with Zach? Mistake.
When their paths intersect, neither could have predicted the explosive outcome.
Zach is determined to discover Jaynie’s secrets, without revealing his own. But Jaynie knows better than to trust him.
When the people chasing her close in, Jaynie is confronted with a shocking new threat. She must make a drastic, agonizing decision to save herself. Or save Zach. Could she possibly do both?
Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2021
7 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
About the author
Amy Ruth Allen
29 books128 followersAmy Ruth Allen writes uplifting, wholesome women's fiction set in small towns and featuring a parade of quirky and lovable characters. The heartwarming Finch's Crossing series evokes the special joys of the seasons as the four Hamilton sisters search for love, personal fulfillment, and a renewed connection to the place they call home.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 27, 2021
This was a short but cute story. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The author did a good job depicting trauma and the constant anxiety that would come with being on the run. I would have liked it more if there was an epilogue included of her life 5 or 10 years later, but that is more on me being an optimist. Good job to the author!
August 14, 2025
Absolutely riveting! Stealing Away had me hooked from the very first page and didn’t let go until the final twist—one I never saw coming. Jaynie is a character you can’t help but root for, even as she makes dangerous choices to escape a life she never asked for. Her courage, vulnerability, and quick thinking had me turning pages late into the night.
The tension is perfectly balanced with moments of raw emotion, and every new reveal pulled me deeper into the mystery. Zach’s presence adds another layer of intrigue—can he be trusted, or is he just another threat in disguise? The cat-and-mouse chase across the country is fast-paced, unpredictable, and utterly addictive.
Amy Ruth Allen’s storytelling is sharp, engaging, and filled with heart. This is not just a suspense novel—it’s a story about survival, trust, and finding strength in the most impossible situations. If you love gripping, twist-filled reads that keep you up past your bedtime, Stealing Away is a must-read!
The tension is perfectly balanced with moments of raw emotion, and every new reveal pulled me deeper into the mystery. Zach’s presence adds another layer of intrigue—can he be trusted, or is he just another threat in disguise? The cat-and-mouse chase across the country is fast-paced, unpredictable, and utterly addictive.
Amy Ruth Allen’s storytelling is sharp, engaging, and filled with heart. This is not just a suspense novel—it’s a story about survival, trust, and finding strength in the most impossible situations. If you love gripping, twist-filled reads that keep you up past your bedtime, Stealing Away is a must-read!
July 7, 2020
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book in the little free library in front of my home - dropped in by the author herself who is local to my area.
This book is the story of a young woman who feels trapped in her current situation. The only way she can see out of the situation that is her life is (as the title suggests) by choosing "wrong". This book pulled me in and had me rooting for Jaynie to get out, to start a new life, to succeed in the wrong choices she made.
My favorite thing about this book is that it reminds me that its never too late to start being the person you want to be.
This book is the story of a young woman who feels trapped in her current situation. The only way she can see out of the situation that is her life is (as the title suggests) by choosing "wrong". This book pulled me in and had me rooting for Jaynie to get out, to start a new life, to succeed in the wrong choices she made.
My favorite thing about this book is that it reminds me that its never too late to start being the person you want to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2021
Overall rating of 3.5 stars. The premise of the book was interesting but some of the details didn’t make sense.
The reveal that Zach is actually 22 years old masquerading as a high school kid didn’t make sense. Why would witness protection place an adult back in high school? Why is he dating a teenage girl?
They almost immediately go from dating to new identities as a married couple. The insta-love just doesn’t do it for me, especially considering that Zach is actually an adult. The book was interesting enough for me to finish it but not something that I would read again.
The reveal that Zach is actually 22 years old masquerading as a high school kid didn’t make sense. Why would witness protection place an adult back in high school? Why is he dating a teenage girl?
They almost immediately go from dating to new identities as a married couple. The insta-love just doesn’t do it for me, especially considering that Zach is actually an adult. The book was interesting enough for me to finish it but not something that I would read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! Quick-paced and exciting, I thought about it long after I finished it. The twists and turns kept the pages turning. I don't read a lot of young adult fiction, but this was a great book and I'll be reading more from this author!
November 1, 2016
17. a tough age. it’s even worse when your step-dad is an abusive criminal and your mom an addict.
Jaynie’s solution is to run the hell away and never go back. Start over somewhere really safe and nice. But how to get the money? how to stay safe? how to cover your tracks? How to enroll in a new high school?
Steal.
steal identies. steal money. when it runs out, steal some more.
that’s the premise of Amy Ruth Allen’s new book.
We like Jaynie in spite of her thieving. or maybe because of it? it kept me turning pages to find out whether Jaynie gets caught or not.
But this book is not really a thriller; most of the story concerns Jaynie’s romance with a mysterious guy who, like Jaynie, seems to be hiding who he really is.
this gave me another reason to keep turning pages: to find out if they lived happily ever after or if maybe he turned out to be a total jerk. I really wanted Jaynie to keep her new life, and for Zach to be part of it, but I suspected that he was too good to be true and that everything was going to go up in flames with this guy and would catch fire to everything else Jaynie had built (stolen?).
the writing style was straight-forward and easy to follow, unlike books like E Lockhart’s We Were Liars, which is half novel, half verse.
It was a fun page turner and I’d recommend it to fans of YA books like John Green’s Paper Towns.
This is not one of those books like Vanished by E. E. Cooper that ends in a frustrating cliffhanger. Jaynie’s journey ends in a very unexpected place, but all loose ends are tied off. It’s a good debut novel and definitely worth a dollar, which is what the e-book is selling for on Amazon.
Jaynie’s solution is to run the hell away and never go back. Start over somewhere really safe and nice. But how to get the money? how to stay safe? how to cover your tracks? How to enroll in a new high school?
Steal.
steal identies. steal money. when it runs out, steal some more.
that’s the premise of Amy Ruth Allen’s new book.
We like Jaynie in spite of her thieving. or maybe because of it? it kept me turning pages to find out whether Jaynie gets caught or not.
But this book is not really a thriller; most of the story concerns Jaynie’s romance with a mysterious guy who, like Jaynie, seems to be hiding who he really is.
this gave me another reason to keep turning pages: to find out if they lived happily ever after or if maybe he turned out to be a total jerk. I really wanted Jaynie to keep her new life, and for Zach to be part of it, but I suspected that he was too good to be true and that everything was going to go up in flames with this guy and would catch fire to everything else Jaynie had built (stolen?).
the writing style was straight-forward and easy to follow, unlike books like E Lockhart’s We Were Liars, which is half novel, half verse.
It was a fun page turner and I’d recommend it to fans of YA books like John Green’s Paper Towns.
This is not one of those books like Vanished by E. E. Cooper that ends in a frustrating cliffhanger. Jaynie’s journey ends in a very unexpected place, but all loose ends are tied off. It’s a good debut novel and definitely worth a dollar, which is what the e-book is selling for on Amazon.
November 15, 2016
'Stealing Away: When Wrong is the Only Choice' by Amy Ruth Allen is a deeply introspective look into the life of a girl who has become deeper and deeper involved in a mess, at least partially of her own making. The story is one of courage, stamina, and defeating the odds - a combination that is not easily mastered, but which keeps readers' attention as they learn whether Jaynie will win or lose at the crapshoot that has taken over her life.
To read the full review, visit http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaindie...
To read the full review, visit http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaindie...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews