✔ Forced Proximity
✔ Small Town
✔ Second Chance Romance
✔ SLOW burn
✔ New Adult

Honestly Meghan Quinn can do no wrong with these tropes.

I picked this book up since I am getting married and wanted to side track my mind. I ended up devouring this book in one day! This book is so cute! Meghan did a great job setting the tone from the first chapter!

3.5 stars
This book was okay, just not great.
I enjoyed the storyline, but at some points it just felt slow and the dialogue seemed to be a bit pointless.
I loved the dual POV (who doesn’t) and Sawyer was the best character, will Fallon falling a bit flat for me. But loved the side characters and their input.
The romance was a real slow burn, with a smaller spicey scene than I was expecting but still good

This book had so much story in it. Where to begin... First of the blind date that went horribly bad, but hey at least you got a free steak out of it.. Then to be so unforgettable the next time you meet, what a blow to the ego. The blue suit and missing shoe groomsman. Yes, you heard that right. Throw in some awesome and fun characters that help you figure out life, when you're lost, and you've got a great book that's hard to put down.

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn was a funny, quick read for me. Sawyer storming out of his ex’s wedding, flipping off the bride and his best friend groom on the way, and leaving a his powder blue shoe on the church stairs was such a fantastic opening scene and really set this book up to shine.

Sawyer ends up in the California mountain town of Canoodle, running into an ex-blind date, Fallon, and her adorable crew. BFF Jazlyn, sweet Grandpa, Sully and the rest of the town, including the mayoral cat.

Full of sarcasm, wit and odes to Quinn’s previous novels and characters, this is definitely a page turner. I loved Sawyer. He really stole the show. I felt like maybe I didn’t get to know Fallon as well or maybe I just didn’t understand her quick behavioral turn-around with Sawyer. There’s a bit of a love triangle, and a lot of slow burn.

While covering heavier topics, including Alzheimer’s, this book is a light read overall. Rating 3.5 overall.

Meghan Quinn is a genius at writing romantic comedies and with her latest book “Runaway Groomsman”, she adds just enough family drama to make it one of the best books she has ever written. I love the characters, the storyline, the witty banter and the reflective nature of Fallon and Sawyer. I adore Fallon and the devotion she has for her grandfather and when Sully needed someone to care for him and help run the family business, she dropped everything and rushed to be by his side. Fallon’s love for her grandfather runs deep and I admire her thoughtfulness, compassion and selfless personality.

The peaceful setting for our story, the quaint Canoodle Cove Cabins, was the perfect place for new beginnings, recapturing the past and falling in love. Sawyer arrived out of nowhere, tempting Fallon with his kindness and charming ways. He loves the cozy and secluded cabins but he is more interested in the spunky and beautiful proprietress. He felt at home almost immediately and knew that fate had sent him to help Fallon when she needed it the most.

I loved everything about this book from Sawyer’s finesse with woodworking tools, the patience he showed for Fallon’s grandfather and the creativeness he had as they spruced up the cabins. His kindness was honest and heartfelt and he quickly became my favorite Meghan Quinn hero. He worked tirelessly, with Sully as his supervisor, to bring the magic back to the cabins, the picnic tables and to one very special bench. Just seeing Sully smile as he reminisced about courting his late wife Joannie at the cabins, were all the thanks Sawyer would ever need. This is the kind of book that only comes around once in a while and stays with you forever. Of course it was funny and made me laugh, but it also showed me that family always comes first and love is always a wonderful surprise.

Runaway Groomsman was an amazing read!!
It starts with a bang… Sawyer is the runaway groomsman… he is running away from his ex marrying his friend! I laughed picturing the scene. I laughed picturing him wearing his tuxedo …. What a suit it was!!

He ends in the town of Canoodle and decides to keep a low profile there… away from the gossips and the paparazzi!

Fallon moved back to Canoodle to look after her grandpa , Sully and to help him renovates the cabins.

Sawyer gets to know Sully and I have found their relationship so endearing. I loved every scene with both of them… the bench, the clock

Jaz needs to be mentioned as she also brought so much to the story! The interactions between her and Julia were comedy gold!!

'I swooned. I laughed. I felt every degree of emotion.
Runaway Groomsman is utterly delicious - every single ingredient for the perfect love story is here in this fun and witty story.

Canoodle is a magical place and I loved the storytelling as I fell under its spell.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Runaway Groomsman was one of my favorite reads of 2022 so far! I loved the premise of the story: Hollywood screenplay writer is forced to attend his ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend's wedding after they cheated on him, but goes viral for running out during the vows. To escape the media storm, Sawyer ends up hiding out in Canoodle, staying in a cabin rented by a girl he once went on a blind date with. The attention to detail in the story is amazing--Meghan Quinn doesn't allow anything to slip through the cracks. The hero, who easily could have come across as arrogant, is actually humble and down-to-earth, made relatable to the reader through his self-deprecating humor and acts of kindness. I loved the fun side notes from Sawyer about how this would be different if it was a movie-- a fun twist on the whole book. The hero of this book writes romance so the whole story is very romantic and swoon-worthy. This is my first Meghan Quinn but certainly not my last! Perfect for fans of Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score.

This was such a fun story! I adored the characters of Sawyer and Fallon and really wanted the best for them both.

The runaway groomsman is a slow burn romance that starts off with Sawyer making a very dramatic exit from his friend and ex girl friends wedding.

If you are a fan of slow burn second chance romance set in a small town then you will love this one!

4 Stars

Adorably sweet and funny. No one writes a quirky heroine quite like Meghan Quinn and I’m always here for it. Fallon is struggling to bring her grandpa’s flailing cabins back to life in the cozy small town of Canoodle. Sawyer has had enough of the wedding of his ex-girlfriend and best friend and makes a run for it in the middle of the ceremony. And what better place to run than the cozy little cabins in Canoodle.

This story was just too cute and as always, has the best secondary characters that just help make the story even better. It was definitely a slow burn. Fallon did her very best to not fall for the handsome screenwriter lol. But in the end, things worked out how they should. Overall, good story with lots of heart and laughter.

Angela - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

I've been meaning to try one of Meghan Quinn's books for a while now, and I couldn't resist Runaway Groomsman when I read the blurb. There was something about the Hollywood angle and small town setting that hit the mark for me, and I liked the promise of Fallon and Sawyer as main characters. I've been looking forward to read it, and now that I did I'm happy to say that I've found a new romance author to follow. This was such a fun, touching and mainly uplifting slowburn romance!

The story starts with a bang, and it sets the tone for the rest of the plot. I really liked the contrast of the Hollywood screenwriter suddenly finding himself in a small town... Especially with the town itself sounding so charming. Canoodle makes for the perfect backdrop of this story, and I loved the many discriptions of the town, its quirky inhabitants and the cabins itself. I also liked the importance of the cabins to Fallon, and the focus on family and working to keep memories of the past alive.

There was just something about both main characters that made me root for them. Sawyer has a rough start in Runaway Groomsman as he keeps getting himself in awkward situations... But the way he acts and interacts with Sully as well as Fallon soon won me over. Talking about Sully, I could really appreciate how the alzheimer element was incorporated into the plot, and how the different characters all tried their best to help him. Fallon makes for a great main character too, and I like how driven she is and how she isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in.

That said, I wasn't too much of a fan of the love triangle (especially since Fallon stays with her boyfriend for more than half of the story), and this did made me like her a tiny bit less. I also could have done without the drama close to the end of the story; I don't think it was necessary adding the conflict after such a long building up of the romance. The slowburn romance was definitely very slow indeed, and I know this might bother some people... I personally didn't mind, and the story had just the right amount of steam for me.

I really liked the writing style and the banter incorporated into the dialogues, and the secondary characters were brilliant. I had so much fun reading this story, and what I liked is that Runaway Groomsman had a great balance of the light and fluffy with more serious topics. This story definitely ended up being a hit for me, and I can't wait to try more of her books soon!

I am so disappointed to write this review with this rating. In the past I have loved all of Meghan Quinn's books but this one was a struggle to get through.

In this second chance romance we meet Fallon and Sawyer. Sawyer, the groomsman who ran away in the mist of his ex's wedding after being forced into being the best man, finds himself in the small town of Canoodle. While hiding out from the fallout of his exit from the wedding, he reunites with Fallon whom he did not realize he had a past with.

Sawyer, puts her life on hold to care for her grandfather and run his inn. She learns that the family business is not doing that well and that in order to keep it she needs to save it first.

This book started out having me hooked but then once the dust settled with Sawyer and he started hiding out, it slowed way down making it hard to stay interested in. I resigned myself to these feelings all before I got to what felt like a rushed ending since the story needed to be tied up. I understand that slow burn romances don't take off running at page one but on the other hand at one point it felt like the story stopped.

In the end, this book was just okay for me and I look forward to seeing that is next from Ms. Quinn.

I really enjoyed this book, the love stories and how all the relationships came together and changed over time. A really good feel-good book.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.

Absolutely loved this book! I loved grandpa sully the most! He was fun, quirky and kept Fallon and Sawyer on their toes!

I absolutely loved the Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn. I'm a big fan of Quinn's other books, but this one really topped them all. I loved the slow burn relationship between Fallon (the small-town girl) and Sawyer (the Hollywood screenwriter). The background characters, specifically Jaz (Fallon's crazy best friend), Sully (Fallon's grandfather with Alzheimer's), and Fallon's two dads gave so much comedy and color to the story. A must-read for any romance book lover!

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn gave me all the feels.

Our story starts with the wedding of Sawyer's ex-girlfriend and famous ex-best friend. Sawyer has been roped into being contractually obligated to be the best man for his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him with his ex-best friend. Yes, read that again. The movie studio felt it's only right for the screenwriter of the movie that brought these two together to be seen as a supportive cast member. Pretending not to care that he was cheated on by these two is making his insides burn.

On the day of the wedding, Sawyer makes it halfway through the wedding until he's had too much and flips the double bird to the bride and groom before running out of the church.

The Runaway Groomsman was a slow burn, well executed romantic comedy. It features a second chance romance with a backdrop of a classic romance,
Will Fallon, caretaker of her Grandfather Sully and his cabins in Canoodle, CA be able to turn the cabins into a thriving business and also find time for herself?

I loved Sawyer. I thought he was well developed and made me wish we all could be as self reflective as him. He showed how being vulnerable and humble helps with growth and personal growth. Sawyer is a book boyfriend for the ages.

Fallon and her best friend Jaz left me wanting. I just wasn't in love with either of them. Jaz was an incredibly devoted best friend who would slash your boyfriends' tires if they pissed you off. But she also was extremely opinionated and aggressive to both her best friend and others. The story arcs did give Jaz more of a clearer picture of why she acted as she does towards the end, but I would have loved more breadcrumbs earlier.

I think this book will excite those who love romantic comedies, small towns, second chance romances and slow burns.

Meghan Quinn, you are an incredible writer. I love reading your work. They make me laugh, cry and reflect on the many highlighted passages I saved. So many passages. Oh to be able to name my own hiking trails. The bar has been set.

Solid 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book, which is not abnormal because I always enjoy Meghan's books! This book was funny, cute, and incrediby readable. I would definitely recommend it!

What happens when your well crafted life slowly spins out of control? Having the perfect friend and girlfriend fall for one another and standing up at their wedding has to be a crime against humanity! Becoming the runaway groomsmen gave Sawyer a chance to live one again and find what was missing from his life. An absolute hilarious and heartwarming story!