Review: Running Scared by Lisa Jackson

Sometimes you pick up a book because the cover pulls you in. Sometimes it’s because someone recommended it, or maybe it’s because you researched it for three weeks. Sometimes it is because someone wrapped it up and called it a blind date with a book.

I bought Running Scared by Lisa Jackson from a vendor market (one I’m attending as a vendor myself soon!). I knew only that it was a suspense novel, but I’d never heard of Lisa Jackson before.

The setup was adorable. They wrapped the book in brown kraft paper and included a bookmark, some stickers, and a highlighter. For a blind date with a book, it was done well. What ultimately drew me in was that I’d never had a blind date with a book before, so there was this feeling of being left out. I had to participate.

The premise had me interested. Kate Summers illegally adopts Jon, an unwanted baby from a rich family. Fifteen years later, his biological father discovers he exists and moves to be near him. His father, Deagan, isn’t trying to take his son away from his mother; he’s trying to protect his son from the family that didn’t want him in the first place. Jon’s biological grandfather is dying, and now he wants to have a relationship with the boy he once tried to make disappear.

Honestly, this was enough of a premise. It created suspense on its own, with no need for much else.

What I Enjoyed

What I enjoyed about the book was the multiple POVs. I always prefer multiple POV because I think it rounds out a story. Especially here, it gave a perspective on a situation that the FMC didn’t or wouldn’t have had. The past of how and why Kate ended up with Jon was a tangled web, and the multiple timelines gave plenty of context for what was happening in the present-day story.

There was plenty of family drama, which I mostly don’t mind, but I will give a warning that the incest was pretty bad in this story and was a key element in why Jon came into being.

I also really enjoyed the chemistry between Kate and Deagan. They made a cute couple, and I cheered for them even as they kept getting in each other’s way, which annoyed me.

What Didn’t Work for Me

Unfortunately, not everything meshed well.

The first issue was Jon Summers’ supernatural gift. It felt out of place. I expect a special element to have an impact when it appears. Instead, the author added the supernatural gift as a plot device to make Jon a social outcast and label him as a troubled kid at school. He could have been this without a special gift. Bullies can be cruel for any number of reasons. Jon could have been overly shy, awkward about his body, had red hair, or feared because he lived in a house where someone was murdered thirty years ago. I think the author introduced the gift to “add suspense,” although it wasn’t needed.

Another issue I noticed was that they depicted the FMC as a strong woman, yet her anxiety consistently seemed to dominate her. Kate Summers leaves everything she knows behind with a newborn and moves clear across the country. She puts herself through college, provides for her son, solves problems, and builds a life for herself. But she’s always haunted by Jon’s “gift” and worried that the people from his past will catch up to her. To me, the constant anxiety conflicts with the characterization I’m being set up to accept.

Kate is also struggling with her little boy growing up. Jon doesn’t want to be a mama’s boy anymore; he wants independence, and Kate is too much of a helicopter mom to let him have it.

I believe what bothered me is that anxiety and fear influenced every thought, phrase, and movement. It was too much, or could have at least been done with more care.

The Romance

As for the romance between Kate and Deagan, as I said, I believed their chemistry. The relationship added to the story overall, and I’m happy that they ended up together, but the journey to love didn’t work for me. It felt like the author was aiming for a slow burn but accelerated through the actual progression.

The sex scenes felt like an add-on as well, but that’s a personal preference. What I think is an add-on may not feel like that to another reader. That particular thing does not affect my star rating.

The Pacing

Finally, while I liked the multiple POV, I found the mid-chapter changes sometimes confusing, and found that some scenes went on longer than necessary. The backstories of all the characters were important, but they often made the present-day things feel like it was moving at a snail’s pace. Sadly, the ending was rushed and predictable.

My Takeaway as an Indie Author

My takeaway from this book as an indie author is this: it is important to make sure everything in the plot makes sense for the plot and characters.

Some questions I need to ask myself about my own manuscript are:

• Does the subplot contribute to the story or drag it down?

• Does a certain character trait make sense?

• If I introduce something unusual, does it actually matter, or is it there just for fun?

• Am I adding complexity just for the sake of complexity?

• Do the characters behave consistently throughout the book?

• Does the ending have enough room to be properly resolved?

Final Verdict: ⭐⭐½

I stand by my purchase of “blind date with a book,” because the suspense novel offered many engaging aspects and the central plot revealed a compelling thriller. I don’t know if I would recommend this book, and it’s not one that will stick with me, if you know what I mean. I’m glad I took the blind date; I’m just not sure I’d ask this one for a second. 😄