The Runaround

By: Sylvie Stewart

Narrated by: Matt Hicks, Reagan West

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

Men are good for two things: orgasms and reaching the wine glasses on the top shelf.

Ari

I’ve always said boyfriends are like martinis. They’re lots of fun at first, but the longer you indulge, the bigger headache they’ll give you. With career goals to crush and more than a few balls in the air, there’s no place in my life for the messy complications of love. Jax Crosby thinks he can tempt me to lose control, and he’s using his daughter to reel me in. 

He’d be dangerously easy to fall for, but there are more important things in life than love, aren’t there?  

Jax

I like to stay two steps ahead. That way, I’m never surprised. But even I didn’t see this one coming. 

Congratulations to me - I’m a freakin’ dad. Now, I’ve got a teenage daughter who hates me, an ex who wants to cut things off my body I’m not ready to part with, and an attraction to a curvy songbird that couldn’t have come at a worse time. 

But I’ve never met a situation I couldn’t handle, and I’ve never let a female get the best of me. So, why do I have the feeling Ariana Amante might be one more thing I never saw coming?

Buy The Runaround and get your hot single dad fix tonight!

©2019 Sylvie Stewart (P)2020 Sylvie Stewart

Wonderful Heartwarming Story

I asked to receive this free review Audible book and wrote this unbiased review. This is the first book that I have listened to by this author. What a delightful, serious, and funny story. Let me tell you, a drunk Ari is a riot and will have you laughing out loud. The author's character and plot development are what memorable stories are made of. We watch as Jax goes from a carefree divorced man to the father of a 14 year old daughter that he never knew he had. She has a secret as to why she would rather be on her phone than talk to her dad. I love how the author develops this relationship. Ari and Jax take awhile to develop their relationship also. Through this story we see how communication solves problems.

The narrators do a superb job of portraying the emotions and personalities of these characters. They give the characters distinctive voices and bring them to life. I loved listening to them! I highly recommend this Audible book. It is such a heartwarming story!

Darlin’

Talk about sexy drawl! I didn’t know I had a thing for sexy drawls until I heard Matt! It was just dang sexy.
Jax and Ari are just a matchmade in heaven. All that sexy bantering was right up my alley. Love this series, so sad to see it end.

Ahhhhhhh!

Just had a Sylvie marathon! Book 6 just as wonderful as 1-5! I have so fallen in love with these characters! They feel like my friends and family!! And Reagan and Matt did a great job with the narration!!!!
I did request this free audiobook and am giving an honest review voluntarily!!
This whole series is Definitely worth a listen!! So much fun!!!

Sassy, Snarky fun loving characters!

This author has done it again! She has the sassy, snarky, fun loving characters down to a T. This is one of my favorite series. I love these characters. I thought I had this book figured out but then a 14 yo dropped in and woosh....everything changed. Great Story!

There is an array of funny fast talking scenes. My favorite is the fortune telling texts between Ari and Jax. I also have many passages highlighted. Words of wisdom and other amazing thoughts by the characters.

I loved seeing all the characters from this series. They still make me laugh with their antics. It’s always a good time reading one of these.

I did listen to this on audio! Matt Hicks and Reagan West did a wonderful job!

You had me a single dad

There’s something about a single dad. This story had perfect witty banter, flowing story plots and good narrators.

Making pretty women smile

I've been waiting (impatiently) for this book to hit Audible after bingeing the rest of the series. I love the sass from both Ari and Jax in print, and I could not wait to hear Jax's "Ariana" come to life. The narrator did not disappoint. Both narrators did a great job in their telling of Sylvie's story, bringing these characters to life and the almost family love story this book brings.

Fantastic RomCom & Listen🎧 Lots of Heart & Humor!

I loved everything about this book, from Sylvie Stewart’s writing style to the wonderful storylines and characters she creates. Carolina Connections has become one of my favorite series, each book is unique in its own way featuring characters who may have been secondary characters in earlier books or newcomers to the group. I love the friendships and camaraderie amongst them and bonds that have formed throughout the series. This book brings us to Ari and Jax’s story, after meeting Ari in Liv & Brett’s book I knew she had to have her own story, she is full of personality and sass. Ari is a strong and independent woman, she works holds several jobs with an idea of working for herself one day. She does not have the best judgement when it comes to men and when she sees Jax she sees trouble. Jax Crosby recently found out he has a teenage daughter, Lola. He is usually a charmer with the women but he has no clue how to talk to Lola or how to get her to talk to him. He comes up with a plan, knowing Lola likes certain music he asks Ari to give Lola music lessons. I adored Lola, she comes off as a typical angsty teenager at first but she turns out to be much more perceptive and wise beyond her years, as most teenagers, LOL! She often stole the show in this story. I loved Arie with her and then Ari with Jax after she realized what was going on. I loved how everything plays out in this book, there is never a dull moment with plenty of drama, angst, lots of great humor and laughs, heartfelt and moving moments and some hot romance. Sylvie Stewart, thank you for another awesome book, I love your work!

Matt Hicks and Reagan West are terrific narrators and voice artists. They did a great job portraying the characters and bringing them to life, giving each their own voice and personality. You could hear how much heart they put into their work as they captured and projected the characters emotions into their performance. They landed the humor flawlessly too. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank your for this great listen🎧

The Runaround

A single dad romance that has some really fun and quirky parts as well as parts that make you want to throw your phone because of really dumb decisions. Luckily they learn and grow from their mistakes and we have a perfect ending making a new family.

4.5 stars

This was a fun, funny, loving, heartwarming, HEA romantic story. It’s full of feelings and it will leave a lasting effect on you! Great narrative also!

It was good

This book was good, the narration was great but the story was just good. I liked the characters but nothing happened the plot was just OK there wasn’t much excitement and there was almost no angst at all.

Hilarious yet sweet

If you’ve been reading through the Carolina Connections series (of which this is the 6th book) you will know of both Jax and Ari as they both popped up in several of the previous books in the series. But don’t worry if this is your first foray into Carolina Connections or indeed Sylvie Stewart, as this book stands completely alone with its own HEA.

At first, our heroine Ari comes across as a bit of a party girl - reeling men in with her pin-up girl good looks and then discarding them when they no longer served a purpose for her. But as we get to know her, we realise that nothing could be further from the truth. She’s actually an overly sensible girl (yes, still with the pin-up girl good looks) who is very unlucky in love and works hard so her dreams can come true. I liked her immensely. She was sassy, mouthy but still sensible - I think I might have fallen in love.

In the audiobook, Ari is portrayed by Reagan West and a great job she does of her, too. Her tone and inflection are just as I would suspect Ari’s would be. She got the nuances and she was a joy to listen to. I did feel that Ms West’s accent when depicting Mr and Mrs Amante - Ari’s parents who are supposed to be Italian immigrants - was suspiciously Indian sounding. But the meaning was there so it didn’t affect my rating.

Jax is our hero and never a more laid-back, Southern charmer of a man was there. His drawl was delightful and the push and pull between him and Ari was really fun to listen to. Part of the background for Jax’s character was his sudden fatherhood. While children are never a plus point in romances, for me, Lola was a peach and the growing and changing relationship between father and daughter really added to how much I liked Jax. And Lola, too.

Jax is voiced by Matt Hicks and if slow talking, shucks y’all, laid back men are your thing, darlin’, then you will adore this listen. He is the perfect Jax and portrayed him well.

This book reminds me of the first two books in the Carolina Connections series. It’s got that sparkle and joy about it and it’s also ridiculously funny. Ari and Jax are the perfect pairing. They love hard and they bicker and banter just as hard. This is a delightful book and the perfect showcase of Sylvie Stewart’s romcom expertise. I laughed out loud on many occasion - an actual LOL. This book reminds me why I’ve come to love Ms Stewart’s writing style and why I’m rating another of her books with 5 stars.

Fabulous!

Honestly I think I am becoming addicted to Sylvie Stewart's words.
The Runaround is another brilliant read ,I Loved it.
Jax and Ari are so much fun.
Their attraction is just electric .
Jax unexpectedly finds himself a father to a 14 year old girl Lola, who he knew Nothing about.So hiring Ari to give her singing lessons he is hoping it will get them to bond and stop Lola hating him so much.
Of course sparks fly between Jax and Ari and she finds herself becoming an important fixture in Lola and Jax's life.
But ....yes there is always a but ...nothing is ever smooth running,and we have drama and angst and romance all mixed in...to give this funny sexy story it's page turning quality.
The Narration for this story was just pure class ,Excellent by Matt Hicks and Reagan West..they portrayed Jax and Ari absolutely Perfectly.
The rumble of Matt Hicks' Voice will send anyone into a frenzy I know I certainly was hanging on his every word...I definitely want to listen to more of his narrations.
I love Reagan West I have listen to her before and she always gives a magnificent performance.
I really enjoyed listening to this book 5 Stars all around.
Fantastic.

Fun

We finally get to learn more about Jax! This was a cute story full of teenage angst, love, heartbreak and family!
I wish it had a bit more of Fiona in it, but it wasn’t her story.

Laughed and laughed

Matt Hicks and Reagan West are such great narrators.

Do we have drama,,Oh yes. Ex hateful wife and teenage daughter A woman who believes men are headaches.

You know when Ari and Jax get together we, will have drama, misunderstanding and lots of laughing out loud moments

Brilliant and fun listen.

Dangerous book

This is such an amazing book that it is kinda dangerous. I may or may not have sprayed my drink all over my table due to laughing so hard. There was some very genuine and sweet moments that just added to the overall enjoyment that I felt while listening to this story.

Loved the story and the characters and the narrator just added to my enjoyment.

Absolutely fabulous 💕

I really loved this story and all the characters involved. The way that Jax and Auri develop their relationship in such a flirtatious way is so funny, and the slow sometimes painful way he eventually becomes close to his daughter Lola. The narrators did an amazing job of bringing all the characters to life and I highly recommend this whole series.

Laugh out loud good!

Sylvie Stewart does it again. Her humor is laugh out loud good and this has to be one of the best books yet. A single dad with a teenage girl and an ex who hates him. Ari is a woman who believes men are just there for the short term. When these two get together, the banter is hysterical. I had to stifle quite a few giggles as to not wake anyone as I listened. There is so much in this story, there is drama and angst but the comedy helps to balance it all out. I could not get enough of Jax and Ari. Being a mom of adult children, I easily remember those teenage years and related well to Jax. Ari is such a strong, determined woman. It was fun to follow Jax as he broke through her walls. THis series has been so much fun, I cannot wait for the next installment.

Matt Hicks and Reagan West really brought out the laughs with their narration. matt was the perfect Jax. He really brought Jax to life. Matt has a great voice to listen to and I enjoyed his narration of Jax. Reagan really brought out the strong characteristics of Ari. Ari was an intriguing character, and Reagan easily brought her to life. Matt and Reagan's narration enhanced the overall experience of this story.

Listen to the audio version

The Runaround is a stand alone in the Carolina Connections series. You don't have to listen to the others to enjoy this one, but characters from the previous books appear frequently so it does make it more enjoyable. This one had a little more relationship drama than I generally like, but Sylvie Stewart threw enough humor into the rough patches for me to like the story overall.

This was the first audiobook I've listened to by either Reagan West or Matt Hicks, but they both did a fabulous job bringing the characters to life. Their performances really added to the story and I would highly recommend the audio version over reading it.

I'm headed to Drunkytown!!

I loved this rom-com! It ended with a great uplifted feeling. I loved the humor, especially the "Drunkytown" scene. Both narrators did great, too! I've never heard Matt Hicks before but he has a great voice and really performs his characters.

I didn't realize I had read another book in this series and just could not get into it. I'm glad that wasn't in my mind going into this one. It was a pleasure to read!

The author provided me with a free audio copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Single Dad Romance

Standalone in a series of recurring characters. What a great story. Both main characters got into their own heads at one point or another but a wonderful HEA. I loved all the family and friends. Jax is building a relationship with his teenage daughter that he just found out about and a new girlfriend. I love the Narrators, they did a fabulous job. I recommend this book.

🎧Audiobook Obsession