Wild Highway (Runaway Book 2)

(Voluntarily reviewed an eARC of the book on For The Love of Fictional Worlds)I don't know how Ms. Perry does it; but she always finds a way to make sure that whenever I read her books, I will always end up impacted because of the characters, the story and the emotions she evokes in the books she writes!Gemma Lane, one of the runaway kids (whose journey started in Runaway Road -  Read My Review) - is a successful business  woman; she has moved so far beyond from the kid who had to run away from a home that was unsafe; lived in a tent in a junkyard with other runaway kid but she still hasn't left behind the insecurities, the fear and anxiety of the life she led.But now, she realizes that while she has had left the poor part of her life behind; she still doesn't seem to be that attached to her own company - considering the fact that she was ready to actually sell off the first chance to got. So she does; what anyone would have done in her place - she ended up contacting Londyn (of Runaway Road fame!0 and taking her car to one of their mutual friends. On the way, she makes a detour to find one of the other runaway kids, and her best friend who she left without a backward glance when she was young.What she doesn't know is that this journey would end up giving her all that she didn't know she wanted and and so much more!Wild Highway is an emotional read - told in dual PoVs - Gemma an the boy; now man Gemma once loved and left, Easton - it is a second chance romance that is the perfect balance between angst and romance and understanding of anxieties, fears and overcoming them.Devney Perry's books are the perfect pick for those times when you need to fall into a brilliantly written plot line, amazing characters that you can't help root for and a story that you would read over and over again!

I love Devney Perry’s books they have that great mixture of sincerity in all the characters. A heart wrenching depth of feeling and emotions that you need in this genre. I’ve read it in three hours because her books to me are just so addictive and I need to know that every character has a HEA. I’ve got three more to go, Sleep is for the weak

I loved this story! Couldn't get enough of Gemma and Easton. Stubborn characters through and through. Can't wait to see what's in store for Kat!(Review left on behalf of Chelsea Felver.)

Loved every word. This author has a fantastic way of pulling her readers in and making them feel as though they are a part of the book. Loved Gemma and Easton, and all the Greer family. Loved the emotional rollercoaster and so happy that Gemma finds what she has been missing her ❤️Now on to Katherine and Cash, lord help that boy 😂

Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Every Devney Perry book feels like a journey of the soul. She has this innate ability to encapsulate the challenges of the human spirit into 300 pages of a story. As you turn each page, you find pieces of yourself scattered within her words. When you finish the book, you feel as though the story has acted as a mirror of your own truths and a scalpel to your heart. At the most elemental level, I trust Devney Perry’s romances to both entertain me and entreat me to think more deeply about the human condition. Her newest book, Wild Highway, the second book of the Runaway series, is no different.I adored the first book of the series, Runaway Road. For me, Brooks, the hero, was my favorite part of that book. With Wild Highway, I found a heroine who has quickly become one of my Devney Perry favorites. I tend to love broken characters because the journey they undertake holds a depth that you can’t find in a character whose parts aren’t broken. In this book, Gemma won my heart from the beginning. Maybe it’s because I too am trying to find a new place to exist. Maybe my past holds scars that make it difficult for me to connect with feelings. Maybe her struggles feel like my struggles. No matter the reason, Gemma’s evolution in Wild Highway bores deep into your soul as you empathize with her hurts. You simply want her hero, Easton, to figure her out from the start of the book and pour love into the fissures of her soul. However, that would be too easy, and Perry carefully constructs a story that allows both her hero and heroine to come to understand themselves AND develop a depth of love that feels essential, even though it might feel painful for the reader.In terms of her hero, Easton, he too has his complications. While his struggles don’t feel as existential as Gemma’s, they also hold a similar tenor. Where do you find your place in a storied generational family? How do you break free of the bonds of family when that family is your foundation? She wraps these questions into Easton’s character while elaborating them within his gruff and temperamental exterior. This type of hero is my favorite hero because hard exteriors often portend soft underbellies. When that is recognized by the heroine, it makes for exquisite moments of connection. Wild Highway is no different in that sense. Easton’s struggle against falling illustrate Perry’s deft ability to craft chemistry. It’s why you can’t help but to fall in love with every Perry hero and/or heroine, including her Easton and Gemma.And as is the case with her other books, Devney Perry’s style is seamless here. There is no stumbling over her words. There is no finding yourself lost in her images. Instead, there is a smooth trot through her story, finding yourself galloping to her end. She spins images with her words that help you feel the forever love of her characters, and you feel satiated by the end. Now, once this story ends, more than Runaway Road, you are left feeling bereft. Why? Because the next book in this series feels more connected than the last. I left Wild Highway mourning the fact that I don’t already have Quarter Miles. If Wild Highway is any indication, Quarter Miles story might even be stronger, if that can be imagined.As I said at the beginning of this review, I trust Devney Perry with romance. I have read her entire book list, and time and time again, she takes little pieces of my heart and soul with her storytelling. Her characters read like real people. Their journeys are mirrors to my life experience, along with the experiences of others, and that makes Perry special. Ultimately, Wild Highway is a beautifully wrought romance about finding your place and your people. It’s about coming home and feeling whole again.

Wild Highway is the second in the Runway series- a series with such unique central thread that it is worth checking out just for that alone. This series follows the lives of six children who ran away, living together in a California junk yard, forming their own family unit. Now adults, each are still connected but on different paths, still confront the baggage of their youth. Book 2 focuses on Gemma.Gemma has just sold her multi-million dollar cosmetics business , surprising even herself with her brash move. She finds herself on a redemptive road trip, only the redemption she ends up seeking out is not what she expected when she left in a vintage car to go to California, and instead she finds herself in Montana confronting parts of her past, including people she hurt when she worked on a ranch in town 11 years ago, including a past lover, Easton Greer.Their relationship ended poorly, so Easton is frustrated and moody over her presence. The others, however, are quick to forgive and embrace Gemma’s return, so much so that she decides to linger for a while to decompress. A love-hate attraction simmers between them.Even behind his broody, cowboy persona, I was immediately drawn to Easton- he projects a stability, a familiarity. Gemma is so nuanced as a character- clearly flawed, working through layers of baggage, but underneath it all there is such a gentle strength, humility, and determination. She’s an interesting heroine-even if she’s confused about what she wants, even when she can’t see what is in front of her face. As Easton opens up to a friendship with Gemma, the chemistry really builds and the relationship deepens- and we are able to grapple with the core issue, these two awaken one another. And for Gemma, FEELING is scary, it is dangerous, it makes her want to run, like she always has.The themes of home and identity are so beautifully articulated in this story. Gemma is confronting her own lostness- she was once homeless literally, and now she’s homeless metaphorically. She doesn't fit- doesn’t belong- in part because she’s been so consumed about creating a life that she forgot to live it. She’s lost herself along the way, she’s lost her purpose- but the minute she ends up on the way to Montana, what appears to be reckless spontaneity turns out to be a gradual and cathartic homecoming- one she wasn’t even looking for, one that she finally has the strength to not run from. But it is what she’s been missing all long- home, stability, the comfort of family. Home isn’t about a place- it is about a feeling, a sense of self, a belonging. Not only is this her second chance with Easton, but her second chance at finding her fit, her home. AND THAT ENDING Y’ALL- EPIC AND ADORABLE AND ALL THE FEELS.Ranch themed stories have never been my thing, UNTIL I found Devney Perry. She’s so adept at building the small town magic- the warmth and interconnectivity, the steady and unhurried intimacy. The tone of her books so brilliantly capture this spirit, so much so you experience it yourself. Like all of Devney’s books, this has such charm, there is just a charisma about her writing- an affection and nostalgia she inspires. Like a big, warm hug. That doesn’t mean her books aren’t complicated or that there aren’t struggles, there are. Rather, it is how tenderly she unpacks the layers of her characters, how steadily and intentionally the story and conflicts resolve, how she weaves in meaningful themes that we come to understand through the eyes of our characters. Her books have so much heart, and as such, they touch our own.