The Runaway Actress [Kindle Edition]

The book is the story of Hollywood actress Connie Gordon, who has decided she has had enough of the high life and desperately needs to escape to somewhere with a bit of normality. She flies across the world to the small town of Lochnabrae in Scotland, the place where her mother was born. However, she doesn't realise that Lochnabrae is the home of her biggest fan club, run by the very keen Maggie. When she arrives in Lochnabrae, Connie finds a warm welcome, and soon settles in to Isla's bed and breakfast. However, she doesn't count on meeting playwright Alistair, who has a few secrets in his own past as well... will Connie be able to find the peace she wants in Lochnabrae, or is there more for her there?

I have to say that straight away, I found this book so easy to get into. I warmed to the character of Connie immediately, despite her lavish lifestyle in Hollywood, she was a very lonely and sad individual and hatt goes to show that money doesn't always equal happiness. Connie's decision to go somewhere new was good, and I was glad she made the move. Throughout the book, Connie comes more into herself as a person, and copes with the awe and love from her fan club members really well, and I really liked her all the way through. The other characters however, I'm not so sure about! Maggie really was embarrassingly obsessed with Connie, and I could honestly feel myself cringing as I read the scenes with the two of them, it was just embarassing. Yes, she's a fan but she didn't even attempt to hide it and I found myself getting a bit annoyed with it by the end!

Alistair on the other hand was a really good character. He has a secret that he is hiding about his past which he doesn't want revelaed to the other residents of Lochnabrae, and as the book goes on, we find out what it is, and why he likes to keep himself to himself. Yes, the book is predictable regarding Alistair and how it all ends up, but I enjoyed the journey it took to get there. Lochnabrae is written as a small community of friendly people, and it was nice that there were no really horrible bits in the book, it was all very pleasant and easy to read. I loved Connelly's descriptions of the small Scottish village, the surrounding nature areas sounded beautiful, and it certainly makes you want to go and see it for yourself!

I really enjoyed this book overall, and found Victoria Connelly to be a really good story-teller and I whizzed through this book in just a couple of evenings as I really wanted to find out if Connie would get her happy-ever-after, whether it be with a man or just within herself. It's a read that had me laughing, smiling and generally in a good mood after reading it, and Connie really was a great character, willing to help out however she could, and be a friend to the people who idolised her. There were a few twists and turns along the way which kept the book fresh, and although I had guessed the ending a way into the book, it didn't spoilt my enjoyment of the read at all, and I was looking forward every night to picking it up and finding out a bit more about Connie and the residents of Lochnabrae. Definitely a book I would recommend!

Connie Gordon is a successful, pretty Hollywood actress who seems to have the world at her feet, but actually is struggling with the pressures put upon her and is desperate for a break. Spontaneously, Connie packs a suitcase and travels to Scotland after receiving an invite from her fan club there. As she arrives and meets all the locals, Connie is quickly thrown into their village life!

Having enjoyed Victoria's previous novels, I was really looking forward to this one, and I must say I absolutely LOVED it! The storyline is absolutely fantastic, and as soon as I read what it was about I could not wait to get started!

If I could describe this book, I'd say it was perfect chick-lit. It's everything you could want in a chick-lit book, it's an easy read, it's funny, it has likeable characters and it is an addictive read. I picked The Runaway Actress up first thing in the morning and finished it in one sitting because I was enjoying it so much!

Victoria Connelly has created a wonderful range of characters in this story. Connie was an instantly likeable character and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with her. Maggie, Connie's biggest fan, is a fantastic addition to the book also, and although she was a bit too obsessed with Connie sometimes, it made the story much more entertaining. I loved the drama society, especially how the village really supported each other. The setting of Scotland and the descriptions of both the characters and the scenery were so well-written I felt as though I was there watching the story unfold in front of me. After reading this book, I'd love to run away to a lovely little village in Scotland!

The Runaway Actress is a truly delightful book, it's perfect for a holiday read or those rainy days when you want something to lift your spirits a bit. If you love a good storyline and want a fun, light read, then lose yourself in Victoria Connelly's novel!!

I really enjoyed this book. I have been a fan of Victoria Connelly's since reading her first two published books about Jane Austen addicts. I was also lucky enough to meet her at last years Worcestershire Literary Festival when she gave a fantastic talk about her journey to published books.

This book however, is a completely different theme to her previous books, and is another great read. The main character is Connie Gordon, an actress who, after an unplanned run in with an ex boyfriend, which the press immediately jumped on, at a glamorous and glitzy Hollywood award show decides to pack a suitcase and visit a small Scottish village which has it's own Connie Gordon fan club.

I thought that this was a great idea for a book. There seems to be no lengths that a photographer/reporter won't go to to get a story and I am sure that alot of these people who live their lives in the public spotlight, would love to be able to pack a suitcase and disappear for a month or two. However, I am sure most people would disappear to somewhere hot, secluded and very expensive - not a cold and wet Scottish village - fantastic idea Victoria!

As with Victoria's previous books, this is a fantastic read. I love her writing style and was able to loose myself in the book, while curled up in an evening and finished the book quickly.

I really liked the characters in the book and would love to visit Isla's bed and breakfast and visit the local pub for a drink - it sounds like a great place to meet in an evening for a book club or a quick drink.

There is, of course, a love story in the story and it was one which was very believable. I will not spoil the story here but I was really pleased with the ending to the story.

In summary, it is a great read and I recommend it to all of my blog followers. A great chick lit read which can be added to any holiday suitcase or garden patio table this summer!