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Run from Fear (Trilogy #3)

by Jami Alden (Goodreads Author)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 440 ratings · 76 reviews

With each step she takes, he tracks her every move, waiting for the perfect time. The perfect revenge. Until then, he'll watch her . . .

RUN FROM FEAR

More than anything, Talia Vega wanted to leave behind her harrowing past. Moving eight hundred miles away, she succeeded . . . until the one man who knows her darkest secrets wanders into the restaurant where she works. Now t...more

Kindle Edition, 449 pages

Published February 28th 2012 by Forever

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Feb 13, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-suspense, steam-hot, 2012-03-march, published-2012, arc-copy, read-2012

Underwhelmed. Maybe my hopes for this book were just too high. While I loved, loved, loved the first two in this series, I was sadly underwhelmed with this one. I did enjoy it, but in the end it didn’t have the same level of suspense mixed with great characters that I loved in the first two.

Run From Fear is Talia and Jack’s story. The last we saw of these two she had helped serve the final nail that brought down a massive international crime ring, and then went back into deep hiding where only...more Underwhelmed. Maybe my hopes for this book were just too high. While I loved, loved, loved the first two in this series, I was sadly underwhelmed with this one. I did enjoy it, but in the end it didn’t have the same level of suspense mixed with great characters that I loved in the first two.

Run From Fear is Talia and Jack’s story. The last we saw of these two she had helped serve the final nail that brought down a massive international crime ring, and then went back into deep hiding where only Jack, her former bodyguard, knew how to find her.

This story takes place two years later with Talia and her little sister living in Palo Alto, California and no longer in need of their false identities. She hasn’t seen nor heard from Jack in two years, and then he walks into the restaurant where she is working to say hello. Jack works for Gemini securities and is in town for a few months on a big job.

Talia has changed quite a bit from the woman we knew in the previous books. No longer the trophy girl with fancy clothes and makeup, she is making it on her own and trying to live a simple life. She has been training in martial arts, and is determined never to be a victim again. But she begins to suspect foul play when it appears a petty burglar has tried to get access to her home. Then odd romantic items begin showing up that reminds her of her past with David Maxwell. Without any real threat, there isn’t much the police can do. But when it appears that a local kidnaper and rapist has ties to her past, the threat becomes quite real.

I think this is where the story starts to go wrong for me. We learn right off the bat that the evil bad guy of this story is not someone from her past coming to settle an old score, but a psycho copycat serial killer named Eugene Kuusik. He is fascinated with the legend of Nate Brewster, aka ‘The Seattle Slasher’, the man who tried to kill Talia while slowly torturing her. So while Talia’s past may be coming back to haunt her indirectly, the suspense just wasn’t on par with the last two books. She ruined many lives in the previous books, so it felt off that it was a stranger who is causing her problems now.

Unlike the previous two books, this one had very little mystery for the reader to solve. We are told in full detail about the crimes and his intentions all the way through. And there wasn’t the ‘race against the clock’ kind of feeling we got in the first two books either. There were a few twists toward the end that helped, but oddly made the story only that much more bizarre too. (view spoiler)

But the real issue I had with Run From Fear wasn’t so much the lackluster suspense, it was the fizzle of a romance between Talia and Jack. He was too good for her. Period. I really didn’t like this new Talia, or her snotty little sister. She treated him terribly though much of the book, she let her pride get in the way far too many times, and she made foolish decisions repeatedly. Would I call her a TSTL heroine? No, but she came real close too often for my liking.

Jack was hands-down the best part of the book, and he is worth getting to know. He is awesome hot, amazingly protective, has a heart the size of Texas, and only has eyes for Talia. Sigh. ;-) We also learn he has a thing for rescuing ‘wounded birds’, and has failed at trying to save women in the past who were not willing to accept his help or do the right thing. He realizes Talia is another wounded bird, and tries like mad to get her to make the right choices for her own protection.

I really wanted to love this book, but in the end it was just OK. This is one of those romances where I just don’t understand what the hero sees in the heroine. I LOVED Jack, and my heart broke for him over and over in this story as he tried to reason with Talia. But she was so focused on her spoiled/wounded pride she was not able to see Jack clearly or logically. (view spoiler) The romance never fully heated up for me because Talia remained cold and distance through most of the story. Initially I gave her a big break because I understood the trauma she endured, but I felt her attitude against Jack went on far too long and was simply too much at times. On the bright side, if you are a fan of the Gemini series you might enjoy this one a bit more as we see all the major players from that series.
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Mar 20, 2012 Dinjolina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, angst, adventure, bad-boy-involved, been-there-done-that, book-from-fav-author, boooooring, brain-dead-heroine

I think I had too big hopes for this book.
I wanted it to be marvelous!

It was just an ok suspense book that had about everything thrown in, including the kitchen sink. :/

I dragged my feet with writing this review, because nothing really gripped me in the whole plot.
The reason I did in the end sit down to write it is to talk about expectations…
From previous books I had a distinct liking for the heroine and a very lukewarm feel concerning the hero. I saw him as one more broken cookie collector wit...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Steffi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

3.5 stars

Run from Fear is the third and last book in Jami Alden’s very successful romantic-suspense trilogy. Beg for Mercy totally blew me away and made me a huge fan of Jami’s writing.

We first meet Talia in Beg for Mercy when she withholds crucial information to protect herself and her little sister, Rosario. Maybe she didn’t always make the right decisions but they were understandable. Jack Brooks was the man who cottoned on to her secret and promised to always protect her and Rosie if she’d c...more 3.5 stars

Run from Fear is the third and last book in Jami Alden’s very successful romantic-suspense trilogy. Beg for Mercy totally blew me away and made me a huge fan of Jami’s writing.

We first meet Talia in Beg for Mercy when she withholds crucial information to protect herself and her little sister, Rosario. Maybe she didn’t always make the right decisions but they were understandable. Jack Brooks was the man who cottoned on to her secret and promised to always protect her and Rosie if she’d come forward. Two years later, Rum from Fear tells Talia and Jack’s story. Talia has built a new life for herself and her sister and she finally feels safe again. Not once in the two years apart has she forgotten about Jack, though. Neither has Jack!

Unfortunately, Jack represents everything Talia wants to forget about and she practically beats herself up about wanting him. Jack can’t keep his feelings for Talia to himself anymore. He’s kept tabs on her over the years but he can’t help himself, he has to see her again, talk to her. Now Talia is the focus of a stalker and Jack is going to stick to her like glue.

Jack is truly amazing. He is very protective, sweet and gentle, no pushover and very hot. Talia doesn’t even realize that she has the jackpot right in front of her. While I did understand Talia’s hesitation to start another relationship after being the mistress of a vicious and cruel, crazy man, she never reached the point of forgiving herself and accepting that the past can’t be changed, in my opinion. That, especially, got very annoying after a while.

On its own, Run from Fear would have been a better than average suspense with a strong romance. In comparison to Beg for Mercy and Hide from Evil, it was very disappointing. I was also very annoyed by the villain of the story. Jami Alden could have turned this into an extraordinary book, had she not revealed the villain so early in the story. I never ever would have guessed. Unfortunately, she didn’t do that and I’m sad to say that Run from Fear was only an average read for me. The series is still worth reading. Beg for Mercy and Hide from Evil are in a league of their own and I highly recommend both books. Run from Fear did not affect me at all. A slightly disappointing end to a fabulous series!
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Feb 12, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, genre-romance, genre-mystery

*Rating* 3.0
*Genre* Romance

*Review*

In Jami Alden’s “Run from Fear,” Talia Vega and Jack Brooks take turns in the spotlight. Both characters were last heard from in the story Beg for Mercy where both characters were left for dead. If you haven’t read it, no worries, you get hit over the head plenty of times to be reminded of what happened.

Talia Vega is now living in Palo Alto, California where her 18 year old sister Rosario goes to school at Stanford. After nearly dying at the hands of Nate Brews...more

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May 28, 2012 ❀Ꭱėɳee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense

I really enjoyed this book. The suspense was awesome – the bad guy a true sicko who gave me the willies.

Talia was almost a little too much work for me. She was too insecure, too contradictory…too combative. She had legitimate reasons for her erratic behavior, but I didn’t like how she treated Jack so unfairly – the only man who ever loved her unconditionally. Frankly, it left me frustrated and pissed off.

Jack was a wonderful hero. He was strong, masculine, sexy, loving, protective, and patient....more

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Nov 12, 2012 Meigan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the third installment of the Jami Alden trilogy. Again, I really liked this one, but it still was overshadowed by my very favorite, which was the first in the trilogy (Beg for Mercy...awesome.).

This again continued the story from the previous 2 books, the prostitution ring and the murders. This concludes the story and we learn everything. This is Talia and Jack's story. Talia appeared in the first one, but disappeared towards the end of that book. Jack was in all 3 books, but he was a m...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense

4 STARS

Talia Vega survived the Seattle Slasher with the help of the ex-Green Beret, Jack Brooks. Wanting to leave her terrifying past she moves to another town close to her now college bound sister, Rosario. She also wants to get away from Jack who she feels greatly attracted to but thinks he sees her as a broken victim.

Soon Talia starts receiving items that David, her ex-lover and mad man, had given to her and her home is being violated. Rosario calls Jack and suddenly Talia is not only runnin...more

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May 17, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted on Lovey Dovey Books

This is my first time reading a novel by Jami Alden and I have to say that I'm not quite impressed. Run From Fear is a romantic suspense novel following Talia Vega and her sister as they run from Talia's dangerous past. But, someone may be trying to scare Talia to repay her for all the trouble she caused in bringing down a crime operation. This is where Jack Brooks comes in. He guards over Talia, even when she doesn't want his help, and forces her to face he...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Mary Gramlich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do the deeply broken parts of us ever heal?

Talia Vega has seen the worst in humanity and lived to bring them to their knees. She has a history of less than ideal decision making to account for, and does so every day to redeem her sins. Talia has done her best to shake off the nightmares and take care of her younger sister the best possible way she can.

However, when the past shows back up enter Talia’s personal white knight, Jack Brooks to help her out. Jack and Talia crossed paths before when Ta...more

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Mar 13, 2012 E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense, romance

4 1/2 stars. "Run From Fear" by Jami Alden is a thrilling and chilling read about Talia Vega as she continues to try to rebuild her life after the nightmarish experiences that she has had that left her scarred in body and mind. Jack Brooks has watched her from afar, fearing to reveal to her the strength of his attraction to her even as he strives to keep her protected. Talia’s actions have revolved around protecting her sister Rosie and trying to overcome the nightmares from her past but she has...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Sassafrass rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, ng, src-spr12, the-romance-reviews, challenge-books-2012

A review for The Romance Reviews.

Jami Alden has written a fantastic Romantic Suspense novel with RUN FROM FEAR--it has the perfect amount of suspense, plot twists, sexual tension, and an absolutely yummy alpha male that will make you swoon like a school girl!

Talia Vega has spent the last two years trying to have a normal life. After a horrible experience that left her scarred both inside and out, she's finally feeling like she's moving forward with the life she's made for herself and her sister...more A review for The Romance Reviews.

Jami Alden has written a fantastic Romantic Suspense novel with RUN FROM FEAR--it has the perfect amount of suspense, plot twists, sexual tension, and an absolutely yummy alpha male that will make you swoon like a school girl!

Talia Vega has spent the last two years trying to have a normal life. After a horrible experience that left her scarred both inside and out, she's finally feeling like she's moving forward with the life she's made for herself and her sister in Palo Alto, California. That is, until Jack walks back into her life.

Jack Brooks has been secretly looking after Talia and her sister since he rescued her from the mad man who wanted to kill her two years ago. Now, he's back in the area and he wants to see for himself that she's doing alright--actually he just wants to see her.

Talia's conflicted about seeing Jack again. On the one hand he's a painful reminder of a traumatic time in her life but on the other, she can't say that she doesn't get a thrill from seeing him again. However, Talia soon finds that someone is stalking her with horrific reminders of her past, and Jack will stop at nothing to protect her and to keep her with him forever.

This story was great. It was gripping, sexy, and at times harrowing. I felt like I was on edge waiting to see how everything was going to turn out. There was even a bit of a plot twist that kept me guessing as to what the real motivation behind Talia's stalking was.

Jack was probably my most favorite part of the story. He had a suffered more than a few losses in his past, but he was willing to put that aside in order to win the love and life he wanted. The vulnerability he showed in some parts of the book was gut wrenching, but made me fall in love with him just that much more.

I thought the story was just about perfect, but the only thing that I didn't like was some of Talia's behavior. I know that she had been through some experiences that I couldn't even imagine, but I thought the way she treated Jack was a turn off. It didn't detract me from the story though, I just screamed at her a bit and kept right on rooting for Jack!

RUN FROM FEAR gets five stars from me. With the intense plot and an insanely sexy hero, I enjoyed the thrill ride from beginning to end. This book is actually the third in a romantic suspense trilogy, so now I have to go back and get caught up with the previous two. If they are anywhere near as good as RUN FROM FEAR, I know I'm in for a real treat!(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Saly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cops-law-enforcement-security, read-in-2012

Rating 3.5

This is the third book in a series that started with a bang with Beg for Mercy and before starting it I had my reservations, mainly because of Talia the heroine.

When we met Talia in the first book I didn't like her much, yes she was a victim but her actions had had consequences. The book opens almost two years later, Talia has tried to rebuild her life away from the Seattle Slasher and the Talia who flaunted her beauty and fell in love with a monster, who used her, abused her and threa...more Rating 3.5

This is the third book in a series that started with a bang with Beg for Mercy and before starting it I had my reservations, mainly because of Talia the heroine.

When we met Talia in the first book I didn't like her much, yes she was a victim but her actions had had consequences. The book opens almost two years later, Talia has tried to rebuild her life away from the Seattle Slasher and the Talia who flaunted her beauty and fell in love with a monster, who used her, abused her and threatened the one thing that Talia held dear, her sister Rosie, is gone. Her self-esteem is decimated and we see this through out the book, she doesn't trust her judgment or men and then she sees Jack again.

Jack represents her past, he saw her at her lowest and saved her and Talia feels shame seeing him, shame that he knows who she used to be, that she was foolish enough to be the mistress of a monster. Now, I have to say Talia was her toughest critic, she beat herself for everything she had done and the choices she had made and that is what made it hard for me to dislike her since she already despised herself enough.

Jack, oh, Jack he was a totally yummy hero. Protective to the extreme I might say and I loved him. He had kept tabs on Talia and her sister though he never told Talia because he knew that her past had done a number on her and she needed to feel powerful again, as if she was in control. I admired him a lot and when we see the flashes to his past, I felt for him, he had always been the protector, when his father beat them and even years later with another woman, but he took on too much of responsibility. I thought that his feelings for Talia may stem back to his past but they didn't, he saw her totally and didn't judge her.

The suspense was great as well, creepy since we know who the bad guy is and go into his mind and his effort to relive the Seattle Slasher.

There were things that lessened my enjoyment, I didn't like Talia's sister much, she was a brat in my opinion and Talia herself, she had a tendency to over-analyze stuff and I know it was because of her past but I didn't like how she pushed and hurt Jack in the process.

All in all an enjoyable book but not as great as Beg for Mercy.

*ARC provided by Netgalley(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Maldivianbookreviewer rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Jami Alden, Fans of the series!

Shelves: jami-alden, abused-heroine, abused-hero, annoying-heroine, arcs, brooding-hero, brooding-heroine, commitment-phobic-heroine, contemporary-romance, controlled-heroine, controlled-hero, creepy-villian, dangerous-hero, dark-romantic-suspense, endearing-hero, ex-law-enforcement-hero, ex-military-hero, explosive-passion, favorite-alpha-heroes, favorite-heroes, good-for-nothing-ex-boyfriend, haunted-by-the-past-hero, haunted-by-the-past-heroine, hot-as-sin-hero, hottest-first-kiss, independent-heroine, kidnap-theme, larger-than-life-hero, netgalley-reads, not-for-the-faint-heart, opposites-attract, part-of-a-series, possessive-hero, possessive-heroine, protective-hero, romantic-suspense, scarred-hero, shared-past, single-mother-heroine, sizzling-sexual-tension, scarred-heroine, stalker-villian, tortured-hero, tortured-heroine, violence, well-off-hero

Run from Fear by Jami Alden is the much coveted 3rd book in the untitled trilogy that showcases Jami’s remarkable ability in delivering romantic suspense the way we readers crave them. Anyone who has read the 1st book in the series entitled Beg for Mercy would have encountered the larger than life Jack Brooks and definitely craved to learn more about the man behind the intimidating figure. I belong in the said group and when I saw this title up for grabs at Netgalley, I quickly seized my chance...more Run from Fear by Jami Alden is the much coveted 3rd book in the untitled trilogy that showcases Jami’s remarkable ability in delivering romantic suspense the way we readers crave them. Anyone who has read the 1st book in the series entitled Beg for Mercy would have encountered the larger than life Jack Brooks and definitely craved to learn more about the man behind the intimidating figure. I belong in the said group and when I saw this title up for grabs at Netgalley, I quickly seized my chance get my hands on a copy. Though I was disappointed in the book when compared to the previous 2 books in the series, Jami Alden still manages to deliver a decent romantic suspense that makes for a none too shabby a read.

Talia Vega is slowly making a life for herself in an affluent corner of California, having survived one of the most horrific incidents a woman can ever go through. Two years of her life spent in hiding with her younger sister Rosario in tow means that Talia appreciates the freedom that life has offered her with the death of the man who had made her a slave of his in every way. Talia’s regrets in life are many, and the way she looks at herself and comes up lacking is one of the many scars left behind with many more, some of them even physical in nature. Talia’s only aim is to give her sister everything she has got to give and though she feels those tendrils of unease coursing through her every now and then, she lets them slide through never knowing that her days of enjoying peace, serenity and order in her life are quite numbered.

Jack Brooks is ex-military and works in the security business. From the moment Jack had encountered the sexy siren version of Talia, Jack had been a goner. And watching Talia pick up the pieces of her tattered life and come out fighting the demons that must haunt her just makes Jack feel emotions of a stronger nature towards a woman who already has him on a dangerous edge. Jack stays on the sidelines, never letting Talia know just how much he is affected by her, and only re-enters her life 2 years later in order to severe the ties that binds him to her, or so he tells himself.

But so it happens, danger is never too far from Talia and Rosario and once again Talia is the focus of a stalker who would stop at nothing to complete a legacy that he claims to be rightfully his. Jack once he learns of the danger is as unmovable as a ton of steel and whether Talia wants it or not, Jack is around to stay until he can once again breathe easy, knowing that Talia and Rosario would remain safe from the clutches of mad men.

As always, Jami Alden does a superb job out of creating a villain, whose vicious thoughts alone is enough to give a person the shivers of the bad variety. But knowing who the villain was right from the very start somehow stole all the glory from the suspense aspect of the story, though the nature of the villain’s fascination with Talia and how he goes about securing access to Talia is one that was splendid.

Talia was a tough nut to crack. Though she is beautiful, smart and independent, she has a lot of self esteem issues, understandable when throughout her life men had deceived and made use of her. Talia is not ready for a relationship, especially not with someone like Jack who makes her feel uncomfortable and tingly all over, all at the same time. Talia is cautious with whom she gives her trust, and comes across as a bitch sometimes and makes life pretty much miserable for Jack who adores the very path that she walks on. And maybe it was because of that reason that I couldn’t like Talia much though she makes for a strong heroine in most of the ways.

Now, Jack Brooks is the type of hero that I salivate over all the time. I like larger than life heroes and Jack is one of them whose sheer size is in direct contrast with his gentle nature. He has “knight in shining armor” syndrome, something that had been triggered due to the abuse he had witnessed and gone through as a child. And when it comes to Talia, Jack’s over protectiveness is something to behold, his utter lack of control around Talia something to be savored. His gentleness around Talia who is skittish as a newborn colt when it comes to expressing sexual desire was one of the best aspects of his character. I totally fell for him because Jack is a man who is willing to do anything, and I mean literally anything to be with the woman he loves, to protect and cosset her and give her the life that he feels she deserves.

So, even though certain elements within the story didn’t work that well for me, Run from Fear still made for a great read, Jack Brooks’ character the reason I am bumping the rating from the “good read” range to the “great read” range.

Recommended for fans of the series and fans of Jami Alden. Jami certainly knows how to deliver on heroes that would appeal to the female readers and Jack Brooks is no exception.

Rating=4/5

Quotes included below.(less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Khelsey Jackson added it

Talia Vega has been running from her past for two years and Jack Brooks was the one to pull her out of her hell. Talia can't leave her past in the past. When she is working and Jack shows up for the first time in two years. She wonders why now. She was just getting her life on tack. Her sister Rose thinks of him a god. Later that night when Rose and Talia are home and the alarm is set it goes off. They lock themselves in a room and Rose secretly calls Jack and when he shows up, he tells Talia th...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, blog-tour, 2012-reading-challenges

I'm going to be honest and say I wasn't really looking forward to the third installment to the Trilogy series. To me, the series was always about Megan Flynn trying to exonerate her brother Sean and the aftermath of Sean being found not-guilty. I didn't like Talia Vega, in either book, despite what horrible things she had suffered because of Nate Brewster. I was iffy on Jack Brooks, because he seemed shady and wishy washy at times. But, I'm absolutely, positively glad I picked this one up becaus...more I'm going to be honest and say I wasn't really looking forward to the third installment to the Trilogy series. To me, the series was always about Megan Flynn trying to exonerate her brother Sean and the aftermath of Sean being found not-guilty. I didn't like Talia Vega, in either book, despite what horrible things she had suffered because of Nate Brewster. I was iffy on Jack Brooks, because he seemed shady and wishy washy at times. But, I'm absolutely, positively glad I picked this one up because it was absolutely fabulous and changed all my feelings about Talia and Jack.

The story picks up two years after the events in Beg for Mercy and Hide from Evil. Talia is living in Northern California and trying to put together some semblance of a normal life for herself and her eighteen year old sister, Rosie. But she's still haunted by what Nate Brewster, David Maxwell and Margaret Grayson-Maxwell did to her. So it's no surprise that when she starts receiving "gifts" in the mail that were things David Maxwell gave to her, she starts to freak out. What she wasn't counting on was Jack Brooks showing up.

Jack has been keeping his eye on Talia and Rosie, from a distance, for the past two years. He knew how important it was for Talia to feel like she was rebuilding her life and he knew that his feelings for her would always make him want to wrap her up and protect her. When business brings him to Northern California, he stops by to check on her. When their visit didn't go quite as planned, he vowed to stay away. But Talia's gifts make him take control and do what he needs to do to protect her.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I was really crazy about either Jack or Talia in the previous two books. But this book gives you a bird's eye view on just how scarred both of these characters are.

Talia is dealing with the guilt and fear the have been her constant companions since Nate Brewster kidnapped her. She knows it was her mistakes that landed herself and Rosie in the situation that they are in and she trying to ensure they have as normal a life as possible. Unfortunately, despite how she feels about Jack (and she really does like him) all she thinks he sees is the woman he rescued and pities her.

Jack isn't much better off in the emotional department. He had an abusive father with a mother was wasn't willing to help herself or her kids. He tried to save a friend and her son from an abusive Green Beret teammate, but instead had to deal with the aftermath of their murder/suicide. And then there is Talia and what she went through. The man is a big pile of mush covered in muscle.

Putting these two together is a tremendous emotional roller coaster. She pushes, he pulls. He says yes, she says no. But when they do finally get their act together and connect, as a reader you can visually see to halves joining together.

As with the other two books in the series, Jami Alden creates some fabulously evil characters who try to wreck havoc in our hero and heroine's lives. In this case, it's a geeky physics TA who has a need to emulate his hero and take a step his hero was never able to take. He's creepy, in an unassuming kind of way, that may have you looking at the quiet ones a little bit differently!(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

Two years after Talia Vega survived the harrowing kidnapping and torture from the hands of a psychotic, sadistic serial killer, she was managing a semblance of life that she put together for her and her sister, Rosario. She was content for the most part until a man from her past showed up bringing with him some memories and feelings she wished were buried right along with the man who almost killed her. She’d rather not owe Jack Brooks any more than she owed her life, but when a copycat serial ki...more Two years after Talia Vega survived the harrowing kidnapping and torture from the hands of a psychotic, sadistic serial killer, she was managing a semblance of life that she put together for her and her sister, Rosario. She was content for the most part until a man from her past showed up bringing with him some memories and feelings she wished were buried right along with the man who almost killed her. She’d rather not owe Jack Brooks any more than she owed her life, but when a copycat serial killer started targeting young women with the same MO as her tormentor, she didn’t have a choice but to turn to him again.

I didn’t realize this book was a series when I requested it from Net Galley. The premise was interesting and I was looking forward to the romance angle. The hero and the reluctant damsel in distress caught my attention right away.

This was when I realize that perhaps bypassing books 1 and 2 was not such a good idea after all. I didn’t have any in with these two characters – didn’t know what they were like in the previous books. I liked the innate chemistry between the two, however, the attraction seem a bit imbalanced. Jack seemed more into Talia than she was.

Talia is a frustrating character to read; she was too prideful. I think there are strong female characters and then there are those who are just too stubborn to accept help. I get that Jack took his guardian role to the extreme but Talia seemed too caught up reading into his intentions.

I was able to follow the story for the most part; I never once felt lost while reading. Sure there were characters that I wished I knew beforehand but I credit the author for quickly glancing over the previous books just enough to be able to go along.

VERDICT: I don’t read much suspense geared toward the adult audience (sad, I know), so this one had some pretty disturbing scenarios, in my opinion. I think the author has a great ability for this genre and I’m willing to spend some money to check out her other works. (less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad Jack & Talia got their own book! I loved Beg for Mercy (the first book in this trilogy), but wasn't as crazy about Hide from Evil (the second installment) so I wasn't sure what to expect from Run from Fear. The setup for Jack & Talia's relationship started in Beg for Mercy, where Talia wasn't exactly a loveable character. While Talia had some major flaws in book one, Alden totally redeemed her in this book and really made her into a heroine worth rooting for. I loved that Ald...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Isis FG by: continuation of a series

Shelves: bought-barnesnoble, condition-new, format-mmp, published-2012, genre-romance-suspense, series-trilogy-alden, 2012, info-full, reviewed, stars-4

Good book. I've enjoyed this trilogy from Jami Alden and I'm glad that it got recced to my by one of my GR friends.

Series Note:
Third book in Alden's untitled trilogy centered around a connected set of characters and some terrible crimes committed that involve them. You'd don't necessarily need to read the other two first, but you'll definitely have a better picture of past events if you read them in order.

Summary:
Talia Vega is finally starting to put her life back together. She's made some terri...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Arlena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, ebooks, my-reviews, mystery, romance, suspense

Author: Jami Alden
Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Age Recommend: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 4
Blog Review For: GMTA
Review:

"Run From Fear" by Jami Alden was a good romantic suspense read for me. The story is of Talia Vega who was trying to have a normal life... in Northern California with her eighteen year old sister (Roseario) after she had earlier gone through a living hell of a life with Nat Brewster, David Maxwell, and Margaret Grayson-Maxwell.

Life was looking up for Tali...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Shelly Ash rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jack has always protected Talia, even from afar when he had to. Now she's in need of his protection again. He's patiently waited for Talia, in the hope that someday she may be ready for a romantic relationship after her horrific ordeal. Talia needs Jack, but could she…ever…be ready for more? She fears the answer will always be no.

I think Run From Fear is another awesome romantic suspense from Jami Alden! She knows how to mix the romance with the suspense in such a riveting way, you'll be hooked...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Hope Frost rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was very cautious about reading Talia's book as it could have easily become very cheesy with her past and the fact that Jack rescued her once before. I was not disappointed at all. I love that Talia wanted nothing more than to make it on her own. I think that it was expertly written how she was incredibly pissed that decisions were made for her and without her knowledge. The connection between Talia and Jack was evident from the first sighting in the bar with his first visit, but the fact that...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Tia rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all I'd like to say, I never read the two first books in this trilogy so my review might be impartial. Then again, it might be right on the mark because that leaves me on an unbiased level than other avid readers of this trilogy.

Usually with these type of books, I can guess what it going to happen but the double angle to the plot the author did a good job of leaving me pretty well clueless. I easily fell into the novel, it was quite remarkable how quickly I couldn't look away from the b...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Run from Fear is a novel by Jami Alden and a Romantic Suspense from Grand Central Publishing.

Book Blurb:

With each step she takes, he tracks her every move, waiting for the perfect time. The perfect revenge. Until then, he'll watch her . . .

RUN FROM FEAR

More than anything, Talia Vega wanted to leave behind her harrowing past. Moving eight hundred miles away, she succeeded . . . until the one man who knows her darkest secrets wanders into the restaurant where she works. Now the agonizing memories...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Story Rating 4 stars
Character Rating, Hero Jack - 5 stars, Heroine Talia - 3 stars
Romance Rating 4 stars
Heat Level 3.5 stars
Overall Rating 4 stars

I really liked this story, it kept me interested all the way through. I just felt that it was not as good as the two previous book's. The action, suspense and the villain just not near what the other book's were. But the hero, sighhhhhhhhhh, he made the book for me. I loved Jack. The heroine Talia had some flaws, some of them she had for good reason an...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Nikki Brandyberry added it

She is supposed to be safe. Talia has worked so hard to start a new life for her and her sister. She is managing a bar now, she’s not the same person that was beaten and drugged and basically left for dead in some basement two years ago. She’s different. With the reappearance of her hero, Jack, she knows none of that other stuff is true. Talia is struggling. Struggling to make herself whole again. With strange occurrences happening all too frequently, Jack vows to once again to save her. To save...more She is supposed to be safe. Talia has worked so hard to start a new life for her and her sister. She is managing a bar now, she’s not the same person that was beaten and drugged and basically left for dead in some basement two years ago. She’s different. With the reappearance of her hero, Jack, she knows none of that other stuff is true. Talia is struggling. Struggling to make herself whole again. With strange occurrences happening all too frequently, Jack vows to once again to save her. To save the one woman who even after two years he can’t get out of his head. Talia knows she should trust him…and she can…with everything but her heart.

Jami Alden is quickly climbing my “top authors” ladder with this amazing romantic suspense! Run From Fear is exactly what I look for in a romantic suspense book. The villain is sadistic and creepy, the romance is hot and heavy and dull moments are non-existent! Triple perfection!
I will be honest and say that I fell in love with this book as soon as Jack walked onto the page. Hooooooo boy, Nikki was in lust love at first sight! He is big….he is an ex soldier with a cracked heart and he is way protective. Love…..love….LOVE! I could understand where Talia was coming from though. After being held prisoner and tortured like she was it’s hard to stand back and let someone take over certain aspects of your life. She wanted all the control. Justifiably so from her perspective at least. Jack keeping tabs on her over the two years since he carried her bloody body out of that hell hole wasn’t something Talia could handle. She was used to people only doing things if they wanted something in return. Everything had strings attached. Everyone wanted something. She just couldn’t understand why Jack wanted to help her but didn’t want to use her. She spends a great deal of the book telling herself that jack wouldn’t use her but then thinking that exact thing. Tali was definitely not what I would classify as fragile physically. That girl had honed her body in an attempt to quiet her soul. She figured if she took responsibility for her body then she could fight back if she was ever faced with an attacker again. Talia should have known that what landed her in a dungeon was her love for her sister and if ever faced with that again she’d do the same thing over again. Talia loves fiercely and is selfless when those she loves are threatened. Jack and Talia together just worked. He forced her to see that all men weren’t like her ex and those who exploited her. He taught her that she could feel again and give herself freely again without expecting the worst in return.
I enjoyed the multiple villains in Run From Fear. It’s apparent early on that we aren’t dealing with just one person after Talia, though the poor characters don’t know that. It made the book much more suspenseful to know something everyone else didn’t. I thought the copy-cat killer was sadistic and just kinda sad at the same time. The guy grew up with a mother telling him how worthless he was so there is no surprise that he snapped like he did. I liked her Alden had him progress throughout the story. So often a reader doesn’t get to see that progression and instead they are just told how he started. It was nice to be shown that for once.
Run From Fear is an excellent romantic suspense that should fit right in with lovers of that genre! Wonderfully written with great character building and filled with suspense, I can fully recommend this one as well as the past two books in the series, Beg For Mercy and Hide From Evil!

I give Run From Fear by Jami Alden 4 stars! (less)

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May 09, 2013 Sabrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, sexy-romance

I really liked this one. All of the characters, supporting and main, intrigued me. I loved Talia. The ability to try to stand on her own two feet and move past what happened to her is impressive. The only thing I hated was that (view spoiler) I didn't understand that at all.

It was great to see some of the famil...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Betty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jami Alden is a new - to me - author. I was very lucky to be given an ARC of Run From Fear. The book grabbed my attention from the first paragraph and never let up. There is mystery, suspense, and romance as a deranged killer plots torture and death. Wonderful characterization and a strong story line bring Talia and Jack to life and gets you caught up in the action of the story. Although they hadn't been face to face for two years, Talia and Jack have a dramatic history that flavors the whole bo...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Bekah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, netgalley-reviewed

Talia Vega has been looking over her shoulder for 2 years. She’s struggled to keep not only herself safe, but her baby sister safe as well from the effects of a horrific crime Talia was involved in. But you’re past always has a way of creeping back up on you, or walking through the door, as it does for Talia in the form of Jack Brooks. The unforgettable man who saved her life from a sadistic madman.

I was really looking forward to Talia’s book. She was such an interesting character in the previo...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Ashia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Suspense-wise, it's great. I also love the hero--I mean, is he for real? The way he loved the heroine and tried to take care of her, protect her even from afar really melts my bones.

So, why four stars? The heroine irritates me at times. I get it, she's hanging on tightly to her independence, especially after being stripped out of it. But she can't see a good thing (the hero) even it slapped her in the face. It has to take him almost losing his life before she'd wake up. I wanted to slap her upsi...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Sian Milne rated it 3 of 5 stars

This wasn't as good as the previous books in this trilogy.

I was unsure about the character of Talia due to her character in the previous books, however once I overlooked her testifying against Sean she wasn't that bad a character.
The main thing that irritated me about her character was her ability to jump to conclusions and lump Jack into the same group as the bad guys from the previous books.

Now Jack I quite liked. Again I was unsure about his character as we hadn't really had that much in the...more

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About Jami Alden

Like so many romance readers, my first romance novel was by Kathleen Woodiwiss - The Flame and the Flower, to be exact. I was thirteen. I spent the next month working my way through her entire back list. Shortly thereafter I discovered Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsey, Karen Robards, Catherine Coulter, Shirlee Busbee among others, and devoured their lavish historical epics full of overbearing alph...more Like so many romance readers, my first romance novel was by Kathleen Woodiwiss - The Flame and the Flower, to be exact. I was thirteen. I spent the next month working my way through her entire back list. Shortly thereafter I discovered Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsey, Karen Robards, Catherine Coulter, Shirlee Busbee among others, and devoured their lavish historical epics full of overbearing alpha males and the women who brought them to their knees. I was hooked. My high school teachers marveled at my ability to read romance novels under the desk and still score straight A's. I started to imagine myself, living in a cabin in the mountains somewhere, writing romance novels.

It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.

During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.

Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.

Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV. (less)

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Quotes from Run from Fear

“[Jack] “Don’t kid yourself for a f#cking second that I don’t feel anything for you.”
Her lips parted in shock, but before she could get a word out, he covered them with his own. She made a high, startled sound in the back of her throat.
Pleasure, red, blinding, exploded through him at the first taste. Sweet, spicy, better than all his fevered imaginings. Her lips soft and giving against him, her tongue delicious and moist as he sucked it into his mouth.” — 2 people liked it

“She couldn’t deny him anything. She reached behind her and unhooked the bra, leaving breasts completely bare to his stroking hands.
Her mouth sought his, licking, sucking, leaning into his touch as she tried to tell him without words how much she wanted him, needed him. How desperate she was for his touch, how she’d needed him, needed this, all along and hadn’t even realized it.” — 2 people liked it

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Run from Fear (Trilogy #3)

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