Rudolph Run: A Holiday-ish Novel

by Alex Winters

“She thought her last chance at love had passed her by, but this Christmas, the race to romance has just begun…”



If Trent Robertson was the one that got away, then Riley Lancaster was the one that stayed behind, waiting patiently for him to return. And now that he has, life—and especially Christmas—will never be the same!

Every year, Riley Lancaster laces up her favorite pair of running shoes and heads down to the official starting line for the annual 5K Christmas race, the Rudolph Run. And every year, she waits in vain for her former racing partner, Trent Robertson, to return. And every year, he never does.

Pathetic as it is, it’s a tradition Riley just can’t give up. Even after seventeen years, as the holidays approach, Riley knows she’ll lace up—and show up—one more time. But this year promises to be different. This year, Trent is back in town to settle his father’s affairs after a tragic heart attack over Thanksgiving weekend. And he’s brought along his teenage son, Archie. The son Trent had with his high school sweetheart, Mia. And after a chance run-in with Trent, Riley realizes the past she put behind has caught up with her in a way she never could have imagined – and won’t soon forget.

396 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2024

About the author

Alex Winters is an Amazon bestselling romance author with a passion for holiday music, junk food, cheesy 80s horror movies and Epcot. His series feature a variety of romantic pairings (M/F, M/M, F/F AND MMF) and include Campus Crush (Evernight), Slightly Sinful (Siren Publishing), Good Sports (Ninestar Press), High-Stakes Heroines (JMS Books) and more. His stories tend to be sizzling and sweet, with a whole lot of laughs – and spice – along the way!

Reviews

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters in Trent and Riley. The author brings a second chance romance and takes you into their lives with chemistry, steam and humor and moves the story fluidly with her descriptive scenes. I enjoyed reading their story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely given.

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudolph Run: A Holiday-ish novel is a sweet, kind of a second chance Christmas romance. First off, i am a huge Alex Winters fan, and this did not disappoint, but it was different than a lot of his other books. This is a book of "what-ifs." Riley and Trent would run a 5k back in the day. Riley stayed in her hometown, and Trent went off and married his high school sweetheart and had a son. Riley has pined after him for 17 years, hoping he returns to race and that she can possibly get her chance with him. When he returns to settle his father’s estate, will Riley finally get her chance? Trent was also pining for her, but they were never actually together. Can they get out of their heads and just be together? This story was full of laughs, awkwardness, love, and emotional moments. I absolutely loved it, I just wish we had more of an epilogue. I want a long and happy HEA with some steamy fun, lol. But our couple does end on a happy note after a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. This was a feel-good Christmas read with a side of angst as the couples worked through all their baggage.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, sweet and steamy second chance romance about the one who got away, the one who stayed behind and a Christmas race tradition. The story is about Trent and Riley. She stayed in the small town, working a job she loved, running the traditional 5k and wishing things could have been different. Trent left for college withe his high school sweetheart, married, had a son and now divorcing. He has returned to the small town because of his father. This is an interesting story about "what if's". It was so good from beginning to end.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never Forget . . .

For Riley Lancaster, time seems to be standing still. Trent Robertson had gone off to college after high school. He married his sweetheart Mia and they had a son, Archie, who is now a teenager, and the couple is dealing with divorce. But Trent’s father died and Trent has returned to town to take care of the details.

Riley’s annual tradition for the past 17 years has been to prepare for the Rudolph Run Christmas race as she waits in vain for Trent to return. This year, he is back! But he’s not here to race. Both of them have some enormous “baggage” to deal with. Does their past have significance now after so many years? Will there be any kind of “second chance” to offer them a HEA this time around? Or is the past over and both need to move on with their lives? After all, it would seem only a true Christmas Miracle could ever bring these two together after so many years, right?

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It was a story of two people who drifted apart and lived different lives while never truly getting over each other. There was lots of steamy chemistry, passion, and humor.

[L KQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Year Waiting

Emotionally charged, this story of second plus chances was interesting, to say the least. Riley has been waiting every year to run with Trent, as this was her only connection to him. Being let down, no matter the reason, only cemented the fact that their feelings and friendship were inconsequential. Tragedy brings them back together, but is it too late to start something that never began in the first place. This was a complicated story with sadness and holiday vibes that kept me wondering what would happen until the end. I just wish there was more of an epilogue, especially with the will they, won't they for the entire story. Other than that, it was an enjoyable and emotional read.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

One got away and one stayed behind. It might sound like the start of a fairly typical small town romance where the love is rekindled but there would need to have been a relationship at least, to have the rekindling. This is a very different type of story using those same tropes. This time the one who got away went to College with his childhood sweetheart who he later married and had a son with. Now, about to be divorced, his father having recently passed away and needing to be back in that small town to get everything straight again, we meet Trent.

Riley is still in town. Still working her same job, one that she loves, still running the annual 5k Rudolph Run, possibly still pining, after 17 years, over what could have been. But does pining for that long really do anyone any good? After all part of the reason she does the run is that she hopes, against hope, every year, that her running partner will appear, will have come back and will be running the race with her. He never does until now. Although it is not at the race that they meet again. It is as Riley is running past the coffee shop Trent is sitting in.

Their reunion is awkward to put it lightly. Hardly surprising in many ways. Yet it also raises so many questions, questions that neither of them knows how to address let alone answer. Could the help they need come in the form of a teenage boy looking for a winter job, his first job, as a server at the restaurant Riley works at? The teenager she hires. The teenager who happens to be Trent's son? The past and everything Riley thought she had decided on, felt, everything that happened then and since, is now back and she doesn't know what to do with it. Trent is struggling too and then there is the question of how to explain it all to a teenager.

A fascinating story which delves into one of the biggest what if's of romance, what if that one person came back into your life? What would you do? Can we ever know for certain. Alex Winters blends the dynamics of these big questions with those of family in turmoil and trying to find their footing and a woman who thought she had kept her small town life going only to realise she may have been holding her breath for 17 years. With some great insights into all this plus the running of a restaurant at one of the busiest times of year which I can only assume come from personal experiences of the author given their accuracy, this makes for a fascinating and fun read.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Holiday Novella and it is Trent and Riley’s story. Riley likes to run and always takes part in the 5k Christmas Race called The Rudolph Run every single year since high school and every year for the past seventeen years she had waited for Trent to come back but she was always disappointed when it never happened but she never gave up the chance of a Christmas Miracle to happen. Trent is back in his hometown after his father died from a heart attack so now he needs to sort all the affairs out and also settle his father’s estate so he brought his teenage son Archie with him so that they could hopefully spend time together and get to know each other better because all Trent did was work but now he was also hoping to see that someone who is so special to him and he never forgot about her. When Riley was on her early morning run she was shocked to see Trent who she hadn’t seen for seventeen years and she felt that he was the one that got away and she would never have a chance to see him again but now here he was right in front of her after so long apart. The attraction and chemistry between Trent and Riley is still as strong as ever even after all there years apart but sometimes life just gets in the way and it is not the right time but now years later will it be Trent and Riley’s time to be together and have the future that they always wanted and deserved. This is a beautiful Christmas Story where eventually that Christmas Miracle happens that you have waited so long for and you get a second chance at love after everything that you have been through. I read this book in one sitting because the story pulled you in and kept your attention throughout and I look forward to reading more books in the future.

[Rebmay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is second chance at love story with a little angst and self-discovery thrown in the mix. Riley runs to decompress, de-stress and for the sheer joy of it. It is also a way to connect to the memories of a boy, (now a man), she used to run with who claimed her heart and unfortunately left her behind. She has waited seventeen years for Trent to return to their hometown and when he finally does, when she spots him on one of her very early morning runs, she bolts. Oh he catches her, only to leave her behind again. Seems Fate has a sense of humour because Trent keeps turning up whenever she least expects it, especially after she hires his teenage son, Archie, to work at the restaurant she helps manage.

Their story includes a pattern of one of them leaving the other behind, remembering the connection they once had and becoming aware of familiar feelings that they thought had died. They have so much baggage to face, including a lot of family drama and obligations, the disparity in their financial and social status and a few other things that seem to make a second chance at building a future together impossible. Still the heart wants what the heart wants, so perhaps with the help of some Christmas magic they can find a way to make their relationship work for the rest of their lives.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters drew me into their story, made me laugh, grit my teeth, sigh and smile happily. I will be happy to recommend this engaging book.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The holiday Rudolph 5K Run is a race that Riley goes to every year, hoping her old friend Trent will show up to run with her again. It has been 17 years since he left town and married his high school sweetheart. Now he is back with his son as he sorts out his father's estate, after his passing. They both long for each other and their friendship - and stronger feelings that they secretly hid from each other. Will the time past be too much? Will responsibilities keep them apart? Will the son help or hinder them spending some time together to sort it all out? The author keeps you guessing all the way through the storyline. Prepare to get pulled in.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story about second chances. Riley is waiting for Trent, her life is in its own limbo as she hopes for things to work out. Trent is also waiting in his own way. They lived their lives but it took a long time for them to get to the point where they are in the place where they can finally move forward towards one another.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy these shorter reads from Alex. This is another well written storyline based around a second chance romance. Loved following Trent and Riley's journey that had plenty of humorous moments as well as steamy ones!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trent & Riley: A clean holiday RomCom about missed opportunities and possibly a second chance at love. Alex Winters’ writing style hooked me in. The drama between the one that got away and the one that stayed behind, the what-ifs, hidden feelings, and the will they-won’t they kept me entertained throughout.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathleen T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year Riley keeps up tradition waiting for her running partner to return. Riley finally catches Trent is back. I enjoyed this holiday second chance read! So good.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sandrina Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great story
I liked it
I enjoyed reading it
I liked the characters
and their story
I enjoyed it.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.