The Art of Running in Heels

TEST

Sometimes fans have to wait a long time for an eagerly awaited sequel. The Art of Running in Heels, the seventh book in the Chinooks Hockey Team series, has been anticipated by many for almost twenty years. When I found out that we were finally getting the story for the precocious Lexie Kowalsky, the endearing scamp from book one in the series, I had to get my hands on it. Simply Irresistible – starring Lexie’s parents – claimed a spot on my DIK shelf when I first read it and every time I revisit it, I find it just as good as the first time. While this story isn’t quite as great as that one, I was still very, very pleased with it.

The book begins with Lexie’s parents, the infamous John and Georgie Kowalsky, settling in for the evening and watching Gettin’ Hitched (a Bachelor-esque show where the winners end up married). Moments like this make the book even better if you’ve already read the series, but they’re clear enough that the story stands alone. John makes a comment about the awful parents who raise the daughters that go on the show… at which point Lexie steps out and introduces herself to the camera. We later find out that Lexie had good (well, if not good, then at least somewhat adult) reasons for going on the show – she owns a company which makes clothes for dogs, and decided to use the show as an opportunity for publicity. It works, as her sales have skyrocketed since she appeared on TV, but this rash decision also lands her with a fiancé, a poufy white dress, and a walk down the aisle.

Much like her mother, Lexie finds herself fleeing on the morning of her wedding. She makes her getaway in a seaplane, where the only other passenger is Sean Knox, who chartered the aircraft to take him home to Canada for the weekend. Lexie was allowed to hitch a ride because she knew the pilot, but after arriving in Sandspit, British Colombia, she’s stuck hanging around until Sean’s scheduled trip back to Seattle. Stranded in a town where she knows only Sean, Lexie entices/forces him to befriend her. They eat lunch together, visit his mother, and ultimately indulge in a one-night stand before saying goodbye and returning to Washington.

Needless to say, Lexie and Sean have not seen the last of each other.

While they might be happy to part after just a few days, I was quickly attached to them as a couple. Lexie is as wild and hilarious in adulthood as she was in childhood, and even better, her character and story feel very independent of her parents’. Sean, too, is well drawn; he grew up with a hypochondriac mother, which was a frequent embarrassment in childhood and is why he tries to avoid returning home now. This trip – due to yet another ‘terminal’ illness – leaves him mostly frustrated and grumpy, with only Lexie as the bright spot in his days. Although even that is somewhat soured by the fact that Sean plays hockey for the Seattle Chinooks, and Lexie’s father is his coach – a fact he failed to share with Lexie during their time together.

Great characters and an interesting predicament had me glued to the page as Lexie and Sean return to Seattle and inevitably run into each other. I enjoyed their first meeting, even enjoyed Lexie’s distress as the press got wind of her ‘mystery man’ in Sandspit on the heels of her highly publicized non-wedding. But then she cooks up a plan to deal with the media which took me out of that happy place. When her business starts losing customers as a result of the rumors, Lexie drafts up a detailed memo for Sean enumerating how and why they should pretend to be in love.

I didn’t expect to be fully on board with Lexie’s logic for most of this book – she’s a bit wild and jumps into things that I would avoid, but for the most part that just makes her an interesting character. It’s no surprise that she comes up with a scheme to lie to the press about a relationship, but what bothered me was that she also chooses to lie to her parents, even when Sean asks if it’s necessary. It’s a dumb move. While she may be a firecracker, Lexie is consistent about her love and respect for her parents, and Sean doesn’t want to give the coach another reason to dislike him. The only real reason to add this element  that I could see was to make for a more dramatic story, which I didn’t like. Fortunately, I was ultimately able to get past it. Far worse plot twists have been made in the name of romance.

If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be fun. This is characteristic of Ms. Gibson’s work – everything is so imbued with humor that even darker elements like hypochondria can’t do much to make the tone of the book somber. Between a dog clothing line, a reality dating show, and a fake relationship, this book was well set up to be a wild ride. Factor in Lexie’s enthusiasm and how Sean works as a straight man for her, and The Art of Running in Heels becomes a 300-odd page, fun adventure. Yes, there are some imperfections, but the upbeat feel of the book made it hard to do anything but enjoy it. I’d recommend this to fans of Ms. Gibson, and to anyone looking to escape reality for a while.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

Reviewed by Alexandra Anderson

Grade: B+

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date: 18/12/17

Publication Date: 12/2017

Recent Comments …

  1. excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.

College student by day. Book enthusiast around the clock. With any luck I'll eventually be able to afford food AND books. But I've got my priorities straight.

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Norma
Norma
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12/18/2017 9:15 am

Great review! I’m such a huge fan of Rachel Gibson. Even her less than stellar books are better than a lot of what’s out there. So many of her books remain on my DIK list and I revisit her characters often. I knew this storyline sounded familiar (runaway bride) and I knew Kawalski, but I hadn’t put together that this was John’s daughter. Even better! I cannot wait to sit and read this one.

Dabney Grinnan
Dabney Grinnan
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Reply to  Norma
12/18/2017 10:57 am

I reread Simply Irresistible at least once a year. #LoveThatBook

Norma
Norma
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Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
12/19/2017 8:15 am

I think I’ll have to revisit it. For me it’s Tangled Up In You and Truly Madly Yours. I have heart eyes for Nick…

But as a huge, die-hard Hockey fan, I love her Chinooks. I love that whole series.