You Can Run...

Book II of the Thompson Family Trilogy

Romance - Contemporary
372 Pages
Reviewed on 09/19/2012
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Gloria Antypowich lives with her husband, in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, in a little town called Horsefly. Her family is her top priority. They had four children; the youngest was killed in a motor vehicle accident when he was 18. The other three,(2 girls and a boy) are married with wonderful families of their own. Gloria and her husband have six grand children and each one is an individual treasure!

She embraces the country way of life. She is an avid reader of several different genres and listens to a wide selection of music. A good game of cards and sharing a laugh with a friend over a glass of wine are two of her favourite passtimes. She enjoy gardening—both flowers and vegetables.

And she loves to write. She has always loved words, recognizing the power of them and the pictures you can paint with them.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Molly Edwards for Readers' Favorite

Ms. Antypowich is a new author to me. This is her second book in her 'Thompson Family Trilogy' and is written in an incredibly amazing manner. I was captured completely, from start to finish, and by the end of the book, I was left with a whirlwind of jaw-dropping emotions and a pounding heart. This is the second book in her trilogy, but the first that I have read. Although I hadn't read the first, I was not overly confused to the point of disappointment. "You Can Run" takes the reader on a journey of turmoil, heartache, romance, and devotion. Shauna Lee is a woman filled with pain. She has secrets from her past that she is keeping buried deep inside her. She lets no one into her heart, and to fulfill any lonely time, she seeks men who are not willing to commit. Then she meets Brad Johnson. Brad Johnson is a man who knows what he wants and he wants Shauna Lee. From the minute he sets eyes on her, he knows he wants to commit to her and only her. But, something is wrong in her heart. She is not opening up to him. She is keeping something from her past deeply hidden and she won't reveal her secrets to him. But, he is determined to win her trust and show her that she can take the ultimate risk and fall in love with him.

As the lives of Brad and Shauna Lee collide, the reader is swept into a dramatic journey of hope, understanding, lies and love. The roller coaster ride that Ms. Antypowich takes us on in this book is breathtaking. Each page brings something new to the story and creates a vivid description of heart-wrenching love. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a book that is well-developed, has complex and believable characters, and will instantly tug you in. It is not for the faint of heart though. There are things among the pages of the book that will leave you near tears at times. But, ultimately, you will see that you can't always run from something that is meant to be. Amazingly done, Ms. Antypowich!

Stephanie D.

"You Can Run" by Gloria Antypowich, Book Two of the 'Thompson Family Trilogy', is more than a feel good story, although that is what it also is. Shauna Lee has undergone some very unpleasant experiences in her life that have left her vulnerable, and an emotional mess. She feels good by working excessively hard and bringing men home for one night stands, telling herself that it is all she wants and needs. But Brad Johnson enters her life, and he knows better. He can see that Shauna Lee is trying to bury something and he knows she’ll be able to heal and move on only if she can let it out. He takes this on as a challenge, but Shauna Lee is not necessarily grateful or appreciative. However, he is nothing if not persistent but Shauna Lee is stubborn and very self-willed. What is going to happen with two such immutable opponents?

There is a lot of depth to this book. You are drawn right into the characters’ complex lives (and can only admire Brad’s iron self-control)! You get to know the whole of them. The author has a highly readable and approachable style, and can turn her hand equally to sensual romance, thrilling suspense, bleak suffering and hate-filled violence. The plot is interesting with unforeseen twists on the way. And there is completeness in the story as certain things turn full circle. The writing is well-paced, entertaining and also informative. You get to see inside ranching, which is a fascinating extra. Like a ranch, this story is a dusty, gritty slice of real life.

Kristie I.

"You Can Run..." by Gloria Antypowich is book two of the 'Thompson Family Trilogy' and it is a book that the reader will be hooked on from start to finish. Shauna Lee is a successful business woman running her own business and handling accounts for many including her ex-fiancee, Colt Thompson; however, she holds back from personal, intimate relationships. Shauna Lee has flings, but not anything that is going to go anywhere long-term. Shauna Lee meets Brad one night while out with another man and Colt introduces the two of them. Brad is determined to find out more about Shauna Lee and break through the wall that she keeps between herself and others. Shauna Lee is not ready to share her secrets, hurts and her past with anyone, but does Shauna really want to continue living life as she has been doing?

I started reading this book, but then decided to read book one first. I am so glad I did that as I felt I got so much more out of this book than I would have if I had not read book one. The characters are all so likable and I enjoyed reading about Frankie and Colt and their story in book one and continuing on with them in this book as well. There is so much more to Shauna Lee than what she presents and shares with others and the author does a great job at developing the relationship between Shauna Lee and Brad and how he chips away at her front and gets to know the real Shauna Lee. This book is easy to get into as the style of writing is enjoyable and the characters are people you would love to meet and are "real" as they could be the neighbors next door. A great series and I am looking forward to reading book three of the trilogy.

Alice D.

Shauna Lee Holt is a good friend of the Thompson family and runs an accounting and bookkeeping service in the Thompson family's town of Swift Current in Saskatchewan, Canada. But Shauna Holt's real name is LeeAnn Bergeron and she has a past that is closed off from her present life. When Colt Thompson's friend, Brad Johnson, moves into town, he and Shauna become close, despite the fact that she is used to picking up men for weekend sex and nothing more. Brad calls Shauna "Tweetie Bird" and gets her to open up bit by bit about the horrors of her younger life. She watched as her father ran over her younger brother with a tractor and then shot Shauna's beloved horse as he expressed his fury and sorrow. She lived with a man who murdered their developmentally disabled infant son. Then Colt hires a man called Patch and Shauna's past comes rushing back.

"You Can Run...", the second book in the 'Thompson Family Trilogy', is well-written and will draw the reader into the events in the lives of Colt and Frankie Thompson and their family and friends in the town of Swift Current. The main character Shauna Lee Holt or LeeAnn Bergeron is totally believable as a survivor of a horrific young life. The supporting character of Brad who Shauna comes to love, trust and eventually marry is created believably and works nicely as a friend with the Thompsons and fits well into the theme of life in western Canada. Readers will love this second volume in this delightful series and then will clamour for the third and final book in the trilogy.