Runway - Book Three of the Hostile Beauty Series A Review

I first had the privilege of meeting Jan Moran when I read and reviewed her first book in the Hostile Beauty Series, Flawless.  She swept me away with the high society, fast action, and ruthlessness that lies beneath the glossy veneer of the beauty industry.  Each of her subsequent installments have seemed to up the ante and have continued to peel back the layers of the industry as Jan shares the stories of each of a group of friends that are deeply involved in the beauty market in Beverly Hills, California, as well as other markets across the globe.

SYNOPSIS

After Fianna Fitzgerald's debut runway showing of her fashion designs, a walk on the Malibu beach with reclusive rock star Niall Finley nearly claims their lives when they get caught in high tides. Will the bond they form in those critical moments be enough to last a lifetime?

When Fianna left Ireland for America to follow her dream of becoming a fashion designer, she was determined to leave her family's ancient past behind and start fresh in Beverly Hills. Fianna never imagined that her goal would place her, and those who work for her, in jeopardy. From the fashion runways of Los Angeles to London, someone is trying to sabotage her debut season. As Fianna struggles between two vastly different worlds, her troubles mount though her friends lend their support in her darkest hours.

Is the terror linked to her family's ancient feudal past or something else? Furthermore, can she leave Ireland with her heart intact, or will she lose it to the only man she's ever loved?

Runway is the third book in the series (but can be read as a stand-alone novel). Follow a group of smart, stylish, entrepreneurial friends as they navigate the turbulences of modern life in the business of beauty. Set in Beverly Hills with action flung across the globe, this engaging series features gutsy, determined best friends, and how they manage to live the lives of their dreams. 

REVIEW

Runway, Jan Moran’s current offering, did not disappoint this reader.  Fianna was already a well-favored character in the first two books, so when Jan devoted this third book to Fianna and her love of fashion, I squealed in delight.  The very vision of a tall Irish beauty with coppery locks and a striking brown/green eye combination that would knock the socks off most any guy who watched her walk the catwalk, or down Beverly Hills Blvd in one of her creations turned my five foot three, grey-haired eyes green with envy.  Long legs are one thing this girl never owned. 

Jan has a knack for bringing her characters back to earth.  She reaches behind all the trappings of the glitz, lights, and the glimmer of the Runway world and allows her characters to be human.  They have real family issues that the reader can identify with.  Even with a fast paced mystery and the impossible Love we would die for walking through the door, she continues to keep her characters grounded in day-to-day issues of living. 

In Fianna, she bestows upon her an extra share of caring and a large heart that sees others first, even in the midst of her own crisis.  She also provided the readers with some wonderful eye candy on the hero side of the aisle with a retiring Irish rock star who is a widower.  Just based on the book’s description, all I could hear, every time it talked about him singing was one of those gorgeous Irish Tenors just crooning away in those hypnotizing Irish brogues.  My heart was sunk.

Jan Moran’s heroines are strong, dominate women who have made their way into the beauty world, have battled against the odds, and have the mental acuity to go head-to-head against the obstacles that fall in their path.  They care deeply for their families and for their friends.  Their loyalty is without question.  They love deeply and with great sensuality.  Not only are the storylines fast-paced and well written, there are scenes that leave you in a sweat.  Jan is quickly becoming a major contender in the Women’s Fiction market for just cause. 

Runway, receives a strong FIVE STAR rating from this reader, with a strong recommendation to read the first two books in the Hostile Beauty Series: FLAWLESS, and BEAUTY MARK.

INTERVIEW (from Amazon.com)

Q – What's interesting about this contemporary series?

A – This series is a blend of women's contemporary fiction with strong female leads, close girlfriend friendships, and romantic relationships. The single women in the Hostile Beauty series are stylish, creative, and smart, but like any of us, they sometimes make mistakes. I really enjoy helping them overcome their challenges.

Q – Why should readers choose this series?

A – Because they're fun, vicarious stories ripped from the glamorous world of beauty, yet infused with deep friendships and romantic relationships. My award-winning books have reached the top ten bestseller list in prestigious Rizzoli Bookstore, and as high as #14 on the Amazon Top 100 List for paid books. And I'm thrilled that my historical romance, Scent of Triumph, is published by St. Martin's Press, a leading New York publisher.

Q – And what kind of books do you like to read?

A – I read widely across genres. I love Barbara Taylor Bradford family sagas series, Lauren Willig historical fiction books, Melissa Foster romance novel series, Elizabeth Adler epic sagas, Anita Hughes contemporary fiction novels, Danielle Steel strong female leads, Michelle Gable Paris novels, Marie Force romance best sellers, and Candace Bushnell contemporary fiction bestsellers. These are the ones I love to snuggle with by the fireplace.

Thank you for reading! And please visit me online at JanMoran.com 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jan Moran is an author for St. Martin’s Press (Scent of Triumph, 2015). She writes the Hostile Beauty contemporary series, which includes Flawless, Beauty Mark, and other upcoming titles. She wrote Fabulous Fragrances I and II, which earned spots on the Rizzoli Bookstore bestseller list. She is represented by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency.

As a fragrance and beauty expert, she has been featured in numerous publications and on television and radio, including CNN, Women’s Wear Daily, Allure, InStyle,and O Magazine. As an editor and writer, she has covered fragrance, beauty, and spa travel for a variety of publications such as Cosmopolitan, Costco Connection, and Porthole Cruise.