In her job as child advocate, Allie Hudson can't stand the thought of sending Davy Lopez back to his prostitute mother and drug addicted father, so Allie decides to circumvent the system and keep Davy with her until after the weekend. When Allie returns home, a message from Davy's mother warns her of coming danger and asks her to take Davy and run. Allie does the only thing she can think of and rushes back to her hometown and Beck Williams, the only man she has ever loved. Leaving Beck broke both their hearts, so Allie has to hope that he will still be willing to help her.

Much of Running from Strangers reflects the year it was written, 2008, and unfortunately it has not aged well. Negative stereotypes and poor pacing make this story a less than enjoyable read. Also, the protagonists are not well developed and some of the choices they make are questionable at best. The novel does begin with an interesting premise involving the judicial system and its care of minors, but it quickly devolves into a story where the main character must turn to an old boyfriend for help. In addition, the protagonists cheat on the boyfriend's fiance, while never really addressing that issue. Overall, Running from Strangers is a disappointing romantic suspense novel. ( )

Booklist Review: Allie Hudson is trying to do something right, so why is it turning out so wrong? When she was younger, Beck Williams—the love of her life—was there to help, but there is no one to help now that she is on the run with young Davy Lopez. A child advocate, she is appalled when the judge decides to return Davy to his prostitute mother and drug-addict father, so she takes Davy to her summer home in rural Michigan. When they are attacked, she runs to Beck after all. A naturalist living among the wild mustangs in the Colorado mountains, he is overjoyed to see Allie and wants to resume their old relationship, but she has lost her ability to trust after her deceased policeman husband proved to be crooked. Still dealing with the repercussions from speaking out against his corrupt department, she isn't sure if the assailants want her or Davy. Harrison's intense novel of romantic suspense is filled with enough surprises to keep the reader entertained and guessing to the end. ( )