The Last Time I Run is a lyrical, deeply emotional contemporary romance about survival, healing, and choosing love after a lifetime spent running from pain. Set in the cozy Hudson Valley during fall and winter, this small-town new adult romance blends emotional tension, slow-burn chemistry, and the nostalgic charm of the holiday season. Amaya Lee, a Dominican-American fashion stylist and photographer rebuilding her life after trauma, has finally found stability in the riverside town of Nyack. She has community. She has peace. She has a future she’s fighting for. But when Maximiliano—a magnetic, complicated man with reckless edges—pulls her into an intense, intoxicating connection, old wounds resurface and the past she thought she outran returns with force. And then Ryan comes home—the boy who once saw her clearly, the man who walked away, and the only person who ever made her feel truly safe. Steady, mature, and unexpectedly back in her orbit, Ryan challenges everything Amaya believes about trust, love, and what she deserves. Caught between a past that nearly broke her and a future she desperately wants to believe in, Amaya begins the brave, messy work of reclaiming her voice, her boundaries, and her heart. Through therapy, friendship, heartbreak, and a tender second-chance romance, she learns that healing is not linear—and sometimes the hardest person to stop running from is yourself. Told in Y.A. Roman’s intimate, poetic style, The Last Time I Run explores trauma recovery, emotional healing, found family, faith, Dominican cultural roots, and the beauty of choosing a love that feels like coming home. Perfect for readers who love emotional slow burns, protective heroes, fall and winter small-town settings, and deeply moving stories of resilience, hope, and second chances.
