Running on Empty (Thicker Than Blood #4) by C.J. Darlington

Running on Empty (Thicker Than Blood #4) Reviews

• 
  Carol

  I love this series. I have read every book, starting with Thicker Than Blood. This one has new characters that I cared about. And, of course, a dog. The idea of finding a sister on your doorstep was intriguing. Especially when you didn't know you even had a sister. That is the part of the story I liked the most, the relationship between the sisters.
• 
  Sierra Faith

  4.5 stars. Was a little disappointed the characters from the previous books weren't in it much but I still really liked it!
• 
  Lisa

  Title: Running on Empty
  Author: C. J. Darlington
  Pages: 348
  Year: 2015
  Publisher: Mountainview Books
  My rating is 5+ stars.
  C. J. Darlington just keeps getting better! I have read her other books Jupiter Winds, Thicker than Blood, Bound by Guilt, Ties that Bind and her newest Running on Empty. Each novel contains a story that will stir your blood, set your imagination running, and leave you wanting more of her stories. Running on Empty seems like a great candidate for a sequel because I would love to see how a couple of the characters meet with justice!
  The main characters are two half-sisters Delaware and California, who have nicknames Del and Callie. These two go through a whole maze of danger, trouble, reprieve and more as they are just trying to live day by day. Del is the oldest and has lost her job. She has been black-balled due to a lie people in the small town where she lives believe. One night in the wee hours Del opens her front door to find a dog and Callie.
  There are those who are cunning, don’t value life and right now think they have gotten away with more than just murder. Del is on the fence with her faith, having learned a truth withheld from her till the death of her parents that has skewered her view of God. Callie believes in Jesus and has a childlike faith and a heart filled with love. At times in the story when Del would be hesitant to tell the truth because trust comes hard for her, Callie spills it like water which more than once cause Del to wince.
  The ending of the book was classic. The tale has mystery, danger, adventure, and themes of trust, brokenness, regret, and hope. That isn’t all the book has to offer, but hours of enjoyment will help you glean what is held in this great story. C. J. Darlington writes some of the most interesting stories I have come across. The characters can be related to, seem real and before one knows it have the reader cheerleading for the good guys!
  I hope you read all the books this author takes time to write and share with anyone who loves reading. These books can be read over and over again and each time the story will still be fresh, leaving the reader wanting more! I hope C. J. is already working on her next book whether it is the Thicker than Blood Series or the sequel to Jupiter Winds or perhaps something totally different. Either way I am sure to devour it as I have her others, so join me on the road to some great books!
  Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
  
• 
  Gophergirl58

  I enjoyed the story and read through it quickly because I was anxious to see how it ended. I love that Darlington keeps this series in the State of Colorado: I have only been there twice, but it is a beautiful state. And that the author includes horses in the story, even for just a bit, and a young woman who loves them made me happy as that was me when I was growing up.
  
  The reason for four instead of five stars, however, hinged upon the fact that, if I were not a Christian, I would be a bit confused as to who goes to Heaven - good people or believers in Christ. Secondly, the ending was quite abrupt. I do wish for a book that starts where this one left off because, otherwise, I would be greatly disappointed of how the story of the two sisters ends.
• 
  Paula

  Excellent way to start the year - thoroughly enjoyed this story, and like so many in this series, I felt like it left a big open space at the end to continue Del and Callie's stories. Glad to see my favorite character Christy reappear.
  
  4 out of 5 for a few plot holes at the end, but overall a great story that I would recommend to others. This story certainly can stand alone, but I think it is so much richer if you have read the first three books first so you know who Christy and Abby are, and how they got to where they are.
  
  Would have been a fun twist to have Miss Joette give Callie and Del a lift at some point!
• 
  Lydia Howe

  C.J. Darlington is one of my favorite authors. I've read all of her Thicker Than Blood books as soon as I find them, so when I saw there was a #4 in the series, I bought it right away and read it over the next couple of days.
  
  Once again Miss C.J. has created realistic characters who drew me into the story and made me want to find out what was going on with them. It amused me how well a young character was portrayed - even though I liked her, I found myself getting frustrated right along with the main character, so that was impressive.
  
  This book had a unique "now and before" type of storytelling. (Unique for this series, not for writing in general.) I wasn't sure if I'd like it at first, but it ended up drawing me into the story even more and making me antsy to see how everything was going to turn out.
  
  Overall this was probably my least favorite of the Thicker Than Blood books. I wished we would have gotten to spend more time with the characters from the first few books, and I wasn't incredibly satisfied with the ending, but I *did* like the book a lot, and as I mentioned, the characters were really well-written.
• 
  Audrey

  Del had just lost her job due to a lie a co-worker told about her to their boss. Since she lived in a small town, no one wanted to hire her because of the lie. Now, she was three months behind on her rent, and her landlords were getting on her case. Just when things couldn't get much worse, she got the information that she was adopted, something that had been kept secret from her until now. Her half-sister, Callie, got dumped on her doorstep with the expectation that Del would take care of her. Del hardly knew what to do because now they were living in her car and barely had enough to eat. Around that time, the girls biological mother, Natalie, shows up on the run from mistakes that she made in her past. Now Del's and Callie's lives are in danger too.
• 
  Chelsea T.

  Really good book for a causal medium-paced read
  
  This book was a good book. You felt every struggle and every obstacle that the girls face. I also like the little mystery element thrown in surrounding their mother and people going after them.
  
  I like Callie and Del's relationship. I like seeing Del grow protective of her and claim responsibility for her.
  
  I thought villains we're okay, not too fleshed out though. And the book does leaves some holes open, but they might be answered in the next book? I'm not sure.
  
  Anyway, I totally recommend this book for a causal read about sisterhood, heavy emotions, and family.
• 
  Chelsea T.

  This book was a good book. You felt every struggle and every obstacle that the girls face. I also like the little mystery element thrown in surrounding their mother and people going after them.
  
  I liked Callie and Del's relationship. I liked seeing Del grow protective of her and claim responsibility for her sister.
  
  I thought villains we're okay, not too fleshed out though. And the book does leaves some holes open, but they might be answered in the next book? I'm not sure.
  
  Anyway, I totally recommend this book for a causal read about sisterhood, heavy emotions, and family.
• 
  Connie Williams

  Another great book in this seies
  
  I have absolutely enjoyed the Thicker than Blood series and am disappointed I can't just jump into book 5. I read all of them back to back and enjoyed the development of so many characters. New characters were introduced in this one that could be expanded upon in another book so I really hope there will be Book #5.
• 
  C.M.

  I hope this one gets a sequel, because it desperately needs one. Things were left hanging and (Spoiler alert!!!) the villains get away with everything. I found it rather disappointing compared to the others in the series.
• 
  Trish

  My least favorite of the series, especially as there was very little tie-in to the previous characters (frankly, this could have even been #2 or 3, there was that little detail). Premise with Natalie did not seem believable, and the ending didn't really tie things up.
• 
  Mary Manson

  Loved, loved, loved the Series
  
  I just finished this the fourth book in the Series. Awesome book just like the three previous books. The Series has realistic and very likeable characters dealing with life issues - parents, siblings, death of family members, divorce, etc.
• 
  Patricia Thompson

  Another great book
  
  You cannot put these books once you are in and involved. This book develops a story of relationships...anticipation of what happens next.
• 
  Sally

  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Right from the start it held my attention and never left to the end. I felt badly for the young woman's circumstances, all the trials while trying to survive. It was actually educational! And when she suddenly found out she had a sister with whom was now her responsibility, oh my goodness! I liked the personalities of the sisters, they seemed very realistic, not too perfect by a long shot. The non-stop adventures were excellently (is that even a word) written and now I want to read more of C.J. Darlington's books. This was the first one I've ever read and I won it in a contest.
  I am so glad I read this book!
• 
  Nenette

  A life that is all roses is not what the Lord promises to those who believe in Him. The opposite is actually true. I guess this is what makes the stories in this series really good. It shows by example and very seldom quote verses from the bible.
  
  In this fourth book, sisters Del and Callie were brought together and have to face homelessness, hunger, and the threat of death. I wish it were longer!
  
  There will probably be a fifth book...I hope so, as I'd like to see how these sisters will turn out, and what will happen to Grant Hudson.
• 
  Melissa (Trying to Catch Up)

  This is the fourth book in a series, but it easily stands alone. I have personally not read the first three and didn't feel like I was missing anything. Overall, it's a good suspense novel with a great deal of action and a fast moving plot. Some of the storylines could have been fleshed out more and a great deal is left hanging at the end. The thing I appreciated most was the realistic portrayal of Del's situation and the role that trusting God played in her life.
  
  
• 
  Nancy

  I enjoyed Running on Empty. The characters and their situation drew me in from the first. I appreciated the real difficulties portrayed. Some bad choices were made for good reasons, but the outcome was well done.
• 
  J.E. Grace

  Very exciting book. Characters were very easy to relate to. I felt that I was right there living the story with them. It was a hard book to put down. This book was as good as all her others in this series. My favorite character was Callie. Can't wait for the next book to come out.
• 
  T. Darlington

  This is a great book! Pick up your copy today. :)
• 
  Tracy Walsh

  Great story and well written.
  
• 
  dorothy fredrickson

  Very good
  
  This one was as good as the first 3 were." I have enjoyed them all can hardly lay the book down.
• 
  Loretta

  Most enjoyable. I found the characters very believable. It's actually frightening how easily homelessness can happen to people, sometimes through no fault of their own.