Author Gaelen Vanderbergh teaches everyone that life might be hard, things might seem like they will never get better and then one simple incident just might turn your life around. Friendships, loyalties, hope, trust and a small town named Wells Lake filled with people that everyone just might wish lived in their community.

A definite must read.

Fran Lewis: reviewer:

Let’s dedicate this review to those that ran the Boston Marathon

As an avid reader nothing pleases me more than reading a book that I CANNOT put down. I found this story so enjoyable and relatable. The beginning had such a great jolt with Paige being dumped off in the middle of nowhere! I loved that there was some romance but that the book didn't end with some fairytale ending with Al. And truly this book inspired me to get up and put MY running sneakers on! Great job on your first novel... I'll be looking for your next !!

"Running Against Traffic" by Gaelen VanDenbergh is a breath of fresh air. I loved this book, which is surprising since I don't normally like this genre (women's lit.). But I found it to be witty, interesting, and addictive. It is a wonderful story of a woman rediscovering herself after being left by her husband in a small town.

Talk about character development, the story revolves around Paige learning who she really is and how to stand on her own two feet. She gets herself a job and takes in two boarders to help with the repairs on her house. But the bonds that form between the roommates become the strongest and most meaningful ties for each of them. They each have their own demons that they are battling. But instead of trying to face them on their own, they face them together.

The characters are relatable and lovable! I have to give this one 5 stars. Add this to your list for an up-beat read perfect for a lazy weekend or beach day.

I am an avid reader of all genres. I used to be a runner, I had a starter husband, I have had to discover myself and reinvent myself.
The author tackles all these in a beautifully written book. It is unusually literary for someone of her age. The plot moves along well and her characters are interesting and well developed. I am looking forward to her next book very much.

It was a five star as I loved the unique characters and dry humor. We need more of Paige and especially Bryce.
Looking forward to the sequel!!

I really enjoyed "Running Against Traffic" - the book starts off with a bang, Paige is abandoned by her husband in a rural town in Pennsylvania where she knows no one. As the book unfolds, Paige unfolds and you get to know her as she gets to know herself. Along the way, you meet many other wonderful characters that stick with you. I was so sad when the book ended because I wanted to know what happened to everyone! The book has a lot of humor as well as very sad moments. It feels like real life. Very well written and enjoyable.

A unique and realistic story about a woman getting her life back together. After Paige is abandoned by her husband in a small town, I spent some considerable time yelling at her to snap out of it. But as the story develops and I got to understand how she got to be who she is, I found myself completely sucked into her world and cheering her on every step of the way. What I especially loved about this story is the realistic way Paige starts to heal. There is no magic button or miracle man who sweeps all of her problems away. Instead, she develops some supportive friendships and learns to care about others. I found this story touching, poignant, funny and uplifting and I hope very much that Paige's story will continue in future books.

Ms. VanDenbergh has painted a picture of flawed yet likeable characters. Paige is literally dumped into a very difficult situation. She has to pull herself out of a serious funk before she can move on with her life. The more you get to know Paige and her cohorts, Al and Bryce, the more you will root for them. I fell so in love (in a mom sort of way) with troubled Bryce that I can't get him out of my mind. I don't want to give too much away but I will say that I was pleased that Paige learned to lean on friends but, essentially, pulled herself out of her troubles. Also, I am impressed that Ms. VanDenbergh, a first time author, was able to inject so much humor into tough subjects like abandonment and addiction.
A previous reviewer mentioned that there will be another book about this cast of characters. What will happen next? I can hardly wait to find out.

Running Against Traffic is a well-written page turner with all the elements necessary for an
enjoyable read: appealing characters; a brisk plot; a striking setting and a satisfying resolution.
Would make a terrific movie.
Looking forward to the sequel.

These characters just pop off the page...they are lovable (well, not you, David and Simone), and this debut work by Gaelen Vandenbergh makes you want to know more about them. Which is great, because I read in another review that a follow up is in the works, soon to be released. I look forward to reading where life takes them, and maybe more about where a few of them have been. I love the metaphor of the tired, crumbling house and how it gets refurbished bit by bit, over time...just like our heroine, Paige. This is a story of second chances, sure. But it is also about how much light and joy even the darkest, loneliest soul can shed on the lives of others.

Gaelen VanDenbergh has written a solid first novel. Showing her literary chops, VanDenbergh gives us the classic narrative arc, telling the tale of a protagonist set adrift and finding her way home. And she does it on several levels. Paige, pampered and petulant in Philadelphia, has managed to alienate friend and foe alike before being abandoned, emotionally and physically, when her husband dumps her in a remote village in rural upstate Pennsylvania. There she learns to fend for herself as well as open up to feel for others. VanDenbergh sets a quick pace through the novel and peoples it with lively, multidimensional local characters, whose charms make you want to keep reading "to find out what happens." Along the way, she paints such vivid pictures of Paige's new surroundings that you feel right there in the story with her, repairing the dilapidated house, running along lakeside paths with the beauty of the changing seasons all around you. At the end, Paige has found herself, capable of empathy, capable of honest emotion, capable of knowing her way. And in the end she finds herself on the right road home.

As a man I was surprised when this novel was recommended to me that I would actually enjoy it. My normal genre of book is suspense, thrillers but I found myself invested in the characters and wanting to find out what eventually happened to each of them. The author did an incredible job of not only telling the story of the protagonist but as well of the other leading characters in this novel. Quite a few times I actually caught myself laughing out loud at some of the antics that went on in the book, and that has not happened in a long time. At first glance I thought this was typical chic-lit and would be turned off by it but to my surprise there are deeper issues that are delved into with the main character Paige as well as the supporting characters of Al and Bryce. The bottom line is when a book can keep you up later than you wanted to because you want to find out what happens next, its truly a winner. Impressive debut novel for this author.

Running Against Traffic is a wonderful fish-out-of-water story by first-time novelist Gaelen VanDenbergh. The main character, Paige Davenport, has allowed herself to be defined by her husband and is drifting through life until she suddenly finds herself alone and in a strange and squalid world very unlike the upscale Philadelphia world her husband's wealth allowed her to exist in previously. The novel follows her into this new world and we watch her struggle, achieve successes and meet with failures, find her place in the world and forced to actually live--with the attending pleasures and pain--for the first time in a long time.

This novel has the kind of juice to it you hope for from a promising first novel. The characters, especially Paige, are complex without being inaccessible. They feel solid. Real. Ms. VanDenbergh paints a quirky but believable tableau of characters and place. A wry humor sweetens Paige's serious struggles and those of her new friends. And there were parts of the book when that humor provoked out-loud laughing.

I wanted to know what happened to Paige. I wanted to see how she dealt with what her previous choices in life (or perhaps her lack of making choices in her life). I was afraid at first that she would turn out to be a character we would pity but Ms. VanDenbergh avoided that sort of simplicity. Her character were shaped not just by the luck of their lives but by their own choices and the author holds them responsible. That made me really care about these characters and this book. I wanted to see how they did, good or bad. And, as the book progress, even made me want to go for a run myself.

Running Against Traffic is a debut novel worth the purchase!
I enjoyed this book so much I couldn't put it down!
The way the book begins, jaw dropping!
Watching Paige re-discover herself in a backwoods town is very entertaining.

Here is an excerpt from my blog review:
(Check out the link for a more in depth review)
http://reeniediva.blogspot.ca/2013/04...

"What can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! It was like a breath of fresh air! I felt it didn't stick with any stereotypical recipe for a great story, it was original, clever and even with the sad/darker subject matter (loneliness, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce) it was fun read. Very well written.

The lead character Paige Scott (Davenport) remains somewhat of a mystery to the reader. Unlike a graet majority of novels where you get a good solid back story within the first chapter or so.... the reader doesn't really get treated to that information until the book progresses. It's like Paige was just plucked out of thin air, dropped into the story and her life really just began. (Which is very significant to the story line) The journey Paige takes is her rebirth. She's finally finding herself and coming alive."