We Loved to Run by Stephanie Reents is a beautifully told story about a college cross-country team and the struggles they experience.
This book is all about female athletes and the strength it takes to compete at a high level. Any time I read a book with complicated female dynamics, I just enjoy it so much. This book is about a college cross-country team that tries to make it to Nationals while dealing with issues behind closed doors. This book may be about runners, but non-runners will enjoy this book.
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We Loved To Run Overview
Title: We Loved To Run
Author: Stephanie Reents
Pages: 336 Pages
Publish Date: August 26th, 2025
Genre: Literary Fiction
My Star Rating: 4/5 stars! (I loved this book and would recommend it to most people.)
Grab Your Copy Here: https://amzn.to/45upZ9v
Synopsis From Amazon
We loved running because it was who we were, who we’d been in high school, who we hoped to be in futures we couldn’t yet imagine. Strong and fast. Fast and strong.
At Frost, a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts, the runners on the women’s cross country team have their sights set on the 1992 New England Division Three Championships and will push themselves through every punishing workout and skipped meal to achieve their goal. But Kristin, the team’s star, is hiding a secret about what happened over the summer, and her unpredictable behavior jeopardizes the girls’ chance to win. Team Captain Danielle is convinced she can restore Kristin’s confidence, even if it means burying her own past. As the final meet approaches, Kristin, Danielle, and the rest of the girls must transcend their individual circumstances and run the race as a team.
Told from the perspective of the six fastest team members, We Loved to Run deftly illuminates the intensity of female friendship and desire and the nearly impossible standards young women sometimes set for themselves. With startling honesty and boundless empathy, Stephanie Reents reveals how girls—even those in competition—find ways to love one another and turn feelings of powerlessness into shared strength and self-determination.
My Review of We Loved To Run
First off, thank you to NetGalley, Stephanie Reents, and Hogarth for this advanced reading copy of We Loved To Run. It’s such an interesting story of a female college cross-country team.
This book is a book for runners. Now, when I say that, I don’t mean that non-runners won’t relate to this novel. But there’s a level of dedication and love that runners feel deep in their souls about running. It’s a love that runs deep. It’s a hate that runs just as deep.
This story is told from multiple points of view from the women on the team. Mostly focusing on Danielle, the captain of the team, and Kristin, a runner who’s trying to outrun something that happened to her over the summer. I love all the points of view and all the insight it brings about the team’s dynamic.
This book covers all the competition and feelings behind transitioning from girlhood to womanhood. How certain situations can impact a young woman’s life completely. I loved the friendship and relationships between the girls. They all brought something different to the table.
Overall, We Loved To Run is a powerfully heartbreaking story about friendship and the strength of women athletes.
Grab Your Copy Here: https://amzn.to/45upZ9v
Other Book Reviews to Check Out
- Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein Book Review
- The Book Club for Troublesome Women
- L.A. Women by Ella Berman Book Review
- Summer on Lilac Island by Lindsay MacMillan Book Review
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I hope you do too. This book had me laughing and crying. I love any book with female friendships. They are complicated and beautiful. If you enjoyed reading this review or have questions about this book, let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from all of you!
Lastly, don’t forget to share this post on social media if you liked it! I appreciate all the love and support.
Thanks for reading,
Kel
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