Speed Demons by Gun Brooke

Speed Demons
by Gun Brooke
Pages: 264
Date: November 1 2012
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: July 27 2016

My fifth book I've read by this author. Giving this book 4 stars brings my average rating for books read Brooke to 3.5. A far fall from the first book I'd read, or the rating I gave it, 5.5. The 3.5, though, is actually an increase over my previous overall rating of 3.3 for the combined average of the four books read before this one.

I've recently been testing some of those authors I'd somewhat pushed to the side along the way for one reason or another, and found some good things, which is how I ended up reading this book here.

So, what can I saw about this one . . . hmms. Evie is a race car driver on the NASCAR circuit. Blythe is a photojournalist who is doing a photo book about Evie. This is where the book starts. Blythe watches through her camera, then her eyes as Evie races around on a race track in a Dodge Viper. Screaming. Clouds of smoke, flames, crashing explosions – two of Evie’s fellow race car drivers have crashed, and Evie’s right behind them . . . following her pit bosses instructions, going low, until she rams into the side of one of the crashing cars and is herself engulfed in flames. Blythe, who happened to have her camera pointing the right way, keeps pushing the button to take pictures, until she can’t any longer and rushes toward the crash.

The book opens as above. It’s now a year later and the very shy 43 year old Blythe has worked herself up to approach Evie about a proposal – continuation of that book they had been working on, with Blythe following Evie as she attempts her comeback from the tragic accident which had claimed two lives. A certain amount of tension and mistrust occurs, but an agreement is reached. They will continue with the project. This will include some rather close living quarters . . . because that’s just what you do in a situation like this, apparently.

So, while Evangeline ‘Evie’ Marshall is working on her comeback, Blythe Pierce is basically living in her pocket (I’d make a short joke, since Blythe is tiny, but she might gut me – she’s kind of fierce). Certain ‘feelings’ develop.

Meanwhile there are other characters and issues occurring in this book. Family: Evie’s dick of a father and, to a lesser extent (appearance in the book wise), grandfather make several rude snide undermining appearances (Brooke sure doesn’t like father characters); Blythe’s family itself also plays its own little role – well, largely the role being so abusive that roughly 25 years ago, Blythe had to run away. So that’s happening.

Nice enough book. Those looking for detailed long stretches of car racing should look elsewhere. I kind of knew that going in so that did not have an impact on my rating (good or bad). I think I’d rate this somewhere around 3.70 if I still rated using decimals; otherwise this book gets marked as being 4 stars.

July 27 2016

Faster Harder by Colleen Masters

Faster Harder (Take Me... #1)
by Colleen Masters
Pages: 308
Date: December 13 2013
Publisher: Hearts Collective
Series: Take Me... (1st in series)

Review
Rating: 3.8 out of 5.0
Read: April 15 2016

This is one of those unfortunate times when a book gets read and finished when I'm not in a position to do anything about the fact that I'd read and finished it. So there's this delay that gets built in - both in terms of getting my thoughts together for a review, and in terms of other works have been examined/read since the completion of this book here. So, let me see what I can put together here.

First off - I'm not actually sure what I'd rate this book. I'd initially put it down on the 3 star level - more so I could mark it read (I was away from my computer, and my phone was giving me issues); though I had the thought that I'd probably rate the book somewhere around 3.5 to 4.2. Realizing that, now, I move it up to the 4 star level.

The book involves Siena Lazio and Forumla 1 racing. And I admit that I read the book largely because I wanted to read another book that involved car racing. They seem oddly hard to find. Oh, and the book was free, so that helped. I mean being offered on Amazon for $0.00, not meaning that it was free to me and only me.

Siena Lazio is an Italian-American woman of roughly 25 years of age who works for her family's car racing team - Team Ferrelli. Technically not actually her family's car team, just they have had a long history with the team, and Siena's pop owns a majority stake. The Lazio family, and Team Ferrelli are, in the book's world, highly regarded in the sport of auto-racing. Siena's pop is majority owner of the team, and an hands on manager; her brother is the lead driver for the team (and the brother is her twin). Siena works public relations for the team, though she is being constantly undermined by her father - who seems to only be able to see her as his daughter; and, is constantly being 'watched' - 'guarded'. Both in terms of what she does reflects on the team, and in terms of 'she's a female family member, therefore, 'obviously' she needs to be watched'. The brother, on the other hand, while required to be the top, and be constantly working on being ready to race, isn't as controlled off the track - in terms of - he is allowed to be a ladies man.

So, the book opens with the start of a new F1 season. The team, and the race, is in Barcelona. Siena feels the need to 'unwind', so she goes to a night club. Followed along by her 'watcher', the son of the team ... manager? I forget what post Gus fills (that's the father, not the son). The son and Siena grew up together, and Siena believes that the son (this would be easier if I'd done the review immediately after I'd read the book - I can't recall the son's name) lusts after her; but she can't see him as anything other than a brother-type.

So - they are in a night club in Barcelona. Siena wants to be herself; that son guy keeps being an uptight ass. Eventually Siena gets that son guy to leave and soon bumps into a man named Harrison. She doesn't say who she is in terms of auto-racing; and he doesn't say who he is. Though both acknowledge that they are somehow involved in F1. They flirt, they dance, they end up in the bathroom together; some fondling begins but they get tossed out before they can get anywhere.

Harrison, which will be eventually learned, is a guy by the name of Harrison Davies. 'Secret weapon' for Team McClain. Which is right in the book's description. heh. He's a driver and will give Enzo some competition for champion of F1 (Enzo being Siena's brother).

There's a 'Romeo & Juliet' vibe going on in this book - in terms of Davis being a member of Team McClain, and Siena being a member of Team Ferrelli.

There are some scenes on the track, though most everything that involves the auto-races are from Siena's perspective watching. This is the first book in a series; maybe additional books shift the POV to someone actually behind the wheel? I might find out some day.

Oh, and the book felt quite complete and then there had to be a cliffhanger ending tacked on at the end. Mind you, that was, to a certain extent, foreshadowed, but still.

April 18 2016