IN THE FAST LANE – Audra North
A Hard Driving Novel, Book 1
St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN-13: 978-1-4668-8902-6
July 2015
Contemporary Romance

Various Racetracks – Present Day

Kerri Hart is a race car driver, and Hart Racing consists of her older brother Grady, younger brother Les, and all the other mechanics and workers that do their best to keep her car going as fast as it can. This current race almost ends up in a crash as Earl, an old boyfriend, runs onto the track with a banner “Will You Mary Me Kerri”. Grady is trying to talk her through the commotion, but his excitability is freaking her out. Suddenly a voice full of sex and honey calms her down. After the incident, Grady tells her he sold a majority interest in their family racing company to Colt International, the same company she refused last year when they wanted to sex up her image and become something she wasn't. Now Ranger Colt (really, what a name!), Al Colt's son, was sent to turn Hart Racing around. Kerri is very obnoxious about the sale, but Ranger says if she wins Rookie of the Year he will give her four years to buy them out. Kerri isn't happy, but her brother says it was either take the money or get out of racing before her younger brother Les even has a chance to follow in their dead father's footsteps.

Ranger Colt has just started working with his father, Al, a father who years ago gave over his custody to his mother in place of child support, and they lived a hand-to-mouth existence until he graduated from college. He's worked overseas for a company the past several years until Al's company bought it out, and Ranger has been working his heart out for a promotion and the recognition he deserves. But, the cranky and loud mouthed Kerri astounds him at every point. She seldom agrees with anything he asks of her, until he suggests they pretend to be engaged to stop all the talk about her old boyfriend Earl. Gossip like that could be the death of Hart Racing, especially since the media has followed Kerri's fifteen boyfriends in the past year. Too bad one kiss from Kerri has Ranger forgetting everything.

Ranger and Kerri try to come together for the good of racing and the team, and he can't believe how Kerri pushes him at every turn. Ranger soon learns Kerri, her family, and mechanics and workers are a close family, something Ranger knows nothing about. They decide since they have to pretend to be engaged for the next several months, they might as well enjoy the physical side of their relationship which is stronger than either of them likes.

Audra North has brought the racing world into our lives with all its speed and close knit teams. Kerri and her family are closer than most, trying to keep Hart Racing running after the death of her father a year ago. Her sixteen year old brother is currently racing trucks, and deserves his chance to race like Kerri does. She loves it and craves the excitement. Ranger has a huge hatred for his father and how he was ignored his entire life; his only goal is to somehow prove that he is better than his father.

Secondary characters are Grady, who Kerri feels sold out Hart Racing to Colt's company. Brother Les is waiting for his chance at the big time, and their mother Nancy is behind all their efforts. Al, as Ranger's father, made a gigantic mistake a long time ago; is there any way he can develop a relationship with his son after what happened to Ranger and his mother all those years ago?

IN THE FAST LANE is an exciting, fast paced story of the racing world; with a lot of family angst among Kerri and her brother, and Ranger and his father. Two strong characters make for sparks between them, but it also makes for passionate moments. Get in the driver's seat and grab up IN THE FAST LANE this month.

Carolyn Crisher