I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Hard and Fast
by
Erin McCarthy
contemporary romance in a paperback edition that was published by Berkley on May 5, 2009 and has 304 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include High Stakes, My Immortal, Bit the Jackpot, An Enchanted Season, Fallen, The Taking, Bad Boys of Summer, Bled Dry, Flat-Out Sexy, Sucker Bet, Hot Finish, When Good Things Happen to Bad Boys, First Blood, Slow Ride, The Chase, The Night Before Christmas, Out of the Light, and into the Shadows, Jacked Up, A Date with the Other Side, Heiress for Hire, Bad Boys in Black Tie, True, Seeing is Believing, Believe, Shatter, Sweet, Burn, Gone with the Ghost, Murder Drama with Your Llama
Second in the Fast Track racing romance series revolving around a group of stock car drivers. The couple focus is on Imogene Wilson, a woman pursuing her master’s in sociology, and Ty McCordle, a celebrity stock car driver.
My Take
It’s about acceptance and appreciation. When Imogene loses Ty because of perceptions. And Ty’s realization that she’s not putting him down.
I just love how much Ty adores Imogene’s straightforwardness; it’s such a radical departure from the typical stereotype of what a man values in a woman. Even when he finds out about Evan’s interest in her, he manages to hold back his jealousy knowing that he hasn’t a hold on her…yet.
A very different, heartening romance.
The Story
Imogene knows it’s pointless to fantasize about Ty McCordle. He’s just not her type but Nikki’s book, How to Marry a Race Car Driver in Six Easy Steps, just might hold the key to her sociology thesis: “Would the dating rules result in success when altered for a specific occupation?”
It’s at a dinner party at Tammy and Elec’s that Ty comes to realize how badly he needs to ditch Nikki and get to know Imogene better. A lot better. And the more he pursues “Emma Jean”, the more he comes to realize just how much she means to him. Badly enough that he gets his assistant Toni to find him an audio tape of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and a study guide for it. The deal is that Ty reads the play and the Manhattan-bred Imogene will come camping for two days.
Now the closest Imogene has ever come to camping is standing in line for a sale at Bergdorf’s and yet it’s a revelation to both of them as they learn and enjoy each other. As Ty appreciates more and more Imogene’s honesty and matter-of-fact approach to communication.
The Characters
Imogene Wilson is Tamara Briggs’ assistant at the university while she pursues her master’s. A rather timid thing with an East Coast upper class persona, she is wildly attracted to Ty McCordle. Suzanne is friends with Tamara and has become one with Imogene.
Ty McCordle is one of the racing greats…and dyslexic. Accounts for his calling Imogene “Emma Jean”. Meeting Imogene has made him realize what a pain Nikki Borden is to have around. Toni is his assistant.
Nikki Borden has her heart set on marrying a stock car driver. Doesn’t matter which one as long as they have the money to maintain her in the style to which she wants to become accustomed. She even has a little book to help her achieve her life’s goal.
Tamara is married to Elec Monroe (see Flat-Out Sexy. Suzanne was married to Ryder.
The Cover and Title
The cover is tasty with the nicely-muscled hunk in his faded blue jeans trailing a jacket over one shoulder while he leans back against the side of a royal blue stock car, one elbow resting on the roof.
As for the title, yup, I’d say Ty was definitely Hard and Fast in bed and on the track.
