Risky Moves

As a life-long gearhead, I freely admit to liking the Harlequin NASCAR books. Of course, with all group things, some are better than others. To me, Risky Moves is one of the better ones that I've read so far. The characters, the plot, the action, the writing--everything works as it should. To be sure, one always knows when starting to read a romance novel that the lead couple will end up together by the last page, but sometimes there is a question as to 'how in the world is this going to come about?'. I had a few doubts this time, but experienced author Gina Wilkins made it all happen in a totally believable manner. Amy Barber is the PR whiz for Maximus Racing, concentrating primarily on top driver Kent Grosso. So far, so good. Unhappily for the team, they're forced to release their crew chief mid-season. This could be a disaster for everyone, although there's way less risk than keeping the other guy around to possibly mess things up, big-time! So Amy needs to help ease Tobey Harris into his new spot, several rungs up the ladder from his previous assignment, and still keep everyone on the team happy and cooperative. Sparks fly from their first real meeting, and even though they each know the hazzards of dating another team member, they can't seem to resist the urge to spend more time together. At 28, Tobey is a bit of a loner, with no family nearby, so he can spend 20 hours a day on the job, if that's what it takes. Amy, on the other hand, while also single, has big responsibilities for her home life: she's the guardian for her 14-year-old sister Gretchen. After the girls' parents were killed in a plane crash, their great Aunt Ellen who also needed a home, came to live with them. Amy feels entirely responsible for all three of them, and has always taken great pains to keep her work and home life separate. And then Tobey became part of her every day life. Throughout the last half of the season, as they travel to the various races, they come to know each other, and gradually like turns to love. This book is part of the larger series-within-a-series Secrets and Legends. It'll stand alone just fine, but if you've read any of the other books in the series, you'll recognize a bunch of the names, allowing to keep up with the bunch of them. All in all, it's well worth the Chase!

Maximus Racing Owner Dawson Ritter stuns the NASCAR world when he fires respected crew chief Neil Sanchez late into the season when his top driver Kent Grosso is a strong candidate to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Ritter hires Tobey Harris to replace his mentor as crew chief. At the same time Tobey struggles with exorbitant stress, he finds himself attracted to publicist Amy Barber. She reciprocates his feelings. However she has doubts especially when it seems as if Tobey will crack under the pressure to succeed at work and to move their tenuous relationship to a stronger level. This engaging NASCAR romance takes a fine spin around the track mostly because of Tobey's struggles not to break down under the immense pressure of replacing his superstar mentor late into the season. Seceding Sanchez during the off season would have been brutal, but to have it occur while their rider is bidding on the title makes it overwhelming. Thus the romance between Tobey and Amy takes a back seat to his coping and leads to doubts on her part. Fans will enjoy this solid racing car tale. Harriet Klausner