by
Sedona
Hutton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks
fly, will love cross the finish line?
AJ Ryan
is a publicity nightmare. After a questionable photo surfaces and his biggest
sponsor threatens to pull out, the NASCAR champion admits it might be time to
hit the brakes. Thankfully, his new no-nonsense image consultant knows just
where to start… too bad she revs his engine so loudly he can barely think
straight.
Ella
Fisher’s career is a welcome distraction from her poor taste in men. Fresh off
another easily avoidable heartbreak, rehabbing AJ’s career is just the
diversion she needs. But when the pulse-pounding client actually listens to her
advice, Ella wonders if there’s more to the man behind the hot mess.
When Ella
is granted guardianship of three boisterous children under the misconception
that she and AJ are a couple, AJ surprises her by going along with the charade.
Before long they find themselves in a make-shift family that feels more real
than pretend.
As their
professional relationship takes a hard turn for the personal, a single
overheard conversation could make it all go up in flames. Will Ella and AJ’s
romance hit the wall, or will love take the checkered flag?
The
Perfect Lap is the second standalone novel in the Racing Hearts of Serenity
romance series. If you like bad boys with a heart of gold, strong women, and
love stories with a new age twist, then you’ll adore Sedona Hutton’s fun, sexy
tale.
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EXCERPT
“I bet you have a beautiful smile,” he drawled,
then lowered his mouth to hers.
She should have pulled away—she didn’t know this
man from Adam. But everything inside her protested. After gazing into each
other’s eyes, she felt like she knew him intimately.
His lips were warm and tingly, his kiss pure
perfection…and he drew back way too quickly. He blinked those deep blue eyes
and gave her a lazy grin. “I knew it.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her
lower lip. “Beautiful.”
That’s when she realized she was smiling.
He rose, and she gave him a quick once over, taking
in the sexy stubble on his face, the taut muscles of his chest, his lean
physique. As good old-fashioned lust rolled through her like a quick-moving
thunderstorm, she silently bemoaned her situation. This was a hell of a time to
have a newly implemented man-ban.
“Keep smiling.” Stuffing his hands in his pockets,
he winked at her. “It suits you,” he added in that low, sexy drawl. Then he
sauntered off.
Her breath caught as she spun around to gape at
him. He’d just kissed her and now he was leaving? She contemplated calling him
back, then reconsidered. She had other fish to fry.
Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from tracking
his every move as he swaggered toward the party, his backside looking every bit
as fine as the rest of him. Pressing a hand to her chest, she let out a slow
exhale. Even though she was one-hundred percent committed to her man-ban, she
could admit—at least to herself—that the sexy, charming stranger had intrigued
her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author
Sedona Hutton finds inspiration in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee,
where she lives with her husband and curly-coated retriever. In addition to
writing, she’s a Reiki Master and a certified Chopra Center Meditation
instructor. She enjoys reading, yoga, gardening, and experiencing the great
outdoors on boats, motorcycles, and Jeeps. Sedona pens a “Peace, Love, &
Joy” blog on her website. Visit her at www.SedonaHutton.com, Twitter
@SedonaHutton, Facebook @SedonaHuttonAuthor, and Instagram @SedonaHutton.
Sedona’s
debut novel, Cloud Whispers, was a Finalist in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite
Contest, an Official Selection in the 2018 Summer eBook Awards for New Apple
Literary, and Shortlisted for the Books Go Social Best Book of 2018.
Links:
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My review:
3.75 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Lap by Sedona Hutton is part of the ‘A Racing
Heart in Serenity Romance’ series and spotlights NASCAR driver AJ Ryan, whose
on-track rivalry and stubborn attitude garner him an image consultant, Ella
Fisher, who brings a lot of change into his life. Ella is facing her own life challenges, but sexy AJ
definitely makes her rethink some of her decisions, especially the “man-ban”
she has instituted.
This adult contemporary romance has a nice combination of
heat and sweetness, with a exciting taste of the NASCAR racing world as well. I
like that each main character has had a special mentor whose teachings still
guide them, as well as good friends who aren’t afraid to lend a helping hand or
a slap to the head, as needed. It is lovely to see that Ella is in touch with
her heritage and mystical nature, although I would have liked to see more of
that, as well as getting a better idea of exactly what her various jobs
entailed. The heat between AJ and
Ella is delicious, and it was great to see their relationship evolve.
For me, some of the events and solutions seemed a little too
contrived. The scenes with the kids were touching, but the initial formation of
the “family”, the solution to having living space, and even the property being
available were just a bit too convenient. I wasn’t quite sure that AJ’s
dysfunctional relationship with his family was resolved, and the big breakup
conflict seemed a little awkward although I love that the others got involved.
There is a delightful small-town vibe with interconnecting
characters that make this an entertaining story that stands alone with no
problem, yet makes one curious about the other folks who make cameos in this
tale. There are plenty of intriguing secondary characters, including a cuddly
cat named Luna, who add to the allure of this tale and make one want to visit
Serenity, and allow those peaceful vibes to sink in. Even though summer is
over, I think this is a great beach read.
A copy of this title was provided for review.