Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Perfect Lap by Sedona Hutton (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title







by 
Sedona Hutton

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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.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:



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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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here




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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.
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20 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review and for hosting this tour!

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    1. Hi Rita - Thanks so much. I hope you're having a great week! Sedona

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  3. i do love bad boys, strong women and a twist in any story. :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Hi Sherry - Then you'll love my Racing Hearts in Serenity series! Enjoy - :) Sedona

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  4. Good luck with the release!

    --Trix

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  5. Thanks Dale; I appreciate the compliment! Thanks for stopping by the tour - Sedona

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  6. Sounds like a great book. I like the cover.

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    1. Thanks Susan! Hell Yes Design created the cover and I think they did a great job too. Thanks for stopping by the tour - Sedona

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  7. I loved her Cloud Whispers book so this one is definitely on my radar.

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    1. Hi Erryn - I'm so glad you enjoyed Cloud Whispers! :) I hope you love The Perfect Lap every bit as much. Thanks for stopping by the tour and sharing your feedback. Happy Friday! Sedona

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  8. What was the highlight of writing this book?

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  9. Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?

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