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Spokes
Pro cyclist Luca Biondi lives for the race. For the star of Team Antano-Clark, victory lies within his grasp—if he can outdistance 200 other hopefuls, avoid suspicion from race officials, and keep his lieutenant more friend than foe. Luca also has secrets, and eyes for amateur cyclist and journalist Christopher Nye.
Christopher understands Luca’s need to keep their relationship under wraps, but chafes at hiding in the shadows of his lover’s career. He’s ready to cheer Luca’s victories, but he knows too well how triumph can turn to tears. While Christopher’s heart sees Luca the man, his inner journalist—and his editor—sees the cycling world’s biggest scoop.
From the jagged curves of the Colorado Rockies to the viciously steep Belgian hills, Luca can ride out any bumps—except rumors about his loyalty.
A few words in the wrong ear could crash everything. With miles between them, hints of scandal, and Luca’s fierce need to guard his reputation, a journalist might have to let go of the biggest story of his career or risk forcing his lover to abandon the race. Christopher and Luca face a path more treacherous than any road to the summit in the Italian Alps.
Christopher understands Luca’s need to keep their relationship under wraps, but chafes at hiding in the shadows of his lover’s career. He’s ready to cheer Luca’s victories, but he knows too well how triumph can turn to tears. While Christopher’s heart sees Luca the man, his inner journalist—and his editor—sees the cycling world’s biggest scoop.
From the jagged curves of the Colorado Rockies to the viciously steep Belgian hills, Luca can ride out any bumps—except rumors about his loyalty.
A few words in the wrong ear could crash everything. With miles between them, hints of scandal, and Luca’s fierce need to guard his reputation, a journalist might have to let go of the biggest story of his career or risk forcing his lover to abandon the race. Christopher and Luca face a path more treacherous than any road to the summit in the Italian Alps.
238 pages, ebook
First published October 30, 2013
11 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
P.D. Singer
59 books172 followersP.D. Singer lived in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, one young adult, and seventy-nine pounds of pets. She was a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain PD skied down a mountain face-first, had been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and rethought a novel that included sky-diving.
When not writing, playing her fiddle, or walking the sheddiest member of the family, she could be found with a book in hand.
When not writing, playing her fiddle, or walking the sheddiest member of the family, she could be found with a book in hand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 12, 2013
This was really, really damn good.
First, there was the Cycling thing. Bicycle racing on TV used to put me to sleep. Yes I was aware cycling is a bone hard sport and the cyclists are the toughest,craziest guys, but this book made me feel it. I probably still won't watch TDF on purpose, but now I will understand what happens there - and I learned this without even realizing i did.
But what made this book really unputdownable was the romance. Reading this,I've come to think I never really understood what "in the closet" meant before. Not even being able to comfort your loved one in the presence of others when you see him torn apart by grief... not being able to stand up for your lover when you see him wronged except in the most roundabout way... How Luca and Christopher managed anyway was a thing of beauty to watch.
Add to that a great sense of place--whether we are in the Colorado mountains or the Austrian Alps-- well- written emotions and no-superfluous-word pacing,and this story left nothing to desire.
Warmly recommended.
First, there was the Cycling thing. Bicycle racing on TV used to put me to sleep. Yes I was aware cycling is a bone hard sport and the cyclists are the toughest,craziest guys, but this book made me feel it. I probably still won't watch TDF on purpose, but now I will understand what happens there - and I learned this without even realizing i did.
But what made this book really unputdownable was the romance. Reading this,I've come to think I never really understood what "in the closet" meant before. Not even being able to comfort your loved one in the presence of others when you see him torn apart by grief... not being able to stand up for your lover when you see him wronged except in the most roundabout way... How Luca and Christopher managed anyway was a thing of beauty to watch.
Add to that a great sense of place--whether we are in the Colorado mountains or the Austrian Alps-- well- written emotions and no-superfluous-word pacing,and this story left nothing to desire.
Warmly recommended.
October 7, 2015
When reading a book there are so many reasons for feeling a connection to the story or characters. Sometimes they touch our hearts, other times our souls and then we have books like Spokes which tweak the curious part of my brain... that analytical part of us that wants to know more even on a topic I had zero knowledge or interest in before I started reading. The story was good and I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between professional Italian cyclist Luca and Christopher who is a part-time journalist for a cycling magazine. Luca (bellissimo) slight clue as to what I said but totally sexy right... that was Luca through the whole story.. he talked and I heard broken Italian accented English that had me sighing through most of the story like those silly tween girls at boy band concerts. That is why I love my literary crushes all of my silliness is only witnessed by me.
P. D. Singer did an amazing writing job not only did I understand all of the cycling references I wanted to know more about all of the intricacies involved in the sport. I felt like I was in some holographic image following along through all the beautiful trail rides in Colorado and in Europe Singer's words let my imagination soar through those mountains with the riders.
I do have to admit though at one point in the story she has Christopher struggle to keep up with the professionals and stated that it felt like he was using training wheels on a tricycle in comparison ......which made me laugh as I looked at my exercise bike currently being used as a coat rack... I did feel the urge to clean it off and use it.... Urge people not actual intention... let's keep this real.
Singer also includes a glossary of terms, but honestly I really didn't need it past the first chapter she does an amazing job of allowing the reader to figure what is what while reading without instructing or breaking character. It is like you are taking cycling for dummies and you get a great romance story while learning.
The story though is not diminished in any way. Luca is closeted, and yes like other athletes, if he comes out he risks losing his family, fans, career and teammates but unlike other sports in this one it could also mean his life. All it would take is one elbow or wrong push and he could literally go off a cliff. I had no idea how dangerous cycling was... I mean come on it is riding a bicycle. Yeah at over 40-50 miles per hour down mountain sides with no guardrails...not to mention deaths due to carless motorists. There is even a shrine to cyclists in Italy - il Santuario del la Madonna del Ghisallo-pilgrimages are made in remembrance of those who have fallen.. by the description of plaques and other items it is way too many.
There is also a thread to the story in which I thought Ms. Singer made a character error. She had Christopher constantly ask if he could quote Luca on a comment he made regarding his training or products he uses. I kept thinking this could be misinterpreted as someone who is using Luca for a story. It doesn't make Christopher look good and I couldn't tell if that is what Ms. Singer intended but I should have had faith it all makes sense to the storyline.
Two of the most fascinating things I discovered thanks to Ms. singer was that cyclists have to use lube to prevent bicycle shorts from chafing their nether region... in fact all activities in that area are delicate because they can not be sore while racing or it could impact their performance... that blew my mind.. it makes sense and yet... wow... like I had all kinds of questions regarding relationship activities especially for gay cyclists since professional cyclists seem to tour , train and compete almost constantly.
Even if you do not like or understand cycling you should read this book, it opened up a whole new venue of interest for me and for any cycling aficionados this will be pure nirvana.
P. D. Singer did an amazing writing job not only did I understand all of the cycling references I wanted to know more about all of the intricacies involved in the sport. I felt like I was in some holographic image following along through all the beautiful trail rides in Colorado and in Europe Singer's words let my imagination soar through those mountains with the riders.
I do have to admit though at one point in the story she has Christopher struggle to keep up with the professionals and stated that it felt like he was using training wheels on a tricycle in comparison ......which made me laugh as I looked at my exercise bike currently being used as a coat rack... I did feel the urge to clean it off and use it.... Urge people not actual intention... let's keep this real.
Singer also includes a glossary of terms, but honestly I really didn't need it past the first chapter she does an amazing job of allowing the reader to figure what is what while reading without instructing or breaking character. It is like you are taking cycling for dummies and you get a great romance story while learning.
The story though is not diminished in any way. Luca is closeted, and yes like other athletes, if he comes out he risks losing his family, fans, career and teammates but unlike other sports in this one it could also mean his life. All it would take is one elbow or wrong push and he could literally go off a cliff. I had no idea how dangerous cycling was... I mean come on it is riding a bicycle. Yeah at over 40-50 miles per hour down mountain sides with no guardrails...not to mention deaths due to carless motorists. There is even a shrine to cyclists in Italy - il Santuario del la Madonna del Ghisallo-pilgrimages are made in remembrance of those who have fallen.. by the description of plaques and other items it is way too many.
There is also a thread to the story in which I thought Ms. Singer made a character error. She had Christopher constantly ask if he could quote Luca on a comment he made regarding his training or products he uses. I kept thinking this could be misinterpreted as someone who is using Luca for a story. It doesn't make Christopher look good and I couldn't tell if that is what Ms. Singer intended but I should have had faith it all makes sense to the storyline.
Two of the most fascinating things I discovered thanks to Ms. singer was that cyclists have to use lube to prevent bicycle shorts from chafing their nether region... in fact all activities in that area are delicate because they can not be sore while racing or it could impact their performance... that blew my mind.. it makes sense and yet... wow... like I had all kinds of questions regarding relationship activities especially for gay cyclists since professional cyclists seem to tour , train and compete almost constantly.
Even if you do not like or understand cycling you should read this book, it opened up a whole new venue of interest for me and for any cycling aficionados this will be pure nirvana.
September 29, 2023
Re-Read: Sept 2023
Original Read: May 2022
I loved this so much and no matter how often I re-read it, it'll always be one of my favorite romances. The characters are amazing as individuals and as a couple and the way the entire story is put together is wonderful. This is one of those books where I love every single word and I go through a hundred different emotions as I read because of the many wonderful ups and downs that the story contains - a heartwarming romance, two separate devastating grief journeys, action-filled sports sequences and tons of wonderful hurt-comfort and domestic scenes.
I adored both Luca and Chris. Their first meeting, Luca's cute flirting and their wonderful first date were all adorable and I loved how naturally their relationship progressed from strangers to casual-daters to honeymoon-cuties to long term partners. They get together fairly early on in the story, which was great because it meant the majority of the conflict between them stemmed from issues that a long term couple would go through, which I always love and it's rare in the genre. Another thing I loved was how real the characters and their relationship were at every stage. We get to see these characters go from being complete strangers to being adorably awkward but smitten with each other to settling into a long term relationship, complete with the ups and downs that come with it. Luca and Chris had to learn how to communicate with each other, what the other person's likes and dislikes are and how to fit in the other person into their lives. All of this was shown through a series of interesting plotlines that fit very well together and made me fall in love with the characters as they were falling in love with each other.
One of my favorite aspects was how the characters would sometimes frustrate me by fixating on stupid issues that weren't a big deal, only for the author to pull the rug out from under me by suddenly throwing a massive disruption into the characters' lives, which instantly changed their priorities and dynamics. For example, . My other favorite example was when . This repeated plot progression of having the characters go through small and big moments as time went on was the perfect way to show how much these guys love each other and how hard they work to keep their relationship strong. The book covers one racing season, which begins with them going on their first date and ends with and the pacing felt natural throughout, which was a big plus.
Another thing I loved is how both characters knew they had to compromise and communicate if they wanted their relationship to work. They would sometimes get into fights and they didn't see eye to eye on every issue, but none of it felt forced and it didn't lead to break ups or over the top dramatics. Instead, they stayed focused on the most important goal: getting through the situation so they could stay together.
My favorite example was when . In so many romance novels, if one character wrongs the other, there's a groveling scene that involves dramatics and lots of love declarations, but it doesn't actually help right the wrong that was done, unlike in this situation. Chris' actions were exactly the sort of behavior I love seeing from characters and it's a reason I adore this book.
One of the other big plusses for this book is that Luca's sexuality isn't a major source of conflict. He's in the closet and determined to stay there and Chris isn't happy about it but unlike the majority of sports romances, this isn't a major plotline. It does get partially resolved near the end when but due to Luca not being interested in coming out publicly, Chris accepts that and they move on. Instead of focusing on this issue, the sources of conflict between the two characters come from other places: financial hardships/discrepancies, career issues, problems in the bedroom, and devastating personal losses. I adore sports romances where the professional athlete struggles with his sexuality and coming out, but it was very refreshing to have a pro athlete who had no interest in being out and wasn't shamed or pressured by his partner about it.
This story also taught me a lot about professional cycling, a sport I knew nothing about. This author always does a huge amount of research for her stories and then creates stories that feature people who live and breathe the worlds she'd researched. Chris is an amateur cyclist and pro-cycling journalist and Luca is a pro-cyclist on an international team. When I saw the glossary of terms at the start of the story, I got wary because I didn't understand the majority of it. But I skimmed through it and that ended up being a good choice. Through the combination of my skimming of the glossary and the author always adding in lots of context in technical discussions, I was able to keep up with the majority of the cycling-heavy sections. Not only that, but the way the author beautifully balanced the technical nature of the scenes with exciting action and emotional character moments meant I got fully invested in the cycling stuff and I loved every word. In addition, I adore books where I end up unintentionally learning about a new topic and this was a perfect example. Now I know things like the Tour De France being only a minor part of the professional racing season, which is something I might have never learned otherwise due to a lack of interest in the topic. But don't worry - if you find the more technical racing scenes boring, you can skim through those them and you won't be not missing much.
Lastly, it really meant a lot to me that the author focused heavily on grief in the story and how she portrayed the loss of a loved one with respect and realism. I don't want to spoil specific details, but multiple side characters die at different parts of the story and their deaths heavily impact Chris and Luca. All of the scenes in those plotlines were both heart breaking and heart warming because it was difficult seeing the characters going through those struggles, but I loved how Luca and Chris supported each other and how they reacted to their partner being in pain. I also loved how the side characters who passed away were important characters prior to their deaths so having them suddenly not be in the story anymore hit me very hard.
Overall, I adore everything about this story, particularly the mature and realistic nature of the romance. The characters are complex and flawed individuals and I didn't only root for them as individuals and as a couple and I loved every moment of their journey. This story is a hidden gem and if you're a fan of sports romances, I highly recommend it!
Original Read: May 2022
I loved this so much and no matter how often I re-read it, it'll always be one of my favorite romances. The characters are amazing as individuals and as a couple and the way the entire story is put together is wonderful. This is one of those books where I love every single word and I go through a hundred different emotions as I read because of the many wonderful ups and downs that the story contains - a heartwarming romance, two separate devastating grief journeys, action-filled sports sequences and tons of wonderful hurt-comfort and domestic scenes.
I adored both Luca and Chris. Their first meeting, Luca's cute flirting and their wonderful first date were all adorable and I loved how naturally their relationship progressed from strangers to casual-daters to honeymoon-cuties to long term partners. They get together fairly early on in the story, which was great because it meant the majority of the conflict between them stemmed from issues that a long term couple would go through, which I always love and it's rare in the genre. Another thing I loved was how real the characters and their relationship were at every stage. We get to see these characters go from being complete strangers to being adorably awkward but smitten with each other to settling into a long term relationship, complete with the ups and downs that come with it. Luca and Chris had to learn how to communicate with each other, what the other person's likes and dislikes are and how to fit in the other person into their lives. All of this was shown through a series of interesting plotlines that fit very well together and made me fall in love with the characters as they were falling in love with each other.
One of my favorite aspects was how the characters would sometimes frustrate me by fixating on stupid issues that weren't a big deal, only for the author to pull the rug out from under me by suddenly throwing a massive disruption into the characters' lives, which instantly changed their priorities and dynamics. For example, . My other favorite example was when . This repeated plot progression of having the characters go through small and big moments as time went on was the perfect way to show how much these guys love each other and how hard they work to keep their relationship strong. The book covers one racing season, which begins with them going on their first date and ends with and the pacing felt natural throughout, which was a big plus.
Another thing I loved is how both characters knew they had to compromise and communicate if they wanted their relationship to work. They would sometimes get into fights and they didn't see eye to eye on every issue, but none of it felt forced and it didn't lead to break ups or over the top dramatics. Instead, they stayed focused on the most important goal: getting through the situation so they could stay together.
My favorite example was when . In so many romance novels, if one character wrongs the other, there's a groveling scene that involves dramatics and lots of love declarations, but it doesn't actually help right the wrong that was done, unlike in this situation. Chris' actions were exactly the sort of behavior I love seeing from characters and it's a reason I adore this book.
One of the other big plusses for this book is that Luca's sexuality isn't a major source of conflict. He's in the closet and determined to stay there and Chris isn't happy about it but unlike the majority of sports romances, this isn't a major plotline. It does get partially resolved near the end when but due to Luca not being interested in coming out publicly, Chris accepts that and they move on. Instead of focusing on this issue, the sources of conflict between the two characters come from other places: financial hardships/discrepancies, career issues, problems in the bedroom, and devastating personal losses. I adore sports romances where the professional athlete struggles with his sexuality and coming out, but it was very refreshing to have a pro athlete who had no interest in being out and wasn't shamed or pressured by his partner about it.
This story also taught me a lot about professional cycling, a sport I knew nothing about. This author always does a huge amount of research for her stories and then creates stories that feature people who live and breathe the worlds she'd researched. Chris is an amateur cyclist and pro-cycling journalist and Luca is a pro-cyclist on an international team. When I saw the glossary of terms at the start of the story, I got wary because I didn't understand the majority of it. But I skimmed through it and that ended up being a good choice. Through the combination of my skimming of the glossary and the author always adding in lots of context in technical discussions, I was able to keep up with the majority of the cycling-heavy sections. Not only that, but the way the author beautifully balanced the technical nature of the scenes with exciting action and emotional character moments meant I got fully invested in the cycling stuff and I loved every word. In addition, I adore books where I end up unintentionally learning about a new topic and this was a perfect example. Now I know things like the Tour De France being only a minor part of the professional racing season, which is something I might have never learned otherwise due to a lack of interest in the topic. But don't worry - if you find the more technical racing scenes boring, you can skim through those them and you won't be not missing much.
Lastly, it really meant a lot to me that the author focused heavily on grief in the story and how she portrayed the loss of a loved one with respect and realism. I don't want to spoil specific details, but multiple side characters die at different parts of the story and their deaths heavily impact Chris and Luca. All of the scenes in those plotlines were both heart breaking and heart warming because it was difficult seeing the characters going through those struggles, but I loved how Luca and Chris supported each other and how they reacted to their partner being in pain. I also loved how the side characters who passed away were important characters prior to their deaths so having them suddenly not be in the story anymore hit me very hard.
Overall, I adore everything about this story, particularly the mature and realistic nature of the romance. The characters are complex and flawed individuals and I didn't only root for them as individuals and as a couple and I loved every moment of their journey. This story is a hidden gem and if you're a fan of sports romances, I highly recommend it!
November 1, 2013
Please leave comments on Lady McNeill's 4 1/12 sweet pea review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
“They are the fuga bidone, Christopher. They broke away. They’re too far ahead to reel in,” Luca whispered, his voice breaking into the wind that licked the mountain top. “We are the peloton.”
Vary rarely does one of my passions outside of my book addiction becoming the focal point of a book I’m reading. Spokes by PD Singer is that rare exception and it was a joy to read. I first heard about Spokes at GRL in Atlanta when Eden Winters came up to me and said I had to read this book she knew I’d love it. While I do triathlons I’ve always been intrigued with road cycling and my favorite part of the triathlon is the bike. When I’m out training and I get passed on the road by the large peloton it is both scary and impressive to see the cyclist all working together and in synch. It is quite a sight to behold. It is also very dangerous, one wrong move and you can take the whole pack down. This story takes us deep into the pro-cycling world and what happens when a two men fall for each other but their respective lives make it really difficult to be anything more than secret lovers.
Spokes is told from Christopher Nye’s POV. He’s a part-time writer for Cyclo World, works in a bike shop and in his spare time loves to ride his bike throughout the hills of Colorado with his best friend Stu. His pro cycling idol is Luca Biondi who has started training in Colorado to take advantage of the high altitudes. Meeting briefly at the bike shop followed by an encounter out on the road, Luca and Chris form a friendship that quickly grows into a relationship but one that must be kept secret. Luca can’t afford for anyone either on his team or in the cycling world to know he is gay. He has too many concerns about reaction from the cycling world especially since he is on a new team, has new sponsors and can’t afford for people to know about him and Chris.
Luca and Chris are very sweet together but while Luca is racing in Europe and Chris awaits his chance to visit, Chris’ job as a reporter brings near disaster to their relationship. I was on the edge of my seat and in near tears as everything seemed to crumble apart. There were several sections in the book with even more emotion because cycling is a dangerous sport, but for me their relationship had me sucked in. I wish I could have read Luca’s POV; I wanted desperately to know how he felt about Chris. I know his actions spoke for him but just to know what he thought of Chris like was his attraction as strong, did he suffer as much? They have a sweet relationship but the story is not erotic. Chris and Luca have several steamy scenes but it does not overtake the pages of the book which I prefer. It worked really well with the flow of their relationship and story. Luca is written with a heavy Italian accent which read like I thought an Italian would speak English although occasionally he came across like a caveman in my head but overall he does come across as a native Italian speaker.
As for the cycling, I learned so much about road cycling in this story and loved learning about other races besides the Tour de France. The best part however was learning all about Il Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cycling. It is a church located close to Como Italy and becomes a focal point of the story. Ms. Singer did an amazing job with the visualization of the church and the statue there. I even googled it after finishing the book to see for myself what the church looked like (picture below). There are a lot of biking details throughout the book that I hope the reader will appreciate as much as I did. The visualization was excellent because I could imagine the routes, the races and Chris’ apartment. Some scenes I wanted a bit more depth to them such as a big one between Chris and Stu just so I could get a clearer understanding of what happened but it didn’t impact the story in any way.
Overall, an excellent, well-crafted story that was a perfect blend of romance and cycling…a rare find!
“They are the fuga bidone, Christopher. They broke away. They’re too far ahead to reel in,” Luca whispered, his voice breaking into the wind that licked the mountain top. “We are the peloton.”
Vary rarely does one of my passions outside of my book addiction becoming the focal point of a book I’m reading. Spokes by PD Singer is that rare exception and it was a joy to read. I first heard about Spokes at GRL in Atlanta when Eden Winters came up to me and said I had to read this book she knew I’d love it. While I do triathlons I’ve always been intrigued with road cycling and my favorite part of the triathlon is the bike. When I’m out training and I get passed on the road by the large peloton it is both scary and impressive to see the cyclist all working together and in synch. It is quite a sight to behold. It is also very dangerous, one wrong move and you can take the whole pack down. This story takes us deep into the pro-cycling world and what happens when a two men fall for each other but their respective lives make it really difficult to be anything more than secret lovers.
Spokes is told from Christopher Nye’s POV. He’s a part-time writer for Cyclo World, works in a bike shop and in his spare time loves to ride his bike throughout the hills of Colorado with his best friend Stu. His pro cycling idol is Luca Biondi who has started training in Colorado to take advantage of the high altitudes. Meeting briefly at the bike shop followed by an encounter out on the road, Luca and Chris form a friendship that quickly grows into a relationship but one that must be kept secret. Luca can’t afford for anyone either on his team or in the cycling world to know he is gay. He has too many concerns about reaction from the cycling world especially since he is on a new team, has new sponsors and can’t afford for people to know about him and Chris.
Luca and Chris are very sweet together but while Luca is racing in Europe and Chris awaits his chance to visit, Chris’ job as a reporter brings near disaster to their relationship. I was on the edge of my seat and in near tears as everything seemed to crumble apart. There were several sections in the book with even more emotion because cycling is a dangerous sport, but for me their relationship had me sucked in. I wish I could have read Luca’s POV; I wanted desperately to know how he felt about Chris. I know his actions spoke for him but just to know what he thought of Chris like was his attraction as strong, did he suffer as much? They have a sweet relationship but the story is not erotic. Chris and Luca have several steamy scenes but it does not overtake the pages of the book which I prefer. It worked really well with the flow of their relationship and story. Luca is written with a heavy Italian accent which read like I thought an Italian would speak English although occasionally he came across like a caveman in my head but overall he does come across as a native Italian speaker.
As for the cycling, I learned so much about road cycling in this story and loved learning about other races besides the Tour de France. The best part however was learning all about Il Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cycling. It is a church located close to Como Italy and becomes a focal point of the story. Ms. Singer did an amazing job with the visualization of the church and the statue there. I even googled it after finishing the book to see for myself what the church looked like (picture below). There are a lot of biking details throughout the book that I hope the reader will appreciate as much as I did. The visualization was excellent because I could imagine the routes, the races and Chris’ apartment. Some scenes I wanted a bit more depth to them such as a big one between Chris and Stu just so I could get a clearer understanding of what happened but it didn’t impact the story in any way.
Overall, an excellent, well-crafted story that was a perfect blend of romance and cycling…a rare find!
November 1, 2013
An excellent read from the world of international, professional cycling. I liked both Christopher and Luca right away, which helps in romance, but I was also sucked in by the layers of sensory detail and good pacing. There is a pleasant level of passionate heat, but the adventurous mind is also captivated by the amazing landscape of both Colorado and various places in Europe, where both bicycle training and racing take place. This story offers a peek into the complex world of upper-echelon competitive cycling with both its structures and traditions, seasonal rhythms and financial realities. PD Singer did an incredible job researching not only the world of cycling, but the details of various locales as well.
"Christopher was as crazy as the rest now—he pulled, demanding his legs and his gears keep him upright on this horrible, vicious, fucking mountain that was getting climbed just because it was there and they were men."
Singer's writing made me feel like it was me climbing a steep grade, with my own legs deciding whether to turn into cement or jello, and with my lungs burning for air. If you ever rode a bicycle, you will enjoy the vicarious pleasure of riding further and harder than you'd ever dare in real life. You will also see Luca and Christopher grow into mutual trust and love. They experience loss grief, fear and courage, stubborn determination and tenderness in a personal growth journey that ends in confident love and respect. This book will be a romantic re-rerad, as well as an inspiration for my off-season training!
"Christopher was as crazy as the rest now—he pulled, demanding his legs and his gears keep him upright on this horrible, vicious, fucking mountain that was getting climbed just because it was there and they were men."
Singer's writing made me feel like it was me climbing a steep grade, with my own legs deciding whether to turn into cement or jello, and with my lungs burning for air. If you ever rode a bicycle, you will enjoy the vicarious pleasure of riding further and harder than you'd ever dare in real life. You will also see Luca and Christopher grow into mutual trust and love. They experience loss grief, fear and courage, stubborn determination and tenderness in a personal growth journey that ends in confident love and respect. This book will be a romantic re-rerad, as well as an inspiration for my off-season training!
June 20, 2025
A gay romance book set in the world of cycling? Oh, I HAD to buy this since that's MY sport. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.
The way the romance was developed was really interesting and unique. They basically get together in the first 50 pages, but you really see them grow together as a couple throughout the story. The obstacles in their relationship also didn't feel forced, and the author managed not to make them feel too overdramatic. On the contrary, the way the characters faced them was quite mature.
I loved how much care the author put into describing the world of cycling. You can tell she did a lot of research, and you really felt like you were experiencing the races first person.
I thought it was also really well written, but I didn't like that, despite the book being written in third person, we only follow Christopher's point of view. I would have loved to follow Luca, too, especially from what we know of some of his relationships in the end.
Still, really loved this one. A bit angstier than I thought (it's incredible how the author made me care for all the characters), but really enjoyable!
The way the romance was developed was really interesting and unique. They basically get together in the first 50 pages, but you really see them grow together as a couple throughout the story. The obstacles in their relationship also didn't feel forced, and the author managed not to make them feel too overdramatic. On the contrary, the way the characters faced them was quite mature.
I loved how much care the author put into describing the world of cycling. You can tell she did a lot of research, and you really felt like you were experiencing the races first person.
I thought it was also really well written, but I didn't like that, despite the book being written in third person, we only follow Christopher's point of view. I would have loved to follow Luca, too, especially from what we know of some of his relationships in the end.
Still, really loved this one. A bit angstier than I thought (it's incredible how the author made me care for all the characters), but really enjoyable!
Want to read
July 20, 2015$0.99 right now at Amazon US, 7/20/15!
May 4, 2020
I really liked this one !
And also learned a lot about cycling which was a surprisingly interesting bonus
And also learned a lot about cycling which was a surprisingly interesting bonus
December 22, 2013
I've been looking forward to reading this book in its entirety for a long time, having gotten a sneak-peek at the first part of it a while back. I couldn't wait to discover how things turned out between Luca and Christopher.
I'm pleased to say that the rest of the book was everything I wished for and more. Luca and Christopher are both solid, sympathetic, and flawed characters. They both make mistakes, they both react badly to things, not everything is sunshine and roses and that is absolutely perfect. The subject of closeted athletes is not a new one in m/m romance by any stretch of the imagination, but the way P.D. Singer comes at it makes it fresh for a couple reasons.
First, because cycling. I mean, how many of us who don't do that particular sport know the first damn thing about it? P.D. has this knack (one I would love to acquire) of taking a subject the reading audience won't be familiar with (she's done it before with forestry and rock-climbing and archery) and making us understand it without feeling like we're getting an info-dump. She works it in very organically, and I love that. I was reading from the POV of a character who knew the sport intimately, and I managed to make out most of what he was talking about without being jerked out of the flow of the story. It's really superbly done.
Second, because realism. Most athlete/sports stories I've read deal with relatively safe sports. Cycling is not one of those, and P.D. tackles that head-on. There are a couple moments when you're just like, "Whoa. This shit is real." Most of us don't expect to see serious danger in our sports, so it really grabs you and jolts you out of any sense of complacency about a pretty, neatly-tied-up ending. Which is not to say the characters don't get their HEA. They do, but they also have some very serious losses along the way.
Another great thing about this book is the MC's voice in the narration. There are some LOL moments when a witty line slips in so subtly you almost miss it, and I always love that.
So, definitely a book I would recommend. I enjoyed it enormously.
I'm pleased to say that the rest of the book was everything I wished for and more. Luca and Christopher are both solid, sympathetic, and flawed characters. They both make mistakes, they both react badly to things, not everything is sunshine and roses and that is absolutely perfect. The subject of closeted athletes is not a new one in m/m romance by any stretch of the imagination, but the way P.D. Singer comes at it makes it fresh for a couple reasons.
First, because cycling. I mean, how many of us who don't do that particular sport know the first damn thing about it? P.D. has this knack (one I would love to acquire) of taking a subject the reading audience won't be familiar with (she's done it before with forestry and rock-climbing and archery) and making us understand it without feeling like we're getting an info-dump. She works it in very organically, and I love that. I was reading from the POV of a character who knew the sport intimately, and I managed to make out most of what he was talking about without being jerked out of the flow of the story. It's really superbly done.
Second, because realism. Most athlete/sports stories I've read deal with relatively safe sports. Cycling is not one of those, and P.D. tackles that head-on. There are a couple moments when you're just like, "Whoa. This shit is real." Most of us don't expect to see serious danger in our sports, so it really grabs you and jolts you out of any sense of complacency about a pretty, neatly-tied-up ending. Which is not to say the characters don't get their HEA. They do, but they also have some very serious losses along the way.
Another great thing about this book is the MC's voice in the narration. There are some LOL moments when a witty line slips in so subtly you almost miss it, and I always love that.
So, definitely a book I would recommend. I enjoyed it enormously.
March 19, 2014
Cycling and books are the air in my world, so I was excited to read a romance with cycling...score!
This was a love story between men and cycling. I had to ride my bike because of the narration of the routes in Colorado and Europe, the author made me want to feel the air, the burn, the scenery. Go cycling!
However, this wasn't too much of a love story between two men. I didn't really connect with them. I connected with them and their love of riding, but with each other, not so much. I do admit that this was changing near the end, but then time ran out.
Time for a ride!
This was a love story between men and cycling. I had to ride my bike because of the narration of the routes in Colorado and Europe, the author made me want to feel the air, the burn, the scenery. Go cycling!
However, this wasn't too much of a love story between two men. I didn't really connect with them. I connected with them and their love of riding, but with each other, not so much. I do admit that this was changing near the end, but then time ran out.
Time for a ride!
November 22, 2013
The author takes the reader into the world of international cycling. For someone like me, who is rather clueless about the world of cycling, this was such a great introduction. I may not have been up on all the bike racing lingo, but in no way did it take me out of the story. The author’s visualization of the landscape in Colorado and Europe is so precise and fluid I was actually seeing it as I read, beautiful.
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...
February 26, 2014
Surprisingly emotional read. Laid back and lovely. So glad I pick this up!
July 5, 2017
I read this when I received a copy of the 'Burning Rubbers' bundle from the authors.
Going in, I knew little of professional racing...on bicycles. I'd seen some of the Tour de France on television but beyond that...nothing. That omission was immediately corrected upon reading this wonderful book. Ms. Singer was able to weave a documentary about cycling into a budding romance between an amateur cyclist in Colorado, who works in a cycle shop while submitting articles to a cycling magazine, and a professional cyclist from Italy.
At no time does the romance or the story become overshadowed by the technicalities of racing. The speed involved, both up and down hill, becomes terrifying. The danger they face every time they ride cannot be understated. The pressure to perform and the expectations of their teammates is a constant presence. To say nothing of the persona of confidence they must exhibit at all times.
As death and injury dodge them at every turn, you're able to ride along as Ms. Singer takes you through the mountains outside Boulder to the cliffs in Europe. When misunderstandings occur, accidents happen and relationships become strained, you're right beside each person as they struggle to make sense of the perils they face and the need to be accepted.
This is beautifully written. Enjoy. I certainly did.
Going in, I knew little of professional racing...on bicycles. I'd seen some of the Tour de France on television but beyond that...nothing. That omission was immediately corrected upon reading this wonderful book. Ms. Singer was able to weave a documentary about cycling into a budding romance between an amateur cyclist in Colorado, who works in a cycle shop while submitting articles to a cycling magazine, and a professional cyclist from Italy.
At no time does the romance or the story become overshadowed by the technicalities of racing. The speed involved, both up and down hill, becomes terrifying. The danger they face every time they ride cannot be understated. The pressure to perform and the expectations of their teammates is a constant presence. To say nothing of the persona of confidence they must exhibit at all times.
As death and injury dodge them at every turn, you're able to ride along as Ms. Singer takes you through the mountains outside Boulder to the cliffs in Europe. When misunderstandings occur, accidents happen and relationships become strained, you're right beside each person as they struggle to make sense of the perils they face and the need to be accepted.
This is beautifully written. Enjoy. I certainly did.
May 30, 2018
Christopher is an amateur cyclist and journalist who writes about cycling. Luca is a pro cyclist who is training in Colorado and runs into Christopher. They slowly become friends and than more than friends but Luca must remain in the closet for fear of losing his sponsors and being shunned by his family.
This was an interesting story that weaved information about pro cycling into the story, in a way that made the reader feel like they understood a bit about cycling. While there was some confusing terminology especially those words that were in a foreign language, but usually there were enough context clues to understand what was being said.
This was an interesting story that weaved information about pro cycling into the story, in a way that made the reader feel like they understood a bit about cycling. While there was some confusing terminology especially those words that were in a foreign language, but usually there were enough context clues to understand what was being said.
August 30, 2018
Spokes follows Christopher Nye, a part-time writer for Cyclo World who works in a bike shop and in his spare time loves to ride his bike throughout the hills of Colorado with his best friend Stu.
His pro cycling idol is Luca Biondi who has, along with his team, recently started training in Colorado. Meeting briefly at the bike shop and later riding out on the road, Luca and Chris form a friendship that quickly grows into a relationship but one that must be kept secret.
Luca can’t afford for anyone either on his team or in the cycling world to know he is gay, mainly concerns about the potential negative reaction from the cycling world as well as from his sponsors. He is also still in the closet from his parents. I liked the fact that Christopher knew all this going into the relationship and never made demands. I also found it interested how his writing became one of the major plot points throughout the novel.
This was quite an emotionally hard-hitting book as, given that cycling is a dangerous sport, there are a couple of tragedies in the story that wrench at your heart. I was definitely on the edge of my seat during several scenes, especially when watching the two of them navigate some extremely difficult and intense events without being able to be emotionally open with each other in public.
Now given that this is a gay romance book, there was this aspect to it as well, which a felt was really well done. Luca and Chris were sweet together and the romance between them developed at a nice pace, and in a fully plausible way. And though there were a couple of kind of steamy scenes, they did not overpower the plot or distract from the story.
There are a lot of biking details throughout the book that I appreciated as I used to be quite an avid cyclist in my younger days and used to follow the Tour de France quite closely. Now this wasn't a story about two fellows who happened to be cyclists; rather they both lived and breathed cycling and the story was as much about cycling as it was about the love life of these two individuals.
I swear every scene in the book had something to do with cycling. That being said, I found the well-researched depth of details in regards to the cycling world details refreshing and people who aren't familiar with the sport will no doubt learn quite a bit from this story.
All in all, a compelling story from the world of professional cycling with likable yet complicated characters, vivid scenes of Colorado and Italy all peppered with a super sweet romance. It was quite a journey that Chris and Luca took and I'm glad I went on it with them.
His pro cycling idol is Luca Biondi who has, along with his team, recently started training in Colorado. Meeting briefly at the bike shop and later riding out on the road, Luca and Chris form a friendship that quickly grows into a relationship but one that must be kept secret.
Luca can’t afford for anyone either on his team or in the cycling world to know he is gay, mainly concerns about the potential negative reaction from the cycling world as well as from his sponsors. He is also still in the closet from his parents. I liked the fact that Christopher knew all this going into the relationship and never made demands. I also found it interested how his writing became one of the major plot points throughout the novel.
This was quite an emotionally hard-hitting book as, given that cycling is a dangerous sport, there are a couple of tragedies in the story that wrench at your heart. I was definitely on the edge of my seat during several scenes, especially when watching the two of them navigate some extremely difficult and intense events without being able to be emotionally open with each other in public.
Now given that this is a gay romance book, there was this aspect to it as well, which a felt was really well done. Luca and Chris were sweet together and the romance between them developed at a nice pace, and in a fully plausible way. And though there were a couple of kind of steamy scenes, they did not overpower the plot or distract from the story.
There are a lot of biking details throughout the book that I appreciated as I used to be quite an avid cyclist in my younger days and used to follow the Tour de France quite closely. Now this wasn't a story about two fellows who happened to be cyclists; rather they both lived and breathed cycling and the story was as much about cycling as it was about the love life of these two individuals.
I swear every scene in the book had something to do with cycling. That being said, I found the well-researched depth of details in regards to the cycling world details refreshing and people who aren't familiar with the sport will no doubt learn quite a bit from this story.
All in all, a compelling story from the world of professional cycling with likable yet complicated characters, vivid scenes of Colorado and Italy all peppered with a super sweet romance. It was quite a journey that Chris and Luca took and I'm glad I went on it with them.
August 30, 2014
Damn but I love this book.
With her trademark in-depth but not overwhelming immersion into her subject, P.D. Singer shows us the backstage of races like the Tour de France and the Pro Cycling Challenge. Her pro cycling MC is being groomed to win the Giro d’Italia, another of the top tier stage races, and he just might make it, unless….
Poor Luca, afraid to be exposed as gay before he’s established himself as a cycling star and a force to be reckoned with. Uncertain how his own team will take the news and wearily convinced how the competition will view him, his attraction to Christopher Nye is something he wants to pursue and still keep under wraps. Christopher is our POV character through this entire piece, which covers an amazing amount of territory. An aspiring journalist and a good amateur rider, Christopher is tormented by Luca’s back away closer reactions, but falls more and more in love with the restless, nervous cyclist.
In a breath of fresh plot air, it isn’t the issue of coming out that creates the biggest problems for the couple. Rather, a mismatch of understandings over questions asked and answered over the snippets Luca lets drop at the gym or over dinner or halfway through a pity ride. Christopher weaves the bits into articles for a cycling magazine, making his reputation and hurting Luca’s. “I asked, every time,” Christopher protests, and he did, but did he ask the right question and did Luca understand the implications? Questionable, and leading straight to heartache. Only the magazine’s confidence in Christopher, built ironically on the very things Luca resented, gets them onto the same continent and in range for a conversation.
Secondary characters like Christopher's riding partner Stu, Luca’s lieutenant on the team, Rolf, and his valet Paolo create frictions, raise questions, and in a way, bring the men both farther apart and bring them together. Some of their scenes made me snort, like Stu’s cheerfully clueless acceptance, or exclaim Ooh burn! at Rolf’s sly digs at Christopher's cycling skills. Others made me cry, and warning, this book needed the tissues. More than once. For a lot of reasons.
Both men had a lot of learning and growing to do, and managed to prod each other into doing so. What were weaknesses become strengths, what was betrayal becomes support, and what could have torn them apart forever becomes what cements them as a couple. These two guys seem destined to be together, even if they have to break each other’s hearts first. Told in some vivid prose, the story brings the Colorado back roads, the cold winds off the North Sea and the brutally steep Hellingen of Belgium, and the carnival atmosphere and horrible roads of Italy’s primo stage race into scenes the reader becomes part of.
A personal communication with the author revealed that a few of the major incidents are based on real events, and that the races are accurate, even if their records don’t reveal Luca’s accomplishments. Bike racing is a lot more than “get on bike, pedal fast” and not only did I laugh, cry, and sigh with Christopher and Luca, I learned something about a sport that I used to only appreciate for the fit guys in tight clothes. Not that a fit guy in colorful spandex is a bad thing. ;)
Christopher and Luca have a road to each other that has as many hard climbs as the race stages through the Alps, and I enjoyed every up and down and the eventual triumph.
With her trademark in-depth but not overwhelming immersion into her subject, P.D. Singer shows us the backstage of races like the Tour de France and the Pro Cycling Challenge. Her pro cycling MC is being groomed to win the Giro d’Italia, another of the top tier stage races, and he just might make it, unless….
Poor Luca, afraid to be exposed as gay before he’s established himself as a cycling star and a force to be reckoned with. Uncertain how his own team will take the news and wearily convinced how the competition will view him, his attraction to Christopher Nye is something he wants to pursue and still keep under wraps. Christopher is our POV character through this entire piece, which covers an amazing amount of territory. An aspiring journalist and a good amateur rider, Christopher is tormented by Luca’s back away closer reactions, but falls more and more in love with the restless, nervous cyclist.
In a breath of fresh plot air, it isn’t the issue of coming out that creates the biggest problems for the couple. Rather, a mismatch of understandings over questions asked and answered over the snippets Luca lets drop at the gym or over dinner or halfway through a pity ride. Christopher weaves the bits into articles for a cycling magazine, making his reputation and hurting Luca’s. “I asked, every time,” Christopher protests, and he did, but did he ask the right question and did Luca understand the implications? Questionable, and leading straight to heartache. Only the magazine’s confidence in Christopher, built ironically on the very things Luca resented, gets them onto the same continent and in range for a conversation.
Secondary characters like Christopher's riding partner Stu, Luca’s lieutenant on the team, Rolf, and his valet Paolo create frictions, raise questions, and in a way, bring the men both farther apart and bring them together. Some of their scenes made me snort, like Stu’s cheerfully clueless acceptance, or exclaim Ooh burn! at Rolf’s sly digs at Christopher's cycling skills. Others made me cry, and warning, this book needed the tissues. More than once. For a lot of reasons.
Both men had a lot of learning and growing to do, and managed to prod each other into doing so. What were weaknesses become strengths, what was betrayal becomes support, and what could have torn them apart forever becomes what cements them as a couple. These two guys seem destined to be together, even if they have to break each other’s hearts first. Told in some vivid prose, the story brings the Colorado back roads, the cold winds off the North Sea and the brutally steep Hellingen of Belgium, and the carnival atmosphere and horrible roads of Italy’s primo stage race into scenes the reader becomes part of.
A personal communication with the author revealed that a few of the major incidents are based on real events, and that the races are accurate, even if their records don’t reveal Luca’s accomplishments. Bike racing is a lot more than “get on bike, pedal fast” and not only did I laugh, cry, and sigh with Christopher and Luca, I learned something about a sport that I used to only appreciate for the fit guys in tight clothes. Not that a fit guy in colorful spandex is a bad thing. ;)
Christopher and Luca have a road to each other that has as many hard climbs as the race stages through the Alps, and I enjoyed every up and down and the eventual triumph.
February 1, 2014
I really looked forward to reading this book and wow, the author delivered big time. Being a sports fan and fairly athletic myself, I was drawn in not only by the compelling characters, but by the obviously well researched details and depth pertaining to the cycling world and events. I really appreciated how the author immersed Christopher and Luca (and thus, the reader) in this world - it is what they lived and breathed after all - and didn't merely use it as a backdrop. I must say the settings of Colorado and Italy became characters themselves - very vividly written. I felt like I was there alongside the guys on many of their rides.
The romance between Christopher and Luca developed at a nice pace, and in a fully plausible way. I love how Christopher's writing became a key plot element. The fact that Luca strongly felt he had to remain closeted was completely reasonable (like it or not) given his status in the sport of cycling and that he believed he would lose everything (respect in the sport, family, endorsements) should it be revealed that he was gay. Christopher knew all this going into the relationship and never made demands. Watching the two of them navigate some extremely rough times in the spotlight of the cycling tour without being able to be emotionally open with each other in public was heart wrenching. I really, really cared about these two guys making it to a happy ending. The journey that takes them there is a completely remarkable read.
Highly recommended and.. I would love to read more about Christopher and Luca ;-)
The romance between Christopher and Luca developed at a nice pace, and in a fully plausible way. I love how Christopher's writing became a key plot element. The fact that Luca strongly felt he had to remain closeted was completely reasonable (like it or not) given his status in the sport of cycling and that he believed he would lose everything (respect in the sport, family, endorsements) should it be revealed that he was gay. Christopher knew all this going into the relationship and never made demands. Watching the two of them navigate some extremely rough times in the spotlight of the cycling tour without being able to be emotionally open with each other in public was heart wrenching. I really, really cared about these two guys making it to a happy ending. The journey that takes them there is a completely remarkable read.
Highly recommended and.. I would love to read more about Christopher and Luca ;-)
August 17, 2015
I read A New Man by P.D. Singer, and I loved it. It had feeling, emotion, passion, love. It was a powerful book, so when I saw this book, I couldn't wait to pick it up! On sale for just .99 Cents? Even better!! I'm at a loss, though. I find it hard to believe these two books were written by the same author!
This wasn't an easy read, and it was made that much harder by Luca's portion of the conversations. A lot of his dialogue is posed as questions. "We go to the store?" At times this made it very difficult to keep track of who was speaking. I had to reread paragraphs over a couple of times to try to decipher who was saying what.
I didn't find a real connection between Christopher and Luca, until towards the end of the book. It didn't feel like a love story. It felt like two guys riding bikes and having sex. Christopher seemed almost desperate and obsessed with Luca. Luca seemed like kind of a jerk to me. I know this is because he is scared of being outed, but he really treated Christopher like crap, and of course Christopher came crawling back for more.
I have read other reviews, and some people really loved this book. I'm so sorry to say, I wasn't one of them. That being said, this won't be my last P.D. Singer book.
This wasn't an easy read, and it was made that much harder by Luca's portion of the conversations. A lot of his dialogue is posed as questions. "We go to the store?" At times this made it very difficult to keep track of who was speaking. I had to reread paragraphs over a couple of times to try to decipher who was saying what.
I didn't find a real connection between Christopher and Luca, until towards the end of the book. It didn't feel like a love story. It felt like two guys riding bikes and having sex. Christopher seemed almost desperate and obsessed with Luca. Luca seemed like kind of a jerk to me. I know this is because he is scared of being outed, but he really treated Christopher like crap, and of course Christopher came crawling back for more.
I have read other reviews, and some people really loved this book. I'm so sorry to say, I wasn't one of them. That being said, this won't be my last P.D. Singer book.
January 22, 2014
I was so happy when I saw this story was being published because I'd been wanting to read a story set in the cycling world since I started spinning. But then for some idiotic reason I put off reading this for a couple of months. I don't know why because this was a thoroughly engaging story.
Chris works in a bike shop in Boulder, Co and is also a writer for Cycloworld. There he meets Luca Biondi a member of the Antano-Clark cycling team in Boulder for training. Chris is a great narrator. He is not perfect but he is close to it. Luca has been living his life as a "monk" and in the closet. He comes from very humble origins and cycling is the only way he sees to make something of his future so keeping his homosexuality quiet is what he wants most. When Chris actions jeopardize Luca's plans he does act like a jerk, no way around that. But it is a lesson for both of them in the end. I like that the end feels realistic and not wishful thinking.
The cycling setting is great and the research that went into this is palpable and made this a satisfying read for me.
Chris works in a bike shop in Boulder, Co and is also a writer for Cycloworld. There he meets Luca Biondi a member of the Antano-Clark cycling team in Boulder for training. Chris is a great narrator. He is not perfect but he is close to it. Luca has been living his life as a "monk" and in the closet. He comes from very humble origins and cycling is the only way he sees to make something of his future so keeping his homosexuality quiet is what he wants most. When Chris actions jeopardize Luca's plans he does act like a jerk, no way around that. But it is a lesson for both of them in the end. I like that the end feels realistic and not wishful thinking.
The cycling setting is great and the research that went into this is palpable and made this a satisfying read for me.
February 10, 2017
I enjoy watching bike racing and have watched a few TdF stages so this was a much anticipated read for me.
At first, I thought it was going to be a bit slow, but it was just warming up and I soon became engrossed in the story.
I actually enjoyed the cycling bits very much, especially the insights we got through Christopher's off beat articles. I can understand the difficulty in writing about an international sport without naming key names but I did try and put names to descriptions!
Luca and Chris were fairly star crossed lovers - especially with Luca's concerns over his career - though I liked that they were able to support each other through their personal tragedies. Despite the rough times, they did keep in touch, well Chris did, allowing the way forward for a better relationship.
At first, I thought it was going to be a bit slow, but it was just warming up and I soon became engrossed in the story.
I actually enjoyed the cycling bits very much, especially the insights we got through Christopher's off beat articles. I can understand the difficulty in writing about an international sport without naming key names but I did try and put names to descriptions!
Luca and Chris were fairly star crossed lovers - especially with Luca's concerns over his career - though I liked that they were able to support each other through their personal tragedies. Despite the rough times, they did keep in touch, well Chris did, allowing the way forward for a better relationship.
October 28, 2015
This is yet another book I wouldn't have picked up if it wasn't for the MMRG scavenger hunt and a few choice reviews. The start of the book wasn't all that compelling and the characters weren't all that easy to connect with. Despite not connecting with Christopher and Luca's character, I found I could still feel empathy for the emotional turmoil they faced. More than anything else the angst is what kept me turning the pages. In addition to this I found the technical component was fairly interesting, it went a long waay to setting the scene but I can see how some readers may have found it over done. Recommended if you enjoy angst and don't mind cycling technobabble.
August 16, 2015
This book was a slow to start for me. For about the first half it just wasn't clicking with me, or holding my attention. I put it down a lot. But at about the 50% mark, it picks up a lot. The story started moving, and I started to actually care about the characters being together. I will say there are a couple of spots that pack a lot of emotional punch. You'll know them when you see them. They are very similar in nature and I was on verge of tears. It was also very interesting to learn some about cycling, I don't know much about it and this was a nice peek into that world.
September 5, 2015
This book gripped me so much I found myself wandering off to look up professional cycling information just to get a better feel for the tale and its characters.
Before this my knowledge of pro-cycling amounted to Tour de France but I wanted to know more, see what these courses were like etc.. All because I fell in love with our two protagonists.
We get angst, hurt-comfort, courage, loyalty, coming out, tears and laughter. Well worth the read.
Before this my knowledge of pro-cycling amounted to Tour de France but I wanted to know more, see what these courses were like etc.. All because I fell in love with our two protagonists.
We get angst, hurt-comfort, courage, loyalty, coming out, tears and laughter. Well worth the read.
May 31, 2016
I love this book. This was a second read and a perfect start to my biking season.
Christopher, an American journalist, bike shop worker, and biker, meets closeted Italian racer, Luca in Boulder, Colorado. Lots of talking about biking, rides, life, loss and love. Setting moves to Europe for races.
Note: Readers unfamilar with races such as the Tour de France may find themselves loss. Having some prior knowledge definitely made this story that much more enjoyable.
Christopher, an American journalist, bike shop worker, and biker, meets closeted Italian racer, Luca in Boulder, Colorado. Lots of talking about biking, rides, life, loss and love. Setting moves to Europe for races.
Note: Readers unfamilar with races such as the Tour de France may find themselves loss. Having some prior knowledge definitely made this story that much more enjoyable.
April 23, 2015
Reviewed by Brandilyn for Prism Book Alliance. When I was at about the 25% mark of Spokes by PD Singer, I considered putting the book aside. I took it off my iPad and decide to move on to another title. Then I looked around and realized I didn't have anything else I wanted to read more at that moment, so I loaded it back up and resumed reading... and I didn't stop until I was done.
August 3, 2016
this was the first book i've read by PD Singer (how the heck have I not read her before) but it won't be the last - more of a review to come later
July 6, 2014
I'm really not into cycling but sport romance are still the best.
November 11, 2014
Four stars overall, but five for the interesting bike tour and racing information.
July 25, 2015
I liked the story idea, but waaaay too much, very detailed information about bikes and races, took away from romance for me.
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