This is book two of the Steel Track Racing series and the main characters are race car driver Jake Knowles, who wants to advance and become more than just a driver, and NASCAR princess Sarah Rivers, who has been used by a boyfriend before for her family connections and has vowed never again. The latest thorn in her side is Jake, who has a racing rivalry with her brother that could stop his plans for his future, in his tracks. Sarah and Jake had started a romance, but when he went back on his promise to stop his rivalry with her brother, she ended their affair and refused to see him again. She stopped coming to the track on race days and he didn’t see her for months. Now he’s back, saying that they belong together, and he won’t stay away. He wants a second chance, but she has been hurt in the interim, by another car driver on his team, leaving her reluctant to even believe him. His rivalry with her brother is one of the talked about points of the NASCAR series, for the last two years. Jake is waiting to have his contract renewed, by the owner of the small team he belongs to and who first signed him all those years ago as a teen, at a difficult time in his life. He owes his career to this point, to this man, and had hoped to become a part owner in the business. Jake has used his earnings to this point, to help support his mother and all of his siblings, after the death of his father. With any news of his contract being renewed seemingly delayed by his poor race results at the start of the season, he is also being taunted by the new apprentice driver wanting to meet up with the owner.
Sarah has been pulled back into the family business to help her brother Boone out and she finds it hard to ignore Jake and his claims they belong together. He keeps creeping into her personal space, and she finds it hard to deny their connection. When he approaches her for help in achieving his aim to be an owner, she figures out he can never really get into her family business because of Boone’s hatred of him. Boone is out to destroy his career, and this allows her to maybe do something she wants with her life, rather than working for the family business, doing something she did out of duty, rather than something she wanted for herself. They are both going to learn more about the other and become closer because of it. She learns about his family, who he never normally talks about, and she mentions some of her worries about a love interest taking advantage of her family connections. She refuses to name names, but she can’t stay away from the track forever, nor her former boyfriend, which affects her badly. Roadblocks soon get put in Jake’s way and it is how he handles these, that begin to show his true self to Sarah and allow her to believe his boast that she will be his before the season is over! He may have started out seeming to only be in it for himself and willing to do anything to get ahead, but as time passes, she realises what she truly wants. Lots of NASCAR racing, behind the scenes drama, as well as family issues brought to the fore. Compromise will be a key part of Srah and Jake’s future, and he will have to make peace with his rival and enemy, whilst loosening his guilt in helping his mother and siblings. Choice and freedom are important to them both, but they will also learn from their friends and family about when to let go of certain things that were holding them back.
Definitely a pair who should have been together from the start and that was obvious, but past events have made both of them who they are, and they must overcome them to join together for a future of their own choice. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.