Faster Longer

Take Me... #3

by Colleen Masters

Two star crossed lovers racing together at breakneck speeds, barreling along at 200 miles per hour willing to destroy everything and everyone in their path.

Siena can't escape.

She's trapped now.

How did she fall so helplessly, recklessly in love with the one man who could single handedly turn her life upside down?

Harrison has her wrapped up in his strong, muscular, tattooed arms. Right where he wants her. Right where she wants to be.

Even as the championship is decided and fate comes crashing down around them—betrayal, blackmail, death...all seem like nothing compared to Siena's ultimate secret.

A Contemporary Romance/New Adult Romance novel.

Genres: Romance, Sports, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Racing, Contemporary, Fiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2013

About the author

Hey there,

I'm Colleen Masters, author of the Faster Series. Thank you so much for swinging by and checking out my stories! As an indie romance author, your support means everything to me. Let me tell you a little bit about myself...

I grew up in Central Jersey, and studied Theatre Arts and English at Monmouth University. (Going to college right next to the beach? Hell yes :D) My dream has always been to make a profession out of writing, so I moved to NYC five years ago and have been working my butt off to make that dream come true ever since. Right now, I'm living on the Upper East Side with my darling fiancé and our corgi, Frodo. (Bit of a lit nerd, what can I say?) All of my friends get such a kick out of my "survival job," but I don't really see my writing as a day job at all--it's way too fun for that!

These books are truly a labor of love, and I'm so happy to share them with you. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!

xo
CM

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously girl.....another damn cliffhanger tho? Why do authors do this BS?? Honestly, this "series" could have been summed up in one f**king book!!

On another note, you mean to tell me ALL this time & NOBODY figured out "that person" who the one behind all this unnecessary drama? I had that figured out back in book 2.

[My Little Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I loved the story development and the suspense, but I would have loved a bit more romance or time dedicated to only Siena and Harrison. And of course for dragging so long the issue of the sabotage....I mean it wasn't hard for the reader to understand who was doing all that...I got a bit frustrated that it took her so long to figure it out even where every evidence screamed Marquez name. I figured he was the one since the first incident in book 1. So dragging the solving for 2 books made her look a bit dumb.

[Tina Nguyen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. I mean I do like the series, but I think that the author now is trying too hard to get the series out, which in turn takes away from the story. Yes, there's a lot of "secrets," some of which can be guessed right away from the blurb, and some from just reading the novella. I would hope that more authors would stop with this whole novella thing, but it seems to be catching on really fast. Hopefully the next installment in this series will bring everything to a close.

[Thieryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... this is awkward. The rate with which I have read these books has been racing speed. I have been looking forward to finishing the series so much. Yet as I approach the green flag, I can't but feel cheated.

The jig is up. Twisted out of proportion of course, but that's modern media for you. Harrison and Siena face a sea of disapproval as their secret love affair hits the front page, and the rift between them is irrevocable. But these two can't keep away from each other for too long, and lo and behold, like a modern Romeo, Harrison invades the enemy estate and declares his love publicly to his Juliette's family. As any good PR representative knows, you own the story as long as you control it and have your spin-boys available. Our protagonists and their mystery villain keep scoring points against each other... is there time to save face, or has the finish line been crossed before the race even began?

Let me start by saying, I love the passion of these books, especially this one. Yes there was some non-essential drama, and yes it was very off-putting to see yet another book ending with someone getting pregnant, but in general, I love the strength of the personalities involved, their convictions, their own way of dealing. I love love LOVE mama Ferrelli, and was so happy to see how families stick together and accept honorary members into their ranks. I admired how accurately Ms. Masters portrayed someone who is filled with hatred, yet shows respect nonetheless. And of course, I always approve when BFFs Bex and Charlie steal the spotlight ;)

But I have thought about it for the past 4 hours, and I have sadly decided that I can't in good conscience give this book more than 3 stars. It probably deserves more, but I can't give them.
Let me tell you why.

I have a big problem with books that drag along longer than they should have. I have an even bigger problem with stories that allow me, as reader, to figure out the ending (or in this case, the culprit) long before the heroes do. And I'm not talking a few pages earlier, I am talking almost a whole book sooner. But my biggest issue is when plots are drawn out on purpose, because normally intelligent and perceptive characters are intentionally made dumb, ignoring blatant plot-solving evidence staring them in the face. Even more so when one of them is a friggin PR expert, supposedly trained to sniff out publicity stunts like the ones pulled in this story.

I understand that the suspense has to be built up. I understand that there has to be a climax, where our hero rushes in at the last minute to expose the villain and save the day. A good plot twist like that is like a great orgasm. You can feel it getting closer, building up intensity, threatening to crash down on you at any moment. Now imagine hovering over the edge of that orgasm for a few hours. Not a few minutes, which would make it immensely pleasurable... a few hours. Let me tell you, it is unimaginably frustrating. Even when it comes, it is far from satisfying. It is more a "finally, what took you so long" feeling rather than a "OH GODS OH YEAH OH WOW YES YES YES!" feeling. And this is how this book felt.

I have facepalmed myself while reading this. Literally. As I said above, the characters were fantastic, their interactions were delightful to read, and even the vanilla sex didn't put me off. But for me, the compromise of authenticity for the sake of page count was unforgivable. Both Siena and Bex were portrayed far too smart up to this point to fail so miserably to notice what was right in front of their eyes, especially after the incident at the bar. I won't even mention Harrison or Alfonso, a guy supposedly in the sport for years, who has in previous context revealed the ability to think as dirty as our villain has. If anything, this book serves as proof that when the heart speaks, the mind goes on vacation. I can't explain it any other way.

[iloveladyporn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I told you yet that I love this series? well I do!
Siena is one step behind all this chaos that is surrounding her. Just when she thinks she's going to get a handle on it things blow up. Now that her and Harrison's relationship is splashed all over the place she isn't taking things so well so she runs. Lucky for her she has a smart women in her corner and a determined lover. Things still get worse from here and she has to figure out who is behind all of it before someone else gets hurt. It's who I thought it was and for once luck is on Siena's side and everything goes down without a hitch. Some Hot steamy sex scenes. Just when things are finally over for the season and she can start her future with Harrison a bomb is dropped.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that I learned about Formula 1 in this series but it never took over the book, or alienated anyone outside of that particular interest group. Loved the play on the classic Romeo and Juliet story, especially the balcony scene when Harrison goes to Italy. I feel like the fourth book will bring some heartbreak, but lots of joy with Enzo and Harrison's race results, an engagement, and another fun surprise that I won't spill here! Can't wait until January.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/3.5 stars

I'm glad that I came to this series late enough that book 3 was available immediately after I'd finished books one and two. I hate having to wait a long time between books in a series, and I'm always reading so many things that it tends to be a struggle to remember pertinent details of previous outings if any significant amount of time passes between when the books are published. Since I read book three in the same week that I read books one and two, I actually remembered lots of details. Details, for example, that the author did not. In the third book, Siena is said to have been born in the United States, even though she definitely states in the first book that she was born in Italy. I can barely remember what I email my staff from one week to the next, though, so I have very little room to talk.

The things that worked for me really worked for me, but the things that didn't really didn't.

The good:

- Harrison and Siena continue to have smoking chemistry and make for some dynamic scenes.
- I loved how supportive Harrison is of Siena. He believes that she is good at her job and tells her so.
- I am always a fan of heroes who want the world to know of their love for the heroine, but who are willing to allow her to set their pace.
- The scenes at Siena's family home (excluding Enzo) worked for me. I liked seeing the Lazio family interact, and it was nice to see Harrison integrated further into Siena's life.

The bad:

- How fast do Charlie and Bex move? I mean, really. I would have liked to see a bit more of them as a couple, so that their trajectory in book three made more sense to me. Aside from sneaking out of hotel rooms and then having Bex ditch Charlie on a couple of occasions when Siena needs her, I didn't get much sense of their relationship.
- What crawls up Enzo's culo? It was annoying in the extreme that he is completely okay with being a hypocritical juicebox to his sister, seeing as how he is dating a member of Team McClain (who's a total cow to his sister). Ugh. This kind of behavior is bad enough in Harlequin Presents novels, but I didn't expect to see it here.
- Some members of the press' lines of questioning at the press conferences in these books have seemed unbelievably unprofessional to me, but the one at the Lazio home seems particularly egregious. I don't believe that other journalists would find some of the questions asked to be okay. It seems to me that such a vindictive/gossipy reporter would be more likely to stir up interest in himself, than in the answers that he receives.
- The "mystery" in this book is not well done at all. I suspected the eventual culprit from book one, but definitely knew who it was by the second book. It disappointed me not that none of the characters suspect this person even briefly, especially considering his or her behavior in book two. The scene where it finally all adds up for Siena is only missing a neon downward arrow that says, "Bad Guy Here." The title of this third book should have been A Bunch of Red Flags. Look, I stuck with the racing theme.

[spoiler]Why in the world doesn't anybody give Marques a second thought after he frames Siena with that doctored video? Even if they are ultimately swayed by the fact that his car has been "tampered with," they still should discuss, then dismissed him as a possibility. The fact that none of these supposedly intelligent people pick up on what a ruthless creep Morales is made me think less of them as characters, and this book as a form of entertainment.[/spoiler]

I guess what I'm saying is that I found this book to be a bit of a mess, aside from Harrison and Siena. I'm going to regard this more as a table-setting book, since the way that Faster Longer ends means that book 4 should be awesome and insane. If you've stuck with this series for this long, I recommend this book and that you give book 4 a chance, but I didn't love this novel as I'd hoped that I would. I keep going back and forth on the rating, but I would say that it's more of a 3.5 star book than 3.

[Shonda Franks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Take Me Series.

Siena and Harrison are head over heels in love with each other now. "Someone" releases the photos of them to the public. They come out to their families and team. Everyone is pissed. The skeevy driver that released the photos catches up to Enzo and Harrison on the leader board. They decide they are gonna be together and everything else be damned.

Totally transparent book. No surprise. No mystery. No excitement. I will read the next book in the series though, because I am nothing if I am not through. Happy reading.

[Book-Bosomed blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book, Faster Longer, deals with the fall out and aftermath of the tabloids and paparazzi. Well actually book #3 treats us to a steamy bath scene first!

“I would not have pegged Harrison Davies for the candles and bath salts type when we first met, but he continues to surprise me every day. My man can go from devil-may-care bad boy to sensual lover as quickly as his F1 car goes from zero to two hundred miles per hour.” —Siena

Also, readers finally get to meet “Mama” Lazio and what a breath of reason and fresh air she is in the world of fictional characters. The message of standing by the ones you love while being your own person is a strong one, and it’s nice to see the lengths the characters go to protect their relationships and finally join together. Though they have some heated moments (not always of the sexual kind), Harrison and Siena continue to be a mature couple that have their priorities in check despite the turmoil they are thrown.

As far as the “mystery,” I was a tad disappointed that Siena (or half of the rest of the gang for that matter) didn’t figure out the culprit sooner. At some point it seemed it was staring them in the face long before Siena fell asleep. But it helped create the on-the-edge drama at the track, and finally resolved to a satisfying exposure at the end.

Once again Harrison is…ah…Harrison. Bad boy aurora with a heart of gold…and some toned tattooed abs and a well endowed…well you get the picture. The white knight in his fast car and the balcony scene—who could resist!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I was a little frustrated throughout this book. I love this series but this one had me on the cliff of a rating between 4 and 5 stars. I ended up giving five because I like the characters and the writing style that much but it was close.

In this installment of Siena and Harrison, their relationship has been revealed to the world. With that, the media, Siena's brother/Harrison's rival, and the stalker who seems out to ruin their shot at happiness, tries to turn their romance into something ugly. While Siena and Harrison try to make it work, chaos also ensues on the track. Cars being tampered with, horrific accidents and crazy accusations flying every which way. Siena tries to make sense of it all while at the same time she's worried to death about the two men she loves most in the world risking their lives.

The thing that drove me crazy about this one was I knew so long ago who was behind everything and it was like for the life of these people, they couldn't figure it out. I guess Ms. Master's was going for the climatic scene, which makes sense, but at some point I started to get frustrated that they simply couldn't see it.

That was my only complaint. Otherwise, this book was great. Hot, sweet, exciting, etc. be warned though it ends on a cliffhanger but in a good way.

5 stars for this book and the series so far!

[Niccisbookblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good third book this story has had me gripped all weekend im flying through these books, ive read three in two days!

I am kind off pissed that the author gave us these brilliantly talented characters but then made them so dumb that they didnt figure out who the black mailer guy was ?!?!?! i figured it out in the last book.
That being said i still did like this book that was just a niggle i had. I still love the tatted, beautiful, hot, race driver that is Harrison. Harrison is such a sweetie behind his bad boy racer front and the relationship between him and Siena is so lovely.

I did like how the characters found out who was behind it all and how Siena turned the tables on the guy, played by his own game.

Ther are some Hot steamy sex scenes as in previous books.
Just when things are finally over for the season and Siena can start her future with Harrison, a bomb of a different kind is dropped, and we are left with another cliffhanger!!.

There are some mixed review for this series but im loving this racer series.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the excitement on and off the track was better than the previous installment. Tragedy after tragedy happened on the race track. Some friends were hurt and in that lost their careers. Though the pair that was suppose to be hurt lived with the regret. Rumors and gossip swirled around them. How Seina, Enzo, and Bed managed to keep and maintain healthy relationships I don't know. I was happy to know that their manage to survive to see the end result of the season. Though now that its over what does that mean for the Lazio family and the other couples? It will be interesting to see what life has in store for the two companies. Also will Enzo and Harrison get along? As for the looks of things whether personal or professional he will have to deal with him. There are some questions are hope are answered and goodbye I'm not looking forward to.

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much emotional shit happens in this slice of the series. Some I thought more time should have been spent on. It was brought to make you gasp, but not grab the full range of emotions.

The villain is at last revealed to the clueless characters. And hot Damon it ends on a gleeful note that will have me checking out book 4 in January to see some weddings, life and death. I'm sure it will be an emotional book with the path the author has laid out. I just hope she pulls it off.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. New Adult.... 17+ due to strong sexual situations. However, Mature Young Adults might enjoy.
2. Good book that is part of a series to enjoy between full- length novels.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a compelling story of suspense that involved all the characters. Someone is out to get them. We just don't know who it is and what they want. I was hoping Siena would get her stuff together to find out who it was. She is smart feisty and compassionate. The tabloids are out to get her and Harrison and the family is falling apart due to Alphonso dying.

As the story unfolds and we see that the 2 characters are working together and their realtionship is stronger than ever because of it we see how truly in love they are.

Overall I was surprised with how the story turned out.

[Vieira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not disapoint it was terrific!!! The best one of the series by far. The story was fast paced and really written well. The author had you pointing fingers at everyone it kept you at the edge of your seat. I love Harrison so much he's so sexy and with Siena wowza they were all sorts of HOT! I love the side characters too. I really adored Mamma Lazio I hope we get more from her. I can not wait to read the next book!!!

[Absent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this installment! It was unexpected for me. At the first 2 books i really suspected it was Shelby but it turns out to be Marquez. The story is great except the unnecessary cliffhangers, the author could've finish this story in just 1 book. At least the author chose to cut this story (again!) when everything about the tournament is cleared/concluded.

♥ I would love ti read Lorenzo's story. Hope he has his own book :*

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series is progressing really good although, I don't know why it took the whole book for them to figure out who was messing everything up. Enzo really kills me with his mess and how he thinks he should be allowed to be with Shelby and Siena shouldn't be with Harrison. I guess he will get better in the next book hopefully because Harrison did help him in the end. I also, thought it was predictable because I knew what would happen in the end of the book.

[Saunders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry to say that this trilogy just did not tick any of my boxes. Thought the trilogy aspect wasted the story - it just got lost. the author also had difficulties with Btitish-isms. No British man would say and " and some" not would a British man address Siena's mother as "Ma'am. He would call her Mrs Lazio (unless he was addressing the Queen)! I also didn't get the bad boy racer aspect.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series is improving! I thought this one was the best of the three I've read thus far.

Far fewer editing issues, first of all. And I'm really getting into the story of Harrison and Siena. Of course, it took the whole book to get to who was messing with the drivers and I don't think it took me (or anyone else) more than the first quarter of the book to actually figure it out. But - that didn't make the story less enjoyable.

About to start the final book!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siena and Harrison seemed to act a little out of character when they jumped to conclusions about each other with other people but at least each incident was resolved pretty quickly instead of being dragged out into dreaded big misunderstandings. Also, it was totally obvious who was behind all the crap that was going on even though the author waited until the last second to have Siena to figure it out.

[booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT !!!!!!!!
This one starts under the safety car as secrets are being exposed,and then we hit the safety car laps as lives are on the line due to 1 persons reckless driving and willingness to do all it takes to win. Then just when you think it's all clear and the safety car can go in oh no !!! Out with the red flag...... Once the track is cleared and the truth has been uncovered the race is back on at full pelt !!!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot happens in this installment of the series. I enjoyed it a bit more than the second book. I read it quickly and it kept me hooked for hours. A quick and easy read! I am so glad this author doesn't make you wait months for the next book. For that alone I would give this 5 stars! Keep them coming!!!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siena and Harrison story continues...

We get more in depth and get answers as to who is sabotaging the races and the lengths they will go to to get what they want.

I love seeing the teams come together as a united front to face the problems they are having. This book is still fast paced and full of action!! Harrison and Siena are hot and quite a team!!

I want more of this series!!

[Donna Repsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this installment every bit and much as I enjoyed the first and second installments. I'm still surprised by my fondness for this series, since F1 racing is the last thing I'd ever watch, but the author combines that with romance, intrigue, gossip, and some steamy loves scenes as well as a good mystery--it's a winning combination. And by the way, Harrison gets hotter and hotter!

[Bookabulary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the irregularities from how Formula One really works still bothered me a bit. But I have let all that slide and have accepted that this series has simplified it enough to make it more readable by non-F1 fans.

Full review on Bookabulary.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I love this series. I finished reading in 5 hours! Siena and Harrison are finally able to be together publicly. The mystery blackmailer/ saboteur is now the straining factor in their romance. I was very happy with the way this series has played out. I am anxiously awaiting book 4.

[Stacy Wollett · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG cliffhanger! I can't wait to find out more on Siena and Harrisons story. I love Enzo and Bex and Charlie oh and don't forget Andy and his wife. I love the characters and the development of the story. So excited for the next book!!

[Tatia Hurlburt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Loved Loved this series. Seriously hot and spicy. Couldn't put down, can't wait for #4 to come out. I've loaned this book to my friends and they also love it and can't put it down. Love the family dynamics.

[Leighanne Cooper nottingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

4.5 stars... I love Harrison and Siena so much... Harrison is a great guy to Siena... you will love this book just as much as the first two.. lots of action, suspense, and of course romantic stuff as well..

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting better

This series just needs to end. This could have been one good novel instead of numerous mini novels. This one was much better than the other two with the majority of it focused on the scandal.