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Body Shop Bad Boys #1
Test Drive
GET TO KNOW THE BODY SHOP BAD BOYS
Johnny, Foley, Sam, and Lou are the rough and tumble mechanics of Webster's Garage. These reformed bad boys are used to living fast, but it's the women in their lives who take them from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.
JOHNNY
Johnny Devlin's a charmer with a checkered past. He's has had his eye on scorching-hot bartender Lara Valley for ages, but she's rejected him more than once. That doesn't mean he won't come to her aid when some dirtbag mauls her. When she asks him on a date as a no-strings-attached thank you, he can't say no. And then he's saying nothing but hell, yes.
Praise for Marie Harte's McCauley Brothers series:
"Packed with sass, sensuality and heartwarming emotion...an absolute delight!"-Romance Junkies for What to Do with a Bad Boy
"Funny, addicting, and full of hot sex scenes."-Booklist for How to Handle a Heartbreaker
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2016
278 people are currently reading
1564 people want to read
About the author
Marie Harte
199 books2,406 followersImportant:: Marie Harte is NOT active on GoodReads, so to contact her, please use her website at marieharte.com.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
November 15, 2016
Holy heck! Those body shop boys are smokin! This story is about Johnny, one of the body shop bad boys and Lara but you get a lot of the rest of the bad boys in this book as well. I loved every single one of them and I can't wait till they each get their own book.
Johnny was quite the charmer but he's also a bit damaged from his childhood. His mom died when he was young and the one woman his dad dated, that he cared for, up and left both him and his dad without a backwards glance. Since then his dad went through one woman after another. All Johnny has ever known is that women leave. Why should he think Lara would be any different.
Lara comes from a middle class hardworking family. Her parents work non stop and don't have much to show for it. Her sister is a bit of dead weight, going from husband one to husband four, expecting every man in her life to take care of her and her two girls. Lara wants more out of life and all she knows is if she's going anywhere, it will be up to her to make it happen.
It was fun reading about these two getting together. Neither believed that the other was serious about each other, yet they both clearly were. It's like watching a train wreck, but a happy train wreck. I wasn't cringing away but laughing at their attempts of trying to stay casual. Johnny was so freakin cute but in a tough guy way with a soft heart. It was easy to fall for his character. Lara was a great heroine. She didn't need Johnny but she wanted him I her life. She was tough yet very likeable.
It looks like Foley will be the next in the series and you get a glimps of his heroine who was tough as nails. The sparks are gonna fly!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Johnny was quite the charmer but he's also a bit damaged from his childhood. His mom died when he was young and the one woman his dad dated, that he cared for, up and left both him and his dad without a backwards glance. Since then his dad went through one woman after another. All Johnny has ever known is that women leave. Why should he think Lara would be any different.
Lara comes from a middle class hardworking family. Her parents work non stop and don't have much to show for it. Her sister is a bit of dead weight, going from husband one to husband four, expecting every man in her life to take care of her and her two girls. Lara wants more out of life and all she knows is if she's going anywhere, it will be up to her to make it happen.
It was fun reading about these two getting together. Neither believed that the other was serious about each other, yet they both clearly were. It's like watching a train wreck, but a happy train wreck. I wasn't cringing away but laughing at their attempts of trying to stay casual. Johnny was so freakin cute but in a tough guy way with a soft heart. It was easy to fall for his character. Lara was a great heroine. She didn't need Johnny but she wanted him I her life. She was tough yet very likeable.
It looks like Foley will be the next in the series and you get a glimps of his heroine who was tough as nails. The sparks are gonna fly!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2016
When I heard about this new series, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Marie Harte is an author whose books I’ve only really discovered in the last couple of years, but she has an extensive backlist that ranges from PNR to Contemporary and more. For me, I discovered her Contemporary Romances first and fell in love with the McCauley Brothers series. The Bad Boys Body Shop series is a spin off from that one as it is set in the garage that the heroine in WHAT TO DO WITH A BAD BOY owns.
Now, at first I was expecting this to be Delilah’s brother’s book but it’s actually a series about four new guys. Johnny, Foley, Sam and Lou all work at the garage and well, they’re quite the bunch of characters. Not only are they hilarious, but each has their own bit of charm that I’m sure the ladies will love.
In this book Johnny falls for Lara, a hardworking bartender and student. She’s a busy girl who has a lot on her plate right now but Johnny manages to worm his way into her life. If you read the McCauley Brothers series, this one is a little bit tone down in terms of the sex scenes. The McCauleys Brothers, if you read it, is borderline erotic. In this one, however, Harte takes her time with the romance, building it block by block. It works very well.
I had a blast reading this and this was mainly because of Johnny. Harte first shows him as a womanizer but as the book progresses we see that is not the case at all. I was strangely fascinated by his character and now I’m looking forward to reading more about the other guys.
You don’t necessarily have to read the McCauley Brothers to enjoy this book, but Delilah and Mike do make some short appearances in the book. If you want my suggestion, I’d say read them all. They’re really fun reads.
Read my alternate review atFresh Fiction
February 17, 2018
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (posting to blog 3/18/18)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2HplYHy
Sexy mechanic with a charming smile, heart of gold and a naughty side? Yes, please!
The Gist: Johnny has had a thing for Lara for years and she's not given the playboy the time of day. Nope. Sure hasn't. But when he comes to her rescue and shows another side of himself she's left begging him to ask her out one more time.
Okay so Lara and Johnny. They're pretty great characters most of the time. Both gun shy about romance and worried about getting hurt. Both dedicated to their work-- he's a mechanic and she's in nursing school-- and devoted to their friends and family. They're both good people and easy to like. And great as a couple. They have so many things in common and really have a way of making the other more well rounded just by being together. And whew boy can they heat things up! Yeah, these two are rocking a set of sheets and it was delicious. I loved watching them challenge one another, too. They just lit up in each others presence and it was fun watching them constantly surprise one another.
Now why the three. Because it also made me growly. I started this one three times over the past year and promptly put it back down. Ergs!
>>The beginning was a struggle. Talk about a LOT of characters or names in the first chapter. It was a huge info dump that had my head spinning. I swear it felt like a good 20 characters were introduced.
>>And the end. I absolutely loathe it when the heroine is an out of line bitch and hurts the hero and then the HERO winds up apologizing like he was the one being an asshole. Lara really needed to own up to some of the hurtful things she said in his direction (with no reason other than she got sloshed at a party) instead of playing the wounded party.
Overall, I liked Test Drive, really. The middle part and watching the two spar off and start falling in love was wonderful. Sweet, sexy, a little silly now and again. Just a good time. But the first couple chapters and last couple chapters were such a struggle for me, unfortunately. Take those away and this was a solid four.
June 7, 2016
Mocha review of Test Drive
With 60 ml of espresso, 60 ml of chocolate and 30 ml of steamed milk, a mocha is a the right choice if you want something sweet and sexy. Test Drive delivered the perfect Mocha coffee and I've broken it down for you....
Espresso: Marie Harte gives you characters who are a little rough around the edges but very real. Johnny Devlin was raised by his father, the owner of a local strip club and he did a little time as a young adult when he went for a joyride in a stolen car. Jonny is a definite ladies’ man, he now works at Webster’s Garage and loves his job as a mechanic. He has tried to get Lara Valley to go out on date with him for four years. He has it bad. Lara is looking to move up and out of this town, and dating guys who hang out at the local pub is not on the agenda. However, if you ask her she will tell you that Johnny is F-I-N-E fine. Harte did a great job of introducing us to both characters. I liked the chemistry between them and knew from the get go the romance would be hot.
Steamed Milk: One of the things I like about Harte’s books is the way she combines small-town charm with the heat I love in other contemporary romance. We get to know the guys at the shop, both characters families and have a strong sense of what life was like for both growing up. The added bonus of seeing characters from the McCauley Brothers series was sweet. Secondary characters like Lara’s sister and Foley added depth. Lara’s nieces had me giggling so hard I had tears in my eyes. All of the side threads pulled me into the series and has me craving the next book.
Chocolate: Test Drive had some deliciously hot moments that will take you from zero to sixty and wait until you hear that engine purr. For a rough and tumble dude our Johnny is quite the romantic. He was adorkable, ungodly sexy, over the top obnoxious with his sexual innuendos but I fell hard and fast. The relationship moved slowly despite the intense heat and I loved the way these two conversed about everything from movies to neighborhoods. Harte threw in a little jealously, some stupidity and a small dose of angst as individually our characters went through some growing pains. Trust me none of this spoiled the chocolate and all of it had me flipping the pages in search of my HEA. The tale wraps up nicely and sets us up for the next body shop bad boy.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
With 60 ml of espresso, 60 ml of chocolate and 30 ml of steamed milk, a mocha is a the right choice if you want something sweet and sexy. Test Drive delivered the perfect Mocha coffee and I've broken it down for you....
Espresso: Marie Harte gives you characters who are a little rough around the edges but very real. Johnny Devlin was raised by his father, the owner of a local strip club and he did a little time as a young adult when he went for a joyride in a stolen car. Jonny is a definite ladies’ man, he now works at Webster’s Garage and loves his job as a mechanic. He has tried to get Lara Valley to go out on date with him for four years. He has it bad. Lara is looking to move up and out of this town, and dating guys who hang out at the local pub is not on the agenda. However, if you ask her she will tell you that Johnny is F-I-N-E fine. Harte did a great job of introducing us to both characters. I liked the chemistry between them and knew from the get go the romance would be hot.
Steamed Milk: One of the things I like about Harte’s books is the way she combines small-town charm with the heat I love in other contemporary romance. We get to know the guys at the shop, both characters families and have a strong sense of what life was like for both growing up. The added bonus of seeing characters from the McCauley Brothers series was sweet. Secondary characters like Lara’s sister and Foley added depth. Lara’s nieces had me giggling so hard I had tears in my eyes. All of the side threads pulled me into the series and has me craving the next book.
Chocolate: Test Drive had some deliciously hot moments that will take you from zero to sixty and wait until you hear that engine purr. For a rough and tumble dude our Johnny is quite the romantic. He was adorkable, ungodly sexy, over the top obnoxious with his sexual innuendos but I fell hard and fast. The relationship moved slowly despite the intense heat and I loved the way these two conversed about everything from movies to neighborhoods. Harte threw in a little jealously, some stupidity and a small dose of angst as individually our characters went through some growing pains. Trust me none of this spoiled the chocolate and all of it had me flipping the pages in search of my HEA. The tale wraps up nicely and sets us up for the next body shop bad boy.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
July 25, 2016
2.5 - Pretty Johnny - Stars
This was another case of LOVED the H but disliked the h.
Although there was one thing I could have done without for Johnny I liked that he has a personality. He wasn't just a sexy guy who had a killer body and knew how to use it. He was funny, and sweet, and tried so hard to make dating Lara something special. He genuinely wanted to build a relationship with the h that wasn't just about the hot sexual chemistry. He was a pretty great H and good book boyfriend material.
Lara was a good h up until the half way mark. Again this h (much like Maddy from The Troublemaker Next Door) was always pushing the H away, and overly concerned with money. And yes, I did read the h's history and hangups with her family and I get that she had goals and aspirations but the author made her out to be too materialistic. There was never any real change in opinion for her even after seeing Johnny as more than the one dimensional person she thought he was.
I need equal parts sympathy and understanding from the MCs, (towards each other,) and although Johnny was always sensitive to Lara's wants and needs, it never felt like Lara was ever overly worried about Johnny's. The big break up scene was sad for Johnny! Somehow Lara makes Johnny's emotional insecurities all about her. Instead of understanding how her words might have sounded to him or the fact that his fears stemmed from her own actions with him, she turns around and blames him for not understanding her! There was a split second of concern for him but that gets overshadowed when she gets mad and its back to being all about her.
Meh . . . this was good but for that glaring one sided dilemma. I like my MCs to be on equal footing. When one person calls all the shots and takes but doesn't give back equally, the whole thing kind of falls apart for me. So even though I really liked Johnny, Lara brings down the rating to 2 1/2 stars.
Ages: Lara is 27, Johnny is 29.
Neither are virgins.
No Cheating
OW/OM drama: Mild
This was another case of LOVED the H but disliked the h.
Although there was one thing I could have done without for Johnny I liked that he has a personality. He wasn't just a sexy guy who had a killer body and knew how to use it. He was funny, and sweet, and tried so hard to make dating Lara something special. He genuinely wanted to build a relationship with the h that wasn't just about the hot sexual chemistry. He was a pretty great H and good book boyfriend material.
Lara was a good h up until the half way mark. Again this h (much like Maddy from The Troublemaker Next Door) was always pushing the H away, and overly concerned with money. And yes, I did read the h's history and hangups with her family and I get that she had goals and aspirations but the author made her out to be too materialistic. There was never any real change in opinion for her even after seeing Johnny as more than the one dimensional person she thought he was.
I need equal parts sympathy and understanding from the MCs, (towards each other,) and although Johnny was always sensitive to Lara's wants and needs, it never felt like Lara was ever overly worried about Johnny's. The big break up scene was sad for Johnny! Somehow Lara makes Johnny's emotional insecurities all about her. Instead of understanding how her words might have sounded to him or the fact that his fears stemmed from her own actions with him, she turns around and blames him for not understanding her! There was a split second of concern for him but that gets overshadowed when she gets mad and its back to being all about her.
Meh . . . this was good but for that glaring one sided dilemma. I like my MCs to be on equal footing. When one person calls all the shots and takes but doesn't give back equally, the whole thing kind of falls apart for me. So even though I really liked Johnny, Lara brings down the rating to 2 1/2 stars.
Ages: Lara is 27, Johnny is 29.
Neither are virgins.
No Cheating
OW/OM drama: Mild
March 14, 2017
Stuff I didn't like:
• H is a manwhore pig."...a player and proud of it." "Johnny could have written a book on how to please women, a virtual connoisseur by age sixteen." Ugh.
• Every woman H sees he's sizing up their beauty & assets...even h's sister and its disgusting! And he even compares her to h! "Kristin had a mesmerizing beauty no exhaustion could hide. It was easy to see how Lara’s sister had accumulated so many male friends in what had to be no more than thirty years. Kristin could have starred in her own showcase at Strutts (strip club H worked at). She had large breasts, a tight, round ass, and long legs. She stood an inch or two shorter than Lara, but whereas Lara had an athletic figure and all the right curves, Kristin put a man in mind of nothing but sex. She was all handfuls and a wavy blond mane. Normally his type." H is disgusting.
• H works in a strip club (but doesn't think h should have a problem with it bc all the women are like family to him). "Bubbles was doing her best work to date. The woman could do aerial splits that made Johnny hurt for her. But dayum. Nice performance." H even hugs these topless women in front of h.
• Lots of mentions of H's sexual past and his sexual skills. h sees H date/flirt with ow for 4+ years before they get together. "Good Lord, that man knew how to use his tongue… Knowing he’d honed his skills on other women bothered her in some ways..." Ew.
• One of H's past ONS shows up looking for a repeat but her turns her down...and is disgusted with himself for not taking her up on her offer.
....he's not a man I'd want to have. No thanks.
• No epilogue. They reunite and it's over. I just don't know if I can see these two lasting.
• H is a manwhore pig."...a player and proud of it." "Johnny could have written a book on how to please women, a virtual connoisseur by age sixteen." Ugh.
• Every woman H sees he's sizing up their beauty & assets...even h's sister and its disgusting! And he even compares her to h! "Kristin had a mesmerizing beauty no exhaustion could hide. It was easy to see how Lara’s sister had accumulated so many male friends in what had to be no more than thirty years. Kristin could have starred in her own showcase at Strutts (strip club H worked at). She had large breasts, a tight, round ass, and long legs. She stood an inch or two shorter than Lara, but whereas Lara had an athletic figure and all the right curves, Kristin put a man in mind of nothing but sex. She was all handfuls and a wavy blond mane. Normally his type." H is disgusting.
• H works in a strip club (but doesn't think h should have a problem with it bc all the women are like family to him). "Bubbles was doing her best work to date. The woman could do aerial splits that made Johnny hurt for her. But dayum. Nice performance." H even hugs these topless women in front of h.
• Lots of mentions of H's sexual past and his sexual skills. h sees H date/flirt with ow for 4+ years before they get together. "Good Lord, that man knew how to use his tongue… Knowing he’d honed his skills on other women bothered her in some ways..." Ew.
• One of H's past ONS shows up looking for a repeat but her turns her down...and is disgusted with himself for not taking her up on her offer.
....he's not a man I'd want to have. No thanks.
• No epilogue. They reunite and it's over. I just don't know if I can see these two lasting.
November 6, 2025
Squealing and I don’t mean tires, Marie Harte has a new series. It is based in the garage of Delilah Webster from her McCauley Brothers series, we get everything we’ve come to expect from Harte and more…strong ties that go deeper than blood, explosive chemistry and swoon worthy characters that make you want to get a little greasy. That also comes with well-developed characters with heart felt emotional ties.
Since this was the first in a new series, it a had somewhat slow start but I soon found myself pulled into the individuals that make up Harte’s Body Shop Bad Boys world.
I received this ARC copy of Test Drive from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 7, 2016.
Since this was the first in a new series, it a had somewhat slow start but I soon found myself pulled into the individuals that make up Harte’s Body Shop Bad Boys world.
I received this ARC copy of Test Drive from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 7, 2016.
March 17, 2021
This was an very enjoyable read but it didn't spinn the plot from the beginning, whole way through the book. Feel like it started out intense then just dropped it and focused more on the romance. I wanted both of both, however I might have missed something crucial or maybe my ebook and skipped a part. I don't know. But I did really enjoy the characters in this book, both the main and the family and friends.
June 20, 2016
3.5 stars
Test Drive was a good start to the Body Shop Bad Boys series.
The storyline was entertaining, my interest was held from the beginning to end.
Loved the characters, they had great chemistry and I enjoyed watching them fall in love.
Looking forward to the next book, Roadside Assistance.
Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley for the advance copy.
Test Drive was a good start to the Body Shop Bad Boys series.
The storyline was entertaining, my interest was held from the beginning to end.
Loved the characters, they had great chemistry and I enjoyed watching them fall in love.
Looking forward to the next book, Roadside Assistance.
Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley for the advance copy.
June 14, 2016
Marie Harte’s McCauley brothers series is a favorite of mine in contemporary romance (such that I’ve bought most of the paperbacks to go with my digital copies). When I heard she was writing a new series featuring mechanics at a garage, I was eager to put it on my review list. In this story, Johnny is one of those playboy types with a good heart. He’s a full time mechanic, with a crush on local waitress Lara. He’s tried asking her out a few times but she’s always resisted – but not because she wasn’t interested. Rather, she’s got no time in her life for a relationship. With her studying to become a nurse, her shifts at the bar, and the time she spends helping out her sister, she’s full up and Johnny promises nothing but trouble (wink, wink). But when he comes to her defense in a confrontation with her sister’s ex, she decides it’s time to give him that chance. It’s a fling slash friendship with no promises – but what happens when they find that they both want more?
The start of this series is a whirlwind of introductions to all of the characters that are going to come into play in this book and later ones, so it takes a bit to settle down to the romance between Johnny and Lara. Actually, I didn’t realize that this is a spin off of the McCauley brothers series (I’m not sure how I missed that detail) until it became clear that Johnny’s boss is Del, the heroine of What To Do With A Bad Boy (McCauley Brothers #4). However this one definitely stands alone well, and while fans of the previous series may delight in seeing a few of those characters, it’s definitely not necessary to have read them to enjoy this story.
Johnny comes across at first as a somewhat smarmy, slightly arrogant man. But when he isn’t joking around, he’s got a good heart and is a really decent guy. He has an unusual upbringing, in that he was raised by his father who runs a strip club. At an early age therefore he was always surrounded by women, so he is very comfortable around them. It also gave him a healthy dose of respect for women in all kinds of circumstances, who do what is necessary to make ends meet. When he’s with the guys at the garage he jokes around a lot (and those scenes were quite fun). When he meets Lara’s nieces he charms them too. In fact, that’s his greatest asset – his ability to charm the people around him. But he’s also a hard worker and a loyal friend.
Lara is an equally strong female character. She’s working hard to get above the poverty line (where she grew up), by putting herself through school to become a nurse and working at the bar where the guys from the shop hang out. It’s a bit of a rough place, but she’s used to it. She often babysits her 2 young nieces. (And as a side note – the author does a great job of making the children in her stories very likable and realistic). Getting involved with Johnny might be a mistake, but he’s too handsome to resist. Plus he’s funny, and sexy and makes her feel good.
There were some slow sections in the plot for me in this one, and it’s fairly low on drama other than the interactions with Lara’s sister’s ex-husband who shows up periodically. It didn’t quite have the pull of the McCauley brothers series for me, and I’m not quite sure why that is, because all of the characters were appealing, and the sexy times were definitely hot! Maybe my expectations were just really high based on my previous experiences with this author’s writing. It’s definitely a blue-collar romance, and Johnny’s sweet side makes the story worth reading. I’m planning to continue the series, and hopefully, the next one will grab me a bit better. 3.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
This review appears as a blog post at: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...
The start of this series is a whirlwind of introductions to all of the characters that are going to come into play in this book and later ones, so it takes a bit to settle down to the romance between Johnny and Lara. Actually, I didn’t realize that this is a spin off of the McCauley brothers series (I’m not sure how I missed that detail) until it became clear that Johnny’s boss is Del, the heroine of What To Do With A Bad Boy (McCauley Brothers #4). However this one definitely stands alone well, and while fans of the previous series may delight in seeing a few of those characters, it’s definitely not necessary to have read them to enjoy this story.
Johnny comes across at first as a somewhat smarmy, slightly arrogant man. But when he isn’t joking around, he’s got a good heart and is a really decent guy. He has an unusual upbringing, in that he was raised by his father who runs a strip club. At an early age therefore he was always surrounded by women, so he is very comfortable around them. It also gave him a healthy dose of respect for women in all kinds of circumstances, who do what is necessary to make ends meet. When he’s with the guys at the garage he jokes around a lot (and those scenes were quite fun). When he meets Lara’s nieces he charms them too. In fact, that’s his greatest asset – his ability to charm the people around him. But he’s also a hard worker and a loyal friend.
Lara is an equally strong female character. She’s working hard to get above the poverty line (where she grew up), by putting herself through school to become a nurse and working at the bar where the guys from the shop hang out. It’s a bit of a rough place, but she’s used to it. She often babysits her 2 young nieces. (And as a side note – the author does a great job of making the children in her stories very likable and realistic). Getting involved with Johnny might be a mistake, but he’s too handsome to resist. Plus he’s funny, and sexy and makes her feel good.
There were some slow sections in the plot for me in this one, and it’s fairly low on drama other than the interactions with Lara’s sister’s ex-husband who shows up periodically. It didn’t quite have the pull of the McCauley brothers series for me, and I’m not quite sure why that is, because all of the characters were appealing, and the sexy times were definitely hot! Maybe my expectations were just really high based on my previous experiences with this author’s writing. It’s definitely a blue-collar romance, and Johnny’s sweet side makes the story worth reading. I’m planning to continue the series, and hopefully, the next one will grab me a bit better. 3.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
This review appears as a blog post at: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...
June 8, 2016
2 stars.
This review is also posted on Pretty Sassy Cool.
Johnny has wanted Lara forever and after relentless pursuit, she finally agrees. Both of them have pasts and Lara is definitely not looking for a relationship, especially with Johnny, but you know what happens. Sparks fly. They can't stop.
These characters were likable enough, but I didn't love this book. There was a lot going on but not too much drama, and it just seemed like romance for the sake of romance. For some reason, I feel like Test Drive didn't have quite the heat I'm used to reading from Marie Harte. I liked Johnny (of course), and there were some laugh out loud moments, but all in all it wasn't enough for me.
This review is also posted on Pretty Sassy Cool.
Johnny has wanted Lara forever and after relentless pursuit, she finally agrees. Both of them have pasts and Lara is definitely not looking for a relationship, especially with Johnny, but you know what happens. Sparks fly. They can't stop.
These characters were likable enough, but I didn't love this book. There was a lot going on but not too much drama, and it just seemed like romance for the sake of romance. For some reason, I feel like Test Drive didn't have quite the heat I'm used to reading from Marie Harte. I liked Johnny (of course), and there were some laugh out loud moments, but all in all it wasn't enough for me.
February 3, 2018
2.5 stars. It would have been 3 or 3.5 except for the last 10% or so. They have a fight, she says cruel things, he responds stupidly. All their friends dump on him, no one acknowledges her bad behavior. He grovels and apologizes, she doesn't, they live happily ever after. Eff that.
February 9, 2021
The book starts out with a cast of characters I couldn't keep up with. I was sure this must be further in the series, not book one.
After I bought this, and got a good look at the cover, the tattoos and placement of said tattoos looked ridiculous.
Our hero Johnny starts out commenting on his sexy boss,& then how he's attracted to this waitress his friend dated.
I didn't like that Johnny was a 'player and proud of it.'
'Johnny could have written a book on how to please women, a critical connoisseur by age sixteen.'
He's attracted to Lara, just asked her out. Then has an erection later and plans 'to save playtime for later that night. If he didn't have a date by then, he'd take care of himself with memories of Lara in running shorts.'
Cara, an old hookup sees him at the grocery store and offers him a hookup that night. He remembers her doing anything for him, enjoying her company and making sure she enjoyed his, & also her lips on his cock. He wonders if Lara has plans and what she'd think of him and Cara going at it, or if she'd care. Why. Do. Authors. Write. This. Shit.
I knew early on these characters weren't my kind of people. His dad owns a strip club and dates strippers. All the men were players.
This was one of those exasperating cases where every single guy is good looking at the garage, and all the women are gorgeous with curvy bodies. Johnny was literally attracted to every single woman in the book, no matter if it was Lara's friends or her sister. Lara also found all the guys at the shop attractive. In this group of people at the body shop and the bar, everyone was attracted to everyone else. It's not realistic nor is it appreciated. Just because you're attracted to someone, doesn't mean all your friends will be, and vice versa.
'He loved Del's cousin. She was always a bright spot with a ready smile, dimples, and a gorgeous face and body to match. If she wasn't related to Del, he might have taken a turn with her. But he knew better than to screw with the boss's family. Literally or otherwise.'
Him and Lara's friend Rena are flirting, the friend who just advised her to date Johnny. What kind of friend does that? What kind of guy flirts with your friend?
He knew her apartment complex because he'd had a one night stand there a few years ago. Nice, man. This is really freaking nice.
'Trust me when I say the glamour of naked breasts lost its luster years ago. Strippers are just hard-working women who happen to take their clothes off for a living. Pretty, sure. But a naked woman is just a baked woman.'
All the guys talk about their pasts, their conquests.
Despite being with Sue from the bar, Foley is watching a stripper do a show with a banana, reminiscing about his HS gf with a kickin body and a woman who's car he fixed who 'could suck the paint off a fender, she was that good.'
This is Johnny's description of Lara's sister, the gorgeous blond:
'Even in a well-used waitress uniform of dull mustard and muddied white, Kristin had a mesmerizing beauty no exhaustion could hide. It was easy to see how Lara's sister had accumulated so many male friends in what had to be no more than thirty years. Kristin could have starred in her own showcase at Strutts. She had large breasts, a tight, round ass, and long legs. She stood an inch or two shorter than Lara, but whereas Lara had an athletic figure and all the right curves, Kristin put a man in mind of nothing but sex. She was all handfuls and a wavy blond mane. Normally his type. But looking at her, he only appreciated her physical beauty.'
Really? That long ass description of her sister and you only appreciate her physical beauty?
Lara went down on him and thinks afterward that he didn't use a condom. She insists on safe sex with her partners, wants to believe he'd been safe but thought of her pathology classes, and blowing him when other women might have done it too with less than clean mouths. This is romance books right here, folks. This is manwhores for you. This is what you have to worry about with manwhores. What's romantic about that?
The next worst thing to a virgin/manwhore pairing is a heroine-haven't-dated-in-a-long-time/manwhore pairing while she watches him flirt with other women and hears stories about him. She hadn't had sex with anyone in a year before she met Johnny. She's too busy to date. So I guess all nursing students can't have personal lives...And it turned out her screwed up family actually didn't need her. It was all her volunteering to help.
Johnny got extra points for mentioning a Hobbit second breakfast and not wanting to geek out on her.
'"No silk sheets?" She teased.
He didn't smile back.
She nibbled the candy and drank again, feeling his stare to her toes.
"Nah," he said slowly, still fixated on her. "You slide too much on silk. And I like to plant myself firmly at the start."'
'"I already told you I'm in charge. I'll fuck you when I'm good and ready. How about that?" He threw a bite of meanness in his voice.
She gasped and sought his mouth with a ravenous kiss.
She liked him not so nice after all.'
Lara might like it, but I don't.
She gets to see him flirt with other women, and all he gets is a scene with her ex-brother-in-law kissing her. Gross btw to have your brother-in-law hit on you. I liked it when Foley kissed her, cause Johnny deserves to get jealous after all Lara hears about his past.
Everyone is a little too screwed up in here. Lara's sister, and her multiple marriages and boyfriends. Johnny's dad and his women problems.
'"Such a tease," she breathed and arched toward him. Her hand wound between them, and she gripped his erection.
He sucked in a breath, then pushed her hand aside. "Thought I told you to hold on to my belt loops."
She complied, though with a grumble.'
This controlling behavior is not okay to me.
'He wished like hell he didn't have to use a condom, but he didn't want to freak her out. She trusted him. Besides, protected, they could go at it all night long without any worries. Like hell he'd ruin that.' So he doesn't even use condoms with all those women?
Idl when the heroes have sex with the heroine while she's asleep. Then he didn't use a condom, when he knows how she feels about that. He said he was half-dreaming, and she's grinding against him and grabs his cock and he lost it, basically blaming her.
'So, that had been real then. She blushed. Partly her fault, and except for almost having unprotected sex...'
That was not your fault. She asks if she has anything to worry about and he says he's not careless, not usually at least. He always uses a rubber. But earlier the impression I got was that he never used a condom.
She asked even when his girlfriends sleep over and he says they don't. He sleeps at their place or they go separate ways. She asks of she's using a virgin bed and he says not exactly. There goes that hope she was the only one to be in his bed.
'"We did the horizontal mambo without protection, and I don't know your sexual history. Well, except that you're a horndog."
"Now, baby, that's not exactly true."
She saw the grin he didn't hide. "Oh?"
"Sure, there've been women over the years. Not as many as you'd think, especially not recently."'
He said he's a stickler about keeping it clean, after a problem as a HS, it scared him straight.
She's the 'first woman I went into without protection."
"So your past blow jobs were with condoms too?"
He frowned. "Seriously? Hell no. I mean..."
"Exactly."
"Oh, come on. I'm done with one-night stands, have been for years." At her look, he amended, "Okay, months, but still. I'm different than I used to be. When I'm with a girl, I know if she's clean or not before I...before we...This is really awkward."
Who thinks this is funny? This is serious crap here. It's nothing to joke, or lie, about. And Johnny is portrayed as a manwhore, who has one night stands left and right, so how could you possibly have time to make sure a woman is clean? Seriously, this does not add up.
She asks if he's trying to go steady with her:
"I don't know if I'd call it steady, but I'm a one-woman guy. I don't do more than one woman at a time. I mean, there was that one night in Houston a while back, but..." He smirked at her.
"Shut up." Knowing Johnny, he might not be lying about more than one woman in his bed. "I get that you're selective. You have a lot of sex, but only with one woman at one time, and according to you, it's safe sex."
"I don't know I'd say I have a LOT of sex, but--"
Still not funny. He's said to be selective about the women he's with yet that has not been portrayed to us since the beginning. He's Mr. Player. This isn't adding up with his past at all.
Despite knowing her stance on condoms he slips into her again and only gets a condom when she makes him stop.
"I'll get tired of you, the guy who has women throwing their panties at him."
"That is such crap. It happened just that one time at a concert."
"I was kidding." She stared up at him. "A woman really threw her panties at you?"
"Ah, so Foley never said anything about this?"
"No." But she planned on cornering the big guy for answers.'
Why would you wanna know more about that?
He sounded like a desperate teenager. Very unattractive: "but can we agree that if we both check out I can fuck you bareback? Please?" He sounded so hopeful.
"Well, I'll think about it."
"That's a yes."'
He's even good with her young nieces. 'Her nieces loved Johnny--Mr. Pink Unicorn Guy, or as Kay called him, Pretty Johnny--and flirted with him unmercifully while the four of them watched the two-dollar movie.' Um sorry, you're saying your 4 and 6 year old niece or 6 and 8, whatever their ages are, actually flirted with Johnny?
"So I guess coming back to my place after work is out? What if I promise not to molest you while you sleep?" Making light of the fact that he basically did that is not funny.
I liked that he knew it had been four years and seven months since he first met her.
'"I do owe you for pizza the other night, when I forgot to cancel on you."
"That's true. You do owe me."
"So, do you want to come over, or what?"
"You have to ask me nicely. Remember, women everywhere want me. You're the lucky one at this moment. Make it last."'
I'm not amused by this.
It was sweet how he handed her a hair bow and said he didn't want the guys at the bar seeing her with her hair down.
One of Johnny's descriptions of his boss:
'She smiled, and he knew what McCauley saw in her. Despite her mean, sexy vibe-and God knew his boss had a rack that didn't quit--under the hard outer shell, Del had a heart as big as the moon.'
His tattoos are supposed to be a muscle car, snakes, tribal, and hearts, yet excluding the car the model doesn't have those tattoos.
-"I don't have kids."
"That you know of. Sorry, had to say it." She chuckled at his dark look.'
Not even funny.
He slaps her down there, even though it was a light slap, it was a turnoff.
'Knowing he'd honed his skills on other women bothered her in some ways, but overjoyed her in too many others to count.'
Her sister was too annoying and screwed up. I didn't care about her, if she got help or what. I find it hard to believe there are really people like that out there.
The comment about Johnny playing with the girls was gross. Don't even go there about the guy you're seeing possibly being into little girls just because he was good with them.
Kay, what 6 or 8 years old, knows Johnny's really into Lara.
Kristin suddenly wanting to get her life together after being a colossal screwup for years was pretty sudden.
Although it's cute that he blushes, it made no sense that a guy with Johnny's past and reputation would be blushing all the time.
A topless stripper hugs him while Lara is there. They're all annoyingly protective of him when they talk to Lara.
It was sweet when he said she can't quit Ray's because she's the only reason he goes there.
I was annoyed that Lara got drunk, threw up and ruined the Halloween party. Then said he wouldn't man up and admit his feelings, calling him a pussy who can't open up, that's why he doesn't have a gf, calling him a douche when he said he loved you first. What was she even saying? She hadn't even expressed those things to us. And they both agreed to just have a fling, and didn't want anything more.
Although it was really refreshing how Johnny overheard girls talking about him not being good enough for Lara, and how she should just Peter. Usually it's the woman hearing this.
It was sweet how he was tearing up at work, thinking she was about to dump him.
I was laughing when I found out Del and Foley lied about Lara crying over him. And their plan to make Johnny jealous with Lou.
I was so irritated at stupid Ron showing up, right when Lou was supposed to come to make Johnny jealous.
Lou is there the next day with flowers and a black eye, after Johnny punched him for trying to make him jealous. He said he'd believe her and Foley having a thing, but not her and Lou. I wanted them to use Foley too!
I wanted them to talk more, about what she wanted, like kids and a house in Upper Queen Anne, that he was acting all weird about. It turns out he was probably feeling jealous about it.
I didn't like the way the ending was handled, with Ron showing up and ruining the plot to make Johnny jealous which I really wanted to see. I didn't like that there wasn't an epilogue, & the last chapter was in Foley's POV. I get wanting to set up the next book, but don't take away from these MCs. I wanted Foley with Sue, but he's getting with someone else. So I'm not interested in reading that.
Not my kind of book, a little too dirty, tasteless, and classless all around. But I'm glad to read something to get me over a slump. Without the humor and sweet things Johnny would say and do this didn't have much going for it. I did like that Johnny was deeper than he seemed, like how he liked reading.
They didn't even talk about Johnny liking her all those years and remembering the day they met. Or that she liked him back. That was a big miss. Although for guys who've served time, it was barely mentioned what Johnny did.
After I bought this, and got a good look at the cover, the tattoos and placement of said tattoos looked ridiculous.
Our hero Johnny starts out commenting on his sexy boss,& then how he's attracted to this waitress his friend dated.
I didn't like that Johnny was a 'player and proud of it.'
'Johnny could have written a book on how to please women, a critical connoisseur by age sixteen.'
He's attracted to Lara, just asked her out. Then has an erection later and plans 'to save playtime for later that night. If he didn't have a date by then, he'd take care of himself with memories of Lara in running shorts.'
Cara, an old hookup sees him at the grocery store and offers him a hookup that night. He remembers her doing anything for him, enjoying her company and making sure she enjoyed his, & also her lips on his cock. He wonders if Lara has plans and what she'd think of him and Cara going at it, or if she'd care. Why. Do. Authors. Write. This. Shit.
I knew early on these characters weren't my kind of people. His dad owns a strip club and dates strippers. All the men were players.
This was one of those exasperating cases where every single guy is good looking at the garage, and all the women are gorgeous with curvy bodies. Johnny was literally attracted to every single woman in the book, no matter if it was Lara's friends or her sister. Lara also found all the guys at the shop attractive. In this group of people at the body shop and the bar, everyone was attracted to everyone else. It's not realistic nor is it appreciated. Just because you're attracted to someone, doesn't mean all your friends will be, and vice versa.
'He loved Del's cousin. She was always a bright spot with a ready smile, dimples, and a gorgeous face and body to match. If she wasn't related to Del, he might have taken a turn with her. But he knew better than to screw with the boss's family. Literally or otherwise.'
Him and Lara's friend Rena are flirting, the friend who just advised her to date Johnny. What kind of friend does that? What kind of guy flirts with your friend?
He knew her apartment complex because he'd had a one night stand there a few years ago. Nice, man. This is really freaking nice.
'Trust me when I say the glamour of naked breasts lost its luster years ago. Strippers are just hard-working women who happen to take their clothes off for a living. Pretty, sure. But a naked woman is just a baked woman.'
All the guys talk about their pasts, their conquests.
Despite being with Sue from the bar, Foley is watching a stripper do a show with a banana, reminiscing about his HS gf with a kickin body and a woman who's car he fixed who 'could suck the paint off a fender, she was that good.'
This is Johnny's description of Lara's sister, the gorgeous blond:
'Even in a well-used waitress uniform of dull mustard and muddied white, Kristin had a mesmerizing beauty no exhaustion could hide. It was easy to see how Lara's sister had accumulated so many male friends in what had to be no more than thirty years. Kristin could have starred in her own showcase at Strutts. She had large breasts, a tight, round ass, and long legs. She stood an inch or two shorter than Lara, but whereas Lara had an athletic figure and all the right curves, Kristin put a man in mind of nothing but sex. She was all handfuls and a wavy blond mane. Normally his type. But looking at her, he only appreciated her physical beauty.'
Really? That long ass description of her sister and you only appreciate her physical beauty?
Lara went down on him and thinks afterward that he didn't use a condom. She insists on safe sex with her partners, wants to believe he'd been safe but thought of her pathology classes, and blowing him when other women might have done it too with less than clean mouths. This is romance books right here, folks. This is manwhores for you. This is what you have to worry about with manwhores. What's romantic about that?
The next worst thing to a virgin/manwhore pairing is a heroine-haven't-dated-in-a-long-time/manwhore pairing while she watches him flirt with other women and hears stories about him. She hadn't had sex with anyone in a year before she met Johnny. She's too busy to date. So I guess all nursing students can't have personal lives...And it turned out her screwed up family actually didn't need her. It was all her volunteering to help.
Johnny got extra points for mentioning a Hobbit second breakfast and not wanting to geek out on her.
'"No silk sheets?" She teased.
He didn't smile back.
She nibbled the candy and drank again, feeling his stare to her toes.
"Nah," he said slowly, still fixated on her. "You slide too much on silk. And I like to plant myself firmly at the start."'
'"I already told you I'm in charge. I'll fuck you when I'm good and ready. How about that?" He threw a bite of meanness in his voice.
She gasped and sought his mouth with a ravenous kiss.
She liked him not so nice after all.'
Lara might like it, but I don't.
She gets to see him flirt with other women, and all he gets is a scene with her ex-brother-in-law kissing her. Gross btw to have your brother-in-law hit on you. I liked it when Foley kissed her, cause Johnny deserves to get jealous after all Lara hears about his past.
Everyone is a little too screwed up in here. Lara's sister, and her multiple marriages and boyfriends. Johnny's dad and his women problems.
'"Such a tease," she breathed and arched toward him. Her hand wound between them, and she gripped his erection.
He sucked in a breath, then pushed her hand aside. "Thought I told you to hold on to my belt loops."
She complied, though with a grumble.'
This controlling behavior is not okay to me.
'He wished like hell he didn't have to use a condom, but he didn't want to freak her out. She trusted him. Besides, protected, they could go at it all night long without any worries. Like hell he'd ruin that.' So he doesn't even use condoms with all those women?
Idl when the heroes have sex with the heroine while she's asleep. Then he didn't use a condom, when he knows how she feels about that. He said he was half-dreaming, and she's grinding against him and grabs his cock and he lost it, basically blaming her.
'So, that had been real then. She blushed. Partly her fault, and except for almost having unprotected sex...'
That was not your fault. She asks if she has anything to worry about and he says he's not careless, not usually at least. He always uses a rubber. But earlier the impression I got was that he never used a condom.
She asked even when his girlfriends sleep over and he says they don't. He sleeps at their place or they go separate ways. She asks of she's using a virgin bed and he says not exactly. There goes that hope she was the only one to be in his bed.
'"We did the horizontal mambo without protection, and I don't know your sexual history. Well, except that you're a horndog."
"Now, baby, that's not exactly true."
She saw the grin he didn't hide. "Oh?"
"Sure, there've been women over the years. Not as many as you'd think, especially not recently."'
He said he's a stickler about keeping it clean, after a problem as a HS, it scared him straight.
She's the 'first woman I went into without protection."
"So your past blow jobs were with condoms too?"
He frowned. "Seriously? Hell no. I mean..."
"Exactly."
"Oh, come on. I'm done with one-night stands, have been for years." At her look, he amended, "Okay, months, but still. I'm different than I used to be. When I'm with a girl, I know if she's clean or not before I...before we...This is really awkward."
Who thinks this is funny? This is serious crap here. It's nothing to joke, or lie, about. And Johnny is portrayed as a manwhore, who has one night stands left and right, so how could you possibly have time to make sure a woman is clean? Seriously, this does not add up.
She asks if he's trying to go steady with her:
"I don't know if I'd call it steady, but I'm a one-woman guy. I don't do more than one woman at a time. I mean, there was that one night in Houston a while back, but..." He smirked at her.
"Shut up." Knowing Johnny, he might not be lying about more than one woman in his bed. "I get that you're selective. You have a lot of sex, but only with one woman at one time, and according to you, it's safe sex."
"I don't know I'd say I have a LOT of sex, but--"
Still not funny. He's said to be selective about the women he's with yet that has not been portrayed to us since the beginning. He's Mr. Player. This isn't adding up with his past at all.
Despite knowing her stance on condoms he slips into her again and only gets a condom when she makes him stop.
"I'll get tired of you, the guy who has women throwing their panties at him."
"That is such crap. It happened just that one time at a concert."
"I was kidding." She stared up at him. "A woman really threw her panties at you?"
"Ah, so Foley never said anything about this?"
"No." But she planned on cornering the big guy for answers.'
Why would you wanna know more about that?
He sounded like a desperate teenager. Very unattractive: "but can we agree that if we both check out I can fuck you bareback? Please?" He sounded so hopeful.
"Well, I'll think about it."
"That's a yes."'
He's even good with her young nieces. 'Her nieces loved Johnny--Mr. Pink Unicorn Guy, or as Kay called him, Pretty Johnny--and flirted with him unmercifully while the four of them watched the two-dollar movie.' Um sorry, you're saying your 4 and 6 year old niece or 6 and 8, whatever their ages are, actually flirted with Johnny?
"So I guess coming back to my place after work is out? What if I promise not to molest you while you sleep?" Making light of the fact that he basically did that is not funny.
I liked that he knew it had been four years and seven months since he first met her.
'"I do owe you for pizza the other night, when I forgot to cancel on you."
"That's true. You do owe me."
"So, do you want to come over, or what?"
"You have to ask me nicely. Remember, women everywhere want me. You're the lucky one at this moment. Make it last."'
I'm not amused by this.
It was sweet how he handed her a hair bow and said he didn't want the guys at the bar seeing her with her hair down.
One of Johnny's descriptions of his boss:
'She smiled, and he knew what McCauley saw in her. Despite her mean, sexy vibe-and God knew his boss had a rack that didn't quit--under the hard outer shell, Del had a heart as big as the moon.'
His tattoos are supposed to be a muscle car, snakes, tribal, and hearts, yet excluding the car the model doesn't have those tattoos.
-"I don't have kids."
"That you know of. Sorry, had to say it." She chuckled at his dark look.'
Not even funny.
He slaps her down there, even though it was a light slap, it was a turnoff.
'Knowing he'd honed his skills on other women bothered her in some ways, but overjoyed her in too many others to count.'
Her sister was too annoying and screwed up. I didn't care about her, if she got help or what. I find it hard to believe there are really people like that out there.
The comment about Johnny playing with the girls was gross. Don't even go there about the guy you're seeing possibly being into little girls just because he was good with them.
Kay, what 6 or 8 years old, knows Johnny's really into Lara.
Kristin suddenly wanting to get her life together after being a colossal screwup for years was pretty sudden.
Although it's cute that he blushes, it made no sense that a guy with Johnny's past and reputation would be blushing all the time.
A topless stripper hugs him while Lara is there. They're all annoyingly protective of him when they talk to Lara.
It was sweet when he said she can't quit Ray's because she's the only reason he goes there.
I was annoyed that Lara got drunk, threw up and ruined the Halloween party. Then said he wouldn't man up and admit his feelings, calling him a pussy who can't open up, that's why he doesn't have a gf, calling him a douche when he said he loved you first. What was she even saying? She hadn't even expressed those things to us. And they both agreed to just have a fling, and didn't want anything more.
Although it was really refreshing how Johnny overheard girls talking about him not being good enough for Lara, and how she should just Peter. Usually it's the woman hearing this.
It was sweet how he was tearing up at work, thinking she was about to dump him.
I was laughing when I found out Del and Foley lied about Lara crying over him. And their plan to make Johnny jealous with Lou.
I was so irritated at stupid Ron showing up, right when Lou was supposed to come to make Johnny jealous.
Lou is there the next day with flowers and a black eye, after Johnny punched him for trying to make him jealous. He said he'd believe her and Foley having a thing, but not her and Lou. I wanted them to use Foley too!
I wanted them to talk more, about what she wanted, like kids and a house in Upper Queen Anne, that he was acting all weird about. It turns out he was probably feeling jealous about it.
I didn't like the way the ending was handled, with Ron showing up and ruining the plot to make Johnny jealous which I really wanted to see. I didn't like that there wasn't an epilogue, & the last chapter was in Foley's POV. I get wanting to set up the next book, but don't take away from these MCs. I wanted Foley with Sue, but he's getting with someone else. So I'm not interested in reading that.
Not my kind of book, a little too dirty, tasteless, and classless all around. But I'm glad to read something to get me over a slump. Without the humor and sweet things Johnny would say and do this didn't have much going for it. I did like that Johnny was deeper than he seemed, like how he liked reading.
They didn't even talk about Johnny liking her all those years and remembering the day they met. Or that she liked him back. That was a big miss. Although for guys who've served time, it was barely mentioned what Johnny did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2016
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2016/06/review-...
Favorite Quote: “I’m such a skank. An incredible, awesome skank. I rock!!”
Johnny Devlin is known charmer with his devil-may-care attitude and smoldering good looks. A mechanic at Webster’s Garage, he has been chatting up a local bartender, Lara Valley, for years, but she hasn’t the time for him or his checkered reputation. When she is attacked at work, Johnny jumps in and saves her, earning a date in the process. What starts out as a no strings good time becomes much more in Johnny’s eyes and his heart. But unless he can convince Lara that he’s ready to stop his wandering ways, this test drive will end with no buyers.
I was so excited to hear Harte was writing a spin-off of her McCauley brothers series; focusing on the four mechanics from Webster’s Garage. Gorgeous, sexy, exasperating heartbreakers-everyone of them. Each book will focus on each one of these commitment phobic men and the one woman who gets their motors revving. Even though there is some character crossover between the two series, you do not have to read one to understand the other.
Test Drive is a humorous, playful, sensual, deceptive small town romance that starts out with a casual air of a lightweight contemporary only to deepen into a weighty story of love and growth as Harte digs deep into the lives and insecurities of our hero and heroine. As the first in a series, Harte takes her time setting up the world and introducing us to the inhabitants we will be encountering throughout. Witty dialogue, endearing complex characters, and a well-developed storyline keeps you entertained till the very end. Though not as erotically charged as Harte’s McCauley Brothers series, Harte keeps the heat factor turned up to high.
Heavily character driven, this installment is firmly built around our protagonists Johnny Devlin and Lara Valley. Johnny is one of the mechanics at Webster’s Garage. A well-known player, Johnny has dated most of the town’s women and never had the urge to settle down. Charming, witty, and gorgeous, his smooth moves hide a vulnerable heart of gold. Johnny’s childhood was a constant revolving door of women coming and going. He learned early in life that no one ever stays so he keeps his heart intact by leaving first.
“Johnny had plenty of women who wanted a ride on the Devlin motorway.”
Lara comes from a lower middle class family whose lives have been spent living from paycheck to paycheck. Her older sister is twice divorced and working on her third. Lara is determined she won’t end up like her family and is currently studying to become a nurse while working as a bartender. Security is very important to her. Smart, funny, loyal, and extremely strong willed, Lara has her path firmly plotted and isn’t looking for anything or anyone to make her deviate her from it.
I liked Johnny and Lara-both as individuals and as a couple. I found their dance to romance entertaining, especially the part that Johnny has been asking Lara out every week for 4 and ½ years. When Lara finally says yes, Johnny feels like he has won the lottery and this foreshadows Johnny’s unconscious intentions to treat Lara differently. He plans dates-looking forward to the next one before the current one is even over. He falls head over heels and is so adorably confused over it.
“You have baggage. I get it. Hell, we all get it. Don’t even get me started on Sam. But if Liam and Del can get over their shite, what makes you so special you can’t get past yours?”
Lara too falls hard, wrestling with the small voice in her head that wonders how serious he is. It takes a lot of trust on both sides to for them to open up fully.
Wonderful witty dialogue reveals their attraction and opens the doorway for a deeper understanding of each other. Johnny has a well developed ego that would usually irritate but actually comes across as boyishly disarming. As you learn more about his background, you see it is a coping mechanism for his feelings of abandonment. Lara gives as good as she gets. She has a bite to her humor that is amusing.
“How about we keep this low-key, so when you move on to the next bimbo who can’t say not o you, it’s not such a jarring transition.” For me.
“Now Lara, you’re the only bimbo that matters.”
Harte does a wonderful job of facilitating the romance amongst the backdrop of their personal issues. The humor flows through effortlessly; helping to keep the story on track and provide entertainment. Legitimate concerns are addressed and nothing is skimmed over or rushed to make the story more aesthetically pleasing. It’s an emotional journey for them both of them. Nothing is perfect and we aren’t sure till the very end if either will be able to accept the gift they’ve been given. Their high octane chemistry is fueled by with some deliciously erotic play and plenty of dirty talk. Both Johnny and Lara have quite the naughty mouths and minds and aren’t afraid to make their sexual desires known. I love when a couple has fun together in and out of bed and this couple has that in spades.
Her fantasy-Johnny’s head between her legs, in a garage, on top of a red car.
The cast of secondary characters are just as fun as the protagonists. Such energetic individuals whose personalities and narrative all add to the overall dynamics of this story. We met some news faces and see a few old ones who help to bridge the two series. I loved seeing more of the body shop boys and of course Del and her father Liam. I look forward to reading their stories. They are a gregarious, happy, nosy bunch whose affection for one another beams off the pages. A quick ending wraps up mostly everything up and leaves us secure in Johnny and Lara’s relationship. Fans of sexy, sun, small town romance contemporaries with a strong sense of family are sure to love Harte’s latest venture. I am looking forward to book two-C
Grade: B
Favorite Quote: “I’m such a skank. An incredible, awesome skank. I rock!!”
Johnny Devlin is known charmer with his devil-may-care attitude and smoldering good looks. A mechanic at Webster’s Garage, he has been chatting up a local bartender, Lara Valley, for years, but she hasn’t the time for him or his checkered reputation. When she is attacked at work, Johnny jumps in and saves her, earning a date in the process. What starts out as a no strings good time becomes much more in Johnny’s eyes and his heart. But unless he can convince Lara that he’s ready to stop his wandering ways, this test drive will end with no buyers.
I was so excited to hear Harte was writing a spin-off of her McCauley brothers series; focusing on the four mechanics from Webster’s Garage. Gorgeous, sexy, exasperating heartbreakers-everyone of them. Each book will focus on each one of these commitment phobic men and the one woman who gets their motors revving. Even though there is some character crossover between the two series, you do not have to read one to understand the other.
Test Drive is a humorous, playful, sensual, deceptive small town romance that starts out with a casual air of a lightweight contemporary only to deepen into a weighty story of love and growth as Harte digs deep into the lives and insecurities of our hero and heroine. As the first in a series, Harte takes her time setting up the world and introducing us to the inhabitants we will be encountering throughout. Witty dialogue, endearing complex characters, and a well-developed storyline keeps you entertained till the very end. Though not as erotically charged as Harte’s McCauley Brothers series, Harte keeps the heat factor turned up to high.
Heavily character driven, this installment is firmly built around our protagonists Johnny Devlin and Lara Valley. Johnny is one of the mechanics at Webster’s Garage. A well-known player, Johnny has dated most of the town’s women and never had the urge to settle down. Charming, witty, and gorgeous, his smooth moves hide a vulnerable heart of gold. Johnny’s childhood was a constant revolving door of women coming and going. He learned early in life that no one ever stays so he keeps his heart intact by leaving first.
“Johnny had plenty of women who wanted a ride on the Devlin motorway.”
Lara comes from a lower middle class family whose lives have been spent living from paycheck to paycheck. Her older sister is twice divorced and working on her third. Lara is determined she won’t end up like her family and is currently studying to become a nurse while working as a bartender. Security is very important to her. Smart, funny, loyal, and extremely strong willed, Lara has her path firmly plotted and isn’t looking for anything or anyone to make her deviate her from it.
I liked Johnny and Lara-both as individuals and as a couple. I found their dance to romance entertaining, especially the part that Johnny has been asking Lara out every week for 4 and ½ years. When Lara finally says yes, Johnny feels like he has won the lottery and this foreshadows Johnny’s unconscious intentions to treat Lara differently. He plans dates-looking forward to the next one before the current one is even over. He falls head over heels and is so adorably confused over it.
“You have baggage. I get it. Hell, we all get it. Don’t even get me started on Sam. But if Liam and Del can get over their shite, what makes you so special you can’t get past yours?”
Lara too falls hard, wrestling with the small voice in her head that wonders how serious he is. It takes a lot of trust on both sides to for them to open up fully.
Wonderful witty dialogue reveals their attraction and opens the doorway for a deeper understanding of each other. Johnny has a well developed ego that would usually irritate but actually comes across as boyishly disarming. As you learn more about his background, you see it is a coping mechanism for his feelings of abandonment. Lara gives as good as she gets. She has a bite to her humor that is amusing.
“How about we keep this low-key, so when you move on to the next bimbo who can’t say not o you, it’s not such a jarring transition.” For me.
“Now Lara, you’re the only bimbo that matters.”
Harte does a wonderful job of facilitating the romance amongst the backdrop of their personal issues. The humor flows through effortlessly; helping to keep the story on track and provide entertainment. Legitimate concerns are addressed and nothing is skimmed over or rushed to make the story more aesthetically pleasing. It’s an emotional journey for them both of them. Nothing is perfect and we aren’t sure till the very end if either will be able to accept the gift they’ve been given. Their high octane chemistry is fueled by with some deliciously erotic play and plenty of dirty talk. Both Johnny and Lara have quite the naughty mouths and minds and aren’t afraid to make their sexual desires known. I love when a couple has fun together in and out of bed and this couple has that in spades.
Her fantasy-Johnny’s head between her legs, in a garage, on top of a red car.
The cast of secondary characters are just as fun as the protagonists. Such energetic individuals whose personalities and narrative all add to the overall dynamics of this story. We met some news faces and see a few old ones who help to bridge the two series. I loved seeing more of the body shop boys and of course Del and her father Liam. I look forward to reading their stories. They are a gregarious, happy, nosy bunch whose affection for one another beams off the pages. A quick ending wraps up mostly everything up and leaves us secure in Johnny and Lara’s relationship. Fans of sexy, sun, small town romance contemporaries with a strong sense of family are sure to love Harte’s latest venture. I am looking forward to book two-C
Grade: B
November 4, 2016
I'm going to go mental on y'all again. Yes, I will review this book but a life lesson is order first.
I'm old. So I can preach to you that there are two schools of thought when it comes to finding the perfect person to hook your life to. The first one is that you're lucky enough to meet and completely mesh with your soul mate early in life and make awesome little babies that leave the nest in time for you and your loved one to be mobile throughout all of your retirement and thoroughly enjoy those grandbabies coming your way. The second school of thought, and this ended up being MY PATH, is that you have to try on a TON of guys (not literally folks, I'm not that kind of girl) before you find one that will put up with your crap and that you can put up with their crap.... for as long as you both shall live. And if you're REALLY lucky, like I am, he'll be able to retire at 57 and you will be mobile through retirement.
My point to all this... I had to test drive a lot of guys to find my perfect fit. And isn't that typically what dating is, a test drive to see if you want to buy the make and model? Do you see where I'm going with this?
Let me explain further...
Test Drive, the first book in Marie Harte's Body Shop Bad Boys series is THE classic story of two people dating and all the jitters, butterflies, wondering, and miscommunication that comes along with it. Will he call? Will he wait 3 days? Is he thinking about me? It's all there! And I loved living it right there with Johnny and Lara.
Now, let me warn you. I read the eARC. I'm not sure if the finished copy suffered this fate but being the first book in the series, there was a huge info dump in the beginning of the book. It made the first few chapters looong and drawn out. Ms. Harte, of course, was establishing her world and characters. It was just a lot to take in at first. And I wanted the story..... NOW!
But once I got the hang of skimming the world building fluff (is that bad? Hmmm... maybe?) I found that I completely related to this story but loved that slant the two characters gave to it.
You have one character with very little self worth due to feeling un-loved because most parental figures in their life left them. Then you have another character so busy with their life, or so they think, they don't see the forest for the trees. When they do, what will they do? Take a chance on love and possibly get hurt? Or will they slap and hit some sense into the other person because the other person is being stupid??? Oh what fun it was to watch these two fight it out to make their relationship work and get over themselves.
I liked both Lara and Johnny as the lead love interests. Lara for her no-nonsense attitude. Johnny for his "mother-hen" tendencies tossed in with a dirty sense of humor. How does he pull that off? Ms. Harte did it very well, thank you.
This was my first book by Ms. Harte. I almost think I enjoyed the teaser to the next book in the series, Roadside Assistance, that was written into the end of this book more than THIS book. And that's saying a lot. But the trope for the next book is a personal fave of mine. Its what had me picking up this first book. Now, time to go through the couches and see if that hubs of mine dropped any coins so I can buy book two.... :)
Review appears on
June 7, 2016
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4.5 stars
I somehow missed the news that Marie Harte's new series, Body Shop Bad Boys, is a spin-off of her McCauley Brothers series but that just made it all the better for me. Having seen bits and pieces of these characters in the other series, it was so easy to slip into this series and fall in love with this rough and tumble group of misfits that all work for Webster's Garage. I love that these are blue collar men to the core, that most have done some time, that they are a bit rude, crude and socially unacceptable but underneath it all they have good hearts. Colorful characters, hilarious and insightful dialog, and a love story years in the making made Test Drive another fantastic offering from this author and a great start to a new series.
I loved that Johnny, who has enjoyed his bad boy playboy status, has decided he wants more and he wants it with a woman he feels is too good for him but he can't seem to shake the feeling he's had since he met her; that she is special and the one that makes him want to be a better man. On the outside Johnny looks like your typical hard working mechanic, but there is so much more to him and I loved watching each and every part of him being exposed as he dove head first into a relationship. I loved that he was so multi-dimensional and that he worked to better himself, but didn't lose sight of who he was, what he enjoyed and what he wanted for his future. There was no doubt that Johnny had some issues stemming from losing his Mom at a young age and then the bevy of women that floated in an out of his life courtesy of his father, but he proved time and time again he's a good man.
At first I had a hard time trying to figure Lara out, I liked her and the fact that she wasn't afraid of hard work to achieve her dreams, but at times she seemed a bit judgmental and that bothered me. One thing was for certain, she was not immune to Johnny's charms despite her best efforts. I loved that while it took her years before she went out with Johnny that once she did she began to see the real him and she appreciated everything about him. I will say that her stubbornness and her insistence of doing everything for herself drove me a bit nuts at times, but she was a good person and I liked that she made an effort to understand Johnny and his friends better.
What started out as two people hanging out and having some fun escalated quickly into more despite both of them insisting it was casual. Their chemistry was off the charts and as always Ms. Harte delivered intimate scenes hot enough to jump start anyone's motor. However, even early on Johnny and Lara had this special connection which I think stemmed from them knowing each other for so long and being very comfortable about each other; they didn't play any games, they communicated pretty well and had no trouble enjoying each other's company even outside of the bedroom.
While I loved the time Johnny and Tara spent together getting to know one another some of my favorite scenes in this book were the ones they spent with Tara's family, especially her nieces and with Johnny's friends and co-workers. These scenes gave us a lot of insight into how they fit in each other's lives.
I can't say enough great things about Test Drive; I loved the interactions, the witty dialog, the emotions, the characters and most of all these two very different people who together complete each other.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
4.5 stars
I somehow missed the news that Marie Harte's new series, Body Shop Bad Boys, is a spin-off of her McCauley Brothers series but that just made it all the better for me. Having seen bits and pieces of these characters in the other series, it was so easy to slip into this series and fall in love with this rough and tumble group of misfits that all work for Webster's Garage. I love that these are blue collar men to the core, that most have done some time, that they are a bit rude, crude and socially unacceptable but underneath it all they have good hearts. Colorful characters, hilarious and insightful dialog, and a love story years in the making made Test Drive another fantastic offering from this author and a great start to a new series.
I loved that Johnny, who has enjoyed his bad boy playboy status, has decided he wants more and he wants it with a woman he feels is too good for him but he can't seem to shake the feeling he's had since he met her; that she is special and the one that makes him want to be a better man. On the outside Johnny looks like your typical hard working mechanic, but there is so much more to him and I loved watching each and every part of him being exposed as he dove head first into a relationship. I loved that he was so multi-dimensional and that he worked to better himself, but didn't lose sight of who he was, what he enjoyed and what he wanted for his future. There was no doubt that Johnny had some issues stemming from losing his Mom at a young age and then the bevy of women that floated in an out of his life courtesy of his father, but he proved time and time again he's a good man.
At first I had a hard time trying to figure Lara out, I liked her and the fact that she wasn't afraid of hard work to achieve her dreams, but at times she seemed a bit judgmental and that bothered me. One thing was for certain, she was not immune to Johnny's charms despite her best efforts. I loved that while it took her years before she went out with Johnny that once she did she began to see the real him and she appreciated everything about him. I will say that her stubbornness and her insistence of doing everything for herself drove me a bit nuts at times, but she was a good person and I liked that she made an effort to understand Johnny and his friends better.
What started out as two people hanging out and having some fun escalated quickly into more despite both of them insisting it was casual. Their chemistry was off the charts and as always Ms. Harte delivered intimate scenes hot enough to jump start anyone's motor. However, even early on Johnny and Lara had this special connection which I think stemmed from them knowing each other for so long and being very comfortable about each other; they didn't play any games, they communicated pretty well and had no trouble enjoying each other's company even outside of the bedroom.
While I loved the time Johnny and Tara spent together getting to know one another some of my favorite scenes in this book were the ones they spent with Tara's family, especially her nieces and with Johnny's friends and co-workers. These scenes gave us a lot of insight into how they fit in each other's lives.
I can't say enough great things about Test Drive; I loved the interactions, the witty dialog, the emotions, the characters and most of all these two very different people who together complete each other.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
June 7, 2016
TEST DRIVE is an absolutely fun start to this new series and I'm looking forward to the rest of it. The humor is exactly what I enjoy reading and I had a really good time with it.
Johnny Devlin is a ladies' man through and through, with the reputation to support that claim and charming as he is, very few women resist him. Actually only one woman seems immune to his charm - bartender Lara Valley. Lara isn't like the typical woman Johnny gets with. She is focused on school as a ticket out of a life of struggle and isn't interested in any distraction, especially the kind that Johnny is offering and her interest in him is something she'll be keeping to herself.
But Johnny just had to go ruin her perception of him when he stepped in to rescue her from being assaulted and showed that there was more to him than just a walking hard-on.
Johnny grew up with a revolving door of women coming and going from his father's life and has never had a good example of what a stable relationship between a man and woman looks like and when added to his abandonment issues, it's easier for him to enjoy women and send them on their way than take a chance on getting dumped. Until Lara has him thinking about stepping into uncharted waters. But can a man with his issues believe that a woman like Lara would want him forever when all he can offer her is a sordid past and a present as a mechanic, when there were better options out there?
Johnny was quite an interesting character underneath all the grease and I enjoyed as those layers were unwrapped and the real Johnny came out. Sweet, thoughtful and generous are some words that describe him and I enjoyed watching him and Lara deal with their issues and find their happiness. I liked Lara because in spite of her initial reservations, she put herself out there with Johnny, but was strong enough to keep going when things went south.
While this series is a spin-off of the McCauley Brothers, it's a quite different and there is no need to read that series before this, but if you enjoyed the dialogue and characters here, you might want to check it out.
TEST DRIVE is a perfect blend of humor and romance and while Johnny and Lara were interesting, the trio of Johnny, Foley and Sam stole the show. Their interactions were always hilarious and I found myself reading them over and over just so I could laugh. I know that part of the reason I'm looking forward to the rest of the series is so I can enjoy more of the three of them and their antics.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Johnny Devlin is a ladies' man through and through, with the reputation to support that claim and charming as he is, very few women resist him. Actually only one woman seems immune to his charm - bartender Lara Valley. Lara isn't like the typical woman Johnny gets with. She is focused on school as a ticket out of a life of struggle and isn't interested in any distraction, especially the kind that Johnny is offering and her interest in him is something she'll be keeping to herself.
But Johnny just had to go ruin her perception of him when he stepped in to rescue her from being assaulted and showed that there was more to him than just a walking hard-on.
Johnny grew up with a revolving door of women coming and going from his father's life and has never had a good example of what a stable relationship between a man and woman looks like and when added to his abandonment issues, it's easier for him to enjoy women and send them on their way than take a chance on getting dumped. Until Lara has him thinking about stepping into uncharted waters. But can a man with his issues believe that a woman like Lara would want him forever when all he can offer her is a sordid past and a present as a mechanic, when there were better options out there?
Johnny was quite an interesting character underneath all the grease and I enjoyed as those layers were unwrapped and the real Johnny came out. Sweet, thoughtful and generous are some words that describe him and I enjoyed watching him and Lara deal with their issues and find their happiness. I liked Lara because in spite of her initial reservations, she put herself out there with Johnny, but was strong enough to keep going when things went south.
While this series is a spin-off of the McCauley Brothers, it's a quite different and there is no need to read that series before this, but if you enjoyed the dialogue and characters here, you might want to check it out.
TEST DRIVE is a perfect blend of humor and romance and while Johnny and Lara were interesting, the trio of Johnny, Foley and Sam stole the show. Their interactions were always hilarious and I found myself reading them over and over just so I could laugh. I know that part of the reason I'm looking forward to the rest of the series is so I can enjoy more of the three of them and their antics.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Want more? Subscribe to my Newsletter on The Sassy Bookster.
Follow me on Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin’.
Like my page on Facebook.
March 21, 2016
A new series by Marie Harte? Yes please! This is a spin off series from the McCauley brothers and while we meet some new characters the previous ones make appearances throughout the story. In this series you don't have to read the other series to know what's going on.
We meet Johnny who works at the garage with three other hot guys who you also meet in this story. They are all fun loving and give each other some shit when it's needed. Johnny is known for his reputation with women but there is one woman who he really wants to date and after 4 years of asking he is hoping someday soon she will say yes.
Lara isn't just beautiful but she is working towards her future. She bartends while she is in nursing school so she really doesn't date but if she did it would definitely be with Johnny. Finally Johnny gets Lara to go on a date with him and sure enough the Sparks start flying.
What I loved about this book was that Harte had the two main characters grow and not only with their relationship. Johnny and Lara both learn more about one another over time. At first I thought the story was a little slow but as I continued reading I realized that Harte was adding little details here and there about their romance. I liked it didn't happen overnight and Harte took her time focusing on the romance that was blooming.
I thought this book was a great start to this brand new series. I loved the characters, the steamy scenes, and the story development.
It's filled with excellent humor from the very first page and not a lot of drama. The main focus of the story was about their relationship which I really liked. Already I am in love with this series and I can't wait for more!
We meet Johnny who works at the garage with three other hot guys who you also meet in this story. They are all fun loving and give each other some shit when it's needed. Johnny is known for his reputation with women but there is one woman who he really wants to date and after 4 years of asking he is hoping someday soon she will say yes.
Lara isn't just beautiful but she is working towards her future. She bartends while she is in nursing school so she really doesn't date but if she did it would definitely be with Johnny. Finally Johnny gets Lara to go on a date with him and sure enough the Sparks start flying.
What I loved about this book was that Harte had the two main characters grow and not only with their relationship. Johnny and Lara both learn more about one another over time. At first I thought the story was a little slow but as I continued reading I realized that Harte was adding little details here and there about their romance. I liked it didn't happen overnight and Harte took her time focusing on the romance that was blooming.
I thought this book was a great start to this brand new series. I loved the characters, the steamy scenes, and the story development.
It's filled with excellent humor from the very first page and not a lot of drama. The main focus of the story was about their relationship which I really liked. Already I am in love with this series and I can't wait for more!
June 10, 2016
3.5 Stars 3 Flames
Johnny has been working at the garage most of his life and he is a staple at Ray’s bar. He has a jaded past and has a hard time committing. But Lara continues to turn his head. Maybe the reason is because she constantly says no and he likes the rejection. As he gets to know Lara, he comes to realize that she is the one he will lose his heart to.
When I saw this book up for grabs I was at first hesitant on it. Marie Harte’s books can be a flip of the coin. Some are really great while others fall short. This novel was right in between. The characters were enjoyable and I could definitely see the appeal. However, Johnny did not cut it for me. I love a dirty talking, confident, charmer, and player as the next girl but when they are so full of themselves it kind of takes the excitement out of it. He had amazing qualities though. Great with children, protective, considerate, and up-front with what he wants.
Then there is Lara. I wanted to like her because she is doing her hardest to make the life she wants even when everyone is standing in the way. However, she whines a lot about her life and lets her family walk all over her. She also continues to keep Johnny at arm’s length then gets mad when he doesn’t push her. The tension between these two at the beginning did not feel real but as I continued to read you could feel the steam coming off the pages! I am excited for the next book as this series has a lot of potential.
I was gifted this novel from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and ratings are solely my own.
Johnny has been working at the garage most of his life and he is a staple at Ray’s bar. He has a jaded past and has a hard time committing. But Lara continues to turn his head. Maybe the reason is because she constantly says no and he likes the rejection. As he gets to know Lara, he comes to realize that she is the one he will lose his heart to.
When I saw this book up for grabs I was at first hesitant on it. Marie Harte’s books can be a flip of the coin. Some are really great while others fall short. This novel was right in between. The characters were enjoyable and I could definitely see the appeal. However, Johnny did not cut it for me. I love a dirty talking, confident, charmer, and player as the next girl but when they are so full of themselves it kind of takes the excitement out of it. He had amazing qualities though. Great with children, protective, considerate, and up-front with what he wants.
Then there is Lara. I wanted to like her because she is doing her hardest to make the life she wants even when everyone is standing in the way. However, she whines a lot about her life and lets her family walk all over her. She also continues to keep Johnny at arm’s length then gets mad when he doesn’t push her. The tension between these two at the beginning did not feel real but as I continued to read you could feel the steam coming off the pages! I am excited for the next book as this series has a lot of potential.
I was gifted this novel from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and ratings are solely my own.
September 1, 2018
Test Drive was an easy book to just fall into and find yourself reading in one sitting. I can’t say it was out of excitement, but rather out of ease of style from Marie Harte. The story was fun and it was sweet. And the sexual tension between our leads was a perfect mix of pantie-melting and heart!
When this series was first announced I was beyond excited because my love for the McCauley’s holds no bound and this is a spin-off from that series. You just can’t help but love these characters. They are sooooo relateable, not only in personality but also in life experience. Marie Harte has a very unique ability to create characters you would see in everyday life AND be a part of YOUR everyday life. At least that’s how I felt. The humor among them and the camaraderie between not only the ‘body shop’ boys but also between Lara and her workplace friends was refreshing and really fun to read.
The connection between our MCs, Lara and Johnny was perfectly done. Even the conflict (because all romance novels have a conflict lol) was what I would call well played on all parties. IMO, Lara and Johnny were more sensual than sexy…if that even makes sense. Their sexual attraction to each other was like a slow burn and every time they were together, my kindle got just a little bit hotter ;) #TRUTH
Overall, I have to say this really was a perfect sweet sensual romance story layered with a great introduction to what I can only hope will be many more books in the Body Shop Bad Boys series!
Copy provided by NetGalley for review
When this series was first announced I was beyond excited because my love for the McCauley’s holds no bound and this is a spin-off from that series. You just can’t help but love these characters. They are sooooo relateable, not only in personality but also in life experience. Marie Harte has a very unique ability to create characters you would see in everyday life AND be a part of YOUR everyday life. At least that’s how I felt. The humor among them and the camaraderie between not only the ‘body shop’ boys but also between Lara and her workplace friends was refreshing and really fun to read.
The connection between our MCs, Lara and Johnny was perfectly done. Even the conflict (because all romance novels have a conflict lol) was what I would call well played on all parties. IMO, Lara and Johnny were more sensual than sexy…if that even makes sense. Their sexual attraction to each other was like a slow burn and every time they were together, my kindle got just a little bit hotter ;) #TRUTH
Overall, I have to say this really was a perfect sweet sensual romance story layered with a great introduction to what I can only hope will be many more books in the Body Shop Bad Boys series!
Copy provided by NetGalley for review
May 25, 2016
Harte has created a novel full of romance and real friendships amidst the lives of hard characters with true loyalty. Suspense and chemistry make their appearance throughout as we get to know these fantastic characters. I liked the way that the author builds an actual relationship between the main characters. It’s not all chemistry, even though that is definitely there.
There was a great deal of character development at the beginning of this novel, so it took me a bit to really get into the story. That said, it is also the 1st novel in the series and we meet characters who will be prevalent throughout. I loved the different personalities that we meet throughout this varied cast of characters. Some were fun, others were difficult, and yet others were absolutely drool worthy.
All in all, this was a great tart to a promising new series. I will admit that Harte did leave me curious as to what mess Foley’s going to get himself into in the next novel of the series.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
There was a great deal of character development at the beginning of this novel, so it took me a bit to really get into the story. That said, it is also the 1st novel in the series and we meet characters who will be prevalent throughout. I loved the different personalities that we meet throughout this varied cast of characters. Some were fun, others were difficult, and yet others were absolutely drool worthy.
All in all, this was a great tart to a promising new series. I will admit that Harte did leave me curious as to what mess Foley’s going to get himself into in the next novel of the series.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Read
June 7, 2016That cover! Getting the tongue ready....
February 28, 2018
Ramblings:
This title includes sneak peeks of two Harte novels (Roadside Assistance and A Sure Thing). I’m fairly certain if you read them-you’ll want to purchase them.
Summary:
Johnny Walker Devlin is a man’s man. He’s over six feet tall, hard-bodied, tattooed, and like the commercial “Built Ford Tough.” He can fix a car, throw back drinks with the guys, or bust someone’s face. But like Superman with kryptonite, he too has a weakness. A brown-eyed bartender named Lara. Lara doesn’t date bar patrons. And for over four years she’s stuck to her guns. Until one fateful night changes everything!
Review:
Test Drive marks the first installment in Marie Harte’s Body Shop Bad Boys series. Each of the four novels in the series centers around a different mechanic at Webster’s Garage. There’s Johnny, Foley, Sam, and Lou. Test Drive is Johnny’s path to Ms. Right. Too bad (for him) she’s vowed not to borrow trouble. And Johnny’s definitely...trouble!
I want to mention the author’s sucker punch approach. She’ll immerse you in the plot, get you nice and cozy, and then sucker punch you. You’ll be left saying: What the what?! As I was reading I knew it was coming. What I didn’t know was when. Anticipating the plot climax is half the fun, though. You can’t go wrong with Harte. She delivers piping hot, throws a mean curveball, but leaves you with that HEA romance readers expect.
Now, let’s talk favorite scene. I loved when the H and h are jogging at the park and Johnny makes no bones about his attraction to Lara. None! As for comic relief? Lou’s explanation as to how he managed to get a black eye was priceless! Will I continue with the series? Yes, indeed. Foley’s on my radar. His story is Roadside Assistance. Be sure to read the sneak peek I mentioned earlier.
Rating: 3.75 rounded to 4
You’ll like this story if you:
#1 Read contemporary and/or erotic romances
#2 Love the friends to lovers trope
#3 Are counting how many times Lara turns Johnny down
#4 Need to know which mechanic deems himself “The Love Doctor”
#5 Want to know how Lou (The Latin lover) gets his black eye😂
Content: For mature readers. This novel contains “explicit” adult language and love scenes including role playing.
Disclosure:
I received a paperback copy of Test Drive via a newsletter giveaway. The author did not request a review. I posted one of my own volition with my honest thoughts/ramblings.
Test Drive
This title includes sneak peeks of two Harte novels (Roadside Assistance and A Sure Thing). I’m fairly certain if you read them-you’ll want to purchase them.
Summary:
Johnny Walker Devlin is a man’s man. He’s over six feet tall, hard-bodied, tattooed, and like the commercial “Built Ford Tough.” He can fix a car, throw back drinks with the guys, or bust someone’s face. But like Superman with kryptonite, he too has a weakness. A brown-eyed bartender named Lara. Lara doesn’t date bar patrons. And for over four years she’s stuck to her guns. Until one fateful night changes everything!
Review:
Test Drive marks the first installment in Marie Harte’s Body Shop Bad Boys series. Each of the four novels in the series centers around a different mechanic at Webster’s Garage. There’s Johnny, Foley, Sam, and Lou. Test Drive is Johnny’s path to Ms. Right. Too bad (for him) she’s vowed not to borrow trouble. And Johnny’s definitely...trouble!
I want to mention the author’s sucker punch approach. She’ll immerse you in the plot, get you nice and cozy, and then sucker punch you. You’ll be left saying: What the what?! As I was reading I knew it was coming. What I didn’t know was when. Anticipating the plot climax is half the fun, though. You can’t go wrong with Harte. She delivers piping hot, throws a mean curveball, but leaves you with that HEA romance readers expect.
Now, let’s talk favorite scene. I loved when the H and h are jogging at the park and Johnny makes no bones about his attraction to Lara. None! As for comic relief? Lou’s explanation as to how he managed to get a black eye was priceless! Will I continue with the series? Yes, indeed. Foley’s on my radar. His story is Roadside Assistance. Be sure to read the sneak peek I mentioned earlier.
Rating: 3.75 rounded to 4
You’ll like this story if you:
#1 Read contemporary and/or erotic romances
#2 Love the friends to lovers trope
#3 Are counting how many times Lara turns Johnny down
#4 Need to know which mechanic deems himself “The Love Doctor”
#5 Want to know how Lou (The Latin lover) gets his black eye😂
Content: For mature readers. This novel contains “explicit” adult language and love scenes including role playing.
Disclosure:
I received a paperback copy of Test Drive via a newsletter giveaway. The author did not request a review. I posted one of my own volition with my honest thoughts/ramblings.
Test Drive
April 8, 2023
3.5*
Johnny is a mechanic. He is also tattooed, did some time (for stealing a car for a joyride), and is good with women. His dad owns a strip club. He does occasionally help out his dad too.
Lara is a bartender and is going to school full time to be a nurse. Her sister Kristen, is a bit of a mess and is going through her 4th divorce. Kristen has 2 daughters and they love their Aunt Lara.
Both Johnny and Lara are attracted to each other. Both have their reasons for being cautious. I liked how they joked and were able to talk to each other. Lara and her sister do eventually have a good talk and get some things ironed out between them.
I liked how this ended the way it did
Johnny is a mechanic. He is also tattooed, did some time (for stealing a car for a joyride), and is good with women. His dad owns a strip club. He does occasionally help out his dad too.
Lara is a bartender and is going to school full time to be a nurse. Her sister Kristen, is a bit of a mess and is going through her 4th divorce. Kristen has 2 daughters and they love their Aunt Lara.
Both Johnny and Lara are attracted to each other. Both have their reasons for being cautious. I liked how they joked and were able to talk to each other. Lara and her sister do eventually have a good talk and get some things ironed out between them.
I liked how this ended the way it did
April 22, 2018
كتاب فاشل عن استايل السوشيال ميديا من شباب وسباق سيارات ومخدرات وقصص حب وخيانه وصراع بين شباب اشبه بحديقه حيوانات لاتناسب مجتمعنا يعني كتاب هايبر تسمع فيه صوت موسيقي الجاز الصاخبه ولاتسلم منه الا بصداع وتندم علي تجربه قراءته
June 6, 2016
I've got to admit that it took me a little while to get into this book. It's slow to start and didn't really pick up, for me, until about 20%. There are so many characters at the beginning that I found it hard to get to know them in the first few chapters and therefore I didn't really feel a connection.
However, don't let that deter you. By the time I hit the halfway mark, I'd gotten to know Johnny. He has a bit of a "player" reputation but he's not an arse. As the story moves along you soon realise there's much more to him than meets the eye.
Lara's a great female character - which is a rare compliment from me. She's tough, self sufficient and she's got her priorities in order. She works hard to get where she wants to be.
This is not a deep soulful story but it's well written, light, humorous and a good book for reading by the pool. The sub-characters, who overwhelmed me at the start are all intriguing and although Foley's story appears to be next, I'm dying to know Sam's story!!!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more.
However, don't let that deter you. By the time I hit the halfway mark, I'd gotten to know Johnny. He has a bit of a "player" reputation but he's not an arse. As the story moves along you soon realise there's much more to him than meets the eye.
Lara's a great female character - which is a rare compliment from me. She's tough, self sufficient and she's got her priorities in order. She works hard to get where she wants to be.
This is not a deep soulful story but it's well written, light, humorous and a good book for reading by the pool. The sub-characters, who overwhelmed me at the start are all intriguing and although Foley's story appears to be next, I'm dying to know Sam's story!!!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more.
April 9, 2020
Test Drive is the first book in the Body Shop Bad Boys series which continues the McCauley Brothers series by being set in the body shop owned by Del. In this first book, Lara Valley has been on Johnny Devlin's radar for several years, but he finally decides that it is time for them to start dating. Lara knows Johnny's reputation as a love-em-and-leave-em kind of guy, but she is so attracted that she can't say no any longer. Johnny and Lara hit it off and have no real complications in their relationship until the very end of the book.
This was an extremely light story with almost no rising action at all. The only real problem that the two protagonists have is that they both act a little foolish and immature in their relationship. There just wasn't enough story here to make the book interesting. Overall this was a disappointing continuation of the really wonderful McCauley Brothers series.
This was an extremely light story with almost no rising action at all. The only real problem that the two protagonists have is that they both act a little foolish and immature in their relationship. There just wasn't enough story here to make the book interesting. Overall this was a disappointing continuation of the really wonderful McCauley Brothers series.
November 28, 2016
Ok I started this series cause it's a spin off sequel series to the brothers ones which was really cute.
- I liked how the the members from the garage who were faintly mentioned in the last book of the brothers series
- I liked how the members of the garage were together, especially how they teased each other.
- I liked that the hero had a crush on the heroine since forever and I was glad for him when she finally agreed to hang out with him
- I didn't like how even though the heroine has a soft spot for the hero she basically ignores him but thank god she woke up.
- I didn't like that the heroine made assumptions about the heir without truly knowing him.
- I loved how his garage brothers had his back when he was in his lowest (especially the evil eye they gave to some ppl)
Overall, *thumbs up*
- I liked how the the members from the garage who were faintly mentioned in the last book of the brothers series
- I liked how the members of the garage were together, especially how they teased each other.
- I liked that the hero had a crush on the heroine since forever and I was glad for him when she finally agreed to hang out with him
- I didn't like how even though the heroine has a soft spot for the hero she basically ignores him but thank god she woke up.
- I didn't like that the heroine made assumptions about the heir without truly knowing him.
- I loved how his garage brothers had his back when he was in his lowest (especially the evil eye they gave to some ppl)
Overall, *thumbs up*
March 29, 2016
This review is based on an ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
Before their little halloween soiree, this was a decent lil book. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations in my H/h, but how things happened after that.....uh nu.
Before their little halloween soiree, this was a decent lil book. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations in my H/h, but how things happened after that.....uh nu.
September 11, 2021
I wanted to like this book but there were just too many moments that I really didn't like the characters. The beginning was pretty slow and introduced SO MANY characters that I was a bit lost as to who everyone was.
The H Johnny is a player and unapologetic about it. He's basically attracted to EVERY woman in this book: his boss, the h, her sister, her friends etc. Every guy in this book is apparently super attractive and every woman is beautiful. Apparently there are no average or below average looking people and everyone is attracted to everyone. No one has any tastes that are different then the "norm." The hero says things like "if she wasn't related to Del, he might have taken a turn with her" as if she's a piece of property or a toy he wasn't a turn with and there is no possibility of her saying no. He works at a strip club and doesn't see why Lara might have an issue with that given his past conquests. Then there is the whole issue of "condoms" that comes up with frequency and not necessarily in a good way. She's worried that she gave him a blowjob without a condom and knows because they talk about it that he doesn't wear one for that. She's adamant about using condoms but he keeps trying to have sex without them (using the excuse that he was only half awake). In fact, he basically blames it on her being turned on and sexy in the morning. He says he knows if a woman is "clean" before he gets with her but based on all the other scenes and the impression the author gives us I call bullshit. He just wants to be with Lara without a condom so he says what he needs to IMO.
Of course, Lara is basically the innocent girl and while not a virgin she hasn't had sex in over year. WHY do author's insist on doing this. Why is it that a woman has to go long periods without sex and yet the guys get to be complete players.
I think this is meant to be funny but it really didn't amuse me:
'"I do owe you for pizza the other night, when I forgot to cancel on you."
"That's true. You do owe me."
"So, do you want to come over, or what?"
"You have to ask me nicely. Remember, women everywhere want me. You're the lucky one at this moment. Make it last."'
The whole "breakup" really annoyed me as well. Lara gets stupid drunk and says some really mean things to Johnny. She accuses him of not being able to man-up about his feelings and yet they both agreed to a fling. Then Lara makes it all about her and refuses to admit or really apologize for her behavior. She basically says well I was drunk so I don't know why he's making this such a big deal. We had a fight - get over it. Even Johnny's friends take her side. I really hate when the h does something stupid and somehow it ends up being the H's fault and he ends up being the one to apologize.
Finally the last chapter isn't even an epilogue for this couple it's a set-up for the next book and Foley who will apparently be the next MC.
Okay rant over but as you can see while there were some cute and sweet moments and even some humorous ones I just couldn't get past the fact that I really didn't like either of the MC's all that much.
The H Johnny is a player and unapologetic about it. He's basically attracted to EVERY woman in this book: his boss, the h, her sister, her friends etc. Every guy in this book is apparently super attractive and every woman is beautiful. Apparently there are no average or below average looking people and everyone is attracted to everyone. No one has any tastes that are different then the "norm." The hero says things like "if she wasn't related to Del, he might have taken a turn with her" as if she's a piece of property or a toy he wasn't a turn with and there is no possibility of her saying no. He works at a strip club and doesn't see why Lara might have an issue with that given his past conquests. Then there is the whole issue of "condoms" that comes up with frequency and not necessarily in a good way. She's worried that she gave him a blowjob without a condom and knows because they talk about it that he doesn't wear one for that. She's adamant about using condoms but he keeps trying to have sex without them (using the excuse that he was only half awake). In fact, he basically blames it on her being turned on and sexy in the morning. He says he knows if a woman is "clean" before he gets with her but based on all the other scenes and the impression the author gives us I call bullshit. He just wants to be with Lara without a condom so he says what he needs to IMO.
Of course, Lara is basically the innocent girl and while not a virgin she hasn't had sex in over year. WHY do author's insist on doing this. Why is it that a woman has to go long periods without sex and yet the guys get to be complete players.
I think this is meant to be funny but it really didn't amuse me:
'"I do owe you for pizza the other night, when I forgot to cancel on you."
"That's true. You do owe me."
"So, do you want to come over, or what?"
"You have to ask me nicely. Remember, women everywhere want me. You're the lucky one at this moment. Make it last."'
The whole "breakup" really annoyed me as well. Lara gets stupid drunk and says some really mean things to Johnny. She accuses him of not being able to man-up about his feelings and yet they both agreed to a fling. Then Lara makes it all about her and refuses to admit or really apologize for her behavior. She basically says well I was drunk so I don't know why he's making this such a big deal. We had a fight - get over it. Even Johnny's friends take her side. I really hate when the h does something stupid and somehow it ends up being the H's fault and he ends up being the one to apologize.
Finally the last chapter isn't even an epilogue for this couple it's a set-up for the next book and Foley who will apparently be the next MC.
Okay rant over but as you can see while there were some cute and sweet moments and even some humorous ones I just couldn't get past the fact that I really didn't like either of the MC's all that much.
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