Buckle Up: The Complete Series

by Karen Botha

Passion, lust and desire are the fuel that drives us. So, buckle up for the ride of your life.
Elliott Judd is a superstar race car driver and hotter than hell. Men and women fall at his feet and he enjoys the easy pickings. No one has tamed this wild stallion, but is he ready to settle down for the right person?
Kyle Beaumont, a straight mechanic with a body to die for joins the racing team of his dreams, and with his mind fixed on the job, he doesn't realise that he is Elliott's next trophy of choice.
As the racing season and the fight to be the world number one starts, so too does Elliott's game of seduction.
Will Elliott crash and burn, or will Kyle succumb to this gorgeous man's onslaught?
Buckle Up is the first book in a gay romance series by Karen Botha and a story of unlikely love. The series is free on Kindle Unlimited.
Download your copy of Buckle Up now.
A note from Karen
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and my other series, it's always great to hear what readers say directly. All my contact details are on my Amazon Author Page, feel free to message me.

Genres: LGBT

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2018

About the author

Karen Botha was born in Lincoln and brought up in Yorkshire. She moved to Essex as soon as it was time to build her career.

She worked in Marketing for more time than she’ll admit, and lost more personal time during these years than she cares to remember.

Consequently she retrained as a massage therapist and reflexologist. Not only does she love the interaction with her many clients, but this also gives her time to indulge her passion for writing.

You’ll find a lot of her life in this book – but please, don’t believe everything you read!

Reviews

[Xia and the Giant TBR]

DNF after 3 pages and a booming headache. The writing style doesn't agree with my reading idiosyncrasies.
I should have listened to Teal! I should have listened to Teal! I should have listened to Teal! Why didn't I listen to Teal?

[Patrice Leonard · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF!!!!
Okay, first off...I actually read the version of this series titled Buckle Up Volume 2. Since this isn't listed in this author's works here of GR I picked this one to use for my review.
Anyway.....Just don't bother. Really. This is just awful. I finally made the call to DNF this one at the 18% mark. The bad grammar, writing, and editing along with a horrible jerkoff MC(Elliott) would have still kept me reading because I really don't like DNFing a book unless I really can't deal with it. What caused me to pull the DNF trigger here though was that the first two intimate/sex scenes involving one of the MC's were MF. And you all know that when that happens in a MM book I'm reading, and when the author doesn't disclose this in the blurb, I get real stabby. I get that both characters were supposedly Bi so I understand that that could happen, BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GODS JUST PUT IT IN YOUR BLURB SO THAT I CAN CHOSE NOT TO READ IT!!! I don't understand why that is so freaking hard. There may have been more than those 2 MF scenes but I didn't "stick around" this one long enough to find out.
Anyway, this one was terrible all around. Just god-awful. Don't bother with it.

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Free copy from both Booksprout and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is horrible. It is unbelievably bad. I have DNF'd exactly 11 books in my life, and I read, on average, a book a day. I didn't make it to page 30. I couldn't even hate read it. I kept stopping then trying to restart out of a sense of integrity and obligation as a reviewer and library book-buyer, but, no, just no.

1) Sooooo many homonym mistakes.
2) Also basic copy editing mistakes.
3) Awkward descriptions- you don't say he pulls his pants "up against his bare ass", you say *over* his ass. Weird word choices that I just didn't understand, like seriously, I didn't understand what was being said. It was like random words were being substituted, like palette for chair.
4) Bizarre shit like describing someone navigating a confined space while having their head completely covered by a shirt.
5) And you don’t need to use people’s last names every single time the name is said. This isn’t Russia or 18th century England.

And that's just the grammar, syntax, and word choice. Let's address the plot.

I honestly don't know what's worse:

The idea that (as I texted my brother) "You can be embarrassed about your arousal, or, if you’re a kinky minx, aroused by your embarrassment, but NO GROWN ASS MAN is going to mistake arousal for embarrassment (in himself)." JFC

OR

That sexual harassment is okay if it’s a gay man doing it to his straight work subordinate. I can't even. This was so gross. That main character literally just ignored being told no, being told no repeatedly, unequivocally, publicly, and unreservedly. Just No. And there was unwanted touching, even as the other main character was semi-titillated by the flirting, he was still described as uncomfortable by the touching and moving away from it, but the other main character kept touching. Eww. I know you can do a voyeur/jealousy blow job scene and make it interesting, relevant, and ostensibly believable, it's been done elsewhere, this one was just gross and extremely uncomfortable. I felt like the race car driver character could and should be prosecuted for something.

I should have known from the first scene- Jab is never a good word to use in a sex scene unless you're jabbing the elevator close button to be able to start elevator nookie ASAP. You definitely never jab a vagina. Ever. That's like how in porn an actress can finger someone while having inch long fake nails, it's just cringe-inducing and unrealistic. It literally made me think that the author is a virgin who has watched too much bad porn. Literally, that is what happened. First I cringed, then I thought "OMG how did she come up with this??"

The whole thing read like the worst type of fanfiction. I'm glad I didn't pay for it and kinda wish I could get a refund for my time.

If I could, I would give zero stars. Usually I don't post bad reviews online if I'm given a free ARC or galley, but I feel like other people should be spared this horror.

[Stacey Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a little mixed on this one. The story itself is sweet and it's angsty. I love angst. I love stories that are sports themed. There were a lot of things that bothered, or plain old annoyed me. The editing is bad. I will overlook the occasional error. Authors and editors aren't perfect. I'm an editor and I don't claim to catch every error either. I expect to find a few errors in any story. But the errors here are glaring, and basic grammar. They are so often that it gets frustrating fast. British words are mixed with American words, even within the same sentence. A car park becomes a parking lot in the same sentence. And the language sometimes sounds like it's meant to be in a historical novel. Take for instance: "I cannot allow myself to return to the warm bosom of his love." What twenty-something aged guy thinks or talks like that? That pulled me out of the story and I sat there thinking, WTH? I also do not appreciate when there is a full-on M/F sex scene in an M/M book and there's nothing in the blurb or anywhere in the description that warns me. I don't read M/F and haven't read it for nearly ten years with the exception of one particular author. If there is going to be an M/F scene in the book, it needs to be noted because M/M readers do often feel strongly one way or the other.

The story itself I would give three or three and a half stars. I liked it. It needs to be edited, plain and simple, and an M/F tag needs to be added.

[Cee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

*´¨✫)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨)✯ ¸.•*¨)
✮ (¸.•´✶ (¸.•`Upgraded to 4 stars 'cus I found something I liked.

Yes, haters gon' hate, but that is because small minds won't open up and seek entertainment and not perfection. Yes, this is a fast paced book, with insta-attraction and love, and urgh, MF scene [hell, both MCs are bi, what do you expect, but I got over it!!]

Can you imagine the amount of excitement when this little baby landed on my kindle? I saw the advert for reviewing this series, and knew I had to have it.

Elliott was a famous car racer, who cared little about what others think. He was doing his thing and enjoying it until newest member to his mechanic team, Kyle Beaumont entered his circle. Kyle proved to be a distraction preseason, but Elliott knew once he made a play, he could get one and be done. What he did not rely on was his entire being imprinting on the formerly straight man.

With a divorce on the horizon and newest to his life, Kyle never thought change so big was in the air. His new job was his dream job, but landing in the sights of the infamous Elliott Judd wasn't something he had envisioned. Kyle found himself at odds with everything he once knew and his constant pull into Elliott's orbit.

Now it was going to take everything for these two men to find their peace and make it across the finish line intact. A definite one click on my end. Run into Overdrive and Buckle Up!! Next up, the continuation with G-Force.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author through IndiGo Marketing & Design

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. It felt like there were easily 10 chapters missing in the beginning of the book because it was SO insta-love. Especially given that one of the MCs is supposed to be straight.

Like I said, Kyle is supposed to be straight, but he falls in lust with Elliot in chapter TWO. After finishing the book, I see why the author made him straight, but it still rang false to me the whole time. I felt like although he questioned his sexuality, he came to terms with it a lot sooner than someone who grew up super religious and thinking he was straight normally would. Maybe that's me being naive, I don't know, but the whole scenario felt too perfectly packaged for me.

Which brings me to Elliot. I didn't like him, at all. I thought he was a selfish ass. Kyle is dealing with all of these new, huge, life changing things and all he can think about is how his feelings are hurt because Kyle shifted away from him or was upset by a certain scenario that happened. That's not love, that's the actions of a self-centered control freak.

The story itself was pretty disjointed. Things would happen and then everything would be fine. It read like more of an outline than a well thought out story. It was definitely steamy and hot, but I feel like that's all it had going for it. The plot line was sub-par when it had the potential to be really interesting. Overall, not a fan and, unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend it.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is quite amazing how I found this series again. I remember reading a few “episodes” of the book when it was first released. I lost track of the author and many times I wondered what had happened to the story. I was hooked from the start. It was by accident that I found Karen on the third book. This is a brilliant series. I loved Kyle & Elliot’s unfolding love story. Their connection was palpable. Even though this is an MM romance which I love reading about, I fell in love and wanted them both. Karen is a wonderful storyteller and although their story did go on a bit at least I got to savour it. Each book has its own engaging continuation. Of course their story is not complete, a HFN, but it will probably continue with Axel. With them being secondary characters. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

[BookSnuggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle Up by Karen Botha. This is race car driver Elliott Judd and mechanic Kyle Beaumont’s story.

Oh my, I loved this book from beginning to end. Elliott and Kyle were great characters. I love when I feel connected to the characters and can feel feel their emotions. At times I laughed and cried. The chemistry between Elliott and Kyle is so hot and there are some twists too.

I loved this fun and entertaining read and look forward to reading other books by this author. This is a new author to me and she will be added to my go to authors.

FYI, contains mature content. This is a M/M gay romance. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Katrina Tinker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed with the sweet love story in this book. This was the first gay romance book that I have ever read, and I was not sure what to expect. I had wondered if it was going to be weird - - but it was not weird in the least! Just regular people with normal feelings and desires. I really enjoyed the book and, as I read the book, I was caught up in the touching love story between the two main characters. The story was well-written with a good plot. The characters were well-developed and behaved in a very believable fashion.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, quick, and steamy. This is the story of Elliot, a race car driver, and Kyle, a newly minted pit crew. The relationship starts on a physical level, but it goes deep very quickly. The first half of the book is all about the chase, the second part is about making it work. Elliot and Kyle are so cute together. Great M/M romance.

Overall, 3.5 stars.

[kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, here's the thing. The fourteenth time the hero says "but I'm straight" after making out with another dude, it starts to feel less like creative tension and a lot more like internalized homophobia. And then when it's never dealt with, and everything slides from instalust to perfect HEA in about fourteen pages?

That's a big old nope from me.

I'm all for bi-M/M romances. Sexuality is a spectrum, after all, but this one just... not for me.

[Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay so I wasn't a fan of this book. I will say that it does have potential, with an editor and maybe a few more re-reads before publishing. The insta attraction was fine, but then it went full blown puppies and flowers and I just didn't feel it. I also caught myself having to flip back and forth as I became confused over who was who as neither character had a distinct voice. Having said all that I probably will read the follow up to this just to see if these problems can be eliminated from the authors work.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, interesting story

[CARISSA E · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit boring and though I hate to do it, I did skim through this....

[Tracie R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buckle Up is my first read by Karen Botha. I liked this story, it was well paced and Kyle and Elliott are likable characters. I will read more by this author.

[Joe]

Didn’t read because this book is 1 of 8 series

[Cari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the storyline and characters and read the whole series. The overuse of adjectives and too many words was hard to get through. It was in great need of an editor and proofreader for punctuation.