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The Pretenders #1
Drive
He's an arrogant race car driver with an attitude. She's a stubborn tire mechanic out to prove herself. When sparks fly, will their passion make it to the finish line?
Dante Annunziata's passionate personality and Italian racing legacy are two reasons for his massive Formula World racing success. Now into his final year, he's determined to go out on top. But the stunning redhead on his pit crew sends him into a tailspin. As far as he's concerned, car racing is a man's world...
Savannah Jenkins is no pushover. The headstrong southern belle has ambitions to take her father's auto business to a whole new level. But first, the arrogant driver she's assigned to may need to be taken down a peg or two...
When the paparazzi stage Dante and Savannah in a pre-kiss pose, they're forced to fake a relationship to keep their jobs. But as engines rev and the season heats up, the contrived couple's hearts start racing for all the wrong reasons. Will Dante and Savannah let love take the wheel, or will their butting heads cause them to crash and burn?
Now exclusively a Wattpad Paid Story!
Dante Annunziata's passionate personality and Italian racing legacy are two reasons for his massive Formula World racing success. Now into his final year, he's determined to go out on top. But the stunning redhead on his pit crew sends him into a tailspin. As far as he's concerned, car racing is a man's world...
Savannah Jenkins is no pushover. The headstrong southern belle has ambitions to take her father's auto business to a whole new level. But first, the arrogant driver she's assigned to may need to be taken down a peg or two...
When the paparazzi stage Dante and Savannah in a pre-kiss pose, they're forced to fake a relationship to keep their jobs. But as engines rev and the season heats up, the contrived couple's hearts start racing for all the wrong reasons. Will Dante and Savannah let love take the wheel, or will their butting heads cause them to crash and burn?
Now exclusively a Wattpad Paid Story!
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About the author
Tamara Lush
41 books802 followersTamara Lush writes steamy and emotional contemporary romance stories set in tropical locations. Her book Constant Craving was a 2018 RWA RITA® finalist in erotic romance.
She's married and lives near a beach in Florida. For many years, she was an award-winning newspaper journalist. In 2017, she was one of 24 writers chosen by Amtrak to ride around the United States on a train and write fiction. She also writes cozy mysteries under the name Tara Lush.
Tamara's a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, coloring books, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and journalism.
She's married and lives near a beach in Florida. For many years, she was an award-winning newspaper journalist. In 2017, she was one of 24 writers chosen by Amtrak to ride around the United States on a train and write fiction. She also writes cozy mysteries under the name Tara Lush.
Tamara's a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, coloring books, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
May 31, 2023
this book single-handedly set feminism back 20 years
July 9, 2024
I feel sad that it has turned out this way, but this was a
dnf
for me.
March 10, 2022
I loved this story! It reminded me of Throttled, but 10x better! Super sexy, adorable, and it had a happy ever after ending!
Savannah loves the thrill of the racing world. She is the heiress to her father’s auto company, after all. When Savannah is put on Dante Annuziata’s pit crew, all he can think about is how much her presence angers him. Race car driving is extremely dangerous and no place for a woman. Her sassy, charismatic personality clashes with his incorrigible (yet sexy) arrogance. When the two are caught by the media in a lip lock, they have to announce they are dating. That is the furthest thing from the truth. They can hardly stand each other. You know what they say… Hatred fuels lust. Their fake relationship whisks them around the world and the rules of their commitments and feelings for each other begin to blur…
trope: fake dating, and enemies to lovers!
🌶🌶/5
Savannah loves the thrill of the racing world. She is the heiress to her father’s auto company, after all. When Savannah is put on Dante Annuziata’s pit crew, all he can think about is how much her presence angers him. Race car driving is extremely dangerous and no place for a woman. Her sassy, charismatic personality clashes with his incorrigible (yet sexy) arrogance. When the two are caught by the media in a lip lock, they have to announce they are dating. That is the furthest thing from the truth. They can hardly stand each other. You know what they say… Hatred fuels lust. Their fake relationship whisks them around the world and the rules of their commitments and feelings for each other begin to blur…
trope: fake dating, and enemies to lovers!
🌶🌶/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2022
5/5 VERY GOOD.
VERYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GOOD.
VERYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GOOD.
October 6, 2022
DNF - no character build up and everything seemed rushed. I liked the idea of him being a Formula racer but that was skirted around and only brought up on occasion.
May 10, 2022
Did not finish. I love racing, and had such high hopes, but I just could not, with these characters. She's a 24-year-old virginal debutante, who's also apparently a great mechanic. He's an Italian driver so full of machismo (but, supposedly, because of past tragic loss) that he wants no women as mechanics on his team. Oh, but wait, even he can't get her fired, because her dad is a big-time manufacturer of something-or-other they all need, and he pulled serious strings to get her this job (which she knows and accepts, by the way, constantly calling her father "Daddy" in her POV).
So, our hot-shot race car driver genius decides that if he can't get her fired, he'll make her quit, by -- what else - seducing her. They get caught flirting and start a fake relationship that quickly turns real. Gross part is, her mom is all excited about this workplace fling, encouraging her daughter and planning a joint vacation.
At that point, I was just DONE.
So, our hot-shot race car driver genius decides that if he can't get her fired, he'll make her quit, by -- what else - seducing her. They get caught flirting and start a fake relationship that quickly turns real. Gross part is, her mom is all excited about this workplace fling, encouraging her daughter and planning a joint vacation.
At that point, I was just DONE.
did-not-finish
November 19, 2023The overwhelming sexism was just too much to deal with.
May 20, 2022
A really nice quick and steamy read. The angst and build up of there relationship was perfecto.
February 20, 2024
0/5 stars
I’m DNFing this race, folks. I could not get past the first chapter. Why is the main character immediately a misogynist. I’m good, thanks.
I’m DNFing this race, folks. I could not get past the first chapter. Why is the main character immediately a misogynist. I’m good, thanks.
May 24, 2024
4 High Speed Stars
✔️ Dual POVs (Savvy x Dante)
✔️ Set in Formula One racing world (Italy, Brazil, Singapore, Dubai, etc.)
✔️ Open-door, contemporary sports romance (3.5/5 🌶️)
✔️ Tropes: Fake dating; age gap; sports romance
This book was super fun and sweet. Perfect for fans of Drive to Survive who want a romance plot. There were some weird line break issues with the conversational dialogue that kept jerking me out of the storyline to figure out who was speaking. Otherwise, very cute and fun!
✔️ Dual POVs (Savvy x Dante)
✔️ Set in Formula One racing world (Italy, Brazil, Singapore, Dubai, etc.)
✔️ Open-door, contemporary sports romance (3.5/5 🌶️)
✔️ Tropes: Fake dating; age gap; sports romance
This book was super fun and sweet. Perfect for fans of Drive to Survive who want a romance plot. There were some weird line break issues with the conversational dialogue that kept jerking me out of the storyline to figure out who was speaking. Otherwise, very cute and fun!
July 14, 2023
#90 in 2023
Dnf at 25%
- Egad! I want to capitulate! -
(I swear these words were used in this contemporary romance).
This book made me question my trust in men 😂
also my recently acquired f1 knowledge cause 3.2 seconds for a pit stop is not flawless and a 7 wdc record is not a thing since Schumacher (correct me if I'm wrong)
Dnf at 25%
- Egad! I want to capitulate! -
(I swear these words were used in this contemporary romance).
This book made me question my trust in men 😂
also my recently acquired f1 knowledge cause 3.2 seconds for a pit stop is not flawless and a 7 wdc record is not a thing since Schumacher (correct me if I'm wrong)
May 23, 2024
How can a book about a corrupt billionaire oil company sport not mention climate change??
I really don't know nearly enough about Formula One to recognize if any of the characters are based on real people but I did wonder if the premise of this book is secretly "what if Peter Thiel bought a Formula One team?"
Anyway this book felt weirdly like an old Harlequin Presents, but halfway updated. Like there's a moment where which was already silly and anachronistic when HP characters were doing it decades ago. The whole conflict around the hero being a misogynist who disapproves of the heroine working is also very 80s HP, except that now he doesn't really hate women, he just has trauma because of his sister's death. And also tries to fuck up the heroine's career. Overall it seemed like the author was consciously trying to be feminist but also to play into these retro romance conventions, which is interesting at times but not really satisfying.
I really don't know nearly enough about Formula One to recognize if any of the characters are based on real people but I did wonder if the premise of this book is secretly "what if Peter Thiel bought a Formula One team?"
Anyway this book felt weirdly like an old Harlequin Presents, but halfway updated. Like there's a moment where which was already silly and anachronistic when HP characters were doing it decades ago. The whole conflict around the hero being a misogynist who disapproves of the heroine working is also very 80s HP, except that now he doesn't really hate women, he just has trauma because of his sister's death. And also tries to fuck up the heroine's career. Overall it seemed like the author was consciously trying to be feminist but also to play into these retro romance conventions, which is interesting at times but not really satisfying.
August 7, 2018
Wow what a sexy ride
Dante hot sexy Italian race car driver . I swear I could hear his sexy Italian accent and Savannah with her southern draw . What more do you need and a good epilogue to boot
Dante hot sexy Italian race car driver . I swear I could hear his sexy Italian accent and Savannah with her southern draw . What more do you need and a good epilogue to boot
January 13, 2019
I absolutely loved this Book! I fell in love with Dante and Savannah! I was routing for them through the whole book. I have said it before but I will say it again. Tamara is an amazing writer and one of my favorite authors. 😃💚
November 5, 2024
DNF 69%
La de oportunidades que le di a esta novela, mamita querida. Procedo a quejarme de manera ✨organizada✨ de por qué esto no funciona/no entretiene/no nada:
1. Desperdicio de oportunidades
Hay tanto para contar y tantas cosas interesantes para expandir. La trama tiene un potencial enorme que se desperdicia TODO EL TIEMPO. Y por lo general es por el uso de la:
2. Misoginia como excusa
No es cuestión de personajes. Las opiniones de Dante no son suyas, son de la autora. El machismo es tal en la narración que no me hubiera sorprendido si empezaban a hablar de histeria o lobotomías aunque se trate de una novela DEL SIGLO XXI. Es un desperdicio total a la trama, principalmente en el por qué Dante está tan en contra de la presencia de mujeres en la pista. Hubiera sido interesantísimo que se profundizara en el accidente de su hermana y poder verlo, a lo largo de la historia, superar sus traumas para evolucionar como personaje. Pero no, porque si hay algo que caracteriza toda esta novela son las pocas ganas de ahondar por el bien de los personajes, de la trama, de todo.
La cosa no queda solamente en Dante, obvio. Todo el tema de Savannah y su pasado en los concursos de belleza podría haberse exprimido para poder entender mejor sus raíces, su familia, hasta su pasión por el trabajo en la F1. De nuevo, no. Savannah sólo es una tomboy que odia todo lo femenino, excepto cuando esto tiene que ver con su relación con Dante. Lo que me lleva a:
3. Hipersexualización
Dejando de lado el hecho de que SIEMPRE es por parte de los hombres hacia las mujeres (porque no me alcanzaría la vida para quejarme de eso), los personajes no se enamoran. Se tienen ganas y listo. Podría ser de eso su relación, pero en realidad sí se *deberían* enamorar. Da la sensación de que Savannah y Dante se quieren (ponele), no porque se amen de verdad, sino porque esa era la idea original.
4. Personajes chatos (falleció la polifonía)
Citando al gran Gaudio: “Es más de lo mismo […]. Es la misma porquería con un poco más de ganas”. Todos, absolutamente TODOS los personajes hablan igual, piensan igual. Son insulsos encima, que es lo peor.
Todos los puntos medio que terminan desembocando en lo mismo: la autora quiere que el romance sea el único motor de la novela y no funciona. Lo más interesante que la novela puede proponer es, principalmente, el contexto, el ambiente en el que se desarrolla. Una agarra el libro esperando leer un romance que esté atravesado por el mundo de la F1. Lo que te encontrás es que a Savannah, que insiste en querer hacerse un lugar en un mundo dominado por hombres, nunca se la ve trabajando cerca de los autos. Se sabe que Dante es uno de los mejores pilotos de la historia porque se dice un par de veces, pero no vaya a ser que se lo narre corriendo alguna vez (!!!).
El romance como motor no funciona, además, porque sólo se queda en algo que la autora quiere, pero que no está dispuesta a hacer. Toda la evolución de la relación de Savannah y Dante está condensada EN UN SOLO PÁRRAFO. Pasan de no tener muchas ganas de trabajar juntos a vivir como pareja EN UN SOLO PÁRRAFO. La vagancia es total.
En fin, esta queja tan larga me parece que va muy de la mano con el hecho de que ya son varias las veces que agarro un libro con sello Wattpad sin prejuicios y la novela termina validando el estereotipo de mala literatura. Mi conclusión particular de Drive es: Tamara, si no tenés ganas de escribir, no escribas. Penguin, un poco más de voluntad a lo que publicás.
La de oportunidades que le di a esta novela, mamita querida. Procedo a quejarme de manera ✨organizada✨ de por qué esto no funciona/no entretiene/no nada:
1. Desperdicio de oportunidades
Hay tanto para contar y tantas cosas interesantes para expandir. La trama tiene un potencial enorme que se desperdicia TODO EL TIEMPO. Y por lo general es por el uso de la:
2. Misoginia como excusa
No es cuestión de personajes. Las opiniones de Dante no son suyas, son de la autora. El machismo es tal en la narración que no me hubiera sorprendido si empezaban a hablar de histeria o lobotomías aunque se trate de una novela DEL SIGLO XXI. Es un desperdicio total a la trama, principalmente en el por qué Dante está tan en contra de la presencia de mujeres en la pista. Hubiera sido interesantísimo que se profundizara en el accidente de su hermana y poder verlo, a lo largo de la historia, superar sus traumas para evolucionar como personaje. Pero no, porque si hay algo que caracteriza toda esta novela son las pocas ganas de ahondar por el bien de los personajes, de la trama, de todo.
La cosa no queda solamente en Dante, obvio. Todo el tema de Savannah y su pasado en los concursos de belleza podría haberse exprimido para poder entender mejor sus raíces, su familia, hasta su pasión por el trabajo en la F1. De nuevo, no. Savannah sólo es una tomboy que odia todo lo femenino, excepto cuando esto tiene que ver con su relación con Dante. Lo que me lleva a:
3. Hipersexualización
Dejando de lado el hecho de que SIEMPRE es por parte de los hombres hacia las mujeres (porque no me alcanzaría la vida para quejarme de eso), los personajes no se enamoran. Se tienen ganas y listo. Podría ser de eso su relación, pero en realidad sí se *deberían* enamorar. Da la sensación de que Savannah y Dante se quieren (ponele), no porque se amen de verdad, sino porque esa era la idea original.
4. Personajes chatos (falleció la polifonía)
Citando al gran Gaudio: “Es más de lo mismo […]. Es la misma porquería con un poco más de ganas”. Todos, absolutamente TODOS los personajes hablan igual, piensan igual. Son insulsos encima, que es lo peor.
Todos los puntos medio que terminan desembocando en lo mismo: la autora quiere que el romance sea el único motor de la novela y no funciona. Lo más interesante que la novela puede proponer es, principalmente, el contexto, el ambiente en el que se desarrolla. Una agarra el libro esperando leer un romance que esté atravesado por el mundo de la F1. Lo que te encontrás es que a Savannah, que insiste en querer hacerse un lugar en un mundo dominado por hombres, nunca se la ve trabajando cerca de los autos. Se sabe que Dante es uno de los mejores pilotos de la historia porque se dice un par de veces, pero no vaya a ser que se lo narre corriendo alguna vez (!!!).
El romance como motor no funciona, además, porque sólo se queda en algo que la autora quiere, pero que no está dispuesta a hacer. Toda la evolución de la relación de Savannah y Dante está condensada EN UN SOLO PÁRRAFO. Pasan de no tener muchas ganas de trabajar juntos a vivir como pareja EN UN SOLO PÁRRAFO. La vagancia es total.
En fin, esta queja tan larga me parece que va muy de la mano con el hecho de que ya son varias las veces que agarro un libro con sello Wattpad sin prejuicios y la novela termina validando el estereotipo de mala literatura. Mi conclusión particular de Drive es: Tamara, si no tenés ganas de escribir, no escribas. Penguin, un poco más de voluntad a lo que publicás.
August 6, 2023
This didn’t really work for me. It was what it was, I guess - I spent a lot of the book not really liking Dante at all, he wasn’t very pleasant for a lot of the book, and the fake relationship aspect felt really stretched, especially at the end The ending overall was very blunt as well.
The plot itself is quite fun and the chemistry between Dante and Savannah was good, the sex scenes were hot, but as a whole it just wasn’t for me.
Content Notes: Hate-to-love, fake relationship.
Warnings:
Other: .
The plot itself is quite fun and the chemistry between Dante and Savannah was good, the sex scenes were hot, but as a whole it just wasn’t for me.
Content Notes: Hate-to-love, fake relationship.
Warnings:
Other: .
December 19, 2023
✔️ FMC in a male-dominated field/industry
✔️ Centered around professional racing
✔️ fate dating
I will say that the lack of starting quotations gave me pause, causing me to re-read a line because I didn't realize it was dialogue, which was seldom but annoying nonetheless.
🏁 Will definitely continue the series.
✔️ Centered around professional racing
✔️ fate dating
I will say that the lack of starting quotations gave me pause, causing me to re-read a line because I didn't realize it was dialogue, which was seldom but annoying nonetheless.
🏁 Will definitely continue the series.
April 25, 2024
yeah… no
June 19, 2024
Spicy, easy, summer read. 3.5/5
February 4, 2022
Lovely 🥰
Could there have been a lil more spice? Of course, but overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this sweet love story about a take-no-sh*t Georgia peach and a cocky Italian F1 racer finding love in the tropiest of circumstances, yes, a fake relationship (I myself am a sucker for a good fake dating book 🤤).
I certainly recommend this book to any romance lover and look forward to reading more from Tamara Lush!
*ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
Could there have been a lil more spice? Of course, but overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this sweet love story about a take-no-sh*t Georgia peach and a cocky Italian F1 racer finding love in the tropiest of circumstances, yes, a fake relationship (I myself am a sucker for a good fake dating book 🤤).
I certainly recommend this book to any romance lover and look forward to reading more from Tamara Lush!
*ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
July 31, 2022
*Groan*
I wanted to like this book because I mean RACING and ROMANCE! It’s what I love! But oh my god it’s not very good.
Personally I found the way ALL the characters spoke was very unreal. They sounded so animated and things they said were not things people IRL say in conversation. Like I said, all very animated.
Plus, the relationship was not well developed. I felt like there could’ve been MORE. So much more.
And there was barely ANY racing. The racing descriptions were short and far between.
Then there’s the issue that you’re waiting for SOMETHING big and climatic to happen and the climatic point was meh…like there could’ve been something so much better and exciting to keep the reader (me) intrigued.
There was so much potential but it flopped.
I wanted to like this book because I mean RACING and ROMANCE! It’s what I love! But oh my god it’s not very good.
Personally I found the way ALL the characters spoke was very unreal. They sounded so animated and things they said were not things people IRL say in conversation. Like I said, all very animated.
Plus, the relationship was not well developed. I felt like there could’ve been MORE. So much more.
And there was barely ANY racing. The racing descriptions were short and far between.
Then there’s the issue that you’re waiting for SOMETHING big and climatic to happen and the climatic point was meh…like there could’ve been something so much better and exciting to keep the reader (me) intrigued.
There was so much potential but it flopped.
November 7, 2022
This could have been a 3* read if I was feeling generous, but the fact that I paid money for a book with such a ridiculous number of formatting, spelling, and grammar errors bumps it down. I could overlook that if the story or characters were the slightest bit compelling but unfortunately they are not.
I love F1 and enjoy romance so I was excited to read this, and my expectations were low going into it, but wow it didn't come even close to meeting them.
I love F1 and enjoy romance so I was excited to read this, and my expectations were low going into it, but wow it didn't come even close to meeting them.
February 11, 2022
Drive
By Tamara Lush
Published by Wattpad Books
*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I did not know where this book was going and Wattpad itself gets a bad reputation. However, this book surprised me and I freaking loved it.
This book will really take you through an emotional rollercoaster. There will be moments where you are pissed off at the character and moments when you are swooning - It’s called balance.
Dante is our Male Main Character and he is a 32 year old Italian Race Car driver - and not the kind at NASCAR. He drives through the streets of cities. So yes, Italian is spoken and yes you will swoon!!
Dante is also the best driver and has won 6 championships; however, this will be his last year before he retires. Because he is retiring his team has a younger driver to fill his spot, Max. Max is young and wild. He is constantly getting in trouble and Dante has to use his image to overrule the scandals Max causes. Due to this, Dante is not the biggest fan of Max’s.
But because this sport cannot be done solo, Dante relies heavily on his crew in order for the success of a win. But his life is scrambled when the owner of his crew hires a new female pit member. Dante is irritated with this decision - he has misogynistic views of women being on the crew. There is a reason for why he believes women should stay out of this sport, most of which is uncovered in the first chapter. But chances are you will not like Dante at first because of this.. He gets much better! Ages like fine wine! ;)
But that doesn’t stop Savannah, Savvy, our 24 year old American from Georgia from working with the crew. Savvy comes from a wealthy family, her father owns a parts company for race cars and most of her younger years she spent in beauty pageants. But the thing is, beauty pageants were something she never truly wanted. Thus, all her free time was spent with her father learning the ins and outs of race cars. This is how she ends up getting her degree in this subject matter and getting on with Dante’s crew.
Savvy is a gorgeous redhead who instantly catches Dante’s attention and they are caught in a sticky situation. Simultaneously, Max has gotten into trouble with the media. But before the spotlight can cover Max’s issues, the owner decides the best way to squash Max’s story is to have Savvy and Dante fake-date. Since this is all a publicity stunt put on by the owner, they are subjected to fake-date for the entirety of Dante’s final year of racing. Meaning they will spend the next 6 months together. The lines start to blur and what is fake and what is real…
But can Dante overcome his misogynistic views? Can Savvy keep her focus?
By Tamara Lush
Published by Wattpad Books
*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I did not know where this book was going and Wattpad itself gets a bad reputation. However, this book surprised me and I freaking loved it.
This book will really take you through an emotional rollercoaster. There will be moments where you are pissed off at the character and moments when you are swooning - It’s called balance.
Dante is our Male Main Character and he is a 32 year old Italian Race Car driver - and not the kind at NASCAR. He drives through the streets of cities. So yes, Italian is spoken and yes you will swoon!!
Dante is also the best driver and has won 6 championships; however, this will be his last year before he retires. Because he is retiring his team has a younger driver to fill his spot, Max. Max is young and wild. He is constantly getting in trouble and Dante has to use his image to overrule the scandals Max causes. Due to this, Dante is not the biggest fan of Max’s.
But because this sport cannot be done solo, Dante relies heavily on his crew in order for the success of a win. But his life is scrambled when the owner of his crew hires a new female pit member. Dante is irritated with this decision - he has misogynistic views of women being on the crew. There is a reason for why he believes women should stay out of this sport, most of which is uncovered in the first chapter. But chances are you will not like Dante at first because of this.. He gets much better! Ages like fine wine! ;)
But that doesn’t stop Savannah, Savvy, our 24 year old American from Georgia from working with the crew. Savvy comes from a wealthy family, her father owns a parts company for race cars and most of her younger years she spent in beauty pageants. But the thing is, beauty pageants were something she never truly wanted. Thus, all her free time was spent with her father learning the ins and outs of race cars. This is how she ends up getting her degree in this subject matter and getting on with Dante’s crew.
Savvy is a gorgeous redhead who instantly catches Dante’s attention and they are caught in a sticky situation. Simultaneously, Max has gotten into trouble with the media. But before the spotlight can cover Max’s issues, the owner decides the best way to squash Max’s story is to have Savvy and Dante fake-date. Since this is all a publicity stunt put on by the owner, they are subjected to fake-date for the entirety of Dante’s final year of racing. Meaning they will spend the next 6 months together. The lines start to blur and what is fake and what is real…
But can Dante overcome his misogynistic views? Can Savvy keep her focus?
February 11, 2022
Drive
By Tamara Lush
Published by Wattpad Books
*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I did not know where this book was going and Wattpad itself gets a bad reputation. However, this book surprised me and I freaking loved it.
This book will really take you through an emotional rollercoaster. There will be moments where you are pissed off at the character and moments when you are swooning - It’s called balance.
Dante is our Male Main Character and he is a 32 year old Italian Race Car driver - and not the kind at NASCAR. He drives through the streets of cities. So yes, Italian is spoken and yes you will swoon!!
Dante is also the best driver and has won 6 championships; however, this will be his last year before he retires. Because he is retiring his team has a younger driver to fill his spot, Max. Max is young and wild. He is constantly getting in trouble and Dante has to use his image to overrule the scandals Max causes. Due to this, Dante is not the biggest fan of Max’s.
But because this sport cannot be done solo, Dante relies heavily on his crew in order for the success of a win. But his life is scrambled when the owner of his crew hires a new female pit member. Dante is irritated with this decision - he has misogynistic views of women being on the crew. There is a reason for why he believes women should stay out of this sport, most of which is uncovered in the first chapter. But chances are you will not like Dante at first because of this.. He gets much better! Ages like fine wine! ;)
But that doesn’t stop Savannah, Savvy, our 24 year old American from Georgia from working with the crew. Savvy comes from a wealthy family, her father owns a parts company for race cars and most of her younger years she spent in beauty pageants. But the thing is, beauty pageants were something she never truly wanted. Thus, all her free time was spent with her father learning the ins and outs of race cars. This is how she ends up getting her degree in this subject matter and getting on with Dante’s crew.
Savvy is a gorgeous redhead who instantly catches Dante’s attention and they are caught in a sticky situation. Simultaneously, Max has gotten into trouble with the media. But before the spotlight can cover Max’s issues, the owner decides the best way to squash Max’s story is to have Savvy and Dante fake-date. Since this is all a publicity stunt put on by the owner, they are subjected to fake-date for the entirety of Dante’s final year of racing. Meaning they will spend the next 6 months together. The lines start to blur and what is fake and what is real…
But can Dante overcome his misogynistic views? Can Savvy keep her focus?
By Tamara Lush
Published by Wattpad Books
*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I did not know where this book was going and Wattpad itself gets a bad reputation. However, this book surprised me and I freaking loved it.
This book will really take you through an emotional rollercoaster. There will be moments where you are pissed off at the character and moments when you are swooning - It’s called balance.
Dante is our Male Main Character and he is a 32 year old Italian Race Car driver - and not the kind at NASCAR. He drives through the streets of cities. So yes, Italian is spoken and yes you will swoon!!
Dante is also the best driver and has won 6 championships; however, this will be his last year before he retires. Because he is retiring his team has a younger driver to fill his spot, Max. Max is young and wild. He is constantly getting in trouble and Dante has to use his image to overrule the scandals Max causes. Due to this, Dante is not the biggest fan of Max’s.
But because this sport cannot be done solo, Dante relies heavily on his crew in order for the success of a win. But his life is scrambled when the owner of his crew hires a new female pit member. Dante is irritated with this decision - he has misogynistic views of women being on the crew. There is a reason for why he believes women should stay out of this sport, most of which is uncovered in the first chapter. But chances are you will not like Dante at first because of this.. He gets much better! Ages like fine wine! ;)
But that doesn’t stop Savannah, Savvy, our 24 year old American from Georgia from working with the crew. Savvy comes from a wealthy family, her father owns a parts company for race cars and most of her younger years she spent in beauty pageants. But the thing is, beauty pageants were something she never truly wanted. Thus, all her free time was spent with her father learning the ins and outs of race cars. This is how she ends up getting her degree in this subject matter and getting on with Dante’s crew.
Savvy is a gorgeous redhead who instantly catches Dante’s attention and they are caught in a sticky situation. Simultaneously, Max has gotten into trouble with the media. But before the spotlight can cover Max’s issues, the owner decides the best way to squash Max’s story is to have Savvy and Dante fake-date. Since this is all a publicity stunt put on by the owner, they are subjected to fake-date for the entirety of Dante’s final year of racing. Meaning they will spend the next 6 months together. The lines start to blur and what is fake and what is real…
But can Dante overcome his misogynistic views? Can Savvy keep her focus?
January 10, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age range: 18+
Trope: Enemies to Lover, Fake Dating
Spice: 2/5
Overall: 3/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing and Setting: 3/5
Content warning: *spicy scenes, sexism, cultural stereotyping*
The gist of my review:
Flirty, fun and fast! Tamara Lush’s ‘Drive’ will have romance readers in love with Dante and Savannah!
Characters: 2.5/5
I loved Savannah. Savvy is a determined and down to earth young woman who has big plans for not only herself, but also for the future of the sport she loves. I think readers will find her relatable and adorably innocent.
And then there’s Dante….
Dante is hot, sensual, dark and oh so tantalising…but he can be very problematic at times. I think his views about women, especially towards the first half of the book, will grate on some readers’ nerves. He’s very driven and focused on his goals as an athlete, and when his feelings develop for Savvy, he can be a very ‘young’ and loveable character, but I must admit, I didn’t swoon for him as hard as I have for other male love interests.
In addition, there’s a few cultural stereotypes that are presented that I couldn’t help but arch a brow up at. For one, there’s an Australian character in this book. As an Australian myself, I can tell you that it’s not an accurate representation of how we talk.
Second, Dante is expressed as having an Italian background. There were times where Lush used this character’s heritage as an excuse for misogynistic opinions and behaviour. I understand why this kind of stereotype is associated with the culture but I don’t believe it’s exactly reflective on the culture as a whole in a modern sense. There were particular lines used in this book that readers may be unhappy about.
Plot: 3/5
I think the romance plot itself came out as a gripping slow burn, however, the progression of the story and the timeline of events was expressed really quickly.
In other points of the book, I felt like the story became a little repetitive with all of the races and the partying, but I digress, that is the nature of Formula One as a sport.
Writing and Setting: 3/5
In my opinion, the writing in this novel wasn’t all that up to par. I felt like it was a bit juvenile in parts, but the winning point for me was that the author really captured the elements of F1 that only a fan/ avid watcher would know.
Conclusion:
Do I recommend this book? Yea absolutely. The book was an easy read that swept me up in the glitz and glam of the F1 world, and the saucy romance between two very hot characters. It may not be for everyone, but I definitely appreciate the work the Lush has done.
Age range: 18+
Trope: Enemies to Lover, Fake Dating
Spice: 2/5
Overall: 3/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing and Setting: 3/5
Content warning: *spicy scenes, sexism, cultural stereotyping*
The gist of my review:
Flirty, fun and fast! Tamara Lush’s ‘Drive’ will have romance readers in love with Dante and Savannah!
Characters: 2.5/5
I loved Savannah. Savvy is a determined and down to earth young woman who has big plans for not only herself, but also for the future of the sport she loves. I think readers will find her relatable and adorably innocent.
And then there’s Dante….
Dante is hot, sensual, dark and oh so tantalising…but he can be very problematic at times. I think his views about women, especially towards the first half of the book, will grate on some readers’ nerves. He’s very driven and focused on his goals as an athlete, and when his feelings develop for Savvy, he can be a very ‘young’ and loveable character, but I must admit, I didn’t swoon for him as hard as I have for other male love interests.
In addition, there’s a few cultural stereotypes that are presented that I couldn’t help but arch a brow up at. For one, there’s an Australian character in this book. As an Australian myself, I can tell you that it’s not an accurate representation of how we talk.
Second, Dante is expressed as having an Italian background. There were times where Lush used this character’s heritage as an excuse for misogynistic opinions and behaviour. I understand why this kind of stereotype is associated with the culture but I don’t believe it’s exactly reflective on the culture as a whole in a modern sense. There were particular lines used in this book that readers may be unhappy about.
Plot: 3/5
I think the romance plot itself came out as a gripping slow burn, however, the progression of the story and the timeline of events was expressed really quickly.
In other points of the book, I felt like the story became a little repetitive with all of the races and the partying, but I digress, that is the nature of Formula One as a sport.
Writing and Setting: 3/5
In my opinion, the writing in this novel wasn’t all that up to par. I felt like it was a bit juvenile in parts, but the winning point for me was that the author really captured the elements of F1 that only a fan/ avid watcher would know.
Conclusion:
Do I recommend this book? Yea absolutely. The book was an easy read that swept me up in the glitz and glam of the F1 world, and the saucy romance between two very hot characters. It may not be for everyone, but I definitely appreciate the work the Lush has done.
March 16, 2022
It had been several years, since I read something from Tamara Lush. So, when Drive came along on Netgalley. I couldn’t resist.
Whereas the Paradise Beach series takes place on an island, Drive takes you through- out the world. Because Formula World Racing goes from track to track. We meet the spicy Italian Dante, who has a great chance of winning the championship this year. And we have his younger new teammate Max. As a Dutchy, of course I immediately thought of Max Verstappen. Who was last years champion, by the way:)
However, in this story Max is rumoured to have been involved in a theft of car designs. So duh, definitely not’ our’ Max. The team owner therefore, could use some
distractions from these rumors. When the arrogant Dante gets photographed a little bit suggestive with one of the car’s mechanics, he sees a possibility to do just that. Savannah has worked very hard to earn her position as a tire mechanic on the team. Being the first woman working in the Formula world pits crew is hopefully her contribution in getting more gender equality in the pitts.
well, probably not, if the arrogant, stubborn and old fashioned Italian driver Dante has something to say about it. From the first condescending remark, Savvy knows she will hate this guy.
But now, in order to keep her job, she has to pretend that she is his girlfriend. During the season, we can read from both P0V the frustrations, opinions and the mutual attraction. So, maybe there is more to Dante’s blunt refusal to women in the pitts. And maybe there is a reason for Savannah to prove herself in this
men’s world. Sparks are flying, but will Dante and Savannah admit their feelings? Or will they just crash and burn?
Find out for yourself in this great read about lies, deceit and family. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.
Whereas the Paradise Beach series takes place on an island, Drive takes you through- out the world. Because Formula World Racing goes from track to track. We meet the spicy Italian Dante, who has a great chance of winning the championship this year. And we have his younger new teammate Max. As a Dutchy, of course I immediately thought of Max Verstappen. Who was last years champion, by the way:)
However, in this story Max is rumoured to have been involved in a theft of car designs. So duh, definitely not’ our’ Max. The team owner therefore, could use some
distractions from these rumors. When the arrogant Dante gets photographed a little bit suggestive with one of the car’s mechanics, he sees a possibility to do just that. Savannah has worked very hard to earn her position as a tire mechanic on the team. Being the first woman working in the Formula world pits crew is hopefully her contribution in getting more gender equality in the pitts.
well, probably not, if the arrogant, stubborn and old fashioned Italian driver Dante has something to say about it. From the first condescending remark, Savvy knows she will hate this guy.
But now, in order to keep her job, she has to pretend that she is his girlfriend. During the season, we can read from both P0V the frustrations, opinions and the mutual attraction. So, maybe there is more to Dante’s blunt refusal to women in the pitts. And maybe there is a reason for Savannah to prove herself in this
men’s world. Sparks are flying, but will Dante and Savannah admit their feelings? Or will they just crash and burn?
Find out for yourself in this great read about lies, deceit and family. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.
March 8, 2022
As a lifelong fan of both car racing and romance novels, I really thought I’d enjoy this book a lot more than I did. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every Wattpad title I’ve reviewed in the past nine months or so, but this book really let me down in just about every way possible.
I don’t think I’ve read a contemporary romance novel like this where I was supposed to like the main male character and yet I couldn’t stand him at all. I found Dante utterly contemptible in a way that outstrips the hatred I feel for male main characters in other sports romances or in bully romances. He’s not only a stereotypical chauvinist (which is offensive in and of itself): he’s utterly stupid, too. Don’t get me started on Savannah, who’s supposed to be smart but crumples like a paper bag every time Dante winks at her. She has absolutely no backbone to speak of.
I don’t actually think I cared for almost any of the characters in this book. Don’t get me started on the American team owner from California who doesn’t speak like any corporate bigwig I’ve ever known would speak. I’m from California. Not even I speak with so many “dude”’s in my sentences.
The stereotypes are just so large and offensive in this book. The only thing that kept me going was the racing. I love racing. And the descriptions of that were pretty okay. The spice was all right. But if you’re looking to fall in love with the characters, this isn’t the book for you.
Thanks to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.
(This review was posted to NG before publication date. I have waited a week to post to GR & BB out of respect for publisher & author. I will not be publishing this review to social media.)
I don’t think I’ve read a contemporary romance novel like this where I was supposed to like the main male character and yet I couldn’t stand him at all. I found Dante utterly contemptible in a way that outstrips the hatred I feel for male main characters in other sports romances or in bully romances. He’s not only a stereotypical chauvinist (which is offensive in and of itself): he’s utterly stupid, too. Don’t get me started on Savannah, who’s supposed to be smart but crumples like a paper bag every time Dante winks at her. She has absolutely no backbone to speak of.
I don’t actually think I cared for almost any of the characters in this book. Don’t get me started on the American team owner from California who doesn’t speak like any corporate bigwig I’ve ever known would speak. I’m from California. Not even I speak with so many “dude”’s in my sentences.
The stereotypes are just so large and offensive in this book. The only thing that kept me going was the racing. I love racing. And the descriptions of that were pretty okay. The spice was all right. But if you’re looking to fall in love with the characters, this isn’t the book for you.
Thanks to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.
(This review was posted to NG before publication date. I have waited a week to post to GR & BB out of respect for publisher & author. I will not be publishing this review to social media.)
June 27, 2024
DNF at 27%
Where do I even start with this one? I was going to DNF sooner, but wanted to get through the first race to find out if they put softs on for a wet race based on a line in one of the first couple of chapters (I didn’t because the race was barely talked about).
The MMC was wildly misogynistic and used a tragedy with his sister to justify it. I would hope he gets better as the book progresses, but I didn’t want to read through any more to find out. Not to mention - several of the other men in this book are just as bad, if not worse. I get that it’s probably trying to highlight how difficult it can be to be a woman in motorsport, but it was poorly done.
The research done for this book had to have been minimal or nonexistent. A perfect pit stop at 3 seconds (average fastest tends to be around 2), discussion of using soft tires in the rain, a degree from her school that doesn’t exist, the MMC trying to set a world record that’s already been set by others mentioned in the book, using soft tires for over 50 LAPS only to switch to hards for the last leg of the race….. I’m sure this is more of a personal issue because I came into this with F1 knowledge, but I had hoped at least some effort would’ve been put into this. I can only imagine it’s not any better for the remaining 63% of the book.
And the American team being named Team Eagle? I mean… be serious…
Overall, the clear lack of F1 research and the rampant misogyny made this book unbearable.
(Also - this is a bit petty of me, but having the Georgia-native FMC go to uga for engineering when she could’ve gone to Georgia Tech - a school that has some of the top-rated engineering programs in the country…. the GT grad in me was appalled.)
Where do I even start with this one? I was going to DNF sooner, but wanted to get through the first race to find out if they put softs on for a wet race based on a line in one of the first couple of chapters (I didn’t because the race was barely talked about).
The MMC was wildly misogynistic and used a tragedy with his sister to justify it. I would hope he gets better as the book progresses, but I didn’t want to read through any more to find out. Not to mention - several of the other men in this book are just as bad, if not worse. I get that it’s probably trying to highlight how difficult it can be to be a woman in motorsport, but it was poorly done.
The research done for this book had to have been minimal or nonexistent. A perfect pit stop at 3 seconds (average fastest tends to be around 2), discussion of using soft tires in the rain, a degree from her school that doesn’t exist, the MMC trying to set a world record that’s already been set by others mentioned in the book, using soft tires for over 50 LAPS only to switch to hards for the last leg of the race….. I’m sure this is more of a personal issue because I came into this with F1 knowledge, but I had hoped at least some effort would’ve been put into this. I can only imagine it’s not any better for the remaining 63% of the book.
And the American team being named Team Eagle? I mean… be serious…
Overall, the clear lack of F1 research and the rampant misogyny made this book unbearable.
(Also - this is a bit petty of me, but having the Georgia-native FMC go to uga for engineering when she could’ve gone to Georgia Tech - a school that has some of the top-rated engineering programs in the country…. the GT grad in me was appalled.)
February 4, 2022
This book was a pleasant surprise! As someone who has made it their life's mission to read every F1 book they can get their hands on, I've read a lot of duds. And I'm happy to report that this one isn't a dud.
The premise was interesting - Dante is SO against women being on his team, Savvy has a lot to prove, and I love a fake relationship. It was a slow burn for the first half, and I think the tension was built up really well between the two of them. Fans of steamy romances will definitely enjoy this one.
I tend to be more of a fan of emotional romances, and I think that's where this book fell a bit short for me. Both Savvy and Dante had great set ups for emotional strife, but I don't feel like we got great insight into their feelings and how those changed over the course of the book. I would have preferred more angst, especially towards the end, and I just don't feel like it was there. At times, it felt like we were just hitting the beats needed for a romance (the third act breakup felt especially contrived and the reveal about their relationship truly came out of nowhere ). Also, Dante had a real issue with not listening to Savvy and her desires about her career, and I thought it was just brushed under the rug at the end in order to wrap things up.
I think I would recommend this to people who are looking for a quick, steamy read, and maybe to F1 fans who are looking for more books within the subgenre.
The premise was interesting - Dante is SO against women being on his team, Savvy has a lot to prove, and I love a fake relationship. It was a slow burn for the first half, and I think the tension was built up really well between the two of them. Fans of steamy romances will definitely enjoy this one.
I tend to be more of a fan of emotional romances, and I think that's where this book fell a bit short for me. Both Savvy and Dante had great set ups for emotional strife, but I don't feel like we got great insight into their feelings and how those changed over the course of the book. I would have preferred more angst, especially towards the end, and I just don't feel like it was there. At times, it felt like we were just hitting the beats needed for a romance (the third act breakup felt especially contrived and the reveal about their relationship truly came out of nowhere ). Also, Dante had a real issue with not listening to Savvy and her desires about her career, and I thought it was just brushed under the rug at the end in order to wrap things up.
I think I would recommend this to people who are looking for a quick, steamy read, and maybe to F1 fans who are looking for more books within the subgenre.
April 16, 2022
Savannah Jenkins is a strong southern woman with a passion for racing and a desire to break barriers as a female tire mechanic in professional racing. She's worked hard too hard to get a position on a Formula 1 racing team to be intimidated or scared away by an arrogant racecar driver. Savvy is ready to go toe to toe with Dante Annunziata, an Italian racing legacy and the driver she needs to trust her, to defend her spot on the team. But when the two of them are caught in a seemingly compromising position and forced into a fake relationship to keep their jobs, will their competitiveness see them through to the final finish line or will their passion cause them to combust?
This is a solid contemporary sports romance read with the tropes of forced proximity and fake relationship. There is a good amount of tension and teasing between Savvy and Dante. I was a little annoyed by the arrogance and chauvinism of Dante, it is very much part of his story arc and made a little more bearable since Savvy always calls him out and as a reader you know a bit more about where he's coming from. I haven't read many sports novels set in the racing world and it was a fun peak into that scene. Not a standout favorite amongst my 2022 romance reads at this point, but a good read and would definitely recommend to fans of these tropes.
This is a solid contemporary sports romance read with the tropes of forced proximity and fake relationship. There is a good amount of tension and teasing between Savvy and Dante. I was a little annoyed by the arrogance and chauvinism of Dante, it is very much part of his story arc and made a little more bearable since Savvy always calls him out and as a reader you know a bit more about where he's coming from. I haven't read many sports novels set in the racing world and it was a fun peak into that scene. Not a standout favorite amongst my 2022 romance reads at this point, but a good read and would definitely recommend to fans of these tropes.
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