THRILL OF THE CHASE

Author: Christina Crooks ISBN: 1594146705 11/2007 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: FIVE STAR EXPRESSIONS

"Second place is the first loser." So says Sarah Matell, a heroine who wants nothing more than to wrench on cars and race with the guys. As a talented and determined supervisor in her father's automotive speed shop, she's a whiz at tuning race engines. Winning races also comes easily to her. What isn't easy is winning Craig Keller, local drag race hero. He only has eyes for gorgeous women who are hot in the sack, not grubby tomboys who are fast on the track. Sarah's world gets an overhaul when her father hires Gordon Devine. The buttoned-up businessman yanks control of the shop from Sarah, a girl he considers spoiled and irresponsible. The poised professional's stubbornness matches Sarah's own, but surprisingly, so does his skill under the hood of a racecar. Soon she's torn not only between two men she wants, but between the drag race winner she is and the more commonplace woman she feels pressured to become.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THRILL OF THE CHASE by Christina Crooks is a contemporary romance with twist-one that begins and ends behind the wheel of a drag race car. Sarah's first love is cars, her second is Craig, a local hero who loves cars and women more than he does Sarah. When Gordon Devine, a handsome businessman her father brings into the family auto shop, arrives on the scene, life changes drastically for everyone. The triangle emerges, sparks fly and rubber burns as Sarah tries to sort out her tangled feelings for both men.

This is an age-old tale. Three lovers trying to decide who will couple up and who will move forward to find another. What's different about this story is the way it's told. Christina Crooks writes an excellent tale with a smart, albeit confused, heroine and a self-assured, intelligent hero. I won't let on who gets the girl in this story, but I will say that I was perfectly satisfied with the way THRILL OF THE CHASE ends. I loved the father in this, especially when he subtly forces Sarah to examine her heart. The evolution of this heroine is a pleasure to watch.

THRILL OF THE CHASE is a book worth reading. It's a fast-paced, fun-filled ride, one that won't be quickly forgotten!

Kay James