smitch29's review
4.0
3.9
Overall, I thought the story was really solid and well done. It straddled the line between being sweet and edgy. I would've liked to see a bit more intrigue to the plot, but it still held strong as a well rounded story.
In the first book, Leandro Silva was depicted a ladies man, racing star. In this book, he is still hooking up with a lot of women and drinking plenty, but it's more as a coping mechanism. He was in a car crash on the race track that left him reeling with how to handle things. He's physically recovered, but he can't seem to get past his mild PTSD. It's why leads him to go see Dr. India Harris. He was more or less threatened with losing his job if he doesn't get back on the track in a few months since he's getting paid to be a driver. However, for as much as India is helping him recover mentally, there is a lot of sexual tension between the two and it creates some problems for their professional relationship as well. If India returns any of Leandro's advances it's grounds for her disbarment from clinical psychology. She has worked hard to get where she is, after becoming pregnant as a teenager, helping send her baby-daddy to jail (since he was 30 and a care-giver at her foster/group home she lived in), and then working her butt off to go to school and earn a living for her and her son. She had the help and support of her twin brother, Kitt, who's lived with them and been a huge part of their lives. India tries to keep all of this fairly private from her patients but things get complicated when she sees Leandro out at a restaurant and her date spills most of her secrets unknowingly to a patient. For Leandro, he sees it as an opportunity to get to know more about India and it doesn't deter him for a second. Since they already have good chemistry, it makes it hard for India to deny Leandro when he also starts caring about her son and treating him well. However, after things come to a head, India realizes that can't cross lines with him and stops everything. She's no longer flirting with him and she's no longer treating him as a patient. They just no longer have any relationship. She can just risk her job and her family's security for a fling with a hot guy. Leandro goes on his way and rejoins the Prix tour at the start of the next season. All his traveling helps keep them separate and fairly distracted. Until he's back in England and fulfills a promise to India's son to have tickets to the local Prix. It pushes them back together and makes them realize that the feelings from before are still there. They have to decide if what's between them is worth the hassle of juggling their careers and mixed schedules. Plus there's the added conflict of India's past coming back to stalk her when her baby-daddy is causing trouble.
Like I mentioned, this book was good. It wasn't amazing or probably anything I will revisit, but it was still a fine read. My biggest issues were just the lack of real conflict. It seemed more like speedbumps that got in the way every now and then, but didn't offer any real intrigue. When the story began with Leandro's PTSD and their forbidden romance issues, I was excited because both plot lines provided a lot of potential, however it didn't take long for those to sputter out. Especially the PTSD part. That seemed to get swept under the rug a bit and was almost just a tool to push the characters together in a plausible way than any real conflict, so that was disappointing it was presented with more intrigue. Then the only other real conflict beyond just the romance storyline (which has an obvious ending in his genre), was India's son's father. He got out of prison early and was the cause of some trouble once he was out. It did provide some real excitement, but it ended up feeling underwhelming by the time I was done with it all.
Honestly, I can't really complain about this book on a technical level (hence the rounded-up rating), but I just don't think it was stylistically for me. I like a little more drama and excitement. It helps keep me captivated otherwise most romance stories just aren't very different from one another. The mood of the romance itself was also a bit too realistically bland for me. Only the beginning held exciting and angst but then the plot just carried a desolate (when they were separated but still thinking of one another) or just sweet happiness (when they were together and no more issues for their romance) tones.
The book would hint from time to time that India's brother deserved a great girl for himself. And in the end/epilogue it's revealed that he does get a happy ending that he made his fate a bit difficult but in the end it all worked out. It felt like it was open for another book in the series, so I'll be on the lookout for how that one turns out.
Overall, I thought the story was really solid and well done. It straddled the line between being sweet and edgy. I would've liked to see a bit more intrigue to the plot, but it still held strong as a well rounded story.
In the first book, Leandro Silva was depicted a ladies man, racing star. In this book, he is still hooking up with a lot of women and drinking plenty, but it's more as a coping mechanism. He was in a car crash on the race track that left him reeling with how to handle things. He's physically recovered, but he can't seem to get past his mild PTSD. It's why leads him to go see Dr. India Harris. He was more or less threatened with losing his job if he doesn't get back on the track in a few months since he's getting paid to be a driver. However, for as much as India is helping him recover mentally, there is a lot of sexual tension between the two and it creates some problems for their professional relationship as well. If India returns any of Leandro's advances it's grounds for her disbarment from clinical psychology. She has worked hard to get where she is, after becoming pregnant as a teenager, helping send her baby-daddy to jail (since he was 30 and a care-giver at her foster/group home she lived in), and then working her butt off to go to school and earn a living for her and her son. She had the help and support of her twin brother, Kitt, who's lived with them and been a huge part of their lives. India tries to keep all of this fairly private from her patients but things get complicated when she sees Leandro out at a restaurant and her date spills most of her secrets unknowingly to a patient. For Leandro, he sees it as an opportunity to get to know more about India and it doesn't deter him for a second. Since they already have good chemistry, it makes it hard for India to deny Leandro when he also starts caring about her son and treating him well. However, after things come to a head, India realizes that can't cross lines with him and stops everything. She's no longer flirting with him and she's no longer treating him as a patient. They just no longer have any relationship. She can just risk her job and her family's security for a fling with a hot guy. Leandro goes on his way and rejoins the Prix tour at the start of the next season. All his traveling helps keep them separate and fairly distracted. Until he's back in England and fulfills a promise to India's son to have tickets to the local Prix. It pushes them back together and makes them realize that the feelings from before are still there. They have to decide if what's between them is worth the hassle of juggling their careers and mixed schedules. Plus there's the added conflict of India's past coming back to stalk her when her baby-daddy is causing trouble.
Like I mentioned, this book was good. It wasn't amazing or probably anything I will revisit, but it was still a fine read. My biggest issues were just the lack of real conflict. It seemed more like speedbumps that got in the way every now and then, but didn't offer any real intrigue. When the story began with Leandro's PTSD and their forbidden romance issues, I was excited because both plot lines provided a lot of potential, however it didn't take long for those to sputter out. Especially the PTSD part. That seemed to get swept under the rug a bit and was almost just a tool to push the characters together in a plausible way than any real conflict, so that was disappointing it was presented with more intrigue. Then the only other real conflict beyond just the romance storyline (which has an obvious ending in his genre), was India's son's father. He got out of prison early and was the cause of some trouble once he was out. It did provide some real excitement, but it ended up feeling underwhelming by the time I was done with it all.
Honestly, I can't really complain about this book on a technical level (hence the rounded-up rating), but I just don't think it was stylistically for me. I like a little more drama and excitement. It helps keep me captivated otherwise most romance stories just aren't very different from one another. The mood of the romance itself was also a bit too realistically bland for me. Only the beginning held exciting and angst but then the plot just carried a desolate (when they were separated but still thinking of one another) or just sweet happiness (when they were together and no more issues for their romance) tones.
The book would hint from time to time that India's brother deserved a great girl for himself. And in the end/epilogue it's revealed that he does get a happy ending that he made his fate a bit difficult but in the end it all worked out. It felt like it was open for another book in the series, so I'll be on the lookout for how that one turns out.
daryann's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
klaraperko's review
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rockchick's review
3.0
India and Leandro had great chemistry.
Leandro is recovering from a car crash that happened during one of the competitions he participates in. He has trouble driving again after the crash. He goes to India for consultation and things between them heat up.
India tries to fight it, but its no use, especially when her son meets Leandro and the two become fast friends.
India is a single mother who was used as a teen and she is weary of love, but Leandro shows her what a good man brings to a relationship.
They do break ethical rules but love and the family they built is more important for them.
Leandro is recovering from a car crash that happened during one of the competitions he participates in. He has trouble driving again after the crash. He goes to India for consultation and things between them heat up.
India tries to fight it, but its no use, especially when her son meets Leandro and the two become fast friends.
India is a single mother who was used as a teen and she is weary of love, but Leandro shows her what a good man brings to a relationship.
They do break ethical rules but love and the family they built is more important for them.
rlp78's review
5.0
I loved this. I loved that India behaved like an adult. There was a situation where I was really thinking it was going to go a different way but India behaved exactly the way you would expect a grown up who happened to be a therapist to behave. Loved this so much. Plus I loved Carrick and Andi's prime role in this book.
nicola_cosgrove's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
zubsbooks's review
I had to DNF because I’m a therapist and the amount of unethical behavior had me fucked up. I loved the first book and I think if you weren’t a therapist this one would prob be super enjoyable!! Just couldn’t look past it for me.
nesita's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5