iggyebab's review against another edition
1.0
This book was not good.
The characters were cardboard cut outs of people who come from the south and race cars.
The dialogue was so irritating and all of the thrown in drama was uncalled for. There was no reason for the first separation and there was no real apology from the idiot who caused the problem.
This book felt very high school but on a race track and a bit like the author spun a wheel to find what surprise event could mess up the repaired relationship.
The characters were cardboard cut outs of people who come from the south and race cars.
The dialogue was so irritating and all of the thrown in drama was uncalled for. There was no reason for the first separation and there was no real apology from the idiot who caused the problem.
This book felt very high school but on a race track and a bit like the author spun a wheel to find what surprise event could mess up the repaired relationship.
sandylovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a great book. I think the best in the Fast Track series. My heart felt like it was tossed around with all the things the main characters had to deal with.
tlandrews's review against another edition
2.0
I think I can officially say I am done with this series. In fact I don't really even recommend it after book 2. I liked Evan and Kendall, but they were too sappy sweet with each other and there really wasn't any conflict between then from pretty early on in the book. The conflict that the author created near the end of the book pissed me off. There was just no need for that to happen. Totally turned me off to the book.
witandsin's review against another edition
1.0
Stock car driver Kendall Holbrook is one hundred percent focused on making it to the top. She can’t afford any distractions, partly because she’s one of the few women in the sport. And Evan Monroe is a BIG distraction. Not only is he a fellow competitor, Evan broke her heart a decade ago. Kendall is determined to avoid him, but when circumstances land them in a co-sponsorship for his-and-hers deodorants, Kendall knows it won’t be long before her heart is at risk of being run over once more. Because Evan seems determined to win her back – and there’s no stock car fast enough for Kendall to speed away from a second chance with her first love.
Erin McCarthy definitely delivers a first for me in The Chase. Never have I finished a romance wondering how long it will be before the hero and heroine get a divorce. Kendall and Evan start out the book victims of a ten year misunderstanding which is almost silly, but forgivable considering the fact that they were teenagers when they first broke each other’s hearts. Unfortunately, once a simple conversation clears the air, they seem to go right back into teenager mode, hormones and attitude and all. The Chase is filled with sex and arguments, but, thankfully it picks up and starts to get better. I grew to like Kendall and Evan and was hopeful The Chase would finish strong.
Boy, was I wrong.
I won’t spoil it for readers who still wish to give The Chase a try, but I will say that Ms. McCarthy throws in a twist that is so ridiculous and unnecessary, you’ll want to throw the book. If the “surprise” weren’t bad enough, Evan’s reaction to it likely will sour you to the story. There simply isn’t a firm enough resolution to the plot thread to redeem The Chase. I finished The Chase wondering if Kendall will only be in Evan’s thoughts so long as a certain other woman isn’t in his line of vision. Not quite the ending that satisfies me as a romance reader.
I’ve loved the fun and sexy Fast Track series, but for me, The Chase is a fiery wreck of a tale. I’ll be giving the next Fast Track book, Slow Ride, a try, in the hopes that Ms. McCarthy features Kendall and Evan heavily. The pair of them could definitely use more page time to convince me they’ll get their happily ever after. If you’re looking for a satisfying, red-hot romance in the world of stock car racing, skip The Chase and read Ms. McCarthy’s other Fast Track books (Flat-Out Sexy, Hard and Fast, and Hot Finish) instead.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Erin McCarthy definitely delivers a first for me in The Chase. Never have I finished a romance wondering how long it will be before the hero and heroine get a divorce. Kendall and Evan start out the book victims of a ten year misunderstanding which is almost silly, but forgivable considering the fact that they were teenagers when they first broke each other’s hearts. Unfortunately, once a simple conversation clears the air, they seem to go right back into teenager mode, hormones and attitude and all. The Chase is filled with sex and arguments, but, thankfully it picks up and starts to get better. I grew to like Kendall and Evan and was hopeful The Chase would finish strong.
Boy, was I wrong.
I won’t spoil it for readers who still wish to give The Chase a try, but I will say that Ms. McCarthy throws in a twist that is so ridiculous and unnecessary, you’ll want to throw the book. If the “surprise” weren’t bad enough, Evan’s reaction to it likely will sour you to the story. There simply isn’t a firm enough resolution to the plot thread to redeem The Chase. I finished The Chase wondering if Kendall will only be in Evan’s thoughts so long as a certain other woman isn’t in his line of vision. Not quite the ending that satisfies me as a romance reader.
I’ve loved the fun and sexy Fast Track series, but for me, The Chase is a fiery wreck of a tale. I’ll be giving the next Fast Track book, Slow Ride, a try, in the hopes that Ms. McCarthy features Kendall and Evan heavily. The pair of them could definitely use more page time to convince me they’ll get their happily ever after. If you’re looking for a satisfying, red-hot romance in the world of stock car racing, skip The Chase and read Ms. McCarthy’s other Fast Track books (Flat-Out Sexy, Hard and Fast, and Hot Finish) instead.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very good. For the most part. I really enjoyed most of the novel. There was something at the end that just didn't sit well with me at all and made the book go to hell in a hand basket, but I will get to that in a bit.
I never really thought much about Evan (Aven, anyone?) in the previous three books, but I was pleasantly surprised by him in this book. I actually really like him, and I thought he was utterly adorable. He was really sexy, too. Which sucked because I couldn't seem to picture him sexy! Whenever I pictured Evan in my head, I kept thinking of Evan from the television show Royal Pains.
Adorable but not sexy to picture naked!
Kendall I loved in the beginning. I really did. She was awesome, especially after the 10-year miscommunication between her and Evan was cleared up. I didn't start having a negative opinion about her until The Event At The End That Pissed Me Off. But we'll get to that in a moment, as I said before.
I absolutely love Tuesday, and I think that there is a real possibility that she will become my absolute favorite female of the series. I cannot wait to read her book when it comes out in October.
Finally, I will discuss The Event At The End That Pissed Me Off. Be warned: there will be spoilers in this paragraph and I am not hiding them. So, with about fifty pages left in the book, Kendall and Evan get married. Cool. Whatever. That didn't make me mad. A few pages later, we find out that Evan got a girl pregnant five months before. Also didn't make me mad. What made me mad about the baby thing:
1.) I felt like the pregnancy thing was just thrown into the story in order to cause conflict and drama between Kendall and Evan. Because, clearly, the fact that they impulsively jumped into marriage after barely getting to know each other after a ten year separation and "dating" for only a month was not enough of an issue. Now we just have to throw a paternity issue into the mix! That is the solution to too much happiness!
2.) It was almost exactly what happened to Elec (Evan's younger brother) in Flat-Out Sexy. The only difference is that Evan actually was the baby daddy and Elec was not.
3.) This is the thing that bothered me the most about the baby bomb: Kendall's reaction. I think that Kendall was being extremely childish about the whole thing. She was so gung-ho to get married so now she has to act like a married person. How about, gee, I don't know, actually talking to your husband instead of being a baby, locking yourself in your bedroom, making him sleep on the couch, and then ignoring and avoiding him. Yeah, you are real mature. Fucking idiot. All she had to do was talk to Evan about it. He made mistakes in his past and she made mistakes in hers. Instead of holding it against him and pushing him away, she needs to pull on her fucking Big Girl Panties and have a rational discussion with her partner about how they are going to deal with the situation.
Overall, I think that the book was pretty good. I mean, the baby thing pissed me off, but I really, truly enjoyed the book before that and liked it again once Evan and Kendall finally worked the damn situation out. However, the baby thing left a bad taste in my mouth, or mind as it were, taking the starage down one.
I never really thought much about Evan (Aven, anyone?) in the previous three books, but I was pleasantly surprised by him in this book. I actually really like him, and I thought he was utterly adorable. He was really sexy, too. Which sucked because I couldn't seem to picture him sexy! Whenever I pictured Evan in my head, I kept thinking of Evan from the television show Royal Pains.
Adorable but not sexy to picture naked!
Kendall I loved in the beginning. I really did. She was awesome, especially after the 10-year miscommunication between her and Evan was cleared up. I didn't start having a negative opinion about her until The Event At The End That Pissed Me Off. But we'll get to that in a moment, as I said before.
I absolutely love Tuesday, and I think that there is a real possibility that she will become my absolute favorite female of the series. I cannot wait to read her book when it comes out in October.
Finally, I will discuss The Event At The End That Pissed Me Off. Be warned: there will be spoilers in this paragraph and I am not hiding them. So, with about fifty pages left in the book, Kendall and Evan get married. Cool. Whatever. That didn't make me mad. A few pages later, we find out that Evan got a girl pregnant five months before. Also didn't make me mad. What made me mad about the baby thing:
1.) I felt like the pregnancy thing was just thrown into the story in order to cause conflict and drama between Kendall and Evan. Because, clearly, the fact that they impulsively jumped into marriage after barely getting to know each other after a ten year separation and "dating" for only a month was not enough of an issue. Now we just have to throw a paternity issue into the mix! That is the solution to too much happiness!
2.) It was almost exactly what happened to Elec (Evan's younger brother) in Flat-Out Sexy. The only difference is that Evan actually was the baby daddy and Elec was not.
3.) This is the thing that bothered me the most about the baby bomb: Kendall's reaction. I think that Kendall was being extremely childish about the whole thing. She was so gung-ho to get married so now she has to act like a married person. How about, gee, I don't know, actually talking to your husband instead of being a baby, locking yourself in your bedroom, making him sleep on the couch, and then ignoring and avoiding him. Yeah, you are real mature. Fucking idiot. All she had to do was talk to Evan about it. He made mistakes in his past and she made mistakes in hers. Instead of holding it against him and pushing him away, she needs to pull on her fucking Big Girl Panties and have a rational discussion with her partner about how they are going to deal with the situation.
Overall, I think that the book was pretty good. I mean, the baby thing pissed me off, but I really, truly enjoyed the book before that and liked it again once Evan and Kendall finally worked the damn situation out. However, the baby thing left a bad taste in my mouth, or mind as it were, taking the starage down one.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
3.0
Strong points of this book:
I liked Evan. I was afraid he was going to play the immature jerk with Kendall, so it was refreshing for him to be willing to let go of the past and move forward. His decision toward the end of the book about his future also felt mature and thoughtful.
I liked that the couple actually talked through the past in a rational way and resolved the long-standing hurt. It didn't make things perfect, but it cleared the air and allowed each to move forward without the pain. Thank you, Ms. McCarthy, for that piece of sanity.
The writing is better than average for the most part. There were a few "what the heck?" moments, but overall enjoyable to read.
Weak points:
I liked Kendall well enough. She isn't my favorite heroine because the readers never really get to know her. She's a 2-dimensional character throughout the book.
The resolution at the end really wasn't a resolution. There are a lot of unanswered questions. The author changed both characters too fast, making them act out-of-character. She also changed the personality of a small but key figure in the book, from an insipid bimbo to a thoughtful student. Hmmm.
I didn't mind the twist at the end that other readers have complained about, but it's irritating to me that it wasn't better resolved. The author might be addressing it further in the next book, but since it won't be Evan and Kendall's story, the focus won't be on how this issue works out.
Lastly, although the sex scenes are well-done, there are simply too many of them. They take over the book, leaving a lot less time for character development and plot. Plus, in previous books (esp the one with Ty and Imogen) the sex scenes were important to the character development, but in this book the scenes were fairly generic. In other words you could take the scenes and change the names and put them almost verbatim into another book.
I liked Evan. I was afraid he was going to play the immature jerk with Kendall, so it was refreshing for him to be willing to let go of the past and move forward. His decision toward the end of the book about his future also felt mature and thoughtful.
I liked that the couple actually talked through the past in a rational way and resolved the long-standing hurt. It didn't make things perfect, but it cleared the air and allowed each to move forward without the pain. Thank you, Ms. McCarthy, for that piece of sanity.
The writing is better than average for the most part. There were a few "what the heck?" moments, but overall enjoyable to read.
Weak points:
I liked Kendall well enough. She isn't my favorite heroine because the readers never really get to know her. She's a 2-dimensional character throughout the book.
The resolution at the end really wasn't a resolution. There are a lot of unanswered questions. The author changed both characters too fast, making them act out-of-character. She also changed the personality of a small but key figure in the book, from an insipid bimbo to a thoughtful student. Hmmm.
I didn't mind the twist at the end that other readers have complained about, but it's irritating to me that it wasn't better resolved. The author might be addressing it further in the next book, but since it won't be Evan and Kendall's story, the focus won't be on how this issue works out.
Lastly, although the sex scenes are well-done, there are simply too many of them. They take over the book, leaving a lot less time for character development and plot. Plus, in previous books (esp the one with Ty and Imogen) the sex scenes were important to the character development, but in this book the scenes were fairly generic. In other words you could take the scenes and change the names and put them almost verbatim into another book.
gen_theromancenerd's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this novel, however it got a 3 because the ending just seemed unfinished to me. "I bet the momma duck can change a tire faster..." Really? is that how we end things?
yche09's review against another edition
3.0
I think their love story is really good in a way (i mean, hey, they were apart for ten years just because of some petty misunderstanding and then bam! ten years later they're together!).. but.. this book left me asking.. was that it? uhhhh i feel like the twist/confict in the end part was just thrown in (just to have one). And then the book feels like there's a cliff hanger when reallly.. there's none. errr.. i loved the first 3 books. Why am i not liking this? i hope the next book comes out strong.
sassygremlin's review against another edition
3.0
Really? Seriously?
I ejoyed this book, as I'm enjoying the series, but I just can't help repeating those two words over and over as I'm reading. This reads very much like a soap opera, but I can't stop reading because I just have to know what train wreck is going to happen next.
It's addicting. Like that pint of Ben&Jerry's you know you shouldn't eat and tell yourself you're only going to have a spoonful of and five minutes later, you're staring at the bottom of the container.
That's the way I feel at the end of these books. Without the ice cream induced nausea.
If Tuesday or Eve get knocked up I may just have a seizure.
I ejoyed this book, as I'm enjoying the series, but I just can't help repeating those two words over and over as I'm reading.
Spoiler
First some bimbo tries to trap Elec by saying she got knocked up (which we all know is crap since he's, you know, shootin' blanks), then Ryder knocks Suzanne up (AGAIN) after they find out they weren't actually divorced two years ago (I would so ask that lawyer to give me my money back), then some chick that Evan slept with once pops up out of no where with a baby bump right after he gets married.It's addicting. Like that pint of Ben&Jerry's you know you shouldn't eat and tell yourself you're only going to have a spoonful of and five minutes later, you're staring at the bottom of the container.
That's the way I feel at the end of these books. Without the ice cream induced nausea.
If Tuesday or Eve get knocked up I may just have a seizure.
andiabcs's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite of the series, but I did really like Evan and Kendall as a couple. They were real and easy to connect with. I also liked the message of second chances and fighting for what you want. And the way all the other characters, there are a lot now, were pulled in was spot on. All in all an entertaining, fast read. Look forward to the next two in the series.