faustin2nd's review against another edition
4.0
I liked Diesel and Tuesday because they were imperfect. And I find that I relate with imperfect characters. Gorgeous, but still imperfect. It was certainly better than the last two books. In fact this book convinced me to go look for the next one.
Erin's writing was good, but was up with the confusing surnames? Is it Richards? Reynolds? An editor should've picked that up.
But all in all, it was entertaining. The exchanges between Tuesday and Diesel seemed real, less scripted. Usually when I read such books I try to predict what the characters will say but in this case they always surprised me. I liked that they were vastly different people, but so very compatible. I was convinced that they really loved each other.
Erin's writing was good, but was up with the confusing surnames? Is it Richards? Reynolds? An editor should've picked that up.
But all in all, it was entertaining. The exchanges between Tuesday and Diesel seemed real, less scripted. Usually when I read such books I try to predict what the characters will say but in this case they always surprised me. I liked that they were vastly different people, but so very compatible. I was convinced that they really loved each other.
elliefufu's review against another edition
3.0
Slow Ride, Fast Track Series #5, by Erin McCarthy
Grade: C+
“I think you have a tapeworm. It’s the only explanation for how you can eat so much and be so damn skinny.”
“That’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Tuesday Jones grew up in the stock car racing world. Her father was a very respectable racing journalist and she runs her own Tuesday Talladega racing gossip blog. When her father passes away from cancer after being diagnosed only six months before Tuesday is devastated. At her father’s funeral she runs into Daniel “Diesel” Lange, an ex-driver, and her comforts her when no one else can. Imagine her surprise when she runs into him four weeks later at her best friend’s wedding. Tuesday is shocked at how easy it is to be around Diesel but even that might not be enough for this tough girl who is grieving so badly.
Two years ago Diesel Lange was at the top of the stock car racing world but all of that changed when the car he was driving crashed into a wall and he almost lost his life. Diesel now lives a quiet life restoring old cars and mostly keeping to himself. Since the accident he has found it hard to meet women and most find his quiet nature boring until he meets Tuesday Jones. Tuesday is a spitfire and full of energy despite the obvious pain she is in over her father’s death. The chemistry is amazing between the two but that might not be enough for two people who are both dealing with some much pain and who are both so afraid to love again.
Slow Ride is the fifth book in Erin McCarthy’s Fast track series and the only book that I have read in the series. I have heard very good things about this series and as a fan of sports themed romance novels I was very excited to read it but I found myself a little disappointed. Diesel is an ex-stock car driver and Tuesday is a blogger of the sport so most of the book takes place off the track and isn’t as sports orientated as I’ve heard the others in the series are. I still enjoyed the book but I really wanted more racing then was given.
When starting this book Tuesday’s father has just died and she is at his funeral. This is a very sad time in her life and I was very surprised at how well Mrs. McCarthy let Tuesday grieve fro her father but also let her still be her fun, sassy self. The balance between Tuesday self-destructing because of her pain and the great romance that grows between her and Diesel was very well written and balanced perfectly. I loved the banter between Tuesday and Diesel. It was very snarky and sarcastic but still funny and sweet.
My biggest problem with the book was how quickly Tuesday and Diesel fall in love. They meet at her father’s funeral then reunite four weeks later at her best friend’s wedding. After that they are almost inseparable for the next three weeks and declare their love for one another. Then they have a fight and don’t speak for a month and then they make up and ride off into the sunset. During this time Tuesday has a couple of breakdowns while drinking heavily and I found it hard to believe that she could fall in love so quickly and be grieving at the same time. I also found it hard to believe a no nonsense guy like Diesel put up with Tuesday’s self destructive behavior and fell in love with her when she was such an emotional wreck. This is the main reason I rated the book so low because I just found a lot of it to be unbelievable.
I did like this book and think that I will try to read some of the earlier books in the series. This book can be read as a stand alone. The only time that I was lost was when the books visits some of the previous characters from earlier books. All in all, this is a very cute but sometimes dark romance that will make you laugh one minute and tear up at the same time.
Grade: C+
“I think you have a tapeworm. It’s the only explanation for how you can eat so much and be so damn skinny.”
“That’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Tuesday Jones grew up in the stock car racing world. Her father was a very respectable racing journalist and she runs her own Tuesday Talladega racing gossip blog. When her father passes away from cancer after being diagnosed only six months before Tuesday is devastated. At her father’s funeral she runs into Daniel “Diesel” Lange, an ex-driver, and her comforts her when no one else can. Imagine her surprise when she runs into him four weeks later at her best friend’s wedding. Tuesday is shocked at how easy it is to be around Diesel but even that might not be enough for this tough girl who is grieving so badly.
Two years ago Diesel Lange was at the top of the stock car racing world but all of that changed when the car he was driving crashed into a wall and he almost lost his life. Diesel now lives a quiet life restoring old cars and mostly keeping to himself. Since the accident he has found it hard to meet women and most find his quiet nature boring until he meets Tuesday Jones. Tuesday is a spitfire and full of energy despite the obvious pain she is in over her father’s death. The chemistry is amazing between the two but that might not be enough for two people who are both dealing with some much pain and who are both so afraid to love again.
Slow Ride is the fifth book in Erin McCarthy’s Fast track series and the only book that I have read in the series. I have heard very good things about this series and as a fan of sports themed romance novels I was very excited to read it but I found myself a little disappointed. Diesel is an ex-stock car driver and Tuesday is a blogger of the sport so most of the book takes place off the track and isn’t as sports orientated as I’ve heard the others in the series are. I still enjoyed the book but I really wanted more racing then was given.
When starting this book Tuesday’s father has just died and she is at his funeral. This is a very sad time in her life and I was very surprised at how well Mrs. McCarthy let Tuesday grieve fro her father but also let her still be her fun, sassy self. The balance between Tuesday self-destructing because of her pain and the great romance that grows between her and Diesel was very well written and balanced perfectly. I loved the banter between Tuesday and Diesel. It was very snarky and sarcastic but still funny and sweet.
My biggest problem with the book was how quickly Tuesday and Diesel fall in love. They meet at her father’s funeral then reunite four weeks later at her best friend’s wedding. After that they are almost inseparable for the next three weeks and declare their love for one another. Then they have a fight and don’t speak for a month and then they make up and ride off into the sunset. During this time Tuesday has a couple of breakdowns while drinking heavily and I found it hard to believe that she could fall in love so quickly and be grieving at the same time. I also found it hard to believe a no nonsense guy like Diesel put up with Tuesday’s self destructive behavior and fell in love with her when she was such an emotional wreck. This is the main reason I rated the book so low because I just found a lot of it to be unbelievable.
I did like this book and think that I will try to read some of the earlier books in the series. This book can be read as a stand alone. The only time that I was lost was when the books visits some of the previous characters from earlier books. All in all, this is a very cute but sometimes dark romance that will make you laugh one minute and tear up at the same time.
dtrumps's review against another edition
4.0
Gone Pecan
Favorite Quote: As she watched him walk away, Tuesday tried to remember why it would be a bad idea to have sex with him. He was super cute. Tall. Lanky. Muscular arms. Scruffy, even dressed up for the reception. A man’s man. Which had never been her particular type. She’d always gone for the metrosexuals with good fashion sense and an extensive knowledge of wine. But there was something about Diesel…it started with his name and ended with his butt.
Tuesday Jones is a blogger who follows the racing circuit, known better as Tuesday Talledega. She is famous for telling it like it is. Her, father, a journalist, has just passed away and the opening scene is his funeral, where she is overcome with emotion and breaks down on the very nice chest of Diesel Lange. Diesel (Daniel) is a racer (Tuesday’s father’s favorite) who was badly injured in a race and has since retired. Diesel comforts Tuesday in her time of need (which is a rare thing to see because Tuesday is not vulnerable, at least not outwardly).
They meet again at Evan and Kendall’s wedding, in which Tuesday is the maid of honor, and sparks begin to fly, even though Tuesday gets stinking drunk. Diesel takes her home and evades her drunken advances, cause he’s that kind of guy. Then he shows up the next morning to bring her to her car and gets roped into going to the wedding brunch as her date, for which he exacts a return favor from her in the form of attending a church social with him because if he went alone, he’d be subject to a “fix-up.” Got all that? And just what do you think happens next? You’re right, they do the hokey pokey.
Erin McCarthy’s books are fun and sexy and this series about stock car racers has been one great story after another. I really liked Diesel. He was a genuinely nice guy…and Tuesday was a lot of fun. They are both going through a lot emotionally and they come from such different places, it was definitely a case of “opposites attract.” It was a good story, but not one of the best by this author. The end seemed a little rushed…but still a good addition to the series. Personally, I am very excited about the next one in the series about Eve Monroe.
Pecans: 3/5
Favorite Quote: As she watched him walk away, Tuesday tried to remember why it would be a bad idea to have sex with him. He was super cute. Tall. Lanky. Muscular arms. Scruffy, even dressed up for the reception. A man’s man. Which had never been her particular type. She’d always gone for the metrosexuals with good fashion sense and an extensive knowledge of wine. But there was something about Diesel…it started with his name and ended with his butt.
Tuesday Jones is a blogger who follows the racing circuit, known better as Tuesday Talledega. She is famous for telling it like it is. Her, father, a journalist, has just passed away and the opening scene is his funeral, where she is overcome with emotion and breaks down on the very nice chest of Diesel Lange. Diesel (Daniel) is a racer (Tuesday’s father’s favorite) who was badly injured in a race and has since retired. Diesel comforts Tuesday in her time of need (which is a rare thing to see because Tuesday is not vulnerable, at least not outwardly).
They meet again at Evan and Kendall’s wedding, in which Tuesday is the maid of honor, and sparks begin to fly, even though Tuesday gets stinking drunk. Diesel takes her home and evades her drunken advances, cause he’s that kind of guy. Then he shows up the next morning to bring her to her car and gets roped into going to the wedding brunch as her date, for which he exacts a return favor from her in the form of attending a church social with him because if he went alone, he’d be subject to a “fix-up.” Got all that? And just what do you think happens next? You’re right, they do the hokey pokey.
Erin McCarthy’s books are fun and sexy and this series about stock car racers has been one great story after another. I really liked Diesel. He was a genuinely nice guy…and Tuesday was a lot of fun. They are both going through a lot emotionally and they come from such different places, it was definitely a case of “opposites attract.” It was a good story, but not one of the best by this author. The end seemed a little rushed…but still a good addition to the series. Personally, I am very excited about the next one in the series about Eve Monroe.
Pecans: 3/5
nickym96's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay. Really funny in some parts. Tuesday was a funny drunk .... until her drunkenness stopped being funny. She had some problems. I liked her and Diesel, but I'm not sure they were healthy for each other in the end.
erindurrett's review against another edition
2.0
This book was okay. I don't think I was invested in this book as much as the others in the series. I am a lot more discriminating of contemporary verses historical romance and the immaturity of language in this book and kind of dumb crudeness definitely took it down a notch. At the end was a preview of the next book in the series where the author actually uses the phrase "all that and a bag of chips." Hello 90s! Talk about cheese city. That one definitely made me roll my eyes. Also, I have read my share of racy books with dirty talk as part of the back and forth between the main characters, but it is usually a lot more skilled and clever. The one semi-decent part of this concoction was the Tuesday and Diesel, but I found this book pretty shallow after reading well developed historical romances the past couple weeks.
witandsin's review against another edition
2.0
The stock car racing world knows her as the sassy Tuesday Talladega, but journalist Tuesday Jones isn’t feeling like her spunky self. She recently lost her father to cancer and the grief is almost too much for her to bear. At a party to celebrate her best friend’s recent wedding, Tuesday is determined to put on a good front. And surprisingly enough, she meets a man who makes her feel alive and happy once more.
Daniel “Diesel” Lange knows what it is to lose someone he cares about. The former racing star has not only lost family members, he’s lost his passion now that his career is over due to a terrible accident on the track that shattered his knee. But in Tuesday, Diesel finds passion once more. The brazen beauty is everything Diesel wants – but is she more than he can handle?
Don’t be fooled by the title – in Slow Ride Tuesday and Diesel fall in love faster than a stock car driver takes the final lap of a race. There aren’t many obstacles in Tuesday and Diesel’s path and the ones that are there are created by Tuesday herself, so a good author like Erin McCarthy can make this kind of lightning fast love story work.
It’s easy to see why Tuesday falls for Diesel – the man’s damn near perfect without being a cardboard character. Diesel is sexy, patient, and generous with his time, money, and heart. I fell head over heels for him and he might just be my favorite hero of Ms. McCarthy’s to date. The only thing that confused me about Diesel is why he fell in love with Tuesday. The fact that they’re total opposites wasn’t the problem. I just couldn’t see what it was Diesel loved about her. I actually liked Tuesday in the beginning of Slow Ride. She’d just lost her father to cancer and my heart broke for her. I even understood her unwise decision to self-medicate with alcohol…until it turned into self-destruction. Tuesday spends a good portion of Slow Ride drunk and that’s where I lost my patience with her. It’s not Ms. McCarthy showing Tuesday’s downward spiral that irritated me, but rather the fact that Tuesday is the most obnoxious drunk I’ve ever had the displeasure to read about. She simply gets more and more selfish and annoying and it isn’t until thirteen pages from the end of the book that she figures out she has an actual alcohol problem and needs help (to cope with loss and her alcohol abuse, not for her selfishness). To make matters worse, Diesel and Kendall (Tuesday’s best friend) make excuses and enable Tuesday’s bad behavior. Just like in her last Fast Track book, The Chase, Ms. McCarthy doesn’t leave enough room at the end of the book to satisfactorily resolve a major issue. Banter, sex, and fighting between hero and heroine are all well and good, but if there’s a major problem or plot twist in the story, it’s just not plausible to have that wrapped up in ten pages or less.
Speaking of The Chase, for the readers who were dissatisfied with the baby plot twist in that story, Ms. McCarthy addresses it in Slow Ride. I was one of the many readers who hated that particular plotline in The Chase and while I don’t pretend to know what Ms. McCarthy was thinking, it felt like she was attempting to backtrack with how she “resolved” the storyline. I won’t spoil how she solved Evan’s baby dilemma, but I will say that the outcome rang false.
Slow Ride is the fifth book in Ms. McCarthy’s Fast Track series, but it can be read as a standalone. Those who’ve read the previous books will likely be pleased to revisit their favorite couples in Slow Ride. Having loved Flat-Out Sexy, Hard and Fast, and Hot Finish, revisiting these pairs was a real treat for me. One scene with Ryder and Suzanne (of Hot Finish) actually stole the whole book for me.
Slow Ride is a bit of an uneven book. It starts out strong and then fizzles out, so it’s not my favorite book of Ms. McCarthy’s. Still, I loved Diesel and revisiting some of her other Fast Track characters reminded me why I fell in love with this series. I haven’t given up on Ms. McCarthy yet, and here’s hoping that the Fast Track series gets back on track with the next book, Jacked Up.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Daniel “Diesel” Lange knows what it is to lose someone he cares about. The former racing star has not only lost family members, he’s lost his passion now that his career is over due to a terrible accident on the track that shattered his knee. But in Tuesday, Diesel finds passion once more. The brazen beauty is everything Diesel wants – but is she more than he can handle?
Don’t be fooled by the title – in Slow Ride Tuesday and Diesel fall in love faster than a stock car driver takes the final lap of a race. There aren’t many obstacles in Tuesday and Diesel’s path and the ones that are there are created by Tuesday herself, so a good author like Erin McCarthy can make this kind of lightning fast love story work.
It’s easy to see why Tuesday falls for Diesel – the man’s damn near perfect without being a cardboard character. Diesel is sexy, patient, and generous with his time, money, and heart. I fell head over heels for him and he might just be my favorite hero of Ms. McCarthy’s to date. The only thing that confused me about Diesel is why he fell in love with Tuesday. The fact that they’re total opposites wasn’t the problem. I just couldn’t see what it was Diesel loved about her. I actually liked Tuesday in the beginning of Slow Ride. She’d just lost her father to cancer and my heart broke for her. I even understood her unwise decision to self-medicate with alcohol…until it turned into self-destruction. Tuesday spends a good portion of Slow Ride drunk and that’s where I lost my patience with her. It’s not Ms. McCarthy showing Tuesday’s downward spiral that irritated me, but rather the fact that Tuesday is the most obnoxious drunk I’ve ever had the displeasure to read about. She simply gets more and more selfish and annoying and it isn’t until thirteen pages from the end of the book that she figures out she has an actual alcohol problem and needs help (to cope with loss and her alcohol abuse, not for her selfishness). To make matters worse, Diesel and Kendall (Tuesday’s best friend) make excuses and enable Tuesday’s bad behavior. Just like in her last Fast Track book, The Chase, Ms. McCarthy doesn’t leave enough room at the end of the book to satisfactorily resolve a major issue. Banter, sex, and fighting between hero and heroine are all well and good, but if there’s a major problem or plot twist in the story, it’s just not plausible to have that wrapped up in ten pages or less.
Speaking of The Chase, for the readers who were dissatisfied with the baby plot twist in that story, Ms. McCarthy addresses it in Slow Ride. I was one of the many readers who hated that particular plotline in The Chase and while I don’t pretend to know what Ms. McCarthy was thinking, it felt like she was attempting to backtrack with how she “resolved” the storyline. I won’t spoil how she solved Evan’s baby dilemma, but I will say that the outcome rang false.
Slow Ride is the fifth book in Ms. McCarthy’s Fast Track series, but it can be read as a standalone. Those who’ve read the previous books will likely be pleased to revisit their favorite couples in Slow Ride. Having loved Flat-Out Sexy, Hard and Fast, and Hot Finish, revisiting these pairs was a real treat for me. One scene with Ryder and Suzanne (of Hot Finish) actually stole the whole book for me.
Slow Ride is a bit of an uneven book. It starts out strong and then fizzles out, so it’s not my favorite book of Ms. McCarthy’s. Still, I loved Diesel and revisiting some of her other Fast Track characters reminded me why I fell in love with this series. I haven’t given up on Ms. McCarthy yet, and here’s hoping that the Fast Track series gets back on track with the next book, Jacked Up.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
4.0
Reviewed for Audiogals:
http://www.audiogals.net/2013/02/slow-ride-by-erin-mccarthy/#.UV9ugVf775l
Narrated by Emily Durante
Tuesday Jones is the equivalent of a NASCAR gossip columnist, professionally known as Tuesday Talladega. As the story opens, she is at her father’s funeral overcome with emotion and loss. There she ends up crying on Daniel “Diesel” Lange’s broad shoulder. Diesel is a former driver now permanently sidelined with a damaged knee after a spectacular crash a few years earlier. There is insta-attraction between Diesel and Tuesday, of course, and from there the book could easily have gone down the well-worn path of hero and heroine becoming attached only to have one or the other pull back due to commitment phobia or have a “big misunderstanding.” McCarthy pulls a rabbit out of the hat in Slow Ride, however, and the reader ends up getting something much more realistic, and much more moving.
Tuesday and Diesel are both likable people, but more than that, both feel like someone I might know. There isn’t anything over-the-top about their good qualities or the annoying ones, although per usual they are both much better looking than average. I would love to see more heroines like Tuesday Jones in my contemporary romances. She is a sexually confident woman who isn’t shy or apologetic about it. Her sexual confidence is shown as a positive and there is never a hint that Tuesday should feel embarrassed by it. I also liked her talkative personality and her go-getter attitude. Narrator Emily Durante was perfect as Tuesday Jones. The slight southern accent was spot-on and Durante maintained it consistently throughout the book. Durante captures Tuesday’s energy, speech patterns, and personality. She even portrays the drunken Tuesday convincingly.
Diesel is Tuesday’s opposite in personality—quiet, calm, and unshakeable. He has a good sense of humor and an endearing insecurity about how to proceed with a serious relationship. McCarthy does such a good job writing the inner thoughts of both characters as well as their often funny dialog. She also writes scorching love scenes. Again Emily Durante’s skill as a narrator shines through. Her voice for Diesel is masculine and uniform throughout the book. She does a great job with the sex scenes as well. My only complaint with this narrator is her habit of giving a fake laugh (or sigh or cough) when the author puts it in the dialog tag. There is no way to make it sound real, and I would prefer the narrator not voice it. However, this truly is a minor complaint given the overall high quality of the narration.
Partway through Slow Ride I wondered when the conflict between the main characters would happen. The descriptions of them getting to know each other are definitely enjoyable, but a conflict is inevitable. Fearing a big misunderstanding, what I got was much more subtle and believable. Both Tuesday and Diesel have recently experienced traumatic events in their lives, but are they really healing or just hiding from their loss? Slow Ride doesn’t deal with the issues in any real depth, but the fact that McCarthy has her characters actually confront their issues is a huge step in the right direction.
http://www.audiogals.net/2013/02/slow-ride-by-erin-mccarthy/#.UV9ugVf775l
Narrated by Emily Durante
Tuesday Jones is the equivalent of a NASCAR gossip columnist, professionally known as Tuesday Talladega. As the story opens, she is at her father’s funeral overcome with emotion and loss. There she ends up crying on Daniel “Diesel” Lange’s broad shoulder. Diesel is a former driver now permanently sidelined with a damaged knee after a spectacular crash a few years earlier. There is insta-attraction between Diesel and Tuesday, of course, and from there the book could easily have gone down the well-worn path of hero and heroine becoming attached only to have one or the other pull back due to commitment phobia or have a “big misunderstanding.” McCarthy pulls a rabbit out of the hat in Slow Ride, however, and the reader ends up getting something much more realistic, and much more moving.
Tuesday and Diesel are both likable people, but more than that, both feel like someone I might know. There isn’t anything over-the-top about their good qualities or the annoying ones, although per usual they are both much better looking than average. I would love to see more heroines like Tuesday Jones in my contemporary romances. She is a sexually confident woman who isn’t shy or apologetic about it. Her sexual confidence is shown as a positive and there is never a hint that Tuesday should feel embarrassed by it. I also liked her talkative personality and her go-getter attitude. Narrator Emily Durante was perfect as Tuesday Jones. The slight southern accent was spot-on and Durante maintained it consistently throughout the book. Durante captures Tuesday’s energy, speech patterns, and personality. She even portrays the drunken Tuesday convincingly.
Diesel is Tuesday’s opposite in personality—quiet, calm, and unshakeable. He has a good sense of humor and an endearing insecurity about how to proceed with a serious relationship. McCarthy does such a good job writing the inner thoughts of both characters as well as their often funny dialog. She also writes scorching love scenes. Again Emily Durante’s skill as a narrator shines through. Her voice for Diesel is masculine and uniform throughout the book. She does a great job with the sex scenes as well. My only complaint with this narrator is her habit of giving a fake laugh (or sigh or cough) when the author puts it in the dialog tag. There is no way to make it sound real, and I would prefer the narrator not voice it. However, this truly is a minor complaint given the overall high quality of the narration.
Partway through Slow Ride I wondered when the conflict between the main characters would happen. The descriptions of them getting to know each other are definitely enjoyable, but a conflict is inevitable. Fearing a big misunderstanding, what I got was much more subtle and believable. Both Tuesday and Diesel have recently experienced traumatic events in their lives, but are they really healing or just hiding from their loss? Slow Ride doesn’t deal with the issues in any real depth, but the fact that McCarthy has her characters actually confront their issues is a huge step in the right direction.
andiabcs's review against another edition
2.0
Definitely my least favorite of the series. I liked Diesel enough but Tuesday got on my nerves especially at the end. She was flat out wrong and the fact that no one seemed to see that and call her out on it made me crazy. I also felt like a whole chapter or two was missing at one point. They seemed to go from casual acquaintances to straight up sex with no build up at all. I'll be sad to see this series end when I read the last book, but I must admit i was pretty happy that this book ended. I just wasn't that crazy about it at all.
prgchrqltma's review against another edition
4.0
Characters: reporter, former driver
World Building: car restoration, grief
Plot: largely internal around grief and addiction
Sex: Medium
Read another: Probably
World Building: car restoration, grief
Plot: largely internal around grief and addiction
Sex: Medium
Read another: Probably