A review by originalbooknerd
Racing Hearts by K.A. Knight

challenging emotional funny 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

💜𝕣ꪖᥴⅈꪀᧁ ꫝꫀꪖ𝕣𝕥ડ - ρⅈꪀꫀ ꪜꪖꪶꪶꫀꪗ ᥴꪮꪶꪶꫀᧁꫀ 𝟙 - 𝕣ꫀꪜⅈꫀ᭙💜 
 
Author: K.A. Knight 
 
Couple: Evan Shaw & Alek Anders 
 
Tropes: MM romance, LGBTQ+, found family, street racers, college romance, dark romance, mystery/thriller, Grumpy x Sunshine 
 
Review: Racing Hearts left me in an emotional mess. Katie once again delivers an emotional journey in her first MM romance. Evan and Alek are two tortured heroes who refuse to bend to the other but also find a home in one another. This book showcased many difficult topics but shined a light on the fragility of “coming out of the closet”. Evan and Alek will hold a place in my top reads by Katie for a while after the rollercoaster they took me on! 
 
Alek and Evan are total opposites who I would have never matched together but also somehow work perfectly together. Alek is the typical grumpy, broody, quiet mechanic who moonlights as an illegal street racer and Evan is the artsy, flirty player who is perfectly comfortable in his skin. Katie provided the BEST meet-hate for them and I enjoyed all the tension and angst Alek goes through on his journey to accept who he is. Evan’s support of Alek finding himself was one of my favorite parts in this book since it was the backbone to their romance. I also appreciated how Katie did not make Evan a pushover and instead allowed him to be pushed only so far until he decided to step up for himself. 
 
While this is a romance book, the subplots provide much of the action within the story. Alice, Alek’s sister, was a vital character in this book and I adored the levity she brought to both MCs. I also loved how she stood up for both of them at different times but also pushed them together. Her meddlesome nature was something that always made me smile and at the end of the day I LOVED how she protected her brother from further heartache when Evan broke it off. While Alice was my favorite, all of the secondary characters (Lally, Bones, Noah, Tommy, Sky, & Mackie) provide a strong sense of found family and support for both Evan and Alek through the whole book while also giving hints at things to *hopefully* come! 
 
Another big area in this book was the mystery surrounding the sta!ker and the secret society Evan is a part of. The way Katie drive the suspense factor from these two subplots elevated the story so much that I could not believe all the twists and turns Alek, Evan and the crew go through. The shocking turn of events that play out at the end when the perpetrator is revealed is classic Katie and perfect for anyone who loves a good suspense plot that pushes the MCs together! This book was a great first dip into Pine Valley and I cannot wait to see who is next! 
 
Rating: 5/5, Racing Hearts is the next emotional rollercoaster romance Katie takes us on and I never want to get off! 
 
 
Thank you to Katie for sending me this eARC!