Joy Ride

by Lauren Blakely

[kimbacaffeinate]

JOY RIDE had me laughing out loud, swooning and craving hot chocolate in the worse way! Blakely delivers the story from the voice of mechanic, restorer, and shop owner, Max Summers. Wait until you meet Max! He's smart, sexy as sin, and adorably confident. His business is successful, but competition is fierce. When a bid for a lucrative deal has him competing with his former student and ex-employee things get complicated.

Max has had the hots for Hanley but you don't sleep with employees, and you never get in bed with the competition. Hold on to your headphones because things are about to heat up!

Blakely writes loveable characters that are confident but also have vulnerabilities. I liked both Hanley and Max. Both work hard and are driven making them successful in the car business. They both have strong connections with family and friends. Their interaction from the beginning sparked with chemistry, and you could sense some mutual respect under all the snark, banter and one-upmanship.

So what happens when you are seriously attracted to the enemy, and you end up working a project for a client together? Earbud melting things happen! The foreplay, tub talk, and teasing had me laughing and swooning. The sex scenes will curl your toes. My personal favorite takes place in the garage. Blakely balances out these scenes with conversations, character growth, and shoptalk.

Max and Hanley's budding romance felt genuine. Of course, they had some obstacles to overcome after all they are competitors. Confessions, character growth and advice from friends and family kept the angst to a minimum. Max was adorable as he bumbled it and recovered. Blakely treated us to a few epilogues all of which left me grinning.

Thanks to the narration provided by Sebastian York, JOYRIDE was a delicious listen. He nails the male pov from Max's snark to sexiness. I also appreciated York's ability to handle the female voice, and he moves between Hanley and Max with ease.

Audio provided by the author. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer