The subtitle of this novel is ‘An Oaktown Girls Novel’ which hints at this being part one of a new series, and that’s a good thing because the three main characters in this book are women I would definitely like to hear more from.
Lizzy and Tenika own Driven, the oldest woman-owned garage in Oakland.
Unfortunately for them, their position as best-loved garage in the lesbian community is about to take a big hit from former race car driver, Mindy, who has now opened her own rival garage complete with chair massages and a sushi bar. Mindy is vicious and completely unethical, and will do anything to put Driven out of business to leave her free to monopolise the market.
Kate is Mindy’s long-suffering assistant. She has a few big problems of her own, not least of which is the fact that she’s an undocumented worker in the US, only one phone call away from deportation back to her native Ireland. And Mindy is just spiteful enough to do it, if pushed. So, when Mindy demands Kate help her destroy Driven, Kate doesn’t really have a choice but to go along with her plans. Until, that is, she happens to need Driven’s services when a tyre blows, and she comes face-to-face with Lizzy.
It’s an instant, sizzling connection, but Kate panics – there’s no way she wants Lizzy to know who she really is. The next thing Kate knows, she has a fake name and is spending all of her spare time at Driven, helping them turn themselves into a far more profitable and popular garage, even as she’s supposed to be driving them into the ground on Mindy’s behalf…
This is a fun read! Lizzy is totally adorable, just finding her way back from a heartbreak a year back, and can’t quite believe her luck when the gorgeous Kate lands on Driven’s doorstep.
Tenika is the sensible, suspicious one, never quite believing Kate’s story and trying to rein in Lizzy’s full-speed-ahead pursuit of the mysterious Kate.
The latter is, to be honest, rather frustrating at times, continually questioning the situation she’s in and in places her inner thoughts became a little repetitive for me. However, as she comes to terms with the different facets of her complicated life, I did enjoy seeing her step up and make the brave moves. Mindy is a great villain of the piece – nasty and completely heartless so very easy to hate, as I’m sure the author intended!
The writing style is good – a great flow, and aside from the issue with Kate mentioned above, good pacing and development of the story and the characters.
This was definitely Lizzy and Kate’s story, so it would be lovely if a future book gave us a little more on Tenika. Definitely, however, a good start to a promising series!