Stick Shift

Stick Shift
ebook
Published May 2010 by Loose Id, LLC
ISBN13 9781607375845

An orchestra musician, a private music teacher, and a homebody, Lily’s a full-figured, quiet woman who lives a fairly simple and solitary life. Aside from music, she has one big passion: stock car racing. She’s been a fan for as long as she can remember and makes the yearly pilgrimage to Daytona as often as she can. When she’s offered a chance to get away to North Carolina and attend two weeks of races, she jumps at it. Little does she know what that chance has in store for her…

Cam Carter is one of the most successful young drivers in the top tier of the stock car racing circuit. All over the country, he’s well known to racing fans, loved by some, respected by a few, and hated by others. He’s arrogant, strong willed, and a consistent winner. What he doesn’t have is balance…until he meets a pretty, very curvaceous, and unassuming fan named Lily.

Lily fears the difference in lifestyles, ages, and personalities while Cam in turn, embraces them. Can they find a way to cross the finish line and take the checkered flag together or will the obstacles push against them until they crash and burn?

So the most awesome lady on the planet hooked up with Stick Shift. Not only is it a cougar story, but it's Nascar... so my first thoughts were somewhere along the line of 'What were you thinking, Redd?'

My father, God bless him, is a die hard Mark Martin fan. Me, I can't stand the so called sport. Drive fast. Turn left. Nuh-uh. I'm an American football kinda girl. Hike it. Run it. Hit 'em hard!

Lily attends a race with her best friend, Allison, and ends up dragged into the autograph line steered directly towards Cam Carter, the hottest new driver in the sport who is instantly captivated by Lily when she turns and walks away without swooning or asking for his autograph.

So Cam's one of those guys that likes a challenge and Lily doesn't understand what a guy ten years her junior sees in her. With such a simple plot, it falls to the chemistry and intimate scenes to make this romance book memorable for me.

Now I have a pet peeve when it comes to guys that carry condoms in their wallets. I am all for safe sex but is it really necessary to pull one out of your wallet when you're in your own damn house?

And then there was Lily. Her constant back and forth between 'You're too young for me' and 'I want you naked' gave me whiplash. This is my third read from Lissa Matthews and I'm noticing a pattern. The sex is really good but the characters piss me off. And yet, in the end, they always manage to come around.

The turning point for this one came at the race. I suppose because they finally had to shut up. The suspense of the race combined with the action and the addition of other active players in the story helped steer my mind away from the aggravation brought on by the first half and the story concludes on a fairly calm note. 3 out of 5 stars.