Thursday 11 August 2016

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Before You - Kathryn Freeman



Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 7th June 2016
Publisher: Choc Lit

When life in the fast lane threatens to implode...

Melanie Hunt's hob working for the Delta racing team means she is constantly rubbing shoulders with Formula One superstars in glamorous locations like Monte Carlo.  But she has already learned that keeping a professional distance is crucial if she doesn't want to get hurt.

New Delta team driver Aiden Foster lives his life like he drives his cars - fast and hard.  But, no matter how successful he is, it seems he always falls short of his championship-winning father's legacy.  If he could just stay focused, he could finally make that win.

Resolve begins to slip as Melanie and Aiden find themselves drawn to each other –with nowhere to hide as racing season begins. But when a troubled young boy goes missing, everything is thrown into turmoil, including Aiden’s championship dream.


What did I think?

You don't have to be a Formula One fan to enjoy Before You, but if you're glued to the tv when there's a race on then you're going to absolutely love this.  Needless to say, with my love of F1, I whizzed through it like Jenson Button in a half-decent car.  Kathryn Freeman has certainly done her homework; it was impeccably researched without getting too involved for non-racing fans.  In fact the racing/romance story was as well balanced as Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.  I have to give a special mention to the gorgeous cover with a lovely shot of the famous Fairmont Hairpin in Monte Carlo.

Mel Hunt (homage to the great James Hunt, perhaps?) is a press officer for the Delta racing team.  She has been there, done that and shrunk the t-shirt when it comes to dating a Formula One driver after a heartbreaking relationship with Viper driver Carlos Ferrer, a Spaniard with an eye for the ladies.  Aiden Foster is new to the Delta team; he has a lot to live up to as he is the son of five times World Champion, Seb Foster.  Aiden barely remembers his dad as Seb Foster crashed and lost his life at the Monaco Grand Prix almost twenty years ago, when Aiden was just ten years old.  Now Aiden is driving for his dad's old team and he wants to win the Championship as well as the girl.  Aiden and Mel have an obvious attraction right from the start but Mel doesn't want to get her heart broken again and Aiden has a playboy image to live up to.  The pages positively crackle with all the sexual tension of the will they/won't they storyline.

Before You has to be the fastest-paced romance novel I have ever read.  The excitement of the races and the buzz of the track, coupled with the many misunderstandings and undeniable attraction between Mel and Aiden, ensures that the story hurtles along at lightning speed.  No sooner had the five red lights gone out than the chequered flag was being waved and the Championship was decided.  Who will end up on the top step of the podium?

I absolutely loved Before You; it's a fabulous romance set over the course of a whole Formula One season.  The insecurities of both Mel and Aiden added another dimension to the story, although I'm not sure that I could have forgiven Mel's insecurity when it put a damper on the end of season party.  It just shows that sometimes things are not as they appear but oh, how we do love to jump to conclusions.

I would personally like to thank Kathryn Freeman for writing such an excellent story for us female racing fans.  I'm the first person to jump up and down when incorrect terms are used when talking about my beloved sport, so for Kathryn Freeman to not get a single technical term out of place whilst still holding the attention of non-racing fans is no mean feat.  An exceptional story in a unique setting, Before You has certainly earned its place on the top step of my podium.

I received this e-book from Brook Cottage Books in exchange for an honest review and I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour.

My rating:





BUY LINKS



ABOUT KATHRYN FREEMAN

I was born in Wallingford but have spent most of my life living in a village outside Windsor. A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also loves to write romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero…

I’ve two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to bother buying a card again this year (yes, he does) so the romance in my life is all in my head. Then again, my husband’s unstinting support of my career change goes to prove that love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes can come in many disguises.

Twitter: @kathrynfreeman1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-freeman-2962209




GIVEAWAY
A paperback copy of Search for the Truth (open internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. Oh Michelle, you've not just made my day - definitely my week, probably my month! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review Before You and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. Laughed out loud at your comment that it was as well balanced as Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes! I really enjoy the sport and so researching around it was a joy (as was telling my male dominated household stuff they didn't know!) but I'm relieved you felt I'd done the sport justice :-) Again, thank you.

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