Erin McCarthy – The Chase

The fourth book in the Fast Track series, published April 5, 2011.
Genre: contemporary romance
Cover: I like it.



When racing for the checkered flag…
Kendall Holbrook is determined to make it to the top, even with the challenge of being a woman on the male-dominated racing circuit. She doesn't have time for romance-especially not with racing rival Evan Monroe, the man who nearly crushed her dream years ago. Forced into meeting up with him, Kendall is experiencing all those old feelings again-and she can't deny that they still have enough chemistry to set fire to the track.
…expect a few speed bumps.
After getting dropped by his biggest sponsor, Evan is watching his racing season go up in flames. Now, the only replacement available is completely humiliating, a co-sponsorship for his-and-her deodorant with Kendall Holbrook – the girl who once broke his heart. Acting like Kendall doesn’t still get him all hot and bothered is bad enough, but the biggest challenge awaits him on the track - where Evan has to decide if a second chance at love is more important than making it to the finish line…


Kendall Holbrook was so in love with Evan Monroe, but when he dared to laugh about her dream, she broke of with him, refusing to even see him again or talk to him. Breaking both their hearts. She was 19 then, and that was 10 years ago. Now, she has realized her dream, and is one the premier stock car racers in the country, driving in the same competition as Evan and his brother. Her family doesn’t really understand her, or support her career, her mother just wants her to marry and settle down. What else does a woman want out of life?
The one person who always understood her, and supported her, was Evan.
Thanks to Kendall’s best friend Tuesday, Kendall and Evan get the chance to talk things through, and come clean about what happened back then. It was all a big misunderstanding, and Evan was even ready to propose to Kendall back then. He never stopped caring for her. Of course he won’t tell Kendall that he still loves her, what if she breaks his heart again? But will there be a second chance for them?
As Evan is pretty drunk, Kendall offers to drive him home, and one thing leads to another, and they spend a few hours making love together. But Kendall wants to focus on her career, especially now that it is going so well. Evan’s career is going downhill at the moment, and their sponsor doesn’t want them to be involved. It will be bad for both their careers. Evan doesn’t care about it anymore, racing was never truly his passion, he just rolled into it, as his father and brother are in the racing business. But Kendall loves it, and wants to become the best. So finally she agrees to see Evan in secret, to give their relationship another chance. But when they are spotted coming out of the hotel together, the day after their photoshoot for the deodorant commercial, the whole world knows what is happening between them.
After another disagreement with her family, Kendall has had enough of the secrecy, and asks Evan to marry him. Jumping at that offer, they get married that same night, with only two witnesses as not to offend her family and their friends.
But will their marriage last? Especially when Evan finds out that the woman he spend a few hours with months ago, is pregnant with his child? Can Kendall share Evan with his new responsibilities while she is still so insecure or is their marriage over even before it began?

Evan struggles to do the right thing, and Kendall wants him to, but still. She can’t get over it, and when she needs time to think things true, Evan walks away. Two stubborn people in love.


I really enjoyed this book. Second chance at love is one of my favourite tropes in romance. I liked the fact that they got over their ancient brake up pretty early in the book, and had enough time to reconcile, and get to know each other again. And of course, time for lots of steamy hot sex scenes. Like on the hood of Kendall’s car…
Even was very supportive of Kendall, he never pressured her, except to have sex with him again. Which is the guy thing to do of course. But Kendall is strong, and when she wants something, she goes for it, and is not shy to admit it to Evan. I liked that in her. She really does want to be married and have children, but for now, she wants her career.
But they never even talked about living together, and what they both wanted out of the future, which makes for some big decisions after the marriage. With Kendall fretting, and Evan being laid back, and finding everything Kendall decides fine.

It was nice getting an update on the rest of the team and their relationships, and if I counted allright, there is only one more single man left. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

8 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian