Author: Lizzie Hart Stevens

Book: Fast Lane (Consumed by Love #1)

tl;dr recommendation: Instalove meets fate and rushes off to make babies in this enjoyable debut from Lizzie. 3.5 stars!

Book Summary:

Sometimes fate gives you an ass-whooping.

Lexi Taylor has sworn off men—why make an effort if you’re never gonna do it right?

But then she meets Coen Walker, not once but three times in the same day. He’s edgy, reckless, guarded and protective. From the first time he sees her he has to have her. He wants her and he won’t give up until she agrees to give him a chance and spend just one night with him.

Bumping into the same guy three times in one day can’t be a coincidence, right?

What would it be like to live life in the fast lane?

Longer Review:

3.5 stars!

Instalove meets fate and rushes off to make babies in this enjoyable debut from Lizzie. It’s an enticing plotline – drag racing combines with an unexpected romance after Lexi dumps her potentially abusive boyfriend (we’ll come back to this). I love fast cars, I love sex, and I love strong heroines who aren’t afraid to go after what they want – and thus I settled in for a fun and easy story.

Coen is a hot, sexy, tattooed & somewhat vulnerable alphamale who can’t understand his feelings that so suddenly rush him when he meets Lexi. The attraction is immediate and the coincidental run-ins with her have him shaking his head and thanking fate. Coen’s your typical wham-bam-thank-you-m’am kind of guy – the no relationship kind – the I’m going to be an asshole on purpose so you don’t ever call me again kind. But something about Lexi makes him want to keep her for more than a night…makes him want to change his ways. I LOVE A REFORMED MANWHORE. swoon.

Lexi’s a bit of a conundrum to me. I felt that the break-up-with-the-boyfriend part happened too fast. I wasn’t sure what to make of him. Without providing spoilers, I didn’t feel that the beginning scenes in which I saw him allowed me to understand the whole picture of their relationship. It didn’t seem to justify or explain his later actions – I wanted to know a little bit more of his backstory to make things fit. Regardless, Lexi kicks him to the curb and I couldn’t have been happier.

Of course, she immediately (and I mean, uhhh, basically immediately) falls into the arms of the ever delicious Coen. Which was fine – really, I love instalove. But I felt that their connection wasn’t quite…there. This book is plagued by exclamation points, which often makes me lose connection and feel that things are being forced, so that was likely part of my problem. The dialogue occasionally didn’t flow well to me – something just felt a little off, even though I so wanted it to be right. Similarly, there was somewhat important character developing information that popped up in scenes that made me wonder ‘what?! When did I miss that?! Did I know that?!’

Regardless, I loved the spark that they felt with each other and the out-of-control thoughts that spin through Coen’s brain as he tries to wrap his head around his feelings for Lexi. He is definitely in hot pursuit of her – and is willing to protect her no matter the cost…even if he’s sacrificing his heart. The secondary friends in this book were well placed. The relationship between Brea and Lexi was sweet, honest and a total sisterhood. Her voice of (mostly) reason was light & pretty funny. Give no fucks, Brea. Give. No. Fucks.

The sex is steamy, sinful and completely memorable. I’d like at least one night with Coen, too. SIGH. This novella ends in a cliffhanger that you may have predicted, but that still made my heart beat with the need to know what happens nextttttttt. I’m so looking forward to more from Lizzie!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]