Hot Rod Hookups: Review

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Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: July 23, 2022.

One of my favorite things about reading a book is not knowing all the ways you, as the reader, might relate with the characters on the page. Not only did I relate to Jess having a father who runs his own business as a mechanic, but I also related to Shawn who grew up surrounded by religious based purity culture.

Hot Rod Hookups is book 2 in a series, which I didn’t realize until after I had started reading. Thankfully the characters and their relationship to one another was self explanatory, and I truly didn’t feel like I was diving in mid series. This novel is a contemporary romance that focuses on family bonds, small town vibes, manual labor, and learning to trust in your own strengths and capabilities.

I enjoyed that while our main characters were clearly end game, they seemingly had no idea. Jess starts off the novel with a college boyfriend, and Shawn is still pining over a main character from book 1 in the series. It’s up to happenstance that these two begin to hit it off, and the relationship develops as they morph steadily into their true selves.

Both Jess and Shawn struggle with the self confidence to fully explore who they are, and what goals they have for their futures. Each character has a very unique support system including family members, friends, and coworkers who push them to realize their full potential.

This romance sizzles on the page in a slow burn that finally ignites in a grand finale. Their eventual union is well worth the wait, and made even sweeter by watching them overcome their struggles in order to discover their true selves.

Trigger Warning: car accident fatality/death of a mom – there are scenes alluding to the accident and it is not in any way described in graphic detail

4/5 Stars