Review: Sucker for a Hot Rod by Joselyn Vaughn

My Rating: 4 Stars

Title: Sucker for a Hot Rod

Author: Joselyn Vaughn

Publisher: Astraea Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 243 Pages

Summary: 

Bryce Halloway only dates a woman once. No exceptions.

It gives him the reputation of a heart-breaker, but he can handle that as long as it keeps his mother, Dinah, from trying to marry him off. Judi Montgomery and her tempting ponytail finagle their way around official dates with car problems and driving lessons. She worms her way into his heart and entices him to want more from his life.

When health issues causes his father to retire, Bryce inherits the family-owned tractor repair shop. Can Judi’s love and encouragement give him the courage to break tradition and pursue his dreams of owning a custom hot rod shop? 

Review: 

This was a sweet and unique romance. You definitely don't see many romances written by women that have cars as a main focal point. Usually, I'm assuming, because women just don't have enough knowledge to make it believable. This author either did a lot of research or she knows her cars. This book is filled with realistic characters, funny scenarios, and believable character quirks with just enough humor to have you laughing in spots and emotion to have you empathizing with the characters in others.

I wasn't too sure about Bryce at first. Initially, he didn't seem to have a lot of depth to him, he doesn't necessarily come across as very intelligent (except for when it comes to cars) and seems rather adolescent in some respects. As the book progresses though, we get a deeper look at Bryce and how he thinks. We also see his interaction with his family and the reasons behind his behavior. He actually turns into a nice guy that you end up liking.

Judi is a sweet girl with just enough fire in her to not take crap from anybody. She is independent, determined and motivated. I loved seeing her waver between asking for help in a couple of situations and being determined to handle things on her own.

In the beginning, Bryce's dad seems to be this gruff, old, "my way or the highway" kind of man. Once again, Ms. Vaughn surprises us by making him totally likable by the end of the book. By showing us his background and what made him the way he seemed to be, you end up feeling bad for him. We get to watch the relationship between Bryce and his dad evolve throughout the book and it turns out perfectly.

The "Girls Night Out" club of older ladies in the town, and their antics and personalities, are hilarious and add enough colorful humor to the town to make you wish you could visit and meet them.

A fun, enjoyable read that will go quickly. Be sure and check it out.

Revised: to add the paragraph about Bryce and his dad.