All his life, French racer Daniel Leroux has dreamed of one thing: winning the World Rally Championship. To do that, he needs a co–driver he can trust. If only he could find one…
At the end of a disastrous season, Daniel's manager replaces his incompetent co–driver with Frank Dufour, a young Canadian whose rally team let him go because he was gay. Daniel's in heaven, thinking he might find more than just a teammate, but his manager puts the brakes on, declaring Frank firmly off limits. Frank isn't any more ready to risk his second—and last—chance at making it in the WRC, no matter how attractive he finds Daniel. Sex and cars don't mix.
Amidst a bitter rivalry with another driver, sabotage attempts, extreme weather conditions, and the stress of racing, Daniel and Frank forge a partnership that defies the odds, but just as things start to heat up between them, a family emergency calls Frank away. Will they find their way back together or will the separation and the spotlight be too much for their fledgling love to survive?
I don’t know how Ariel Tachna does it—she is a very busy person, not only being the person who handles inquiries for Dreamspinner Press but as a mother and a writer as well. She constantly turns out books with new ideas. Her new novel “Overdrive” takes us to the World Rally Championship Race where we meet Daniel Leroux. Daniel has always dreamt about winning the race and he knows that to do so he must find a co-driver which proves to be easier said than done.
At the end of the prior season his co-driver was let go and was replaced by a young Canadian, Frank Dufour, who was dismissed from his home team because he was gay. Daniel, being gay himself, thinks that perhaps he might be getting more than just a co-driver but a shot at romance as well. His manager felt directly and placed Frank off-limits and Frank complies because he does not want to ruin his chances at racing in the World Rally Championship. He finds Daniel to be the kind of man he years for but the race is foremost in his mind.
The chemistry between the two men is hot but they are aware of their priorities but nevertheless form a very tight team between driver and co-driver.
Of course, not all goes as planned and another driver tries to sabotage their attempt to win and as Frank and Daniel begin to realize the attraction between them, something happens in Frank’s family that causes him to go home. This is the true test of whether or not they will succeed at love.
Sharp dialogue and well developed characters make this a read that manages to cover both car racing and man/man love. Tachna is an excellent writer and she tells us realistically what goes on behind the scenes at an international event. The plot immediately pulls the reader in and the excellent writing keeps him reading.
