Review & Giveaway: Final Lap by Erin McCarthy

Final Lap (Fast Track #8) by Erin McCarthy

Publication Date: October 7th 2014 by Berkley

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

Switching into high gear……

At a friend’s lavish wedding, Harley McLain and her twin sister, Charity, meet sexy stock-car driver Cooper Brickman. The more reserved Harley is immediately smitten—until he hits on her twin. But Harley has had enough of being the “nice” girl, and after trading dresses with Charity, she seduces Cooper for a night of wild sex.

……ready for a hot lap.

What was supposed to be a one-night fling gets complicated when Cooper needs a nanny to look after his kid sister—and is convinced sweet, dependable Harley would be perfect for the job. She can’t resist the money—or Cooper’s hot bod. But when her deception is revealed, will it destroy her dependable image—or will he finally realize how sexy sweet can be?

My Thoughts:

I’m a big fan of Erin McCarthy’s new adult series, True Believers, so I jumped at the chance to read one of her adult romances.  Ms. McCarthy doesn’t disappoint in Final Lap and all the things I love about her writing are present in this story as well.  It was heartfelt, realistic, fun and sexy!  

Harley McLain is the sensible, steady twin while her sister Charity is known as the saucy, seductive flirt of the two. Usually this doesn’t bother Harley much, but at a friend’s wedding she meets her racing idol Cooper Brickman and for once she’d like to be seen as the hot temptress.  Instead as soon as Cooper finds out Harley is a nanny, he talks her ear off about his pre-teen sister who is now living with him and all the troubles he’s having raising her.  He doesn’t seem to see her as an attractive woman, a fact that is underscored when he catches sight of Charity and immediately starts drooling. 

Seriously, Harley got him telling her about his concern over her sister’s impeding puberty, and Charity got flirty Cooper? What the hell was fair about that? They looked exactly the same. They were identical twins.

Charity is having her own romance drama, really exactly the opposite of Harley, so the two decide to do a switch of dresses and identities and Harley ends up sleeping with Cooper. She feels bad about the deception but she figures she’ll never see him again.  Never say never, lol!

It’s an awkward situation when circumstances force Harley to accept Cooper’s job as his sister’s nanny.  Now she must act like she never had Cooper’s body and lips all over hers!  Worse, she’s crushing and falling harder for him every day that goes by.

Cooper is confused when “Charity” runs after an awesome night of hot sex.  She doesn’t even leave her contact info giving him the ultimate brush-off.  When Cooper hires Harley, he feels like a real jerk, because he’s becoming more and more attracted to her, developing serious feelings even though he slept with her sister.  Harley is sweet, caring, and stands up to him.  She has a backbone he didn’t see when she patiently listened to all his woes the night he slept with “Charity”.

Identity swap romances are usually something I avoid, because I’m usually stressed out wondering when the secret will come out and ruin anything good established. Somehow it slipped my notice that Final Lap was one of those.  I needn’t have worried.  When Harley goes to live with Cooper it’s more about them getting to know each other, and Cooper waking up to see what an amazing, sexy woman Harley is.  As his respect for her grows, so does his attraction, and before they even lock lips with her as Harley, Cooper has already fallen hard.

I must say, even though I was a little miffed that Cooper didn’t see Harley that first night, he was an awesome guy. He was giving and thoughtful, and the fact that he was trying to do what was right for his sister won me over even more.  As for Harley, when she was in her element as a nanny her strengths came shining through, and I was happy she started to have more confidence to be more assertive with Cooper personally, as well.  She was the best thing to come into Cooper and his little sister’s life.

Erin McCarthy’s portrays characters with emotions and insecurities that feel very real to life, ones I have felt myself, so it’s really easy to immediately connect with them.  I was swept up and away with Harley and Cooper’s sweet, sensual and satisfying romance!  Now I want to backtrack and read the rest of the series!

4 Suns

Connect with Erin McCarthy:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

The publisher generously provided a Paperback copy of Final Lap by Erin McCarthy to one lucky Waves of Fiction follower.  The giveaway is restricted to US Residents only. Just fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway