Racing Outside the Lines

Rev your engines and take this baby out for a spin! Kimberly Montague's debut novel RACING OUTSIDE THE LINE takes the checkered flag. Well written and teeming with interesting, believable characters, Ms Montague makes her reader feel like they are listening to a new friend tell her "how we met" story!

At 17 years old, Alexis Winston has had to deal with more tragedy than most people three times her age. She lost her mother to cancer, and then a few years later, she lost her father in a car accident. All that remains as constants in her life are her over-protective brother Desmond, guardian Wyatt Keller and the object of her affection, Seth Keller.

Lexie has been in love with Seth forever. She learned how to work on cars just for another excuse to be close to him. But Seth, who is 4 years older that Lexie, doesn't even know she exits, or so she thinks. The night of her senior prom changes everything for Lexie. After losing her virginity to Seth, she wakes up the next morning and he is gone. Devastated and humiliated, Lexie falls into a deep depression and decides to go to college as far away from home as she can get.

Fast forward four years, Lexie is preparing to graduate and return home. This Lexie is a strong, confident woman who no longer worships the ground Seth walks on. Seth calls her, and with some help from her sorority sisters and a little liquid courage, she returns his call only to discover he's engaged! More determined than ever to get on with her life, Lexie returns home and starts to date other men, but she knows deep in her heart that she will always love Seth.

This story is told from only one character's POV, which I don't normally like but worked for this story. The author brought me so far into this story that I felt myself remembering my own first broken heart.

Lexie is a flawed character, who creates a lot of the angst and drama for herself, but the love that she feels for Seth is so apparent and deep that you can't help but root for her. Seth made me want to scream: "be a man and fight for what you want" for most of the story. Her brother and guardian, while trying to be helpful, just add to her heartache and create more drama. Lord help her from the well-meaning men in her life. Thank God for her best friend who pulls her out of the initial depression and gives her some tough love later.

It is apparent that the author is familiar with the behind the scenes, of the racing world and that adds some reality to the story line. With great story telling, strong romantic leads and interesting secondary characters, I can't wait to strap in and go along for the next ride in this series.
I give Racing Outside the Lines 5 chocolate dipped strawberries!!

This review originally written for The Romance Reviews
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2089