**Note: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that when you click one of the links in this post and make a purchase, Thrice Read Books receives a small commission from the seller. We do not charge authors for our reviews and this does not cost you anything additional and does not impact the author’s royalties – it does allow us to continue bringing you ad-free content, and we thank you in advance for your support.**
About the Book
Braking Hard; Gloria Joynt-Lang
Adult; Romance; 204 pages
The Wild Rose Press, Inc; 1 edition (February 12, 2020)
Gage O’Neill is an all-around nice guy and an Adonis in coveralls. With a thriving automotive business, a gorgeous girlfriend, and his ADHD under control, life is pretty incredible. But when he loses a loved one, Gage’s perfect world unravels. Prone to bad choices, he’s desperate to quell his rash behavior. Thankfully, hiring a curvy mechanic is the one impulsive decision he’s gotten right.
Eden Sampario is destitute as a result of a confrontation turned violent with her former employer. When Gage mistakenly offers her a job, she readily accepts. But soon she wonders if she made the right decision. Resisting her sexy boss proves more challenging than an engine rebuild. Her only other option? Give in to temptation and risk not only her career but also her heart.
Welcome to Big C’s automotive shop, a place where more than cars overheat.
About the Author
Gloria Joynt-Lang was born in France and raised in various locales throughout Canada. Before she started writing contemporary romance, she worked in the criminal justice system—technically spending time behind bars.
As a Canadian, she’s fanatic about hockey, poutine, and apologizing.
She currently resides in rural Alberta with her husband and their two dogs.
Jenn’s Review
Gloria Joynt-Lang is earning her chops as a sensitive author of neurodiverse characters in romance fiction, with her second book, Braking Hard, which features a strong female lead in a nontraditional career and a male protagonist coping with adult ADHD.
Gage is nothing short of determined. The owner of an auto repair shop in a small Oregon coastal town, each day is a struggle to stay focused on the things he needs to accomplish while managing his employees and a failing relationship. His mentor passes away suddenly, and Gage is sent adrift, trying to find his feet on his own. When he’s forced to fire one of his mechanics, he faces further challenges finding someone qualified. Until he stumbles upon “Ed’s” resume.
Eden’s life was turned upside down in a moment of violence when her boss makes inappropriate sexual advances and threatens her. She’s lost her job and she’s on the edge of losing everything else. While she’s a good mechanic and technician, finding another job in the career she loves is challenging – men either don’t believe she can do the work, or she’s subjected to demeaning and dehumanizing work conditions as a woman. When she learns that a former teacher has passed away, she makes an effort to attend his wake and runs into Gage.
Ms. Joynt-Lang treats her characters’ challenges with tenderness and honesty in this story that might just have been written about the little coastal town I live in. She nails the quirky nature of the town’s inhabitants and weaves together all the little ways that people intersect in a tiny town. Gage’s struggle with his ADHD is real and honest. Eden’s challenges as a woman in a male-dominated career field are honest.
Quirky, funny, and touching, I would recommend Braking Hard to fans of contemporary romance. It’s the first in a new series, and I eagerly look forward to the next installment.
Buy the Book
This book is available in Kindle and paperback here.
Find out what we’re reading and what we’re loving in our monthly newsletter, Between the Lines. You can sign up for it here.
2 Responses
[…] Braking Hard […]
[…] Braking Hard (coming soon) […]