Customer Reviews

Back on Track (Harlequin NASCAR)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hoo, boy! I found this to be a fascinating story on many levels--one of which was the romance between the older couple! Yes. More of this sort of thing, please!

If you've ever wondered what it is, exactly, that a sports psychologist does, this book will give you an inside look at how it works in auto racing. This career field didn't exist yet when I was racing, but my limited experience with racing as with life, tells me it can only help. Of course, the main character being named Kelly didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book, either. (Just kidding on that one, seriously!)

The ego it takes to be a champion at anything rarely balances well with a person's human side, sometimes making relationships difficult. Add in over-achieving parents and/or siblings on either side, and you have an absolute recipe for disaster, not to mention unhappiness. But yet, it can happen--sparks fly like crazy, and while the highs will be higher, the lows will also be lower. It takes a well-balanced person to survive in such a situation.

Kelly Greenwood came from such a family, as did Trent Matheson, which didn't make it any easier. The attraction between these two is almost instantaneous, and strong, in spite of how hard each of them works to ignore it. Winning NASCAR races is Trent's job and ambition, but he's a bit of a playboy along with it. When Kelly calls him an airhead during a TV interview, and he promptly proceeds to prove her right, you can guess that she'll soon have a new position--getting Trent back on track==and then to the winner's circle.

NASCAR and the cars and the people who build, maintain and drive them are all characters in this book. But, in spite of the secondary romance between Trent's father Brad, and his new secretary, Julie-Anne, the emphasis all the way through is on sports psychologist Kelly and professional race driver Trent. They differ and disagree before finally coming to see that they each do need the other. Without destroying each other in the process, Kelly helps Trent find his winning ways, while Trent proves to the world that Kelly really does know what she's doing. In the process they learn that in spite of the best advice in the world, it's the choices made by the individual that matter most. The one who most consistently makes the best choices wins. It's as simple as that.

Even in life.

Kelly is a sports psychologists who thrased Trent Matheson on National TV... she actually called him an airhead; so it's a big surprise when Trent's brother Chad calls her so she can work on Trent's issues... there is one catch though, Trent has to actually listen to her in order to help him.

His first impression is that she's a klutz, he later finds that although she presents herself with a lot of courage, and brave, she is a wimp around her family, which is full of sports legends... all that ego and poor Kelly sees herself sidelined by them.

And so they banter, a lot. I like the dynamic of their relationship, and pleasantly surprised to see some characters from a previous novel. If you liked it, I would recommend Checkered Past (Chad's story) and the Comeback (Zack's story).

The two rivals for the NASCAR championship are Danny Cruise and Trent Matheson with most people picking the latter. However, on a national TV show sports psychologist Kelly Greenwood believes Danny will win the Charlotte race this weekend as Trent is inconstant and just won; his pattern is to lose following a victory because of the off-track distractions.

When her prediction proves true almost to the letter, Trent's brother Chad hires Kelly to help his sibling concentrate better, but leaves it to her to convince her new "patient" he needs help and she can provide it. As they become better acquainted and begin to fall in love, he escorts her to her brother's wedding where he is shocked by her feelings of failure amidst her successful jock relatives. Though he tries to help her esteem, he has his own issues of whether he wants a permanent personal relationship with the shrink.

BACK ON TRACK is more a character study than a NASCAR romance although the racing circuit and the driver play important support roles. Instead the prime story line focuses closely on Kelly's psychological profile. Fans who appreciate a strong look at an individual will want to read this fine contemporary tale; NASCAR romance readers might reconsider as that plays a minor role.

Harriet Klausner