#beccapodos

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

There's nothing more thrilling than being behind the wheel when the flag drops, a stretch of track ahead and her foot on the gas. Racing is in Jojo's blood. Or at least . . . it was.

Jojo Emerson-Boyd should be on the fast track to her own wildly successful racing career. Instead, she's spending the seemingly endless summer working at her grandmother's auto shop in the small town of Dell's Hollow. Everything changed when Jojo lost her mom, a celebrity NASCAR racer, in a tragic racing accident. Now, according to her dad, even getting her license is out of the question, so she might as well forget about racing. For the first time, her future seems foggy. But something comes into focus when Eliana "El" Blum turns up at the shop with an adorable scowl, a tough-girl vibe, and a mystery to solve.

A Motorcyle Girl™ at heart, El grew up on the sidelines of the motocross circuit, watching Maxine, her idol of an older sister, compete. When she suddenly loses all contact with Max, El won't give up until she's found. She's determined to follow Max's trail of clues, the first of which leads straight to the auto shop and to Jojo.

Jojo and El form a quick bond, and their relationship only deepens as they investigate Max's disappearance together. Falling for each other feels effortless—El the steady, measured pace to Jojo's fast lane. Impromptu road trips, heists, street races, and ever heightening stakes that feel ripped from a Fast & Furious movie test their resolve and the strength of their relationship. When the final laps of their search reveal surprising emotional truths, they'll have to trust each other and confront the grief woven into their complicated families if they hope to chase down their dreams.

Review:

Living her life on the fast track towards a racing career, one girl will do everything she can to chase her dreams and the mysterious girl who has come into her life. Jojo Emerson-Boyd is the daughter of a celebrity NASCAR racer who died from a tragic accident. Jojo spends her days workng at her grandmother's auto shop in the small town of Dell's Hollow, just waiting to finally apply to the f1 academy and pursue her own dreams of being a racer. Then she meets motorcycle girl, Eliana "El" Blum, a tough-girl vibe girl who is looking for her sister Max. El has been following Max's clues and is determined to find her... and her first clue leads her straight to the auto shop where Jojo works. Jojo and El strike up a quick relationship and they both begin to investigate Max's disappearance together as they race towards every new clue.... yet from impromptu road trips, heists, street races, and their growing feelings for each other... can they find Max and when they find the truth can they overcome both their own grief and family dramas? This book was just a delight of a book to read, especially for anyone who enjoys Fast and Furious. I loved the homage to the franchise and the journey that both El and Jojo go on was such a fun one to read. I had so much fun with this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast cars, family drama, road trips, and relationships where you both can quote the fast and furious movies to each other.

Release Date:June 11,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Page Street Publishing | Page Street YA and TBR Beyond Tour for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Purchase links: amazon