In The Groove by Pamela Britton

Sarah Tingle, ex-kindergarten teacher lost her job when her ex-boyfriend sent a copy of a sleazy magazine with naked pictures of her to the school board. Of course, her ex-boyfriend faked the pictures, but the school board ignored her protests. With nothing for her in California, Sarah decides to move to North Carolina and start her life over again. Unfortunately, the North Carolina schools aren’t hiring and she’s forced to take any job she can find.

Lance Cooper, NASCAR star, just happens to need a new bus driver. Well not exactly a bus, but that’s the best way to describe his motor home. He ran into Sarah – literally - while she was on her way to interview for his bus driver job. But despite her bruises, Sarah gets the job and a whole lot more from Lance.

I’m an old time NASCAR fan. I’ve been watching NASCAR races long before it became popular. So any book based on a NASCAR premise is bound to make it to the top of my “to be read pile”. But it also meant that I’d notice things that most readers might miss. I’ve got to hand it to Pamela, she did an excellent job with the details in the book. However getting the details right is one thing, getting the characters right is another and here Pamela did a great job. You saw Sarah start out as a downtrodden girl who doesn’t think much of herself and watch her confront her fears and overcome them with the help and patience of Lance.

Details: HQN, February 2006

Bottom line: A great book