Hostage Situation by Debra Webb

Renee Vaughn’s first assignment for the Colby Agency is to lay a trap for a reclusive drug lord by getting close to his brother. Unfortunately for Renee, when she walked into Paul's house she found herself in the middle of a double cross by the drug lord. Now if Paul and Renee want to live to see another day, they need to find a way to survive long enough to get reinforcements and take out the drug lord for good.

This is a nice book with a few really good scenes that kept you turning the pages. I liked the element of danger, though I do think the storyline is somewhat predictable. If you love Intrigues, then you’ll love this one too.

Details: Intrigue #989, May 2007

Excellence Rating: Very Good

Steaminess Factor: Sensual

Danger Zone by Debra Webb

When single mom Jenna Williams arrives to pick up her daughter after soccer practice, she finds someone else has picked her daughter up. Soon she receives a call demanding a million dollars for her safe return. When she protested that an ER nurse doesn’t have that kind of money, the mysterious caller hints that someone from her past does. Buck Buchanan, former NASCAR driver and now team owner can easily arrange to get that kind of money, but at first he thought that Jenna was pulling a scam. However when he sees a picture of Jenna’s daughter, he realizes that she wasn’t just Jenna’s daughter, she was his daughter too. Frustrated that he missed watching his daughter grows up, Buck wonders why he ever let his only true love get away. Assuming that they manage to find their daughter, will Jenna allow Buck into their lives or will she continue to shut him out as she has for the last 12 years.

While I enjoyed this story, it wasn’t as much of a NASCAR story as I would have hoped. Not much effort was put into integrating the characters into the racing lifestyle. Still, it was a great suspense story – one what was difficult to put down. If you love watching old flames reunited to solve a mystery, I’m certain you’ll love this story.

Details: Harlequin NASCAR, February 2007

Excellence Rating: Very Good

Steaminess Factor: Romantic

A NASCAR Holiday by Kimberly Raye, Roxanne St. Claire, Debra Webb

In Ladies, Start Your Engines by Kimberly Raye, Savannah Calloway sets out to help NASCAR Cup driver Mackenzie Briggs win the New Year’s Eve charity race. But Mackenzie sets out to win Savannah’s heart instead. Now can Mackenzie finish first in both races or will Savannah be left on the pits?

In ‘Tis The Silly Season by Roxanne St. Claire, Lisa Mahoney a divorced mother of two is barely making ends meet as a waitress when NASCAR Busch racer Clay Slater hires Lisa to pose as his family at Christmas in order to land a spot with a NASCAR Cup team. But just how far will Lisa go in order to help Clay win?

In Unbreakable by Debra Webb, Dr. Maxine Gray’s research into athletics brings her to a NASCAR Cup team to answer the age old question: “Are race drivers real athletes?” Fortunately she has NASCAR Cup driver Rush Jackson at her disposal. But can Max wrap up her research before Christmas Eve or will she become another member of Rush’s team?

All three stories are very cute and full of emotion. They manage to keep things rated PG with no explicit sex described within. While I know that this is part of the style, I also think a peek inside the bedroom every now and then wouldn’t hurt ;) . The only flaw I found was some of the more esoteric details about the cars and the NASCAR circuit could have benefited from some more research. Unfortunately, Pamela Britton has set the bar very high for all NASCAR books with her devotion to detail. So unless you’re an auto mechanic or uber-NASCAR fan, you probably wouldn’t notice anything. This book is a must buy for anyone who enjoys NASCAR.

Details: HQN, November 2006

Bottom line: A very good book