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Riding Rivals #1
Taking Pole
Two bitter racing rivals have fought since their teenage years to beat each other to the championship title. When they are both caught up in a serious accident, however, their plans and conflicts fall apart. Thrown together to make sense of what happened, the aftermath forces them to wonder what they are actually fighting for.
- GenresM M Romance
121 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 22, 2017
A mild romance and coming out story set in motorbike racing world. The writing was a bit stilted, but it's an easy read, and I was glad that the bosses, the support teams, and the other riders weren't homophobic.
I want to read their retirement story where Glen raises ferrets and Javier makes wine.
I want to read their retirement story where Glen raises ferrets and Javier makes wine.
August 14, 2015
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*
I was so excited when I read this title. I'm a HUGE NASCAR fan and thought yay! Then I read the synopsis and thought. Bikes? I can do bikes, and this sounds really good! I HATE giving a bad review. This is the worst part of being a reviewer. Taking someone hard work and feeling like you are stomping on their hearts, because that's where these books come from.
The first thing I'm going to say is, I found it frustrating that Javier, being from Barcelona, the author used Spanish phrases and words, and didn't always explain what they meant. Glen used a lot of British slang, and at times I felt like I was trying to read a book written in 3 different languages, and I only speak one!
The story started off good, and it ended good, but in the middle it got muddled. The storyline was good, but the story itself was choppy. It didn't feel like it had a natural flow to it. Things felt rushed. It needed more meat.
The chemistry between the characters was lacking. There were points in the story that needed more emotion. The journey to them becoming a couple, had a lot of opportunities to add more emotion to the story, but the author didn't take it. I was actually bored until the last 30 or so pages. At that point it stated to pick up, and it finally grabbed me.
I liked the way the author dealt with the situation, and the ending was good. It left things unresolved, but I'm okay with that. My problem is, I'm not sure if I'm okay with that because it's okay, or because I just wasn't really vested in the story.
This is not my first book by Catherine, and it won't be my last. This book just wasn't for me. :(
I was so excited when I read this title. I'm a HUGE NASCAR fan and thought yay! Then I read the synopsis and thought. Bikes? I can do bikes, and this sounds really good! I HATE giving a bad review. This is the worst part of being a reviewer. Taking someone hard work and feeling like you are stomping on their hearts, because that's where these books come from.
The first thing I'm going to say is, I found it frustrating that Javier, being from Barcelona, the author used Spanish phrases and words, and didn't always explain what they meant. Glen used a lot of British slang, and at times I felt like I was trying to read a book written in 3 different languages, and I only speak one!
The story started off good, and it ended good, but in the middle it got muddled. The storyline was good, but the story itself was choppy. It didn't feel like it had a natural flow to it. Things felt rushed. It needed more meat.
The chemistry between the characters was lacking. There were points in the story that needed more emotion. The journey to them becoming a couple, had a lot of opportunities to add more emotion to the story, but the author didn't take it. I was actually bored until the last 30 or so pages. At that point it stated to pick up, and it finally grabbed me.
I liked the way the author dealt with the situation, and the ending was good. It left things unresolved, but I'm okay with that. My problem is, I'm not sure if I'm okay with that because it's okay, or because I just wasn't really vested in the story.
This is not my first book by Catherine, and it won't be my last. This book just wasn't for me. :(
August 15, 2015
Original Blog Post: Review Request: Taking Pole by Catherine L. Byrne
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Two very driven competitors on the motorcycle racing circuit go head to head as they always do when an accident everyone fears happening happens. Left confused, full of guilt and seriously questioning their roles as racers, Javier and Glen find themselves thrown together to make sense of it all. The resulting romance that develops between them was both unexpected and yet expected. Their outing is also unexpected but expected.
And that is the root of this read. The unexpected is expected. Question is, how will they both survive?
The beginning of the story established one fact: the hatred between Javier and Glen. They are tough competitors and also kind of childish in their drive to win the race. This part is successfully written.
The following chapters after the accident, that is what I am at odds with. Their romance is a given, this is an MM romance after all, but the aftermath of their outing was too romantic a look at the way the sports world treats their athletes.
The good thing about this read was its fast pace and it was light enough to breeze through, like one would a fairy tale. This is a fairy tale story, despite the angst, and that is why I liked it.
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Two very driven competitors on the motorcycle racing circuit go head to head as they always do when an accident everyone fears happening happens. Left confused, full of guilt and seriously questioning their roles as racers, Javier and Glen find themselves thrown together to make sense of it all. The resulting romance that develops between them was both unexpected and yet expected. Their outing is also unexpected but expected.
And that is the root of this read. The unexpected is expected. Question is, how will they both survive?
The beginning of the story established one fact: the hatred between Javier and Glen. They are tough competitors and also kind of childish in their drive to win the race. This part is successfully written.
The following chapters after the accident, that is what I am at odds with. Their romance is a given, this is an MM romance after all, but the aftermath of their outing was too romantic a look at the way the sports world treats their athletes.
The good thing about this read was its fast pace and it was light enough to breeze through, like one would a fairy tale. This is a fairy tale story, despite the angst, and that is why I liked it.
August 27, 2015
Original review on Molly Lolly
Three stars!
This story was a mixed bag for me. Parts I liked and parts that just didn’t work. When Glen and Javier are rivals on the motorcycle racing circuit, you can tell how much they dislike each other. You can also feel the tension between the two of them to win at all costs. But at the same time, Javier’s drive to win isn’t his own and it shows. Then the tragedy happens and the story gets all kinds of strange for a few chapters. They go back and forth between blaming each other, blaming themselves, telling each other they’re not to blame, and then finally hooking up. It was just too awkward to make me really feel like they wanted to be together. Then the scene where they’re outed is so obvious. You can see it coming and then wonder why they’re surprised. Then there’s a tiny bit of homophobia they experience, but it’s handled too well. No pro sports stars are going to have that few of obstacles to coming out. No matter the sport. Glen and Javier end up nicely together at the end, but they still have a long way to go before I’d call it a happy ending.
Three stars!
This story was a mixed bag for me. Parts I liked and parts that just didn’t work. When Glen and Javier are rivals on the motorcycle racing circuit, you can tell how much they dislike each other. You can also feel the tension between the two of them to win at all costs. But at the same time, Javier’s drive to win isn’t his own and it shows. Then the tragedy happens and the story gets all kinds of strange for a few chapters. They go back and forth between blaming each other, blaming themselves, telling each other they’re not to blame, and then finally hooking up. It was just too awkward to make me really feel like they wanted to be together. Then the scene where they’re outed is so obvious. You can see it coming and then wonder why they’re surprised. Then there’s a tiny bit of homophobia they experience, but it’s handled too well. No pro sports stars are going to have that few of obstacles to coming out. No matter the sport. Glen and Javier end up nicely together at the end, but they still have a long way to go before I’d call it a happy ending.
October 8, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
In this enemies-to-lovers story, Glen and Javier each want to win the coveted championship and the sponsorships that go with that title. While one seeks to win as tribute to his mother and the other seeks to win to appease his father, both have dreams of what their life would be after racing. The competiveness and disdain these characters have for each other ripples off the pages. At times it seems almost immature, but then you realize that both characters are relatively young and that there is so much competitiveness in the sport to begin with that it breeds this type of behavior.
Unfortunately, this intense emotion doesn’t come through in the latter parts of the book. As the two characters begin to put their differences on the track aside and learn to appreciate each other on a personal level, readers don’t feel the same level of passion between them. Even when the tragedy strikes, it seemed as if the characters were going through the motions, but there wasn’t a whole lot of feeling to go along with it.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
3.25 stars
In this enemies-to-lovers story, Glen and Javier each want to win the coveted championship and the sponsorships that go with that title. While one seeks to win as tribute to his mother and the other seeks to win to appease his father, both have dreams of what their life would be after racing. The competiveness and disdain these characters have for each other ripples off the pages. At times it seems almost immature, but then you realize that both characters are relatively young and that there is so much competitiveness in the sport to begin with that it breeds this type of behavior.
Unfortunately, this intense emotion doesn’t come through in the latter parts of the book. As the two characters begin to put their differences on the track aside and learn to appreciate each other on a personal level, readers don’t feel the same level of passion between them. Even when the tragedy strikes, it seemed as if the characters were going through the motions, but there wasn’t a whole lot of feeling to go along with it.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
August 18, 2015
Taking Pole by Catherine Byrne
4 stars
M/M romance, sports theme
I was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Glen and Javier were quite the pair. This story was about more than just the love of a sport. This story was about letting people in who will allow you to be more. I loved the dynamic that was created between Glen and Javier. While they were enemies for the longest time, once they truly started to get to know each other, they were able to see past the racer persona.
Then when a tragedy strikes, they pull together even more. In their new found comfort level, they discover that they can have it all.
I really liked how this story was about hope, sticking together and separating job from personal life. The other racers were so supportive, the race league was committed. I enjoyed this story a lot.
4 stars
M/M romance, sports theme
I was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Glen and Javier were quite the pair. This story was about more than just the love of a sport. This story was about letting people in who will allow you to be more. I loved the dynamic that was created between Glen and Javier. While they were enemies for the longest time, once they truly started to get to know each other, they were able to see past the racer persona.
Then when a tragedy strikes, they pull together even more. In their new found comfort level, they discover that they can have it all.
I really liked how this story was about hope, sticking together and separating job from personal life. The other racers were so supportive, the race league was committed. I enjoyed this story a lot.
August 18, 2015
FourStars
Glen and Javier were quite the pair. This story was about more than just the love of a sport. This story was about letting people in who will allow you to be more. I loved the dynamic that was created between Glen and Javier. While they were enemies for the longest time, once they truly started to get to know each other, they were able to see past the racer persona.
Then when a tragedy strikes, they pull together even more. In their new found comfort level, they discover that they can have it all.
I really liked how this story was about hope, sticking together and separating job from personal life. The other racers were so supportive, the race league was committed. I enjoyed this story a lot.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
AvidReader
Glen and Javier were quite the pair. This story was about more than just the love of a sport. This story was about letting people in who will allow you to be more. I loved the dynamic that was created between Glen and Javier. While they were enemies for the longest time, once they truly started to get to know each other, they were able to see past the racer persona.
Then when a tragedy strikes, they pull together even more. In their new found comfort level, they discover that they can have it all.
I really liked how this story was about hope, sticking together and separating job from personal life. The other racers were so supportive, the race league was committed. I enjoyed this story a lot.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
AvidReader
September 4, 2015
As a bit of a bike race fan I was looking forward to this one.
I enjoyed the racing and bike related segments - the right balance I thought between those with some knowledge and those with none. I certainly will be looking a circuit shapes in a whole new way when the season starts!
The book is fairly light and quick to read. I thought that the characters of Javier and Glen would have been better with more depth and the story of their discovery and the fallout was a bit easy.
Whilst happy endings are not bad things I felt this ending was abit too happy and lovely (excepting Javier's Dad) and easy, but it is a story and it was enjoyable. 3.5*
I enjoyed the racing and bike related segments - the right balance I thought between those with some knowledge and those with none. I certainly will be looking a circuit shapes in a whole new way when the season starts!
The book is fairly light and quick to read. I thought that the characters of Javier and Glen would have been better with more depth and the story of their discovery and the fallout was a bit easy.
Whilst happy endings are not bad things I felt this ending was abit too happy and lovely (excepting Javier's Dad) and easy, but it is a story and it was enjoyable. 3.5*
August 2, 2015
Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance
I didn't expect to like this story. I read it directly after another book form this author that I thought could use some improvement. However, I had already decided to review it, and I needed another novella length story to pass some time, so I went for it.
For Complete review see Prism Book Alliance: http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews