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Buchanan-Renard #12
Fast Track
A corrupt congressman, a mother's secrets, and a sizzling romance ignite passion and suspense in the new novel from Julie Garwood.
Cordelia Kane has always been a daddy's girl – her father raised her alone after her mother died when Cordelia was just two years old. So when he has a serious heart attack, Cordelia is devastated, and her emotion is only intensified by the confusion she feels when he reveals the shocking truth about her mother.
Cordelia can't suppress her curiosity about the woman who gave birth to her, and when she discovers the answers to her questions lie in Sydney, Australia, she travels there to get them.
When hotel magnate Aiden Madison gets railroaded into taking Cordelia to Sydney on his company yet, he unknowingly uts her life at risk. He's recently angered a powerful congressman and Congressman Chambers is not a man to let such an offense slide.
In Australia sparks are flying between Cordelia and Aiden, but when multiple attempts on Aiden's life are made while Cordelia is with him. Aiden realizes he must put a stop to the madness before he loses the person he values most.
Cordelia Kane has always been a daddy's girl – her father raised her alone after her mother died when Cordelia was just two years old. So when he has a serious heart attack, Cordelia is devastated, and her emotion is only intensified by the confusion she feels when he reveals the shocking truth about her mother.
Cordelia can't suppress her curiosity about the woman who gave birth to her, and when she discovers the answers to her questions lie in Sydney, Australia, she travels there to get them.
When hotel magnate Aiden Madison gets railroaded into taking Cordelia to Sydney on his company yet, he unknowingly uts her life at risk. He's recently angered a powerful congressman and Congressman Chambers is not a man to let such an offense slide.
In Australia sparks are flying between Cordelia and Aiden, but when multiple attempts on Aiden's life are made while Cordelia is with him. Aiden realizes he must put a stop to the madness before he loses the person he values most.
321 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2014
1040 people are currently reading
3869 people want to read
About the author
Julie Garwood
176 books12.5k followersWith more than 35 million books in print and 26 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, Julie Garwood has earned a position among America's favorite fiction writers.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
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February 17, 2020
October 2017 Series Reread
4.5 "I Love This Series" Stars
Okay, so this book is 10 years in the making!!! Yes, Buchanan-Renard fans it’s been 10 WHOLE YEARS since we were introduced to Cordelia & Aiden in 2004’s Murder List !!! And later reacquainted with them in Fire and Ice . We all know that Cordie has been in love with her BFF’s older brother Aiden since she was just a little five year old girl. I was soooo excited that we were finally getting their book. I requested this ARC and waited…and waited…. and waited and yippee we were finally approved! I put everything aside and read it in one day!!
The book starts as Cordie’s dad has suffered a fatal heart attack and she is basically at his hospital bedside waiting for him to take his last breath. On his deathbed, he confesses that her long dead mother is really alive. Upon her father’s death, she decides that she desperately needs make some changes in her life. As an only child, and her father no longer with her, plus her BFF’s Regan (Murder List), and Sophie (Fire and Ice) both happily married, she’s feeling alone.
As she starts to make some drastic changes, especially after a scorching kiss from Aiden during a vulnerable moment, she is even more determined to “get over Aiden” and get on with living her life. While going through her father’s belongings, she finds letters and other items that prompt her to look into her mother. She finds her mother is very much alive and well and living in her native Australia. She is hurt and outraged at what she finds, and decides it's finally time to meet her.
After kissing Cordie, Aiden can't get her out of his thoughts and when he learns all the changes she’s making, it prompts him to make a move. As she is preparing to go to her mother, he decides to go with her as he also has “business” to attend to in Australia. Cordie learns more about her mother and her mother’s family; it is shocking and my heart broke for Cordie. Aiden really shines here as he becomes her rock in an emotional situation and is steadfast in his support. Naturally, the relationship between them grows and becomes intimate during this jaunt to Australia. Once her goal is accomplished with her mother, they head home.
Upon returning to the States, Aiden is all business as usual and Cordie decides to get on with her plans to move to Boston. As the days pass, weird things begin to happen to Cordie and it soon becomes apparent that someone wants Cordie dead. Alac & Jack (Murder List and Fire and Ice) rally around Cordie…and I have to say I love Alac & Jack!! And Aiden personally takes her safety to a whole new level!!!
Final thoughts: Great storyline, great characters (with potential books in the future…fingers crossed for Spencer, Walker, and Liam to each have a book), engaging secondary storylines. Plus, it was fantastic to be with Regan and Sophie, and their husbands, Alac and Jack, once again. I love the dynamics of these girls together, their close connection, and their long lasting friendship.
We do get an epilogue, not a big one, but an epilogue all the same. So why not 5 stars? What can I say, I HATED Cordie’s mother and what she did to her as a child and more so as an adult. I wanted revenge on her behalf, she didn't get what I felt she deserved, so I felt a little cheated. I’m not normally this bloodthirsty, but her mother was an extremely selfish, coldhearted b*&ch!!! It made me so angry, and without Cordie getting some sort of retribution, that part of the story didn't feel complete! As for the rest of it...excellent!
*ARC provided to www.sweptawaybyromance.com by Penguin in exchange for an honest review
4.5 "I Love This Series" Stars
Okay, so this book is 10 years in the making!!! Yes, Buchanan-Renard fans it’s been 10 WHOLE YEARS since we were introduced to Cordelia & Aiden in 2004’s Murder List !!! And later reacquainted with them in Fire and Ice . We all know that Cordie has been in love with her BFF’s older brother Aiden since she was just a little five year old girl. I was soooo excited that we were finally getting their book. I requested this ARC and waited…and waited…. and waited and yippee we were finally approved! I put everything aside and read it in one day!!
The book starts as Cordie’s dad has suffered a fatal heart attack and she is basically at his hospital bedside waiting for him to take his last breath. On his deathbed, he confesses that her long dead mother is really alive. Upon her father’s death, she decides that she desperately needs make some changes in her life. As an only child, and her father no longer with her, plus her BFF’s Regan (Murder List), and Sophie (Fire and Ice) both happily married, she’s feeling alone.
As she starts to make some drastic changes, especially after a scorching kiss from Aiden during a vulnerable moment, she is even more determined to “get over Aiden” and get on with living her life. While going through her father’s belongings, she finds letters and other items that prompt her to look into her mother. She finds her mother is very much alive and well and living in her native Australia. She is hurt and outraged at what she finds, and decides it's finally time to meet her.
After kissing Cordie, Aiden can't get her out of his thoughts and when he learns all the changes she’s making, it prompts him to make a move. As she is preparing to go to her mother, he decides to go with her as he also has “business” to attend to in Australia. Cordie learns more about her mother and her mother’s family; it is shocking and my heart broke for Cordie. Aiden really shines here as he becomes her rock in an emotional situation and is steadfast in his support. Naturally, the relationship between them grows and becomes intimate during this jaunt to Australia. Once her goal is accomplished with her mother, they head home.
Upon returning to the States, Aiden is all business as usual and Cordie decides to get on with her plans to move to Boston. As the days pass, weird things begin to happen to Cordie and it soon becomes apparent that someone wants Cordie dead. Alac & Jack (Murder List and Fire and Ice) rally around Cordie…and I have to say I love Alac & Jack!! And Aiden personally takes her safety to a whole new level!!!
Final thoughts: Great storyline, great characters (with potential books in the future…fingers crossed for Spencer, Walker, and Liam to each have a book), engaging secondary storylines. Plus, it was fantastic to be with Regan and Sophie, and their husbands, Alac and Jack, once again. I love the dynamics of these girls together, their close connection, and their long lasting friendship.
We do get an epilogue, not a big one, but an epilogue all the same. So why not 5 stars? What can I say, I HATED Cordie’s mother and what she did to her as a child and more so as an adult. I wanted revenge on her behalf, she didn't get what I felt she deserved, so I felt a little cheated. I’m not normally this bloodthirsty, but her mother was an extremely selfish, coldhearted b*&ch!!! It made me so angry, and without Cordie getting some sort of retribution, that part of the story didn't feel complete! As for the rest of it...excellent!
*ARC provided to www.sweptawaybyromance.com by Penguin in exchange for an honest review
September 1, 2016
3 stars!
Fast Track is a very on-the-surface read that was neither romantic nor suspenseful, at least not for me. I still enjoyed reading the book and it was a solid story to pass my time with but nothing in particular stood out to me.
Note: Though this is book 12 in the series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I’ve only read 4 books in this series (out of order) and I had no difficulty getting through this one.
The story begins with a secret Cordelia’s father reveals on his deathbed: Cordelia’s mother is still alive and she abandoned her husband and daughter many years ago. Obsessed to find the mother who ditched her family, Cordelia travels to Australia to find out the truth but doesn’t count on her life being in danger. At the same time, she tries to forget her childhood crush and best friend’s brother Aiden but along the way, sparks fly and attraction flares between the two.
The suspense aspect revolves entirely around the mystery of Cordelia’s mother and it was pretty obvious from the beginning who was responsible for putting Cordelia in danger. The romance was equally bland – I didn’t feel the characters’ chemistry. Instead, it was just sex, sex, and then oh, I’m in love with you. The one saving grace was the writing.
I fell in love with this author’s historical romances and will always be eager to read her books, but I think from now on I might have to give up on her contemporary romances – they aren’t as enthralling as her older work.
ARC provided by Penguin Group Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fast Track is a very on-the-surface read that was neither romantic nor suspenseful, at least not for me. I still enjoyed reading the book and it was a solid story to pass my time with but nothing in particular stood out to me.
Note: Though this is book 12 in the series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I’ve only read 4 books in this series (out of order) and I had no difficulty getting through this one.
The story begins with a secret Cordelia’s father reveals on his deathbed: Cordelia’s mother is still alive and she abandoned her husband and daughter many years ago. Obsessed to find the mother who ditched her family, Cordelia travels to Australia to find out the truth but doesn’t count on her life being in danger. At the same time, she tries to forget her childhood crush and best friend’s brother Aiden but along the way, sparks fly and attraction flares between the two.
The suspense aspect revolves entirely around the mystery of Cordelia’s mother and it was pretty obvious from the beginning who was responsible for putting Cordelia in danger. The romance was equally bland – I didn’t feel the characters’ chemistry. Instead, it was just sex, sex, and then oh, I’m in love with you. The one saving grace was the writing.
I fell in love with this author’s historical romances and will always be eager to read her books, but I think from now on I might have to give up on her contemporary romances – they aren’t as enthralling as her older work.
ARC provided by Penguin Group Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2014
I enjoyed this series when it first started but the last few books haven't excited me. I thought about breaking up with the series and with Garwood's book, but I haven't been able to. I thought about skipping this book but decided to try again. It didn't work for me. As I was preparing this post, I saw that it has a 4 star rating on goodreads. I gave it 2 stars.
I'm not a fan, in real life or fiction, of domineering males, who think they know everything. Aiden, our hero, is arrogant, rude, overbearing, occasionally kind, and veers between treating Cordie like a princess and a prisoner. When she's injured after an attempt on her life, he holds her in his penthouse, under close guard, for her protection. Sounds okay, right? He's trying to keep her safe and simultaneously providing medical care for her. But he completely ignores her wishes, refuses to let her leave when she asks, and orders the guards to prevent her from leaving. She's a competent adult, capable of making her own decisions but you wouldn't know it by the way he behaves.So most of Aiden's scenes annoyed me or pissed me off.
Then there's the chauvinism. I had to keep checking to verify that this was a contemporary story and not from the 50s or 60s or a historical. Several times during the story, when Garwood describes scenes where Aiden is at a meeting or a dinner, only the men conduct business while the women are just eye candy.
From that point on he was distracted by a steady stream of men and women who recognized him. Each man wanted to talk about various projects he just knew Aiden would want to invest in, and each woman simply wanted Aiden.
This occurs several times. WTF? Is this a fantasy world where women don't engage in business? It's presented as a contemporary romance but scenes like this pulled me right out and left me wondering when and where this story was occurring.
I wanted to like this story. I did like Cordie, though she was a little too perfect at times, a little too Mary Sue. She and Aiden have been part of this series for years as secondary characters and they finally got their book and their romance. Although there's been simmering heat between them for a while, when the sex finally happened it, felt too fast and not all that sexy. After the first one, I skipped over the sex scenes.
There's a 'mystery' that wasn't really a mystery as Garwood telegraphed the identity of the perpetrator early on; I think it was supposed to be a twist but she was too obvious about it. The search for information about Cordie's mother was interesting and I enjoyed that part of the story. The romance lacked heat and I just didn't see Aiden's appeal, other than being rich and good-looking. Yes, Cordie has loved him for a long time but as I said, I just didn't see it. I did enjoy re-visiting her friends Regan and Sophie and their husbands. There are small inconsistencies, lots of cliches, tired stereotypes, and most of the story was predictable. It felt as if the author simply phoned in the story while sleeping.
Will I continue with the series? Maybe, but doubtful. Your mileage may vary.
I'm not a fan, in real life or fiction, of domineering males, who think they know everything. Aiden, our hero, is arrogant, rude, overbearing, occasionally kind, and veers between treating Cordie like a princess and a prisoner. When she's injured after an attempt on her life, he holds her in his penthouse, under close guard, for her protection. Sounds okay, right? He's trying to keep her safe and simultaneously providing medical care for her. But he completely ignores her wishes, refuses to let her leave when she asks, and orders the guards to prevent her from leaving. She's a competent adult, capable of making her own decisions but you wouldn't know it by the way he behaves.So most of Aiden's scenes annoyed me or pissed me off.
Then there's the chauvinism. I had to keep checking to verify that this was a contemporary story and not from the 50s or 60s or a historical. Several times during the story, when Garwood describes scenes where Aiden is at a meeting or a dinner, only the men conduct business while the women are just eye candy.
From that point on he was distracted by a steady stream of men and women who recognized him. Each man wanted to talk about various projects he just knew Aiden would want to invest in, and each woman simply wanted Aiden.
This occurs several times. WTF? Is this a fantasy world where women don't engage in business? It's presented as a contemporary romance but scenes like this pulled me right out and left me wondering when and where this story was occurring.
I wanted to like this story. I did like Cordie, though she was a little too perfect at times, a little too Mary Sue. She and Aiden have been part of this series for years as secondary characters and they finally got their book and their romance. Although there's been simmering heat between them for a while, when the sex finally happened it, felt too fast and not all that sexy. After the first one, I skipped over the sex scenes.
There's a 'mystery' that wasn't really a mystery as Garwood telegraphed the identity of the perpetrator early on; I think it was supposed to be a twist but she was too obvious about it. The search for information about Cordie's mother was interesting and I enjoyed that part of the story. The romance lacked heat and I just didn't see Aiden's appeal, other than being rich and good-looking. Yes, Cordie has loved him for a long time but as I said, I just didn't see it. I did enjoy re-visiting her friends Regan and Sophie and their husbands. There are small inconsistencies, lots of cliches, tired stereotypes, and most of the story was predictable. It felt as if the author simply phoned in the story while sleeping.
Will I continue with the series? Maybe, but doubtful. Your mileage may vary.
December 21, 2023
Cordelia Kane's father suffered a heart attack. Before he died, Mr. Kane admitted to Cordie that her mother was alive. She abandoned Cordelia and her father when Cordie was a baby, so he brought her up on his own. After reading the letter that her mother wrote over thirty years ago, Cordie searches for her mother and learns that she is rich and living in Australia.
Cordie's friends talk Aiden Madison into taking Cordie to Australia. Cordie has loved Aiden since she was six years old, but he is oblivious to her feelings. As Cordie and Aiden spend time together, their feelings grow. And when Cordie's life is put in jeopardy, Aiden will do anything to protect her.
Aiden and Cordie were introduced in this series way back in book five. I was hoping that they'd have their own book, but this one turned out to be disappointing. The romance had no spark. Cordie was the beautiful heroine who doesn't know that she is beautiful. She believes that Aiden could never love her, so she tries to distance herself. Aiden's character felt like a historical character in a business suit. He was domineering...telling (ordering) Cordie to do what he says instead of discussing it. I was hoping for much more with this pair.
The suspense was nearly non-existent. The revelation early in the book that Cordie's mother was alive was interesting. Her search was quick, but her plan when she found her was flawed. It wasn't hard to figure out who was behind the threats to Cordie. I felt like the author phoned this one in. My rating: 3 Stars.
Cordie's friends talk Aiden Madison into taking Cordie to Australia. Cordie has loved Aiden since she was six years old, but he is oblivious to her feelings. As Cordie and Aiden spend time together, their feelings grow. And when Cordie's life is put in jeopardy, Aiden will do anything to protect her.
Aiden and Cordie were introduced in this series way back in book five. I was hoping that they'd have their own book, but this one turned out to be disappointing. The romance had no spark. Cordie was the beautiful heroine who doesn't know that she is beautiful. She believes that Aiden could never love her, so she tries to distance herself. Aiden's character felt like a historical character in a business suit. He was domineering...telling (ordering) Cordie to do what he says instead of discussing it. I was hoping for much more with this pair.
The suspense was nearly non-existent. The revelation early in the book that Cordie's mother was alive was interesting. Her search was quick, but her plan when she found her was flawed. It wasn't hard to figure out who was behind the threats to Cordie. I felt like the author phoned this one in. My rating: 3 Stars.
September 7, 2022
Cordelia (Cordie) Kane's life gets turned upside down when her father dies and she discovers the huge secret he'd kept from her for her entire life. The secret is so explosive, it puts her life at risk. In the meantime, Cordie decided it was time for her to move on and forget Aiden Madison, her best friend's brother and the man she's crushed on since she was 5-years old. Her plans to leave town get delayed until her safety is no longer an issue but it thrusts her and Aiden together in the meantime.
It's a good story that held my interest through the end but it failed to create a strong connection for me to either Cordie or Aiden. I admired both of them separately but their romance was pretty sterile. And, Cordie vacillated between being treated as helpless and helpful. Aiden came across as overbearing and diminishing, never really exhibiting any emotion close to love, maybe strong affection. Their sexual exploits, however, were off the charts. Reuniting Cordie with Regan and Sophie in this story was certainly a highlight. And, the secondary characters and storylines made this more interesting.
I'm always going to read the books in this series because, at worst, they're entertaining. However, neither the suspense or romance hit the mark for me in this one. It was just okay.
It's a good story that held my interest through the end but it failed to create a strong connection for me to either Cordie or Aiden. I admired both of them separately but their romance was pretty sterile. And, Cordie vacillated between being treated as helpless and helpful. Aiden came across as overbearing and diminishing, never really exhibiting any emotion close to love, maybe strong affection. Their sexual exploits, however, were off the charts. Reuniting Cordie with Regan and Sophie in this story was certainly a highlight. And, the secondary characters and storylines made this more interesting.
I'm always going to read the books in this series because, at worst, they're entertaining. However, neither the suspense or romance hit the mark for me in this one. It was just okay.
August 1, 2014
2.5 stars ...Devoted Garwood fans may love it more, but once devoted fans will be disheartened…again.
Raised by a loving father, Cordelia Kane grew into a beautiful and confident woman. Her two best childhood friends also enriched her life with their presence and families. At the age of five, Aiden Madison, her best friend’s older brother, won her heart and she has silently pined for him. When Cordie’s father suffers a serious heart attack she realizes how much time she’s wasted and decides to pine no more. It’s time to move on. Aiden sees her as his little sister’s best friend, until Cordie’s father shares a long-kept secret that will send Aiden and Cordie on a trip to Australia. He will see the woman. Sparks will fly!
Danger is lurking. With Cordelia’s life being repeatedly threatened Aiden will use all in his power to protect her, as she brings out feelings he’s never had.
Yes, I read “Fast Track” as soon as the advanced reader copy was downloaded to my ereader. I read it in a day. The beginning of this romance was so strong and extremely emotional. It seemed as soon as Cordelia came out of her fog something snapped shut in the storytelling. There was such a disconnect in the writing, it was like Ms. Garwood poured all her emotions into the opening chapters then the passion in her writing fizzled out. Sure, there are passionate moments between Cordie and Aiden, but it felt like I was only giving small tastes of what the characters and story could be. Current fans may be satisfied with this book, but fans of old may not feel the love.
So, what is there to love? Ms. Garwood smoothly includes past characters; specifically, Murder List(Regan & Alec) and Fire and Ice (Sophie & Jack). Their presence seamlessly fits in with the plot and is not for token display. Although “Murder List” was released in 2005 and gave us a taste for the romance Aiden and Cordelia might one day have “Fast Track” is set one year after Regan’s story. It’s not noticeable unless you’ve been waiting as long as I have for this couple’s romance. An intriguing secondary character displays hero-potential. It’s my opinion that it’s time to end this series and spin-off is a fresh direction, which can take place in the same world.
There is power in the first five chapters. Anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one may struggle. Cordelia’s emotions are vivid and packed. Her character’s presence is strong and feels so real. It’s intense!
So, what went wrong? He did this…she did that… so many sentences started with these pronouns. It was distracting and unexpected in this prolific author’s work. There was extraneous information. The author’s voice sounded was drone-like and rambled. A few mundane events were listed in unnecessary detail. Then, there’s the hero. I had been anxiously awaiting his cool façade to crack. Aiden wasn't everything I had hoped for. His protectiveness and passion for Cordelia is swoon-worthy, but their effectiveness is lost with weak storytelling.
Aiden is possessive. He is the jet-setting company man. He’s also an insatiable and hard-loving hero… when he needs to be. He’s unexpectedly reserved at critical moments in the story. Strange! At times, his presence feels like an afterthought, which is strange given that this story is written in third-person and his perspective is conservatively shared. Overall, I thought Cornelia's character was well-done. Aiden was reserved and his presence weak. I wanted to hear more of his thoughts, feel more of his emotions, and, perhaps, have seen some inner struggle with Aiden sleeping with his sister's best friend. I have to say ‘kudos’ to the author for delivering an unexpected resolution to a major plot point. I thought I had this specific story thread worked out in my head. Nope. It was a curveball. I appreciated it. The only way to know if you’ll enjoy this book is to read the book yourself. Other reviewers have loved “Fast Track” far more than I have and maybe you will too.
ARC courtesy of Penguin written in exchange for an honest review.
Raised by a loving father, Cordelia Kane grew into a beautiful and confident woman. Her two best childhood friends also enriched her life with their presence and families. At the age of five, Aiden Madison, her best friend’s older brother, won her heart and she has silently pined for him. When Cordie’s father suffers a serious heart attack she realizes how much time she’s wasted and decides to pine no more. It’s time to move on. Aiden sees her as his little sister’s best friend, until Cordie’s father shares a long-kept secret that will send Aiden and Cordie on a trip to Australia. He will see the woman. Sparks will fly!
Danger is lurking. With Cordelia’s life being repeatedly threatened Aiden will use all in his power to protect her, as she brings out feelings he’s never had.
Yes, I read “Fast Track” as soon as the advanced reader copy was downloaded to my ereader. I read it in a day. The beginning of this romance was so strong and extremely emotional. It seemed as soon as Cordelia came out of her fog something snapped shut in the storytelling. There was such a disconnect in the writing, it was like Ms. Garwood poured all her emotions into the opening chapters then the passion in her writing fizzled out. Sure, there are passionate moments between Cordie and Aiden, but it felt like I was only giving small tastes of what the characters and story could be. Current fans may be satisfied with this book, but fans of old may not feel the love.
So, what is there to love? Ms. Garwood smoothly includes past characters; specifically, Murder List(Regan & Alec) and Fire and Ice (Sophie & Jack). Their presence seamlessly fits in with the plot and is not for token display. Although “Murder List” was released in 2005 and gave us a taste for the romance Aiden and Cordelia might one day have “Fast Track” is set one year after Regan’s story. It’s not noticeable unless you’ve been waiting as long as I have for this couple’s romance. An intriguing secondary character displays hero-potential. It’s my opinion that it’s time to end this series and spin-off is a fresh direction, which can take place in the same world.
There is power in the first five chapters. Anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one may struggle. Cordelia’s emotions are vivid and packed. Her character’s presence is strong and feels so real. It’s intense!
So, what went wrong? He did this…she did that… so many sentences started with these pronouns. It was distracting and unexpected in this prolific author’s work. There was extraneous information. The author’s voice sounded was drone-like and rambled. A few mundane events were listed in unnecessary detail. Then, there’s the hero. I had been anxiously awaiting his cool façade to crack. Aiden wasn't everything I had hoped for. His protectiveness and passion for Cordelia is swoon-worthy, but their effectiveness is lost with weak storytelling.
Aiden is possessive. He is the jet-setting company man. He’s also an insatiable and hard-loving hero… when he needs to be. He’s unexpectedly reserved at critical moments in the story. Strange! At times, his presence feels like an afterthought, which is strange given that this story is written in third-person and his perspective is conservatively shared. Overall, I thought Cornelia's character was well-done. Aiden was reserved and his presence weak. I wanted to hear more of his thoughts, feel more of his emotions, and, perhaps, have seen some inner struggle with Aiden sleeping with his sister's best friend. I have to say ‘kudos’ to the author for delivering an unexpected resolution to a major plot point. I thought I had this specific story thread worked out in my head. Nope. It was a curveball. I appreciated it. The only way to know if you’ll enjoy this book is to read the book yourself. Other reviewers have loved “Fast Track” far more than I have and maybe you will too.
ARC courtesy of Penguin written in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2014
*3 only-because-the-author-is-Julie Garwood Stars*
It’s hurts so bad to admit to another sad disappointment from a once-upon-a-time favorite author.
This book fell flat, short and all around less than what I expected after paying $10.99 for an ebook. (And yes, I know – it’s Julie Garwood – but still . . . just sayin’) I’ve been a fan for years, have all her books on my bookshelves in hardback EXCEPT for this one and, unless I find it in a sale bin later down the line, it never will be.
Waiting for these two characters to finally get their HEA has been a long-time coming. And frankly, it was a letdown. I was so disappointed in Aiden, who seemed cold, calculating and really boring. He was overplayed as a workaholic and alpha man without much depth to back it up. And Cordie was less than her characterizations depicted in previous books. Not as expected either, although not to the same degree as Aiden's dreary character. I guess I expected these two to spark, ignite and combust all in one book. I thought there should have been more fun-to-read moments filled with witty dialogue and memorable encounters between the two. Nada!
The story has a solid foundation with lots of promise and could have been a real sparkler – but it was not. Too many lost moments – too much filler that was unnecessary – and just too much of nothing. And I’m mostly talking the relationship between Cordie and Aiden which lacked emotions, chemistry and even captivating dialogue.
Another little peeve - the title just doesn’t seem to fit! Although it would have been perfect for a book for Walker, the youngest Madison brother, who makes an appearance in this book and indeed drives a racecar. In relation to this book, it had none.
I can’t seem to help myself. I keep buying these books in hopes that the tried and true will return. I think those days are long gone and it's now time to move on to the new generation.
***Shhh! Don't tell but I really felt it was a 2 star rating but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.***
It’s hurts so bad to admit to another sad disappointment from a once-upon-a-time favorite author.
This book fell flat, short and all around less than what I expected after paying $10.99 for an ebook. (And yes, I know – it’s Julie Garwood – but still . . . just sayin’) I’ve been a fan for years, have all her books on my bookshelves in hardback EXCEPT for this one and, unless I find it in a sale bin later down the line, it never will be.
Waiting for these two characters to finally get their HEA has been a long-time coming. And frankly, it was a letdown. I was so disappointed in Aiden, who seemed cold, calculating and really boring. He was overplayed as a workaholic and alpha man without much depth to back it up. And Cordie was less than her characterizations depicted in previous books. Not as expected either, although not to the same degree as Aiden's dreary character. I guess I expected these two to spark, ignite and combust all in one book. I thought there should have been more fun-to-read moments filled with witty dialogue and memorable encounters between the two. Nada!
The story has a solid foundation with lots of promise and could have been a real sparkler – but it was not. Too many lost moments – too much filler that was unnecessary – and just too much of nothing. And I’m mostly talking the relationship between Cordie and Aiden which lacked emotions, chemistry and even captivating dialogue.
Another little peeve - the title just doesn’t seem to fit! Although it would have been perfect for a book for Walker, the youngest Madison brother, who makes an appearance in this book and indeed drives a racecar. In relation to this book, it had none.
I can’t seem to help myself. I keep buying these books in hopes that the tried and true will return. I think those days are long gone and it's now time to move on to the new generation.
***Shhh! Don't tell but I really felt it was a 2 star rating but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.***
July 30, 2014
Cordelia (Cordie) Kane was raised by her father and has always had a crush on her best friend’s brother, Aiden. When her father dies unexpectedly, leaving Cordie devastated not only by his death but with the news that her mother is alive and didn’t die in a car accident as she was told, she decides this is the perfect opportunity to let go of the past (her crush on Aiden) and move forward with her life. Her first goal is to find out why her mother left her and her father so many years ago.
Aiden Madison is a workaholic. Main controller for his family’s chain of hotels, Aiden is forever wheeling and dealing with his cell phone glued to his ear and his laptop always open. He has known Cordie for years and firmly placed her in the friend zone. An impromptu and very steamy kiss shocks Aiden into opening his eyes and seeing the beautiful woman standing before him.
When Cordie tracks her errant mother to Sidney, Australia, Aiden is steamrollered into going with her and soon the two of them find themselves involved in a mystery involving a wealthy family who will do anything to keep their secrets buried. Multiple attempts on Cordie’s life send Aiden into a tailspin and makes him realize that he may lose the one person he never knew he wanted.
I have always been a fan of Julie Garwood’s historical and romance suspense stories. Her wonderful balance of humor and structured chaos has kept me entertained for years. I was pleased to see Cordie and Aiden getting their own story after seeing them in Murder List (2007). Recently though, I’ve noticed her last few books haven’t had the same spark and enthusiasm they previously held. The romance seems one-sided and the conflicts lack depth, action, and intrigue.
Fast Track is a friends to lovers story that starts out with high intentions but falls short of the mark. I saw a lot of similarities between this book and an earlier release, Sweet Talk. Both books contain a beautiful, loyal, intelligent woman who fall for an emotionally constrained alpha who treats her like a booty call. Also, similar to Sweet Talk, the hero’s work/family comes first. In fact, in Fast Track, our hero spends approximately 85% of the book working. The other 15% is having sex with the heroine and trying to keep her safe from her mother’s vindictive family.
A large part of my dissatisfaction with the story is that we don’t see any real interaction between Cordie or Aiden growing up. Yes, they did appear in previous books but that doesn’t help new readers or those like myself who don’t exactly remember what happened seven years ago. In here, we see one scene showing when Cordie first meets Aiden and decides “he’s the one” but beyond that, everything starts in the present. We don’t know why Codie is attracted to Aiden or what happened in the years leading up to this point to facilitate her crush lasting so long.
The beginning of their present day romance promises much but fails to deliver. A steamy kiss that makes Aiden notice Cordie and then we begin to see some jealousy on his part. But beyond that we are never given any hint to how Aiden feels about Cordie. Even he muses a few times that he’s not sure what he feels for her; brushing it aside as an inconvenience. We never hear him say anything that would clue us that his feelings for Cordie go beyond physical attraction. Their love scenes are like random hook ups. They look at one another, have sex, and then Aiden disappears for a few days on business. They don’t date; a one time “lunch date” actually ends up being a business meeting for him with a roomful of associates.
The fact that Cordie makes excuses for Aiden’s behavior; never calling him on his “hit it and quit” it attitude, frequent disappearances, or lack of communication made me lose respect for her quickly. Especially since she is so fierce in other aspects. She just continues to talk about moving on with her life though she doesn’t really do anything but make feeble motions.
The main conflict surrounding Cordie’s mom also fails to engage. Her father tells her not to wait on love and that she is finally safe as everything is in Cordie’s name; yet we never see any indication from her mother’s actions that she would want access to the fortune Cordie’s dad left to her. Her mother is worth millions. We meet her mother in Sidney and are assured that her mother wants nothing to do with her. As Cordie attempts to get on with her life, an accident proves to Aiden and Cordie that someone wants Cordie out of the picture. An interesting concept, especially once we learn the reasons behind the attack, but as the ‘romance’ makes up a majority of the story, the mystery gets interjected at random stages, leaving this reader rather ambivalent about the whole thing.
Two small subplots concerning Aiden and his family provide some relief from the drudgery of the story. We get clues to Aiden’s younger brother’s coming story and what looked to be a contender for the main conflict-the land acquisition-fizzled and resolved in lackluster fashion.
The ending is overly dramatic catch all that wraps everything up neatly with no loose ends. Love is instantly realised and we have our happily ever after. I would have liked to have seen more development all around as I felt the entire story stayed on one level without any real emotional depths. I think I have come to my breaking point with Ms. Garwood. While I’ll continue to read and reread her older releases, the new ones just aren’t for me.
RATING: D
Aiden Madison is a workaholic. Main controller for his family’s chain of hotels, Aiden is forever wheeling and dealing with his cell phone glued to his ear and his laptop always open. He has known Cordie for years and firmly placed her in the friend zone. An impromptu and very steamy kiss shocks Aiden into opening his eyes and seeing the beautiful woman standing before him.
When Cordie tracks her errant mother to Sidney, Australia, Aiden is steamrollered into going with her and soon the two of them find themselves involved in a mystery involving a wealthy family who will do anything to keep their secrets buried. Multiple attempts on Cordie’s life send Aiden into a tailspin and makes him realize that he may lose the one person he never knew he wanted.
I have always been a fan of Julie Garwood’s historical and romance suspense stories. Her wonderful balance of humor and structured chaos has kept me entertained for years. I was pleased to see Cordie and Aiden getting their own story after seeing them in Murder List (2007). Recently though, I’ve noticed her last few books haven’t had the same spark and enthusiasm they previously held. The romance seems one-sided and the conflicts lack depth, action, and intrigue.
Fast Track is a friends to lovers story that starts out with high intentions but falls short of the mark. I saw a lot of similarities between this book and an earlier release, Sweet Talk. Both books contain a beautiful, loyal, intelligent woman who fall for an emotionally constrained alpha who treats her like a booty call. Also, similar to Sweet Talk, the hero’s work/family comes first. In fact, in Fast Track, our hero spends approximately 85% of the book working. The other 15% is having sex with the heroine and trying to keep her safe from her mother’s vindictive family.
A large part of my dissatisfaction with the story is that we don’t see any real interaction between Cordie or Aiden growing up. Yes, they did appear in previous books but that doesn’t help new readers or those like myself who don’t exactly remember what happened seven years ago. In here, we see one scene showing when Cordie first meets Aiden and decides “he’s the one” but beyond that, everything starts in the present. We don’t know why Codie is attracted to Aiden or what happened in the years leading up to this point to facilitate her crush lasting so long.
The beginning of their present day romance promises much but fails to deliver. A steamy kiss that makes Aiden notice Cordie and then we begin to see some jealousy on his part. But beyond that we are never given any hint to how Aiden feels about Cordie. Even he muses a few times that he’s not sure what he feels for her; brushing it aside as an inconvenience. We never hear him say anything that would clue us that his feelings for Cordie go beyond physical attraction. Their love scenes are like random hook ups. They look at one another, have sex, and then Aiden disappears for a few days on business. They don’t date; a one time “lunch date” actually ends up being a business meeting for him with a roomful of associates.
The fact that Cordie makes excuses for Aiden’s behavior; never calling him on his “hit it and quit” it attitude, frequent disappearances, or lack of communication made me lose respect for her quickly. Especially since she is so fierce in other aspects. She just continues to talk about moving on with her life though she doesn’t really do anything but make feeble motions.
The main conflict surrounding Cordie’s mom also fails to engage. Her father tells her not to wait on love and that she is finally safe as everything is in Cordie’s name; yet we never see any indication from her mother’s actions that she would want access to the fortune Cordie’s dad left to her. Her mother is worth millions. We meet her mother in Sidney and are assured that her mother wants nothing to do with her. As Cordie attempts to get on with her life, an accident proves to Aiden and Cordie that someone wants Cordie out of the picture. An interesting concept, especially once we learn the reasons behind the attack, but as the ‘romance’ makes up a majority of the story, the mystery gets interjected at random stages, leaving this reader rather ambivalent about the whole thing.
Two small subplots concerning Aiden and his family provide some relief from the drudgery of the story. We get clues to Aiden’s younger brother’s coming story and what looked to be a contender for the main conflict-the land acquisition-fizzled and resolved in lackluster fashion.
The ending is overly dramatic catch all that wraps everything up neatly with no loose ends. Love is instantly realised and we have our happily ever after. I would have liked to have seen more development all around as I felt the entire story stayed on one level without any real emotional depths. I think I have come to my breaking point with Ms. Garwood. While I’ll continue to read and reread her older releases, the new ones just aren’t for me.
RATING: D
November 4, 2014
★★★½✩ (This is a review of the audiobook.) I unusually enjoy Tanya Eby's narration, but man-oh-man, she can't do Australian accents.
I didn't quite understand the heroine, either. She didn't think the hero loved her; but to me, he was showing her in all ways that he did. Of course, I've read reviews were some felt he was cold and distant. **shrugs** Go figure.
I didn't quite understand the heroine, either. She didn't think the hero loved her; but to me, he was showing her in all ways that he did. Of course, I've read reviews were some felt he was cold and distant. **shrugs** Go figure.
December 16, 2023
12/16/2023 - As much as I love Julie Garwood, this book is not up to her standards. The romance dragged and was uneven, at best and the suspense/mystery just wasn't much at all. I didn't like how Aiden treated Cordie. He was condescending at times and rude and arrogant. Leaving for days without a word was just rude and expecting Cordie to follow his every edit was arrogant. I get that Aiden is ruler of a hotel empire, but Cordie isn't one of his subjects. I loved how Aiden managed the sale of the property and put the blowhard congressman in his place. I also loved how he protected Cordie, even if he was a bit highhanded about it.
09/06/2014 - I'm sorry to say that the start of Fast Track did not get off to a fast start. It was rather slow and pondering. I understand that sexual tension is an important element in any romantic suspense book, but I just felt annoyed by how Aiden and Cordie went about it.
Cordie has had a crush on Aiden since she was 6 years old, and he was 16. Cordie's dad dies rather suddenly of a heart attack and his last advice to her is to not waste her life waiting for what she can never have. Cordie takes that to mean to stop waiting for Aiden to notice she is alive and to fall madly in love with her. So, Cordie plans some radical changes in her life to take her out of Aiden's realm so she can bury her infatuation with him for good. She never even considers making a play for him and seeing if it goes anywhere. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Cordie just decides that Aiden could never want her the way she wants him. In fact, Adian has noticed Cordie, but chose not to get involved with her, until now, and he is fighting his feelings all the way. Cordie's dad also dropped the bombshell that her mother did not die in an accident when she was a baby but ran out on them both. That sets Cordie on a quest to find her and maybe confront her. Aiden volunteers to aid in the quest that that takes them to Sydney, Australia. Cordie doesn't plan to meet her mother, Simone, she just wants to get a look at her and her family. Cordie makes her presence known and Simone is not happy that Cordie could cause her a scandal. What happens after Cordie returns to Chicago is the stuff of a by the formula book and not worthy of Julie Garwood.
There are some parts of this book that could have been a Regency period book and may have been better set in that period.
09/06/2014 - I'm sorry to say that the start of Fast Track did not get off to a fast start. It was rather slow and pondering. I understand that sexual tension is an important element in any romantic suspense book, but I just felt annoyed by how Aiden and Cordie went about it.
Cordie has had a crush on Aiden since she was 6 years old, and he was 16. Cordie's dad dies rather suddenly of a heart attack and his last advice to her is to not waste her life waiting for what she can never have. Cordie takes that to mean to stop waiting for Aiden to notice she is alive and to fall madly in love with her. So, Cordie plans some radical changes in her life to take her out of Aiden's realm so she can bury her infatuation with him for good. She never even considers making a play for him and seeing if it goes anywhere. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Cordie just decides that Aiden could never want her the way she wants him. In fact, Adian has noticed Cordie, but chose not to get involved with her, until now, and he is fighting his feelings all the way. Cordie's dad also dropped the bombshell that her mother did not die in an accident when she was a baby but ran out on them both. That sets Cordie on a quest to find her and maybe confront her. Aiden volunteers to aid in the quest that that takes them to Sydney, Australia. Cordie doesn't plan to meet her mother, Simone, she just wants to get a look at her and her family. Cordie makes her presence known and Simone is not happy that Cordie could cause her a scandal. What happens after Cordie returns to Chicago is the stuff of a by the formula book and not worthy of Julie Garwood.
There are some parts of this book that could have been a Regency period book and may have been better set in that period.
April 13, 2015
I've been waiting for this, every since Fire & Ice when it was clear Cordelia had a crush on aiden and I love Cordelia and Aiden... If you've kept up with those Buchanans then you know this will be a hit
May 11, 2016
Fast Track by Julie Garwood is a 2014 Berkley publication.
As you can tell, I’m taking a little mini-break from ARC reviews and checking out some books from the library, discovering books I’ve missed out on, and touching base with authors I have lost touch with over the years.
Julie Garwood is an author I loved a long while back when she primarily wrote historical romance novels. Now, she seems to be sticking with romantic suspense, a favorite genre of mine, but for some reason, when she made the switch, I never followed her over. I have read a smattering of her RS novels, but it’s been many years since I picked up a book by this author. So, when I saw this one in the library, I decided to check it out. I do realize this book is pretty deep into a series, but apparently, it can be read as a standalone.
When Cordelia’s father makes a startling death bed confession, she discovers her mother is alive and well, living in Australia. She also discovers the woman has a heart of stone. But, Cordelia wants her mother to know she is aware of what really happened all those years ago, and to at least see her face to face. So, she travels to Australia, gets the eye contact she was hoping for, but inadvertently stirs up a hornet’s nest that could get her killed.
Aiden, is Cordelia’s best friend’s brother, a guy Cordelia has been in love with forever. When he is lured into traveling to Australia with Cordelia, he suddenly finds himself feeling protective of her and perhaps a little possessive too. The sparks fly, but Cordelia doesn’t want to be like her father, loving someone she can never have, and vows to move on with her life, and start fresh. Could Aiden have other plans?
This is a mildly interesting romantic suspense story, with a kind of a soap opera feel to it to me for some reason. A vindictive, morally bankrupt family, drunk on money and power, is furious when Cordelia throws a kink into their orderly lives, and disrupts their grand plans for the future.
The chemistry between Aiden and Cordelia was pretty superficial in my opinion, without much emotional connection, and seemed pretty much like friends with benefits all the way through till the end.
I know this author has done better work, and this book in certainly not a great representation of her talent. It was okay and enjoyable enough, and it was nice bumping into Julie Garwood after such a lengthy absence.
3 stars
As you can tell, I’m taking a little mini-break from ARC reviews and checking out some books from the library, discovering books I’ve missed out on, and touching base with authors I have lost touch with over the years.
Julie Garwood is an author I loved a long while back when she primarily wrote historical romance novels. Now, she seems to be sticking with romantic suspense, a favorite genre of mine, but for some reason, when she made the switch, I never followed her over. I have read a smattering of her RS novels, but it’s been many years since I picked up a book by this author. So, when I saw this one in the library, I decided to check it out. I do realize this book is pretty deep into a series, but apparently, it can be read as a standalone.
When Cordelia’s father makes a startling death bed confession, she discovers her mother is alive and well, living in Australia. She also discovers the woman has a heart of stone. But, Cordelia wants her mother to know she is aware of what really happened all those years ago, and to at least see her face to face. So, she travels to Australia, gets the eye contact she was hoping for, but inadvertently stirs up a hornet’s nest that could get her killed.
Aiden, is Cordelia’s best friend’s brother, a guy Cordelia has been in love with forever. When he is lured into traveling to Australia with Cordelia, he suddenly finds himself feeling protective of her and perhaps a little possessive too. The sparks fly, but Cordelia doesn’t want to be like her father, loving someone she can never have, and vows to move on with her life, and start fresh. Could Aiden have other plans?
This is a mildly interesting romantic suspense story, with a kind of a soap opera feel to it to me for some reason. A vindictive, morally bankrupt family, drunk on money and power, is furious when Cordelia throws a kink into their orderly lives, and disrupts their grand plans for the future.
The chemistry between Aiden and Cordelia was pretty superficial in my opinion, without much emotional connection, and seemed pretty much like friends with benefits all the way through till the end.
I know this author has done better work, and this book in certainly not a great representation of her talent. It was okay and enjoyable enough, and it was nice bumping into Julie Garwood after such a lengthy absence.
3 stars
September 26, 2021
Having started with the first in the series, Heartbreaker, I'm now reading the books out of order. So while this book is #12, it's the third I've read but I know already I'll read them all.
While I can't say this is my series favorite because I have so many more to read, I can say the hero in this book is the type that definitely hits all the right notes for me. Aiden is a dominant, arrogant workaholic millionaire with a tight-knit family and a healthy group of friends. He has a generous heart, a no-nonsense sensibility, and he's drop-dead gorgeous. Yum.
Cordelia is an amazing heroine for him--smart, rational, and able to hold her ground. My only nit is that Aiden was so completely oblivious to Cordie for most of their lives. I understand that there's a necessary mental shift in a friends-to-lovers situation, especially at the ages these two meet for the first time, so I'm just stating my reader preference to have chemistry so powerful it can't be ignored. It's not in any way a critique of the story or writing.
This installment is less suspenseful than the previous I've read, so it struck me more as a contemporary romance. I enjoyed it no less for that. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and love the way Garwood writes her heroes. She's a legend in romance and it's obvious why.
While I can't say this is my series favorite because I have so many more to read, I can say the hero in this book is the type that definitely hits all the right notes for me. Aiden is a dominant, arrogant workaholic millionaire with a tight-knit family and a healthy group of friends. He has a generous heart, a no-nonsense sensibility, and he's drop-dead gorgeous. Yum.
Cordelia is an amazing heroine for him--smart, rational, and able to hold her ground. My only nit is that Aiden was so completely oblivious to Cordie for most of their lives. I understand that there's a necessary mental shift in a friends-to-lovers situation, especially at the ages these two meet for the first time, so I'm just stating my reader preference to have chemistry so powerful it can't be ignored. It's not in any way a critique of the story or writing.
This installment is less suspenseful than the previous I've read, so it struck me more as a contemporary romance. I enjoyed it no less for that. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and love the way Garwood writes her heroes. She's a legend in romance and it's obvious why.
June 29, 2014
Suspense, friendship and friends become lovers is a terrific combination from talented Ms. Garwood. Cordelia Kane is smart and grounded. Her father may be a rich man from his business, but she still earns her way to pay for her schooling. With her two best friends settled down happily married, she's feeling a bit of a fifth wheel. When her father's heart attack reveals the truth about her mother, it pushes Cordelia to make some major life changes.
The first change, she won't be like her father, left all alone. Ms. Garwood creates a fabulous story with a focus on love. Love of a father, love of a mother, love of friends and most importantly, how love from a lover will impact a person's life. Cordelia's life is infused with love from her father and friends. What she wants to understand, is how and why her mother left a child and loving husband behind. In this journey to discover why her mother treated her father so poorly, she also finds herself finally involved with Aiden Madison. Aiden is her childhood crush who sees Cordelia as a little sister. When Cordelia makes the decision to no longer wait for Aiden to notice her and move on with her life to find a mate and a new home, Aiden is in for a rude awakening.
Ms. Garwood's books are so enjoyable to read because of her character development. She does an excellent job with her characters. They come to life, jumping off the pages. The bonds between three childhood friends is a beautiful thing to see. In an age where people move more often and childhood friendships no longer continue into adulthood, this is appealing to read. The suspense and twist added into the story keeps a reader riveted and wanting to learn more. Still, it's the characters which make this story so good. Even the secondary characters are charming. An example is how much Cordelia's father impacted so many people's life. To hear all the things he did is truly inspiring and makes me want to be a better person. Books that inspire me to make a change and help make the world a better place is a book I love.
The sexual heat between Cordelia and Aiden builds into a sensual erotic burn. It's easy to see the sparks flying between the two of them. Just as it is amusing to see Aiden become possessive of Cordelia when she least expects it. The relationship is a long time coming and even then, it needed several pushes from helpful friends. It's fun to see how the two of the balance each other and even though they have known each other for so long, they still learn new things about each other. This contemporary romance is recommended for those who enjoy friends become lovers theme.
*provided by NetGalley
The first change, she won't be like her father, left all alone. Ms. Garwood creates a fabulous story with a focus on love. Love of a father, love of a mother, love of friends and most importantly, how love from a lover will impact a person's life. Cordelia's life is infused with love from her father and friends. What she wants to understand, is how and why her mother left a child and loving husband behind. In this journey to discover why her mother treated her father so poorly, she also finds herself finally involved with Aiden Madison. Aiden is her childhood crush who sees Cordelia as a little sister. When Cordelia makes the decision to no longer wait for Aiden to notice her and move on with her life to find a mate and a new home, Aiden is in for a rude awakening.
Ms. Garwood's books are so enjoyable to read because of her character development. She does an excellent job with her characters. They come to life, jumping off the pages. The bonds between three childhood friends is a beautiful thing to see. In an age where people move more often and childhood friendships no longer continue into adulthood, this is appealing to read. The suspense and twist added into the story keeps a reader riveted and wanting to learn more. Still, it's the characters which make this story so good. Even the secondary characters are charming. An example is how much Cordelia's father impacted so many people's life. To hear all the things he did is truly inspiring and makes me want to be a better person. Books that inspire me to make a change and help make the world a better place is a book I love.
The sexual heat between Cordelia and Aiden builds into a sensual erotic burn. It's easy to see the sparks flying between the two of them. Just as it is amusing to see Aiden become possessive of Cordelia when she least expects it. The relationship is a long time coming and even then, it needed several pushes from helpful friends. It's fun to see how the two of the balance each other and even though they have known each other for so long, they still learn new things about each other. This contemporary romance is recommended for those who enjoy friends become lovers theme.
*provided by NetGalley
October 6, 2014
Lacklustre outing from Julie Garwood. Her recent romantic suspense novels have not lived up to her early works such as Heartbreaker. In the old days we had a real suspense, a romance that was actually based on more than sex and development of both the characters and the story. Nowadays we are getting a card board cut out hero and heroine, manufactured 'suspense' that is just not suspenseful and a romance that seems to be instant sex (after hero decides to save heroine from whatever danger)lwith no actual relationship which make the declaration of love and inevitable marriage flat. This is no exception. There is no connection between Aiden & Cordelia. And i hate the way Cordelia is all I am a strong independent woman who can take care of myself, then Aiden and all her friends basically pat her on the head and say don't worry your pretty little head the big strong men will take care of everything and ignore every thing she says. Then Cordelia (while continually protesting verbally) does exactly that. Irritating.
September 3, 2018
Fast Track was a cute fast pace romance story. The characters were fun with interesting backgrounds.
On his deathbed, Cordelia Kane’s dad tells her that her mother hadn’t died in a car crash when she was a baby but had left them.
Cordelia had several things to deal with simultaneously: her dad’s death, to learn more about her egg donor and why she left, and to come to terms with pining over loving a man whom she’d loved since she was five years old who was her best friend’s older brother who thought of her only as his little sister’s best friend.
Cordelia’s dad had never remarried because he never stopped loving Cordelia’s mother and had held out hope until the day he died that she would someday return and on his deathbed he told Cordelia his only regret in life. Cordelia made up her mind that she wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of her dad and was determined to stop loving the man she’d love since she was five years old by moving out of state. After learning about her egg donor and the egg donor’s family, Cordelia wished she’d never started the search.
Though the language was sometimes childish, the characters were well developed and the story interesting. Tanya Ebay was a good story teller but was not good at voices.
On his deathbed, Cordelia Kane’s dad tells her that her mother hadn’t died in a car crash when she was a baby but had left them.
Cordelia had several things to deal with simultaneously: her dad’s death, to learn more about her egg donor and why she left, and to come to terms with pining over loving a man whom she’d loved since she was five years old who was her best friend’s older brother who thought of her only as his little sister’s best friend.
Cordelia’s dad had never remarried because he never stopped loving Cordelia’s mother and had held out hope until the day he died that she would someday return and on his deathbed he told Cordelia his only regret in life. Cordelia made up her mind that she wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of her dad and was determined to stop loving the man she’d love since she was five years old by moving out of state. After learning about her egg donor and the egg donor’s family, Cordelia wished she’d never started the search.
Though the language was sometimes childish, the characters were well developed and the story interesting. Tanya Ebay was a good story teller but was not good at voices.
January 7, 2016
The twelfth addition to Julie Garwood's Buchanan-Renard series. Cordelia "Cordie" Kane learns that her mother did not die when she was a baby like she had been told. At first, she has no desire to look for the mother that abandoned her. But after reading the letter her mother wrote to her father, Cordie's curiosity compels her to Australia to see this cold-hearted woman. Her friend's brother, Aiden Madison, accompanies her in his private jet. Cordie has had a crush on Aiden since she was 5 years old but she has recently realized that Aiden would never love her so she has decided to make changes in her life and move from Chicago to Boston. Meanwhile, Aiden has his own issues with his brothers and the purchase of land for a new hotel.
The main characters, Aiden and Cordie were introduced in previous books. The story started strong with the death of Cordie's father but the romance was slow to start. Aiden was a bit of a jerk at times with his demands and lack of communication skills. But ultimately, I enjoyed the story and felt it was better than the last few books in the series.
The main characters, Aiden and Cordie were introduced in previous books. The story started strong with the death of Cordie's father but the romance was slow to start. Aiden was a bit of a jerk at times with his demands and lack of communication skills. But ultimately, I enjoyed the story and felt it was better than the last few books in the series.
March 9, 2023
too much plot, not nearly enough romance
July 10, 2014
Review posted on Got Fiction? book blog
Cordie is a daddy’s girl. Her gruff mechanic grease monkey dad raised her and when he died, he was far more than a “grease monkey.” He left Cordie a small fortune from his car business.
Cordie, meanwhile, is a teacher. She’s been in love with her best friend’s brother since they were kids. But Aidan is oblivious. Until she decides to get over him. But her dad dropped a bomb on Cordie right before he dies; he tells her that her mother never died. She actually left them when Cordie was a baby.
With preparations for her dad’s funeral and Aidan coming in town, Cordie’s mind is everywhere except on her mom. She figures she’ll deal with that later. There’s a letter in a safe deposit box for her, but she figures she’ll deal with that after the funeral, too. And when she finally opens it (which by the way, drove me nuts! I would have opened it on the spot, but I’m like that), she finds out more about her mother.
And that her mom was a horrible, horrible person.
Aidan has never really thought about Cordie other than as his little sister’s bestie. One night after her dad died, they share an amazing, scorching hot kiss and suddenly he can’t keep his mind off her. But Aidan is all business. Literally. He works so so hard and rarely comes up for air. I sort of wish he’d have stopped working so much sooner in the novel, because it’s hard to build a romance with the characters apart. I think Garwood leaned on their many years of knowing each other in that sense. She figured that because they grew up together, she didn’t have to give them as much interaction. I don’t know.
When Cordie makes the impulsive decision to go to Australia (where it turns out her mother and her socialite family live), Aidan says he’ll fly her down there since he has business there too. This really isn’t helping Cordie’s get over Aidan plan, but things start to heat up, so she doesn’t mind.
What we see is that not just is Cordie’s mom a horrible person, but so is the whole family. Her mom sees her (and since she’s the spitting image of her, she knows exactly who she is), and her mom will do anything to keep her a secret. Assuming her father was still a poor mechanic, she tries to buy her off. Then Cordie’s life is endangered.
One thing that bugs me about Garwood’s heroines is that the past 3 I’ve read in this series have all had their lives endangered in some way, but they don’t take the threat seriously enough. In Hot Shot, the previous book, the heroine Peyton is shot at, run off the road and bombed. Literally, bombed. She ends up hospitalized and still doesn’t listen to her big bad FBI boyfriend. In Sweet Talk Olivia is shot and still doesn’t take the threat seriously. Cordie is slightly better, but really not much. It’s frustrating because all 3 heroines were intelligent and good characters otherwise.
I also didn’t like how little closure there was with the mother. There’s a bit at the end, but it’s not really what (from what I can tell) the readers want. At least it’s not what I wanted.
I’m curious who the next couple will be-there have been lots of side characters and lots of sequel-bait, so I’m waiting for characters from previous books to get their turns too.
I believe that readers have been waiting nearly 10 years for Aidan and Cordie’s book, but the cool thing is that this book can be read as a stand-alone. It’s typical Garwood with sexy heroes, relateable and likeable heroines, and a lot of action.
***ARC courtesy of Dutton Books
Cordie is a daddy’s girl. Her gruff mechanic grease monkey dad raised her and when he died, he was far more than a “grease monkey.” He left Cordie a small fortune from his car business.
Cordie, meanwhile, is a teacher. She’s been in love with her best friend’s brother since they were kids. But Aidan is oblivious. Until she decides to get over him. But her dad dropped a bomb on Cordie right before he dies; he tells her that her mother never died. She actually left them when Cordie was a baby.
With preparations for her dad’s funeral and Aidan coming in town, Cordie’s mind is everywhere except on her mom. She figures she’ll deal with that later. There’s a letter in a safe deposit box for her, but she figures she’ll deal with that after the funeral, too. And when she finally opens it (which by the way, drove me nuts! I would have opened it on the spot, but I’m like that), she finds out more about her mother.
And that her mom was a horrible, horrible person.
Aidan has never really thought about Cordie other than as his little sister’s bestie. One night after her dad died, they share an amazing, scorching hot kiss and suddenly he can’t keep his mind off her. But Aidan is all business. Literally. He works so so hard and rarely comes up for air. I sort of wish he’d have stopped working so much sooner in the novel, because it’s hard to build a romance with the characters apart. I think Garwood leaned on their many years of knowing each other in that sense. She figured that because they grew up together, she didn’t have to give them as much interaction. I don’t know.
When Cordie makes the impulsive decision to go to Australia (where it turns out her mother and her socialite family live), Aidan says he’ll fly her down there since he has business there too. This really isn’t helping Cordie’s get over Aidan plan, but things start to heat up, so she doesn’t mind.
What we see is that not just is Cordie’s mom a horrible person, but so is the whole family. Her mom sees her (and since she’s the spitting image of her, she knows exactly who she is), and her mom will do anything to keep her a secret. Assuming her father was still a poor mechanic, she tries to buy her off. Then Cordie’s life is endangered.
One thing that bugs me about Garwood’s heroines is that the past 3 I’ve read in this series have all had their lives endangered in some way, but they don’t take the threat seriously enough. In Hot Shot, the previous book, the heroine Peyton is shot at, run off the road and bombed. Literally, bombed. She ends up hospitalized and still doesn’t listen to her big bad FBI boyfriend. In Sweet Talk Olivia is shot and still doesn’t take the threat seriously. Cordie is slightly better, but really not much. It’s frustrating because all 3 heroines were intelligent and good characters otherwise.
I also didn’t like how little closure there was with the mother. There’s a bit at the end, but it’s not really what (from what I can tell) the readers want. At least it’s not what I wanted.
I’m curious who the next couple will be-there have been lots of side characters and lots of sequel-bait, so I’m waiting for characters from previous books to get their turns too.
I believe that readers have been waiting nearly 10 years for Aidan and Cordie’s book, but the cool thing is that this book can be read as a stand-alone. It’s typical Garwood with sexy heroes, relateable and likeable heroines, and a lot of action.
***ARC courtesy of Dutton Books
December 22, 2014
PENGUIN GROUP Dutton via NetGalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review
Cordelia was raised by her single father the two of them being really close since her mother died when Cordie was just a baby, but when he has a heart attack and secrets come about her mother she has to find out what really happened. With a new outlook on life, she is also ready to get over her lifelong crush on Aiden. Aiden has always seen Cordelia as one of his little sisters friends, he's helped her and protected her like a sister never knowing that she secretly loved him now he's taking her to Australia with him to help her. Something changes between the two of them while they are over there, with people willing to kill to keep their secrets will Aiden realize what Cordie really means to him? Can they figure out how outsmart and expose all of them? I am a huge fan of Julie Garwood and I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever and that is probably why I was a little bit disappointed. I built the book up so much in mind that I was expecting something more from it than what I got. The writing itself was as always great, I loved seeing characters from her previous books in this one and I would like to read a book with one of the new characters she introduced, hint hint I would love me a Liam book. I liked Cordelia in this book was she knocked through a loop while she was numb for a bit there she still kept going and was trying to do positive things to move on with her life. Aiden was ok, I thought he didn't show a lot of emotion and when you weren't in his head it felt like he was just a blank wall that told people what to do. The mystery was well played as well as the way they solved both Cordelia and Aidens problems. The sex scenes were hot, because Aiden is polished and proper I didn't expect him to be a dirty talker so that was a nice surprise. The two of them had a great physical relationship, but I didn't see or feel that great emotional connection that I am used to from all of this authors other books. Beyond the physical attraction and long history I wasn't really buying the relationship between the two of them. The book was still a really good read, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I have her other ones.
Cordelia was raised by her single father the two of them being really close since her mother died when Cordie was just a baby, but when he has a heart attack and secrets come about her mother she has to find out what really happened. With a new outlook on life, she is also ready to get over her lifelong crush on Aiden. Aiden has always seen Cordelia as one of his little sisters friends, he's helped her and protected her like a sister never knowing that she secretly loved him now he's taking her to Australia with him to help her. Something changes between the two of them while they are over there, with people willing to kill to keep their secrets will Aiden realize what Cordie really means to him? Can they figure out how outsmart and expose all of them? I am a huge fan of Julie Garwood and I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever and that is probably why I was a little bit disappointed. I built the book up so much in mind that I was expecting something more from it than what I got. The writing itself was as always great, I loved seeing characters from her previous books in this one and I would like to read a book with one of the new characters she introduced, hint hint I would love me a Liam book. I liked Cordelia in this book was she knocked through a loop while she was numb for a bit there she still kept going and was trying to do positive things to move on with her life. Aiden was ok, I thought he didn't show a lot of emotion and when you weren't in his head it felt like he was just a blank wall that told people what to do. The mystery was well played as well as the way they solved both Cordelia and Aidens problems. The sex scenes were hot, because Aiden is polished and proper I didn't expect him to be a dirty talker so that was a nice surprise. The two of them had a great physical relationship, but I didn't see or feel that great emotional connection that I am used to from all of this authors other books. Beyond the physical attraction and long history I wasn't really buying the relationship between the two of them. The book was still a really good read, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I have her other ones.
April 21, 2015
Fast Track is a romantic suspense ... okay ... it's a romance with a little bit of suspense thrown in... and there's never any question about who did what and why.
BUT ... I love Julie Garwood's books. Her characters are funny and quirky and it's seldom that I giggle at anything ... but I do here. The women in her books are smart and sassy and hilariously funny. The guys are tall, dark and handsome and will take that bullet for the lady he falls for. They, too, are funny in the way they react to their ladies' sassiness.
The plot is very formulaic .... Cordelia has had a major crush on Aiden since she was 4 years old. When her father dies and reveals that her mother had not died when she was a baby she takes a good look at her life. She decides 1) to quit mooning over Aiden and get on with her life and 2) find her mother and give her a piece of her mind.
I recommend the book if you really like romance ... or you need a break from the deep, dark mysteries you normally read.
BUT ... I love Julie Garwood's books. Her characters are funny and quirky and it's seldom that I giggle at anything ... but I do here. The women in her books are smart and sassy and hilariously funny. The guys are tall, dark and handsome and will take that bullet for the lady he falls for. They, too, are funny in the way they react to their ladies' sassiness.
The plot is very formulaic .... Cordelia has had a major crush on Aiden since she was 4 years old. When her father dies and reveals that her mother had not died when she was a baby she takes a good look at her life. She decides 1) to quit mooning over Aiden and get on with her life and 2) find her mother and give her a piece of her mind.
I recommend the book if you really like romance ... or you need a break from the deep, dark mysteries you normally read.
September 17, 2015
Повърхностни са ми тези книги,нямат душа. Вярно , че пише увлекателно , но някак си не ме грабват.Чета ги по диагонал.
November 28, 2020
This is pairing that I have been waiting for, and I found it very satisfying.
Reread - One of the best of this series.
Reread - One of the best of this series.
April 3, 2017
I was surprised at how bad this book turned out to be. The last two books I've read by this author I gave 4-5 stars. She'd done a great job of portraying both a hero and heroine I could like and depicting a positive, equal relationship between them, while also keeping the external mystery interesting. Unfortunately, none of that talent is on display in this book. The romance was awful, with the hero an ice sculpture and the heroine a spineless little girl, and the villain was never in question so there was absolutely no mystery. Not to mention that the final climax was, in a word, anticlimactic.
As other reviewers have said, this book starts with Cordie's father dying and leaving her millions of dollars and the surprise that her mother actually isn't dead but rather alive and in Australia. Cordie was far from the best heroine. She's this drop-dead gorgeous woman who allegedly has no idea that she's even remotely attractive. Yeah that sound you hear is me gagging and rolling my eyes. This simply isn't believable. Virtually everywhere she goes in this book she gets hit on by some random guy. You do not spend a lifetime getting hit on without recognizing that you're attractive. And there wasn't even a plausible reason given for her insecurities. It would be one thing if she'd grown up in an abusive home where she'd always been told she was ugly, but she wasn't. She was raised by a loving father who doted on her and she has had the same 2 best gal pals since childhood who never miss an opportunity to compliment her. She's an allegedly normal, well-adjusted young woman, and she's got her PhD so she's supposedly smart as well, and yet we're supposed to swallow the idea that she's totally blind to her own level of attractiveness? GTFOOH!
In addition, Cordie was just plain weak. She complained and threw tantrums a lot, but never actually took action. She spent her entire life in love with Aiden and basically following him around like a puppy dog, but never made a move on him. And when their relationship finally crossed over into the bedroom, she firmly believed that it was meaningless for him and was totally fine with that. She was completely passive in the relationship, content to provide sex whenever Aiden found a few minutes for her, but never stepping up to take an active role. She kept going on and on in her mind about how she had this big plan to move to Boston so she could somehow try to move on from her infatuation with him like she was some kind of martyr instead of standing up for herself and demanding to be treated better.
Aiden, meanwhile, was equally bad in different ways. He's a good 10 years older than Cordie and acted as a big brother when she was young because she was his little sister's friend and unfortunately their relationship never feels like it evolves past that point. He orders Cordie around and forces his will on her under the guise of protecting her because "he knows best." When she protests at his high-handed tactics, he actually laughs at her in a very "pat you on the head and send you on your way" kind of way. It made it very obvious that he didn't respect her as an adult woman, and certainly not someone he viewed as an equal partner in their relationship. Which made the fact that they were having sex together feel pretty squicky.
And the portrayal of him in the aftermath of those sex scenes was the opposite of romance. Garwood made it a point to say that Aiden never cuddled Cordie or whispered any sweet words to her afterward. He simply got his rocks off and then headed into the bathroom. That's pretty much the definition of a booty call. Meanwhile, he continues to hold Cordie prisoner in his penthouse (literally under guard) while going about his business with no explanations to her. Many times he'd be out late or would come home and change into something that suggested he was going on a date, and would leave again without saying a word to her. Then he'd come into her bedroom in the middle of the night and have sex with her as if he had every right to. And Cordie was okay with that. So he's basically holding her captive and using her as his personal sex slave whenever he feels like it, but never talks to her or takes her feelings or desires into consideration. How is this a romance?
I'm not sure if Garwood thought their lifelong connection through previous books would somehow justify this or what, but that's not how it comes off. Of the books in this series I've read (which is only a few) none of them showed the relationship between Cordie and Aiden so I didn't have that foundation in my mind. And honestly, them having this lifelong connection just makes Aiden's treatment of her even worse. He acts like she's a cross between a child and a blowup doll. Not like she's his sister's best friend, whom he's known for decades and respects. The romance was just all wrong.
I had trouble believing the friendship between Regan, Sophie and Cordie as well. It's completely unbelievable that Cordie had been in love with Aiden since childhood, but her two inseparable best friends had NO idea. Especially when Regan's husband, Alec, could see it plain as day. What kind of best friends are this blind to each other? And neither of these friends was the least bit concerned by the fact that Aiden was holding Cordie against her will. Are these people nuts? Yes, someone was trying to kill her, but keeping her a prisoner is not the only way to protect her. She's a millionaire, she could hire bodyguards. She could go stay in some exclusive rehab facility where she'd be safe and have the best of care while she recuperated from her injuries. She's an adult and she made it perfectly clear she wanted to leave, her best friends should have agreed that she had that right, not participated in her incarceration.
As for the "mystery," as I said, it was anticlimactic. You know from the very beginning who the villains are because Garwood came straight out and told us. It wasn't something you even had to deduce logically, it was just stated. So there's no mystery at all. And the final scene where they catch the bad guys was basically a non-scene. There's no tense showdown where Cordie is in danger and Aiden has to rescue her, etc. Nope, they get the tip-off that the guy is on the plane and Alec and Jack arrest him at the airport. Done and done. It was a total letdown. And, as an aside, it's not very believable that Cordie would live happily ever after at the end. She's single-handedly destroyed the lives of some very, very powerful people who very much liked being rich and powerful. They would NOT just roll over and live with the insult. One of them went to jail, but there were still at least 4 other people who were free and pissed at her. She'd need to spend the rest of her life dodging assassination attempts.
Oh and I listened to this in audiobook format and while the narrator did a fine job on all the main characters, it should be noted that her range does NOT extend to depicting a believable Australian accent.
As other reviewers have said, this book starts with Cordie's father dying and leaving her millions of dollars and the surprise that her mother actually isn't dead but rather alive and in Australia. Cordie was far from the best heroine. She's this drop-dead gorgeous woman who allegedly has no idea that she's even remotely attractive. Yeah that sound you hear is me gagging and rolling my eyes. This simply isn't believable. Virtually everywhere she goes in this book she gets hit on by some random guy. You do not spend a lifetime getting hit on without recognizing that you're attractive. And there wasn't even a plausible reason given for her insecurities. It would be one thing if she'd grown up in an abusive home where she'd always been told she was ugly, but she wasn't. She was raised by a loving father who doted on her and she has had the same 2 best gal pals since childhood who never miss an opportunity to compliment her. She's an allegedly normal, well-adjusted young woman, and she's got her PhD so she's supposedly smart as well, and yet we're supposed to swallow the idea that she's totally blind to her own level of attractiveness? GTFOOH!
In addition, Cordie was just plain weak. She complained and threw tantrums a lot, but never actually took action. She spent her entire life in love with Aiden and basically following him around like a puppy dog, but never made a move on him. And when their relationship finally crossed over into the bedroom, she firmly believed that it was meaningless for him and was totally fine with that. She was completely passive in the relationship, content to provide sex whenever Aiden found a few minutes for her, but never stepping up to take an active role. She kept going on and on in her mind about how she had this big plan to move to Boston so she could somehow try to move on from her infatuation with him like she was some kind of martyr instead of standing up for herself and demanding to be treated better.
Aiden, meanwhile, was equally bad in different ways. He's a good 10 years older than Cordie and acted as a big brother when she was young because she was his little sister's friend and unfortunately their relationship never feels like it evolves past that point. He orders Cordie around and forces his will on her under the guise of protecting her because "he knows best." When she protests at his high-handed tactics, he actually laughs at her in a very "pat you on the head and send you on your way" kind of way. It made it very obvious that he didn't respect her as an adult woman, and certainly not someone he viewed as an equal partner in their relationship. Which made the fact that they were having sex together feel pretty squicky.
And the portrayal of him in the aftermath of those sex scenes was the opposite of romance. Garwood made it a point to say that Aiden never cuddled Cordie or whispered any sweet words to her afterward. He simply got his rocks off and then headed into the bathroom. That's pretty much the definition of a booty call. Meanwhile, he continues to hold Cordie prisoner in his penthouse (literally under guard) while going about his business with no explanations to her. Many times he'd be out late or would come home and change into something that suggested he was going on a date, and would leave again without saying a word to her. Then he'd come into her bedroom in the middle of the night and have sex with her as if he had every right to. And Cordie was okay with that. So he's basically holding her captive and using her as his personal sex slave whenever he feels like it, but never talks to her or takes her feelings or desires into consideration. How is this a romance?
I'm not sure if Garwood thought their lifelong connection through previous books would somehow justify this or what, but that's not how it comes off. Of the books in this series I've read (which is only a few) none of them showed the relationship between Cordie and Aiden so I didn't have that foundation in my mind. And honestly, them having this lifelong connection just makes Aiden's treatment of her even worse. He acts like she's a cross between a child and a blowup doll. Not like she's his sister's best friend, whom he's known for decades and respects. The romance was just all wrong.
I had trouble believing the friendship between Regan, Sophie and Cordie as well. It's completely unbelievable that Cordie had been in love with Aiden since childhood, but her two inseparable best friends had NO idea. Especially when Regan's husband, Alec, could see it plain as day. What kind of best friends are this blind to each other? And neither of these friends was the least bit concerned by the fact that Aiden was holding Cordie against her will. Are these people nuts? Yes, someone was trying to kill her, but keeping her a prisoner is not the only way to protect her. She's a millionaire, she could hire bodyguards. She could go stay in some exclusive rehab facility where she'd be safe and have the best of care while she recuperated from her injuries. She's an adult and she made it perfectly clear she wanted to leave, her best friends should have agreed that she had that right, not participated in her incarceration.
As for the "mystery," as I said, it was anticlimactic. You know from the very beginning who the villains are because Garwood came straight out and told us. It wasn't something you even had to deduce logically, it was just stated. So there's no mystery at all. And the final scene where they catch the bad guys was basically a non-scene. There's no tense showdown where Cordie is in danger and Aiden has to rescue her, etc. Nope, they get the tip-off that the guy is on the plane and Alec and Jack arrest him at the airport. Done and done. It was a total letdown. And, as an aside, it's not very believable that Cordie would live happily ever after at the end. She's single-handedly destroyed the lives of some very, very powerful people who very much liked being rich and powerful. They would NOT just roll over and live with the insult. One of them went to jail, but there were still at least 4 other people who were free and pissed at her. She'd need to spend the rest of her life dodging assassination attempts.
Oh and I listened to this in audiobook format and while the narrator did a fine job on all the main characters, it should be noted that her range does NOT extend to depicting a believable Australian accent.
August 15, 2024
3.7/4 ⭐
February 26, 2024
3.5 stars! In spite of the MLC Aiden being oblivious and seriously too serious and controlling, Fast Track is entertaining in that “too good to be true” way.
And with all that’s currently happening in the world, it’s nice to escape into a book where the FLC, who at 5 years old found her Prince Charming, is a strong independent person who can fix cars, teach chemistry and inspire teen age boys to do the right thing. And of course, she finally gets her Happily Ever After.
And with all that’s currently happening in the world, it’s nice to escape into a book where the FLC, who at 5 years old found her Prince Charming, is a strong independent person who can fix cars, teach chemistry and inspire teen age boys to do the right thing. And of course, she finally gets her Happily Ever After.
August 7, 2014
2.75*
Having been burnt by JG's last few laughably bad releases, I approached FAST TRACK with a mix of trepidation and morbid curiosity. It's been a decade since MURDER LIST--one of my favourite new-Garwoods (albeit, admittedly, not the best: that honour goes to HEARTBREAKER, which is actually a great romantic suspense title... but I love Regan)--and our introduction to hotelier Aiden Hamilton and sister's BFF Cordelia Kane. A story 10 years in the making with what was one of my favourite group of characters. The question foremost in my mind was: would JG finally deliver something worthy of her talent and her fans, or would it be more of the generic drivel she's been putting out for the last few years that would sour my memories of the extended Madison gang? The answer, for me, was somewhere in the middle: while I enjoyed FAST TRACK more than any JG novel in the recent past and it recaptures some of the wit and humour that made her such a delight to read, it still doesn't have the calibre of her earlier contemporaries and is a mediocre-to-decent read.
As we've seen in MURDER LIST and FIRE AND ICE, Cordie has been in love with her BFF Regan's oldest brother Aiden her whole life. After her dad's deathbed confessions about his own love life and advice to not live her life pining for someone who won't love her, she decides the best way for her to get over her infatuation with Aiden (and deal with her dad's death) is to up and move to Boston. But, first, since it turns out that the mother Cordie's believed dead her whole life actually ditched her and her dad to return to her socialite life in Sydney, Cordie is compelled to let the woman know she won't get away pretending her youthful indiscretions never occurred... without actually speaking to the woman. And who but Aiden-with-the-Sydney-hotel-and-private-jet can accompany her on this mission that kicks off the stupidest suspense subplot ever? And how can they resist monkey sex halfway across the globe? So much for moving on. Attempts are made on Cordie's life when they return stateside, Aiden goes all protective alpha and essentially locks her in his Chicago hotel penthouse suite, more sexytimes ensue, he's jealous of any man that looks at her, she's convinced he's just after sex... stop me if you've heard this before. Aiden is the typical JG hero and essentially a clone of all the others, but I did enjoy his bromantic relationship with brother-in-law Alec Buchanan and honourary brother-in-law Jack MacAlister, and the sibling relationships with Spencer, Walker [both of whom are nicely set up for their own stories some time in the future], and Regan. Cordie is also the typical JG heroine: smart, unaware she's gorgeous and men pant after her, funny, quirky, possessing a huge heart, and prone to getting herself in jams that necessitate rescuing by knight in shining armour (despite all protests to the contrary). But I really liked her and the easy, deep friendship she has with Regan and Sophie. The three of them together are a heartwarming hoot, and that triumvirate features prominently in the story (mostly as fan service, since it doesn't really contribute to advancing the plot). One thing that irritated me, however, is the lack of research that went into Cordie's backstory. Being in possession of a Ph.D. in a laboratory-based scientific discipline myself, I can tell you that there's no way in hell Cordie was able to complete her Ph.D. in biochemistry part-time whilst also teaching high school chemistry as a full-time job. A simple Google search or a conversation with anyone who's attended graduate school in a science will tell you that.
And the plot, oh the plot. Unrealistic and not particularly exciting despite the amount of stuff that happens, JG tries to spice it up by throwing in a second pseudo-suspense plot that left me wondering what the point of it was more than anything else. Gone are the HEARTBREAKER days of truly being unable to put the book down until the villain was revealed, but I still found it an overall improvement over the last few novels. The dialogue is also less stilted, wooden, and corny than in previous efforts--a throwback to the good old days, but not quite a full return.
Overall, FAST TRACK is neither really suspenseful nor romantic, but it doesn't completely destroy my fond memories of the Madison clan and it does have some trademark JG zingers, so I'm calling this one a partial win. Super JG devotees will likely adore it, but those of us who are disheartened fans will likely be ambivalent. Not a torturous read but not a great one either; a decent-enough way to pass the time, particularly if you've been waiting for Aiden and Cordie to get their HEA.
Having been burnt by JG's last few laughably bad releases, I approached FAST TRACK with a mix of trepidation and morbid curiosity. It's been a decade since MURDER LIST--one of my favourite new-Garwoods (albeit, admittedly, not the best: that honour goes to HEARTBREAKER, which is actually a great romantic suspense title... but I love Regan)--and our introduction to hotelier Aiden Hamilton and sister's BFF Cordelia Kane. A story 10 years in the making with what was one of my favourite group of characters. The question foremost in my mind was: would JG finally deliver something worthy of her talent and her fans, or would it be more of the generic drivel she's been putting out for the last few years that would sour my memories of the extended Madison gang? The answer, for me, was somewhere in the middle: while I enjoyed FAST TRACK more than any JG novel in the recent past and it recaptures some of the wit and humour that made her such a delight to read, it still doesn't have the calibre of her earlier contemporaries and is a mediocre-to-decent read.
As we've seen in MURDER LIST and FIRE AND ICE, Cordie has been in love with her BFF Regan's oldest brother Aiden her whole life. After her dad's deathbed confessions about his own love life and advice to not live her life pining for someone who won't love her, she decides the best way for her to get over her infatuation with Aiden (and deal with her dad's death) is to up and move to Boston. But, first, since it turns out that the mother Cordie's believed dead her whole life actually ditched her and her dad to return to her socialite life in Sydney, Cordie is compelled to let the woman know she won't get away pretending her youthful indiscretions never occurred... without actually speaking to the woman. And who but Aiden-with-the-Sydney-hotel-and-private-jet can accompany her on this mission that kicks off the stupidest suspense subplot ever? And how can they resist monkey sex halfway across the globe? So much for moving on. Attempts are made on Cordie's life when they return stateside, Aiden goes all protective alpha and essentially locks her in his Chicago hotel penthouse suite, more sexytimes ensue, he's jealous of any man that looks at her, she's convinced he's just after sex... stop me if you've heard this before. Aiden is the typical JG hero and essentially a clone of all the others, but I did enjoy his bromantic relationship with brother-in-law Alec Buchanan and honourary brother-in-law Jack MacAlister, and the sibling relationships with Spencer, Walker [both of whom are nicely set up for their own stories some time in the future], and Regan. Cordie is also the typical JG heroine: smart, unaware she's gorgeous and men pant after her, funny, quirky, possessing a huge heart, and prone to getting herself in jams that necessitate rescuing by knight in shining armour (despite all protests to the contrary). But I really liked her and the easy, deep friendship she has with Regan and Sophie. The three of them together are a heartwarming hoot, and that triumvirate features prominently in the story (mostly as fan service, since it doesn't really contribute to advancing the plot). One thing that irritated me, however, is the lack of research that went into Cordie's backstory. Being in possession of a Ph.D. in a laboratory-based scientific discipline myself, I can tell you that there's no way in hell Cordie was able to complete her Ph.D. in biochemistry part-time whilst also teaching high school chemistry as a full-time job. A simple Google search or a conversation with anyone who's attended graduate school in a science will tell you that.
And the plot, oh the plot. Unrealistic and not particularly exciting despite the amount of stuff that happens, JG tries to spice it up by throwing in a second pseudo-suspense plot that left me wondering what the point of it was more than anything else. Gone are the HEARTBREAKER days of truly being unable to put the book down until the villain was revealed, but I still found it an overall improvement over the last few novels. The dialogue is also less stilted, wooden, and corny than in previous efforts--a throwback to the good old days, but not quite a full return.
Overall, FAST TRACK is neither really suspenseful nor romantic, but it doesn't completely destroy my fond memories of the Madison clan and it does have some trademark JG zingers, so I'm calling this one a partial win. Super JG devotees will likely adore it, but those of us who are disheartened fans will likely be ambivalent. Not a torturous read but not a great one either; a decent-enough way to pass the time, particularly if you've been waiting for Aiden and Cordie to get their HEA.
May 17, 2014
I loved Aiden there's no other way to explain him, "being the gentleman that he was, Aiden didn't mention that she was gripping his hand with all her might. Aiden watched the color drain from her face and did his best to distract her. "I promised Alec and Regan that I would look out for you, and that's what I'm going to do." Before she could protest he continued, "Have you read the background on the Taylor family? Alec did a lot of research." Cordie, I loved her she was funny, "I appreciate the offer. I don't want you to think I'm not grateful...Oh my God, you're so rude," she declared, raising her voice. "You shouldn't text while someone is talking to you." Aiden that boy knows how to make his intentions clear, "let me be clear." His voice shook. She let out a long, raspy breath. She didn't know what to say, and so she simply nodded. "I want you writhing under me, Cordelia. I want you to tell me what you like so I can drive you out of your mind. Am I clear?" She nodded again. She was so flustered she couldn't speak. She could barely think. "I want you clinging to me. I want your nails digging into my shoulders, and I want you screaming my name when you come." The boy is such a gentleman to help Cordie with her issues, "he pulled on his jeans but didn't bother to close the zipper. Ignoring another knock at the door, he walked around the bed to where she stood. "Frustrated? How many times did you come? Two? Three times? If you're still frustrated, then we need to get back in that bed and -" I can't wait to see what's next.
November 28, 2016
I feel like saying WOW cause I reached the 12th book XD this is the second series I have read that I reached this number ^^
Since the main couple here were introduced in a previous book in the series I've been waiting for their book, since there have been mention about them in two books. However, this book sent me into a crying fit since page one I'm serious from page ONE. It was such sad touching scene.
I liked the hero and heroine in here, the heroine acted as if she got over her crush but it's kinda ironic, when she started to convince herself to stop and start looking for someone else the hero got possessive and wants her.
- I liked how she started living with the hero, and have he knew how to manage her XD
- I liked how the hero got possessive
- The villains are kinda expected it was either from his side or her side, and the synopsis was misleading regarding the villain but maybe that was on purpose.
- I kinda hope the someone from her mother's family would welcome her, but I'm glad she has her own family so I'm glad to give them the boot XD
I LOVE JULIE GARWOOD!! *fangirling moment* XD
Overall, *thumbs up*
Since the main couple here were introduced in a previous book in the series I've been waiting for their book, since there have been mention about them in two books. However, this book sent me into a crying fit since page one I'm serious from page ONE. It was such sad touching scene.
I liked the hero and heroine in here, the heroine acted as if she got over her crush but it's kinda ironic, when she started to convince herself to stop and start looking for someone else the hero got possessive and wants her.
- I liked how she started living with the hero, and have he knew how to manage her XD
- I liked how the hero got possessive
- The villains are kinda expected it was either from his side or her side, and the synopsis was misleading regarding the villain but maybe that was on purpose.
- I kinda hope the someone from her mother's family would welcome her, but I'm glad she has her own family so I'm glad to give them the boot XD
I LOVE JULIE GARWOOD!! *fangirling moment* XD
Overall, *thumbs up*
July 23, 2014
We've been waiting so long for this book and it didn't disappoint. I love both Cordelia and Adien. It might not seem like they are perfect for each other in the beginning but you'll soon see that's not true. I'm so happy happy that this book was finally written.
I was given a copy of this book for a honest review
I was given a copy of this book for a honest review
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