REVIEW: Apex by Victoria Denault (Faster #3)

APEX

Faster - Book Three

by Victoria Denault

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Review

I’ve really loved this entire multi-author series. They’ve all been top-notch, I wish there were more than just three! But if I had to choose, on the threat of my Kindle being taken away, I would have to say Axel and Gabe are my favs (by a smidge of course, cuz they really were all wonderful).

Gabe is such an interesting guy. He’s a little wild and not great at holding his tongue, especially with the media, but then he’s also meek in his interactions with his team and the treatment he expects from them. A lot of that is tied to his father, who is wealthy and really caring and very involved (too much at times). I love the relationship between the two and how it developed over the story.

And Axel, damn that guy was so wonderful. He was really knocked down by his ex and the loss of his company. Someone who made a living fixing other people's problems was struggling to find his way after it. But when he finds himself working as Gabe’s fake boyfriend, he finds someone who breathes life back into him.

These two found someone who both helped ground them while also helping them fly (or drive really really fast, LOL). Loved every minute of it.

I also have to say, I really enjoyed Gabe’s father and the way he was written into it. He was very present, but it never felt intrusive or unnecessary. I’m actually hoping he’ll find a man of his own one day!

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Synopsis

Red flags only count on the track.

My name is Gabriel Allard, and I’m the only heir to a billion-dollar fashion empire and a rookie with Mayflower Racing. I know what everyone thinks — that I don’t deserve to be in the driver’s seat. And worse, that I mistreat people because my father will bail me out and fix things. None of that is true, but I’ve never been able to sway public opinion, so I’ve stopped trying.

Dad hasn’t though. In an attempt to save my image and my seat on the race team, he hires me a boyfriend. Because the universe loves a good joke at my expense, he accidentally hires a guy I shared a scorching kiss with years ago. A guy who, instead of trying to use me like everyone else, ghosted me.

Axel Walsh is nothing like me. He’s levelheaded. Shy. Disinterested in motorsports. He wants to keep this professional. Since I love a challenge, I try to change his mind. The next thing I know we’re fake married, and Axel is in my bed. But is he really mine? It’s getting hard to tell the truth from the lies.

The public starts to buy my cleaned-up image, and I'm getting better results on the track, but privately I feel out of control. My life is on the line every time I strap into my race car, but I’ve never put my heart on the line, until him. I hope Axel and I can survive this publicity stunt and make it to the finish line without breaking each other’s hearts. Just like everything else in my life, the odds are against it.

About Victoria Denault

Victoria’s debut novel, One More Shot, was released by Hachette June 2, 2015. Since then she hasn’t stop writing. She became a full-time author in 2017 and expanded from sports romance to contemporary, small-town, and M/M. In the near future she hopes to pen books in even more genres like historical, paranormal, book club fiction and thrillers.

Victoria’s love of books began at 12 when she picked up her first Sweet Valley High and the obsession grew from there. Her favorite childhood gift remains the 1930s typewriter her parents found at a garage sale which actually wasn’t a gift for her. It was meant to be a display piece in their front hall but Victoria snuck it into her bedroom and it was on that typewriter she first began pounding out her own stories.

Victoria, her husband Jack and their chihuahua Gus live in a 222 year old home with character, charm and more spiders than she cares to think about. When not writing books she can usually be found on a beach somewhere. Her favorite beaches are La Concha in San Sebastian, Spain, Zuma in Malibu, California and Ocean Park, Maine.

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