Test Drive by Marie Harte

June 7th, 2016 Kimberly Review 48 Comments

7th Jun
Test Drive by Marie Harte
Test Drive
by Marie Harte
Series: Body Shop Bad Boys #1
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Heat Level: One FlameOne FlameOne FlameOne Flame

GET TO KNOW THE BODY SHOP BAD BOYS
Johnny, Foley, Sam, and Lou are the rough and tumble mechanics of Webster's Garage. These reformed bad boys are used to living fast, but it's the women in their lives who take them from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.

JOHNNY
Johnny Devlin's a charmer with a checkered past. He's has had his eye on scorching-hot bartender Lara Valley for ages, but she's rejected him more than once. That doesn't mean he won't come to her aid when some dirtbag mauls her. When she asks him on a date as a no-strings-attached thank you, he can't say no. And then he's saying nothing but hell, yes.

BADBOY Humor SEXY Small-town

Test Drive by Marie Harte is the first novel in her new Body Shop Bad Boys series; a spinoff series to the McCauley Brothers that I loved and shared with you last year. This series will feature Johnny, Foley, Sam and Lou the sexy mechanics who work at Webster’s Garage. Smoking hot with a dash of humor and small-town charm, you will want to devour Test Drive.

Mocha review of Test Drive

With 60 ml of espresso, 60 ml of chocolate and 30 ml of steamed milk, a mocha is a the right choice if you want something sweet and sexy. Test Drive delivered the perfect Mocha coffee and I’ve broken it down for you….

  • Espresso: Marie Harte gives you characters who are a little rough around the edges but very real. Johnny Devlin was raised by his father, the owner of a local strip club and he did a little time as a young adult when he went for a joyride in a stolen car. Jonny is a definite ladies’ man, he now works at Webster’s Garage and loves his job as a mechanic. He has tried to get Lara Valley to go out on date with him for four years. He has it bad. Lara is looking to move up and out of this town, and dating guys who hang out at the local pub is not on the agenda. However, if you ask her she will tell you that Johnny is F-I-N-E fine. Harte did a great job of introducing us to both characters. I liked the chemistry between them and knew from the get go the romance would be hot.
  • Steamed Milk: One of the things I like about Harte’s books is the way she combines small-town charm with the heat I love in other contemporary romance. We get to know the guys at the shop, both characters families and have a strong sense of what life was like for both growing up. The added bonus of seeing characters from the McCauley Brothers series was sweet. Secondary characters like Lara’s sister and Foley added depth. Lara’s nieces had me giggling so hard I had tears in my eyes. All of the side threads pulled me into the series and has me craving the next book.
  • Chocolate: Test Drive had some deliciously hot moments that will take you from zero to sixty and wait until you hear that engine purr. For a rough and tumble dude our Johnny is quite the romantic. He was adorkable, ungodly sexy, over the top obnoxious with his sexual innuendos but I fell hard and fast. The relationship moved slowly despite the intense heat and I loved the way these two conversed about everything from movies to neighborhoods. Harte threw in a little jealously, some stupidity and a small dose of angst as individually our characters went through some growing pains. Trust me none of this spoiled the chocolate and all of it had me flipping the pages in search of my HEA. The tale wraps up nicely and sets us up for the next body shop bad boy.

Grab a mocha coffee and snuggle up with Test Drive. It offers the perfect balance of heat, romance, charm and laughter.

Caffeinated reviews Test Drive by Marie Harte the first Body Shop Bad Boys novel Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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48 Responses to “Test Drive by Marie Harte”

  2. Lover Of Romance

    What a great review here!!! I am reading this one next, so now I am super excited. I do love the mix of small town and great chemistry.

  3. Katiria Rodriguez

    Ohh great review Kim I absolutely love small town charm and ohh my sexy mechanics yup sign me up. I really want too check this book out it really looks and sounds absolutely amazing. Thank you for your awesome post Kim.

  6. Sophia Rose

    I didn’t get to read all the McCauley Brothers’ series, but I loved it and the setting. Oh, Jonny sounds fun. Love your Mocha review!

  7. ShootingStarsMag

    Thanks for sharing! I haven’t read the original series, but that’s exciting there is a spin-off for people that loved the first books.

  11. Katherine

    I love an adorkable hero and Marie Harte is one of those authors I have no idea why I haven’t read because I’ve been wanting to try her forever! Another one on the TBR! You are not a good influence!

  14. Maggie

    Oh that cover is hot. I enjoy stories that combine humor and romance, another one to add to the never ending reading pile.

  15. melliane

    Oh it’s so much fun to have a new series like that! I’m curious now to see how it will go with the other novels!

  16. Jenny

    Um. Sexy, rough around the edges mechanics? YES PLEASE! I added the McCauley Brothers series to my list on your recommendation, so I can’t wait to dive into this series too. In fact, I think I might start here…hello romantic bad boy Johnny:)

  19. Bookworm Brandee

    I’m in need of a mocha and this book…stat! Mochas are one of my favs so I love this review format, Kim. I’m thinking in this case the steamed milk is my favorite element – it seems there was a nice balance between characters, the small town setting, and the romance.. 🙂 But it sounds like the book was delicious overall and I can’t wait to give it a try. Yum!

  21. Angela

    I loved her McCauley Brothers series but I passed on this because I was sure if I could get into the whole mechanic thing. I’ve a few where the heroes have been mechanics and it just kind of throws me out of the book. I’m wishing that I would have read this one.

  22. Nick

    You’ve mentioned the magic words, Kim : small town romance & heat!
    I’ve wanted to try something by Marie Harte forever, but I think I’ll give this one a try first because I do love sexy mechanics ever since I adored the Mechanics of Love series by Megan Erickson.
    Also this: “For a rough and tumble dude our Johnny is quite the romantic. He was adorkable, ungodly sexy, over the top obnoxious with his sexual innuendos but I fell hard and fast. ”
    I’m a goner already!
    Wonderful review, Kim! 😉

  23. Maja (The Nocturnal Library)

    I just love these rough characters that turn out to be soft and romantic! It’s a little vacation for my poor heart. 🙂 This sounds like such a fun read and it’s set in a small town, which is my favorite thing.

  24. Leona

    Oh my gosh! This cover is gorgeous! Yum freaking yum! If I didn’t know any better I would read this book for it’s cover alone! Glad you enjoyed this one.