Elia Winters

RITA® Award—winning author Elia Winters delivers a sexy, playful frenemies-to-lovers road-trip romance. Megan Harris had hopes of seeing the world, but at twenty-five she’s never even left Florida. Now a wedding invitation lures her to Quebec…in February. When her ex-friend Scarlett offers to be her plus-one (yeah, that’s a whole story) and suggests they turn the journey into an epic road trip, Megan reluctantly agrees to the biggest adventure of her life. A week together in a car is a surefire way to kill a crush, and Scarlett Andrews has had a big one on Megan for years. The important thing is fixing their friendship. As the miles roll away, what starts as harmless road-trip games and rest-stop dares escalates into something like intimacy. And when a surprise snowstorm forces Megan and Scarlett to hunker down without the open road as distraction, they’ve got a bigger challenge than making it to the church on time: facing the true nature of their feelings for each other. Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters. A new Carina Adores title is available each month: The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron Just Like That by Cole McCade Better Than People by Roan Parrish The Love Study by Kris Ripper The Secret Ingredient by KD Fisher Just Like This by Cole McCade Teddy Spenser Isn’t Looking for Love by Kim Fielding

Hairpin Curves

Sven Test

This was cute. I just expected more from an F/F frenemies-to-lovers road trip romance.

KADY BURNS

I skipped a big chunk of this book, but still got the gist of it. I just couldn't connect with the characters.

Jude Silberfeld

Hairpin Curves is a sweet and very sexy second-chance / enemies-to-lovers romance.

Megan, Scarlett and Juliet were the best of friends for the major part of their childhood. When Juliet moved to Québec, Megan and Scarlett stayed close… until they weren’t. A few years later, unaware her former best friends had a falling-out, Juliet invites them both to her wedding. In Québec. In February. Scarlett suggests they drive there together and, despite being terribly mad at her still, Megan agrees. She just lost her dead-end job, has no idea what she wants to do with herself and is coming to understand that playing it safe for all these years hasn’t made her either safe or happy. The idea of going out of Florida for the first time ever is irresistible, and Scarlett convinces her to make a whole trip out of it. Scarlett, whose crush on Megan never disappeared, is hoping to mend some fences on the way.

While Scarlett came out as bisexual very early in her life, Megan only realised in college that she, too, was attracted to women also. By then, they had lost touch, so Scarlett still believes Megan to be straight. A lot of what she thought she knew about Megan isn’t true, and they’ll both discover who the other has become in the few years since high school. Megan’s anger at Scarlett stems from nonsensical reasons, that have more to do with teenage angst than anything else.

The story starts too fast, as if the author wanted to lay the background as quickly as possible and be rid of it in order to get on with the real story ASAP. But once the road trip begins and the characters have no choice but to be themselves, put their guard down, they’re incredibly real. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I found this novel surprisingly moving. Something happened with these characters that touched me way deeper than I would expect from a Harlequin book, to be honest (I know, I’m a snob sometimes). I really liked how both characters slowly unveiled their true selves, which prove to be much more complex than what they show at the beginning of the book. Scarlett is not as free and comfortable with herself as she appears, Megan is not as bland as she lets the world believe.

Another excellent surprise of this book was how hot it is at times. The chemistry between Megan and Scarlett is fantastic, once they allow themselves to feel it. And while the romance itself would qualify as slow-burn, the relationship gets steamy early on.

My rating for this book wavered between 4* and 4.5* all along. I ultimately settled on 4* because both the beginning and the ending of the book feel a tad rushed. The author explains in the acknowledgements that she wrote this story during lockdown, so maybe that’s why. I did, however, enjoy it a lot, so 4* it is.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

b.andherbooks

Scarlett and Megan were best friends. They were supposed to go to college together until Scarlett ghosted and left Megan wondering what happened. Now both are living back in their hometown, Scarlett working from home and Megan still working at the same cafe she's been employed at her entire working life. And their friend wants them both to come to her wedding. In Canada. In the winter.

Cautiously agreeing to taking the dream road trip Megan has meticulously planned out, these two former friends are forced to confront not only the hurts from their past but also their growing sexual tension.

A fantastic road trip romance, I adored how Winters portrayed these 20-somethings who are still finding themselves as they are drawn to each other. I also loved that while Scarlett once had a crush on Megan, their high school friendship wasn't tested because of that, but because of the secret reason Scarlett did not go to college with Megan. And Megan was already out when she and Scarlett reconnect. All of their character growth revolves around their careers, where they want to be in their lives, not questioning their sexuality, which was great.

A very steamy kind of slow burn, I really had fun buddy-reading this with Leigh Kramer (she lists CWs in her excellent review).

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

Hairpin Curves

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