Wheeler

What started off as a daydream chick lit between hard working professional cyclist, Loren and actor, Graham; turned into an adrenaline packed race commentary through the key women’s championship cycling races; speeding over the line into the psychological thriller genre.

When Sara offered me a copy of Wheeler in return for an honest review, I was worried that my love-hate relationship with cyclists would sway my opinion of this book. I was utterly wrong, now when I’m sat in traffic with those Lycra clad cyclists, I wonder what they’re doing – are they cycling to be eco friendly, to lose some pounds or training for the next big race? Following Loren and her team around the world through the blood, the sweat, the drama and the winning has given me appreciation for this sport. The races are told through a combination of the presenters’ commentary and Loren’s thoughts as she pushes hard – I loved reading through the races – the writing was fast paced and adrenaline pumping, the pages practically turned themselves.

The book begins prior to the race season and we’re introduced to Loren and Graham who begin a whirl wind romance. For me, the romance was a little too fast and the way they expressed their feelings for one another was intense, I often felt like I was invading their privacy by reading their conversations… but that’s just my opinion and if you’ve read enough of my reviews, you know I don’t pick up romance books often so I’ll leave this to the genre experts!

An unfortunate event leads to Loren being unable to race but what’s presented to the media as a cycling accident is far much darker… sometimes team members cross over the line… and not just the racing line. Loren’s recovery leads to her past being revealed and a whole lot of tears but is Graham still her hero or has filming got in the way?

There’s a lot of background and every day moments, which build this story up, helping to develop the characters and explain their temperaments. This was extremely helpful in understanding Loren, who became more and more complex as the story deepened. Being a thriller lover, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending – nice touch Sara – you left it nice and open for the sequel!!

This book will find success if it reaches the right audience, the biggest hurdle this book has to jump is finding where it fits in the genre world. Is it a romance novel? Is it a sports novel? Or has it the makings of a thriller? I believe it’s all three, now it’s just a case of this landing in the lap of people who love a bit of everything!

Until next time, Chloé x