Single, but unsettled, Stefano Borelli, spends his days creating masterpieces loved by his clients. Surrounded by family and friends, his loneliness still plagues him.
Until she bursts into his life. A stubborn woman with too much baggage, too much to say, and a child in tow.
Far too much trouble.
Except, he likes her spark. The way she refuses to listen. How beautiful she is with her son. How right she feels in his arms.
The way she makes him feel whole.
Can he convince her to give love a second chance?
Title: | Breaking the Speed Limit |
Author: | Melanie Moreland |
Narrator(s): | John Lane Maxine Mitchell |
Series: | Reynolds Restoration (Book 2) |
Pages / Length: | 344 / 7hrs 32mins |
Genre(s): | Contemporary |
Trope(s): | Opposites Attract Insta-Love Single Parent Romance |
Point of View: | First Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
Narration Type: | Dual |
Location: | Canada |
HEA: | ✔ |
Release Date: | 31st March, 2022 |
Perfect romance with perfect narration
I am a huge fan of Melanie Moreland and adored Revved to the Maxx – the book that was originally a standalone and then turned into the first book of the Reynold’s Restoration series of which this is the second. For those who’ve read that book we get to catch up with Maxx, Charley and some other familiar faces, and get giddy with how life has and hasn’t changed. If you haven’t read the first book – you totally should – but you don’t need to, to understand and enjoy this story as it’s a complete standalone with its own HEA.
Our hero, Stefano, is a mechanic and a big guy to boot. Deliciously big with muscles for days. Don’t you just wish these books had pictures? Anyway, as well as that, he’s a sweet guy and is loyal and dependable to those he loves. From his first meeting with Gabby he’s smitten and I do adore a hero who appreciates a strong woman but still wants to take care of her and pamper her. Stefano was swoon-worthy and sigh-worthy and that’s before you add in John Lane as narrator. I think I hear his voice in my dreams – all deep, a little growly and full of the emotion that the text requires. He even does a decent woman and there’s no confusion when he’s portraying a conversation between a man and woman.
Gabby is a heroine I didn’t have much in common with in regards to her circumstances, but she was so relatable in terms of her character. She was feisty, strong, independent and always going the extra mile to survive but also give her son the best life she possibly can. I loved her stubborn streak but even more, I loved how she so needed a man like Stefano to support her and take care of her. She deserved the love – even if she was reluctant to admit it at first! Maxine Mitchell is Ms Moreland’s go-to female narrator and there’s a solid reason for that; she has the perfect blend of strength and weakness / fear in her voice. She has just the right amount of emotion and I both like and believe her as Gabby – or whatever character she’s voicing. Easy to listen to and does a great job all round.
Stefano and Gabby had an instant connection and that continued throughout the whole book. It was hot, it was steamy, it was funny and times and it was filled with all the emotions we feel between the pair. They were just perfect together and I’m getting giddy again just thinking about them.
We get a whole host of secondary characters in this story – some we met in Revved to the Maxx and some brand new. They were all fantastic, working with the story and not overwhelming it. I’m always a bit wary of kids in stories but Theo was a cutie pie and made me smile – especially his relationship with Stefano. I loved reading his ‘little boy voice’ in the book and was delighted that the narration captured exactly how I thought he sounded.
The cherry on the top of this book was the amazing epilogue which included everything I want to see – and everything I want for my own life: loving spouse, wonderful home, great friends and family and all-round happiness. Happy sighs and glowing hearts! Melanie Moreland has once again delivered a book that I just adored while John and Maxine brought it to life to utter perfection. It had everything that I wanted and need in a romance. The book got 5 stars and a top-pick of 2022, and the audio book follows suit.
* I received this book in exchange for my honest review
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She’s learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
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