Book Review: Eli's Honor



Eli's Honor by Amy Gregory
(Racing to Love #3)
July 11, 2013
275 pages
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
(contains: sex, strong language)
Source: ebook from author for Honest review

Book Blurb:

How can you miss something you never had?

Retired pro motocross racer Eli Hunter had it all. That’s how he chose to look at things. A sport he loved, one that his entire world revolved around. He had been catapulted to rock star status and Eli drank in every minute of it. He loved the bikes, the tracks, the practices, sweat, hard work, training, dirt, rain, hundred degree heat, Eli loved it all. Even…when it almost killed him. 

Coming full circle, Eli now was part owner and trainer at The Noland SFH Racing Academy. Spending his time teaching future racers about a sport he adored, helping to form them into what he once was. The academy saved him from himself, saved him from a depression that could have sent him on a freefall. For the last three years Eli focused on two things, the academy and his broken body. Spending all day, every day building both up, and thinking of nothing else. The end result, the school had taken off, and he could walk.   

It wasn’t until he sat across from a prospective student and his young widowed mother that Eli realized exactly what had been missing in his otherwise complete life. Eli had been witness to his best friends Carter and Jesse, watching as they found women that made them whole. He hadn’t had time to miss that for himself, not when walking again had been so important. Not when proving the doctors wrong by putting his butt back in the seat of a bike had been monumental. 

But now? Those long auburn curls and shy violet eyes were the answer to his unspoken prayers.

My Review:

Once again, I really love this series. One of the beautiful things about the Racing To Love series is that we get the full family effect on all the characters. These aren't just little romance books between two people. These are beautiful books about our MCs as well as the wealth of "family" and friends that creates such a splendid atmosphere. I felt a part of their little world and the author completely drew me in.

This story follows Eli, best friend of Carter and Jesse. It follows a few years after Jesse's book, after Eli has retired early due to a debilitating crash that changed his life. Now he lives in Pennsylvania with his racing family, running their training school. Here at the school we not only get Eli, we get to see all our favorites from the previous books, and that was a real treat. I love this group! Then we meet Honor, single mother to Dallas, who has quite a story of her own, and through the interceding of Molly, Honor and Dallas get to meet this gaggle of racers, and are steered onto Eli's path.

One thing about these RTL boys is that they aren't shy about showing their affection to the women they decide are "the one" and Eli is no exception. I can see how this might bother some people, but if you have gotten this far in the series, then I imagine you are used to these bold boys and, like me, have come to love that they wear their hearts on their sleeves. Eli is sweet, sexy, and sensitive, and watching his world change as Honor and Dallas entered it was incredibly touching. I loved getting his perspective and seeing him fall for these two displaced souls. And let's be honest - there's nothing sexier that a man who cares for a mother and child.

Then we get Honor, a single mom who has a world of hurts of her own, but is incredibly resilient and independent. She is also quite different from Molly and Emery, and I liked that she had a different kind of softness about her. Her love for her son is evident, but her past has carved a deep wound in her perspective, creating towering walls that not only Eli, but the whole gang, hope to overcome. The friendship between Eli and Honor was so sweet and different from the previous books. I really liked that the author took a different approach and it felt very genuine and sensitive to their circumstances.

We also get the perspective of another character, whom I will not name, because it was a surprise and a treat to me. I was not expecting it, and while I was unsure about it in the beginning, I came to really love that the author engaged us in this new perspective. It was very well-played. And I look forward to reading more about this character in the next book.

The story was sweet and beautiful, touching and tender. And the ending was fantastic. I loved Eli and Honor's story, tattoos and all! My only negative is that I wished there was more dialogue. There was a lot of describing and inner feelings and telling, which was great, but I have a love for the actual conversations being referred to. And while there was some great dialogue, I would have still liked more.

**Update: I have since finished reading this entire series. I flew through the books and can honestly say I loved them. This is a great series with strong characters and beautiful romances that really stay with you. I love a series that creates a "community" and "family" feel, whether with or without the bonds of blood, where we get to see characters from each book progress in subsequent books. The Racing To Love series created just that. These character bonds are strong, real, touching, and wonderful. Amy Gregory did a fantastic job with this series. It's definitely one I look forward to re-reading.

 

4-1/2 STARS

 

FIND ON AMAZON  *  ADD TO GOODREADS

RACING TO LOVE SERIES ORDER AND LINKS:
CARTER'S TREASURE (#1): MY REVIEW * AMAZON
BRODY'S LOVE (#1.5): MY REVIEW * AMAZON
JESSE'S SOUL (#2): MY REVIEW * AMAZON
ELI'S HONOR (#3): MY REVIEW * AMAZON
ALEX'S DESTINY (#4): MY REVIEW * AMAZON