Book Review of The Race is On by Lily Velden

Hollywood heartthrob Jaxon Moncrieff and Liam Lassiter are finally on the same page: committed and in it for the long haul. Now they just have to prepare for the inevitable fallout when they reveal their relationship. Between Jaxon’s career and Liam’s need to prepare for a life in the limelight, they decide to wait until filming of Jaxon’s latest project has wrapped.

Unbeknownst to them, the relentless paparazzi photographer Rafael Cacciatore, aka the Hunter, notices a change in Jaxon and is determined to be the first to break the story of who has captured Jaxon Moncrieff’s heart. In the meantime, Liam and Jaxon have enough on their plate working out the not-so-little issue of how and when Jaxon will come out to his family. The paparazzi aren’t even on their radar. The race to out Jaxon is on, and Liam and Jaxon don’t even know it.

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Just when it seemed like things were heading in the right direction for new lovebirds Jaxon and Liam, life interferes in a realistic and heartbreaking way in this compelling and engaging read that picks up moments after the previous book (Same Page) ended.  Life is almost perfect as these two caring and loving men find their relationship deepening, they're happy and the sex between them is crackling in its intensity.  They find themselves growing closer, sharing daily intimacies, and long for the moment when they can admit their love to the world.  While Jax wants to admit the truth now, Liam is nervous about the ramifications of coming out.  These fears are realistic and presented in a believable way that had me rooting for them to reach their HEA no matter what it took.  Before that time though it's an emotionally draining, heartpounding, and rocky road for the two of them mostly due to outside forces.

Ms. Velden tells this story from three different viewpoints, that of Jax and Liam as well as the determined paparazzi Rafael.  For Jax and Liam life is good, they spend as much time together as Jax's filming schedule allows with each free moment bursting with sexual intensity.  These two are clearly in love and it's an infectious feeling of joy they exude whenever they're together.  Rafael's seen the change in Jax too and wants to know who's putting that smile on his face and will stop at nothing to discover the truth.  Rafael is extremely determined, and though his profession seems overly intrusive, he does have a code of morals by which he conducts himself.  It was intriguing seeing this aspect of fame and the inadvertent damage it can do to people.

Along with the highs of a sweet and sexy romance comes the lows of a life put in danger from an obsessive fan.  This event led to many tear-filled moments and reiterated the close connection between Jax and Liam as they coped with a devastating incident.  This story's emotional roller-coaster ride kept me on the edge of my seat with tissues close by as Jax and Liam, and us readers, were put through the wringer.  It was a realistic read that kept me glued to the pages of this melodramatic story that continues to depict the immensely satisfying relationship between two enticing men who are perfect for each other.  Surrounding them are an entertaining cast of secondary characters who add a bit of heartwarming humor to this emotionally heavy read and added even more to my enjoyment.  From start to finish Ms. Velden has once again captured an engagingly realistic moment in the lives of two men struggling to find happiness in an intrusive world and I'm left in awe of the feelings she's roused in me as I await the next installment in this series.

My rating for this is an A.

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.