The Fast Lane by Sharon Peterson - 4 to 4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this one!
-Clean rom-com
-Friends to lovers
-Road trip
-Brother's best friend
-Epilepsy representation
-Many laugh out loud moments

Ali and her family are on this road trip for her brother's wedding. Ali rides with Theo, who she was crazy about when she was a teenager. Theo is her brother's best friend and feelings form along this wild, hilarious road trip!

I loved Ali because she was truly a strong, relatable and real character. We see her talk through the struggles with epilepsy over her life and her and Theo had great chemistry from the beginning. I loved he is her “comfort person” - just like my hubs is mine.🩷 The side characters were also great - her Grandpa and Mimi cracked me up! The Vegas wedding scene had me ROLLING!

This has some great family details and deeper topics but also is a funny, relaxing romance read. I absolutely loved the level of depth the characters have and they feel like real people with everyday interactions. My only complaint is this does have some mild language I feel like is unnecessary but I really enjoyed the story itself. I will say it was much less language than The Fake Out and I appreciate that.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content: Mild language, 15-20 D words, 10-15 H words, 3-5 JA words. They break down and stumble accidentally upon a nudist resort but I found it hilarious and they were very uncomfortable--quote "I've never looked at so many foreheads in my life" lol. Romance was clean.

Theo & Ali- all the green flags are waving!
I would bet on them, too. Did their friends and family have a secret bet on their becoming a couple (finally)? yes they did, and I would as well. I loved that all of Ali's brothers accepted Theo as not only their friend, but didn't have that touch her and die or promise to never touch thing so many others have. Ali may have had it bad for Theo growing up, but she was able to smash it down over the years and be able to deal with it. Now, adult Theo and Ali were beyond cute. We experience a laugh out loud, unputdownable rom-com guaranteed to bring a smile to any face. The main characters are so relatable, real and people I'd want to sit at a diner and chat with.

Peterson has a way of taking what would be a normal cross country road trip and putting her own hilarious spin on it. There are plenty of deep moments that delve into complex family relationships. As with reality, this family has its share of strained family dynamics and it is dealt with in a variety of ways. Somehow we are able to connect with not only the MC's, but also the side characters as well.

The pacing is perfect and flows well. I also enjoyed how side characters were gradually added into the mix so I could keep track of them without being overwhelmed. The MC's were also portrayed as average, flawed people. The were not superstars or billionaires or model-like bodies. I can't say enough how much I loved the realness of them and how their fondness of each other grew.

Theo- sweet sweet Theo. He was nervous and he blushed. This was not the typical alpha over confident man and he had every right to be knowing Ali thought he walked on water for the last decade. Theo needs protected at all cost. Sweet pg-13 romance with only kissing, although the passion felt like much more.

Thank you Sharon Peterson for the copy of this book and the opportunity to read and review early. Please write more on these side characters and give them their own book!!

The Fast Lane is the second book in the Two Harts series, but it can also be read as a standalone. Ali and Theo are friends who embark on a cross country road trip to attend Ali's brothers wedding. Ali has always had a crush on Theo, but she is determined to not act on it after embarrassing herself and pouring her heart out to Theo when she was in her teens. So many hilarious things end up happening on the road trip that had me smiling and laughing at their situations. This book has some of my favorite romance tropes including brother's best friend, friends to lovers and forced proximity.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

This is her third book and it has already become an autobuy author for me.
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Its protagonists are women who feel real, fun and with a very particular sense of the world. Sometimes I feel like there are a lot of topics, but I'm here for the good characters and she knows how to deliver them.
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Alicia Ramos makes her entrance for the first time in the previous book of the series but in this one we get to know her better and she wins your heart from the first page.
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activist for every cause, great friend, planner of unprecedented pranks, adored by every member of the town, even the sheriff who must threaten to arrest her from time to time. She is the baby of her family and tries to remind everyone that she is a big woman and can take care of herself despite having epilepsy and having to adjust her daily life. She loves her town, her friends, her family and does not keep alive her crush for her brother's best friend.
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But for some reason when her mother makes too many floral and candles arrangements for the wedding and there is no room in the car, her brother arranges for his best friend Theo to drive her, all she can think is that is going to be very difficult for her to travel for a days with him, and how she can try to stop the awkwardness between them after the rejection when she was a teenager. Is going to be a long travel to his brother's wedding in Portland.
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Several guests and unexpected situations make this road trip unforgettable, leading Alicia and Theo to share much more than they expected.
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Heartwarming, warm and romantic with a great cast of characters that one wants to read again , this book is one of my favorites road trip ones.
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Thanks to Sharon M. Peterson for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

this was a funny and moving story of healing from a break up and moving on with life. Our main character Ali is forced into a road trip with her long time crush and we get to follow the antics which happen on the trip. From finding long lost family, reuniting families together and attending a wedding where the ex is also attending. We get to see Ali's thoughts and feeling s her crush turns into a relationship which both parties have been wanting for a long time. This is a feel good read which is ideal for reading at anytime especially on a beach with a cocktail.

4.5 stars rounded to 4 stars

This was the cutest romcom filled with everything I love in a romance novel. I loved the main character, Ali. Her personality seems so fun, and I loved reading about all the pranks she plays on the people around her. I also loved all of the witty banter she had with the MMC, Theo.

This book has some of my favorite romance tropes, including brother's best friend and forced proximity. The road trip setting was also super fun! 🚗

I have a feeling this book will be one of my favorite romcom's of the year!

This book is ideal for summer reading, evoking a range of emotions.
Grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a slow-burn romance, and is full of humor and wit.

The connection between Ali & Theo was so strong it felt palpable. Although I typically dislike romance novels with lots of side characters, I found myself loving each one, as they all added something valuable and didn't seem unnecessary. This is my first book by this author, but it certainly won't be my last.

★★★★
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Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Forced proximity, brother’s best friend, friends to lovers, childhood crush…. This book hits all the tropes and has laugh out loud moments while inspiring all the feelings as well.
Ali has been living a sheltered life, after receiving a life changing diagnosis in high school. Now, she engages in all the shenanigans but only in her hometown. She lives a small but busy life. Her brother’s best friend, Theo, is also one of her closest friends. He is always there when she needs him.
When her brother is planning a wedding across the country, Ali and Theo set out on a road trip with a secret mission. Ali does everything she can to fight her attraction to Theo, while he constantly reminds her that he is not her brother.
Ride along as they face some real feelings and deal with some real baggage.
This book does have some mild language.

In this book, Alicia and best friend but not boyfriend Theo head off on a road trip from Texas to Oregon. They encounter all kinds of humorous challenges during the 6 day journey, so while the end result between the two main characters is pretty predictable, the events in the middle are anything but. The wedding at the end of the trip is full of even more obstacles, giving readers a taste of the author’s wonderful sense of humor. The writing is clean, the characters and plot are well developed, and this was exactly the rom-com that everyone should read this summer.

I would like to thank netgalley and Bookouture for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was entertaining but I found the heroine a little childish.

I want to give this book 1000000 stars.

This is my favorite book of 2024! No words can describe how much I love this book. The characters are lovable, the story is so well written and it had me laughing out loud. Everything was perfect. The fact that I highlighted so much says enough. I recommend this book to everyone and I’m excited to read Sharon’s other books. Also watch me never stop talking about this book. I already want to reread it and I normally never reread a book.
Thank you very very much Netgalley and Bookouture for this arc!!

So stinking cute! A lovely follow up to The Fake Out. This is a clean romance with lots of humor and heart. Theo is such a sweetheart and I think Peterson handled Ali’s health struggles well. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

“A home is a person, a soft place to land.

A home is the person who protects your heart.

A home is the person who loves you on your worst days.

A home is the person you can’t imagine living without.

A home, my home, is you.”

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This is going to be firmly in my top 10 books of the year, no question.

I think there are very few couples that I love more than Ali and Theo at this point. Oh my goodness, Theo is a green flag in how he cares for Ali, respects her boundaries, empowers her abilities, and his hobbies are to die for!

Ali is the sweetest yet most calculating FMC you will EVER find. The pranks, the respect of boundaries, the way she adores her siblings…there are no words for how much I want to be Ali “when I grow up.”😉

Theo and her fit PERFECTLY together in how they support each others dreams while conquering each others’ insecurities.

(And a special note: I love Ali’s parents and Peterson depicted loving helicopter parents PERFECTLY)

Peterson handled Ali’s epilepsy representation in a non-graphic but still impactful way due to her oldest son’s history with epilepsy (read her acknowledgment in this book and bring tissues).

You need The Fast Land this summer. Don’t leave it on your TBR pile, or you will have huge reading regrets for how long you could have been loving (and laughing with) this book. Check it out!🌸


🌿 brother’s best friend
🌿 friends to more
🌿 epilepsy representation
🌿 road trip romance
🌿 forced proximity
🌿 second chance romance
🌿 no third act breakup
🌿 family reconciliation

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

THE FAST LANE is a delightfully sweet brother’s best friend, forced proximity, second chance romance. Ali and Theo have undeniable chemistry and are easy to root for throughout the story.

They’ve known each other forever. Theo is practically a member of Ali’s family, but she’s always had feelings for him that were decidedly not sibling-like. Their relationship develops as they drive from Texas to Oregon for Ali’s brother’s wedding.

There’s lighthearted banter, family dysfunction, a cute child, and an ugly dog - all the hallmarks of a cute rom-com. The best part of this novel, however, is that Sharon Peterson crafted a relationship based on a solid foundation of friendship. Everything about Ali and Theo felt genuine.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Fast Lane by Sharon M Peterson is a cute, laugh out loud, brother’s best friend, second chance, friends to lovers romance.

I loved the chemistry between Theo and Ali, they are sweet, lovable characters.

This was my first Sharon M Peterson read and am looking forward to reading others.

This is a cute story with forced proximity, friends to lovers, and disability representation.
Well written, highly recommend.

3.5
This was a cute story but it was seriously missing a few things for me to absolutely love it.

Read if you love:
🩵she falls first but he falls harder
🩵forced proximity
🩵epilepsy rep
🩵childhood friends to lovers
🩵closed door
🩵brothers best friend

The Fast Lane is a cute read.
It has unrequited love, forced proximity, enemies to lovers trope.
Going cross country in a car presents its own sets of challenges but what if it’s with a certain special someone who isn’t yours yet?
The carousel of supporting characters is what makes this novel work because they provide depth and context to Theo and Allie.
A good summer read if you’re panning a road trip.

I absolutely ADORE the amazing Sharon M. Peterson, and The Fast Lane is her best book yet! Ali and Theo’s relationship sparkles with chemistry, somehow managing to be romantic, emotional, and hilarious all on the same page. The situations the couple encounter during their road trip feel like scenes from classic 90’s romcoms in the best way. And the cast of side characters is so well-developed and adds so much warmth and humor to the story that I found myself wishing for a separate book for each and every one of them. This will be one of my all time favorite comfort reads that I’ll go back to again and again when I’m craving something funny and uplifting with a ton of heart.