Everyone at Jim Irving’s garage is gung ho about Wrench Wars, a new reality show featuring mechanics. Everyone, that is, except talented mechanic Chandler Scott, the sole employee who has refused to sign the contract. The rest of the mechanics are pressuring him too, because without Chandler—and his volatile interactions with his boss—no one’s getting on the show.
Chandler’s one ally is Jim’s son, Mark, who’s being forced to work for his dad until he pays down his student loans or finds a better job—and who’s been Chandler’s secret lover for a while.
Then a playful tryst in the garage blows up in their faces, giving the network ammo to blackmail Chandler by threatening to out Mark to his father. Now Chandler is backed into a corner, and Mark needs to decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the man who’s been sharing his bed… and may have stolen his heart.
For some reason I expected The Hunger Games in car version.
It’s nothing of the sort.
Chandler is the best mechanic in Jim’s garage and when the Wrench Wars TV program shows a morbid interest in them signing to participate in their garage competitition reality show, Chandler wants to refuse. He’s well aware the only motivation for Chandler being an essential requirement in the contract is that he crashes with his boss more often than not, which would lead to OTT drama and the maximization of the audience ratings.
If it depended on him, Chandler would have quit a thousand times already. But something, or rather someone, stops him from leaving once and for all. That’s Mark, Jim’s son. Mark drags a heavy college debt and he has no prospects and no hope in returning the money on his own. That’s why he lives under his father’s roof and is still in the closet, due to Jim’s homophobic attitude.
Mark and Chandler have been friends since forever, but recently they began their friends-with-benefits relationship, no strings attached. Chandler has known for a while that Mark means much more to him, but he has never revealed himself to Mark. He doesn’t really care, he will take anything that Mark is willing to give him, and he’s also willing to protect Mark at all costs.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I must say I was quite satisfied with this novella. I could quite believe Chandler and Mark’s feelings to each other and their long relationship despite the few pages available. There are also enough interactions and glances and a few sex scenes that made me feel the chemistry between them.
The ending was promising and beautiful at the same time. I wonder what future awaits. The book finishes at 90%.
A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
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