I first discovered Katie Golding through her novellas earlier this year and I was instantly hooked. While this wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve read from her, however, I still had fun reading Relentless. I just hate the secrecy trope. It always ruins the story for me.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish! Mason and Chiara set the pages on fire! I wasn't familiar with moto racing until this book and now I want to learn!

A lot of romance books I read, the sexy scenes can feel out of place, but not this one. I loved the alternating POVs and the spicy scenes were done so wonderfully. I was invested in both main characters. I also connected to the side characters right away. Their relationship is believable and so sweet.

The writing and the pacing were spot-on. There weren't many points where I felt bored or the story lagged.

Read this if you like romance with themes of friendships and family and overcoming demons. Also, spice ;)

The author had already seduced me with her previous books, but this one is her best so far.

First of all, once again she takes time to describe moto races, and I couldn’t be happier. The technic, the feelings, the emotions of a motorcycle racer are all on display, and it was exhilarating. It almost felt like I was on the bike at times.

Now for the characters. We only met Chiara briefly when she was kind of the other woman in Massimo and Lorelai’s story. It was explained how much Massimo means to her, and it’s even stronger this time, as it’s one of the plot devices in this book. I’m not sure Massimo’s reluctance to see his best friend with another racer is explained enough, and it felt a bit like a whim. It really changed my opinion on Massimo.

We’ve seen plenty of Mason before, and he was mostly described as an unreliable playboy who doesn’t care about anything. Though it’s the result of his eternal second place and how his family and co-workers treat him, I had a hard time reconciling it with the way he treats Chiara and his overall personality. Still he was an exceptional book boyfriend. He almost made me cry a couple of times, because the author hurt him so much.

There was some emphasizing on family as a background theme. In Chiara’s case, it was a chosen family, since Massimo’s took care of her since she was a kid. And though her relationship with hem wasn’t idyllic, it was her only family. The dynamics inside the King family were quite detailed–and particularly messed up. Mason’s lack of support from them, even from his older brother who’s supposed to take care of him, was terrible. They served as a counterpoint when the big drama happened. I think this part was nicely done.

The romance was extra swoony. Even when it was casual. And it was sexy as hell! Chiara and Mason were explosive in bed. And I loved how their intimate scenes were written.

In general, I loved the author’s writing style. She often hid something that happened, hinted at it, until the big revelation had a real impact on the story. I think it worked well every time.

A great sports series. I recommend.

Quickie

- Series: Bad reputation #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #sports romance #moto races #rodeo #forbidden romance
- Triggers: mention of past abuse
- Main couple: Chiara Martes & Mason King
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 5/5
- + Mason was a surprisingly deep character
- – my opinion on Massimo changed drastically

"I am honest. Just as Mason is..."

The moment I read this line from the female main character, I immediately thought: "No, you're not."

Relentless was such a slow burn for me. The dangling of "will they won't they" grew tiresome quickly. Chiara and Mason were the couple sneaking around in the " friends with benefits" trope that we all knew wouldn't work out. Chiara never telling her male best friend that she was dating Mason, never added up for me either. At first it was acceptable, but after 586 pgs I was left scratching my head. It made it obvious she was still in love with him, through her many protests. And her best friend Massimo not wanting her to date a racer wasn't a strong enough argument for me either. Massimo was engaged and yet these two were still in a train wreck of a friendship.It left me wondering if they bot wanted each other and just had people occupying space.

I never clicked with or felt attached to these characters. Maybe that's because their past was hinted at and often glossed over through the majority of the book. By the time you hear what's happening, there's a slim chance you even care. I had sadly long lost interest and didn't care anymore.

I really wanted to like this book, but it never pulled me in and captivated me. It was just too long and drawn out with no connectivity. I sadly couldn't relate.

Playboy Mason King and Italian beauty Chiara Martes always seem to be the supporting characters in their own lives. For Mason, even though he is a top rider on the MotoPro motorcycle racing circuit and a frequent winner on the the bull riding circuit, he constantly falls in his older brother's shadow. And Chiara's life revolves around her best friend, Massimo and his now-fiancée, Lorelai.

Mason is the one man that Massimo doesn't want Chiara to date, but when Mason and Chiara strike up a secret friends-with-benefits relationship on the MotoPro circuit things begin to blossom for them. Can they keep things strictly casual and the rest of their lives status quo, or will their deepening relationship help them to become the main characters in their own lives?

This one is delicious and steamy, steamy, steamy. It takes you around the world and back again--literally. It pushes you through a rollercoaster of emotions, not only with the romantic relationship between Mason and Chiara, but with the close friendships and familial relationships, too.

CW: alcoholism, mentions of childhood physical abuse, medical trauma

I received an advance copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. Review opinions are my own.

This was my first for this author and unfortunately I was not a fan of the writing style. The chemistry between the main characters felt painfully superficial. I struggled connecting with their first “date” and even after, the whole thing felt awkwardly forced. All the way up through 40% of the book (which is where I gave up) is repetitive. The fact that Mason rides motorcycles, races bulls and ‘it’s all so dangerous’ truly didn’t need to be repeated as much as it was. Same goes for the very odd dynamic between Chiara and Massimo (and that’s coming from someone whose absolute best friend is a member of the opposite sex).

All in all, I couldn’t connect. It’s not for me.

I’m not going to post this on GR because I feel bad doing that as an ARC reader when the review is negative or a DNF.

'I should've kissed her before I left.''

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Boy, was this a roller coaster. Buckle up, bestie boos.
Let me start of by saying that I, once again, figured out that this was actually a part of a series AFTER I read this one. Meaning you can definitely read it as a stand-alone.
That being said, I have no idea what the background stories of the side characters are, but boy do I still have an opinion. (Spoilers ahead)
It started off pretty good. Moto GP based? Count me in, I live for motorsport. Friends to lovers? Yes, amazing. Mmc groveling? Double yes. Over the top overprotective best friend/ex? I'm gonna throw myself of a cliff. Please no.
I LOVED the friendship Mason and Chiara had since the beginning and it was even better to see how it evolved into something more. HOWEVER, Massimo's overprotectivness really started to annoy me halfway through the book. It was good for the twists, but my god was it too much.

<spoiler>
I get the reason he wants to be protective of Ch (her father being abusive, her being scared most of the times) but at one point he was practically telling how she should live her life. Saying she can't date another racer when he is engaged to one??? That's not trying to keep her safe, that's just egoistic of him because HE didn't want a distraction. Not only that, but he's also her ex and I don't think he should be telling her what she can or can't do. You guys are like 30, not 12.
<spoiler>
On the other hand, I feel Ch should've told Massimo much sooner about her relationship with Mason, and Mason apparently has nerves of steel because of that.

I'm gonna give this one 3 stars, just because I feel because of all the secrecy drama, the story was too long in a way, and it could've been cut down a bit and maybe use the time to talk more about other important things. For example, some moments were cut short too son in my opinion.

<spoiler>
Like when they finally confess how in love they are with each other, but then cut to next scene and the first time we hear 'I love you' is her saying it over a text? Plus he doesn't respond really? Or when she finally talks to him about her father and being abused. Another one is when they get into a bad fight because she doesn't want to come to Memphis for Masons rodeo or confront Massimo; Mason walks out pissed af, she stays and then again cut to the next scene and apparently they somehow made up and flew to Memphis. Only info we get is that they 'talked it out'. I mean, we got more detailed description of his one lap around the circuit than this. And the last scene is the one where they get engaged/married. You can only assume that that he proposed and she said hopefully yes since he got down on one knee. Skip to the next scene, no mention of any of that. We only find out they actually got married (twice) towards the end of the book.

All in all, I sincerely enjoyed their story, and will now definitely read the rest of the series! 😊

Mason is a motopro competitor and Chiara is his competitions best friend. Will their chemistry outlast the fact that they have been forbidden from seeing each other?

This book is so confusing to me. On one had there were some very enjoyable moments but all together it felt disjointed and more focused on the destination at the end of the book rather than bringing the reader on the journey of Chiara and Mason’s relationship. I personally prefer (especially in romance books) being shown major moments and standout conversations and there were several occasions where we were told about it in a summary sometimes months after it had happened. Because of the narration I found also it difficult to connect to the story and the characters.

Friends to Friends with Benefits to Lovers???? Sign me up!!! Oh wait... there's GROVELLING??? SIGN ME UP AGAIN! This was really good! I love the Moto Grand Prix theme and the hint of a forbidden romance. However, it was really just a bro code thing and easy to break.

I'm not sure why Chiara thought to wait so long before telling her best friend Massimo, about her and Mason. Other than it makes for an interesting story. Always wondering when the truth will come out.
The sex is beyond hot. I am in envy of Chiara. Plus there is a lot of it in this book.

I really enjoyed this book!! Thank you for sending me a copy!!! The only thing is the cover…. Sorry….

With Relentless, Katie Golding once again proves that she is truly gifted at creating realistic characters who are as deliciously filthy as they are sweet and compassionate. I could almost hate Katie for creating a romance hero so damn desireable–a rodeo champ AND a moto racer?!--but Mason is so well-rounded that he didn’t feel like a super-stud stock character, but like a full human being who is often vulnerable and afraid. In Mason and Chiara we find characters who have been waiting a long time to truly be seen, and who are caught off guard when it happens with someone who is just supposed to be a fling. Watching them fall in love, despite their own intentions, is a joy.

This book is action-packed with travel, racing, rodeos, hot sex, great cooking, and more. It’s a good match for readers who like a broad cast of characters and some exploration of family and friend dynamics. Golding wraps up the perfect combo of steam and character development, twisting them together as the romance grows.

As someone with many close friends in AA, I thought Mason’s journey of sobriety was handled really well–Golding has proved again that readers can trust her to hold important topics with care, from consent to past abuse to sobriety and more. Her characters seek their own healing while leaning on one another for support.

I’m a fan for life of Katie Golding and can’t wait to see what she does next!

ARC provided by NetGalley for my honest opinion. Katie Golding brings us more hotness in the Moto Grand Prix world with some bull riding action. Mason and Chiara are a forbidden romance but not the typical kind. Her best friend and his rival do not want to see them together but fate has other plans.
Spicy, Smutty, Hotness!

Chiara Martes is completely off limits, being the ex-girlfriend of rival motorcycle racer means that he shouldn't go there... but why does he still want to anyway? Little does he know the beautiful vixen has a plan of her own... one that could land them both in some serious hot water!

The pages of Relentless hold a story of two people who should have never gotten involved, but one night of bad decisions changes all of that. Now they find themselves sneaking around and hoping this thing brewing between them burns out before their caught. But the more time they spend together things start to do the complete opposite, each encounter just spurs this thing along. And now they don't know if they can walk away... but they have to right?

I really enjoyed this first time read, it's pages held a story that was not only captivating but so good for my heart. I was in kind of a reading rut and this story shook me right out of it and left me craving more! I can't wait to return to the series and meet more of it's characters!! Highly recommend this one, it's characters will completely steal your heart!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Absolutely loved this book, both stories were good and captivating, and the characters were well-described and lovable, I am determined to read more of the series.

This story was cute. At first I wasn’t too sure about it but then I got really into it. A forbidden love with lots of spicy encounters.

Motorcycles, Rodeos, traveling and lots of steamy one night stands. Mason enjoys all of those things and nothing has stopped him from enjoying any of them. He lives by his own set of rules and does things on his own time. So when he sets his eyes on Chiara (the ex-gf of a rival Moto GP racer aka off limits) he’s full throttle (pun intended).

Chiara has trust issues and with her best friend/ex getting married she feels as if she’s become a side character to everyone else’s story. So what happens when the chaos of Mason catches her eye and offers her fun, lots of trouble and adventure?

Who doesn’t love a playboy MC who turn into a lovesick cinnamon roll. As soon as Mason spots Chiara, he can’t think of anything else. Also, the dual POVs are everything you could ask for.

The way Mason treated Chiara was just swoon worthy. It can be read as a stand-alone or as a series.

What an absolute RIDE. I sped through this book, and enjoyed every turn. Feel free to ignore my bad puns, as you probably read in the synopsis - this is a sports romance following motocross. Think forbidden romance, Disney Channel Original Movie "Motocrossed" meets the Dirty Air series by Lauren Asher. This book really reads differently than most romances I've read lately, and was much more slice of life and following the journey of this racer community. Turns out, it's the 3rd in a series, but going in I wasn't aware of that. So it can absolutely be read as a standalone if you prefer!

This story follows Memphis bull riding champ, and motocross rider, Mason as he pursues the competition's best friend, the Italian Stallion that is Chiara. He's a bit of a player, she's just looking to get past feeling abandoned by her best friend. There's tension, angst, spice, forbidden romance, hit you in the heart moments, and pretty much everything you want from sports romance. You'll SWOON over Mason, and want to be Chiara. The only thing that frustrated me was the secret keeping, but what else can you expect in a forbidden romance? The author did such a spectacular job of creating realistic relationship dynamics, showing how fights and arguments in a relationship don't mean game over, but make you stronger. As I mentioned before, this is the 3rd in the series about the Moto Grand Prix, so if you want to dive into the world, I recommend starting at the beginning.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Chiara and Mason. Chiara is a social media specialist and Mason is motorcycle racer and rodeo star. They meet at a motorcycle race and there was an instant attraction. They each have some issues like an annoying best friend, a brother who is also a motorcycle racer, a wedding coming up, a rodeo mishap and a secret. But together they work their issues out and fall in love.

This is a passionate and intense romance that I devoured in one sitting, Mason and Chiara were so much fun to read, they hook up at the beginning just to have a good time but as the story unfolds the attraction becomes more, and I loved it, they complement each other so perfectly, you will definitely love it if you are a fan of forbidden, sport and spicy romances.

Highly recommended

I loved seeing the other side of Mason after his appearances in the first two books and watching him and Chiara fall in love is beautiful. The book doesn't follow the usual romance beats, nor do the preceding two, but the structure really works for me.