Sarah Burrowes has had a difficult few months. Her live-in partner has walked out on her with no explanation, leaving her with a crushing mortgage to deal with on her own. She's heartbroken and financially stressed. Then a night out with the girls - to cheer her up - leads to a meeting with an attractive Scotsman, but thoughts of her ex dash any hopes she might have had of a night of no-strings fun with this handsome stranger.

When Sarah learns that her Scotsman is the rockstar Chris Ford, and that he might have a big secret to hide, she blags her way from beauty columnist to investigative journalist. And so begins the adventure of a lifetime, trailing Chris from Melbourne to Barcelona, then across Europe. The only thing is, Sarah wasn't counting on having her ex's best mate, Nick, along for the ride as photographer.

I must admit I don't read a great deal of women's fiction or romance these days, so this was a bit of a change for me. And I enjoyed it! Sarah and Nick were both likeable lead characters in their own ways, the pacing was good and the plot even went a little bit darker than I had expected for this kind of book. But what I really liked the most was my armchair trip through a tourist's Barcelona, Rome, Paris, Venice and Amsterdam. I've been to all in real-life, and Freeborn took me back there.

Hot Pursuit by Rebecca Freeborn is a fun new book that is perfect as a summer read. Fans of Bridget Jones' Diary will love this book! There are many moments of catastrophe and hilarity. This is a fun book and I would highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

This book was a great surprise, I was looking for something lighter and the blurb enticed me to give this book a go.

Sarah Burrows is at a low point of her life. Her boyfriend of a few years has suddenly left with no explanation, leaving her with a hefty mortgage to pay and her job at a women’s magazine is not really satisfying her journalist dreams. Her break comes when she manages to trick her boss into letting her investigate the story of a disappearing rock star. Flying to some well known European destinations sounds too good to be true but she’s swathed when she is joined by playboy photographer Nick, who just happens to be an old one night stand and a friend of her ex boyfriend. And then suddenly things start to get a bit dangerous...

I found this story really well written with some great characters (some we love to hate). There was entertaining banter between Sarah and Nick and I loved the Australian slang used. ie ‘oh bugger’ (hmm, I use this a lot) and ‘of course it’s locked, you nong’ (I haven’t heard the word ‘nong’ for so long!) There were a few more that brought a smile to my face.
Obviously you do have to suspend belief a little bit, especially as Sarah makes some silly decisions but on the whole this was a really fun read.
I’m impressed with this debut story and I noticed that the author is a local to me, so I’ll be watching for more from her.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read.

Hot Pursuit was a real delight to read; full of humour and adventure, with a spirited protagonist that’s certainly bitten off more than she can chew.

Sarah Burrows is journalist who writes beauty articles for a women’s magazine. When her partner left without a word, leaving her with a huge mortgage she can’t afford, she acts in desperation. With a lot bluffing and pleading, Sarah convinces her boss to send her off on an investigative assignment. Unprepared and inexperienced, Sarah is whisked off to Europe, chasing a musician on the run, who’s accused of murder. And to accompany her is Nick, the photographer, who also happens to be her ex lover!

Hot Pursuit is a novel I didn’t expect to turn slightly deadly. Sarah is not an experienced investigative journalist - she’s never done this type of work before - so it’s left her feeling so overwhelmed. And being in close proximity to her ex lover whom she loathes just adds to pressure! Her determination to succeed and prove herself as a real journalist has made her a bit erratic. Barging into a situation with out thinking which produced some hair-raising moments. But surprisingly, she got results! The spark between Sarah and Nick was most certainly there but the romance was a small part of novel and the focus was never taken away from the main plot. And to visit beautiful cities like Barcelona, Rome and Amsterdam in the book was the icing on the cake.
Really enjoyable debut novel!

<i>Thanks to Pantera Press and Netgalley for my review copy.</i>

A sweet story about someone who wants to better her life. I always enjoy reading these inspiring tales.