The Fast Lane is the perfect combination of rom & com. This story is brimming with laugh out loud moments and a meant-to-be connection that pulls at the heartstrings. I loved how spirited Ali was and watching her growth throughout the story was beautiful!

The charming and quirky characters in this friends-to-lovers romance are so full of heart and despite being fictional, their personalities shine through the pages so brilliantly that they felt realistic.

Ultimately, this is a truly rewarding and engaging tale filled with great chemistry, witty banter, low angst, and zero spice. It’s a quick, lighthearted story perfect for a beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh my gosh I LOVED this book! It was so good. I couldn’t put it down. The tension and back and forth between Ali and Theo was sooooo good! Their chemistry was amazing. With no third act breakup, this book was absolutely amazing. You see Ali grow and set boundaries with people. You see Theo love and support Ali as a friend and also more.

The Fast Lane by Sharon M. Peterson
Rating:4/5
Release Date: 19 June 2024

Theo and Ali share a unique bond, having grown up as neighbors and with Theo being her brother's closest friend. Despite Ali's bold declaration of love for him in high school, Theo's response—or lack thereof—left her feeling embarrassed. However, as they embark on a road trip from Texas to Oregon, joined by unexpected family members, their journey becomes unforgettable in more ways than one.

I absolutely adored this book. It's filled with moments that will have you laughing out loud while also tugging at your heartstrings. Ali's spirited and outspoken nature contrasts beautifully with Theo's steady and reliable demeanour. Their banter and teasing add an extra layer of charm to their dynamic.

What truly sets this book apart are its lovable and eccentric characters. They're flawed yet endearing, feeling remarkably real despite being fictional. While the story concludes with a satisfying ending, it doesn't wrap up every loose end in a tidy bow, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.

For anyone seeking an enjoyable summer read brimming with humour, heart, and a touch of romance, this book is an excellent choice.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author, Sharon M. Peterson, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-ARC.

4.5 stars. I absolutely ADORED this book. It just had everything you could ever want in a rom-com. Actually being funny? Check. A road trip? Check. A wedding? Check. A hilarious and lovable octogenarian with a so-ugly-it’s-cute dog named Karen? Check. An adorable 4 year old? Check. An accidental night at a nudist retreat? Check.

I could keep going but I probably should spoil anything.

I love a good friends-to-lovers/brothers best friend, and this just did not disappoint. This is single POV from Ali’s perspective, and I just loved her as a fmc.

What made this novel a step above other romantic comedies is the level of depth within the characters and Ali’s family. Everything was just done so well.

I was smiling like an idiot the entire time. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Sharon Peterson's latest romance novel is an absolute delight! Featuring relatable characters, witty banter, and swoon-worthy romance, this book is a joy to read from start to finish. While it's a clean romance without spicy scenes, the captivating plot, and charming characters more than make up for it. The road trip setting adds an extra layer of fun to the story, making it a perfect quick read for fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was so cute and hilarious. It was so much fun to read, and I loved all of the characters! It was very well written and the plot was wonderful and captivating. The only downside, for me, was that this is a clean romance. Absolutely zero spice. The romance was amazing, though, and made it kinda worth it.

You will enjoy this book if you are looking for a quick, clean romance. Tropes include friends-to-lovers, brother's best friend, road trip, and two beds, but they make it into one!

It has been a little hard to get fully immersed in a book lately and finish it in one sitting like I used to do all the time. This book cured me of that REAL quick.

Ali is a fun, relatable, perfectly unhinged lead whom I loved immediately. There was so much about her to adore, like her wit, her creative pranks, her loyalty, and her sense of humor. She knows her brother’s best friend Theo like the back of her hand—and well she should, considering she’s been two-thirds in love with him for half her life.

Theo is a HEART THROB, okay? But not in the usual male lead ways. He doesn’t have abs of steel, nor is he six feet tall, but he’s thoughtful, funny, sweet, and has secrets even Ali doesn’t know… yet. Like his flirting abilities, for example. Or how he might feel about her. He will win your heart SO fast, until, before you know it, you’re also in love with him—and I am not joking about that.

The banter in this book is AMAZING. The settings are electric, and range from the sweltering Texas heat to the Colorado mountains to the Vegas lights to the lush forests of Oregon. If you’ve read any of Sharon’s previous romcoms, some of the characters make guest appearances in a delightful Easter egg sort of way. And if you haven’t, 1) you’re missing out, and 2) this book absolutely functions as a standalone.

In short, I LOVED this book. There isn’t a single thing I’d change or wish was done differently. And if you love the following things, this is the book for you, too:

- NO third act breakup
- Epilepsy representation
- Funny and loveable side characters
- Swoony romance with heart-pounding kisses
- Banter out the wazoo
- Crisp writing that fully immerses you in the story until it plays like a movie in your head
- Antagonists you’ll want to throttle (followed by creative revenge)
- Fun and wild road trip adventures
- “I am not your brother” (trust me on this one. You’re gonna be fanning yourself in no time after this phrase. Ooh, mama)
- FAMILY. Oh, the messy and imperfect but loving big family vibes. Be still, my heart.

I can. not. WAIT for Sharon’s next book!

Content warnings: mentions of seizures, car accidents, mild injuries, nudity (nondescriptive), and death of a family member

Language: infrequent mild swears throughout the book

Spice: kissing-only

Another delightful, fun read from Peterson, whose books are always guaranteed to make me smile. We're back in in Two Harts and now that Mel and Cal are together, we get to meet another couple, Ali and Theo.
Ali's undying love for her brothers' friend Theo when she was a teenager, and her subsequent declaration of those feelings at the age of sixteen, left her in a swamp of mortified embarrassment. She's determined to never experience that again. Ten years later, she's forced into a car with him for a long road trip with a few stopovers, and she has to pretend everything is okay. It's not.
Great wise-cracking, funny side characters, some serious moments, good vibes, and delicious kisses make me think this will gain Peterson an even bigger following, and for good reason. A perfect beach read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book and leave a voluntary review.

This one was so cute! I loved the road trip aspect. It added so many fun adventures and situations to occur. This one had tons of great banter and hilarious situations. Ali and Theo were so cute together. I was rooting for them the entire time.

A charming, joyful and surprising story about love, friendship and learning to be true to yourself. It’s an emotional rollercoaster!
Read it! You won't be disappointed
Wow……Damn this was entertaining

I enjoyed this book. I always love brother's best friend stories and I enjoyed the way Sharon used this trope. The roadtrip trope was also a fun addition to the book. So many good moments in this book.

This book was super cute and an easy, quick read! The characters all had depth which was a nice change from other popular romance books, and the main protagonist was a little nerdy and ditsy, but not annoying in anyway. Theo Goodnight- locate this man in real life please! Overall, this book was well written & very enjoyable! I wish we would've seen more of their relationship instead of just mainly the trip, but hoping for a short story with more details on them in the future!

Technically a 3.5 read. This was my first read from the author.

This was a semi-quick read for me but given that I do like a good brother's best friend trope, I couldn't help but get sucked in. I liked the banter that was created between the two MCs. There was so much flirting, sometimes outright and sometimes between the lines. I like that they were very blunt about their feelings once it hit a certain point. I wish I liked the FMC more, sometimes she was little painfully oblivious about things he would say (like GIRL, open your eyes) and I found the MMC to be pretty passive about making his move. Someone needed to push them together a long time ago.

I could have used more backstory about what happened after the "incident" and how they continued a friendship after that. But reading the epilogue in his POV was so cute!

I really enjoyed it, I found myself completely immersed in this rom-com wich I wasn't expecting.

It's a quite cliche story as we follow Ali, who has been in love with her brother's best friend, Theo, forever. She finally gets a chance with him when he has to take her to his brother's wedding. This starts a friends to lovers dynamic that was delightful to read.

Although it is a simple and premise, the story surprised me by how fun and entertaining it was.
I loved the main couple and actually giggled at their interactions. I wouldn't say the characters alone are super strong, but together they were perfect and had great chemistry.

I highly recommend it if you want a comforting, feel-good story that doesn't have a lot of complications.
It's a great book to read when you're feeling a little down and need something to cheer you up.

*Thanks to NetGalley uk, the publishers and the author for the ARC*

My review is on my goodreads but i really liked the book. I was giggling throughout it at times. Would love to have a Theo version of the book.

This one was really cute book by Sharon M. Peterson. Easy, fun & clean. I thought the FMC was relatable & easy to love, & the MMC was perfect (!!!!) to cheer for & connect with. Their dynamic was so well-developed & created a fun banter/dialogue, making me speed through the book wanting to know the outcome.

I did wish that there was even more about the FMC's epilepsy, or possibly some sort of resolution that took place. I wanted to hear Theo tell her that she was more than her diagnosis. I did love knowing that the author's son has experienced seizures though, making this something personal that she wrote about. That made me love the novel even more.

I would describe it as the perfect read for a road trip this summer. Overall, super cute! I will definitely pick up another title by this author because of this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Fast Lane, by Sharon M Peterson, is a novel that will have you smiling and even laughing out loud at times. The characters are a fun bunch, mostly family members of a family we'd all like to be part of. In the story, we embark on a journey to find forgiveness and love. I think we all need a Theo in our lives!
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

To describe this book in one line:
"Sunshine in book form". That's what I'd like to say.

I loved every single character, especially Ali ,Theo, Abe, Mack and Hallie.

What happens when you go on a road trip with your childhood crush with whom you've been half in love for half hour life. Add in a meddling grand pa, a side quest to bring back your brother who left home 11 years ago and all the secrets everyone kept for years.
Yup you have an amazing trip and a great story you can share with your grandkids oneday🤭🤫

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Childhood love🥹
Brother's bestfriend
Small town🥳
Sassy FMC
Dreamy MMC😍

This is my first book of Sharon M Peterson and I have to say I've become a huge fan of her writing from the beginning and will definitely read Mae's story

Also hoping for Abe's book🤞🏻
Thanks NetGalley,Author and Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This was so cute and such a fun story. This is the epitome of a brother’s-best-friend / road trip romance. The characters are super lovable, the story draws you in right away, and you can’t help but immediately cheer them on.

There’s also a lot of found family, making this book such an uplifting and lighthearted read.

I read this as a standalone without reading The Fake Out, and was able to follow the story fine. There’s minimal crossover in this book.

✨Book Review✨

The Fast Lane - Sharon M. Peterson

📖 Ali and her family are taking a road trip to get her oldest brother married. Unfortunately her Mom has gone overboard on the decor that needs to be traveled, and Ali will need to hitch a ride with Theo. Theo, who she once confessed her love for when they were young. Theo, her brothers’ best friend. Theo, who she shouldn't still be in love with… should she?

📚 This romance was an easy read. Ali was a likable character who had some great character components that make her enjoyable to read about. Theo was charming and sweet, which made him a great main male character. Sharon M Peterson made this road trip feel eventful and too short! I loved the extra details involved, like a stopover in Las Vegas, Grandpa Mack, and and wayward brother who needed to be brought back to the family.

🌟 If you like Sarah Adams or Emilly Henry then you should give The Fast Lane a chance. This is a great book for any closed door readers out there!

This was my first book from Sharon M Peterson - and it was an Advanced Reader Copy! Thank you to Sharon and @netgalley for putting The Fast Lane in my hands early. You can look for it to be published this June 19th! …has anyone else read something by Sharon?

#BookReview #BookRecommendation #TheFastLane #AliTheo #NetGalley #GoodReads