Test Drive is the first book in the Body Shop Bad Boys series which continues the McCauley Brothers series by being set in the body shop owned by Del. In this first book, Lara Valley has been on Johnny Devlin's radar for several years, but he finally decides that it is time for them to start dating. Lara knows Johnny's reputation as a love-em-and-leave-em kind of guy, but she is so attracted that she can't say no any longer. Johnny and Lara hit it off and have no real complications in their relationship until the very end of the book.
This was an extremely light story with almost no rising action at all. The only real problem that the two protagonists have is that they both act a little foolish and immature in their relationship. There just wasn't enough story here to make the book interesting. Overall this was a disappointing continuation of the really wonderful McCauley Brothers series. ( )

4.5 stars.

Test Drive by Marie Harte is a sizzling hot yet very touching romance between bad boy auto mechanic Johnny Devlin and good girl Lara Valley. With plenty of humorous banner, tons of sexual tension and loveable characters with realistic insecurities, this first installment in the Body Shop Bad Boys series is an irresistible love story that fans of contemporary romances are sure to love.

Despite a few missteps when he was younger, Johnny has mostly cleaned up his act although he does love the occasional brawl and swears like a sailor. He is hardworking, loyal and very protective of the people he cares about. Charming and sinfully sexy, Johnny’s reputation as a player is legendary but he is always honest about his intentions with the women he becomes involved with. Johnny has been lusting after the fresh faced bartender from the moment he laid eyes on her four years ago, but Lara turns him down every time he asks her out. Although he is still strongly attracted to her, Johnny is surprised to realize that he wants to actually date Lara but will he convince her to take a chance on him?

Having grown up without much money, Lara is ambitious and quite dedicated to getting a college degree. She has no social life since she spends most of her time either helping out with her nieces, working or going to classes. She is very close to her family and she is quick to volunteer to help out when her parents or sister are in a bind. Lara loves her bartending job but she does not date the customers. She is attracted to Johnny, but she is completely committed to finishing her degree and she does not want any distractions to interfere with her plans. However, after Johnny saves her from an unsettling altercation with her sister’s smarmy soon to be ex-husband, Lara decides to give dating Johnny a chance.

The romance between Johnny and Lara is surprisingly sweet and grows slowly over the course of the novel. Johnny wants more from Lara than the usual one night stand so he puts a lot of thought into the dates that he takes her on. He also tries to put a moratorium on sex, but it is virtually impossible for them to resist their scorching hot attraction. However, in between raucous bouts of insanely intense sex, Johnny and Lara do a lot of the things most couples do; they go to movies and dinner, they enjoy quiet evenings at home and occasionally, they babysit Lara’s nieces together. The longer they go out, the more uneasy Johnny becomes with budding relationship. Plagued by doubts and insecurities, Johnny misunderstands a conversation with Lara and he instinctively runs away. The future of their relationship then hangs in the balance as he tries to come to terms with the emotional baggage from his childhood.

Test Drive is a delightful romance with an appealing couple that are impossible not to root for. The storyline is well-developed with witty and engaging dialogue. The longstanding acquaintance between Johnny and Lara makes their transition from friends to lovers believable and it is an absolute joy watching them get to know one another and eventually fall in love. The last chapter in the novel neatly sets the stage for the next book in the Body Shop Bad Boys series and readers will be chomping at the bit to see whatMarie Harte has planned for Foley Sanders in Roadside Assistance. ( )

ARC Review: Test Drive (Body Shop Bad Boys) by Marie Harte

Johnny wears his bad boy title like a medal of honor. That in itself is temptation personified. What pushed me over the edge? His body language and attitude are contradictory to his actions. When he cares for someone or something, he gives his full attention. Lara was about to get an up close and personal look at the makings of this complicated man. Lara has one objective and it does not include looking for trouble. When trouble comes looking for her, she has to decide if the danger is worth the payout. The Body Shop Bad Boys series is off to a wickedly sexy start. ( )

Johnny works hard at a job he loves, in a garage, and he's good at it. He has three other guys who work with him, they all make fun of each other but they have each other's backs and will let the other know if he's messed up straight away if needed.
Women notice Johnny, and he has a bit of a reputation with them, but he only has eyes for one woman and after being turned down for 4 years now, he still hopes that one day she'll say yes.

Lara doesn't have much of a social life, she works hard as a bartender so she can go to nursing school, also she helps her sister when she can by babysitting her two young nieces. So she doesn't really date at all, but if she did find the time and the right guy would ask 'again', she would love to go out on a date with Johnny.
When one evening he comes to her aid, she gets her chance to ask 'him' out, and wow! did she say one date? They get together and things really start to heat up.

The relationship between these two slowly grows into something neither of them expected. They'd known each other for along time but they didn't know any thing about one another at all. I loved how their romance slowly developed but was still very steamy.

This was a great start for the new series, it was very entertaining, full of fun, with hot sexy secondary characters. I loved this book! And I can't wait for the next in the series. ( )