Pinned

Written by Jackie Barbosa

Narrated by Mollie Stark and Patrick Zeller

Amanda

It doesn’t bother me if you call me a motoho. Ever since my cheating bastard of an ex-fiancé left me with an STD that rendered me infertile, I’m not looking for a relationship, but I do occasionally have an itch to scratch. With Thunder Valley Raceway nearby, there’s no shortage of motocross riders passing through town, and they’re fit, fine, and looking for a good time, not a long time. So why shouldn’t I partake once in a while?

Still, I’m a little surprised Tyler Biggs was game; he’s not known as a player, unlike some riders I could name. And I’ll admit, I’m kind of sorry we only had one night together. Tyler is model handsome, smart, and phenomenal in bed. I wouldn’t mind hitting that a few more times, especially since he lives less than an hour away when he’s not on the circuit. But before I can decide whether or not I’m ready to take that step, life throws me a curveball, and I have no choice but to see Tyler again.

Tyler

I’m not normally a one-night-stand kind of guy, but the night I met Mandy, an uncomplicated romp in the sheets was exactly what I needed to remind myself that there’s more to life than motocross racing. So what if I don’t win the championship this year? I can still hook up with the prettiest, funniest girl in the bar if I want to and have mind-blowing monkey sex with her. In the best possible world, we would have more time, but motocross moves on and that means I have to, too. And then, eight weeks later, Mandy shows up on my doorstep and drops the other shoe.

A teeny, tiny one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Publishing
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094440088

Jackie Barbosa

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer when I grew up, but there were plenty of times when I wasn’t sure I ever would be. As it turns out, it just took me about twenty years longer to grow up than I expected! On the road to publication, I took a few detours, including a stint in academia (I hold an MA in Classics from the University of Chicago and was a recipient of a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities) and many years as a technical writer/instructional designer for a data processing company. I still hold my day job, but my true vocation has always been writing fiction and romance in particular. To stay informed of my release schedule, you can sign up for my newsletter (which I only send out when I actually release a book) or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. As a matter of public record, I tend to be a lot more active on Twitter, but also a lot more political. I am represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. I’m a firm believer that love is the most powerful force in the world, which that makes romance the most powerful genre in the world. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

Reviews for Pinned

[Natale Michaud · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one was my favorite story in the series. Overcoming hang-ups from past relationships, and something happening that one thought never could, makes for itself a HEA without a relationship spawning.

[Kate · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wealthy corporate executive Mandy has a one night stand with Motocross racer Tyler but, despite using protection, she gets pregnant.

Even when they're trying to do the grown up thing for the sake of the baby, try as they might, they just can't keep their hands off each other.

Tyler has fallen hard and he's so considerate. He's 100% a keeper. But Mandy is slow to trust anyone with her heart... I love their story!

This had been a great series - I binged the whole lot in a day. Whoops!

[Bill Hair · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Is this a multi-part story? Yes
Does it end in a cliffhanger? No
Genre(s): Sports Romance
Instalove? Yes by the H (although he doesn't know it)
Was cheating involved? No
Any major triggers to be aware of? No

3 Stars for me! (Read final notes)
My rating range of this story... 2 - 4.25 Stars
If significant, why? The author is trying to appease the woke crowd
Biggest deduction? 1 Star

Main Character Ratings...
H (Tyler) = 8/10
h (Amanda) = 8/10
TSTL Moment(s)? No
Narrator Rating(s)
M (Patrick Zeller) = 7/10
F (Mollie Stark) = 8/10
If below 5/10, why?

If Comedy... Type? n/a
Funny, Cute, Cringe Inducing, Mixed or Just No!

Angst Level? Moderate
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop

Internal Monolog/Dialog? Moderate
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop

Scenes with heat... Yes
What point does it start? 10%
How much of the story? 20%
Anything beyond M/F? No
If yes, explained

Heat Rating... 8/10
Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
Normal to Descriptive 3-5
Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above

Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? Almost

The back story... The h had a tough breakup and decides that all relationships will be physical and just one night. She loves the motocross circuit so she hooks up with riders from time to time. She meets the H when he is contemplating retirement (age 30) or next steps and they have a steamy night of passion. The problem is that birth control is not always 100% and our story begins.

Romance or Gist: It is there but the H has to walk a tightrope and keeps things close to the vest in order to not scare off the h.

The drama explosion... The Dad makes an offer and the h goes ballistic
Did it feel Real, OK or contrived? Ugn
Was it OTT? Very
Separation involved? Short
Was it resolved properly or rushed? Properly

Final Notes... I am not sure why the h went off on the h when he never broached the subject. It just seemed a bit contrived in order to add drama to the end. I really enjoyed how the H handled the pregnancy news and how they both started to work together until the drama explosion. :)

A NOTE TO THE AUTHOR:
I understand the desire to show acceptance for the current focus on gender identity and the different types of relationships. Climate Change is also a subject that many authors will inject to please a subset of readers that seem to only care about the environment. Most of us readers care about the environment and don't treat people differently based on their sexual orientation. In fact, most readers in the romance genre that has a sexual component to it are far more accepting than political readers. Speaking for myself and for some other reviewers that I have seen on other stories, we just don't want it crammed down our throats. If you have it as part of the story, weave it in naturally instead of drawing heavy attention to it and it will have a better impact on us readers. Thanks for listening and know that I did enjoy this series.

HEA or HFN? HEA
Book Source: Scribd

[Christina Wagner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Liked the story but I almost stopped listening because I don't want to hear about gender confusion or climate change!