Pages

Wednesday 3 February 2016

Book Review: Chameleon Soul by Mia Hoddell

Last Updated: 31 May 2021

Chameleon Soul by Mia Hoddell book cover

AD* | After one fateful night, Raine Wilkins’ life has never been the same…

Two years into a relationship with Formula 1 driver Teo Coates, Raine walks out of his life without offering an explanation. To shield him from horrifying events that are best kept secret, Raine breaks her own heart and the heart of the man she loves. And left with no choice, Teo is forced to abandon Raine to finish his race season.

However, Teo always wins, and losing Raine’s heart has only made him more determined to reclaim it…

Now, a year later, he’s back, and she’s his only goal. But Raine is no longer the same girl he left behind; she’s broken by the past and struggling to cope with each day. Unbearable memories have her nights plagued with fear, while her days are spent deliberately hiding away to avoid triggering full-blown panic attacks. Therefore, when Teo returns as England’s favourite driver and demands answers, all of Raine’s careful planning is destroyed.

She is thrown into the one place she never wants to be - the spotlight.

Her newfound fame as Teo’s public girlfriend raises old dangers and exposes her to a group who will stop at nothing to tear them apart. If Raine and Teo are to be together, they must confront their past. However, only Raine knows the truth behind what happened during that sinister night, and revealing her secrets may cause Teo to leave for good.​

If you're a regular TWG reader, you may well recognise the name Mia Hoddell. Last November I took part in the blog tour for Mia's last release, Not Enough, where I interviewed Mia.

I enjoyed Not Enough, so when I was approached and asked to take part in the blog tour for Mia's new book I was happy to say yes. Chameleon Soul is the first book in the Chequered Flag series, but can still be read as a stand-alone contemporary romance novel.

Fast pace

I usually find a lot of romance can be too predictable and chick-litty - but Mia Hoddell's writing has a way of really drawing me into the story. I get drawn into the story by the fast pace and the characters, who propel the story along and make me keep reading. In fact, I read the whole book in two hours!

Recently, I've read a lot of books containing a celebrity or famous character. Usually, though, the celebrity is a musician or a model, so reading about a Formula 1 world champion was actually pretty refreshing! On the surface, Teo comes across as your typical playboy racing driver (I couldn't stop myself from imagining him as a less annoying Lewis Hamilton at the start of the book). However, soon I found myself warming to Teo, and by the end, my opinion of him had changed completely.

Opposites attract

Raine, by contrast, is the exact opposite. I felt Teo's frustration throughout the book as clues were left as to what happened to Raine, and I was itching to find out the details. I also thought Raine's friendship with Teo's brother Dustin was sweet. I liked the set-up for the sequel (no details announced as of the time of writing, in case you're wondering) and I'm definitely interested in getting my hands on a copy when it does come out!

However, there were a few little niggling details that stuck in the back of my mind. Without giving away any spoilers, certain scenes and events seemed a little unbelievable or far-fetched. Although only little things, they jarred me from the story, especially since it's clear Mia has done her research into all things F1 and the rest of the details were highly accurate.

However, as a whole, I still enjoyed this book. A perfect read for fans of quick, easy-to-read romance!

Rating: 3 stars

Chameleon Soul is available to buy now (paid link; commission earned).

If you like the sound of this book, you might also enjoy...


* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 

Will you be reading Chameleon Soul? Let me know in the comments below!

2 comments: