Spotlight & Giveaway: Too Fast to Fall by Karen Booth

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Karen Booth to HJ!

Hi Karen and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Too Fast to Fall!

Thank you! It’s so great to be back on HJ!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Too Fast to Fall starts with a love story between a dog—a golden lab named Gus—and his owner, Formula 1 driver Emilio Baquero. Emilio is having a difficult year. His parents are splitting up after 30 years of marriage, he broke up with his girlfriend, and his driving career is on the skids. Gus is the only thing that makes Emilio happy, but every dog sitter he hires ends up quitting, deeming Gus “unmanageable”. It’s not until cheerful and deeply caring dog walker Piper Murphy walks into his life and Gus falls for Piper, that everything starts to change for Emilio.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“Everything you need is already inside you.” –This is Piper’s advice to Emilio when he’s struggling on-track. Piper is very close to her dad, and her father is the king of “Dadisms”, so she busts those out often. Emilio takes this to heart.
“Am I a bad boy?” –this is in Gus’s POV, him wondering why the dog sitters keep quitting.
When Emilio and Piper are talking about whether it’s a good idea for them to get involved, considering he’s hired her to care for his dog.
“Piper, I’m your boss…”
“Gus is my real boss.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• My friend and fellow author Piper Trace is the person who came up with the dog nanny idea. We were talking about my initial ideas for the book and I said to her, “I wish I could think up an amazing twist on a traditional romance trope like ‘nanny’” and she blurted, “dog nanny”. It’s perfect because F1 fans are obsessed with the drivers’ pets. And that’s how my heroine got the name Piper.
• The dog in this book is a matchmaker. There are a few short sections written in his POV.
• Gus is inspired by a family member’s dog of the same name. I also paid homage in the book to another real life dog—my friends’ Australian shepherd, Ozzy.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Piper is definitely drawn to Emilio’s stoic and grumpy persona. She wants to understand why he is the way he is. Plus, she’s a huge fan of his. Emilio is drawn to Piper’s sunny demeanor—he has a hard time understanding how someone could be so endlessly positive. Luckily, she brings it out a lot of positivity in him.
 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

One of my favorite scenes is one where Gus is trying to push Emilio and Piper together. (There are several.) It really had me going while I was writing it. This is right after Emilio has his best race result of the season, and Piper hugs him while also holding on to Gus’s leash. Gus decides to let the leash do the work. It was fun to imagine, but also incredibly fun to write. It really boils down to the essence of the book.

Piper desperately wanted to wrap her arms around Emilio while overcome with enthusiasm. But that would mean crossing a line. “Congratulations. You were amazing. I can’t believe you pushed your tires like that.”
He unleashed an unguarded smile she’d never seen up close before. It was like a sunrise. The promise of a new day. He raked his epic, sweaty hair back from his face. “Thank you. My engineer wasn’t happy with me, but I had to try. Get out of my slump.” He crouched down and Gus hurried over for ear scratches.
It confounded her how someone as talented and capable as Emilio could ever doubt himself, but there it was. “Sometimes the only person who needs to believe in you is you.”
He peered up at her and narrowed his eyes, then straightened to his full height. “Where do you get these sayings?”
Piper grinned. “My dad. He’s big on encouragement.”
“Maybe I need to meet him. Ask for some advice.”
Piper laughed quietly. The thought of her life and Emilio’s life colliding like that? Pure fantasy, but nice. Her dad would love Emilio. She was sure of it. “Can I give you a congratulatory hug?”
“Of course.”
He stepped closer while Piper threaded her hand through the loop on Gus’s leash. The anticipation of the hug threatened to swallow her whole, but she did it anyway. And when he returned the embrace and his arms spun in her head like a tornado.
Just then, there was a strap across the back of her legs. “What the?” She looked to the side and spotted Gus trotting past them.
“Gus… what are you doing?” Emilio asked with a leading tone.
That strap was Gus’s retractable leash. He was coiling her and Emilio in it. Running circles around them. Their legs were bound together. There was nowhere to go. Emilio slid his hand to the small of Piper’s back. She followed suit, astonished by every defined muscle as her fingertips roved, but the change in position left their hips pressed into each other. A dizzying wave of heat stormed through her. She was about to catch fire.
“Gus, stop!” Emilio called.
Gus took a few more steps, then came to a halt. At the end of his leash. Then he rose up on his hind legs and licked Emilio’s cheek. Piper and Emilio could only stare at each other, blinking in disbelief, laughing.
“What did I say about not letting him off his leash?” she asked. “I didn’t think that idea would be disproven so soon.”
Emilio peered down at her. His cocoa brown eyes swirled with mystery. She could get lost in them, trying to decipher what went on in his head. “Gus keeps pushing us together.”
“It’s like he’s trying to tell us something.” Piper’s face and body were aflame. Every square inch of her. And she wondered if Emilio felt even a fraction of the heat she did.

Readers should read this book….

If you love fun grumpy/sunshine romance with low angst (but still might make you cry), some spice, and a strong thread of family, this book is for you. I like to think of it as a big hug.
 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently finishing up Book 3 in the Fast Track series, tentatively titled Too Fast, Too Fake. It’s an opposites attract, fake dating rom-com about a play-it-safe librarian and an Aussie driver who has no fear. It comes out May 2027. Before that, I have a novella out August 3 titled Rule Breakers. It’s an over-40 beach romance about second chances that was previously part of the charity anthology The Packing List.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One signed paperback copy of Not So Fast, Book 1 in the Fast Track series. (US only)

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Are you a dog lover, a cat lover, or not an animal person? Let me know !

Excerpt from Too Fast to Fall:

This is the scene after Piper has accepted the dog nanny job and gets on board Mega Racing’s chartered plane to fly to London with Emilio and his dog, Gus. Other people in this scene are Isabel, who works for Mega Racing and told Emilio to hire a full time dog nanny, and Xander Bishop and Mia Neal, the MMC and FMC from the first book in the series, Not So Fast.
Piper climbed the stairs. She’d only flown a few times in her life, but she could definitely get used to traveling like this. Not having to go through security was a serious plus. When she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced to her left and saw two pilots talking. Then she turned to her right and nearly got mowed over by Gus.
“Hey, buddy.” She scratched behind his ears as he thumped his tail against a first row aisle seat and she attempted to back him down the aisle. “Come on. We need to go sit down.”
She looked up and saw Emilio approaching. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. He looked different in civilian clothes—a black long-sleeve Mega Racing T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair looked damp, like he’d just taken a shower. His dark brown eyes swirled with the intensity she found intimidating. And also more than a bit intoxicating. But she’d have to ignore this. She had a very well-paying job to do. She had to be as professional as possible.
“Gus, come. Calm down.” Emilio tugged on Gus’s collar. “I know you’re excited to see Piper, but we need to sit so the plane can leave.”
She took a step down the aisle and spotted Isabel, who was seated a few rows back. “Hey, Piper. I’m happy to hear you’ll be taking care of Gus. It’ll sure make my life easier.”
“Happy to help.” Behind Isabel were at least two dozen people dotting the pairs of seats on either side of the aisle. They included Mega team members she recognized from watching the races on TV. Near the back of the plane, it was impossible to miss very tall Xander Bishop, Emilio’s teammate, who was seated on the aisle. Next to him, Piper’s new friend, Mia, popped up from her seat and waved. Piper was at a total loss for words. She’d stepped through a portal to an entirely new world. She simply waved back at Mia.
“Everyone, this is Piper. She’ll be taking care of Gus through the Monaco Grand Prix,” Emilio said.
A low chorus of, “Hi, Piper” broke out.
“We’re toward the back.” Emilio gestured with a nod. “You can sit here.”
Piper eased into a seat on the aisle while Emilio sat across from her. Gus jumped up in the window seat next to her. “Oh. Hello, Gus. Is it okay if he’s up here?”
“Yes. I know he’s spoiled.”
Piper had seen more than her fair share of spoiled dogs. Gus didn’t really seem like that to her. “He’s family. I get it.” Gus tried to sneak his head under the armrest, so Piper raised it. He promptly flopped down and put his head in Piper’s lap.
Emilio slowly shook his head. “I’ve never seen him like this.” His deeply tempting eyes turned even darker. He pushed up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, showing off his tawny skin, perfect forearms, and what was probably a stupidly expensive watch. “He’s in love with you. I think I’m jealous.”
Piper’s cheeks plumed with heat and she found it more than a little difficult to breathe. Emilio was so sexy, it defied explanation. She would’ve sworn he’d been created in a lab, except that she’d already seen a few of his more human moments. “He can tell I’m a dog person.”
“I’m a dog person. I’m his dog person.”
Piper looked down at Gus and stroked his head. He started snoring. She laughed quietly and her vision was drawn back to Emilio, who gazed at his dog with nothing short of pure affection.
“Good evening, folks,” came a voice over the loudspeaker. “This is your captain. Looks like we’ve got smooth air running to London. A little less than nine hours flying time, so we’ll turn off the lights so you all can get some sleep. Plenty of blankets and pillows back there. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight.”
The cabin lights dimmed, and the plane began to taxi. A flight attendant appeared and offered Piper a blanket and pillow. “You can recline after takeoff,” she said. Gus snuggled closer and Piper threaded her fingers through his soft fur. She glanced at Emilio. His eyes were closed, his hands folded across his lap. He looked peaceful. Untroubled. Which was nice since he had not been like that earlier. Quite the contrary.
She settled her head back against the seat and peered out the window as the plane took flight. The flickering lights of Miami and the eastern coast of Florida came into view, then slowly faded away. Somewhere down there was her family. The life she’d had just hours ago. The one where she was lonely and at least a little unhappy, but still thankful for everything she had. She hoped she’d made the right choice. She hoped Gabby wouldn’t be too pissed off, and she hoped her parents would understand her decision once she’d had a chance to explain. She hoped working for Emilio ended up being a good thing. There were more than a few hints that it might end up being stressful. Awkward. Difficult. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Hope hope hope. Probably too many hopes.
Because the truth was there were no guarantees. Of anything. And she couldn’t do anything about it now. She was on the plane, heading off into the great unknown.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

So what if she’s crushing on a race car driver? That doesn’t mean it’s love at first lap.

But maybe it’s love at first lap dog?

Yesterday, Piper Murphy was just another dog sitter helping her sister with wedding prep while pretending she’s over her own broken engagement.

Today, she’s the fill-in dog sitter for Formula One driver Emilio Baquero. Brooding, gorgeous driver + naughty, cute Lab? Woof, down boy.

When Emilio offers her a five-week gig as his live-in dog nanny in London, Piper can’t help but say yes. It’s out of her comfort zone, sure, but it’s also a ticket to travel, racing, and caring for a dog she already adores. All while escaping the wedding planning that’s put her failures front and center.

Only being under the same roof means there’s no escaping Emilio’s intensity, or grumpiness. Piper tries to be a sunny presence, but their clashes just fuel the slow-burn tension to something near combustible.

Because falling for your boss is risky when you have a broken heart. Falling for your famous boss and his adorable dog? That’s a crash waiting to happen.
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Karen Booth is a midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on ’80s music and repeated readings of “Forever” by Judy Blume. Karen writes contemporary romance and rom-comes where the sparks fly. Her stories are full of breathless kisses, tearjerker moments, messy family dynamics, and more than a few things she’s glad her grandmother never read.
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