Hairpin Curves

by Elia Winters

Overview

A Popsugar Best Romance Novel of 2020

RITA® Award—winning author Elia Winters delivers a sexy, playful frenemies-to-lovers road trip romance.

Megan Harris had hopes of seeing the world, but at twenty-five she’s never even left Florida. Now a wedding invitation lures her to Quebec…in February. When her ex-friend Scarlett offers to be her plus-one (yeah, that’s a whole story) and suggests they turn the journey into an epic road trip, Megan reluctantly agrees to the biggest adventure of her life.

A week together in a car is a surefire way to kill a crush, and Scarlett Andrews has had a big one on Megan for years. The important thing is fixing their friendship.

As the miles roll away, what starts as harmless road-trip games and rest-stop dares escalates into something like intimacy. And when a surprise snowstorm forces Megan and Scarlett to hunker down without the open road as distraction, they’ve got a bigger challenge than making it to the church on time: facing the true nature of their feelings for each other.

Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335146656
Publisher:	Carina Press
Publication date:	07/28/2020
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	524,486
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

RITA™ Award-winning author Elia Winters is a fat, tattooed, polyamorous bisexual who writes geeky, kinky, cozy erotic romance. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature and teaches at a small rural high school, where she also runs the drama club. In her spare time, she indulges in baking, geekiness, and fighting the patriarchy. She currently lives in western Massachusetts with her loving husband and their weird pets.

Editorial Reviews

06/29/2020

RITA award winner Winters (Three-Way Split) crafts an insightful second-chance romance that works all the better for the wish fulfilment of its premise. Scarlett Andrews ghosted her best friend Megan Harris after high school graduation seven years ago and the two haven’t spoken since. But when an old high school friend invites them both to her wedding, Megan lets herself be coaxed into a Florida-to-Quebec road trip with Scarlett as her copilot. Their leisurely journey offers a gentle fantasy (with seemingly no financial constraints) as the pair hash out what went wrong in their friendship and rebuild their relationship into a romance. Impulsive detours create the space for shared joy—like when Scarlett takes Megan to see snow for the first time—and allow trust to grow. Winters is not always pitch-perfect with the details (it beggars belief that two 20-somethings would exclusively listen to FM radio chestnuts like Led Zeppelin and Pat Benatar, for example), but these slips don’t mar the pleasure of watching two believable women untangle their feelings on a genuine but low-stakes adventure. This is a trip worth taking. Agent: Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"A delightfully steamy escape" — OprahMag.com

"RITA award winner Winters crafts an insightful second-chance romance that works all the better for the wish fulfilment of its premise." — Publishers Weekly

"RITA Award–winning Winters has a lot of fun playing with popular genre tropes, including friends-to-lovers and roadtrip romance, and readers will be equally delighted by the endearingly relatable characters and the electric sexual chemistry she serves up in this deftly written contemporary romance.” — Booklist

"RITA award–winning author Winters puts the focus on female friendships—and female love—in this feel-good, F/F road-trip romance that’s not too heavy and just the right amount of fun to recommend for a fun holiday or beach read." — Library Journal

"This one was a lovely read which we completely recommend."— Best Lesfic Reviews

“Hairpin Curves is a sexy and sweet road trip romance that’s impossible to resist." — Wit and Sin

“Readers looking for a queer romance featuring heroines finding themselves and each other will find a lot to love here.” — We Are Bookish

From the Publisher

08/01/2020

Megan and Scarlett were best friends in high school until a misunderstanding turned their relationship sour. Now 25, both are stuck in dead-end jobs and struggling to figure out adulthood. When a mutual friend invites them to her wedding in Quebec, they agree to put aside their differences and carpool from Florida to save on airfare. Portrayed as polar opposites, with Megan set in her ways and Scarlett a free spirit, the two entertain childish bickering on the road that wears thin after a while. But as the miles disappear, their personalities begin to shine as they open up to each other. Scarlett, who is bi, has secretly harbored a crush on Megan for years, and is shocked to learn that Megan is attracted to women, fueling the longstanding sexual tension between them. VERDICT RITA award-winning author Winters (Playing Naughty) puts the focus on female friendships—and female love—in this feel-good, F/F road-trip romance that's not too heavy and just the right amount of fun to recommend for a fun holiday or beach read.—Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB, Canada

Library Journal

Devra Woodward takes the wheel as narrator of this former- friends-to-lovers contemporary romance. Megan and Scarlett, two friends separated by misunderstandings and assumptions, come together when their effervescent high school friend, Juliet, invites them to her wedding in Canada. Both women find themselves at personal crossroads and grudgingly travel together. Woodward’s warm, flexible tones capture Scarlett’s spontaneity and Megan’s caution as they explore colorful locales en route from Florida and rediscover each other. Listeners keen on sizzle are treated to Woodward’s blush-inducing delivery of passionate moments. As they approach the terminus of their journey, Megan’s and Scarlett’s ever-afters are satisfying and thoughtfully achieved. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2020 - AudioFile

Devra Woodward takes the wheel as narrator of this former- friends-to-lovers contemporary romance. Megan and Scarlett, two friends separated by misunderstandings and assumptions, come together when their effervescent high school friend, Juliet, invites them to her wedding in Canada. Both women find themselves at personal crossroads and grudgingly travel together. Woodward’s warm, flexible tones capture Scarlett’s spontaneity and Megan’s caution as they explore colorful locales en route from Florida and rediscover each other. Listeners keen on sizzle are treated to Woodward’s blush-inducing delivery of passionate moments. As they approach the terminus of their journey, Megan’s and Scarlett’s ever-afters are satisfying and thoughtfully achieved. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2020 - AudioFile