Review & Interview: 'High Heels and Bicycle Wheels' by Jane Linfoot

Meet Bryony: she’s a fun-loving, very single TV production assistant whose idea of sport is the Jimmy Choo sales scrum.
Meet Jackson: Cycling’s bad boy superstar. Injured and out of a certain race this summer, without his training, he’s looking for another distraction…
Bryony’s facing a triple whammy – her last single friend just named the day, her mother’s offering to have her eggs frozen, and the guy she’s loved from afar, forever, has just got hitched. So she’s more than happy to accept the offer of a totally out of character but seriously steamy one night of no-strings fun. Especially when the guy in question is so attractive he even looks good in Lycra!
Jackson’s on the lookout for a new career but if the opportunity to work on TV means a fortnight with the most uptight woman in the world, he’d rather not bother. He never goes in for seconds – and who in their right mind would head off in a campervan, with a woman who irons her knickers?
Add in a tandem (yes a tandem) and fast forward to double trouble for a summer neither of them will ever forget!
The lovely Jane Linfoot contacted me herself about possibly reviewing her latest release, after I had reviewed her other novella 'The Right Side of Mr. Wrong' (click here to read my review). ‘High Heels and Bicycle Wheels’ was released by digital imprint Harper Impulse on the 10th of July 2014 and promised another steamy romance from Jane Linfoot, and I was quite curious to check it out , especially after having read many positive things about the novel on Twitter! 
Bryony works as a TV production assistant, a job she’s really good at and loves. When it comes to her love life, however, things aren’t going that smoothly. All of her friends are getting hitched and her mother is even talking about freezing Bryony’s eggs, because it might take a while before she meets her Mr. Right. Then Bryony is forced to work together with famous cyclist Jackson Gale who is trying to start a TV career. Jackson is always on the look-out for a night of fun and there’s something about feisty Bryony that attracts him. The chemistry between them is undeniable and it doesn’t take long before they end up in bed together. But then the TV station decides Bryony and Jackson work so well together, they have to spend the entire summer making a new TV series, something which neither of them is looking forward to...
For those of you who read Jane Linfoot’s ‘The Right Side of Mr. Wrong’, the protagonist of this novel will be a familiar face. Bryony is actually Brando’s younger sister, and I was really excited to find out Jane Linfoot decided to write an entire book about her! Just like her other stories, this one is quite a steamy read with two intriguing main characters at its core. Bryony is feisty and independent but struggling with trust issues because of her background, and Jackson is handsome but quite full of himself and dealing with his own troubles. The sexual tension between the two is great and the banter definitely made for some entertaining scenes. Next to that, the book has quite an original plot and even though I am not a professional cycling fan at all, Jane Linfoot really managed to turn this topic into something fun.  
I really enjoyed the fact that the story is told from both a female (Bryony’s) and a male (Jackson’s) perspective, so the reader gets to discover more about the characters and the reasons for their actions. I have to say I did think the story was perhaps a bit too slow-paced and the game between Bryony and Jackson took quite a long time. If the book had been shorter and the story had progressed a tad faster, I think I would have enjoyed it even more. Overall, ‘High Heels and Bicycle Wheels’ is another steamy and enjoyable Jane Linfoot read; a story to pick up if you’re looking for something fun, light-hearted and sexy! Rating:

7/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Author interview with Jane Linfoot!
I'm really excited to welcome Jane Linfoot to the blog today to answer some questions about her lovely new novel 'High Heels and Bicycle Wheels', her future plans and her own favourite reads!

Can you tell us something about your novel, ‘High Heels and Bicycle Wheels’?

In 'High Heels & Bicycle Wheels', we meet TV production assistant Bryony, from 'The Right Side Of Mr Wrong'. So the most unsporty girl on the planet, is thrown together with hot, complex, pro cyclist, Jackson, whose demons are overtaking him. A sizzling one night stand is inevitable, but neither of these defiantly single people expected to meet up again, least of all for a two week road trip. Think camper vans, beaches, and one long, hot, summer that will change their lives forever. This is sexy chick lit, with a whole lot of humour and emotion thrown into the mix. 

Where did you get the inspiration for your novel? Is it in any way based on your own personal experiences?

 As a writer you find inspiration anywhere and everywhere, but often ideas begin with a tiny real life moment, and then grow from there. Bryony was demanding her own story, and then one day when I was out at a cycling race in Lincoln, I saw a TV crew running around the town, with a blonde presenter, in high heeled trainers, interviewing the riders. Kerching! I knew instantly that Bryony was going to be working on a sports programme, and interviewing a cyclist. I do admit to being inspired by a set of pictures of David Gandy wearing very little at this point. Enter Jackson Gale... I like weaving my own experiences into the story, because it enables me to give a truly authentic feel. Bryony’s terror on the tandem was based directly on my own experiences, and I did once have a camper van too.

Can you tell us a bit more about the main protagonist, Bryony?

Bryony marched onto the page fully formed in 'The Right Side Of Mr Wrong' and she refused to go away until I’d given her a story of her own. Bryony is a fun loving, determinedly single TV production assistant, who is used to charming people to do exactly what she asks, but beneath her dynamic, confident exterior she has a lot of issues. She’s also nursing a secretly breaking heart, as the guy she loved from afar has just got married. Then she’s thrown together with Jackson, and for the first time in her life, she’s going head to head with a guy who is just as strong as she is, who she fancies the pants off. So it’s fast forward, to double trouble.

There’s a great cast of supporting characters in the novel as well. Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I loved writing Bryony’s best friend Cressy, because she’s so different to Bryony, and such fun. Cressy is demanding a book of her own, which she may just get sometime soon. It was also great to have Shea and Brando back on the page again (from 'The Right Side Of Mr Wrong'), because I really enjoy them. Brando has mellowed, but he still has plenty to learn. This is a stand alone book, which you can enjoy even if you haven’t read The Right Side Of Mr Wrong yet.

Did you do any particular research for parts of the book?

Bryony has a fab shoe collection, which was the perfect excuse for hours of online research, and lots of visits to drool over the shoes in Harvey Nics. Some research is SO arduous ;)

Can you perhaps tell us something about your future plans? Are you perhaps already working on a next novel?

I have two first drafts I’m working with, and another two novels at the post-it stage. With a new project I like to have a well worked out structure, and I get to know my characters as well as I know my best friends. Then I begin to write.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Writing is a solitary activity, but joining a writing group, either online, or locally, can help a lot. If you find the right group for you, you’ll get tips, support and inspiration. Try to write something every day – and luckily jokey emails to friends do count as writing. And never give up.

What is the last book you read that you’d like to recommend to others?

Easy to answer. I just finished 'Stable Mates' by Zara Stoneley. I love Zara’s writing, and this is a fabulous romp of a book, with some great characters, and a brilliant story. If you haven’t read it already, grab it! Now!

Which book could you not live without?

Too hard to answer.

And last but not least, if you had to describe ‘High Heels and Bicycle Wheels’ in just three words, which words would you pick?

Hot summer fun.

Thanks so much, Jane! :)