SFRB Recommends #51: Debbie Diesel by Nathalie Gray #scifi #romance #sfrom

Her name is Debbie Diesel—the meanest, loudest, most obnoxious woman this side of the Valerian System. And nothing will stop her from adding another trophy to her demolition derby collection. But fate throws a rivet gun in her thrusters when a new racer, Kai, comes onboard. And he has trouble written all over his wiry, centerfold-quality body. Good thing he’s always loved a good fight, because Debbie Diesel is about to give him the ride of his life.

Originally published as Demo Derby in 2006, this story opened my eyes to what SFR could be. The protagonists are fascinating, flawed people: Kai's hypercompetitiveness causes him problems, and Debbie's got impulse control and anger management issues. She's not a conventional heroine in any way. The side characters also stick in your brain, for good or ill. All of them manage to develop further during the course of the story.

The action's pretty over-the-top and gritty: it had better be, since it features a demolition derby in space! If you like fast-paced erotic romance with a dose of punk, this one's for you (complete with a spectacle of an ending). Vehicles, encounters, oh my! Prepare for impact!

Author site: Nathalie Gray | Science Fiction and Paranormal Romance

Recommendation by Lee Koven.