Fast Track by Julie Garwood

Author: Julie Garwood
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Date of publication: July 2014

Cordelia Kane has always been a daddy’s girl—her father raised her alone after her mother died in a car crash when Cordelia was just two years old. So when he has a serious heart attack, Cordelia is devastated, and the emotion is only intensified by the confusion she feels when he reveals the shocking truth about her mother.

Cordelia can’t suppress her curiosity about the woman who gave birth to her, and when she discovers the answers to her questions lie in Sydney, Australia, she travels there to get them.

Hotel magnate Aiden Madison is Cordelia’s best friend’s older brother. He’s oblivious to the fact that she’s had a crush on him for years. When he gets railroaded into taking her along to Sydney on his company jet, he unknowingly puts her life at risk. He’s recently angered a powerful congressman by refusing to purchase overvalued land. Congressman Chambers is not a man to let such an offense slide, and he has the resources to get even and to get what he wants.

Even though I have liked the last couple of books by Ms. Garwood, I have hoped that she would return to this series and give Cordelia her story.  She has done just that in Fast Track.  This was a fun read and a great HEA for her.  Cordelia has always been in love with Aiden. But, he is her best friend's brother so she has hidden her feelings.  Until recently, Aiden has always thought of Cordelia as a little sister.  Until a passionate kiss one night turns everything around.

I loved these two together.  I thought that their relationship was that much sweeter because they had known each other for so long.  For me, it wasn't an insta-love and didn't move too fast.  Aiden was a bit over protective, but I could understand why.  It was also great to check in with characters from the last two books in the series.  

There are actually a couple of mysteries going on.  Cordelia finds out the truth about her mother through her father's death bed confession. (What a sad scene that was!)    Well, it's almost the truth, because she finds a few surprises as she looks for the woman who abandoned her as a baby.  Also, someone keeps attacking Cordelia.  But, who and why and what is it related to?  I won't tell because there are a couple of twists. Let's just say that justice is sweetly served to a few parties in the end!