On Her Own Two Wheels by Stacy Xavier

 On Her Own Two Wheels is my X in my list - nearly finished now!

It is about a woman called Cassie who decides that her life is a bit same-old, same-old.  In an argument with her boyfriend she says she might want to learn to ride a motorbike, and he dismisses her.  However, as the days go on, the idea takes hold, and she decides to take an intensive motorcycle course, with or without her boyfriend's permission.

The blurb says:

Just three years out of college and Cassie Wright has hit a dead end. Still living at home with her mom and dad and dating the same writer masked as a waiter, Devon, for just as long, she knows she wants more out of life. Motorcycle lessons seem like a fun idea and the perfect escape. Cassie soon finds herself breaking away from her dull life and starts on a journey to self-confidence as she learns how to make each day extraordinary.

While driving home from visiting her grandmother in Wisconsin, she drags a reluctant Devon to a local biker event at a motorcycle dealership. From there, she becomes inspired to take riding lessons for some much needed fun and adventure. In time, she meets Marcus, the part-time riding instructor and full-time college administrator. He is drawn to Cassie’s ambition and adventurous spirit, and a romance quickly blossoms, forcing Cassie to realize she deserves better than what Devon chooses to give.

Becoming more confident in her everyday life through her riding, Cassie quits the electronics shop to become the motorcycle dealership’s new marketing director, opening herself up to an entirely new set of professional and personal obstacles. Cassie must learn to approach her issues in a whole new way while striving to be the type of woman she herself would want to emulate.

An inspirational coming-of-age novel for any woman who has ever settled for less, romantically or professionally, On Her Own Two Wheels tells the moving tale of a young woman finding the courage to challenge herself, break the mold, seek adventure, and make the ordinary in her life extraordinary as she truly comes into her own.

This is an easy to read book that I finished in a couple of days. I thought the first part of the story (where she is learning to ride and changing her life) was really gripping, and I think it could have ended there and be published as a novella.  The book did continue, but I wasn't as hooked by it, though I can't really put my finger on exactly why that is the case? It wasn't bad at all, I just... I don't know.  Maybe I simply thought the first bit was so good, that it was hard to maintain the pace.  I don't know.

Overall, however, I would say that it is a light, enjoyable read.