Sparks with Mixed Feelings
3 out of 5 stars
Ninety minutes, twice a day. Five days a week. And they hate each other. Car pool heaven turns into car pool hell when Anthea discovers her lover’s affair and ends up sharing rides with Shay, a sharp-tongued environmental biologist barely holding things together. What starts as sheer mutual annoyance turns into undeniable tension, especially when Shay uncovers alarming test results that could risk both their jobs.
This setup is vintage Karin Kallmaker, and the writing is strong enough that I found myself pulled along even when I was questioning the constant back-and-forth between Anthea and Shay. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, which keeps the tension simmering throughout.
The time period, which I usually enjoy in books like this, felt like it dated the story just enough to hold it back a bit. It may also be because this is one of Karin’s older works (according to Audible, it was published in 1993), but you can definitely feel that classic style here. Normally, this doesn’t pull me, but for some reason in Car Pool it did (slightly).
Ellie Gossage’s narration was a highlight for me. She really shines as the sunshine character, though that may just be my own bias toward that type. Even so, her performance gave the grumpy character real depth and presence, making her more engaging and ultimately redeeming her in a way that brought the story to life.
I was naturally drawn to the sunshine character, as I usually am, but even the grumpy one worked for me, despite rubbing me the wrong way in moments, which actually says a lot about how well these characters are written. I enjoyed it overall, but it didn’t quite cross into the unputdownable zone for me. I still enjoyed it and will definitely be checking out other Kallmaker books.
Book Description:
Ninety minutes, twice a day. Five days a week. And they hate each other.
Car pool heaven turns into car pool hell when Anthea Rossignole realizes her lover is having an affair with the other woman sharing their daily commute. Anthea’s corporate career as a cost analyst is the only thing keeping her together. Now she’s looking for someone to share the long drive in the Bay Area’s notorious traffic.
Shay Sumoto desperately needs a car pool. Though wildly overqualified, the environmental biologist takes a job testing well samples to keep body and soul together. The debt from her father’s terminal illness and the loss of their company have left her with no money and no sense of humor.
When Shay and Anthea begin carpooling together, their instant antipathy gets even worse. But when Shay uncovers alarming test results in her work—information that could cost both of them their jobs—Anthea is the only person she trusts for advice.
Car Pool by Karin KallmakerNarrator: Ellie Gossage
Also by this author: Just Like That
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- Ordinary Soil by Alex Woodard (Narrated by Scott Brick, George Newbern) - November 6, 2025
- Learning to Fall by Peach Morris (Narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown) - November 3, 2025
