Redline

Redline #1

by Emma Barlowe

Win a championship. Don't get distracted. Definitely don't fall in love with your teammate.

Noah is a star driver in the Formula America series fighting to break his championship curse. His annoying new teammate, David, seems intent on ruining his chances at a redemption arc.

When team commitments require Noah and David to spend time together, Noah quickly realizes their rivalry is turning into red-hot attraction, which David reveals to be mutual. They decide to stay a secret to avoid sponsorship fallout, and embark on a romance that gives Noah a glimpse at happiness outside the cockpit. That is, until the realities of racing threaten to tear them apart.

Can Noah break his championship curse without breaking his heart?

Find out in Book #1 of the Redline series, following the ups and downs of Noah and David's love story.

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Redline is an angsty but sweet, enemies to lovers MM motorsports romance featuring a bisexual MMC on a secret relationship in the full-throttle world of Formula 1’s fictional offshoot, Formula America. Full of characters fighting against fate and sweetness with a dash of spice, all wrapped up in the high-octane drama of motorsports. No racing knowledge needed to enjoy!

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Tropes:

- Fast burn

- Secret Relationship

- Bisexual MC, gay partner

- Enemies to Lovers

- Cinnamon roll boyfriend (with maybe a bit too much cinnamon in some parts)

- Bittersweet ending (for Book 1)



Trigger Warnings:

- Mentions of (past) fatal motorsport accident and subsequent fire

- Alcoholism

- Child abuse (no minors involved, not seen on page)

Genres: Sports, M M Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Sports Romance

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really appreciated how you could tell the author actually cares about the sport and knows a few things about it, which is very, very, very different to the vast majority of sports romances out there. I also liked how the sport and their race results and incidents actually mattered in this story—another very nice difference to most sports romances. The very first makeout scene was also very enjoyable and I was feeling vaguely optimistic I could overall enjoy this book, but that part was in the first 20% and nothing after that ever lived up to it again.

It didn't help that I didn't care for the plot and found it extremely predictable—and not just because I've spent enough time around F1 fans on the internet to be able to see through the paper thin veil of who this is actually about... that part made it kind of an amusing read, actually. I get that it says "fast burn" on the tin but their relationship progression didn't make much sense; I don't always hate instalove but I just didn't believe it at all here.

One last thing: Wow, I just love misogyny! There are maybe two scenes total in which the mentioned women aren't described as worthless sex objects, and it did not feel like it that was supposed to be characterization at any point. Extremely gross.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been so excited for a couple to break up in a romance novel. Truly slay.
Love the sexual tension on the cover tho ❤️

[seraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

aaaaaaaa my boys!! 😭

i wish i could've read this book in calmer circumstances (school ruins everything), but i enjoyed it nonetheless & it was the perfect form of escapism during relentless exams

the characters!! the ending!! (i'm probably going to reread this just to process the ending better and everything that led up to it 💔)

anyhow, i really enjoyed the book & can't wait for the sequel!

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've become a big motorsports fan in the past few years, and one of my pet peeves with the very limited fictional novels involving motorsports are the inaccuracies about the sport. But 'Redline' does a much better job in that respect, making me feel like the author knows what they're talking about. The way Formula One was adapted into Formula America was very creative, and offered some separation from reality, while still feeling authentic in other ways.

This book has a lot of the tropes that have become beloved to fan fiction communities, as well as the average YA romance novel lover. But I did find myself wanting Noah and David's 'enemies' stage of the 'enemies-to-lovers' arc to last longer than it did. Noah is unlikeable at first, seeming cocky and rude to his younger teammate, but it feels authentic as he's the older driver being pushed out by the younger generation of new talent. However, that antagonistic relationship quickly changes to an intimate one, and becomes very serious, very fast. David seems to take the reigns in the relationship, which felt out of character in some ways for Noah, who's more experienced and was so proud and hot-headed at the beginning.

Despite this though, I really enjoyed the book, and I will definitely read again, as well as the author's future work, which I'm sure will only get better with more experience. We can always use more published queer fiction in the world, and I love even more when it can combine with my other interests too! Check it out!

[kali · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

i wanted to make a joke about how the author didn't even bother to file off the rpf-serial numbers but jokes on me im moved😭
girl i dont even go here (red bull circa 2017-2018) but get your coin off these rich men queen

anyway i love when protagonists are pathetic losers and i genuinely enjoyed the exploration of grief and the pain of slowly growing apart from your best friend and also the alcoholism :(

however i must deduct points for originality, flimsy world building and sloppy/unrefined writing

[Sunny_Parakeet Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow
The amount of time I have been searching for a F1 novel that isn’t “tall dark and handsome” with female mc who is stupid and knows nothing of F1.(there is also actual racing in Redline and this time the author know stuff about racing)
Would definitely recommend if you are a sports fan, reading fan or both

Thank you very much for giving us this awesome book!

[Hester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deliberately slowed down on reading this so I could make it last. I was super invested in their relationship, such a beautifully written relationship. My favourite things were the very emotionally real characters. Absolute joy to read.

[Romance Enthusiast · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could easily go into the heavy detail of how this book made me feel while I was reading it, and you know what, I will, because I took notes and they deserve to be shared. But first a little opinion without spoilers:

You wouldn´t believe this is a debut novel, I enjoyed the writing style, it was really good, it made me feel like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book. I´m definitely would read anything Emma writes in the future. Her writing is so smooth and nice. Easy to read, and makes you feel things.

I loved the little glimpses of the real world, carbon neutral in motorsports?

It was definitely a bittersweet ending, and honestly I´m more than ready for the next book. I´ll have to reread this one to keep myself entertained in the meanwhile.

If you are wondering if you should give a chance to this book the answer is: Hell yeah. Do it.

It´s such a American book, which is not necessarily bad but you feel it, Formula America taking away the spotlight to Formula 1. I´m not completely comfortable with the age gap but that´s a me problem, and honestly the way Emma wrote it was perfect, Noah did not have the upper hand just for being older and that was a amazing. For the majority of the book I didn´t really feel David´s age (until you know those last chapters where he showed that he is after all a fucking kid in his early twenties fuck David by the way). Not a fan of insta love which again is a me problem, I knew what I was getting into when I read it, and no regrets, I would have love that the enemies/rivals part last longer but hey, the relationship itself was a very interesting ride. And God, the angst of the last part, it made everything worth it, the pain i felt. Come on, give my boy Noah a break and fuck David, he needs to grove, and stop acting like he knows what´s he is doing.

[Savannah Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mainly fantasy reader the enemies to lovers trope is one that I know far too well. If that is the trope you're looking to find, you more than likely won't be entirely happy with this novel, as I do not really view it as an enemies to lovers. With that being said, I didn't come to this book to sit and read that trope over and over again. The character fall hard and fast and because of that they don't have the time to build all of the other elements. The communication, the trust, the bonds. And everything is perfect and wonderful- for a time. And then reality hits. And reality is where Miss Barlowe really gets to show off her writing. Angst, love, heartache, elation, disappointment.. The emotional rollercoaster ride that she is able to take you on through these characters is nothing short of genius.

There are times where you hate Noah. Times that you hate David. Times that you love them both together as well as separately. Their lives are messy, and real. They both have faults, their communication is honestly terrible and I found myself wanting to shake /both/ of them to figure it out and have an honest conversation.

And that's really the marker of a good book and talented author, isn't it? To pull you in, to make you /feel/ what the characters feel. To make you scream, and cry, and laugh right alongside them.

Brilliant work, miss Barlowe. Can't wait to read what you come up with next.

[Izzy The Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blame the hunger games but I have an incredibly soft spot for the star-crossed lovers trope where they are both of high status/celebrities, and this delivered on that! I will be honest and say I thoroughly disliked the first 100 pages with Noah being so unlikeable at the beginning it was slightly painful and the relationships beginning feeling incredibly rushed, but after the little bit questionable setup the book really picks up. Both of characters individual journeys as people and the relationship itself progression felt realistic and natural, without any unnecessary drama, unnecessary plot point or miscommunication. It at times read more as a character study than a romance, which suited my personal taste very well and therefore I loved it. If you like cute romances that makes you gush I’m not sure this is the story for you despite what the first hundred pages might make you think, because it doesn’t set out to be the perfect love story between perfect people, but instead tries to be something more and it was something I ended up finding hard to put down. As someone who is knowledgeable on racing through a f1 interest but is by NO means an expert, I felt like the book provided good insight and will probably make me see the sport in a slightly different way when the season starts.

[yazaleea · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the FUCK this hurt me so much and I am so angry and I need more


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Thoughts after I slept on it : I realised after reading it that the "romance" part went SO FAST, they literally went from hating each other, to kissing, to dating. That part was a little confusing because Noah is introduced as this no strings attached playboy-ish, and he accepts to date David so quickly, that gave me whiplash. Then, the part where they fall in love is basically skipped and summarised into a "life's good we are in love", which again, when I think about it, doesn't really sells me on their feelings for each other? It all feels like a quick setup for the angst at this point, and I didn't mind too much because the angst was so damn good, I feel for David but I also disliked this man so much by the end. I know it's not all his fault and that he has Issues, but as an adult, you don't get to hurt someone else like this (especially not your lover what the fuck). Noah was great, I love him and I want more of him getting better he deserves everything and I know it's going to be toxic and all but I am here for the sequel, I can't wait. I can't believe book 3 is not out yet it's going to kill me.

Side note, I like Finlay a lot and I want to know more about Robbie, he died before the events of the books but I am so intrigued by him.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!! Something that I love about Emma's writing is how she really just makes the emotions on the page feel SO visceral and real to another level, you just feel it in your whole chest. I devoured this book in 3 days while on vacation, absolutely could not put it down, and was going from smiling at my screen to having tears in my eyes in the same afternoon, with my friends asking me what was going on, hahaha. She really just creates a world and characters that are SO easy to fully fall into and become engrossed in before you know it. As a queer person and a sports lover I also loved reading a motorsport story that not only deals with the whirlwind of falling in love and rivalry and sport, but also with a same-sex relationship at its core, adding another layer of nuance to the interactions and happenings without that being the whole "story" in itself. I'm not sure if that made sense, but I'm not good with words like Emma is hahaha. I will be eagerly picking up anything she writes and am so ready for book #2 to see the story continue!!

[Charlie Boddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book overall and thought it was a fun and easy read; but there were a few small things that I felt were not fully fleshed-out. The ‘enemies to lovers’ moved very fast as the protagonist goes from disliking his love interest to liking him platonically and romantically very quickly. The fracturing of their relationship is much more fleshed out and takes place over a longer period in the book, so it does tend to feel more like a ‘lovers to enemies’ instead.
I think this book also did a good job of not being too technical with racing terms so that someone who doesn't watch motorsport could still enjoy the drama, while also being interesting to a dedicated fan. I'm not quite sure why the author didn't choose to use the real American series IndyCar instead of a fictional one but maybe there are copyright issues I don't know about.
I would def highly recommend and will be looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Molls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reeled me in and I don't think I took a breath the entire time. The world-building of this with Formula America was so well done and felt as though it was something we could see racing on the streets of the US today.

I started out not liking Noah (kind of despising him really) but he grew on me as the story went on David drew me in and I was so curious about him as the story developed and I enjoyed getting to know them respectively, their characters, their crises, etc. along with all of the side characters. I did feel the enemies-to-lovers part felt quite rushed and would have enjoyed that to last longer or to be explored a bit more because as their relationship fractured I felt it go more lovers to enemies as the book went on.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this read and cannot wait for future works by Emma. The ending hit me harder than I expected it to as I read this in nearly one sitting. All in all a captivating book that left me wanting more!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning, the fuse from enemies to lovers went fast. “Play boy” Noah quickly fell for bold but inexperienced David. But as external pressures grew, their relationship morphed into something more like enemies AND lovers.

Some details about Noah and David were so niche that it felt like I was reading lightly altered F1 real person fiction, which after more research on this author is likely true. Not a big deal for me, but some may find that uncomfortable.

What your in for: Enemies/animosity to lovers, rivals to lovers, F1 racing that is relevant and important to the overall plot, angst, hurt/comfort (but mostly hurt towards the end), forbidden romance between teammates

I enjoyed this book, however at this point I’d label this as more of a cautionary tale than a romance. It’s definitely not a HFN standalone book. They both have alot of growth to do, especially David. I’m very glad I don’t have to wait for the next installments of the series because I’m not sure how and if Emma Barlowe redeems this relationship.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up finishing the entire book in about two sittings, late into the night because I genuinely could not pull myself away from it until I'd gotten to the final page.

Noah and David's story is absolutely captivating. The fast burn in the development of their relationship is just that: very fast. They fall fast and hard, but their love feels both very raw and real, where they're navigating both their racing careers and the blossoming relationship with all the problems and triumphs in between. You just want to root for them with every obstacle they face, continuously holding onto the hope that things will work out perfectly.

Overall an amazing debut from Emma Barlowe, and I’m so incredibly excited to see what else is in store for the future.

[CaptainFlausch · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all, Redline was an amazing read, and an amazing debut novel.
Noah and David weasled their way into my heart way too quick, and they got me hooked super quick. The enemies to lovers arch was a tiny bit too rushed for my liking, but on the other hand - who‘s to say what‘s the right way here. If you‘re afraid this book will be too technical in regards to racing - fear no more, even if you‘re new to the racing world, you‘ll be eased into it.
A great read, I will definitely come back to reread!

[Luca Petri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟/5
This book definitely was a Daniel Riccardo x Max Verstappen fanfiction adaptation and you can't convince me otherwise. I am not complaining tho.
An F1 book that's writer actually knew something about the sport. I enjoyed the racing part of the book a lot.
The love interest was good, the only negative is the child abuse part. I find it weird. I mean we are talking about a 19 year old man here and I doubt that anyone who loves someone would just let go of the fact that he gets beaten up. Nevertheless I will definitely read the 2nd book.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed that as an F1 fan. I can tell the author cares for it because the bits involving the sport were written pretty well. I'm ngl, I DNF'd some F1 or motorsport novels when it's apparent the author knows nothing about it so I am very happy that this book actually gets F1 and not just throwing buzzwords around. The romance developed quite early but I didn't mind since I love stories which are slow burns or otherwise. I like both characters. They both have a handful of flaws and I just adore flawed characters. I can't wait to read the next installment when I get some time.

[Amity Tribby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaker

David and Noah were adorable until they weren't. They both have a lot going on mentally, and it takes it's toll on their relationship. Add in the weight of being in the closet and other forces working against you, and trouble will find you. I loved Finlay and would have loved to see a little more of their friendship. It will be interesting to see where this story goes in the next book.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly pleasantly surprised how much I liked this one. Usually I don’t like romances where it ends on a cliffhanger or where you have to read like 4 books to get the happy ending but I’m happily invested. The characters have depth and there is a sense of realism that isn’t usually present in LGBTQ romances. Looking forward to the next in the series. Giving this a cautious 3.5. Hoping that the subsequent books live up to the first one and that I eventually get a HEA

[Hazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing debut novel which showcases Barlowe’s talent in crafting an engaging story with compelling characters. I loved the worldbuilding and characterisation of the main and side characters, everyone felt unique and it was a pleasure to explore the relationship between David and Noah throughout the book.

[Asterope]

As a fan of F1, I am glad more authors are witting about the sport! Review to come.
I am curious is any of the fictional MCs are based off real drivers. On the cover, I'm getting George vibes, but 🤔😂

[Dea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not expect to love this so much!

I didn’t realize this was book one of two with the story continuing. I’m glad the next book comes out right away. I’m so invested in Noah’s happiness. I really enjoyed this and the story.

[Amber Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book, didn't want to put it down because I got so invested in Noah and David's story.
I genuinely cant wait until I can read more.

[Book Wolf Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have to say been reading a lot of mm romance lately but have to say enjoyed the take on it as with the way it ended cannot wait for book 2 to see how the character development progresses

[Hattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

didn't not expect this to be so emotional and full of grief but it was fantastic. my biggest issue was the development of david and noah's transition from friends to lovers, or even just to friends.

[leyla]

daniel ricciardo and max verstappen: ...is this fucking play about us??