Apex

Faster #3

by Victoria Denault

Red flags only count on the track.

My name is Gabriel Allard, and I’m the only heir to a billion-dollar fashion empire and a rookie with Mayflower Racing. I know what everyone thinks — that I don’t deserve to be in the driver’s seat. And worse, that I mistreat people because my father will bail me out and fix things. None of that is true, but I’ve never been able to sway public opinion, so I’ve stopped trying.
Dad hasn’t though. In an attempt to save my image and my seat on the race team, he hires me a boyfriend. Because the universe loves a good joke at my expense, he accidentally hires a guy I shared a scorching kiss with years ago. A guy who, instead of trying to use me like everyone else, ghosted me.

Axel Walsh is nothing like me. He’s levelheaded. Shy. Disinterested in motorsports. He wants to keep this professional. Since I love a challenge, I try to change his mind. The next thing I know we’re fake married, and Axel is in my bed. But is he really mine? It’s getting hard to tell the truth from the lies.

The public starts to buy my cleaned-up image, and I'm getting better results on the track, but privately I feel out of control. My life is on the line every time I strap into my race car, but I’ve never put my heart on the line, until him. I hope Axel and I can survive this publicity stunt and make it to the finish line without breaking each other’s hearts. Just like everything else in my life, the odds are against it.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Racing, Gay, LGBT

242 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2023

About the author

Sign up for Victoria's monthly newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/cexOL9

Victoria Denault loves ocean air, seventies music, strong heroines and flawed heroes. She is a former journalist, stand-up comic and corporate marketing minion. Victoria is a Canadian and former Californian who currently lives in a 225 year-old house with her husband, their Chihuahua Maximus and more spiders than she cares to think about.

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Could have happily read more about Axel and Gabriel. Definitely the best book in this series by miles.

[Sara]

False sexual assault allegations are a bad choice for a romance novel. So it’s giving me bad vibes at the start. It’s important to believe victims so I think portraying a false accusation is a bad idea. Could have literally been any other reason a person needs better PR.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great F1 romance from Victoria Denault! To start-hey Billy it’s so nice to see you again! And well HELLO Axel and Gabriel It’s definitely a pleasure to meet you both (yum!). This series just keeps getting better and better! Axel & Gabriel’s relationship is a delight. It was fun to see Gabriel’s teasing and Axel’s blushes. And at the end -wait-no lead into another book? What? Wait! Don’t leave us hanging! There’s got to be more F1 stories up your sleeve!

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: fake dating, second chances
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: Formula One driving is dangerous but no one gets hurt, toxic gaslighting ex

3.5 stars

Axel used to run his own PR company, but last year his ex of 6 years betrayed him, stealing clients and ruining his business and reputation.

Gabriel is a bisexual Formula One racer, whose father is a very wealthy man who financially contributed to a team to get Gabriel hired as a driver. The team resents that Gabriel bought his way on to the team, and they are not supportive of him. They actually do things that make him less successful. Which is actually really crazy. It's so unprofessional and counter to their interests that it's unrealistic that they would actually do the things they do. Gabriel has been embroiled in some scandals recently and has a bad reputation. He needs some PR help!

Axel and Gabriel actually met for the first time 5 years ago. Axel was on a break with his on/off boyfriend. They shared a hot makeout session on New year's eve. And never saw each other again after they got interrupted. Now they meet again when Axel gets hired to be Gabriel's fake boyfriend and help his PR situation. Fake dating turns into real dating, because there's always been chemistry between them.

This was a cute story. It didn't have a ton of intensity to it, it kind of scratched the surface a bit. But the guys were likeable and had a nice dynamic. It would have been nice if we'd seen them in a bit more of a daily living situation. We basically only saw them in their PR relationship mode, the book ended pretty quickly after they decided they were in the relationship for real. Also, I wish Damien got fired, he was an a****** and a bad human being, and some of the things that he did were counter to his professional responsibilities.

Some notable moments:

"I watch his hand turn the handle and push the door like he's going to step inside and leave me there. But then he says, "Fuck it." And he’s turning, grabbing the front of my shirt in a fist and, thank God, he yanks me inside with him. The door has barely swooshed shut when he slams my back into the wall."

"“You got married?" Louis is talking to me, not his son. In fact, he sidesteps Gabriel to stand in front of me. I'm taller than him, by a lot, but I feel much smaller right now. “No. Not technically… sir.” Did I just ‘sir’ him? Yesterday I was calling him Louis. Now he’s sir? I gulp. “It was a commitment ceremony.” “It looks like a wedding but with no legal documents,” Gabriel explains. “Oh my fucking God,” Damien hisses. He turns to me, pointing a chubby finger at my face. “You’re fired.”"

*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Katie Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabe Allard is an F1 driver with a bit of a bad reputation. He's been accused of some shady things, and to clean up his image, his dad hires him a fake boyfriend, Axel Walsh. Axel is buttoned up, cautious and a bit gun-shy, everything Gabe is not. But what Gabe's dad doesn't realize is... Gabe and Axel shared a steamy New Year's kiss several years ago, and the sparks never really died.
I love both Gabe and Axel so much. Axel has been hurt and he's clearly hesitant to let someone else in, even though he's trying to move on. But he's also pretty quick to realize that Gabe isn't trying to take advantage of him or gaslight him. Gabe is tired of people only seeing his father's money and the accusations against him. But Axel sees right through all that and only wants to help the real Gabe. While the pair is making things look really romantic for the cameras, things quickly go beyond the business arrangement. These two can hardly keep their hands off each other!
I also loved Gabe's relationship with his father. Even though there are plenty of opportunities for things to go sideways, there is a wonderful mutual respect and love there that was so heartwarming to see.
Some more of my favorite parts:
— Gabe ordering all the food for Axel
- Two truths and a lie
— Axel's crazy little sister
— The casino scene
— The Vegas wedding scene
- The lavender (heart eyes)
— Axel's mad dash to make it to the final race
This is a super quick and a little bit different sports romance that I really enjoyed and I definitely recommend!

[Nadja · Rating 1 out of 5]

False sexual allegations are an instant dnf for me, so many plot choices for a romance book and the author chooses this one?? When victims of SA are never belived and got shamed for it. Absolutely disgusting.
Also m/m authors have a reputation of sexisam and misogyny against women, but this author took it a step further in villainizing them in order to lift the male characters.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can one kiss really leave a lasting impression?

Well, if you ask Axel and Gabriel, the answer is... YES!~

5 years ago, Axel went to a party with a friend, who did the unfriendly thing of getting SUPER friendly with a stranger on a yacht. It happens, right? Well, luckily for Axe, Gabe was there to help him ring in the new year following a rough break up. One kiss at midnight. A fluke. Something to sweep under the rug, right?

5 years later, Axe is on the heels of a crash and burn of the company he built from scratch. Gabe is on the heels of a crash and burn with the media, his position as an F1 racer on the Mayflower team at risk. A Fake Dating plan is concocted to salvage both their images.

Sparks don't just fly on the F1 racetrack, though!

This M/M romance follows Axe & Gabe as they fake date their way into real feelings. But can those feelings be trusted when the whole thing started with a lie?

Look, I'm not a avid fan of racing. Not horses or cars. So, when I tell you that this book HOOKED ME! I loved seeing both sides of the sport. The way the drivers are flitted about the world, how they manage jet lag and racing at impossible speeds, the pit exchanges and garage scenes all feel realistic.

Trust that this isn't one you want to let pass you by.

[Jessica (jpbooklife) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Gabe and Axel are going down as one of my favorite fake dating couples I've read. And my favorite thing about them: The honesty and communication!!! It was amazing. I don't want to give to much away but I loved the way they handled any conflict or misunderstanding between them. It was perfect. And the chemistry between them was absolute fire!
I loved the inclusion of characters from Victoria's other racing series. It brought a level of comfort to this book that I really enjoyed. This was a fun and steamy read with the perfect about of racing added in for excitement.

[Emma (emjbookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apex

Gabe is an F1 driver who has got himself some bad publicity so his father hires Axe to clean up his image as a fake boyfriend, however what his father doesn't know is they've hooked up before so it may not be as fake as he thinks.

This is the 3rd installment in this series and even though all 3 books focus on different couples this final book tied them all together well.

[lia ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buch hat nochmal die Kurve gekriegt

[Thaimelly Rigobello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with Sunday races and Ayrton Senna - Brazilian here. Reading about it brings some nostalgia feelings. Apex is a great read. Gabe and Axel are very cute together. They go into a relationship under complicated circumstances but they also grow into said relationship without even noticing, until they can’t be without each other. It is fun and hot. Thanks Victoria for the review copy. 👏🏻👏🏻

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon

All Gabriel's team seems to see are his PR mishaps, not his driving. So his father, team investor, and the rest of the team decide to hire a fake boyfriend for Gabe. Little do they know that their choice is someone Gabe is already familiar with, familiar enough that once upon a time, he and Gabe shared a smokin' hot kiss. That chemistry is still present, and will go a long way to selling this fake relationship. But is it really fake? Their feelings sure don't seem fake...



When Axel's presented with this new opportunity, it seems like the answer to all his problems, the money will go a long way...but when he's told who he has to fake date, he can't seem to say yes. But letting them convince him was the smartest move he's ever made, especially after a long line of bad decisions. Because Gabe is even better than he was the last time he saw him (kissed him). Now he just has to remember this is all fake and that he has an even better job waiting for him when this is all done.



These nepo babies grew up to be awesome men. I think Axel and Gabe are my favorite couple in this racing series. They're so sweet together, and the way their attraction grows to more is just one of the reasons I love MM romance so much. I'm not sure if more is to come in the Faster series, but I hope so because I've loved reading as these racers fell head over heels.



ARC provided by 1852 Media for an honest review.

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[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apex by Victoria Denault is a look into the world of F1 racing where the sparks are not just flying on the track!

Five years ago, Axel Walsh was coming off a difficult break-up and he attended a New Year's Eve party with one of his best friends. That friend ended up ditching him and getting friendly with someone else, leaving Axel to celebrate on his own. Or so he thought...he ended up meeting Gabriel Allard and one kiss at midnight changed things for both Axel and Gabriel, yet neither one of them did a thing about it. So that's the end, right?

Fast-forward to the present and Gabriel is now driving in F1, but the belief is he has only gotten his seat due to the fact his father invested in the race team when they needed bailed out and that he mistreats people because he'll get saved by his father. He wants to prove that he belongs on his own merit and that he isn't always going to be saved by his father. In order to try to rehab his image, his Dad has hired him a boyfriend.

What Gabriel's father doesn't realize is the fake boyfriend he hired is none other than Axel who he had shared that earth shaking kiss with years before. Axel doesn't follow motorsports and is the complete opposite of Gabe, but there is no doubt the attraction and the pull is still there between them. Now that they are in a fake relationship, will these two be able to establish something real between them? Especially when the relationship began with a lie?

I am a huge fan of sports romance, so this was my kind of book. I loved the premise from the start and both main characters were awesome. I loved that they both had their own issues, but they talked them through and truly were a unit that worked together when it was all said and done. There is something about Denault's writing that always feels so realistic to me. It doesn't matter what kind of book she's writing and to me that is so important. I always know that I'm going to get a great story, with great characters and it's going to be believable and well written!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read by Victoria Denault. She is a new author for me so I am slowly getting into her race romance series. I have read "The Chase" and "Fast Track" and even though this book isn't part of that series it is intertwined and I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't say that MM books are my go to but this one was very well done. Book had a great plot, excellent characters and I loved the romance between the two. If you like sports romances and have enjoyed her previous works I would definitely recommend.

This book follows Gabe who is a rookie in F1. Many feel like he "bought" his seat on the racing team since his dad invested in order for his sone to be a part of it. But Gabe has talent and is trying to prove himself but no one is paying attention. All they pay attention to is the bad press that he generates in the form of a baby scandal and an unwanted advance accusation. In order to counter the bad press, Gabe's father decides to hire a public consultant/fake boyfriend to show him settling down. Little does his father know that the man he hired is the one Gabe shared a scorching kiss with 5 years prior and then disappeared. Enter Axel, a man out of a long term toxic relationship who just lost his business. He is floundering but still knows that taking the job is a bad idea because of their past. However that soon becomes moot as Gabe and Axel really get to know each other. Gabe starts to settle as all he wants is to be with Axel. Axel gets more confident as he starts to see what a real relationship can hold. But their relationship is not without it's issues, especially for two men in a highly public sport.

A very well written book. Would definitely recommend. Has some great humor, excellent characters and that love one can only dream about.

[Heather Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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I’ve really loved this entire multi-author series. They’ve all been top-notch, I wish there were more than just three! But if I had to choose, on the threat of my Kindle being taken away, I would have to say Axel and Gabe are my favs (by a smidge of course, cuz they really were all wonderful).

Gabe is such an interesting guy. He’s a little wild and not great at holding his tongue, especially with the media, but then he’s also meek in his interactions with his team and the treatment he expects from them. A lot of that is tied to his father, who is wealthy and really caring and very involved (too much at times). I love the relationship between the two and how it developed over the story.

And Axel, damn that guy was so wonderful. He was really knocked down by his ex and the loss of his company. Someone who made a living fixing other people's problems was struggling to find his way after it. But when he finds himself working as Gabe’s fake boyfriend, he finds someone who breathes life back into him.

These two found someone who both helped ground them while also helping them fly (or drive really really fast, LOL). Loved every minute of it.

I also have to say, I really enjoyed Gabe’s father and the way he was written into it. He was very present, but it never felt intrusive or unnecessary. I’m actually hoping he’ll find a man of his own one day!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apex is the third book in the Faster Series but it’s the first book I’ve personally read. It’s a MM fake dating romance which isn’t a genre I’m normally drawn to, but I have to say I enjoyed it. The story itself is well written with fully developed main characters Gabriel and Axel.

Gabe a rookie F1 driver is in need of an image makeover. Axel, a dethroned media mogul, is hired to pose as Gabe’s boyfriend and to help him deal with the media. A scorching hot make out session the pair shared five years prior complicates their new business arrangement. How do they keep it professional when their chemistry burns hotter than ever? It does help sell the relationship though.

My favorite part of the story was seeing how the relationship grew without them realizing how real it was becoming. Another favorite aspect of the story was how Gabe loved to make Axel blush and went out of his way to make it happen.

I enjoyed the appearances of the characters from the author’s Racing Hearts series. It was a seamless integration between the two series and made me feel like the story was part of the Racing world I’ve already enjoyed.

If you like a sports romance with a great story line, likable characters with blazing hot chemistry, pick this one up!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but had a lot of similar beats and tropes to the other books in this series and Victoria Denualt's other F1 series. Reading them all one after the other left me with some feelings of deja vu but the character depth in this book more than made up for that.

I liked Axel and Gabriel together and their story was overall fun to read. Their meet-cute on the yacht years before the story starts where they are forced together in a PR stunt gave a lot more depth to their relationship, and I enjoyed reading them getting closer as the book went on. Them undergoing a fake wedding ceremony in Vegas just so for the other characters (from Denault's other F1 series) enjoyment was really fun and I really enjoyed it!

The dynamic between Gabriel and his father was top-notch. I liked how genuinely loving his father was - he was so proud of his love for his son and it really left an impact on me. His love and desire to do anything to help his son didn't only manifest in times of anger or crisis like a lot of dads in novels/tv shows/movies, but was instead a constant, supporting, caring love. We were also told that he, as a gay man, wanted a child so much that he and decided to undergo surragacy without a partner, and seeing his love in the present really reflected that he genuinely wanted to be a father and raise a child in a warm, supportive family (rather than looking at a baby as an extension of himself or his ego).

However I really loved the point where Gabriel finally stood up to his father and thanked him for all his help, but that he needed to deal with his issues on his own. I really liked this growth from a young adult easily relying on others to someone who stepped up and took control of his own life.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apex is the latest by author Victoria Denault and part of the multi-author Faster Series. All books in the series are m/m and focus on various characters involved in F1. In addition to the new characters introduced in this story, we spend more time with those from Ms. Denault’s Racing Hearts series.
This one focuses on driver Gabriel Allard and Axel Walsh, the guy hired to help fix his media troubles. A chance meeting years before means these two men have some unfinished business and a massive amount of chemistry that can’t be ignored.
As with every other story by Ms. Denault that I have the opportunity to read, the writing brings you in from the first line and keeps you engaged throughout the entire read. Gabe and Axe carry their baggage into this agreement and have to decide if it’s going to be too much to keep them together. Add in the other F1 personalities and the book provides a sometimes funny and sometimes touching but always entertaining read.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this F1 romance which was probably to be expected as I've been a fan of the author for a number of years and I really enjoyed her previous F1 series - Racing Hearts. I haven't read the other books in this series by the other authors but I would like to now that I've been introduced to the other characters and teams a little more.

The story pulls you in and as ever the characters are interesting and engaging. I loved that we got more Billy/Frankie and Lucia/Nick with the overlap thanks to Axe and Billy's friendship. That Las Vegas trip was great fun! If you enjoy sports romance and want something a little different and fancy some F1 then give it a try. I find this author's books to be really well written and always worth reading.

[Kelly G (Now Accepting Book Boyfriend Applications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Gabe and Axel so much! They are fantastic! I love how they kissed at midnight one year and then fortuitiously were brought together again years later. They start a "fake" relationship to get Gabe's reputation in a better light.... but I say "fake" because they obviously both have a strong attraction to each other.... so you know it wont stay fake for long! I loved the way these 2 men worked through things. How they communicated well and didn't tend to let thier individual egos get in the way. They were defeinitely a joy to read about!



Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Swoon 😍😍😍😍
Angst 💔💔💔

[Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely my favourite of the Faster series, in terms of story. Gabe and Axel are very cute together.

However, this book would have benefitted a LOT from a little more proofreading/editing.

For example, Jasper Nord is suddenly referred to as Finnish royalty. 1) Finland doesn’t even have royalty, 2) he’s been Swedish royalty in both the other books in the series.

It’s also weird that Gabe is sometimes vouvoyer-ing his dad. It definitely does not feel like they have the sort of distant/very formal father-son relationship that hints at. Not to mention Gabe is called a Parisienne at one point. A parisien, s’il te plaît.

[sevyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, I couldn’t put it down and everything (almost) about it was just perfect. So I won’t get into the details.

TW: SA, false allegations.

-1 because unfortunately, the author used “false sexual assault allegations” to bring in the PR relationship into it. While yes it happens, it’s still not what happens to 99% of the cases. Using this when there are many people who got sexually assaulted without people supporting them or believing them most of the time, is just a bad choice, especially to bring in that trope.
If not for that, the book would have gotten 5 stars.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I always love Victoria Denaults book! I do not know much about F1 but I enjoy learning a bit about it through Victorias books.

My biggest complaint about Apex is that I wish it was longer! I wanted more of Gabe and Axel. I really enjoyed the dynamic between them and how their relationship developed. This was a light and feel good read for me. 👍🏼

[notachance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed a lot of this, it’s very sweet and surprisingly low stress, but I hate false assault allegation storylines and there were a few poor relationships in here that weren’t resolved satisfactorily, Axel’s dad for example was only sorry the ex did a bad job, not for his own huge betrayal, and Gabe didn’t get an acknowledgment or apology from his colleagues being shits.

Also unclear as to why the assault stuff appeared to be a civil suit and not a criminal one?

[Sazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a few chapters to get in to this, think I was still on a high from book 2 (loves that one!) but, as soon as the first date happened I was knee deep and in love with these 2.

Loved it, would have loved it to be longer and some of the chapters to have a few more details but, honestly, that's just me being greedy!

Really hope there will be future books, I love this series

[Jess Bracewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

No......

I didn't want this book to end. Hell I don't want this series to end. This book was perfect. The characters were relatable and so f.king hot. The plot was to die for as were the spicy scenes. They were 🔥. I loved Allard Senior and would love it if he had his own book. Maybe an age gap!

[Sunflower Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this one while working in the library and as an F1 fan, I grabbed it immediately.

Unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I'd have liked. Everything felt quite surface-level and I kept waiting for things to go deeper.

Idk. It felt like I was reading a good first draft.

There were also a couple of grammatical errors in my copy as well.

[Rhonda Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabe and Axe were fun to watch in this racing book. I loved it so much I read at 100mph. Their story hit all the feels buttons and reads like you are there. This author is phenomenal with her storytelling and will always be a one click for me.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t normal enjoy fast paced books but this one was good and sweet. I would have liked to know more about how Axel and Gabe overcome their own struggles to trust one another. Something’s weren’t really explained in depth but it still somewhat explains it.

[tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. I still think I prefer the first book in the series than this one. But overall this series was pretty good. If you’re really up to it, you could read all the books in a day. I would recommend to anyone!

I’m rating 4/5