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Bad Boys Make Good Drivers #0.5

Shut Up & Drive: A Friends to Lovers Novella

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Poppy “All-Work-And-No-Play” McIntyre – As a woman in the male-dominated field of motorsport engineering, distractions are not an option. Since getting her position as the race engineer for her best friend and Rennen’s number one driver, Poppy has had her eye on one thing and one thing only – winning as many World Driver’s Championships as possible. But when fun and flirty Liam comes waltzing into her life, Poppy is faced with a dilemma: can she uphold her status as the most sought-after engineer in F1 while navigating the complexities of a budding romance with a driver from a competing team?

Liam “Lead-You-On” Fitzgerald – Liam Fitzgerald has a secret: he's smitten with the lead engineer of his arch-rival's team. After a forbidden whirlwind romance ends with her turning him down, Liam resigns himself to a life of being just friends, that is, until a certain incident in Australia leads him to realize that sometimes love is worth fighting for.

Shut Up & Drive is a steamy, romantic comedy novella. It is part of the "Bad Boys Make Good Drivers" series, but can be fully read as a standalone.

100 pages, Paperback

Published December 20, 2023

28 people are currently reading
616 people want to read

About the author

Grace Newman

2 books72 followers

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5 stars
64 (18%)
4 stars
122 (34%)
3 stars
121 (34%)
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32 (9%)
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16 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
Profile Image for Lilith Jane.
143 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2023
(4.5 Stars) My first Formula 1 Romance was a success I'd say. As I saw the opportunity to ARC read this book, I was sold. Now I have a new romance obsession and I couldn't be happier with that. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 📝
The plot has everything you want. Liam is Poppy's best friend's rival and he tries everything to win Poppy for his team and his heart. They aren't supposed to fall for one another but fate has other plans. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 👥
Liam and Poppy are such a lovely couple to be honest. Not to mention all the amazing side characters such as Ben, Elise, Charlie and many more. I liked everyone in this novella and I certainly wish to have read even more of their story. 

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 💭
The banter was juicy and the sexual tension was great. I especially loved some certain scenes involving gifts ;) 

𝗪𝗵𝘆 4.5 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀? ⭐
I can 100% recommend this novella and I enjoyed it a lot. It's an easy and fast read. From now on I can't wait to read more Formula 1 Romance.
The only thing I did miss personally was that I didn't see a direct goal of Poppy throughout the novella. She accomplished a lot but I didn't get the feeling she was working towards one goal specifically. Though that's just my personal opinion and it may have to do with the length of the book. I would've loved to seen more of the two!
Profile Image for Marie-Hélène.
307 reviews11 followers
December 20, 2023
First of all: the timing of this book couldn’t be better. It’s my least favourite season and i need my fix of people driving fast cars in crooked circles. I love that Poppy is a racing engineer - we love seeing more women in the sport - and that she doesn’t fall for her own driver like is so often stereotyped, but a rival. Sorry not sorry, i love me some rivalry. Liam was fun and so hot, we’re always fond of some praise ;) I loved the friendship between Poppy and Ben as well, not many friendships survive working together and they seem to have only gotten stronger. The scrutiny Poppy went through is something i hate the most about the sport, so i could totally understand her thinking. That being said, Liam really tugged on my heartstrings. I would have loved for this book to be longer and more in depth, but it was a fun novella to pass the off-season with.
Profile Image for anna ☽.
36 reviews2 followers
July 16, 2024
❥ 𝘼𝙍𝘾
📓: Shut Up & Drive by Grace Newman
apart of ‘Bad Boys Make Good Drivers’ series
release date: December 20th 2023

𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙖 6’1 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢

𝗶 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱

𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 ‘𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨’ 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙈𝙘𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙮𝙧𝙚.

*𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙢*
𝙗𝙚𝙣: 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜?

𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙮: 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙣 𝙞’𝙢 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚
𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚: 𝙂𝙀𝙏 𝙄𝙏 𝙂𝙄𝙍𝙇

"𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙇𝙞𝙖𝙢, 𝙄 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙?"
Profile Image for H.
50 reviews2 followers
December 12, 2023
this was my second novella of this month, and i feel like i’m still not used to the fast burn cause i really crave the slow build up of tension 😮‍💨 the plot and whole idea of the story was cute, but it felt a little rushed, and the time jumps didn’t really make it add more to their chemistry since it only made their time line longer instead of showing us how they felt during that time. if you’re a f1 fan and also enjoy reading novellas, then you may love this cause it’s short but also a sweet and easy read!

thank you to Grace for sending me an arc!
Profile Image for kaitlyn.
84 reviews
October 13, 2025
decent portrayal of racing scenes but (imo) fueled negative motorsport stereotypes so not a great read overall
Profile Image for Dominique  PJ.
19 reviews
December 5, 2023
arc review: shut up and drive by grace newman
release date: December 20th ❄️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

danny… danny ric is that you? 🤭

thank you so so much @ grace newman for entrusting me with an e-arc bc let me telllllllll you let me tell you!! this is the one. this is it. i literally devoured it last night. i couldn’t put it down 😜

let me start off by saying if you love
* novellas/ short stories
* formula 1
* friends to lovers
* bad ass fmc
* forbidden romance
* charming mmc
* and literally daniel riccairdo
then this is the book for you🤭🤭

liam, my sweet sweet liam. he is truly the standard, he sets the bar and then exceeds it. liam is so sweet to poppy. he’s very clear on his intentions without ever being pushy. we love a respectful king.

poppy, literally the most bad ass woman like being a team engineer?! you go girl! she was so humble about it too bc listen you would not be able to humble me if i were in her position. there were times where i was like girl… girl🙄 but it’s okay. i still love her.

unpopular opinion: i don’t like ben. i said what i said. and i meant what i said 🤷🏾‍♀️

the only thing that my adhd brain got confused on was there no time line or jump announced at the beginning of the chapter before it happened. so make sure you’re paying close attention as you read. i did like that it’s not rushed like all within a weekend or month. there’s some year jumps in here but i love that we’re getting the most important parts to the story, the key details if you will 😉😘
Profile Image for Becky.
126 reviews
December 2, 2023
F1 meets Pride and Prejudice!

I was graciously sent the ARC of this book by the author for my free and unbiased review. I loved this book! It gave me vibes of Pride and Prejudice set in the Formula One world. In this story, we meet Poppy who is a Formula One team engineer whose team happens to employ her best friend, Ben, as one of their drivers. Ben is en route to win the Drivers World Championship when he gets in a wreck with rival driver, Liam Fitzgerald.

Liam is the hot, charming Australian driver of the Wilmington Formula One team who all the women drool over. He sets his sights on the amazingly brilliant and beautiful Poppy but he has to fight through several obstacles to achieve his goal - from being on rival teams, Poppy's best friend who also is his competition to Poppy's guilt and doubt about their developing relationship.

Liam's charming personality to his fabulous dirty "talk" had me cheering for him throughout the whole book. I loved their text message banter and the spice was so yummy! I highly recommend you add this book to your TBR, you will not be disappointed!
Profile Image for mar.
29 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2023
This short story was really cute! First— LOVED that the FMC Poppy was an engineer in F1 and how her ambition drives a lot of the conflict in the story. Every time we got a banter scene I was trying to hold back from squealing like a pig 🤭 The scene where Poppy unintentionally makes Liam jealous had me on the floor!! The spice scenes were appropriate for the length of this book and they were DOING THE DAMN THING. I wish there could’ve been a clearer timeline and some additional scenes could’ve brought the characters to life more. I think the characters could’ve gotten more character development. Whether it’s seeing Liam reflect on his playboy past or seeing Poppy take action and ignore the haters online. Some more details or pivotal scenes could’ve been added; but I recognize this is meant to be a short story not a full length novel.


I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick but swoon worthy read and who loves a forbidden romance 💜
Profile Image for Tessa.
24 reviews2 followers
December 5, 2023
ARC Review 🩷

This novella was such a sweet introduction to the world of F1 romance reads! I went into reading this not knowing much about F1, but that turned out to be no problem at all. Grace artfully weaves in the parts about the racing world in a way that doesn’t leave you confused or lost if you aren’t already a fan. And if you are a fan, the story is all the better for it. The banter was fun and flirty, the story was good, and the characters were interesting. I liked the use of text messages throughout.

A great short and sweet read from Grace Newman! Thank you, Grace, for the e-arc!
Profile Image for Nicole.
186 reviews18 followers
December 17, 2023
This was a cute short novella with some spicy moments!
This is my first F1 romance and I think I’ll be reading more!

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Rivals best friend
Formula 1

So fun! Thanks Grace for letting me read Shut Up & Drive before its release on Dec 20!!
Profile Image for Destiny Norwood.
77 reviews
December 18, 2023
Received this book as an ARC and I’m so glad I did!!

If you are looking for a quick but cute read I suggest picking this book up! It took me about an hour to read (which I know it may take people longer I’m just a fast reader) and I was constantly excited to flip the page to find out what happened next!!

Although I do wish that we got a bit more of a deeper dive into life of Poppy and Liams love life I thought the ending was cute and I was glad to see Poppy getting the opportunities that she got! Good amount of 🌶️ and it didn’t feel like the 🌶️ was forced into the book, it fit into the plot perfectly!
Profile Image for Samantha K.O. Hanson.
58 reviews3 followers
December 2, 2023
This was a cute, cozy, my best friend’s rival short story romance and it was fantastic. It was short, sweet, and spicy without feeling rushed or like it was missing anything. The characters were easy to follow and super enjoyable. Definitely recommend this one. It was a perfect in between read for some of my longer books.
Spice 3/5
Profile Image for Apoorva Sharma.
829 reviews47 followers
December 20, 2023
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🥵🥵

One thing I don’t like about novellas? That the story is rushed. The connections aren’t built and that romance feels like lust.

But this book? It felt like a whole story, not rushed with the time gaps.

Liam is the sweetheart, the misunderstood F1 driver and her best friend’s kind of rival (I mean who even is a best friend in F1)

Poppy is the QUEEN, her being the Racing Engineer for her Best Friend.

The forbidden element of the story, the sweet and spicy moment made this book the perfect quick read.

Thank you Grace for the ARC.
Profile Image for Faith.
43 reviews
December 6, 2023
Loved the ARC of this novella, quick read with a sweet enemies to lovers plot line. Liam is an Australian, F1 bad boy who can’t help but fall for Poppy, the racing engineer for his biggest opponent. Poppy may be a badass on the grid, but behind closed doors she’s not quite so confident. Poppy agree to be “just friends” with Liam during the racing season once she realizes her career might be in danger if she falls for him.
Spice 3/5
Profile Image for Sienna Sanchez.
364 reviews4 followers
September 26, 2024
Super short but good for the length. The characters did feel juvenile, especially since she has to kinda respect her guy bff and not date his competitor. So basically he can have his gf and be happy, but she can’t be happy with the competitor. It was a good read just not my favorite.
54 reviews
June 12, 2024
Voici une courte nouvelle de moins de 100, pages autour de la Formule 1 mais sans trop de détails.
C'est une petite romance à la fois mignonne et sexy.
On y retrouve Poppy, une ingénieure qui se bat pour la place de la femme en F1 et Liam un pilote pour des équipes rivales.
Entre messages, galas et courses on peut suivre leur aventure pleine de rebondissements.
J'ai passé un très bon moment avec cette nouvelle et je pense que je vais rapidement lire le roman de Grace Newman A Man's World.
Profile Image for Devin.
174 reviews1 follower
May 15, 2024
In my little delulu land, I’m also dating Liam.
Profile Image for B.B. Jenn.
56 reviews1 follower
January 3, 2024
📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

⭐️Goodread Rating: 3.98/ 5⭐️
💫My Rating: 4/5 💫

⚠️Trigger Warnings ⚠️
-descriptive sexual activities, some graphic language, women stereotyping

📝My Review📝

“Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I were a man” ~ Taylor Swift (The Man, 2019)

This is the lyric that played in my head throughout Grace Newman’s short story “Shut Up & Drive”. In a racing world where the majority of the positions are held by men, Newman’s FMC strives to pave the road for women to become and be recognized for these positions. Poppy is an independent, intelligent, and spicy woman who is dedicated to her career as a racing engineer. Poppy is faced with stereotyping, but meets each situation head on. Whether it is her work or her teammate/best friend, she often puts her non-career affiliated dreams and desires as a last priority.
However, this does not remove the effects of temptation around her, especially one named Liam. Liam is a top rated racer who just happens to be the biggest rival of Poppy’s best friend/teammate. With the rivalry and being apart of a life changing accident, Liam is faced with his own roadblocks in winning Poppy’s heart. The checkered flag is raised and Poppy is left with some decisions that could alter her future. Will she cross the finish line with a victory of love, success, and friendship or will she loose everything in that final lap?

While I am not familiar with the racing world, the detailed and descriptive writing created a great foundation in understanding the core components that played a fundamental role in the story line. I do not feel that knowing or having a strong interest in the racing world is a requirement for enjoying the characters or the plot. This was a great weekday-evening read that completely immersed me into an unfamiliar but delightful world! I was able to read the whole story within one evening and would highly recommend it to those looking for a quick, playful, and risqué book!

🤍Thanks to Grace Newman for trusting me with their Formula 1 short story in return for my personal review🤍

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #indieauthorreads #supportindieauthors #indieauthors #graveyardreads #goodreads #bookreview #booklover #bookaddict #bookishlove #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #booksta #bookish #bookaesthetic #gracenewman #shutupanddrive #racingromance #shortreads #awomaninamansworld #strongfmc
#racingworld
Profile Image for Aimee.
59 reviews9 followers
December 24, 2023
Shut up and Drive - Grace Newman
Gene: romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶🌶
Tropes: best friend rival, friends to love, forbidden romance, female race engineer, playboy mmc, work focused fmc.
Available now.

Being a female in another wise men lead sport, has it challenges. Poppy's hyper focused on achieving her career goals, forsaking love and relationships.
That’s until a witty handsome green-eyed Aussie sets his sights on her.

Liam Fitzgerald, had his eyes set on a rivals lead engineer. Not only for his team but for himself as well. Ever since he saw her, with help from his friends playing match maker. After a whirlwind romance it ends with Poppy, putting him back in the friends zone. However Liam soon realised that Poppy is worth the fight.

Omg! This blow me away. The witty, brilliant and so confident Poppy is such a sweetie. She know how to put men their place, calm down her bestie Ben and is an all-round a wonderful person.

Now being an Aussie myself, if the rest of the world see us how Liam is portrayed then we are a charismatic bunch with a sexy accent.
The fact, Liam was an Aussie is very refreshing, when i think F1 racer I think European accents (to be honest are sexy) so I love this detail.

The witty smart cheeky banter between Poppy and Liam is exceptional, his ability to remember her that, he in fact would prefer her in nothing is gold. On that, he's ability to get her in his team colours at any chance is clever.
My only wish is, I want this to be a full novel. I adore Poppy and Liam and I simply wanted more of them.

Favourite quote
-"I can't think of a single color that you wouldn't look divine in... but if you really insist that plum isn't your color, nothing is also an option." Liam

-"I don't know, would you leave a team that had just won two world championships for a team that hasn't won one in over a decade?- Poppy
Profile Image for Diana.
431 reviews20 followers
December 30, 2023
*3.75⭐️
This book was really cute! I love F1 romances because they always feel like an adventure throughout the world and this one was no different. It was really fun to watch Liam and Poppy slowly fall in love throughout the seasons and the many cities. I also think that they had really good chemistry, with the perfect amount of banter that made them feel really compatible. I think they had an instant connection that had me rooting for them from the start. I also think that it was nice to see them have a steady friendship for over a year before they started a relationship. That doesn’t often happen in books, despite being very common in real life.

One thing I didn’t love was how a long period of time is covered in just 92 pages. Like, it’s two years from the beginning to the end and I feel like there was so much that was just skipped over, especially in Poppy and Liam’s budding friendship. I feel like their friendship wasn’t really proven to me because it wasn’t really seen on page. I would have loved for this book to have been 20 or 30 pages longer if only to see one of two scenes of them under the pretense of “just friends” while at a club or during one of their private movie nights. The only other thing I didn’t like was how possessive Ben was. I totally get him not wanting his best friend to date someone he saw as out to physically hurt him, but I also think that if his own girlfriend is even on Poppy's side, he should have gotten over it. Instead, it just made him seem jealous, as if he had feelings for Poppy.

I’m excited to read other books in this series in the future!

Thank you so much to Grace Newman for personally sending me a copy of this book!
Profile Image for mk .
116 reviews2 followers
December 11, 2023
*spoiler free*

Read if you like:
🏁friends to lovers
🏁baddie fmc
🏁obsessed mmc
🏁F1 racing

You remember when we would obsess over that couple from the tv show that took way too long to just be together. So you got all these cute moments over a long period time but you were just happy because the characters deserved each other? And then YouTube would make like a compilation video of their best moments?

That’s this cute and cozy little novella! I read it in one sitting. My first F1 anything. And I’m a huge sports romance girlie, (as we all are deep down). And I just wanted MORE. I’m now so curious about it the world of F1 racing.

All because Grace wrote about a powerful female lead who is smart. Beyond smart. And beautiful but also just knows hers stuff and stays in her lane with it. And we love a successful woman in a man’s world. Poppy is a lead engineer on her best friends team and this girl is so “desirable” that everyone wants her. For her freaking brains. Love that.

Except Liam, he wants her for all of what she can offer. And he LOVES when she wear plum. I’m probably going to be writing in my purple pen at work for a week after reading this. Or buying a new article of clothing in that color. Liam quickly becomes obsessed. And not just because poppy is funny and kind and beautiful. But because she fits into his world and more accurately influences his world in a big way.
Profile Image for Diana.
61 reviews1 follower
December 3, 2023
This cute novella is the first one on what will be a collection of Formula 1 inspired short stories. It comes out on December 20th!
Thank you so much to Grace for sending me an ARC. These are my honest thoughts. ♥︎

It's a quick and easy read and it's so wholesome you won't be able to put it down. I actually even wish it was a full novel because I loved Poppy and Liam's story so damn much!

Liam is a cutie! I fully believe he's inspired by Daniel Ricciardo and no one will be able to take that thought off my mind (Grace confirmed it to me, we won). He's a 6'1 Australian race driver that everyone finds attractive. Plus he does a shoey when he wins a race. Sounds familiar yet? Exactly.
But seriously, Liam Fitzgerald is completely whipped with Poppy and he's honestly adorable.

Poppy is a badass! Even if she doesn't realize it. First Formula 1 female race engineer?! Every team wants to hire her?! And obviously, caught the attention of F1 notorious playboy. She's winning in life and I love that for her.

Poppy and Liam are perfect together, I won't lie. They're adorable and their banter is *everything*!

If you're looking for a Formula 1 novella to read in about one hour that includes: best friend's rival, friends to lovers, second chance and forbidden romance, then this is the book for you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. ♥︎
Profile Image for Linny ( Pages_Purchases_Peonies ).
77 reviews26 followers
December 21, 2023
ARC Review

Overall:4/5⭐️
Spice: 3/5🌶️

This was thee best short story! I am all in for any strong FMC, ESPECIALLY one that shatters glass ceilings & breaks gender stereotypes! Add in a hot MMC, some spice, & humor = perfection! Oh, & did I mention all the girls are girls’ girls?!

Poppy blazes the way for females in the racing world! She was loyal, witty, & intelligent. What more can you ask for from a FMC?

Liam is charming, hot, &..forbidden. Without giving up spoilers, all I can say is I adored Liam!

I didn’t know how things would play out with Ben’s character, but I literally got everything I could have wanted out of this story. It was a quick read, but nothing felt like it was missing or rushed. I loved, loved, loved the female friendships! The banter, dual POV, & text bubbles added such a fun perspective as the reader. I could not put it down! Block out an hour to two, do yourself a favor, & read this over the holidays. You’ll be hooked.

✨Friends to Lovers
✨Best Friend’s Rival
✨Second Chances
✨Playboy MMC/Straight Laced FMC
✨Forbidden Romance
✨F1 Romance
✨Open Door 🌶️
✨He Falls First

I have never read an F1 storyline, but will absolutely be reading Grace’s newest book, A Man’s World.
{*Adds to KU immediately}
Profile Image for Romancelover910.
77 reviews9 followers
December 21, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️.5

What a cute short read, I loved this F1 based romance. Thank you Grace for the chance to ARC read for you.

For a short story the plot was well thought out and easy to follow, and the banter and spice was perfect in this book, I loved Poppy and Liam’s relationship and how it built throughout

“Everyone’s a feminist until a 6’1 incredibly sexy athlete ties you up and demands you to beg for him”

“Fuck me and this praise kink. With that sultry Australian accent, I was pretty sure I would do just about anything for Liam Fitzgerald.”


I loved how Poppy was a strong FMC… being a female engineer and fiercely independent was so refreshing. And Liam … well he was just so adorable really, and don’t get me started on the cute names he has for her 😍😍 swooning

“I wanted to make a statement in the F1 world, wanted everyone to know that women could be more than grid girls–we could be engineers, Team Principals and drivers. With this opportunity from Valkyrie, I finally had that chance.”

✨ short story
✨formula 1 romance
✨friends to lovers
✨ second chance romance
✨best friends rival
✨ forbidden romance
✨player image MMC
✨personable and relatable FMC
✨ female race engineer
Profile Image for apri.
15 reviews6 followers
December 22, 2023
As someone who is fortunate enough to know Grace, I got to receive an ARC to Shut Up and Drive.

I was lucky enough to read the first version of it and while I absolutely adored that one, the new dynamic between the main characters was insanely fun to follow too.

There were some parts that I felt like could’ve been shortened a little and others where I would have liked a little more depth and detail (especially towards the end with their reconciliation), but Poppy and Liam have a special place in my heart (even though I still mainly wish to have Georgie and Luca adopt me. IYKYK)
Due to the limitations of length that faced Grace at times the characters felt a little flat or at least I would have liked a little more insight into how their minds worked, but that honestly is asking a little too much of a cute little story of this length.

I can definitely recommend Liam and Poppy’s jourey to finding each other to everyone who’s looking for a quick read with big feelings, lots of laughs, strong & interesting main characters as well as a solid dash of spice.
It’s addicting and the energy of the characters is so lively and fun that you really end up being captured by the world that Grace created.

Thank you Grace for letting me get my hands on this one 🫶🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Stef's Bookshelf.
283 reviews7 followers
December 8, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

This cute novella is the perfect introduction to the world of F1 romance. Poppy is a F1 team engineer who just happens to work with her best friend Ben, a F1 driver. The short story takes place over a couple of years during which Poppy falls for Ben’s rival - the flirty Australian driver, Liam. (I of course imagined Daniel Ricciardo the whole time 🫢).

The author manages to pack in enough friendship, pining, and spice to keep you entertained and not want to put this novella down. At 90 pages, I devoured it in one sitting and wished for more of Poppy and Liam’s story. I also loved the female friendship representation and how close Poppy and Elise were. We all need a supportive best friend in our lives. 🥹

After reading this, I am super excited to read Grace’s novel about a female F1 driver, A Man’s World.

“Everyone’s a feminist until a 6’1, incredibly sexy athlete ties you up and demands you to beg for him.”

Things I loved:

🏎️ Short Novella
🏎️ Formula One
🏎️ Best Friend’s Rival
🏎️ Friends to Lovers

Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Mikayla Jenkins.
23 reviews
December 11, 2023
book: shut up and drive
release date: december 20, 2023

rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ .5 / 5

review:
this was my first formula 1 romance, and I think it was the perfect start to a new obsession!

with Liam being an F1 driver and poppy being an engineer on his rival team, this book had so many themes and tropes I typically gravitate toward.

-friends to lovers
-forbidden romance
-rival teams
-second chance romance
-strong female lead
-dual POV (one chapter is liam’s!)

I had so much fun following poppy’s relationships and wish I had more!
with this being a novella, I really enjoyed the storyline, but feel like I missed so much of what could add so much to the plot! I wish I could know more about poppy and Ben’s past, and how she became an F1 engineer. I also wish we got to follow liam more and got to know more about his past as well. The author mentions that he was a huge player, but didn’t show us a lot of that side of him, which I would’ve loved!

Overall, this was a super cute novella and was an easy read! It definitely got me more invested in F1 romances ♡

Thank you, Grace, for sending me this novella to review! I look forward to reading A Man’s World!
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