What do you think?
Rate this book
Lights Out
A sizzling Formula One romance perfect for fans of BookTok faves Hannah Grace, Lauren Asher, and Kat Ransom.
He’s a future F1 champion, but she’s making it hard to stay on track…
F1’s resident bad boy Giovanni Bauer isn’t used to losing, but when his non-stop partying leaves his position on the team at risk, he needs to turn his reputation around - fast.
Maisie Evans is a dedicated psychology student, desperate to break into Gio’s competitive world and reignite her dreams of a glittering sports career, but with no clue how to do it.
When Gio and Maisie’s worlds collide, the answer to their problems seems a fake relationship. She gets to travel the world and brush shoulders with sports royalty, and he gets to fix his image by settling down.
But as sparks fly on and off the track, will their ‘relationship’ see them cross the line together, or crash and burn?
He’s a future F1 champion, but she’s making it hard to stay on track…
F1’s resident bad boy Giovanni Bauer isn’t used to losing, but when his non-stop partying leaves his position on the team at risk, he needs to turn his reputation around - fast.
Maisie Evans is a dedicated psychology student, desperate to break into Gio’s competitive world and reignite her dreams of a glittering sports career, but with no clue how to do it.
When Gio and Maisie’s worlds collide, the answer to their problems seems a fake relationship. She gets to travel the world and brush shoulders with sports royalty, and he gets to fix his image by settling down.
But as sparks fly on and off the track, will their ‘relationship’ see them cross the line together, or crash and burn?
Unknown Binding
2517 people want to read
About the author
Jenni Fletcher
81 books179 followersJenni Fletcher writes heartwarming Historical Romance and fun Formula 1 romances. She has won 2 Romantic Novelists' Association Awards and teaches creative writing at Bishop Grosseteste University. Originally from Scotland, she now lives in the north of England with her family and one extremely hairy dog.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
January 25, 2026
⤷ 𝘵𝘺𝘴𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 <3
ˋ°•*⁀➷ 3.5 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 .˚🪻𓍢˖˚💗𓍢˖˚💌˚.
I honestly have no idea what to think of this. It was easy to read, cute, and fun, but there were also some things I didn’t like. I definitely didn’t hate it though! I also think that it didn’t really seem ya, like the writing style did feel very ya but the characters were older and there was some spice, so I think it’s more new adult instead.
» [packing it up- Gracie abrams ] «
0:00 ─〇───── 4:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 🪩
౨ৎ Fake dating
౨ৎ f1 romance
౨ৎ easy to read
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯
Ages 16+
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 💜
౨ৎ Language- f*ck used semi frequently, minor swears used multiple times
౨ৎ Romance- two spice scenes (not extremely descriptive but still open door/on page), kissing, innuendo
౨ৎ Violence- car crashes, mentions of a past bike crash resulting in severe injuries, minor injuries
౨ৎ Other- mentions of the death of a parent, and I think there might have been more, but I kinda forgot lol
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 🌷
⤷ Maisie- I honestly have no clue what to think of her 😭 she was ok but idk
⤷ Gio- he’s definitely not my favorite MMC, and is NOT a new book bf for me whatsoever, but I didn’t necessarily hate him
⤷ Ava- she has the same name as me hehe 🤭
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 💌
Despite knowing nothing about it, I actually really enjoyed the f1 parts! I just found it really interesting to learn about and tbh I might want to start watching f1 now! It wasn’t confusing at all which was nice
I also found it very entertaining and fun to read, I didn’t ever get bored and it was a pretty fast read
Some aspects of the romance were great too, I liked the chemistry between the characters and some parts were cute! I love fake dating, and I think it was done pretty well compared to some books, though ofc I have some complaints still
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 🪻
First of all, the random uses of slang and acronyms for things was killing me 😭 like why did it randomly say “WTF” and “DNF”??? I’m sorry but that just made me cringe so much. Like it’s not that hard to say “what the f*ck” and if you don’t want to swear just say something else??? seriously
Also, the miscommunication and third act breakup pmo so much, like the romance just felt very… idek. They kept going between hating eachother and being completely obsessed with eachother, and that last scene made no sense because I thought they were saying they weren’t gonna be together but then they just suddenly started making out and now they’re in love??
Also this book was NOT ya 💀 like I don’t even mind spice but I just feel like it was kinda false advertising 😭 the characters are over 20 and there were 2 on page spice scenes… just imagine a 12 year old goes into the ya section and decides to read this 😭 that would uhh not be good
Finally, I just couldn’t make up my mind about the writing style. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read at all, but it was by no means beautiful or poetic. And the plot was just kinda everywhere and really confusing me lol
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Overall, I’d recommend it if you want a fun, easy read, but it’s definitely not the best book I’ve read! (I will admit though that my rating might be slightly lower because I’m comparing it to Ann Liang books lmao)
|🪻| pre~read |🌷|
ahhh this looks so cute!! I know absolutely nothing about f1 but I’m still so excited to read this 🤭
ˋ°•*⁀➷ 3.5 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 .˚🪻𓍢˖˚💗𓍢˖˚💌˚.
I honestly have no idea what to think of this. It was easy to read, cute, and fun, but there were also some things I didn’t like. I definitely didn’t hate it though! I also think that it didn’t really seem ya, like the writing style did feel very ya but the characters were older and there was some spice, so I think it’s more new adult instead.
» [packing it up- Gracie abrams ] «
0:00 ─〇───── 4:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 🪩
౨ৎ Fake dating
౨ৎ f1 romance
౨ৎ easy to read
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯
Ages 16+
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 💜
౨ৎ Language- f*ck used semi frequently, minor swears used multiple times
౨ৎ Romance- two spice scenes (not extremely descriptive but still open door/on page), kissing, innuendo
౨ৎ Violence- car crashes, mentions of a past bike crash resulting in severe injuries, minor injuries
౨ৎ Other- mentions of the death of a parent, and I think there might have been more, but I kinda forgot lol
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 🌷
⤷ Maisie- I honestly have no clue what to think of her 😭 she was ok but idk
⤷ Gio- he’s definitely not my favorite MMC, and is NOT a new book bf for me whatsoever, but I didn’t necessarily hate him
⤷ Ava- she has the same name as me hehe 🤭
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 💌
Despite knowing nothing about it, I actually really enjoyed the f1 parts! I just found it really interesting to learn about and tbh I might want to start watching f1 now! It wasn’t confusing at all which was nice
I also found it very entertaining and fun to read, I didn’t ever get bored and it was a pretty fast read
Some aspects of the romance were great too, I liked the chemistry between the characters and some parts were cute! I love fake dating, and I think it was done pretty well compared to some books, though ofc I have some complaints still
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 🪻
First of all, the random uses of slang and acronyms for things was killing me 😭 like why did it randomly say “WTF” and “DNF”??? I’m sorry but that just made me cringe so much. Like it’s not that hard to say “what the f*ck” and if you don’t want to swear just say something else??? seriously
Also, the miscommunication and third act breakup pmo so much, like the romance just felt very… idek. They kept going between hating eachother and being completely obsessed with eachother, and that last scene made no sense because I thought they were saying they weren’t gonna be together but then they just suddenly started making out and now they’re in love??
Also this book was NOT ya 💀 like I don’t even mind spice but I just feel like it was kinda false advertising 😭 the characters are over 20 and there were 2 on page spice scenes… just imagine a 12 year old goes into the ya section and decides to read this 😭 that would uhh not be good
Finally, I just couldn’t make up my mind about the writing style. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read at all, but it was by no means beautiful or poetic. And the plot was just kinda everywhere and really confusing me lol
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Overall, I’d recommend it if you want a fun, easy read, but it’s definitely not the best book I’ve read! (I will admit though that my rating might be slightly lower because I’m comparing it to Ann Liang books lmao)
|🪻| pre~read |🌷|
ahhh this looks so cute!! I know absolutely nothing about f1 but I’m still so excited to read this 🤭
November 7, 2024
Listen, I rarely read straight romance (sorry not sorry) and have never in my life picked up an F1 romance before, but this author is so good at what she does that I was loving it from start to finish. The drama, the feels! Nice and swoony, with an impulsive and moody hot love interest, and yet the female MC has clear boundaries and won’t let any man disrespect her. This was sexy and dramatic without being toxic, and I love that.
I’m also majorly impressed with the writing - it’s mostly dialogue and quick action, and the author doesn’t waste much time on world-building. On top of that the style is kind of simple and not super detailed or flowery, but it all comes together in a way that makes for such an entertaining, quality romance.
I’m also majorly impressed with the writing - it’s mostly dialogue and quick action, and the author doesn’t waste much time on world-building. On top of that the style is kind of simple and not super detailed or flowery, but it all comes together in a way that makes for such an entertaining, quality romance.
January 19, 2026
𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖
୨ৎ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 <3
★🏎️⋆｡🤍°⋆
⋆⭒"𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫"˚.⋆
‧₊ ⊹ ࣪ ˖💋⋅⋆🏁˙⟡
"𝒮𝓊𝓃'𝓈 𝓊𝓅 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝑜𝓃 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓈𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈, 𝓂𝒾𝓍𝑒𝒹 𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓇𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔"
✴︎˚｡⋆ 16+
⤷ Romance 7/10 {2 sex scenes, kissing, innuendo, some lust} ˎˊ˗
⤷ Cussing 4/10 {F*ck, sh*t, d*ck, b*tch, he*l, d*mn, a*s, used semi frequently} ˎˊ˗
⤷ Violence 2/10 {Car crashes, fist fights, verbal fights} ˎˊ˗
⤷ Tw’s {Past injuries, loss of a loved one, manipulation sexually} ˎˊ˗
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒫𝒾𝒸𝓉𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓃' 𝓊𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓈𝑒 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓈, 𝒶𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻'𝓈 𝒶𝓃 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉"
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°OK SO I AM STILL SO CONFLICTED ABOUT HOW TO FEEL 😫✋ It was sooo good during all the races and kind of in the middle of the book! I felt like the first part was a little bit slow and the ending felt kind of rushed in parts! It was a REALLY cute romance and I am SO thankful I got this arc! I watched F1 races all the time with my grandpa so I was so emotional because I forgot how much I love it! I may or may not have watched a TON of clips of past races… But I have SUCH mixed feelings about this one and I finished it today so you get my original thoughts! I am not one of those people who minds spice but this is a YA novel and there were 2 spicy scenes. This is not a horrible thing but it is definitely fit for an older audience or someone who is more mature! The whole vibes were there and I could picture the tracks and cars! It was cool how we got some information about the cars too! I am not an expert on cars so I could have just not noticed the false information but IDK GUYS. I loved that this was set in the UK as well! It doesn’t really go super in depth about the setting and I don’t even know where they were. That is something that I value in books so I was a little disappointed we didn't get a whole tour! The romance was SO good up until the end too! I was literally screaming and I had to take deep breaths because I was literally dying. A little bit before the end it gets quite crazy but nearing the END END it evened out a little bit again! It was definitely a roller coaster of a book and I will be getting myself a physical copy asap! ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒮𝓀𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 𝓈𝑜 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝓅𝓁𝑒, 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓉, 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒾𝓃, 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 "𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓎""
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓟𝓵𝓸𝓽
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°This plot had me so confused 😭 I wasn’t sure if it was all about their relationship, F1 racing, bike riding or self discovery. I think it was a little bit of all of that tbh and I have no idea if I loved it or not! I think that the MAIN focus should have been their relationship but at times it REALLY felt like we were going all bike racing or F1. There were a few plot holes where it left me a little bit confused but I didn’t have a super hard time with it! The amount of times that there was miscommunication though PISSED ME OFF ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL. It was like “omg I love you so much, let's have a baby” to “OMFG WTAF IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY WERE YOU WITH HER?!” Like lets take a deep breath please we are all adults here… It wasn’t quite that bad that was a terrible example but yk 😭✋ I HATE miscommunication so MUCH even though it is apparently “necessary” I’m abt to write an essay about this. This plot was kinda confusing but I SWEAR THE VIBES ARE ALL THERE AND THE ROMANCE IS SO CUTESY. And that trip to Italy that was included needed to be LONGER. I feel like we got a whole year on page… I think we actually did. So I REALLY wish it was longer cos I was EATING THAT UP. ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝓊𝓅 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃' 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝒾𝓈 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒?"
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼
➜ I LOVED ALL OF THE CHARACTERS! They all had their flaws but most of them were just so cute and funny! The chemistry was there for all of them and it genuinely made me so happy to read about them and see their journeys! I need a book abt Ava hehehehe. ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓜𝓪𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓮
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°AHHHHHH ok so I am so back and forth with her! She was SUPER sweet and overall a really good fmc but she fr just kept screwing up when it came to Gio. She also felt SO desperate to have him sometimes. It is understandable because he made her happy but it got to a point where it felt like she was heavily depending on him. Nearing the end she figured it all out though which put my mind at peace. I thought it was HILARIOUS when overnight she just started to like F1… and like suddenly she knows all the parts of a car? I don’t think so. She wasn’t bad and I loved how she got along with his mom so well! That was so cute! She definitely could have handled situations better but it could have been SO much worse. ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓖𝓲𝓸
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°I have died and come back to life. HE IS THE MAN. He is SO sweet and so caring! And to be so honest I understood his need to win. I feel it while playing Mario Kart 💀 He was SO swoony and his whole bad boy race car driver vibe was SLAYING. I never believed for one second that he was an awful guy. He was just a sweet dude needing a little bit of love in his life. He was a bit passive aggressive but HONESTLY ITS ABOUT TIME WE GET SOME GUYS THAT NEED FIXING. Most guys in romance books are just alr eligible bachelors. Freaking annoying fr. BUT HE WAS SO HOT TOO AND AHHHHHHHHHH HE'S ITALIAN. The way that he was speaking to her in Italian made my heart slam up into my eye balls. I was literally drooling because UM HELLO?! And it made me laugh so hard when he spoke in Italian the first time and it was just a bunch of car parts and she was like “what did you just say?!” I had to look it up and google told me I was listing out a bunch of car parts and another random word 😭✋ THE WAY THAT IT DESCRIBED HIM BEFORE A RACE WHEN HE HAD HIS OVERALLS ROLLED DOWN. KILL. ME. NOW. He is just so swoony AHHHHHHHH guys I gotta stop fangirling over him before I get an aneurysm and die. ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓐𝓿𝓪
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°She was the typical best friend but I LOVED HOW SHE WAS THE OG F1 FAN OF THE STORY. Girl needs her own F1 love storyyyy. She was so sweet and silly and I just loved her 😫💕 ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓛𝓾𝓬
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°FYM I HOPE YOU DIE IN A HOLE. HE CAN LITERALLY GO AND SHOVE THAT UGLY FACE OF HIS ON THE RACE TRACK DURING A RACE 😠 I hate him. ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓈𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈, 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝒽, 𝓃𝑜 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓈, 𝓌𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝒾𝓉'
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°The writing wasn’t amazing but there wasn’t anything awfully wrong with it! It wasn’t flat out poetry but that's ok! It was still good besides the pacing and details! I think we needed more detail in some places and less in others! ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“𝒪𝓊𝓉𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒹 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈, 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝒽, 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝒶 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝐼 𝑒𝓋е𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒾𝓉"
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°Overall, I REALLY liked this book and it was a fast paced cutesy romance. NOT AT ALL what I was expecting but I think that's a good thing! I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to read this for free! I love you so much NetGalley will you marry me? 🥹💍? So yeah! Thank you so much to the author and GOOD JOB! It was so cute and I LOVE Gio! ✴︎˚｡⋆
��🏎️⋆｡🤍°⋆
3.5★
🏁💋 pre read:
AHHHH I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS 😫🫶 I have never read a f1 romance but I love watching it with my grandpa so this will definitely make me so happy 💕🥹 getting arcs makes me so happy cos wdym they’re free books 🤭
୨ৎ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 <3
★🏎️⋆｡🤍°⋆
⋆⭒"𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫"˚.⋆
‧₊ ⊹ ࣪ ˖💋⋅⋆🏁˙⟡
"𝒮𝓊𝓃'𝓈 𝓊𝓅 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝑜𝓃 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓈𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈, 𝓂𝒾𝓍𝑒𝒹 𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓇𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔"
✴︎˚｡⋆ 16+
⤷ Romance 7/10 {2 sex scenes, kissing, innuendo, some lust} ˎˊ˗
⤷ Cussing 4/10 {F*ck, sh*t, d*ck, b*tch, he*l, d*mn, a*s, used semi frequently} ˎˊ˗
⤷ Violence 2/10 {Car crashes, fist fights, verbal fights} ˎˊ˗
⤷ Tw’s {Past injuries, loss of a loved one, manipulation sexually} ˎˊ˗
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒫𝒾𝒸𝓉𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓃' 𝓊𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓈𝑒 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓈, 𝒶𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻'𝓈 𝒶𝓃 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉"
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°OK SO I AM STILL SO CONFLICTED ABOUT HOW TO FEEL 😫✋ It was sooo good during all the races and kind of in the middle of the book! I felt like the first part was a little bit slow and the ending felt kind of rushed in parts! It was a REALLY cute romance and I am SO thankful I got this arc! I watched F1 races all the time with my grandpa so I was so emotional because I forgot how much I love it! I may or may not have watched a TON of clips of past races… But I have SUCH mixed feelings about this one and I finished it today so you get my original thoughts! I am not one of those people who minds spice but this is a YA novel and there were 2 spicy scenes. This is not a horrible thing but it is definitely fit for an older audience or someone who is more mature! The whole vibes were there and I could picture the tracks and cars! It was cool how we got some information about the cars too! I am not an expert on cars so I could have just not noticed the false information but IDK GUYS. I loved that this was set in the UK as well! It doesn’t really go super in depth about the setting and I don’t even know where they were. That is something that I value in books so I was a little disappointed we didn't get a whole tour! The romance was SO good up until the end too! I was literally screaming and I had to take deep breaths because I was literally dying. A little bit before the end it gets quite crazy but nearing the END END it evened out a little bit again! It was definitely a roller coaster of a book and I will be getting myself a physical copy asap! ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒮𝓀𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 𝓈𝑜 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝓅𝓁𝑒, 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓉, 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒾𝓃, 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 "𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓎""
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓟𝓵𝓸𝓽
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°This plot had me so confused 😭 I wasn’t sure if it was all about their relationship, F1 racing, bike riding or self discovery. I think it was a little bit of all of that tbh and I have no idea if I loved it or not! I think that the MAIN focus should have been their relationship but at times it REALLY felt like we were going all bike racing or F1. There were a few plot holes where it left me a little bit confused but I didn’t have a super hard time with it! The amount of times that there was miscommunication though PISSED ME OFF ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL. It was like “omg I love you so much, let's have a baby” to “OMFG WTAF IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY WERE YOU WITH HER?!” Like lets take a deep breath please we are all adults here… It wasn’t quite that bad that was a terrible example but yk 😭✋ I HATE miscommunication so MUCH even though it is apparently “necessary” I’m abt to write an essay about this. This plot was kinda confusing but I SWEAR THE VIBES ARE ALL THERE AND THE ROMANCE IS SO CUTESY. And that trip to Italy that was included needed to be LONGER. I feel like we got a whole year on page… I think we actually did. So I REALLY wish it was longer cos I was EATING THAT UP. ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝓊𝓅 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃' 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝒾𝓈 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒?"
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼
➜ I LOVED ALL OF THE CHARACTERS! They all had their flaws but most of them were just so cute and funny! The chemistry was there for all of them and it genuinely made me so happy to read about them and see their journeys! I need a book abt Ava hehehehe. ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓜𝓪𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓮
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°AHHHHHH ok so I am so back and forth with her! She was SUPER sweet and overall a really good fmc but she fr just kept screwing up when it came to Gio. She also felt SO desperate to have him sometimes. It is understandable because he made her happy but it got to a point where it felt like she was heavily depending on him. Nearing the end she figured it all out though which put my mind at peace. I thought it was HILARIOUS when overnight she just started to like F1… and like suddenly she knows all the parts of a car? I don’t think so. She wasn’t bad and I loved how she got along with his mom so well! That was so cute! She definitely could have handled situations better but it could have been SO much worse. ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓖𝓲𝓸
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°I have died and come back to life. HE IS THE MAN. He is SO sweet and so caring! And to be so honest I understood his need to win. I feel it while playing Mario Kart 💀 He was SO swoony and his whole bad boy race car driver vibe was SLAYING. I never believed for one second that he was an awful guy. He was just a sweet dude needing a little bit of love in his life. He was a bit passive aggressive but HONESTLY ITS ABOUT TIME WE GET SOME GUYS THAT NEED FIXING. Most guys in romance books are just alr eligible bachelors. Freaking annoying fr. BUT HE WAS SO HOT TOO AND AHHHHHHHHHH HE'S ITALIAN. The way that he was speaking to her in Italian made my heart slam up into my eye balls. I was literally drooling because UM HELLO?! And it made me laugh so hard when he spoke in Italian the first time and it was just a bunch of car parts and she was like “what did you just say?!” I had to look it up and google told me I was listing out a bunch of car parts and another random word 😭✋ THE WAY THAT IT DESCRIBED HIM BEFORE A RACE WHEN HE HAD HIS OVERALLS ROLLED DOWN. KILL. ME. NOW. He is just so swoony AHHHHHHHH guys I gotta stop fangirling over him before I get an aneurysm and die. ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓐𝓿𝓪
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°She was the typical best friend but I LOVED HOW SHE WAS THE OG F1 FAN OF THE STORY. Girl needs her own F1 love storyyyy. She was so sweet and silly and I just loved her 😫💕 ✴︎˚｡⋆
-'🍷*.✧ 𝓛𝓾𝓬
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°FYM I HOPE YOU DIE IN A HOLE. HE CAN LITERALLY GO AND SHOVE THAT UGLY FACE OF HIS ON THE RACE TRACK DURING A RACE 😠 I hate him. ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
"𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓈𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈, 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝒽, 𝓃𝑜 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓈, 𝓌𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝒾𝓉'
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°The writing wasn’t amazing but there wasn’t anything awfully wrong with it! It wasn’t flat out poetry but that's ok! It was still good besides the pacing and details! I think we needed more detail in some places and less in others! ✴︎˚｡⋆
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“𝒪𝓊𝓉𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒹 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈, 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝒽, 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝒶 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝐼 𝑒𝓋е𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒾𝓉"
‧˚꒰🛞꒱༘‧— 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵
‧₊ᵎᵎ🍒⋅°Overall, I REALLY liked this book and it was a fast paced cutesy romance. NOT AT ALL what I was expecting but I think that's a good thing! I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to read this for free! I love you so much NetGalley will you marry me? 🥹💍? So yeah! Thank you so much to the author and GOOD JOB! It was so cute and I LOVE Gio! ✴︎˚｡⋆
��🏎️⋆｡🤍°⋆
3.5★
🏁💋 pre read:
AHHHH I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS 😫🫶 I have never read a f1 romance but I love watching it with my grandpa so this will definitely make me so happy 💕🥹 getting arcs makes me so happy cos wdym they’re free books 🤭
June 9, 2025
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
꣑ৎ oh heck yeah. THIS is what an f1 fake dating romance should be like.
why is this book not out there??
im giggling and kicking my feet at italian terms and i have no idea what they mean!!!
꣑ৎ(okay okay just some warning, this is said to be a YA romance but there were like 2 spicy-ish scenes that lasted a page or two.) but apart from that, this was so sweet and the tension between these two?! amazing.
gio and maisie are JUST. MEANT. TO. BE.
꣑ৎ ive now read two book that have the villain named as luc. very interesting.
ANYWAYS JUST GO READ IT, ITS SUCH A CUTE LITTLE READ AND I WOULD 100% RECOOO.
into you - ariana grande
━━━●─────
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
꣑ৎ oh heck yeah. THIS is what an f1 fake dating romance should be like.
why is this book not out there??
im giggling and kicking my feet at italian terms and i have no idea what they mean!!!
꣑ৎ(okay okay just some warning, this is said to be a YA romance but there were like 2 spicy-ish scenes that lasted a page or two.) but apart from that, this was so sweet and the tension between these two?! amazing.
gio and maisie are JUST. MEANT. TO. BE.
꣑ৎ ive now read two book that have the villain named as luc. very interesting.
ANYWAYS JUST GO READ IT, ITS SUCH A CUTE LITTLE READ AND I WOULD 100% RECOOO.
into you - ariana grande
━━━●─────
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
January 8, 2025
this was cute and made me want to get into f1 hehe
February 17, 2025
Cuki volt nagyon, szerettem! :)
January 7, 2025
Ok, so this started off good. It was a little fast moving but I really enjoyed Maisie and Gio together. Gio is an F1 racer and Maisie is a sports psychology student and formerly a mountain bike racer but she left the sport after a bad crash. There were a couple of points that annoyed me, like the miscommunications that resulted in blow-up arguments, but overall, the start was great. Ava, Maisie’s F1-obsessed bestie, is probably my favourite character, and I wish we got more of her.
Then there was the rest of it, really just the last 20% tbh. I have a theory with F1 romance that they are all either great with the romance and bad with the F1 or great with the F1 and poor on the romance. This was the latter.
Everything was miscommunication; they were fake dating with a contract in place and yet somehow broke up like 3 times. He was not capable of being in a relationship at all; he never communicated, shut everyone out and was generally really immature. She was a psychology student who didn't think, was really naive and blew everything out of proportion.
The rest of this is going to have a lot of spoilers because otherwise it will just be criptic and weird. Read them if you want to.
Miscommunication is the bain of my fucking existience along with another little romance book cliche:.
Things really blew up right at the end with a tonne of stupid decisions on both their parts.
The last one especially annoyed me. There was a weird psychology to blame her and make him look better thing going on in this book but quite frankly it was just stupid.
Anyway. Rant over.
And I was thinking my biggest issues were going to be that it moved a bit too fast and that the author was trying to hard to create conflict in the relationship.
Then there was the rest of it, really just the last 20% tbh. I have a theory with F1 romance that they are all either great with the romance and bad with the F1 or great with the F1 and poor on the romance. This was the latter.
Everything was miscommunication; they were fake dating with a contract in place and yet somehow broke up like 3 times. He was not capable of being in a relationship at all; he never communicated, shut everyone out and was generally really immature. She was a psychology student who didn't think, was really naive and blew everything out of proportion.
The rest of this is going to have a lot of spoilers because otherwise it will just be criptic and weird. Read them if you want to.
Miscommunication is the bain of my fucking existience along with another little romance book cliche:.
Things really blew up right at the end with a tonne of stupid decisions on both their parts.
The last one especially annoyed me. There was a weird psychology to blame her and make him look better thing going on in this book but quite frankly it was just stupid.
Anyway. Rant over.
And I was thinking my biggest issues were going to be that it moved a bit too fast and that the author was trying to hard to create conflict in the relationship.
October 23, 2024
This is a good book if you’re like me and only just starting your f1 romance books journey. I was a little bit worried going into it that it would have a lot of terms that i wouldn’t understand and that i’d have to google things all the time, but i quickly learnt that Maisie, the fmc is in the same boat as me, new to F1 world, so it was great to navigate this journey with her.
This was a very quick and easy read and i really enjoyed finding out more about racing, and i will definitely be reaching for more f1 romances!
However, because both Maisie and Gio are in their early twenties, i did find them quite immature, which affected how much I enjoyed their characters and this book. It was nice to see that there was some character development and both of them realised things about themselves and actively sought professional counselling, but i would have liked to see more of a development in that area.
I would also have loved to see Maisie’s relationship with her dad evolving and them discussing her trauma and everything she felt in more details. I felt like her trauma was a big thing, but when it actually came to her expressing her feelings to her dad, this was skimmed over.
I felt like Maisie and Gio’s relationship’s pace was a little off. I also felt like they barely spent any time together while they were fake dating to having big feelings for each other. But it might just be a personal preference, as im usually not a fan of relationships in books going from 0 to 100 very quickly.
Overall, im glad i read this book as it gave me a great insight into f1 world & f1 romances, and definitely encouraged me to read more of them. 🥰
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Random House for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a very quick and easy read and i really enjoyed finding out more about racing, and i will definitely be reaching for more f1 romances!
However, because both Maisie and Gio are in their early twenties, i did find them quite immature, which affected how much I enjoyed their characters and this book. It was nice to see that there was some character development and both of them realised things about themselves and actively sought professional counselling, but i would have liked to see more of a development in that area.
I would also have loved to see Maisie’s relationship with her dad evolving and them discussing her trauma and everything she felt in more details. I felt like her trauma was a big thing, but when it actually came to her expressing her feelings to her dad, this was skimmed over.
I felt like Maisie and Gio’s relationship’s pace was a little off. I also felt like they barely spent any time together while they were fake dating to having big feelings for each other. But it might just be a personal preference, as im usually not a fan of relationships in books going from 0 to 100 very quickly.
Overall, im glad i read this book as it gave me a great insight into f1 world & f1 romances, and definitely encouraged me to read more of them. 🥰
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Random House for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 16, 2025
2.5
åh vad jag älskar att hatläsa böcker jag vet att jag inte kommer gilla. F1 delen va slay, karaktärerna tyvärr ganska tråkiga…
åh vad jag älskar att hatläsa böcker jag vet att jag inte kommer gilla. F1 delen va slay, karaktärerna tyvärr ganska tråkiga…
September 15, 2025
lights out - ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
i actually really enjoyed lights out and i’m so glad i picked it up because it pulled me out of a reading slump!! the formula 1 romance aspect was so fun and honestly made me want to read more f1 romances in the future.
the reason my rating isn’t higher is because once the characters became intimate, it felt like everything between them shifted into just physical attraction. there are only two scenes (and they’re easy to skip if that’s not your thing), but after that it seemed like that’s all they wanted from each other.
but overall, i still had such a good time reading this one. it was fast-paced, the racing world setting was super exciting, and it kept me hooked the whole way through!
thank you @simonteen for the arc !!
i actually really enjoyed lights out and i’m so glad i picked it up because it pulled me out of a reading slump!! the formula 1 romance aspect was so fun and honestly made me want to read more f1 romances in the future.
the reason my rating isn’t higher is because once the characters became intimate, it felt like everything between them shifted into just physical attraction. there are only two scenes (and they’re easy to skip if that’s not your thing), but after that it seemed like that’s all they wanted from each other.
but overall, i still had such a good time reading this one. it was fast-paced, the racing world setting was super exciting, and it kept me hooked the whole way through!
thank you @simonteen for the arc !!
August 21, 2025
I don't normally write reviews, but this book was SO BAD, I don't think I can read romance for a whole month. Or maybe the rest of my life.
This truly was a booktok final boss, and it feels like the author was trying to mash in as many tropes as possible. F1, fake dating, the slowburn (which turned into a forest fire in like 2 pages), miscommunication, etc.
And don't even get me started with the random Italian thrown in there. Dear authors, foreign languages are hot ONLY to Americans. If I wanted to hear a man speak Italian, I'd just cross the street to my neighbour who worked there for 10 years. In books, it's just corny and gives me second-hand embarrassment. (I literally had to take a deep breath when he started listing CAR PARTS in Italian, as if that was in any way sexy)
The smut was straight out of a 13 y.o.'s Wattpad story, the pace was TERRIBLY FAST (I read children's books better than this) and it felt like emotions and scenery was described by just pushing in as many adjectives as one can think of in 20 seconds, before moving on to some unnecessary squeal, gasp or admiring Gio's jawline or eyes for the 100th time.
The characters were more two-dimensional than a stick figure, and although I know the whole fake dating thing always ends the same in these romance books, I would have appreciated a little more.. plot? Story? Drama? Any kind of actual content?
You could or probably disassociate or be drunk while reading this book, and have about the same experience as actually focusing on the action. Or lack of.
It was not cute, it did not make me giggle or kick my feet, and the only thing I liked about any of the characters was that Maisie thinks Hawaiian pizza is good.
#PinappleBelongs
This truly was a booktok final boss, and it feels like the author was trying to mash in as many tropes as possible. F1, fake dating, the slowburn (which turned into a forest fire in like 2 pages), miscommunication, etc.
And don't even get me started with the random Italian thrown in there. Dear authors, foreign languages are hot ONLY to Americans. If I wanted to hear a man speak Italian, I'd just cross the street to my neighbour who worked there for 10 years. In books, it's just corny and gives me second-hand embarrassment. (I literally had to take a deep breath when he started listing CAR PARTS in Italian, as if that was in any way sexy)
The smut was straight out of a 13 y.o.'s Wattpad story, the pace was TERRIBLY FAST (I read children's books better than this) and it felt like emotions and scenery was described by just pushing in as many adjectives as one can think of in 20 seconds, before moving on to some unnecessary squeal, gasp or admiring Gio's jawline or eyes for the 100th time.
The characters were more two-dimensional than a stick figure, and although I know the whole fake dating thing always ends the same in these romance books, I would have appreciated a little more.. plot? Story? Drama? Any kind of actual content?
You could or probably disassociate or be drunk while reading this book, and have about the same experience as actually focusing on the action. Or lack of.
It was not cute, it did not make me giggle or kick my feet, and the only thing I liked about any of the characters was that Maisie thinks Hawaiian pizza is good.
#PinappleBelongs
December 25, 2024
This book kept my attention the entire time it was SO GOOD, I wish more people would read it because it shows a fake dating trope where there isn’t miscommunication but more just uncertainty due to pressure. You could tell that they loved eachother so much <3
November 30, 2024
gio you are slay but you will never be sebastian vettel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2024
super fun and cute!
very accurate f1 wise so that was exciting
very accurate f1 wise so that was exciting
December 31, 2025
update: the more I think about the ending the more frustrated I get by what happened.
Thank you so much Simon and Schuster and McEldery books for this ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Let me start out by stating that this book is intended and marketed as a YA book in children's publishing. However; there are 2 explicit scenes, one of which is the entire act of intimacy with the two main characters that is fully described from start to finish. This book also takes place overseas and so there is alcohol consumption by both the FMC and MMC, due to the difference in drinking ages being regulated differently in other countries. Neither of these are issue for me but I do feel that readers should be informed of both especially if a parent is researching whether their child should read this story, I would say this is an upper YA book and would be suitable for older teens/new adults.
NOW, for the review.
This book was adorable, hilarious, and heartwarming. We have a FMC named Maisie who is working at a large event for Formula 1 drivers when a mishap occurs this puts her directly in Gio Bauer's radar. The famously bad-boy formula 1 racer who is on track to be the next big thing, if he can stop his repeat offenses that put him in the crossfires of the tabloids.
Desperate to alter his image he proposes to Maisie, the sweet college sport psychology student, to be his "fake girlfriend". These two have so much chemistry and their banter is top notch. Maisie may seem sweet at first but don't worry she can absolutely hold her own against Gio in any squabble but can she face her darkest fear? Her past?
This story did a great job with mental health representation and the mental toll that athletes can face. The writing is easy and enjoyable to consume and I couldn't put the book down. I was kicking my feet at the tension between these two characters as they realize their fake dating is turning into something more.
I will say the reason it isn't a full five stars is there were things at the end of the story that bothered me a touch. However; this story is one I will absolutely recommend to anyone who is looking for an UPPER YA romance. I laughed out loud several times, especially with Gio and his family, so many endearing side characters that you will fall in love with.
Again thank you to simon and schuster for this advanced reader copy.
Thank you so much Simon and Schuster and McEldery books for this ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Let me start out by stating that this book is intended and marketed as a YA book in children's publishing. However; there are 2 explicit scenes, one of which is the entire act of intimacy with the two main characters that is fully described from start to finish. This book also takes place overseas and so there is alcohol consumption by both the FMC and MMC, due to the difference in drinking ages being regulated differently in other countries. Neither of these are issue for me but I do feel that readers should be informed of both especially if a parent is researching whether their child should read this story, I would say this is an upper YA book and would be suitable for older teens/new adults.
NOW, for the review.
This book was adorable, hilarious, and heartwarming. We have a FMC named Maisie who is working at a large event for Formula 1 drivers when a mishap occurs this puts her directly in Gio Bauer's radar. The famously bad-boy formula 1 racer who is on track to be the next big thing, if he can stop his repeat offenses that put him in the crossfires of the tabloids.
Desperate to alter his image he proposes to Maisie, the sweet college sport psychology student, to be his "fake girlfriend". These two have so much chemistry and their banter is top notch. Maisie may seem sweet at first but don't worry she can absolutely hold her own against Gio in any squabble but can she face her darkest fear? Her past?
This story did a great job with mental health representation and the mental toll that athletes can face. The writing is easy and enjoyable to consume and I couldn't put the book down. I was kicking my feet at the tension between these two characters as they realize their fake dating is turning into something more.
I will say the reason it isn't a full five stars is there were things at the end of the story that bothered me a touch. However; this story is one I will absolutely recommend to anyone who is looking for an UPPER YA romance. I laughed out loud several times, especially with Gio and his family, so many endearing side characters that you will fall in love with.
Again thank you to simon and schuster for this advanced reader copy.
April 4, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you know me, you’re well aware that I’m obsessed with romance novels (obviously), but I also have a serious love for Formula 1. So, when I come across something that blends the two, I absolutely lose it! Haha. Now, when I say that this is probably the best F1-related romance book I’ve ever read, I mean it I'm not saying that lightly. This book strikes the perfect balance between the thrill of F1 and the heart of romance. It’s not particularly spicy, but honestly, I’m a firm believer that a great book doesn’t always need that to be amazing.
If you're reading this and thinking, 'But Chrissa, I don't know anything about F1, so I won’t get any of the references,' don’t worry Jenni’s got you covered. The way F1 is explained and woven into the story is so cleverly done. By the end of the book, I’m confident you’ll be able to hold an F1 conversation with me, and I’d be more than happy to test that out! Haha.
I’m a total sucker for a good fake dating trope, and I absolutely adored both Maisie and Gio. One of my favourite things in a story is strong character development, and these two definitely delivered. I especially loved how Maisie knew her worth, set clear boundaries, and held firm to them. Major shout out to the fantastic side characters as well. Ava was the perfect best friend, and I’d love to have someone like her in my corner any day. Gio’s parents were equally wonderful, and honestly, I’d love to meet his mum and give her the biggest hug.
If you couldn’t already tell, I absolutely loved this book and Jenni’s writing style. It kept me hooked from start to finish without ever feeling overwhelming. I’m so glad I picked up Lights Out, and I can’t wait to dive into Falling Fast and any future books Jenni writes!
If you know me, you’re well aware that I’m obsessed with romance novels (obviously), but I also have a serious love for Formula 1. So, when I come across something that blends the two, I absolutely lose it! Haha. Now, when I say that this is probably the best F1-related romance book I’ve ever read, I mean it I'm not saying that lightly. This book strikes the perfect balance between the thrill of F1 and the heart of romance. It’s not particularly spicy, but honestly, I’m a firm believer that a great book doesn’t always need that to be amazing.
If you're reading this and thinking, 'But Chrissa, I don't know anything about F1, so I won’t get any of the references,' don’t worry Jenni’s got you covered. The way F1 is explained and woven into the story is so cleverly done. By the end of the book, I’m confident you’ll be able to hold an F1 conversation with me, and I’d be more than happy to test that out! Haha.
I’m a total sucker for a good fake dating trope, and I absolutely adored both Maisie and Gio. One of my favourite things in a story is strong character development, and these two definitely delivered. I especially loved how Maisie knew her worth, set clear boundaries, and held firm to them. Major shout out to the fantastic side characters as well. Ava was the perfect best friend, and I’d love to have someone like her in my corner any day. Gio’s parents were equally wonderful, and honestly, I’d love to meet his mum and give her the biggest hug.
If you couldn’t already tell, I absolutely loved this book and Jenni’s writing style. It kept me hooked from start to finish without ever feeling overwhelming. I’m so glad I picked up Lights Out, and I can’t wait to dive into Falling Fast and any future books Jenni writes!
December 4, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up
What a cute lil’ sports romance! I liked both of the main characters and the fake dating plot. The progression of the relationship was believable and really well done! The FMC’s background with biking and her trauma from that was super interesting. There were a few things I wish were fleshed out a bit more (ex. the FMC’s therapy and the MMC’s rivalry with his teammate), but what was there was good! This book was short, sweet, and easy to breeze through. More cute lil’ ya sports romances like this, please!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
What a cute lil’ sports romance! I liked both of the main characters and the fake dating plot. The progression of the relationship was believable and really well done! The FMC’s background with biking and her trauma from that was super interesting. There were a few things I wish were fleshed out a bit more (ex. the FMC’s therapy and the MMC’s rivalry with his teammate), but what was there was good! This book was short, sweet, and easy to breeze through. More cute lil’ ya sports romances like this, please!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
January 17, 2026
3.25 stars
The chemistry between the leads wasn't there & I didn't buy their fake or real relationship but everyone else was awesome. Enjoyable nonetheless!
The chemistry between the leads wasn't there & I didn't buy their fake or real relationship but everyone else was awesome. Enjoyable nonetheless!
January 17, 2026
Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.
I'm 0/2 on F1 romances at present. Send help.
Full review to come soon!
I'm 0/2 on F1 romances at present. Send help.
Full review to come soon!
February 1, 2025
We love a good F1 love story
August 8, 2025
pokud chcete pohodu tak si tohle rozhodně přečtěte
to se snad na ty formule někdy podívám...
to se snad na ty formule někdy podívám...
January 8, 2026
Thank you Simon Teen for the free gift!
This one definitely had moments that I enjoyed. The chemistry between Maisie and Gio was really cute, and their dynamic worked well for a fake dating setup. That said, the emotions felt a bit on the shallow side for me. I wanted to feel Maisie’s internal struggle more strongly, especially when it came to her past sports career and her family, and I also would’ve loved a bit more depth from Gio.
Even so, this was a quick and easy read, and I think it’ll really work for readers who are fans of Formula 1 or are looking for something light and swoony.
This one definitely had moments that I enjoyed. The chemistry between Maisie and Gio was really cute, and their dynamic worked well for a fake dating setup. That said, the emotions felt a bit on the shallow side for me. I wanted to feel Maisie’s internal struggle more strongly, especially when it came to her past sports career and her family, and I also would’ve loved a bit more depth from Gio.
Even so, this was a quick and easy read, and I think it’ll really work for readers who are fans of Formula 1 or are looking for something light and swoony.
March 8, 2025
Not going to lie, I read almost all of this book from 9:40pm to 2:00am in one go
I couldn't sleep
I couldn't sleep
March 20, 2025
0.25⭐️ - This may be the worst book I’ve ever read. It reads like a year 4’s creative writing piece.
Also everyone keeps praising the F1 knowledge but imo it was absolutely dreadful. Please tell me when race control would give a driver a choice about giving the place back or a penalty?!? Also the final race being in Japan?!? I swear people saw the word DRS and thought yes great 🙃🙃
Also everyone keeps praising the F1 knowledge but imo it was absolutely dreadful. Please tell me when race control would give a driver a choice about giving the place back or a penalty?!? Also the final race being in Japan?!? I swear people saw the word DRS and thought yes great 🙃🙃
November 1, 2024
It has been a while since I stepped out of fantasy and this was the perfect book for it!!
Fake relationship?!!! YES PLEASE
I loved the chemistry between the two, Gio was a really fun character and I loved seeing him grow. I dont know anything about formula 1 so this was a treat!!
Fake relationship?!!! YES PLEASE
I loved the chemistry between the two, Gio was a really fun character and I loved seeing him grow. I dont know anything about formula 1 so this was a treat!!
November 14, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
F1’s resident bad boy Giovanni Bauer isn’t used to losing, but when his non-stop partying leaves his position on the team at risk, he needs to turn his reputation around - fast. Maisie Evans is a dedicated psychology student, desperate to break into Gio’s competitive world and reignite her dreams of a glittering sports career, but with no clue how to do it. When Gio and Maisie’s worlds collide, the answer to their problems seems a fake relationship. She gets to travel the world and brush shoulders with sports royalty, and he gets to fix his image by settling down.
Maisie has the heart of a thrill seeker. But after her accident, it’s on the back burner and she seeks her passions down other avenues. I really, really liked Maisie. I could see parts of myself in her - particularly with the way her mind works and processes things. I absolutely adored her positive attitude and her kind and supporting personality. She really deserves the world that girl. She has dealt with a lot in her past and I love how she relies on her best friend and is determined to do good in the world. The fact she is sassy and also entirely awkward at the same time was perfect for me. No one wants a perfect lead who can do everything right!
Gio is the bad boy of racing with his imperfect record and rollercoaster attitude. But he is a lot more than that. He is kind and giving. He has a massive heart and it is clear he wants the best for those he loves and cares for. I think Gio was a great character. There are so many layers and dynamics to him that were so interesting to read. He never felt boring to read. Sure he was a little unpredictable at times with his moods, but it added to his character. There was certainly never a dull moment with him around!
I am not a big sports romance person, but I have been getting into reading them more this year. So when this one came along, I saw that it had the wonderful fake dating trope and I knew I needed to dig in! The plot is pretty good! It flows wonderfully from one event to the next and never feels clunky or boring. The fact that it goes into enough detail about Formula 1 so that we can understand it but not be burdened with too much knowledge was perfect. It all confuses me to be honest, but this has the perfect amount of background information! The characters were great. I liked that the main focus was on our lead pairing but that we got plenty of interactions with the rest of the cast. I think they were all well fleshed out and engaging to read! The romance was so sweet and so fluffy, I practically wanted to kick me feet and swoon! The chemistry between our cuties was so so adorable and I wanted to see more and more. I did appreciate that there was angst and bumps in the road because no relationship - real or not - is smooth sailing. It helped to add further depth to the story. The light spicy moments also heightened the chemistry as well. They were so tender and sweet and perfection! That ending was everything I needed and more! I could not have asked for anything better!
Overall, Lights Out is a F1 romance I highly, HIGHLY recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book.
F1’s resident bad boy Giovanni Bauer isn’t used to losing, but when his non-stop partying leaves his position on the team at risk, he needs to turn his reputation around - fast. Maisie Evans is a dedicated psychology student, desperate to break into Gio’s competitive world and reignite her dreams of a glittering sports career, but with no clue how to do it. When Gio and Maisie’s worlds collide, the answer to their problems seems a fake relationship. She gets to travel the world and brush shoulders with sports royalty, and he gets to fix his image by settling down.
Maisie has the heart of a thrill seeker. But after her accident, it’s on the back burner and she seeks her passions down other avenues. I really, really liked Maisie. I could see parts of myself in her - particularly with the way her mind works and processes things. I absolutely adored her positive attitude and her kind and supporting personality. She really deserves the world that girl. She has dealt with a lot in her past and I love how she relies on her best friend and is determined to do good in the world. The fact she is sassy and also entirely awkward at the same time was perfect for me. No one wants a perfect lead who can do everything right!
Gio is the bad boy of racing with his imperfect record and rollercoaster attitude. But he is a lot more than that. He is kind and giving. He has a massive heart and it is clear he wants the best for those he loves and cares for. I think Gio was a great character. There are so many layers and dynamics to him that were so interesting to read. He never felt boring to read. Sure he was a little unpredictable at times with his moods, but it added to his character. There was certainly never a dull moment with him around!
I am not a big sports romance person, but I have been getting into reading them more this year. So when this one came along, I saw that it had the wonderful fake dating trope and I knew I needed to dig in! The plot is pretty good! It flows wonderfully from one event to the next and never feels clunky or boring. The fact that it goes into enough detail about Formula 1 so that we can understand it but not be burdened with too much knowledge was perfect. It all confuses me to be honest, but this has the perfect amount of background information! The characters were great. I liked that the main focus was on our lead pairing but that we got plenty of interactions with the rest of the cast. I think they were all well fleshed out and engaging to read! The romance was so sweet and so fluffy, I practically wanted to kick me feet and swoon! The chemistry between our cuties was so so adorable and I wanted to see more and more. I did appreciate that there was angst and bumps in the road because no relationship - real or not - is smooth sailing. It helped to add further depth to the story. The light spicy moments also heightened the chemistry as well. They were so tender and sweet and perfection! That ending was everything I needed and more! I could not have asked for anything better!
Overall, Lights Out is a F1 romance I highly, HIGHLY recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book.
July 5, 2025
Gio Bauer, jednadvacetiletý pilot Formule 1, plní stránky bulváru svými excesy, románky a rivalitou s týmovým kolegou Lucem Farronem natolik, až mu hrozí vyhazov z týmu. Když na jedné párty potká studentku psychologie Maisie, dostane nápad: Maisie by mohla sehrát jeho přítelkyni a on by tak světu dokázal, že se napravil.
(Recenze vznikla v rámci barterové spolupráce s nakladatelstvím Cosmpolis, kterému tímto děkuji za poskytnutí recenzního výtisku.)
Maisie s tím bláznivým nápadem souhlasí. Kvůli otcově nemoci se jí zhoršil prospěch a hrozí, že bude muset opakovat ročník. Jenže esej př��mo ze zákulisí Formule 1 by mohla její známky zachránit. Dokáže ale ustát, že musí o svém „vztahu“ lhát i svým nejbližším, pronásledování bulváru a toxicitu na sociálních sítích?
Maisie navíc prostředí Formule 1 připomíná její vlastní závodní kariéru ve sjezdové cyklistice, kterou před pár lety ukončila nehoda. Od té doby nedokáže na kolo nasednout a pomalu se na něj ani podívat, aniž by dostala panický záchvat.
Aby toho nebylo málo, Gio dokáže být okouzlující a laskavý, ale taky chladný, nezdvořilý, arogantní a vzteklý. Nenávidí svého rivala Luca Farrona, ale nedokáže Maisie vysvětlit proč, a stejně tak nesnáší, jak mu všichni předhazují jeho otce, několikanásobného mistra světa, a naznačují, že se do Formule 1 dostal jen kvůli protekci.
Jenni Fletcher píše čtivě a chytlavě, takže knihu slupnete za jeden nebo dva večery. Na plný plyn je postavené na zápletce s napravením image slavného a bohatého závodníka Formule 1 prostřednictvím předstíraného vztahu – jedná se sice o hrozné klišé, pro které mám ale slabost. Přináší slow burn romanci, i když mezi Maisie a Giem to od začátku jiskří. Kvůli věku hlavních hrdinů spadá Na plný plyn mezi new adult romance, ale erotických scén je tu naprosté minimum a nejsou popisné.
Jenni Fletcher do děje zakomponovala i vážnější témata, jako jsou nezpracovaná traumata, úzkosti a panické ataky, zranění při sportu, problematické vztahy s rodiči nebo toxicita na sociálních sítí a tlak bulvárního tisku.
Jenni Fletcher se snaží ukázat zdravé vztahy, ale oběma hrdinům je kolem dvaceti a jejich chování tomu odpovídá. Nezvládají komunikaci, takže mezi nima vznikají různá nedorozumění a třenice. Maisie i Gio se v tom plácají, protože předstíraný vztah se mění ve skutečnou přitažlivost a city, ale ani jeden si to nechce přiznat. Navíc Maisie do toho šla dost neuváženě a naivně, protože si vůbec neuvědomovala, jaký dopad to může mít na její život nebo jak toxičtí a nenávistní dokážou být lidé pod rouškou anonymity na internetu.
Poslední čtvrtina knihy byla až moc emocionální a vyhrocená a celá zápletka s Farronem se dala vyřešit lépe. Chápu, že Gio nemohl Maisie vysvětlit, proč ho tak nesnáší, ale v knize bylo hned několik zodpovědných dospělých, kteří mohli Maisie aspoň varovat. Taky mě iritovaly poznámky „chci to zkusit“ nebo „dejme tomu volný průběh a uvidíme“, protože to kluci říkají, ale žádná dívka se zdravě nastavenýma hranicema by na to neměla přistoupit. Stejně tak ono načasování sexu bylo dost podivné a v reálném životě bych nic podobného nedoporučovala.
Navzdory pár výtkám Na plný plyn přináší čtivou, oddechovou a příjemně nevinou romanci ozvláštněnou atraktivním prostředím Formule 1. Za mě je Na plný plyn ideální čtení (nejenom) na léto.
3,5/5
(Recenze vznikla v rámci barterové spolupráce s nakladatelstvím Cosmpolis, kterému tímto děkuji za poskytnutí recenzního výtisku.)
Maisie s tím bláznivým nápadem souhlasí. Kvůli otcově nemoci se jí zhoršil prospěch a hrozí, že bude muset opakovat ročník. Jenže esej př��mo ze zákulisí Formule 1 by mohla její známky zachránit. Dokáže ale ustát, že musí o svém „vztahu“ lhát i svým nejbližším, pronásledování bulváru a toxicitu na sociálních sítích?
Maisie navíc prostředí Formule 1 připomíná její vlastní závodní kariéru ve sjezdové cyklistice, kterou před pár lety ukončila nehoda. Od té doby nedokáže na kolo nasednout a pomalu se na něj ani podívat, aniž by dostala panický záchvat.
Aby toho nebylo málo, Gio dokáže být okouzlující a laskavý, ale taky chladný, nezdvořilý, arogantní a vzteklý. Nenávidí svého rivala Luca Farrona, ale nedokáže Maisie vysvětlit proč, a stejně tak nesnáší, jak mu všichni předhazují jeho otce, několikanásobného mistra světa, a naznačují, že se do Formule 1 dostal jen kvůli protekci.
Jenni Fletcher píše čtivě a chytlavě, takže knihu slupnete za jeden nebo dva večery. Na plný plyn je postavené na zápletce s napravením image slavného a bohatého závodníka Formule 1 prostřednictvím předstíraného vztahu – jedná se sice o hrozné klišé, pro které mám ale slabost. Přináší slow burn romanci, i když mezi Maisie a Giem to od začátku jiskří. Kvůli věku hlavních hrdinů spadá Na plný plyn mezi new adult romance, ale erotických scén je tu naprosté minimum a nejsou popisné.
Jenni Fletcher do děje zakomponovala i vážnější témata, jako jsou nezpracovaná traumata, úzkosti a panické ataky, zranění při sportu, problematické vztahy s rodiči nebo toxicita na sociálních sítí a tlak bulvárního tisku.
Jenni Fletcher se snaží ukázat zdravé vztahy, ale oběma hrdinům je kolem dvaceti a jejich chování tomu odpovídá. Nezvládají komunikaci, takže mezi nima vznikají různá nedorozumění a třenice. Maisie i Gio se v tom plácají, protože předstíraný vztah se mění ve skutečnou přitažlivost a city, ale ani jeden si to nechce přiznat. Navíc Maisie do toho šla dost neuváženě a naivně, protože si vůbec neuvědomovala, jaký dopad to může mít na její život nebo jak toxičtí a nenávistní dokážou být lidé pod rouškou anonymity na internetu.
Poslední čtvrtina knihy byla až moc emocionální a vyhrocená a celá zápletka s Farronem se dala vyřešit lépe. Chápu, že Gio nemohl Maisie vysvětlit, proč ho tak nesnáší, ale v knize bylo hned několik zodpovědných dospělých, kteří mohli Maisie aspoň varovat. Taky mě iritovaly poznámky „chci to zkusit“ nebo „dejme tomu volný průběh a uvidíme“, protože to kluci říkají, ale žádná dívka se zdravě nastavenýma hranicema by na to neměla přistoupit. Stejně tak ono načasování sexu bylo dost podivné a v reálném životě bych nic podobného nedoporučovala.
Navzdory pár výtkám Na plný plyn přináší čtivou, oddechovou a příjemně nevinou romanci ozvláštněnou atraktivním prostředím Formule 1. Za mě je Na plný plyn ideální čtení (nejenom) na léto.
3,5/5
January 11, 2026
Maisie meets Gio at a party, having no clue who he is. Gio is the bad boy of F1 racing, and needing a bit of a reputation makeover. When their worlds collide, they agree to fake date. Gio’s reputation will improve, and Maisie will gain access to his world of private jets and a fun summer. As sparks fly, they must decide if a relationship is worth potential heartbreak.
I adored the chemistry between Gio and Maisie. Their connection felt electric and genuine, making them together engaging and fun to read. Fletcher did a solid job of bringing the F1 racing world to life, giving readers insight into the dedication, sacrifice, and sheer work it takes to compete at that level. I also liked how Maisie falling into the F1 world allowed her to heal mentally from the injury she had while cycling, and she wants to try again. Watching both characters grow throughout the story, learning about themselves and what truly matters to them, adds true meaning.
I did feel that the single POV held back the story. Being stuck in only Maisie’s head means missing out on Gio’s perspective during crucial moments, which would have added more balance to the story. The third-act break-up felt predictable and unnecessarily dramatic, with both characters making frustrating decisions that seemed designed more to create drama rather than reflect actual character growth.
One important note: this is marketed as YA, but there are a couple low low-spice scenes that push into the new adult realm. It may bother some readers.
This was my first racing moment, and I am excited to check out more! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.
I adored the chemistry between Gio and Maisie. Their connection felt electric and genuine, making them together engaging and fun to read. Fletcher did a solid job of bringing the F1 racing world to life, giving readers insight into the dedication, sacrifice, and sheer work it takes to compete at that level. I also liked how Maisie falling into the F1 world allowed her to heal mentally from the injury she had while cycling, and she wants to try again. Watching both characters grow throughout the story, learning about themselves and what truly matters to them, adds true meaning.
I did feel that the single POV held back the story. Being stuck in only Maisie’s head means missing out on Gio’s perspective during crucial moments, which would have added more balance to the story. The third-act break-up felt predictable and unnecessarily dramatic, with both characters making frustrating decisions that seemed designed more to create drama rather than reflect actual character growth.
One important note: this is marketed as YA, but there are a couple low low-spice scenes that push into the new adult realm. It may bother some readers.
This was my first racing moment, and I am excited to check out more! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.
November 14, 2024
For the first 50-80 pages, I was almost convinced this book would be a 4 ⭐️, but sadly it went downhill from there.
Both Maisie and Gio, who I loved from their first meeting (particularly because of their mutual hobbies/life experiences) became extremely unlikable quickly. Maisie became so incredibly whiny and judgmental of Gio, particulary when she kissed him then instantly accused him of trying to force her into sleeping with him (because she failed to see a second bedroom). Meanwhile, Gio was so quick to jump on the attack and say insulting things, which eventually Maisie started doing too!
For both of them, they'd come to some dramatic conclusion, then instantly blame the other person for it. So, instead of growing as individuals, their character development went completely backwards (besides Maisie overcoming her fear) and left me really disliking them. It was so toxic.
The real killer for this book though, was the writing style. It felt like I was reading a recount of everything Maisie did, including the why (i.e., I asked her because I wanted to know)... no shit, people generally ask questions because they're interested in finding out the answer. As for the intimate scenes, they were written so awkwardly, it sounded frantic and uncomfortable.
By the 80% mark, I started skimreading because the writing became so difficult for me to engage with. Overall, the book had so much promise, but ultimately the characters' backwards development ruined it for me.
Both Maisie and Gio, who I loved from their first meeting (particularly because of their mutual hobbies/life experiences) became extremely unlikable quickly. Maisie became so incredibly whiny and judgmental of Gio, particulary when she kissed him then instantly accused him of trying to force her into sleeping with him (because she failed to see a second bedroom). Meanwhile, Gio was so quick to jump on the attack and say insulting things, which eventually Maisie started doing too!
For both of them, they'd come to some dramatic conclusion, then instantly blame the other person for it. So, instead of growing as individuals, their character development went completely backwards (besides Maisie overcoming her fear) and left me really disliking them. It was so toxic.
The real killer for this book though, was the writing style. It felt like I was reading a recount of everything Maisie did, including the why (i.e., I asked her because I wanted to know)... no shit, people generally ask questions because they're interested in finding out the answer. As for the intimate scenes, they were written so awkwardly, it sounded frantic and uncomfortable.
By the 80% mark, I started skimreading because the writing became so difficult for me to engage with. Overall, the book had so much promise, but ultimately the characters' backwards development ruined it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
He’s the Grid’s resident ‘bad boy’ - wild behaviour off the track causing issues with sponsors. She’s a ‘normal girl’ - university student who used to be a sportswoman herself before she was in an accident.
After their chance meeting at a party (he’s a guest, she’s working catering) they agree to fake date so her can try and rescue his image, and in turn save his seat. The usual fake dating antics ensue, where the feelings become real even though the relationship is supposed to be fake.
I loved the discussions of the races - it was well researched and written in a way that explains the processes for someone who’s not familiar with F1, but not so descriptive it takes us away from the characters. So a perfect ‘starting’ formula one romance, or a good read for someone who isn’t familiar.
Overall they were cute together - Gio raised a few red flags, mainly in the way he responded to certain scenarios, but they made a cute couple and he clearly cared for her. I loved the supporting characters - mainly Maisie’s best friend Eva, I’d totally listen to her podcast!
If you’re looking for a low spice, cute formula one romance this may be the read for you!
After their chance meeting at a party (he’s a guest, she’s working catering) they agree to fake date so her can try and rescue his image, and in turn save his seat. The usual fake dating antics ensue, where the feelings become real even though the relationship is supposed to be fake.
I loved the discussions of the races - it was well researched and written in a way that explains the processes for someone who’s not familiar with F1, but not so descriptive it takes us away from the characters. So a perfect ‘starting’ formula one romance, or a good read for someone who isn’t familiar.
Overall they were cute together - Gio raised a few red flags, mainly in the way he responded to certain scenarios, but they made a cute couple and he clearly cared for her. I loved the supporting characters - mainly Maisie’s best friend Eva, I’d totally listen to her podcast!
If you’re looking for a low spice, cute formula one romance this may be the read for you!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews