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Offtrack #1
Offtrack
Formula One meets
The Hating Game
in this rivals-to-lovers romance between a legacy driver and F1’s first woman driver
Diana Zahrani is Formula One’s first female racing driver this century. All the other drivers are told to race carefully around her, and leave her to her real being a pretty face and good advertising for a hypermasculine sport. But Diana’s not worked this hard her whole life just to be a mascot.
World Championship favourite Miguel de la Fuente is not taking any rookie seriously, let alone a woman. With his first championship win looming, all he has to do is stay focused – and make sure Diana stays out of his way.
But motorsports is a small world, and as Diana and Miguel race their way through the season, they’re forced to face each other again and again. When sparks fly, Miguel and Diana must decide for the sake of their teams where their priorities on track, with the championship, or offtrack, with each other…
Esha Patel previously published a book with these characters under this title – this is a completely rewritten title
Diana Zahrani is Formula One’s first female racing driver this century. All the other drivers are told to race carefully around her, and leave her to her real being a pretty face and good advertising for a hypermasculine sport. But Diana’s not worked this hard her whole life just to be a mascot.
World Championship favourite Miguel de la Fuente is not taking any rookie seriously, let alone a woman. With his first championship win looming, all he has to do is stay focused – and make sure Diana stays out of his way.
But motorsports is a small world, and as Diana and Miguel race their way through the season, they’re forced to face each other again and again. When sparks fly, Miguel and Diana must decide for the sake of their teams where their priorities on track, with the championship, or offtrack, with each other…
Esha Patel previously published a book with these characters under this title – this is a completely rewritten title
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2024
416 people are currently reading
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About the author
Esha Patel
10 books120 followersEsha Patel is a contemporary romance author with a love for diverse romances and empowering stories. She is a full-time college student in the Midwest, and loves spending time with family and friends, dancing, watching sports (Ferrari and Real Madrid are her favorites), and baking lots and lots of stuff that can probably feed multiple eleven-man soccer teams.
Feel free to follow Esha on Instagram and TikTok @eshapatelauthor!
To contact: email at authoreshapatel@gmail.com with any inquiries.
Feel free to follow Esha on Instagram and TikTok @eshapatelauthor!
To contact: email at authoreshapatel@gmail.com with any inquiries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 567 reviews
May 3, 2024
2.05!
Wow! I have no words because no F1 romance book has ever disappointed me like that. I wont go into details but the f1 part that was focused on this book was done well imo, I found myself enjoying those scenes a lot and was actually looking forward to those but was it enough to redeem this book? nope. The writing I would say is one of the reasons I gave it a two, It was very hard to read at times, so hard that I had to skim and I despise skimming. It feltlike it was dragging and then the pace would be normal it switched around that and it was very frustrating to read.
The characters were not it. We barely see any development and honestly I felt no emotions, nothing for these characters...well except hatred towards Nic but the two main characters Miguel and Diana I couldnt feel anything for them and their POVs were sooo boring. The romance part of this book was so disappointing because it was them looking at each other which in one chapter led to them banging but even the banging was disappointing.
I want to give this a one but the f1 part was really well done.
___
Its race day!! so you know the drill :) also thank you to Avon books for giving me an E-Arc of this book :)
Wow! I have no words because no F1 romance book has ever disappointed me like that. I wont go into details but the f1 part that was focused on this book was done well imo, I found myself enjoying those scenes a lot and was actually looking forward to those but was it enough to redeem this book? nope. The writing I would say is one of the reasons I gave it a two, It was very hard to read at times, so hard that I had to skim and I despise skimming. It feltlike it was dragging and then the pace would be normal it switched around that and it was very frustrating to read.
The characters were not it. We barely see any development and honestly I felt no emotions, nothing for these characters...well except hatred towards Nic but the two main characters Miguel and Diana I couldnt feel anything for them and their POVs were sooo boring. The romance part of this book was so disappointing because it was them looking at each other which in one chapter led to them banging but even the banging was disappointing.
I want to give this a one but the f1 part was really well done.
___
Its race day!! so you know the drill :) also thank you to Avon books for giving me an E-Arc of this book :)
March 11, 2025
holy internalised misogyny
December 17, 2023
she didn’t want to overtake the other drivers bc they were…. nice to her??? and she was going to lose the championship for……… a man????
January 23, 2025
everyone shut up you don’t understand what F1 does to me
August 4, 2023
⇢ ˗ˏˋ 2.5★ ࿐ྂ
OK lemme start by saying, I'm a SUCKER for F1. Ask my friends, they can all vouch for me on that. Honestly, the F1 plot was actually not as bad as I thought. I personally had an amazing time reading those parts, that I was legit gonna shit my pants the way I usually do when watching Ferrari in a race. It legit made me nervous, kind of in a similar way an F1 race makes me feel.
Now, let's get to the parts I disliked:
1.the multiple povs
- So, idk what was up with the idea of adding multiple povs. I personally think it was unnecessary. I read a review where it said that the povs kind of gave a Drive to Survive vibe, but I honestly don't see it. The multiple povs and even the number of characters kind of caused me to get lost in some parts while reading the books. On a good note, in terms of the number of characters, it's nowhere near as bad as the book Icebreaker (God, that book was a pain in the ass.) Ik the purpose was to probably give more insight on the different views on a situation, but God I was so lost in some parts.
2.the romance aspect
- Ok, so what exactly was the reason for the romance subplot? I personally didn't sense the chemistry between Diana and Miguel. I seriously thought their relationship was better of as platonic. Their romantic relationship felt more forced in a way that the author may have wanted to create a relationship between the female driver and one of the men on the grid. I loved to see the female empowerment, but I didn't like how it gave the idea that, if a woman were to join F1, she might end up in a relationship with one of the male drivers. Maybe some people enjoyed it, but I'm on the side that felt it was unnecessary and forced. I liked their relationship as friends more because everything felt more "natural" between them, and not awkward and weird.
3.the writing
- Last but not least, the writing. I honestly kinda had a hard time reading a lot of it. The writing style definitely wasn't my favorite, and I personally had a hard time processing the words. It kinda felt chunky in a sense that the words seemed so monotone. It's definitely not my favorite, but I had to tolerate it for the sake of finishing the book.
The main reason why this book got a rating higher than 2 star was mainly because of my love for F1 (yes, im biased). I kind of had high expectations cuz there aren't many F1 books out there. Definitely felt like smacking my head at times, but honestly, it was an okay read overall. This book wasn't my cup of tea, but hopefully, it finds a better audience, and they like it the way I never got the chance to.
OK lemme start by saying, I'm a SUCKER for F1. Ask my friends, they can all vouch for me on that. Honestly, the F1 plot was actually not as bad as I thought. I personally had an amazing time reading those parts, that I was legit gonna shit my pants the way I usually do when watching Ferrari in a race. It legit made me nervous, kind of in a similar way an F1 race makes me feel.
Now, let's get to the parts I disliked:
1.the multiple povs
- So, idk what was up with the idea of adding multiple povs. I personally think it was unnecessary. I read a review where it said that the povs kind of gave a Drive to Survive vibe, but I honestly don't see it. The multiple povs and even the number of characters kind of caused me to get lost in some parts while reading the books. On a good note, in terms of the number of characters, it's nowhere near as bad as the book Icebreaker (God, that book was a pain in the ass.) Ik the purpose was to probably give more insight on the different views on a situation, but God I was so lost in some parts.
2.the romance aspect
- Ok, so what exactly was the reason for the romance subplot? I personally didn't sense the chemistry between Diana and Miguel. I seriously thought their relationship was better of as platonic. Their romantic relationship felt more forced in a way that the author may have wanted to create a relationship between the female driver and one of the men on the grid. I loved to see the female empowerment, but I didn't like how it gave the idea that, if a woman were to join F1, she might end up in a relationship with one of the male drivers. Maybe some people enjoyed it, but I'm on the side that felt it was unnecessary and forced. I liked their relationship as friends more because everything felt more "natural" between them, and not awkward and weird.
3.the writing
- Last but not least, the writing. I honestly kinda had a hard time reading a lot of it. The writing style definitely wasn't my favorite, and I personally had a hard time processing the words. It kinda felt chunky in a sense that the words seemed so monotone. It's definitely not my favorite, but I had to tolerate it for the sake of finishing the book.
The main reason why this book got a rating higher than 2 star was mainly because of my love for F1 (yes, im biased). I kind of had high expectations cuz there aren't many F1 books out there. Definitely felt like smacking my head at times, but honestly, it was an okay read overall. This book wasn't my cup of tea, but hopefully, it finds a better audience, and they like it the way I never got the chance to.
Read
June 20, 2024dnf @ 36%
You know what, this is on me, I knew better
You know what, this is on me, I knew better
August 13, 2024
1.5 stars (this is the 2023 independently published version not the republished version)
not going to lie i expected this book to be a lot better than it was. why did i have to read about 10 peoples pov?? ALSO THE LACK OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EVEN BE SHOWN?? the way they had sm happening in this book that it was way too much and no storyline was fully fleshed out especially the whole jolt trying to screw over paula?? ugh i dont want to hate on this book too much but i really am disappointed by what ive read.
not going to lie i expected this book to be a lot better than it was. why did i have to read about 10 peoples pov?? ALSO THE LACK OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EVEN BE SHOWN?? the way they had sm happening in this book that it was way too much and no storyline was fully fleshed out especially the whole jolt trying to screw over paula?? ugh i dont want to hate on this book too much but i really am disappointed by what ive read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2023
2/5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed the racing & F1 parts of this book, but other than that it was just alright. 😅
The multiple POVs took me in and out of the book and the writing style isn’t for me personally.
I really enjoyed the racing & F1 parts of this book, but other than that it was just alright. 😅
The multiple POVs took me in and out of the book and the writing style isn’t for me personally.
March 30, 2024
She didn't want to overtake the other drivers because they were nice to her? No, thank you. DNFed at 39%
April 16, 2024
Now that I’m finally coherent, thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the e-arc. (note I have deleted my previous review - 4.5 stars - and this is a review for the new version of Offtrack published under Avon Books)
This is the easiest, EASIEST 6 stars I have ever given. I am in awe of what Esha has transformed this book into. hand on heart speechless. So much love and care has gone into this re-write and I genuinely feel like readers have been listened to. I feel such an overwhelming surge of pride that I’ve watched the previous indie book turn into this.
It was phenomenal. It’s high stakes, action-packed, emotional, diverse, hilarious and powerful. If you love seeing women succeed, you’ll love this. If you love f1, you’ll love this. If you love reading about two people destined for eachother, you’ll love this.
This felt like coming home. It felt so raw, so real. When summer break was mentioned, I was filled with dread because I knew that meant i didn’t have much of the book left. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to step into the pages and live with these characters.
I laughed alongside Diyana and Mig, I cried with them, I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what happened.
Esha’s writing is amazing, to make you feel as if you’re in the moment, right there with the characters - whether that’s on the racetrack, on the podium or in a hotel room - now that’s talent.
This is the easiest, EASIEST 6 stars I have ever given. I am in awe of what Esha has transformed this book into. hand on heart speechless. So much love and care has gone into this re-write and I genuinely feel like readers have been listened to. I feel such an overwhelming surge of pride that I’ve watched the previous indie book turn into this.
It was phenomenal. It’s high stakes, action-packed, emotional, diverse, hilarious and powerful. If you love seeing women succeed, you’ll love this. If you love f1, you’ll love this. If you love reading about two people destined for eachother, you’ll love this.
This felt like coming home. It felt so raw, so real. When summer break was mentioned, I was filled with dread because I knew that meant i didn’t have much of the book left. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to step into the pages and live with these characters.
I laughed alongside Diyana and Mig, I cried with them, I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what happened.
Esha’s writing is amazing, to make you feel as if you’re in the moment, right there with the characters - whether that’s on the racetrack, on the podium or in a hotel room - now that’s talent.
December 30, 2024
if i talked about everything i dislike in this book we’d be here a century. but the main points:
1) why do the characters have personality transplants every few chapters
2) do we need direct quotes from f1 radio and to directly name characters after dead drivers? idts
3) it was just so unrealistic like it’s fiction it’s not supposed to be super realistic but like i felt like every aspect of this book was so poorly structured
update: i have sussed out the drivers the mcs are based on and now feel sufficiently ill.
update: i decided to talk about all the things I hate about this book.
I am newer to formula one and one of the things I thought would be fun during one of those extremely cute 3 week breaks during the season, would be to read F1 fiction. I thought 'wow! what a nice way to fill the hole in my life!' How epically and incredibly wrong I was. I follow a rating scale where I really only give a book 1 star if its existence is personally offensive to me, and unfortunately, this hit that resoundingly. I was so excited to read a book about a female racer and I wanted to see all of the complexities with that. Diana had the complexity of a saltine. Her one issue in life was that she was a woman and that made her life difficult. Like yes! It is hard to be a woman in a male dominated sport! It is hard to get respect! But like WHY is that your ONLY personality trait. Everything bad that happens to her is because she is a woman. It felt like such a cop out when the premise sets you up to actually explore things. Like stigma doesn't exist purely because women exist, there are gendered expectations that contribute to a stereotype. What is the drive for this character. Also, you are telling me that this rookie was signed at a top team without any development in their academy and immediately is successful? Like it immediately takes you out because it is SO unrealistic. But this wasn't even my biggest issue like if this was the only thing wrong with this book it would've been 3 stars probably.
The biggest issue? Literally every character in this book has the worst characterization known to man. You mean to tell me that Miguel goes from being chill and not wanting to party to a borderline alcoholic in like a week? That other dude, whose name is utterly forgettable, is friends with everyone and known as a good guy and then, again, in one race weekend, becomes a douchebag, and then after months of being shit, immediately flips back and everyone accepted it. Like??? Are your characters schizophrenic or something? What? Also, WHERE did Miguel and Diana's feelings come from. It went from mutual respect to "we've been in love since we were children" in a single chapter. My guy, you did not REMEMEBER that you met as children until your MOTHER showed you pictures like do not claim to be in love with someone and you can't remember them. Especially if we go back to the whole lack of women in motorsports, wouldn't have been a memorable experience to have that one random girl show up at karting races and podium with you when literally no other female existed in your career ever. Miguel also says randomly sexist things about women in motorsport in his internal monologue and goes "but i'm not a misogynist because my sister is my race engineer!" Like bffr. And then that dude whose crash opens the first chapter? Where is he? Why was he never again mentioned? If this man was SO important to you that you run to a monastery to find your FIANCE who you were betrothed to at SIXTEEN (a whole issue of its own) WHY do you only have like one on page conversation with this man and never once think of him again.
Ok and then the weird child engagement. Like?? Where did that come from? Every characterization of Miguel's family completely makes no sense with this plot. You could've just had him not be engaged and it would have made zero impact on the plot because this was the most pointless part of the story. His fiancé did nothing except dump him, leading to an alcoholic spiral, when he didn't even LIKE her! WHY.
All of this with terrible writing make this a bad book. But what makes it offensive? The lack of creativity. If you want to write f1 fiction maybe make it so that I don't guess every single driver every character is based on within .2 seconds. And THEN you use real radio from races, including some form ACTUAL CRASHES like that isn't insensitive. Like you mean to tell me you couldn't find the original words to describe something that you directly lifted from race commentary and radio messages and thought no one would notice? I've been watching this sport for not even a calendar year and I immediately clocked that shit what do you MEAN. Snd then writing a dead man into your book as a plot device? Like that is disgusting and disrespectful to that man, his family, and any of his loved ones.
This book may be the worst thing I've ever read, which is saying something, because I read the bonus mini divergent novella where Four gets together with Christina. I cannot think of a single likable part of this book. If you want to read it? Don't. You will be happier. Life will be brighter. This book is by FAR the worst thing I've come across that is formula 1 related. Anyways, if you've made it this far, you are a trooper, bless you. Please give me better F1 recs thank you.
ok thanks bye
1) why do the characters have personality transplants every few chapters
2) do we need direct quotes from f1 radio and to directly name characters after dead drivers? idts
3) it was just so unrealistic like it’s fiction it’s not supposed to be super realistic but like i felt like every aspect of this book was so poorly structured
update: i have sussed out the drivers the mcs are based on and now feel sufficiently ill.
update: i decided to talk about all the things I hate about this book.
I am newer to formula one and one of the things I thought would be fun during one of those extremely cute 3 week breaks during the season, would be to read F1 fiction. I thought 'wow! what a nice way to fill the hole in my life!' How epically and incredibly wrong I was. I follow a rating scale where I really only give a book 1 star if its existence is personally offensive to me, and unfortunately, this hit that resoundingly. I was so excited to read a book about a female racer and I wanted to see all of the complexities with that. Diana had the complexity of a saltine. Her one issue in life was that she was a woman and that made her life difficult. Like yes! It is hard to be a woman in a male dominated sport! It is hard to get respect! But like WHY is that your ONLY personality trait. Everything bad that happens to her is because she is a woman. It felt like such a cop out when the premise sets you up to actually explore things. Like stigma doesn't exist purely because women exist, there are gendered expectations that contribute to a stereotype. What is the drive for this character. Also, you are telling me that this rookie was signed at a top team without any development in their academy and immediately is successful? Like it immediately takes you out because it is SO unrealistic. But this wasn't even my biggest issue like if this was the only thing wrong with this book it would've been 3 stars probably.
The biggest issue? Literally every character in this book has the worst characterization known to man. You mean to tell me that Miguel goes from being chill and not wanting to party to a borderline alcoholic in like a week? That other dude, whose name is utterly forgettable, is friends with everyone and known as a good guy and then, again, in one race weekend, becomes a douchebag, and then after months of being shit, immediately flips back and everyone accepted it. Like??? Are your characters schizophrenic or something? What? Also, WHERE did Miguel and Diana's feelings come from. It went from mutual respect to "we've been in love since we were children" in a single chapter. My guy, you did not REMEMEBER that you met as children until your MOTHER showed you pictures like do not claim to be in love with someone and you can't remember them. Especially if we go back to the whole lack of women in motorsports, wouldn't have been a memorable experience to have that one random girl show up at karting races and podium with you when literally no other female existed in your career ever. Miguel also says randomly sexist things about women in motorsport in his internal monologue and goes "but i'm not a misogynist because my sister is my race engineer!" Like bffr. And then that dude whose crash opens the first chapter? Where is he? Why was he never again mentioned? If this man was SO important to you that you run to a monastery to find your FIANCE who you were betrothed to at SIXTEEN (a whole issue of its own) WHY do you only have like one on page conversation with this man and never once think of him again.
Ok and then the weird child engagement. Like?? Where did that come from? Every characterization of Miguel's family completely makes no sense with this plot. You could've just had him not be engaged and it would have made zero impact on the plot because this was the most pointless part of the story. His fiancé did nothing except dump him, leading to an alcoholic spiral, when he didn't even LIKE her! WHY.
All of this with terrible writing make this a bad book. But what makes it offensive? The lack of creativity. If you want to write f1 fiction maybe make it so that I don't guess every single driver every character is based on within .2 seconds. And THEN you use real radio from races, including some form ACTUAL CRASHES like that isn't insensitive. Like you mean to tell me you couldn't find the original words to describe something that you directly lifted from race commentary and radio messages and thought no one would notice? I've been watching this sport for not even a calendar year and I immediately clocked that shit what do you MEAN. Snd then writing a dead man into your book as a plot device? Like that is disgusting and disrespectful to that man, his family, and any of his loved ones.
This book may be the worst thing I've ever read, which is saying something, because I read the bonus mini divergent novella where Four gets together with Christina. I cannot think of a single likable part of this book. If you want to read it? Don't. You will be happier. Life will be brighter. This book is by FAR the worst thing I've come across that is formula 1 related. Anyways, if you've made it this far, you are a trooper, bless you. Please give me better F1 recs thank you.
ok thanks bye
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
Not only was there too many different characters povs, can’t say I felt any of the chemistry between any of the characters and honestly don’t know why we’re suppose to be rooting for a cheater? Also im all for women in f1 but winning in your first year? I think not 🤷♀️ Also also I have beef with every character. Every single one of them.
May 15, 2024
whoever said this was good is a bloody liar
September 22, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
fuck the romance. the racing was epic!!!!!
fuck the romance. the racing was epic!!!!!
December 6, 2025
Úfff, formulan sjalf var… fín en hvað er i gangi með pacing og svona???? Og personusköpun??? Uff mæli gegn. Ætla að finna betri formulubók🤝
Hvað varð lika um það að kunna að skrifa um atvinnukonur? Like what?
Hvað varð lika um það að kunna að skrifa um atvinnukonur? Like what?
August 15, 2024
I love you so fucking much and I am glad to have you in my life as my long distance desi friend 🥺🥺
OMG reading this book was like experiencing #drivetosurvive but just in text form, it takes a while to get a hang of all the characters since the premise of F1 often has a lot of side character but once you start recalling all the main/important side characters this book is something you won’t be able to put down…
The slow burn was burning and I was like please please please I won’t be able to take it anymore 😩😩
I loved the Rise of Diana in the F1 world 🏎️❤️ SHE IS THE QUEEN, THE “DANGER”
OMG reading this book was like experiencing #drivetosurvive but just in text form, it takes a while to get a hang of all the characters since the premise of F1 often has a lot of side character but once you start recalling all the main/important side characters this book is something you won’t be able to put down…
The slow burn was burning and I was like please please please I won’t be able to take it anymore 😩😩
I loved the Rise of Diana in the F1 world 🏎️❤️ SHE IS THE QUEEN, THE “DANGER”
May 19, 2024
Gosh this was so boring. This was an F1 book with a hint of “romance”
Listen if you love F1 you’ll love those parts of the book, however I wanted to focus on the romance and 200 pages in to a 360 book and they hadn’t hugged or kissed or gone on a date or anything!!
The whole book is them on the race track or in a press conference, you didn’t see them at all out side of the racing world. They had no personality and no character development
Listen if you love F1 you’ll love those parts of the book, however I wanted to focus on the romance and 200 pages in to a 360 book and they hadn’t hugged or kissed or gone on a date or anything!!
The whole book is them on the race track or in a press conference, you didn’t see them at all out side of the racing world. They had no personality and no character development
January 8, 2024
Was going to be 2 stars, but the ending bumped it to 3. This book has taught me that maybe I have more internalized misogyny I have to work through
January 30, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I liked the plot, the romance was a bit boring to me. If you don't like F1, this definitely won't appeal (but I just so happen to like it, so that was a major perk).
Also Jolt being Red Bull coded and also being the villains is so funny to me bc that's so real
I liked the plot, the romance was a bit boring to me. If you don't like F1, this definitely won't appeal (but I just so happen to like it, so that was a major perk).
Also Jolt being Red Bull coded and also being the villains is so funny to me bc that's so real
April 26, 2024
OLD REVIEW HAS BEEN REMOVED ~~
A big thanks to both Esha & Avon Books for gifting me an ARC so I can fall in love with Miguel and Diana all over again.
My review stems from the fact Esha is a close friend, however, before I was her friend I was her fan! This book proves why. What you’ve turned this into is a pure passion project— you listened to every piece of feedback given and made Offtrack even better than it was before.
I love feeling Esha’s passion for the sport in every word on the page. A key in writing a strong sports-oriented book is to actually enjoy the sport yourself. I am going to be over the moon having a copy of the traditionally published version in my hands.
Comparing how much has improved from self-pub to now in just a few months has been stunning. I can’t be more proud and in love with the new version Esha has created.
So thrilled to see what she has up her sleeve next.
A big thanks to both Esha & Avon Books for gifting me an ARC so I can fall in love with Miguel and Diana all over again.
My review stems from the fact Esha is a close friend, however, before I was her friend I was her fan! This book proves why. What you’ve turned this into is a pure passion project— you listened to every piece of feedback given and made Offtrack even better than it was before.
I love feeling Esha’s passion for the sport in every word on the page. A key in writing a strong sports-oriented book is to actually enjoy the sport yourself. I am going to be over the moon having a copy of the traditionally published version in my hands.
Comparing how much has improved from self-pub to now in just a few months has been stunning. I can’t be more proud and in love with the new version Esha has created.
So thrilled to see what she has up her sleeve next.
July 29, 2024
I fear I was spoilt by my previous two sport romance reads as this one didn’t hit how I expected it to from reading the blurb. It’s advertised as rivals to lovers but the rivalry is simply track based, it’s just like any other dynamic on the current Formula One grid: friends off track, enemies on it. I’m glad that the F1 elements were accurate but it just felt like logistics upon logistics, race to media to race to media and nothing else for a long while. I jumped for joy when the pace picked up towards the end and all the characters got a bit more personality off track but the lack of setup earlier in the book meant I had to keep checking who side characters were and the third act twist had zero impact. I appreciated how the story tackled the issue of women not being properly welcomed to the motorsports space but apart from that it fell really flat.
October 22, 2024
I’ll be honest, I had higher hopes. This just didn’t hit at all. I definitely skimmed the last quarter of it but I still consider that reading because nothing interesting happened at all so I pretty much got the gist of it.
I didn’t realize how much I hate F1 romances until now because this entire book was just about racing and I just realized that I don’t give a fu** about F1 and that’s on me. This was probably one of the most boring books I read this year. It basically wasn’t even a romance like we rarely got any romantic scenes and I felt like the characters had no development and I didn’t know anything about them.
So all in all, I would not recommend if you get bored easily
I didn’t realize how much I hate F1 romances until now because this entire book was just about racing and I just realized that I don’t give a fu** about F1 and that’s on me. This was probably one of the most boring books I read this year. It basically wasn’t even a romance like we rarely got any romantic scenes and I felt like the characters had no development and I didn’t know anything about them.
So all in all, I would not recommend if you get bored easily
May 11, 2024
Unfortunately this book is a dnf at 34%
For some reason I just couldn’t get into the book no matter how hard I tried. I just didn’t know what I was reading, it just felt very forced with the F1 aspect and I’m just disappointed because I thought I would love it. This book wasn’t for me
For some reason I just couldn’t get into the book no matter how hard I tried. I just didn’t know what I was reading, it just felt very forced with the F1 aspect and I’m just disappointed because I thought I would love it. This book wasn’t for me
January 22, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Avon publishing for this ARC copy!
It took me a while to get into this book but after I did I ended up loving it! I loved the romance, and felt my heart racing throughout all of the racing scenes. I love the forbidden romance trope, and love the idea of being in love with someone but not letting them win just because you love them. I have never read a F1 romance before so this was a great way to get into it!
It took me a while to get into this book but after I did I ended up loving it! I loved the romance, and felt my heart racing throughout all of the racing scenes. I love the forbidden romance trope, and love the idea of being in love with someone but not letting them win just because you love them. I have never read a F1 romance before so this was a great way to get into it!
July 3, 2024
UPDATE: Bought the new officially published version, so hoping it'll change my mind.
2,5 ⭐️
From the moment I found the author's TikTok, I've wanted to read Offtrack. It was promoted as a romance set in my favorite sport. The kind of books that I adore to devour during the off season, like I did a while back with Lauren Asher's books. It wasn't like that though.
I've grown up watching F1 from pretty much the first weekend I was alive (there's legit a picture). My dad loves this sport and I've known no life without it, loving it just as much as he does. There are a lot of inaccuracies here (as in most F1 romances), which could've been solved with some research. Like, F1 drivers know what's happening in F2, especially if a girl would win it. Or Miguel would remember her from his karting days and it was not too long ago. Another one being that they can't hide their injuries, because medical staff checks them out. Engineers don't tell them when to overtake, or how to do so... And these are just a few off the top of my head.
The author's note, as well, kind of left a weird taste in my mouth. I want to see a women in F1 too and while what Patel quoted is correct, it seemed liked the whole of F1 - including all those in it, drivers and teammembers alike - are against women. That's not the case as cleary seen in the success of F1 Academy. Red Bull Racing have been giving women a chance in the past as well, treating them like they did all their other drivers. None have made it yet, but neither did a lot of the guys they sponsored. Same for Alfa Romeo Racing.
Anyhow, onto the actual review.
I'll start of with the thing I enjoyed most: the world building. Patel perfectly showed the different cultures of both the characters and the tracks they visited. It gave me an unique point of view on the places I haven't visited (yet). The teams were fun to discover too. There were some clear resemblances to the real teams and it was fun to guess which ones were a source of inspiration.
Onto the things that bothered me: the writing. When an author self-publishes a book, I don't mind occasional grammar and spelling mistakes. It's absolutely normal and it doesn't annoy me that much 'cause I appreciate the hard work that has gone into it.
However, this book seems to be promoted as a dual pov, but we got a multiple first person povs instead. It was too much at times. I enjoy the suspense of a dual pov, especially when a lot's going on in a book, like this one. I didn't need to know the thoughts of certain side characters. The voices mixed together as well, making them feel less unique.
The characters. I adore Miguel. He has his flaws but he reminds me of so many of my fave racers in motorsport in general. I feel his character went slightly down the drain toward the later chapters though. Which brings me to Diyana. I liked reading her chapters, but at times, I couldn't stand her. I feel like many people watching this sport, see women in motorsport as your typical girl who has to be brave and tough to make it in this vile world, which comes off as your typical pick-me girI.
I fear this isn't the mindset most in real life racers have. The current known women like Sophia Florsch, Martha Garcia or Jessica Hawkins are strong women, but they all have the mindset of race car drivers. They drive to win and they'll do anything to win! Just like the male drivers do. Focussing on what sets them apart is the exact take why it's gone wrong in media for them. They are the same like those surrounding them. It's what makes them just as great. It's what made the Iron Dames win in WEC, what made Sophia score points in F3, made women win rally races.
The main relationship. I adored Miguel and Diyana together, so the ending left me a little disappointed. They had so much chemistry and it went down the drain because of something out of their hands. The ending in general felt unrealistic to me and slightly rushed.
To wrap this up, I expected more. I had high hopes, and not many were fulfilled. Will I read book 2? I don't know yet. I like the world building and I adore Miguel and want to see where his story goes, but I don't know if it's enough. We'll see when book 2 comes out.
2,5 ⭐️
From the moment I found the author's TikTok, I've wanted to read Offtrack. It was promoted as a romance set in my favorite sport. The kind of books that I adore to devour during the off season, like I did a while back with Lauren Asher's books. It wasn't like that though.
I've grown up watching F1 from pretty much the first weekend I was alive (there's legit a picture). My dad loves this sport and I've known no life without it, loving it just as much as he does. There are a lot of inaccuracies here (as in most F1 romances), which could've been solved with some research. Like, F1 drivers know what's happening in F2, especially if a girl would win it. Or Miguel would remember her from his karting days and it was not too long ago. Another one being that they can't hide their injuries, because medical staff checks them out. Engineers don't tell them when to overtake, or how to do so... And these are just a few off the top of my head.
The author's note, as well, kind of left a weird taste in my mouth. I want to see a women in F1 too and while what Patel quoted is correct, it seemed liked the whole of F1 - including all those in it, drivers and teammembers alike - are against women. That's not the case as cleary seen in the success of F1 Academy. Red Bull Racing have been giving women a chance in the past as well, treating them like they did all their other drivers. None have made it yet, but neither did a lot of the guys they sponsored. Same for Alfa Romeo Racing.
Anyhow, onto the actual review.
I'll start of with the thing I enjoyed most: the world building. Patel perfectly showed the different cultures of both the characters and the tracks they visited. It gave me an unique point of view on the places I haven't visited (yet). The teams were fun to discover too. There were some clear resemblances to the real teams and it was fun to guess which ones were a source of inspiration.
Onto the things that bothered me: the writing. When an author self-publishes a book, I don't mind occasional grammar and spelling mistakes. It's absolutely normal and it doesn't annoy me that much 'cause I appreciate the hard work that has gone into it.
However, this book seems to be promoted as a dual pov, but we got a multiple first person povs instead. It was too much at times. I enjoy the suspense of a dual pov, especially when a lot's going on in a book, like this one. I didn't need to know the thoughts of certain side characters. The voices mixed together as well, making them feel less unique.
The characters. I adore Miguel. He has his flaws but he reminds me of so many of my fave racers in motorsport in general. I feel his character went slightly down the drain toward the later chapters though. Which brings me to Diyana. I liked reading her chapters, but at times, I couldn't stand her. I feel like many people watching this sport, see women in motorsport as your typical girl who has to be brave and tough to make it in this vile world, which comes off as your typical pick-me girI.
I fear this isn't the mindset most in real life racers have. The current known women like Sophia Florsch, Martha Garcia or Jessica Hawkins are strong women, but they all have the mindset of race car drivers. They drive to win and they'll do anything to win! Just like the male drivers do. Focussing on what sets them apart is the exact take why it's gone wrong in media for them. They are the same like those surrounding them. It's what makes them just as great. It's what made the Iron Dames win in WEC, what made Sophia score points in F3, made women win rally races.
The main relationship. I adored Miguel and Diyana together, so the ending left me a little disappointed. They had so much chemistry and it went down the drain because of something out of their hands. The ending in general felt unrealistic to me and slightly rushed.
To wrap this up, I expected more. I had high hopes, and not many were fulfilled. Will I read book 2? I don't know yet. I like the world building and I adore Miguel and want to see where his story goes, but I don't know if it's enough. We'll see when book 2 comes out.
May 15, 2024
This is a very very very very very generous 2.25 - 2.5 star rating from me. When I saw this book I was fully committed to dive further into my sports romance era, but damn.
I wanted to DNF twice: once at 30% and then again at 80%.
After I finished this book, I went back to read the synopsis just to make sure I was remembering it correctly and yes, it does say “enemies to lovers romance”. Unfortunately, this book is, by any means, not an enemies-to-lovers, not even a rivals-to-lovers, story. And, in my humble opinion, calling this a romance is kind of a stretch.
The pacing might have been my biggest issue, because it made zero sense to me, whether it was from chapter to chapter or even within a chapter. Would have loved some time (and location) indicators.
As much sense Miguel and Diana may make as a couple, they barely spent any (quality) time together until boom, they gave in into their attraction to each other and suddenly are a couple.
There was a lot (and when I say a lot, I really mean a lot) of focus on the F1 part, which the F1 girlies might appreciate. But it did come at the cost of the romance part of the story.
Up until 60%, the two leads barely had any moments to connect and liking each other was communicated through looks, shy smiles and blushing. Yeah, that's kinda cute but also ? I need soooome more communication.
Who I didn’t understand was Jatziry’s character. She was barely there, spoke maybe 5 sentences and really didn’t add anything valuable to the subplot or Miguel’s character arc. I feel like this space could have been used to develop the relationship with Diana, or really any other character for that matter.
The 3rd-act-breakup was pure audacity, really. Smh.
What I did appreciate was the really well portrayed international level F1 has as well as the sexism and misogyny Diana faced, being the only female driver in F1. However, while the approach in the book was probably the more realistic one, I wish there would have been more confrontation on that front from Diana and especially so from Miguel's sister. A missed opportunity, because why create a character like Miguel's sister, who was determinate to change F1, then have someone like Diana enter the scene just for them two not properly cross path in any way?
The author profile is a 10/10 though.
(I did read some reviews mentioning the writing and the multiple povs. The writing for me was fine, by any means not bad or horrible. And the version I read had only two povs: Miguel and Diana.)
Thank you Avon for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I wanted to DNF twice: once at 30% and then again at 80%.
After I finished this book, I went back to read the synopsis just to make sure I was remembering it correctly and yes, it does say “enemies to lovers romance”. Unfortunately, this book is, by any means, not an enemies-to-lovers, not even a rivals-to-lovers, story. And, in my humble opinion, calling this a romance is kind of a stretch.
The pacing might have been my biggest issue, because it made zero sense to me, whether it was from chapter to chapter or even within a chapter. Would have loved some time (and location) indicators.
As much sense Miguel and Diana may make as a couple, they barely spent any (quality) time together until boom, they gave in into their attraction to each other and suddenly are a couple.
There was a lot (and when I say a lot, I really mean a lot) of focus on the F1 part, which the F1 girlies might appreciate. But it did come at the cost of the romance part of the story.
Up until 60%, the two leads barely had any moments to connect and liking each other was communicated through looks, shy smiles and blushing. Yeah, that's kinda cute but also ? I need soooome more communication.
Who I didn’t understand was Jatziry’s character. She was barely there, spoke maybe 5 sentences and really didn’t add anything valuable to the subplot or Miguel’s character arc. I feel like this space could have been used to develop the relationship with Diana, or really any other character for that matter.
The 3rd-act-breakup was pure audacity, really. Smh.
What I did appreciate was the really well portrayed international level F1 has as well as the sexism and misogyny Diana faced, being the only female driver in F1. However, while the approach in the book was probably the more realistic one, I wish there would have been more confrontation on that front from Diana and especially so from Miguel's sister. A missed opportunity, because why create a character like Miguel's sister, who was determinate to change F1, then have someone like Diana enter the scene just for them two not properly cross path in any way?
The author profile is a 10/10 though.
(I did read some reviews mentioning the writing and the multiple povs. The writing for me was fine, by any means not bad or horrible. And the version I read had only two povs: Miguel and Diana.)
Thank you Avon for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 1, 2025
EDIT: I just found out I read the 2023, independently published version of this book. So take this review with a grain of salt.
Buckle up because this is going to be a long ass ride
The amount of internalized misogyny in this book is STAGGERING, and I decided early on (ie chapter 1) that I would highlight all instances and add them to my review once I was done reading it.
Before we get into the misogyny of it all: I will not even comment on how unrealistic this book is, I will not comment on how many POVs this book has (seven). I will not comment on the complete lack of LGBTQ characters (women are all of a sudden part of the sport, but not one person out of 20 drivers is queer? Okay).
I WOULD like to demand compensation for the use of Charles Leclerc’s Monaco 2022 strategy. As a Lecfosa, that deserved a trigger warning.
Now, let’s get into it
There was a large sector of adorers that arose from the Formula 1 streaming docuseries as well, and these tended to lean towards the young female demographic.
This comment comes from the only female race engineer on the grid. I think it’s important to note that the author claims to have become a Formula 1 fan thanks to said streaming docuseries, which she only started watching two years prior the writing of this book.
WAGs are belittled and insulted throughout the entire book. I don’t really give a fuck about WAGs, but do we have to perpetuate the stereotype that they are all gold-digging bimbos?
Belén, Eddie’s wife, was a sweet woman, angel of the paddocks filled with snappy, resentful girlfriends. (From the MMC’s sister, the first woman race engineer in the paddock)
I realized too late the words that escaped my mouth and clapped a hand over it. Quiet, Ziry! Complacent fiancée! Lord, I could not discipline myself. (From the MMC’s fiancée, who he has been engaged to since they were children - their parents struck the deal, using the actual word “betrothed” in the year of our lord 2023)
she wore a Jolt hoodie and black yoga pants, less common among some of the principals’ daughters I’d seen prancing around.
Now more than ever, he was swarmed by the daughters and sisters of influential sponsors.
(Because the only reason women would be in the paddock is if they are daughters of team bosses or sponsors)
Andrea Russo’s latest girlfriend, a well-known British supermodel by the name of Cassandra Cavendish who was, Miguel, said, “on-brand” for Andrea’s taste: raven-haired and airheaded. (No further comment)
The reporter laughed slightly obnoxiously. She was dressed to the nines, decked out in a hot pink pantsuit and Louboutins. I’d seen her earlier in the day, doing a little too much bicep grabbing with the Heidelberg guys, which had made me think she was one of the WAGs—wives and girlfriends—meant to be kicked back in the paddock rather than armed with a mic on the pit wall. (From our FMC, first and only female driver, who cannot fathom that some WAGs might have jobs, or that journalists may be friendly with the people they see every single week nine months of the year)
At the start of the book, the MMC is engaged to a woman named Jatziry. They were betrothed by their parents when they were 16, and only start actually dating as the novel begins.
My mother taught me how to set tables and serve fancy dinners, how to dress and walk and talk. Catholic school versed me in religion and a woman’s role in Spanish society. To be pure, to uphold values and live by the Word. Poise, silence, obedience, all the virtues of a good wife.
“This is my obligation to Jatziry,” said Miguel through gritted teeth. “You shouldn’t judge something greater than ourselves. This is our legacy.” “I am your sister, Miguel.” “And Jatziry will be my wife,” he fired back so quickly it seemed instinctive. “Watch what you say, Paula.”
2023 or 1923? The world will never know
They unsurprisingly break up early on, and Jatziry goes on to date another driver (the MMC’s best friend turned enemy). She of course hates the FMC and blames her for the break up:
it was not only racing but also she who had taken Miguel from me.
Across from us, Diana stood, calculating all of this bit by bit, sharp gaze suddenly that of a scared child’s, perhaps even pained by my simple gesture of territorial affection. He’s taken. Look elsewhere.
The FMC kindly explains to us the unspoken rules of being a WAG (which she would know, being… the only woman driver?), and how Jatziry has violated them by returning to the paddock as, lo and behold, the girlfriend of another driver. The scandal!! (No one aside from her has anything to say about this, and if they did, we would know, given that there are seven different POVs in this book)
When a woman had either broken up with her driver or been broken up with by her driver (or partook in a mutual dumping, very rarely the case), she disappeared from the section of the paddocks reserved for the rest of the WAGs—the coveted Wives and Girlfriends. Perhaps she attended a GP with her new beau or attended solo in a statement of independence restored anew. But never, never, did she return to the motorhomes as another driver’s lady love.
Of course, as a driver, the FMC is allowed to date two of her fellow drivers in the span of six months into her F1 career. God forbid the women who are not actually involved in the sport whatsoever do it too.
Our history making FMC is a textbook pick me girl. All the drivers are in love with her, she wears make up but is so much more beautiful without it, and-
It was a nice dress my team had helped me find, but I didn’t care all that much about it, of course.
She’s also randomly accused of witchcraft
Someone once started a rumor that my applying kohl to the car had to do with black magic of some sort when I was karting, which not only led to the Saudi religious police attempting to hunt me down for witchcraft (among many other alleged offenses) but also an eternal blemish on my name.
She’s wanted to win a championship since she was a child, has been racing for 10 years, but she feels bad about overtaking other drivers because they are… nice?
So many of these people have been so kind to me. Why does overtaking them just feel . . . wrong?
Not only that, she was ready to throw it all away, to sacrifice her career for the MMC, after dating him for barely a month.
I would sacrifice myself for you.
The 19 male drivers are warned to drive safely around the woman rookie:
Pole. Don’t hit the lady. Got it.
They don’t talk to her like they would to their peers, of course, lest they hurt her fragile woman spirit
Once, some kid streaked through the halls naked with a bong in one hand and a blunt in the other. I wanted to tell Diana, but then I thought again and realized it would be too much for the poor thing.
I’m gonna wrap it up now. I have so many highlighted passages, I wish I could share them all, but I think I have made my point. Formula 1 is a sexist sport, but there was no need to enforce that narrative through your own female characters’ internal monologues.
I said that I wasn’t going to touch upon how unrealistic or inaccurate this book is to Formula 1 as a sport, and I will not, but oh, could I.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations. Leave a comment so we can commiserate on this book further together.
Buckle up because this is going to be a long ass ride
The amount of internalized misogyny in this book is STAGGERING, and I decided early on (ie chapter 1) that I would highlight all instances and add them to my review once I was done reading it.
Before we get into the misogyny of it all: I will not even comment on how unrealistic this book is, I will not comment on how many POVs this book has (seven). I will not comment on the complete lack of LGBTQ characters (women are all of a sudden part of the sport, but not one person out of 20 drivers is queer? Okay).
I WOULD like to demand compensation for the use of Charles Leclerc’s Monaco 2022 strategy. As a Lecfosa, that deserved a trigger warning.
Now, let’s get into it
There was a large sector of adorers that arose from the Formula 1 streaming docuseries as well, and these tended to lean towards the young female demographic.
This comment comes from the only female race engineer on the grid. I think it’s important to note that the author claims to have become a Formula 1 fan thanks to said streaming docuseries, which she only started watching two years prior the writing of this book.
WAGs are belittled and insulted throughout the entire book. I don’t really give a fuck about WAGs, but do we have to perpetuate the stereotype that they are all gold-digging bimbos?
Belén, Eddie’s wife, was a sweet woman, angel of the paddocks filled with snappy, resentful girlfriends. (From the MMC’s sister, the first woman race engineer in the paddock)
I realized too late the words that escaped my mouth and clapped a hand over it. Quiet, Ziry! Complacent fiancée! Lord, I could not discipline myself. (From the MMC’s fiancée, who he has been engaged to since they were children - their parents struck the deal, using the actual word “betrothed” in the year of our lord 2023)
she wore a Jolt hoodie and black yoga pants, less common among some of the principals’ daughters I’d seen prancing around.
Now more than ever, he was swarmed by the daughters and sisters of influential sponsors.
(Because the only reason women would be in the paddock is if they are daughters of team bosses or sponsors)
Andrea Russo’s latest girlfriend, a well-known British supermodel by the name of Cassandra Cavendish who was, Miguel, said, “on-brand” for Andrea’s taste: raven-haired and airheaded. (No further comment)
The reporter laughed slightly obnoxiously. She was dressed to the nines, decked out in a hot pink pantsuit and Louboutins. I’d seen her earlier in the day, doing a little too much bicep grabbing with the Heidelberg guys, which had made me think she was one of the WAGs—wives and girlfriends—meant to be kicked back in the paddock rather than armed with a mic on the pit wall. (From our FMC, first and only female driver, who cannot fathom that some WAGs might have jobs, or that journalists may be friendly with the people they see every single week nine months of the year)
At the start of the book, the MMC is engaged to a woman named Jatziry. They were betrothed by their parents when they were 16, and only start actually dating as the novel begins.
My mother taught me how to set tables and serve fancy dinners, how to dress and walk and talk. Catholic school versed me in religion and a woman’s role in Spanish society. To be pure, to uphold values and live by the Word. Poise, silence, obedience, all the virtues of a good wife.
“This is my obligation to Jatziry,” said Miguel through gritted teeth. “You shouldn’t judge something greater than ourselves. This is our legacy.” “I am your sister, Miguel.” “And Jatziry will be my wife,” he fired back so quickly it seemed instinctive. “Watch what you say, Paula.”
2023 or 1923? The world will never know
They unsurprisingly break up early on, and Jatziry goes on to date another driver (the MMC’s best friend turned enemy). She of course hates the FMC and blames her for the break up:
it was not only racing but also she who had taken Miguel from me.
Across from us, Diana stood, calculating all of this bit by bit, sharp gaze suddenly that of a scared child’s, perhaps even pained by my simple gesture of territorial affection. He’s taken. Look elsewhere.
The FMC kindly explains to us the unspoken rules of being a WAG (which she would know, being… the only woman driver?), and how Jatziry has violated them by returning to the paddock as, lo and behold, the girlfriend of another driver. The scandal!! (No one aside from her has anything to say about this, and if they did, we would know, given that there are seven different POVs in this book)
When a woman had either broken up with her driver or been broken up with by her driver (or partook in a mutual dumping, very rarely the case), she disappeared from the section of the paddocks reserved for the rest of the WAGs—the coveted Wives and Girlfriends. Perhaps she attended a GP with her new beau or attended solo in a statement of independence restored anew. But never, never, did she return to the motorhomes as another driver’s lady love.
Of course, as a driver, the FMC is allowed to date two of her fellow drivers in the span of six months into her F1 career. God forbid the women who are not actually involved in the sport whatsoever do it too.
Our history making FMC is a textbook pick me girl. All the drivers are in love with her, she wears make up but is so much more beautiful without it, and-
It was a nice dress my team had helped me find, but I didn’t care all that much about it, of course.
She’s also randomly accused of witchcraft
Someone once started a rumor that my applying kohl to the car had to do with black magic of some sort when I was karting, which not only led to the Saudi religious police attempting to hunt me down for witchcraft (among many other alleged offenses) but also an eternal blemish on my name.
She’s wanted to win a championship since she was a child, has been racing for 10 years, but she feels bad about overtaking other drivers because they are… nice?
So many of these people have been so kind to me. Why does overtaking them just feel . . . wrong?
Not only that, she was ready to throw it all away, to sacrifice her career for the MMC, after dating him for barely a month.
I would sacrifice myself for you.
The 19 male drivers are warned to drive safely around the woman rookie:
Pole. Don’t hit the lady. Got it.
They don’t talk to her like they would to their peers, of course, lest they hurt her fragile woman spirit
Once, some kid streaked through the halls naked with a bong in one hand and a blunt in the other. I wanted to tell Diana, but then I thought again and realized it would be too much for the poor thing.
I’m gonna wrap it up now. I have so many highlighted passages, I wish I could share them all, but I think I have made my point. Formula 1 is a sexist sport, but there was no need to enforce that narrative through your own female characters’ internal monologues.
I said that I wasn’t going to touch upon how unrealistic or inaccurate this book is to Formula 1 as a sport, and I will not, but oh, could I.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations. Leave a comment so we can commiserate on this book further together.
March 30, 2024
I was drawn to the synopsis of this book. I had seen a few other F1 racing romance novels where the driver is always the male lead, so seeing a book where we have a female protagonist who becomes an F1 driver was very exciting. As expected, what follows did not come easy for Diyana. I appreciate the way this book tries to open up the conversation on some of the problems that female athletes may face in a typically male-dominated sport. In the book, Diyana has to deal with sexist comments, being belittled, and talked down to because of her gender. I would image this is a real thing that happens to many athletes. I liked that this was a central element in this book and integral to Diyana's characterisation. I also appreciate the author's knowledge of the sport, and the use of all the technical linguistics– obviously I can't say if it's "realistic" but it did immerse me in the story.
However, there were some things that I did not like. For one, the writing wasn't to my taste. I felt like there wasn't too many descriptions in some areas which made the reading feel a bit one-dimensional, and then other times there was long paragraphs of many descriptions which were unnecessary. I wasn't a fan of the multiple povs either and found myself skim reading a few paragraphs if I was uninterested.
2 stars.
Novelstorian (Blog) ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter ✨
Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.
However, there were some things that I did not like. For one, the writing wasn't to my taste. I felt like there wasn't too many descriptions in some areas which made the reading feel a bit one-dimensional, and then other times there was long paragraphs of many descriptions which were unnecessary. I wasn't a fan of the multiple povs either and found myself skim reading a few paragraphs if I was uninterested.
2 stars.
Novelstorian (Blog) ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter ✨
Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.
September 3, 2023
Damnnnnnn this was one of the best books I read it had both romance and plot. The plot had even 2 aspects with the racing aspect and the Highschool like inter- character drama. The only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 was cause in Miguel and Diana’s relationship they disregarded she was a women in a male dominated field who was racing for a Muslim contry. If the worng aspect of their relationship came out she would be hated by her contry and their relationship may even undermine her success in racing as people may say she “slept her way to the top”. Also I couldn’t tell if Diana was Muslim cause she would say stuff like Alhamdulilah and Inshallah but never express and other type of Islamic persona and her parents used to pray for her. This could mean any religion cause the definition legit meaning thank god and if god wills but I would have loved it if they were both Muslim.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
A generous 3 ⭐️
I very much struggled with the first 50% of this book. The animosity at the start didn’t sit right with me and the fact the MMC was engaged to someone else for 50% of the book made me want to stop reading. And the way the fiancée just disappeared and was never mentioned after this point really made me confused why she was added to start with.
This is very much a love story to F1. The authors passion for the sport is what kept me reading and powering through those difficult introductory chapters. The romance is very much slow burn, they are probably only a couple for about 10% of the book, but I found I didn’t mind this so much. The friendship between our 2 protagonists was enjoyable to read. I particularly enjoyed the Media Conference Scenes.
Tropes
-Dual POV
-F1 Romance
-Friends to Lovers
-Slow Burn
-Female F1 Driver
I very much struggled with the first 50% of this book. The animosity at the start didn’t sit right with me and the fact the MMC was engaged to someone else for 50% of the book made me want to stop reading. And the way the fiancée just disappeared and was never mentioned after this point really made me confused why she was added to start with.
This is very much a love story to F1. The authors passion for the sport is what kept me reading and powering through those difficult introductory chapters. The romance is very much slow burn, they are probably only a couple for about 10% of the book, but I found I didn’t mind this so much. The friendship between our 2 protagonists was enjoyable to read. I particularly enjoyed the Media Conference Scenes.
Tropes
-Dual POV
-F1 Romance
-Friends to Lovers
-Slow Burn
-Female F1 Driver
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