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Speed Dating #1
Hot Lap
A burlesque dancer, a Formula 1 champ, and a diamond ring walk into a Las Vegas bar... The accidental wedding that follows might be the best mistake they ever make.
Reece: Maiken Lange is a walking glitter bomb with zero interest in F1 and no idea who he is. Which is exactly why Reece married her. She felt more real than anyone he'd known in years. Their drive-thru wedding? He meant every drunken word. And since his contract doesn’t dictate who he can marry, he's bringing his wife to the Qatar Grand Prix. His father loathes her. His sponsors are going mental. But Reece doesn't care. Because this isn't about optics. It's about them.
Maiken: Reece Pritchard is an F1 golden boy with a spotless reputation… until he gets hammered and makes Maiken his wife. That booze-fueled night throws her into a high-stakes world of constant judgment. Reece’s father thinks she's trash, and the media expect her to crash and burn. But Mai refuses to blend in, and maybe that's exactly what Reece needs, someone who doesn’t play by the rules.
What started as a gin-soaked mistake just might be the real deal. Because that night, Drunk Reece saw more than a cheeky burlesque dancer, and Drunk Maiken saw the man, not the millionaire F1 driver.
Now, with the world watching and the haters hating, it's time for Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard to figure out if this unplanned marriage is worth driving across the finish line or destined to hit the wall.
Hot Lap is a sweet and spicy celebrity romance featuring a cinnamon roll hero and a fiercely unapologetic heroine. Expect fast cars, paddock drama, and high-octane heat—perfect for fans of Lauren Asher's Dirty Air series and Drive to Survive-obsessed sports romance junkies.
Reece: Maiken Lange is a walking glitter bomb with zero interest in F1 and no idea who he is. Which is exactly why Reece married her. She felt more real than anyone he'd known in years. Their drive-thru wedding? He meant every drunken word. And since his contract doesn’t dictate who he can marry, he's bringing his wife to the Qatar Grand Prix. His father loathes her. His sponsors are going mental. But Reece doesn't care. Because this isn't about optics. It's about them.
Maiken: Reece Pritchard is an F1 golden boy with a spotless reputation… until he gets hammered and makes Maiken his wife. That booze-fueled night throws her into a high-stakes world of constant judgment. Reece’s father thinks she's trash, and the media expect her to crash and burn. But Mai refuses to blend in, and maybe that's exactly what Reece needs, someone who doesn’t play by the rules.
What started as a gin-soaked mistake just might be the real deal. Because that night, Drunk Reece saw more than a cheeky burlesque dancer, and Drunk Maiken saw the man, not the millionaire F1 driver.
Now, with the world watching and the haters hating, it's time for Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard to figure out if this unplanned marriage is worth driving across the finish line or destined to hit the wall.
Hot Lap is a sweet and spicy celebrity romance featuring a cinnamon roll hero and a fiercely unapologetic heroine. Expect fast cars, paddock drama, and high-octane heat—perfect for fans of Lauren Asher's Dirty Air series and Drive to Survive-obsessed sports romance junkies.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2025
27 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 15, 2026
they are so sweet and perfect together <3 <3
December 10, 2025
5 stars. I finished this book in a day, And now that it's finished, I can't stop thinking about it. Spoiler(?): I gave it five stars for the lack of miscommunication trope. THANK YOU. I was able to still feel upset for FMC without knowing he was ignoring her. The dual pov helped a lot too. I just really liked the book. Its not so deep, but this book took me away to another life and I was able to escape my own and that's what reading is all about.
Good dialogue, good story. I think falling in love over the course of ... 6 days? is incredibly unrealistic but it was still a fun read. It killed me when he didn't take her to FP1 and then missed her and had the worst run of his life 😂 also I am HERE for the empowering female-idgaf-attitude. The banter was so good, I was giggling through quite a few scenes.
A lil note to the author: girl I loved this. Thank you for writing this. It scratched my itch of missing F1 after last weekend's race and end of the season. I so rarely think about books after I finish them, but this was such a feel-good read. I purchased it, and I'm going to read it again. Yolo, but fr thanks bb. May your pillow always be cool 💕✨🏎️🏁
Good dialogue, good story. I think falling in love over the course of ... 6 days? is incredibly unrealistic but it was still a fun read. It killed me when he didn't take her to FP1 and then missed her and had the worst run of his life 😂 also I am HERE for the empowering female-idgaf-attitude. The banter was so good, I was giggling through quite a few scenes.
A lil note to the author: girl I loved this. Thank you for writing this. It scratched my itch of missing F1 after last weekend's race and end of the season. I so rarely think about books after I finish them, but this was such a feel-good read. I purchased it, and I'm going to read it again. Yolo, but fr thanks bb. May your pillow always be cool 💕✨🏎️🏁
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
Fun cinnamon roll hero and his wrong-side-of-the-tracks wife, who together overcome all kinds of politics, family and drama to prove their loyalty and be themselves in a world who wants them to be anything else.
Only thing that bothered me was the Maiken's chapters were in first person, but Reece's were in third person omniscient... which felt jarring every time we jumped back to him. I wish it were more balanced or first person for both, but otherwise a good sports romance.
Only thing that bothered me was the Maiken's chapters were in first person, but Reece's were in third person omniscient... which felt jarring every time we jumped back to him. I wish it were more balanced or first person for both, but otherwise a good sports romance.
July 25, 2025
I love burlesque and know nothing about F1 and was barely a quarter of the way through the book and I knew I wanted more.
Monica always has strong female characters in her books, and Maiken Lange is an absolute delight. She's a Burlesque performer in Vegas with an independent streak and a supportive mother. She's making her own way and doing well, with a surprise $1k tip catches her attention. Not long after that she's calmly fending off some very unwanted advances when Reece steps in to make sure she's okay, but who ends up rescuing who?
Reece is a driver in a F1 team and Maiken has no clue who he is, which adds to her appeal. The pair click and end up spending the night talking and drinking until they end up in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator. When they wake up the morning after, the whole F1 world knows, and then it's a scramble to navigate their new situation.
I'm always a sucker for the 'He falls first' trope, and Monica has charted this so well. Reece isn't a man with a hurt inner child; he's stood his ground against a toxic parent and made his own way to success. Even better, he's surrounded by a team of strong women and people in his team. He might be the driver, but his success and safety depends on the team and they've all got his back. What delighted me was the team's reactions to Maiken. They love and trust Reece so they're prepared to offer the same to her too.
Maiken is very much of the 'a man is not a financial plan' mentality so she is treading very carefully in what fast becomes an incredibly unusual situation. She's determined to hold fast to her sense of self and her values without compromise, but at the same time is willing to find out more about the new deal before she makes any final decisions. She embraces her sensuality and fashion, using it as a weapon and armour to defend and reward, and it is OH. SO. GOOD.
What really makes this story shine for me is the fact that Monica doesn't go for the miscommunication trope. You've got two adults treating each other with respect while they learn more about each other. Reece is desperate for her to stay because he's absolutely smitten, but makes it clear that it's her call to make. Maiken expresses her reservations but is willing to give him a chance - and they both always know where they stand. Readers, the adults are adulting!
I will inhale a dark romance any time, but this book? Wow. It's a story about an emotionally available man worshipping the goddess he has woken up with, determined to woo her for as long as it takes.
The only thing that makes this book even better is knowing that there's another one coming.
Monica always has strong female characters in her books, and Maiken Lange is an absolute delight. She's a Burlesque performer in Vegas with an independent streak and a supportive mother. She's making her own way and doing well, with a surprise $1k tip catches her attention. Not long after that she's calmly fending off some very unwanted advances when Reece steps in to make sure she's okay, but who ends up rescuing who?
Reece is a driver in a F1 team and Maiken has no clue who he is, which adds to her appeal. The pair click and end up spending the night talking and drinking until they end up in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator. When they wake up the morning after, the whole F1 world knows, and then it's a scramble to navigate their new situation.
I'm always a sucker for the 'He falls first' trope, and Monica has charted this so well. Reece isn't a man with a hurt inner child; he's stood his ground against a toxic parent and made his own way to success. Even better, he's surrounded by a team of strong women and people in his team. He might be the driver, but his success and safety depends on the team and they've all got his back. What delighted me was the team's reactions to Maiken. They love and trust Reece so they're prepared to offer the same to her too.
Maiken is very much of the 'a man is not a financial plan' mentality so she is treading very carefully in what fast becomes an incredibly unusual situation. She's determined to hold fast to her sense of self and her values without compromise, but at the same time is willing to find out more about the new deal before she makes any final decisions. She embraces her sensuality and fashion, using it as a weapon and armour to defend and reward, and it is OH. SO. GOOD.
What really makes this story shine for me is the fact that Monica doesn't go for the miscommunication trope. You've got two adults treating each other with respect while they learn more about each other. Reece is desperate for her to stay because he's absolutely smitten, but makes it clear that it's her call to make. Maiken expresses her reservations but is willing to give him a chance - and they both always know where they stand. Readers, the adults are adulting!
I will inhale a dark romance any time, but this book? Wow. It's a story about an emotionally available man worshipping the goddess he has woken up with, determined to woo her for as long as it takes.
The only thing that makes this book even better is knowing that there's another one coming.
July 17, 2025
I loved this book and read it in a day! With Maiken and Reece, Monica takes you into the world of F1 racing with well developed characters without getting lost in too much internal descriptive dialogue. There’s nothing better than reading a book with a true strong FMC. I’ve grown tired of reading descriptors of books declaring a strong FMC only to have her turn into a pathetic submissive to the MMC. Maiken was like a breath of fresh are, strong, bold and not afraid to tear down the old school male patriarchy and having Reece being fully supportive of Maiken’s career and defending it is equally amazing. My only wish is that this was the first book in their series like the author did with Zelda/Drew/Aithan in the Fatkini Chronicles instead of a stand alone as part of a series. I look forward to the next book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 17, 2025
I LOVED this love story!! Maiken (FMC) is spirited, smart and wonderfully entertaining. Reece (MMC) is the epitome of strength, discipline and control, however he falls hard and fast for Maiken after they meet in Las Vegas. A cracking story that moves at a great pace, I was quickly drawn into the F1 world, feeling right amongst it due to the easy, yet detailed description provided by this skilled author. From the fun & glamour, the WAGs (loved them!), the team dynamics & racing, to the choices our FMC & MMC face, I was gripped! Maiken is soooooo much fun and Reece is positively dreamy. Really enjoyed the appearances of both their moms (you’ll see)!! A fantastic romance I didn’t want to put down.
Monica Ross’ Speed Dating series has got off to the best start with Hot Lap – looking forward to the next story.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Monica Ross’ Speed Dating series has got off to the best start with Hot Lap – looking forward to the next story.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 21, 2025
This was my first time reading a book with the setting of the race car circuit and it won't be my last (thankfully this is the first in a series!). The FMC (Mai) is strong but has been burned before - she has a chance encounter with the cinnamon roll MMC Reese in Vegas and they end up having an epic adventurous night hanging out, which ends up with them getting married. The character development combined with the vivid descriptions of the F1 race car world was awesome, and not overwhelming for the reader if you didn't know anything about that lifestyle/profession before. Not a lot of spice in this book, but there is chemistry and banter between the main characters and overall the story is sweet. Can't wait for the next in the series, now I am invested!
December 19, 2025
Found F1 and loving it
Thank you for writing this book. I love the characters, their relationships ( not just with each other but with all of the characters in the book) and enough of the F 1 racing to get me hooked. Can't wait for the next book. Stayed up all night to read them.
Thank you for writing this book. I love the characters, their relationships ( not just with each other but with all of the characters in the book) and enough of the F 1 racing to get me hooked. Can't wait for the next book. Stayed up all night to read them.
April 25, 2026
I love MAI! Her personality and confidence is amazing. Reece is everything, he yearns for her. This book had such a good plot. I loved the burlesque in it. I was hoping Graham got pushed off the boat in the end but oh well. Great F1 book!
August 4, 2025
Great read. Not used to 3rd person POV, but once I got used to it, it was a quick read. Love that Maiken is strong and confident. Unapologetic. Authenticly herself.
January 22, 2026
Loved the storyline. Loved the characters. HATED THE WRITING. Negative two stars. Also, the most anticlimactic ending to Graham that there could’ve possibly been? Lost a star for that too.
February 17, 2026
lasted to page 25 - then realised I have so many other books to read
March 11, 2026
The perspective was confusing. Sometimes it was first person FMC, others fly on the wall, yet the MMCs mind could be read. I go bored not even halfway through and everything felt repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews