All to Play For

Frontrunners #3

by Josie Juniper

Sage Sikora, the new driver for the Emerald F1 team, is bold and daring, on and off the track. This season, as the only female driver on the grid she has a single-minded to be the first woman to win a Grand Prix. But there's one thorn in her side, the unfairly gorgeous and spoiled journalist and popular blogger Alexander Laskaris-who seems to have it out for Sage.

When one of his blog posts goes too far, Alexander finds himself working for Emerald as penance and his new boss is none other than Sage herself. Despite their battle of wills, the pair end up as allies when trouble arrives and Alexander begins to fall for F1's Queen of Chaos. Sage soon realises there's more to spoiled playboy Alexander than meets the eye. But with the critical eyes of the racing world upon them, she has too much to prove and even more to lose. Can her feelings take a backseat or will Emerald's first female driver fail to reach the podium?

Genres: Audiobook, Sports Romance, Romance, Sports, Enemies To Lovers

352 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Josie Juniper writes high-steam romance featuring hot, angsty men who are dirty talkers with hearts of gold, and smart, snarky women with hilarious foul mouths. She works in mathematics and has been a staff writer and/or editor for four publications, winning awards for her sharp, funny, iconoclastic writing. She lives in Portland, OR and loves rain, swearing, lost causes, tattoos, F1 racing, and prime numbers.

Reviews

[Rae ‧₊˚౨ৎ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

⤷ 3.75 stars — ★★★★☆

✧ Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book!! 😊💝💐

⸝⸝⏰‧₊˚.୭⸝⸝⸝ start: 13.04.2026 | finish: 16.04.2026

"I'm unstoppable, I'm a Porsche with no breaks
I'm invincible, yeah I won every single game
I'm so powerful, I don't need batteries to play
I'm so confident, yeah I'm unstoppable today."
~ Unstoppable — Sia

🎧 ₊˚Listened to the Audiobook ° ₊

════∘◦❁◦∘════

꒰ 🏵️‧₊˚.꒱ What to expect:

𓂃sports romance
𓂃slow burn
𓂃dual pov
𓂃women's fiction
𓂃badass fmc

⤷ swearing/cursing (f*ck, sh*t, b*tch,), violence, drugs
⤷ spice 3—3.5 🌶️

₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇

꒰ 🫧‧₊˚.꒱ :Thoughts:
I actually enjoyed this waay more than I thought I would have. I was certainly not expecting it to be as good as it actually turned out. (Not that I'm complaining hehe). From the very first pages...no, uh..words?, I was kinda hooked. The voice actors were really, REALLY good. I was a bit worried about how I would tell apart the characters thoughts from what they are saying. But the voice actors made is surprisingly easy to know which one was which. ☺️Also for some reason, I felt more...into the story while listening. I was happy when they were, I was anxious when they were as well and when they were nervous, I was too.

I loved the main characters bantering. It was really funny. Honestly, I had to stop myself from laughing out loud in public. Although I miserably failed sometimes

The plot was a bit predictable....I mean, it was obvious that everything was not gonna be good after...what Alex did. I don't wanna spoil it but if you aren't communicating then obviously, things will be bad. 🙄 The third act breakup was also very unessesary. Like quit with the drama?

✧•°.¸═════════ ♡♡♡♡ ═════════ ✧•°.¸

꒰ 🦋‧₊˚.꒱ Characters:

₊⸝⸝ Sage 🏎️. . .

"Denial is a river in Egypt"

⤷ Funnily enough I felt that when the voice actor for Alexander was speaking for Sage in his POV, it was better than the voice actress for Sage herself. But I definitely also really liked Sage's speaker, don't get me wrong. Sage, however...my feelings for her are a bit...complicated. At first, I liked Sage and all the stupid things she made Alexander do. It was hilarious, not gonna lie. But after some time it got really freaking annoying. She started making Alexander do so nonsensical things and then backed it up with "yeah but you made me feel even worse with that post." Like, shut up, that is a stupid excuse. We got that he made a mistake, he apologized and you made him do a few dumb things. But what the hell, no need to keep on making him do more embarrassing things with the excuse "oh yeah your post was much worse." Honestly it pissed me off a little. Something that also annoyed me was Sage not being able to communicate. Like, how do you want Julian to apologize when you don't freaking talk?! Sigh. Still, I am really happy that everything turned out well with Julian. I really liked the guy.

────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

₊⸝⸝Alexander 🖊️. . .
⤷ The iconic "my hair is dark Auburn" .😂
I definitely enjoyed this man's personality. He was funny, witty and a bit sassy. And the way he called Sage, Salvia was so swoon worthy!! And omg how how he loves to play "River Flows In You"!!! I love that piano piece.

And the British accent! 🤌🤌🤌

And wait...you turn on the water before you enter the shower?! What the hell? When he was so surprised that she entered befor turning the water on saying he hasn't seen anyone do it before I was like? WHAT ELSE DO YOU FREAKING DO?!

Or...am I just weird?

Some things Alex said were also a bit...hmmm

Like:

"Italy is so hot."
"You're so hot."


Uhm.. please stop. 🤦 I don't hear that crap.

𐔌՞. .՞𐦯────୨ৎ────⊹

Julian & Priya:
⤷ I loved both of them together. They are so freaking cute and even though Julian had his...uhm...problems, Priya still stuck to him, trying to support him in every way possible. (She did what his sister couldn't do. Ahem. Forget I said that.)

︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦

꒰ 💐‧₊˚.꒱ Summary:
⤷ I did enjoy this more than I anticipated and I absolutely loved the voice actors. They definitely did a great job with this audiobook. 😊

Thank you so much for reading my review lovelies 💝💌💖🩵😊🤩

｡;+☆+;｡･ﾟ･｡;+★+;｡･ﾟ･｡;+☆+;｡｡;+☆+;｡

๑‧˚₊Currently Reading₊̣̇.

⤷ My first audiobook of the year!! 🥳🥳🥳
I am so exited and really thankful to the author for giving me an ARC of this book. I haven't listened to an audiobook in like...years. 💌💐🫂

────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

[Iqra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started it off thinking this book was going to be a hard time but it eventually got me invested. The pacing was slow at first but it did pick up quickly after the first 20%.

The chemistry was there and it was spicy 🤭😋😝 hot damn.

The fmc annoyed me quite a lot. She was so irrational at times, It was frustrating because she behaved like a child. I also was not interested in the formula 1 plot line that was going on here even though I’m a huge fan of the sport, it just wasn’t written interestingly here idk I was only sticking around for her brother Jules plot line lmaooo.

But anyway the mmc was so iffy for me at the start but he truly grew on me 😭 adore him.

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you Forever for the ARC! ♥︎

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when the woman is the athlete in the sports romance!! All to Play For feels like the lowest stakes of the Frontrunners series, and I was honestly here for it. Juniper does an amazing job writing prickly heroines who must come to terms with their imperfections before they can have serious, healthy romantic relationships and healthy ones with their families.

If you love a good Chuck Bass-style character -- suave, secretly doing the right thing behind the scenes, all while wearing custom Italian loafers--> you'll love Alexander!!

HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5 - LGBTQ romance with our FMC Sage being bi, but even though Sage is bi, the main relationship is between her and the MMC Alexander. (The first two books in the series are MF romances.)
* Reader Age Suggestions: adult
* Content Warnings: --
* Kindle Unlimited: ❌

**Thank you to Forever for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤

Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤

[kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an ALC of this book in return for a voluntary and honest review!

This book was pretty fun to read and super easy flowing which i really appreciated!
I do feel like at points there was just kind of smut scene after smut scene and while I can see why it was done in the context of the FMC and MMCs connection at the time, it just kind of got a little bit boring/too often for my personal taste.
We also get mentions of how the MMC has wanted the FMCs attention for years and I just wish we got a bit more grovelling and yearning on his part! I am a sucker for that though so I fear I'll always be longing for more yearning...

I enjoyed the narrators a lot, they both expressed the necessary emotions throughout the book and really helped make everything thaat little bit more believable! I would love to check out more of their work in the future

[☆Amanda☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a quirky, funny, spicy, good time full of sass, revenge, forced proximity, and a love hate dynamic that will have you kicking your feet.

The narrators did a phenomenal job bringing these characters to life. They really sold their personalities as an arrogant, spoiled mmc and a confident, jaded race car driver. Plus, someone has an accent!!

The story follows a race car driver who gets an untrue, mean article written about her by our MMC. As punishment, he is forced to work for her as an intern and the things she makes this man do as revenge will have you kicking your feet!
Read/listen to this for an easy, funny, good time!

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be honest: All to Play For was marginally better than the other books in this series, but that’s really not saying much. I went in excited, because who doesn’t want a kickass female F1 driver in fiction? But I came out genuinely annoyed. If the future of women in motorsport looked anything like Sage Sikora in this book, I’d start rooting for the grid to stay men only and I am a certified man hater. And I say that as someone who loves the idea of women in F1. Sage was chaotic, sure, but not in a charming way, but more like a what is she doing here kind of way.

Alexander was... something. “Spoiled” doesn’t even begin to cover it. If a man publicly trashed me online and then showed up to work for me as some kind of redemption exercise… absolutely not. No universe, no timeline, no multiverse would make that scenario believable. Sage entertaining him, and eventually falling for him, felt like the most baffling, self-sabotaging choice imaginable. His so called “redemption arc” was about as convincing as a three lap race. He wasn’t misunderstood; he was just cruel, entitled, and exhausting.

Honestly, both of them were immature, and their entire dynamic read like a Wattpad fanfic from 2012, and I do not mean that in a cute or nostalgic way. It felt juvenile, messy, and lacking any real emotional or character depth. The book had the bones for something exciting because it included feminism, motorsport, rivalry, and redemption, but instead delivered something flat, underdeveloped, and painfully predictable.

The only thing truly working here is the cover, which is gorgeous and full of potential the story never lived up to. As a diehard F1 fan, this was extra disappointing. You can’t slap an F1 label on a book, sprinkle in some pit lane jargon, and expect it to work if the characters feel like they’ve never watched a race, let alone lived in that world.

In short: great idea, wasted execution, and a frustrating read from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, Josie Juniper, and Forever for the eARC of this book.

[Meli S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to “All to Play“ for.

The book was great but even better due to the narration by Gary Furlong and Cecily Foster.
Most stories feel like they are rushed and the relationship doesn’t feel relatable. But Josie Juniper did a great job bringing the dynamics of Sage‘s and Alexander’s relationship to page. I am glad that I got the opportunity to listen to this book.

#NetGalley #HachetteAudio

[Savannah Borza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for this honest review! I loved this book. The narrators were amazing. The MMC is British and the banter between the two is just chefs kiss. I didn’t love the side plot with the FMC and her brother but everything else I really enjoyed and will be reading the first two books for sure.

[Alyx Gough · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Forever for the eARC.

I came for F1 racing chaos and a romance that would make me feral… and I unfortunately left mostly confused and a little annoyed.

The premise had so much potential—female F1 driver, enemies-to-lovers energy, high stakes racing world—but the execution just didn’t work for me. A lot of the character dynamics felt frustrating rather than compelling.

Sage, in particular, didn’t really land for me. The family conflict felt muddled, and instead of rooting for her, I mostly found myself questioning the logic behind her motivations and relationships. The emotional beats didn’t quite connect in a way that felt convincing.

The romance also didn’t hit the tension I was expecting. Instead of sharp banter or slow-building chemistry, it often felt chaotic and inconsistent. Some of the choices in how the relationship escalated pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in.

And Alexander’s approach to getting her attention… definitely not the kind of dynamic that worked for me. It came across more frustrating than compelling, especially given the tone I expected from an F1 romance.

There were moments where I could see what this was aiming for, but overall it just didn’t come together in a satisfying way for me.

Sadly, this one wasn’t it for me.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, ok. It was really difficult for me to get on board with this one, whereas I loved the first two books in the series. Both MCs are difficult to root for, or even like, with Sage not even apologizing when she blows things out of proportion (which she does for everything). Alexander was a little better, but he turned from playboy nepobaby to lovesick without getting any positive emotion from Sage. It just didn’t make sense. I know everyone loves a redemption story, but I’m not sure anyone in this story deserves it.

[Halley · Rating 3 out of 5]

All To Play For is a cute F1 romance novel. It feels somewhat unique and different from the standard romance while still fitting solidly within the genre.

Alexander (MMC) accuses Sage (FMC) of sleeping her way into her F1 seat on his blog. Sage’s team threatens legal action, and a compromise is reached where Alexander works as Sage’s assistant in lieu of legal action.

I enjoyed this book. It is what I expect from the genre and was a fun read. I especially enjoyed how obsessed and devoted Alexander is. He does a great job of respecting Sage’s boundaries and, after the first few chapters, is delightfully respectful.

The F1 element of the story is fairly minimal. It serves more as a backdrop than a central focus. If you’re looking for a romance that deeply engages with F1 itself, this probably isn’t the book for you. It doesn’t even feel like a typical sports romance except for Alexander’s admiration of Sage’s body. I think this is overall good for the story and I enjoyed these choices, though they were a bit unexpected for a book with a F1 driver and a race car on the cover.

There are a few unique things in All To Play For. First, it feels like it’s told more from Alexander’s perspective than most romance novels. I really liked this. It felt fresh and gave us a front row seat for his adoration of Sage. I’d like to see more books adopt this approach. It’s one thing to be told you are adored but another to experience that admiration from inside your lover’s internal narrative. This was such a delicious way to consume the romance and relationship development from the female gaze. It felt a bit like cosmic retribution for every movie sex scene that was done by a male director for men to be able to enjoy watching a woman's naked body. It was great to be able to enjoy Alexander's naked brain full of so many feelings.

Second, the pacing is heavily biased towards the end of the book. About 45 minutes from the end, I was surprised by how much story still seemed unresolved. And yet, it all comes together smoothly and didn’t feel rushed at all. I don’t quite understand how it pulled that off, but it worked. I think part of it is how well the mutual interest is developed earlier, allowing things to resolve quickly in a way that still feels earned. I also wasn’t expecting Alexander to find his people and a sense of chosen/found family at the end. That was such a wholesome and genuinely lovely surprise.

Sage’s character is a delightful chaos gremlin. It can be frustrating to watch her make the same mistakes repeatedly and continually be mean to and push away the people who care about her and who she loves. While I didn’t always enjoy it in the moment because it was a bit too real, I think this portrayal of avoidant attachment’s manifestations was very well done and honestly spot on. I didn’t always love having a front row seat for Sage not wanting to hurt the people who love her but not being able to stop but I do love that the book didn’t shy away from this and didn’t water it down. It’s authentic and accurate and one of the best depictions of this I’ve read in a while. I deeply relate to the feeling of powerlessness of not wanting to hurt the people you love but having your brain with all its attachment issues make that impossible in the moment, even as you know what you're doing. The feeling of just not being able to stop is brutal and it was shown so well here.

I listened to the audiobook and it was well done. Both narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. I especially enjoyed Gary Furlong’s voice for Alexander.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I have to admit, I started this series and was disappointed with the first book. But I loved the second book. So I really needed to see where Juniper would take this third story (especially given it is about a female F1 driver). And I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved how the story of Sage and Alex played out.
What I love about interrelated romance is that we meet the characters in other books. So when we come to their story, we are already rooting for them. And we're definitely interested in how the author will develop them and their story line. To say I was enamored with these two is an understatement. The prickly Sage with the golden retriever Alex was so much fun to watch.
Sage is the grumpy in this grumpy/sunshine relationship, for sure. She keeps her distance from so many: friends, family, teammates. She doesn't allow herself to get attached. She doesn't feel she has it in her to do so. She's full of baggage from her family, from her job, from who she is in general. But Alex breaks down her walls. He takes what she can give him and never asks her for more. He remains stoic and true to who he is. At the same time, his emotion and draw to Sage spills off the page. I actually preferred his character to Sage's, even if I did understand why she was the way she was.
I will admit there was not as much F1 in this story as I was expecting. I kind of wanted to see more of Sage driving and how her being a woman affected this. It is alluded to a bit but the author never really dives into that part. Given the overwhelming male presence in F1, I feel like it would have been important to really explore this aspect. We do get some of it from Sage's POV, but not as much as I would have liked. I did notice the author has some good background in F1 with her the verbage she used and how she did integrate the races. I just feel like this should have been much more at the forefront of the story given the FMC's position on the team.
The book does touch on addiction. Juniper does a decent job with this. Having grown up in this environment, I am often weary when authors introduce. I can see there is some research that has been done, though not as much as I would have liked.
If you're not a fan of third act break ups, skip this. There is some miscommunication, though it's forced from the MMC, to be honest. These two tropes are not my favorite but Juniper does them well enough to not bother me enough not to enjoy the rest of the plot.
If you're looking for an F1 romance that is light on the F1, this one is a good start. I would read the previous books so you understand some of the relationships that are presented. Overall, this one was fun. I loved Alex and just felt meh about Sage. The side characters were fun but not all that deep. Not my favorite romance book but it kept me interested enough to keep turning pages to see how it ended.

[Blair Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hasn’t gotten the best reviews from other people, but I’m not gonna lie to you. I actually liked it. I did do an immersion read with the audiobook and the narrators for this were fantastic. It is a dual narration, and I found that the female narrator, Cecily Foster, absolutely fantastic. She really brought sage to life for me. I really liked her pacing how she articulated her words. The accent differences she used between sage, and some of the other characters. I also liked the male narrator and the accent he used for Alexander. It was very easy to understand him at high rates of speed as well. Sometimes I’ve found in the past that is not always true especially with male narrators. And I really appreciate that. I will definitely be listening to other audiobooks stunned by him and her
Now I will say that sometimes I didn’t quite like Sage, but she grew on me as the story progressed as she really did come full circle and have a lot of growth and I really appreciate it that I also really appreciated that out of the entire series, she is the only female F1 driver something I do wish we saw more of though… was actual racing I really do like that in F1 books there was a bit and there was talk of racing. But in my opinion, there could’ve been more.
I also did like Alexander impression him wasn’t that great as well. I’m not gonna lie, but he also really grew on me as well and I really liked both of sage and Alexander’s growth together. This story does hit on addiction. If you do have issues with that this might not be the best story for you to read as Sage’s brother does battle with addiction and in the end, I did really appreciate the story arc between the two siblings. I really do recommend if you’re gonna grab this definitely grab the audio. I did binge it in one sitting.
Thank you so much to Avon and Harper audio for the complementary copies. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: All to Play For by Josie Juniper.
Forever (Grand Central Publishing), thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

I came for the girlboss Formula 1 fantasy and stayed for the emotional whiplash, sexual tension, and the kind of romance that laughs at your carefully planned reading schedule. This book does not ease you in. It throws you into the paddock, revs the engine, and dares you to keep up. Sage Sikora is chaos in racing leathers, and I loved her immediately. Blue hair, sharp edges, zero patience for nonsense. She’s not here to be liked. She’s here to win, and honestly, same.

Alexander could have been insufferable. On paper, a rich British blogger turned intern sounds like a man designed to test my goodwill. Instead, he surprised me. He’s cocky, yes, but self-aware enough to be dangerous, and the banter between him and Sage crackles with the kind of energy that makes you grin at your Kindle like a fool. Their dynamic is messy, funny, and refreshingly adult. No insta-love, no eye-rolling miscommunication spirals. Just two people pretending they don’t care while very obviously caring a lot.

What really worked for me was how grounded the stakes felt. The racing world is cutthroat, sexist, and watching Sage navigate it without turning her into a symbol or a sermon was a smart choice. Her ambition is allowed to be sharp and selfish. The romance never asks her to shrink, and that alone earns this book extra points in my heart.

One of my favorite lines sums it up perfectly: “I don’t need you to save me. I need you to stand there and watch me win.” That’s the vibe. Supportive without being saccharine. Hot without being hollow. Cozy in that late-night, one-more-chapter way where suddenly it’s 2 a.m. and you’re emotionally invested.

If you like romance novels with teeth, fast cars, sharp dialogue, and a heroine who refuses to slow down for anyone, this one’s worth the ride.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars)

#AllToPlayFor #JosieJuniper #BookReview #RomanceBooks #F1Romance #NetGalleyARC #ForeverBooks #EnemiesToLovers #StrongFemaleLead #RomanceReaders

[Rachel Marek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fun! All to Play For by Josie Juniper was a fantastic F1 romance where SHE'S the driver!!!
I found this book to be hilarious, heart warming, and oh so spicy and good! It was such a good palette cleanser for me.
It was light, yet also thoughtful and meaningful.

Sage and Alexander where both hilarious and lovely characters. I really enjoyed how down bad Alexander was. He fell first and he fell so hard.
I loved reading Sage's journey and growth. It was so lovely to have her realize some of her assumptions weren't true and how she learned to find empathy.

Personally, I'm not super into F1, so I couldn't say how accurate those aspects were or what all the lingo meant. However, I thought the way the races and athleticism played into the plot worked really well. I felt like not knowing too much about F1, didn't take away from my reading experience.

The audiobook was fantastic. Both Gary Furlong and Cecily Foster did wonderful jobs. This audiobook was in the dual narration style. I felt like both narrators did a good job with all the different characters. Both narrators made me feel emersed in the story.

I would recommend this book/audiobook to anyone who's looking for a romance novel where she's the player, he's down bad, and wants some healing along the way.

Thanks you Forever and Hachette Audio for the eARC and ALC to review! This review reflects my own opinions.

[Akshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start by saying thank you to Forever, Netgalley and author Josie Juniper for this ARC.

This one was such a fun ride!! I picked it up for the female F1 driver + enemies-to-lovers romance, and it definitely delivered on the drama, tension, and spice 👀

Sage is such a bold, unapologetic main character—messy, driven, and completely focused on proving herself in a male-dominated sport. I really liked that she wasn’t “perfect,” and her intensity made the story feel more real. The dynamic between her and Alexander had some great banter, and their push-and-pull kept me hooked.

The romance leans more toward fast-paced and high tension than slow burn, but I still found myself invested in their story. There are definitely chaotic moments, but that kind of added to the entertainment for me.

I do wish we got a bit more depth in the racing side of things—the F1 setting is such a strong concept and I wanted even more of it. But overall, I had a great time with this one and flew through it.

If you love messy characters, enemies-to-lovers, and sports romances with plenty of heat, this is worth picking up 🏎️🔥

[Margie M *alwaysListeningToAudiobooks* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice level: 5/5 (explicit, open door)

Positives:
- funny
- Illustrating women as more than just eye-candy in a male dominated field. Even the women who are obviously using their bodies to manipulate are shown as very intelligent rather than traditionally being shown as dumb
- Enjoyed Alexander’s development and insights
- Sage is well written
- Male voice for Alexander is fantastic!
- British English was easy to understand and didn’t need to be looked up
- Inner dialogue is hilarious
- Ending feels more realistic than most of the romances I have read
- Insight into addiction is backed by current research

Negatives:
- Would have appreciated trigger warnings
- reason for forced proximity is far fetched but I know rich people can be weird, so it might be realistic
- Mentioning “love” sickness when it’s more of a crush. . . Too fast for love
- development for Alexander feels too fast at first. . . The pace gets better as you continue reading
- Built up conflict feels like it should have been easily solved (common complaint I have about romance novels)

[Nimra Iqbal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed All to Play For. This book hit so many of my favorite tropes — enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and the ambitious, stubborn heroine who refuses to back down. Sage Sikora is such a strong, determined character, and I loved seeing her navigate the high-stakes world of Formula 1 while also dealing with the messiness of romance and trust.

Alexander Laskaris is exactly the kind of arrogant, charming foil you want in a romance. Their banter is electric, and the push-and-pull between them kept me hooked. I also really appreciated how the book handled friendship and personal growth — it wasn’t just about romance, but also about ambition, choices, and learning to see the people around you.

The F1 backdrop adds a lot of excitement, even if you’re not a sports fan. The tension of the races, the media pressure, and the stakes of Sage’s career make the romance feel grounded and real. Overall, this was fun, sexy, and emotional — a book I couldn’t put down, and I’m definitely going to be thinking about these characters for a while.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC review

I love the idea of this book - sports romance where SHE’s the athlete, an F1 driver with an edge, and he’s a sports journalist who’s long carried a torch for her. Add in the global F1 circuit full of international locations, and it sounded like a sure win. Unfortunately, the execution just wasn’t there for me, mostly because both main characters are so unlikable.

The FMC, Sage, is hot tempered, rude and abrasive. She’s got a punk aesthetic that I love but a personality that I want to avoid like the plague. The MMC, Alexander, is such a petty spoiled brat. Maybe they deserve each other? They certainly have a ton of chemistry and the spice was good between them.

They do each have some emotional growth over the course of the story, but… too little, too late? I stopped caring by the time they grew up.

The side characters mostly seem to be victims of these two, which is unfortunate because Priya and Heleni might be my favorite characters in the story.

Thanks so much to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Amy Pritt - Coffeeandbookobsessed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is for all the bi-girlies out there!

Sage is the only female driver in the F1 grid and Alexander is a racing blogger who seems to have a vendetta against her.

But it’s all a ploy to get her attention!

While I don’t normally like boys picking on girls to get their attention because they like them, it works in this situation. Sage is not a woman to messes with. She’s tough as nails, confident, self-assured, and a bit of a brat tamer. Perfect for taking on Alexander’s brattiness.

Their banter is fun and it was nice to read about a woman who’s sexually liberated and lives life no-strings attached like men are usually portrayed in romance. Alexander is smitten from the beginning!

There are lots of cute moments and a fair amount of growth for each character individually. There’s also a lot going on in Sage’s personal life with her brother’s addiction. But it worked for her story.

Dual narration performed by Cecily Foster and Gary Furlong. They both did a fantastic job!

And thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC!

[A Rush Of Emotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the 2nd book in this series, Coming In Hot, and was happy to have gotten to read this book through Netgalley and Hachette audio. The narrators did an amazing job bringing this sorry to life and evoking strong emotions throughout the book.

Sage was a funky character that I couldn't help but adore. Strong, independent, outspoken...she's got all the characteristics that I love in a strong heroine. When she discovers that a journalist has slandered her in the worst way possible (claiming she slept her way into the position as a coveted F1 race driver) she uses her position to shame him straight.

Alexander reads like a spoiled little brat at the beginning of the book. A lot of what he says and does is childish, not well thought out, and wreaking of entitlement. When Sage gets him under her thumb because of his misstep, she uses it to her advantage.

Through some forced proximity, they slowly get to know one another. This time together was necessary because I honestly didn't know how Alexander would be at all likeable! In the end, I like how this story played out, and appreciated the HEA they got.

[Jana (HokuGirlReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in her series and is about an all women crew, the FMC a F1 woman driver, with her female principal and female lead engineer, which honestly is a dream team I’d love to see IRL. Maybe Dorian Pin will be the next F1 driver (?), fingers crossed for her. Each book in this series builds on each other but definitely can be read as a stand alone. This book really delved into the life of a Formula 1 driver not so much on the track but how it affected her life and her life relationships and the sacrifices it took to be a racer of this caliber. Josie Juniper wrote an amazingly brash, take no shit, spicy character and a MMC you grow to love. I hope everyone picks up this book in April when it comes out and I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This ties perfectly with the book we are excited to review this week, Josie Juniper’s All To Play For. Thank you @readforeverpub for this #gifted review copy, all thoughts are my own and not influenced by the company.

[Frances Welsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFd @11%. The fmc was annoying, whiny, very self centered and lacked communication skills and empathy. Instead of trying to actually help her brother (and yes I understand their relationship wasn’t good) with his addiction problem she just gets mad at him and her best friend. She complains about how much attention her parents give her brother, as if she didn’t get any, and acts like they just support him even though they have also given her all the support she needs. The mmc was just a sexist asshole that’s supposed to be this “good boy” but deadass wrote an article saying that the fmc slept her way to the top just to get her attention. I don’t care, you can’t convince me that a man that does that and talks about people (mainly women) the way that he does can better himself in a short time. I also would like to know why the author thought it was necessary to have the mmc recall how he met his best friend by saying “above me stood the biggest blackest kid I’d ever seen in my sheltered life”. There are so many ways to add a person of color into your book and this just isn’t it. The narrators did a great job but this book isn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio.

[Vanessa Granillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had SO much fun reading All to Play For by Josie Juniper! Sage has become my favorite character in the series, Sorry, Phaedra.. ILY) She’s sassy, sharp, real AF, and completely unapologetic about who she is. The confidence?? The attitude?? The way she takes up space in such a male-dominated world and doesn’t shrink herself for anyone—I loved that so much. She felt strong but still human, and I think that balance made her stand out even more for me.

Now let’s talk about Alexander… because WOW, love love that lovable dimwit , who was a full-on simp for Sage, and I mean that in the best way possible. This man really said “I like her, so I’m going to annoy her at every opportunity” and just committed. It’s very much giving little boy pulling pigtails energy.

I adored their story and Josie plated it out because we can it happening, the shift. The way he goes from pushing her buttons to being completely gone for her. He fell FAST, like no hesitation, no brakes, just fully down bad!! I was literally smiling through all their interactions because the tension, the banter, the chaos… it just worked. Their dynamic was honestly my favorite part. She challenges him, he’s obsessed with her, and somehow in the middle of all that chaos, it turns into something real.

I loved every second of it. 💕

[Mylissa B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed in this novel, it's advertised as a F1 sports romance about a female driver breaking down boundaries, F yah. But instead the first 50% of the book focuses on her family life and doesn't mention her racing career AT ALL. I don't even know what team she races for or even hear about her in a vehicle or on a track at all until the 60% track. Instead this novel focused on her sexual relationship with the MMC, which fair we like smut and her f*cked up brother and his drug addiction. I am beyond annoyed I wasted my time and should have DNF'd at 50%.

Don't promise a female sports romance and then do a disservice like this 😡

[Sheree Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an audiobook through NetGalley.

Oh man this book! It was enjoyable from start to finish! I really loved all the characters and the story itself was great too.
Sage was such a fun character. She was such an interesting character and there was never a dull moment. I also loved that she was a female racecar driver, so many books are centred around men being the driver so it was great to see her fighting the gender norms.
Alexander was also great. He was funny and I loved seeing his growth. He really became such an easily loved character by the end and I definitely fell in love with him.

The narration was great. The two voice actors were super engaging and I didn't have any issue with them at all. They were easy to listen to and emotive.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Josie Juniper for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Listen- this is the third book I've read in this series and the series has grown on me now that I know what to expect-- and now that I've expanded my F1 knowledge from reading other F1 books.

I liked it. Black cat manic pixie dream girl FMC, posh nepo baby British MMC. Their brute personalities made the chemistry pop and I liked that we got a story of a women in a male dominated field.

[Ana | Nothingleftunread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

So excited to be back in this world, I really enjoyed Coming Hot and All to Play For did not disappoint. Sage, the FMC, is chaotic, quick to anger, has all the feelings and I loved just how messy she is. Then Alexander, the MMC, makes all the wrong moves because he yearns and is so down bad for Sage. I did not think I'd like him but I was rooting for him.

I liked this book and here's why:
🏎️Down Bad Auburn Haired MMC
🏎️Messy, Crass F1 Driver FMC
🏎️A relationship that is so messy and real
🏎️The Spice, so well done
🏎️Fast read
🏎️The narrators did an amazing job. Gary Furlong was so convincing in helping you see what a playboy Alexander is but actually he's a lovesick man. Cecily Foster gave us a Sage that was so fun yet insecure.

Thank you to Josie Juniper, Forever and Hachette Audio for this eARC and ALC.

[Krystin]

While I was enjoying the narrators performances, the writing just isn’t for me. I can’t get past the MMC calling everyone ‘pet’ or how obnoxious the FMC is.

DNF @ 30% when then FMC said she smelled like a mermaid petting zoo after hooking up with another woman. Like…what? That was my final straw.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for a copy of this ALC in exchange of an honest review.

[Cynthia T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you @NetGalley and @HachetteAudio for the ALC. I enjoyed both narrators for this book, especially Gary Furlong, his british accent was swoon worthy. Sage wants to be the first woman to win the Grand Prix but she is getting distracted by her brother and his odd behaviour and the horrible article that has been published about her. Alexander wrote the article and as his punishment he is sent to be Sage new intern and must do anything she tells him. This was funny and steamy.