Formula Zero

by Meredith Lanzen

Romantic tension between ex-best friends rockets to new heights in this dazzling sports romance debut set in the fast-paced, interplanetary world of Formula Zero racing.

Madeline Clarke didn't think her life would be all fun and trophies after earning her spot in the solar system's most elite zero-gravity racing circuit, but she definitely thought it'd be better than this. Aside from being a female pilot in a male-dominated sport, her boss is a controlling jerk, her estranged father is a beloved figure from her team's past glory days (and an absolute ass), and she's performing so poorly she risks losing her contract. And worst of all, there's Julian Casperi.

Julian was Clarke's childhood best friend and is a rising star in the league. The dance between them has always been complicated, but when Clarke walked away from her feelings years ago and Julian didn’t stop her they became nothing more than competitors—until Clarke gets into a near-fatal accident on the track and Julian comes to her rescue.

Now back in each other’s orbits, the tension between them is at an all-time high. But navigating their relationship might be the least of Clarke’s problems. Things keep going wrong on the track, and she suspects there's something shady at play. If she wants to come out on top, she needs to move fast and make bold choices—about her team, her future, and her heart.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports

448 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 7, 2026

Reviews

[har [busy.] · Rating 2 out of 5]

it wasn’t for me 🫠

── .✦ pre-read 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹

┆ ⤿ 🚀 ⌗ started: january 26, finished: january 29

book 5 and my last one of my 24 hour reading challenge!! i’m on my last 4 hours wow?! this was fun but exhausting. howeverrrr, wdym formula 1 but in space?! count me in 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ can you tell i miss formula 1 so much?🤸 (update: i didn’t finish this in time for the challenge but i’m loving it still!)

thank you netgalley, berkley publishing group and meredith lanzen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely cannot believe how much fun i had with this book, i binged it in less than a day because i just couldnt put it down 😩.

i will be the first to admit that i do not understand f1, i dont watch it and i dont see the appeal (PERSONALLY) howeverrrrr, f1/racing books in general just really do something for me — the constant location changes, the forced proximity, the competitiveness, etc. then you throw space into the mix and im even more sold on it.

this book brought a fresh unique experience to the romance/sports romance genre that (to my knowledge) we’ve yet to see, which can be extremely hard to do in such a saturated environment so like props to meredith for that on its own, even if i did not like this book whatsoever that would have added stars onto my rating simply because its impressive as hell.

this book was super engaging the entire time, there was a mystery element to it that has you yelling at clarke to open her eyes to whats happening right in front of her and also following her on the journey of trying to figure out who on her own team is trying to sabotage her and the way its written kind of felt like you were kind of an invisible sidekick solving it along side her.

julian and clarke we’re truly precious. i loved the way the way that they were forced back into each others orbit (haha see what i did there) and that even though theres the obvious small bits of drama that comes with being forced to spend time with someone you dont want or know how to be friends with anymore, the entire book didnt revolve around their drama if that makes sense? it felt more bantery than anything and it was nice reading a forced proximity book where the main conflicts laid elsewhere and didnt drown the MCs.

i am very much looking forward to reading more of meredith’s books in the future and i cannot wait to see what she does next!! i would do heinous things to return to this world in the future but im also curious to see if there are any other fresh spins on the typical romance book up her sleeve!!!

[hailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.

formula one (zero) in SPACE?!? i’m proud to report that this was just as much fun as you’re thinking!

first i just want to say hats off to the author for the way the sport itself is described in this book. going into this, i was full expecting it to just be “formula one but in space.” while, essentially, that is the case, formula zero is so much more than that. the author clearly put a lot of time and effort into the mechanics behind the ships, the politics between teams and drivers, the overall worldbuilding with the different types of racing (off planet vs on planet), and many more. additionally, the author clearly made this as accurate as possible to the sport( considering this takes place in space, any inaccuracies can be excused in my opinion). i was interested from page one until the very end, and i would absolutely read another book in this same world following the formula zero season.

i loved clarke as our FMC. she was going THROUGH it (and i mean THROUGHHHH it that poor woman) for a lot of the book. i was enraged and heartbroken on her behalf for the majority of the story, which only made it that much more satisfying to see her character growth and the way she really came back to herself. she was strong, capable, determined, and ambitious - which i LOVE to see. women in motor(space?)sports!!!!!!!

i also had a great time with the politics/mystery aspect of the plot. while a great deal of it was predictable, that didn’t stop me from gasping along with the characters and being stressed out with each racing accident and dramatic reveal.

surprisingly, my least favorite aspect of this book was the romance. it wasn’t bad by any means, I just did not feel a proper romantic connection between our two main characters. yes, they’re childhood friends and yes, they’ve had a few “almost” moments in their past, but i think their storyline would have greatly benefited from more heartfelt scenes between them, both in the past and in the present. that being said, i still had a lot of fun reading about clarke and julian together and i enjoyed how neither of them held the other back, in any way.

overall, i had such a great time reading formula zero and highly recommend this one!!

[Rhianon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley

Not gonna lie, when I requested this book I did not read the info close enough. I thought it was another Formula 1 book and I was super pumped because it featured a female driver. I did not realize this was Formula 1 racing but in SPACE. Color me surprised when I started reading.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a new area of sports romance for me. Sometimes it felt like a technical fact overload, but it was kind of necessary since this isn't your normal Earth based story. Nope we've got colonies on the moon (Lunar), Earth is "Terran", and there are colonies out on Mars and Uranus.

In terms of the romance, this was a massive mix of friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. It was also a slow burn (not my favorite). Sometimes I was frustrated because I prefer my romance to be more central to the story. This book is only from Clarke's point of view and the story focuses more on her journey. She's struggling to find her footing in this complex racing world. There are a lot of factors weighing on her and she's a young woman who feels pretty alone.

The mystery suspense aspect gave it a fun twist and had a lot of action in the final third of the book.

I look forward to seeing what else this author writes. Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC.

[jordan εїз · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars 🌟 F1 mixed with space??? definitely something unique and it was a wild ride for sure 🏎️🪐🏁 julianclarke had a lot of chemistry and i really liked the childhood best friends to lovers trope in this 😇 they were super cute together and i loved how the book ended for them!

my main issue with this was how long it was, and honestly how dramatic that last 20% was 😭 like soooo much was going on i just wanted the book to wrap up. i also wasn’t the biggest fan of how long it took clarke to wake the fuck up and realize what was going on at elemental 😔 otherwise this was good!

a special thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good formula 1 romance but in SPACE I couldn't download this fast enough. It was worth it. Definitely a 4.5 it got a little clunky in the middle but it came right back and had great second half and ending.

[Salomé]

this seems so wacky can’t wait 😂

[ems ₊⊹]

FORMULA ONE IN SPACE??!?!??! OH MY GOD GIMME

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's at times like this when I hate having to review based on numbers... so firstly. 4/5. But at the same time, slightly below? Not quite a 3.75 even, but still below a 4. But also part of me wants to give this a 5 SO. BAD.

Without further ado, though, let me write my review.
Premise: Okay, this is technically labeled a sports romance (which it is), but there's actually a really fun mystery element to it, too! Clarke and Julian are F0 racers, which is sort of like a futuristic, sci-fi-y version of F1. Instead of racing with race cars (I'm sorry, I know next to nothing about F1 - apart from Charles Leclerc - so excuse me if they use some other, fancier term for them), they're racing literal SPACE SHIPS!!! Hello??? Our FMC and MMC compete with each other and blah blah blah but! Ooooooh mystery~~~ What's the mystery? Well, read it to find out🙃.

My Thoughts:
YOU GUYS!!!!!!!! WHEN I TELL YOU I READ THE LAST ~15/20% WITH MY JAW DROPPED????? LITERALLY CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COUNT THE AMOUNT OF TIMES MY BRAIN JUST WENT "pause. what the fuck is going on???????????"

Honestly (and I know, I know, this is my mistake and I accept full fault), I apparently didn't read the blurb closely enough and didn't realize this would be more sci-fi than I thought. They're literally out on other planets. I genuinely thought it would be just flying cars... So, as someone who isn't a huge fan of sci-fi, upon seeing the words "Martian" and "Jupiter", I had half a mind to drop it. BUT WHEN I TELL YOU I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T!

Y'ALL! I LOVED IT. The following things will be in numbered form. I literally cannot pull my thoughts together enough to coherently gush about this novel with making-my-English-Teacher-proud paragraphs.

1. JULIAN!!! JULIAN I LOVE YOU. YOU'RE THE GREENEST GREEN FLAG EVER WRITTEN. Please, he was the sweetest. The way he was ALWAYS in Maddie's corner, even when she wasn't even in her own corner??? He loved her so much. I don't even know what to say... they haven't created a word in the English language strong enough to convey how much I love Julian.

2. The slow burnnnnn. My gosh, the slow burn burned real slow. Normally, I would've been so annoyed at how glacially slow the romance was moving, but Meredith did it so well. Why? Because there were other parts of the plot. So many pure romance novels get bogged down by slow burn, because it gets so boring just watching two people do nothing but circle around each other again and again and again. But in F0, we get to see Clarke trying to establish herself as a driver/pilot, while also trying to figure out what's "shady". There's never a moment where you're sitting there, thinking to yourself, "my god, this AGAIN??? GET ON WITH IT!"

3. Clarke pissed me off SO BAD at the beginning, with her fervently defending her old team. LIKE GIRL LITERALLY JUST OPEN YOUR EYES? They have a literal CHIP in your body. They don't listen to anything you say??? EVERYONE'S TELLING YOU THEY SUCK!!! I actually cheered when she finally started to stand up for herself. I was so proud of her character growth. Honestly, I need a book 2. I just know my girl will become the best F0 driver there ever was when she finally has a team behind her that supports her.

4. Thierry, you're adorable. He was sooooo fun. I hope everyone finds a friend like you. The Moms Club. Her stepdad/half-brother. The people who worked on her ship/her publicist. Lennox. Muah muah. We love a book where the side characters aren't dragging the story down.
And to that one lady, you know who you are, FUCK YOU. I can't believe I didn't see that coming from a mile away. Shame on me, honestly.

5. I know lots of debut authors are still figuring things out, so I try to give some leeway in writing, but Meredith Lanzen? You've figured it out. Zero notes on the writing. It was a delight to read.

Onto the complaints though... just a few! Like I said, loved the book overall. I have a few very minor complaints and one major complaint.

Minor: Frankly, there are all things I think most people would be able to get over them, so there were no points docked for this. They were just annoyances.
1. I touched on this above. It bothered me a lot that Maddie wasn't seeing what was literally right in front of her for so long. I almost dropped the book because of this... but that just made the end all the more satisfying.

2. Is it normal for cars in F1 to have this many big problems and for no one to step in? I get they'll... break down/need fixes, but I feel like the ones Maddie was facing were extreme? Why did no F0 officials step in earlier and be like "bro, wtf is going on with y'all?"

3. I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t really get the motive behind why the villain did what they did. I just feel it’s really shaky reasoning? Like what a 0-100 jump?

Like I said. All minor annoyances. But my one big one, which is why this is a 4 instead of a 5, was the fact that he supposedly has loved her for so long, but in the meantime, he's been sleeping with other people? Maybe it's too much to expect someone to be celibate for 6 years, but like. You said you loved her for this whole time, though??? How'd you stomach sleeping with someone else. And then her imagining him with someone else after they made out that first time... my gosh, it gave me an ick I couldn't shake off for the rest of the novel. And perhaps it's petty! I know it's petty! After all, it was literally only one paragraph. But I just couldn't forget it? It made all of his romantic talk about loving her seem... fake??? Anywho. My one and only complaint.

Oh. One last comment. I wish we could've seen Julian's POV too🥺 Novella? Book 2? Or maybe a bonus? Please?

Loved it overall. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Meredith Lenzen for the ARC!

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid who grew up in a NASCAR loving household in the 90's (my driver was Elliott Sadler because he drove the M&M's car haha), I am always ready to read books set in the racing world. So when I saw this book about Formula One (in space!!!), I knew I had to read it. And overall it didn't disappoint though I will say it's less a romance book and more focused on everything else.

Our narrator is Madeline Clarke whom everyone calls Clarke. She is 23 and has been racing professionally for 2 years on a mid level team (they aren't at the front of the pack, but they aren't at the back either). She loves racing, but her ships don't always perform well, her boss isn't the easiest person to work for and she hasn't talked to her childhood-best-friend-turned crush Julian who is currently racing for one of the top 3 ranking teams in about two years.

My girl Clarke has got a lot going on.

But when Clarke realizes that her DNF's losses and ship issues might be a deliberate act, she sets up to find out who is trying to sabotage her and why, while in the meantime growing closer to her old BFF Julian.

Things I loved about this book: Clarke, her family, her friends, the way the author weaves all the information about Formula Zero and ships in a way that is engaging and interesting.

Things I did not love about this book: At 450 pages it's too long. The story goes slow which is nice because as a reader it really made me get inside Clarke's head and learn to absolutely ADORE her, but it also dragged out the plot a bit longer than I thought it would. Like, we could have skipped some of the technical stuff about Formula Zero instead of going on for two pages about how the engines and tracks worked (although the track with the 8 black holes would be cool to race on, I'm not going to lie). And it's not really romanced focused, though the cover and synopsis imply heavily that it is. Clarke and Julian have the slowest of slow burns, they don't have that many scenes together, and the majority of their scenes initially involve Clarke running away. Their romance takes a backseat to the racing which is FINE (I was getting some Mariana Zapata vibes while reading because I do love a well written and drawn out love story) but I do wish I had known that going in. I would have lowered my expectations of the romance.

That said, this book was super interesting and fun and Clarke is probably one of my favorite main characters that I've read in awhile. I would highly recommend if you are intrigued by Formula One set in space and strong female leads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shirtballs, Batman...this was an unexpected and fun read!! I did not anticipate being SUCKED IN by a Formula-One-in-space sports romance this spring, but here we are.

Madeline Clarke (mostly addressed as Clarke in the story) is a downtrodden Formula Zero (F0) racer for a middling team with dysfunctional leadership. Her former BFF is one of her main rivals. We are dropped in mid-season with a stellar opening, delivering us all the context we need for the state of Clarke's team, her ship, and her relationships.

I adored the growth of Clarke—it was measured and believable. Did I want to shout at her sometimes? Of course.

The MMC, Julian Casperi, is as handsome as he is talented. I enjoyed their banter and rekindling of friendship. There is a lot of "the one that got away" vibes, but I think that only enhances their tension and draw.

What I did not expect was how much I would get into the racing and political drama. It was DELICIOUS. This story was so much more than a sports romance. It centers on a female athlete rediscovering that she is enough. Period. And that she doesn't need to be rescued, but instead open up to the community and find that support was there all along. I LOVE this kind of theme when there is a real conflict with the FMC, and while the MMC does help, he is not her rescuer: Clarke is enough.

There is spice, but if that's not your thing, it is skippable; honestly, by the end, it wasn't necessary. I loved the prose, the intrigue, the side characters. The story is so rich that the spice was a fun touch, but it was one of those books that didn't need the spice legs to stand strong in the pool of sports romances.

SO—for a sports romance, five stars.
Three chilli peppers for spice.

Thank you, #NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for my E-Arc of #FormulaZero!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘡𝘦𝘳𝘰 is an exciting and heartwarming romance debut with a unique premise - Formula One set in space!

Childhood best friends Julian and Clarke allowed a chasm to swallow their mutual pining as to not interfere with their promising F0 careers. Their distance was further deepened by a painful loss, and years later their interactions are limited to bickering. When Clarke crashes her ship and Julian saves her life, their dynamic begins to shift once again...

I'm obsessed with the mix of a captivating sci-fi setting and addictive romance plot! It's well-written in an engaging voice, and I could not put this book down. The concept was executed brilliantly, conveyed in a fast pace to match the excitement I'd expect for interplanetary Formula One!

I adored the characters, especially Julian's unwavering support and respect, even from afar. The mutual yearning made for such a swoon-worthy read - exactly what this genre should be about!

I heavily related to Clarke and her struggles, easily seeing bits of myself at 23 in her. 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘡𝘦𝘳𝘰 evaluates the sudden moments of pain following grief, especially grief made heavier by the weight of guilt. It examines the fractures grief can wedge in previously unbreakable relationships, and I appreciated how naturally this was developed. Her career challenges also encourage immense character growth, and the development is seamlessly balanced with other important plotlines. The prior conflict between characters was also sensical and realistic, building tension for readers from the start and allowing for a satisfying payoff by the end.

This is a debut to watch out for in 2026 when it races onto shelves near you!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advance reading copy!

[Annie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formula One racing… in space?!

Clarke is in her sophomore year of Formula 0, and things aren’t going well. To make matters worse, her ex-best friend is consistently winning. With her reputation on the line, Clarke is forced to “fake a friendship” with Julian after years of distance—and maybe her reasons for avoiding him weren’t so good after all.

I didn’t even fully read the synopsis going in because I thought this was about formula one racing lol. Turns out this book is a sci-fi romance mystery masterpiece I didn’t know I was missing. The setting was so much fun! Clarke is from Mars, living on the Moon, and the story takes them from Earth to Mars to the Moon—and even to a separate interplanetary race track locations?!? I was absolutely here for it. I’m not usually a sci-fi fan, but if this author doesn’t write more books in this setting, I’ll be devastated. Please let me return to this world—I loved it.

The mystery was fantastic too. There was definitely foreshadowing, but the twist genuinely shocked me. Usually, I can figure these things out—or at least narrow the options—but I was completely blindsided, which made it even more fun and intriguing.

And of course, the romance! Julian was adorable. I loved the slow burn and tension between them, and Clarke’s reasons for avoiding him made perfect sense. Their chemistry was undeniable, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way.

All in all, this book scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had. It beautifully weaves sci-fi, romance, and mystery into one story. It definitely wasn’t what I expected, but I loved it all the same.

Thank you, NetGalley, and a special thank you to Berkley for granting me access to the eARC—I always scream when a Berkley approval comes through!

[Veeka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 (rounded to 4) ⭐️

This was such a fun and unique read! I haven’t read many sports/racing romance books, so this being a Formula One (zero) racing with the twist of it being set in space, was so unique and fun to read!
I loved seeing the world-building and atmosphere of how everything was set up, especially the way the different tracks were created and the racing scene and environment behind it. I was sucked in right from the first chapter with how high-stakes everything felt.
I really love the FMC, Clarke. This girl had everything happening and was going through soo much. I loved how resilient she was with everything thrown her way and all the hands she was dealt. Plus the little bits of mystery that was thrown into the story too made this even more fun to read.
I will say the pacing threw me off just a little bit. I had to go back and re-read some things to figure out how exactly we got there. One minute she’s talking with her dad, and the next it jumps straight into a conversation with someone else in a different location. It didn’t happen too often, but when it did, it definitely pulled me out of the story a bit.
But with all that said, I still thought this was such an interesting and entertaining read. The concept stood out, the mystery kept me hooked, and the ending left me thinking. If you enjoy suspenseful stories with a unique premise and layered reveals, this is definitely one to check out!

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read ! This book is exactly what you expect, F1 but with ships and on interplanetary circuits. In the future, humans have colonized the solar system. Clarke is a Formula 0 pilot, but she’s having trouble winning since her ship is not performing well. Julian, her best friend turned rival in Formula 0, keeps coming back in her life and meddling.
I’m a big fan of sci-fi and I loved the world the author had created. There’s a lot of explanations and context, so the world makes sense and as readers, we are not thrown into this without knowledge, which I really appreciate. This is marketed as a romance, and while there is a nice romance, it’s not full on romance heavy. This book is definitely more focused on Formula 0 races, strategies team politics, conspiracies and overall character growth, which I liked. That being said, I did really enjoyed the romance, it’s a slow burn and Julian is a dreamy MMC. The stakes were high, there were some plot twists I didn’t expect and the world building was extensive and well done.

Overall, this is definitely a must read for fans of formula 1. There’s some Easter eggs that fans will enjoy. Sci-fi lovers will also enjoy this book as it combines well sci-fi with romance. I really enjoyed this book, the concept was well executed and it delivered on what it promised! I hope to read more books in this universe !

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.

[Payton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was genuinely so much fun and had me invested in a sport that both terrified me and also does not exist at all.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A man in a fireproof jumpsuit who is so unbelievably down bad??? I’m here for it. We like them flame-resistant and also a little bit pathetic, and Julian delivers in spades.

There was a sort of mystery/verging on thriller (on account of THEY ARE IN SPACE) aspect to this that I also really loved. Julian and Clarke reconnecting both cautiously and with the kind of familiarity that comes with a long-term friendship was woven so intricately between them literally solving crime(s) and doing tricks in spaceships. And though he was frustrated with Clarke’s determination to keep him at arms length, Julian also understood it because he knew her well enough to respect why.

Clarke is SO determined and headstrong and brave, and I adored her commitment to everything that mattered to her - whether that be her career, her friendships, or orbiting Julian like a suspicious planet. She is a bit like a feral cat that wants to cuddle but will bite if you make any move to reciprocate (me).

I would say this book made me want to be a spaceship racer but I will leave that to the professionals because I was sweaty just thinking about it. Also we as a species really do not deserve flying vehicles.

[Nicole P · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

This book is for the F1 girlies!!! Formula 1 but in space, racing ships on different planets, and so many strong female characters shown in the sport?? Yes please!! This story did an incredible job balancing both an incredible plot and a romance that makes you swoon. I was so incredibly locked in for this, and I loved the way the author took Formula One and made it her own in this story. The setting in space was an incredible and unique take on the sport that I loved seeing, and how she created tracks that were so unique while also adding in the classic F1 tracks that fans of the sport will love to see. The romance in this had me SAT. I loved Clarke and Julian so much; their dynamic was everything to me, and I couldn't get enough of them. Julian was absolutely perfect, and he was an incredible MMC. I had moments where Clarke irritated me, especially in the beginning, when I felt a lot of her reactions were blown way out of proportion, but grew to love her as her character developed throughout the story. These two are honestly one of my top-tier book couples, and you really feel every minute of the slow burn in this story. I also really enjoyed the mystery plot of this book, and how it dove deeper into the inter-team politics, and how far the teams will go to win. While some of the twists were predictable, I enjoyed every second of this read!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC!

[linds❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there’s two things I love in romance books it’s friends to lovers and sports. Well, Formula Zero was right up my alley because not only did it have that but it also featured one of my favourite sports - F1 (with a twist)! This intergalactic romcom is suprisingly charming and just zany enough. It has a few moments that kind of remind me of the 1990’s game F-Zero X crossed with the real-life F1. It has nods to real tracks (like Monza and Monaco), and some easter eggs to some on-track drama, but is different enough to stand on it’s own.
The sci-fi setting was not especially deep (we don’t really see much of the world outside of the tracks) but it was intriguing - with tracks featured on Mars, and other planets. Everything is explained well, but does not feel like an info-dump, which is appreciated. And while the book really focused on Maddie’s career and the politics of said career, what really stood out to me was Julian and Maddie’s friendship, their budding romance, and their navigation of grief. I really enjoyed their growth, their support, and their competitiveness.

Thank you to Berkley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Portia Citlali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 star read for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
It is like a space Formula One soap opera!! DRAMA!!

🤝⚔️❤️Friends to Rivals to Lovers
🚀🏁💖Sci-Fi Sports Romance
Single POV
Mystery

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this at first. I was a little thrown off by the futuristic setting. But once the drama kicked in, I was hooked and completely antsy for more. There’s so much happening behind the scenes: sabotage, ruthless rival team competition, attempted murder, and backstabbing. The tension is constantly at an all-time high.

This story follows Clarke, a Formula Zero racer fighting against all odds to come out on top. She has to face relentless adversity, not just on the track, but within her own family. Along the way, she ends up relying on the people she least expects, and it’s so rewarding to watch her truly come into her own. Once she realizes she has nothing to lose, she fully taps in. She becomes no-nonsense and self-assured, learning that no matter what others think of her, she knows her talent and her worth and that she has what it takes to win and to get the guy.

The spice was minimal, but the tension never wavered. 🌶️

I wanted to thank Netgally for this ARC

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

God, I wanted to love this. Like, really love it. The writing? Great. The tension? Solid. The characters? I was in.

But the world building… it kept pulling me out in a way I couldn’t ignore. It felt a little try hard—like I was constantly being reminded, “look how futuristic and complex this is,” instead of just being able to settle into the story.

And here’s the thing: I am not someone who needs everything to be hyper-logical or scientifically perfect. I’m very willing to just go with it. But this didn’t feel seamless—it felt noticeable.

Which is a bummer, because if this had just been about high-stakes racing (honestly, even regular race cars??), I think this could have been a 5-star read for me. The core story—rivalry, history, tension, messy relationships—was so good. Clarke and Julian had that “just kiss or fight already” energy that I eat up every time.

Instead, I felt like I was working a little too hard to stay immersed, which kept me from fully connecting the way I wanted to.

Overall: strong writing, great character dynamics, but the world building didn’t quite land for me. Still glad I read it—and I’d absolutely try this author again.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this release!!

I felt immense emotion and dedication for the first time out of all the books I've read so far in 2026... this was absolutely spectacular. The concept of F0 and interplanetary racing is the most original thing I've read in a long time, and the book was a great mix of explaining the world, concept, rules, etc. while also maintaining the storyline without it seeming daunting. I absolutely loved Clarke and Julian (though I'm not sure if I ever came to realize why she goes by Clarke, and not Madeline, just that she rarely goes by Maddie unless it's in JULIAN'S VOICE THAT I CAN HEAR IN MY HEAD.) I loved Julian and I could feel the YEARNING. I teared up multiple times throughout the read, feeling for both of them as they battled their... complicated relationship, to say the least. I ended up staying up until 1:30am (my bedtime is 10:30...) to finish the book and it was the best decision I've ever made. I can't wait to reread my favorite parts when I'm in an Angsty mood!!

[Mindy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

This sports romance involves Madeline Clarke and Julian Caperi, former best friends that are now professional drivers for competitive teams in space. Madeline is involved in an almost-fatal crash and Julian steps in to help her. While dealing with continued issues with her team and negative publicity, Madeline and Julian come to an agreement to help her image. After spending time together and remembering the past, they start to develop renewed feelings for each other.

I found this book to be entertaining even though I personally do not follow professional racing. At the beginning, I found Madeline to be a irritating but as I kept reading, I found her to be more likeable. I liked Julian from the beginning. Overall, I felt this book was well written and would recommend it.

[M. K. Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars: This book has such a fun cast of characters and an engaging plot, with high stakes in a cool setting. I wished we got more world-building, and I also found the narration, especially the frequent second-person address, somewhat off-putting (I think we were meant to be in Clarke's head, so it might as well have been told in first person, though that could just be my personal preference). I really liked that Julian and Clarke both had clear motivations and rationales behind their decisions. The descriptions of the races were gripping; I couldn't wait to see how each race turned out. The political machinations were exciting to read about, and overall I really enjoyed this read.

I received an e-ARC from Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a Formula 1 girly like myself, you will want to read this. I think the idea of Formula 1 in space is just such a cool and unique concept, so kudos to the author for that. Most of it was fun and at times, mindblowing in a good way. But the execution did fall a little flat for me, and the chemistry wasn't as present as I would have liked between Madeline and Julian. In fact, I felt like their communication issues could be awfully annoying at times and really took me out of the story here and there. I give Meredith major props for trying this out and like I said, it was not all bad but I was hoping for more and better and I was not given that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meredith Lanzen, and Berkley for the eARC of this book.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This was so fun!

I did find the chemistry to be a little flat at times. There were some moments that felt a little monotone, especially when they were getting into the minutia of the sport.

I really did love this twist on a Formula One romance. It's Formula One in space! Isn't that fun?!

I am always down to find a new sci-fi-esque romance situation. (There's also a childhood friends to rivals to lovers type of situation.)

I do think this would've benefited from a bit more world-building and character focus. But I had a good time reading this and think a lot of people will too!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This book was FUN. As soon as I saw the blurb I immediately thought this would be like if Xenon X3 was made for adults and I was right. The space racing was fun, the drama was there, and the romance was full of yearning. Clarke is a badass and it was a great ride following along on her journey to become the woman she ends up being. I will say that the explanations of the ships and racetracks did leave me a little puzzled and for most of the off planet tracks I did imagine them as Rainbow Road but that is an issue with my imagination and comprehension. Honestly this is my favorite F1 romance to date!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for letting me read this early!

[Elianna Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intergallactic F1 racing is such a concept that I was nothing more than excited when I got the ARC for this! The writing is also something special because it is so immersive and tantlizing I didn't want to put the book down even after realizing it probably wasn't for me. The chemistry was absolutely off the charts, and I felt like I was in the room with them and could feel the tension, and it was delightful. My only problem was the fact that it dragged on for a bit at the end and was a little longer than I felt was needed. I am extremely excited to read more from Meredith Lanzen!!

[Rachel Snider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Meredith Lanzen for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the story line! I am a sucker for a sports romance, and adding in space was a super cool twist! However this did fall a little short for me. I loved Julian, and I understood Clarke, but at times I felt the miscommunication and back and forth started to annoy me. Although the racing was interesting I wish there would have been more romance and interaction between the love interests!

[Emily Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a refreshing book that was completely unique! This was a spin off of Formula 1, and was about racing ships in space. The two main characters are both racers and used to be best friends. They had a fall out and keep being pushed back to each other! This was a fun one and I recommend if you are wanting fun and mind numbing to enjoy!

Tropes:
-Forced Proximity
-Best friends to strangers (in a way) then to lovers
-Sports romance


Thank you Meredith Lanzen, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the early read of Formula Zero

[Lex fullybookedbabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sports sci-fi romance. Formula 1 racing BUT in space. Add in childhood friends-to-rivals-to-lovers!

With a sci-fi dash of world building, the racing on page is full of so much tension, I found myself speeding through it.

More focused on how humans live in space, the politics, and racing details versus romance. I still really enjoyed it. There was great character development throughout.