Overtake

Speed Dating #2

by Monica Ross

Petra Hayter isn't watching F1 from the paddock—she's in the driver’s seat chasing the championship. But her decade-long rivalry with champion Nico Belmonte is about to crash in ways she doesn't see coming.

PETRA
Winning the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship is her only goal. She's fought too long in a sport that's never crowned a woman champion, so Petra's not letting anything wreck her focus. Except this season, Nico's suddenly impossible to ignore. Charming. Persistent. Annoyingly handsome. But attraction equals distraction, and she refuses to lose everything by letting him get into her head... or her bed.

NICO
He's kept his distance from Petra for years—stayed professional, focused, and controlled. But this season, Nico's not holding back. He's racing for his fifth world title while proving she's wrong to think he's playing mind games. Because Petra's the only thing Nico takes more seriously than driving.

Every qualifying lap, every podium, every press conference forces them together. What started as rivalry is racing toward a collision neither can avoid. But with the championship on the line and the world watching, falling for each other might be the most dangerous move Petra and Nico have ever made.

Overtake is a steamy, competitive, rivals-to-lovers F1 racing romance featuring a barrier-breaking heroine and a hero who refuses to let her go. Perfect for fans of Lauren Asher's Dirty Air series and Drive to Survive sports romance junkies who want to see a woman in the cockpit.

He falls firstRivals to loversWorkplace romanceSlow burnStrong fmcDevoted heroCinnamon roll heroForbidden romanceChosen familyForced proximityNo third-act breakupHEA guaranteedNew adult characters who aren't in collegeNo miscommunication dramaMental health representationMama drama

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

Reviews

[Kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

leaned more on the f1 than the romance, but it was so sweet until it sparked HEAT!!!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never would have thought that I'd find myself so thoroughly engaged by reading about telemetry stats let alone becoming interested in Formula One racing, and yet here we are. When it comes to most sports I'm definitely of the "Yay. Sportsball" variety because it doesn't do anything for me.

Turns out that if Monica writes it and combines with romance (and Burlesque if you've read Hot Lap) then I'm invested. After reading the first two books in her new Speed Dating series, I perk up when I see headlines about news from the F1 world, although I'll admit to feeling a bit let down because to my mind the names are all wrong. Yes, I'll be watching Drive to Survive soon to get my head around it all, because that's what Monica's books have done to me.

Petra (Tenacious P) is one of the few women driving Formula One and has backed by her Dad, and fellow driver Reece who was the MMC in Hot Lap. Nico (Bunny Boy) is the reigning champion on the track and has carried a torch for her for years. Our boy is great at taking pole position but seems afraid to step up with his heart on his sleeve. He wants to, but he's also mindful of how much harder Petra has to work for recognition.

Speaking of, there's also Wyn, the brother of Reece (the MMC from Hot Lap) in the picture who is getting increasingly aggressive on the track. This thread in the storyline was a particular delight to me, because it really delineated the various characters between ethical, clean racing, and those who are getting bullied into winning at all costs.

So Petra has a supportive parent, and one purely for show (when it suits) whose desperate need for attention is undermining all that she has achieved so far. Where she's lacking in maternal support, she has her incredible F1 team which includes Reece and Maiken. She's got her struggles but isn't without support on the family and professional front. Meanwhile there's Nico who is the champion and has an amazing family looking out for him, but a dangerous co-driver and others out to undermine him wherever possible (I'm side eyeing Junior here). All the while there's commentary from the online chat forums aka the Slipstream who both support the criticise, and of course squabble between themselves. The Slipstream here acts like a Greek Chorus and it's a great device to include in the stories.

Monica is continuing to build her storylines and characters in this series and I'm HERE for it. All good stories need some conflict to drive the plot, and when it comes to writing narcissists and manipulative behaviour, Monica is diabolical. She delivered these sorts of characters in her Fatkini series and they drove me up the wall because I was waiting to see them get served. Now she's doing it to me all over again in Speed Dating and I'm eating it up,

This story is a slow burn (and oh so satisfying when it hits) and had me engaged, entertained and informed from start to finish. Now I eagerly await Book 3!

[Janice Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a Formula One racing series by Monica Ross. It has a slower start but once it got going, I was invested and wanted to see what happened in the end. There's a lot of information about F1 racing which is not a particular interest of mine but I appreciated the details and research that must have gone into it. The character development for the two main characters (Nico and Petra) was done very well. If you have read other books by Monica Ross, there are appearances/mentions of other familiar characters, too. It's a slow burn, friends/rivals to lovers, chosen family, cinnamon roll hero, no third act break up and a guaranteed HEA. There is some spice as well! And we are set up for the next in the series which I am looking forward to!

[Kaci Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.01

Ok so this was decent. Nico and Petra. The writing kind of terrible. And the plot… also not very good. The concept of a woman driver being good is fabulous and I liked the dealing with the sexism aspect but. It just kind of fell flat. Glad he won lowkey, would have been cliche for her to do so. I think the next book with Zara and wyn will be more intriguing. I do like how Nico literally ride or died for Petra and genuinely protected her at every turn when someone was going after her on the track and off, and even warning her dad about her ED. Not bad but just not my fav.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

slow burn romance with a need for speed

Nice continuation of this series. While the romance between the main characters is a slow burn the F1 racing sequences keep things moving. Once again, Monica Ross shows how a strong FMC should be written. Petra never compromises her morals and character while still showing growth. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Mary L · Rating 5 out of 5]

It held my interest

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the interactions between the main characters and the secondary ones. It was well researched and the racing info was interesting without being too over the top.

[megomyeggo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[SplkdancerReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun sports romance with a well-written FMC who is equal parts tough and feminine. As the only female driver, she balances her role and representation while not losing her unique personality and ultimately embracing the ability to be a partner with someone... despite her family drama and several other families dramas that cause no end to the chaos of this series. Not entirely necessary to read this second in the series, but be prepared for a lot of personalities, moving parts and details and hold on for this 400 page rollercoaster!
For racing fans, very accurate and nothing so jarringly incorrect to significantly take you out of the story.