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Sparks Fly #2
Heart Racing
An electric enemies-to-lovers, work place romance full of sharp banter and yearning to make your heart race.
Nicola Moretti is finally stepping into the career she’s always dreamed of. Raised in Formula One royalty, she’s long known she belongs trackside, and this is the year she’s out to prove she’s more than just the team owner’s daughter. Running charity events for her family’s team, Nicola is finally finding her stride and maybe even her place.
Matteo DeLuca is Moretti Racing’s golden boy driver, full of charm and sunshine. flirting with the woman who hates it is his favorite past time. Because somewhere between the arguments, the banter, and the late-night confessions, something real is starting to take shape.
After a drunken one night stand, she says it was a mistake.
He’s ready to make it her favorite one.
Nicola Moretti is finally stepping into the career she’s always dreamed of. Raised in Formula One royalty, she’s long known she belongs trackside, and this is the year she’s out to prove she’s more than just the team owner’s daughter. Running charity events for her family’s team, Nicola is finally finding her stride and maybe even her place.
Matteo DeLuca is Moretti Racing’s golden boy driver, full of charm and sunshine. flirting with the woman who hates it is his favorite past time. Because somewhere between the arguments, the banter, and the late-night confessions, something real is starting to take shape.
After a drunken one night stand, she says it was a mistake.
He’s ready to make it her favorite one.
324 pages, Paperback
Published February 5, 2026
72 people are currently reading
1436 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
January 25, 2026
── .✦ 5 stars 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
┆ ⤿ 🏎️ ⌗ started: january 18, finished: january 24
⤿ mini review w NO spoilers ⋆
‧₊˚ ┊ tropes:
.ᐟ boss’s daughter x f1 driver
.ᐟ rivals to lovers
.ᐟ he falls first
.ᐟ ‘rivals’ with benefits
‧₊˚ ┊ thank you elliana rose for the electronic copy in exchange for a honest review
‧₊˚ ┊thoughts 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
oh em gee!! i loved this book so much 🥹 the rivals-to-lovers tension was everything, the banter, the chemistry, the slow shift from annoyance to want?? obsessed. matteo falling first absolutely stole my heart, and the “rivals with benefits” dynamic added just the right amount of spice without overpowering the emotional build. as a formula 1 lover, the setting made this even more fun and immersive, and i loved seeing nicola step into her own beyond being the boss’s daughter. sharp banter, yearning, and a romance that truly sneaks up on you, this one had my whole heart racing 😮💨🫶🏼
‧₊˚ ┊quotes 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
And I couldn’t stop watching her as she walked away. God, I was so screwed.
“I know we said vacation was over,” he breathed, voice low and wrecked, “But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend you didn’t ruin me that week. I can’t sleep. I hate when you’re not around. The last few days have felt like an eternity. I need you around, I need these lips, your snark, your fucking temper.”
How was I supposed to be normal around her? Not act like a drooling dog following her around all night? There was no hope. I was in free fall for this woman, just waiting for her to jump. So I turned on the charm, the one she loved to hate.
“I’d rather have your hand in mine DeLuca. You’ve turned me into a romantic.”
┆ ⤿ 🏎️ ⌗ started: january 18, finished: january 24
⤿ mini review w NO spoilers ⋆
“call us whatever you want, whatever feels less scary, but i’m not going anywhere, and i’m not interested in ever spending my time, energy, or trust on anyone else other than you. you are who i want. you are who i fucking need. we take it as slow as you need.”
‧₊˚ ┊ tropes:
.ᐟ boss’s daughter x f1 driver
.ᐟ rivals to lovers
.ᐟ he falls first
.ᐟ ‘rivals’ with benefits
⤿spice: 3/5
‧₊˚ ┊ thank you elliana rose for the electronic copy in exchange for a honest review
ⓘ book 8 of 2026
‧₊˚ ┊thoughts 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
oh em gee!! i loved this book so much 🥹 the rivals-to-lovers tension was everything, the banter, the chemistry, the slow shift from annoyance to want?? obsessed. matteo falling first absolutely stole my heart, and the “rivals with benefits” dynamic added just the right amount of spice without overpowering the emotional build. as a formula 1 lover, the setting made this even more fun and immersive, and i loved seeing nicola step into her own beyond being the boss’s daughter. sharp banter, yearning, and a romance that truly sneaks up on you, this one had my whole heart racing 😮💨🫶🏼
‧₊˚ ┊quotes 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
And I couldn’t stop watching her as she walked away. God, I was so screwed.
“I know we said vacation was over,” he breathed, voice low and wrecked, “But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend you didn’t ruin me that week. I can’t sleep. I hate when you’re not around. The last few days have felt like an eternity. I need you around, I need these lips, your snark, your fucking temper.”
How was I supposed to be normal around her? Not act like a drooling dog following her around all night? There was no hope. I was in free fall for this woman, just waiting for her to jump. So I turned on the charm, the one she loved to hate.
“I’d rather have your hand in mine DeLuca. You’ve turned me into a romantic.”
February 23, 2026
જ⁀➴ 4.25 stars
Thank you to Elliana Rose for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Heart Racing is out now!
‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧
As some of you may know, I'm not the kind of person to obsess over fictional characters after the story ends because I think my brain knows that they're not real, so I don't really get emotionally invested or attached to characters. HOWEVER, NICOLA AND MATTEO? Whew, the chemistry, the tension, the banter? WOW. It's been a long while since I've seen two characters have that much tension between each other and successfully pull off a true enemies-to-lovers trope WELL.
Nicola Moretti has something to prove. She's the daughter of the owner of Moretti Racing, and she's ready to show people she's more than just a pretty face on the paddock. With her heels, red lipstick, and serious attitude, she didn't come to play around, especially after she got her heart broken. The one person who gets under her skin? Matteo DeLuca, rising star of Moretti Racing, her best friend's brother, and overall pain in her butt. When the pair has to spend time together during the season, will sparks fly? Or will it crash and burn?
Something worth mentioning is that although this is part of a series, it's an interconnected standalone, so you don't have to read For the Thrill of it All, the first book, to enjoy this one. The MCs of the first book, Lucia and Alexander, make appearances throughout the book, and the events of that book overlap with the events of Heart Racing, so there are some minor spoilers for Lucia and Alex's story. That's just something to keep in mind if you haven't read the first book yet.
Nicola was such a strong FMC. She knew what she wanted, and once she set her eyes on something, she stopped at nothing to get it. She's fierce, determined, unapologetic, and just the right amount of sarcastic that I absolutely loved. Even though she seems like an ice queen on the outside, she's soft, loyal, and caring on the inside and protects the people she loves. I think something worth noting about her is that she didn't need a man or her family name to get what she wanted. She built her success from the ground up and proved to people that she doesn't need her family name attached to be successful in her career, nor did she rely on Luca to get anywhere, as people thought.
Luca was the right amount of funny and flirty with Nicola. Their banter was absolutely hilarious, and you could tell he was just trying to push her buttons while still trying to show he cared for her deeply. The amount of chemistry and the sparks that flew between them?! I was just DYING waiting for them to kiss or have a "f it" moment. It was the right amount of tension, build-up, and "will they or won't they" that I've been looking for in a romance story in what seems like forever.
The one thing I didn't expect to love was how both of them were people pleasers. I know this sounds weird, but I think it added a lot of emotional depth to their relationship. They spend so much time keeping up appearances and keeping everyone happy—Nicola because she wants to prove herself, and Matteo because that's what he's known for in the media—that it feels like they can't truly be themselves at times. I love how they became each other's safe space and allowed themselves to let their guard down with each other to just....be. I think that's what love is all about sometimes: letting yourself become someone's safe space to truly be themselves when the world isn't watching or judging.
This was such a heartfelt, but also funny and great read. If you're looking to support an indie romance author and you're an F1 fan, please read this book and thank me later. I can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of this series, and I'll definitely continue reading more from Elliana Rose in the future!
‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧
Thank you to Elliana Rose for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Heart Racing is out now!
"You never had to be perfect for me. You just had to be you."
‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧
As some of you may know, I'm not the kind of person to obsess over fictional characters after the story ends because I think my brain knows that they're not real, so I don't really get emotionally invested or attached to characters. HOWEVER, NICOLA AND MATTEO? Whew, the chemistry, the tension, the banter? WOW. It's been a long while since I've seen two characters have that much tension between each other and successfully pull off a true enemies-to-lovers trope WELL.
Nicola Moretti has something to prove. She's the daughter of the owner of Moretti Racing, and she's ready to show people she's more than just a pretty face on the paddock. With her heels, red lipstick, and serious attitude, she didn't come to play around, especially after she got her heart broken. The one person who gets under her skin? Matteo DeLuca, rising star of Moretti Racing, her best friend's brother, and overall pain in her butt. When the pair has to spend time together during the season, will sparks fly? Or will it crash and burn?
Something worth mentioning is that although this is part of a series, it's an interconnected standalone, so you don't have to read For the Thrill of it All, the first book, to enjoy this one. The MCs of the first book, Lucia and Alexander, make appearances throughout the book, and the events of that book overlap with the events of Heart Racing, so there are some minor spoilers for Lucia and Alex's story. That's just something to keep in mind if you haven't read the first book yet.
Nicola was such a strong FMC. She knew what she wanted, and once she set her eyes on something, she stopped at nothing to get it. She's fierce, determined, unapologetic, and just the right amount of sarcastic that I absolutely loved. Even though she seems like an ice queen on the outside, she's soft, loyal, and caring on the inside and protects the people she loves. I think something worth noting about her is that she didn't need a man or her family name to get what she wanted. She built her success from the ground up and proved to people that she doesn't need her family name attached to be successful in her career, nor did she rely on Luca to get anywhere, as people thought.
Luca was the right amount of funny and flirty with Nicola. Their banter was absolutely hilarious, and you could tell he was just trying to push her buttons while still trying to show he cared for her deeply. The amount of chemistry and the sparks that flew between them?! I was just DYING waiting for them to kiss or have a "f it" moment. It was the right amount of tension, build-up, and "will they or won't they" that I've been looking for in a romance story in what seems like forever.
The one thing I didn't expect to love was how both of them were people pleasers. I know this sounds weird, but I think it added a lot of emotional depth to their relationship. They spend so much time keeping up appearances and keeping everyone happy—Nicola because she wants to prove herself, and Matteo because that's what he's known for in the media—that it feels like they can't truly be themselves at times. I love how they became each other's safe space and allowed themselves to let their guard down with each other to just....be. I think that's what love is all about sometimes: letting yourself become someone's safe space to truly be themselves when the world isn't watching or judging.
This was such a heartfelt, but also funny and great read. If you're looking to support an indie romance author and you're an F1 fan, please read this book and thank me later. I can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of this series, and I'll definitely continue reading more from Elliana Rose in the future!
‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧ ‧˚꒰🍷💋ྀིྀི ꒱༘‧
Review of advance copy received from Author
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 5 stars
so this was utter perfection
review when i have time but this was the most fun i had while reading in a hot minute – i giggled, i cried, i smiled, i literally went through it all.
i am a huge fan of elliana and truly cannot wait for her future work!!
if you have not already PLEASE go read book 1 + this book comes out next week!!
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
for the thrill of it all was one of my top reads of last year (book 1) and i cannot wait to continue this lovely series!! reading with my bestie char our first buddy read 💗🥹 ily & i know we're going to eat this up!!
↪ started jan 27
↪ finished jan 29
thank u elliana for sending me an arc!
so this was utter perfection
review when i have time but this was the most fun i had while reading in a hot minute – i giggled, i cried, i smiled, i literally went through it all.
i am a huge fan of elliana and truly cannot wait for her future work!!
if you have not already PLEASE go read book 1 + this book comes out next week!!
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
for the thrill of it all was one of my top reads of last year (book 1) and i cannot wait to continue this lovely series!! reading with my bestie char our first buddy read 💗🥹 ily & i know we're going to eat this up!!
↪ started jan 27
↪ finished jan 29
thank u elliana for sending me an arc!
February 3, 2026
˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .
im obsessed! these two were actually the cutest, i cant even- their banter was top tier! loved every single second of it
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• nicola moretti
FUCK I LOVE HER! also can we just mention the way she stood up and defended matteo!? and girl bossed her way through!! i loved watching THRIVE in a male-dominated field and lwk made me cry..
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• matteo deluca
the way he loves hard, ugh! i love how he's always there for lucia & gia. he's such a sweetheart and so sunshiney. and the way he's so gone for nicola??
i was absolutely eating up the lucia, alexander & gia crumbs lol, i missed them soo much!
ALSO PLEASE I NEED DANTE AND ANNA'S BOOK!! i will shamelessly beg on my knees here..
⤷ thank you to the author, elliana rose, for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
if you know me you'll know how much i loved for the thrill of it all when i got the arc for it last year so obviously had to read the arc of heart racing too!! prepare to be so annoyed by me lol.. and i'm reading this with jojo!!
im obsessed! these two were actually the cutest, i cant even- their banter was top tier! loved every single second of it
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• nicola moretti
FUCK I LOVE HER! also can we just mention the way she stood up and defended matteo!? and girl bossed her way through!! i loved watching THRIVE in a male-dominated field and lwk made me cry..
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• matteo deluca
the way he loves hard, ugh! i love how he's always there for lucia & gia. he's such a sweetheart and so sunshiney. and the way he's so gone for nicola??
i was absolutely eating up the lucia, alexander & gia crumbs lol, i missed them soo much!
ALSO PLEASE I NEED DANTE AND ANNA'S BOOK!! i will shamelessly beg on my knees here..
⤷ thank you to the author, elliana rose, for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
if you know me you'll know how much i loved for the thrill of it all when i got the arc for it last year so obviously had to read the arc of heart racing too!! prepare to be so annoyed by me lol.. and i'm reading this with jojo!!
February 2, 2026
HEART RACING IS SOOOOO THAT GIRL
i loved every second of this book - dare i say it’s my favorite f1 romance???
nicola may rub some people the wrong way, BUT SHE IS FOR ME!! PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS!! nicola is for the girls who’ve been burned and build walls to guard their heart at all costs. i’m so in love with her character and would go to war for her. my snarky princess 😭
don’t get me started on matteo - tHAT MOUTH? girlies, read this book for the banter ALONE. matteo is the perfect persistent softie golden retriever boy (protect him at all costs too).
I EXPECT Y’ALL TO BE PICKING THIS UP FEB 5TH!
i loved every second of this book - dare i say it’s my favorite f1 romance???
nicola may rub some people the wrong way, BUT SHE IS FOR ME!! PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS!! nicola is for the girls who’ve been burned and build walls to guard their heart at all costs. i’m so in love with her character and would go to war for her. my snarky princess 😭
don’t get me started on matteo - tHAT MOUTH? girlies, read this book for the banter ALONE. matteo is the perfect persistent softie golden retriever boy (protect him at all costs too).
I EXPECT Y’ALL TO BE PICKING THIS UP FEB 5TH!
February 7, 2026
What I loved most about „Heart Racing“ were the relationships between the characters. Whether romantic or platonic, everything felt surprisingly healthy – even within the entire Formula 1 team, including the relationship with the boss. That was really refreshing to read.
I really liked the characters in general, they had depth, development and didn’t feel superficial. The romance between Matteo and Nicola was also very well done. He was such a gentleman and a green flag. I love a man who falls first and hard. (The spice was nice as well.)
You’re thrown straight into their story, but the pacing and their development felt very natural. The hate-to-love trope was strongly present – the tension, the provocation and the animosity between them lasted for quite a while, which I absolutely loved.
However the middle part of the book felt a bit dragged out as some scenes/ conversation parts started to feel repetitive. There wasn’t a big plot twist or a real climax – whenever something intense happened, it was de-escalated pretty quickly. It was all a bit too linear.
Nonetheless I really liked the story. It wasn’t a huge plot-driven story, but a very enjoyable, character-driven romance with lots of heart and atmosphere.
I really liked the characters in general, they had depth, development and didn’t feel superficial. The romance between Matteo and Nicola was also very well done. He was such a gentleman and a green flag. I love a man who falls first and hard. (The spice was nice as well.)
You’re thrown straight into their story, but the pacing and their development felt very natural. The hate-to-love trope was strongly present – the tension, the provocation and the animosity between them lasted for quite a while, which I absolutely loved.
However the middle part of the book felt a bit dragged out as some scenes/ conversation parts started to feel repetitive. There wasn’t a big plot twist or a real climax – whenever something intense happened, it was de-escalated pretty quickly. It was all a bit too linear.
Nonetheless I really liked the story. It wasn’t a huge plot-driven story, but a very enjoyable, character-driven romance with lots of heart and atmosphere.
March 1, 2026
Od serduszka 5/5
NO CO MOGĘ POWIEDZIEĆ?
Too good to be true, ale jeśli w I tomie Matteo był ulubieńcem i dostał taką książkę, TO NIE MA OPCJI ŻE JA BYM OCENIŁA TO INACZEJ!
Wszystko zagrało, nie tylko z 🏎️ w tle, ale też z ich relacją! Trochę bolało, ale były też słodkie momenty, jak MATTEO DELUCA 🤌
W SUMIE CAŁĄ RODZINA DELUCA I RODZINA MORETTI JEST 🛐🛐🛐 I TO JAK SIĘ WSPIERALI 🥹
NO CO MOGĘ POWIEDZIEĆ?
Too good to be true, ale jeśli w I tomie Matteo był ulubieńcem i dostał taką książkę, TO NIE MA OPCJI ŻE JA BYM OCENIŁA TO INACZEJ!
Wszystko zagrało, nie tylko z 🏎️ w tle, ale też z ich relacją! Trochę bolało, ale były też słodkie momenty, jak MATTEO DELUCA 🤌
W SUMIE CAŁĄ RODZINA DELUCA I RODZINA MORETTI JEST 🛐🛐🛐 I TO JAK SIĘ WSPIERALI 🥹
tbr-kindle
February 6, 2026A cute contemporary romance set in the world of F1 filled with yearning and playful banter between the boss' daughter, Nicola, as she makes her way in a male-dominated field, and one of her father's drivers, Matteo, radiates golden retriever energy and absolutely cannot let her go. What could go wrong?
Tropes:
🏁Formula One
🏁Boss Daughter
🏁Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🏁Enemies to Lovers
🏁Forbidden Romance
🏁He's Down BAD
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
🏁Formula One
🏁Boss Daughter
🏁Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🏁Enemies to Lovers
🏁Forbidden Romance
🏁He's Down BAD
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
wow, I always find contemporary romances to not hit the spot for me but this book? ughhh I wanted to wrap Nicole and Matteo up and keep them safe. While this is based as a formula 1 book, it lightly taps into it but my god I still loved how Elliana captured the fast paced world of that sport still.
Nic goes through a lot of self doubt but fakes it till she makes it and the way Matteo strips her down to her core (not literally but also literally 🤭) was seriously so beautifully done.
The found family aspects but also the love on the pages? ughhhh cut my heart out! I was sobbing at them but more importantly Matteo the golden retriever, happy go lucky guy, who just puts his heart out on his sleeve and it's just so beautiful!
Nic, is a grumpy black cat, who just has a heart of gold and seeing her open and take her armour off (heels and a bright red lip), just made me cheer for her.
Obsessed with this and very fortunate to have received an ARC for this, in an exchange for a very honest review! Thank you Elliana, for writing a beautiful love story that is wrapped up in an F1 bow. 🫶🏻
Nic goes through a lot of self doubt but fakes it till she makes it and the way Matteo strips her down to her core (not literally but also literally 🤭) was seriously so beautifully done.
The found family aspects but also the love on the pages? ughhhh cut my heart out! I was sobbing at them but more importantly Matteo the golden retriever, happy go lucky guy, who just puts his heart out on his sleeve and it's just so beautiful!
Nic, is a grumpy black cat, who just has a heart of gold and seeing her open and take her armour off (heels and a bright red lip), just made me cheer for her.
Obsessed with this and very fortunate to have received an ARC for this, in an exchange for a very honest review! Thank you Elliana, for writing a beautiful love story that is wrapped up in an F1 bow. 🫶🏻
February 28, 2026
3.75-4⭐️ So happy to have received the eARC copy of this book! It was my first F1 romance and it was such a delight to read! I loved Matteo from the very beginning, he was just a sweet and funny FMC who also had his sincere moments which I loved the most. I really appreciate Nicola’s character and how headstrong she was- badass if you will lol
I didn’t get a chance to read Alex and Lucia’s book before this, but I really appreciate that Elliana Rose incorporated their storyline within this book just the right amount where you understand their history. My favorite parts to read were moments with Gianna and Matteo and also reading about how passionate Nicola was about racing and her family’s foundation!
I’m so grateful to be able to read this and it definitely won’t be the last F1 romance I read!🫡🏁🏎️💞
I didn’t get a chance to read Alex and Lucia’s book before this, but I really appreciate that Elliana Rose incorporated their storyline within this book just the right amount where you understand their history. My favorite parts to read were moments with Gianna and Matteo and also reading about how passionate Nicola was about racing and her family’s foundation!
I’m so grateful to be able to read this and it definitely won’t be the last F1 romance I read!🫡🏁🏎️💞
February 23, 2026
LOVED this one so much and so glad the series is continuing! I loved getting a different POV on the same timeline as the first book.
I love the “i hate you so much but eventually fall in love with you” trope?!?! I dont know what to call it but I am HERE for it!!!!
My favorite F1 romance series! Carlos girl always 🫶🏼
I love the “i hate you so much but eventually fall in love with you” trope?!?! I dont know what to call it but I am HERE for it!!!!
My favorite F1 romance series! Carlos girl always 🫶🏼
March 1, 2026
Enjoyed all the hate to love you energy and all their bickering. It's a steamy F1 forbidden romance, with a lot of angst and pining, a forced proximity vacation, secret hook ups and learning to lower your walls and learn to trust and love.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5⭐️ | 3🌶
Absolutely loved this book. Nicola + Matteo were perfect. It was just the right amount of push and pull in my opinion. Everyone's relationship witb Gia, I just about melted! Gia is so sassy and I love it! It was so refreshing to see the type of relationship Nicola and her dad have, it was so sweet. I'm excited to continue this series and i need Anna's book! Thank you to Elliana for the arc.
Absolutely loved this book. Nicola + Matteo were perfect. It was just the right amount of push and pull in my opinion. Everyone's relationship witb Gia, I just about melted! Gia is so sassy and I love it! It was so refreshing to see the type of relationship Nicola and her dad have, it was so sweet. I'm excited to continue this series and i need Anna's book! Thank you to Elliana for the arc.
January 29, 2026
*ARC REVIEW*
This was cute! An F1 romance without being to F1 heavy.
No third act break up either! It’s been a minute since I’ve had a book without one.
This was cute! An F1 romance without being to F1 heavy.
No third act break up either! It’s been a minute since I’ve had a book without one.
February 4, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is the first F1 romance novel I read and I’m so glad it was. This is also my first book by this author. I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I would have to say if it weren’t for work, I would have finished this in a day.
Let’s start with the characters. Nicola was a great FMC. Driven. Passionate. She knows what she wants and works extremely hard to prove herself that she deserves to be where she is by her own efforts and not because of her prestigious Moretti name. I loved that aspect of her. Behind her professional persona though, she’s quite guarded and has walls firmly set in place because of her ex. I really enjoyed seeing her learn to let Matteo in and allow herself to fall in love.
Then enters Matteo. He gives off golden retriever energy from the get go and everybody loves him, except for Nicola. Unknown to other though, he himself has his own issues and insecurities that he keeps hidden from the world and just wears a mask of nonchalance. He’s so down bad for Nicola and I enjoyed seeing how wove his way into her heart and was very patiently dismantling her walls brick by brick. He also loves his family dearly and does whatever he can in order to help them but also this leads to him not sharing his challenges and concerns as not to come across as a burden or to let them worry.
The banters between the two were so entertaining. You could see the progression where it was only Matteo who was flirting while Nicola brushes him off to when both of them use bantering as a form of flirting.
When it came to the writing of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it with how things were described. I didn’t find it being repetitive nor roundabout. Things were descriptive, especially when it came to the racing scenes. I could feel the excitement and the thrill just be reading it. I could even visualize how the scenes were being laid out. Even the scene where Nicole takes Matteo’s hand for the first time to comfort him, I could feel how Matteo was feeling at that time.
There was spice in this book but only 2 open door scenes that weren’t really explicit. Most of it though were behind closed doors.
As for the pacing, this was done well. At around the 65-70-ish% mark, I thought it was nice way to end it and I wondered what else could there be with the remaining 30-35%. But what happens after was a great way to continue it. If there was something I had to comment on regarding this, it would have to be a bit of the marking regarding the timeline. In one scene it could be in this time and setting and then suddenly it’s like 2 weeks later of that they’ve been a few months. If the characters didn’t mention in their heads that that was the amount of time that passed I wouldn’t have known.
Something I would have liked was a bit more insight on Nicola’s brother. He was briefly mentioned by her and her dad about him hoping her brother to takeover later on but there was no background as to why this didn’t pan out or where he actually was.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is the first F1 romance novel I read and I’m so glad it was. This is also my first book by this author. I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I would have to say if it weren’t for work, I would have finished this in a day.
Let’s start with the characters. Nicola was a great FMC. Driven. Passionate. She knows what she wants and works extremely hard to prove herself that she deserves to be where she is by her own efforts and not because of her prestigious Moretti name. I loved that aspect of her. Behind her professional persona though, she’s quite guarded and has walls firmly set in place because of her ex. I really enjoyed seeing her learn to let Matteo in and allow herself to fall in love.
Then enters Matteo. He gives off golden retriever energy from the get go and everybody loves him, except for Nicola. Unknown to other though, he himself has his own issues and insecurities that he keeps hidden from the world and just wears a mask of nonchalance. He’s so down bad for Nicola and I enjoyed seeing how wove his way into her heart and was very patiently dismantling her walls brick by brick. He also loves his family dearly and does whatever he can in order to help them but also this leads to him not sharing his challenges and concerns as not to come across as a burden or to let them worry.
The banters between the two were so entertaining. You could see the progression where it was only Matteo who was flirting while Nicola brushes him off to when both of them use bantering as a form of flirting.
When it came to the writing of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it with how things were described. I didn’t find it being repetitive nor roundabout. Things were descriptive, especially when it came to the racing scenes. I could feel the excitement and the thrill just be reading it. I could even visualize how the scenes were being laid out. Even the scene where Nicole takes Matteo’s hand for the first time to comfort him, I could feel how Matteo was feeling at that time.
There was spice in this book but only 2 open door scenes that weren’t really explicit. Most of it though were behind closed doors.
As for the pacing, this was done well. At around the 65-70-ish% mark, I thought it was nice way to end it and I wondered what else could there be with the remaining 30-35%. But what happens after was a great way to continue it. If there was something I had to comment on regarding this, it would have to be a bit of the marking regarding the timeline. In one scene it could be in this time and setting and then suddenly it’s like 2 weeks later of that they’ve been a few months. If the characters didn’t mention in their heads that that was the amount of time that passed I wouldn’t have known.
Something I would have liked was a bit more insight on Nicola’s brother. He was briefly mentioned by her and her dad about him hoping her brother to takeover later on but there was no background as to why this didn’t pan out or where he actually was.
January 21, 2026
ARC Review ✨
First I would like to say a big thank you to Elliana for letting me be apart of this ARC Team!
Rate: 5/5⭐️
Spice: 1.5/5🌶️
What to expect when reading Heart Racing;
-Formula One
-Enemies x Lovers
-Bosses Daughter
-Black Cat x Golden Retriever
-Forbidden Romance
-One Bed
This is book two of the Sparks Fly series! You get to follow Nicola and Matteo! Nicola is finding her place on her family’s formula one team. Matteo is driving for his spot on the team while trying to win over the girl. Firstly I will always read formula one books because I love the sport, so I will never pass on an F1 themed book. Second, I LOVED these two main characters sooooo much, when they were announced for book two I was so excited! This was such a fun read. Their banter throughout the book it really had me laughing out loud and written (insert chefs kiss here). The chemistry was also super hot, talk about man obsessed! I literally melted for them. Also I enjoyed that even though the book focused of the push and pull between the characters, we also got those hints of racing /events as well which I always enjoy it was the perfect balance. Honestly Elliana knows how to write men, and she did so good with the black cat and golden retriever aspect (one of my favorite tropes). I could keep reading about Nicola and Matteo. Also look at this cover, it’s absolutely stunning!!!!🙌
Side notes:
-Love sassy women, like men who?
-Twitchy lol
-Vodka and Vengeance
-Layers 😂
Fav Quote:
•”I’m a delight”
•”Do you have a fucking off switch”
•”You gonna slap me or kiss me again”
•”I think I’m being seduced”
Make sure you get your copy of the book when it releases Feb. 2nd
#bookstagram #romance #review
First I would like to say a big thank you to Elliana for letting me be apart of this ARC Team!
Rate: 5/5⭐️
Spice: 1.5/5🌶️
What to expect when reading Heart Racing;
-Formula One
-Enemies x Lovers
-Bosses Daughter
-Black Cat x Golden Retriever
-Forbidden Romance
-One Bed
This is book two of the Sparks Fly series! You get to follow Nicola and Matteo! Nicola is finding her place on her family’s formula one team. Matteo is driving for his spot on the team while trying to win over the girl. Firstly I will always read formula one books because I love the sport, so I will never pass on an F1 themed book. Second, I LOVED these two main characters sooooo much, when they were announced for book two I was so excited! This was such a fun read. Their banter throughout the book it really had me laughing out loud and written (insert chefs kiss here). The chemistry was also super hot, talk about man obsessed! I literally melted for them. Also I enjoyed that even though the book focused of the push and pull between the characters, we also got those hints of racing /events as well which I always enjoy it was the perfect balance. Honestly Elliana knows how to write men, and she did so good with the black cat and golden retriever aspect (one of my favorite tropes). I could keep reading about Nicola and Matteo. Also look at this cover, it’s absolutely stunning!!!!🙌
Side notes:
-Love sassy women, like men who?
-Twitchy lol
-Vodka and Vengeance
-Layers 😂
Fav Quote:
•”I’m a delight”
•”Do you have a fucking off switch”
•”You gonna slap me or kiss me again”
•”I think I’m being seduced”
Make sure you get your copy of the book when it releases Feb. 2nd
#bookstagram #romance #review
February 15, 2026
This book was so wholesome and simply amazing. I’m so glad I discovered Elliana Rose, since her writing style is impeccable. The way I feel so clearly while reading her books is unreal.
Back to the book itself, which was a treat to read. Nicola and Matteo are such great people with the biggest hearts. The way Matteo was able to turn Nicola’s icy heart all mushy and lovey was so cute.
Their bickering made me giggle a few times, and I even had to swipe a stray tear away. I felt every emotion throughout this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next books in this series!! (And also, can Anna pls get her own book? 🥺)
Back to the book itself, which was a treat to read. Nicola and Matteo are such great people with the biggest hearts. The way Matteo was able to turn Nicola’s icy heart all mushy and lovey was so cute.
Their bickering made me giggle a few times, and I even had to swipe a stray tear away. I felt every emotion throughout this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next books in this series!! (And also, can Anna pls get her own book? 🥺)
February 12, 2026
ARC REVIEW
I loved this F1 romance so much!! Matteo and Nicola are such a good pair and I really enjoyed their dynamic. The grumpy/sunshine trope is perfection in this book with major black cat and golden retriever vibes. I also loved the banter between the two of them. The pacing of the story is done really well and I liked how it lined up with events that happened in the first book. If you haven't read the first book in this series I highly recommend you read that one too as it made reading this so enjoyable.
I loved this F1 romance so much!! Matteo and Nicola are such a good pair and I really enjoyed their dynamic. The grumpy/sunshine trope is perfection in this book with major black cat and golden retriever vibes. I also loved the banter between the two of them. The pacing of the story is done really well and I liked how it lined up with events that happened in the first book. If you haven't read the first book in this series I highly recommend you read that one too as it made reading this so enjoyable.
January 25, 2026
Thank you Elliana for this ARC! This is such a good series, even if you don’t follow formula 1 (like me!). I’ve been invested from book 1!!
Overall I enjoyed the banter (lots of it..I love all the text messaging) between Matteo and Nicola! I also loved seeing the characters from book 1 appear (which I def recommend starting with!) If you are a fan of chosen family, enemies to lovers, and boss’s daughter…be sure to check out this series!
Overall I enjoyed the banter (lots of it..I love all the text messaging) between Matteo and Nicola! I also loved seeing the characters from book 1 appear (which I def recommend starting with!) If you are a fan of chosen family, enemies to lovers, and boss’s daughter…be sure to check out this series!
February 8, 2026
Cute. But unreal. I don’t think men like Matteo are out there. 💀
February 12, 2026
Was a struggle to get through… actually DNFd. They were not enemies. They slept together pretty early on. They liked each other too early. Included cliché lines. Was excited for this and it did not deliver. Bonus points for Matteos lines, FMCs baddass personality and Monty.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc's review 💖
First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity Elliana 🥹
As a girl who likes F1, I admit that I enjoyed this book a lot🫢
It’s a story so lovely, funny, spicy, and sweet that I need a man from this book for myself right now! 🥺
About the main characters, they’re so adorable, but the tension was so obvious. I shouted during so many parts when they made or took any decision about their 'friendship'. HAHAHA!
I really enjoyed the growth they had. I think Nicola showed the most growth in the book, but Matteo is a man who understands many things by the end too❤️🩹
I hadn't read the first book before, but I need to read it now because I really fell in love with Alexander, Lucia, and Gianna🫶🏼
Finally, I think it’s important to remind you that this is a story with too much influence from F1, so obviously you will find many coincidences—SO MANY. So, you can decide if you want to keep reading or choose another book, or keep reading and leave an honest but kind review🤍
30 January:
OMG! I have so much to say, but I need to process it, because I just finished it a few moments ago🤭
First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity Elliana 🥹
As a girl who likes F1, I admit that I enjoyed this book a lot🫢
It’s a story so lovely, funny, spicy, and sweet that I need a man from this book for myself right now! 🥺
About the main characters, they’re so adorable, but the tension was so obvious. I shouted during so many parts when they made or took any decision about their 'friendship'. HAHAHA!
I really enjoyed the growth they had. I think Nicola showed the most growth in the book, but Matteo is a man who understands many things by the end too❤️🩹
I hadn't read the first book before, but I need to read it now because I really fell in love with Alexander, Lucia, and Gianna🫶🏼
Finally, I think it’s important to remind you that this is a story with too much influence from F1, so obviously you will find many coincidences—SO MANY. So, you can decide if you want to keep reading or choose another book, or keep reading and leave an honest but kind review🤍
30 January:
OMG! I have so much to say, but I need to process it, because I just finished it a few moments ago🤭
March 11, 2026
The banter and yearning 🤭🤍 loved matteo and nicola’s story so much
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc's review 💖
First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity Elliana 🥹
As a girl who likes F1, I admit that I enjoyed this book a lot🫢
It’s a story so lovely, funny, spicy, and sweet that I need a man from this book for myself right now! 🥺
About the main characters, they’re so adorable, but the tension was so obvious. I shouted during so many parts when they made or took any decision about their 'friendship'. HAHAHA!
I really enjoyed the growth they had. I think Nicola showed the most growth in the book, but Matteo is a man who understands many things by the end too❤️🩹
I hadn't read the first book before, but I need to read it now because I really fell in love with Alexander, Lucia, and Gianna🫶🏼
Finally, I think it’s important to remind you that this is a story with too much influence from F1, so obviously you will find many coincidences—SO MANY. So, you can decide if you want to keep reading or choose another book, or keep reading and leave an honest but kind review🤍
First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity Elliana 🥹
As a girl who likes F1, I admit that I enjoyed this book a lot🫢
It’s a story so lovely, funny, spicy, and sweet that I need a man from this book for myself right now! 🥺
About the main characters, they’re so adorable, but the tension was so obvious. I shouted during so many parts when they made or took any decision about their 'friendship'. HAHAHA!
I really enjoyed the growth they had. I think Nicola showed the most growth in the book, but Matteo is a man who understands many things by the end too❤️🩹
I hadn't read the first book before, but I need to read it now because I really fell in love with Alexander, Lucia, and Gianna🫶🏼
Finally, I think it’s important to remind you that this is a story with too much influence from F1, so obviously you will find many coincidences—SO MANY. So, you can decide if you want to keep reading or choose another book, or keep reading and leave an honest but kind review🤍
January 17, 2026
4.0 ★
i liked fttoia better but i honestly still enjoyed this one! love love love matteo and nicola <3 thank you so much author elliana for the earc !!
ps. finished this while out w friends cos i just couldnt wait to read the last parts :p
i liked fttoia better but i honestly still enjoyed this one! love love love matteo and nicola <3 thank you so much author elliana for the earc !!
ps. finished this while out w friends cos i just couldnt wait to read the last parts :p
January 15, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a F1 girlie, I absolutely ate this up and can’t believe I have never read a F1 romance books before! I have been missing out.
It’s a dual POV book through the telling of our MMCs, Nicola and Matteo. Nicola was born into F1, being the daughter of one of the team’s founders, and Matteo our sexy F1 driver for her family’s team and brother to her close friend.
Matteo is a mixture of Charles Leclerc meets Lando Norris, and I am all here for it! He’s charming, hot, cocky with a soft marshmallow side to him. His personality definitely resembles that of Lando Norris, although he does not have a bromance with Carlos. Yes, there is a Carlos in the book, and they are on the same team, but having different roles but no bromance…. unfortunately🤣.
What I liked about the characters is they’re independent from each other, they are so different but compatible and suit each other well. Nicola is fierce and goal-oriented and trying to get out of the shadow of her family name, whereas Matteo comes off as this cocky charming playboy but really is a golden retriever for those he loves. Nicola has these high walls built up, but then comes Matteo in trying to break them down…and it’s just what she needs, even if she doesn’t realise it at the time.
The banter and back and forth between the two had me chuckling, and when Matteo called Nicola “Amore” I could just hear it in his accent 🤤🫠.
Also, when he came to Nicola’s rescue and was her “hero in a tux” I swooned. My favourite line of Matteo’s “Kissing you is pure sin, Moretti.” And yes, there is a fuck it moment as well 🥵
Whilst there is obviously romance and tension between our MMCs, there is also a hint of darker themes such as struggling to fit in the familial mould and family conflict, whilst also a notion of being a driver and the pressure that comes with it.
The pacing and writing of the book were nicely done, and I liked the pacing of our characters’ relationship. It wasn’t too fast, and transitions nicely from our enemies-to-lovers trope quite nicely. It is a slow burn, so if you want the romance to be much faster and less built up, then this might not be the book for you.
It also gives us a view into the motorsport as well and a view on race days. As someone that’s been to an F1 race, trust me, it’s incredible, and the author did a good job with the descriptions and painting scenes of race day and building that excitement and tension.
This is book two in the series, and not going to lie, I didn’t realise it was, and I have not read the first one! So there may be spoilers if you are going to read this one first. But I will definitely be going back to read the first one and am intrigued to see what characters the first book is based on.
I want to thank the author for giving me this amazing opportunity to read this book! I loved it, and I am sure other F1 girlies will enjoy it as well.
As a F1 girlie, I absolutely ate this up and can’t believe I have never read a F1 romance books before! I have been missing out.
It’s a dual POV book through the telling of our MMCs, Nicola and Matteo. Nicola was born into F1, being the daughter of one of the team’s founders, and Matteo our sexy F1 driver for her family’s team and brother to her close friend.
Matteo is a mixture of Charles Leclerc meets Lando Norris, and I am all here for it! He’s charming, hot, cocky with a soft marshmallow side to him. His personality definitely resembles that of Lando Norris, although he does not have a bromance with Carlos. Yes, there is a Carlos in the book, and they are on the same team, but having different roles but no bromance…. unfortunately🤣.
What I liked about the characters is they’re independent from each other, they are so different but compatible and suit each other well. Nicola is fierce and goal-oriented and trying to get out of the shadow of her family name, whereas Matteo comes off as this cocky charming playboy but really is a golden retriever for those he loves. Nicola has these high walls built up, but then comes Matteo in trying to break them down…and it’s just what she needs, even if she doesn’t realise it at the time.
The banter and back and forth between the two had me chuckling, and when Matteo called Nicola “Amore” I could just hear it in his accent 🤤🫠.
Also, when he came to Nicola’s rescue and was her “hero in a tux” I swooned. My favourite line of Matteo’s “Kissing you is pure sin, Moretti.” And yes, there is a fuck it moment as well 🥵
Whilst there is obviously romance and tension between our MMCs, there is also a hint of darker themes such as struggling to fit in the familial mould and family conflict, whilst also a notion of being a driver and the pressure that comes with it.
The pacing and writing of the book were nicely done, and I liked the pacing of our characters’ relationship. It wasn’t too fast, and transitions nicely from our enemies-to-lovers trope quite nicely. It is a slow burn, so if you want the romance to be much faster and less built up, then this might not be the book for you.
It also gives us a view into the motorsport as well and a view on race days. As someone that’s been to an F1 race, trust me, it’s incredible, and the author did a good job with the descriptions and painting scenes of race day and building that excitement and tension.
This is book two in the series, and not going to lie, I didn’t realise it was, and I have not read the first one! So there may be spoilers if you are going to read this one first. But I will definitely be going back to read the first one and am intrigued to see what characters the first book is based on.
I want to thank the author for giving me this amazing opportunity to read this book! I loved it, and I am sure other F1 girlies will enjoy it as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2026
ARC REVIEW
ladies and gentleman... démosle la bienvenida a mi nueva obsesión de la F1
El libro nos presenta a Matteo Deluca, piloto del equipo Moretti. Todos lo describen como el golden boy del paddock; simpático, amable, chistoso, siempre con una sonrisa de oreja a oreja, atento con todos quienes lo rodean, pero el personaje que Matteo lleva sosteniendo por años podría pasarle la cuenta. Detrás de esa faceta alegra y positiva hay un sentimiento de soledad y angustia que lo lleva persiguiendo desde hace un tiempo. pero sabe que su imagen vende y no es correcto hacerle eso al equipo de sus sueños, solo hay una persona con quien se ha dejado dejar caer la careta: Nicola Moretti, la hija del dueño del equipo y, coincidencia, la chica quien más lo detesta.
Nicola Moretti siempre ha sentido el deber de estar para su familia, pero gracias a la vida que esto se complementa con lo que realmente ama: organizar eventos de caridad. Cuando su padre le da el pase libre a trabajar para el equipo solo tiene una misión: que su trabajo valga más que su apellido. Pero el primer día en el paddock se encuentra con Matteo, bromeando con ella y apodándola como "la princesa del Paddock", haciendo que todo el equipo la bautice con el apodo solo dejando entrever su cara bonita y tacones altos. Desde ese momento, Matteo no es su persona favorita, pero deberá soportarlo todo el año e ignorar el pequeño coqueteo que esta dispuesto a entablar entre ellos dos.
Debo admitir que es una de los libro más tiernos que he leído, la trama central es el pequeño tira y afloja que tiene ambos personajes, juntos a unas vacaciones en donde no deberían dejar salir sus sentimientos y escenas de los gran pix, la relación es muy sana. No encontrarás gran drama ni terceros personajes, solo dos almas que están rotas y tratan de reconstruirse con quien menos lo esperan: Nicola no cree en el amor luego de una decepción amorosa y Matteo tiene una lucha consigo mismo constante, pero sabe que él es la persona ideal para la chica (un rey en las demostraciones de afecto) y no se cansará hasta demostrarle todo lo que tiene y creer que algo puede haber entre los dos. Por otro lado, las escenas de spicy son simplemente chef kiss, las justas y precisas para hacernos sentir la química de los personajes y como esto pasa de algo casual a la necesidad de despertar todos los días al lado del otro.
Es un libro facilísimo de leer si tienen noción del mundo de la F1, aún así la autora agrega un pequeño glosario por si estás aprendiendo. Pero dentro de todo es un libro que deja a ver el alma y los miedos de los personajes, haciéndolos reales y verdaderamente humanos.
Este es el segundo libro de 4 entregas, pero puedes leerlo solo y no te harás grandes spoilers, aunque si siento la necesidad de leer el primero porque la relación de Lucia, Alex y Gia se ve simplemente perfecta.
Simplemente SUPER recomendado.
ladies and gentleman... démosle la bienvenida a mi nueva obsesión de la F1
El libro nos presenta a Matteo Deluca, piloto del equipo Moretti. Todos lo describen como el golden boy del paddock; simpático, amable, chistoso, siempre con una sonrisa de oreja a oreja, atento con todos quienes lo rodean, pero el personaje que Matteo lleva sosteniendo por años podría pasarle la cuenta. Detrás de esa faceta alegra y positiva hay un sentimiento de soledad y angustia que lo lleva persiguiendo desde hace un tiempo. pero sabe que su imagen vende y no es correcto hacerle eso al equipo de sus sueños, solo hay una persona con quien se ha dejado dejar caer la careta: Nicola Moretti, la hija del dueño del equipo y, coincidencia, la chica quien más lo detesta.
Nicola Moretti siempre ha sentido el deber de estar para su familia, pero gracias a la vida que esto se complementa con lo que realmente ama: organizar eventos de caridad. Cuando su padre le da el pase libre a trabajar para el equipo solo tiene una misión: que su trabajo valga más que su apellido. Pero el primer día en el paddock se encuentra con Matteo, bromeando con ella y apodándola como "la princesa del Paddock", haciendo que todo el equipo la bautice con el apodo solo dejando entrever su cara bonita y tacones altos. Desde ese momento, Matteo no es su persona favorita, pero deberá soportarlo todo el año e ignorar el pequeño coqueteo que esta dispuesto a entablar entre ellos dos.
Debo admitir que es una de los libro más tiernos que he leído, la trama central es el pequeño tira y afloja que tiene ambos personajes, juntos a unas vacaciones en donde no deberían dejar salir sus sentimientos y escenas de los gran pix, la relación es muy sana. No encontrarás gran drama ni terceros personajes, solo dos almas que están rotas y tratan de reconstruirse con quien menos lo esperan: Nicola no cree en el amor luego de una decepción amorosa y Matteo tiene una lucha consigo mismo constante, pero sabe que él es la persona ideal para la chica (un rey en las demostraciones de afecto) y no se cansará hasta demostrarle todo lo que tiene y creer que algo puede haber entre los dos. Por otro lado, las escenas de spicy son simplemente chef kiss, las justas y precisas para hacernos sentir la química de los personajes y como esto pasa de algo casual a la necesidad de despertar todos los días al lado del otro.
Es un libro facilísimo de leer si tienen noción del mundo de la F1, aún así la autora agrega un pequeño glosario por si estás aprendiendo. Pero dentro de todo es un libro que deja a ver el alma y los miedos de los personajes, haciéndolos reales y verdaderamente humanos.
Este es el segundo libro de 4 entregas, pero puedes leerlo solo y no te harás grandes spoilers, aunque si siento la necesidad de leer el primero porque la relación de Lucia, Alex y Gia se ve simplemente perfecta.
Simplemente SUPER recomendado.
February 4, 2026
Thank you Elliana Rose for the eARC 💖
From the very start, the effortless banter had me hooked. Nicola is such a standout FMC to me. She is strong, confident, and absolutely does not need Matteo to fight her battles for her (even though he is so ready to do it). Watching Nic stand up for herself was deeply satisfying, and it only made their dynamic better. Nicola is a boss in every space she enters, but is also super vulnerable with Matteo. That contrast made me love her even more.
One of my favourite things about this book is how emotionally mature the relationship is (even when she’s pretending she hates him). They communicate and allow space for one another to be vulnerable. Matteo is upfront the entire time with no unnecessary drama or miscommunication. Also, the line “You’ve completely ruined my men-are-trash worldview” made me laugh out loud.
And can we talk about her dad? A supportive, proud father who actually shows up. It feels rare, and it was genuinely refreshing to read. Their relationship and the overall family dynamics added a real warmth to the story.
I don’t know much about F1, but I really appreciated how much time Elliana spent on Matteo preparing for his race and actually racing. It never felt like too much race detail, but it also was definitely not glossed over. The balance was perfect for me, and it made the stakes feel real. 🏁
The writing leans into some beautifully dramatic, almost flowery language. Lines like “he glowed, like the damn sun rose for the express purpose of lighting him up in that moment” might not be for everyone, but made everything feel more intense and cinematic for me and I loved it.
Nicola being nominated as chair absolutely got me 🥹. Such a powerful moment and such a win for her character. I also loved that the book ended (not including the epilogue) with Nicola’s event success and the overall family dynamic as the primary focus rather than their relationship hard launch.
Also, the 22 ZOOM number plate absolutely took me out but is so on brand.
Love, love, loved this book. I immediately need to read the first one.
From the very start, the effortless banter had me hooked. Nicola is such a standout FMC to me. She is strong, confident, and absolutely does not need Matteo to fight her battles for her (even though he is so ready to do it). Watching Nic stand up for herself was deeply satisfying, and it only made their dynamic better. Nicola is a boss in every space she enters, but is also super vulnerable with Matteo. That contrast made me love her even more.
One of my favourite things about this book is how emotionally mature the relationship is (even when she’s pretending she hates him). They communicate and allow space for one another to be vulnerable. Matteo is upfront the entire time with no unnecessary drama or miscommunication. Also, the line “You’ve completely ruined my men-are-trash worldview” made me laugh out loud.
And can we talk about her dad? A supportive, proud father who actually shows up. It feels rare, and it was genuinely refreshing to read. Their relationship and the overall family dynamics added a real warmth to the story.
I don’t know much about F1, but I really appreciated how much time Elliana spent on Matteo preparing for his race and actually racing. It never felt like too much race detail, but it also was definitely not glossed over. The balance was perfect for me, and it made the stakes feel real. 🏁
The writing leans into some beautifully dramatic, almost flowery language. Lines like “he glowed, like the damn sun rose for the express purpose of lighting him up in that moment” might not be for everyone, but made everything feel more intense and cinematic for me and I loved it.
Nicola being nominated as chair absolutely got me 🥹. Such a powerful moment and such a win for her character. I also loved that the book ended (not including the epilogue) with Nicola’s event success and the overall family dynamic as the primary focus rather than their relationship hard launch.
Also, the 22 ZOOM number plate absolutely took me out but is so on brand.
Love, love, loved this book. I immediately need to read the first one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Heart Racing is a sweet, cute—slightly predictable—romance that had moments that I really enjoyed, but which, overall, I sadly didn't connect with very deeply.
Fans of the black cat FMC and golden retriever MMC will absolutely adore Nicola and Matteo. He's all sunshine and smirks and teasing jokes, and she's all sharp rebuffs with a no-nonsense attitude. However, despite this set-up feeling very fun and super up my alley as a grumpy x sunshine lover, I never got very invested.
In particular, it took me a while to understand where Nicola's sharpness came from, even in her own POV. And while Matteo's layers were easier for me to grasp, I just didn't find myself getting emotionally attached. They did have some really lovely moments together, and the scenes where they both drop their masks and are real with each other were some of my favorites, but the tension and spark wasn't quite there for me.
The supporting cast of characters around Nicola and Matteo were wonderful though, and reading this book has actually made me very excited to go back and read book one. The story here runs almost parallel to For The Thrill Of It All, so we get to see Lucia and Alexander's relationship peripherally. I am also very intruiged by a character in here who I believe will be getting their own book soon ...
I also thought the F1 details were immersive but not distracting. I loved seeing the chaos of game days, the pressure on Matteo to perform on the track, and even all the behind-the-scenes work that Nicola was involved in. Elliana Rose really was able strike the perfect balance between the sport and the romance, and, overall, I thought her writing was confident, emotive, and easy to sink into.
Although I wish I loved Nicola and Matteo a bit more, this was still an enjoyable read—and I can see this being a fav for someone looking for a light, fun F1 romance!
﹙ two-point-five stars ﹚
— thank you so much to the author for the e-arc!
Fans of the black cat FMC and golden retriever MMC will absolutely adore Nicola and Matteo. He's all sunshine and smirks and teasing jokes, and she's all sharp rebuffs with a no-nonsense attitude. However, despite this set-up feeling very fun and super up my alley as a grumpy x sunshine lover, I never got very invested.
In particular, it took me a while to understand where Nicola's sharpness came from, even in her own POV. And while Matteo's layers were easier for me to grasp, I just didn't find myself getting emotionally attached. They did have some really lovely moments together, and the scenes where they both drop their masks and are real with each other were some of my favorites, but the tension and spark wasn't quite there for me.
The supporting cast of characters around Nicola and Matteo were wonderful though, and reading this book has actually made me very excited to go back and read book one. The story here runs almost parallel to For The Thrill Of It All, so we get to see Lucia and Alexander's relationship peripherally. I am also very intruiged by a character in here who I believe will be getting their own book soon ...
I also thought the F1 details were immersive but not distracting. I loved seeing the chaos of game days, the pressure on Matteo to perform on the track, and even all the behind-the-scenes work that Nicola was involved in. Elliana Rose really was able strike the perfect balance between the sport and the romance, and, overall, I thought her writing was confident, emotive, and easy to sink into.
Although I wish I loved Nicola and Matteo a bit more, this was still an enjoyable read—and I can see this being a fav for someone looking for a light, fun F1 romance!
﹙ two-point-five stars ﹚
— thank you so much to the author for the e-arc!
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