Formula He’s the One: An Opposites-Attract, Modern Fairytale in a European Summer Escape

by Andie J. Christopher

Brad Pitt's F1 movie meets Abbey Jimenez’s Part of Your World in this glittering, high-stakes YA romance about speed, status, and choosing your own lane.

She’s the mechanic’s daughter. He’s racing royalty. Together, they’re leaving it all on the track.

Raised by her IndyCar legend father, Tessa James spent her childhood dreaming of becoming the first full-time female driver in Formula One. But everything changed the day a car crash took her mother’s life and ended her father’s career. Now, Tessa lives life in neutral. Her father runs a small machine shop servicing race teams, and Tessa manages the front office—safe, steady, and miles from the track she once loved.

When Tessa’s best friend drags her along to Monaco for the Grand Prix, she’s swept into a glittering world of champagne yachts, designer shoes, and racing royalty. But beneath the luxury lies the familiar pulse of the track and Pietro Deveraux, a driver who is practically Formula One royalty, whose quiet confidence reminds her what it felt like to chase something with her whole heart.

Set against the electric pulse of racing season in Indianapolis, Formula, He’s the One is a high-octane, slow-burn YA romance about grief, resilience, and rediscovering your fire when life takes you off track.

Because sometimes love isn’t just the finish line. It’s the courage to start again.

Perfect for fans

Childhood friends to loversOpposites attractSlow-burn romanceModern FairytaleEuropean Summer Vacation Romance

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Sports Romance, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Contemporary

Audible Audio

Expected publication September 1, 2026

Reviews

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

This is a very fast and quick read. I enjoyed both Tessa and Pietro and their fake relationship that turned real very quickly. I enjoed the Formula One setting and how Tessa knows all about racing and even though she has not been behind the wheel since her mom's car accident, she is not afraid to tell Pietro how to drive better. I am a sucker for a women who knows her stuff and is not afraid to share it. Overall, if you are looking for a cute and quick YA romance novel that takes place in the Formula One setting, then you should read this book.

[Maddie]

DNF - this is too YA for me

**thank you to LibroFM for the ALC**

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute young adult romance. I enjoyed following Tessa as she worked through her grief after losing her mom and rediscovers her love of racing. I liked both main characters Tessa and Pietro and how relatable they felt. I also enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed over the course of this book. This was a quick, fast paced read that I flew through and definitely recommend if you are looking for a sweet sports romance.

Read this if you like:

📖 Fake dating
📖 Childhood rivals to lovers
📖 F1 racing
📖 Slow burn romance

Thank you to @netgalley and @epicreads for the gifted arc.

[reece t · Rating 3 out of 5]

huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!!

If you know me, then you know that I am a huge F1 fan. That being said, there aren’t many books involving F1 out there, so when I saw this I IMMEDIATELY requested it on netgalley.

It had a surprising amount of accurate details! I loved the setting in Monaco and different aspects of the sport you got to see. The romance was one of those “we’ve hated each other and you’ve been mean to me my whole life but wait he’s kind of cute and turns out he had a crush on me forever so now we’re in love after three days” tropes, so if you ignore the logistics (and reality) of it then it was
definitely cute!

I’m not saying it was good literature at all, but it was a fun fluffy romance about my favorite sport so who cares how good it actually was! And I definitely have a crush on Pietro now.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Libro FM for my first ALC! Thank you Avon!

This book follows two F1 royalty nepo babies who are finally making it to the f1 track. Tessa used to drive but hasn’t since her mother’s fatal car accident. Her godmother brings her back onto the scene the same week her karting nemesis is getting his f1 break! He’s obviously crushing and she can’t help but notice the growing sparks between them. What starts as fake dating leads to real feelings pretty quickly in a very fast YA romance. I thought this was really cute and my favorite parts were around the very great communication the pair of them had. Lots of feelings and big emotions for huge changes in their lives and they def handled it all together very nicely!

A very fun and quick YA F1 romance!

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I would say this book goes by quickly, but that may also be the biggest flaw. I think I would have loved it if more if the plot line was a bit more in depth. I felt like there were plot holes and some parts were a bit rushed (mostly the ending). But generally speaking this was a fun one, and still a worthwhile read.

[Nicole | nikiashreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve been wondering when Formula 1 sports romance was going to make it to the young adult genre, and we finally have our answer! I’m a huge fan of adult romance novels set in the world of Formula 1, and I can’t deny I was curious to see how this subgenre would translate for a younger audience. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite young adult novel nor my favorite novel set against the backdrop of Formula 1.

I struggled with the writing style. While I’m used to the faster pace feeling of young adult novels, I also seek out novels with more purple prose—or more use of figurative language. The writing style woefully lacked in figurative language, and had a strong rhythm of “this happened, this happened, and then this happened.” I yearned for a little more descriptive language to coax out the feelings of the characters and bring about stronger imagery.

The synopsis posits this novel is fairytale-like and I can’t deny that felt true as I flipped through the pages. There was Desi, acting as Tessa’s fairy godmother (a joke which was even written on page) who brought Tessa to Monaco to shadow Pietro’s engineers. There was the prince, Tessa’s former karting nemesis and now IndyCar driver, Pietro. However, this fairytale like feeling did ask the reader to suspend their disbelief heavily for the plot to work. As a fan of Formula 1 and other romance novels, I wish this leaned more into the realism of being in Formula 1—the stress, the anxiety, and the hard work that happens behind the scenes.

And as for the romance in this novel, it did lean into the feeling of insta-love. That was largely driven from the overall setup. I could see the romance beats and tropes the author wanted to play with in the story. However, those romance beats felt like a skeleton plot and the bones were never filled out with figurative language. Ultimately, the romance never felt true and ended up falling flat.

(Side note: I was surprised driver and team names weren’t fictionalized—does that make this fanfiction?)

Finally, we arrive at the characters. Tessa was our main character and our sole perspective on the events of the novel. I never felt her emotions grow; rather, she would tell the reader that her feelings were growing and that she might be falling for Pietro. I would have preferred seeing that unfold on the page instead of being told how her relationship was unfolding. Ultimately, I did wish this novel was told in dual perspective—I found myself feeling much more interested in Pietro’s backstory and motivations.

Overall, this young adult novel was fine. It simply asked a lot of its readers and didn’t skim beneath the surface of its plot and characters. If there was more depth, more realism, I believe this story would have really shone for this reader (and Formula 1 fan!).

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Childrens for the audiobook ARC copy!

Firstly, I loved the narrator for this book! Emily Ellet did such a good job with all the voices and kept me enticed the entire time.

Tessa James has lived and loved racing since she was a child, with a father as a former IndyCar driver and competing in carting herself. Then Tessa’s mom died in a car accident and the family has never been the same. Now four years later and almost finishing high school Tessa’s godmother and moms best friend Desi offers her a chance to intern at the Monaco Grand Prix to shadow a racing teams mechanics. Tessa jumps at the opportunity, even though it means she will be going with Pietro Deveraux, a childhood rival. While in Monaco Pietro offers the opportunity to fake date to keep his head on for the biggest race of his career and Tessa agrees. Over the next week the two realize they may be more compatible than they thought, and asks the question if they belong together beyond the race weekend.

The overall book was an okay read. If I didn't take some stuff so seriously it was a good quick romance in the formula one genre. It is definitely a very YA romance as I felt the romance wasn’t very deep or realistic. The fake dating aspect made no sense for the real world and was a very weak argument. Also, their relationship felt very instalove as all this takes place over just a week of time, which also made the plot play out super fast.

I also had a lot of problems with the characters in the story. Tessa is a people pleaser and refuses to do what she wants for fear of hurting others, especially her father, and I feel like she was failed by those around her after her mother’s death who made her that way. I am glad she was able to change by the end of the story and that it was due to not only herself but the adults around her and her friendship with Pietro. I found Pietro to be annoying though with the whole ploy of the fake dating basically being so he can real date Tessa eventually, but the second things are tough and he’s embarrassed in front of her he blows up. I think if the story was longer and went beyond one race weekend the drama would make sense but with how fast the plot was it was abrupt and made me not root for the relationship already. Lastly Desi was also a character I couldn’t really like. She brought Tessa to the race weekend to shadow mechanics, because that’s what the FMC wants to do, but instead forces her to dress up and go networking with sponsors, then belittles Tessa for liking/dating a race car driver when Desi is the one whose been hindering Tessa trying to do what she loves, not the man. Another pet peeve of mine is when there are real life references to people in romance books and the call out to real life formula one drivers and formula one memes took me right out of the story every time.

I think if you want a fun easy read with a cute YA romance and set in a formula one racing world this is a great romance to get into. I wouldn’t take the plot very seriously, but it is still an enjoyable read!

[Shekinah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very curious about how a YA book would incorporate Formula 1 into the genre and I was pleasantly surprised. This story felt more grounded in the realities of the behind the scenes politics of F1 and racing than other books about F1 have been, and the set up for the plot was mostly believable. I say mostly because the majority of the story was still heavily unrealistic and felt like more of a fairytale than an accurate depiction of how a teen girl’s experience attending the Monaco GP would actually be. But given how common it is for romcom books to be unrealistic, it was easy to gloss over the inaccuracies while I was reading.

What I couldn't gloss over was how shallow the romance felt between the main pairing. It was relying too heavily on the fact that these characters have known each other basically their whole lives, so rather than getting to see them form an emotional bond on the page we are constantly told how they feel about each other because of their past. Adding on to that, the story kept trying to make it seem that their relationship would have to overcome so many hurdles in order for them to be together but there really wasn’t any good reason why they couldn’t date. There were no high stakes or conflict, just a main character constantly insisting they could never be a couple because it would just never work out.

Obviously this is YA so I wasn’t expecting a deep, meaningful soul connection but I’ve read other books in the genre that manage to make two teens falling in love feel emotional and real, while also dealing with the consequences of what starting a relationship would be like in their lives. This couple felt like they got together simply because that’s what the plot was written to be.

And on the note of this being about teenagers, the attempt at trying to make the characters sound young had me full body cringing at times like the line “He was rizzing up sponsors”. No one would ever say that in real life and it came across like an adult trying to use teen slang to sound relatable but being clueless about what they’re actually saying.

Overall I’d say this book was cute but shallow, and while it had a good understanding of F1 that wasn’t enough to make me like it.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this novel.

[ArleneTirado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You for the ALC from NetGalley. This story starts with Tessa James, who has a love for race car driving & comes from humble means. Tessa loses her mother at a young age from a car accident that kills her mom. Also from her mother's death, her father stops racing (IndyCar legend father) as well. Tessa has always wanted to be the first girl at "Formula one". Tessa gets an offer to be an intern at "Formula One" at Monaco Grand Prix from Desi (her mom's best-friend), until Pietro Deveraux, an elite, rich race car driver, gives Tessa a shitty attitude. Tessa struggles with guilt over her mom's death because she lost her mom while her mom was driving her to a race & dropped her off, they were arguing. Tessa deals also with fear of getting back into the driver's seat in racing again. Tessa & Pietro have a crush on each other & try to resist eachother since they were younger. They were Karting rivals. Pietro kisses Tessa for the camera to try & push her to fake date him for the high-stakes race weekend fake date him for the high-stakes race weekend. As Tessa & Pietro start to fake date & do couples things, they both start to unhide their hidden feelings. he ending shows the growth for Tessa as she gets back in the race car & it reignites a fire & love for car racing again in Monaco. Pietro gives Tessa credit for giving him pointers for changing how he drives & then Tessa finds out that (Pietro's dad) was (Tessa's father's) racing rival/enemy. Pietro talks to Tessa to ask her if she was fine after her father see them on TV. Pietro tells Tessa he likes her, has a crush on her & he wants Tessa to be his real girlfriend. The story ends, that Pietro does not win the race, but he feels that he won Tessa as a girlfriend, which turns out as life lessons for both of them in learning to heal, trust & enjoy starting over again in the racing world. This was a quick read & it was very cute for Tessa & Pietro as it suggest that he will get an offer as a Formula1 driver next season. Tessa gets accepted to Oxford & then she also spends time with Pietro & she drives a Formula1 car. I really enjoyed this cute relationship dynamic between Tessa & Pietro.

[✨Alexis✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Andie J. Christopher, and HarperAudio Children’s for the advance listening copy (ALC) in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Formula One romance, and I was really excited to dive into it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t end up being the right fit for me.

One of my favorite things about sports romances is feeling immersed in the sport itself. I love seeing the competition, the training, the behind-the-scenes moments, and how the sport influences the characters and their relationship. Here, I felt like Formula One often took a backseat. I understand this is a YA romance, so the focus is naturally different, but I still found myself wishing for more of the racing world.

I also struggled with the romance. I was told the characters were falling for each other, but I never fully felt that emotional connection develop on the page. I wanted more moments that showed their relationship growing instead of just hearing that it was happening.

That said, this is a very light, fluffy romance, and I can absolutely see it working as a palate cleanser for readers looking for something sweet and easy to get through. While it wasn’t the story I was hoping for, it wasn’t a bad book by any means—it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Overall, this landed at 3 stars. I’m sure there will be plenty of readers who enjoy its cozy, low-stakes romance, but personally, I don’t think it’s one I’ll revisit or go out of my way to recommend. As always, your reading experience may be completely different, and I encourage Formula One romance fans to give it a try and decide for themselves.

[fetching fiction with archimedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa James has raced her whole life, that is until her mom gets in a car crash and the thought of being behind the wheel is unbearable. She's always wanted to be the first female f1 driver, and now that dream sounds unreachable. Although, she gets the opportunity to intern/shadow a team engineer for her childhood rival Pietro Deverauex.

He's a cocky, confident, and formula 1 royalty and was unbearable during their childhood races in go karting. However, he seems to have changed the longer Tessa is around him. Pietro needs to focus on his racing during his big shot at racing in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix - and the best way to stay focused - fake date the racing engineer intern of course, just to keep away the crazy fans.

This is a cute YA formula 1 forced proximity x fake dating romance. It took me a while to get into the book however once they started their journey to Monte Carlo for race week I couldn't wait to see how their relationship developed. This book is only in Tessa's POV however it's not hard to tell that Pietro has been pining for Tessa for a while and taken advantage of the opportunities that present to him in hopes to draw her closer. I do love the support and admiration that Pietro has for Tessa - he really is a huge fan of hers.

Tropes to Expect:

🤍Fake Dating
🏎️Sports Romance (F1)
✨He Falls First
💞Forced Proximity

Huge thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and the author for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lauraaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

📕 Book: Formula He’s the One by Andie J. Christopher
🏎️ Genre: YA Romance • Sports Romance
⭐ Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
📖 🎧Format: ARC Audiobook (NetGalley)

Tessa James has spent years avoiding the one thing she used to love most—racing. After the heartbreaking loss of her mom and watching her dad walk away from the sport, she promised herself she’d never get behind the wheel again. But when she gets the chance to shadow a Formula One engineer in Monaco, she finds herself thrown right back into the racing world… and reunited with her former karting rival, Pietro Devereaux. When Pietro asks Tessa to be his fake girlfriend for race weekend, the lines between pretend and real begin to blur.

This was a fun, fast-paced YA romance that was easy to fly through! I really enjoyed the Formula One setting, the behind-the-scenes look at the racing world, and the fake dating romance. While I had a good time with the story, I found there were a lot of references to real-life drivers and teams, which occasionally pulled me out of the fictional world. Even so, it was an entertaining read with plenty of heart and a great choice for fans of sports romances and F1.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

🗓️ Publication Date: September 1, 2026 📚

[KayLove · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
Tessa James had always wanted to be a Formula One driver, and with her dad doing stints with the organization (and being an IndyCar legend) it truly seemed doable. That is, until her mom tragically dies, her dad quits racing, and Tessa vows to never get behind the wheel again. However, when Tessa gets the opportunity to shadow an F1 engineer, she hops on a plane to Monaco... and is immediately face-to-face with her old karting rival, Pietro Deveraux.
While trying to deal with memories of her mom, her overbearing dad, and the glitz and glam of Monaco, Pietro drops a bombshell of a proposal- be his fake girlfriend for the race weekend. Not only would it help keep him on track, it would allow Tessa to gain connections in the Formula One world. What could possibly go wrong?!

This was a very nice, fast read! A great YA book, accurate info about racing, and I enjoyed it! However I will say, there were SO many name drops. Christopher used real drivers and teams, with Pato O'Ward and Williams being huge parts of the plot, and I do have some conflicting feelings about that.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the eARC. Projected publishing date: September 1st, 2026

[BookieCookie12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formula He's the One was the one for me!! This was my first formula one based read and to say I enjoyed it is an understatement. This read was fast paced, heartfelt, and welcoming. Tessa, the main character, explores new adventures, and old ones, when she is given an opportunity to attend the Formula one races with her mother's best friend. Alongside her childhood nemesis, Pietro Deveraux, Tessa faces her fears that have been piling up since her mother's death four years ago. I truly admired Tessa's bravery and wit throughout the book. The book was the perfect mix of heartfelt emotion, and humor that made me laugh out loud. Not only did Tessa's character grow throughout the novel, but Pietro was also able to get out of his circle of self-doubt and prove himself in the racing world. Tessa and Pietro's relationship progressed very well, and I was very pleased with the ending. This is what the young adult community needs! People facing their fears and growing together is the perfect connection in novels such as Formula He’s the One! Thank you Netgalley for this reviewing opportunity, reviews will be posted on Goodreads, fable, TikTok, and Instagram!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Formula One fan, I was excited to pick up Formula He’s the One. The racing atmosphere, glamorous locations, and behind-the-scenes look at the sport were easily my favorite parts of the novel. It was clear the author wanted to celebrate both the excitement of racing and the determination it takes to pursue big dreams.

Tessa was a relatable main character, especially as she worked through grief and tried to rediscover the passion she’d lost. I also appreciated that the story focused on resilience and finding the courage to chase your dreams again.

Unfortunately, the romance didn’t completely work for me. While Tessa and Pietro had sweet moments together, I never fully felt the chemistry I was hoping for, and the slow-burn relationship lacked the emotional payoff I wanted. The shorter page count also made parts of the story feel rushed, leaving some character development and emotional moments underexplored.

Overall, this was a cute, easy YA romance with a unique Formula One backdrop. While it didn’t completely win me over, I think racing fans looking for a light romance will still enjoy the ride.

[Briana Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review ✨
First I would like to say a big thank you to NetGalley for letting me be a part of this ARC Team!
Rate: 5/5⭐️
Spice: 0/5🌶️

What to expect when reading ;
-Childhood Friends x Lovers
-Formula 1
-opposites Attract
-Slow Burn
-Summer Vacay
-YA Roamnce

In this is book you get to follow Tessa and Pietro! Tessas life is at a stand still, when a tragic event halted her dreams. Will jumping back into the racing world be what she needs? Rivals on the track as kids, Tessa and Pietro are forced into each other’s orbit. Oh I loved everything about this book! This was such a fun and entertaining read. Pietro, my man, you cutie freakin pie won me over big time! Both of our main characters have this pure and sweet vibe even though they start off on the wrong foot. Their chemistry was so cute. Honestly this book just made me so happy lol

Side notes:
-Give Adriana a book lol

Fav Quote:
•”I don’t understand why you’re so testy, but I kinda like it”
•”So I’m pretty, but I talk too much” 😂

Make sure you get your copy of the book when it releases 🤍
#bookstagram #romance #review

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
🏁🩷
3.75
previously reading this book my knowledge of f1 is this, f1 edits that randomly appear on my home feed, charles leclerc, random sick moments about ferrari and something, this kid named kimi, and more car moments.
don't get me wrong, i am a car girlie! i love things that go fast, vroom vroom till the day i die.
my knowledge about f1 after reading this book?
still the same 😀
which is fine, i wasn't expecting a tutorial on how to become an f1 driver no glorax no glue but i was hoping for more...info ig?\


the romance itself was pretty cute, i don't think it was anything to write home about and i did like our fmc though i did think she slightly lost her "spark" (a man will do that) other than that, i loved pietro and i would fold (not) if i met him (no really) but other than that.

a fun little f1 romance that's binge worthy for a flight to monoco if you aren't broke from the state of the world!

[Kelsey | KLS Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quick YA sports romance to read, Formula He's the One is a book I'd recommend adding to your TBR. When it comes to the F1 race in this book, I felt that it did have some accuracy when it came to the grit and glam of it all. Compared to other F1 romances I have read, this one doesn't dive deep into the terminology and it doesn't have to. I felt that this book was strictly about Tessa and Pietro helping each other overcome their fears while also finding love. I also felt that the book was about Tessa finding the strength to grieve her mother while also continuing to live life as a normal young adult.

While not an emotionally deep book, it was an enjoyable read. Readers who enjoy more feel good stories will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it to readers who read teen and YA romance.

Readers can expect:

Childhood friends to lovers
Slow Burn Romance
Opposites Attract
Fake Dating

Thank you Harper Collins Children's Books and Avon a for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Makaila Cushman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read the ARC of Formula He’s the One.

A gentle yet thorough introduction to the world of Formula 1, but as a romance novel, it fell short of the mark. Tessa and Pietro are obviously meant to be enemies/rivals-to-lovers, but by the 6th chapter, it’s already clear that she’s had a longstanding crush on him, even when they were actively rivals. The romance felt rushed with little depth, like a song where you’re waiting for the beat to drop and it never does. I would have liked to see more build in their relationship and more character growth for Tessa. We’re given a conflict with her struggle between dutiful daughter and choosing what makes her happy, but again, it’s only surface level.
I did enjoy the pacing and the epilogue, but with the tagline of “He’s racing royalty, she’s from the other side of the track” I was expecting something in line with The Princess and the Barrio Boy (if that’s too deep a cut, think The Little Mermaid) and I didn’t find that with Formula He’s the One.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

Let me start by saying it was a very cute and descriptive F1 story. It did seem very fast-paced for me personally. I would've loved to get some flashbacks of Tessa and Pietro racing as kids or growing up together. I think because of its pacing we didn't get more depth of their relationship or romance and it was entirely devoted on them knowing each other since childhood.

I did like Pietro's character the most and definitely more than Tessa's based solely on his actions. When he gives her credit in an interview LIVEEEE, jumping in after her when she falls off the yacht, and the little kisses they shared, knowing that the cameras weren't watching.

I think Tessa was very back and forth on her feelings after someone made a comment on either Pietro, getting back behind the wheel, or her future. Adriana was a great character that I felt stayed consistent in every occurrence we got of her.

Overall, it was a great YA read that did make me want to scavenge Instagram for more F1 recs. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!!

[HeadCanonHeadCase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa was once determined to make it to F1, but she hasn't karted since her mom died. Her mom's friend wants her to come to Monaco for the Grand Prix and intern for her team. There's just one small problem: Pietro. Her childhood friend and former karting rival is making his F1 debut in Monaco. He's getting his shot at everything she used to want and wants her to pretend to be his girlfriend while doing it.

Read if you like:
-YA Romance
-Childhood Friends to Lovers
-F1 Romance
-Fake Dating
-Racing Rivals
-Coming of Age

I really liked Formula He's the One. I am a total sucker for the childhood friends to lovers trope but add in fake dating and the glamour of Monaco and there was no way I could resist. Pietro was completely charming and I loved how he used the ruse of fake dating to reach Tessa. It was obvious she was still hurting from the loss of her mom, and while his distractions could never heal that pain, they did remind her what living felt like. Something I think her mom would have wanted even if her dad hated seeing an F1 driver kiss his little girl on TV.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit I am not a Formula One girlie but my husband watches it so I decided to give this one a shot and I really enjoyed it! Tess grew up around racing and cars and she always thought that her future was somewhere in racing. However after her mother dies in a car accident Tessa is left scared to drive and searching for another dream. When she gets the chance to intern Monaco for the Grand Prix, she jumps at the chance to be in garage with the crew. Unfortunately for Tessa her friend has other ideas- and she matched with Pietro Deveraux, a driver who is practically Formula One royalty.
He talks her into being his fake girlfriend for weekend so the fans leave him alone but their old feelings seem to come to surface. Tessa is left having to decide to continue on her boring but safe path or take a leap of faith with Pietro. Formula He's the One was a really fun book and I loved it!

Because sometimes love isn’t just the finish line. It’s the courage to start again.

[Mrs. G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa, the daughter of a Formula 1 driver, has been struggling with the death of her mother, leaving her driving dreams behind. After an intervention from her father and God-Mother, Tessa is in Monaco as a part of Pietro's race team. Tessa and Pietro become closer as the week progresses causing Tessa to challenge her fears in more ways then one.

If you enjoy Formula 1 racing, this is a fun romance with F1 dreams in the background. Tessa's fears are realistic and her ability to open her heart is admirable. This is a fun, fast read that will keep you entertained for a few hours.

I enjoyed the storyline and background of the F1 race. It was not quite as involved with the engineering aspect as I expected, especially because it was Tessa's interest. I appreciated that Pietro was a good guy. Sometimes the male characters are jerks, but he had real moments without damaging who he wanted to be for Tessa. A fun, clean read.


***NetGalley ARC Review***

[Amelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

mignon mais l'histoire va un peu trop vite à mon gout

Ce livre ne sort qu'en septembre mais j'ai eu la chance de le découvrir en avance ! J'adore les romances dans le milieu de la formule 1 et là en young adult, je me suis laissée tenter ! Je dois dire que j'ai été agréablement surprise par ma lecture. Nous allons suivre Tessa, une jeune femme qui a toujours rêvé de devenir la première pilote féminine de formule 1 mais la perte de sa mère l'a profondément chamboulé... Mais quand sa marraine lui propose de venir assister au grand prix de Monaco avec son ancien meilleur ami, Pietro, elle n'hésite pas... Mais Pietro va lui proposer de se faire passer pour un faux couple et tout va devenir plus complexe...

C'est vraiment une romance mignonne, qui se lit vite et avec laquelle j'ai passé un agréable moment avec Tessa et Pietro ! Malheureusement, j'ai un petit bémol pour cette intrigue c'est que tout va trop vite : l'action se déroule en moins d'une semaine et certains détails sont trop survolés ou trop vite résolu pour moi! J'ai beaucoup aimé la relation entre Pietro et Tessa qui se poussent mutuellement vers le haut!

En bref, une lecture agréable !

[tessreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me an ARC. I received a copy from the publisher, and all opinions are my own.

The story follows your FMC (Tessa), who has spent her whole life dreaming of becoming a female F1 driver. After her mom’s death, she is trying to navigate how she can still make that dream come true. Pietro, our MMC, also shares the race car dream. The story follows the two as they go to Monaco for the Grand Prix, where they are swept into a life much different than they have at home.

The story was cute overall! It was a very fast-paced enemies-to-lovers story, so we saw the change in their relationship pretty quickly. It is a young adult novel, so the characters are younger, and I think that does play into the less mature side of things.

It was a quick and easy read! I think this one is a take-it-or-leave-it. I can see it being used as something that could get you out of a reading slump if you needed something to breeze through!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formula He's the One by Andie J. Christopher audiobook version had such a good storyline and loved the character development. My favorite part of the story was the character development of Tessa who always had a dream of becoming the first full-time female driver for Formula One. However, when her mother gets into an accident. Tessa's lives a different life helping her father run a small machine shop servicing race teams, and she runs the front office. Things truly take a turn for Tessa when she goes to Monaco for the Grand Prix (in a good way). Seeing how she grows up, views life, and even finds some romance with Pietro (race car driver) was an inspiring story. As for Pietro's character development, I loved listening to how Tessa helps change his mindset and emotions. Overall, I would recommend this YA sports romance to anyone who needs a quick listen to a romantic and adventurous story! Thank you NetGalley and Andie J. Christopher for the early audiobook copy!

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

An F1 based YA romance that dealt with a lot- more so than probably needed.

Our FMC is worried about her father’s business back home in Indianapolis and coping with the death of her mother, while still trying to pursue her dream of getting out of the lower ranked karting series and up into the big leagues of F1… her chance arrives when a family friend gets her the opportunity to work on a team of her family’s rival, with whom she starts fake dating and developing feeling for. It all starts off with a good pace and balance, but then starts to spin out when all of the juggling of different plot points start to confuse the reader. I would’ve loved more F1 terminology and a book thereby dedicated to fans, but this just scratches the surface in my opinion.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Caitlyn Herbst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one feels very glam meets emotional healing in the best way. The Monaco/racing world is super vivid—yachts, parties, high-speed energy—but it’s balanced with a quieter, more personal story underneath.

Tessa’s journey really stood out. Her hesitation and grief feel real, and watching her slowly reconnect with racing (and herself) is what gives the story its depth. It’s not rushed, which makes the payoff hit harder.

Pietro has that calm, confident energy that works perfectly against Tessa’s guardedness. Their dynamic is softer than typical rivals-to-lovers—more slow-burn, “you make me braver” vibes, which fits the story really well.

It leans a little predictable at times, but it’s still super readable and easy to get swept up in. If you like racing, soft romance, and main characters finding their way back to what they love, this is a really solid pick.

[Kelsie Bowler]

A sweet YA romance can really hit hard when done right, and Formula He's the One hit.

The balance was really well done in this book. Tessa and Pietro both had their backstories present in equal parts that were adequate for the story. The romance hit the sweet spot, it didn't veer into insta-love. It brought up different obstacles to entry into F1 without getting preachy about it. It showed F1 knowledge without also getting too far into it.

The audio was well done, the narrators matched the characters well. I think that the sign of a good audiobook is that you don't have too much to say about it because it didn't detract from the story or stick out and that's what I experienced here.

Perfect easy read for when you need a palate cleanser or something light hearted.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review