Formula He’s the One

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: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

240 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 1, 2026

Reviews

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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 · 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.

[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 !

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Formula He's the One is a YA romance novel. I have mixed feelings for this book. It was a very cute story but I wanted to see so much more growth in the FMC.
Tessa is a lovely, troubled young lady who at one point only dreamed of driving in F1 races. Dealing with the death of her mother she finally faces her fears and dips a toe back into F1 racing as part of the pit crew.
Pietro is racing royalty testing the waters in the Grand Prix in Monaco. He drags Tessa along for the ride bolstering both their confidences.
I enjoyed the book but really wish that Tessa could have found it in her in the epilogue to chase her dreams of racing.

I received a copy from netgalley and am leaving this review of my own volition

[Christina L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this book stands, it was good and kept me engaged the whole time. The fake dating situation that of course turned into something more was entertaining, and the chemistry between Pietro and Tessa was great to see. I also loved that they had so much history through racing against each other as kids.

However, I felt that this book would have been much better if it had been longer—a lot of the book felt rushed, and although I really enjoyed what was there, the potential that I felt was there just did not completely pan out.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley Henning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read and a cute YA romance book. I felt like this story had a lot of potential to be good and I would’ve liked it more I think if it was a bit longer. The plot lines just felt very rushed and I would’ve liked to dive a bit deeper into their childhood memories together and how they got to where they are today. The fake dating trope felt swept under the rug after a while and kind of forgotten about besides the occasional mention of it. As someone who doesn’t know much about F1, that part was very easy to follow and understand! A great read if you’re looking for something fast and easy.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was a ride! (pun intended) This was a cute, easy read. I loved Tessa and Pietro, especially the way they pushed each other out of their comfort zones. I don't know much about racing, but after reading this, I want to know more!

Will definitely recommend to friends. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

[ambs · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for this arc!


this was honestly such a fun read. i don’t know a lot about F1 but i sure do love reading about it. this is definitely such a quick cute little romance if you need something to get you out of your slump!!!

[addison☻ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a fun and sweet f1 themed book! i did find it to be very unrealistic though.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ and kissing

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super cute YA romance. It was F1, childhood rivals, she has trauma from losing her mother in a car accident and he has a horrible father. There is also forced proximity and a fake dating situation.

Basically, they used to be rivals in the drivers world. She lost her mother in a car accident and hasn’t driven since. They are now 18/19 YO and a racing team’s boss has invited them to the Monaco F1 race. He is going to drive and she is going to shadow the engineers.

They reconnect and for some reason they decide to fake date. She does it because she has an unacknowledged crush and he does it…to keep all his female fans at bay…but really it is because he likes her and wants to be close to her.

There are a lot of issues that they work on during this book…issues with each other and issues with their respective trauma.

It was a cute book to read but I think I am just past this age group of MCs. They were cute but also very frustrating to read about from an adults perspective. I think my 15 YO daughter would be the right audience for this. And I would totally buy this book for her.