Champagne Problems

In the Paddock #1

by Hannah Grace

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker, a glamorous new romance between a Formula 1 driver and the woman he can’t forget.

Ivy Miller has one rule: no more dating athletes. After one too many bad experiences, she’s done with ego, heartbreak, and damage control.

So, when she’s sent to work with Elysium’s Formula 1 team, she’s horrified to discover that their new driver is Saint Thompson – the man she nearly fell for a year ago, before scandal cost him his championship. The man who seems confident that they can pick up exactly where they left off.

Between late nights, playful banter, and undeniable chemistry, resisting Saint starts to feel impossible.

Ivy insists they can keep things casual. No feelings. No expectations. Just sex. But Saint isn’t interested in casual. He wants more. He wants the date they never had, and their reunion turns into a game neither of them is willing to lose.

Because Saint Thompson has his own rule to live by: second place is never an option. Not on the track, and especially not when it comes to Ivy Miller.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Fiction, Contemporary

448 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 16, 2027

Reviews

[enola (semi-hiatus)]

alexa play champagne problems by taylor swift🤭
but I am excited nevertheless🙂‍↕️
also this comes out this fall, so you bet i'm SAT

[Swathi✨️]

STOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP THIS COVER IS SO SO SO SO GORGGGGGGGG🥹💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

[luna ♡]

— ᨳଓ . pre-read

the way i gasped when i saw i got approved for the arc???? i simply can't wait to dive into this book!! the cover is GORGEOUS.

[cat]

・❥・⁀➷ 🏎️💨 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕

july 8th- WE HAVE A FREAKING COVERRRR 💞🍾 THE PINKS?!?! THE CHARACTER ART?!?! SO BEAUTIFUL I CANTTTT😻

Saint Thompson and Ivy Miller 🥹
"She's sworn off athletes. He says game on."
dare I say Saint will be a man on his knees for Ivy?? 🥵

june 7th- ahhh yes!! i’ve loved everything Hannah Grace has written!! && a formula one theme?!?!?
cannot wait for this new series!! ✨✨

woooooo we have a release date!! feb 2027 lets go!!!

[Katie’s Bookshelf]

5⭐️
I absolutely LOVED this. It had me hooked right from the first few pages and was such a fun ride from start to finish. Was this a perfect story? No, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and that is a 5 star in my book! Honestly I think my biggest nitpick would be that I wish there was more actual racing involved. We hung out around the track and at F1 related events but only saw one or two races

Ivy and Saint were so freaking cute. I loved that regardless of whatever else was going on and whatever was keeping them apart, so they were so honest in their care for each other. Even when they were just friends or were apart they just wanted what was best for the other and for them to be happy

I loved how wholeheartedly Saint went after Ivy. He wasn't coy or playing hard to get here- he wanted to be with her and was so upfront about that it was refreshing. He wasn't shy in his feelings around other people either- he talked about her all the time and sang her praises and all of his friends knew how into her he was. He was just so obsessed with her in a really endearing way

I really just loved how these two continually supported each other. Ivy is so good at coaxing Saint out of a bad mood and talks to him about how toxic his social media can be because she was worried about his mental health. Saint always looks out for Ivy and takes care of her friends and her dad. This man showed up to her room with a glass and a piece of paper in the middle of the night because he thought she saw a spider! Seriously just the cutest together.

I think HG did a really good job here introducing us to her F1 world and what will eventually be a wider cast of characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Fahmida]

ARC PROVIDED BY ATRIA BOOKS!🩷

Ever since all the backlash Icebreaker got, I feel like Hanng Grace and her writing just got potentially better and better! No unnecessary smut at all, good plot and substance, good characters and a lot of emotional depth!

I don't have much to say about this (bc it's the middle of the night here and I have exams tmrw) except that it was a VERY good book and I think a lot of ppl will really devour it once it releases!

------
Ohmygosh it's happening you guys! So excited for this! Haven't read any F1 romances since Lauren Asher's Dirty Air series and frankly, there aren't many good ones. Hoping this one delivers!

[⊹ appie (ia)]

𖥻 ׁ ׅ pre-release ! ׁ ׅ 🏎️

ׂ📻﹕𐔌 alexa play 'champagne problems' by taylor swift 〃・꒱


08.04.26 × WE GOT A COVER, ohmygosh it's stunning 😽

05.24.26 × OMG i am head over heels for this series! i love love love hannah grace, her books got me into reading and i am forever grateful for that. since i love formula uno, the fact that it's an F1 series is just the icing on the cake

[mary ♡⋆ ࣪₊ꫂ᭪݁⋆˙]

𝒑𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 .✦ ݁˖

oh my freaking god!!! the cover was just announced AND I NEED THIS BOOK NOW
________
HELL YEAH
I hope both MCs are Drivers! 🤭

[vicky ꨄ︎]

STOPPPPPPP, i don’t like reading f1 books since they’re never accurate but I do know that Hannah is a fan of f1 so I trust her with!!!!

[annotated by Noi (in & out)]

lookie here

[jos]

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.

Ivy is done dating athletes after getting her heart broken in the past until she’s forced to work with Saint Thompson, the F1 driver she almost fell for a year ago.

– forced proximity
– sports romance
– second chance
– friends to lovers
– he fell first

This book was absolutely brilliant, it had me hooked from the very first page.

I’m a big F1 fan and this was my first time reading a book set in the motorsport world. I was so impressed by how well the racing world was developed, it felt so authentic, but you don’t need to follow the sport to enjoy this book.

SAINT THOMPSON, THE MAN YOU ARE. What do you mean this man has had a crush on her and has been waiting for her for TEN YEARS?!?!?!?! The way Saint fell first AND harder, I can’t 😭. The level of pining and yearning on every page had me obsessed and kicking my feet, I swear i couldn’t put it down.

I genuinely loved everything: the world building, the character dynamics, the banter, the Maple Hills cameo, the YACHT SCENE??? HELLOOO????

I’m so excited to continue reading more of this universe.

Also, can we talk about the book cover??? I’m so obsessed with how gorgeous it isss! 💖💓💝💕

4.5 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ✨

[charisse ♡]

QUEEN IS SERVING!!
IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS
AGSJDKFKAL--

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆]

⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (1/7/2026): ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ What do I gotta do to get an ARC of this👀 I’m gnawing at the gates of my enclosure for this you don’t even know

[hailee]

HELLOOOOOO 🏎️ 🏁

[✨Poppy✨]

Thank you so much Atria Books & Netgalley for this ARC! Okay, Hannah Grace is back!!!! This story was very interesting. Full disclaimer I'm not a F1 lover, I don't know much about the sport. I won't lie at first I was a bit lost with the FMC job, the F1 world and I thought to myself I'll only read this one for the romance but as I kept on reading I got it a bit and I felt myself interested and immersed in this new world Hannah wrote. I love the set of characters, the drivers, best friends, family. This author knows how to create a whole universe and she's done it again. I was engaged in the plot and the love story, the MMC is pure golden boy and very caring, love that! Overall, I had a great time with this book, I'm sure it'll find its readers and I am excited for book #2, I believe I guessed who's going to be the MCs and I can't wait for their story!

[Raquel Flockhart]

Hannah Grace starting a F1 romance series? You can bet I’ll be reading it. 🏁

[skyeslibrary]

“I save all my misbehaving for you.”

Honestly, who doesn’t love an obsessed man? I found Saint to be incredibly charming in that golden retriever way, and I appreciated how intentional he was about pursuing Ivy. Her hesitations were understandable, but I was relieved that she never truly shut the door on the possibility of their relationship. This was very much their story, but I had so much fun every time secondary characters were on page, too. It’s a rich cast of entertaining characters! Also, can we talk about how stunning this cover is?!

If I’m getting nitpicky, I’d say my biggest wish is that we had more actual F1. There was a lot of track time, Formula 1 research, and conversations about the sport, but we didn’t get much actual racing. I’d have loved one intense scene from Saint’s perspective while racing—a great battle and wild overtakes or something similar to get my heart pumping.

Champagne Problems is a great way to kick off the In The Paddock series, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

this and that:
♡ dual pov
♡ F1 driver x crisis manager
♡ friends to lovers
♡ he’s obsessed
♡ hurt x comfort
♡ only one hotel room
♡ open door spice
♡ second chance
♡ secret relationship
♡ workplace
♡ yacht life

triggers:
☞ heart heath issues
☞ hospital stays
☞ sexism and misogyny
—
notable quotes:

“Helping you lose control has never been a waste of my time.”
_
“I like it when you’re mean to me. Do it again.”
_
“I save all my misbehaving for you.”
_
“There’s nothing I’m more enthusiastic about than being with you.”
_
“I have a lot. You can have it all.”
_
“You can’t use a person desperate to give you everything.”

—

thank you to Atria Books for the gifted review copy!

—
♡ find me on Instagram!

[Monica]

I read everything to the last page because I didn’t want it to be over even though the “about the publisher” had nothing to do with the story itself or the characters 🤭😭🤣

I loved this book with my whole being. At first I was a little confused because F1 romance is new to me and it was new information I needed to absorb. But I got over it super quickly I loved it from start to finish, I loved the banter, the text message threads, and her being a little bit mean to him and that being one of his favorite things.

Their love developing slowly was my favorite thing, Hannah built up to their love story, it wasn’t rushed and it wasn’t unnatural. It was so well developed with adult conversations.. almost always 🤭
Sometimes it was just that need to have someone nothing else matters.

I loved Saint, Nate has always been my number one of Hannah’s MC but Saint just topped him, there is just something about a man who won’t let up, who is obsessed with you and just makes you the center of his universe that has me melting into a puddle.

Infinity stars ⭐️ ♾️

The perfect amount of romance, friendships, drama, and F1

[Julie Parks]

"Take off your dress," he says steadily.
"Keep the heels on."

This book was so intense and angsty, and not just romance wise. The formula 1 bits felt very real as well, almost like being a part of the industry.

Saint and Ivy were so sweet together and they seemed to share such an amazing natural bond right from the start, even through their witty banter which was both snappish and steamy. There's nothing like the MMC who's head over heels right from the start - need I say more?

I will be looking forward to exploring more of Hannah Grace's books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

----------
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[chelseabrookelikesbooks]

FREAKIN’ HANNAH GRACE!! Omg. This book is a freaking masterpiece. 😭🏎️🏁

SAINT. FREAKING. THOMPSON.

This man knows exactly what he wants, and what he wants is Ivy. There are no games. No pretending he doesn’t care. No making her question how he feels. Saint is ALL IN, and this man makes sure Ivy knows it every chance he gets. The YEARNING?! The patience?! The way he is so unapologetically obsessed with her?! Put that man directly into the book boyfriend hall of fame. THANK YOU!!

But what really got me was how much I loved Ivy and Saint together. Their relationship felt so incredibly mature. They communicate. They actually listen to each other. They support each other without trying to swoop in and fix everything. Even when life, careers, family, the media, and a whole lot of history are working against them, you never question how deeply these two care about each other.

And Ivy’s relationship with her dad absolutely got me. Watching Saint quietly step into that part of her life and care for the people she loves simply because she loves them? Yeah, I’m not ok!

I also loved the way Hannah Grace built the F1 world around the romance. The press, the social media commentary, the texts, the little interludes between chapters, the team dynamics…it made the whole world feel so much bigger without taking away from the heart of the story. AND THE MAPLE HILLS CAMEOS?! I was eating every single crumb.

The banter was bantering. The tension was tensioning. The chemistry was off the charts. The emotional depth was everything. And underneath all of it was this incredibly tender story about two people who have loved each other for a long time finally figuring out how to choose each other.

I genuinely did not want this book to end.

Hannah Grace, respectfully, WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THIS?! Because Champagne Problems just raced its way straight onto my favorites list. 🏎️💨

And Saint Thompson? That man is a PROBLEM.

Five stars. Six stars. The entire damn constellation. ⭐️🏁🥂

Thank you so much to Atria Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Grace for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Becca Voisich]

Not a car girl but I am a romance girl

[Jessica | JSxReads]

grateful that I can pester my friends to let me read their books!!!!!

live laugh love champagne problems

🏎️🪩💌🍾📸💫

[Kayla W]

High Chemistry, Witty Banter, and Pure F1 Drama 🍾

I adored Saint Thompson's cute, protective obsession with Ivy Miller in Champagne Problems. It was incredibly sweet how willing he was to bend over backwards for her, jumping in to help with the things that mattered most to her. Saint truly understood Ivy's character on a deeper level, knowing exactly what she needed to feel safe enough to open up and explore a relationship with him. Their playful banter and undeniable chemistry made their connection so captivating to follow.

Understanding Saint’s background in Formula 1 added a fantastic layer to the story. Seeing his passion, the intense drama of being stripped of his title and the profound emotional impact that loss had on his self-worth and everyone around him felt very raw and grounded. On the lighter side, Kelsey’s witty, smart-mouth comments had me completely cackling out loud! The author definitely left the door wide open for a potential story between Cal and Kelsey, which I would love to see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advanced reading copy. This review reflects my honest and independent opinion.

[rachel x]

i've yet to read a f1 romance and i think i'm already over it 😴

[raegan]

super cute & such a fun premise!! i fear “yearning” might just be Saint’s middle name.

huge thank you to netgalley, hannah grace, & atria publishing for the arc!!

[Cony Méndez Benvenuto]

I'm so excited about this!

[Kyla ୨ৎ]

if hannah grace writes, i read 🫦🏎️🏁

[Madz]

Literally cannot wait. LETS GOOOO 🏎️

[Christine Huston]

Review of ARC received by NetGalley as part of Hannah Grace's ARC team.

This book was incredible. You could sense Hannah Grace's passion for Formula One, and that mixed with her immaculate romance storytelling made for a fun read. As a fan of F1, I found it super easy to understand, but for any non fan readers, I think the explanations of F1 events or terminology really flows well, since Ivy is new to the F1 world and is learning too!

Saint Thompson is truly a gift. To compare him to another fictional character, he is like Conrad Fisher, if that encourages anyone to read this book. This man is a YEARNER and is, by all definitions, a true man. What I found super relatable about this story as well was the struggles Ivy faced. From work issues to personal problems, the issues were authentic, which made me love her character even more. And Ivy and Saint together, from sassy to sweet, I was constantly looking for more.

If I have one issue with the book, it would be that at times I thought there were some incomplete sentences. For example: "Saint runs the back of his fingers against" was an entire sentence. This only happened 2 or 3 times, so I don't feel like it hindered my ability to read.

I am also on the edge of my seat for the epilogue (cannot believe I have to wait until February!).

This was a great way to start off her new series, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of In the Paddock holds!

[Em]

HELLO I LOVED THIS. TEN FREAKING YEARS OF PINING AND YEAH THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

This book follows Ivy, the PR fixer of the sports world, who is sent to follow an f1 sports team who just hired her ten year crush (Saint) or maybe it’s his ten year crush? Idk there’s a lot of crush. What unfolds is Saint doing everything possible to show Ivy he wants to show up for her, be there for the good and the bad, and TAKE HER ON A DATE. But professionalism, a stupid ex, toxic workplaces, caretaking for her sick dad, and the pressing views of the world are telling her no.

This book is amazing because Ivy is a badass and her best friend Kelsey is a badass and all their friends are badasses (MAPLE HILLS REPRESENT).

This book is also amazing because Ivy is just trying to survive and the word makes that hard (relatable) and Saint says, ya know I am going to listen and fix what I can fix without being a stupid head (he sometimes is a stupid head he’s a guy).

The f1 was fun, the news clips between chapters and text scenes were great BUT The scenes: THE FIRST DATE, JEZ, THE YACHT

Hanna Grace this is my love letter to you.