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.
i absolutely LOVEEEEED saint and ivy!! i know nothing about f1 nor do i watch it — my knowledge of the sport comes from reading about it or watching hannahs excitement for the sport when/if she shares on her stories! i knew from her love of the sport that her venture into f1 romance was going to be so fun and exciting and BOYYYY did she deliver!!
saint thompson professional yearner step to the front pls!!! my god do i love a man that knows what he wants and continuously shows up time and again! every time these two were in proximity to one another i was just giggling and kicking my feet over the banter and flirting, ivy is a stronger woman that i because there were several times where i was just screaming in my head for her to give in and let herself be happy with this hot flirt!!!
ivy miller, honestly the woman of my dreams. there is nothing i love more than a bad ass woman in male dominated fields, especially those that are a little mean to their puppy of a man. i think ivys journey with herself was one of my favorite things about this book, she was such a relatable character and i just loved watching her find herself again through out the story.
the only tiniest issue i had with this book was the some parts of the story felt a little slow, but to be honest i think that was more a me issue and how long i was reading this book more than anything. i think that if i were to go back and reread this with the audiobook it would completely change that feeling for me. overall i loved the absolute hell out of this book. i am always going to be a henry and halle girl but saint and ivy are right up there with them. their story felt so natural and engaging, i loved how even though their relationship was a pretty high stakes situation given that they worked together it never felt overly anxiety inducing and the resolution was by far one of my favorites in a scenario like this.
i genuinely cannot wait to see whats to come for this series! i was watching every name drop like a hawk trying to piece together any eggs or potential future couples. champagne problems was SUCH an amazing first book into this new adventure and i will be here anxiously awaiting book two 😛
Hannah Grace really said, “What if we put a Formula 1 driver, a woman with trust issues, unresolved romantic tension, and enough yearning to cause a five-car pileup in the same book?” And honestly? I would like to thank her personally for the emotional chaos.
Champagne Problems had me grinning like an idiot, yelling at fictional people in my head, and wondering why the universe keeps giving some women terrible men when Saint Thompson is RIGHT THERE. Make it make sense!
What I loved most about this romance is that the attraction between Ivy and Saint comes with history. These two aren't strangers who exchange three meaningful glances and suddenly decide they're soulmates. There's unfinished business, old wounds, complicated feelings, and that maddening sense that their timing has always been just a little bit wrong. Watching them find their way back toward each other made every charged conversation and almost-moment feel deliciously loaded. I was practically sitting between them with a whistle, demanding that somebody PLEASE do something about all this tension.
And Ivy! I understood her so much. She's independent, determined to protect herself, and exhausted by the nonsense women are expected to tolerate in professional spaces. Between her past romantic disasters, workplace frustrations, and worries about her family, she's carrying a lot more than she lets on. I appreciated that her emotional walls weren't there simply to manufacture romantic drama. They come from experiences that have genuinely affected how she sees herself and the people around her. Watching her figure out where self-protection ends and fear begins gave the romance something meaningful beneath all the flirting.
But Saint Thompson? EXCUSE ME, SIR. WHO AUTHORIZED THIS MAN?
There is something incredibly satisfying about a hero who knows what he wants and doesn't need to turn the entire relationship into a psychological warfare experiment to get it. Saint has confidence, charm, and that competitive streak you'd expect from a professional driver, but what makes him irresistible is the emotional intention behind his pursuit of Ivy. He wants to be taken seriously. He wants a real chance. And he isn't interested in pretending his feelings are smaller than they are just because Ivy would find that more convenient.
The man is trying to win a championship on the track AND convince one particular woman to give him a chance. Talk about a demanding season. 😂
Their banter was another highlight for me. The conversations have that playful, slightly antagonistic energy that makes you want to keep reading just to see what they'll say to each other next. The attraction feels natural, the flirtation has personality, and the romance has enough emotional push and pull to keep things interesting. Hannah Grace knows how to make two characters feel drawn to each other even when one of them is doing her absolute best to pretend otherwise. Ivy, darling, the evidence is mounting. The investigation is over.
The Formula 1 setting also gives the story a glamorous, high-pressure backdrop that feels different from the usual sports romance formula. The travel, professional rivalries, public scrutiny, and demands of the racing world add another layer to the characters' lives. I particularly enjoyed how the story explores the challenges of being a woman navigating a male-dominated industry, where competence isn't always enough to stop people from underestimating you. That part gives Ivy's journey a welcome dimension beyond simply finding the right man.
I did occasionally feel that the story could have moved a little faster, especially while establishing all the people and moving parts surrounding the team. There's a lot happening outside the central romance, and keeping track of the wider cast can take some attention away from Ivy and Saint. But once I settled into their dynamic, I was far too invested in their complicated little dance to abandon them. I came for the romance, stayed for the chemistry, and developed a frankly unreasonable interest in a fictional racing driver.
What ultimately worked for me was the combination of humor, sensuality, vulnerability, and the very human fear of getting hurt again. Beneath the expensive cars and glamorous surroundings, this is a story about letting someone see the parts of you that you've worked so hard to protect. It understands that falling in love isn't always the difficult part. Sometimes the real challenge is believing that this time, with this person, things might actually be different.
Champagne Problems is a fun, spicy, entertaining romance with a heroine who's learning to trust herself, a hero who's refreshingly clear about his intentions, and enough romantic tension to make me consider filing a formal complaint against the concept of emotional restraint.
And Saint Thompson? Congratulations. You've officially made being a fictional man an unfair advantage.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this sizzling, juicy, entertaining romance with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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.
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!
ׂ📻﹕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
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! 💖💓💝💕
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.
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!
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
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
"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.
first off, thank you so much to hannah grace, atria books and netgalley for the chance to read this as an arc.
i literally could not have pictured this book being any better than it was. this was everything. the chemistry between saint and ivy was perfect. the banter was bantering and i was eating up every single page of it. i couldn’t have pictured a better duo than these two.
i appreciated how raw and real ivy’s story was, and how nothing was sugarcoated. the hardships she experienced as an incredible and educated woman in a male-dominated workforce was so true. she ate them up every single time and i was so proud of my girl. i loved seeing her thrive and seeing her coming into herself as the book went on, the fear she let go of and learned to put herself first and stand up for herself. queen.
and saint, the man that you are. my heart broke knowing what he experienced and the things he went through. locking himself away from the world and spiraling through social media. no one deserves to have their dream ripped out from under them, especially when things were not their fault. he deserved so much better than what he got. but he preserved and made his way back. seeing him find his way back to his dreams and the girl of his dreams was everything.
the story played out perfectly and it felt so real. i was so drawn to these characters. both saint and ivy are so relatable and so down to earth. i loved every minute of it!!
if this book isn’t on your tbr yet, then what are you doing?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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.
This was one of those books that I had to think on for a while. At first I didn't love it. I think it is because I really didn't know anything about F1. But after thinking about it I really liked this one. The spice was fun. I loved that Ivy was a bad ass women. Grant was just everything I could want in a book boyfriend. If Hannah Grace writes it I will read it.