Unfortunately this was a really quick DNF for me. I immediately knew I wouldn't like the main characters and just wasn't feeling it.

DNF @10%
I love F1 and that's exactly why I couldn't get over the fact that Cosmin was supposed to be a rookie last year and he's at least mid-20's? Or maybe older if he's closer to the FMC's age. In no professional sport is a hot shot rookie in their mid to late 20's.

I also didn't love the dynamic of her being his race engineer. I'm not against workplace romance stories but in this instance it didn't work for me. Women are so underrepresented in the sport and if something like this happened in real life, it would ruin the chances of so many other women. It also just feels like such a huge power imbalance.

Cosmin was also literally sexually harassing her and wouldn't take no for an answer and I just couldn't get over that.

It took me a while to get to this and then I gave up about 60% in, I was not a fan. The main characters gave me the ick. I was excited to read because F1 is something I've recently enjoyed but this missed the mark for me. I appreciated bringing a female into a male dominated space - need more of that representation!! Thank you for the ARC!

I have mixed feelings about this book. The entire first half just felt like miscommunication and bad assumptions about each other. They seem to hate each other, though Cosmin is a flirt. Then they hook up and at 24% Phaedra is suddenly saying “I’m falling for a man I can’t have”. Mostly they just hook up and then we have a mutual love confession at 56% but we have only really seen them hook up.
Then they break up, there’s bad communication, but I found myself liking the book a lot more. I do wish we had a few more chapters of them ACTUALLY TALKING, but I appreciated the growth and was cheering for them by the end. Overall it ended at a 3.5 stars for me. And I’m planning to keep reading the series!

DNF @ 31%. The FMC was highly unlikable. The two characters chemistry was so confusing. I understand hate f#!%ing but nothing about their chemistry made any sense at all. He compared her to a castle, I couldn’t.

DNF @ 20%

Unfortunately this book was not for me. The main characters felt like they needed to be sent to HR not Santorini. Meanwhile, main character, Phaedra, is afraid to be seen having a private conversation with her driver for fear of rumors, but vacationing with him doesn't cause those issues?

As an F1 fan, I didn't get to see a lot of the F1 content in the book, but her threat to have Cosmin bumped down to F2 was not realistic and took me out.

The lines that finally caused me to DNF were "If she's close enough for me to smell her skin and hair, my lust is ungovernable." and "His outfit is effortlessly adorable: from the waist up, like a sexy best man at a wedding after a few drinks; from the waist down, solid indie cred."

In this story we have the female main character of Phaedra who is a formula 1 race car engineer and also the daughter of a formula 1 race car team. The team has a new hot shot playboy of a driver named Cosmin. Cosmin did not have the easiest childhood with his parents dying and leaving his sister and him as orphans who then are raised by an abusive uncle. Phaedra is for most of this story not the most likable or relatable female main character which makes it hard to root for her. That was one of my main reasons for rating this story lower. As a whole I did like the story and did want to stay until the end to see to the conclusion. I am more interested in the characters that will be the focus of book 2 of this series Klaus and Natalia. Thank you Netgallery, Josie Juniper and Forever for choosing me to be an arc reader for this book.

First off, I’m so here for the rise of F1 romances, it’s been a long time coming!
Unfortunately this one didn’t hit for me. I found it hard to connect with the characters, and the chemistry was lacking so I found it quite hard to care for them and their relationship.

A fun F1 romance that has a steamy central relationship and a story sure to keep readers hooked and wanting more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Double Apex by Josie Juniper!

It’s a fun emotional romance set in the world of auto racing. I love that the FMC is strong and dealing with past issues. It’s a great pairing of characters

I wanted to enjoy this book a lot but I did not care for the characters. The FMC frustrated me at times and the MMC constantly pushed her boundaries to a point where it felt like harassment. I don't mind a little back and forth but the way he continued to flirt with her was uncomfortable when she wasn't receptive. Unfortunately, after that, I struggled to fall in love with their relationship. This might work for other readers but it didn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for Double Apex based on the excellent cover and promising synopsis. Unfortunately I found the characters to have too many problematic qualities early on. I really struggled to care for them and want to read this book, I tried two separate times before deciding to dnf at 17%

I might have been sucked in by the beautiful cover, but unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. The chemistry between the main characters wasn't really there for me, and I felt like the pacing was a bit off.

I really did not appreciate the FMC in this book. Not only was she incessantly complaining all the time but the hyperfixation on her gender in the field she’s in surpassed “steminist” and went into some pretty odd territory.

I read this book last year and forgot to post my review here.

This contains spoilers for the second half of the book.

I am still on the hunt for a good Formula 1 romance. This one was just not it.

The book starts off on a bad note, because Cosmin is harassing Phaedra, because let’s call it what it is. When a coworker is using pet names and a person expresses discomfort or annoyance and the coworker continues using them, it’s not cute or endearing, it’s harassment.

I thought the characters independently were ok and tolerable, but together even at the end of the book they were such a toxic, off-putting mess. There was a moment while reading that I genuinely wanted to put it down and just DNF, which had crossed my mind multiple times before this point, but there’s a particular scene where I just checked out and wanted the book to end.

The scene happens in a hotel room, when Phaedra assaults Cosmin, after he accidentally smacked her leg, because she was throwing herself around and he was trying to get her to stop. She then says awful things to him about the type of person he must be, because he was raised by an abusive uncle and how he must want to hit her so badly, just like his uncle did to him.

I genuinely stopped reading there for a while, I was so incensed, because this is just incredibly abusive and irredeemable. I finished the book and I kind of wished I hadn’t.

This fast-paced workplace romance set in the world of Formula 1 racing is a thrilling ride from start to finish. The banter between Phaedra and Cosmin is full of wit, and the push-and-pull dynamic between them is both fun and engaging.

The story strikes a perfect balance between the developing romance and the personal journeys of the characters. Phaedra faces significant challenges, including her father’s illness and the belief that her career should keep her from being with Cosmin. Meanwhile, Cosmin grapples with the unresolved tension in his relationship with his sister. As both characters evolve, they become more relatable and grounded, so much so that by the end, they feel like people you’d want to be friends with in real life.

The romance is authentic and well-paced. Both Phaedra and Cosmin start off flawed but likable, and as they confront their insecurities and pasts, their connection deepens. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and while their relationship feels forbidden, it’s fascinating to watch their friendship transform into something much more meaningful.

The dual point-of-view narrative is a great choice, allowing the reader to fully understand each character's motivations and struggles. This perspective shifts smoothly throughout the story, giving a well-rounded view of the evolving plot. If you’re a fan of contemporary romance and F1 racing, I highly recommend this book.

I am grateful to Forever Publishing for granting access to a digital copy of this book through Netgalley. All of the opinions throughout this review are my own.

I truly couldn’t get through this title because of how problematic both of the main characters were for me. A man constantly sexualizing someone he works with and ignoring her attempts to keep their relationship professional was a red flag within the first chapter! But then it just seemed to get worse from there. I also found the female main character, Phaedra, was so awful to her female best friend, and to many other characters. The fact that this book was published with straight up sexual harassment in it is awful. I got about 50% in and then couldn’t go any further.

I went into Double Apex excited for a high-speed romance set against the backdrop of Formula 1 racing. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.

The premise had so much potential—Phaedra, a brilliant and sharp-tongued race engineer, teaming up with Cosmin, a charismatic driver with a troubled past. The tension and chemistry between them should have been electric, but Cosmin's behavior really soured the experience. He repeatedly ignored boundaries that Phaedra had clearly set, and instead of charming, it came off as disrespectful and uncomfortable.

The writing style didn’t help much either. It felt choppy, with time jumps that left me struggling to stay engaged, and the narration performance (if you’re listening to the audiobook) didn’t do the story any favors. I found myself hate-reading just to get to the end and wishing I was better at putting books down when they aren’t working for me.

I wanted to love this book, but the poor execution and problematic romance made it a frustrating read. Definitely not my cup of tea, but maybe others will enjoy it more.

I will forever defend F1 for being one of the best settings for a romance because of its high stakes and high pressure situations, and its tendency to be a host for quite big personalities. Double Apex was no different, but there were some elements of the novel that didn't strike out for me.

Phaedra as a character was fine. I recognized her flaws and the elements of her character that made her annoying, especially when she fell into a conventional depiction of a tough woman who unnecessarily put down things she deemed 'girly'. I appreciated how confident she was in her knowledge, skills, and ability to think on her feet, but she did enter stereotypical girl boss territory.

I found Cosmin generic and felt like he went too far with crossing Phaedra's boundaries in the workplace to the point where I found it unbelievable that she would give him the time of day–like he was sexually harassing her over the radio and didn't give her the respect she deserved as his teammate!

The writing itself was a bit clunky and the dialogue was painfully cliche in some parts, which made it hard to get through at times. I think if readers love drama and what the F1 setting evokes, this would be a fit for them. Otherwise, unfortunately I didn't love it!

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the e-arc.