to say i was disappointed would be an understatement. It's not the lack of spice even though the trigger warnings said there was some (i'd say a 1 on a spice scale). It was how drawn out the storyline was (not even slow burn). it dragged on. It cou have had a 1/3 cut and I wouldn't have lost anything.

I have recently found myself quite obsessed with Formula 1 racing and even recently read and loved an in-depth historical account of the sport. So, I was more than excited to dive into this F1 romance, especially one featuring a female race engineer. Unfortunately, that excitement wasn't long-lasting.

It's not a good sign that only after reading a few pages I reluctantly sought out the book synopsis to make sure that the "cocky" driver Cosmin, who was just introduced in a most unappealing way, wasn't going to be the male MC. Sadly, this is the case, and the story only gets even harder to get through when the female main MC, Phaedra, quickly becomes something much more than grumpy or prickly. It ended up being an easy decision to DNF this one.

The great thing about romance is that there is a book for every reader and a reader for every book. This would likely work best for someone who relates to Phaedra's challenges working in a male-dominated field and likes a brash male main character who masks unresolved issues with combative banter.

This audiobook is a tall order for any narrator. One of the main characters has a strong Eastern European accent which has to be performed for much of the novel by both the male and female narrators. Both Jonathan Lake and Mackenzie Cartwright do an excellent job and are probably the reason I was able to make it so far into this book. I hope to hear them narrate other books in the future.

As an F1 fan, I'm always on the lookout for romances that do it justice. I enjoyed the story overall and appreciated that it did F1 justice by including details about racing team hierarchy/staff, engineers, and racing strategy. I enjoyed Phaedra and Cosmin as a couple, and I can say with certainty that I didn't know Romanian was hot until now.

This book came onto my radar because the author is having an event at Annie Bloom bookstore. I saw that the audiobook was available on NetGalley and was very excited to receive an advance copy for review. I liked the dual narration from Mackenzie Cartwright as Phaedra and Jonathan Lake as Cosmin. This book is great for fans of Formula 1 racing, tough and brainy lead ladies that are a bit rough around the edges, and a leading guy who is a reformed player with an accent. This book packs a lot of punchy turns of phrase but overall I thought the romance was a bit unevenly paced and I didn’t connect to the characters. I did like this exchange:
- You are not the right person.
- That’s true, but I am the right now person.

I know absolutely nothing about cars or racing or F1, but I freaking loved this book!! I was a little nervous I would have trouble connecting with the story, but that was absolutely not the case. If you are on the fence, READ IT.

This book had a really interesting storyline and complex characters and kept me engaged the entire time and both of the narrators were absolutely fantastic!

The romantic sh** Cosmin would say had me swooning. The EMAILS! Ahhhh! He was so gone for her and I loved it all! Jonathan Lake’s Romanian accent had me absolutely melting.

Phaedra is a strong, take no shit character! She’s definitely what some might describe as unlikable and she’s very prickly, but I really loved her character and as a fellow black cat, I felt like I could relate to her a lot.

While this book was very funny, it definitely deals with some heavier topics so please keep that in mind!

⚠️The content warnings might accidentally be spoilers, so please be aware of that and don’t read below this if you want to avoid spoilers⚠️

CW: cancer, death of a parent during the book, death of a parent (past), abusive family member (past), mentions of sexual assault on a minor (past).

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC.

This may have set me up with an F1 romance obsession!
OH WOW

What an amazing book and YES to women engineerssss!
I love the build of tension and the chemistry of these two.
So happy I got this ALC! Narration was great!

✨✨✨ NetGalley ALC Review ✨✨✨

Tropes:
Formula 1 romance
Forbidden workplace romance
Friends with benefits to 🖤
Grief and loss

3⭐️
3🌶️

This one was a struggle to push through and there were times I genuinely considered putting my headphones down and not picking it up again.

Phaedra was MEAN. Mean girl energy the entire time. She was mean to the MMC, her friends, her coworkers, literally everyone. Not to mention she was borderline abusive towards the MMC.

Now, the MMC is certainly not off the hook here either. I can’t look past the fact that he took a playful glance from Phaedra as an invite to run his junk on here AFTER SHE SAID SHE WASN'T INTERESTED MULTIPLE TIMES.

It’s 2024, nearly 2025 at this point and we are still out here publishing books with ABUSE as a subplot and trying to make it cutesy? WHY?

4 out of 5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to listen to the ALC.

To start with the story - I really enjoyed this book! This was my first time reading an F1 racing romance and I am definitely hooked. I loved the aspects of enemies to lovers and a forbidden romance but the discussion of deeper topics is what moved this book from a 3 to a 4 star read for me. Please check the trigger warnings as there are discussions of family illness, childhood abuse, and more - but I enjoyed the heavier journey that both the FMC and MMC went on individually while also exploring their love story.

In regard to the audiobook narration, I struggled at first with the narrator for the MMC with understanding his accent. I appreciated that it was realistic to the MMC's heritage but I am usually someone who listens on 1.8-2.5x speed and I found myself having to slow it down at each chapter in the MMC's POV. In the end though, the good outweighed the bad of the accent because it made the spice so realistic and the emotion portrayed from the male narrator was unmatched!

Phaedra and Cosmin are antagonistic co-workers with Phaedra as the race engineer who has not succumbed to race car driver Cosmin’s unwanted flirting. And then somehow they form a truce and then a secret fling that helps distract Phaedra from the troubles of her dying father. But Cosmin’s actually invested in a real relationship between the two and is merely settling for what he can get. When a potential for scandal erupts, Phaedra’s the one to call it quits and put up emotional walls. The pacing of this book was a bit quick at first, making the romance a little less than believable. The big break-up also happens at about the halfway mark of the book, leaving quite a bit of time for Phaedra and Cosmin to each deal with their issues. I was very interested in Cosmin’s family backstory and the issues he had with his sister. There was also a nice set-up for the couple that will be featured in the next book of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC

I've never read a formula 1 driver romance before but I really liked it! I enjoyed that the fmc was a mechanic, because I don't feel like there's a lot of female mechanics in literature. I thought the romance was ok, but could've wished for a bit more spark between them. Not amazing, but not bad either. Enjoyable and a good palate cleanser.

Title: Double Apex
Author: Josie Juniper
Narrators: Jonathan Lake, Mackenzie Cartwright

Double Apex is an exhilarating and passionate forbidden romance novel set against the backdrop of the high-stakes world of Formula One racing. The story revolves around Phaedra Morgan, a brilliant race engineer in Formula 1 who is an integral part of her father's Formula 1 team. Despite her expertise, Phaedra finds herself at odds with the team's driver, Cosmin Ardelean, as he constantly flirts with her and fails to take her professional abilities seriously.

Cosmin, the charismatic new addition to the team, is renowned for his romantic conquests and carefree demeanour. Yet, beneath his cocky exterior lies a complex individual with a haunted past and a deep-seated longing for Phaedra, whom he has desired ever since their first encounter. Hailing from Romania, Cosmin's enigmatic nature adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.

The narrators, Jonathan Lake and Mackenzie Cartwright, deliver a captivating performance, skillfully portraying the nuances of different languages and infusing the story with a compelling tone. Their narration enhances the immersive experience, bringing the characters and their emotions to life.

This was my first time reading a romance involving Formula 1 racing! I was really excited to read this book. I loved the premise and cute cover. Sadly, this book just wasn’t for me. Phaedra just wasn’t a nice person. I understand she had some trauma to get through, but the way she talked about and treated over people was really ugly at times. Cosmin was more likable, but not by much. Their relationship was full of miscommunication and lust, definitely not a strong basis for a functional partnership.

I do think there will be people who enjoy this story, especially if you are a reader who you don’t mind unlikable characters. I will say the narrators did a great job. So id recommend the audiobook if you’re picking this one up!

This was such a good debut novel!!! Double Apex, is a high-octane blend of romance, sports, and STEM. The story follows Phaedra, a brilliant race engineer, and Cosmin, a cocky and infuriatingly hot Formula 1 driver. Their professional rivalry quickly turns into a passionate, forbidden affair.

What I Loved:
* The STEMinism: Juniper does an excellent job of portraying Phaedra as a strong, intelligent woman who excels in a male-dominated field. Her character is inspiring and refreshing.

* The Passion: The chemistry between Phaedra and Cosmin is undeniable. Their intense attraction and fiery arguments keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

* The Racing: If you're a fan of Formula 1, you'll appreciate the detailed descriptions of the races and the technical aspects of the sport.

* The Emotional Depth: Beneath the surface of the thrilling romance, there are deeper themes of grief, loss, and personal growth.

Overall, Double Apex is a thrilling and satisfying read. It's a perfect choice for fans of romance, sports, and STEM. Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC!

Hot shot Romanian driver, Cosmin, is notorious for his skills both on and off of the track, and race engineer Phaedra is unimpressed with his ego, wishing that the team (owned by her father) had hired a different driver instead. However, as Phae and Cos get to know each other better, they realize that maybe they have more in common and can understand each other better than they could have imagined. Unfortunately, a driver-race engineer fling is not a popular pairing in the world of F1, so they have to navigate their lives and careers while also trying to remain true to one another.

The female narrator, Mackenzie Cartwright, did an excellent job of portraying Phaedra as emotional but logical and toed the line of snark and arrogance well. Jonathan Lake had a wonderful Romanian accent, but I was not a fan of his "female" voice, in which Phaedra (and every other female character) sounded overly whiny.

I've read a lot of sports romance, and F1 is one of my favorite sports of all time. I would have loved a bit more of the sports side of things, but overall I enjoyed Phae and Cos's story and was happy that they got their HEA.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, NetGalley, and Josie Juniper for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This had all the excitement, drama and romance of a smash blockbuster movie! I was immediately drawn into the story, anxious for every next scene. The intensity of a Formula 1 race perfectly juxtaposes against the tension of Cosmin & Phaedra. Their relationship has the edge of an enemies to lovers burn complete with banter, longing and release. I am a sucker for an angsty third act, and this delivers an edge of the seat win. And whenever Cosmin says “Draga Mea”, my heart swoons just a little. A truly captivating story that’ll get the adrenaline pumping.

I listened to this on audio and let me tell you, the accents make this story extra luscious. Romanian is not one I have listened to yet, but every word out of Cosmin’s mouth was sexy as sin. The perfect rendition of a race car playboy. Jonathan Lake does a stellar performance. Not to be outdone, Mackenzie Cartwright gives an equally satisfying portrayal of Phaedra. These two made me feel like I was truly seeing the story unfold on screen.

Double Apex by Josie Juniper
Contemporary romance. Alternating POV. Stem.
Phaedra Morgan is a race engineer in Formula 1. One of the only women in the field. With the job and male dominated sport, she gets a lot of push back but her degree, the support of the owner and math prodigy experience proves she has the skills necessary. She also gets a lot of flirty comments and men that think they know more than her. She needs to keep her cool.
Cosmin Ardelean is known for his on-track wizardry, as well as his romantic exploits. He hadn’t considered her more than a nuisance in his ear until he’s forced to spend time working with her. Their working together leads to a forbidden arrangement that can’t be hidden for long. Do they walk away or speed through for the ultimate win?

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narrative is performed by Jonathan Lake and Mackenzie Cartwright in alternating POV’s. Both do a great job with voices and cadence. I did listen at 1.5 to more closely match my reading speed.

One of the best things about audiobooks over reading a print version is a narrator’s accent for a character. That accent of Cosmin was not at all what I got from reading and it helped me to remember over and over Formula 1 and European tracks. I’ve been to Monaco and Indianapolis and they are vastly different racing venues. So for this book, I recommend the audiobook version.

Much of the relationship angst was lack of communication. Once they got past that, they both grew to appreciate the other more and build a bit of much needed trust. More work required.
Rocky and eventually smooth sailing past the flag.
A twist on sports romance. Enticing.
3.5
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.

I had to DNF at 38%. The pacing just didn’t work for me, and I found the story lacking in strength. The FMC is incredibly unpleasant . I couldn’t imagine sticking with her for the whole book. The narrators were the only redeeming factor.

2.5⭐, 3🌶️

Okay...so this was not my book. Which made me sad because a F1 Driver - Engineer romance seemed like such a GOOD idea! However, the plot had very very weird pacing, neither of the characters id I really like and the narrators had me struggling. (Im trying to not be as negative as my thoughts want me to be - que my mom's voice saying "If you cant say anything nice, don't say anything at all." But this is a book review so I gotta say SOMETHING!)

My biggest qualm with Phaedra's character is she was too uch of "that girl" Like cool, youre smart and your dad raised you around cars, but her friendship with her best friend was so hostile all the time, and then she was always the girl against other girls which rubbed me the wrong way. And the absolute disrespect the team gives her as a female annoyed me, especially because its the only time she choose to be railroaded and not stand up for herself. Cosmin's character I enjoyed. I would have possibly liked this book more if I eyeball read versus the audiobook, because as much as I enjoy Jonathan Lake's voice, his romainian voice and femal voices were AWFUL!

Okay, Im just gonna be done. This wasn't my book, I wouldnt recommend the audiobook, but i may give the second book in the series a chance soley because I love F1 and hope the author figures out some of the unneccessary characters problems by the next.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Hachette Audio for an eARC/ ALC of this book in exchange for my honest and unpaid review.

Audiobook lovers rejoice because you are about to get a super sexy Romanian accent delivered to you via Jonathan Lake and a balls of steele grumpy STEMinist read by Mackenzie Cartwright. I can’t stress how much narrators can make or break a book and these two nailed the characters of Cosmin and Phaedra.

I know very little about F1 racing (other than now I definitely want to watch), but know when an author can make me excited about the sport and all the drama surrounding it, then they are an excellent storyteller. I ate this book up! Cosmin is a driver for Emerald F1 known for his expertise in between the sheets just as much as his speed behind the wheel. Phaedra is his race engineer who wants nothing more than for her cocky F1 Dracula driver to listen to her without smart ass comments undermining her role. It takes Team Principal Klaus maneuvering Phaedra and Cosmin together in Santorini to get them working together. And a little forced proximity is the spark that ignites their tension into a blazing inferno by Barcelona. This book is hot. Like five-alarm scorcher hot DTF hot. For Phaedra it’s initially hate-f&cking and grief as much as anything, but a small part of her knows her heart is about to get tied up in Cosmin. And it’s her nervousness at making herself available for something more than sex that really imbued me to her grumpy mask of vulnerability.

The crazy thing is as much as this book is fast and racy, it is also so sweet and subtle. I loved that Phaedra learned Romanian because she missed Cosmin and missed hearing it, when his little nicknames are originally what drove her nuts. There’s also a “first date” type of scene in America that shows Cosmin’s softer side and his choices for their activities were so thoughtful and creative, you could just feel how much he cared for Phaedra in his actions. Grief plays a role as well and Juniper lets her characters live in it without it consuming their entire beings.

To say Phaedra and Cosmin took me on a wild ride would be a pun well intended. Readers should come for the spicy angsty banter and stay for the love that’s hard won. I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Narration: Dual, 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭🪭🪭
Angst: 😤😤😤
Knowledge I gained about F1 racing: 🥇🥇🥇