I enjoyed this book. I had fun with it. It wasn't anything special, but it was fun. It started off a little slow but then Xander and Mia jumped into a relationship so quickly. It was a little jarring. I didn't particularly feel a lot of chemistry between the characters, but it was still cute and I had fun.

This is a great story. The characters are what make this story. I know nothing about F1 racing and yet I found it pretty easy to follow along. The characters are amazing. I loved them. The dynamic and interactions are perfect. The plot was an interesting one. I was kept guessing the whole time. I would love to read more from this author.

This is a confusing book because I didn't dislike reading it, but I also did not like any of the characters or their decision-making. This was a fun, light read and my intro to F1 romances, which I did enjoy.

This book is definitely an annoyance to love romance, more than enemies, but their misunderstandings resolve into friendship and romance relatively quickly. The MMC is probably the more likeable of the two MCs, with a more developed family dynamic and background, but I felt like both MCs were generally underdeveloped and a little lack luster. I think the biggest barrier to really enjoying this book was the disconnect I had with their decision making and advice. The couple worked for each other but somehow I disagreed with the way both the FMC and MMC handled almost every single relationship decision and the advice/meaningful words they exchanged.

Overall i felt like this book was fun and light but not very memorable and a little bit convoluted in its characterization. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun read! I am a bit late to the game with my review - I actually got this ARC in March (I think) and since I had some medical issues was unable to finish and review it until now, but I really loved the story and the characters. Karen Booth is a great writer and this book is so easy to read. I know some people take that as an insult, but I mean that as a sincere compliment whenever I include that in reviews because it means the flow of the writing was great, I'm drawn into the story, and it keeps me interested enough to stay up late with it. When I say that, I mean I'm flying through it, and I only fly through books that really captivate me. Here are a few of my thoughts:

This book is perfect for you if you like:
🏎 Sports Romances
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers mixed with an Insta-Love Vibe (more on that later)
💃 Strong Female Lead
🫂 Personal Growth
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Family Dynamics & Family-Oriented MMC

WHAT I LOVED:
Honestly, I loved a lot of things about this book.

Mia's Confidence - Mia's confidence as a main character who is curvy was fantastic to see. I love that Booth didn't make insecurity about her body a main fixture of this story not only because it's overdone, but it's refreshing to see someone like Mia, who is outspoken and extroverted, feel so confident in her skin. I also love that Mia isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. She has some moments, which I think make her more relatable, with Xander where she is understandably hesitant but still chooses to be brave and share her feelings. I like that she's so direct and I love that Xander sees that as a strength of her character rather than feeling insecure or threatened by that and trying to shut that down.

Xander - I love that the MMC in this book is open-minded, supportive, and family-oriented. He's very mature, but he's humble enough and open-minded to see where he can grow and accept help and advice, even from Mia who initially had insulted him. I think that shows a unique strength of character, and I appreciated that as the book went on and the characters grew closer, he acknowledged how Mia helped him grow and helped her feel confident to grow from her insecurities as well. Seeing how he supports his family and their struggles also provides his character with more nuance and helps you appreciate more of the pressure he's facing in his career. That made him a more well-rounded character, and I enjoyed that there was some focus put on the family relationships of both characters, but especially for him. I also appreciated that he knows his worth; one example of this is - START OF SPOILER - when Mia and him are at the airport after her trip to England and he's thinking about asking her to stay longer and wants to persuade her not to doubt their relationship because of the overwhelm of public pressure, but he stops himself because he wants her to want the relationship as much as he does. There's this line where he essentially is saying to himself, if she's not in this as much as I am, it's not right. I really love that. It's another important indicator of emotional maturity that even though he loves her and he knows it would hurt if she broke up with him, that he's not making a choice out of desperation to try to make her stay with him, that he realizes that she has to make this decision herself and choose this relationship, and if she doesn't decide to do that, it's just not the right fit for either of them. He also chooses to give her time and space, even though it's hard for him, and really emphasizes that she has to figure out for her if she will choose this, which again, is a great sign of his own self-worth and his ability to approach relationships with emotional maturity, which I really appreciate in MMCs. - END OF SPOILER - He's a really good partner to Mia, and Mia is a really great partner to him as well.

Personal Growth - Another facet of this book that I feel kind of deserves its own point is the personal growth that each of the characters experience, in part through their own journeys of finding what works for them but in many ways through the support of their partner. They lean on each other, are honest with one another, are vulnerable, are emotionally intelligent, and learn from one another as the story progresses. They really support each other, are partners in the full sense of the word, and it's great to see that. I really liked the journal entries we get to see from each of them as well and how that illustrates their character growth. That was a great way that Booth chose to show that throughout the story.

Emotional Maturity - I know I mentioned this earlier in my spoiler section and I won't include details here, but it's just great to see the level of emotional maturity in both partners. In some ways, they are still growing. Mia's still figuring out her career and has insecurities about that; Xander's still learning how to relax and trust his instincts. But they fit together so well, and it's enjoyable to root for them because you know they're good for each other, they work so well together, and it's great to see how mature they are when approaching decisions about their relationship and supporting the other person's growth. They also are both confident in their skills and as mentioned earlier, Mia is confident in her skin, which also lends to the relationship because Xander sees that and appreciates it. Again, just stellar characters and overall great people to root for.

WHAT I LIKED:
Jasmine - Mia's best friend is really supportive to her, honest, and is unafraid to say what needs to be said. I liked having her in the story, providing Mia with some guidance or being a sounding board for her when she needed it, and overall just being someone who supports Mia while also not being afraid to call out when she's playing small or maybe not living in alignment with her values or self-confidence. If anything, I wish we got more of her throughout the story because she's a great character, and I would've loved to see more conversations between her and Mia.

Family Dynamics - It's interesting to see some of the family dynamics around Mia and Xander. Xander's mom having MS was a great addition to this story that added complexity and depth, while also portraying what it's like to support a family member with a chronic illness. I did feel like Mia's relationship with her mom could have had more depth, but I liked that we got to see her mom supporting her and learn more about her story. That being said, Xander's family dynamics got a lot more time dedicated to them and I feel, a lot more development than Mia's did. Some of that makes sense since Xander has more family to speak of, but it did leave me wanting more from Mia's family.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Pacing - I normally LOVE fast-paced books. I find them easy to read and engaging. I will say, as I said above, the writing style was phenomenal. Karen Booth's great at keeping the story moving and keeping you intrigued throughout the novel. However, I actually feel like this book (ironically) went a little too fast in its pacing. I would have liked to see more of the development of Mia and Xander's relationship before they officially hit the like or even love stage. The book sets them up kind of as enemies-to-lovers, but it ends up being pretty quickly diffused and they get to insta-like and insta-love pretty quickly. I would have loved to see more scenes of them getting to know each other or even more dating scenes and slower pacing regarding their enemies to acquaintances to friends to dating situation. That part felt like it was over too quickly. That being said, I still flew through this book and found it a very fun read, so that wasn't much of a problem for me.

I really liked this read. It was a fun ride and one that I would gladly read again or recommend to friends. I don't know much about Formula 1, so I can't speak to any accuracies or inaccuracies in this book, but if you're like me and also don't know much about it but just want a fun sports romance, this definitely is for you! I'll be excited to see what other books Karen Booth comes out with as I believe this is her debut, but I'm not sure. If she has any other published books, I will be eating those up shortly lol.

*Please keep in mind that this review is for an ARC, so there may be some slight changes in content or editing in the final published copy of this book. I encourage you to check this book out for yourself if you liked my review to see if it's something you'd enjoy. Happy reading!

This was my first racing romance. I grew up watching racing on TV and never found it all that exciting so I was a little nervous about reading a racing romance....would it be too much going around in circles?? But I really really enjoyed this. I loved Mia's podcast and her love of the sport and her quirky funny personality. She was the perfect down-to-earth girl that sky rocket to fame with her podcast. I am a huge sucker for a travel romance and because she ended up going to a bunch of the races all over the world I get my traveling feet vibes. I also got one of the hardest tropes to pull off - long distance since Mia was in Texas and Xander was in England. We get text messages, and phone banter and all the goodness of long distance longing....Done super well.
This was super fast paced, a quick afternoon read that just kept me reading because I had to know if Xander was going to find his formula one grove, how they were going to overcome the distance, the fame and just everything that made this a super fun and cute book!

Solid F1 romance! The pacing was fast! (no pun intended) but it did feel instsa-lovey. Mia and Xander were cute, and I liked all the banter and chemistry,

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance for the ARC 🤍

I liked how much the author actually knew what was going on in Formula 1 and wasn’t just winging it to write a book. They either did a ton of research or are a big fan. This is done very well. This earned it a whole second star.

The rest is… super duper insta love annnnnd immediately to phone sex. Cringey dialogue in general, but ever more so in the spicy scenes that aren’t that great to begin with. “His d*ck stood up and took notice” absolutely took me out because it did *what* now? 💀😂

A weird moment of miscommunication? She panics because they’re moving too fast because he put his clothes in the same load of laundry as her clothes?? And he thinks it’s fine and normal (it is) and she thinks it’s not. I was expecting them to just end it there for like 20% and then bam immediately moved past it like it didn’t happen. There was also a weird thing between the FMC’s mother and aunt that kept being brought up like something wild happened and it was so lackluster. Added literally noooothing to the story.

My favorite unhinged spicy quotes:
“His d*ck stood up and took notice”
“To say he was hard was a disservice. He was like titanium but warm”
“The way his c*ck expressed urgency with a rush of heat”

A fast-paced enemies-to-lovers romance set in the world of Formula 1. Mia Neal is a witty F1 podcaster who has a run in with British driver Xander Bishop after she shares her honest thoughts about his recent driving performance. Their chemistry is instant and I loved the banter. I also loved how authentic the F1 world was.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Harlequin for the ARC. I loved this book. I could not stop reading. Karen Booth writing kept me engaged in the story and I loved the duel point of view. Mia grew up loving F1 and now she has started a Podcast about the new season. She does not shy away from sharing her feelings about the drivers and their skill. Xander Bishop is a new driver to F1 and is having trouble finding his stride. Mia makes a funny comment about him that goes viral and life changes for both of them. Loved this story.

Mia is a die-hard Formula One fan and podcaster. She’s known for her candid commentary, she doesn’t hold back, even if it’s criticizing her favorite driver Xander Bishop. As her podcast is gaining traction and fans, one of Xander’s teammates invited her to the Grand Prix in an effort to get into his head. Mia doesn’t expect so much attraction meeting him in person, and Xander doesn’t expect this sarcastic, quick witted podcaster to actually be a fan after the things she said about his technique.

This was a cute romance, I love a little bit of banter. The two of them have to balance this undeniable attraction while trying to hide it from everyone. Mia’s afraid of her podcast fans finding out and losing her credibility because they’d see her as a groupie if she starts a relationship with Xander. Xander has to try to keep his new found romance out of the spotlight, from his fellow racers and from the media.

Give this a read if you want to see if they will be too guarded and say “Not Too Fast” or if they’ll go full speed ahead.

I was given the honor of receiving an Advanced Readers Copy of this book through NetGalley & Harlequin Romance. Thank you to Karen Booth for allowing me to read this. All opinions are my own.

This is very different than the typical sports romance books that I read as I know nothing about the racing world. I enjoyed getting to know Mia and Xander and following along on their whirlwind of a romance. 😍😍😍 Their chemistry is off the charts and the keeping their relationship a secret adds a complicated twist to the story. 👀 I also really admired Mia’s self growth journey! A fun and quick read that will have you racing through the pages.

Loved this! Xander and Mia’s story is so special and I love the setting of a F1 romance. The writing was so refreshing and story line had good pace

I really enjoyed this book a lot! It had me laughing out loud and the F1 aspect was pretty realistic. I do watch F1 very religiously, but I found that this book did not require lots and lots of knowledge about F1. It is really good about explaining everything.

Mia is a sweet character with lots of drive. Xander is a softie at heart. The tension was there. It felt real. And so did their relationship.

I really liked the podcast aspect of it. And the book was well written overall!

I would recommend this book!

The irony of it all? This book felt rushed.

Not So Fast by Karen Booth really is a fabulously sweet romcom. Our FMC Mia is an F1 podcaster who is quickly growing her fan base as she approaches her review process with honesty and a far amount of snark and sarcasm. Right off the bat we see that she appears to be a typical influencer who doesn't take the time to reflect on how her words and snark can actually affect the people she snarks all over. Social media is not the most delicate or caring place for those in the spotlight, and our MMC Xander is struggling with his new team while racing. Mostly his new teammate.

While I am not big on racing, I felt like this book did give a fairly clear window with a limited peek into how the racing world works. The good, the bad, and the confusing. You also get a lot of really deep growth for both characters. Mia, who realizes that her words have an affect on even the fastest racer. As well as Xander, how needs to get past whatever block going on in his head and is keeping him from his goals.

The romance was fast. Fast fast. So fast! This went from snark to love so fast, make sure not to blink! Its almost like watching a sitcom, the conflict was really quick and the ending was satisfying but...it was missing something. I felt like we jumped through parts of the story without even glancing at it. I love them as a couple, the concept and layout of the romance was great, but over all by the time I closed the book? I wished the story had gone by Not So Fast.

This one was cute but the romance felt rushed. They jumped very quickly from enemies and being strangers to flying across the world for one another. The family dynamic added good dimension to the story.

DNF @ 56%
Thank you so much to Afterglow Books and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This was another book for a video project that sadly did not go as hoped... This had a lot of promise in its setup, but flopped in terms of pacing and chemistry for me.

The heroine in this book is a podcaster who loves F1 and is trying to make a career out of her show. She gets a big break when she gets invited to a race by a driver who is teammates with her favorite driver.. and the one she just tore apart of having a bad season.

When they meet there is obviously some initial tension. But when I tell you it's immediately swept away after a single conversation... and by their next meeting they're completely infatuated. Where? Why? How?...

So much of them getting to know each other was implied so I felt literally *nothing* for them or their sudden romance.

Tropes: #enemiestolovers #badassheroine #instalove #thirdpov #emotions #racing

This was balance with humor and racing, isn't racing kind of like love can be? You're racing to the finish? I feel that the romance part was so-so, needed more depth and building on the attraction, the insta-love didn't work for me, however with that being said, I love motorsports and did enjoy reading this one.

Mia is a F1 podcaster, and her favorite racer is Xander who is British and absolutely gorgeous. He is struggling with the new racing season and listening to her podcast about how he is not performing well is not helping his mental state. And all his fellow racers are giving him a hard time regarding Miaa's podcast. So, one of his rivals invite her to a race t0 shake him up even more, but sorry to say the opposite happened,

A secret relationship begins, they complement each other, have challenges dealing with the snarky comments regarding their relationship and her. Mia eats, drinks, sleeps F1 and no one can deter her.

Love that this is the 2nd racing book have read in the last couple of weeks. You need to read to see.

If you're looking a cute romance this is the one for you! Mia is a Formula 1 fan who has turned her love for the sport into a podcast which leads to dreams coming true that she could not imagine happening. When invited to a race by one of the drivers she gets to meet her favorite driver face to face, Xander, who she just slammed on her podcast because he is having a bad year. When they meet face to face things spark and life turns in a direction Mia never could have imagined.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

Amazing book loved the characters abd plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. Ii loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

✨ARC Review✨

4⭐ for Not So Fast by Karen Booth

Girlie's first F1 romance and certainly not the last! This was so cute, I loved it! Lighthearted and sweet, a quick read, and will appeal to those who know nothing about F1 (like me) because it's not over complicated with technical terms.

It was a bit insta-love-y for my personal preference, but I still loved the story itself and seeing their relationship build; a bit more build-up would have sent it into a higher star rating for me, but that's my issue.

I really enjoyed their banter and chemistry, and the plus-size rep was awesome, shoutout to the author for that! Mia's mother had me frustrated with her harping and critisizing, but I loved that they talked through their issues in the end.

All in all, a very cute story!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Books for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.