This was a fast and fun read (similar to F1? lol), and I really enjoyed it! I think this is my first F1 book and I'm lowkey tempted to start watching Formula One now, the writing about it was so immersive!

I also loved the beginnings of each chapter with the answer to a mental health aimed question, it was so cool!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you to Harlequin Romance and NetGalley for the copy of Not So Fast by Karen Booth.

Have I ever read a romance book with Formula One? No. Would I read another romance book with Formula One? Absolutely, yes. What a cute, fun, and super quick read! (Less than 300 pages)

This book follows Mia Neal (FMC), as she develops a podcast about Formula One. She quickly rises to fame when she calls out a famous driver on her podcast, Xander Bishop (MMC). A teammate of Xander's quickly invites Mia to a race to try to get into Xander's head, but instead, Mia becomes just what Xander needs.

Xander is such a great book boyfriend. He totally falls first and finds so much comfort in Mia. Mia is kind of a mess, but she provides stability for Xander.

I wasn’t a fan of the third person POV, but that is my own personal preference.

Overall, I had fun with this book. I also loved that Mia was from Austin, TX and being a born and raised TX girl myself, I loved the relation! 4 out of 5 stars.

If you love a good sports romance with chemistry, banter, and a whole lot of speed, Not So Fast delivers on all fronts. Mia Neal is a Formula 1 superfan with a growing podcast and some strong (and not-so-flattering) opinions about driver Xander Bishop. When one of his teammates invites her to a Grand Prix to rattle him a little, the last thing either of them expects is sparks flying—off the track and fast.
Mia is sharp, funny, and constantly in her own head, which made her feel incredibly relatable. She’s also passionate about F1, and I loved that she got to live every fan’s dream—attending races and ending up in a slow-burn (but also spicy) situationship with a driver she’s criticized more than once. Xander, on the other hand, is trying to find his footing after a rough season, and watching him balance pressure, performance, and his growing feelings for Mia gave the story a great emotional edge.
The romance kicks in quickly, but the chemistry is strong and the banter is great. It’s sexy and fun, but also has some deeper themes like self-worth, mental health, and the pressure to succeed.
Whether or not you know much about Formula 1, this is an entertaining read with heart and heat. Perfect if you’re into flirty rivals, podcast girlies, and supportive love interests who don’t back down. Quick, spicy, and full of fast turns—this one’s worth the ride.

᪥ F1 Driver x F1 Podcaster
᪥ Dislike To Lovers
᪥ Curvy FMC
᪥ Insta-Love
᪥ 3rd Person Dual POV

Big thanks to After Glow Books by Harlequin Romance for the early copy of this one! I got to read it ahead of time, but all opinions are totally my own.

Not So Fast is a sweet and spicy romance with lots of emotions and all the Formula One you could ask for. I devoured this book in one sitting—to the detriment of my sleep schedule—and I know I'll be thinking about Xander and Mia's relationship for days to come. They are each other's biggest supporters, and that unconditional love and support gave them the space and courage to grow.

I recommend NSF to fans of quick spicy reads and everything F1-related.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Initially I was nervous I wouldn't get into as easily because I have absolutely no knowledge of Formula 1 racing, or any racing. But the characters were so endearing and I was rooting for the FMC and MMC right from the moment they met. I loved their story and it was the perfect mix of slow burn, spice and romance.

Thank you to Harlequin Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. Not So Fast by Karen Booth is a short and relatively light romance between a Formula 1 racer who is struggling with his season after switching teams and a podcaster who’s star is on the rise for being overly critical of said racer.

I enjoyed this book enough for being a short and relatively spicy romance. Some of the dialogue writing was a bit cheesy and took me out of the story. And for a book about Formula 1 I would’ve liked to see more racing (the book covers multiple races and most are summed up in a sentence or two). The spicy scenes were pretty steamy so I enjoyed that but the rest of the story didn’t do a ton for me. This felt like the author wanting to take advantage of Formula 1 being popular in the US right now and not actually born out of a love for the sport.

Still in my F1 era - both in books and real life. It’s Imola GP day and I’ll be tuning in and cheering on Lando 🧡
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Thanks to @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for an ALC.
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If you love enemies to lovers with a healthy dose of sexual tension that could ignite a racetrack, this one’s for you. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorites so this was a hit for me!
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Mia Neal is the overthinking queen we all secretly are, turning her F1 obsession into a wildly entertaining podcast complete with unfiltered (and now viral) opinions on British heartthrob driver Xander Bishop.
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Cue the Miami Grand Prix, where Mia’s sassy commentary collides with real-life Xander, and sparks fly harder than an engine on overdrive. What starts as shade-throwing and witty banter turns very quickly into scorching chemistry. Talon David nails every moment of heat, humor, and heart. The narration brings Mia’s sharp wit and Xander’s reluctant charm to life in the best way.
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Fast-paced, flirty, and flaming hot, this audiobook is a joyride of steamy tension, racing passion, and surprising emotional depth.

Not So Fast was my first F1 romance and it did not disappoint. The banter was bantering and the spice was spicy. My only wish was that it could have gone on for longer. I wasn’t ready to put it down when I turned the last page. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of Karen Booth’s books and more F1 romance.

Well done! A perfect blend of spice and F1 content for the F1 girlies! I enjoyed the characters and their growth. I listened to audiobook and really enjoyed it! Ready for the next in the series.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted romance that is humorous and easy to read, this book is for you.

My only qualm is that the romance felt rushed. These two had a lot of animosity for each other and it just seemed to instantly disappear.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/4)

Strap in—Not So Fast is full-throttle romance at 220 mph!

Karen Booth drops us straight into the high-stakes world of Formula One, pairing an unflappable podcast host with the sport’s resident storm cloud. Mia Neal’s sharp commentary has made her a rising media star; Xander Bishop’s tire-skidding reputation has his team on edge. From their first combustible interview, the sparks fly faster than a pit-lane tire change.

Enemies-to-lovers is tricky—too much hostility and you lose sympathy, too little and the trope fizzles. Booth nails the balance. Mia’s on-air clapbacks and Xander’s dry British retorts had me grinning, but underneath the bite is undeniable pull. When they finally admit what the rest of the paddock can already see? Fireworks.

If you crave scorching tension, whip-smart dialogue, and a grand-prix backdrop that feels tailor-made for romance, add Not So Fast to your pole-position TBR. I’m already hoping Booth will give the rest of the grid their own stories—there are plenty of teammates and rivals begging for a tango in parc fermé.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Karen Booth for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a new F1 fan, and only because of this book. I have no idea how Karen did it, but I actually liked Mia's character. I I usually don't like the whole 'influencer' and smart person who keeps changing their minds person but she was endearing. I felt for her and felt like I was her with all of the overthinking and small freakouts.

I LOVE Xander, and not just because I love the name. His unwavering support for Mia was amazing. I love that they both give beneath the surface when they got to know each other.

The laundry scene definitely reminded me to put a load in!

Xander and Mia, from their first interaction the reader is rooting for these two. Both are wrestling with their own personal issues. They have great banter and I enjoyed the racing aspect of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book early for my honest review. I really enjoyed this cute rom com. I loved the characters and l loved that the male main characters name was Xander because that’s my sons name. I wish they would have not been a secret couple for so long and just made it a known thing but it didn’t make me not like the book. I definitely look forward to ready more from this author.

Reading this gave me that nostalgic feeling of when I used to read Harlequin romances when I was younger. This was the perfect read after diving into several Romantasy books in a row.

I loved Mia & Xander in Not So Fast. Does their relationship go from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds? Of course it does, it's an F1 Racing sports romance after all! This is a book meant to be read in a day. It's fun, spicy, and sweet, and I might have teared up just a little too! Though I don't typically read many sports romances, I loved this racing romance and now I want more! It even got my husband and me talking about watching F1 again and looking up drivers and teams.

So if you're looking for a quick read that's fun, engaging, and a little spicy, give this a try!

Mia has a podcast where she talks about F1. But in every episode she bashes a Formula One driver named Xander. This was a story about a unique sport with a unique premise of a podcaster learning how her shows can actually impact the drivers personally. I felt like it was a good narrative on how what we say and do online matters, even if it's about celebrities. This was a quick & easy read. However, I wanted more depth and complexity to the characters.

I thought the overall idea of this story was great! Up and coming F1 podcaster Mia falls in love with her favorite driver (who also happens to be the person she was smack talking on her pod and got her noticed by so many people). You don't need to know anything about F1 to read this, but nothing is really explained either. It's more like "the FMC is a huge fan and very knowledgeable" so things are just known. Which is fine, but could be a bit murky for some readers.

The relationship was described as "enemies to lovers" in the tag line - this is the loosest interpretation of enemies to lovers I've ever read. It's also essentially instalove, which one again is fine but not my preference. I still flew through this in one day and had a good time!

3.5/5

I absolutely ate up this book!
4./5 stars! Thank you Harlequin & Karen Booth for the arc of this! It was sweet and spicy and the fluffiest of romance reads.
I loved Mia & Xander with my whole heart. She was sassy and smart and put him in his place when he needed it most. Xander was sexy and considerate.
I know absolutely nothing about F1 and I found myself so interested in it by the end of the book.
Definitely would reccomend for an easy, sweet & spicy read!

Give me a good spicy reading romance book and I will eat it up like nobody's business!! This was so so good and it is now one of my top books of 2025

3.75⭐️

This was a cute fun take on an F1 romance! I loved seeing a sports romance where the live interest is a fan of the sport and is already involved in her own way!