I really wanted to be obsessed with this, I just wasn’t. That’s not saying I didn’t have a good time, I just wasn’t obsessed.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I LOVED this book. I didn’t know race car driver characters would be so fun but this one definitely sparked some similar reads this year.

Hold onto your helmets, romance lovers—this Formula One romcom is firing on all cylinders! 💥 Not So Fast is a fast-paced, feel-good ride that totally surprised me in the best way. This was my first Karen Booth book, and I can already tell it won’t be my last! She’s a Midwestern gal living in the South (same here! 🙋‍♀️), and you can really feel her unique perspective come through in her writing.

🎙️ Meet Mia Neal: a no-nonsense, F1-obsessed podcaster who accidentally goes viral after a spicy take on her favorite (but recently underperforming) driver, Xander Bishop. Cue the whirlwind: glitz, glamour, and undeniable chemistry. ✨ But what happens when your dream guy actually notices you... and the spark is very, very real?

Not only is Mia witty and relatable, she’s also got a background in psychology—which she puts to good use when Xander opens up about his struggles. Mental health and self-care play a big role in this book, and I really appreciated how naturally it all flowed into the story. 👏

Mia and Xander’s connection is 🔥, but what really stood out was how they grew—both individually and together. It’s the perfect mix of flirty banter, emotional depth, and high-speed adventure. Their family dynamics felt raw and real too, which added so much heart to the story. ❤️

Was it a fantasy? Sure. But also… maybe not that far-fetched 😉 If you’ve ever dreamed of your fave celeb falling for a “regular” person—you’ll eat this one up.

Mia is a big F1 fan who decided to create a podcast to discuss the sport. Xaner is an F1 racer who's having a difficult season. It was made worse when Mia criticized his driving went viral. They crossed paths when Xaner's teammate invited Mia to a race.

This was a cute and easy read. I read it within a day. However, the pacing was off at times, and I needed more banter to make the enemies-to-lovers relationship more believable. Their love story felt a little more insta-love. I don't mind insta-love, but I was not expecting it. I enjoyed how they showed healthy ways to cope with external stressors. I will read more from this author.

This F1 romance was such a fun read. The banter was so well written and I really enjoyed the relationship between Mia and Xander. I appreciated the amount of research and knowledge that was evident in the book about F1. It made the book eve more enjoyable.

Three stars for this advance reader copy of Not So Fast. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it.

American podcaster 🎤
British racing driver 🏎️
He falls first ❤️
Insta-love ⏰
Help eachother working through mental blocks 🧠

Unfortunately for me this book was pretty meh compared to other books I’ve read in the genre so much so I started skimming sections. The female character Mia felt like she was trying to hard? The romance was unfortunately insta love.

I really enjoyed this F1 romance. Their banter and conversations were amazing. My only slight issue was that some parts felt a little rushed and not as fleshed out, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

cute romcom, predictable but cute
the audio was great, kept me interested
3rd pov but audio helped there
open door spice
romcom
enemies to lovers
she's a podcaster for F1
he drives F1

Thank you @harlequinbooks

This was a fun, fast paced F1 romance. We meet Mia who is a F1 podcaster who get pushed into the world of F1 where she is on top because of a comment she made about Xander Bishop, a British driver who is a bit too cocky for his own good. They butt heads until they don’t 😏. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters and the fact they needed each other to work through the obstacles of self doubt and self sabotage, which I know we all experience in our lives. Overall if you love quick sport romance with found family, rivalry to lovers with some spice. This is definitely a great choice!

Mia Neal is an anxious perfectionist with a collection of degrees who has been left feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled by most careers she has tried on. One constant in her life however, is her passion for Formula 1, which she has been following since she was a girl. With a little encouragement from her best friend, she begins her own F1 podcast as a creative outlet she hopes could transform into something more. Mia does not hold back when providing motorsport commentary, particularly when it comes to her favorite driver Xander Bishop. He appears to be struggling after joining a new team, and she cannot quite pinpoint exactly why when his career has previously been nothing but successful.

Xander Bishop feels like a bit of a lone wolf in the paddock. He doesn't come from racing royalty, he wasn't born into wealth, he doesn't own a lavish apartment in Monaco. He simply has a passion for racing that has allowed him to support the family who did everything to help him achieve this dream. The pressure of being a provider, learning a brand new car, and integrating into a new team have become major road blocks in his career. The last thing he needs right now is some podcaster's viral and scathing commentary on his latest performance issues...but here she is at the Miami Grand Prix...after accepting an invitation sent on behalf of the teammate who loves nothing more than getting in his head.

As a woman who will use any excuse to discuss Formula 1 in any capacity, if you write a F1 romance novel, I will read it. I am but a simple woman. There was no better time to pick this up than Miami Grand Prix week, the scene of the meet cute in Not So Fast. This one is short, sweet, well written, and will likely become of my next go-tos when I am asked for a recommendation by the F1 romance curious. It's a very approachable sports romance that doesn't expect you to have much prior knowledge of motorsports. Light on the specific terminology, heavy on the fun international race locales.

Xander is a darling who is learning to become vulnerable and articulate his emotions, but has pretty high expectations of Mia's time. Mia offers Xander the patience he will not afford himself, but at times I thought she was a little overly dramatic about the fate of her podcast. It sort of made her come off as a little wishy washy about her partner. I think perhaps if the book took just a bit longer to flesh out the relationship and resolution it would have been a solid 4-star read for me. But overall I did enjoy the time I spent reading this one!

3,75 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to Harlequin for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own.

Not So Fast by Karen Booth
Narrated by Talon David
3.5 stars rounded up

As a huge fan of F1 romance (I’ve got a full list on my blog), I was really excited to dive into Not So Fast by Karen Booth . I received the ARC through NetGalley but ended up listening on Hoopla when I saw the audiobook was available. I follow a lot of female F1 creators, so I was especially intrigued by the premise of a curvy female F1 podcaster as the heroine.

This season, Mia has been hard on her favorite driver, Xander Bishop, who’s been underperforming. One of her hot takes goes viral, and suddenly, her podcast is taking off. Xander’s teammate/enemy invites her to a race just to mess with him—and it works at first. But then Xander and Mia talk, and he ends up inviting her to the next race himself, all expenses paid.

Mia, a podcaster from Austin, Texas, prides herself on being objective. Her rise came from her sharp commentary, especially about Xander. But once she’s around him and starts seeing the bigger picture—including the team dynamics—it becomes harder to keep up the same tone. As her world shifts, she’s faced with tough decisions about how much of her personal and professional life she’s willing to blur.

I loved the premise. It’s marketed as a romcom, but it leans more toward light romance with a sprinkle of humor. I appreciated Mia’s mental health focus—she journals daily, and each chapter begins with a journal entry in first person, though the rest of the narrative is in third person. I personally found the third person made it harder to connect with the characters emotionally.

Now let’s talk spice. There’s plenty of it, but the sex scenes were oddly generic. I've never noticed something like this, but it felt off. Honestly, it had me wondering if AI had touched those sections (not accusing anyone—just saying that’s how bland they felt), or if the sex scenes were taken from a book she wrote 15 years ago. Once I felt that I had a harder time enjoying the book.

“He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. ‘This sport gave me so much, but the best thing it gave me is you.’”

Likes:
•Curvy heroine
•Mental health rep
•MS rep
•Lots of accurate racing info
•Hot, famous race car driver + relatable podcaster dynamic
•Xander’s support of Mia’s career
•Mia’s constant overthinking
•Fun, witty banter

Dislikes:
•Sex scenes felt cringy and out of place
•No sexual tension or slow-burn build-up
•Switching between journal-style first person and third person in the same chapter
•POV-hopping mid-chapter
•The relationship felt surface level—something was missing
•Weird epilogue.

The Narration:
Talon David did a solid job, but the third person perspective didn’t give the performance much room to shine. The shifting tenses may make it an easier read than listen.

The Down & Dirty:
I loved the F1 angle in Not So Fast. Karen Booth clearly knows the sport beyond just Netflix’s Drive to Survive. But I struggled with the romance—it moved too fast with no real tension, and the sex scenes felt like they came from a totally different book. Still, the podcasting and F1 content were strong enough to keep me engaged. I’d probably try the next in the series if there is one, but I’d be hoping for more emotional connection and less of that oddly bland spice.

Rating: 3.5 Stars, 3 Heat, 4 Narration

To say that F1 romances are everywhere right now feels like an understatement. That’s why I was excited yet hesitant about going into Not So Fast. Since it’s Karen Booth, though, I had no reason to worry whatsoever. This book follows Mia, who is an F1 fan who created a podcast which ends up becoming a viral hit among listeners.

The thing that sets Mia apart is that she isn’t afraid to criticize drivers, most notably Xander, who is a young and hot-shot driver. Unfortunately, Xander’s in a bit of a rut right now, and when questioned about Mia, he gives a flippant answer. Due to that, Mia ends up going to an F1 race, which was paid for by Xander’s teammate.

At first, it seems like Xander is just going to ignore her but the two do end up talking although it doesn’t amount to much. As quickly as Mia’s following is growing, her friendship and budding romance with Xander is speeding ahead as well. Honestly, seeing these two fall for each other was almost as entertaining as what was happening on the track.

Since Mia’s a fan of F1, there are a lot of dramatic moments related to the sport, and that made the book all the more enjoyable. With this book being on the shorter side, I don’t want to give too much away but it’s a solid one. No matter if you’re into F1 or not, you’re sure to find something to love about this story.

Hopefully, we get even more books from Karen Booth set in this world or maybe, following different characters. Until then, this is the perfect romance to read if you’re wanting a charming story over the course of a weekend or need a pick-me-up after a long day.

3.5 stars
Mia is a Formula One Racing junkie. Thankfully, she's found an outlet for all of her racing facts and opinions: her own podcast called "Not So Fast". She's noticed that the snarkier she gets, the higher her ratings. Her favorite target becomes her favorite racer: Xander Bishop. Everything is going well for Mia, until she's face to face with the famous heartthrob. Their confrontation leads to friendship, and then something more. But how can Mia be a serious journalist if her feelings about Xander are changing EVERYTHING?!?

This was really cute and overall a nice and light read. I've read quite a few racing romances lately that have such HEAVY backstories. This was a breath of fresh air. Add to that "fresh air", the fact that our heroine is curvy, and it's barely even remarked upon. I actually love that we get to have a curvy heroine without it being a big deal AT ALL. No body shaming on social media. No sadistic mothers pushing calorie-related agendas. Just an accomplished, intelligent, plus-sized woman living her life, looking for success and navigating love. The spicy scene was well-written, too!

Our hero, Xander is a golden-retriever to the point of almost being two dimensional. He didn't feel quite as fleshed-out as Mia, who I wasn't always the biggest fan of. I think that the thing that made this less "real" and gripping for me is the same thing I was just praising...the fact that this is a lighter F1 racing read. I really did enjoy this for what it was, though, and will most certainly look to see what Karen Booth is up to next!

Trigger warnings: EVERYTHING IS VERY LIGHT, JUST TOUCHED UPON: brother with Downs Syndrome, mother with Multiple Sclerosis, being spoken about negatively online/in the press

I'd like to thank Harlequin and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

3/5 Stars
Fast cars, fast hearts—just needed a little more fuel.

This F1 romance had a fun premise—a fiery love story set against the high-stakes world of Formula 1. The chemistry between the leads was palpable, and the behind-the-scenes racing details added some cool authenticity. I liked the tension, the banter, and the glimpse into the glamorous, high-pressure paddock life.

That said, the pacing was a bit inconsistent. The romantic buildup felt rushed in places and dragged in others. Some emotional beats didn’t quite land for me, and a few side characters felt one-dimensional. I also wish the female lead had more agency outside of the romance arc.

Overall, it’s a solid, entertaining read for fans of the genre—just not quite podium material for me.

3.75

I thought it was overall a cute spicy romance. I wish there was more build up to the romance but I had a fun time reading it. You will get information about F1 so if you don’t know anything about it that is a nice touch.

I’d give this 2.5 ⭐️ The concept of an F1 romance seemed fun. I don’t know much about the F1 circuit but I don’t think it’s necessary to have the background knowledge going into this. I’d say this was an easy read for the length but felt kind of slow at some points. The pace was inconsistent. This book is written in third person which can seem a little off for contemporary romance especially when switching between characters. It also was a little confusing when a chapter would start off first POV with the characters thoughts/journaling for a paragraph but then jump right into the story back to third POV. The switching of point of views during a chapter was confusing as well. It’s nice to see both sides during a big event in the book but the format made it more stressful. I think sticking to one POV per chapter makes more sense for a contemporary romance. The story overall was cute and predictable. I’ve seen people label this as enemies to lovers but I don’t think that’s true. I guess you could say rivals to lovers but even then that’s a stretch. The insta-lust love was fine but there really was no buildup and true conflict. The characters seemed a bit flat and some of their dialogue was cringey but not even in a cute way. This book has cute moments but I don’t think it was for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for this ARC

Maybe I’m just back in my F1 romance era, but I ate this book up! The fmc was extremely relatable, and honestly is living every fangirl’s dream. Yes the story does kind of read like a fanfic at times, BUT it’s a really good read and the romance is definitely there. Definetly give it a try!

eh. 2.5 rounded down.
while the relationship was cute, some of the writing was cringe. I did appreciate how it was revealed who was writing the little paragraphs at the beginning of each paragraph.
not necessarily a bad read, but not one I would recommend.

I love the different theme romance book! It had a little of everything for many different types of romance readers with podcasting, F1 Racing, friendship, 3rd act breakup, some spicy romance, and a whole lot of build up between a podcaster and an F1 racer.

Personally I have limited to no knowledge on F1 racing, but it was fun to hear the characters passion on the sport. I have been to the Indy 500 once and that is where my racing knowledge begins and ends! It was fun to get into the mindset a little bit!

I do love podcasts and podcasting. Teaching kids how to create a podcast was actually my grad school project! I really like how Mia’s podcast makes an impact on having women and other sports fans learn more about F1 racing, even though her show is more commentary journalism and an opinion podcast based on her love of the sport!

Not So Fast was about a racer Xander Bishop who joined a new F1 racing team, Mega Racers. Unfortunately he was not racing so well. Mia exposed the truth on her podcast and it became a hit. His teammate, Dirk, invites her to a race, and she takes the jump! From there sparks fly and a whole lot of drama!

Not So Fast was an easy fun read. Spicy at times but all and all a feel good romance. You can tell that author is either an F1 fan or did extensive research because the descriptions of the race, paddock, and other areas are well done an accurate. The Romance side of the story is a little rushed but that is frequently the case in books like this one. I enjoyed the inclusion of the journal prompts and responses at each chapter. This was a fantastic way to add some depth to what the characters were thinking. This book was a light, fun, spicy, romance in the backdrop of FI and I enjoyed it thoroughly.