This formula one story was very enjoyable. It was my first formula one romance book. I usually read Hockey romance but have been wanting to branch out to other sports. Coming from a Nascar fan family I found this to be an intriguing read. Mia Neal is a formula podcaster who knows all there is to know about formula one racing. The MMC Xander is a british formula one driver who is a tall drink of water. Mia talks about Xander in her podcast and his competitor decides to invite Mia to a race trying to throw Xander off his game.

Will it work?

You'll have to read the book to find out.

Thanks so much to Karen Booth and Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the eARC of this book. I love a good F1 Romance. This was a quick and great read for me! I loved reading about Mia and Xander's story. It is a slow burn romance but is written very well. I highly recommend if you love F1 romances.

ok this was my first f1 romance and i would def read more! while it wasnt my fave trope of insta love it was a fast paced enemies to lovers story and i really want to read more from this author!

thank you so much to netgalley, pyublisher, and author for this earc!!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a quick and enjoyable read!
Xander and Mia had an unfortunate start to their relationship when a sound bite of Mia's podcast goes viral of her quite crudely criticizing the difficulties that Xander is experiencing this racing season. Xander is under enough pressure, starting with a new team and placing poorly, the last thing he needs is a smart-ass woman who doesn't understand racing giving the Internet trolls more ammunition.
Immediately Xander's teammate invites Mia to fly out all expenses paid and come to a race live as a tactic to get in Xander's head. The plot of this book moved quickly which I was grateful for, the contents of the synopsis occurred within the first chapters allowing the character dynamics to develop immediately.
The chemistry and tension between these characters was well developed and all of the side characters in the book were multi-dimensional with interesting characteristics and complex backstories.
The world of Formula 1 racing was effectively explored without it becoming superfluous.

This is an F1 romance for those who are seeking another one, but with the understanding this is going to give you what you’re looking: happy ending, quick get together of the MMCs and some back-and-forth that is resolved quickly. I wished this story gave me more of many things; wished the characters were explored deeper, wished the dislike to lovers was drawn out more to build the chemistry up and just more complexity of the story. It’s a great read, an easy read and definitely for fans of F1 romances but it feels like one that isn’t going to stick deeply within you.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It had a lot of potential but there were some things that just weren't it. The media parts were a little unbelievable.

This was such a fun and quick read!

Mia Neal hosts a podcast about Formula One racing. She doesn't mince her words, and her listeners appreciate that about her. Now, the racers she talks about? That is a much different story. What started out with a driver inviting her as a guest to a race, to get into a competitor's head, turns into something Mia never could have foreseen.

Xander Bishop is not having the best season. He's been in his head and dealing with the pressure of failure/disappointment. Meeting Mia, who had some choice words about his performance, was wholly unexpected. She knows the sport inside and out, has great insight and helps him find his groove again.

The romance between the pair started with flirty touches and words and grew in intensity. They teased each other in the best way. Once they got to romance, insert happy sigh and giddy feet kicking here.

This was such an easy, fun, and fast read. I read it in one night. It was easy to get lost in the sport, even as someone who had no clue about F1 racing, and it was nice to relate to a character who had gone through so many careers (like myself), but she found her footing in one of her passions since she was a child. I just loved it.

I normally don’t read books about sports that I enjoy but I did like this one to an extent. It was kinda Instalove and I normally don’t really enjoy those unless they’re done right and I don’t know if this one was that way for me. I like that later in the books Mia helped Xander get out of his head and deal with stuff but I feel like they way that the friendship started that they would be in an relationship and I’m not entirely convinced that they would end up together and stay together. I did like that the book was short but the long chapters had me feeling like it was so much longer and I do wish that it was because everything felt so rushed towards the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance for the opportunity to read this Arc early.

Xander• Tell me what you were really thinking when I kissed you.
Mia • Gentlemen first.
Xander •I was thinking that I’m made of metal and you’re a magnet. It felt like I had no free will.
Mia • Yeah right.
Xander • I’m serious. You’re one of the most beguiling women I’ve ever met.

Soo good! Hot and fast paced! I enjoyed this book! Perfect if you are wanting a quick and entertaining sports rom com with some spice!

Thank you so much to Harlequin Books and Karen Booth for the arc of this book!

This was such a fun read! Being an f1 girl myself, I was so excited to start this book and I was not disappointed! This book is filled with spicy banter, laugh out loud moments and of course a swoon worthy British mmc. I absolutely adored both Mia and Xander and they really complimented each other so well. I also love a good enemies to lovers with a slow burn which Karen Booth definitely delivered on. Mia and Xander's unexpected relationship with the secrecy of hiding it from f1 fans made the stakes so much higher and the tension hotter. I really enjoyed this rom-com book and would highly recommend it!

Not So Fast by Karen Booth is a charming, quick F1-themed romance. The chemistry between Mia, an F1 podcaster, and Xander, a famous F1 driver, is electric from the start. However, if you're looking for a slow-burn romance, this one may not be for you.

Mia, passionate about F1, runs a new podcast dedicated to the sport. During a Grand Prix visit, she meets Xander, and their connection quickly develops into a relationship. The story explores the classic romance trope of balancing personal and professional lives, as Mia grapples with running her podcast while dating an F1 driver.

I appreciated that there wasn’t a typical third-act breakup; instead, the characters communicated well, which is refreshing. That said, some readers might find the back-and-forth nature of their internal struggles frustrating, especially when their feelings for each other seemed clear in the narrative. At times, the internal conflicts didn’t align with the story’s progression.

Still, I’d recommend this to anyone seeking a romance with an F1 backdrop. The novel is interwoven with what feels like well-researched and authentic details about the sport, which adds depth to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Afterglow Books for providing this digital ARC of Not So Fast by Karen Booth in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Another great book by Karen Booth!

I loved this one and could not put it down. I love when I just fall into a book and get caught up. Mia and Xander had me from the beginning. It was a fun ride with lots of witty banter between the two. Nice balance between the spice and the laughter. No need to be a race fan to enjoy this one, but, it might have you tuning into the next F1 race to check out a few drivers.

Highly recommend this one.

Love a good F1 romance and this was a fun addition to that world! I enjoyed the characters and the romcom laughs. It flowed easily and was a quick read for me, it's great to pick up for a lower angst read.

A Spicy Enemies-to-Lovers Formula 1 Rom-Com

“When the curves are this dangerous, only a race car driver will do…”

Mia Neal knows how to fixate—especially when it comes to Formula One. Her passion for motorsport fuels her popular F1 podcast, where she rants (and sometimes raves) about everything from high-stakes rivalries to iconic drivers. Her latest target? British racing sensation Xander Bishop, who just might be the biggest jerk on the grid—or so Mia claims.

When Mia’s hot takes go viral, she’s invited to the Miami Grand Prix to see if she can ruffle Xander’s feathers in person. But what was supposed to be all-out war morphs into something entirely unexpected: smoldering, crackling chemistry that neither of them can resist. Suddenly, Mia’s busy fighting off more than her usual overthinking—she’s battling an attraction that’s barreling toward her at one hundred ninety miles an hour.

Why You’ll Love It:
• High-Octane Setting: Get an adrenaline rush from the world of Formula One—complete with roaring engines, lightning-fast cars, and cutthroat competition.
• Enemies-to-Lovers Sizzle: Mia’s relentless commentary meets Xander’s pride on the track and off, fueling intense banter and scorching chemistry.
• Laugh-Out-Loud Moments: Mia’s spiral of thoughts—plus Xander’s witty comebacks—deliver comedic gold.
• Unforgettable Characters: A gorgeous Brit driver with a reputation to defend and a champion overthinker-turned-podcaster who can’t help but stir the pot.
• Perfect for Fans of: Rush (the film), The Hating Game (the tension), and any romance that blends sports with scorching attraction.

Strap in for Not So Fast, where ego clashes burn as hot as a racing engine, the sexual tension is flat-out explosive, and only the bravest hearts can handle the ride.

#NotSoFast #KarenBooth #FormulaOneRomance #EnemiesToLovers #SportsRomance #HighOctaneReads #SpicyRomCom #MiaAndXander #F1LoveStory #Bookstagram #BookTok #ReadersOfInstagram #MustReadRomance

This was my first Formula 1 romance and as a fan of the sport, I absolutely loved this book, it was adorable and had the perfect amount of F1 elements in it. None of it felt forced. It flowed really well and was just a pleasant read.

Not so fast follows Mia, a woman that has a hard time finding where she belongs and a job interesting enough to make her stay. In that search for a perfect job she settles down making a podcast about one of her favorite things f1 racing.

This is a cute enemies to lovers f1 racing romance, admittedly I’ve been a bit obsessed with romance books about f1 racing lately so every time I see a new one I just have to pick it up.

This book did not disappoint, I really enjoyed the story and the characters and there was just enough spice to keep it extra interesting.

I recommend this book for anyone searching for a cute enemies to lovers romance and people who enjoy sports romance.

Thank you Netgalley Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the arc

i am an avid f1 & romance book fan, so when the two come together - i jump at any opportunity to read them. this is a VERY niche sub-genre of romance and i EAT them up.

booth definitely did their f1 research because the knowledge of f1 in the story was really well done. you can absolutely believe that mia understands the sport and isn’t “faking it until she makes it”. the f1 racing scenes did capture the adrenaline of racing perfectly.

now - separately, i loved mia and xander, but together i had a hard time believing they were in it for the long haul. i feel we weren’t given much information outside of f1 that showed any mutual interests. who wants their entire relationship to only be their career? i feel this was just an under-sight. sometimes it’s hard to expand your characters’ interests past the biggest part of the story. this just made their chemistry seem off for me, even with the forced proximity (my favourite)! i still did enjoy their relationship in the end and the build up to it was great. you can definitely see a connection between the two when it comes to helping each other grow, i just would of loved to see more dimension to these characters.

this book was incredibly fun. it was short and sweet! the beginning was a bit slow, but when it heats up, it really heats up! i loved all the subtle nods to the real f1 world. this definitely has me excited for more f1 in the romance genre!

This was a pretty enjoyable book considering there is not a lot of F1 romance books out there. This was a fun, quick and easy read and I would recommend it to those who are looking for a palette cleanser or a book you can read even after turning your brain off. However, I like my books with a little more slowburn, tension and a more complex plot in it. So unfortunately this book did not work out for me the way I wanted it to.

Cute and quick read ( i read it in one day, and couldn't put it down). That hits all the perfect rom com points The characters are have an enemies to lovers vibe with a hint of instalove.

It barely held my attention, it was too easy to continually put down and walk away from. Being the most critical about your favorite driver doesn’t make it seem like he’s actually your favorite. So being surprised when he doesn’t like you when meeting is absurd