I don't typically read contemporary romance and I'm so happy I received the arc for this book. Ride With Me is an absolute delight—equal parts hunny and heartfelt. This my first book invvolving F1 and now I want to read more. Stella is my shero!!! I loved readitng about a Black FMC who built her business from the ground up. She didn't need anyone to save her. I love that She’s relatable, wounded, and still fierce enough to show up for her cousin's wedding despite her heartbreak. Thomas didn't try to steal her shine but wanted to add to her life. His character was the right balance of brooding with charm. The banter? Top tier. The humor? Laugh-out-loud funny. Ultimately, this book is about two people trying not to fall in love… while falling for each other anyway. It’s sweet, steamy, funny, and genuinely emotional in all the right places. Highly recommend for fans of fake marriages, real feelings, and chaotic Vegas love stories that end up exactly where your heart hoped they would.

Thank you so much to Berkley & NetGalley for this e-arc.


As they learn to trust again, take chances, and dare to love more completely, two broken hearts come together to mend. They just bonded so well, and their chemistry was evident to everyone, which is why I enjoyed the book right from the beginning. Throughout the relationship, I loved the banter and writing style, and I can't wait to see what more the author writes. Simone is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers! This book is very amazing.

Accidental marriage/marriage of convenience is one of my favorite set ups!!! And Simone’s second novel did it so well.

Stella is such a strong fmc and I loved her so much. Business owner, confident, and knows what she wants. Thomas is her perfect partner. Also I’m always down for an English leading man.

The faking it that slowly devolves into oh no these are real feelings always gets me incredibly giddy. I adored watching the two of them fall in love even it was just for a year 🤭

I liked this one even more than cross the line and I can’t wait to see what Simone does next!!

🎧 thank you PRHAudio for the alc! Benji Blythe and Tasmin Delali were the perfect casting. I adored benji’s accent for Thomas and Tasmin was the perfect Stella. They truly brought these characters to life!

Thank you Berkley romance for the gifted copy as well!

I preferred the first book, but this one was cute! I loved the banter and writing style throughout the romance, and I'm excited to see what else the author does.

I didn’t think I would enjoy this story but this author done made me a fan and definitely going to read book 1 now. From the Vegas joint bachelor/bachelorette party to the wedding chapel I can tell I was going to like Stella and Thomas because they were definitely spontaneous that night and then the aftermath of them getting married🤭 I can feel the love radiating off of them as the story progress and I loved how Thomas was always supportive when Stella was still dealing with the heartbreak from her trifling ex fiancé.

I was looking forward to this book so much because I love the way Simone writes f1 romance. I'm not well-versed in F1 but when I read her books, I feel like I'd LOVE being in the crowd. Stella and Thomas are honestly perfect for each other and combine my favorite "accidental marriage/marriage of convenience" tropes, I AM SOLD. I really enjoyed reading this. The pacing was a little fast and I definitely wanted to see these two fall in love a little more, but it was a great ampount of yearning and a definite slow-burn. I can't wait to see what Simone writes next!

**Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the free eARC**. This is a very cute book. This is also my first F1 sports romance book and I am so happy it exceeded my expectations. From the start I really liked Stella and Thomas individually but together their connection was very sweet and spicy. Thomas being a “bad guy” persona in the public eye but really being a sweet guy is the type of MMC I love. While Stella being a jilted bride is a very different background for a FMC for me and I liked it. This book started out with some spice and then became more of a slow burn but I have always enjoyed a good slow burn. I also enjoyed the marriage of convenience trope too. Overall, this is a cute book that I believe most readers will enjoy. Oh yea and did I mention Thomas is British? Perfect.

Fake marriage x Formula 1 x Interracial couple?!

This was a fun read! Thomas was sweet and fully committed from the start, and I loved seeing his golden-retriever energy balance Stella’s confident, girl-boss persona. However, Stella’s hot-and-cold behavior felt frustrating at times, and her emotional walls made it hard to root for their relationship. The Vegas setting and sports romance elements added a movie-esque twist, but the story sometimes leaned a little too heavily on predictable tropes. Still, the humor and charm made it an enjoyable; recommending to all my die hard contemporary romance girlies.

“My conceited wife,” I warmly tease her. She turns that sparkling grin on me again. “If only you’d known what you were getting into when you married me.”“Oh, I knew from the start.”“That’s right,” she muses. “You did say you liked cocky women.”“I still do. Very much.” Our eyes lock and something charged arcs between us.


ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

finishing my babies thomasstella took me a while, but it wasn't their fault, it was mine that got stick (cue tears)

I loved the book from the very start, they just cliqued so well, their chemistry was palpable to everyone there and yo me outside the book, and it's amazing that's as they get to know each other during the marriage and we gett to know them more, it's just more obvious how they're so meant to be.

Thomas is adorable, and I love how he gets with dDev, Reid and I can't wait to see glimpses of him in future books maybe with Reid, Zaid, Axel, god I even want more Lorenzo can you believe that?

And my princess Stella, she's the queen (and Thomas knows it) she's a fire going into every place and room, she stands out and has the biggest heart. I loved when it clicked for me that she was THE Stella Margaux because I knew Willow was going to lose her mind and their friendship is adorable. Janelle and Mika are fantastic friends too, and Amara. Even Maeve the badass loves Stella. And Thomas' family, it's a big club and he's the president.

There are two little plot twist if we want to call them like that that surprised me a lot and they were exactly what the book needed.

I need book three, I need my thomasstella and devwillow back already. I need to know who's next, I don't want to say goodbye yet!!!

Now some of my favorite quotes, beware of spoilers.



“He gives a soft chuckle this time and the sound has me desperate to hear more. There’s something about making him laugh, especially in a moment like this, that feels like it’s my purpose. We may have made a mess for ourselves, but maybe we stepped into each other’s lives at the exact right moment. “My nosy wife.” It’s a fond— if not vaguely insulting—endearment, but it still makes my heart skip a little beat.”


““What do you think of that flavor?”she asks, coming over and leaning a hip against the counter next to me. “Remind you of summertime?”No, it doesn’t remind me of summer. It reminds me of just a minute ago, with my lips by her ear and inhaling her sweet citrus scent. It reminds me of dark Vegas clubs, of sweaty hugs after a race, of burying my face in her neck while in bed together because I simply couldn’t go another moment without feeling her skin against mine. I swallow hard. “It’s my new favorite.”Stella smiles and I swear I feel it deep in my chest. “Then that’s settled. It’s going on the menu.”She turns away and goes back to whatever she was working on before. But even as I keep whisking, I can’t take my eyes off her. Seeing her in her element is exhilarating. Is this how she felt watching me on-track? If it is, I get her postrace reactions now.”


““You’re lucky to have someone fighting for you like that,” Reid continues when I can’t find my voice. “I honestly thought you’d lost your mind when I heard you’d gotten married in Vegas, but you landed yourself a good one.” There’s no doubt about that. Even if it was all by mistake, even if it was drunken lust guiding us, I chose the perfect person. “I really did,” I say, not fighting a smile. “Stella’s . . . amazing. I need to thank her for setting all of this up.” I would run to her now if I didn’t need to chat more with Reid, to make sure everything’s okay with us too. But he can see I’m itching to leave, because he nods to the door. “Go get your girl. We can talk again before the break’s over.””


““We match.” Logically, I know she’s only talking about our color coordination, but I think of Joshua’s words. She matches you. The more I’ve considered it, the more I’ve come to see what he means. We do match. We’re alike in so many ways, and even in the ways we aren’t, everything still aligns. “We do,” I agree. I press my luck and lace our fingers together.”

All of my favorite tropes in one book! I came for the marriage of convenience and stayed for Thomas' sweetness and Stella's humor. This was such a fun read and I loved watching Stella and Thomas fall in love. Thomas is the absolute sweetest and Stella, despite going through a lot, remained funny and confident. 10/10 would recommend

Ride With Me is a solid slow burn romance that delivers more on character connection than high-octane Formula 1 drama. While it's part of the Cross Line series, appearances from Dev and Willow are minimal—this could easily stand alone without needing the context of the previous book.

I don’t usually gravitate toward interracial romances, but this one worked for me. I think it’s largely due to the dynamic between the leads: an obsessed male main character and a fiercely independent female lead—tropes I always enjoy. The chemistry is there, even if the racing backdrop feels more like ambiance than a central plot driver.

Overall, it’s a quiet but satisfying love story with just enough heat and heart to keep you invested.
3.75

This is the story of two wounded hearts healing together, as they learn to trust again, take risks, and dare to love more deeply than any racing car. Taking a chance, while making a leap of faith, and running the risk that what they have, no matter how shaky it may have started, can grow in the most powerful of relationships.

Opposite attracts kind of relationship.

A good book to pick up and read!!

A crazy Vegas marriage of inconvenience sees two strangers turned friends to lovers agreeing to stay married for a year to help improve both of their PR images as these two type A opposites find themselves falling in loving against all their best intentions. I really, really, enjoyed this F1 sports romance between a Black baker/business mogul and an F1 racer trying to save his spot on the team. It was a spicy, slow burn romance with lots of emotional depth and is perfect for fans of authors like Josie Juniper or Lauren Asher. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I love these characters so much!!!! I was glued to my kindle from the moment I read the first page!!!

Simone is becoming one of my favorite authors!!!

Simoneeee! This was so cute. I'm a sucker for the whole 'Whoops, are we married?!' trope. And this one was simply delicious! I have no experience with the formula 1 stuff, but it was certainly written in a way that felt (at least to me,) new and exciting!

Thank you to Berkley for sending me this book. I never would've picked it up if I hadn't been invited to read it, and it was so much fun!

I wanted to read this book to figure out the hype around race car thirst. I was not disappointed. I do think Ride With Me needed tighter editing and to cut down the length. It dragged in some places (no pun intended). I’m going to look for more race car driver romances. Thanks!

I love a good F1 read everything about this week was 10 out of 10. I will always recommend this series and I can’t wait to see what she has left in store for us with whatever she writes next. Her writing is amazing and I will always love it and the romance in this book was just so good.

Ride with Me is the second book in Simone Soltani’s Lights Out series, and it’s a steamy Formula 1 romance that features one of my favorite tropes, a marriage of convenience. This was my first time reading a Formula 1 romance so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going in since I’m not really into racing, but I ate this up. It was such a fun read!

Due to some unfortunate events that have taken place in their own lives recently, neither Stella nor Thomas have much interest in attending their friends’ combined bachelorette-stag party in Vegas and only attend out of obligation. When they meet one another and feel an instant sense of attraction, they drunkenly act on it and because it’s Vegas, you guessed, they end up married. After their initial panic, they both realize that there are ways this marriage could actually be helpful to both of their careers and they come to a mutually beneficial agreement.

I really enjoyed this story! It took me a few chapters to really settle into the story, but once Stella and Thomas start flirting, I was hooked because their banter was just so good. I also liked that there are enough detailed race scenes to give me a taste of F1 racing, while the rest of the story focuses on Stella and Thomas and their fabulous chemistry as they pretend to be husband and wife. They have such a good time together, including some sweet, flirty moments while Stella is baking test batches of desserts for her bakery and Thomas is her taste tester. So cute!

I also just love how, whether they even realize it or not, they grow to care about one another quickly and become very protective of one another. Stella tries the hardest of the two of them to keep to the terms of their agreement because she has been burned in the past, so it’s a slow burn, but it’s a delicious slow burn with lots of tension, and Soltani makes it so worth the wait!

If you like sports romance, marriage of convenience, and forced proximity, definitely give this one a try!

This got really boring and repetitive pretty quick and just really never picked up again. Romance was cute but overall, just a story that I won't think about again

I AM OBSESSED. Book one was incredible and book two is even more excellent. F1 romances are in right now and this series is some of the best when it comes to that trope. One night stand? Check. Marriage of convenience? Check. And forced proximity? CHECK. I looooove it.