Simone Soltani’s Ride with Me has all the makings of a fun, fast-paced rom-com, and it’s easy to imagine it adapted into a glossy Amazon Prime film. The setup: Vegas wedding, marriage of convenience, F1 star meets unlucky-in-love heroine, feels made for the screen.

Stella Baldwin, reeling after a public breakup and a social media meltdown, collides (literally and figuratively) with Thomas Maxwell-Brown, a disgraced Formula 1 driver under immense pressure. Their impulsive Vegas marriage is equal parts reckless and oddly pragmatic: staying married could solve both their problems. Cue banter, sexual tension, and a whirlwind of high-speed glamour.

Overall, Ride with Me is a decent, entertaining read: fun, sexy, and dramatic enough to keep the pages turning, but not one that leaves a lasting impression. If you’re in the mood for a frothy romance with a cinematic feel, it hits the spot.

Stella and Thomas put a delightful spin on some of my favorite romance tropes with the power of their banter! I always appreciate really good banter in books when you can actually feel the way they are matching wits as equals. Their chemistry sparkles throughout this delightful rom com. You are rooting for them from their inevitable start. I loved that they were both successful, accomplished, confident and well matched instead of turning this into a billionaire and everyday working woman kind of story that seems to be the go to for these stories lately. Thomas is from a well off family and is a moderately successful F1 racer. Stella is from a well to do family and an accomplished businesswomen who owns a renowned chain of bakeries specializing in macarons amongst other pastries. But it’s nice that on both sides, everyone is down to Earth and relatable. Take the ride with these two as they navigate the twists and turns in this rom com!
** Thank you Netgalley for the early ARC of this story!**

This was cute! I didn't love it as much as Cross the Line but overall a very cute read. I loved their chemistry in the beginning and I am a sucker for a accidental marriage/marriage of convenience. However, I think the third act conflict is where things sort of fell flat for me as it didn't really make a lot of sense to me and felt rushed. But I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes!

Another F1 romance that has me swooning! Ride With Me was super cute, fun, and definitely sexy. If you love a fake marriage trope where the sparks fly and the characters slowly fall for each other, this one hits those notes nicely. The flirty banter between the leads kept things lively, and I’m always here for when the guy falls first, it just makes the whole story that much sweeter.

The chemistry was undeniable, and I really enjoyed how their relationship unfolded, slow burn with plenty of playful moments. The setting and vibe felt fresh and made for an easy, breezy read that was perfect when I just wanted something light and entertaining.

That said, while I liked it overall, it didn’t quite blow me away or leave a lasting impression. Some parts felt a little predictable, and I wanted a bit more depth or emotional oomph to really connect with the characters. Still, it’s a solid, enjoyable romance with plenty of heat and heart.

If you’re in the mood for a flirty, fun fake marriage story with sweet moments and sizzling chemistry, Ride With Me is a great choice!

Thank you Berkley for the eARC via Netgalley.

I actually can’t believe this is written by the same author as Cross the Line because it’s just SOO flat and boring.

MMC - Perfect. No flaws. Never had a relationship before but he has ZERO commitment issues and is a beyond perfect husband, beyond understanding and bends over backwards CONSTANTLY for the FMC. It’s one thing to care for someone you love, but these two were a drunken marriage. Thomas is written to just sit and take Stella’s constant problems.

FMC - 78% of the way thru this book and she says she’s waiting for her ex to return and take her back. Thomas is a better person than ANYONE ever would be as a husband because WHO would want to be with someone after that?

we also get ZERO follow up on Thomas career - why is Edith so fine not getting the CEO position when she’s clearly better for the role? Why is the FMC ( who’s a huge “girl boss”) happy marrying into a family where the women are either avoided, alcoholics or exploited due to sexism? Guess $$$ really does make you overlook everything else.

4.25 stars

"We may have decided to take this at our own pace. To not jump into anything to far or too fast too soon. But whatever this is, whether you want to call it dating or marriage or simply just a committed relationship, it's amazing."

This story is definitely for the Nicolandria stans, this is a slowww burn for sure, but the journey and development between Stella and Thomas was very well done and made sense. The yearning and want that the both of them had between each other was deep. I really liked their intro into meeting one another and ofcourse accidentally getting married, and their funny banter, I like how Thomas was not thrown off with Stella's bluntness / strong personality, if anything he was impressed and attracted to those qualities. I like how Stella was able to be relaxed and bask in her femineity, and not have to lift a finger, because Thomas took care of it all and was a man of his word and actions. The way that the both of them were able to grow from the experience of being with one another and sorting out their own life expectances was beautiful to read. I really enjoyed this story a lot!

This book was cute! I love getting to read about a black FMC as a black female myself! The banter was cute and I loveeeeee a fake marriage so that was perfect. I think this a great palette cleanser book when you need something like but that will keep your attention! This was also my first F1 romance and I definitely will be reading more.

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas; especially if you drunkly marry a British F1 driver during your cousin's wedding weekend. Stella and Thomas' relationship may have started out with an accidental marriage but certainly didn't stop there. I loved seeing how they navigated it once they were sober and could sort through the mess they made. And their decision to continue their marriage that would mutually benefit both of them had a way to keep the reader on their toes. Even more so when Stella implements certain rules to make sure that they don't get too emotionally involved, considering they both agreed to an end date for the marriage.

I had a lot of fun with this book. Seeing them go from strangers to friends to lovers was quite the ride considering they become husband and wife along the way. Their bond was so apparent from their first meeting and watching them deny their feelings for one another was equally painful as it was frustrating because it was so obvious there were perfect for each other. There is quite a bit of F1 drama in this between drivers that I enjoyed, added lots of tension for Thomas. Stella had her fair share of family drama as well that both characters had to navigate which was great to see them doing that together. Overall, I had a great time and can't wait for another installment.

I absolutely loved this book! Stella and Thomas were a couple with positively electric chemistry and I truly enjoyed it watching them go from lust to marriage to love to marriage again.

I appreciated that both of our main characters were complete people in their own right with robust social circles and professional lives. I also loved that right from the beginning they were honest in their attraction to each other. The first couple of chapters in Vegas were such a powerful and sexy way to start the book!

I thought that the tension rose steadily and I found the slow burn to be intoxicating. Thomas and Stella certainly knew how to rile each other up! I found the resolution of the story to be sweet and well-deserved for two wonderful characters. I can’t say enough good about this book!

4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Spice

Tropes:
F1 Sports Romance
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
"My Wife"

anyone who knows me knows i'm a sucker for a marriage of convenience story & this one did not disappoint. i haven't read many f1 romances but this one was so fun. i'll definitely be going back for book 1 in the series. stella & thomas were *everything* he was such a golden retriever & i ate it up. & the man saying "my wife" 😍😍 perfection. he was so obsessed with her & i ate it up. i thought the backstory for stella & being a jilted bride added a good internal conflict to the story without being too much. overall i def recommend this one it was a great binge read & i am looking forward to reading more from this author!

I really wanted to enjoy this book - I read cross the line and I enjoyed the story. Unfortunately the follow up, Ride with Me fell flat and I DNF'd it at about 63%.

Let me explain why:
- This book started out as a fun read in the setting of the scene and how the two main characters, Stella and Thomas, become interconnected
- I was excited for an independent FMC with an obsessed MMC who happened to fall into a marriage of convenience
- I love a book with a dual POV to provide inner thoughts for both characters
- I was about 25% into the book when the main characters dynamic and who they were as individuals just fell flat for me - i wasn't invested in them as a couple or them as individuals. While i cant pin point the reasonings, the two just didn't do much for me and that led to me not being invested in their story.
- I think the F1 aspect of the book caused some issues for me. I'm a big F1 fan, and I try to dissolve the sport in which i know and how it can be represented in the book, but the interworking's of F1 in this book were done in a way that while making a big deal of Thomas' career in F1, did very little to negate his very real problem and was put too much on the back burner (if that makes sense?)
- The reason for their marriage of convenience and why they chose to stay together just did not seem like an accurate/realistic reason to stay together. It seemed like the author was pulling strings to find a valid reason for them to stay together and this really took me out of the story to the point that I was no longer interested or excited to read their story and lead me to put the book down

Thank you Berkely Romance for the free arc in turn for an honest review.

“I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, if you’d let me.”

this book was so cute. I haven't read a F1 romance in a hot minute, and I forgot how much fun they are to read. I love a good 'accidentally got married in Vegas but a lot of people found out so now we have to keep being married so it will help our reputations but we actually really like each other and don't want to end it.'

I absolutely loved Thomas. He asked for consent, his love language was acts of service (the best one), he was decently transparent about his feelings for her, and always let her take the lead on their relationship progression. Plus he's British and has an amazing sense of humor.

I did love Stella. She was such a girlboss and I loved watching her regain her confidence throughout the book! I was super annoyed that she kept denying her feelings for him and just constantly put her guard up. I understand why she did, but I feel like Thomas proved himself so many times that she didn't have many reasons to doubt him.

I do think they were such a good couple! They match each other's sense of humor, and they had such good chemistry!!

Thank you so much to Berkely Romance, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this book! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I'm going to save my audiobook rant for the very end because it's not a commentary on the book itself, author, or narrators, but the publisher themselves.

This had high and lows for me. So let's start with what I liked.

I really loved both of the characters themselves as well as their relationship together. I personally love this type of heroine who isn't afraid to take up space, demand her worth, and acknowledge her competence. She had her own struggles and low moments, but always knew her worth. We see this a lot with MMC but less so in FMC and I loved that they both were so competent and unapologetically dedicated to their dreams.

But when it came to the actual plot/conflict of the story I just couldn't care.. While this book is self aware of the fact that it's rich people with rich people problems, that awareness didn't do anything to make me care. Everything felt so silly and inconsequential when you were reminded that they were both stupid rich and could just buy themselves out of this issue if they wanted to...

I am still interested in continuing with this series. I really loved book 1 and while this plot line didn't work for me, I do enjoy this author's characters. So I'm interested to see where she takes this world next.

Now the real rant....

This audiobook was a DISASTER. I listened to the majority of this audiobook via Libro.fm (not an ALC). And I was so so frustrated and upset about the complete utter lack of care that was put into this audiobook. This is a huge publishing house with plenty of resources and a series that was just signed on for 3 more books. But none of those resources were put towards editing this audiobook.

1 - the speed difference between the male narrator and female narrator was jarring. There was no continuity and I had to adjust my listening speed substantially every time it switched POV.

2 - there were mouth sounds, breaths, and page flips throughout the ENTIRE BOOK. Look, both of these were 1st time narrators and I think it's great that new voices are being opportunities. But why, with all of those resources, was there no editing? It was almost unbearable at times to listen to the narrators swallowing between passages. There is absolutely no reason this should be a thing for a trade romance out of Berkely...

I have unfortunately had to DNF this book. I had extremely high hopes for this book because I loved the previous book Cross the Line. However, Soltani could not convince me that these two characters liked each other. There was so much potential in the begining of the book because the chemistry was there. But once they got married while drunk after that all of the tension and what was supposed to be "crushing" was just not believable to me.

I loved this book! The marriage of convenience trope is new to me but I loved "Cross the Line" so I wanted to try the companion sequel. This was so much fun! There was a lot of sexual tension in this and I really enjoyed getting to know two completely new characters. I really do like being immersed in the F1 world and Simone Soltani is so good at the immersive quality of the technicalities of that motorsport world. It is my staff pick for Favorite Cover because it's a Leni Kauffman cover!

It was absolutely adorable. Just adorable. I loved this book from page one. I loved our main couple and their relationship so much. I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with.

Ride with Me by Simone Soltani was so freaking fantastic that I can't even describe how this book made me feel. The book follows Stella Margeuax (the macaron maker from book 1) as she meets and in the same night drunkenly marries F1 driver Thomas. They are both dealing with terrible press so they decide to avoid worst press by pretending that they are a real couple. However, how can you pretend everything is perfect with your new husband when you are starting to fall in love for real?!

Ahhhh! This book was so cute. I was kicking my feet and re-reading passages because I loved it so much. It is interesting because the book is both an insta-love and a slow burn which I thought was pretty clever. There is so much longing in this book so if you like longing then this book is for you. It is dual POV and while I normally don't want to know the male POV this one was really charming. I also love that at no point was he looking at anyone else even when she was being obtuse. Truly, my favorite part of the book was Thomas, I thought he was so respectful and kind and honestly the definition of a man written by a woman. I did wish that there was a longer resolution with Thomas and Andrew's relationship I think we still got enough, and it doesn't make me reduce the star count because I just liked this book so much that I don't see flaws.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes slow burn, insta-love, F1, fake marriage, billionaire romances, and forced proximity. Honestly even if you don't like that, give this book a try! It is soooo fun! I cannot wait for the next in this series as I am having such a fantastic time reading these books by Simone Soltani.

Tropes: slow burn, insta-love, F1, sports, fake marriage, billionaire, forced proximity, one bed

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, and Simone Soltani for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Yes a marriage of convenience that’s not just because “this will benefit the company that we own” but has a different purpose, slay.


This series is making me fall in love with sports romances and im not complaining. Stella is such a confident character and thats so refreshing to see.

“My wife”, he simps for her, f1, has humour, this book has everything for you to love

I enjoyed this book so much more than Cross the Line. I’m really getting into F1 romances and this really did it for me. The marriage of convenience was done so well. Top tier slow burn. I could not get enough of the MCs.

It was entertaining. I like formula 1 and i like an nice and easy romance, so i got both.
The only bad thing for me was the huge chapters, but it was ok to read.
If you like funny characters this one is definitely for you.