4🌟 girl boss WOC FMC who runs a successful business?? yeah obsessed. Vegas drunken wedding where they stay married for the convenience as both MC are having PR issues, Thomas is a rich british F1 driver and he actually could not be further from what i usually like but he’s literally the most thoughtful caring person healing her trauma in the process and by the end i loved him. their chemistry and banter was too good, thank you Berkley & NetGalley for the ARC!

4/5 Stars !!!!

This book was for sure different than the first book. This is for sure a interconnected but standalone series book because it's a famous person from book one that contributed to the story line + another driver. So it for sure felt like it's own book but still connected because of the cameos! I missed Willow <3. Anywho -

Stella is such an icon that whenever it came to her chapters I was fully enraptured like Thomas was with her. Her confidence with not only her business and her skills but her own sense of self throughout the entire book was like a breath of fresh air that I loved to see. And seeing a black woman thrive in her element with a man who's of equal stance and provides her a safe space? Even more empowering. I loved her character and how she handled everything in the book.

Thomas was walked like a dog throughout the entire book and he loved every second of it let's be honest. How he became a safe space for Stella was just so in his character that I melted whenever they were together. I don't have access to my NetGalley download anymore therefore I don't have any of my highlights or saved quotes but I do remember that Thomas was nothing but amazing to Stella and everything he did was for himself but never at the expense of Stella who became his ride or die. The trust they had in each other was beautiful and something I want in a partner in the future.

There wasn't as much racing as I would've wanted like the first book but had enough logistics and scenes that it still felt like a F1 romance book. Is there a book 3? Idk. BUT IF THERE IS IM GONNA GET MY GRUBBY (but manicured and super soft and delicate) HANDS ON IT.

I was so excited for this book because I really enjoyed the first one, but I was extremely disappointed! It lacked in every category compared to the first one and was honestly pretty gross. The plot was subpar and it seemed that the author only cared about writing highly inappropriate words and sex scenes. No thanks.

F1 Romances is an untapped market.

What I loved. <3
- Black FMC
- Fast cars
- Spicy talk

I'm not too big of a fan of getting married in Vegas. However, I loved how we had two characters that were on the same level. I got to know a lil about racing, which was kinda fun. Also, them flirting was *fans face*

4.5

This was a fantastic. I really can't believe how much I loved this, but the trope make up was some of my favorites.

I also just love how Simone Soltani manages to interweave this story with the first book by giving some quick glimpses into Dev and Willow now.

Overall the care and love they showed for each other while it not being real was just so swoony.

Alexa, play 21 reasons by Nievea! This book was nothing short of amazing. Thomas.... Thomas... Thomas you got me ready to watch Fomula 1 racing and that's not even my type of thing. Thomas, I think you might be new book bae! He definitely took the cake for me... excuse me I meant donut for me. Stella, girl, you almost gave me a heartattack a few times. But, I knew you would seal the deal! I love how honest, raw, emotional, cautious with your heart but was still ready to ride for your man or did you? What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas.... and I love that for them!

Ride with Me is a sizzling romance following Stella, a recently jilted bride and businesswoman, and Thomas, an F1 racer weathering a scandal. When the two meet in Vegas at a combined bachelor/bachelorette party, they spend one wild night together exploring their instant chemistry. However, when they both wake up the next morning, only to discover they've gotten married, the two decide to use their marriage to their advantage and ride out the drama together.

I'm a complete sucker for a marriage of convenience romance and this book delivered everything I love about the trope and more! The banter, chemistry, and tension were top tier; Stella and Thomas were just so perfect for each other. I loved how they communicated and followed their rules, all while struggling to not fall for each other. The hint of drama surrounding their relationship was the perfect balance to their sweet romance and the slow burn steam. From stellar writing to relatable characters and the most delectable romance, this book had me hooked from the very beginning — I can’t recommend it enough!

An F1 rom-com that I couldn't put down. This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. A bi-racial couple that happen to both be millionaires find themselves married after a night on the town drinking in Vegas. They decide to stay in a marriage of convenience to help both their reputations and business. Once I found out this was book 2 in a series I ran out and got the first book. The author is now on my must-read list.

After settling into the story a bit, I realize this book has everything to do with opposites attract. He’s white, she’s black. He’s a racecar driver. She’s a baker and owns a growing company. She was dumped at the altar. The last thing he thinks of is getting married.

The beginning of this book is fabulous and fun. The connection is hot, and the author keeps it relatively clean, although the attraction is definitely palatable.

Then, as we settle into the story, it becomes more complex. There are parts of the story where I really didn’t like her much. She refused to see the truth in front of her and refused to hear or understand his feelings. She didn’t even want to admit she liked him for the most part. He was definitely head over heels for her.

Of course, in the end, we get the coming together, and all things become wonderful. In terms of heat and spice, I would call it mid-range as there is only one truly open-door scene. The rest of it is just admiration and lust.

The author has a wonderful gift for crafting a story that is entertaining, including a blend of humor, strife, happiness, and frustration. Her characterizations of the main couple push-and-pull throughout most of the book. The supporting characters are diverse and add a lot to the enhancement of the story, allowing Soltani to build in the next book to come.

Ride With Me is a great choice if you love the slow burn. This is an uber long burn, and while I appreciate more of the physical aspects of a story romance than the buildup and lust phase for most of the book, it was engaging in an overall sexy and sweet story.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved this book. Both characters are so easily lovable with real human flaws. Stella Baldwin is everything I want to be. When I grow up, I want to be Stella Baldwin. Thomas Maxwell-Brown, the man that you are! I think a new book boyfriend has been added to the list. He is so lovely and wonderful and so painfully British, I am in love. To quote Taylor Swift, you know I love a London boy! Stella and Thomas fit so well together. I enjoyed reading their banter, they had me laughing so much.

Such a good sports romance, and the main trope is so good. I enjoy a good marriage of convenience story, and this one is definitely a good one. I loved seeing Stella and Thomas slowly fall in love with each other. They had me swooning the whole time. I said it in my "Cross the Line" review, and I’ll say it again, but Simone Soltani does F1 romance so well. I really like how you can tell she’s knowledgeable about F1 in that a lot of it doesn’t feel unrealistic the way it does in other F1 romances.

Overall, I had a wonderful time reading this book. It’s such a fun, cute little rom-com. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a good sports romance.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Per Berkley’s approval request I will wait 1 week prior to release date before publishing my review which is May 13th

THE ANGST. I hate angst… ok I love angst. I hate that I love angst 🤣

This book is so good yall. Stella’s wit is just 🤌🏾✨ and Thomas 😍. Another book boyfriend added. Prince Charming by day and rogue by night 😮‍💨

The tension between the two was palpable. I don’t know how many times I told Stella to go get her man or Thomas to take his woman. Stella’s willpower must be made of steel because I would have folded like a pretzel 🥨

This was my first race car themed story and now I’m trying to see something 👀. The author did a phenomenal job with this book and I’m so happy I went along with the ride.

This book was a wild ride! From a drunken marriage to steamy vacations, this story has it all. I loved the characters so much, they both deserve the world and I’m so happy for them to have found each other! Definitely would recommend giving it a read!

A charming and sexy story of an American business woman and a British Formula 1 driver maybe not so fake marriage. Stella heads a successful empire of macaroon bakeries and lives in D.C. After a 5 year relationship with Etienne, he leaves her at the alter on their wedding day and leaves her reeling. Stella end up soured on love and no longer the up-for-anything woman that she once was. Just a few weeks after her wedding debacle, she goes to Vegas to attend her dear friend and cousin’s wedding to a recently retired British soccer (aka football) star. While there, she alternates between being sick of the sympathetic looks she’s getting from her family and missing her old self. On the combined bachelor and bachelorette party, Stella decides that she going to reclaim herself and shamelessly flirt with any of the great looking men in the group. She focuses on Thomas who looks amazing in a tux and seems very interested in her. Thomas is at this wedding because he was in Las Vegas to drive in the Grand Prix and goes to the wedding because his older brother is best friends with the groom but he can’t be at the wedding because his wife is about to give birth in London. Thomas is trying to recover from a media disaster when he went of a rant about a fellow driver that was filmed and leaked to the press. Unfortunately, right after that, the other driver was in a crash and is paralyzed. Stella and Thomas instantly have a very sexy chemistry and decide to leave the party and go off on their own. Unfortunately, they drink way too much and drunkenly get married by “Black Elvis” after getting a legitimate marriage license. Now what??? Of course word gets out and, to save what’s left of their reputations, they decide to stay in a fake marriage for a year. But, can their chemistry and feelings for each other lead to a fake marriage turning into a real one???

I was provided a digital ARC of this book by Berkley on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What a fun time I had while reading this! Ride With Me is an “accidental marriage/marriage of convenience” Formula 1 romance novel that perfectly blends a strong female protagonist with a supportive/protective love interest. Stella and Thomas are EVERYTHING and their story is so well written that you really see the depth of their relationship even after a short time together. The pacing of the novel is great and while you get to see the couples chemistry immediately, I’d definitely classify this as a slowburn, considering there’s only about one full on-page intimate scene nearing the 70% mark. Though you do get almost-moments throughout.

Ride With Me is the second novel in the Lights Out Series and while this can be read as a standalone, the first book, Cross the Line is definitely worth the read, especially if you’re into F1. Ride With Me does take place during the last two races of the season and while I’m not really an F1 girlie, I definitely missed more of the race action in this book compared to Cross the Line.

Overall, a great and quick romance that hits all the right tropes, Simone Soltani is quickly becoming an automatic buy for me!

Oh goodness. Honestly I was both nervous and excited for this because sometimes the second book of a series just loses me completely. However, the author knocked this one out of the park. The banter, the tension, the chemistry were perfect. It was a roller coaster of a slow burn which I normally don’t like but it worked so well for this story. I gave it 4/5 starts since something this that were presented as large incoming issue such as Figgy, Daphne, Stella’s mom were just kinda just forgotten until the end of the story. I wish we would’ve gotten more of Thomas’ story too. It was still an amazing story that I would and will recommend to like everyone.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for access to this copy!!

I had a great time reading this. There’s just enough formula 1 in it to be fun for those of us that are fans and watch it, but not too much for someone who knows nothing about it. There’s an instant connection between the main characters which leads to a drunken accidental marriage in Vegas. They end up deciding to stay married given neither of them need negative publicity at the moment. Despite the chemistry, they decide to keep things platonic to avoid any heartbreak when it comes time to end the marriage. As they spend more time together and get to know each other, it’s obvious that there isn’t just physical chemistry but emotional as well. They’re a perfect match for each other, it just takes a little bit for them to admit it. The mmc was incredibly swoony and the fmc I admired a lot.

Can’t wait to continue this series and see who the next couple will be!

🏎️ formula 1
🤍 strangers to lovers
💍 marriage of convenience
🤭 “my wife”
💵 they’re both millionaires
❤️‍🔥 fast then slow burn

dual POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

This was my first Simone Soltani read and OH MY GOSH, why did I not bump Cross the Line to the top of my TBR sooner?! 🤯💘 Because WOW. I'm completely obsessed.

🏎️ I’ll admit—I know nothing about F1 racing, but that didn’t matter one bit. This book? Pure fun. One of the things I adored most was Thomas “my wife, my wife, my wife” Maxwell-Brown. He’s not the flashy F1 golden boy, and I loved that! He knows he’s worked hard, he knows he’s good, but he doesn’t have that “main character” arrogance. It made him feel so real… and so swoony 🥹
Sure, he might’ve had a bit of a past pre-Stella, but honestly? We didn’t have to sit through the details 🙌 and it never once mattered. Thomas is just a genuinely good man—and the way he shows up for Stella?? Literal perfection.💘

As for Stella… what a sweetheart 💕 She was fierce, soft, resilient, and just so lovable. I didn’t always agree with every choice she made, but I understood her. She never projected her pain from the past onto Thomas. She stood strong, loved deeply, and gave us the ultimate ride-or-die vibes. Together? Absolute FIRE.🔥

My only teeny complaint? I wish the slow burn hadn’t been quite so slow 🐌 With a book this long, I just wanted more of them as a couple before the final page. But even still, their connection was everything—and the payoff was 💯 worth it.

✔️ Marriage of convenience
✔️ Soft F1 hero
✔️ Emotionally healing heroine
✔️ Heart-melting chemistry

This one exceeded all my expectations and then some!

I never ever do this with arcs but I think its important to be honest so here goes. I enjoy the diverse cast and the unique premise of this story. I love marriage of convenience romances so perhaps I set my expectations a bit too high. I'm going to call this at 33% as a DNF for now. Perhaps I will pick this story back up at another gime, maybe on audio. Right now though the story is just starting to cover the plot in the synopsis blurb and it felt like such slow going to get there. It starts off with several chapters focused on the two MCs getting to know one another at a joint bachelor/bachelorette party the night before the wedding (yes you read that right...). The getting to know you content is there prior to their drunken Vegas wedding that causes them to second guess whether of not staying married is worth trying. Honestly might pick this book up later to see what happens but right now I'm losing interest after multiple times of trying to motivate myself to pick up this book and continue reading. It might be my current mood or it much be (what felt to me) like a super slow build up to the main plot of the book. Super cute cover though!

Many thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I usually don’t like slow burn romance but this one changes my mind completely. It was done right. I loved the characters both together and separately. I bought myself smiling several times while reading this. Thomas is that dude and I loved Stella. This was my first read from the author and it won’t be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-one night stand
-insta attraction
-accidental marriage of convenience
-what happens in vegas doesn't stay in vegas
-F1 romance
-just get it out of our system

I fully have to credit Simone for getting me on my F1 obsession. But her books are incredibly accessible whether you binged Drive to Survive on Netflix or have never watched a single F1 race in your life. I had so much fun diving back into this world, getting a chance to catch up with my favorites and also dive into a new couple somehow even messier than book 1. Both needing to repair their reputations, which a drunken Vegas wedding wouldn't help and suddenly these two are married and falling for each other. I love how softly it happened as they leaned on each other even when it didn't come natural to them. Simone's writing just pulls you in and I cannot wait to read whatever comes next.