There was a time in my young reader life that I didn't understand fake dating in contemporary romance because, like, you could just date. Like, why pretend? So when I truly enjoy fake dating, I ignore that little voice that says just date already. The banter between these 2 is witty and funny. I want to be friends with Stella and spite her ex. So this is an approved fake dating/marriage of convenience read.

F1 has quickly become one of my favorite sports to read about!!

Marriage of convenience after a drunk night in Vegas - sounds like a fun time to me haha. I love that Thomas and Stella got bits and pieces of that night in flashbacks as the story progressed. The only reason it's a four star read is that the pacing slowed a bit after the first third, but overall I enjoyed this a ton!

Thank you so much to Simone Soltani, Berkley and NetGalley for an early copy!

First, thank you so much to NetGalley and Simone for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Lights Out series, and I did have the pleasure of reading the ARC of the first book in this series as well. Ride with Me follows whirlwind marriage of (in)convenience between Stella and Thomas. Stella being a very successful CEO and Thomas being an F1 driver. They meet one night at a mutual friends wedding and accidentally (drunkenly) get married. The pacing of the book was great and the romance and pining was chefs kiss. I really enjoyed this read, just a solid romance. And I will admit, I love a good MMC who uses "my wife" like it's air. Solid 4 star read!

I usually hate fake marriage tropes but this book was so cute and the main characters were so cute and likeable. I've also never done F1 love books so this was a first but I definitely will read more of them. Such a cute and fun book.

books don't have to reinvent the wheel to be fun and sexy! this marriage of (in)convenience between an f1 driver and a successful female CEO was exactly what i needed. tons of flirty banter, plenty of "my wife" moments, and a relationship that felt convincing. i kept waiting for something weird to happen or the third act conflict to feel out of place, but nope. just a solid romance with a hero and heroine that i truly liked reading about.

bonus points for how this american author was able to write a brit. not sure why it's so hard for authors to not go full "pip pip cheerio" but it's normally a real issue for me as a reader lol.

This was such a fun and captivating read. I could not put it down. I’m not normally an F1 girlie, but this really had the right mix of the sports world and the romance that I loved.

Stella and Thomas are a perfect match for each other. They’re able to have such good banter and also understand what the other person needs within such a short time of knowing each other. Thomas is a top tier book of boyfriend in the way that he always anticipate Stella’s needs before they even pop up in her mind. I was absolutely obsessed with seeing them fall for each other and finally come to terms that they are a perfect match.

I also loved that the racing portions of the book actually had its own plot point and wasn’t just thrown in as a way to show that this is his job. There was so much happening in the F1 world for Thomas that it made him a more realistic character to me.

Since Thomas had his own side plot, of course Stella had to have her own side plot. Her side plot had to do more so with her family, but it still at the same effect of making our seem realistic to me.

I’m so grateful to have gotten an ARC of this book.

I had a pretty good time with this F1 accidental marriage/marriage of convenience book! I liked this book better than Cross the Line, and overall would recommend it. I really liked Stella as the main character; I thought she was interesting, and I enjoyed getting to watch her re-discover herself after the end of her long-term relationship. I also really liked Thomas, I thought he was a good main character/love interest, if a bit uninteresting. He was appropriately obsessed with Stella, so he was good. Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it! :)

I loved both the main characters! They were a perfect blend for each other. I love a good fake dating/marriage trope and it made sense for Thomas and Stella’s funny circumstances. Some twists are quickly predictable, but when it comes to romance books that makes sense to me. I love we get a view into F1 world and also the main characters individual rich lifestyles. This is a book I see myself reading again when in a book slump because it stuck with me that much. I also LOVED the slow burn! It’s a silly (but also with serious moments) romance that I really enjoyed!

This was such a fun read from start to finish and I loved it so so much. Stella is my girl and I was totally smitten by Thomas, their book I think is easily one of my faves I’ve read this year so far! When I first heard about this book the whole accidentally married in Vegas bit had me immediately intrigued because I actually love to see this very specific things in movies, shows and books. So I had an absolute blast reading this book and would highly recommend it, especially if you love F1 romance I think this is actually such a perfect one to read during the off times of F1 since the book also has an F1 off-season timeline!

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