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.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this super fun book!

I will say that I read this as a standalone and have not read the first book in the series. This book is definitely giving how Stella got her groove back in the best ways. The story was so enjoyable and pleasant! I have no idea about Motorsport or F1 racing but the characters made it really come alive.

I feel like Stella and Thomas are super adorable and hilarious! Their banter was to die for! I love when a couple is just such a good match for each other even before THEY realize it! I thought the writing was good. Light and airy - this would be a perfect summer beach read! Only thing I didn’t like that’s a slight spoiler is that I wish Thomas would’ve let Stella handle Arlo. 🙃 Overall, a solid read! I found myself laughing out loud at several moments!

I feel like Thomas' character wasn't necessarily a HUGE out loud romantic, but he was romantic in the ways that mattered - making sure that Stella was heard and cared for, even when she did not know that would look like for herself. This healed a part of my soul lowkey. I also felt like Stella and Thomas were such a great match!

Would recommend this book to those who love fake dating/fake marriage tropes, or accidentally married couples, stories where he falls first, girlies who love Motorsport and fast cars, folks who love a good pair of heels, couples who resist each other where the tension is so thick and real and folks who enjoy good, witty banter!

I waited to long for this book and i always feel so sad when i finish book like this because… i can’t not talk about it until it comes out 😭

thank soooooo much simone for trusting me with this book. you don’t know how much that means to me, and i love the way this book was such a blessing to my heart and life right now.

thomas & stella own my heart, and they deserve all the good they are such a wonderful couple. i feel so much for stella, my little beautiful leo 🥺 she really is amazing an a queen and i cannot wait for people to met her.

thomas is a simp and im here for it he deserves everything good and he loves loved stella so much, which is exactly what my queen deserves.

love this book so much 🥺and i cannot wait to have it on my hands.

Stella meets Thomas at a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Vegas where the two wind up accidentally married.

This was a slower paced read especially in the beginning but the story overall held my interest. I was invested in their relationship and the will they won’t they stay together aspect.

Thomas and Stella’s chemistry was off the charts. I love a he falls first romance and this one delivers. I would say Thomas is a bit obsessed and just the right amount of possessive.

I also appreciated the celebrity status of both characters. I love a good celebrity romance and this was a nice sports/baker version of one.

This is an open door romance just incase you’re wondering.

💍 Accidental Marriage
🥰 He Falls First
📝 Relationship Rules
☯️ Opposites Attract
🏎️ Sports Romance

⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 3/5

👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews

🙏🏼 Thank you @berkleypub for this #gifted copy of #ridewithme !!

🏎️🏎️🏎️

Thank you to NetGalley and thank you to the publisher for the chance to review this ARC. Full review coming soon.

Simone Soltani’s Ride with Me is a delightful, whirlwind romance that had me hooked from the very first page! I devoured Stella and Thomas’s story, which kicks off with one of my favorite tropes: a wild Vegas wedding between two strangers who might be exactly what the other needs.

Stella’s heartbreak and her fierce, slightly messy energy made her so relatable. I loved watching her navigate the fallout of her failed wedding with humor and vulnerability. And Thomas, our brooding Formula 1 driver, was the perfect blend of charming and complicated. His struggles with family pressure and career insecurities added depth to the romance.

The chemistry between Stella and Thomas crackled off the page. Their Vegas antics, sizzling banter, and unexpected connection were so fun to read! But it wasn’t just about the heat. Soltani did a fantastic job showing how these two wounded souls find comfort and strength in each other. Their slow realization that they might have stumbled into something real made my heart so happy.

If I had one quibble, it’s that I would have loved a bit more time with the side characters; they were all so colorful, and I wanted to know more about them! But honestly, Stella and Thomas’s journey was the perfect ride, complete with all the twists and turns you’d expect from a romance that starts in Vegas and ends in something much more lasting.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the ARC. I’m already looking forward to whatever Simone Soltani writes next!

3.5⭐️

the way that i adored both stella and thomas!! 🥹 i loved the quips that stella and thomas had with each other, they just hit it off right away and i really enjoyed the banter. the way simone soltani writes these characters and has you rooting for them the whole way through.

i loved that stella was a baker and she worked so hard to get to where she is now, plus thomas who was willing to grow in his F1 career and ultimately deciding that clearing his name and reputation was worth all the risks. the fake marriage turned real aspect was fun, i'm always quite the sucker for thatt trope! i loved that thomas was always so supportive of stella and vice versa, they really got to know each other. while it did slow down a bit for me through the middle, it picked up and ended so beautifully. i am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series 🤭

thank you to berkley for the ARC!

Simone Soltani's *Ride With Me* is a delightful four-star romance that masterfully blends humor, heart, and sizzling chemistry. The story centers on Stella Baldwin, a successful entrepreneur reeling from being left at the altar, and Thomas Maxwell-Brown, a British Formula 1 driver grappling with career pressures and a tarnished reputation. Their unexpected, drunken marriage in Las Vegas sets the stage for a compelling marriage-of-convenience tale that evolves into a genuine love story.

Stella and Thomas's relationship unfolds through a slow-burn narrative, rich with witty banter and emotional depth. Thomas's unwavering support and affection—often referring to Stella as "my wife"—highlight his immediate devotion, while Stella's journey from guarded skepticism to open-hearted vulnerability adds layers to their dynamic. Their interactions are marked by mutual respect and admiration, making their romance both believable and endearing.

While the pacing may feel leisurely at times, the payoff is a heartfelt and satisfying exploration of love's unexpected turns. Soltani's portrayal of Stella and Thomas's evolving connection offers readers a charming and emotionally resonant experience.

Love when the story starts at a bachelor/bachelorette party in Vegas, you know things are going to get exciting.
Stella and Thomas were both looking to shake things up. I love when a new relationship reminds a person that the person before was toxic or just in it for something. It hurts coming to that realization but sometimes accidentally getting married is the best thing that could happen to two people.
This was so spicy and full of tension and slow burn since after they got married they decided to not be physical, too bad they both were extremely attracted and kept ending up in one bed, forced proximity situations.
This was all set up in the F1 racing world so he was a celebrity. And she was a celebrity in the baking world but just by name. Loved this!!

I loved Soltani’s previous book, 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 so yes, I was over the moon to receive this ARC. Though I hardly watch F1, I’m fascinated by it.

Stella and Thomas meet at a co-ed bachelor-bachelorette party that neither wants to be at. It’s instant attraction with lots of sexy flirting, and innuendos. I totally loved it! And being that it’s in Vegas you know no good will come of all night drinking and shenanigans and…they wake up married. It’s not the kind of PR either needs at the moment though if they work it just right they could make the situation work for them.

I liked that it’s Thomas who falls hard first while Stella keeps her distance. It’s awkward and yet they’re so freaking good together. Both of them have something to prove and it takes a lot of trust and vulnerability to overcome their insecurities.

Highlights:
🏎️ Romance, dual POV, instalust, accidental marriage, fake marriage
🏎️ British F1 driver, American entrepreneur
🏎️ Strong spice, open door
🏎️ Getting over the ex (previously left at the alter)

Thomas and Stella have good chemistry together. I didn’t tire of their flirting and banter. Their intimate scenes are perfect. Thomas’ personality makes him even more attractive than he’s already described. Honestly, I envy Stella, that lucky woman! I know I’ll read any romance by Soltani after enjoying this one so much. If you’re wanting sweet, spicy and exciting, here you go!

Thanks To Berkley Romance for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book overall, for what it was.
What it isn't is a Formula 1 romance. His job could have been absolutely anything and it wouldn't have changed the story.

The bulk of the action takes place the night they meet and during winter break. There are small snippets of him being a driver, but they are barely anything and if they were removed, it wouldn't change the story. So that was disappointing.

Thomas and Stella are a slow burn. Really slow. And at times I really struggled with her as a character and some of the choices she was making. I also felt a few of them were there to drag out the drama, which felt unnecessary.

When they were together, I liked them and I believed in them, which did keep me reading this one.

The writing is strong and while the FMC did annoy me, she was consistent with her doubts, even if a choice at the end really had me questioning her. (Sorry, no spoilers but I feel you will know it when you get to it.)

I do think one of the characters on his side was unnecessary and definitely there for drama, which I didn't love and I do think this person could have been removed, but they were only a minor irritant so not enough to ruin the story.

I enjoyed and recommend this title, but not as an F1 romance.

I'm a big fan of accidental weddings and F1 racing. This book failed to resonate with me. I lived Thomas but I struggled with Stella. I felt like she lacked growth and compassion. The ending was cute but I had hoped for a bit more fireworks. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.