Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Ride With Me!
I was hooked from the start! The accidental marriage/marriage convenience was done so well. The chemistry between Stella and Thomas was palpable and undeniable. You expect slow burn with this trope post nuptials. This was definitely slow but worth the wait! I am looking forward to more from this author!

Super cute story. I wish we had gotten to see more of Stella as a businesswoman, not just how she played into Thomas’ racing career. Otherwise, I really liked it. Fast quick read, super entertaining.

rating: 4.5/5

includes:
❀ sports romance (formula 1)
❀ interracial romance
❀ marriage of convienence
❀ obessed mmc
❀ he uses "my wife" quite a lot

thomas maxwell-brown, congratulations on entering my favorite book men to exist club! very early on I had a feeling you were going to be a new entry by the way I just wanted to protect you at all costs.

stella baldwin (28) is attending her cousin's joint bachelor/bachelorette party in vegas when all she wants to do is crawl into a hole and hide. after being quite literally left at the alter, she doesn't feel like her old self. enter famous british f1 driver thomas maxwell brown (26) who is also there at the party. stella wanting to feel like her old self, decides to work up to that by spending time with thomas through the night. what ends up happening you may say? well... they end up accidently married.

they decide to stay married to help each other out. stella with wanting to prove she can be taken seriously in the business world and to show her ex who he messed with and thomas to get good publicity after a recent scandal in the f1 world.

stella battled her feelings with thomas for most of the book. in fear of putting her trust in someone else and having the world percieve her, she would rather not admit her feelings when it's clear thomas worships the ground he walks on. she is so set on being perfect that she doesn't realize she doesn't need to pretend to be anyone besides her badass self. would 100% want a friend like stella in my life. did I want to scream at her towards the end of the book because I needed her to get it together? yes.

let's talk about thomas.. you beautiful beautiful british man. his family owns a hotel chain so his entire aesthetic defintely screams old money. is he snob? absoutely not! the way he is so respectful of stella and her wishes because all he wants is for her to be happy.. please that man is not real. really enjoyed his backstory and "redemption arc" he got at the end.

stella and thomas were such a joy to read. loved loved the slow burn alongside how you could see how well they matched each other as the book kept reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

3.5 Stars

I was so excited for this one. A baker and an F1 driver? I needed it! The story between Thomas and Stella started off with amazing banter and a strong connection. However, I think a good chunk of the middle felt more like filler for me. It caused it to stall the story. There wasn't anymore banter in the middle after there was such good banter in the beginning. It felt as if their connection wasn't the same anymore. Which didn't mix well when they were clearly very into each other. Also, I wanted a bit more of F1 in this one.

Overall it was okay, but I would've liked it more if their connection stayed strong and if there wasn't so much filler.

I just had so much fun reading this book.

I liked Cross the Line, but I loved Ride with Me. The fake marriage/marriage of convenience trope is always a favorite of mine. It forces characters in close proximity, but also makes them into a joint team in pushing forward the myth of the marriage while allowing for more of a slow burn when it comes to developing feelings.

I do think that the will-they-won't-they of this was drawn out a litttllleeee too long, especially given the fact that both characters were clearly very into the other person immediately. But ultimately, I am just happy things worked out. This is my favorite type of MMC--he's got some of his own thing going on outside of the relationship, with some side plotlines, but he's absolutely and completely obsessed with the FMC and at no point is he rude to her, belittling, mean, or anything other than completely respectful and down bad.

Respectfully, enough with the constant enemies-to-lovers. I need more of THIS.

Thanks to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the gifted e-ARC.

Stella and Thomas both find themselves attending a bachelor/bachelorette party in Vegas that they are not in the mood for. Entrepreneur Stella is still reeling from being left at the altar, and Thomas is the most hated man in F1 racing due to some threats he made on camera. They decide to keep each other company and have some fun. So much fun that the next morning they don’t remember getting married. But marriage helps both their professional images.

These two had soooo much chemistry. From their initial flirtation at the bar, to a very hot strip club scene, I was obsessed. Of course they had to make a no-s€x rule for their marriage which added to the pining. So much pining!

I loved how respectful Thomas was. And how much he wanted Stella to shine. She was a strong Black woman able to be fully herself. They both supported each other and made each other better. It was a beautiful illustration of a marriage of equals.

I do wish I’d been able to listen to this one. I would have loved to have heard Thomas’s British accent. Who doesn’t love a British hero!

If you’re looking for great chemistry and spice between a Black Queen and a posh Brit in a romance that illustrates the ideal relationship, this one is for you.

I had a good time while reading this romance. The couple was very cute and I loved their interactions and banter. The beginning of the novel is very solid with a mixture of fun, humor, and steam. I really enjoyed that even though they were both celebrities, they didn't feel too outlandish or unrelatable.

It did take a while to really get into F1, and for an F1 romance, I expected to see more of it earlier on. However, once it was introduced, it was done really well and will make F1 fans happy with what's included. The drama behind the scenes of F1 is always interesting to read about and I don't know why more authors don't include it!

The pacing was a little off for me at times. Some things felt dragged on while others felt too fast. Also, the conflict towards the end felt out of place. The relationship between the couple was already established really well for there to be another conflict so late. To me, it felt like out of character for the FMC so that was a little frustrating.

I would recommend if you want a fun, banter filled romance.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley and Simone Soltani for this opportunity to read this story!

Ride With Me is such a cute read! If you’re a sucker for accidental Vegas marriages and a slow burn then you are in for a treat. We are introduced to Stella and Thomas at a duel bachelorette and bachelor party in Vegas. Both suffering from devastating blows to their egos and careers and with liquor flowing and attraction present, what’s the worst that can happen!

I’m usually not a fan of slow burn but the banter and the drama kept me thoroughly entertained.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Heartbroken and humiliated after being left at the altar, Stella attends her cousin’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas. When she unexpectedly wakes up married to Formula 1 driver Thomas, they realize that staying together might just solve their problems—no matter how wild the circumstances.

This is a smart, fun, and spicy romance. Stella and Thomas are great characters, both separately and together. The plot and character development are strong, and the emotion high.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Simone Soltani does it again!! She singlehandely got me in F1 racing with Cross the Line and now I'm already on Season 2 of Netflix's Drive to Survive.

This was such a fun fun read! I loved that we really got to see them banter and fall in love, although there's insta lust there's not insta LOVE and I absolutely enjoyed that. Marriage of Convience is one of my favorite tropes and I love how Soltani utilized it! I was hooked as I wanted to see just how much their marriage would help not only Thomas' blundering carreer but also aid Stella after her ex-fiance left her at the alter.

I LOVED Stella, not only was she an independent succesfull and gorgeous woman, she was also BLACK. And I loved her even more the more I saw her through Thomas' POV. This man was down horrendous (just how i like them).

I really liked Thomas too! His banter with Stella was hilarious and I was instantly intrigued by the fact he was just a midfielder driver. Usually, authors make their main characters the hotshot or champion in sports romance but I loved that we got to see him really struggling with his career after an incident he caused at the beginning of the book.

Overall, another amazing installment from Simone Soltani and I absolutely can't wait for Crash Into You next year!

Perfect if you love:
🏳️marriage of convenience
🏳️only one bed
🏳️interracial relationship
🏳️obsessed mmc
🏳️f1 racing
🏳️an equally successful power duo couple

Ride With Me
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Thank you for the free eARC, @berkleypub and @berkleyromance!

✨ Fake marriage trope
✨ Strangers to lovers

Thomas is an F1 car racer with a bruised reputation. After making some heated remarks that go viral, he finds himself “canceled” and under public scrutiny.

Stella is a bride left at the altar after a five-year relationship. She owns a bakery and is especially known for her macarons.

They meet at Janelle and Ron’s joint bachelorette and bachelor party—Janelle is Stella’s cousin, while Ron is a friend of Thomas’ brother.

My Thoughts:
I struggled with the idea that Stella’s next romantic experience, just weeks after being left at the altar, is a fake marriage/marriage of convenience with a complete stranger—not even an old friend. After such an embarrassing and humiliating heartbreak, I felt she deserved a more grounded and emotionally redemptive love story.

The fake relationship so soon after her breakup didn’t feel believable to me—especially since she frequently talks about protecting her reputation and her brand. I expected her to be more cautious.

I preferred the trope in Book 1 and really wanted to love this one too, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.

Rating: 3/5 star

This book was a contemporary romance girl's dream! We meet Thomas an F1 driver and Stella bossed up business woman who after a hot night in Vegas end up in a marriage of convenience. While this book revolves around F1, it mostly takes place during the off season so the set up is a little differently than the first book in the series. In the book Thomas absolutely falls for Stella first and hard. This book had me kicking my feet the whole time because they were so cute about how considerate they were of each other and watching their relationship grow was adorable.

Honestly, I don't love, love a slow burn; but, the impromptu Vegas wedding made up for it!!

I really am not sure why I love a Vegas wedding, accidental marriage or a fake marriage, but I am here for it!!

So, they get married in Vegas while on a bachelorette/bachelor trip and need to get divorced ASAP, however, their reputations are important, so they decide to go along with the marriage for a bit until it looks like it is more acceptable to dissolve the marriage. I love how they are lovey and affectionate in public, but are really catching feelings for each other in private.

On top of the accidental marriage, HE FALLS FIRST!! Obsessed. And then the "my wife"... *I melt*. He was obsessed with her all while respecting her and her boundaries. A man.

I also loved that this was a F1 Racing romance, I don't what it is with a man that can handle a car with so much speed and horsepower! TURN ON.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the chance to ARC!!

I'm loving this series by @simonesoltani that has been my first F1 books. I've really enjoyed learning more about the F1 sport. My mom was a huge Indy Car fan so thankfully I had a little background knowledge about racing.

I love a good marriage of convenience so when this accidentally married in Vegas turned into a marriage of convenience I was here for it. I loved watching these two navigate the forced proximity and merging of lives.

I also love a strong female lead so I loved how high powered Stella was on her own. I loved her drive.

I liked how Thomas loved his sport so much that even though he wasn't the fastest car out there he was still enjoying himself.

These two had great chemistry and I enjoyed watching them fall for each other.

I can't wait to read book 3 when it comes out.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Two people who are at the lowest points in their lives (she's fresh from her fiancee dumping her at the wedding and he's the most hated F1 driver after a video of him saying he hoped another driver crashes gets leaked... and said driver does end up crashing and paralyzed) find themselves thrown together in a drunken marriage after a wild night in Las Vegas... and what's even crazier is that they've decided to keep up the charade for a year but try and not fall for each other... but a lot can happen in a year and staying married to your fake super hot spouse will definitely test your "fake" marriage. Stella Baldwin is fresh from being left at the alter by her fiancee and is dragged to a bachelorette party... where she meets Thomas Maxwell-Brown, a F1 driver who is used to being hated... yet when they both meet there's a spark... and instant chemistry mixed in with lots of alcohol leads to them waking up in Vegas married to one another. Thomas and Stella are both two people with reputations on the line and they don't want to hurt the other... so they decide to let their marriage play out for a year before they separate and keep it strictly professional. Stella doesn't think she's ready to open her heart up again but Thomas is everything and more than she could ever imagine in a husband. Can he convince her he's the real deal or will they part ways like it never happened? This was such a fun sequel! I love an F1 romance and this one is definitely such a great read. I love the way both Stella and Thomas supported one another and above everything else cared and respected each other. Their chemistry was undeniable. I love the race setting as well and it was just a fantastic time! Highly recommend this series for fans of F1 romances!
Release Date: May 20,2035
Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)
*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Stella Baldwin has a bakery empire, but when she is left at the alter and has a meltdown that is shared with the internet she is left drifting and unable to see her way out of her funk. Thomas Maxwell-Brown is a F1 racer. After a particularly nasty crash he says some harsh things that were caught on tape and when the racer he’s addressing is critically injured in a subsequent race, his reputation takes a significant hit.

So when Stella and Thomas meet at a joint bachelor/bachelorlette party, sparks fly and they wake up married. When the news gets out, they make a pact to stay married for the sake of their reputations for one year.

There was so much I loved about this story, there are some very accurate depictions about losing yourself in a relationship and pressures to be perfect in the eyes of the public. I also loved that Stella was a mogul in her own right so they both came in on stable footing in terms of finances so they only had to work on the real relationship issues that come from their attraction to each other. It’s a bit of a slow burn but in the best way. Thomas falls first and Stella fights her attraction hard because she has been through so much lately. Thomas isn’t deterred at all his ability to bring Stella back to herself delvers on a cute, fun, and steamy read.

I thought this was a super cute, fun and flirty book! I loved that there was enough F1 content for the average fan to enjoy, but not too much so newcomers can still enjoy the book! The beginning of the book was my favourite, I loved all of the tension and the banter. It really set up the story for a great slow burn!

4.5 rounded up!

Fun, sexy, and cars go fast? Such a great sophomore novel for Simone Soltani. I especially love that they both had demanding jobs and that was one of things they wouldn’t compromise on, neither was more important.

They had such an emotional slow burn despite their tension being so thick you’d need a knife. Their growth to discovering how perfect the other person was for them was a delight, I loved how domestic they acted with each other. I cannot wait for more from Simone in this world!

4.5 stars rounded to 5

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

A joint bachelor and bachelorette party brings Stella and Thomas together and I was hooked from the first conversation they had. Stella is witty and confident, even when faking her confidence she is convincing, and Thomas matches her energy and sense of humor. The banter had me giggling and laughing and I love them together and separately.

Read for
🏁 Marriage of convenience
🏁 Controversial viral video moments
🏁 F1 Racer
🏁 Rules set to abide by
🏁 Drunken night in Vegas
🏁 Slow burn

OVERALL

Overall I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The chemistry and banter between the two leads carried the story for me. I want to read the first.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Happy Pub day! Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes. I would recommend this one for my F1 girlies. I really liked the FMC. Love to see a black woman loved so loudly throughout the book. Cute, quick read. Stella and Thomas <3