Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. F1 novels are all the rage right now, and this one should be storming up the field to take the championship. I loved how this centered around what a relationship meant to the drivers in the lens of what it means to their careers. They both had hard realizations to come to, so it was interesting to see how the navigated this and the dual POV allowed different perspectives to be seen. I can’t wait to see what else Amy James has to offer!

4.5⭐
Amy James, I got my eye on you girl...

This was a story between two racecar drivers - Travis Keeping and Jacob Nichols. When Jacob gets in a serious wreck and their secret relationship is threatened with exposure, these two will be tested (no pun intended) and asked what they are willing to endure for the love of each other.

This was such a delight to read. James's writing made it where you given solid perspectives on both of the characters; I found empathy for both Jacob and Travis (although, I did end up favoring one over the other). Also, I'm glad the author made F1 racing so accessible to the everyday read. I don't know the first thing about F1 or F2 racing, but I think James does an amazing job of giving you just enough information that you get the gist of what's happening without boring you with extraneous details. It did take me a minute to get into her writing style at the beginning, but once I was a few pages in and had the pace, I was locked in. I will admit, the ending didn't sit right with me (but, I'm willing to admit that that might be more of a "me" issue).

The pacing of this book felt pretty fresh to me because you didn't have just the single perspective of one of the main characters. I'm actually glad the relationship wasn't written chronologically, and you get to understand the relationship in a realistically, flashback-oriented way of understanding. In this, you feel more empathetic of the characters and get a better understanding of their thought process. Both characters seemed very fleshed out, and I'd argue that all of the characters felt realistic, even the side characters.

I think this book does a fairly decent job of addressing its topics, such as self-acceptance, trauma, humility, and understanding what one's limits are in a relationship. There's questions of independence, questioning of boundaries, and, finally, learning what it truly means to be in a relationship with someone.

Sidenote: I'm so glad this book didn't have an overloading amount of spice/smut scenes! Thank you, Ms. James. I appreciate you.

Thank you so much to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Queer Formula 1 racers? That's amazing. And the romance was sweet and intriguing and everything I was looking for right now.

I enjoyed this book a lot! I thought that it was really interestingly laid out. I had not read a romance book that was taking place after the couple had been together for a year and then broke up. I liked that the initial chapters alternated between what was happening in the present and what their relationship was like in the past. This book also played with my emotions. I felt so bad for Travis, but I also see why Jacob reacted the way that he did. I feel though that the conflict resolved a bot too easily. I wish there was a bit more groveling on Jacob's part, and that he was forgiven way too easily.

Thank you to Avon Books & HarperCollins for the electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and details of this review are my own.

Like the sport, Crash Test will have your heart racing over these two leading men's journey of finding each other. We are introduced to Travis in the midst of an incredible F1 racing season and an important moment in his career. However, that all comes burning down when F2 driver Jacob is involved in a massive crash, leaving Jacob in critical condition. At this moment, no one knows that Travis and Jacob have been dating for a year now. This causes Travis' performance in upcoming races to lack, as well Jacob's family not wanting him anywhere near Jacob. With his Jacob's parent's influence, this causes Travis and Jacob to soon find themselves in different parts of the world. Time passes and with self-discovery, the story continues and takes the reader on a journey to see if Travis and Jacob speed across the finish line, together.

Wow, I rurally enjoyed this one. Despite picking this up earlier in the month at moments and then pausing it for a couple weeks, every time I was immediately sucked into the story as if time didn't happen. This is my first sport racing novel, and I'm glad this book introduced to me to the behind the scenes of team managing. The author did a great job of explaining this process as well as the overall racing terms. The side characters were extremely well done and had moments to shine and loved that they had significant roles on our two leading men. The dual POV throughout the book was great as well, and getting to see the character development of Jacob especially had me rooting for him and Travis. With Travis' POV, you could really feel the emotion in the tone of the writing at the beginning and why Jacob's crash left him stunned. I do wish we would have got to see a little bit more on how their emotional bond formed, but no complaints from me. I found this to be a really cute mm romance, and am looking forward to checking out more from this author.

Crash Test by Amy James 4.5 Stars

Will add instagram post to feedback once posted

4.5 stars. This book was absolutely heart-wrenching. I felt like I couldn't take a breath until the very end - I didn’t want to put it down, I just had to stay right with them to make sure they got their shit together. It was much closer to an Emily Henry-style romance - more literary than a straightforward romp. It's a bit of a diversion from a traditional romance novel, though mostly a second-chance romance but with an altered time frame. Usually you’re coming in after the first chance has come and gone but this tells a fully story of it, and *it hurts.* I loved the imperfections but demonstrable growth of the characters. The POV separation is an interesting way to present this story and I think it ultimately heightens the tensions (for good or bad).

As for the ending, I wasn't sure what to make of it while reading but reflecting on it afterwards, I actually appreciate it in a way. It makes some sense that with the long journey the characters take to that point, ultimately it does just become very simple - they love each other and both have had the opportunity to realize that's what matters in the end. I actually ended up coming back and upping my score because I couldn't stop thinking and *feeling* about this story.

(This was a review of a free advanced reader copy. Thanks to Avon, Amy James, and NetGalley for that privilege!)

I really enjoyed the storyline and the jump between timelines. The main characters seemed to get in their own way most of the time tho

I ended up enjoying Crash Test way more than I expected. I went in thinking it’d be a gay F1 romance (which, sure, it is), but what really surprised me was how grounded and emotionally thoughtful it was. One of the characters gets into a pretty bad crash, so I thought I’d be sitting on edge waiting to see if he made it—but that’s not the story this book tells. It’s way more about healing, therapy, and emotional unpacking than it is about the crash itself.

The split POVs worked really well—half Travis, half Jacob, and some lovely overlap once their stories begin to merge. I loved the way it dug into both of their pasts. It gets surprisingly deep, especially when it comes to trauma, bad behavior, and the slow work of figuring yourself out in therapy. I was really struck by the vulnerability throughout—it never felt performative or surface-level.

You don’t need to know anything about the sport to fall for these characters. I didn’t retain a single F1 fact, but I absolutely loved Travis and Jacob, and the way their dynamic unfolded.

This was a random ARC I received from the publisher and what 😭 was 😭 THAT 😭😭😭😭😭

I am feeling so many emotions right now. First, go read this. Second, get your tissues ready.

What an incredible ride. The yearning between Travis and Jacob was so heart wrenching and just the right amount of unbearable. I was frustrated in the best ways with these two idiots in love. I literally could not put this book down and I spent the entire day reading about Travis and Jacob.

I’m usually not one for flashbacks but in this case they provided much needed context and made the suffering that much more painful. I loved it.

I also really appreciated how both characters had to go through their respective healing journeys to finally find their way back to each other. I loved seeing Travis find the “color” in his world and Jacob’s journey literally made me cry. I love these two.

The pacing was great especially with the way the book was broken up into three parts. First we get Travis’ pov and cry from all the heartwrenching-ness of it. Then we get Jacob’s and his side of the story. And then we get them both side by side to finish off the book.

Overall this was an amazing read and I’m going to have a serious book hangover from it!

Thank you so much to Avon/HarperCollins and Netgalley for the eARC.

Let me start by saying that I am CLEARLY not the target demographic for this book. I really thought I was based on the cover, blurb, and comps. But I'm not.

[ What I expected and what I got were two different things. I really can't put my finger on why I didn't completely love this story.

I'm a sports romance girlie through and through. While F1 isn't something I dive into often, I'm not a hater. This book didn't give me sports romance vibes. (I know that's confusing as hell. Don't be mad at me for my thoughts.)

We're dropped into the middle of the action at the start of the book. Now this, I don't mind. What I did have issue with is how we only get one POV, then we switch, and then we get a hodgepodge of the two in a confusing mix. It could have been because I didn't feel connected to the characters as much so I struggled with it. I'm not sure. I'd have to look at other reviews to know.

One of the MMCs was not my cup of tea. I won't spoil it, but the resolution of things was too quick for me when it comes to him. I would have loved a heavy grovel because WTAH is going on here.

I would recommend reading this title just to build your own opinions on it. I'm no expert, nor do I want to claim a book is bad because *ME, MYSELF, & I* struggled to connect with it. For every reviewer that struggles, there are others that dedicate their entire personality to a story.

Anyway, moving on.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher (Avon & Harper Voyager), and the author Amy James, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Summary: Travis keeping is a Formula 1 driver, ranked at the very top and working twords a championship. He is Know for being calm, unattached, and quiet; until he meets the man who jump starts his heart. Jacob Nichols, a Formula 2 driver, is loud and charismatic, so when he crashes in a deadly pile on inside the track, it throws fans and Travis for a loop. Both fighting for a way forward, this dynamic duo of a couple race to figure out life and love as time speeds on.
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Review: WOW!! Where do I even start with this! I was LOCKED into this book. My first ever full length gay romance between two men and what a race it was to finish this! This is multi POV between Travis and Jacob, and a past and present time line. We are getting current updates from both men while we learn of past memories from when they started dating early on.
I want to tell you first off that I have no experience with Formula One/two or Racing at all- so if your looking for my technical opinions on if this book was factually correct with the racing information provided inside- you won’t find that from me, haha. As fan of going to races here or there, I can tell you this book was fun and not to overwhelming with information dumps.
Now let’s get to the love story! The chemistry and angst between these two is HUGE. I was hanging on every chapter wondering where the plot was going and if we were getting a happy ending! (Spoiler alert we do get one and it’s fantastic) Reading part 1 and just how much Jacob messed up with Travis really, really, made me loath the guy, but just wait!! I can’t tell you enough just how much I loved Jacob’s character arc and growth. I found my self in awe of it. Travis also finding his happiness and a family inside of friends was beautiful.
The writing was easy to follow and this book for me at least wasn’t a drag at all. You are going through so much emotional turmoil and growth between the two characters; that it goes quick. I could have easily ate up a few happy ever after bonus chapters between our guys at the end.
This is the best parts of a mature young adult romance. It’s messy, angsty, fast and when things finally move into place at the end you will be hollering from the stands and tearing up.

🏎️LGBTQ friendly/Gay Romance
🏁Found Family
🏎️Self Love Journey & Soul-searching
🏁Coming out
🏎️Life, death, and recovery

~~*~~*Thank you to the Harper Collins and NetGalley for an early advance digital copy of this book!~~*~~

DNF on this one. It's too trauma filled - particularly with hospital and the car crash at the beginning and is simply not enjoyable for me. I could see others liking it - especially with the rise of Hoover popularity, but this one is not to my personal tastes. I wish I could have made it to the actual relationship beyond the beginning, but it's simply too heavy for me.

I’m leaning more towards a 3.75 on this one. As someone who has read way too many F1 romances and complained about nearly all of them, I have to admit—this one genuinely surprised me. It’s probably the most enjoyable F1 book I’ve come across so far, and the fact that I devoured it in a day or two says a lot about how hooked I was. The pacing is solid, the stakes feel real, and there’s a good blend of angst, heart, and high-speed drama.

Travis absolutely stole the show for me—my sweet, emotionally wrecked, fiercely loyal boy. I adored him and the side characters who added so much warmth and depth to the story. The found family vibes? Top tier.

Now, let’s talk about Jacob. Sigh. I wanted to like him, I really did, but... no. The switch to his POV in the second sector genuinely annoyed me. He came off as cold, selfish, and kind of a jerk. And the worst part? I felt like he got off way too easily. My man Travis deserved an apology tour and a dramatic, heartfelt grovel. Instead, Jacob gave us a half-hearted redemption arc and expected a gold star. He does earn a little credit for finally standing up to his parents, but that alone wasn’t enough for me to fully root for him.

I also wish we got more scenes of Travis and Jacob actually together and happy. After all that angst, I wanted a little more payoff. A few soft moments, a bit more resolution—just something to really sell the HEA.

All in all, this book delivered where many F1 romances fall flat. It’s not perfect, but it kept me invested and emotionally involved, which is more than I can say for most others in the genre.

I sadly struggled to finish this book. It started off great, full of action and I couldn’t wait to see the story (and romance) progress but then it just came to a dead stop. I felt that nothing was happening and the middle - end part of the book was just filler. I had high hopes for this book, but sadly the pacing and flow of the book just wasn’t for me. I did, however, enjoy the author’s writing style and storytelling so I’d definitely be open to checking out more in the future!

This was an enjoyable read. I loved Jacob and Travis and watching their relationship unfold and getting to see both of their perspectives was really engaging. I fell in love with Travis right away; he was so sweet, patient, and clearly cared deeply for Jacob. The way he was with him melted my heart.

I really appreciated how the book let us into both of their experiences, especially as they went through the same moments but felt and processed things differently. It added depth to their story.

I as happy to get an HEA and would recommend.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this arc.

I thought this book was so good! It's been a while since I've read a Formula 1 book and this did not disappoint

This was a super fast and engaging read. I could not put it down, and wanted to love it, but it missed the mark.

I enjoyed the beginning and liked the F1 setting, though this too fizzled out. Things took a turn after the accident and it was hard to read about the Jacob's injuries and hospitalization. The descriptions were quite graphic and I would not recommend it to those who are sensitive to that sort of subject.

It was interesting reading about an already established relationship, as we don't see that much in romance books. I loved how sweet the flashbacks we get about the relationship were. As things begin to unravel though, it became hard to root for them to end up together. Jacob's perspective only soured things further and some of the sentiments he expressed were incredibly toxic. Though he admitted that he often self sabotaged and purposely hurt Travis, the latter seemed to write off the bad behavior quite quickly.

I appreciate that this may be realistic, but it does not make for the most romantic of stories and that is what I am looking for when I pick up a romance book.

Although things technically come together at the end, I would have preferred to have an extended epilogue a few years down the line, as we don't get to spend more than a few days with the newly reunited couple.

My favorite part of the book was the found family Travis was able to build. After shutting himself off from his team, it was nice to see him come fully out of his shell and be accepted by his friends. His PA, turned best friend, Heather was truly a stand out character and added much needed levity to the book.

If you want a slightly complex, messy romance with great found family I would recommend this one, but if you want a lighthearted, cute romance set in F1 I would find another book.

Obviously I loved this book-it hit me in all the feels and I just couldn’t put it down!

Set in the F1 racing world, we dive straight in and watch Travis realize his partner, who he’s been with for over a year and secret, has had a devastating crash. This is a very strong start and by the end of chapter one I was hooked. There were several high emotions running and once the storm settled, all I could feel was Travis’s anxiety and growing hope that Jacob would be ok.
I think my only issue with this story was how the narrative was broken up. By the time I had finished Travis’ half, I didn’t much like Jacob and was surprised with the sudden change in POV.
However I did end up enjoying Jacob’s half of the story, albeit shorter and glossing over his physical rehabilitation and largely focusing on his mental health. I appreciate how reflective he was and how it made him grow into a better person. Jacob’s very young and at age 23, I found it realistic enough for him to have made mistakes and pushed away the person he loved from fear of losing them. Love is a huge feeling and a monumental change to both people’s lives, so add F1 into it and it’s definitely a messy path to navigate.

Being set in the F1 world was well done. I am not familiar with many sports, but felt that I understood the basic terms and concept in racing. It’s definitely more than I realized, but the story focused less on the details of F1 and more on Travis and Jacob, which made it easier.

The whole book is a third act break up while we watch these idiots in love, heal and grow without each other after such a traumatic event. While we saw a lot of their healing separately, I feel that it wasn’t really discussed as much when the two were united. They just missed each other so much that they (Travis) quickly moved on from the actions that Jacob made and hurt With. I feel like after 10 months, a conversation lasting more than one apology was well deserved. Communication is very much necessary for these two losers in love.

I think my favorite thing was the support both Travis and Jacob received from very different groups of people. Travis seemed to be a loner prior to the crash, but found himself surrounded by people who truly cared and loved him. Heather was a steady presence and Hunter made me laugh with his strange ways. Amanda was truly the best therapist, working on trying to get through to Jacob with different methods, and finally being able to get through to him. Kelsie was also a fresh breath of air especially since she was from where Jacob grew up. Shows him that not everyone like his family, will react the way they did (in a sucky unsupportive manner).

Overall I enjoyed this story and the characters. There were many emotions hit and I felt like the characters had some real growth, even though it wasn’t shown very well to each other. I also wanted to note that the blurb claims that this is for fans of RWaRB and while I agree it’s only due to the secret relationship and the queer representation we are given. There’s not much else similar to either novels, but both explore the realities of a secret/hidden relationship with both members being in the public eye and being queer. I found Crash Test to be a little more angsty and less flashy despite being an F1 sports romance.

3.5⭐️
0.25🫑

I honestly don’t know how to rate Crash Test. Like, I enjoyed it, but at the same time, the way it was written was just weird. The biggest issue for me was the storytelling structure—it’s framed as a recollection of Travis and Jacob’s relationship, which took away so much of the depth and intimacy. Instead of actually experiencing their moments together, we’re told about them. It felt like a summary rather than letting us live in those moments. There’s even a part where Travis says something like, “Later, I would’ve done this or that,” which made everything feel even more distant. The way flashbacks were written made it feel disjointed rather than immersive, which frustrated me.

The whole “telling instead of showing” thing was frustrating. I wanted real emotional moments, not quick recaps. I wanted to actually see how their relationship grew, not just be told it happened. Instead, we get rushed dialogue, scenes focusing on side characters (who I didn’t care about), and no real deep dive into their emotions. Like, we find out that Jacob was Travis’s first kiss and first time, but it’s just kind of mentioned in passing?? That should’ve been a moment!!

And the ending… UGH. After a year apart, instead of Jacob actually working for forgiveness, they just immediately jump back into each other’s arms like nothing happened. Travis forgave him way too easily. Jacob says he’ll be better, but honestly? Feels kinda sus. The ending wrapped up so fast that I didn’t even get a chance to enjoy their happy ending. I needed more closure, more conversations, something.

Also, side note—why do we get zero description of what Travis looks like? Like, not a single thing. It was so weird not having any visual on him.

That said, what I did love was how the book opened with the big crash instead of saving it for later like so many MM sports romances do. It was a really smart choice to start with that intense moment and then explore the fallout, rather than making the accident some third-act drama. Seeing how it affected their racing careers and their relationship was definitely the best part of the book.

The plot itself was solid. The chemistry was definitely there, and the characters had distinct personalities. The racing aspect was accurate, but I just wish there was more of it.

Overall, it’s not perfect (not enough groveling!), and the way the story was told didn’t fully work for me, but I still liked the emotional fallout from the crash and how that played out. If you like MM racing romances, it’s worth checking out—just be prepared for a rushed ending and a bit of frustration along the way.

I really enjoyed this book. I am always down for a sports romance with a bit of extra depth. I really liked both characters and enjoyed getting to see their love story progress.