This was a quick, fun and emotional read that I really enjoyed! This was my first book involving racing. While it didn't feel like we spend a lot time actually racing I liked what was there. I liked all of the characters. Jacob was a little hard for me to like at first but he grew on me once I got through his POV. I enjoyed seeing Travis come out of his shell and develop friendships with Matty and Heather. I'm not sure how I feel about how the story was presented. The first part is Travis' POV and switches back and forth between present and past. The second part is Jacob's POV and in the present. The third part switches between them both in the present. It would be nice if the chapters had been marked. I wish we had gotten a little more time with them together in the present. I would have like to see Jacob grovel a little more.

A sports m/m romance that was a delight to read. The characters were well written and the plot was intriguing and kept my interests. The only gripe I have with the book was the alternating timeline got a little messy, and confusing at times. But all in all this was a good read.

Amy James’s enters the packed racing romance world with “Crash Test,” a cute but one-note, by the numbers love story. You’ll follow two race car drivers, Travis, quiet and shy (but hot — oy vey) and party boy Jacob who’s sitting on a secret (shhhh he’s also hot but… he’s closeted and bi!). After the latter crashes in a fiery F2 race, Travis’s world slows down thinking the worse and that their secretive love story may come to an end. It’s cute if just a smidge unoriginal. Wait… Crash Test? Was the crash a “test” for their relationship? The title may finally make sense… anyway!

I enjoyed Travis coming out of his shell the more he spent with Jacob, but this leads to my biggest issue I had with this book: the author’s over reliance on telling not showing. You’re told these two characters are interested in one another from page one — like we’re joining a party halfway through and the cake has already been cut, and no, there aren’t any edge slices with extra frosting left.

This is made more egregious by the way the story is presented, jumping from present to past to present with no disclaimer at the start of each chapters. One moment you’re in the hospital, then you’re in a hotel room months before after some raunchy (off the pages) fun has been had. It’s just not presented well.

Speaking of, the novel starts from Travis’ perspective, before slowing down and following Jacob surrounded by super unlikeable and trope filled family members. The final act is a combo of the two but by then, you’ll be tired of the aforementioned telling not showing that you may think of yourself as a F1 racer yourself, speeding (recklessly) to get to the end of this one. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Overall, the story was given in an easily digestible way and kept you desperate to read more. I loved getting the different perspectives of the characters and hearing both sides of the story. The characters are all fun and I find it hard to hate any of them (besides the obvious) and when you hear both sides of the story, you understand where everyone is coming from. As frustrating as the last half was wishing everyone would get it together, it was a pleasant end, though I wish there was a little more groveling.

This is the second book by Amy James I have read. I just really could not get into this book. I think her writing just may not be for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ◡̈

I was super excited about getting approved for an ARC on Netgalley just because the premise really drew me in. That being said, this was definitely a fun and quick read. I adored Travis and I loved seeing his journey from being a recluse to this found family. I loved his character growth and him opening up and being himself to people besides Jacob.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Jacob at first. Travis was head over heels for Jacob but Jacob made it seem like he only cared about the sex. But once we delve into his POV it starts to make more sense. I think Jacob’s journey was also incredibly important and the self reflection he had during his therapy sessions I think were well done.

This book falls a bit flat in overall storytelling, and in my opinion the end. Because of the way the first part is back and forth between Travis dealing with the crash in the present and his relationship with Jacob in the past, we definitely missed important relationship building. The past scenes were written in past tense so it made those scenes more like a recount of what happened vs actually being in those moments with the characters. The structure of this definitely made their relationship development suffer in my opinion. The second part being in Jacob’s POV definitely was important for the story, but I do wish we could’ve just had their POVs changing throughout the book instead of entire parts being dedicated to each character. It took me awhile to warm up and care about Jacob’s POV after spending the entire first half focused solely on Travis.

I also feel like the ending was wrapped up too quickly and nicely? Travis was entirely too forgiving and while Jacob said he had a whole apology planned, we never actually got to see it. The scene where they finally see each other in person again felt kind of cheapened with the immediate smut. These characters had some major issues to talk through and instead of that they had a quickie and it just felt like this build up for this moment was almost a waste. Again I think the main issue was the telling instead of showing us. It also just wrapped up way too quickly after the fact.

I did enjoy this and read it really quick but I honestly cared more about Travis and his found family over his relationship with Jacob.

Crash Test by Amy James was an ode to the everlasting bond between two men and the stark realities they faced as Formula 1 and Formula 2 racers.

Travis Keeping is on pace to have one of the best seasons of his career. His life is turned upside down in a matter of seconds. Jacob Nichols, and several other F2 racers, were involved in an on-track crash. None of Keeping’s team understands why his performance is trending downward. No one does. Because he and Jacob had kept their relationship a secret from everyone. No one knew how much Travis loved Jacob. Not even Jacob was aware of it. It wasn’t something they said to each other.

It’s hard to put into words how beautifully written this book is. I found myself clutching my blanket and fighting off tears. I needed Jacob to be healthy. If not, I was afraid of what could have happened to Travis. I could hear the hospital monitors and feel the cold temperature of the room every time Travis snuck in after visiting hours.

For months while Jacob healed, Travis had to come to terms with his identity outside of racing. When he was no longer welcome by Jacob’s side in the hospital, or outside of it, he had to learn how to be himself again.

Jacob had to find a way back to himself post-crash. He let so many expectations of his family rule his life, that he pushed the one man who offered him a sense of happiness away. It was like a knife to the heart when he chose not to fight for Travis.

I loved the racing sequences. We listened to what the drivers heard in their helmets and as they drove during races. We were allowed a slight glance into the mental strength required to be a top-tier driver.

Please do yourself a favor and pre-order this one. I will order a physical copy to keep on my shelf. It’s one that I plan to go back to over and over.

Overall I thought the book was very good. The idea of starting with two people who are already basically in a relationship and then building it out was really compelling, especially when put into the framework of the crash and near death experience. I like that the book acknowledged the concerns of the parents and gave a lot of time for the injured racer to come around. A lot of books like this would have him have his gay epiphany very quickly, but having him genuinely enter into a depressed state that is wholly realistic under the circumstances, and showing a positive therapy experience is really beneficial. Speaking from personal experience, I went into therapy in a similar mindset as the character that it would not help and showing the pathway from thinking it is pointless to getting meaning is really nice. I thought a little too much time might have been spent on the trans-atlantic flybys that could have been spent on showing them falling into the relationship for real a little more slowly, having a bit more tension at first and working to come to terms with everything. I think that would have been a slightly more compelling narrative, but it isn't the narrative contained in the book and I don't think it's severe enough to dock it. Overall, 5/5. Well written, no typos are odd phrasing. The book had a gay awakening, internal homophobia narrative and moral lesson without laying it on too thick and obvious in a way that ruins the storytelling itself in some book. I really enjoyed it.

Incredibly fast paced. Loved it from start to finish

Love that I’m a Lightning McQueen girlie bc I just know that Jacob was inspired HEAVILY by that man. Good lord! This book was written for me.

A third act break up/misunderstanding DURING a third act breakup was 🧑‍🍳💋

Immediately preordered it hehe

What a pleasant surprise this book ended up being!

I’m personally a sucker for a second chance romance, so the premise of this sucked me in immediately. I was a little worried I wasn’t going to connect with their relationship since we were seeing its development in flashbacks rather than firsthand, but even so I thought their chemistry was undeniable and their relationship was believable.

Usually I’m not a huge fan of dual POV, but in this case it really worked. When it’s first person and dual POV, I don’t always feel like there’s enough of a distinction between the two characters. That wasn’t the case with Travis and Jacob. They were two very distinctive characters, and I appreciated being able to see their character development throughout their POVs.

Their relationship was definitely an interesting one to see develop. It was certainly complex and flawed, but it was clear even with the issues they had they did love each other. They just both needed to be in different headspaces before they were able to have a successful relationship.

The only real criticism I personally had for this book was the side characters were kind of weak. Heather and Kelsie were essentially the same character, and I wish we had gotten a little bit more from Hunter other than Heather’s boyfriend and vegan. I know with a book this size, there’s only so much you can do with side characters, but I still wish they had been more developed.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I ended up reading it in two sitting because it immediately sucked me in. I will for sure be reading more from this author in the future!

F1/F2 racing
Huge crash
Dating the competition
Forced proximity
Shitty family
Found family

I didn't love the 3 parts of the story it could have alternated POV. It was very crash heavy spiral and not so much romance.

Overall quick and easy read that was buttoned up nicely

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I loved this. It was very slow in the beginning, but the pace increased towards the middle. Not a lot of books make my chest hurt when things start to get rough, but this one did. It hurt reading about some of the stuff. And that’s more than enough to show how much I enjoyed this.
I loved the formula 1 aspect of it. They went into it more than some other F1 books. The format of the story was odd at first but I got used to it and it made the story better. I couldn’t get enough of Travis and Jacob.

Amy James’ Crash Test had such a great concept, and overall, I think she did a solid job executing it. The mix of high-stakes racing and an emotional romance made for an interesting read, and the themes of identity and control added depth to the story. Plus, the side characters were amazing—I absolutely loved them, and they added so much personality to the book. There were even a few moments that made me chuckle, which I really appreciated.

That being said, the romance didn’t always hit for me. There were times when it felt like Jacob wasn’t really into Travis, which made their relationship feel a little one-sided. I get that Jacob was dealing with his own struggles, but I wish we had seen more moments that showed his love and care for Travis. Also, the dual timeline just didn’t work—it made the pacing weird and took away some of the emotional impact.

Overall, it was a cute book, but it dragged in some places, and the romance didn’t flow as well as I wanted. Still, the concept was strong, and I think fans of sports romances might enjoy it!

Thank you to netgalley and avon books for the arc!

This is probably one of the better contemporary sport romances that I’ve read! I was immediately sucked in with the beginning. The author knows how to hook their audience. The story that followed after is what I stuck around for. I highly recommend that people read this.

I didn’t know what to expect going into Crash Test because I really don’t know anything about F1 racing, but I absolutely adored this. You are immediately plunged right into the deep end of the plot and the drama, which kept me hooked from the very first page. I was immediately invested in Travis and Jacob’s story, the crash, and how they were going to bridge this massive gap between them. And man is there drama. Right from the start, Travis’ POV shows you alternating timelines of current day and their relationship leading to this point and all of the cuts back to Travis’ current mental state are just heartbreaking.

These two characters are unbelievably flawed and, frankly, treat each other terribly - they’re not honest with each other in their relationship, which leads to all of the angst and heartache throughout the story. That and Jacob’s self-righteous and Evangelical family who made me want to rip my hair out! But going through this journey with them and getting to the end point is so satisfying and you can’t help but root for them to get their shit together (looking at you Jacob). But getting to that point is full of SO MUCH ANGST and TEARS that I didn’t expect and really liked! I also think that James does an excellent job of portraying the cyclical thought and boundary setting that’s involved when an adult has to move in/lives with their parents -I deeply enjoyed Jacob’s recovery section and his mental health journey with his therapist (who I LOVED).

Some standouts of this story, however, are all of the side characters. Travis’ friend group of Matty and Heather (and Hunter, let’s be real), felt so genuine and honest that it brought tears to my eyes. Travis is someone who’s always felt out of place and he finds his *people* in this trio and I just love how much they supported him! And Mrs. Costa…god!! He finds himself a family and its just beautiful. I also really liked Kelsie and her “reasonable” and “unreasonable” mantra resonated with me and I can see myself using this in my own life.

There were just a few minor things that kept me from rating it a full 5 stars. <spoiler> I needed clarification on how Antony died. That was just so deeply unsettling and upsetting, especially since it seemed like he was doing better. Ughhh. And I also feel like the ending wraps up a little *too* quickly and think that Travis forgives Jacob a little too easily. Maybe it’s just my personality type, but I wanted a bit more groveling to round out the story. </spoiler>

Crash Test is an easy read - you become entranced quickly and just don’t want to put it down, “responsibilities” and “work” be damned. It’s fun and emotional and all around a good time. James is an exceptional writer and I will definitely be exploring her books (and other F1 books - this might be the start of a bad obsession lol). I loved this so much and already know it’s one that I’m going to come back to again and again.

Thank you so much to Avon for the advanced copy! Crash Test is out on 7/1!

I LOVED this book!!!!!!!!!! Describing it as F1 meets Red, White & Royal Blue is *chefs kiss* so I knew I'd be in immediately. I found Travis and Jacob to be quite compelling characters and I loved the setting spanning both the worlds of F1 & F2. I enjoyed the non-linear storytelling in 'sector 1' and 'sector 2' and appreciated the respective character growths. The ending felt slightly rushed, but I would still give this 4.75 stars and will be recommending it to everyone I know!

If I could rate this book 10 stars then I would. I love queer romance and can never get enough of these types of books. I highly recommend this to everyone.

Crash Test was an interesting twist of a sports romance novel.
Saying this as a person who doesn't read a lot of romance, but I thought the moments shared between them was sweet and not dragging down the plot.

I honestly liked how we got to see their relationship in small windows of time as Travis is spiraling and trying to keep himself sane. Instead of a year long narrative we get to see the moments that defined their relationship. While it is not everyone's cup of tea, it made the moments special and something he treasured.

I think it would have been nice in the chapter headers to see where we are or who's pov as later in the book it can be a bit confusing, but not a deal breaker.

Also I look how the book forces Jacob to see into himself and to fix his problems via therapy, cause yes people can change. But when it is thrown into the plot armor wind instead of the grueling mental gymnastics it is. It detracts from the character growth. So I am glad the author spent time to flesh out his growth and battling his insecurities.

I really liked most of this book! If you want a traditional romance where they spend most of the book falling in love and ending up together, this won't be the book for you, but I think that the relationship between Travis and Jacob was portrayed really well. I read the book almost entirely straight through, and felt very invested in the characters. I enjoyed the side characters as well, and would have liked to see a little more of most of them.
It definitely wrapped up more quickly than I expected. I would have liked to see a little bit more of Travis and Jacob talking to each other and working through things at the end, especially because it felt like a shift in pace from the rest of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
Rating: 4.5/5, rounded to 4

This book starts off with a bang, following F1 driver Travis Keeping as he watches a horrific F2 crash that involves his partner, Jacob Nichols. As Jacob's critical condition persists, readers are taken on a journey back in time to the beginning of their relationship and how they were able to keep it a secret amidst the chaos on the Formula 1 and 2 grids. As Jacob awakens and their relationship changes, we watch both men tackle what their love means to themselves, and how motorsports impacts every aspect of their lives.

The dual timeline storytelling and ultimately starting the book with the major conflict of the plot line hooked me immediately. Both Jacob and Travis were characterized so vividly and this helped me understand the both of them, their motivations, and the decisions they make (even if I didn't agree with them). We watch both men navigate pivotal moments in their careers and find out what they actually care about: the opinions of others or doing what they love while loving who they love.