Wow. I have no clue where to start with this book. This is one of my favorite romances I have ever read. It not only mixed sports and romance, but showcased how sports impact life. A perfect sports romance.

The way that love is represented in this book and shown through our characters is everything to me. This book to me, was about how love is not just in the way we care for others, but how love is safety and accommodation. Love is seeing all of a person and doing everything in your power to make their life easier and not giving them any flak for it. Because seeing them live a pain-free existence makes your life easier as well. Love is not falling for someone despite their differences but because of them.

Lilah’s character arc was one of my absolute favorites. Her growing confidence in herself was such a highlight for me. In my eyes, Lilah learns to allow herself the freedom to accept who she is and embrace the new facets of herself. She allows herself the freedom to grow. And that growth in turn, gives her the happiness she deserves.

Arthur is the MMC of my dreams. Not just because he is a dreamboat. But because he is a well-rounded person who learns to understand himself. He trusts and he loves. And by the end of the story, he learns to trust and love himself. His willingness by the end to get help and grow into the best version of himself, makes me love him so much.

Arthur and Lilah work because they not only care about each other, but also because they fight for each other.

Pair this all with an F1 backdrop and you then have a story with the best stakes. I really appreciate the details that went into this book. You can tell that the author so clearly loves the sport. I loved the explanation of F1 politics. As someone with a degree in politics who always looks at things with a political lens, I was immediately hooked by a documentarian fresh off a political doc being thrown into the world of Formula 1 just to find out there are plenty of politics to be found.

This book imbued me with so many emotions. And I am simply utterly obsessed with it. It also gets bonus points for turning me into an F1 fan.

It is fun, healing, transformative, and the perfect summer romance. It is a must-read.

overall it was fun. I obviously love the fact it was a racing romance, so of course I had a great time. would recommend to my friends!

Not my favorite romance read. This was my first F1 romance (and I also am not very familiar with F1 in general), so I appreciated the details on the ins-and-outs of the sport. I also thought the writing had great tone, was humorous, and was easy to follow. However, there was a lot here I wasn’t vibing with. Lilah waxed on and on about how being (1) neurodivergent and (2) adopted has made her so different from everyone around her, but it just came off as having a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas. For me, it was a classic instance of telling vs. showing. Lilah *told* us over and over that her brain works differently, but I didn’t feel that the ADHD rep was genuine or portrayed well. She also *told* us repeatedly that she doesn’t have friends besides Max (who, by the way, is too cartoonish in his antagonism and didn’t feel very believable). I also had a hard time sensing the chemistry between Lilah and Arthur. I appreciated the men’s mental health discussions on Arthur’s part, however I found myself skimming large portions of the text, which is a sign for me that I’m definitely not as invested as I could be. Overall, I am intrigued enough to pick up another F1 romance at some point in the future.

Thank you for the arc.

Cute formula 1 racing romance. Did feel dragged out in some places but then fast paced in others. Would have loved to read how they ended up where they ended with more details . But overall fun quick read.

3.5 stars

Lilah is blindsided when her boyfriend and business partner dumps her out of the blue. Now she's left with no boyfriend, no job, and no money, and isn't sure where to turn. But a chance encounter with Max, a Formula 1 driver hoping to break into his own, turns into an opportunity to get her life back on track and get a little revenge along the way, all while helping Max get out from under his family's thumb. It's a big risk, but it may be just the ticket to the big leagues for both of them.

I learned quite a bit of the broader details of Formula 1 racing, which was really fun as I hadn't really paid much attention to it before. I wasn't a super fan of the way things were manipulated in the story as it felt a little shady, but in the end it seemed to work out and everyone kind of got what they had coming to them. Lilah was still left with a few personal issues to deal with, but overall the relationship felt solid and enjoyable.

4.25

This book was so fun and entertaining. It was my first F1 romance and I honestly can’t wait to read more! It was a bit cheesy but did have some really emotional and powerful moments/lines. I thought the neurodivergent rep was really well done along with the trauma representation.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC. It releases May 20th!

Ps. There is only a small amount of spice and it’s definitely a slower burn romance.

3.75! This was such a fun and emotional F1 romance. I loved how Lilah was introverted and neurodivergent, bringing a refreshing vibe to the typical cocky-driver-meets-girl storyline, and Arthur had way more layers than just the charming bad boy energy. Their chemistry was amazing, but I’ll admit, things moved fast once they got together. Some plot points and character decisions felt a little rushed or unclear, but overall it was a super entertaining, heartfelt read — definitely one of the best F1 romances I’ve picked up.

I never thought I could love a book about formula one racing but here I am!!
Ironically I went to a formula one race years ago, but only because Taylor Swift was playing a (random) concert there.
The chemistry in this book is undeniable!!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC. This title is set to be released on May 20th, 2025.

Oh boy, where to begin. Let's start with context. I WANTED TO LOVE THIS. As an F1 fan and voracious reader, including of the romance genre, this should be for me. And yet...

A non-exhaustive list of where this lost me and/or fell flat
-Oversimplification of the sport that presents as condescension
-Reads as thinly veiled self-insert
-To0 many competing contributing factors that lead to the FMC being really hard to believe as an adult. She presented very young/YA at times which made several other aspects quite uncomfortable
-FMC had little to no agency of her own outside of the male gaze, a personal pet peeve with the genre.

I gave this a solid effort for 66% of the work and then skimmed through the end to see if it would be worth sucking it up and finishing. For me, it was not.

There is likely an audience out there looking for this and who will enjoy this immensely, but alas, I am not a member of that group.

This book was such a fun and enjoyable read. The slow burn was well done and I really like joyed the found family aspect. All the side characters played their parts and had their own presence. There was more going on than just an F1 romance and the journey both the character went through to heal from their pasta added so much to the story and the romance.

- F1 Romance
- Slow Burn
- Found Family
- Mental Health Rep
- Just One Hotel Room

Thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

i wasn’t expecting to like this as much as i did! i don’t know how madge maril managed to capture the addictiveness of f1 in words, but i sped through this. i especially admire how the author unveils the world of formula 1 not just by showing the glamorous side of the sport, but also the bad sides and everything in between. this was pretty digestible even for readers unfamiliar with motorsports, and the romance rolled out at a perfect pace. also, no third act breakup?? i don’t think i can ask for anything better when it comes to a romance novel.

the biggest issue i had with this book was that the transition from mutual attraction to jealousy was almost nonexistent. it happened in seemingly the span of a few pages, and felt too early as we barely got to see the characters really connect with each other. similarly, the jump from crushing on each other to talking about marriage and kids felt a bit drastic as well. also, the characters conspired to engage in fake dating for a specific purpose, but it seemed that neither of them were too happy when they achieved that exact desired outcome? this part left me a bit confused.

overall, this was cute and i enjoyed seeing the characters grow together. i only wish that we got to see more of lilah’s documentary-making process, as we read a lot about her filming clips but nothing about what’s put together or what the final film was like.

4 stars! thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I’m new to f1, as of this race season 2025, and I’ve been reading more f1 novels. I have this issue where a lot of them seem to have the same plot line sort of. Nothing wrong with that I’m sure there’s only so much you can do within the sport BUT Slipstream is not that. It has dimension and diverse characters that I feel it represents really well. The character development and depth is beautiful. The plot the found family…chefs kiss. This book what not what I expected and I am in love with it!

Thank you to Madge Maril, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Slipstream in exchange for my honest review.

Slipstream is more than just an F1 romance story. It is more than a story about revenge and love. It is a story about healing. Both Lilah and Arthur have been through a lot and are now struggling with their mental health. Lilah has been betrayed by someone she thought she loved. Now, desperate to ruin his documentary and show him what he lost, she teams up with Arthur, who has been on reserves since a tragic accident. Both Lilah and Arthur have very different ways of coping. But I loved watching how they both understood what the other was going through and were not only accepting but willing to help each other. The themes of this book are so beyond powerful, not only themes about mental health and acceptance, but also about sexism and problematic family dynamics. Watching Lilah and Arthur grow as a couple and slowly fall in love and accept that they are falling in love was beautiful to watch. The romance was timed out well, and I appreciated the pacing that their romantic development. Watching the two of them together felt right to me, and that does not always happen with romance novels. I also appreciated the third-act conflict, which I rarely do. That was beyond necessary in this case, and if it had not happened, I do not think the romance would have felt believable. This book is for the romance lovers out there, and one that I believe is a great way for people to get into romance if they want to.

I’m going to have to become an F1 girlie now… or at least an F1 romance girlie!

After a multi-betrayal by her boyfriend/business partner, Lilah must team up with (and fake-date!) F1 driver Arthur. Knowing nothing about F1, the reader gets to fall in love with racing and with the racer alongside Lilah.

The slow burn! The longing! The drama! The idiots not acknowledging their love for each other!

I had the absolute best time reading this book. It was such a good time but also balanced being a sports romance and it’s main characters dealing with ADHD, anxiety, PTSD, and abandonment issues. I will always be a sucker for distracting each other during a panic attack and some of the banter had me biting my knuckles.

This is an instant fav and I can’t wait to read anything Madge Maril writes!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!!!

“God you’re going to ruin me. I’ll never want anyone else.”

Arthur, Formula 1 driver and Lilah documentary filmmaker team up together to foil a revenge plot and fall for each other. Arthur and Lilah discover each of their troubled pasts and forge through the dramatic lifestyle of Formula 1. Slipstream is the slowest of slow burns, and when it happens Lilah questions if she is worthy of his affection. Yes girl you are, stop over thinking. The story and plot were there, but could have been worked a bit for clarity.
I loved how they bonded over liking the same television show (that I liked as a kid) that made me giggle.
There were a few formatting issues, if those can be corrected, that would be wonderful, but not a deal breaker for me.

As an avid open wheel race fan for 30 years (and I also worked for a large racetrack venue) descriptions of races, weekends were accurate, and I love the way she described the smell of race cars and pit lane. This was a nice detail to trigger those who have experienced watching/attending a live race event.
If you’re a fan of Formula One or any type of open wheel racing, you will enjoy this book. I would love more F1/open wheel racing books to be published. We need something other than hockey romances.


Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of Slipstream!

This is one of those books that you can't stop thinking about when you put it down, and cannot wait to start reading again.
This is one of the first books I've read in a while that I genuinely thought the MCs made an incredibly strong couple that would last beyond the epilogue. Arthur is so clearly head-over-heels for Lilah, and she (slowly but surely) falls for him just as hard. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but know that these loved-up moments include holding her in a plane, a sunrise rooftop breakfast, surprise camera shopping, and some "my wife" moments.
In addition to the swoon-worthy moments, Slipstream draws on your heartstrings by going through the difficult family dynamics of both the MCs. Throughout the book, you can see Arthur falling for Lilah and see how hard it is for her to come to terms with this because she has always been the last choice of those she trusted (*cough Max cough*). You additionally see great mental health representation (specifically, ADHD and anxiety) as well as how these characters must come to stand up for themselves despite outside forces working against them.
Overall, this is one of the books that I wish would go on forever (or, at the very least, have a very active fanbase writing fanfiction epilogues haha).

Thank you very much to the publisher and Madge Maril for this eARC!
All opinions presented are my own.

Tropes:
- Documentarian x F1 Driver
- Mental health rep (ADHD and anxiety)
- Fake dating
- He falls first and harder
- Secret crush
- He notices and remembers everything about her
- Slow burn
- Found family
- Revenge plot

Madge Maril expertly brings the love and speed to this F1 romance.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I haven't ever read a book with the F1 trope but fell in love. I wasn't sure when recievibg this book if I would like it, but I loved it and the cover is super fun. I will be recommending this book to others!

3.5 stars (rounded up)

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and Madge Maril for an Arc copy of SlipStream.

I was very happy to be given a copy of SlipStream to read and review before it is released in May 2025. Lilah Graywood, a documentarian who lives with ADHD and abandonment issues and how she gets into an agreement to shoot a documentary about Formula 1 racing, specifically about the hunky "womanizer" driver, Arthur Bianco. When Lilah's business partner and at the time boyfriend decides to take their relationship and business away from her, she and Arthur create a plan not only to help Lilah maintain her image and business but to help Arthur make changes in his own life and career.

After taking a few days to reflect I am giving this book a 3.5 star rating. I did enjoy the banter between Lilah and Arthur which helped drive the story. Maril's style of writing reminds me of Emily Henry but with sarcasm and more detail. While in some instances I enjoyed the writing when it demonstrated how Lilah's mind works, which is very close to how my neurospicy mind thinks as well. In some instances it was overly detailed to the point of becoming too much causing my reading to slow.

This might just be me, but it was really hard for me to think formula 1 racing is sexy. I will say that I don't know anything about the sport itself or the money and politics behind it. I am sure that Maril did her homework on the subject. However, I also know absolutely nothing about Hockey, but for some reason I have no hard time believing it is just, well, hot. While formula 1 didn't work for me and I still don't understand how such a tall tall man can fit into a tiny car, I am sure it will work for someone else out there.

I did really enjoy that in this romance book that the issues that happened in the book had more substance as to why there was conflict. It wasn't just a silly miscommunication or lack their of. It seemed like a legit reason for two people that needed to work out things in their life before they could understand what they wanted and or needed. And for that I will be forever thankful to this author. If you are wondering about spice, this book does have sexual tension abound and some pretty spicy moments that I would say equate to that of a habanero pepper.

With this being a debut novel for Maril, I believe that this is just the beginning for her in the romance book genre. I am hopeful and ready to read her next book because I think she will definitely have honed her craft more. Then again, what do I know? I have never wrote a book before.

I really enjoyed this!!!! I loved the actual description of F1 racing and getting to learn the details of it with Lilah. I loved Arthur!! What a protective cutie. Max was the worst and I really loved how that storyline turned out. Fingers crossed we get another book in this world bc I would love to see Sarah find a happy ending!!!