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!!!

This was really cute! I especially enjoyed the documentary-style elements, it added a unique touch to the story. However, I did feel like the book left a little to be desired—it lacked some depth. While it touched on deeper topics, they often felt a bit surface-level. At first, I wasn’t a fan of Arthur, but he definitely grew on me over time. On the other hand, I found Lilah quite annoying, and I didn’t feel that her character experienced much growth. That said, the writing itself was solid for a debut novel, and I’m definitely curious to see where the author’s writing journey goes from here!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this ARC.

While I haven’t thought about Slipstream since finishing it , I had a great time reading!

I loved both characters and their respective arcs — got a little teary eyed towards the end . It was accessible (without being too info dumpy) since lilah was shooting a documentary about an F1 driver , so it would be easy for someone new to the sport to follow along . It was also quite refreshing from the handful of F1 romances I’ve read , since it explored the politics and abuse drivers face from their teams , which typically involve family members since F1 is one big rich nepotism circle.

I will say that once lilah and Arthur got together , things moved too fast with them immediately talking about marriage and babies , which was jarring —but I’m willing to admit that may be my general avoidance tendencies speaking .Additionally, some character motivations and plot points were unclear.

I’m in the mood for an F1 doc tho !

Thank you atria for the ARC

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5 Stars)

I want to extend a huge thank you to Madge Maril, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Slipstream. This book was an absolute joy to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.

As an F1 fan (it’s one of my favorite sports) and a lover of sports romance, Slipstream was a perfect fit. The blend of high-speed racing and emotional depth made for such a thrilling and tender read. It was a romance that balanced intensity with vulnerability in the most beautiful way.

The book will resonate with anyone who’s been told they’re “too much”—too needy, too obsessive, too emotional. I loved the way Slipstream carried the energy of a song like Tate McRae’s “Miss Possessive”—soft yet fiery, introspective but fierce. It’s also a must-read for those who love F1 and want a romance that matches that adrenaline-pumping energy.

Lilah and Arthur were both incredibly well-developed characters with their own emotional baggage, and I loved how their relationship unfolded. Their romance was slow-burn, grounded in care, and perfectly paced. There was a beautiful mix of tenderness and emotional depth with the excitement of the racing world they inhabit. I appreciated how Arthur took his time with Lilah, respecting her space and showing her the care she deserved without pushing her too fast.

Lilah’s growth throughout the book was a standout for me. She begins as a soft, reserved character but grows into someone who confidently owns her power and doesn’t shrink to fit anyone else’s expectations. Her transformation was empowering, and I loved how she stepped into her own strength.

Arthur was the perfect counterpart to Lilah—cocky, charming, and undeniably attractive, but also with hidden depths that made him a compelling hero. The dynamic between them was electric, and I loved watching their slow, steady connection build.

Overall, Slipstream is a beautifully written romance that is emotionally rich and full of heart. It’s for anyone who loves a tender but intense love story and for fans of F1 looking for a romance that captures the high stakes and speed of the sport.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this incredible book. I’m excited to recommend it to others!

I thought this was an all around good book. I think its best quality was hands down the diverse representation of neurodivergent charcaters. It was so seamlessly worked into the plot in a way that highlighted her unique qualities without making it her whole personality. There were a few "print errors" during texting converstaions that were a bit confusing. Some text was placed in a text message box that shouldn't have been. But overall, it was an entertaining and satisfying story.

a perfect romance read for people who love f1 and the vibe DTS set in this slow burn romance book between two characters who are seeking revenge and redemption.