I had the pleasure of reading Slipstream by Madge Maril pre-release as a reviewer for my podcast, The Paddock Girls, an all-women Formula 1 and motorsport podcast. Huge thanks to Madge, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the opportunity!

This book absolutely blew me away. As an F1 fan, I loved how believable and immersive the world felt. The fictional team in the book definitely gave me Red Bull and McLaren vibes, which made the story even more engaging.

The relationship between Lilah, the documentarian, and Arthur Bianco, the racing driver, was a highlight. Their love story wasn’t just about romance—it was also about their personal growth. Watching them evolve both as individuals and as a couple was so satisfying. And Delaney? Easily my favorite side character!

I really appreciated how Madge portrayed ADHD. It felt genuine and well-researched—far more realistic than the exaggerated depictions you often see. There was maybe one moment where it felt slightly off, but it didn’t take away from the experience.

I couldn’t put this book down. Sure, there were a few small mistakes (pages 66, 125, 175), but that’s expected with a pre-read. The text boxes were a fun touch, but I wish their use was more consistent—sometimes they’d shift from text to explanation, which threw me off a bit. But those are minor things.

Overall, this book is a gem. The spice was definitely there (4/5 for that alone!), but the storytelling, character growth, and world-building were what really stood out. Can’t wait to see the final version hit the shelves!

First off, I want to thank Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book! It was such a great read, and I really enjoyed the plot of it. It was such a quick and easy read, and the plot never had a ‘dull’ moment. This is a slow burn, but never once did I think it dragged on, I was immersed the whole time! I really love how the story is sectioned in months, and you can see how each character grows and progresses as they follow the Formula 1 Calendar. I enjoyed this book very much, and will recommend it to my romance and formula 1 friends and family!

not the best romance i've read, but certainly not the worst. definitely had fun qualities and i would recommend it to a friend. i would be interested to read the author's next book.

“Forget us here, I’d tell the watch ticking away at my wrist if time had ears and would listen to someone as small as me. Go on, we’re okay being left behind. Time does me one better, though. It keeps going and going, giving me the only other option I’d take. Every next second with him.”

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 4.25 stars

This is the F1 romance the F1 girlies deserved all this time. This truly took me by such a surprise and I loved every second of it. It’s a masterclass in understanding the complexity of what you’re writing about. It’s clear how much research or just all together love that this author has for Formula One and its community and culture. Even beyond that, the romance itself worked so well for me. Arthur is an amazing mmc and Lilah is a just as amazing fmc. These two characters really connect in a way that resonates with you as a reader and you feel for them in every heavy moment. I could physically feel the tension in my chest growing toward the end and their romance is just so gripping and it keeps you waiting in a beautifully paced slow burn.

One thing I truly commend the author on is that it was a slowburn, but it never felt “too slow”. The pacing of their romance felt right and you could feel as each character fell and how they held themselves back. It was never a case of “oh would they just kiss already?” and always a case of just being excited for the tension to snap and have them confess their love for one another. You could read from Lilah’s perspective how her view of Arthur changed, but even without reading Arthur’s perspective, you could see it through Lilah how his feelings were growing and evolving. Every little act of love he did from even the very start of their friendship/relationship made me swoon for this fictional man who I could only continue to wish was real. My nitpicks truly only lie with the fact that i don’t fully understand the reason they had to fake date. Perhaps it wasn’t explained clearly enough or it went over my head but it felt like an odd reason to push them even closer when they were already halfway there.

Other than that, I think that this book just took me by such a surprise after previous racing/Formula One romances that I’ve read. It’s a breath of fresh air in giving a fairly-realistic look at the sport while still incorporating that fun romantic comedy/drama into the world that she spins. I will definitely be on the lookout for any future releases from her and will be thinking about Arthur and Lilah for months to come.

~ My Ratings ~

Characters - 4.75 ☆ - believable, diverse representation, memorable, strong relationships

Plot - 4.25 ☆ - addictive, gripping/exciting, steady pacing, well-structured

Setting - 4.25 ☆ - atmospheric, immersive world-building, realistic

Writing Style - 4.5 ☆ - beautifully-written, easy to read, original, witty

Adorable and fun! A quick, light read.

I did find the characters' motivations to be a little confused at times, but not a huge deal for me. I loved the relationships Lilah built with not just Arthur, but also the whole team and how she really found her place after defining herself as an outsider for so long.

I really enjoyed this novel; the characters felt real, and the well-paced plot kept me engaged from start to finish.

Big F1 girl so I wanted to enjoy this book, but it was not my favorite. I did enjoy the race weekends described & it just made me want to go to one more.

However, the main characters fell flat for me. I can kind of see what she was trying to do with Lilah but at points it felt the plot was that she had ADHD. There was some not so believable dialogue, fake dating trope aside.

At the end there were aspects of the book I enjoyed, mostly the side characters & friendships formed and the obvious F1 throughout. Unfortunately, I think not loving either main character over shone everything else.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a LOVELY debut novel from Madge Maril! I went into Slipstream expecting an exciting F1 romance, and while it delivered on that front, what really stood out was the depth of its characters—especially in how it explored mental health.

Lilah is ambitious, whip-smart, and passionate about her work as a documentarian, but she also struggles with impulsivity and feeling like she’s too much—like an outsider in her own world. As someone who’s also neurodivergent, seeing a FMC navigate life with an ADHD brain felt incredibly validating. It wasn’t treated as a joke or a quirky personality trait—it was simply part of her, in all its messiness and brilliance. Her struggles were so relatable that at times, I found my heart breaking at her self-doubt and self-criticism, echoing thoughts I’ve had myself.

Arthur, on the other hand, is grappling with the aftermath of a pretty messed up accident, trying to redefine himself as a comeback kid when his entire identity has been wrapped up in his family name’s racing legacy. His struggles with trauma gave the story real emotional weight, and I really appreciated seeing a male lead be vulnerable in a way that felt raw rather than performative.

The romance had a slow-burn quality that worked well, but I didn’t always feel the chemistry as much as I wanted to. Some parts moved so fast they felt a little overwhelming, making it hard to fully sink into the emotional build-up before the big moments hit. That said, when Lilah let his her guard down, those scenes did land!

Overall, this was a solid, well-written romance with layered, deeply human charactersand I really appreciated its take on neurodivergence, trauma, and healing!

🏎️ F1 romance with emotional depth
🧠 Authentic neurodivergent representation
🥹 A hero who loves quietly but completely
💕 Fake dating

i think this is the perfect intro to f1! the author answered all my initial questions i had when i first started watching f1 in a clear and concise way and didn’t give too many unnecessary details! she perfectly captures the misogynistic and elitist f1 system and i loved seeing them get their karma!!! i also did have fun trying to figure out who each driver was inspired by!

onto the characters, love love love arthur! from the jump he was so reserved but it was so easy to tell he really cared about lilah! i was kind of like girl open your eyes!!! while some of his actions made me kind of upset i totally get where he’s coming from, he wants redemption and to prove after an old accident that he can come back and be the best!

i loved lilah! she feels like an outcast and is torn between professionalism and her heart and it was a ride watching her figure out what decision to make. must say her ex is scum of the earth and i want to rip his toenails off one by one!! loved getting insight into the documentary process that was so intriguing! her story with her birth mom was so sad, that she felt left behind bc she wasn’t good enough. her journey to self acceptance was done so well!

overall so enjoyable i always love a little forbidden romance and a man down bad! i normally have issues with f1 books i’ve read bc they lean into the misogyny while trying to explore it which makes me despise the mmc but this one didn’t do that!!! i loved arthur the entire time! even if you’re not an f1 fan i think you’ll love this book!

I really enjoyed this slow burn romance. I didn't know what to think about the Formula 1 setting, but I think the author did a really good job of making it interesting and exciting. I liked that the main characters had some unique characteristics and therefore weren't boring which made me more intrigued by the story.

Halfway through this book, I knew that I needed more from this author. More books because when this was gonna be over, I was immediately going to need more stories. I absolutely love the rating. I love the character development. I loved how the story was told.
Lilah’s sexuality isn’t really declared in the book. It mentions that she’s been with women before so we could say she’s bisexual. It’s also mentioned by her in her thoughts that her ex-boyfriend joked that she was demisexual, because she had to have a deep emotional connection with someone in order to look twice at them. And I would say that you really kind of do see that she does form that deep emotional connection with our MMC.
Lilah films documentaries… she’s documentarian that’s what she loves. She’s also ADHD and she loves to keep the world away from her through some form of wall and she uses her camera as that wall a lot of the time. And I will say I connected with her character on that type of level and I thought the ADHD representation was written very well and I did not expect to find that in this book.
F1 romances are very much new to me and now I’m absolutely addicted. I read one about a year ago, but didn’t really continue on in that series even though I wanted to I’ve recently started getting into them in the past month and this is now lit a fire under me and I really wish this author had more because if they did, I would eat them all up. I’m so excited to see what else Madge Maril writes in the future and I will be getting it without reading the synopsis because I loved Slipstream that much. I will be purchasing a physical copy of this when it releases!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read Slipstream! It was so fun to dip my toe into the world of F1, made me even want to start watching! Arthur was so charming and wonderful, how could you not love him and I couldn't help but relate to Lilah. I loved their story, however for me it felt a little fast. All in all couldn't stop reading and enjoyed this first jump into F1 racing!

ARC REVIEW--3.5 Stars

"I see you and wonder if we'll have a child with your eyes, your mind, your fire. God, Lilah, it's you. My future is all over your face. So don't go. Stay. Let me catch up to you this time, please."

Let's start off by saying that I love me a good Formula 1 romance and I thought this book was the perfect intro book for people who are not familiar with the sport. Madge had just the right amount of sport to romance balance and although I enjoyed this book it was a bit of a slow start for me. I didn't truly start getting into the storyline until 30-40% into the book and I thought the extra fluff in the beginning dragged on just a smidge longer than necessary. In my opinion I think it could've been used for more moments between the main characters learning about one another, growing their relationship and seeing more of their love grow on page. However with that being said, I truly enjoyed the ending of the book. At the end of the day, I'm glad that they both chose what was best for each other but also for themselves especially in an elitist world of toxic misogyny, that can sometimes (if not most times) be the F1 world.
Honorable mention for his love proclamation because damn-get you a man like Arthur to profess his love for you like that👏

I was immediately hooked by the plot of this book! 📚 From the start, I loved how Arthur and Lilah’s relationship began—initially to help each other out—but without the 100% certainty that they liked each other. The dynamic between them was so intriguing! 🫶 I especially enjoyed the F1 aspect of the story; it was so well-integrated and really brought the world to life. 🏎️💨

Lilah, the female main character, was so relatable and easy to connect with. Her growth throughout the book, especially with Arthur’s support, was such a rewarding journey to witness. ✨ I loved watching her evolve and start seeing Arthur for who he truly was, beyond just the race car driver persona. And speaking of Arthur—his character was wonderfully layered, and I adored how Lilah slowly uncovered his true self as she got to know him more. 💖

Their banter from the very beginning was absolutely priceless—I was smiling the whole time.

I have to mention how bothered I was by Michael from the start. 😤 He was so unfair to Lilah! She definitely deserved so much better for both a business partner and a boyfriend. 👏

Overall, this was such a fun, exciting, and cute read! A perfect blend of romance, growth, and a thrilling F1 backdrop. 🏁💘 Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming story with some serious racing action!

Release Date: May 20 2025

"When you really want something, you're okay with being in second place for a while."

Do I know anything at all about F1? No ☺️ But do I like people learning to communicate well and rely on others? Yes! Slipstream had both the wild drama of racing and the gentle patience of letting love bloom.

---

Lilah starts on a very bumpy road of moving to a new state, finding out her boyfriend / business partner has been cheating on her and also she doesn't actually own the company, he filed only in his name, and now she's fired because he was cheating! Yay men!!

Her documentary's subject, Ignition's Arthur Bianco, has an idea for them though: Lilah gets revenge on her cheating ex and Arthur gets fired so he can go to a team where he isn't trapped under his uncle's thumb.

---

Arthur is prickly and jaded, and maybe Lilah is too. But honestly, it was so nice seeing two people with complete histories be able to talk about their issues and traumas and be supportive of each other. I also really loved the footage being used not only as part of the documentary filming, but being there to show Arthur and Lilah as two people falling in love.

I think there could've been more with the ending, especially in regards to Arthur's uncle and the accident. It definitely felt like there was hinting at something going to happen at that race, but then there was nothing?


Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eARC of Slipstream in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC and for my honest review. I didn't like this book as much as I thought. I was really exciting to read another formula 1 book. i've only ever read one series about it. i'm going to start off with what i did like (which is only one thing lol) i did like the way that the races was described and the scenery with that. butttt i felt like Lilah was just felt she has no emotions and the way she responded to compliments was awkward especially with arthur. like at least say aw or thanks like something😅 i never realized the miscommunication trope but i hateee it. they both liked each other and just didn't confess there feelings. the whole point of the "fake dating" confused me bc it like they wanted to hide there feelings and but then let ppl know and for him to get fired bc he had feelings idk it was confusing for me. THE SPICE SCENE oml i wanted to dnf it soooo bad😭😭😭😭 like how is it that the first time lilah and arthur have sex and he's always calling her his wife and wanting kids🫠 like make that make sense. also lilah being bisexual came out of nowhereeee i think there was a subtle hint but barely it made no sense. she literally just dropped the bomb and it just brushed off.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Madge Maril for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts! I read this story with very minimal knowledge about Formula 1 but the basics were very well explained that it was easy to keep up with. The last 20% ish felt rushed in my opinion but overall, I will be keeping an eye out for more of Madge Maril’s books in the future!

Tropes:
- Formula 1 romance
- Fake Dating
- Forced Proximity

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for early access to “Slipstream” by Madge Maril. I freaking loved this book! I have been searching for a romance this year that made me feel the way I felt when I read Chloe Liese for the first time, something that shows the scope of a neurodivergent love with great vulnerability of both characters and a difference of self-fulfilling needs as a good enough reason for a third act break up (not some petty fight over a lack of communication), and this is it! Both of our main characters share deeply with the other in a way that is natural and surprising to them. You can feel them falling in love, not just the plot pitting (wink wink) them together. It is a slow burn that makes those few steamy scenes a little hotter than usual and those scenes of friction more believable, too. I got choked up during the descriptions of their past traumas and was proud of both of them as they learned to face those on their own, but with the other supporting them along the way. Wonderful, wonderful debut, I can not wait to read more from Maril!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.5🌶️

I’m not normally an F1 girlie, but Arthur Bianco may have made a fan out of me.

As someone with ADHD who constantly feels like no one in my neurotypical family understands me, I related to Lilah deeply. Her whole story was so beautiful and sad and comforting all at the same time and I’ve never rooted for someone more.

And Arthur. Oh my god, this man. Did he have his fuck ups? His play boy time? Of course. Because he’s a professional athlete and someone in the spotlight. But this man is more than the sum of his past and when you peel back the top most layer, he’s incredible.

I loved this book so much and watching the love story unfold slowly and softly and beautifully only made me fall in love with Lilah and Arthur myself.

Thank you SO MUCH to S&S for this ARC 🥹🫶🏻 I’m desperately hoping there’s more to this world because I would love to see these characters again!!!

oh my dear slipstream, shall i compare thee to a summer's day? to say i loved this book with my whole heart is an understatement. i wish i could get this book tattooed on the inside of my eyelids so i never go without it. lilah and i have a lot in common when it comes to how our brains work, and i felt so validated because of her thought processes. when you've been in a relationship where you feel like you're too weird for your partner, it kind of sticks with you. Lilah has been through so much in her life to make her weary of happy endings, and it makes sense that she doesn't trust a HEA at first. it's also incredibly frustrating, because as the reader you know that life doesn't have to follow the cynical path, and because this is a novel you hope the author lets things work out for Arthur and Lilah. I really appreciated how the characters were given the space to figure things out on their own, especially in Lilah's case. being neurodivergent can make normal relationship cues feel like coded messages and you were never given the key, and it can be suffocating to have to figure your feelings out in real time in front of someone else. Lilah and Arthur both made choices for themselves because of what they want, and it made for a very moving relationship. I teared up multiple times because of revelations that Lilah made about herself because it was like she was helping me realize things about myself too. I could talk forever about my feelings for this book (ily babygirl arthur)(iykyk) but we need to address the TENSION?? THE BANTER? bratty behavior from Lilah, wife man behavior from Arthur, endless screaming and yearning from me!!!!!!!!!!! I saw that Madge Maril got into writing because of fandoms, and I really hope that's code for writing fics because the spice in this book was written in a way that I have only seen in fanfiction before (highly complimentary)!!!!!!!!!!!!! this book comes out on May 20 and I'm actually going to demand that you read it!!!! i love this book!!!!!!!! thank you to Simon & Schuster for this ARC!!