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.

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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.

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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!!

Slipstream by Madge Maril is a mesmerizing, thought-provoking read that pulls you in with its dreamy prose and deeply emotional storytelling. This book isn’t just about the plot—it’s about the experience, the way it blurs the lines between memory and reality, between longing and belonging. Maril’s writing is lyrical and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the atmospheric world she creates.

The characters are raw and real, navigating love, identity, and the complexities of human connection in a way that feels deeply personal. Their relationships—sometimes messy, sometimes beautiful—are layered with unspoken emotions and quiet intensity. The book leans heavily on introspection, which makes it a deeply moving read, though at times, the pacing felt a bit uneven, slowing the momentum in certain sections.

While Slipstream is undeniably beautiful, it may not be for everyone—it’s a book that lingers, making you sit with its themes rather than offering quick, easy resolutions. But if you love novels that are poetic, immersive, and rich with emotion, this one is absolutely worth the read.

4 stars!

I was waiting to F1 season started to read this book so I could use it to stay up to watch international races and honestly it was hard to put it down to watch yuki (my fav) race!

It was definitely a fresh take with the documentary aspect and I enjoyed the almost geek charming (iykyk) take on an f1 romance.

My only gripe is the color on the cover makes it kinda forgettable but that’s not a reason I wouldn’t read

Super good and honestly can’t wait to see more from the author

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Slipstream by Madge Maril. 

Lilah co-owns a documentary company with her boyfriend, Max. After Max signs them up to do a documentary for Formula 1, Max breaks up with her and takes her documentary company from her, Lilah teams up with reserve driver, Arthur, to take control of Max’s documentary. Their partnership turns into a fake relationship.

Slipstream is a cute, easy read. Lilah and Arthur are wonderful main characters. Arthur is so cute and Lilah is a great FMC. I love her talents as a documentary filmmaker. I really enjoyed the documentary element of the plot. The love story that played out between these two was the highlight for me and the last act of the book was adorable!

If you enjoy a fake dating, Formula 1 sports romance, this is a book to check out!

After that slow burn, dang did it heat up. Got me seriously blushing. Arthur has the broody down to a T, but I didn’t think he had such a dirty mouth on him.

Lilah and Author were not suppose to happen, yet the attraction was just too much to handle after they slow started to get to know each other. The outcast girl and the guy who has it all, what could go wrong? Once the friendship started flowing you could really see the tension the two of them had and it was such a great tease.

This was a first read of mine for Madge and it set me up to like this book and any book I read from her after.

I unfortunately struggled with this one. The pacing felt off and I wanted to set it down multiple times.

Things I LIKED:
Learning f1 through the lens of the character learning it was very interesting.
I liked the idea of the plot but the execution was not there for me. Her working secretly for herself but under the of company’s name & paycheck?? That didn’t really make sense.

Overall I was an interesting idea, especially with the rise of followers in f1 from drive to survive but I also think it romanized a industry that exploits the drivers and that many drivers have come forward saying they are not a fan of. So I’m conflicted about it.

4.5 ⭐️
I really loved this book! Arthur and Lilah were so sweet, and I loved his subtle character traits that grew throughout the book. I feel like there were some random side plots that were unnecessary, but they didn't take away from their relationship and development. The two of them seemed well-developed, mature, and had insaneeee tension. I had a lot of fun reading this, and will be looking out for more books from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🏎️

It was a good book but it was a SUPER slow burn. Not a lot of spice, which is ok, but it did feel like it took a while for her to realize he loved her and she loved him. Again, not bad but she was the only thing holding herself back. The banter was good and Arthur Bianca was my favorite. I absolutely love F1 books and this one was great at explaining F1 but sometimes I felt like it was too much. I needed more romance!

I also felt like there was a lot going on. The fake dating to be able to have Arthur get out his contract and for Lilah to get her company/name back from her cheating bf. Then there was Lilah going through her feelings of abandonment from her birth mother and Arthur’s panic attacks from what his uncle did to him. Then you had a lot of characters that were there but not huge in their development.

One last thing which might just be a me issue: the format of the book confused me whenever they were texting. Maybe it’s just from getting the ARC but sometimes the texts where in bubbles and sometimes it was just part of the paragraph. It made it confusing to read and figure out what’s going on. Again maybe that’s just me.

Thank you Madge and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

3.5 stars

This was such a cute F1 romance!

As someone newer to formula one, I really appreciated that we got to learn more about it alongside Lilah.

This is a slow burn romance. There was so much tension and lots of “will they won’t they” moments. But it made it that much better when the finally decided to be together.

I just loved Arthur and Lilah’s relationship so much. The growth from enemies to lovers was soooo good. All the little moments were made that much better when they both realized it was real for both of them. I loved how they both saw every version of the other.

This was a great debut! I can’t wait to read more books by this author! A huge thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review!

The slow burn was KILLING ME, but I admit it was worth it. Our BLONDE MMC is perfect, I cannot even describe it without spoilers. The way Lilah and Arthur fall for each other and support each others dreams is so sweet.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

Okay hear me out. I have lots of thoughts!!! The first half: lame. I couldn’t STAND the FMC. She was trying to hard to be weird and lowkey a lil selfish. BUT the second half really redeemed itself. Arthur… loml. He can do no wrong!!! Someone find me an F1 driver. This was my first F1 book & im not disappointed! Max, you can go screw yourself. Okay those are my thoughts!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Madge Maril, and Simon & Schuster for this ARC!!!! 🫶🏼

⭐️: 4.0
📖: Kindle

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I found F1 racing to be interesting, not knowing anything about the sport myself. I unfortunately found Lilah to be a hard character to like which made it a hard book to read. An overall nice first book by this authors. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Slipstream by Madge Maril

Lilah Greywood is a political documentarian who uproots her life to Texas when her business partner (and boyfriend) gets them a contract making a Formula 1 documentary for the team Ignition Energy drink, not her scene or where she wants to take their company. No problem, Lilah thinks, she can talk Max out of this, but when they finally have a minute alone he breaks up with her and drops a bomb on her about their company.

Fine. Lilah can work with this, and despite getting off on the wrong foot with backup driver Arthur Bianco, she ropes him in on a plan to benefit both of their careers.

Do I know anything about F1 racing beyond cars go zoom? Nope. Am I gonna get into it? No. I can’t afford another hyper fixation at this time. But good news! Lilah knows nothing too so we get to learn with her without feeling dumb. The whole of Arthur’s team is made up of the sweetest people who want to win, and make Arthur look good for the film. Seriously. His team is amazing. I love them all.

Watching Lilah go from I know nothing about this sport to falling in love with it WHILE also going from ugh this guy to oh no, I think I like him, was so cute. And the dramaaaaa. Oh my god. There’s more than just racing going on here and I ate it up.

I am still, over a week later, kicking my feet over the last chapter of this book. You’re gonna want this on your shelves if you like fun, romance, pining, subverting tropes or are a reylo (you’ll know it when you read it and by it i mean meeting Arthur 😉).