I should have DNF’d this book.

1. There is a time jump almost every single chapter, for the book to span 2 years. There is nooo time for emotional connections to the character nor character development.

2. Accidental pregnancy. No thanks!

3. The FMC is 34 and the MMC is 46. They behave like they’re 19

4. The FMC has abandonment issues. Unresolved. Her parents are the worst (so of course they show up and eventually get a redemption arc).

5. This book could turn anyone off of F1 romances. It probably did for me. I will not be reading anymore from this author.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Natalia Evans just landed the journalistic opportunity of a lifetime--lead reporter for Auto Racing Journal. She will travel the world, meet racing legends and rising stars, and cover all aspects of the extremely glamorous world of Formula 1. It's all comin' up Natalia...until she learns that the Team Principal of Emerald also happens to be the incredibly sexy Austrian stranger she shared one Very Memorable night with. Good thing her first big assignment isn't doing a deep dive into his life...ope wait.

Klaus Franke is the stoic and unflappable TP of the Emerald Formula 1 Team. Almost nothing can crack his reserve...except perhaps for the one night stand he cannot forget...who will now be a fixture in his professional life. He absolutely CANNOT afford to be involved with a journalist who is very likely scouting out her next big story.

As a big F1 gal who absolutely adored Double Apex, this was probably one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. Coming In Hot took a little bit more time to find its footing than its predecessor and I found it difficult to totally connect with Natalia and Klaus. This is partially to blame by the fact that when my brain thinks of a Stern Austrian Car Daddy (tm) it cannot help but picture Toto Wolff. It's an affliction I'm not particularly sad about as Toto Wolff is a babe, but it was a bit of a mental roadblock that was 100% a "me issue".

I was very invested in the subplot about the ethical and political implications of the potential new race location however, which is ultimately what got me to click a bit more with the MCs despite the hot and cold nature of their relationship. Natalia is fiercely independent and Klaus is a bit misguided in how to simultaneously nurture her autonomy and protect her from the dark side of their world. They both fumble the ball in terms of communicating their needs and resolving how their personal and professional relationships would work, and I didn't leave the book feeling totally convinced that they had lasting power.

This story and Double Apex happen concurrently, so while you do not necessarily need to read the first book to dive into this one, I recommend it. I actually just recommend Double Apex in general because it's still one of my favorite F1 romances.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Forever for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own.

2.5 ish rounded up to 3. This is a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading Double Apex first because some of the story line is occurring at the same time, and it provides additional context that Coming in Hot does not.

I wanted to like this one, but it was admittedly hard for me to get through. I don’t know if this is the right way to phrase it, but it almost felt chopped up. It was hard to follow the story line through the timeline, and I felt like Klaus and Natalia’s relationship never truly grew or resolved the challenges they were facing.

Now mind you, the physical chemistry and the sexual tension between them was A+, but I wanted more depth in their relationship.

As someone who has within the last couple of years really gotten into formula one I was really excited to read this book. While I do think it was an easy read with good spice, it definitely wasn’t something to write home about nor does it make me want to go back and read the first book in this series. I think there are definitely enjoyable moments in this book, but I just didn’t love the male main character (Klaus) or really the female main character (Natalia). It’s hard to enjoy a romance book when the main characters continually make poor decisions. I’m sure there are lot of people that will love this book—just not my favorite.

ARC provided through Netgalley.

I’m an F1 girly and adore the amount of F1 romances coming out. However, this one seriously missed the mark. The setting, while F1, was mostly focused on the field of journalism. It was kinda disappointing.

The beginning scene of Natalia and Klaus’ initial meeting felt so stilted and the chemistry forced. Everything—the chemistry, setting, characters—was just underdeveloped and that didn’t get better as the book went on. I was honestly so confused at times because each chapter was a time jump and the author didn’t expand on what happened each time. A specific example is Natalia and Phaedra are friends in the beginning. Natalia got annoyed with her once in the first few chapters. Next thing I know, Natalia decides to dump her as a friend in chapter 5. There was no development of their friendship build up or break down. The author consistently just told the reads what was happening after the fact, but spent no time on development.

Natalia was a hard character to like, the romance didn’t feel natural, and this book was difficult to read.

The premise gave this book a lot of potential but unfortunately the story falls flat. Starting off, for the first half of the book there are so many choppy scenes it felt like I was jumping 5 scenes in one chapter. The storytelling was very much that, telling. Not showing, not developing, just telling the reader so and so have a good relationship. Do they because I can’t recall a single scene where I see that? It was rather strange and definitely took me out of the book. The relationship between the main characters was honestly boring as it was based off of insta-lust and nothing else. As soon as we may dive deeper into an emotional connection it’s cut off in favour of other random scenes. I’m surprised that I pushed through, but I wanted to give it a chance, and honestly the only reason the main characters get together in the end is through one of my most hated tropes so sorry but this was just not for me.

✨Thanks to author @josiejuniperauthor for the opportunity to be a Coming In Hot ARC Reader 🏎️💨 In this book, we meet Natalia, a reporter who covers F1 racing for Auto Racing Journal. On the other hand, we have Klaus, the leader of the Emerald Team F1 team. The two meet one night at a bar and share a "one-night stand" that was supposed to be forgotten... but we all know how those things end 👀 What follows is an on-again, off-again relationship full of chemistry, but also mistrust. This book had me upset because I just wanted them to be together from the start! 😩 However, they both had wounds, fears, and trust issues, especially due to their professions, which prevented them from moving forward in their relationship. Klaus is a tough guy, but he made mistakes that hurt, and Natalia was willing to risk everything for him, even though she sometimes doubted whether it was worth it. This was my first book with an F1 theme, and even though I didn't know much about the subject, I loved how the author integrated it into the story. Her passion and knowledge of the sport are evident, and that made it even more interesting. Coming In Hot is perfect if you're looking for a romantic read with drama, good spice, and a unique backdrop in the world of Formula 1. 🏁✨

I really wanted to love this book. The premise had so much potential—their initial meeting was a fun, promising blunder that seemed like it could lead to something great. But unfortunately, the execution just didn’t deliver.

The first 30% of the book skips around so much that we’re simply told the characters have been connecting off-page… but we never see it. We learn very little about either of them, which makes it hard to invest in their relationship. The dual POV doesn't help, either—his chapters don't really add anything meaningful to the story.

The subplot involving her family felt confusing and disjointed. At one point, she immediately assumes her aunt is referring to her parents after a single conversation, yet months later, when it’s incredibly obvious who’s coming to Christmas, she doesn’t make that same connection. Then she thinks a gift is from him—with no real reason? It just didn’t make sense.

The storyline about her parents feels like it was added for shock value. It comes out of nowhere, and since I didn’t feel emotionally connected to the characters, it didn’t land with any real weight.

Most of the relationship seems to be arguing or hooking up, with very little shown emotional development in between. We're told there's a pull between them, but it’s never truly shown on the page.

Again, I wanted to love this book. The setup had all the right ingredients, but the follow-through left me disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this early.

I had…issues with the first book in this series due to the graphic domestic violence between MCs about 3/4 of the way through the book. But, because it was a debut, I thought maybe it was just a misguided scene and was willing to give book 2 a shot.
Oi. I love older MC’s in their 30’s and 40’s. But not when they act like 15 year olds. The time jumps from chapter to chapter were messy and just felt like…we didn't know how to show plot progression in a true linear fashion so we just hopped from scene to scene. Which really left me feeling like I A. didn’t know either character that well or their motivations and B. didn’t buy into their chemistry/attraction/emotions.

I did not film a review for tis book because It wasn't for me and I didn't want to post a negative review

For a lot to have happened in this book, it feels like nothing happened. We’re told huge events have occurred but never have scenes of these things despite them having huge impact on the main characters. The romance doesn’t make sense because we don’t see them falling in love. We’re told they spend time together but there’s rarely scenes depicting their pivotal moments. The concept is there, but the execution is completely lacking. I love F1 romances and had high hopes for this one just to be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

dnf at @ 30%

I couldn’t really connect to the main characters at all. Also the time jumps with every chapter left me a little confused. I am sad because a lot of my mutuals enjoyed this book but alas for me it just didn’t hit

I loved this! This felt like the most realistic build of a relationship I’ve read in a romance in awhile. It was is instant but built over years. These two had a lot to work out but in the end got it all right!

I really stuck out on this book since it's an easy read and finished it out of spite but for what?! I was super intrigued with the cover design and premise of the book but the writing was just not for me. I actually hate that I didn't love this book bc I really wanted to read more F1 romances.
I was super frustrated with seeing 30-40 year old characters acting like they're in their teens with the amount of emotional immaturity going on. It's like a huge case of miscommunication trope gone wrong.
I enjoyed the spice but I didn't feel any actual chemistry between Klaus and Natalia. They kept going back and forth with their feelings and it didn't really even feel like a relationship.
The time skip didn't really help either. I know it's to mimic the different F1 races/location during the season but basically stuff happens off page and we were expected to know about it somehow. There was a lot of telling without showing in the story and that really bothered me.

Thank you Forever Pub for the ARC.

DNF for some reason the DNF option wasn’t available but couldn’t connect with the story. I love F1 romance but I don’t think this one is for me

I was honored to receive an ARC of this book via NetGalley and was so excited to read it. This is the second book in The Frontrunners series but they can be read as standalone novels. I did not read the first book (but heard it was really great) but still thoroughly enjoyed this one.

This is a sports romance featuring F1 racing and focuses on the relationship of the Emerald Team Principle, Klaus, and a reporter for ARJ. What starts as a one night stand, quickly turns into a very complicated, slow burn high tension roller coaster ride of an on again off again relationship crossing many continents and many months to a few years.

It’s workplace drama meets age gap meets sneaking around with an international flair. And the MMC has quite the accent.

And for any guy who might want to explore what all the fuss is about when it comes to romance novels… try this one. The on track scenes are describe with great detail and accuracy, the drama within the team and amongst sponsors is on point.

This may or may not be the book that got my husband hooked on reading Sports Romance *wink wink*

Thanks Josie for another great book. Looking forward to the 3rd and final in the series next year!

I think this book would have been better if each chapter wasn't a time jump. At times, it felt impossible that their relationship would not have progressed in the timelapse since the previous chapter. It was giving me whiplash, especially in the middle there when things were heating up between them and then I was supposed to believe that they had barely any contact for weeks? In today's day and age with cell phones, social media, etc? It did not make sense and became frustrating, not to mention made it harder to root for their relationship. I still enjoyed some aspects of this book, but with all the F1 romance offerings out there, I'm not sure this is a title I would recommend...

This was fun, fresh, and I enjoyed reading it. Honestly, there wasn't much that was super special about it, but I enjoyed my time with it.

Thanks to Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing (Forever) for the E-ARC! Really enjoyed! The characters were so cute. Loved the F1 setting too. Excited for more from this author!

Heat Index: 7/10

—Formula 1 sans driver hero

—he's a stern brunch daddy

—hooking up allll over the world

—on/off and every which way

The Basics:

Natalia Evans is finally the lead reporter for Auto Racing Journal, which is naturally when it turns out the mysterious man she shared a single incredible night with is Klaus Franke, Emerald Team Principal. It wouldn't be the most professional thing to begin a real relationship with him, but that doesn't mean they don't end up sneaking around for intermittent hookups when given a chance (no feelings, of course). But when Klaus and Natalia end up embroiled in a massive scandal, their loyalties—and Klaus's commitment—are put to the test.

The Review:

I feel like this should've been a slam dunk for me. It has a lot of qualities I enjoy in a romance, especially a contemporary. Klaus and Natalia begin with a true (intended) one night stand. They meet, they're hooking up, it's hot, and it's all happening within the first 10% of the book. Though the physical chemistry is off the charts, the real feelings come later... if perhaps a bit sooner than I would've liked. He's older, he's a little stern, she's determined to be professional, there's the backdrop of their careers against their feelings... I love that kind of plot.

Where I think this gets tripped up first is that it's not sure if it wants to stand alone or not. This is the second in a series—I haven't read the first, but I liked Juniper's writing style enough to request it from my library. (Which is a good sign!) Most of the time, contemporaries (and really, most romances) like this, centered on a single couple per book, stand alone while being interconnected. This story clearly took place, at least at first, at a parallel time to the first book. And I really felt sort of confused; I also felt that there were a few too many allusions to the first couple, especially the first heroine, Natalia's close friend. And it's like—cool. I want to focus on Klaus and Natalia.

The thing is that they do have good chemistry, but the book has a ton of time jumps. It takes place all over the world, which is cool (though I don't think we got quite enough detail about the different locales). But you'll get them in, say, Budapest one chapter, then—boom, SIX WEEKS LATER. I don't mind time jumps, and I actually like that this takes place over a really significant stretch of time. But we basically miss a lot of longing and emotional development, as Klaus and Natalia spend significant chunks of time apart. Which is part of the conflict, to be fair—even if he is emotionally ready to commit to Natalie (he's a widower, he genuinely loved his wife and is still grieving, it's honestly quite touching) does he really have the time? Can he put her ahead of F1?

And on that note, I really liked that Klaus was a Team Principal versus a driver. I haven't read much in this particular space yet, but I am REALLY into the idea of more sports races focused on the guys behind the scenes. The GMs, the coaches, the kingmakers. Klaus is a little distant, mature, and in control. He was a nice break from the sports romances that always have the HOTSHOT BIG TIME TALKY TALKY ALPHA MALE sports stars, who never actually come off as alphas because they're talking about it all the time. (Very few sports heroes are written in a way that sells their cockiness—y'all can't all be Ilya Rozanov.) I really bought Klaus as a leader in his space. The BDE was off the charts. Even if, I will confess, some of his dirty talk was a bit... over the top. I mean, I wasn't against it, but I was very aware that I was reading a romance novel with some of that dialogue.

Natalia has an interesting background that isn't quite like a lot of what I see in contemporaries. She was raised by an older female relative because her parents were Mysteriously Absent, and the reasons are not what I (or she) expected. This sense of abandonment and desire to be put first drives the emotional conflict with Klaus, and it's well done.

So there is a lot I do like here. But I feel as if the plotting just didn't give me enough time to fully settle into this romance.

The Sex:

Okay, so—the sex scenes are hot, over the top dirty talk notwithstanding. Very good, very fun, had one act I don't see a lot in romance that made me sit up and go "yes".

But there was a really weird attitude toward birth control. Natalia isn't on any, and there are a few times where it's so laissez-faire, "trust me, I know my cycle", and.... I know this reflects the way that many people do approach birth control? But considering Natalia's career-mindedness, her hyper-awareness about the instability of her relationship with Klaus, Klaus's OWN big age and experience (and mind you, I think Natalia is very much old enough to know her own deal) and Natalia's trauma regarding her parents—I just didn't buy that they, and particularly she, would be that risky. It took me out of the story a bit.

The Conclusion:

Although I have issues with this book, I did like Josie Juniper's writing and am interested in reading the novel that preceded this one. I just feel like Coming in Hot bit off a little more than it could chew.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.