Welcome to the steaming world of F1! Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me on many accounts besides the smut. I have loved diving into F1 romances recently and this had a lot of potential, but fell short.

What I liked a lot was the chapter hopping. I LOVED seeing the countries fly by and seeing all the different cities that F1 travels too. As someone who isn't a super close follower of F1 but loves a romance set in that world- it helped me grasp their timelines! The smut in this book was SMUTTING. From chapter one...BOOM. We are building that spice tolerance to a high level! I was loving it. I couldn't wait to see where it went, but this is where it all went wrong.

We never get to see where things go. Since there was so many time jumps the reader has to infer what happens off page. It was honestly quite tiring and made me lose interest...the only thing keeping me going was the smut LOL. It felt like Klaus and Natalia were built on lies and just pure pheromones. Like yes you started on a one night stand, but you can also build a relationship after that! It doesn't all have to be wall and deflective humor and just MEAN. It felt childish and just extremely extremely unprofessional.

If a not so great book should have one thing it should be a good friend. I wanted Phaedra to be that good friend to Natalia...however, she was NOT. From Chapter 3 ( I believe) and the way they acted in the elevator because Phaedra would NEVER accept a shirt from Natalia, I knew we were off to a rocky start. I just wish that even if Klaus and Natalia were toxic at least she would have a good friend, but I digress.

I rated Coming in Hot 1.5 stars (rounding up to 2) because of the smut & just the overall lack of plot. I wish there was more action, more genuine friendships, and just less toxicity. This is a quick read and took me about 3 hours to push through once I really sat down and forced myself to read it...but I wish I had dnf'd it a little bit. The smut was doing it's job though.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Netgalley, and Josie Juniper for the advanced e-arc of this book.

This book spans a really long period of time with multiple jumps including several months sometimes. I really liked Natalia as a character for a majority of the story but I did find the plot to be sped through pretty quickly. For an F1 book, we get very little details on actual races - we go to the particular destinations in the chapter headers but the plot in each of those destinations focuses more on the will-they/won't-they relationship between Klaus and Natalia.

I didn't love the first book in this series but I was intrigued by the Natalia and Klaus story so I knew I was going to read this regardless. I am still glad I did but I thought this was only a little better than book one and that's primarily because I found Natalia and Klaus to be likeable whereas with the first book I didn't find either of the main characters to be likeable.

Natalia is a headstrong journalist who always dates the wrong men. I loved her confidence and her relationship with her Aunt Min. It was also nice to get another perspective on her friendship with Phaedra after book one. I think I would've liked a little more of her investigative journalism with all the sleuthing and digging up dirt but I am happy with how successful she is at her career and her overall personality which is extremely passionate and empathetic.

We honestly don't dive too much into Klaus as a person but we do get his tragic backstory. I thought he was really sweet and I definitely understood some of the choices he makes in the story. There are some nice age gap aspects between the two main characters and the spice is fun and interesting between them as well.

There are a lot of instances of telling instead of showing in this book. I think it's possible the plot relies too heavily on past traumas and tragedies to make up for the lack of character building and emotional development. There are also a lot of secrets and lies and some of them felt overly complicated to me.

Overall I'm not sure this particular writing style is for me but I still enjoyed the characters and the balance of of all the complex dynamics in the story. I also think due to the way the beginning of the book is written, book one should really be read first so it's not confusing as to what's happening off the page. I know this isn't exactly a glowing review but I still think I'm going to read the next book in the series 🤣

3.5⭐ rounded up 💕

Thank you to Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to like this book., but there was a lot of back and forth plus a ton of time jumps. It seemed very jumbly to my brain. I hadn't read the first book in the series but this seemed like a filler to that one. Plus the couple was UBER toxic.

I want to start by saying I don't think this is a bad book by any means it just wasn't the book for me. The writing was well done, and the steam was honestly chef's kiss.

Unfortunately, the things I struggled with outweighed those that I enjoyed. There was a lot of time jumping in this one. Nearly after chapter jumped ahead and this led to things happening off page that we then learned about later. It also made it harder for me to connect to them as a couple with so much off page.

I really did not like the mmc and I don't think he did enough to be redeemable for all his rude behavior. From treating her like a working girl in their first hookup and justifying it by saying he always gives his hook ups exorbitant amounts of money, and they never complain so that's not insulting at all. He also claims he's hung up on her but later reveals that he's been sleeping around still pretty much the whole time he was "pining". They aren't together so it's not cheating but it is disingenuous. He infantilizes her constantly and doesn't treat her as an equal. Whenever she brings up a legitimate concern, he seduces her and distracts her or gaslights her into thinking it's her fault. Honestly in a dark romance this wouldn't be a big deal but in a contemporary romance I keep wanting to beg her to find a less toxic relationship. I honestly feel she deserves better and at times it seems even she realizes this too but still returns to him.

I also was hoping having dual POV would help humanize the mmc more and make him more likable, but I found he was just as self-absorbed and condescending towards the fmc as he acted from her POV.

I would definitely still read other work from this writer, but the mmc just didn't win over my heart and in a romance book that's a non-negotiable for me. And the final straw for me was the inclusion of a trope I absolutely cannot stand that is 100% preventable with grown adults. I know some people enjoy that trope but again it was a no for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Triggers: dead spouse (cancer), and child abandonment.
Tropes: age gap, billionaire, secret baby.

Loved this book! It’s giving Pride and Prejudice undertones and I am living for it!

I didn’t read the reviews but I did spot the low rating and was instantly concerned. So glad I picked this one up regardless, but it became very apparent that this book is for a specific audience. Lucky, I am that audience. Stick around and find out if this book is for you.

First of all, I was hooked by the very beginning. I love a good smutty romance with articulate writing and this book delivered! If the writing didn’t seal the deal for me, the steamy first chapter certainly did. It really set the tone for the story and left me desperate for more.

Now, the characters… they weren’t always the best.

Starting with Phaedra. She is our FMC’s best friend and she isn’t always BFF material. In the beginning of the story, I absolutely hated her. She was flat out mean and a bully. But I will say, we definitely see growth in her and I thought it was so lovely to see that kind of change in a side character. Hated her at first, but I definitely loved her in the end and appreciated her insight.

Natalia was great throughout most of the book, but towards the end, she started to get a bit exhausting. The entire book, her and Klaus just couldn’t figure it out. They obviously love each other and the chemistry is undeniable, but their communication was severely lacking. Both of them have unresolved issues from their perspective pasts and definitely tainted their relationship, but Natalia…. Girl.

With Klaus, he is obviously trying. He is trying to be a better man not only for himself, but for her as well. He makes the necessary changes and he recognizes that he can sometimes be the problem and I love him for that. Yes, he is flawed, but it’s the effort he puts in to be better that does it for me. But, it seems like no matter what he does, Natalia is never satisfied. Yes, he messed up but he tries to be honest with her about it and she completely shuts him down. Then when the truth comes to light, she is so flabbergasted. Girl, he tried to own that sh*t forever ago and you wouldn’t hear it lol.

As frustrating as it all was, I think it made the characters more realistic IMO. Because at the end of the day, if we don’t resolve yesterday’s problems, we can’t expect to have a perfect tomorrow. And here’s the thing, relationships are messy. People are messy. I honestly think that’s what made me love this book so much. It wasn’t this perfect little love story that is all sunshine’s and rainbows. It showed real conflict in the couple and the resolutions it took to get to a beautiful place.

Of course, sexy Klaus was an added bonus. I mean, did you look at that cover??? As if his looks didn’t do it for me, the way he speaks… swoon!

The spice was on point. When these two hooked up, it was explosive. Their sexual chemistry is off the charts. Also, Natalia has some daddy issues and it reflects in the sheets. I just thought that was a nice little touch and kudos to the author for including such a minor detail.

One negative thing I will say is, the ending wasn’t enough for me. I really think the story could have benefited from an epilogue at the very least. It kind of just drops off and left me hanging a bit. We don’t really see if Natalia sorted out her own internal BS so by the last page, I wasn’t really confident in their future together. This wasn’t enough to kill the entire book for me, but I can’t say I’m not disappointed. I rode the roller coaster of their situationship, and greedy me feels like I deserve to see these two finally sort their stuff out and be happy. It’s definitely hinted that they are going to be okay, but I desperately needed to experience that. It honestly would have been like a reward for running the race with the characters.

To be fair, Pride and Prejudice left me with the same feeling at the end lol.

Despite the ending, I will definitely be rereading this book. I really did enjoy the story and will be letting my delusional brain believe everything worked out perfectly in the end.

I recommend to anyone looking for a realistic romance with excellent writing. If you like a Mr. Darcy type of character, Klaus is your guy.

I don’t recommend to anyone looking for a sunshine’s and rainbows kind of read. If you are someone who doesn’t like a lot of conflict in your fictional couples, this isn’t the book for you. And if you are someone who needs the perfect little HEA, definitely would avoid this one.

OK, I definitely like this one more than the first book in this series
Natalia is our FMC who was the best friend of the first books FMC. First of all Natalia is way more likable than Phae was intentionally a dislikable FMC( but her unlikablity was part of the entire central part of the plot.) So from the get-go Natalia is a girl we are rooting for and there were little Easter eggs of her hook up with Klaus scattered throughout the first book. So now in Coming in Hot, we have Natalia and Klaus and their very mature/adult romance. It’s so easy to root for them because they are two adults with very complex issues. But mostly what I enjoyed about this book was that their romance took place over quite a long time as most adult romances do. While they’re setting is not very relatable- their relationship is. Overall, like I said, I really enjoyed the second book and will continue to read this series!

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

My AP Lit teacher challenged me my senior year to read something that didn't have a happy ending. This was before I was aware I did that and before I embraced my love of romance novels. I may want a happy ending, but modern romance novels, much like modern dating, make you work for a happy ending.

We meet the brilliant Natalia, our FMC, at the precipice of big life changes in work and romance, as she enters a new writing world with her best friend, Phae, in the F1 racing world after a breakup with her former, older boyfriend, who forgot to mention he was married. Juniper wastes no time getting to spicy scenes and new men as Natalia finds herself locked out of her shared room with Phae. While waiting at the bar, she meets Klaus.

Juniper spends the rest of the book keeping readers on their toes as we jet set around the world following the F1 racing season and the trepidatious hearts of Natalia and Klaus. Chapters send us to new locations while shifting between Klaus and Natalia's perspectives as they both navigate challenging and changing landscapes personally, professionally, and romantically.

This book was a reminder that all genres are as substantive as the elements the author offers us. Juniper uses the romance genre to offer a substantive take on the complexities of love, life, grief, work, friendship, and family with layered characters set in an intricately complex industry.

Here for the messy, real complex love story Juniper offers, and can't wait to learn more about Sage in 2026!

Thanks to Forever, an imprint of the Hatchette Book Group, for allowing me the privilege of reading this e-ARC via Netgalley!

I could not get into this story at all, the time jumps, with so much happening between them off page was so hard to piece together or keep me interested. Natalia and Phae like sisters one chapter, the pissed the next should have given us the story not just told us afterwards and that was basically the gist of the whole story, we always kept finding things out after they happened and this isn’t a filler episode of tv where we get flash backs, it should be showed in the past or on the page in one way or another. I also found Klaus’s language in Natalia’s POV stilted but perfectly normal in his POV which I found odd too and that made me not care about him unless I was in his POV. Overall this book just didn’t do anything for me and the things I didn’t like outweighs the things I liked.

I’ll be withholding my review from social media, but I’ll still post on retail sites within 2 weeks of release.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Natalia Evans has reached a successful high in her career being a lead reporter for Auto Racing Journal. Each year she is surrounded by top athletes and industry legends. Klaus Franke is one of those legends, but also the stranger Natalie shared an evening with. Klaus is off limits, but fate continues to bring them together, despite their guarded hearts. When a high-stakes scandal looms, Natalia needs the scoop to make her career, but Klaus just needs more time.

I cannot tell you how I ended up with this e-ARC, but I made sure to read the first book in the series before picking this one up and I am glad I did! For reference, I gave the first book 2.5 stars.

So I was a little more interested in following Natalia and Klaus’ story because I liked Klaus as a side character in the first book. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things to dislike about this book as well. In fact, I only liked it *slightly* more than the first book.

This book has a lot of time jumps, so if that is something you like then this book has it. I also liked the traveling around as the F1 season continued. We got to see how Natalia and Klaus interacted in each moment in time. This book’s timeline does overlap with the first book, so I recommend reading the first one to really understand what is happening.

Some negatives that I have with this book is that I feel like there is a lot going on in this one. The subplots happening to these characters are very heavy things and we kind of get a resolution to one, but don’t know much about the resolution, if any, to the other topic. There is also a trope that was used towards the 80% mark of this book that is a *hated* trope, which I think a lot of people are going to dislike. I am indifferent to this trope, but it was obvious that it would happen. There are also some moments where the author is doing a lot of telling us what is happening with their writing style, which can make it bland.

All that being said, I liked following Klaus and Natalia more. I think that boils down to me liking the age gap trope, but I also just preferred Klaus and thought he was a sweet guy. I did predict what would happen at the end only because it was a pretty obvious solution.

Overall, I liked this one better than the first book, but not by much. I’m giving this one a 3 star rating. There is supposed to be a third book in this series, but I am undecided on if it will be worth picking it up for me.

**Thank you to @netgalley , @josiejuniperauthor , @readforeverpub and @hachetteaudio for a free ebook and audio ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spicy Rating: 🌶🌶🌶

I read and reviewed book 1 (Double Apex) back in September last year and this book coincides with the previous, with both books following the same timeline, but I think you could read them out of order if needed. While Double Apex focused more on F1 racing and the math and science of it, this story more followed the behind the scenes stuff.

Klaus is Emerald Team Principal and Natalia is a journalist, in order for them to work they need to be able to trust each other. Klaus learns he has to trust that Natalia isn't going to get a juicy story from the drama within Emerald and run with it by leaking sensitive information.

I loved getting to know Klaus more in this book, he's a little older that Natalia so we definitely see a little age gap. He's also Austrian and the Austrian accent in the audio was *fans self*.

I'm not sure if Josie had any plans for more stories with Cosmin and Phae or Klaus and Talia, but if so I'll definitely be first in line to read them! If you like some age gap, widower hero, or silver hero then pick this one up :) Highly suggest the audio so you can hear the accent!!!!

2.5 - ⭐⭐💫

“This is unwise…”
“Let’s do it anyway. Just one more - to say goodbye.”

Coming in Hot is the second instalment in the adult Formula 1 romance series, Frontrunners. Each novel is an interconnected standalone. Written in dual first person POV, the story follows two characters we met in the previous book, Natalia and Klaus through their tumultuous relationship over the course of a year.

Natalia is a F1 reporter at the pinnacle of her career and looking to hit it big with this season boasting a thriller adventure. The problem? Her best friend's team principal, a gorgeous older widowed man who she shares a night with...and she needs to forget about. Yet in a field like this, not seeing each is almost impossible on top of the connection that never seems to quite fade away. Both are guarding their hearts and as a high stakes scandal begins to brew around them they must decide where they stand...will they find the right time or will their determination stop them in their tracks?

This book had promise but ultimately I struggled a bit with the chemistry of our two main characters.

Natalia came across as blunt and aggressive in the first book but in this one I got to see a new angle to her that I enjoyed. Her family history, her determination to make a name for herself, and her need to communicate made her a character I wanted to follow. However a lot of communication fell apart when it came to Klaus.

Klaus has spent the years after his wife's death throwing himself into work and taking on the position of team principal. He isn't sure fully what he wants and meeting Natalia shakes his entire world. He struggles to communicate and often keeps a cooler exterior but when his facade cracks he has quite a way with words. I struggled with his flip flopping at times.

“Pay attention, kleine Hexe…you love to play the little spy, yes? Peeking into windows, prying into souls, spinning your stories…So watch yourself now. Enjoy the sight of that angel face pained with rapture as you come.”

In terms of spice I would place this at 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. We see spice early on around the 5% mark but spice is spread out as Klaus and Natalia's relationship ebbs and flows. We have about 4+ scenes spread throughout. The spice is explicit and detailed and tends to lean towards aggressive over romantic just because these two struggle to show their vulnerability. Their spice usually comes about because they are unable to deny their feelings...and then they try to build up their shields right after. I felt the spice was well written.

The story itself was a struggle for me. I felt the whole mystery behind what scandal was brewing was really taken down by a romance that I struggled to really connect to. I liked seeing the previous character we loved and having this run a bit parallel to the first book it helped give valuable insight. I liked Natalia's family story and the inspiration it gave her down the line. I wanted to wring her and Klaus' neck because they struggled to be honest with each other and that led to multiple breakdowns in their relationship. Initially I thought the one trope I was excited for would help but it isn't until the very end that something occurs and it felt abrupt. I liked the idea of how it ended but I just felt like I got no time with the romance between it was fraught with miscommunication and general lack of trust. It lends itself to more tension filled angst that only delivers at the end.

Overall, it has some really interesting F1 side of this book. If you like a bit more angst to your romance you will likely enjoy this!

Thank you Read Forever for this arc!

This story started out strong, but then fell flat. I haven’t read many age gap romances and I’ve been wanting to read a F1 romance so this one really appealed to me.

For being an F1 romance between a sports writer and team principal, it didn’t seem like there was much in the story about F1. The timeline jumped ahead so often making it difficult to understand the development of their relationship.

The conflict in this story felt like a YA book, but with spice. I got whiplash from all the fighting and making up the leads did. The characters seemed very mature for their ages, including the conflict between Natalia and Klaus, as well as Natalia and her best friend.

🎧 Audiobook length: 9h 38m
🎧 Narrators: Max Rauch & Cecily Foster

This was a quick read for me with the audiobook. Both narrators did a great job, the only part I did not like was the female narrator’s voice for reading Klaus’s spoken lines.

Thank you to Forever & Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are expressed are my own.

I’ve read Josie Juniper’s first book in the series, Double Apex (Phaedra and Cosmin’s story), and this follow-up, Coming in Hot (Natalia and Klaus’ story), takes place at the same time as the events of the first book. While it’s marketed as a standalone, I’d strongly recommend reading Double Apex first to understand the characters and backstory—otherwise, some plot points and dynamics may feel confusing or underdeveloped.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me. The pacing felt rushed, and I struggled to connect with the main couple. Their relationship didn’t have the emotional depth or chemistry I was hoping for, and that made it hard to become fully invested in their journey.

After giving two books from this author a try, I’ve realized her storytelling style might just not be for me.

✨ Thanks so much to NetGalley, Josie Juniper, and Avon and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. Always grateful for the chance to read early! ✨

Buckle up, baby... because this F1 romance is pedal-to-the-floor, hairpin-turn hot. 🏁🔥

Natalia Evans is a badass motorsports journalist with no time for games—until her biggest scoop just so happens to be the smoldering Team Principal she once had a very NSFW night with. Enter Klaus Franke: broody, broody man in a tailored suit, emotionally constipated with just enough vulnerability to make your Kindle steam.

The chemistry? Off the charts. The scandal? Juicier than pit lane gossip. And the tension? Tighter than a chicane in Monaco.

This book gives you all the F1 drama with none of the engine noise, just pure spice, snark, and swoony high-stakes slow burn. Natalia and Klaus are a mess and a half, and watching them try to resist each other is like watching two race cars flirt at 200 mph.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enemies-ish to lovers? Forbidden past hookup? Scandal on and off the track? Coming in Hot doesn't just come in hot.....it arrives smoking. 💥💋🏎️

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A journalist has a one night stand with a hot older guy only to find out he's the widowed Team Principal of an F1 team... and that she's going to have to be writing stories about him... and not to mention that their one night stand ended up with them fighting... and the misunderstandings just keep coming as they try and figure out their feelings. Once again I can only laugh at myself for thinking I could make this series work for me. I was so intrigued by the age gap relationship by the specific relationship in F1, because as an F1 girly I adore F1 romances and this dynamic is so fun... but this book was not it. Not to mention there was a whole pregnancy surprise trope in this... and this book is truly TRULY not for anyone who doesn't like miscommunication tropes because the way they are constantly mis-communicating with one another is to an insane degree. This was not giving age gap relationship in a good way, it felt like two teenagers constantly mis-communicating, icing each other out, being childish, and then barely talking it out. It was so frustrating. Its literally just as bad as the first book. I wanted to give this book a chance because I love the premise and potential and the cover was gorgeous.... but this fell so flat for me and I just dont think I will be reading this series anymore.

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[arc review]

dnf @ 43%

i will be so honest, i had hopes for this book. even though double apex was kind of a dumpster fire dnf @ 35% for me, i had hope for natalia and klaus because i liked them in double apex. i was intrigued. so imagine my disappointment when i start reading this book and see just how angry natalia is all the time and all the time skips. klaus was tolerable. i thought he was okay and gave toto wolff vibes. yk rich hot team principal. but natalia really started to piss me off the same way phaedra and cosmin did. and the time skips?? why is every chapter a time skip?? i got so confused.

the nail in the coffin for me was the surprise pregnancy trope. that’s something i can’t read at this time so that finalized my decision to put the book down for good.

I was kind of immediately turned off by multiple things in the first chapter. She says she wants a bourbon served neat and then says “not Chardonnay or something silly with an umbrella.” Girl, what do you have against fun? Drink your lame brown liquid but don’t attack my frozen deliciousness.

And then she can suddenly pick out the German word for ‘witch’ when she says she only knows a little bit of German? I took German in high school and college and unless you went looking for that word, you wouldn’t freaking know it just by someone saying it. Hashtag annoyed.

Not for me.

Let’s just say that’s a totally applicable title, because yes, the chemistry between Klaus and Talia is scorching. In fact, Juniper excels in writing leg-crossing, hot-flashing, orgasmic tension that jumps off the page with equal amounts of heat and tenderness.

The reader meets both Klaus and Talia in Double Apex and there are certainly cameos from Phaedra and Constantin (mains from book 1), but this can easily be read as a standalone. I did appreciate how Phae’s character was viewed as frustratingly difficult by Natalia, because that was the vibe she gave off for the majority of her own book. This story involves raving, but without the lead driver energy. Austrian Emerald racing team Principal Klaus was such an unexpected change from traditional romance heroes. He’s straightforward but also quietly private and he matches Talia’s high energy with perfect aplomb. Even through their relationship starts as a one night stand (intentionally), you can feel that these two might be able to balance each other out in the long run. As a lead journalist, when Talia realizes exactly whom she’s slept with, she knows it could not have come at a worse time career wise and fights to get Klaus to see her as a writer and not just a gossip columnist.

As I mentioned, these two have off the charts chemistry and the sneaking around all over the globe for trysts felt very whirlwind even though the time line is much longer. I appreciated the atypical backgrounds for Talia and Klaus; she was raised by an aunt having two parents that made bad choices, but have now attempted to reconnect twenty some years later. He is a widow who very much loved and is somewhat still in love with his wife and both Klaus and Talia begin their connection as emotionally unavailable, but find room in their hearts for grace and love. I received an early copy from Forever. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭🪭.5

Thank you Josie Juniper for allowing me to read this book. I’m not a formula 1 connoisseur, but I sure love reading about them! This book was really good. I’m ready to read more or Josie Juniper!

This one just didn’t work for me. I expected a bad boy but wasn’t expecting the immediate sexual relationship. I didn’t connect to the characters.