I’m trying to decide if I struggled to follow the storyline because I’m currently touring wine country, or if it was hard to follow in general.

The story skipped around following the Formula 1 season, but I think I struggled because I don’t understand the season. The reason they ended up together, or why they fell in love, doesn’t feel anything besides surface level, when I know I was so looking forward to the story.

Overall, I like the characters and how they were written, especially Talia, and her overcoming her family traumas. I also enjoyed Klaus and his grief over losing his wife. They were well written, but the connection seems very surface level.

Thanks to Forever, NetGalley, and Josie Juniper for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Coming in Hot is book 2 in Josie Juniper's Frontrunners series. It follows Talia, a reporter, and Klaus, a team principal. It's an age gap and sort of forbidden romance given their jobs. They meet, and things move quickly before they realize who each other is. Their identities obviously lead to a bit of conflict throughout the story, and there's a lot of "Are we or aren't we something?"

Considering their jobs, it still felt like the F1 content was lighter in this one compared to book one. I would have liked to see more than that. They both have things in their past that they are working through independently, more effectively at some points than others. There is also an added issue in the 3rd act that is, unfortunately, one of my least favorite tropes. As soon as one event happened, I knew where things were headed. I can still see people enjoying the story if they were less invested in the F1 aspect and not bothered by the trope in question. There is also a ton of spicy spice. We get a few cameos from characters in book one, and the main story is spread out across a longer timespan through short and long time jumps.

I do think that this book would benefit from a list of content warnings at the beginning. There are several sensitive topics brought up throughout the story that people would like a heads up on when deciding whether to read or not. This may be something that is included in the final version, but not in this ARC edition.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

There are way too many time jumps, that was the persistent message I kept writing down while reading 'Coming in Hot' to the point that it felt extremely disjointed. I had some serious issues with Josie's first book but I wanted to read Coming in Hot because I was intrigued by the characters leading this book. Sadly, it seems the author didn't listen to feedback from Book One and just went full steam ahead. Even the Formula One aspects didn't feel compelling it just didn't have the fire and spark that I look forward too in this sub-genre. There are problematic moments again that just don't sit well with me...not every Formula One romance book is going to succeed and readers of the sub genre need to be aware of this.

Maybe this book will work for you, but in this case I'm going to pass. My thanks to Forever for the digital ARC.

Coming in Hot by Josie Juniper was a fun, easy read that kept me entertained from start to finish. It’s got everything you’d want in a sports romance - fast cars, intense competition, and palpable chemistry between the leads. I've never read an F1 romance and I'm hooked now as I read this in less than a day.

The story follows Natalia, a journalist covering the world of Formula 1, and Klaus, a closed off team principal with a lot on his plate. Their dynamic is a mix of tension, banter, and undeniable attraction. I liked that Natalia wasn’t just there to swoon over Klaus. She had her own ambitions and drive, which made their relationship feel more balanced despite Klaus being very rich and powerful.

The writing is engaging, the tension is tensioning, and it delivers exactly what you’d expect from a solid sports romance.

Thank you Forever for the advance review copy.

The cover of this book totally pulled me in. I’m all about an age gap romance, and seeing that distinguished salt and pepper haired MMC was what really got me.

Unfortunately, this story just really wasn’t for me. From the start the MMC started off in a deficit for me when he tried to pay her for sex with no discussion and he later kept a backup woman in his hotel room while meeting up with the FMC. I kept hoping he would clarify that he sent her home, but the assumption provided was that he went back to her. Gross. Are you so desperate to get laid that it honestly doesn’t matter who it is while simultaneously implying you feel a connection with the FMC? Umm no thank you.

I will say his character seems… more invested in the FMC than she is in him the rest of the book. He was pretty sweet, especially in his pov. But I still could never let go of this gross thing he did at the start and I never really liked him after that. I always kept the hope it would come out that he sent her home (he apologized for the payment at least). I saw no future reference to it other than him expressing that he hurt her the last time he saw her (when he admitted he chose to keep his date waiting for him in his room rather than sending her away when he went to meet the FMC).

The relationship in general just didn’t do anything for me. It was on again off again with little reason to feel invested in them working. They were both guilty of being dishonest partners in a pretty terrible way. But most of all, I found the FMC incredibly immature in how she handled all her relationships. She constantly said the opposite of what she wanted or said nothing at all but expected people to know what she really wanted and provide that without being asked. No communication in a way that reads like an adult. This is both her friendships and romantic relationships. Even the timing of nearly all their intimacy was off. It felt ick to me. And do NOT get me started on the unprotected sex scene. I mean seriously, grow up. That whole situation was so immature, and the whole reason I was drawn to this book was that the cover made me think it would be more mature. I honestly just didn’t feel like these two should be together. They were kind of an awful couple.

All in all, I did finish this book. However, I didn’t get anything I truly enjoyed from it and would have personally been better served setting this one aside. Maybe bigger fans of formula 1 would at least get something from it, or someone who enjoys the drama of on again off again/betrayal. That just isn’t me.

I’m always thankful to be an arc reader, so big thanks to Josie Juniper and Forever for letting me read it!

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @readforeverpub for an early copy of Coming in Hot by Josie Juniper. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐/5
Release date: June 17th, 2025

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220175570-coming-in-hot?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PkT3Wzn1h1&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

With Double Apex being an okay read for me, I was hoping Klaus and Natalia’s romance will redeem this series. Unfortunately, I found the main characters far worse than Cosmin and Phaedra. The story’s execution and the chemistry between Klaus and Natalia was meh; it tells but it doesn’t show and describe the depth of their feelings for each other. Apart from that, their back and forth was tiring and their chemistry was far better in the first book as supporting characters.

Natalia’s character annoyed me the most in this book. I feel like my judgement of her in the first book was validated in this sequel. I know she’s been through a lot and makes mistakes, but I don’t see a lot of character growth on her, especially that she can’t control herself and her supposed feelings for Klaus, and goes on going physical with him despite it being unprofessional on so many levels. Meanwhile, I couldn’t even understand what Klaus is supposed to be feeling apart from being physically attracted to Natalia. He’s the broody type and gives professional advice to the Emerald team when needed, but what else? These characters are difficult to like and connect with I just can’t.

Wow. Phenomenal. A loss for words. Swoonworthy AF.

When I’d seen this teased and to be released soon, I was thrilled. Josie has expertly written another hot and heavy F1 romance packed with dirty talking main characters that made me blush as I was reading.

The plot was great, along with the twists that I did not anticipate from Klaus. The German dirty talking was … pheeeewwwwww. You could talk to me ALL DAY like he talks to Natalia — his kleine Hexe. Their relationship felt authentic, real and true here with tons of depth and deep dives into both of their pasts — I really appreciated that.

The cameo with Phae throughout the book was the cherry on top for me — I loved her wild in the first novel. To see that character also grow as a side character and what eventually comes to be with her was such a treat and I liked how the author was able to give her a small slice of the book without removing anything from the main characters or plot.

10/10 — I cannot wait for this to release wide and see others fall in love with this author and her books as much as I have.

Some quotes I really enjoyed:

“Ich möchte Dich betteln hören,”

“Life is a house constructed of tragedy. We decorate it with our fragile joys to make a suitable home.”

“Nothing could ever be wasted on you, kleine Hexe.”

Oh, just look at this lovely creature—butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s going to make me work for it.

This book neither tells nor shows character or plot development. It felt like a series of snapshots in time that were fun for the writer, who already knows her characters, but without the necessary building moments for her new readers. The time jumps are also jarring- every chapter is "one month later, two weeks later, four months later," and we get TOLD that things happen, but this makes every chapter feel like a recap of episodes that I missed. If Klaus' POV had been removed it would have been better. Too many romances now fall into the trap of dual POV so they can make sure the reader has no doubt about anyone's feelings.

Natalia is not a professional woman and can't control herself despite all her internal monologuing about how bad an idea it is to get involved, casually or otherwise, with an exec from a field she's supposed to report on.

Klaus is supposed to be an Ice King but instead is obsessed with her from the beginning, but because we barely see them interact on page other than moments of either intimacy or jealousy and insecurity, I can't understand why they even like each other.

I can't connect to these characters. I wanted this to be amazing, but clumsy writing and too many time skips ruined this story for me.

This was a spicy, plot heavy but fun F1 romance. A bit on the long side but also at the same time I enjoyed that the plot and characters were really developed and you went through all the ups and downs. This is an age gap romance. A few things sort of came out of nowhere in the spice department but overall i liked it and i also liked that the F1 part of this plot was more front and center than other F1 books I’ve read.

I always enjoy a Josie Juniper novel, and this second in her Formula 1 trilogy did not disappoint. This book features the love affair between Natalia (reporter) and Klaus (principal for the team). One of my favorite parts of this series is the F1 backdrop, and using chapter headings to travel to all the race locations. It just adds another layer of interest, and often language. Klaus being German, he adopts a pet name for Talia in his native language and sometimes lets loose with other phrases. Something about that is just...sexy. This pair succumbs to their immediate attraction, and bring the heat on numerous occasions, but their relationship is not just skin-deep and there's a lot of push/pull dynamics as they navigate to their finish line.

The writing from JJ is always solid, with some moments of standout prose and hits of her signature STEMinism.

If you are intrigued by the high stakes world of international racing, like your women feisty and strong, and want to imagine handsome, virile men with an accent whispering in your ear, give this series a whirl.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

So. Much. Push. And. Pull. Natalia and Klaus have history—one unforgettable night that was supposed to stay in the past. But when a new career for Natalia and a big racing scandal throws them back together, their sizzling tension is impossible to ignore.

Klaus is all cold precision, Natalia is all fire and determination, and their chemistry? Absolutely electric. I was so excited to dive deeper into their complicated dynamic, and @josiejuniperauthor did not disappoint. The slow burn is deliciously frustrating, the stakes are high, and the emotional payoff? Chef’s kiss.🔥

If you love forbidden workplace romance with serious will-they-won’t-they energy, this one’s a winner! 🏎🚥

Coming in Hot had a well-developed plot. I was initially hooked but then around the half way mark, it started to drag for me. The chemistry between Natalia and Klaus was great but the constant back and forth drove me crazy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

As a huge Formula 1 fan, I was excited to dive into Coming In Hot, especially after enjoying the first book. The premise had all the makings of a high stakes, spicy sports romance—an F1 journalist and a mysterious team principal? Yes, please! But unfortunately, this one didn’t hit quite as well for me as the first book did.

First, the power dynamic between Natalia and Klaus was a tough pill to swallow. It’s already hard enough being a woman in motorsport, and the journalist/team principal relationship added another layer of imbalance that didn’t always sit right. Their back and forth dynamic felt exhausting at times, almost like Natalia didn’t even like Klaus, which made it hard to root for them as a couple.

That being said, I loved the age gap aspect, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous. The racing world was well done, and I appreciated the Drive to Survive style drama woven into the story. But the romance itself felt a bit uneven, and I struggled to fully connect with Natalia and Klaus’s relationship.

If you love F1 romances with a touch of scandal and intrigue, this might still be worth picking up. But for me, it just didn’t capture the same magic as the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Josie Juniper, and Forever for the eARC of this book.

Big shout out to NetGalley and Forever for the e-ARC copy of this! 3.5⭐️

**Spoilers ahead**

Okay so first thing’s first. I think I need to just stop reading F1 romances because they annoy me too much as a real life F1 fan. This book was far better researched and more accurate to the sport than most (*cough* Lauren Asher *cough*), but the entire premise that there would be a massive scandal over a new F1 race venue due to human rights violations, when there are (off the top of my head) about 5 countries where F1 races in real life that are committing human rights violations felt a bit too improbable. Maybe that was the whole point, in a *let’s critique the real FIA for ignoring slave labour* kind of way? But even if that’s the case, it still felt unrealistic and kept pulling me out of the story 😅

NOW onto the story itself. Basically this is a Toto Wolff fanfic. That’s not technically a bad thing, but it’s something you should know going into it (if you didn’t already from the cover and blurb LOL). Overall I enjoyed this story, but the pacing of their love story was a bit off? Part of me doesn’t enjoy insta love so a longer love story is a good thing; however, the other part of me feels like if you break up 3 times in 2 years, do you actually like each other very much? I dunno. Also whipping out the pregnancy trope at the end was wild 🤦🏼‍♀️ OH and don’t even get me started on Phaedra. I just can’t. She was written as a no-nonsense, socially awkward, flawed character, but honestly she was just a bitch and I hated her. Plus if I’m going to hate on the new F1 movie for making Brad Pitt date his female race engineer, I kind of have to do the same here with Phaedra and Cosmin, even though I wanted to read this book BECAUSE it’s an F1 romance (yes I recognize the hypocrisy, don’t @ me).

I don’t know what to tell you, my feelings about this book are complicated 😅

Coming In Hot by Josie Juniper came in HOT and steamy and it was perfection! An amazing follow up to Double Apex and F1 Fans will devour this!

Josie juniper is now an auto buy author for me! I was so excited for their story after reading the first book because the tension between them was delicious and seeing how their relationship started was so good! Natalia and Klaus have such a fun dynamic. He's a team leader in F1 and she's a reporter, after one night together, the chemistry between them is undeniable and she's a moth to his flame. They try hard to stay away from each other. it's angsty, full of tension, how can they make it work when everything is stacked against them but their chemistry is so good. It's got a bit of an age gap, workplace romance with a touch of forbidden, sports, slow burn, tension and it was so fun to read! I loved this book so much and I love the way Josie writes her characters, they are complex, strong female characters in a male dominated field like motorsport but its addictive, fun and a must read!

When I say I dropped everything to read Coming in Hot, I mean I put off Season 7 of Drive to Survive and read through a budget meeting (if you're my work, no I didn't.) The Frontrunners series has had me in a chokehold since I first got my hands on a copy of Double Apex last year. The mix of romance, angst, and technically correct racing elements is a great combination. The small snippets of Klaus and Natalia readers got in Double Apex spoke to a larger story, and Coming in Hot did not disappoint in sharing their history/parallel journey.

Klaus is a Formula 1 Team Principal/CEO/part owner, and Natalia is a journalist who just got her dream job working for an Autosport magazine covering the F1 beat on location (and is besties with Klaus's co-owner, but that's neither here nor there.) The absolute rollercoaster that occurs in the first few chapters from anticipation to anger to yearning is wild in the best way. After a one-night stand, Klaus and Talia realize they are stuck in a small traveling circus called F1 together for the foreseeable future. The forced proximity causes them to attempt friendship, which goes about as well as one would assume two strangers who start their acquaintance with a bang can manage (read: it doesn't go well at all.) Life, careers, and personal aspirations find both Klaus and Talia keeping the other at arm's length. We watch them battle with those around them, each other, and themselves for what they really want and need throughout the course of the book. Both characters have such unique voices, and in true Josie Juniper form, they have moments where you question if you truly even LIKE the character. Their chemistry is the molten kind, the kind that starts with an explosion, then simmers and bubbles until it's taken over everything in its path.

There's yearning. There's angst. There's some gorgeous Santorini views (with spice for good measure.) There are FOREARMS. There are messy families. There's racing. Definitely recommend.

"Coming in Hot" by Josie Juniper had its moments, but ultimately fell short of my expectations. The relationship between Klaus and Natalia was peculiar, to say the least. Their interactions felt forced, and I struggled to believe they had any genuine affection for each other. At times, it seemed like they didn't even like each other. The writing style was also somewhat clunky, which made it difficult to become fully immersed in the story. The pacing was uneven, and some scenes felt rushed while others dragged on. My biggest disappointment, however, was the overused trope used to wrap up the book. It felt like a lazy cop-out, and didn't provide the satisfying conclusion I was hoping for. Overall, "Coming in Hot" was an average read that failed to leave a lasting impression. While it had some enjoyable moments, the flaws outweighed the positives. Thank you netgalley, Josie Juniper and Forever (grand central publishing) for my eARC copy in exchange for an honest review. 3/5 ⭐️

Josie Juniper's second installment in the Frontrunners series is full of the heart, humor, and steam she has established as her trademark. With a unique perspective on the sport, we follow Natalia as she turns a new page in her career as the lead journalist for a motorsport reporting group. After a chance encounter with an F1 team principal, Klaus, we watch her learn how to navigate the Formula 1 paddock, and her connection with Klaus, as the lights go out on a new season.

The small hints of the Natalia and Klaus's story in the first Frontrunners book had me very curious about them, and I am happy to finally understand it all from their own perspectives. As we watch them grow a closer and more intimate relationship, I couldn't help but swoon. The very specific references to the inspiration behind Klaus certainly helped me swoon as well. Fans of Josie's first book in this series will love this one as well!

As a fan of f1, I totally enjoyed the plot of the first book, but I couldn’t find myself enjoying this one. The idea and the story is great, but I just felt like this has so much more potential than it was shown. It got interesting at about 50% of the book.

Just a little thought, it’s already hard to work in motorsports as a woman, the reporter x team principle seems like a slap into our face. Though I quite enjoy the book in the end, I got a little ick by that.

Even so, there is no question that josie is one of the authors I enjoyed the most.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

This was a very fast paced read! I am not familiar with F1 racing but loved learning about the sport. Natalia was a strong FMC. Loved the forbidden workplace romance. I did find myself questioning whether the MCs liked each other at times with the push and pull.

Overall I enjoyed it.