This book was fun! I’m not big into F1 but I felt like it wasn’t too hard to follow. I will say it does focus heavy on the F1. I don’t know if I will remember too much about this one but it was a fun time and I liked all of the characters

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons publishing and NetGalley for this ARC! Drive Me Crazy is about Chloe, new team principal for fictional F1 team Arden, reconnecting with former childhood friend Matt, a driver who needs a comeback. Matt is Arden’s new number one driver, and Chloe must figure out how to work with her first love and first heartbreak while trying to prove herself in the boys club that is F1. It’s quick read that’s sweet and spicy!

The good:
-The F1 setting was really fun! I’m a very casual fan but it was cool to see the behind the scenes of what it takes for everything to come together on race day
-This was a really easy read that kept me interested, I read it in one sitting on a plane and it made the time fly (lol)
-I liked the friendship storylines, with the Arden team and with Matt’s former racing partner

The bad:
-It was very instant-love/lust vibes and I prefer a slow burn. A lot of the relationship between Chloe and Matt happened before the book started in their childhood, and that made it harder for me to connect with their relationship, it felt too shallow to me
-I was frustrated by the lack of self-control that Chloe and Matt displayed when they had a lot to lose, they were constantly hooking up in public-adjacent areas where they could’ve been easily caught
-The spice was largely pretty forgettable to me

The swoony:
-Childhood friends to lovers is always a fun trope and I thought this was a sweet example where they both have grown up and into a good match for each other
-I liked that Matt was really supportive of Chloe and her career and accomplishments, and I liked that he stood up for her

Nothing life changing, but I had a really good time!

This was a fun, feel-good romance set in the high-speed world of Formula 1. Even without much knowledge of the sport, I was drawn in by the exciting backdrop and strong female lead. Chloe and Matt’s chemistry was clear, though their relationship leaned more on physical attraction than deep emotional connection. I loved the team dynamics and the humor sprinkled throughout. It’s a light, entertaining read—perfect as a palate cleanser between heavier books. Looking forward to what comes next in this world!

First, I want to Thank NetGalley, author Lizzy Dent and Putnam for this e-Arc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I really enjoyed this book. It was my first Formula 1 Sports Romance book. So I was a little lost at the beginning with not knowing much about the sport. Lizzy did well in detailing what I did not know, but now I also want to learn more more in case the author puts out more books like this. Hopefully it can become a series. It was a fun, flirty, and feel-good romance that hits the sweet spot between heartfelt and hilarious. I always love a strong female character in a book, especially in a "man's world" setting. Old Childhood crushes becoming lovers is always a cute story for me and I enjoy their journey and growth as characters.

Such a fun read!! I loved how the world I know and love of F1 was intertwined into this story with just the right amount of romance and action. This was my first racing romance and I will definitely be reading more of them in the future. The growth of both main characters was well done and the pacing felt believable. Loved getting the little glimpse into their future in the epilogue! Would love to see more stories about the characters in this book!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone and their mother is putting out a sports romance these days, and some are even taking it a step further to delve into the less "mainstream" sports of today. Lizzy Dent does just that with Drive Me Crazy, a sports romance centered around the world of Formula 1 racing. We do love a strong female lead, but in order for a sports romance to hit the upper echelon for me it needs to really be believable to an extent. This wasn't completely outside the bounds of reality, but the bottom line is that there just isn't much female captainship in Formula 1 as of yet and so that did make it feel a bit outlandish at points. That being said, she was a strong and likeable character that I appreciated throughout. The ending felt rushed but overall, a pretty good story with the right amount of spice.

Drive Me Crazy was such a fun, easy read—perfect if you’re in the mood for a light sports romance. It follows Chloe, a newly promoted principal of a struggling F1 team, and Matt, a driver trying to get his career back on track. They grew up together (with Chloe totally crushing on him), but drifted apart when he left to chase his racing dreams. Now they’re suddenly working together again, and sparks start flying.

Even though I know nothing about F1, I was totally into the racing aspect—it added so much excitement and energy to the story, honestly even more than the romance at times. The relationship kind of kicked into high gear out of nowhere (very on-theme for a racing book!), and I do wish we got a bit more insight into what exactly drew Matt to Chloe. Still, the ending was really satisfying and tied everything up nicely.

All in all, this is a feel-good romance with a confident, capable heroine, and I’m already looking forward to Noah’s book!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC!

Drive Me Crazy reunites childhood friends who always wanted to be more - but this time, he's an F1 racer and she is his boss.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is cute, and I dig the tropes. Unfortunately, the characters have NO chill when it comes to having the hots for each other (which means it's painfully obvious to the reader and lacks genuine tension), the banter is a bit immature, and there is SO INCREDIBLY MUCH racing jargon in this book. I haven't watched a single race in any circuit in my entire life, and I found myself getting lost more in racing culture and lingo than in the story.

A for effort, but not so much for execution.

Drive Me Crazy is a fast-paced and fun read, and what really stood out to me was the racing. The motorsport angle was exciting and well-written, adding depth and energy to the story that I honestly found more compelling than the romance.

The romantic relationship leaned more toward physical attraction than emotional connection. While there was clear chemistry, I would’ve liked to see more development in their bond beyond the surface level. That said, the ending wrapped everything up really nicely and made the journey feel satisfying overall.

If you’re looking for a romance with a thrilling, high-speed backdrop, this one might be worth the ride, especially if you're more into action than slow-burn love stories.

I am an avid F1 fan and appreciate the level of technical detail and references that were included in this book, but I do think that will be a waste for someone who isn’t a close follower of the sport. I do appreciate more books being written about F1 though and I hope that it will get more people interested in watching. I love how strong the FMC was and I thought the book was cute, but I just had a hard time getting this one to click. Hopefully in a few weeks I can do a reread and I will enjoy it more! Overall, a cute read!

This book was fun, but it reminded me of the 2000’s romcom. Some angst a bit of flirting, and a lovable underdog.

It didn’t compel me to feel any remarkable highs or lows, but it was cute and I enjoyed the story.

Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC

I love a good F1 romance book and I enjoyed this one!

I appreciated how determined and strong willed Chloe was in a predominantly male sport. Building the team was important to her and she wasn’t going to just step aside.

It treads familiar ground to another book on the market of the same name but still keeps to its own unique storyline.

This was a cute, easy read! I really enjoyed dipping my toe into the F1 racing world & Chloe and Matt had a sweet story. In terms of depth, it felt very surface-level, but I didn’t mind that at all! Chloe & Matt’s banter was fun at times, but I felt like it lacked a little and this made me feel like I didn’t really *know* them.
I loved all the different team members being introduced and their one-liners to Chloe or Matt, but other than that, and a little drama from a scorned media personality/childhood friend, there wasn’t much else here than a standard love story. I would recommend this book to my friends that are looking for a sweet, simple palate cleanser in-between high fantasy or complex romance stories!
Thank you to the publisher & the author for sending me this ARC. :)

This book is super cute and I love a strong female character. As a huge car girl I love seeing these tropes. I ate this up

This is my first F1 romance, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Lizzy Dent delivered a fast paced story that drove straight through my heart. Chloe Coleman is a woman at the top of her game. She just became principal to her racing team. Then in steps Matt Warner, childhood crush of Chloe, but currently an arrogant driver with a traumatic crash.

I loved the slow burn of the relationship, but it also had a head-over-heels feeling with the childhood crush aspect.

The go-kart scene sent me to my knees!

Thank you to Lizzy Dent, Putnam, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love a good childhood friends to lovers romance AND F1 romance (especially because I don’t watch F1, which means I don’t pick apart the inaccuracies like I do other sports). This was fun and I liked Chloe and Matt’s relationship. I enjoyed their history togethe and seeing Matt deal with his issues.

On the other hand, I had a few issues. I liked Chloe’s character and understood her imposter syndrome. But I don’t feel like it was addressed. There was a team member who routinely undermined her and there was never a part where she put him in his place. She was also so naive. I saw what happened in the third act a mile away!

Still, I enjoyed this, I just think it has the setup to be even better. 3.5 ⭐️

I LOVE F1 and LOVE sports romances but this book didn’t click for me. I wish we had spent more time getting to know and like the two MCs, and their relationship back story in the beginning. Instead it felt VERY heavy on F1 technical and people references, and more about them in their careers than as humans. So it was a miss for me, I just didn’t care.

I also will say the level of technical F1 detail is going to be over the head of readers that don’t follow the sport. I was fine because I am a F1 junkie but worry about the general public!

DNF at 10% - not really my speed. (pun intended)

Definitely a good book for fans of Formula One and car racing :)

4.25 stars

This was a really cute and fun F1 sports romance.
I loved Chloe and Matt’s childhood friends to strangers to lovers storyline and how there was undeniable chemistry between them, even if their reintroduction was a little rocky.
Chloe is a woman in a male dominated field and is constantly being told that she’s basically a diversity hire but despite this she was so hardworking and good at her job and proved that she deserved to be there. I liked how she stood up for herself and didn’t let anyone get to her.
Matt was such a happy, sweet guy but he was definitely struggling in the beginning of the book. He was coming back from a bad accident and being dropped by his team and was considering retiring. Instead, he and Chloe decided to help each other out and along the way reconnect and fall in love.
I will say that for how long this book was a long it felt a little underdeveloped. There were so many big moments that were kind of skimmed past and I would’ve loved more detail about those.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Drive Me Crazy had elements I enjoyed, but overall, it didn’t stand out to me as much as I’d hoped. While I appreciated the Formula 1 backdrop and found the exploration of a male-dominated industry compelling, especially through the FMC’s determination, the romance itself fell a bit flat for me. The chemistry between the leads felt underdeveloped, and the storytelling often relied on telling rather than showing.

The MMC came across as somewhat two-dimensional, though his appeal kept him from being entirely forgettable, and sort of cemented him as someone reliable for the FMC. The ending also felt rushed, leaving me wanting more closure or depth.

Despite its flaws, the book had its moments, particularly for readers who enjoy sports romances with a strong, self-assured heroine.

Overall: 2.5/5