🏎️Book Review🏎️

4⭐ 3 🌶️

Wow, what a wonderful refreshing take on Sports Romance. I really enjoyed this books and recommend it to all sports romance readers. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the love story from fake dating to real love. I also enjoyed understanding more about formula 1. The politics in the sport was surprising and the author used this in the plot really well.
I did find the start a little clunky and hard to follow. Maybe this is reflective of the FMC's ADHD, but I would have preferred that this clunkiness to have continued, but it felt like it really dropped off. Good for me because it meant I could follow the book more easily but not good for the plot continuity. I look forward to reading more from this debut author.

Big thanks to @netgalley and @madgemarilwrites for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

An F1 romance story about documentary maker Lilah and Formula One driver Arthur. I loved the quirkiness of Lilah, her unique personality made the story engaging, especially the relationships she had with the other characters. I loved the fact she knew nothing about Formula One at the start of the story, it built the story so well. Whilst some of the storyline was frustrating at times, I loved the story overall.

While it isn't necessarily bad, I just feel like this isn't the book for me. Everything felt like I was being told rather than shown, even as early as the character introductions, and I couldn't get immersed in the story and the universe.

Watching f1 myself, I’ve been hesistant to read any book based around the sport in fear of it being too sensationalised; or reducing women to a sex symbol. This book was engaging and exciting, and without reducing women to a mere love interest, and as a fan of the sport, was fun to read

ARC Review
⭐ 4.75 | 🌶️ 2

Slipstream had my heart racing (heh, get it?) with its perfect mix of banter, chemistry, and absolutely adorable relationship development.

This was my first F1-themed book — and as someone who had zero interest in Formula 1 before this, I’m honestly shocked to say: I’m now fully on board. So much so that my partner and I are planning to go to the Melbourne GP next year! And that’s all thanks to Madge Maril. Her description of the sport was so engaging and vivid that I need to experience it just like Lilah did: no prior research, just vibes and a first-time in-person race.

The only (very minor) thing I would’ve loved more of was Arthur’s POV — there were so many moments I wanted to crack open his head and see what he was thinking. (In my imagination, his inner monologue is just constant pining and yearning 😂)

Overall, this was a fast, fun, and heartwarming read with neurodivergence representation, a great fake-dating setup, and a bit of revenge. Highly recommend for fans of dislike-to-lovers, or if you’re F1-curious like I was.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Madge Maril for this eARC!

I’m so torn with how I feel about this book. I really wanted to love it, Fake dating, F1 romance what is there not to love??

Fake dating is my favourite trope but this butchered it. What is the purpose of faking dating when they don’t really date?? I felt like nothing was really faked at all.. And the family scheming part wasn’t as hard hitting as it should have been. This part of the story just became lost considering it was the whole reason behind the faking dating in the first place.

Lilah really began to irritate me. I don’t believe this was the best description of a neurodivergent character. She was a childish and frustrating individual who simply blamed her ADHD for this. It didn’t delve into the actual struggles of this condition, rather looking at it as more of an excuse to blame her bland personality on.

The chemistry between the two was non existent, where was the romance? There was so little physical or emotional chemistry, no banter but then boom! we are talking about marriage and babies in the bedroom???

I nearly DNF but Authur kept me going, I enjoyed his knight in shining armour persona but I don’t think it was enough to save this storyline line.

I hate giving books a low rating but unfortunately this was completely missed the mark for me.

I had such a fun time reading Slipstream! It’s a light, fast-paced romance set in the world of Formula 1, with just the right mix of swoon, sass, and speed.

The story follows Lilah, a documentary filmmaker who’s dealing with a pretty brutal breakup—her boyfriend dumps her and takes over their business. Ouch. She ends up working with Arthur Bianco, a reserve F1 driver who’s trying to clean up his image. The two come up with a fake dating scheme, and it’s exactly as chaotic and charming as you’d hope.

I really loved the chemistry between Lilah and Arthur. Their dynamic had that perfect slow-burn energy, and their banter made me smile so much. Lilah is neurodivergent, and I thought that was written with a lot of care—it added real depth to her character. Arthur was a surprise too: confident on the outside, but actually quite thoughtful underneath it all.

You don’t need to know much about F1 to enjoy this—there’s enough racing to give the book a fun edge, but the romance is definitely the heart of it.

If you're into fake dating, grumpy/sunshine vibes, and romances with a strong sense of character growth, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I did enjoy this book and the characters were great. I loved that the FMC had adhd and we got some inner dialogue into her struggles. The MMC made the book, his character was endearing with his care for the FMC.
I struggled with the over abundance of information about F1 racing & Documentaries. I ended up skimming the pages when this happened, I just think it wasn’t needed to be so over explained.

Overall it was a good read

I was lucky enough to receive as an ARC 🥰

In the cutthroat world of Formula 1, documentarian Lilah Graywood finds herself caught in the ultimate race: for her heart, her career, and her future. After her secret boyfriend and co-owner of their documentary company, Max, unceremoniously ends both their personal and professional relationships, Lilah is left reeling—and determined to take back control. She might hate racing, but she’s not about to let Max’s betrayal ruin everything she’s worked so hard to build.

Enter Arthur Bianco, the golden boy-turned-reserve driver of the Ignition Energy Drink Racing team. Arthur’s career has stalled, but his charm and determination still burn bright. When Lilah and Arthur’s paths collide, they see an opportunity to rewrite the story Max thinks he’s telling: Lilah’s revenge and Arthur’s shot at redemption.

What starts as a professional partnership quickly turns into a deliciously twisted game of fake dating. They’re supposed to be allies in their secret scheme, but as the cameras roll and the world watches, Lilah and Arthur can’t help but fall for each other in the most unexpected ways. Their chemistry is undeniable—simmering with banter, laughter, and that electric connection that’s impossible to ignore.

Madge Maril’s Slipstream is a pulse-pounding blend of high-stakes racing and slow-burn romance. The tension is as hot as the summer circuits, and the emotional stakes are just as intense. From glamorous European race tracks to the gritty behind-the-scenes world of documentary filmmaking, Lilah and Arthur’s journey is equal parts exhilarating and heartfelt.

This isn’t just a story of fast cars and even faster chemistry—it’s about reclaiming your voice, finding your true passion, and learning that sometimes the best love stories are the ones you never saw coming. With its whip-smart dialogue, deliciously flawed characters, and breathtaking backdrops, Slipstream is a high-octane contemporary romance you won’t want to put down.

Slipstream
⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘You still keep your eyes open when other people would’ve shut them for good’

Absolutely loved the premise of this debut book by Madge Maril, the blurb hooked me in, fake dating is my favourite. Was my first F1 romance but doubt it will be my last.

Lilah is an interesting character, she has diagnosed ADHD and struggles with it daily, it explains some things that would otherwise annoy me in romance novels. But sometimes this girl is straight up dumb, and blames it on the ADHD, what do you mean you’ve lost a suitcase with valuables and you simply just shrug it off with “I lose things sometimes” ?? Not raising a single flag about it when she had a chance to, not mentioning it until she is in a whole other country. Her inner monologue is sometimes funny and useful, but when it goes on for more than one page in the middle of a conversation it can be a bit distracting, by the time she’s back in the conversation I’ve forgotten what the question was. And why is she so vague in her head? Thinking as if she is trying to hide things from the reader.

Arthur is a man who races cars but he also has Emotions™️. He’s nice, he’s cute, he’s a perfectly respectable MMC.

There is some communication issues but no major miscommunication which is my least favourite trope. Speaking of tropes. Throughout the book there are various mentions of ‘main character moments’, ‘doing things for the plot’, ‘time for the montage’. Each and every one of them pulled me out of the book. The various pop culture references were also a bit jarring occasionally and I unfortunately feel like they age a book even if it is recent (I’m not talking about that one Taylor Swift reference that doesn’t count)

The plot took forever to start, finally started getting super good and interesting, then the book ended. I would say this book is about 50% plot, 25% Lilahs inner monologue, 10% F1 exposition, and 15% going to a different location to have a conversation (perhaps the same conversation that has already been had)

Overall I liked this book, I didn’t love it. If you’re after an easy read and an intro to F1 romance I think this would be a good place to start.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for a digital advanced reader copy via NetGalley of The Slipstream by Madge Maril.

Pre thoughts
- F1 romance

Overall
- This was my first F1 related romance read and honestly I loved every second of it. As someone who also does not watch F1, the author explained the inner workings and allowed for the reader to have a good scope. Lilah and Arthur’s story is great. The ADHD representation was great and handled in a lovely way. Well written and easy to follow the plot line.

Stars 3.75 rounded to 4 /5
Spice 2/5

Tropes
- Fake dating
- Mental health rep
- Found family
- Slow burn!!!
- MMC falls first

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own xx

This was such a solid debut and I enjoyed reading it. Lilah and Arthur’s story pulled me in, and I finished this quickly without even really trying to! It was just incredibly more-ish.
As a formula 1 fan, I felt like the sport was accurately portrayed in Slipstream (something that will immediately take me out of the text). But it was still accessible enough that even if you’re not a fan, you won’t feel out of your depth!
I did find that there was a lot of telling instead of showing - I often felt like Lilah as the narrator just was explaining everything to me, where as I really prefer when an author trusts me to read between the lines and hear what the characters aren’t saying as much as what they are. I also felt like some of the plot points were a little vague, and Lilah’s ending felt a bit left-field.
Overall, I still had a great time with this book, and I will absolutely pick up other books by this author!
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for NetGalley.
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Overall this was a solid debut novel for me. It was well written and I did appreciate how the author was able to explain how F1 works as someone who doesn't watch it. I am interested in reading books from the author in the future because in the end despite any issues I have I did enjoy the romance which is always the main goal in a romance novel. I was originally going to give this a 3.5 stars but writing my full review I ended up talking myself down to just 3 stars. Even though it was well written and the characters were fleshed out there were just some problems I had that I wasn't able to ignore while reading and then thinking about then afterwards was like poking a hole in a piece of paper and they just kept getting bigger. But if you want a very sweet romance with a MMC who is very lovely and a relatively easy plot to follow over a unique setting you should give this a go.

I've seen this marketed as slow burn and enemies to lovers and I have to strongly disagree. It is immediately clear Arthur likes Lilah almost from the start and Lilah also more than once gets angry and jealous out of nowhere when they aren't even fake dating yet which kinda makes her look a little unreasonable especially when he's never actually flirting with other women. They also weren't ever enemies, in fact the whole premise is them deciding to work together to bring down the documentary. They did keep bringing up "oh we don't like each other" which felt silly because even before they confess their feelings they clearly got along and were friends, at no point other than their first meeting when they didn't know each other did either one do anything I'd consider grounds to say they hate each other.

The story did just immediately get going which I appreciate because I feel like a lot of newer books lately flounder around for 50 pages doing unnecessary set up and back story before the plot actually begins; Slipstream plops you directly into where it all starts. However, the plot does then slow down once they start travelling for the races, they are fake dating except no shes going to think about it, okay they are fake dating wait no shes still thinking about it, now they are but they aren't doing it publicly because they're going to wait for a specific event. The scheming just got overly complicated especially at the start when discussing how to bring the documentary into it when in the end apparently all they had to do was go to a bar and be photographed together. Which is kinda annoying when the first 50% of the book is dedicated to them going back and forth on the plan and nothing else.



I did enjoy Lilahs journey and becoming comfortable with herself after feeling rejected most of her life, but, I will say she never felt as strange and weird to me he, she likes the x-files and indie bands and has ADHD which isn't as off the cuff as the narration would have you believe. As much as I did connect with her feelings of feeling very out of place and almost alien as someone who has grown up feeling that way Lilah never did anything particularly out of pocket. She never said anything odd or had any strange hobbies which again I could relate to a lot of Lilahs problems did also then make me feel slightly detached from her at times. Her backstory with her family was also confusing to follow until eventually she cleared it up, but it stuck me as odd that anything to do with her family and accepting her mother abandoning her was all internal and she never actually has a discussion with Arthur about it, not that she needs him to validate her or help her with it but since this is a romance story you would think that her opening up about her childhood would be something that would happen. It also frustrated me a little her big hang up us feeling rejected because of her mother, which is totally fair and I actually really like she never confronts her, but Lilah is also adopted, and a big part of being adopted, is being chosen. That just felt a little contradictory to me, and then her adoptive family never realkydo anything other than little anecdotes Lilah shares sometimes. I did however like that she didn't just roll over and take Max treating her badly. I find a lot of FMCs who start out very soft like Lilah do absolutely nothing about people treating them badly and even make excuses which is always aggravating so I really like she never forgives him just pretends to to get back at him later. I wouldve liked if their confrontation wasn't an email, I understand Lilah doesn't need his reaction she just needed to say her piece and then never speak to him again but as a reader confrontations like that are the interesting part of the story.

Arthur was a good male lead, I like that he's not a cocky jerk which is what I think most writers wouldve made him he's just very confident in his ability, his arc being about confronting the state of his mental health was also interesting I felt it did come across naturally the way he explains his feelings and how he deals with it and not like he's just reading a psychology text book. It was a little cringe to me when he started talking about getting her pregnant during sex but that's more a me thing not about the book. It was nice when he realised she liked him back they just admitted it and got together that was refreshing it makes them a more believable couple that they'd actually, get together, and not do the usual oh no they can't possibly like ME for another 150 pages.

Essentially this was a bit of a mixed bag some things worked for me and other things didn't but in the end it was still well written, didn't have anything gross or problematic that was off putting and had fun characters in a fun setting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 🌶️🌶️2/5

Tropes:
🏎️ Slow Burn
🏎️ Fake Dating
🏎️ Mutual Pining
🏎️ He Falls First

Slipstream was a solid F1 Romance and I did really like that the F1 aspect didn’t fall into the background it was explored and explained in a very digestible way for those not already F1 fans.

Arthur had such a depth to him that I didn’t expect and you could feel the pressure he was under, the highs and the lows. Lilah wanted retribution and I really respected it, but ultimately I didn’t really connect with her which made it a bit slow to get through.

An easy mood read for sure and I could see myself reading it again which is what ultimately kept it at a solid 3 and I will say Max was written really well because I did truly hate him for betraying Lilah.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) | Atria Australia for the ARC.

What a cutie patootie book 🥹

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️ 1/2

🏁This book gave big found family/team vibes. It follows a young documentarian Lilah and an F1 driver Arthur. Lilah is working through a rough breakup and is tasked with filming Arthur’s story for an upcoming film. At first Arthur appears grumpy but he’s not what he seems as we slowly learn he’s a giant cinnamon roll.

🏁This book had ADHD representation and talk of panic attacks (on page) but both were handled with care 🥰

🏁The depth of both characters was so well written and I absolutely love their story. You can tell the author loves f1 as well!

Tropes:
🏎️ Fake Dating
🎥 Found Faminy
🏎️ He Falls First
🎥Slow Burn
🏎️ Mental Health Rep

Favourite Quotes:
💛my driving impressed the Lilah Graywood, professional Motorsport hater.
🧡I want to work with her. Only her. I like her. Feral little thing isn’t she?
💛anything for you

🩷This book was shared as an arc for @booksbymallie

2025 is the year of the F1 sports romance moving up the grid and taking pole position.

Lilah, our FMC, is hired to film content for a documentary when her business partner, and ex lover, does the dirty on her. But, with Arthur,  backup driver for the F1 team and the focus of her work, they contrive a circumstance to not only keep her job, but a little relationship revenge and secure Arthur redemption arc as they go. What ensues is a slow burn romance between an odd couple who really have the best of intentions for each other.

Madge Maril brings a unique writing voice to Slipstream.  Either the author has been down an F1 rabbit hole or they are a true fan. The love and affection for the F1 world is clear. As a newbie to F1, I appreciated the subtle information input. This was not information dumping but deftly woven into the story. 

My first observation was that this voice might alienate some readers. There paragraphs where fragmented sentences vie with long winded, analogy heavy round about sentences.  This though, I think, reflects the a neurotypical thinking pattern of Lilah as it is off-set by moments of repose and  lull in the writing.

An example, is the chapter for the  qualifier at Silverstone.  The paragraphs sound like the race track. There is staccato, rush, hold your breath, the use of commas and semi colon to hold the pace. Then, it's like a held breath has been exhaled and the words relax, the sentences cruise yet the tension has been pulled taut.

Lilah behind her ADHD mind gets trapped in her own creativity.  There are waves of focus and energy, where the documentarian can 'create within conventional structures and sytems', a recognised framework for someone who sees the world differently.  Lilah describes the cognitive work it takes to mask and the burnout associated with the extra mental load.  This insight into Lilah's mind was a highlight.

The acceptance and subtle support for her neurospiciness offered by Arthur was gentle and empathetic. He was looking for fixes to make her life easier but not to "fix". 

Arthur falls first and we see the love story unfold in micro moments. I would have loved a little Arthur POV - even if it was a paragraph each chapter.  Not much, just enough to provide more hook into the off page action, time jumps and his general frame of mknd. That said, I liked the author trusting the reader to come along organically without forcefeeding all of the action. The analogy of the golden hour and slipstream was spot on.  The little moments that are unseen until you look in the rearview mirror.

With thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster Australia and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC to read aheadmof publication.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster & NetGalley for the arc!

This was a super fun fast paced F1 romance that had quite a bit of depth between both the MMC and FMC, and even better it has a gorgeous cover! I’ll be excited to see if this book becomes part of a series as well

I definitely recommend for all the F1 girlies that enjoy similar books!

Wow, this book absolutely met and exceeded my expectations. I was all for a love story, but there was so much more to this book and to the characters, especially Lilah, that shook me a little and rooted the entire story for her.

Madge has done an amazing job creating Lilah, as a multi-faceted character with her quirks and her feisty persona when triggered, but also as a character that was easy to fall in love with. She is all of us in our twenties, (with or without the ADHD).

This book is a one POV, but I still feel like we got to see Arthur's character development change and build throughout the entire story. A common theme I did enjoy in this book is the girls sticking together. Given some of the situations, I didn't expect the friendship with Lilah and Sarah, and I really, really appreciated how that storyline played out.

This is a story about how she saved him. Lilah is more than a love interest, she is a lifeline, and I am so happy that a female character in this F1 setting managed to be the hero.

It was easy to follow and enjoy, and I hope to read more from Madge Maril in the future.

Slipstream by Madge Maril

2.5 stars

Slipstream is a Formula 1 romance, which introduces us to Lilah Graywood, a documentary maker from Kentucky. She is thrust suddenly into the glitz and glamour of the F1 world, when she and her boyfriend Max are enlisted to produce a documentary about the Ignition Energy Drink Formula 1 Team. Cue an unexpected break up, a threatened documentary, fake dating and a scheming plot line.

This book was quite well written, and I particularly liked Arthur as the MMC, he seemed mature and well adjusted. But that’s where the positives end for me. Lilah was one of the most irritating main characters I’ve ever read. She was the epitome of the “pick me girl”, and while I liked the representation of neurodiversity and mental health in this book, using Lilah’s ADHD as a point of difference and something that makes her quirky and different serves to do the exact opposite of including it in the first place. The plot made little sense, and to be completely honest the scheming plot line lost me entirely, and even having finished the book I’m still not sure what that was all about. The book was also trope-heavy, which isn’t a bad thing in a romance book, but some of the tropes seemed to have been shoehorned in for the sake of it. The husband/wife element to the spicy scene was just odd, especially as it was never mentioned again.

As a long-time F1 fan, I wanted to like this book, I really did. But unfortunately this one was lacking finesse and fell a little flat for me.

Kind thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this F1 romance between Lilah, a documentary filmmaker and Arthur, a reserve F1 driver who team up to sabotage a documentary commissioned by his racing team.

Lilah's chaotic childhood and her ADHD manifesting in ways which leave her stuck inside her noisy head made for a complex but sometimes frustrating character. But, at the same time you feel for her because she feels she's the odd one as a result. Her very slow journey to understanding that she deserves so much more from her relationships was satisfying one. I also loved the insight into how Lilah approaches filmmaking and her obsession with the truth (though I’m puzzled that Lilah didn’t understand the camera lies all the time). Arthur was so much more than the alleged 'party boy'. His panic attacks stemming from a crash also made us understand why he was the way he was and how men are expected to just not deal with their mental health.

However, the central plot made no sense and required a huge suspense of disbelief. Their idea to sabotage the documentary wasn't really sabotage and the showdown with the villain (which never built any real tension) didn’t even involve the doco. (Also, wasn’t Max supposed to be filming the other driver?). The fake dating made no real sense since it had to be in secret anyway so it felt like shoehorning a trope in for the sake of it. There were also some decisions Lilah makes that ran contrary to their goal (like signing Max’s contract giving up her rights!).

Romance-wise I felt like I was told more than shown they were in love. Everything was mostly inside Lilah's head and any time they started to talk about their future they’d get interrupted (like the kids topic). The spice scenes also had no real build up and came off as a bit jarring with the kink stuff.

Overall, I think it’s a promising debut with a lot of heart. It's a story about feeling out of step with the world and not realising you're just as worthy of love as everyone else which is a good message for all.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for the ARC.