Cute, Easy F1 Romance!
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶

Tropes/Descriptors:
Enemies To Lovers
Pave her way FMC
Vulnerable MMC
Dual POV


I appreciate the fact they talk about Mia taking time to find her place, between the journalism degree, psychology, and maybe a chef? lol (the book made me crave avocado toast) before she landed on being a podcaster. We get to hear about her love for F1 and how it's a predominantly male focused area so, its hard to breakthrough but, also the decisions leave you with harder criticism.


Mia ripped Xander a new one on his racing skills, which starts their story. Throughout the story, I just kept thinking, "Wow, Xander is being very patient with Mia and her wishes while sacrificing his own feelings." I like that he isn't the best racer, which sets a more realistic expectation. He doesn't win every single race, and we are all subjected to our bad strides.

The romance was spicy with cute moments while the main characters still maintained their own identities.

I listened to the audiobook version and let me just say the narrator did a phenomenal job with distinguishing different characters and accents.

Overall, it's a cute read!

Thank you so much, Netgalley & Harlequin Audio, for this ALC 💕

DNF at 65%

⭐️ 2.25/5

Format: Audiobook

I really wanted to love this one. The premise had so much potential—Formula 1 setting plus a sports romance? That’s usually an instant win for me. Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t land. The pacing felt rushed, and the relationship development was practically nonexistent. The characters dive headfirst into the romance, and it didn’t feel natural or believable.

There were a few things I genuinely enjoyed. I love anything related to Formula 1, and I typically really enjoy sports romances. Also, the audiobook narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and keeping my attention.

However, a few things pulled me out of the story. The mention of real F1 drivers made the fictional world feel confusing—are we supposed to be in real life or an alternate version of it? The extreme insta-lust/love between the main characters had no real buildup, and some of the dialogue and banter came off as awkward or cringey to me.

That said, I do think this book will find its audience. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. But if you’re looking for a quick audiobook or light read with a low-stakes plot, it’s worth giving it a try.

Mia Neal is obsessed with Formula 1 racing. When her podcast goes viral after loudly criticizing British driver Xander Bishop, Mia finds herself being sought after by a lot of people. From brands to fans, the last thing Mia expects is to be invited to a race by Xander's teammate. Of course, his intentions aren't the kindest and Mia finds herself face to face with Xander himself. When sparks fly, things get messy as Xander works to salvage his career and Mia struggles to find her own identity. A romance about finding oneself and being enough in your own eyes, Not So Fast was a quick read/listen that I really enjoyed. Appropriately paced with good character development, I enjoyed the ride Not So Fast took me on.

The audiobook for Not So Fast was so well crafted I didn't even realize it was only one narrator doing all of the voices. Talon David knocked it out of the park, and I'm definitely going to look up more of their work.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the gifted ALC.

ALC Review 4/5
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Narrator: Talon David

As a car girly and growing up at the race track, I loved this book!

This book is a fast-paced, flirty, and heartfelt romance. Mia, an overthinker with a deep love for F1, has a podcast that critiques drivers, especially Xander Bishop. Their chemistry is fire. I also felt that the emotional character development was phenomenal.

"I just want you to be as generous with yourself as you are with everyone else."

This one was a fast-paced, fun read — no pun intended. I loved the F1 backdrop and how deeply involved Mia was in the sport. Her passion felt real and made the world feel immersive. And it wasn’t super predictable, which was a nice surprise for a romance!

Mia, an F1 podcaster/influencer, is finally invited to her first race and ends up face-to-face with Xander Bishop, her favorite (and most-criticized) driver of the season. He’s not having a great year, and she hasn’t exactly gone easy on him in her commentary. From the start, sparks fly between the two, even though they come from totally different angles within the racing world. Mia is still figuring things out career-wise, life-wise, and emotionally. She overthinks everything, which plays into the story in an authentic way. Xander? Smoking hot and surprisingly sweet, with his own pressures to deal with.

The long-distance aspect and their differing roles in the F1 world added a touch of drama, though I found myself wishing for just a little more conflict or tension to really push the stakes. Overall, if you’re into racing, romance, and characters with real inner struggles, this one’s a solid win.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was super adorable! I love that F1 is getting more publicity through books, and I'm all here for it!! I loved that there wasn't a third-act breakup, and it wasn't super high-stakes. Mia was very relatable, as I'm also an over-thinker, and when she started going down her rabbit hole, I was right there with her! They were both so supportive of each other's careers, which was amazing to read, and their banter was so fun! It was a simple, cozy romcom sports romance, and I needed that! Talon David did an amazing job voicing the various characters, making each one feel unique. I will definitely be looking this author up, as I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style!

I could get into romances with F1 (Forma One racing)! Mia, an up-and-coming podcaster, has the opportunity to feature Xander, a successful race car driver.
They were first rivals from afar but quickly developed an insta-list romance that was sweet and spicy. The plot moved quickly, the banter and chemistry off the charts, and the HEA ending very satisfactory!
I started this with my eyeballs but moved to the audiobook to run some errands. The sole female narrator, Talon David, did a fantastic job. I was so immersed that I didn’t realize how fast the ending was approaching!
3.75 stars

I finished this is one day - it’s short and it’s fun, and there’s HEALTHY COMMUNICATION!! That’s a win in my book!

Mia is a podcaster who carries the weight of newfound internet attention as she navigates her place in the F1 community. Xander is a hotshot driver who is going through a rough patch in his races, and Mia’s negative comments don’t help at all.
But when they meet, both of them begin to understand each other better and they soon become each other’s biggest support. It’s just too bad they have to hide their relationship from nosy reporters and even fans who might see what they have together as a ploy to drive views and fame.

Mia and Xander are two very fun leads. I love that they can have such opposite lives or foundations and come together to be a strong force for each other as they both find themselves deeply enveloped in the Formula One world.

As far as the relationship goes, I felt like the conflicts and dynamics were very realistic and believable, as navigating life in the spotlight would be something that requires more intentional discussion. Their communication was INCREDIBLE and truly there’s nothing better than healthy communication in a romance.

Notes on the Audiobook: I think this narration was very well done. The narrator brought life to the words and even gave Xander a bit of a British accent to contrast Mia’s American accent. Diction was clear, pacing felt great. This could very easily be listened to on its own or as a companion to the ebook or physical (I read ebook + audio and FLEW through it.)

Thank you to Afterglow / Harlequin Romance for the gifted copy of this title. My review is completely voluntary, completely my own, and always completely honest.

Not So Fast is a fast-paced rom-com set in the thrilling world of Formula One. Mia Neal is a snarky, overthinking F1 superfan whose podcast hot take on British driver Xander Bishop suddenly goes viral. When she gets invited to a Grand Prix event to stir the pot, she ends up connecting with the driver she’s been dragging online. The chemistry is instant, and the tension is electric.

I loved how passionate both Mia and Xander are about racing. Their shared love for the sport adds depth to the story and their relationship. The first time they meet is hilarious and one of my favorite moments. I did wish for a bit more time with them building trust and friendship, but the story still works well as a quick read.

The audiobook, narrated by Talon David, was a highlight. Their performance brought the characters to life with great accents and strong delivery. I am picky about narrators, and this one really impressed me.

If you enjoy sports romances with smart characters and sharp banter, this is a fun listen worth checking out.

When snarky podcast queen Mia Neal drags F1 driver Xander Bishop on-air, she never expects to end up face to face with the man himself. Cue the viral drama, steamy tension, and the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance I live for 😍

Set against the high-stakes world of Formula 1, this story has banter, racing, romance, and so much heart. Xander is charming and grounded, Mia is fierce and smart—and watching them navigate fame, pressure and personal growth together? Total fireworks. 💥💬

If you love fast cars, fiery chemistry, and fierce women falling for unexpectedly soft men—this book is calling your name 🫶

📚 Tropes:
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Sports romance (Formula 1!) 🏎️
✔️ Grumpy x sunshine
✔️ Public scandal / viral fame
✔️ Slow burn with spice 🌶️

⚠️ Content Warnings:
🔸 Explicit Sexual Content
🔸 Misogyny
🔸 Online harassment
🔸 Brief mentions of past toxic relationships
🔸 Public scrutiny / media pressure
🔸 Some emotionally manipulative family dynamics

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an arc of this book.

For someone who knows literally nothing about Formula One, I really enjoyed this story!

Our heroine, Mia, has a podcast all about Formula One, where she might have critiqued her favourite driver, Xander, a little too harshly. Suddenly, she’s viral, and ends up with an invitation to the Miami Grand Prix from Xander’s rival. Despite everything she’s said, Xander and Mia are drawn to each other, and Mia starts helping him out. We go from there!

Their relationship was very sweet, given how it started. They’re very supportive of each other and complimented each other well.

For a one-narrator performance, Talon did a good job, though I would have loved to see it as a duet narration.

Simple sweet romance book with in the sport of formula 1!

I really wanted to love this book more than I did. It just ended up being okay. I didn’t feel that I connected as much with the characters compared to other books. They would start to have moments or conversations that go very deep and would end up quickly moving on.

Our FMC I absolutely loved career driven, curvy, and easily a likable character

MMC had his own depth to him but what really made me like him is how he supported her in her career and gave her the space she needed to grow.

These two really supported each other which was just so special to read.

I was very wary at first, considering Mia has kind of built her entire career around criticizing Xander on her podcast (she doesn't only talk about him, but there's definitely a heavy emphasis on her devoting more time to criticism of him than to anything else). Once she finally gets to meet him (her favorite driver, which is why she's so harsh on him) she doesn't understand why he has no interest in interacting with her, which I would have thought would be obvious, especially for someone as smart as she is. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because I did like how things played out between them.

I thought the narrator did a good job overall, but I do think this book would have benefitted from dual narration. I normally don't have a strong preference but I think with him being British, that would have worked a little better for me. I didn't always love the accents, but aside from that, I thought the narrator did a great job.

Overall, I liked Not So Fast and would read more from the author. It's a great option if you're looking for low spice (but not fully closed door).

ARC review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not So Fast follows the thrilling and romantic journey of a passionate F1 podcaster who stirs the pot by publicly criticizing her favorite driver’s racing skills. When his teammate invites her to a live game to get in the driver’s head and disrupt his focus, she seizes the chance—only to find her favorite driver trying to avoid her afterward. But fate brings them together after the race, and what starts as playful banter and pride soon sparks a deeper connection. As they spend more time together, their relationship blossoms, leading to heartfelt moments and her meeting his family. When paparazzi catch wind of their romance, drama explodes, threatening their career and the podcast she loves.

This book perfectly blends high-speed racing excitement with emotional depth and romantic tension. Fans of sports romance will be hooked from start to finish.
Thank you @karenbbooth and @netgalley for a copy

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley an exchange for a honest review this in no way affects my thoughts or opinion

I really enjoyed this read. It was able to capture the insecurities of being a plus-sized person without making the whole story revolve around the main character's body or making it awkward. The romance was good, and the challenges were realistic rather than frustrating (I HATE the miscommunication trope, and this pretty much stayed away from that). There was a mix between flat and more sculpted characters. Definitely satisfied the need for a fun romance, and the variety of settings added a lot to the story.


Also: It would definitely help to have a general idea of how Formula 1 works, but it's not completely necessary to understand the basic plot.

Disclaimer: I was able to access this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I've been grabbing just about any F1 romance that I can get my hands on. Despite this being a dual POV and only have one narrator, I still enjoyed Talon David work in Not So Fast. I thought this had a decent balance of F1 where those that are new to F1 can follow along easily. I was excited for the podcast aspect, but it dove a little deeper into influencer territory that I wasn't a huge fan of. I totally understand the anxiety and pressure of numbers being in a positive light, it definitely had a cloud over her relationship with Xander. And there was a moment that left me quite disappointed.

Overall, I did like this on, just didn't love the influencer aspect. Xander is the absolute sweetest!

4.5⭐️

Such a fun F1 romance! The FMC is a podcaster who went viral for insulting the MMC’s driving, so it is a bit of an enemies to lovers (sort of). They end up falling for each other and fake dating and their romance was so cute! I loved the banter between them and really enjoyed the audiobook narration

📚 Not so Fast by Karen Booth
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Talon David
📕 Genre: Romance
📖 Read: June 2025
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“𝘠𝘦𝘴. 𝘔𝘪𝘢. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.”

‧₊˚✧ 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬 ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ Enemies to Lovers
ꕥ Forced Proximity
ꕥ Opposites Attract
ꕥ Grumpy/Sunshine Dynamic

Fast-paced, steamy, and full of heart — a must-listen for F1 romance fans.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of Not So Fast. The narrator’s voice perfectly captured Mia’s sharp wit and Xander’s British charm, making their banter feel alive and electric. The pacing kept me hooked, with the intense world of Formula 1 providing a thrilling backdrop to their slow-burning romance.

The chemistry between Mia and Xander sizzled, and I loved how the story balanced the high-stakes pressure of racing with the tender moments of connection. The audiobook made the emotional ups and downs hit even harder, especially during the more vulnerable scenes.

My only critique is that some secondary characters could’ve been more fleshed out, and a few plot points felt a little rushed. But overall, the narration and story combined for a compelling listen that I’d gladly recommend—especially if you love sports romances with plenty of heat and heart.

𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥.𝘢𝘯𝘥.𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨/

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio and Karen Booth for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun, easy and quick listen. The story follows Mia, an up and coming podcaster who lives and breathes F1 racing and Xander, an F1 driver who is supposed to be the next hot thing but is struggling. I love the character of Mia, her wit and banter with the other characters in the book and the way the author made her so relatable. Xander is very endearing with his family especially and I love the inclusivity with the character of Xanders brother. The spice level took me by surprise, it kind of came out of nowhere! Just a heads up for anyone who may also not have expected it based on the first few chapters leading up to the spicy scenes. There was some jargon for the F1 racing, but I didn't ever feel confused by it or left to Google terms. I appreciated the narrator, she was easy to listen to and brought out the emotion well. The switching between characters POVs was a bit choppy at some places, but that doesn't bother me enough to take off stars. Overall a book I recommend for someone looking for a quick and fun Rom Com. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

An F1 driver and the podcaster who criticizes him on air find love in Karen Booth’s Not So Fast.

Read this one for the banter, the mental health representation, the family dynamics, and the heat between Mia and Xander.

I like how they discuss finding the right fit when it comes to occupations, especially for neurodivergent individuals, how the mental component to racing is portrayed, and how Mia and Xander are adept at identifying each other’s struggles.

This is a dual POV novel with a single narrator for the audiobook. I enjoyed Talon David’s narration. I feel like she captures Mia’s personality well and enjoyed the accents she uses.

3.75 stars

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Harlequin and an advance copy of the audiobook from Harlequin Audio. All review opinions are my own.