My Selling Pitch:
Reads like a good Wattpad angst fic about gay F1 drivers.

Pre-reading:
Meant to read this in June but didn’t get to it. I don’t get the appeal of car racing or butt stuff, but I’m ready for an angsty time!

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Oh, I’m SAT.

Bloody urine in chapter one is wild.

Driving away from gay panic haha.

Don’t manic pixie dream girl this. (There’s a whiff.)

How does the hospital not have the roof alarmed?

You know what’s so weird? Every time I have a migraine and read a book, the book also talks about migraines. It’s eerie.

Reminds me of Sara Raasch’s writing in Go Luck Yourself.

The audiobook is acted really well.

Rizz’m with the tism lol.

It’s pretty Wattpad, but like good Wattpad.

Not the mid-book breakup!

Yay for found family and not being codependent.

The trad wife sister is crazy.

The way I keep accidentally picturing Travis Kelce and blondie.

You don’t have to thank me, Jacob. You’re paying me.

This kinda reads like those bad Foxhole books.

But like showing up unannounced is still ensuring that you’re the only one in control, babe!

Wow, I hope his parents have the worst day.

I know I complain a lot when romances have therapy speak in them, but this one is like actually helpful and not just regurgitated platitudes.

I think you should fucking call first and stop showing up unannounced.

Oh slayyyy on the dismantling of narc parents guilt tripping you for your participation in a sport or activity they enabled.

I love Kelsey.

It doesn’t sit right with me that he asked you point blank in your interview if there was a chance of you guys getting back together and you said no and now your direct next move is getting back together with him.

Shut up and drive 🎶

I mean, if you almost drowned, you don’t give up breathing, but you might give up swimming lol. (Editing Sam laughs in equestrian.)

I like that this book takes the time to point out that the women in the sport are good at their job and not just diversity hires.

No, I love Matty. I love all the side characters in this.

Imagine going to speak to your boss directly after sucking your boyfriend off. (Coughs in Run, Run Rabbit.)

And the Capricorn in me is screaming, but your job!

He’s a bit of a dick though.

Just because your bar is on the floor, Trav, doesn’t mean you were getting what you deserved if the other person is consciously aware that they were not putting forth the effort they’re capable of.

Hunter being a vegan is peak comedy.

I love Matty.

Cute. Perfectly fine.

Post-reading:
I feel like books like these make me want to remind people that a 3 star is a good book. It’s perfectly average. You can pick this up and it will satisfy, but it’s not gonna change your life.

I think the sport in this sports romance is pretty minimal. I could not give less of a shit about people driving gas guzzlers in circles, so it didn't bother me at all. If you're more of an F1 fan and craving the drama of race scenes, you might be left wanting.

The romance reads like angsty Wattpad fic, but it’s not cringe. The found family and side characters inject needed humor. They're all compulsively likable, but that's pretty typical for contemporary romances.

The smut teeters on hot, but isn't all that explicit. I think the audiobook did a lot of the heavy lifting on that. The audiobook is well acted. I think if you're going to pick this book up, you might as well snag the audiobook and enjoy two sexy men rumbling in your ear.

There’s just enough banter and character development to make you root for the characters, but they're pretty run of the mill and forgettable. Like I said, enjoyable but not obsession worthy.

Normally I hate when contemporary romances drop in a therapy plot line because it usually feels like the author is just transcribing their own sessions, but this was tastefully done. It has some sound advice that didn't feel like regurgitated platitudes.

I don’t think you need to rush out and read this. It’s definitely skippable, but if you need a no thoughts, head empty romance reset, this’ll do just fine.

Who should read this:
F1 sports romance fans
Wattpad angst fic veterans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
No, but I’d pick up the author again.

Would I buy this:
For like $1 to have some diversity recs on my shelf, sure! For my personal collection? Nah, she’s skippable.

Similar books:
* The Mistake by Elle Kennedy-college sports romance, second chance, family drama
* The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic-college sports romance, gay, Wattpad style drama
* Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch-campy urban fantasy, holiday romance, gay, enemies to lovers, family drama

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5 Stars) Huge thanks to Amy James, Avon Books, and Harper Audio for the gifted advanced listening copy of this devastatingly tender, utterly consuming romance that hooked me from the first chapter.

F1 superstar Travis Keeping is on the brink of winning it all, until a horrific F2 crash puts several drivers, including Jacob Nichols, in the hospital. What the world doesn’t know is that Jacob isn’t just another racer to Travis. They’ve been dating for a year.

As Jacob’s life hangs in the balance, Travis spirals - forced to navigate the pain in silence, blocked from Jacob’s hospital room by Jacob’s unaccepting family, and trying to keep his racing career from unraveling. The story beautifully weaves between past and present, showing how their love grew in quiet corners - full of tenderness, firsts, and fears.

When Jacob’s POV enters the story, it hits like an emotional crash of its own. He’s facing a long road to recovery, physically and emotionally, haunted by trauma and isolated by controlling parents who want to erase Travis from his life entirely. His scenes in therapy are raw and powerful, especially as he tries to imagine a future in a world that he doesn’t see can make space for who he is while he does what he loves.

This book gave me the same emotional ache and swoon I felt while reading Red, White & Royal Blue. It’s a deeply moving story about hidden love, personal resilience, and fighting for your place in the world - and in someone else’s heart. I wanted to reach through the pages and hug these sweet, complicated boys. This is absolutely a new favorite.

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Gary Furlong and Patrick Zeller are incredible in the dual narration. They capture every ounce of grief, fear, hope, and longing with such care. Their voices made me feel every heartbeat of this story. (Runtime: 9h 23m)

This book provides a roller coaster of emotions. You can’t help but get attached to the main characters. I felt connected to their pain, fears, and trauma. This book goes deeper than a typical romance and I think it is worth a read!

Crash Test is a more serious and grounded story than Amy James’ previous book, and I really liked that shift in tone. The characters were well-developed, and I appreciated the emotional depth throughout. That said, I did find the plot somewhat predictable. I kept hoping for a twist or something unexpected to shake things up, especially toward the end. Still, it was an enjoyable read with heart, even if it didn’t quite surprise me.

This audiobook was not for me due to it sounding more like a "radioplay" than not. While I know a lot of people love that, I found it quite distracting. Yet still while listening I was surprised by the heartfelt story that I found here because the only other m/m book I'm aware of by a large publisher is Pole Position, which is a silly book. Meanwhile, this starts with a lot of tension bringing the readers in as our main character deals with hiding his sexuality and dealing with the aftermath of a horrible car crash. I know I'd be interested in revisiting a physical copy because a lot of lost on my brain due to how it played with audio but that's a me thing.

Jacob has experience, but despite being comfortable and confident in his bisexuality, he isn’t out with his family.
Travis has no experience, but is more than willing to learn. Everything he had to go through broke my heart. I wanted to reach in and hug him.
Both characters had so much growth both individually and within their relationship. This was my first book by this author, but I’ll definitely be back for more!

What’s in the book?
MM romance
Secret dating
Second chance
Found family
LGBTQ+ rep
Mental health rep
Race car drivers

Now THAT is how you start a book!!

I was absolutely enraptured and devastated by the first 30% of this book. I loved hearing from Travis’ perspective and seeing even his own growth with his comfort with his identity and finding his chosen family.

Once Jacob woke up, it lulled for me pretty much until the end. I wasn’t really sold on their relationship once I learned more about it - Jacob seriously just led Travis on for like a year but whatever. I also wanted Jacob grovel and talk about what he did wrong I swear to God. They wrapped it up a little too quick for me.

But I liked how it showed two men in a very masculine sport becoming comfortable with their identities and standing up for themselves. The narrators fit the voices for the characters and it helped differentiate between them during the scenes which was great. And the side characters were my faves and I love how happy it made Travis.

Great work by the author for creating two unique characters with a lot of depth even if I wasn’t a huge fan of one of them.

I don’t normally listen to audiobooks but when I saw Crash Test was available on NetGalley as an audiobook I took the leap. I am so glad I did! I had wanted to read Crash Test for a few reasons, 1. Red White and Royal Blue is one of my favourite books and the blurbs around this book kept comparing it (this does feel like an inaccurate comparison- the only similarities are that they are high profile people and it’s a queer romance) 2. it was getting a lot of buzz on booktok and finally 3. I discovered last week that the author Amy James was a local author from Nova Scotia and was having an event at the bookstore that I worked at throughout all of university this coming Friday.

Like I said I’m not normally an audiobook person, but I have to hand it to the two voice actors who played Jacob and Travis - they were both fantastic. The story was a heavy emotional one and the actor who voiced Travis made me feel like I was there with him throughout all the trauma post the crash and the fall out afterwards.

I really thought this story was different from most of the romances I’ve read, it started with tragedy and worked its way back to the good, but also let the characters develop and grow and find bits of good along the way beyond just their own relationship with each other. I loved all the moments with the side characters like Heather and Mrs. Costa. They all made the story feel so much richer and added a lot to the book.

I was glad to see Jacob progress through the second half of the book when we switch to his PoV, in the beginning of his section I was agreeing with Travis’ friends general consensus that this guy sucked, but I thought all of his progress with himself and his therapist made a world of difference when it came to my feelings towards him by the end of the book.

This story was beautifully written and I’m so glad that I took the 9 hours out of my past two days glued to my phone listening to it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author Amy James and the publisher HarperAudio Adult for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

“The first time Jacob told me that he was never a good sleeper until he started sleeping with me. I tucked that fact away like a treasure.”
“You’re like Ambien for my soul.”

Deeply romantic. ♥️ This book was so tender & moving and I absolutely loved it. The audio was fantastic. The tone of the book was melancholic and sad for most of it and I was swept off from the very beginning, I fell so deeply for them both and I loved witnessing their journey back to each other. If I had one critic to make is that it wrapped up rather quickly. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio and the author Amy James for the advanced listening copy, all my opinions are my own.

Ahh, I loved this book so much! I listened to the audiobook while reading and it added so much more emotion to Travis and Jacob’s story! This book took me on a bit of a roller coaster in the best way! The narrators were both amazing and I felt every emotion the characters went through.

I was so giddy with the banter and tension in the beginning of the book, and an emotional wreck through the rest. Two professional race car drivers keeping their relationship a secret for a year? It broke my heart the way these characters struggled to love each other the way they needed and longed to.

My heart hurt so much for Travis, in having to keep his relationship with Jacob a secret, then dealing with the worst kind of heartbreak during and after Jacob’s life changing accident. The way Travis stayed by his side. All he wanted was to be with Jacob and love him out loud! 😭

And so did Jacob, but he was so scared of what that meant for his career, what others would think, and just didn’t know how to at the time. After an accident that costs Jacob his career, he reflects on his life and relationship with Travis and is determined to not only race again, but to also win back the love of his life!

If you enjoyed Pole Position or Red, White, & Royal Blue, then you’ll love this one! A must read for anyone who loves a sports romance filled with emotional angst, yearning, longing, and amazing character development! ❤️

Thank you to Avon Books, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for both the ARC and ALC!

Crash Test follows two drivers, Travis in F1 and Jacob in F2, who have both fallen for each other. Jacob is involved in a multi-car fatal crash, and Travis not knowing what is going on frantically rushes to the hopsital to find his status. While there, Travis endures many obstacles until Jacob wakes up and everything comes crashing down around him. This story put me through all the emotions and I loved it so much. Trauma is a real B and their story shows how hard it can be to overcome things. I was able to read this and listen to the audio in tandem, one of my favorite ways to read as it gives you the chance to really follow along while truly hearing the characters and their inflections. The way both narrators made their characters come to life made this book even better.

This took me on quite the emotional roller coaster. F1 driver Travis rushes to be at the bedside of his boyfriend of a year, F2 driver Jacob, who has been in a terrible crash. The problem? No one knows that they are anything more than colleagues. While Jacob lies unconscious, Travis recounts their past year together while trying to hide their true relationship from his ultra-conservative family. The journey that follows is one of heartbreak, perseverance, self discovery, and acceptance.

I loved Travis so much in this book. He deserves more than he received from Jacob in my opinion. I wanted more groveling, more atonement for just how awful Jacob was to him. While I did love the journey that Jacob went on and the work he put into rebuilding himself inside and out, I wanted more. He always still seemed to have some priority in London other than Travis. I know he was scared but I wanted him to fight harder for him. Travis deserved that. Their reconciliation just felt so rushed that I’m not sure if I believe they will go the distance. Jacob is still so young and still a bit selfish. I want to believe he becomes what Travis deserves but I’m just not sure he is there yet. Overall, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

If you are an audio fan, I highly recommend listening to this one. The narrators do a fantastic job showcasing the differences in these two characters. I absolutely loved their performances!

Thank you so much to Amy, Avon, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC/ALC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

3.75 /5 stars

•MLM with bi rep
•F1/F2 (fairly light on the sport elements)
•Second chance romance (I guess? Idk what else to call it)
•Dual pov split into two parts with a third part combined pov

This was quite a unique setup for a romance. I saw queer + F1 and just requested it, so I didn’t know much. The book starts off immediately with a bad crash in F2 in which Jacob is left in critical condition. His (secret) boyfriend of one year, Travis is left reeling with grief over watching his partner fight for his life. He has some bad interactions with Jacob’s family who catch on to their relationship and don’t approve. I loved the moments of kindness from the doctors/nurses at the hospital 🥹 The first third of the book is all in Travis’s pov. Told in flashbacks of their relationship the past year and present day in the hospital.

I was shocked when the book turned into a second chance romance (?) as Jacob breaks up with Travis after waking up. We then switch into Jacob’s pov for a second third of the book as he deals with recovery, living back with his parents (who suck!) and going to therapy. I truly was not sure how this book would make me care about Jacob after he was awful to Travis who is a sweet baby and must be protected at all costs. But I really liked Jacob’s therapist and seeing him grow through that process. He has some serious bi/homophobia which absolutely stems from his family. I can also totally get that he went through a very traumatic experience with the crash and he just needed to figure his life out.

Both MCs have some serious flaws which make them very real and human to read. I personally love flawed characters that you root for, but they really put you through it before the ending. I do appreciate what we got from the character arc of each MC. There’s a lot of pining between the boys especially once we get to Jacob’s pov and the third act where we get both of their perspectives. I liked the side characters/friends that both Travis and Jacob have they definitely added to the story.

Ultimately I’m not sure if I really felt that the ending was satisfying. I think it just happened way too quickly (mainly that Travis really didn’t make Jacob work for it enough). Like yeah he went to therapy but there was zero discussion and barely any apology for how crappy of a boyfriend Jacob was. That part definitely should’ve been slower and developed more before they just declared their love and got back together.

There’s definitely some good bones here in this story and I’m glad I read it. With some polishing it could’ve been a fantastic read. I will keep an eye on this author’s future books.

The audio narrator was pretty good. Even with the way the book is split up between povs the different narrators for each MC are heard throughout the dialogue.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance audio copy.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident, Outing
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Islamophobia

This was my first f1 romance book and it had me in a chokehold from chapter 1. I am now an f1 romance girlie.

Travis is an incredibly famous f1 driver whose team and fans have a certain expectation of him. While Jacob is an f2 driver who's still working his way to the next stage of racing. After a life-changing situation, the couple have to navigate trying to keep their relationship a secret or choosing something else entirely.

I especially loved Travis and watching him changing in his own time. I thought his storyline was particularly beautiful and had so much depth. Jacob's character was funny and charismatic, which felt like a great contrast to Travis's stoic nature. The two of them spent a lot of time in the lack of communication department, but in the end I think the resolution was worth it.

💕 secret relationship
💕 lack of communication
💕 angst
💕 f1 sports romance
💕 famous MMC

🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ .25

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a great time reading this romance book. This is my first F1/F2 romance and I might have to read more.
Travis and Jacob are in a relationship, but a crash derails their lives and throws Travis’ life upside down. Travis has been very lonely, and this crash makes it even more obvious.

As they move on with their lives, they are both miserable and longing for the other.

Travis is a formula 1 racer and Jacob is a F2 racer.

The story was so compelling and had so many real characters and had some amazing characters to make up for some of the awful ones.

I had a great time reading this and highly recommend.

The audiobook was so good. I enjoyed both narrators a lot. They fit the characters so well. Travis was so relatable and isolated and the narration made it so real. They made the characters emotions so impactful and real.

*Thank you HarperAudio for the ALC and Avon for the eARC and physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded to 5

This novel was so much more—and so much deeper—than I expected. And, while I understand that some elements might be divisive, I completely fell in love with this book.

I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this book. The full review of the book is below. Specific to the audiobook: This book required a wide emotional range for both protagonists, and both were remarkably well performed.

It’s a beautifully written, character-driven story set against the backdrop of the F1/F2 racing circuits. If you’re looking for a in depth exploration of racing with a side of romance, this isn’t that book. But if you enjoy flawed protagonists, emotional depth, and compelling second-chance romance, this book delivers.

One of the most refreshing aspects is the narrative structure. Though told in dual POV, it doesn’t alternate chapter by chapter. Instead, the book is split into three parts: first from Travis’s perspective, then Jacob’s, then a blend of both. I formed strong opinions early on, only to have them challenged when the story switched narrators.

Travis, though socially awkward and often gruff, is ultimately the more sympathetic character. Beneath his prickly exterior, he’s remarkably self aware: kind, thoughtful, and steady, even at his lowest. Jacob, by contrast, is charming on the outside but inwardly immature and selfish. He’s the more divisive of the two, but I found his narrative to be incredibly authentic, especially in how it explored internalized homophobia and emotional repression.

If anything held this book back from being a full five-star read, it’s that Travis can feel a bit one-dimensional early on, and I wish he’d asked more of Jacob during their reconciliation. Still, those are minor critiques of an otherwise solid book.

I would highly recommended for readers who appreciate slow-burn tension, deeply personal character arcs, and unconventional storytelling. Definitely a 2025 favorite.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Avon & Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

✨ Review ✨ Crash Test by Amy James; Narrated by Gary Furlong; Patrick Zeller

Thanks to Avon, Harper Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Is racing sports romance my new jam? Maybe!

This starts with Formula 1 driver Travis Keeping realizing that his secret F2 driver boyfriend Jacob Nichols got into a terrible crash. The book alternates between the present and their past together, building up the story of their attraction and love with each other. Travis has never dated before, and Jacob, even while bi, has typically gravitated toward women, and both feel a lot of fear around being outed in the non-queer-friendly world of racing.

This is full of emotion and coming to terms with identity / self-growth. Travis grapples with his loneliness as he finds new friendships, and Jacob has to deal with his family and internalized shame (etc.) around his queer identity.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline and organization of the dual POV (first Travis, then Jacob, then a mix), though this won't be for everyone.

Overall, I thought this made a great summer read -- light enough to read at the beach, but with enough depth to keep me engaged!

🎧 I actually struggled to get into the audio for this one. The accent/speed wasn't working for me. I admit I only tried for a minute though!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m sports romance
Setting: all around the world + London and New Mexico
Reminds me of: Pole Position
Pub Date: Jul 01 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ formula 1 racing
⭕️ m/m sports romance
⭕️ affirming individual growth
⭕️ globe-trotting athletes

Crash Test is a wonderful read and the audiobook makes it even more so. The audio version of Crash Test amplifies the emotions by 100% in the best way possible. The pining is more poignant, the stress and worry more plaintive, and the joy at the end more ebullient. The work of the narrators amplify an already wonderful story to an amazing one and it’s impossible to put it down until you finish the whole thing.

I originally read Crash Test back in April and gave it a 3.75, and now after listening to the audiobook… I’m bumping it up!! 🙌

I’ll be honest—I hated Jacob the first time around (sorry not sorry??? okay maybe a little sorry). But this book has been living rent-free in my head since then, so I decided to give it another shot with the audiobook, and OH MY GOD. The narrators crushed it. They brought so much emotion and nuance to the characters that I honestly didn’t catch the first time, and it completely changed the way I saw Jacob. Like… I GET HIM now.

And let’s talk about that hospital scene—because when I say the audiobook had me in TEARS, I mean actual sobbing in my car level tears. Hearing it performed instead of just reading it hit a thousand times harder.

That said, I still wish Travis made Jacob GROVEL more. Like sir. You cant expect me to just fall in love with you again after saying a few nice words, I REFUSE.

All in all, if you’re on the fence or didn’t fully connect with the book the first time, the audiobook is absolutely worth it. Great narration, gut-wrenching emotions, and a second-chance romance that will wreck you and rebuild you in all the best ways. Highly recommend!!!

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperAudio for the audiobook!

What a performance by voice actors Gary Furlong and Patrick Zeller! Hats off to them!

The way they delivered the story and the changes in emotion in their voices was amazing. I could feel Travis' struggle and pain in the first chapters of the book, and made me wish he was real so I could hug him real tight!
Same happened with Jacob and his rage, his embarrassment, his happiness... The performance gave the character a different kind of depth and made me dislike him a little less (#TeamTravisAllTheWay lol).

This audiobook is a 5 out of 5 to me. I loved it! <3

You can find my Crash Test book review here:
https://www.netgalley.com/book/542916/review/1795522