🏎️ f1 romance
🧔🏽south asian rep
🎬90s/00s bollywood references
✨chronic illness rep
👩‍❤️‍👨friends to lovers/brothers best friend
📱racer x social media manager

The audiobook was great but it sounded like Dev was being pronounced as Dave which wasn’t expecting!

I highly recommend this book to everyone whether you’re a romance fan, sports romance fan or don’t even know how F1 works, I promise you won’t feel clueless at all. Simone’s storytelling capabilities will have you giggling, screaming and on the edge of your seat especially in the last 90% 👁️👄👁️ The words and storyline just flowed so well, this had a plot that worked in the tropes naturally, nothing felt forced or just there for the sake of it

As a south Asian girly I felt so seen and many have said this already. I don’t usually read enough books with characters that look like myself or share similarities in my culture but she represented the Indian/South Asian community beautifully! I hope that all the black and brown girlies see themselves in the main characters. On the topic of diversity the F1 grid in this book was amazing, if only it could be like this IRL!! I like how serious topics were incorporated into the storyline as well and showed the harsh realities of what racism and discrimination are like in a sport like F1

A quick and easy to read diverse sports romance with good representation for hypermobility (something I have first hand knowledge of). It's brothers best friend trope mixed into the world of F1 and sports media. Perfect for fans of Throttled.

If I'm being honest both narrators struggled to keep my attention throughout. I feel like it was more a me issue (reading slump) as the male narrator really gave it his all! I did like that you could hear his smile at times in his voice.

*4 stars*

Okay, as some who is a huge fan of F1 and appreciates it as sport this book hit it out of the park! It honestly felt like the author is either a huge fan of the sports herself or did her research. It is still a romance book so this was not the main plot of the book, but unlike other sport romances, the sport actually featured throughout the book. I loved the nods to actual F1 drivers (had a laugh at the Lewis reference and his good skin haha) and it really brought to life what I *imagine* a first class driver in the middle of the grid would feel like. So very well done!

Okay, enough about F1, more about Dev & Willow... he is her brother's best friend, she is the sister that has always been in the background, until she is not...

It was sweet, spicy and hit you right in the feels. Great rep throughout the book especially how Willow deals with her chronic illness and how the MMC supports her in that.

Pick this book up if you like:
* Formula 1 as a sport (and not only for the drivers)
* Brother's best friend
* Diverse characters
* Childhood friends to lovers

Also, that Epilogue?? I had to stand still to listen to that unfold. BUT great setup for the next book... keen to see who the next MMC on the grid would be.

The narrators did an excellent job with this book, when listening to an audiobook I usually read with my eyes as well, but they kept me engaged throughout.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan UK Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such an fun and lighthearted sporty romance with darker undertones. I think it was a really interesting portrayal of race and disability in sport alongside other elements. I enjoyed it a lot, but it just felt like there was something missing, like perhaps the characters just didn't have enough depth to make this an overwhelmingly good book.

.Brothers best friend
.Motorsports
.Workplace
.She falls first/He falls harder
.No third act breakup

This was such a fun romance set in the world of Formula 1, which I'm getting more and more into with each book I read.

The characters were lovable and made a great pair. Dev, our mmc, was a true golden retriever, caring and sweet.

They talked about their issues, shared their feelings, and didn't hesitate to tell each other how much they cared. Their communication was spot on, and I loved it.

What I really enjoyed was the lack of big drama between them. Even the side characters were reasonable and didn't let their past problems mess things up. They felt like real adults, which is something I find rare in romance novels lately. This book focused on strong friendships, family ties, and healthy relationships, which was a nice change from all the usual drama.

There were just two things that bugged me. First, the pacing felt a bit off. The third act conflict feels like it only happens in the epilogue, and I wish it had come around the 70% mark. It was such an interesting twist, and I wanted more time with it. But I'm hoping this means there's a sequel, so we can see what happens next with all the characters involved.

The other issue was the female narrator. She just wasn't the right fit and sounded like she needed a drink of water, which made it less enjoyable. The male narrator, though, was fantastic and did great voices for all the characters.

Overall, this was a fun listen, and I can't wait to see more from these characters in future books.

Cute, lighthearted, brother’s best friend romance with just enough F1 for a non-F1 fan to follow! Loved all the representation and the fact it was a fairly slow burn (I am a slow burn gal 4ever) 🫶

Formula 1, brother’s best friend, chronic illness rep and workplace romance, what more could someone want out of a book! It was so good, I loved the characters and thought Dev and Willow were really sweet.

The audiobook was really good with the narration Nerissa Bradley and Vikas Adam being perfect. I haven’t really listened to audiobooks with two narrators and it was so good. I thought both the voice actors were well chosen for the characters.

Summary: F1 driver Dev Anderson needs to fix his image after a social media disaster and hires Willow, his best friend's sister.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio-ARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

This was a great story!! I‘ve never read a romance book on F1 before so this was a first, and a wonderful first at that. I love Willow & Dev together. I‘ve recently come to really like the brother‘s best friend trope (if done well). I appreciate the fact that Oakley didn‘t act like your stereotypical brother to Willow. He told Dev not to hurt her and told Willow not to hurt Dev, gotta love a man who appreciates his best friend equally. I need a second novel on Oak or Willow‘s girlfriends BADLY.

As someone who adores watching F1, it makes me happy to not only read an accurate F1 book but also find it so enjoyable! Simone Soltani's writing is so addicting, and I loved how she incorporated so much of her culture into both Willow and Dev. F1 tends to be primarily white, and so getting to read about a Desi boy in F1 and a Black social media woman in F1, it's very special.

I quite enjoyed the audiobook, although I would've wanted a bit more characterisation from Willow's narrator, but it was overall really good!

I liked all the tropes, really appropriated that there wasn’t a third act break up 🙌 the representation was great and I love how descriptive this book was about the wedding (MMC sister’s wedding). I loved all the details there was towards f1 and it was explained well, so when someone reads this novel who has never watched F1 I feel like they could easily follow along. Really good settings
I liked each character individually but something about when they were together it just felt forced and I didn’t feel the chemistry and their barrier for being together (MFC Brother) they issue was just a bit lack Luster as it was fixed so quickly and they’re also grown people they can do as they want

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧

Thank you NetGalley for this free audio arc in return for an honest review!

Story - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tempo -⭐️⭐️
Narrators - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The narrators did an amazing job at making Dev and Willow come to life. I really liked how the narrator for Dev changed his tone in certain situations and made it seem like I was fully submersed into the story. Willows narrator was very soft but somewhat more hard which perfectly describes her character. I feel like the tempo of this audiobook was very slow. There was a lot of gaps inbetween sentences and even switching between 1x and 1.25x speed didn’t really help. If you want to stop these gaps then maybe 1.75x - 2x speed.

📚 Story Review 📚

I felt like this book was too much like Throttled by Lauren Asher. The whole concept was not original at all. I think the only selling point for this book was that it comes out when Monaco is on. There was quite a bit of research put into this book however some parts were lacking and it felt slow in some areas.

I love celebrity romances. I really liked that everything was described so I could actually picture everything it was lovely. I liked that the characters already knew each other very well. I also felt like I knew most of the characters too which was nice. I also liked that both the main characters were minorities and has a good representation of them. The dual pov gave an idea of both perspectives that I like a lot. I liked the storyline a lot too. The tropes were great too I enjoyed the brother's best friend, celebrity, sport etc. I liked the narrators in the audiobook too they added a lot of emotion to the characters and made it a pleasant listening experience.

There were a few things that could have been improved to make it better like I would have loved more scenes of their pasts together as they knew each other most of their lives and we only got a small glimpse of their past. I would have also loved a bit more about how his fans and the public's reaction to their romance as he's a public figure it would have been interesting to see how she deals with the spotlight being on her as well as him when they announced their relationship. I also feel like their lust for each other could have been toned down a little bit too as every chapter had atleast one scene where he or she had made a sexual comment about the other.

Overall I did like the story and it was a great listen and I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

📚AUDIO LISTENING REVIEW 📚

Cross the Line - Simone Soltani

I absolutely adored the audiobook. The narrators were excellent and really brought these characters to life. I feel really privileged I was able to listen to this ahead of release. I can't wait to have a physical copy to reread.

The cover is so pretty and inviting, it just makes you want to dive right into this one.

Dev Anderson is a Formula 1 Driver but when his latest scandal on social media is threatening his career, he must act fast. When he bumps into Willow at a party in Monaco he knows she's the best person for the job. She can save his image. But she's his best friend sister and he kissed her last year and hasn't been able to get it out of his head.

When Dev offers Willow a job with him she can't help but say yes and she can keep her childhood crush at bay but remaining professional is doing to be a whole lot harder than she originally thought. And soon there is more at stake than just their careers.

I enjoyed the slow burn of this book and watching the characters develop and find their way to each other. It was fun and filled with chemistry and I really enjoyed watching this unfold. I loved both characters and thought the F1 scenes were written well too. A really enjoyable read.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️


Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of Cross the Line by Simone Soltani in return for an honest review.

This was such a cute story! It was so heartwarming and satisfying to read a book where they both fall in love and there is no third act breakup!
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed that the dual POV was split between a male and female narrator. Listening to Dev fall in love with Willo and the way he described his love for her, oh my goodness my heart was melting!
Their relationship was so healthy and that was very refreshing for me to read a romance where they communicate so well with each other. You could feel how secure and safe they felt with each other and that just made me fall in love with them even more.
I loved the diverse characters in this story and how Simone writes and brings them to life. I was fully invested in everyone.
Having said that, I think I would have liked to know Oakley more or had him a little more present in the story to add to the tension that should come with a forbidden love romance. I didn’t feel there was enough reason for me to really believe there would be bad consequences if they were discovered and I think the story maybe needed more close calls between the couple and Oakley.

Trope:
-brothers best friend forbidden love
-friends to lovers
-he falls harder
-FMC with chronic illness
-sport and workplace romance

Overall, this was a really cute romance and I loved reading it. You don’t need to be an f1 fan to enjoy this story.

Thank you again for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this, the audiobook was perfect, both voice actors did an amazing job.

The book was so cute, I absolutely loved the setting and the plot!!

This is a friends to lovers, brothers best friend, F1 sports romance book.

I really liked the chronic illness representation in this book, but I kind of wish that when it was such a big part of the book and mentioned so much as something that affects her so much, that we would actually see more of how it affected her, and not just being told. But all in all, it was good and it showed that it affected her in all aspects of life, and we did get to see some of the things she had to do in order to function properly.

Back to the plot, it was very predictable, and I couldn't connect with the characters that much. There also wasn't really a 3rd act conflict? It was very small, and not really a problem. I didn't really care because i knew what was going to happen, and i didn't really want to continue the book at times. The book absolutely had some interesting and fun moments, but not enough for me, unfortunately. That being said, even though it wasn't for me, it doesn't mean it's not for everyone. I do believe that this will be the right book for some people if you can connect with the characters.

2,75/5⭐️

It’s lights out and away we go … to listen to this amazing F1 x friends to lovers story! This was such a cute story to listen to! Told from a dual point of view, the novel touches on that sweet spot of F1 lifestyle and you’re usual friends to lovers storyline. I enjoyed a lot how the story unfolds and captures the slow-burn between the two characters that by the time the audiobook finishes it just leaves me wishing for more. Will definitely keep an eye out for Simone Soltani’s next novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan UK Audio, Macmillan, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #CrosstheLine #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

This is my first Formula 1 romance and I loved it! Both the main characters were very likeable as were the cast of supporting characters. I enjoyed seeing their relationships outside of their romance as it made them a little more 3D. For me, the pacing of the main relationship was just right and a solid example of how to do the "brother's best friend" trope with the MCs having their own positive history. I also enjoyed the different rep, although I can't speak to the quality of it, and felt it really added something to the story. It also has to be said that both audiobook readers did an excellent job.

As someone in their tenth season of properly watching Formula 1, I felt that the on track action and team politics were portrayed well in a way that should please other F1 fans and be accessible to readers who don't know that much about the sport. I found myself getting really invested in the teams and drivers.

Would definitely recommend this and hope to read more from this author.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Cross The Line
Simone Soltani

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I'm pretty new to the sport romance trend - I have read a couple - but as a percentage of my overall reads, it's really rather embarrassing.
So, I was really excited to try out a new book in this genre set and with the F1 season in full flow, this seemed an appropriate choice.

I don't really watch too much F1 anymore, but my Dad used to always have it on and so it was great to have those memories as I read through.
I liked seeing the behind the scenes sections in this and especially seeing how difficult life is to navigate when you're famous.
Bringing this right up to date, we also see how dangerous social media can be - but also how it can be used to a great advantage, when managed effectively.

I absolutely loved watching the way that Dev and Willow's relationship developed through the book.
Starting as a working relationship, when Willow is hired to take over the media promotion of famous F1 driver, Dev, after the last one trashed his reputation following a disagreement.
However, the pair already had history as Willow is Dev's best friend's sister.
Everything urges them to keep things professional, but with Willow's childhood crush and the scorching chemistry between them, things soon prove too difficult to resist.

Willow was such a sweet character and despite her long term crush, managed to do a great job remaining professional and helping Dev out of his predicament.
On top of this she was just so supportive of his ambition - even despite the dangers.

Dev definitely won me over.
At first he seemed like he'd be the usual rich and famous guy who took advantage of his position - but he proved that he was actually a good guy over time and I loved the banter that he had with both Willow and the guys.

I was totally hooked on this from the first light right through to the final chequered flag!
I believe this is the start of a great new series and I can't wait to see where we'll be heading in the next book.


💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

Cross the Line is a debut novel and first in the Lights Out series. This is actually my first Formula One romance and I’ve fallen head over heels with Willow and Dev.
I really got invested in Dev’s racing career but there was just so much focus on the romance and the main characters which I’ve been loving in romance lately. It’s full of joy and celebration (there’s also a wedding setting!), it was a true pleasure to read.
I absolutely love the ‘brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister” trope and this book did the trope to perfection. I feel like they became the best versions of themselves and at one point Dev is described as a “love sick puppy”, it’s so sappy and exactly how I like a MMC! There’s also great representation in this book.
In terms of the audiobook, published by Macmillan UK, whilst I did really like the narrators and the dual POV, I didn’t personally enjoy the male narrator’s ‘feminine’ voice for Willow, but I do find this is typically difficult to pull off.
Prepare for an emotional epilogue, I didn’t see it coming at all, but we are also blessed with a bonus chapter and a true HEA.
I am looking forward to reading more by Simone Soltani in the future and I’m highly anticipating book two in this series!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan UK Audio and Simone Soltani for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads, Amazon and in an Instagram post.