ITS LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GOOOOOOOOO

call me the rb19 with the way i sped through this masterpiece. i read this so fast that i had to make sure i had limbs and not pirelli tires. i’m an absolute SUCKER for racing and second chances. it’s such a niche thing and it’s exactly where i reside. i’ve been obsessed with racing my whole life and was both scared and excited to read this. this is my first time reading one of rebecca’s books and she did not let me down.

Senna and Connor have a smoking hot connection in this book! I loved the fast racing lifestyle mixed with the racing heartbeats of the characters!
The anxiety rep was spot on and the found family was so well done! What a great start to a series I will definitely be continuing! Easy 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

For those who enjoy sports romances, especially ones centered around Formula One, this book is great. I truly enjoyed this book and Senna's story; it was inspiring to see her grow and overcome such a male-dominated world. Aside from the romance, this book really portrays the essence of Formula One, including team politics, media attention, and the constant strain of the sport. I did find the story interesting overall. It's a lovely F1 romance, and I'm interested to see what the follow-up will be like!

A fun and easy F1 romance which may be becoming my new obsession!

It hit a lot of different tropes from best friends sister to miscommunication and while I loved some like the best friends sisters I hate the one sided enemies to lovers thing but that’s my personal preference!

I enjoyed the anxiety representation and look forward to reading the next book in the series 🏎️

Anything with a hot sexy man and F1 I am sold !!! You just have to get your hands on this one !!! Must read !!!!!

This book is perfect for lovers of sports romances, in particular those who love F1 based sports romances. Not only that, but there's a great undercurrent of strong women who are paving the pathway for others as well. I enjoyed reading this story of Senna and Connor, their peaks and troughs and that whole enemies to lovers trope too! I would definitely read another one in this series if it comes out, especially if these characters are involved too.

Yet another amazing book by Rebecca Chase
I’m more of a thriller reader but Rebecca keeps making me come back with her amazing romance that I can’t get enough of
I felt connected to the main character from the start
Even the characters with a tiny parts are so well written they stay with me
A sweet amazing fun romance

I love sports romances, they are my absolute faves.
Formula 1 romances are relatively new to me I haven’t read that many but I do seem to enjoy them. I Enjoyed the female boss side to this and a woman coming up in a sport that isn’t traditionally ran by women or have women participate in. However the romance side just didn’t hit right. Not sure if it was all the angst the driver and the boss where going through or something else it just felt off.
There was spice 🌶️🌶️ They cared about each other and the romance was quite. Maybe I’m getting too used to the grand over the top love that romance books usually have 🤣 It was still a really good read though and I would recommend giving it a go if F1 romances are your thing!
🌟🌟🌟

Release Date - 14th March 2025

This book was all I needed and more I loved the narrative of how women are treated in F1 and pulled up some good questions on how it is and what it showed I loved senna and Connor together their chemistry was electric on page and made me remember why sometimes I just need to read an sports romance.

My brain was able to shut off and enjoy everything about it. Please note this book is spicy but it is so deliciously spicy and it never takes away from the main focus of the story. I cannot wait to see where this series goes as I feel I now need to know more about this world. And it reminded me even when someone you, you can’t do something that it is not always the right response to take as only you can truly maintain your destiny and the thing that you desire.

Even if that person is the person who you swore when you were a teenager, you would not love to your best friend and your brother. The story of senna and Connor was endearing and I hope we see them again in this world,


Goes up on Instagram 24/3

Tropes:
Friends to lovers 🥰
F1 romance 🏎️
Workplace romance
Found family

3.5⭐️ 2🌶️

Senna the FMC I honestly wasn't a bit fan of. She was trying to come off as flirty and cute but really she was being bossy and arrogant towards Connor. Shes the F1 team boss and has worked hard to get to wear she's at now. Shes end up falling for Connor who is not just an F1 driver, but is her brother's best friend.

Connor is a struggling F1 star that is labelled as a bad boy but it's truly the sweetest and really did nothing to get that label. He tends to have an extremely dirty mouth and he definitely knows what and who he wants, He definitely loves his kitties and his ladies.

Overall I did enjoy this story. It's a cute F1 romcom and I'm curious to see how the second book will be! I feel like I would've enjoyed this story a lot more if I liked the FMC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC🥰🫶

Start Your Engines by Rebecca Chase is a thrilling and steamy sports romance that perfectly blends high-stakes racing with undeniable chemistry. With a strong, determined heroine and a brooding, guilt-ridden hero, this book delivers heart-pounding action, emotional depth, and sizzling tension that will keep you hooked until the final lap.

My final rating is 3.5 stars. While this might be low for others, I actually still like books I rate 3 stars and I also thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I started ti right before the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and it definitely helped cure my F1 hangover. I loved how obsessed Conner was with Senna and omg I was kicking and giggling the majority of the book. I especially liked the balance between F1 terms/racing with the actual romance and it added to the quality of the book.

However, something that I didn't particularly like was how the character were named after famous F1 legends. I understand the appeal, but it was hard to imagine after knowing who Senna and Niki are in real life compared to these book characters, and it definitely impacted my reading. Also, I feel as if Connor and Senna got together a bit too fast. I would've liked the slow-burn aspect to have lasted a lit longer and made me want more than what was delivered. Another side note is that I felt that the writing in the book wasn't fully developed. What do I mean by that? Well, I felt that the words were a bit choppy, and maybe it's because none of the characters are American, and the sentences felt forced together at times.

I know that was a lot of criticism, but I still genuinely loved this book and will definitely be reading the next in the series when it is released!!!

An F1 romance with a brothers best friend trope? sign me up immediately. It was fast paced, fun and had me hooked from chapter one.

Senna Coulter is strong, determined and so unapologetically badass. After taking over her family’s dumpster-fire of an F1 team, she battles consistent scrutiny, family pressures AND, worst of all, Connor Dane. This hotshot driver is not only swoony and obnoxious, he’s also her brother’s best friend... cue the romantic tension.

This racing romance delivers us forced proximity, second chances, and forbidden romance on a silver platter. Connor Dane might be an overprotective imbecile at times, but he makes up for it by falling first and irrevocably in love. The chemistry between the characters was top notch, no notes needed.

If you’re looking to dip your toes into an F1 romance than this book is for you. It’s easy to follow if you’re not a fan, and if you are it’s still a fun read all the same!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

4.5⭐️ | 2.5🌶️

With the F1 season finally back, Start Your Engines was the perfect book to fuel my excitement before lights out. A romance set in the adrenaline-charged world of Formula 1, featuring a badass female team boss and a broody, guilt-ridden driver? Say no more.

Senna Coulter is everything I love in an FMC—strong, relentless, and unapologetically taking on a male-dominated sport. Stepping up as team boss after her brother’s tragic crash, she’s fighting against constant scrutiny, a controlling father, and, of course, Connor Dane—the hotshot driver her brother signed before his accident. The one she’s secretly loved for years. The same one responsible for ending her racing career. (Oh, and did I mention her brother’s best friend? The tension is delicious.)

Connor is supposed to be a playboy, but let’s be real—he’s a cinnamon roll in a racing suit. His guilt, loyalty, and the way he’s always in Senna’s corner? Swoon! The way he falls first and falls hard? 10/10! That said, his character arc took a bit of a spinout in the second half—his sudden dirty talk and public enthusiasm felt… out of place.

Beyond the romance, this book truly captures the heart of F1—team politics, media scrutiny, and the relentless pressure of the sport. I also loved the clever nod to racing legends (Senna and Niki!). But what stood out most was the incredible representation of women in motorsport. Seeing Senna, Jacs, and Tawny carve their space in a male-dominated industry was empowering, and I’d love to see real-life F1 follow suit.

Fast-paced, full of tension, and packed with chemistry, Start Your Engines was the perfect way to rev up for the new season!

Start Your Engines by Rebecca Chase

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ 🌶️

Start Your Engines is a British F1 romance that gives you all the F1 drama you need. Hot cocky drivers, dedicated team, overprotective family and a strong independent woman leading the way!

I really enjoyed this book and the story of Senna, it was really good to see her grow and how she overcame such a male orientated world. She is absolutely a badass boss! I wish I could be part of the team 🏎️🏁

I thought that Rebecca Chase really covered some of the mental health parts in the book really well and gave the characters a lot of emotion during these parts. I liked that it was bringing attention to some of the issues that there are in sport. Connor was a really great character and I saw so many resemblances to some of the current drivers.

As a big F1 fan I really enjoyed all the shout outs to some of the greats from the sport. I would recommend this book to any F1 fans out there!

Senna Coulter was on track to be an F1 driver until a crash ended it all. Now, she runs her family’s failing F1 team and must rely on her brother’s best friend, Connor Dane, the hotshot driver who caused her crash. Sparks fly as they go from enemies to lovers, but their secret romance threatens everything.

I truly could not put this book down and I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!🏁

This was a DNF for me at 54% - I enjoyed the fact that the FMC, Senna, is the team owner and seeing her try to balance her responsibilities while generally having challenges with being a woman in F1. However, I struggled with the pacing of the book and wished things were a little tighter. I also didn't enjoy the Antoine/Connor dynamic of the feuding team drivers and the general dialogue between the two of them.

You may enjoy this book though if you like dual POV - Senna and Connor both have chapters from their POV, the forbidden brother's best friend romance with a side of second chance romance, and enjoy F1 romances.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the advanced copy.

Actually enjoy seeing more and more f1 romances out there as an f1 enthusiast!

The overall plot was easy to follow and the characters felt believable. There was quite a lot of in depth explanations which took you away from the story itself.

I’d definitely read the next one and would recommend it to people who enjoy romance and sports romance.

And what would a romance book be without a little sprinkle of tension and angst!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this!

Let me preface this by saying that I absolutely love Formula 1 and not just the cars going round and round but the entire political and economical side of it. Team Principals are fascinating almost mythical figures in the sport and getting to know the internal management ways of an F1 team is a dream of mine.

So... a book about a female F1 team principal? Sign me up inmediately!!!

Senna —yes, after Ayrton Senna — is the daughter or Mr. Coulter, owner of Coulter Racing, and the new F1 Team Principal of the team. A former racer herself, and having had a very successful run as the communications manager and director for the team, she takes the position after her brother Niki —yes, after Niki Lauda — forfeits the position after a driving accident.

Senna is strong, decisive and a boss through and through. Her asertive ways and good people managing quickly show her excelent work... if only everyone noticed. Besides a run-down team, the economics, political and management of things, she'll also have to deal with her new drivers. One might be an absolute *bleep*, the other is her childhood and teenage crush, brother's best friend... and the cause of the accident that ended Senna's racing career.

Meet Connor Dane. Formula 1 driver, with a lot of issues and a very interesting personal image. Having caused the accident that ended Senna's career, but still being her brother's best friend, he's definitely more than meets the eye. He carries a few secrets but got to the team to help in the quest of bringing Coulter Racing back to the top. What is he hiding ? and most importantly, can he help Senna overcome her difficulties while battling his own internal demons?

I enjoyed this book. I thought the beginning was very good and a great look into the whole "woman in motorsports" difficulties and challenges. Senna felt like a rounded character with backstory, dreams, plans. However I felt like the main story got a bit side tracked by the romance part... or well by the sexy bits.

Hey, I like a good smutty book as much as any girl, but not when it gets in the way of my very interesting book about an amazing woman trying to make it. And I wanted, prayed for, needed Senna to make it, you have no idea how much I liked this girl and her dream. So yes, I love you Connor, but you were kinda in the way.

It was good overall, a little lighter on the motorsport side of things than I would've liked but it was a romance, I get that. Extra kudos because the F1 part was very well done and researched.

Overall it was good, maybe a bit lioke all the other F1 romances, but don't we read them because we like them like that??

Senna Coulter’s dreams of becoming a race car driver ended after a crash; now, she’s the head of her family’s failing Formula One team. Her team’s only chance of survival is her brother’s best friend and her teen crush, Connor Dane. He’s also her team’s new arrogant hotshot driver.

I haven’t had the opportunity to read many F1 romances but after reading this one, I definitely feel like I need more in my life. This book was so fun and fast paced I had the toughest time putting it down at night. One of my favorite parts of the story was not only is the FMC a strong female lead, but she was a racer herself and is actively involved in her family's business.

This is a great book for anyone interest in:
🏁Brother’s best friend
🏁Sports romance
🏁F1 romance
🏁Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
🏁Found family
🏁Strong female lead

This book was just the right balance of sweet and spicy to definitely be added to the reread list.

A very special thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.