🏎️ Cross the Line - Simone Soltani 🏁
(AD PR product)

🏎️ Sport and workplace romance (F1)
❌ Best friends sister
💊 FMC with chronic illness
👩🏾‍❤️‍👨🏽 Childhood friends to lovers

Willow and Dev have known each other their whole lives. Willow has just graduated and it struggling to get a job in sports marketing whilst Dev is an F1 driver at the centre of a social media scandal. It seems to make perfect sense that Dev hires Willow to get his reputation back on track. The only problem? Willow is still harbouring her childhood crush.

I enjoyed this dual POV particularly with the F1 setting. As someone who’s never had enough interest to watch F1 I think it’s testament to how well this part of the book is written to keep me engaged. I found the romance to be a little bit too soppy and the pacing in the middle could have been a little faster.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A huge thankyou to Netgalley, Simone and Pan Macmillan for my advanced copy of one of my most anticipated releases of the year 🥰

3.5⭐️
First, massive thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this title!

This had all the cute and fluffy elements of a fun, low stakes sports romcom! The chronic illness and bipoc rep also just felt so natural and was so well written which I absolutely loved!
The main characters had chemistry from the very start and their best friends little sister/older brothers best friend to friends with each other then to secret lovers was actually very cruisey development.
I think this would be perfect for fans of Hannah Grace because of the fluffiness and dialogue!

I did feel as if their ‘forbiddeness’ was a tiny little bit overdone? It felt a tiny little bit forced at times just because the friend group is so well knit together and I didn’t quite understand Willow’s deep rooted feelings/insecurities surrounding what she presumed her brothers reaction would be.

I liked it! Fun, well written, and you were rooting for them from the first page! Not my biggest cup of tea (racing/social media as someone who does it full time I love to avoid it in books haha), but nonetheless, still good!

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

this was a very cute f1 romance. it follows willow who has just graduated and is struggling to secure a job, and dev who’s reputation is up in flames due to a revenge post from his previous social media manager. as they grew up together and dev is best friends with willow’s brother oakley, dev offers willow the job to try and change his image.

this chemistry between dev and willow felt very natural but the book is ultimately quite forgettable. it’s nothing groundbreaking but it is a super easy and lighthearted read. this book was definitely written for a booktok audience but that is in no means meant to be said as a criticism — it is easy to follow and a really lovely romance novel.

my only critique of this book is that it had the very stereotypical mmc at the beginning who was desperate to get laid. i just want something different every now and then, it does get a bit samey. on the bright side the mmc was so in love with the fmc that the beginning was immediately forgotten about. there’s also a bonus epilogue so we have been TREATED!

but anyway i’ll definitely read more from this author and i did enjoy this read overall 🤍

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me - I was enjoying the romance but think it's too heavily formula 1 for me, which isn't something I'm interested in.

Before I started reading Cross the Line, I didn't know that the main character had hypermobility. There's something incredibly emotional about reading a book where a character has the same health condition as you and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I read the word on the page.

I've never experienced representation like this, the way Simone Soltani wrote about hypermobility was perfect. It didn't take over the whole book but there were little mentions of things that just really showed how well the author gets everything, the pill box, the exercise bands - I can relate to it all.

The romance itself was lovely, Dev and Willow are adorable together. I particularly liked the way Dev looked after Willow but didn't treat her like she was made of glass, he sees her for the person she is outside of her condition. I also loved the friendship group and I can't wait to read more books about the side characters, they were all so likeable and there were a lot of little hints about the future storylines.

It's the first time I've read a book focused on Formula 1 and it's not a sport that I've seen much of but I found it really interesting! There's a good amount of time spent on the racing side of things without it becoming too overwhelming, the epilogue was a great addition too.

I'm so glad I read Cross the Line, it was a more emotional read than I was expecting it to be for me personally, but in general, I think it's a fab sports romance and I highly recommend it!

This was a really cute and fun read. Willow and Dev were both very likable and had good chemistry and I appreciated that things developed organically with them. Was also pleasantly surprised with how things played out at the end. I liked the writing style and alternating pov’s, both Willow and Dev’s friend groups and the F1 setting which made the story richer and even more interesting. Really enjoyable read and look forward to more from this author. 3.5 ⭐️

This was such a fun read! I love a F1 romance and this one did not disappoint. Dev is such a likeable mmc! He’s cheeky and charming and he loves Bollywood movies! He made some very cute gestures. Willow is adorable. I loved her! She’s so strong and determined even though she’s faced some tough challenges in her life. Simone did such a good job writing about her chronic illness.
I cannot wait to see what’s next from this author!

I can’t put into words how much I loved this. Dev and Willow’s relationship was quite literally everything, the tension, the angst, the pining, it was perfect. After a social media scandal threatens his career, Dev Anderson hires his bestfriend’s sister to help salvage his image. Set in the glamorous world of Formula 1 racing, this romance was as lovable as it was passionate and I could not put it down. I am quite literally obsessed with them, their friendship, their childhood, my heart melts just thinking about them.

Dev is my new favourite mmc, his tentativeness towards Willow, the way he protects and cares for her, their relationship had me swooning. It was brilliantly well paced, the slow burn and the progression of their relationship was perfect. I was engaged the whole way through and I didn’t want it to end. I adored the side characters just as much, they made me laugh, cry and I want everything they have in their friendship group. Willow’s relationship with her brother was also so incredibly heartfelt and I appreciate the spotlight on this relationship as well as her romantic relationship with Dev. The dynamics between them and their childhood were fantastically told, through flashbacks and memories. It was so easy to follow and made for accessible yet captivating reading. Simone’ she exploration of Willow’s chronic illness throughout the book was honest yet seamless , it was written flawlessly throughout. All characters felt fully fleshed out, I cared for each and every one of them and I cannot wait to hopefully read their own stories in the future.

I also appreciated the spotlight on Willow as she’s navigating her career, especially as a woman in motorsport. While shedding light on the unique challenges women face, we follow Willow as she’s determined to overcome this. She is an inspiration to young females and their place in motorsport.

This was by far my favourite formula 1 romance I have ever read and I cannot wait to read more from Simone (and eat some macarons)

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet, I adore them and I’m very excited to rave about this book leading up to publication date and after! Biggest thank you to PanMacmillan, Simone and NetGalley for kindly sending me an ARC to review, I cannot wait to recommend this to everyone 🥰

✨ Dual POV
✨ Sports Romance - Formula 1
✨ Friends to Lovers
✨ Brothers Best friend
✨ Indian & white mmc, black & white fmc
✨ Fmc with Chronic Illness
✨ No Third Act Breakup
✨ Sunshine x sunshine Third Act Breakup

“I don’t need to hide a single aspect of myself from him. He’s already seen it all. And yet he’s still here, looking at me like I’m the centre of his universe”

Her brother’s best friend sends her heart racing in this sparkling Formula 1 romance.

Formula 1 driver Dev Anderson’s career is on the line. After a social media disaster leaves him with an angry team and sponsors threatening to jump ship, he needs someone to help save his image. Recent college grad Willow Williams needs a job so when Dev offers her a temporary solution, she can’t help but say yes. Even if it means ignoring the crush she’s had on him since childhood.
Willow and Dev are determined to keep things strictly professional, regardless of old feelings and the blazing chemistry between them. But in the glittering and high-stakes world of Formula 1, some lines are meant to be crossed…

This slow burn felt so real, both Dev and Willow are rays of sunshine and I loved the chemistry between them both. I had a serious book hangover after reading this - it was just so good. It’s an excellent choice for a person looking to get into motorsports romance as it’s so easy to follow along (it’s accurate too which an F1 would love). Simones writing style had me hooked from the start and I love a brothers best friend trope - this one was no different. I have definitely found my next auto-buy author!

I've been edging into Sports Romance since starting to read Hockey Romances but as a first step into F1 Romance, it was a great start to hopefully many more. Simone brought these amazing diverse characters to life in a seemingly effortless way.

This book was amazing!
I loved the characters relationship and the tie in with F1 with their jobs.
I will be recommending and buying it when it comes out

After many failed F1 romances, Soltani has absolutely nailed what others couldn’t in Cross the Line.

Soltani masterfully characterised the grumpy x sunshine dynamic Dev & Willow had going, resulting in a pretty chaotic and immaculate slow burn between the two.

A fun, breezy romance with the South Asian & chronic pain representation we’ve all been longing for—a must read for all romance consumers.

Cross The Line is one of my favourite romance books I've read in a long time! An F1 romance that will have you swooning and championing Dev and Willow's love story.

Willow and Dev have known each other since they were kids and have grown up together. They once shared a kiss at a party, but as Dev is Willow's brothers best friend, they both put it down to a mistake and moved on, but was it or are feelings still there?

When Dev hires Willow as his social media manager to fix his somewhat damaged reputation, sparks fly, but can they resist temptation.

This book! It's absolutely gorgeous! I loved both Willow and Dev, but Dev stole my heart! He's absolutely obsessed with Willow. I mean, he bought her 200 macarons just because she liked them! He rented a house out for their first date! I just loved him. The romance in this is beautiful to watch unfold. It's a slow burn, but the characterisation is perfect.

Can we also talk about how diverse this book is from chronic illness to a black fmc and a South Asian mmc. I don't have Hypermobility, so I can't say how realistic this is, but from my point of view, it was handled well.

Ultimately, I want everyone to read this swoon worthy, funny yet beautiful romance. I can't wait to see what Simone writes next.

4.5 ⭐️

As a huge f1 fan, as soon as I saw this book was coming out I knew I had to read it! It was absolutely incredible! The characters had such amazing chemistry, the setting was so immersive and it was very realistic. I loved the chronic illness representation, it was done really well and was very accurate. I was craving macarons after reading this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC!

The best thing I did was read this book while watching the race in Japan, and I think everyone should read it that way, you feel in the atmosphere and this book gives us a good narrative of the sport.

Willow and Dev meet because he is her brother's best friend, she has a crush on him but due to past problems they doesn't do anything, a kiss, that's all it takes for them to stop talking, but our Dev is in trouble when it comes to PR and his position in the whole F1 grid is in danger, this is where Willow comes in, recently graduated in marketing sees an opportunity to help Dev and takes it, here they start a journey (and I'm not just talking about the races around the world) where they get to know each other better and you see this attraction growing.

Being a fan of the sport there are some nods to reality but with the touch the author gave it made me have a good time, Dev's fight to stay in the sport he loves, Willow and her brother, I liked everything, besides that when this couple is finally together there is no big drama and that is a win for me.

Without a doubt a book that reads itself, I enjoyed it and can't wait to read more about all these guys.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳.”

This was my first “sports romance” book I ever read, and I was definitely positively surprised!
Dev & Willow have my heart 🥺

Cross the Line is a slow burn, with a dual pov, brother’s best friend, golden retriever x golden retriever & secret relationship.
I ate this shit up and left no crumbs! 😮‍💨

He bought her two hundred macarons because she said she liked them 🥺
Dev is such a gentleman, UGH😤🫶🏼

I’m not going to get into the story, you’ll have to read it for yourself, but I definitely recommend this one, and this won’t be the last Soltani book I’ll read!! 🏎️

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I shipped Dev and Willow from the beginning. While they have known each other since childhood, Dev never had any feelings for Willow. He considered her his best friend's little sister. However, they are both all grown up now and a drunken confession from Willow makes Dev sees her in a different light. But nothing can happen between them. Willow's brother won't allow it after what Willow had to go through in her past relationship. When Dev's carrier is on the line, Willow accepts to be her social media person, so the two get to spend more time together while Dev participates in race after race. And of course sparks can't be avoided.

I love how cute Dev and Willow both are on the book. They don't want to cross any boundaries that will ruin the relationship they both have with each other (aka. Willow's brother who also happen to be Dev's BFF), but they can't deny their feelings anymore. I also love how the author represents characters from different backgrounds and with disabilities, which aren't always visible. I'd now love to read about Oakley's love story.

I loved it. As a sports romance fan, I found this to be a fantastic read. Set in the world of F1, the two leads are both great to follow along. It’s passionate, they’re both trying to keep things professional but of course they can’t. I love a friend to lover romance and this book 100% delivers on that.

As a huge Formula One fan since the 90’s, I was excited to pick up a romance book set in this world as it seems to be underrepresented in the sports romance genre generally. Although I’m not sure why, it’s action packed and full of glitz and glamour, perfect for a romance novel in my opinion.

Whilst the story was enjoyable in parts, it was also a bit tepid at times and was more YA/NA than adult. I would say though, that the characters were very likeable. Especially Dev. He was such a sweetheart and a very good leading man.

My main issue was that this story didn’t always feel true to the F1 world, for example the fact that Dev crashed his car thinking about kissing Willow. Although that’s probably considered a romantic moment because he was so wrapped up the female lead, it makes a mockery of the 100% focus required from F1 drivers who are driving powerful cars, worth a lot of money, at high speeds which is extremely dangerous. I also wasn’t keen on how the major crash at the end played out or how it left the fate of some of the other drivers unknown.

Additionally, I wanted to get more of an insight into the world of an F1 driver but again sadly it didn’t quite deliver in that respect.

As an F1 fan this didn’t quite hit the mark for me but if I wasn’t a fan looking for a great romance set in the world of one of my favourite sports, maybe I would have loved it more.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my early copy.