I really enjoyed this book!
This was my first F1 book and would highly recommend to anyone
Thank you for allowing me to read this

I gave this book a good chance but unfortunately I DNF at 30%. Third person writing isn't my favourite and I struggled to keep up. I felt like I had to keep back tracing to make sense of what was happening.

There were parts I found amusing and as an F1 Romance it was something new and fresh but it just didn't quote hit the mark.

Okay so where to start - its 11.30pm and the return of the chaotic reviews apparently.

I loved this book, If you love F1 then this is a must read!

I've not been reading a lot recently due to being busy but I've had a spare moment in the last day and oh my god I couldn't stop reading. Weirdly enough I was incredibly productive as well - make it make sense.

Some may know I am a massive F1 fan (like huge) so I'm always apprehensive about reading F1 romances usually due to either the F1 talk being potentially wrong or the female representation rubbing me the wrong way. Neither was the case here!

Right so F1 talk was spot on I loved how Karen wrote the races into the book, keeping the adrenaline up throughout whilst also giving insight into the sport (if you loved this book and don't watch F1 please give it a try!)

Also LOVED the characters (without spoiling anything), I love Mia from Austin Texas with her personality and her podcast being an independent women. Also can't forget Xander our English driver! The banter throughout the book had me laughing out loud in places but also giggling and kicking feet.

She is a bit spicy so heads up.

Also being English, although it seems very stereotypical in the book, funnily it is actually spot on. To name a couple, the avid love for Yorkshire tea and Sunday roasts.

I realise I've waffled and the time is now 12am. Thank you Megan for sending me the link to this book, you were right I did like it.

Finally, big thank you to Mills & Boon and NetGalley for the eARC.

ps. I wish I had time sooner to read this - I will also be making my sister in law read it.

Instagram review to follow

Mia Neal believes she is a failure at everything so when her Formula one podcast starts doing well she doubts herself even though Formula one is her passion in life. Her other passion is driver Xander Bishop and when she is invited by his rival to come to see a race up close she jumps at the chance. There is fire and ire between them from the word go and it's absolutely awesome. I loved everything about this book from how endearing these two are with each other to how they being out the best in each other. Easily a five star read.

Unfortunately, another book I wish I could like more than I actually did. I love the idea of incorporating F1 into romance stories, and the added sprinkle of enemies to lovers sounded like something right up my alley.

That is, sadly, where my positive impressions about Not So Fast end.

"Mia hated that he was struggling, but she did not feel sorry for him. After all, he was beautiful and made a fortune as a race-car driver. Plus, his poor showing had given her a level of success she'd always dreamed of, but never thought would actually happen."

Mia as an FMC just came out quite mean and hypocritical, having mindset like the one in above quote to later showcasing awareness to how "women enjoying things" are being treated. It also caused the setting for a romance between her and Xander look just... unexciting.

Thank you to Karen Booth, Mills & Boon | Afterglow Books and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exhchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately as far as F1 romances go this was not for me and I’m sorry about that but I didn’t find the main character that likeable or her story. Just didn’t hit

This is the first book I have read by Karen Booth and whilst i don't think it was a 'bad' book, it didn't really hook me either.

I think this book was decent but a few issues with the content mean i probably won't re-read or recommend often.

This is an f1 romance, which is the reason I originally picked it up! There aren't many good f1 romances out there so when I saw it I had to grab it!

This book is also a third person, instalove dislike to lovers story, which is where it sort of lost me a little bit.

Mia, the fmc, is an okay character. I related to some of her thoughts and thought processes, and I did like that she wasn't perfect and was a flawed character, however I also think the characters lacked the growth I wanted to see.

Xander, again was a decent character. I did like him a little more then Mia, but again I think he lacked the growth i wanted to see.

I think this book definitely had potential, but a few things stopped it from reaching it. For example neither character grew career wise, they fell for eachother extremely fast considering how often she bashed him on her podcast. The issues in the book just seemed to be resolved a little too easily for my liking and with not as much growth as i would have liked.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a third person, formula one romance with instalove.

Mia runs a podcast 'Not So Fast with Mia Neal' taking about Formula 1. Xander is in his first year competing in F1 and it is not going to plan. He becomes a popular topic on the podcast leading her to being invited to a race by his teammate. From here the two get to know each other but will their jobs get in the way of romance?

I liked the concept of fan x celebrity. Xander was my favourite character, I thought he was really sweet and enjoyed how much he cared for his loved ones. This was a fluffy, low stakes romance which meant it didn't have a dramatic third act breakup which I appreciated.

However there were a few things that I didn't like. Personally I didn't like Mia, I found she cared too much about her followers and their opinions and don't see why she would want to keep a relationship quiet with the person she loves because she 'might loose followers'. Second I thought Heather was completely right for backing out of the fan club, Mia never kept in contact and honestly always seemed annoyed when her fans tried to interact. It was also kind of clear that the author is not from the UK as nobody here say's 'bloody' as much as Xander! This did make me laugh but it felt like it was trying too hard to show he was British that it was just over the top.

This is not a bad book by any means, I did enjoy parts of it but felt the relationship between Mia and Xander didn't have much of a foundation and it went from dislike to love in a blink. I think you love insta love romances and F1 you should give this a try!

This is a great book for readers who enjoy a sports romance, but especially Formula One. It's a perfect for fans of sweet but spicy romance who are looking for solid character development and insight into the racing world. The chemistry between Mia and Xander evolves differently from the standard enemies-to-lovers. The conflict is centred around managing the consequences of their choices rather than personal clashes. This made it so that Xander is never a toxic jerk, which is something I would like to see more of in the romance genre. But as sweet as the romance is, the book isn't short on spicy scenes. An excellent choice for your first racing or sports romance read!

This is by far my favourite F1 sports romance book I've ever read! It takes the cake. It also takes my heart, well done Karen. Well done.

I was so pleasantly surprised by the dedication and attention to detail that Booth took with this book. So much care has gone into it, it's incredible. I've read F1 sports romances before, I won't name names, where racing feels like the context within the romance occurs. But formula 1 racing is at the absolute core of both Mia and Xander's characters. I learnt a ridiculous amount about racing and F1 from reading this book, wasn't my intention but I'm not complaining at all! The attention to detail made Mia and Xander feel remarkably real. It also made these characters feel like they earned to be in the world of F1. I believed Xander was a F1 driver and I believed Mia was a hardcore F1 lover who was passionate beyond belief about the sport. So that was nice.

This was such a riveting read, I zoomed right through it (pun intended) and I loved the pacing and plot. I completely understood and sympathised with the struggle of Mia having a podcast about F1 and Xander's fame as a key racer and thus them having this secret relationship. I was obsessed with the fact that there was no silly miscommunication that occurred. Just two characters in a realistic and tricky situation (okay somewhat realistic I have yet to date and fall in love with an F1 driver).

I won't harp on too much but this is some of my favourite spice I've ever read. The sexual tension is built wonderfully and the actual writing of the love scenes is phenomenal. It definitely lands on the more spicier end of the spectrum, but it avoids all the cringey and graphic moments that can occur in sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely graphic moments, I would not let my mum read this book but I genuinely enjoyed the spice scenes because they felt realistic, which is rare.

Also both Mia & Xander are so so funny! Their flirty banter is divine but their characters alone are entertaining enough. I really laughed when Xander tells Mia he wants to get to know her, when they're on the phone and her immediate response is 'get to know each other through talking? Or is this more of a transatlantic booty call?' Brilliant. One of my favourite moments of banter between Mia & Xander is when he gets into her car and he's about to drive Mia to his house. She asks if the drive is long to his house and he replies with 'I don't know if you're aware of this, but I am quite good at driving fast'. To wish she teases 'I've heard a few people say the opposite' and he doesn't miss a beat and responds 'bollocks. Rumours and lies. Complete fabrication'. Once again, such a great dynamic!

When we do see Mia & Xander interact, it is so fun! There is an absolutely undeniable chemistry between these two characters and their attraction to each other leaps off the page. Even I was getting butterflies! It is so satisfying to read a romance book where the characters have that dynamic and it isn't just the plot pushing them together for the sake of it.

I really loved that the plot expanded beyond just Mia & Xander's story. We get to see Mia's relationship with her mum and the complexities but also resolution that is found there. We also get to meet Mia's best friend Jasmine who is not a huge character but so likeable and supportive so that was all a nice touch whilst adding a nuanced layer of depth.

I wasn't crazy about it shifting from third person to first person. It didn't affect the plot or anything, it just felt clunky to read at times. Similarly, the POV shifted from Mia to Xander (and vice versa) super abruptly which I'm never a fan of. Some of the wording was also a bit odd to me ('Xander went full beans ' - huh?)

Overall, a phenomenal sports romance sizzling with spice and some real heart-warming moments too!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

This is an F1 dislike to lovers romance, about a podcaster who maybe finally found her perfect career, and a driver who can't get into stride with his new team. It was cute and fun in places, and most of the time, they had a good back-and-forth, but it could also be a bit stilted and nonsensical at times. It was both explicit and fade to black, which made me feel weird 🤨🤷‍♀️.

Overall, it made me feel like there were two authors writing it - one more conservative than the other, and I felt like if the more adventurous was at the helm, it would be a much better and consistent read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for choosing me for this ARC.

As an F1 fan I’m always a little worried diving into an F1 romance that I’m going to be shouting it doens’t work like that. But luckily not the case with this one.

The romance and banter between Mia and Xander fun to read. Over all a super cute easy fun romcom read..

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨


Not So Fast by Karen Booth? Hello second chance, slow-burn goodness!
This book was a total vibe—equal parts sweet, sexy, and full of grown-up romance feels. It’s about two people with history, real chemistry, and that kind of tension where you’re just screaming, “KISS ALREADY!” (in the best way).

I loved that the characters were older, emotionally mature, and dealing with real-life stuff—family, careers, past heartbreak. It felt authentic, but still gave all the butterflies. And let’s be honest, Karen Booth knows how to write a swoony scene.

It’s a slow burn, but when the payoff hits? Totally worth it.

4/5 stars. Perfect if you love second chances, smart dialogue, and romance with depth and heat!!


❤️shaye.readss

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, simple, and easy to read! The characters were relatable, and it had F1! What more could you possibly ask for?!

Mia & Xander… well what do I say?

Mia quits all jobs she’s ever had, needs money, so makes a podcast about Formula 1. Slags off her favourite driver and gets invited to the track by his teammate to “get in his head.”

Enter Xander. The one she slagged off

But the end of the weekend, he’s invited her to the next race? And by the end of that, they’re hitting it off? And within a few weeks they’re in a full on relationship that they need to hide… why? Her “fans” will think she’s a sell out. As if people who manage to get close to others in F1 don’t end up dating. F1 is a very close sport and unless you have an in with them in some way, there’s (next to) no way you’re gonna end up dating one. So it’s not exactly a reach for an F1 podcaster to start dating one, am I right?

But hey ho, to say nothing happened would be unfair. Things *did* happen… but none of the anxiety filled drama we find in modern romance. There wasn’t any real drama. People getting annoyed with her for being at the races - jealousy. Sorry! But that’s all it came out as.

She met his folks and family quickly. They all loved her from the off and started talking as if they knew her for years. A bit too relaxed for my liking. That’s not how the world works.

I’d like to think his siblings are gonna get stories, but I doubt it. I’m unsure how they’re really relevant to the story other than giving him a family. Popping here and there to make us all like “oh she’s party of the family already, how sweet.”

I feel like I’m saying negatives a lot….

It’s a lovely story, with potential to have been better if it had a bit more drama. It wasn’t as quick to throw them together and then nothing really happening. It was cute, but I don’t know if I’d read it again

I haven’t really read any f1 romances before, so this was a cute start! The characters definitely fell into instalove and took some time to be open with each other, I appreciated their development into getting to a vulnerable place with each other. I liked the sprinkles of f1 facts and tidbits woven into the story without being overdone, definitely brought some realness to the book.

I feel bad writing this review as I wanted to love this book but it didn't live up to my expectations sadly. I love formula one romances and liked the idea of the podcast but the pacing was off. It felt like everything went to quickly but also at points to slow. There was some aspects I liked but it wasn't enough to rate it any higher.
The spice was decent and some moments was cute but something just wasn't right.
Thank you netgalley for sending me this book.

It was ok.
It was a good palate cleanser and an easy read after reading a heavy, 700-page fantasy book, but that's all it was.
I didn't really feel I could connect with Mia and she was quite annoying at the start. Xander was a good love interest but I can't get over the Americanisms in his apparently "British Life". As a Brit it was clear he was written by an American.
The F1 aspect was good and I enjoyed the switch of POVs through the race. The spice scenes were also well written and didn't take up too much of the storyline.
If you're looking for a light, quick F1 romance this is for you, but don't expect too much.

The story in emojis: 🏎️🎙️🩵

3 things about this book:
•Sports Romance
•Podcast
•Steamy scenes

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not so Fast is a sports romance set within the Formula 1 circuit where you are revved up not just for the racing cars, but the steamy scenes between Mia and Xander.

The racing is not the only thing fast paced, the story delivers on that too and it doesn’t take long to work out what’s going to happen or that there is quite a lot more than meets the eye on both characters.

I really enjoyed Mia’s podcast and her female representation in the motorsport community - she gave me vibes of Ariana Bravo.

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it felt short of the mark. I loved the premise and I can see that the author has tried to weave real life events into her narrative but it just didn’t land for me.

Not so fast wasn’t really an enemies to lovers more like secret relationship because any kind of angst or tensions was resolved incredible quickly. I wanted more and in such I struggled to keep paying attention to the story.