I can't wait to read more books by Simone Soltani! I absolutely loved Willow and Dev. I loved the casual aspect of the disability representation with Willows condition. I really enjoyed their love story and also getting to know other characters in this universe

Don’t mind me, just entering my F1 romance era 🤪

I’ve been in such a weird reading funk lately, but this book didn’t let me down and I was invested in every page!!

I loved how smoothly we jumped into Willow and Dev’s story and learned about their shared kiss a year prior. The tension and forbidden workplace romance was phenomenal between the two and I ate that up!! Siri, play I Can See You by Taylor Swift. The whole reason they were scared to tell Willows brother, Oakley, was because of a past relationship she had with one of his friends that split up the group (but like, we didn’t like him anyways so).

Dev is the absolute sweetest and is constantly looking out for Willow and he’s just so sappy with his Bollywood movies. To some, this may seem like an instant-love romance, but with the years of friendship they have and the kiss they shared, it felt like the perfect friends to lovers romance.

The side characters were amazing as well and I’m so excited to see who’s book we get next! Also, I was NOT expecting that epilogue and my jaw dropped to the floor.

Look, I know nothing about F1 racing, but this was written so well that I actually want to start watching it?? Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an arc in exchange for my honest review!

Some tropes:
-brothers best friend
-forbidden workplace romance
-fantastic banter
-no third act breakup
-friends to lovers

"Cross the Line" by Simone Soltani is an exciting and steamy romance novel that will leave you breathless. The story follows Dev Anderson, a Formula 1 driver whose career is in jeopardy after a social media disaster. Desperate to save his image, he turns to Willow Williams, his best friend's little sister who he kissed last year and hasn't been able to forget.

Willow is a recent college graduate looking for a job, and when Dev offers her a temporary solution, she can't resist. While they both try to keep things strictly professional, the chemistry between them is undeniable. As they navigate the high-stakes world of Formula 1, they must decide whether to cross the line and risk everything for love.

Simone Soltani has created a thrilling and captivating story with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The romance between Dev and Willow is steamy and realistic, and readers will find themselves rooting for them as they try to navigate their complicated feelings for each other.

Overall, "Cross the Line" is a must-read for fans of sports romance and steamy love stories. Simone Soltani has crafted a world that is both exciting and romantic, and readers won't be able to put the book down until they've discovered whether Dev and Willow can make it work.

I thought this was such a fun read! It was cute and fun and I mostly enjoyed it. Some dialogue and scenes felt a little cringey but the characters are young so that was minor. I do wish we would have gotten to know more about willow beyond surface level and I especially wish the racism in Dev’s team would have been discussed a little more. I feel like it would have added more depth to the story but I enjoyed it overall

It’s simple; I adored CROSS THE LINE, and I’d bet you will, too. Both sweet and saucy all at once, Simone Soltani offers readers the best kind of escape here. A great summer read.

I have definitely been in my Formula 1 feels for a while now, so I was excited for a new F1 romance. However, this one really fell flat for me. I thought that the “social media scandal” that Dev faced (fake STD?) felt unrealistic and mildly cringe…and easily fixable? I don’t really think that Willow did anything deserving of getting his social media management role, but I can chalk that up to doing it for the plot.

I did like that it was brother’s best friend trope and that they pretty much grew up together. It also had some cute moments. Overall, I had a lot of trouble feeling invested in this story and caught myself skimming a lot and rolling my eyes. I think this had the bones to be a good book, but ultimately the story just didn’t really hit the mark for me.

Oh my gosh I had so much fun reading this book! I am delighted to share that my first ever experience with F1 romance was a success!

"Cross the Line" delves into the story of Willow and Dev, who have been acquainted since childhood, with Dev being the best friend of Willow's brother, Oakley. Despite a secret kiss shared in the past, their communication dwindled until they cross paths again. Dev offers Willow a job as his social media manager to help improve his image and manage any potential fallout. This story includes various tropes such as brothers' best friend, forced proximity, a South Asian male main character, a Black female main character, representation of chronic illness, a boy obsessed theme, dual points of view, and the central theme of sports romance.

I particularly enjoyed the gradual development of Willow and Dev's relationship and found their interactions endearing. Willow's supportive nature towards Dev, and his reciprocation of care, were heartwarming. Dev's sense of humor added depth to their conversations, showcasing their compatibility. The portrayal of Willow's hypermobility and the F1 element were well-executed, providing insightful information on both subjects. While it took me some time to connect with the characters initially, I eventually found myself immersed in the story and appreciated the absence of a typical third-act breakup due to the forbidden nature of their relationship. Oakley's reaction to their secrecy was realistic, adding a layer of authenticity to the narrative.

Overall, "Cross the Line" is a charming romance with a hint of passion, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. I eagerly anticipate Simone Soltani's future works!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

i looooooveed this book. i literally couldn’t put it down which made it a quick read for me! i appreciated how the author was able to tie in the FMC’s condition into the story line and turn into a form of empowerment rather than something to set the character back in life. it was also super cool to read all the little cultural tidbits associated with the MMC and his family — it made the book so fun! this book is a blend of brother’s best friend x workplace romance but when you throw in fact that they’ve known each other since they were kids?? PERFECTION. and don’t even get me started on the fact that it takes place in the F1 world…everything just fit together so well!!! i really really enjoyed this read & cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy!!

Willow and Dev 🥹🥹 I absolutely loved how well they fit together. Like two puzzle pieces, they were absolutely made for each other.

The slow burn of their relationship was done so well, their love for each other was so tender. Willow was so supportive of Dev and vice-versa. The way Dev treats Willow made my heart so happy!!!

If you’re looking for a sweet read with a little bit of spice, this is the book!! I will definitely be on the look out for all of Simone Soltani’s books!! Definitely recommending this to all of my friends.

Cross the Line ARC review:
⭐️:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶:🌶🌶
Review:

I had the absolute privilege to read this as an ARC read, and I am glad that I was able to read this. This was my first Formula 1 romance, and I love that it was easy to understand. After reading this, I am now obsessed with Formula 1. It was a slow burn, but it definitely did not disappoint. Dev is now on my sports romance book boyfriends roster. I mean, how could he not be! He bought Willow 200 macarons just because she loves them! I love that Willow had a chronic illness representation. Willow was definitely Dev's cheerleader and biggest supporter who understood him at his core! Now, I am not familiar with the Bollywood references, but I did like that there was culture in it. While reading this ARC, I did tell my friends to read this as soon as its released, and they are excited about it!

Favorite Quote: "All the bullshit. All the drama. All the worry. It's gone, and all I know is her. My sunshine. My moon guiding me in the darkness. My Willow."

give me all the f1 romances! and brother's best friend? i'm sold! i initially received this last summer from the author and then she was picked up and i couldn't be more happy for simone! i love the rep and the pacing -- such a good slow burn! and he's OBSESSED. can't wait to read more from simone!

4.75! I just finished ‘Cross the Line’ and I LOVED it! the tension… the yearning 😮‍💨 Did I mention it has brother’s best friend trope? 👀 Even if you know nothing about F1 Racing (i.e. me) it still takes you on a fun ride as we even tackle some of the politics that go into the sport. I found myself rooting for Dev at every chance. It’s also dual POV (i cried) and it works so well for this story! I gave it 4.75 stars and I’m definitely buying a physical copy upon release 😭

Thank you to Berkley romance and Netgalley for the arc!

I was so excited to receive this book from NetGally and Simone Soltani! Books are the reason that I fell in love with F1, and this book definitely pushed it further. I really enjoyed that there was a lot of F1 content and did not just use it as a subplot. I like actual sports in my sports books and I think it was very well done. I think Willow is one of the cutest characters I’ve ever read. She is very relatable and you can just picture her in her little sundresses. She has an adorable personality and I think social media fits her so so well. Dev being a former “playboy” is one of my favorite subtropes from an MMC. I also really love the tough guy exterior with the absolute sweetheart on the inside. Overall I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to buy my physical copy in July!

This book >>>
I had not read an F1 book yet but now I’m going to be on the hunt for more. That was such a fun book to read and I will definitely be having Simone on my radar from now on. The chronic illness rep was fantastic and I loved how inclusive this book was. This book had me in my feels and I ate up this brothers best friend!

F1 GIRLIES RISE!!!! This was such a pleasant surprise. As a longtime F1 fan, I love that it's becoming a more popular book trope. This book got my adrenaline pumping. and not just because of the racing. I can't wait to recommend this.

This was a first book from this author that I read and I really enjoyed it. It was a fun book to read I love a good sports romance and a race car one is so much fun to read.

This was a cute little romance with a very mature way of handling their forbidden relationship, since this was a brother's best friend situation where Willow falls in love with Dev. Dev is an F1 race car driver who needs his reputation fixed; he ends up hiring Willow as his social media manager to fix the mess that his last social media manager left.

I was going to give it a 3.5 until the ending, since I’m a hopeless romantic, that bumped it up for me🤭. Dev is a gentleman and literally adores Willow. He rents out her favorite place to get macaroons just so they can learn to make them together 🥰. That’s pretty sweet if you ask me 🤭. There were so many moments their love shined, but also parts that could’ve been cut short.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it because sports romance and forbidden love are two tropes I love.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Berkley Publicity for the ARC.

I really loved this book! It was super cute! I loved how there was so much racing involved because I hate when the sport is basically nonexistent in a “sports romance” but that was not the case here. I loved following the races and hearing about all of the f1 things.

I loved Dev as a character he was so cute. He was like a golden retriever who always makes people laugh and I loved the way that he treated and cared for Willow. I really loved Willow as a character as well as her disability rep and reading about her being strong and going after her dreams regardless. I loved them together they were adorable and the fluffy banter was amazing.

I do with that Oakley had been in it more so that we could have seen his relationship with both Dev and Willow more. I also wish that there had been flashbacks or at least more mentions of their childhood since they did all grow up together. I think that would have added a layer of believability and depth to this book and its characters that it was missing in order to completely be engaged, dedicated, and fangirling over these characters.

Overall tho it was a super cute and fluffy quick brothers best friend f1 romance that is definitely worth reading whether your trying to break a slump, looking for something light and cute, or just in the mood for a good racing romance!

I really thoroughly enjoyed Simone Soltani's debut romance novel 'Cross the Line'. If you are a fan of F1, this is the book for you!

This was a delight! I knew nothing about F1 racing going in, but it was such fun to be immersed in that world, and the well-developed characters and the engaging story arc made this a wonderful read.

Willow is a recent college grad who’s struggling to find a job, when she accepts a trip from her brother to see his friend Dev’s F1 race in Monaco. What her brother doesn’t know is that she and Dev kissed last year and she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about him…

Dev is at a low point in his career after his social media manager sabotaged him, and he needs a new one. Willow agrees to take the job as long as they keep it professional and agree their kiss was a mistake. The long hours together start to make that challenging, and there’s only so long they can hold their mutual attraction at bay.

Both Willow and Dev were such interesting characters. Willow dealt with chronic pain related to hypermobility, and her condition felt both realistic and relatable - she worked hard to keep herself as healthy as possible, but also accepted reasonable limitations. Dev respected her and cared for her without treating her like glass, which I appreciated a lot. She was smart and clearly a valued member of his team, and she had her own dreams and goals that didn’t get lost along the way.

Dev was charming and multifaceted, more than just a handsome face. His goals and struggles were well defined, and the way he was so absolutely gone for Willow was adorable.

I appreciated that both characters were biracial, and the huge Indian family wedding was such fun to be part of as a reader. I was nervously awaiting a contrived breakup but it never came, as the external conflict was more than enough to keep me engaged.

All in all I was so impressed with this, as the author’s first book! Hope to read many more.