This was cute. Nothing revolutionary, low stakes, but overall a really enjoyable read for romance fans. I loved the backdrop of the F1 world which I wasn't too familiar with but want to learn more about now.

2.75/3

F1 romance. It was okay and cute but wasn’t like reeling me in. I did love the South Asia representation and the chronic illness representation too.

It’s friends to lovers/ brothers best friend romance but that was the only reason they didn’t want to start a relationship? Like really? You are grown adults, you can make your own decisions, you don’t need your brothers permission. He’s not her father nor does he get a say on who she can and cannot date. To be respectful, maybe yes they should have told him but it wasn’t a necessity.

I did love that it was dual POV, one of my favorites. Dev was head over heels for Willow and vice a versa, you could feel how much love they had for each other. Sunshine x sunshine is cute and some of Devs quotes would melt me but I’m more of an enemies to lovers kind of girly.

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley Romance for the eARC!

This was a cute and fluffy book. Very low stakes and easy to read. I didn't love it but it was entertaining.

I liked that the book revolved around F1 which is a sport I have never read about before. I think my issue with this book is that the whole reason Dev and Willow's relation is kept a secret is her brother. I wasn't a fan of how he seemed to think he had any right to tell Willow who she can and cannot date. I also wish more time was spent explaining what happened with the boyfriend that started the drama in the first place.

Overall, this was a very average read but I can see why people would enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When F1 driver Dev Anderson’s reputation is in jeopardy with his team and their sponsors he knows he needs to have a PR makeover to salvage his image and Willow Williams, his best friend’s younger sister, is the perfect person for the job. Willow has been trying to secure a sports marketing position for some time now and while Dev’s offer seems like the perfect job, she knows that being near him will not help ease the crush she has had on him since childhood. But she and Dev can keep things professional, right?

I have to give it to Simone Soltani because this might be the best portrayal of F1 in a book. And I loved that the MMC wasn’t a driver for a top team. But as an F1 fan, some of the parallels to the current grid and its drivers were quite easy to spot and I’m still not sure how I feel about that.

As much as I wanted to like the romance in this book, I just could not deal with how much weight was put on Oakley’s (Willow’s brother and Dev’s best friend) opinion. I understand that Willow’s previous relationship with someone in his friend group ended up causing a rift in their group and that this plays into how she feels about Oakley’s opinion but like y’all are adults!! When reading books with this trope, I need the couple to have another reason why they can’t be together besides the fact that they are scared of how their sibling is going to react, and Cross the Line, just didn’t have that.

This was so fun! I knew absolutely nothing about F1 and yet I was drawn in and fascinated by the racing element of the book. I also think Simone did a great job of allowing us to get to know and understand the main characters quickly so that we were able to root for them immediately. I thought the banter and interactions between Willow and Dev were PRECIOUS. They really became best friends as they fell in love and I adore stories like that.

Ultimately this was a fast and fun read full of steam and tender moments! This made me want to read more F1 romances!

My first F1 book!! I didn't connect with the characters but it was a good story with cute tropes. A fun quick romcom read, perfect for F1 girlies.

I read this book on vacation and then completely forgot to leave a review. I love the book. I’m a huge sucker for sports romance so I was immediately drawn in. I love the representation this book has.

It also had most of my favorite tropes! Definitely will be buying a physical copy for my trophy I mean bookshelf.

I was eagerly anticipating the release of Cross the Line, and while I had high hopes for this debut novel, my feelings are mixed. Simone Soltani has crafted a well-written story, but it ultimately felt like a lot of vibes with not enough stakes to fully draw me in.

The novel follows Willow and Dev, childhood acquaintances brought together again by circumstance. Dev, who is Willow’s brother Oakley’s best friend, offers her a job as his social media manager to help repair his tarnished image. The story is filled with beloved tropes like brother’s best friend, forced proximity, and sports romance, with the added layers of a South Asian MMC, Black FMC, and chronic illness representation.

The relationship between Willow and Dev is undeniably sweet, and their interactions are often adorable. I appreciated how they both supported each other, with Dev’s humor shining through their dialogue. The bond they share, strengthened by years of history, felt genuine, and I found myself rooting for their happy ending. However, the extensive pining between the two often came off as whiny, which made it hard for me to stay fully invested in their romance.

Willow, with her caring and supportive nature, was easy to like, and Dev’s treatment of her was equally endearing. I particularly enjoyed the thoughtful portrayal of Willow’s hypermobility and the insight into the world of Formula 1 racing—both topics were handled with care and taught me something new.

That said, it took me some time to connect with the characters, and even then, I found the overall progression of their relationship a bit underwhelming. While there was no third-act breakup (which I usually appreciate), the dark moment was predictable and lacked the emotional punch I look for in a good romance.

The side characters added some fun to the story, but they couldn’t quite elevate my overall enjoyment. Cross the Line has its merits, especially for a debut, but it didn’t fully capture my heart. It’s a cute read, but one that may leave you wanting more.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕥:
Formula 1 driver Dev Anderson's career is in jeopardy after a social media scandal. To save his image, he turns to Willow Williams, his best friend's little sister and the woman he kissed a year ago. Willow, a recent college grad in need of a job, reluctantly agrees to help despite her long-standing crush on him.

Determined to keep things professional, Willow and Dev struggle to manage their old feelings and undeniable chemistry. But in the glamorous, high-stakes world of Formula 1, some lines are meant to be crossed.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
🏁 Formula One Romance
💞 Brother’s best friend
🤍 Childhood friends to lovers
😍 She falls first, he falls harder
🫶🏼 Diverse representation
👏🏼 No third act breakup

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
📚 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝗹𝘆
📚 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
This was my first f1 romance and I 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 it. I grew up dancing at NASCAR races and this brought me back to the car races I used to watch. It was also such a fun and sweet read!

Simone's writing is an excellent example of the importance of representation! I loved how the book celebrated diverse backgrounds, vividly portraying various cultures and experiences throughout the story. Willow's disability was depicted with great sensitivity. Despite dealing with hypermobility, she was never treated as incapable or an inconvenience. The support and understanding she received from those around her, especially Dev, who remembered how to assist her from their childhood, was so heartwarming. I loved how Willow and Dev's relationship developed gradually. It was so fun to see them together, and their connection felt perfect and genuine in every way.

There some moments where the pacing felt a little off Certain parts dragged, while others felt disjointed, making it seem like key details were missing. The "brother's best friend" conflict is heavily emphasized, almost to an annoying extent. However, I was so glad that there wasn’t a typical third-act breakup, which fit this story well.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗶, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟰/𝟱)

𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
🌶️ (𝟭.𝟱/𝟱)

Thank you to Simone Soltani, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 ⭐️

This one was super cute! I’ve never read an F1 romance before but this was a good start. I loved how the author listed all the races for the schedule in the front of the book as well / such a fun detail!

Dev and Willow are childhood friends who reconnect a year after sharing a secret kiss. Willow has always had a thing for Dev and Dev, being down on his luck, finds himself needing a new social media manager, and what do you know - Willow is his go to girl.

This book was well paced, kept me intrigued throughout the whole story and even better, there was no third act breakup.

This was so much fun! Suddenly I need to become an F1 girly and it is all thanks to Simone!! I was hooked from the start of this, very impressive for a debut.

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the e-ARC.

The Formula 1 aspect of it intrigued me much. The behind-the-scenes drama was both heartbreaking and interesting to see unfold. I loved their relationships with friends and family. I love how open and honest Dev is with Willow after he realizes that his emotions are real and cannot be avoided. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

A cute read. Took me a good while to get hooked on the story. I love a good forced proximity romance 😋

I found this book really enjoyable and refreshing! I'm a casual watcher of F1, but it was nice to see a sports romance actually put value in the sport itself rather than just using the sport as a trope. The inclusion of the racing felt important to both the plot and the characters, not just put in to fill a quota.

The relationship between these two characters was also very sweet. To see a male love interest have a healthy interest in the main character and healthy ideals of relationships was nice. I would've loved to see more of the history of their friendship, since it was hinted at so heavily. It would've added so much to what we did get to see.

I love dual pov in romance novels, but tend to prefer when it's not completely split dual povs. I like a glimpse every once in a while into another pov, but it was nice to watch the relationship develop from both character's povs.

I did find the book a little long and found it seemed a bit drawn out. There were a few scenes I thought weren't entirely necessary and maybe could've been skipped, but overall I enjoyed this book and the relationship between the two main characters and their side characters!

I had a range of feelings when it comes to this book but I'll start with my favorite parts. The F1 details in this was great. I felt like I really got a feel for what F1 is really like. Getting to see the inner workings of this sport was the best part, in my opinion. I got really invested in Dev's career and the turns that it took in this book. You could feel his frustration through the pages and you felt the same right alongside him. The romance between Willow and Dev was very cute and I like how they navigated their relationship.

I'm not a fan of brother's best friend and unfortunately this book displays the reasons why. No grown women should have her brother have that much influence on her dating life regardless if she chooses to date one of his friends. The constant inner dialogue surrounding this brother character was a bit much for me. Outside of that part of the book, I liked the rest.

This book pulled me out of a massive slump. It was fast paced, engaging, with lovable characters and sizzling chemistry. I simply could not put it down. I am not usually a fan of the "brother's best friend" trope, but I appreciated how it was handled in this book. The culmination went much smoother and more realistically than I expected it to.
This book ramps up the tension and chemistry between Willow and Dev masterfully, keeping you on the edge of year seat, desperate to see what will finally push them over the edge. However, this is well balanced with a deep friendship that evolves between the characters, and I also really appreciated how we got to see them connect on an emotional level as well as a physical one.
Willow, the FMC, has EDS, and I enjoyed the representation. It's not a major theme of the book, but it is a solid through-line and effects her and the story in a way that felt natural and well done.

Let's get the not so great stuff out of the way first. I think the dual timeline made the first half of this book drag. Nothing really happened that required that much setup. But if you're an F1 fan you might enjoy it.

Overall the book was maybe slightly too long but at around the 50% mark that's where things started moving. We got a little big of mystery is this sabotage or is the car bad? Who is coming for Dev? The STI "joke" turned a corner and had a really good message even though these 2 had unprotected sex 🫤. The ending while not a cliffhanger I'm ready for book 2.

Who doesn't like a forbidden romance? I know I do. This was a really cute read. It started off jumping right into the FMC (Willow) and MMC (Dev) having already shared a kiss and the MMC not being able to get her out of his head. And of course they aren't able to do anything about it because of the complicated nature of the friendship between the MMC and the FMC's brother.

After that the story fast forwards months later and they are forced to be in close proximity of one another and the feelings they shouldn't have for one another only grow stronger. Willow and Dev realize it's harder than they thought to fight what they've both been feeling for a really long time.

At times the banter could be a little awkward but overall it was such a cute story. I enjoyed the backstory of the relationship between the characters, the build up between the characters, the writing style, and the pacing of the writing. It was cute how they were both so invested in helping the other grow professionally. It wasn't just an attraction based on looks are wanting to be physical. As a reader I could really see their foundation.

I was very entertained and will be looking forward to other works from this author.

This book was such a fun read. The chemistry between Dev and Willow made me squeal! I was so giddy reading them not act on their true feelings. It made for great tension. More than that, Simone has written such realistic, nuanced, and lovable characters that it felt like I knew them. Even our side characters took up enough space that you wanted to keep getting to know them. I also learned a lot about Formula 1 and I think I might be an F1 girl now *gasp*. The banter was top notch and not cringey at all which I LOVED. the pacing was perfect and nothing felt rushed or too slow.

I loved that there wasn’t really any miscommunication. Dev and Willow were just trying to please everyone else around them by denying what they both felt for each other. Having both main characters be brown made this even better because I could actually relate to what they were going through in their separate journey’s as well. I love reading black and brown people fall in love. I’ll definitely be reading anything else that Simone writes as well. 5 ⭐️!

As a Formula 1 fan, this book was very well researched and the author's inclusion of pseudonyms made the reading experience so fun and close to home! The races and overall race weekends depicted in the book were both immersive and used the readers' prior knowledge to the author's advantage. That being said, if the reader has never watched Formula 1 or Drive to Survive, the narrators will still give enough information about the sport for the reader to follow along.
The romance aspect of this book was so sweet and I was rooting for the characters the entire way through! Childhood-friends-to-unrequited crush-to-lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and Soltani did a great job with this one! I can't wait to read on to book 2!