This was a fun, really sweet, and steamy read. I absolutely loved seeing how Willow and Dev grew in their relationship with each other and how much they supported each other. I love how Dev doted on Willow and loves to take care of her- while also letting her do her own thing and not coddling her with her hypermobility. And it’s so easy to see how much Willow cares for Dev in how she helps him rehab his image ~ her feelings for him can be seen in all the posts and how she shows his personality to the world through his social media.

When Willow ends up working for her brothers best friend and long time crush- Dev. And Dev has been realizing he’s got some more than friendly feelings for Willow as well- we get a perfect storm of seeing two lovable characters trying to fight their feelings and remain professional with each other. When they finally give in and accept they are more than friends it’s beautiful seeing their relationship grow.

If I wasn’t already a Formula One fan, I think this book would have gotten me interested in checking out the sport on its own. I loved seeing the fun and fast paced world of Formula One in this book, and I think the author did a fantastic job of bringing the sport to life in the pages.

Cross The Line by Simone Soltani
F1 Romance. Stands alone for now.
Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of the book. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
Click here for my complete list of F1 Romance books

"Her happiness is blinding, like staring into the sun. I don’t want to look away. I’d let her steal the sight from my eyes, the breath from my lungs. I’d let her do her worst and still be eternally grateful."

I was so excited to read Cross The Line by Simone Soltani . I am a HUGE F1 fan, I have a list of F1 romances on my blog, and it’s the only sport I seek out books about. When I started the book, it didn’t grab my attention right away so I put it aside and read something else. Then I went back to it and got more into it, but K. Bromberg’s latest F1 Book came out, so I put Cross The Line aside again to read that so I wouldn’t get confused.

I was able to put it aside too easily to say I was loving it, but I was still pretty early in the book. When I finally went back to it the third time, Cross The Line grabbed me and didn’t let go. My problem was I felt like I had read the story already. Granted, it’s hard to come up with very different F1 romances, but I feel like I read almost the same story before for many different sports.

Dev is an F1 driver on a midfield team. His teammate is a jerk and his daddy owns the team (sounds familiar to F1 fans, no?). After Dev had a squabble with his last publicist, she posted that he had STDs and trashed his reputation, making it even harder for him to get another team interested.

I absolutely LOVED that Willow Williams had a chronic connective tissue disorder JUST LIKE ME! Willow lived next to Dev growing up, and her brother (who used to race) was his best friend. She has had a crush on Dev her whole life. As a college graduation gift her brother invited her to Europe for a race, and Dev realizes that she is the perfect person to salvage his reputation and offers her a job as his social media manager.
“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 center of his universe.”

This might not be a “he falls first” situation because she’s loved him since she was little, but he fell HARD. There was no doubting how much Dev loved her. He was a total romantic, and always thought of her health needs first.

Dev is Indian (or half-South Asian) and Willow is Black (or half-black). After one small line in chapter one, her race or appearance is never mentioned again. Dev, however, talks about his heritage and traditions a lot, especially because a big part of this book is about his sister’s wedding. If you know anything about Indian weddings, you’ll understand why it’s a big part of the book.

I LOVE to read about other cultures. But unfortunately, I felt like this was written for other South Asians. There were numerous words and expressions that I wasn’t familiar with, and every single one of them could have been explained or described easily with a few quick words inline. Since it was another language the look-up function of my Kindle never worked, so my choice was either to leave the story completely to look it up or make my best guess. This was such a missed opportunity to educate people just a little about the culture.
“I may not have won the race today, but having Willow in my arms feels better than winning ever could.”

Likes:
•I loved the F1 action, and the author knew what she was talking about.
•The FMC had a chronic autoimmune disease.
•A diverse cast.
•Good set-up for future books.
•He was SO in love with her and so romantic.
•Great side characters.
•No 3rd act breakup.

Dislikes:
•No explanations of all of the Indian words and traditions.
•I feel like I didn’t learn enough about her and her family and background. There was one tiny mention of hair that implied she was Black in chapter 1 then another mentioning her brother was half Black later in the book. I liked the diversity of the characters, especially because F1 is not very diverse, and I wish there was more mention of it.
•Seemed a little too similar to other F1 books in a general way (not a plagarized way). And similar to so many other sports romances.

The Down & Dirty:
As an F1 lover, once I finally got into it, I couldn’t put Cross The Line by Simone Soltani down. Dev is an amazing, romantic guy right from the start and Willow was very likable and real with a chronic autoimmune disease. They were definitely a couple to root for. With a diverse cast, there was a lot of South Asian customs, but I would have liked more about that and about her background. The F1 aspect was great, and you could tell the author knew her racing, but I don't think you need to be an F1 fan to enjoy Cross The Line.

Rating: 4 Stars, 2.5 Heat

This was a very sweet and adorable F1 romance with great representation. Brothers best friend is one of my favorite tropes, it always hits. And especially when he is so down bad for her. I love childhood crush redemption!!!!! And I love racing, but especially when they star POCs <3

The chronic illness part of this book is what made me want to pick this up, but the love story is what I really loved. I also love a forbidden romance and when these two characters start a secret relationship. They both have a lot to lose.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I found the characters to be annoying at times. The mmc seemed so childish at times

Oh my goodness, I adored this F1 romance! Dev, the charming racer, and Willow, his best friend’s sister, were just perfect together. Dev’s awkward, shy guy vibe around Willow was adorable, especially after his social media disaster caused by his ex-coordinator. Willow stepping in to help him was just the twist they needed!

Their chemistry was undeniable, and the way they supported and understood each other was heartwarming. Dev’s belief in Willow’s PR skills and her understanding of his true self made their dynamic so special. The representation of POC and chronic illness was so well done and added depth to the story.

The tension with Willow’s brother finding out about their relationship added the perfect amount of drama. And the epilogue? Made me so excited for a potential sequel!

Big thanks to Berkley for the e-ARC—I loved every second of it! If there’s a book two, I’ll be first in line!

3.5-
Not a huge fan of the brother’s best friend trope, and I honestly think when they take a hidden/forbidden romance spin on it, it makes it even worse.

All that being said, this was pretty cute and ended up winning me over. I enjoyed the F1 aspects and I think the relationship itself was quite sweet and portrayed well. I also didn’t have problems with the disability representation. The actual plot was a little cheesy but a pretty good set up for having the characters in close proximity, and the conflict kept things interesting. Overall, worth reading for a sweet sports romance.

Dev’s career as a Formula 1 driver is at risk after a social media mishap. Luckily, he runs into Willow at a party and asks her to help save his image and take over as his social media manager. With Willow being his best friend’s little sister and her having a crush on him since they were kids, things quickly get complicated. Especially because Dev is also attracted to her.

I really enjoyed this slow burn forbidden romance! The chemistry and shared history between Dev and Willow made for a great build up to when they finally got together. I admittedly don’t know much about Formula 1 so it was interesting to learn a bit more through this story. This book was also full of different perspectives and in my opinion represented them all well - from the representation of different cultures to Willow’s chronic pain, this story showed real people in a beautiful way. I will definitely be looking for more from Simone Soltani after reading this!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

4.5 🌟

This was so freaking cute!!!
If you love F1 definitely pick this book up.

Dev is an F1 racer and in need of someone that can fix his social media presence. Willow is his best friend’s little sister who is a recent college graduate that is in need of a job. Dev knows that Willow can fix his image and offers her a job. The only problem is that they kissed a year ago and neither one has been able to stop thinking about it.

Dev and Willow were the absolute cutest!
I really loved their connection and the way they just uplifted one another.
I also really loved the diversity and representation in this book 🫶🏼!

This book just made me feel happy and giddy 🤭!

My man Dev was absolutely down bad. The way he spoke about Willow 😮‍💨🧎🏻‍♀️.

read this while watching the belgian grand prix so the vibes were perfect!

this book would have hit so much harder if i read it in the time of lauren asher's f1 series. this was just sooooooo long. loved the characters and the tropes but would've loved if it was shorter.

Rating ~2.5 (rounded up because I didn’t actively dislike anything)

I thought I would love this book. Both the cover and the synopsis are cute. It seemed right up my alley.

Alas, it just felt pretty basic and shallow. I didn’t feel the chemistry. I didn’t swoon at the romance.

It wasn’t bad. I’m not annoyed that I read it. But I’m not rushing to store to get a copy to add to my shelf.

🏎️ Book Review 🏎️

Cross the Line by Simone Soltani
🏎️
This book was so much fun! I loved Willow and Dev. They were super supportive of each other, balanced the other out, and had excellent chemistry. They really were the perfect couple. Willow deals with a chronic illness and the representation felt accurate and honest. Dev’s Indian culture played a huge part in who he was and in his family relationships, and I loved how it was portrayed! I also loved the diverse cast of side characters who were charming and interesting. I’d love to read more books about them in the future! This was the perfect setup for an F1 series or a series based on Dev and his friend group. Honestly, I’d read either.
🏎️
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
🏎️
Read if you like:
▫️Formula 1
▫️forbidden love
▫️brother’s best friend
▫️childhood friends and neighbors
▫️he’s her boss
▫️forced proximity
▫️sunshine x sunshine
▫️dual POV
🏎️
Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Simone Soltani for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don’t know much about F1, but I know a lot about book covers, and this one helped me get on the podium after I won the run to read it lol OK was that terrible? Yes. BUT it was still very, very real.

Maybe I was so invested in it because y’all know I’m a sucker for social media in a book. And when I saw that this was about getting Dev’s social media back right, I knew i was going to be a goner. And the way she explained some of her strategies and how he recognized some of the things she was doing was especially dear to me. It’s just something about the way he supported her in the things she loved, even if it was her job.

On to the romance…. Lordt! He was so oblivious and she had all but given up on ever getting together with him. When he finally got it together, they were older but they were now shadowed by another friend of her brother’s who had cheated on her. And of course the brother was like NOT NAIR ANOTHER ONE BET NOT TRY FOR HER EITHER lol But of course, that’s when Dev finally decided to get his head out his ass. It was messy yes, but I liked it. But when they finally got together, I hated the hiding they did, but still I liked it way more than what Dev was in the very beginning. Because Lordt him talking about getting some every time we were in his thoughts was annoying. I seriously thought he was going to be an asshole lol

There’s all different types of rep in this also. Willow is Black, Dev is South Asian, and Willow also has a disability that sounds like hypermobility. Doing things like standing too long could hurt her. I liked that the author also included a stretching/massage session and showed that Dev was paying attention to her and watching her cues. And the one time he overstepped, she set him straight and I was here cheering the whole time. And then seeing Dev’s sister’s wedding was like the icing on the cake. I loved that the author put all the different parts of the wedding and the way they all acted while there. It was so much fun.

I did feel like the ending was tho. Like she forgot to add it in the story and then was like oh yeah, this plot point wasn’t closed! Let me just put this lil scene right here. And damn it all if I didn’t almost scream because wtf why would you make that happen like that? I was listening to the audio and I wasn’t prepared. There weren’t any sound effects or anything, but I seem to get more imaginative when I’m reading with my ears. And this one did a number on me. But Soltani did have me kicking my feet and grinning like all hell at the end end. I can’t be the only one tho. I need to know if y’all do also lol

This was fun. I still don’t know anything about F1, but I do know that I need to try some macarons now lol I’ve only ever had one in my life and it wasn’t anywhere near what she was describing lol This book was a lot of fun! I hope y’all read it and see the what the hype is about!

Thought this was really cute. Made for an easy quick read. I did want a little grumpy with my sunshine,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyBookTok
I was also lucky enough to receive an ALC from the Penguin Random House Audio Influencer Program. @prhaudio #PRHAudio #PRHAudioInfluencer

This was a decent romance. I did have a hard time connecting with Dev, but it is possible that it might be because I am not a huge fan of car racing (it's not that I don't like it, I am just not super familar with it), or maybe his character wasn't as developed as he could've been. With that being said, I thought the romance was cute and Dev and Willow had good chemistry. I also enjoyed Vikas Adams and Nerissa Bradley's narration and I thought their voices complimented each other nicely.

Overall this was a cute novel and if I was more familiar with race car driving, I may have enjoyed this book even more.

—


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I’m not too familiar with F1 and this is actually my second F1 book that I’ve read, I definitely enjoyed it more than the one I read previously. I thought the book was cute and definitely loved that Dev fell harder, I love that trope, it just does something to me. I did feel like at time the book did drag on but overall it was a good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of this ebook!

I had a great time with this book and loved so many of the tropes: brothers best friend, childhood friends to lovers, sports romance (F1 racing). There is also no third act breakup which I’m always here for!

Dev is an F1 racer who hires willow to be his social media manager to repair his image. She’s also his best friend’s sister, and her brother doesn’t want her dating any of his friends after one of them broke her heart.

This was such a feel good love story with excellent banter, spice and some drama. It did feel a little drawn out at times (suuuuper slow burn), but man was it worth it!

I can’t wait to read another book by this author!

I love a good sport romance and this one didn't disappoint, the sport aspect was pretty accurate to me and I really liked that it was a main aspect in this book. I feel like in a lot of romances the sport is neglected but this one was the perfect balance. I loved both of their character Dev and Willow are the sweetest, I love them. Also I loved how the disability rep was represented. But I would have loved to have more context over their first kiss because it was a little random and I think, if there had been more context there would have been more tension and would have been more interesting.
Bonus point for the NO miscommunication and no third act break-up tropes tho.

Willow Williams is a recent college grad on the job hunt. Dev Anderson is an Formula 1 driver with an image problem. He’s also her lifelong crush and her brother’s best friend. When Dev offers Willow a temporary job, they’re both determined to keep things professional, regardless of old feelings and their blazing chemistry. But in the glittering and high-stakes world of Formula 1, some lines are meant to be crossed…

Pros:
- Amazing chemistry between the FMC and MMC.
- Fun, believable, and adorable male friendships.
- Incredibly fun and interesting look into the world of Formula 1.
- She falls first, he falls harder.
- Great diversity representation.
- Bollywood references were really well done!


Opportunities:
- Some Formula 1 references were out of mainstream knowledge so I did a bit of Googling.
- The start of it is slow but, thankfully, I pushed through.

Overall, it's an adorable romcom. Lot's of heart, a little heat, low angst.

(4.5) I’m so glad I finally picked this back up. I was definitely not in the right mood last time I tried but this time I flew through it. I loved Dev and Willow. This is I think my 6th or 7th F1 romance and I really liked that this one kinda focused more on the politics/inner workings of the team rather than just making him some big great driver. It made it feel refreshing and based on things I’ve actually seen and heard from the sport, it felt very real. The tropes were great, the friendships were really good, and overall I really edited it. She’s longer than I expected but it honestly went really quickly. It’s sweet, a teeny bit spicy, and definitely swoon worthy. I love my a mmc who is obsessed with his girl! I’m excited to see what the author does next.