DNF at 20%. I was really excited to get into F1 romance because of all the hype around it. This book was not a good entrance point for me. The writing, particularly the dialogue, felt juvenile. Like 13 year old me imagined cool adult women talked. And the MMC had very few redeeming qualities. I didn’t actively dislike him, and I’ll always give points for my Eastern European rep, but he was not, at least to the point I reached, a hero to swoon for. Not giving a rating because I didn’t make it far enough for that to feel fair.

It took me some time to get into the book and when I did, I did enjoy it but then it kind of lost me again at the end.

You could tell Cosmin was head over heels for Phaedra. It took her some time to warm up to him due to her thinking he was a player and all that jazz. But she was always skittish but I get it, her job was in the line, she’s replaceable and he’s not. I felt like she always needed some sort of validation.

There were times where their chemistry lacked chemistry and there were times where I could definitely feel it.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc for my honest review.

Double Apex by Josie Juniper brings all the spicy- and it is hot!!!! Who wouldn’t love a story involving Formula 1 racing, coupled with fabulously written banter. Juniper left me wanting more & I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the cover art but the book just didn’t do it for me. I liked the premise, but I didn’t enjoy the delivery. Phaedra felt unlikeable, and their banter felt infantilizing at times. Also, it’s really spicy! While I think good spicy scenes CAN drive a story, develop characters and provide big payoff for the reader…this felt gratuitous.

It just wasn’t a winner for me.

This book had my emotions all over the place mainly because Phaedra was so hot headed and they had sex so early on. The tension was there but it felt rushed. Then the ending dragged. So I didn’t feel a solid rhythm of the story. She also seemed to get over her dads death really quick.

I raced through Double Apex and cheered all the way to the finish line! I loved this racing romance that pitted STEM femme race engineer Phaedra against gorgeous Romanian driver Cosmin. She’s foul-mouthed, brash and quick to defend herself against sexist comments in this male-dominated arena while trying to do her job and help win races for the team her father built. Cosmin is harboring a crush against the attractive engineer whispering in his headphones during races and not giving her any reason to question he might be more than the women-throwing-themselves-at-his-feet playboy that he is. Both have their issues, but when the stars align and bring them together, some of their shields lower to reveal they are both more than meets the eye. When it all blows up like a faulty tire, you can’t help but root for this pair to solve their very real dilemma and come together for the win. Double Apex is another triumph for Josie Juniper, who has written believable characters, her signature effortless prose and spunky dialogue, more steam than a blown engine, a story with all the right turns and pacing, and a satisfying conclusion…all to the exciting backdrop of Formula 1 racing around the globe. This belongs on the podium for any solid STEM romance!

I loved the cover of this book and was excited to read it!

Unfortunately, I tried to read this book a couple of different times and it just didn't grab my attention. It was a bit disappointing from the very beginning. I just didn't connect with the characters.

Although, I would probably recommend this book to people who may resonate more with the characters. It is not a bad book. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy!

This was bad. Poorly written, cringey and just not interesting. The cute cover sucked me in, but I would think twice about trying another book by this author

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover! I’m a bit disappointed as I didn’t connect with it as I was hoping to. I was not a fan of the verbal abuse and the romance aspect was a bit flat at times. I think I would’ve liked it more if I had been more into F1? Who knows. I skimmed through more than I would’ve liked.

Thank you Forever and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I will not be posting a negative review in other platforms.

If you’re looking for the perfect summer F1 read with a badass FMC in STEM, look no further! Josie does such a fantastic job consuming you with her writing, witty characters, swoon worth romance, and emotional moments that will be held near and dear to your heart after reading.

I had so much hope for this book. Unfortunately it was not what I expected from the beginning. There’s verbal abuse to the point where the story is unbearable. Couldn’t be more bummed…

OMG THIS BOOK. I am a changed woman because of it. A huge thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Josie Juniper for this advanced copy!!

"You may be a better driver than I am, but I'm smarter than you. Don't cross me, or I won't rest until your Transylvanian ass gets busted back down to F2. Or better yet, no one will give you a seat and you find yourself hawking protein shakes on late-night infomercials."

No matter what anyone says, I will always be a Phaedra defender because we all know as a collective that the world of sports, no matter which one, is mostly male dominated and that even in the world of F1 that wishes to include more women, even they face their struggles. So, to have Phaedra be all no-nonsense, not accepting the backhanded comments of men and being prickly makes sense (and let's be real for a second, we need a change from the usual frilly-I-am-so-pretty-with-my-short-dresses girlie) We are so used to seeing the seemingly perfect female main character that we forget flawed women who are trying to do their best. We forget women that are like us. Imperfect. Women who carry doubts. Women who struggle to stand out and to have their opinions heard and valued.

And watching Pahedra's development was beautiful frankly. From grumpy girl who is prickly towards everyone, to discovering that she can be loved for who she is, and to find happiness despite the grief of *COUGH COUGH* a certain someone's death... well, let's just say I shed my tears for this book.

Also, Cosmin. Guys, we get the fun little nicknames here. From Phaedra calling him "Legs" to "the F1 Dracula", I did not think I would enjoy his character but boy did he surprise me. We discover that he's a romantic and this man waits a few chapters to confess to us in like a gossiping grandma manner that he has actually been in love with Phaedra for A WHILE. And an angsty Romanian guy pining for his racing engineer was the love story I didn't know I needed this year.

I WAS HOOKED. I was laughing, fanning myself, typing in a frenzy to the author who bless her open DMs got to hear me ramble like my degree is in yapping about all the things I enjoyed about this book. We get a nuanced story with characters that take their time to develop which felt realistic to how real life works. We get to see the steamy romance, the more tender moments, *THAT* scene with the old Lincoln car hookup in the rain that is stuck in my head, the bits of Formula 1 racing and the behind the scenes of it. We get to see moments of father/daughter bonds, of a connection so strong that I felt it in my bones.

By the end, I was cheering as if I were watching the end of the race because up until the last chapter, I did think that Phaedra and Cosmin would forever be separated because of their duties but the moment they get together as they secure a victory for the team and I WAS CHEERING. I was over the moon. I went to sleep with a giddy smile and am super excited for the rest of the books in this series that will explore characters I am intrigued to see more about!

Overall: 4.5/5 stars

Unfortunately, not a memorable read for me. The vibes were good and I enjoyed myself while reading but I immediately forgot 70% of what I read once finished. I would recommend it as a quick and easy read to get you out of a slump or if you're looking for something fun!

Double Apex started really strongly for me but faded as it continued, especially with some of the bigger time jumps between races. I loved Phaedra’s relationship with her dad and her friendship with Nat. Ultimately I’m not sure if I will continue the series.

⭐️4,5
Formula 1 romances and I don‘t have the best track record but I love F1 and I‘m determined to find good books.
This one was amazing!! The most important to me, the author really knew their stuff about F1 which made the story feel and sound a lot more real life!

I loved the banter so much and the added Romanian throughout was great. No idea why most books have American drivers when most of F1 are European drivers!
Anyways.. I couldn’t put this book down and fingers crossed there will be more amazing F1 books!!

this was actually so cute!! i fund it really enjoyable and i enjoyed the writing. i would def read her josie juniper’s other work, so i’m excited to see what she has in store next! i also found this to be very unique, which was a plus

I am a new to F1 girly so I liked the author provided context to the races without it being too simplified.

I swooned over the Romanian! I can’t wait for the audio to come out because I need to know how everything is actually pronounced.

Phae drove me a little crazy with her quips and impulsive decisions during this relationship and I can understand why given her background and personality, BUT it started to get a little annoying after a point.

Cos and his background were complex and I wish it had a bit more on his childhood! He’s obviously impacted by his uncle and his sister’s situation and he alludes to the man his uncle was but I guess how it informed his choices, love etc? Maybe I’m nitpicking because I just want to love him even more!

I hope Brooklyn comes back in later books because she was a fun addition. Same with the other side characters, I wanted more and I’m sure it’s setting up for the other books in the series!

Overall, enjoyed! I loved Phae as a fierce, smart engineer and owner who needed to grow up and let love in! Cos was a total misunderstood sweetie who has a whole other side needing exploring! If you’re new to F1 and want to date a driver vicariously, def pick up this book!

I thought the book had fun moments but it wasn’t heading in the direction I hoped. I struggled reading some areas as well as it fell flat a bit.
The romance was there but I was hoping it would be more prevalent throughout the book.
Stunning cover and I had such high hopes but it just didn’t reach it. I couldn’t get the full interest and connection out of this book that I initially had hoped I would.
I’ll still be recommending this book to friends as I believe people can enjoy it, it’s just not for me.

I thought this book was a fun and engaging read, featuring the dynamic duo of Phae and Cos in a spicy enemies-to-lovers romance set against the thrilling backdrop of Formula 1 racing. Phaedra Morgan, a brilliant race engineer, and Cosmin Ardelean, a cocky yet haunted driver, enter a forbidden arrangement that adds both tension and excitement to their relationship. While I enjoyed the balance between the romantic and the racing elements, I felt that some parts of the story moved too quickly, not giving enough time to certain moments. The writing was a bit all over the place, making it hard to follow at times, but the F1 setting kept me interested. 3/5 stars.

This book was so much fun! Phae and Cos were quite the pair, and reading through their wins and losses was a joy. This story was a good balance between the romantic (and smut) poutine, along with the journey through an F1 season. In some parts of the book, it did feel that things were going too quickly (sometimes not giving enough time to moment in my opinion), but overall a fun read. Looking forward to Klaus and Nat’s story in book 2!