I usually love sports romances, but I couldn’t get into this book. I couldn’t relate to the characters so I had to DNF at 60%.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

this book was okay! it was an interesting approach with the fmc being a sim engineer! i do think though i wished for feeling their progression of interest in each other more. something felt lacking.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I thank NetGalley for offering me the e-ARC of this title.

I do love a racing romance but this one somehow fell a little flat for me.
It felt a bit choppy, jumping between the races, and I kind of liked the characters but something was missing for me and I’m not sure what.

A fun and exciting story. It's so refreshing hearing a different kind of story and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed seeing the characters progress in this story. The story was well paced and well written. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured it in just a few sittings.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but I felt there was an issue with pacing. It jumped around quite a bit in between races and I felt that it meant the main characters didn't have great chemistry and just seemed to get together. That said, I enjoyed the main characters and thought Shantal was well written, and I enjoyed the heritage and culture of both protagonists. The way Patel wrote the grief of both characters was well done, and hit me in the feels. Overall, not as good as the first book but still good.

I tried this one multiple times and I think Esha Patel just isn’t for me, and for that - I am sorry. I wanted to love this. I love Formula One and romances but this just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, sports romance. After creating a new racing simulator, Shantel is invited to Brazil to test it out with real F1 drivers. Damien is a ln F1 driver looking for anything that will give him a leg up on his competition. So when the opportunity arises to train with a new racing simulator, he jumps at the chance. When Shantel and Damien meet, lots of flirting ensues leading to sparks both on and off the track.

I loved this read! I enjoy watching racing, so it was fun to read it in romance form. The characters and banter were great.

Shantal and Darien.. my beloveds. I really enjoyed getting to know Darien, he had me giggling, blushing and kicking my feet constantly! Shantal was so sweet too.

I think what was lost on me was the third act breakup - if third act breakups have no haters then I’m dead.

I do love a sports romance though, and F1 is creeping up my list!

I’m so excited to read more from Esha Patel though!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

I cannot believe I waited this long to read an Esha Patel novel. I don't like racing, or know anything at all about F1, but after reading this book, I want to know everything! Patel's writing style is capitaving and draws the reader in from the first chapter. I loved this novel, and I can't wait to go back and read the first book in this fast-paced series.

I came into this book with low(er) expectations because I know my expecations for her last book were too high, but I absolutely loved Overdrive by Esha Patel!

It had everything I look for in a good F1 romance—great characters, high-speed drama, and the chemistry between the leads was electric, and the slow build of their relationship had me hooked.

That said, the third-act breakup frustrated me. While I appreciated Shantal’s struggles I couldn’t help but feel like her actions were unecessary—and the resolution was too simple to change my mind.

Still, the rest of the book made up for it and I loved how things ended.


I recieced an advanced reader copy of this book for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I wanted to love this but I was not my favorite at all. I was really hopefully but it was a bit disappointing.

If you’re a fan of fast cars, slow-burn romance, and just enough emotional depth to make you tear up a little before grinning like an idiot, Overdrive is the ride for you.

Esha Patel delivers a fun and cute romance that feels like a victory lap for anyone who’s into F1 books (me, definitely me). And while there weren’t any cowboys in this one—sadly—Darien’s swoon-worthy Brazilian charm made up for it.

What worked:

The Romance: Shantal and Darien are a reverse grumpy x sunshine trope done right. Shantal’s ambition and Darien’s passion created a dynamic that was equal parts fiery and sweet. Plus, that “forced proximity” trope? Yes, please. Sparks flew faster than an F1 car in a qualifying lap.
Handling Grief: Patel doesn’t shy away from heavier themes, and I loved how the book explored grief without letting it overshadow the story’s lighter moments. It was a perfect balance—heartfelt but not heavy.
Brazilian Vibes: The setting practically danced off the page, from the vibrant atmosphere of Brazil to the high-octane world of Formula One. It added so much personality to the story!
Why not 5 stars?
While the romance was a winner, parts of the plot felt like they were cruising on autopilot. The simulator subplot had potential but didn’t quite hit pole position in terms of tension or stakes. That said, Darien’s love for Brazil and Shantal’s determination still made the journey worth it.

Final Thoughts:
Overdrive is the perfect pick for sports romance fans who love a dash of spice, a sprinkle of angst, and all the heart. It’s got cute moments, emotional depth, and plenty of vroom-vroom vibes to keep you entertained.

Would I read more F1 romances? Obviously. Would I recommend this book to other hopeless romantics? Absolutely. Would I secretly hope for a cowboy spin-off next? 100%.

I usually enjoy sports romance and F1, so I was looking forward to reading this. I haven't read the first book in the offtrack series, and maybe that is why I struggled to get into the story and invest in the characters. It started slowly with a lot of separate characterisation. I like the diversity, the excitement of the motor racing and the strength of the female protagonist, but I didn't connect with the characters and found the pacing slow initially.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

1.5/5 stars

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me, I really hoped this book would be more enjoyable than it was for me. I liked the plot, and Darien’s backstory was engaging with his journey through grief and the stages of healing, but as for his and Shantal’s relationship, I just couldn’t get into it, or connect with their characters individually. Overall I thought the plot was great, but the lack of connection with the characters or their “chemistry” put me off a bit.

I love Esha Patel!! & I love a F1 romance!
I am so very grateful to receive an ARC for this. Even though I wasn’t able to finish before the archive date I’m excited to buy and finish it.
The chemistry was fire. 🔥

I really needed to read a F1 romance and this seemed to be the one I picked up, I think I gave the first one 3 stars. But I enjoyed this one so much more. Again I don’t know if I was just more in the mood to read an F1 romance but this was amazing. I really loved that this was set in Brazil. This is grumpy sunshine, forced proximity slow burn romance. This follows Darien and Shantal. I just loved their characters so much, the grief they are both experiencing throughout is so well written.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a cute book. But it was not quite what I was hoping for. The main characters were cute together but the story was a little dull.

I unfortunately found this just okay! I liked the characters, getting to know Darien a bit more and meeting Shantal. I just didn’t feel any connection between them which sucks as I loved all the racing and setting and descriptions. It wasn’t a bad book by any means, I just couldn’t quite click with the main characters romance storyline!