This was a whole series of ups and downs for me.

Started off really strong and then I was thrown off, then it would pick back up hit a stride and afterwards I’d get thrown off again. This had major pacing issues. A great plot, but disproportionate action and tension scene to scene.

I enjoyed the complexity of the characters- even though this meant I genuinely didn’t always like them. I loved that the struggles that impact the characters weren’t always revolving around the relationship and instead informed how the two leads dealt with each other.

In terms of spice this was pretty well done, but then occasionally there would be a line that would just be… a no.

As a whole, my takeaways here make this review feel pretty lukewarm. I did enjoy reading this though and, despite my handful of complaints, absolutely intend to read any further books in the series.

I enjoyed this one! The romance and tension between these two was so good and everything I wanted 😍 I also really liked the narrators, they had a lot of inflection in their reading which made it feel like I was experiencing it in person

As an audiobook I felt it was so hard to understand the male narrator. It kind of turned me off to this book quickly and I had trouble getting through it.

This one was a bit odd and a little confusing. Ask, not having a knowledge of Formula One left me in the dark. For F1 fans: they might love it.

The narration on this was good but the story, unfortunately, wasn't. The characters weren't that great and were hard to relate to. I didn't really enjoy watching their relationship form and grow since it all felt kind of forced. This story had so much potential based off of the blurb but it just wasn't a good fit.

I was significantly excited about Double Apex's premise since I grew up watching F1 with my dad. Unfortunately, this book was a disappointment for me. I couldn't connect to the MMC because of all the emotional and physical abuse and the workplace harassment. Both of the characters were unlikeable, and I couldn't care anymore.

I will not review this on my main bookstragram page since it has a low star rating.

Am I crazy for being up at 4 am to watch the rescheduled F1 qualifying? Maybe but it was worth it to see my boy Lando take pole. I thought it only fitting to share this F1 romance today.
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I enjoyed Phaedra and Cosmin. Loved that she’s a race engineer and a damn good one. Their relationship had a lot of speed bumps and curves. Enjoyed their banter. Cosmin was more Max than either of the Papaya Boys but I think that made the banter and angst go to a higher level. This was a fun read.
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If you enjoy F1, or even just a sports romance, I definitely recommend.
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Thanks to Hachette Audio and Forever Publishing for an ALC and eARC.

2.5 rounded to 3. Double Apex by Josie Juniper was a bit of a mixed experience for me, and I struggled to connect with the main characters. They both felt somewhat flat, and the chemistry between them came across as forced, even bordering on uncomfortable at times. I enjoyed MacKenzie Cartwright’s narration, which brought some life to the story, but Jonathan Lake's portrayal of Cosmin felt awkward and cringey—it might have been a choice to fit Cosmin's character, but it didn’t land for me. Phaedra’s relationship with her supposed best friend was confusing as well; she was inexplicably rude to her, making it hard to see why they were even friends. Despite these issues, the story did have some intriguing moments, and I appreciated the unique concept Juniper was trying to bring to life. Ultimately, though, the execution left me wanting a bit more depth and clarity in the character dynamics.

I was really intrigued with the premise of Double Apex, having not read any F1 fiction before. Unfortunately this one wasn’t my cup of tea. I struggled to connect with Phaedre and Cosmin who were both quite brash and sometimes abrasive. Their relationship development felt abrupt, and I had difficulty following their character development. The tension between these characters at times felt condescending and aggressive, rather than passionate.

I did find the F1 world interesting, particularly the experiences of a female engineer. to connect with the characters.

Cosmin’s narration in the audiobook had a strange breathy quality which made it hard to make out some of the dialogue. Overall though, the dual narration was great, and the accents and energy did elevate the characterisation and provide more insight as to their motivations.

While not quite for me, I can see this being an enjoyable read for lovers of F1 romance.

Thank you Hachette Audio for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

4 Stars

Do I know anything about racing or formula one? NOPE. Did I ever think I’d enjoy a cocky driver as a romantic lead? Also nope. BUT HERE I AM. Cosmin can GET IT DADDY. From the confident way he lulls our girl Phaedra into his bed and heart to the soft way he melts for her despite her reluctance. I was eating this up. And the steam? Oh, it twas fabulous. Especially when they hit Texas. Anyhoo, definitely recommend and I might be obsessed with a man I never saw coming.

OH OH OH and I got to listen to the audio. 10/10 worth it. Dual narration and the accent and Romanian for Cosmin’s voice actor was PERFECTION.

The content of the book was satisfactory for me, as I did not expect that much after reading the blurb. Though several issues strike me;
The female character was edgy without an obvious reason. Phaedra was bot the sunshine promised by the blurb and her behaviour or responses made my brows fly high in question marks.
I listened to the audiobook, where the male narrator (whose name I will add here) ruined my pov experience of Cosmin with his strange breath ins and outs and even stranger toning of his voice, which raised at the end of the sentence and became almost inaudible in the beginning or middle of the sentence. I could not wait for Cosmin’s pov to end.

Fans of F1 racing might really love this enemies to lovers tale, featuring a brilliant engineer and Eastern European race car driver who get sent on retreat together to work out their differences before it starts affecting their work performances. Their boss Kalie insists that Phaedra and Cosmin spend the weekend at his vacation home in Santorini, Greece (hardly a hardship) to put an end to their animosity and bond. Once there, they get along well, and presumably begin a torrid affair.

I loved the skilled narration—both Mackenzie Cartwright and Jonathan Lake excelled at delivering cheesy dialogue convincingly, They did a great portraying the characters of opposite genders in this dual point of view story, and nailed the accents.

Phaedra is a great, if mistrustful, character who takes bad ass bitch to the mean level; Cosmin’s womanizing, Neanderthal behavior and general flirtyness after being told to cut it out multiple times is played off as appealing, but codes as dated, unenlightened, and frankly, unwanted and nonconsensual. I get why the macho male dynamic has appeal for some readers, and understand this throwback behavior is a fun fantasy in some ways, but it wasn’t for me.

The racing details were spot on, the glitz of the sport reflected in high end fashion and destinations, and the writing solid. The back story hinted at for Cosmin’s sister turned my stomach, honestly; I put the brakes on this romance at 23% complete.

this book wasn’t really for me. I have a hard time with some enemies-to-lovers tropes where I just can’t get past some of the “enemy” behavior to accept the love story. I also really wasn’t a fan of the FMC constantly being called a pet name in the workplace, that just pissed me off. once the main characters started talking and really understanding each other, their love story picked up quite nicely! I liked the last half better than the first half for that reason, as well as the deep emotional connection that is brought to the surface of the story.

if you like heavy banter, tension, and a good enemies to lovers I think you’ll like this! just wasn’t for me.

I did really like the narration! I think that’s what kept me reading the whole story! both narrators were captivating, matching emotions of the story so well, and I just loved the male narration with the accent, that really helps me just fall into a story!

thank you so much for the alc!

Just pure perfection and the perfect narrators. I felt like it went by so quick but that's because I was fully emerged and enjoying it so much. I found myself just stopping what I was doing and sitting and listening to the story. I really loved the pacing and story telling and the narrators brought it all to life.

Phaedra is a math prodigy, working as one of the best race engineers in Formula 1. Her life would be easier without Cosmin, the new driver. The pair start an ‘arrangement’ after the team has to step in and tell them to pull their heads in and eventually their attraction turns to more. But, of course, they have secrets and pasts and things never lie, so will they go for it together, or will it all spin off track?

I enjoyed the friction between the pair and the parts where they work through their ‘stuff’ together. At times though Phaedra was too draining for me. I am a 'black cat' myself, but sometimes she was too much and was a lot of work. She seemed a little too self-centered and prickly, or maybe impulsive, I can’t really put my finger on it. I was sometimes confused about how she could be a ‘Boss’, but then she struggled with her dependence on the men in her life. Although I guess the men in her life had different expectations of her than the ones who worked under her, so that is probably a ‘me thing’.

Cosmin probably isn’t going to be considered book boyfriend material because in the beginning he’s a bit of a douche but honestly, I think he isn’t actually the problem (but that is a whole other thing for me). His 'issues', in my opinion, have a lot to do with environment and being allowed to behave in a particular way, rather than him just being a douche. I think he does genuinely try to be better though, so in terms of character development I think that is done well.

The scene is set well. F1 is a flashy, expensive, fast sport and so the locations and characters are the same. The narration was good on this one. enjoyed the accents, but I think if you aren't familiar with accents and you increased the speed of the audio, then there may be issues, but that is an ear thing with accents, rather than something I would put as a narration problem and I think accents add depth to the characters/brings them to life.

There is more to the story than you initially think. It’s not an easy romance or relationship. The ending gave me the feels and made me happy.

Wow! These narrators made all the difference with me enjoying this book. This is an f1, workplace, forbidden romance, reformed bad boy book that I don’t think I would have enjoyed as much if I had read it instead of listened to it.

The characters both had depth and dimension and the narrators brought them to life in a really beautiful way. I was obsessed with the MMC’s accent and it really made this a fun read.

If you’re a fan of Lauren Asher’s F1 series you should give this a read!

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, and Josie Juniper for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Josie Juniper, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for an audio arc of Double Apex!

I loved this book! I thought the narrators were wonderful and really enjoyed the story line. This was the first book I read involving F1 racing, but I'll definitely be reading more! While there were points I did not enjoy - Phaedra was a bit too violent and biting with her actions/words - I understood the author was trying to convey the pain she was going through. It was great to see Cosmin's character growth throughout the book, too. He really listened to Phaedra's feedback which is a nice change of pace for male characters!

One complaint - the book ended way too fast! I would have loved to see more of the story after the last race, and hear about how the relationship developed, but maybe we'll see that in the next book of the series. I can't wait to read it!

Strap in, because Double Apex is a turbocharged ride of romance and rivalry on the F1 circuit!

This sizzling audio book pairs sharp witted race engineer Phaedra Morgan, a math genius with zero patience for nonsense, against the intense and all-too-charismatic driver Cosmin Ardelean.

Their personalities clash harder than tires on tarmac, but beneath the rivalry is undeniable chemistry. A “secret arrangement” is meant to help the two “bond” (ahem), but sparks quickly ignite beyond the track.

Narrators Jonathan Lake and Mackenzie Cartwright deliver their A-game here, capturing every quip, smirk, and whispered secret.

Lake brings Cosmin’s charm and the hidden weight of his past to life, while Cartwright makes Phaedra’s biting wit and confidence practically glow. Together, their voices make this story come alive, with dialogue and tension that feels perfectly in sync.

Double Apex is a thrilling audio blend of high-stakes competition, red-hot attraction, and just enough secret-keeping to keep things spicy. For anyone who loves fast-paced romance with the thrill of Formula 1, this audiobook is a podium-worthy pick!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

3.75⭐
2🌶️
Tropes: reverse grumpy sunshine, formula 1, forbidden love, he falls first, grief and loss, dual POV

So to set the stage, this arc was actually an audiobook for me, and I think that is why I liked it more than I would’ve had I just read the book. I wanted to listen to this based on the cover because it looked so cute, even though I’m not much of a racing fan.

I had issues with both characters, but mainly Phaedra because she was so freaking annoying. I think the author was trying to paint her as this strong FMC boss bitch feminist icon who gives no fucks and takes no shit. But in reality she comes across as an insufferably whiny spoiled brat. The writer alludes to her personality flaws being due to her isolated upbringing and genius level IQ but instead of trying to work through all that the FMC doubles down on her intelligence giving herself a pass to be so obnoxious, like when she shit all over her supposed bestie. Maybe it’s supposed to be feminine rage? But even if that’s the case I really don’t like that trope so blech. I liked Cosmin, but Phaedra is so emotionally and physically abusive to him sometimes, I wish he would’ve stood up to her more. He was so weak and just let her step all over him. Really, they just both need therapy.

However, I’m a sucker for these kind of sappy romances so I’m able to compartmentalize how much I disliked the characters and pushed myself to finish the book. In terms of a romance, it was pretty good despite the MC’s personality flaws, and I was pleased that Phaedra had a slight redemptive arc. There was also a decent amount of depth to the overall plot, and I liked that most of the secondary characters were significantly fleshed out with back stories too. I think the technical aspect of the book is good too- it's well written, the pacing is good etc.

Specifically for the audiobook aspect: This story is dual POV and has two narrators, Jonathan Lake and Mackenzie Cartwright. For the most part I enjoyed the two, but I really dislike it when they read the other character’s lines in a “fake” voice. I know it’s more expensive to have the two narrators in the same room to read dialogue and whatnot so I get it but I think it would’ve been better had Mackenzie not tried to do the accent and deep voice of a Romanian man. And then vice versa for Jonathan. Just read the dialogue in all the same voice. Personally it made it hard sometimes to get the right meaning each MC was trying to convey. That said, I do think listening to the actors added an extra layer of depth and the times I cried at the story I probably wouldn’t have if I’d been reading and not listening.

I’m torn on recommending this story, TBH. Maybe read some other reviews and see if it’s right for you.