An emotional upheaval going around a dangerous track at top speed, getting battered and yet asking when the next one is.

Lilah’s voice was so clear throughout the whole entire book (SHOUT OUT TO THE NEURODIVERGENT REP) that it completely ensnares the reader into the world.

The writing so cleverly reacts the tempo of F1 racing that even when we weren’t on the track, it felt like an exhilarating race.

The juxtaposition of Arthur and Lilah created just the right amount of tension, burn, and swoon worthy moments.

This book is going to change F1 forever, or at least F1 romances.

P.S
It’s rare when I’m ready to physically try to fight a fictional character (okay you got me it’s not) but still Max is the worst piece of human excrement ever.

OUT MAY 20th! You need to add it to your TBR immediately

“Once you get into Formula 1, you don’t get out. Trust me.”

Slipstream by Madge Maril
Pub Date: May 20, 2025
Rating: 🌟🌟 🌟 🌟🌟(5/5)
Spice: 🌶️(1/5)

Review:
Lilah Graywood moved all the way to a small town in Texas to cover a racing team she knows nothing about just to find out her business partner and boyfriend cheated on her and stole her business. Lilah was assigned to cover the reserve driver while her ex continues to cover the rest of the team. Now, Lilah has to figure out how to continue to make her documentary while trying to get along with the incredulous Arthur Bianco. We get to follow along on Arthurs return to formula one.

As an F1 girly I absolutely ADORED this book. Madge maril knocked it out of the park. I love that lilah is dropped into the world of F1 with absolutely no knowledge of the sport. By doing this, the reader learns with lilah about the summer tracks and generally how this sport works. I will be giving this book to all my friends to learn about F1 in a fun way.

If you like:
- Documentaries
- Formula 1
- Enemies to Lovers
- Revenge Success

QOTD: Who is your favorite F1 driver?

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schustee for proving me with an eARC of this novel.

Ok so this was fun, it was just a bit confusing at the beginning. I think the overall plot is good but it's messy. And not messy like drama messy, but like messily written. I think the author could have done a b better job explaining why certain things were happening. Because those things were really important, and I think it made the necessity of the main trope really confusing. But maybe I just didn't pay enough attention, I'm not sure. However, the reason this has three stars is that it has a LOT of potential, I think with some edits it could have been a 4 star read for me. The romantic relationship is good. Those characters have chemistry. And it's not presented in the usual way, it's like kind of immediate while also being a slow burn at the same time? Which makes no sense,but that's how it feels to me. I was also skeptical going in because of the ADHD rep but I think she did a really good job. There were moments where I was like why the heck is this happening and then I'd be like girl this literally happens to you once a week. And the MMC was a lover boy!!!!! And the mouth he had on him? Yeah I liked that. So overall, it is a good and cute romance, the beginning is just a bit all over the place for me.
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this arc!

three and a half stars rounded up. i am choosing to believe that part of this author's craft was writing a book that is as overstuffed and over the top as real life F1 racing. the sport and its culture SOUNDS like it's fake and insane in addition to BEING insane about the level of wealth and privilege that gets thrown around. this is all to say, the book succeeds in being frequently over the top and unhinged. is that a GOOD reading experience? well, your mileage may vary. that's a driving joke. i think the author did a reasonably good job of capturing how a racing skeptic could easily be overwhelmed and then fall in love with the drama of F1, especially when she gets the ultimate level of access. i didn't find the romance especially compelling; single POV without good representation of how the love interest developed their feelings makes that hard. i think it is a good book ABOUT F1 that happens to have a romance grafted on. i thought the author clearly knew a lot and/or researched a lot into making the niche setting feel accurate and lived in (by awful billionaires) in a way that i always enjoy and seek out in books.

WE LOVE NEURODIVERGENT REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS! Oh my goodness, thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for this ARC! I enjoyed this a lot. I just blitzed right through it. I cried a few times because some of it was so real and relatable. Just like a slipstream, once you’re patient and you wait for it to hit, you can zoom past. Or some other analogy like that about how they went slow burn then 0-100 hehe.

The characters and story were cute, I absolutely loved the premise! Unfortunately, I really struggled with the execution as a whole. For some reason it was so hard for me to understand. I was constantly rereading sections trying to figure out when the subject/tone changed or how someone wound up somewhere. There was a big lack of flow within chapters as scenes moved forward and it was so frustrating that it affected my enjoyment of the book. I wish I'd had more fun, but it took too much suspension of belief for me to really lock in and be invested in the story.

Lilah's inner monologue gave me whiplash. She was constantly jumping around in her thought processes and seemed to change her mind about things (ie: how she felt about Arthur) at the flip of a switch. I do appreciate that her ADHD was a big part of her character, and understand that this kind of thinking would be realistic for her in real life. But, I could have done with a bit more clarity in the writing. I could never get a read on how she actually felt about Arthur. It would be "I can't stand him, this is a bad idea" to "I want him to kiss me" in sequential sentences. I think if there had been more explanation from Lilah into why she was feeling certain ways and more transitional thoughts between topics, I would have felt diferently.

The conflict was so confusing. There were so many moving parts, with Lilah being fired by Max but then back under contract, what would happen to the footage, who it could benefit, what she was actually trying to do with it...I was just so damn confused for like 70% of the book. It wasn't clear to me that Arthur's goal in going back to Leone was just to "redeem himself" in his own mind. But when Lilah said that explicitly later on, it made sense.

-Lilah and Arthur went from 0 to 100 SO FAST. I know they spent weeks together, but it wasn't talked about in the story so the growth of the emotional connection wasn't shown to the reader. They just suddenly were in love and calling each other husband/wife and it felt as if it came out of nowhere, because as far as I could tell, they never REALLY bonded emotionally. I was looking for the emotional progression on-page and think it would have been a good addition, especially since Lilah identifies as demisexual--I feel it would have added continuity to her characterization.

-Lilah was oblivious to the point that it was frustrating. Girl come on, stand UP!!! He's no longer pretending!!

Overall, this had potential, but I think the writing and structure weren't right for me as a reader.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Slipstream is a fun, fast-paced romance set in the world of Formula 1, with just the right mix of fake dating, emotional depth, and sizzling chemistry. Lilah and Arthur are a joy to root for—flawed, funny, and full of heart. I loved the mental health representation throughout the book for both MC’s. For a debut novel Madge Mario’s debut is an overall win for our lovers of sporty and smart romances.

Thank you so much to Simon Schuster for the invitation to read and Netgalley for the eARC! I can’t wait to see what Madge writes next! could’ve used more development, but overall, Madge Maril’s debut is a win for fans of sporty, smart romance. Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

I really enjoyed this book. It had me swooning the whole time! Compared to other F1 romances I've read, this one offered a lot more insight into the sport, which made it feel more immersive. I adored Lilah's character soooo much. She was sweet and kind, and it was so rewarding to watch her grow more confident and step into her true self. Arthur was charming and charismatic, and I loved seeing his softer side emerge over time.

Their relationship didn’t feel rushed or overly convenient—it felt earned, built on real actions and thoughtful affirmations, even when they were pretending it was fake. The fake dating setup was done so well. I loved all the little moments the accidental intimacy, the "my wife" lines, everything had me absolutely melting. The banter between them was a highlight, full of swoony moments that had me grinning and kicking my feet. This was such a heartfelt and fun read!

I was able to read this book thanks to Simon & Schuster, Madge Maril, and NetGalley. though I did get access to this book my views and reviews are my own original thoughts. (: Thankyou

Overall, I loved Arthur and had lots of fun with my first F1 romance. Arthur is swoonworthy and I love the "hates everyone but her" trope. However, there were some things that bugged me. Lilac was a pretty annoying FMC. She over-amplified her ADHD treating it like a full on disability. Arthur kept calling her his wife and said he wanted to put a baby in her the first time they had sex which was a major ick. And then kept calling her his wife when they hadn't even called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet. Overall, it was fun! There were just some cringe moments I couldn't get past and I wasn't captivated for a lot of it. 3.5 rating!

I enjoyed this book quite a bit! It was a good quick read but still had some deeper stuff in it. I liked having a different type of sports romance. Being able to see everyone in it be who they wanna be by the end was great.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book.

Love the cover, but not the book. As someone who became a formula 1 fun in the last year I love reading romances with it. I enjoyed that aspect of the book. It was the romance that was lacking for me. I don’t think it was because of it being single POV because I’m not sure how much the mmc’s POV would have added. I just didn’t connect to either of the characters and struggled to see the chemistry between them.

🏎️ formula 1
🤭 strangers to lovers
👥 close proximity
🔥 slow burn

single POV
3/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️

I was kindly provided with the arc of this book by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange of an honest review, thank you ✨

4.5⭐️

Arthur Bianco RUINED ME for any other book boyfriend 😭❤️‍🩹 from the moment he spoke to Lilah I knew he was sooooo going to fall for her, and he had me giggling and kicking my feet with every single thing that he did to make Lilah fall for him, I just love him so much ✨

And Lilah, my girl I just want to hug her and tell her she’s the most precious, brilliant, unique girl in the whole world! I hated every time she though she was weird or not enough or not worthy, and I know that a lot of people in her life make her feel that way, and I was pissed for her because she isn’t weird, she’s unique and perfect and I love how the author portrait her ADHD, and how she was able to live with it and let us know how she was also struggling with it, I really loved how mental health was very important in this story for both Lilah and Arthur, and I really enjoyed how they help each other and be there for each other 😭❤️‍🩹

4.25⭐️!!! This was my first F1 romance and believe me when I say it will not be my last!!! The author did a wonderful job of weaving in bits about the sport without taking you out of the story completely.

Arthur is a dream of an MMC. He is patient, he is kind, he is gentle, he loves quietly, and he stands up for his girl. That man is also fine as hell. What more could we ask for?!!???!!!

Lilah is such a beautiful character as well. She has been through so much and we really saw her come back to herself in this book. Thank you to Arthur for showing my girl how she deserves to be loved.

The slow burn romance was so sweet and perfect and the F1 politics & DRAMA???? I was living for it. I highly recommend this debut novel by Madge Maril!!!!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 20, 2025

Chemistry dripping off the page in this fake dating sports romance! Lilah’s ex, Max, is overly harsh while Arthur, F1 reserve driver with something to prove, oozes charisma. This does a great job explaining enough about F1 for those unfamiliar, while also reading well for those who are familiar. This was a fun one!

A fun escape into the high octane world of F1 racing! Lilah is someone readers will relate to as she finds herself broken hearted in Texas, and then root for her to make it work with the hunky F1 driver. I enjoyed the change of setting for this romance, and will probably not look away from the next F1 race my husband watches!

I am beyond grateful to have gotten to read this book. I was coming in thinking I wouldn’t be the biggest fan. Not because of the author or anything, but because it was a F1 romance.

I have only read one other F1 series before, and I loved it so much I got into watching F1 live and became a true fan. With that though, I became more critical of books that had it as apart of the plot to the point where I even read the original series that made me enjoy it in the first place and not getting the same feeling and just noticing the inaccuracies.

But…. Then this book came around. I had so much reading this book the I practically binged it in a day. (I’m a slow reader so it was a day and a half). I didn’t even want to go to sleep just to stay up and finish it. I loved that you could tell the author either watched also or actually did their research to learn more about it. I also loved that the team colors was the same as my favorite team currently #papaya.

I think having this strong knowledge of the sport helped me stay entertained in the romance, and boy was it entertaining. This book has all the favorites, fake dating, enemies to lovers, slow burn, close proximity, the whole works. I was completely loving this duo and learning about the depth of them individually. I honestly thought it could have been longer to wrap up the story a bit more.

Overall, this has convinced me to come to this authors book signing in my town. I hope all my fellow F1 fans read it also.

he falls first and she has no idea until the very last minute even especially while they’re traveling abroad but it’s all part of his master plan

Not only swoon-worthy but also touches on some deeper topics like neurodivergence and panic attacks. I also loved that her getting some girlfriends was a plot line and not just the romantic love. Swiftie bracelets even made it into the story! 💕

Thanks to Simon & Schuster through NetGalley for the ARC!

I can’t believe this is Madge’ DEBUT novel! I absolutely adored this book, and Arthur Bianco is a top-tier book boyfriend in my book!

I know a fair amount the ins and outs of F1, and I think this book hit the nail on the head with the mechanical and more niche sides of the sport! It was exhilarating to learn more about the backside of racing—the meetings, the staff, the days off, the travel—and I found myself picturing the scenes and places as I was reading, which is always a good sign in terms of writing style and setting the vibe!

I also loved the story! The plot, the pacing, the drama, the romance; I loved all of it! From when we first meet Lilah and Arthur, their tension and chemistry was evident and clear as day, and I loved the pacing Madge set for their companionship to friendship to something more, and she had just the right amount of pining and spice and slow burn for me to love it!

The minor characters are always important to me, and I ADORED so many of the minor characters (not Max. Max can go away!)! Delaney and Cameron and Sarah and even Merlin! I loved how we got to learn more about them as the story unfolded, and I was kicking my feet giggling at the end when they were in the Paddock Club and then the garage!

Lilah, overall, was a lovely FMC, but I did have my moments where I thought was pushing the boundaries of being “not like other girls” and unique. She is a brilliant documentarian, and I loved how dedicated to her craft she was. I was a big fan of the ADHD representation, but I’m also someone who loves to connect and bond and find similarities to the FMCs I read about, and there were a few moments I just couldn’t connect with her.

Arthur was a sweetheart, but I do feel like there was a bit of some miscommunication between him and Lilah and the team at various points. It was clear he cared for her, and he cared about his career and driving, and I loved getting to see the more personal, off-the-track side of him.

Overall, this was such a treat to read, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in Madge’s writing docket!!

Thank you to Simon & Schuester and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The author knows her F1.
I love the sport and it was the best F1 romance I’ve read.
I really like how it made the sport approachable, focusing on the drama that goes into it and the politics and the adrenaline without focusing on the technical aspects.

The storyline hooks you, the fake relationship, which is my favorite, is very well done it. It wasn’t about the physical connection but about a deeper emotional one.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC