What a fun read!
This was more than a romance, this book was a powerful representation of the challenges that women face. Senna was such a relatable character and I loved that we're shown her insecurities and uncertainties running the team while fighting for respect from her own family. Seeing these struggles made it so easy to connect with and care for her character. Connor supports Senna so well and his character development was one of my favourite parts of this book. His mindset surrounding his need to protect Senna develops and changes so well it just made me love his character even more.
The racing theme in this book was so interesting and the teams non-linear progress was another great addition. Coulter racing made great progress and they didn't get first, and I really appreciated that, it made the book more relatable and left room for improvement for another book. 👀
Overall, I loved this book, it was a swoon worthy, inspiring, funny, heartwarming read!

Thanks to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the arc! My opinions in this review are unbiased and objective.

This review has been posted to StoryGraph, Goodreads, and Instagram on 02/25/2025

Read if you love:
*** Enemies to lovers
*** Brother’s Best Friend
*** Miscommunication trope
*** MMC is a bad boy
*** He falls first

I really enjoyed reading “Start Your Engines” by Rebecca Chase. I loved the fact that we got a strong female lead in male dominated sport, with her navigating running a F1 racing team. So many books out there are the reversed roles, and I love reading about a Girl Boss!

Senna and Connor had a great connection from the start; you knew that the chemistry was just simmering under the surface ready to explode.

I would love to read more books by Rebecca Chase in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Rebecca Chase, you had me at sports romance (f1) with a little sprinkle of brothers best friend!

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet at 3am.
A super quick, entertaining read. I finished it in one sitting!

Just everything about this book was perfect, I was hooked from the word go. If you love romance and F1 this is the perfect book for you!

Review posted to Goodreads & Amazon when available✨

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

This wasn’t anything special, it felt very similar to other f1 romances that I’ve read in the past. Lowkey felt like a very trope written book.

It’s your typical bad boy f1 driver and his best friends sister who happens to be his boss romance. There’s also some history between them which mix’s in the miscommunication trope.

Oh and ofc they’re “enemies” but really it’s just one sided from the FMC’s side.

I feel like the only thing that stood out was that the FMC like to walk barefoot in her workplace. She like even walked barefoot in the public bathroom…

Prolific driver Senna hasn’t raced since a terrible accident in her teens, but now she’s temporarily heading her family’s Formula 1 team despite her misogynistic, doubtful father’s wishes that her brother was doing so, instead. Being underestimated by everyone around her is what she’s used to.

Connor is her brother’s longtime best friend (as well as her ex childhood BFF) and the one she blames for that fateful accident. Now he’s a racer on her team and they need to work together to make it a success.

This love story is a fantastic start to the Coulter Racing Team Series. With action, humor, tingles, family drama, great secondary characters and sweet romance, I’m already hooked.

Read if you like:
Sports romance (Formula 1)
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden best-friend’s-sister angst
Women smashing the patriarchy
Found family
Open-door spice
THROTTLED or REDEEMED by Lauren Asher (and the rest of the Dirty Air series)

I read an ARC because I’m impatient, but the release date is 3/14/25.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a refreshing and captivating experience, and I found the writing to be both engaging and accessible. The story flowed smoothly, making it easy to stay connected to the plot and characters without feeling lost or overwhelmed. The author struck a perfect balance, keeping things interesting while still making the content feel approachable. Overall, it was a wonderful read, and I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking for an enjoyable and easy-to-digest book.

Even though I hadn't read of one Rebecca's books before, I had hopes for this F1 based romance.
Senna is the ultimate boss, I love a female headstrong boss in a book, and Rebecca gives this to Senna in spades! She builds up a strong female network providing room in F1 for females. One of her biggest challenges is working with her brothers best friend and who she starts the book thinking is public enemy number 1 - Connor.
Connor is a grumpy, passionate driver who is very much misunderstood and I challenge anyone to read this to not fall in love with Connor.
Senna and Connor are the perfect pair, even though I have a lot of love for Ralf and Jacs.
I cannot wait to read the next in the series, and I plan to follow what Rebecca does closely.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Senna is the boss of her father’s formula 1 team since her brother ran off. When she finds out her new driver is her brother’s best friend, Connor, she’s not happy. He played a role in her career ending accident and she’s never forgiven him.

Connor had promised his best friend that he’d steer clear of his sister. The problem is, he fell for Senna years ago. He didn’t plan to tell her what really happened years ago, but he has to.

He’s her driver and completely off limits but she falls for him anyway. Her father is the worst and continues to try to sell the team. She won’t go down without a fight!

I thought this was a good story overall, I just didn’t find the story engaging. I’ve read many f1 romances and this one did not stick out to me.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in change for a honest review.

Really enjoyed this book from start to finish, it’s perfect for any F1 romance lover!

Lover this F1 based romance with a strong female lead, it had a great story with the added F1 elements… the little thing with the names and mentioning of real F1 drives made it even better!!

Um, yes to everything in this book! Five stars all the way.

It has a female in a boss role. A love interested who loves her being the boss. Witty banter. So many words for their feelings for each other... and plenty of one page hook ups. Yes, please.

This was my first Rebecca Chase book and it definitely won't be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Okay, I love any Formula 1 romance but this was so good. This book had me giggling, kicking my feet, blushing, swooning... all of the emotions from beginning to end. From the very first chapter, I was hooked, and I think this is top tier sports romance.

Senna Coulter is everything I love in an FMC. She is strong, determined, and unapologetically badass. Taking over her family’s F1 team after her brother’s tragic crash, she’s battling constant scrutiny, a backseat boss of a father, and now—Connor Dane. The hotshot driver her brother signed before his accident. The one she’s had a crush on forever. The one responsible for ending her own racing dreams. Oh, and did I mention her brother’s best friend? Yeah, the tension is delicious.

Connor had me soft. A driver who’s lost his love for racing, carrying so much guilt over Senna’s accident, and still doing everything in his power to protect her? Swoon. The way he falls first and falls hard? 10/10, no notes. I loved seeing his character arc, like how much he struggles with his mental health, yet still fights for Senna every step of the way.

The chemistry? 🔥🔥🔥 This book delivers on forced proximity, forbidden romance, and second chance tension in the best way. Every interaction crackled with intensity, and the slow burn made it all the more satisfying. The way Senna has to learn to trust again, and how Connor is determined to prove himself? Chef’s kiss.

Beyond the romance, I loved the behind the scenes F1 dynamics including team politics, media scrutiny, and the sheer pressure of the sport. And Senna navigating it all as a woman in a male dominated industry? Absolute queen behavior.

If you love grumpy x sunshine, high stakes romance, and a cinnamon roll hero who will do anything for his girl, Start Your Engines needs to be at the top of your TBR. 🏎️❤️

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Chase, and Victory Editing for the eARC of this book.

“𝔹𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦. 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕤. 𝕀𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦.”

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Okay… I’m going to need a minute because this book had me giggling, kicking my feet and silently screaming the entire time. From the very first chapter. I was sucked right in! Senna, the daughter of a F1 team owner, in the wake of her brother’s horrible crash, has become the boss of the family team. While it’s what she wanted, she already has to deal with a backseat owner (her dad) criticizing every move she makes, now she has to deal with the driver her brother signed before he ran.

Insert Conner Dane, a womanizer hot shot driver who hasn’t had a win in a few seasons.

Also her brother’s best friend, her childhood crush and the reason she couldn’t peruse a racing career.

I, for one, love a good girl boss and let’s just say Senna embodies that bad b*tch energy we all strive for. Being a woman in a male dominated sport & field is always an uphill battle! Senna chose to do sprints up those damn hills. Her character throughout the book made leaps and strides to learn her roll as the boss of her father’s F1 team, but to learn to trust others and let them in.

Conner, a driver who had fallen out of love with driving, is just a sweet cinnamon roll who is trying to uphold his promise to his best friend, protect Senna. So he sucks it up and powers through, despite his crippling mental health. At the end of the day, she is still the woman he loves. Even though she hates him.

Through the wild twists and turns of this book, safe to say I could not put it down. Maybe I’m into sports romance now?

Tropes:
🏎️ f1 romance 🏎️
🏎️ second chance romance 🏎️
🏎️ forced proximity 🏎️
🏎️ forbidden romance (boss x driver) 🏎️
🏎️ he falls first & hard 🏎️
🏎️ ocd/mental health rep 🏎️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️.5

I love an F1 romance and this was no exception. A great read - Senna has taken over the running of Coulter racing, has two grumpy drivers to control and a Dad who doesn't believe she is capable. Connor feels guilty for past events, but is that all he really feels?

I loved Senna as a strong female lead and Connor really grew on me as the story developed. A cosy easy read and with a bit of spice 🌶️.

Looking forward to the next one :)


P.s loved the use of willy wanging 😂

I was super excited to get this one! Thank you for the opportunity to read! I devoured it in one sitting haha!

What a brilliant ride this book was!!! I love Senna, she is such a strong woman with a soft side. I love it when a character isn’t always perfect, She was so real and I loved it

Connor Dane was a brilliant character, and I loved their chemistry and relationship.

I loved the story and the background reveals were perfect.

Another brilliant book Rebecca!

This was STUNNING! This was such a fun and steamy F1 romance and i couldn't put the book down!! Loved the strong female lead and the enemies to lovers trope! This book was honestly so much fun and i really feel for our FMC and the things she is dealing with in her life. Connor the man that he is!! The chemistry between Senna and Connor was so good and the tension was wonderful! I loved the romance between them both so much and i will definitely be reading more from this author!

This was cute! A little corny and unrealistic at times, but definitely cute. I'll start with the criticisms and end with all the many more things I loved and enjoyed about this!

Small criticism is that at the start of the book it talks about how the FMC and her brother are named after F1 greats "Arton Senna" and "Niki Lauder". I fully believe this is just a typo, but it's Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda! Normally I can let typos with names go, but this is the namesakes of two major characters in the book and these are genuinely two of the biggest names in F1 history, no exaggeration, so I feel it's important to copy edit these. It's so early on in the book its hard to miss. It's like naming a character after Lebron and misspelling his name! My only other critique is that this book tended to sometimes lean a little cheesy and unrealistic, like the Taylor concert at the end lol.

I will say I love how this book tackled sexism in male dominated industries, especially in sports, and ESPECIALLY in F1. F1 is such a male sport both in staffing and in driver demographic, it's such a shame. I loved living in a world where there could be a team on the grid with a female Team Principal, female Lead Mechanic, AND a female driver!

I loved the MMC, he was kind of a little baby and I was obsessed. The way he cried multiple times, once literally over a stray cat, was so amazing. Give me more MMC's who cry! Not every book needs to be tattooed bad boys. Connor found a way to be both a hot F1 driver and the squishiest golden retriever to ever exist. His emotions did not take away from him being attractive whatsoever, just as they shouldn't. I appreciate the author for this decision, a lot of readers would dislike a book for having a male lead like that and she did it anyways! All the props

I absolutely adored this book😍 I loved Conner and Senna so much! Although the book started as them being enemies I enjoyed the backstory as to why they were no longer friends. The chemistry between them was apparant from very early in the book and i was hooked!🔥 i loved their conection and how they were there for eachother🫶🏻 Senna was awesome to read about! The absolute boss girl and I loved her❤️ Rebecca is such an amazing writer and she smashes it everytime! ( I adore her books😍) I would honestly read this book for the first time again if i could! Make sure to grab this book when it releases next month!!
Thank you to netgalley and Rebecca for this ARC🩷