Overdrive

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read Overdrive early.
We're back in the world of F1.
Darien had a bad time with his last team, this year he's with a new team who belive in him. To make things even better the team moves to his home town where his love of driving first began. Where he happends to meet shantal, who pushes him further than he ever thought he could.

Such a beautiful written story, of putting your happiness and love first

This book strikes a great balance between a fun, cute romance whilst also incorporating big life themes such as grief.

Shantal and Darien have a great connection that makes for a lovely read and the other characters such as Miguel and Anjali really add to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an eARC of Overdrive.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was great.loved it as much as I loved the first one . Perfect for F1 fans .I read it in one sitting. finding this author to be a new fave of mine. not even a big fan of friends to lovers trope but once again Esha Patel delivered. I would definitely recommend to give this author a go!

This book races straight into your heart with its high-octane blend of ambition and romance. I love how the author deftly navigates the high-stakes world of Formula One, capturing both the adrenaline of the sport and the tender, forbidden romance that blooms amidst the chaos. It’s a thrilling, heartfelt journey that keeps you revved up from start to finish.

I really enjoyed this story and I thought that it had a good storyline.

I really liked that this was a motor racing story which makes it a little different from the books currently in this genre.

It has twists and turns, obligations, it is romantic and sexy and a very good story overall too.

I really liked getting to know the characters as I followed their stories.

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

This was such a great book! Especially if you love the world of racing. Darien and Shantel had such amazing chemistry and the book was so fast paced and fun! I enjoyed every minute

There was something truly captivating about this book that made it impossible to put down! 😍

The story follows Darien, an F1 driver with everything at stake in the upcoming season, and Shantal, who works for a company that leverages data analysis and cutting-edge technology to enhance the team's performance. With close proximity, the pressure of working together, and the relentless demands of the F1 season— they were bound to be together 🙌

I absolutely adored the friends-to-lovers arc that developed throughout this book. The slow-burn romance was well crafted, with the two characters navigating their personal grief and supporting each other through their struggles. The rich portrayal of their cultural backgrounds and how the author seamlessly wove these into the narrative added a layer of depth and vividness to the storytelling that i absolutely loved 🥰

Putting aside my bias from being a massive F1 fan, I loved reading this book and I recommend it! Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC🫶🏻

I really enjoyed this one, much better than the first one. I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

4.5🌟
In my era of F1 sports romances at the moment hehe. I don't know what it was about this one but I really enjoyed it and whizzed through it in a day. I wouldn't necessarily say it's grumpy x sunshine as such, but there's more of a dislike to love vibe going on between the 2 of them.

Darien is an F1 driver, with a lot riding on his driving this upcoming season. Shantal works for a company that uses data analysis and brand new tech to improve their performance. Close proximity, having to work together and dealing with the stresses of the f1 season - what could possibly go wrong?

Add in the fact that this book has a really strong narrative in relation to grief, for both characters. 1 with some more recent grief and 1 from a long time ago, but it showcases how grief has a profound impact and how it can be different for each and every person but also how time can change some things.

Their romance was just the right level of slow burn and cute for me, and it didn't feel too smutty at all, which some other books have gone overboard with at times!

Overall, I enjoyed reading it a lot and thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an eARC.

Overdrive is serving the flare of Brazil in Fast Five, an explosion culture, and of course all the hallmarks of Formula One realness.

I will always say this: REPRESENTATION IN ROMANCE MATTERS. The audience of the publishing world is so vast. However, when an author takes the time to step back, listen, and say “Yes, I see you and this book is for you”. I salute them and stick with them. Esha puts in the research and WORK. This isn’t superfluous, it’s an author with a commitment of doing everything at level 100.

Yes, I love the analysis of Formula One and in this novel especially the technology of a simulator. But lemme tell you: CHAPTER 28. Essays can be written about it. A moment of sincerity, it’s the quiet intimate moments that I appreciate as a reader. Shantal and Darien visit a mandir. The scene is all about taking the time to wish for someone’s wellbeing. It’s selfless, accepting, and just overall a golden moment.

Darien and Shantal are ambitious, healing, and are dealing with PTSD from two heartbreaking experiences. Overdrive explores that fully. The romance for me is a slow burn and when it gets started, whew celebrate.

Esha Patel girlie you’ve got me as a reader for life and I’m ready for more!

Thank you so much Avon Books UK for providing an ARC!

I really enjoyed this novel. It was easy to follow and had a good cast of characters. I love all the sports romance novels that are around at the moment. Overall a good novel that I would recommend to other readers.
❤️ Thank you to netgalley, Avon books and the author for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing book! Really well written and the plot was so good! I usually don’t like slow burn but this slow burn was really well done. I thoughtfully enjoyed it

My husband loves to watch racing so I've watched a lot of F1. It was so fun to enter the world of F1 in this wonderfully written romance! Darien and Shantal are the best and I loved their story! I hope we continue to see more racing romances!

I was unaware of the trigger warnings before downloading, and when I started to read the book I became aware of them and then decided that I would not be able to read the book. I hope that the book is a huge success and wish the author lots of luck!

Me gustó mucho!!

La historia de Shantal, una chica que se traslada a Río para trabajar en un simulador de Fórmula 1, y su romance con Darien, un carismático piloto, es muy atractiva. La manera en que ambos personajes se apoyan mutuamente es conmovedora. Aunque la relación avanza rápidamente, la conexión entre ellos se siente auténtica y tierna. Además, los personajes secundarios aportan mucho a la trama. Es una lectura perfecta para los fans del romance y del automovilismo.

¡Lo recomiendo sin dudar!

Right now is the moment for Formula 1 romances and I am not mad about it. I'm a huge F1 fan, so I knew right away that I would love this book. Darien is an F1 driver, with a lot riding on his driving this upcoming season. Shantal works for a company that uses data analysis and brand new tech to improve their performance. Close proximity, having to work together, and dealing with the stresses of the F1 season make for a wild ride between these two. The sparks are flying immediately, but these two are also dealing with grief and trying to navigate life after loss. I particularly love the way that the author develops each character individually before having them meet each other and begin their journey together. Shantal is such an amazing character to root for; she's so smart and confident. Darien is a great guy with a good heart, a seriously talented driver, and someone that others want to be around, but he is fighting his own battles and has to find a way to overcome them and balance it all. They were a perfect match for each other! The setting of the book is Brazil, and I really loved how the author took the time to research and develop all aspects of this book, including the representation. If you are a Formula 1 fan, or just are curious about it and want a book to get started with the sport, then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Esha Patel, and Avon Books for the eARC of this book.

Having read a few other F1 romances around the same time as Offtrack, it hadn’t been my favourite but I was still intrigued to read Patel’s latest offering and I was so much more impressed!

The characters felt a lot more engaged and developed and the actual F1 content felt a lot less forced and cheesy as well!

Of course there were still some aspects that were quite unbelievable in the world of F1 but it’s fiction so I don’t mind letting that slide!

I would definitely be interested to read more of Patel’s F1 world!

Once again Esha Patel has written an incredible f1 romance.
I received an arc for Offtrack at a time when I was starting to get into f1 and it really helped get me excited for the sport. I was thrilled to receive the confirmation email for the arc for Overdrive!!

Since it was race day in Brazil I just had to post my review of this incredible book, that is mostly set in this city, today.

In this one we follow Darien, a Brazilian f1 driver, and Shantal, a Guyanan programmer working on improving the team's simulations.
Seeing the behind the scenes of practices and everything they do to get ready for races was really interesting.

I also loved seeing a woman in STEM in this type of environment. Not only that, but a woman working in something similar to what my job entails. I'm really grateful to authors that write women in professions normally represented by men.

Overall, a slow burn, heartwarming book with a lot of emotions in the exciting world of Formula 1.
I highly recommend giving these books a go.

Esha Patel had me hooked with Offtrack, her debut Formula 1 romance, but she upped the ante with her follow-up Overdrive. This book is deeper, hotter, and somehow even better! The romance is great, the writing style is easy to love, and the characters are so relatable! The representation is so beautiful and highly-appreciated and fans of Lauren Asher and should definitely check this one out!

This book is refreshing and right down my alley.
Tropes: F1 Romance, Grumpy-sunshine, close proximity, slow burn, found family, he falls first, women in STEM

Shantal, a brilliant engineer and data analyst who gets the opportunity to test her racing simulator on high-performance Formula 1 drivers.
Darien, a famous and charismatic Formula 1 driver, who initially is skeptical of the simulator but soon finds himself drawn to both the technology and Shantal's infectious enthusiasm.
One particular scene I loved is praying for well being of the other in a temple. That right there is just pure. I really admire Shanni’s strength and her grief broke my heart. Darien has that charming character to him and his determination towards the game which makes him really loveable. I loved the supporting characters, mainly Shantal's best friend and Darien's team members.

I love F1 romance books, but this one felt different somehow. Darien & Shantel’s relationship went from lust to love within a snap. I love slow burn books when done right but this fast transition ain’t for me. I also didn’t feel connected to them particularly.

This was fantastic. It's perfect for F1 fans. I read it in one sitting and found this author to be a new favourite of mine. I would definitely recommend giving this author a try!

This is the first F1 romance I've ever read, and although I do generally love a good sports romance, I didn't expect the stakes to feel so high!

Shantal is a sports-simulation programmer, and while still grieving the loss of her sister, she is given an important role at work: go to Brazil and test her racing simulation on an up and coming F1 team. It's a big deal, there's a lot of money on the line, and she is determined to succeed. Darien is an F1 driver at the top of his game, and he's been given the opportunity to move back to his home city in Brazil to trial a new racing simulator. Despite the pressure from sponsors to rank on the podium in every race, he mainly just wants to race in a way that honours the father he lost too young. Despite initially getting off on the wrong foot, Shantal and Darien quickly realise that they understand each other in a way that no-one else ever has, but they cannot afford distractions. And there's the small matter of a promise Shantal made to her parents...

Patel spent a really nice amount of time at the start letting us get to know the characters individually before they meet each other. This meant that as the story progressed I really understood and believed their reactions to what was going on, particularly Shantal's. After a slower start, following the F1 season gave the book a really fast pace that just didn't stop until the final pages. Some of the races had me feeling sick because the stakes in a race are so high, and while I didn't love the way Shantal and Darien met or the conflict between them following it, this did not pan out in the way that I feared it would and seeing both characters battle their fears had me all in my feelings. I will happily admit the epilogue had me shedding a few tears.

I loved Shantal most of all. She is basically clueless about F1 which is great because it means you don't need to know anything as a reader either. She is fantastic at her job, at football (soccer for my American friends) and really, really smart. She doesn't compromise on this & when faced with male characters who look down on her, she shows them up, which I thought was super classy & hot. I saw the author describe her as 'silent rebellion' on Instagram and I love and agree with this description 100%. Shantal is Indo-Guyanese and I really loved getting to see some of her Hindu culture, something I have not read before in this genre. Her journey really warmed my heart.

Darien is a golden retriever with a good heart, a great driver, and an all round good time, but he is also fighting his own battles and seeing his journey warmed my heart too.

There is a small amount of spice in this book that for me was intimate & balanced well with the plot.

If you're a fan of F1 romance, I'm confident you'll love this addition to the genre, and if (like me) you've never read one before I highly recommend Overdrive as a great starting place.

Thank you Netgalley & Avon Books UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

a super fun & flirty f1 romance. can’t get enough of grump x sunshine romances and this one is just another to add to the list

the funniest, flirtiest f1 romance ive read. shanni and darien are absolutely made for eachother, and their relationship is so honest, raw and open. this was perfectly spicy, sweet and emotional. esha handled grief with such care, it was heartbreaking to read about sonias story. the plot was intriguing and im interested to see what’s next

Overdrive follows Shantal, a determined woman who believes success is everything. When she receives an opportunity to move from London to Brazil to test a racing simulator with top Formula One drivers, she seizes it, leaving her old life behind in pursuit of her career.

Darien, a passionate Formula One driver, is equally committed to his craft. When his team requests he relocate to Brazil for the simulator trials, he jumps at the chance, drawn not only by the opportunity but also by his love for his homeland.

When Shantal and Darien cross paths, sparks fly—both on and off the track. Darien finds himself captivated by Shantal, and she can’t resist the charm of the talented driver. However, in the high-stakes world of Formula One, romance takes a back seat to the demands of their careers.

The slow-burn romance between Shantal and Darien feels authentic, with their personal lives significantly impacting their relationship and future together. The conclusion is satisfying, leaving readers with a warm feeling after finishing the epilogue. This book beautifully captures the complexities of ambition and love within the thrilling backdrop of motorsport.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

Thankyou NetGalley for this arc!!

This was a slow burn full of emotions and was such a good read!! I don’t usually enjoy slow burns much but it was still a fun read for me!

I also loved how the culture was represented through the book & how it was shared with the FMC

This was an easy, delivers what it promises sports romance.

It's a grumpy/ sunshine energy slow burn workplace romance that delivered on all the tropes as planned in really well structured way so it didn't feel overdone or twee.

It's the second in the series but can easily be read as a standalone and I liked each member of the couple. The only problem was that I wasn't sure they were right for each other. It felt like an easy, bright story of a couple who would have a great time together but probably aren't soulmates.

I would love to read more from Esha Patel and it was definitely well written but just not perfect for me.

I definitely had to put aside my love for F1 to try and give a fair review and Ooo I love the dynamic between the grumpy//sunshine mcs this book was such an easy read and honestly was one of the best F1 type books I’ve read!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Slow burn f1 romance which pays off if you know about f1 to start with. As a massive f1 fan I was able to navigate the start of this book well. However if you are new to f1 it would be very confusing for a long portion of the book. Overall it is a nice romance and I enjoyed the book.

I want to start by saying thank you so much for allowing me to read this as an arc!! Omg, Esha you have me hooked!! You can just tell how much time and effort the author put into this book! As a massive Formula 1 fan, I adored this and how deeply the emotions and feelings Darien and Shantel had for eachother and how amazingly the sport was described!

It was obvious from the start that they were meant to be together with Dariens new season is just around the corner and Shantel working the technology side of things, the suspense is SUSPENSING!! The close proximity and the pressure of the upcoming season, it made the friends to lovers!

I normally can’t stand slow burns but I could NOT put this book down, I loved the characters, their personalities, how they bonded and how their heartbreaking background drew them closer and they found their other half♥️

I want to say a massive thank you for this arc again, Net Galley!

"But it's always gonna be your right to love, as much as it is anyone else's"

Everything about this book is just so good.

Overdrive by Esha Patel is a dual POV romance that focuses on Darien and Shantal. There is one thing that Darien is sure about in life, and that is racing is his life. It's his reason for living and breathing. The one thing that he loves more than racing? Brazil, his home. When he's given the opportunity to test out a new racing sim and track there, he knows failure is not an option. Enter Shantal, she knows that success is everything, and having her racing sim being in a new training facility in Brazil is something she knows has to go right. Leaving her life behind in London is the only option. When they meet, Shantal is guarded, and Darien want to do anything to bring those walls down, but is he ready to discover why Shantal guards her heart so closely? And more importantly, can he let it get in the way of winning the World Drivers Championship?

I want tot start this by saying that this may be the most highlighted book I've ever had on my kindle. I loved Offtrack, but wow, this book is something else.

Shantal is simply one of my favourite female characters. There's such strength in her grief and the decision to leave her life behind to travel into the unknown whilst she's struggling with that grief is something that I could only dream of doing. Having her have such a big heart, but keeping it very guarded is so interesting, because you really get to see when she lets her guard down the kind of person she is. I loved seeing her through Darien's eyes, because it feels like he saw her differently than the way she saw herself. I love the gradual change in her from feeling as though she is undeserving of the chance to go to Brazil, to being there and only caring about getting the job done, and then to caring for the job, the sport and the people. It was so gradual that I didn't fully understand it until she was back with her family, and honestly it was so interesting and fun to read. Her grief felt so raw, and it was somehting that felt so personal and so relatable at the same time, the complicated feelings that come with grief being explained in a way that had tears in my eyes just made me feel so represented and seen. My only issue with Shantal is the football team she supports, (as a Tottenham Hotspurs fan), just daggers to my chest.

Darien though. I love the way he's able to be cheeky and immature, whilst still understanding the weight of the position he holds as a Formula 1 driver. It's one of those things you don't really think about until something big happens on the track, but its a sport where the drivers have to be hyper aware and locked in, and personally I loved the difference between Darien on the track and Darien off the track. It really highlighted the dangers of Formula 1 to me. Him being so gone for Shantal as well had me absolutely melting. Even before anything happened between them, him being so persistent with her being appreciated and getting her flowers was just the sweetest thing.

I loved that it really was a slow burn book. Shantal being able to recognise her guard coming down then knowing she isn't ready and putting it back up again is so relatable, and I found it interesting that it was never a case of oh we've shared this moment know everything has changed and they both had to work to get to the stage where they were bale to let their guards down and let the other in. Him being very, 'I'm pulling out all the stops in prayer that she'll say yes.' and her being 'What would it feel like to be touched by such strong, beautiful hands' was just such a interesting dynamic to see them fall so slowly and then be so for each other that it made me feel giddy.

One thing I couldn't get over in this book was how dreamy the writing was. The descriptions of Brazil and the way they were feeling about each other was just so enchanting. It made it so much more immersive and it just made the whole experience of reading more enjoyable. I kept getting caught up in the descriptions, and whilst sometimes I'm not a fan of pages of description, in this I would have loved more, I genuinely can't describe how perfect it was, but it really made me want to visit Brazil and see it through this perspective. The care in writing about Shantal's culture as well was something that was so fascinating to me. To see the dynamic between her family and when she brings Darien to the temple with her, and the description of it was simply beautiful.

The high stakes aspects in this book as well, were done so well that there times where I could forget what was on the line, then when reminded made all the races more interesting to read. I loved the balance between the racing and the time between races, just everything about it. I could continue gushing about this book, but everything about it was a firm favourite to me. Such an easy 5 stars for me.

ARC provided by Avon Books UK through NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity to read this early copy, all thoughts are my own.

If you are looking for a slow burn with deeper emotions, this is perfect.

The romance was lovely, not to spicy and slow burn. It felt real, with each other’s lives affecting their relationship and their future. I really enjoyed the end and felt all warm after finishing the Epilogue.

The representation was also really well done, from having the MMC be a Rio local and able to share his culture with the FMC. As well as the FMC’s culture. The representation of grief was wonderful. I think being able to show different sides of grief with two characters, from recent to long-term.

I think the formula 1 aspects were maybe not that realistic, especially with the sims work. As well as the timing, I don’t personally think it’s realistic how well the MMC performed (you can’t just come back after a few weeks of being in a bad accident (completely broken arm) and then win the championship). I don’t think this took away to much from the enjoyment.

I felt the pacing was slightly off, I’m not sure why, I think maybe it’s because of the slow burn (new for me) but I still was able to enjoying the journey. The writing style showed both POVs, which was nice, as we were following each life. I had a hard time feeling the uniqueness of both voices without the dialogue.

[ARC Netgally - Avon Books UK - Nov 21 2024]

I am very excited to be reading this book! I love racing stories. My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and comments are my own.

I enjoyed the book as it had many elements that had improved since the previous book, Offtrack, but unfortunately as a romance book the book was lacking actual romance. The main problem with Offtrack was the couple not having chemistry, and unfortunately that is still the issue in Overdrive. The way the couple’s relationship progressed was one second they were good friends and then the next they were a couple. The chemistry was just not there for a romantic couple and they were somewhat clunkly brought together which was kinda awkward. Though I did actually like the characters separately, I found that their development and actions were pretty compelling which is why I actually enjoyed the book.