DOUBLE APEX

A Formula 1 driver falls in love with his race engineer.

Phaedra Morgan knows most people assume she only has the job as race engineer for Emerald F1 because she’s a nepo baby—her father is the team’s owner. Yes, she was raised at the track, but she also earned a master’s degree at 22 and has been working in racing for a decade. Phaedra has always been hot-tempered, but Cosmin Ardelean, Emerald’s newest driver, brings out the worst in her. As his race engineer, it’s her job to guide him through every straightaway and turn, but their clashes have started to attract notice. She’s infuriated by his sexist, inappropriate comments, which he insists are friendly banter. In late March, only a few weeks into the F1 season, Emerald’s manager orders them to spend a weekend bonding as teammates in between races. On Santorini, the two discover that their enmity is in fact intense chemistry, and they each let down their guard. Phaedra tells Cosmin a closely held and personally devastating secret—her father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Cosmin shares the story of how his abusive guardian ruined his sister’s life. The two return to the circuit and eventually become lovers, but their relationship must be kept secret due to rigid nonfraternization rules. The novel is plagued by weak, even mercurial, characterization for both main characters, with little coherence in their behavior from scene to scene. The primary driver of the narrative is the globe-hopping F1 season, culminating with the final grand prix in Abu Dhabi in December. The combination of weak characterization and a plot fueled only by the characters’ secrets makes for an aimless reading experience.

This F1 racing romance spins its wheels rather than reaching the finish line.