e-Audio, 12:18:17
Narrated by: Vikas Adam & Nerissa Bradley
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Published by: Books on Tape (Berkley)
Read from: June 28- July 1, 2024
Lights Out, #1
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a copy of this e-audio from the publisher’s audio app in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Cursing, Car accident, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Medical content, Toxic relationship
For Readers Interested In: Sports Romance (F1 Racing), Interracial Romance, Brother’s Best Friend, Acute/Chronic Illness (Hyper Mobility???), Racial/Ethnic Diversity, AdultHer brother’s best friend sends her heart racing in this sparkling Formula 1 romance.
Formula 1 driver Dev Anderson’s career is on the line. After a social media disaster leaves him with an angry team and sponsors threatening to jump ship, he needs someone to help save his image. At a party in Monaco, he bumps into the woman who can fix it all. There’s just one problem: she’s his best friend’s little sister. And, okay, maybe there’s another problem—he kissed her last year and hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it since.
Recent college grad Willow Williams needs a job. She may have a talent for seeing the bright side of any bad situation, but it’s hard to stay positive when she’s struggling to get hired. So when Dev offers her a temporary solution, she can’t help but say yes. Even if it means ignoring the crush she’s had on him since childhood.
Willow and Dev are determined to keep things strictly professional, regardless of old feelings and the blazing chemistry between them. But in the glittering and high-stakes world of Formula 1, some lines are meant to be crossed…
*MY THOUGHTS*
I don’t know much about F1, but I know a lot about book covers, and this one helped me get on the podium after I won the run to read it lol OK was that terrible? Yes. BUT it was still very, very real.
Maybe I was so invested in it because y’all know I’m a sucker for social media in a book. And when I saw that this was about getting Dev’s social media back right, I knew i was going to be a goner. And the way she explained some of her strategies and how he recognized some of the things she was doing was especially dear to me. It’s just something about the way he supported her in the things she loved, even if it was her job.
On to the romance…. Lordt! He was so oblivious and she had all but given up on ever getting together with him. When he finally got it together, they were older but they were now shadowed by another friend of her brother’s who had cheated on her. And of course the brother was like NOT NAIR ANOTHER ONE BET NOT TRY FOR HER EITHER lol But of course, that’s when Dev finally decided to get his head out his ass. It was messy yes, but I liked it. But when they finally got together, I hated the hiding they did, but still I liked it way more than what Dev was in the very beginning. Because Lordt him talking about getting some every time we were in his thoughts was annoying. I seriously thought he was going to be an asshole lol
There’s all different types of rep in this also. Willow is Black, Dev is South Asian, and Willow also has a disability that sounds like hypermobility. Doing things like standing too long could hurt her. I liked that the author also included a stretching/massage session and showed that Dev was paying attention to her and watching her cues. And the one time he overstepped, she set him straight and I was here cheering the whole time. And then seeing Dev’s sister’s wedding was like the icing on the cake. I loved that the author put all the different parts of the wedding and the way they all acted while there. It was so much fun.
I did feel like the ending was tho. Like she forgot to add it in the story and then was like oh yeah, this plot point wasn’t closed! Let me just put this lil scene right here. And damn it all if I didn’t almost scream because wtf why would you make that happen like that? I was listening to the audio and I wasn’t prepared. There weren’t any sound effects or anything, but I seem to get more imaginative when I’m reading with my ears. And this one did a number on me. But Soltani did have me kicking my feet and grinning like all hell at the end end. I can’t be the only one tho. I need to know if y’all do also lol
This was fun. I still don’t know anything about F1, but I do know that I need to try some macarons now lol I’ve only ever had one in my life and it wasn’t anywhere near what she was describing lol This book was a lot of fun! I hope y’all read it and see the what the hype is about!
Overall, I give this
