Formula Freedom by Sawyer Bennett

Narrated by Sean Masters and Katherine Littrell

Standalone in a series. Sports Romance

*Complimentary copy received. I want to start this review right off the bat with the fact that I work for Sawyer Bennett, but I did not beta read this book. I strive to keep my reviews 100% honest and I try not to let any personal feelings influence my reviews. If I didn’t love the book, I would have quietly not reviewed it. There may be slight spoilers, but no more than the blurb.

“You’re kind of perfect, you know that?” “Nah,” I say. “I’m just finally getting it right.”

The more I work for Sawyer Bennett and read her books, the more I wonder why I haven’t read every single one. They’re such easy reads that really satisfy, and Formula Freedom is no exception. In fact, I think this may be the easiest book in the series for people who don’t follow Formula 1 at all. Compared to the first two, this one has less racing detail and more romance, but still just enough to satisfy this F1 lover.

Reid, Lara, and Lance grew up in Australia as the three musketeers. Reid and Lara had young crushes on each other and even hooked up once as adults, but when Reid’s racing career started to take off, he devoted his life to that with no room for romance. Lara moved on and ended up with Reid’s brother, Lance. As Reid’s career grew and Lance’s floundered, the resentment between them deepened.

Things came to a head at a sponsor party where Reid noticed Lara subdued and Lance acting particularly controlling. Soon after, Lara was at Reid’s door—Lance’s anger and insecurity had boiled over, and she had to get away. Once they were alone, the old feelings came rushing back. Add Reid’s protectiveness to the mix, and you have a recipe for romance.

“His mouth moves against mine and I remember what it was like. Before everything got complicated. Before Lance. Before time and distance convinced me that Reid and I had missed our chance. Now, I don’t know what this is, but I know how it feels. Like home.”

But it wasn’t just about them. Their families (Reid and Lance’s parents and Lara’s parents) were best friends and business partners, making the situation even more complicated. While Lara sometimes frustrated me because she kept trying to talk to Lance rationally, I understood her fear of rocking the boat and upsetting the family balance.

I loved Reid and Lara together. It was clear they were meant to be, and Sawyer brought all the heat and passion to their romance. While this book wasn’t as heavy on racing as the first two, there was still enough to satisfy fans and show that the author knows the sport. There was one little detail that only the biggest fans would notice was off, but this is FI, not F1, so I think she gave herself some creative license.

“But Lara… we’ve been in each other’s lives forever. This isn’t some whirlwind stranger romance. You know me. I know you. And somewhere along the way, this stopped being just history and became everything I want.”

Likes:

I loved both Reid and Lara.
The crossovers from the others in the series were great, but you didn’t need to read them first.
How the family dynamics played into the story.
It was an easy, quick read with a healthy relationship.
Seeing Drake from the Pittsburgh Titans series.
Just enough F1 racing to satisfy fans, but not so much that non-fans would be bored.
I loved how both families supported Lara’s decision.

Dislikes:

Though I understood, I was a little frustrated with Lara for even giving Lance the time of day.
As an F1 lover, I missed some of the racing details from the earlier books, and there was one spot with formation laps that didn’t quite make sense.

The Narration:

Katherine Littrell’s authentic Australian accent was amazing, and Sean Masters pulled off a great accent as well. I absolutely loved this audiobook and highly recommend it in audio.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved how healthy the relationship was despite how it began. Formula Freedom had less racing detail than the first two books in the series, which makes it an easier entry point for hockey romance fans crossing over. For me, though, that extra racing detail was what I loved most about Formula Fling and Formula Chance, and I missed it a little here. With its setup, this story could have been loaded with angst, but instead it turned into a relatively easy read with a communicative, passionate relationship at its core.

Formula Freedom is still one of my favorite F1 romances. Sawyer Bennett blends family drama, rekindled passion, and just enough racing to keep the story flying. It’s proof that she can take a setup full of tension and turn it into a heartfelt romance that feels both addictive and effortless to read. I’m sad there is only one more book in the Race Fever Series, but I can’t wait to see what Sawyer does with a female driver on Brienne’s Titans Racing team.