Not So Fast by Karen Booth

Narrated by Talon David

As a huge fan of F1 romance (I’ve got a full list on my blog), I was really excited to dive into Not So Fast by Karen Booth. I received the ARC through NetGalley but ended up listening on Hoopla when I saw the audiobook was available. I follow a lot of female F1 creators, so I was especially intrigued by the premise of a curvy female F1 podcaster as the heroine.

This season, Mia has been hard on her favorite driver, Xander Bishop, who’s been underperforming. One of her hot takes goes viral, and suddenly, her podcast is taking off. Xander’s teammate/enemy invites her to a race just to mess with him—and it works at first. But then Xander and Mia talk, and he ends up inviting her to the next race himself, all expenses paid.

Mia, a podcaster from Austin, Texas, prides herself on being objective. Her rise came from her sharp commentary, especially about Xander. But once she’s around him and starts seeing the bigger picture—including the team dynamics—it becomes harder to keep up the same tone. As her world shifts, she’s faced with tough decisions about how much of her personal and professional life she’s willing to blur.

I loved the premise. It’s marketed as a romcom, but it leans more toward light romance with a sprinkle of humor. I appreciated Mia’s mental health focus—she journals daily, and each chapter begins with a journal entry in first person, though the rest of the narrative is in third person. I personally found the third person made it harder to connect with the characters emotionally.

Now let’s talk spice. There’s plenty of it, but the sex scenes were oddly generic. I’ve never noticed something like this, but it felt off. Honestly, it had me wondering if AI had touched those sections (not accusing anyone—just saying that’s how bland they felt), or if the sex scenes were taken from a book she wrote 15 years ago. Once I felt that I had a harder time enjoying the book.

“He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. ‘This sport gave me so much, but the best thing it gave me is you.’”

Likes:

Curvy heroine
Mental health rep
MS rep
Lots of accurate racing info
Hot, famous race car driver + relatable podcaster dynamic
Xander’s support of Mia’s career
Mia’s constant overthinking
Fun, witty banter

Dislikes:

Sex scenes felt cringy and out of place
No sexual tension or slow-burn build-up
Switching between journal-style first person and third person in the same chapter
POV-hopping mid-chapter
The relationship felt surface level—something was missing
Weird epilogue.

The Narration:

Talon David did a solid job, but the third person perspective didn’t give the performance much room to shine. The shifting tenses may make it an easier read than listen.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved the F1 angle in Not So Fast. Karen Booth clearly knows the sport beyond just Netflix’s Drive to Survive. But I struggled with the romance—it moved too fast with no real tension, and the sex scenes felt like they came from a totally different book. Still, the podcasting and F1 content were strong enough to keep me engaged. I’d probably try the next in the series if there is one, but I’d be hoping for more emotional connection and less of that oddly bland spice.