Slipstream by Madge Maril

Narrated by Anna Caputo

Standalone F1 Romance, Debut novel

My thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing an advance copy of Slipstream by Madge Maril for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion, regardless of any relationship with the author. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you purchase using those links.

I have read 15-20 F1 Romances so far and I have a list of over 150 F1 romances on my blog. Since I love both Formula 1 and romance novels, any book that brings those two worlds together is already a win for me. But when an author actually gets the sport and writes about it with accuracy and confidence, this F1 fan is extra happy.

Slipstream by Madge Maril follows Lilah’s single point of view. She knows nothing about Formula 1 at the start, which makes this a great intro for readers new to the sport, because you learn along with her. Lilah thinks she and her boyfriend co-own a documentary company—until he breaks up with her, tells her he registered the company in his own name, and fires her, even with her name being part of the company brand. Despite that betrayal, Lilah shows up anyway to fulfill a contracted documentary project on F1.

He gets the glamorous gigs. She gets stuck covering a reserve driver at the factory. But then Arthur gets called up to race, and that’s where the real story begins.

I loved Arthur. He was fun, flirty and charming. Lilah, on the other hand, kind of got on my nerves. She has ADHD and her neurodivergence plays a big role in her “quirky” personality. I’m putting that in quotes because I think she is supposed to come off as quirky, but isn’t really. That said, her difficult childhood gave her depth, and her sense of integrity when it came to documenting the truth was admirable…at least in the beginning.

They start fake dating to get revenge on her ex and also to help Arthur potentially switch teams by breaking a clause in his contract. I enjoyed their banter, especially via text, it was some of my favorite parts of the book. However, while reading along with the audiobook, I noticed a few formatting errors. Some texts weren’t placed in bubbles like the rest, which momentarily pulled me out of the story.

Lilah takes her role as a documentarian seriously and constantly reminds herself to stay unbiased. That sense of duty is in every fiber of her being. But despite her best efforts, she falls for Arthur. He’s the one who falls first and makes it obvious, but Lilah takes a while to believe it. That adds a strong slow burn to the story.

“It was you. It’s been you. I’ve been driving myself crazy to keep your eyes on me.”

Likes:

Accurate F1 information and a creative way to explain it all to newbies.
The excitement of F1 racing.
I liked the whole premise of her ex and the documentary company.
I loved Arthur.
He fell first.
The concern and discussion of Arthur’s mental health.

Dislikes:

The FMC is bisexual (which I loved), but it’s handled in strange ways. It’s only mentioned briefly—her first relationship was with a girl—and then randomly brought up during a sex scene. It felt thrown in to make her seem even quirkier.
I just never really loved Lilah. She’s written as if she was on the spectrum but she was only diagnosed with ADHD. While they overlap a bit, having her whole personality be about her ADHD was a little off-putting for someone with extreme ADHD like myself.
I think his whole reason for fake dating might be a bit confusing, especially for people who don’t know about F1 contracts. Her reasoning made even less sense as it would ruin her reputation in something she loved doing, and she repeated ad nauseam how she shouldn’t get personally involved with a subject.
Some word choices felt off (like using “incognito” instead of “AWOL” or “missing”), and the paperback had a few formatting issues (it’s possible I have an arc version, though it doesn’t say).

The Narration:

Anna Caputo did a great job with this single POV story. She perfectly embodied the heroine, and I would choose the audiobook for this one because of her performance.

The Down and Dirty:

Slipstream is Madge Maril’s debut novel, and in some ways, it shows. That’s not a bad thing—it just means there’s room to grow, and I’d definitely read another from this author, especially if it’s part of an F1 series. I finished this two days ago and already had to dig through my notes because it didn’t quite stick with me the way I hoped. The romance didn’t leave a lasting impression, but I loved the setting and Arthur’s character, and I see the potential in this if it becomes a series.

If you’re an F1 fan or want to get into F1 romances, Slipstream is a solid introduction. And if it’s not quite your thing? Don’t give up—there are tons of great F1 romances out there, and more on the way.