Sarah's Reviews > Drive Me Crazy

3.5 ⭐️

Chloe Coleman has been hired as one of the first female team principals in Formula 1 and is determined to prove herself worthy of the job by helping her team rise up in the ranks. But when a new driver is hired and just so happens to be her ex-best friend and childhood crush, Chloe has to ignore the feelings she still feels for him and help the cocky new hire to win races she desperately needs to keep her job.

After a devastating crash that landed his best friend and teammate in the hospital, Matt Warner needs a comeback, but doesn’t know how to attain it. And when Formula 1’s worst team hires him, he thinks his time behind the wheel is over, but if anyone can help Matt get back into the game, it’s Chloe Coleman, who knows him better than he knows himself, even after years of not being in contact. What he wasn’t expecting, though, was to be attracted to his new boss and ex-best friend, who also feels the sparks flying between them.

STORY TIME!!
Ever since I watched Ford v. Ferrari, I have an appreciation for racecar driving, or just driving in general. I mean, it’s hard not to when you see Christian Bale behind the wheel and making it look like the most amazing thing in the world. Now, do I watch the actual races? No, but I like to admire the sport from afar, just as I do with hockey and baseball, checking in from time to time to see who won what race. So, all that to say, when I saw this book and its cute cover, I knew I had to read it. Not requesting it was out of the question. 😂

As far as the racing parts of the story are concerned, it was great! I loved reading the parts when Matt raced, especially when it was in his pov, hoping he’d win and help Arden. The terminology and stuff about the cars were so fun to read, and I had a blast. But I wish there were more of it. Granted, it is a shorter book, but I felt like there could have been more racing bits added to the story. That’s just my opinion, though, and I’m fairly happy with what I got.

I liked the characters, Chloe and Matt. They were both capable at what they did, and they respected each other in their skills and abilities. Heck, I was so concerned for their jobs that I didn’t even want them to be in any form of relationship except for friendship, which is funny because I’m always waiting for the characters to confess their feelings and navigate a possible relationship. 😂 And the side characters were great, too. I loved the team dynamic and how Chloe and Matt had to work on making their team feel like a family.

What I did have a problem with was how quickly the story jumped into romance. I was hoping the two ex-best friends would at least mend their friendship before they even thought about romance, and for the most part, they did, but it was so quick that I was somewhat shocked that the characters were already wanting to get the other into bed. Like, can we wait a sec, guys? Can y’all just learn to trust each other first and rekindle that friendship BEFORE you even kiss? There’s no rush, I swear. 😅

All in all, I still had fun with this book, and if you are a fan of this sport and trope, then I definitely recommend it! 🏎🏁

Thank you to Putnam | G. P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

❗Content Warnings❗
Mentions misogyny, trauma, & details of a car crash.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: Yes (🌶🌶🌶/5)