Phaedra Morgan is one of the best race engineers in Formula 1. She’s a math prodigy with dazzling skill, cutting wit, and no patience for matters of the heart. Of course, her job would be a lot easier if she didn’t keep butting heads with their team’s cocky and infuriatingly hot new driver. Cosmin Ardelean is intense and committed, but as famous for his off-track romantic exploits as his on-track wizardry. Yet his devil-may-care façade conceals a haunted past. When the pair strikes up a secret—and thrillingly forbidden—“arrangement” to improve their communication and bond of trust, the heat of their attraction turns to something more . . . But no secret stays hidden for long in the racing world, and soon things are spinning out of control. With everything on the line, will they be able to strip away all their defenses and go full throttle for a chance at love?
Title: Double Apex
Author: Josie Juniper
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Expected Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Review:
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio galley of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I was very excited for this title when I was approved. I love F1 and follow it pretty closely. And the idea of a female engineer (give me some women in STEM) was the thing that really drew me in. Add enemies to lovers and forbidden love on top of that and it sounds like a recipe for a great romance.
Unfortunately, it wasn't great and I couldn't even get through the entire thing.
My first issue was with the narrators. The female narrator was ok, but just sounded angry all the time. There was nothing endearing in her voice at all. And she was super robotic. And the male narrator? Ugh! I know the character is Romanian but there were so many times I could not even understand what he said due to his accent he was using for the character. Sometimes his speaking was so low I had to rewind several times to even hear what he said. I just was not a fan.
Do you want a female character to hate? This is that book. Phedra (never heard this name before) was just angry at everyone. There was nothing that made me feel she was relatable. She didn't adequately represent a woman in STEM at all. I wanted to see her struggles but I didn't. She accepted all the mysogynistic things that were thrown her way. I thought it would get better, that she would help change things as part of the plot point. However, she never fought for herself. And she did not come across as smart at all, despite her telling us more than once what a prodigy she is. Plus, I can't get with a girl who is an abuser and then blames her victim. Why would we want to put this out into the universe when we are trying to educate people about this topic and make them see it's not ok?
Do you want a a male character who embodies a sexist and chauvinist? Then Cosmin is your guy! The number of times he makes sexual innuendos and advancements in this book was gross. And the fact that there was sexual abuse in his family's past made this even worse. He was be told no but did things anyway was ridiculous. Also, by halfway through the book I really didn't have much of his background as to how he became a driver. I needed that to understand his character.
And don't get me started on the romance between these two. I felt zero chemistry. Apparently he's been pining after her, but I didn't feel that at all. And she hates him but why? He's cocky? Ok, that's par for the course with F1 drivers. But he never did anything to her and you barely see their background of interaction to make this so. They have already been working together so you don't see any build up at all.
The book's pacing was super slow, as well. I felt like nothing really happened. What was the point of the story? I wanted the characters to learn and grow but it was just not happening. The narrators did a lot of telling rather than showing me the story.
One other point, the language. I understand the main male character is not American, but some of his comments really turned me off. Specifically when he said this: Are you fertile? And then the female characters says this: I expect him to pry my hand off that massive steel hot piston… These things were just a turn off for me.
I'm disappointed in this book. I feel like it could have used a bit more editing and fixing before being put out into the universe.
Author:
Josie Juniper writes high-steam romance featuring hot, angsty men who are dirty talkers with hearts of gold, and smart, snarky women with hilarious foul mouths. She works in mathematics and has been a staff writer and/or editor for four publications, winning awards for her sharp, funny, iconoclastic writing. She lives in Portland, OR and loves rain, swearing, lost causes, tattoos, F1 racing, and prime numbers.
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