A marriage of convenience threatens to go off track in this steamy Formula 1 romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Cross the Line.
Stella Baldwin thought her life couldn’t get worse. Being left at the altar was bad enough, and the drunken rant she posted to her social media followers in the aftermath was the cherry on top. But having to show up at her cousin’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas barely two weeks later feels like a cruel joke.
Thomas Maxwell-Brown is just looking for a good time. With his family’s expectations pressing down, his career as a Formula 1 driver threatened by fresh talent, and a new reputation making him the most hated man on the grid, he needs a break to clear his head. And what better way to decompress than with a stag party in Vegas?
Stella isn’t the woman Thomas expects to meet that night. And Thomas isn’t the man Stella expects to wake up next to in the morning—with a ring on her finger. Staying married might be the perfect solution to all their problems, even if it is a little wild. Sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t need to stay there. . . .
Stella Baldwin thought her life couldn’t get worse. Being left at the altar was bad enough, and the drunken rant she posted to her social media followers in the aftermath was the cherry on top. But having to show up at her cousin’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas barely two weeks later feels like a cruel joke.
Thomas Maxwell-Brown is just looking for a good time. With his family’s expectations pressing down, his career as a Formula 1 driver threatened by fresh talent, and a new reputation making him the most hated man on the grid, he needs a break to clear his head. And what better way to decompress than with a stag party in Vegas?
Stella isn’t the woman Thomas expects to meet that night. And Thomas isn’t the man Stella expects to wake up next to in the morning—with a ring on her finger. Staying married might be the perfect solution to all their problems, even if it is a little wild. Sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t need to stay there. . . .
Title: Ride With Me (Lights Out #2)
Author: Simone Soltani
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Expected Publication Date: May 20, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I've had a hard time with romance F1 sports books. I've been more disappointed than not by how they are structured, the knowledge of the author when it comes to the sport, and how the romance is weaved into the story. I read the first book in this series and I liked it but it didn't wow me. I had hope Soltani would come into her own with this and I was right! The author totally stepped it up with this story. Not only did she seemlessly weaving the romance and the F1 world together but her writing was so much tighter with this story. From the start of the story I was hooked.
Stella Baldwin not only has had to get over being left at the alter, but she's riding on the coattails of a poorly made viral social media choice where showed her emotional side and ranted a bit too much. Thomas-Maxwell Brown is in a similar boat. He's the most hated driver in F1. When their two lives clash and a crazy night ends in marriage, they scramble to try and fix it. But can the fake marriage help both their social standings? And will they be able to walk away when their marriage time expires?
I loved Stella's character. She's so real and down to earth. It was easy to relate to her. She had great emotional depth. Her past overshadowed her a bit and she needed to learn how to break out of that mold. She became confident and sure of what she wanted and how she wanted to get there. She did sabotage her relationship with Thomas at times, but I think this showcased her fear of committing and making herself vulnarable.
And Thomas easily matched her with this. He supported her so well, despite his own issues. I always expect the drivers to be cocky and caught up in themselves. Thomas was different. He really worked to be where he was. He was so easy to like and very human. He's sweet and I enjoyed his fast fall for Stella but his ability to keep it closed a bit so it didn't hit the insta-love trope.
The pacing on this book was spot on. I tore through it as Soltani seemlessly transitioned the chapters. Dual POV in these stories gets me every time. I loved being in both characters's heads. And I haven't read a lot of marriage of convenience tropes, so this was a nice change for me. And, honestly, unexpected. I didn't read the blurb before diving in because I didn't want to go in with any preconceived ideas of what might happen. I'm really glad I did that. Solatni really let the characters grow and morph organically. And, while there is some instant chemistry between the two, I love that Soltani did not make it an insta-love. Add to that the insane banter between the characters and you really have something special. I liked that you didn't have to read the first book to read this one (even though I already had). You do see some cameos from those characters, but the time lines kind of overlap so you don't see it all. Of course I really enjoyed the secondary characters and can see where we may get some of their stories in the future.
If you're looking for an entertaining sports romance read where the author has obviously done her homework, the characters are well fleshed out and likeable, and the plot is fun, pick this one up.
Author:
Simone Soltani is a romance author and former ghost writer for a serialized fiction platform. Born and raised in Washington, DC, she holds a BA in Geography from The George Washington University, which she likes to think comes in handy for world building in her novels. When she’s not writing, she spends most of her time planning vacations she’ll probably never get to go on, reorganizing her many bookshelves, and watching sports while cuddling with her dogs.
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