Review by Kayleigh

Series Name: Frontrunners, #2

I’m a sucker for age gap romances especially if there’s some forbidden reason why they can’t be together, and Coming in Hot delivers it.

Favourite Quote:

He appears beside me and raises his glass to mine. He has such leonine grace, every movement elegant and spare, like a dance. I can smell him again, and it’s making me nuts – a combination of sleep deprivation, rebelliousness, and hormones. 

Book Synopsis:

After a decade in journalism, Natalia Evans has reached the pinnacle of her career-lead reporter for Auto Racing Journal. Every season promises to be a thrilling adventure in the glamorous world of elite racing, surrounded by top-tier athletes and influential industry legends. The complication in Natalia’s plans? One of those legends happens to be the enigmatic Emerald Team Principal, Klaus Franke-the handsome stranger with whom Natalia once shared an unforgettable night… that had to be forgotten. 

Klaus is icy, controlled, and utterly off limits. But the cracks in his reserve expose a heat Natalia can’t resist as fate drags them together again and again. Both guarding their hearts, the pair are soon embroiled in a high-stakes sporting scandal that threatens to shatter more than just reputations and relationships. Natalia needs the scoop of the century. Klaus needs more time. But they soon discover that maybe they need each other more than anything else.

Review:

We first meet Klaus and Natalia in Double Apex, the first book in Josie’s series about F1 teams. I think it’s best if you read it first as there’s a lot of overlap that I don’t think would make sense without it. I really enjoyed Klaus and Natalia in the first book, so I had high hopes in the second to learn their story. While they totally have chemistry, it really seemed through this book that that was all they had. I never got fully invested in their character arcs: Natalia is looking to grow her career and be taken seriously, and Klaus is still grieving his dead wife and trying to figure out where he wants his career to go. As far as first impressions go, when we meet both of them on page when we learn that she has a habit of accidentally sleeping with married men, and he thinks she’s a prostitute because she has sex with him after one drink at a hotel bar. Neither give a good first impression, and I think although it clearly illustrates their flaws and traumas that they both carry, it lingers over them.

It doesn’t help that they both come across as really young and impulsive and not like two career-driven adults. He’s 45 and she’s 35 but they both felt about 21 with the decisions they made with each other – like that couple in university who always was fighting and then making up dramatically. 

I liked the banter, and when they were together and not yelling at each other, I could see why they appealed to each other. They are both really strong characters, and both knew they were putting their careers on the lines to be together, and I loved the angst that came with those decisions. They knew they shouldn’t be together, but they couldn’t stay apart. The sexy scenes were hot, and when they were clearly communicating with each other, I did swoon. I feel like this book almost had “it”, I just needed them to work through their emotions a bit more. 

I enjoy this series, and if there’s more I will pick them up for sure. I love the look into the world of F1 racing and the different careers that make it happen. This is a fun romp for sure, and if you read it for pure escapism then it’s the perfect summer read. 

Thank you to Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.