Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: The future is female in Patel’s F1 novel! 

 

“Offtrack” follows Diana Zahrani, Formula One’s first female driver, and Miguel de la Fuente, World Championship favorite, as they race through the season. But when sparks fly, they must decide for the sake of their team where their priorities lie: on track, with the championship, or offtrack, with each other. 

 

I loved reading from Diana’s point-of-view because she is such an empowering character! F1 is a male-dominated sport, so to see her persevere despite the misogynistic culture and the obstacles imposed on her is inspiring. She does not do so without struggle. Her perspective highlights the immense pressure she experiences, yet her love for the sport never wavers, which made her more real in my eyes. 

 

Diana’s fellow competitors do not take her seriously. Miguel, however, recognizes that she is a fierce competitor and that is what I love about their relationship. Beyond that, the romance definitely takes a back seat to both characters’ 2022 season. Normally, I am totally okay with subtle relationship development, but because of the slow placing, that aspect of the story lost me. It paled in comparison to the well-researched F1 elements and almost felt forced, especially with the dreaded third act break-up that occurred with ten chapters to go. Nevertheless, I appreciated the friendship that blossomed between them and the way they put each other in their place on the track.