As a romance reader, I’m trying to dive further into sports romance, but I’m not a huge football or hockey fan. I do, however, like watching basketball, and am steadily dipping my toe into Formula 1, so those are the sports romances I’ve been gravitating towards.
One of my most anticipated releases of the year in the subgenre was Josie Juniper’s Coming in Hot, the second book in her Formula 1 romance series. However, as much as I enjoyed the first book in this universe, Double Apex, Coming in Hot has a plot structure that didn’t resonate with me.
Coming in Hot has a different narrative structure
What initially felt like a third act break up happened about 25% of the way into the book, which made me think the overall structure was going to be reversed, much like how Ali Hazelwood’s Love, Theoretically can come across. I’m all for that, but unfortunately that isn't what happened. It almost felt like the story of two, or maybe even three, books forced into one. By the time I finished reading, I was confused by both the journey I had as a reader and the one Natalia and Klaus went on together. Maybe that was the intention, considering the turmoil they go through and how they both are constantly questioning where they stand matches that energy.
The order of events doesn’t quite make sense for me, and that’s because the necessary character development isn’t included on the page. Are there surface level issues related to their respective jobs that result in a constant wedge between them? Yes, but that is not enough to justify what they go through both as individuals and as a couple, especially after several break ups in. Why they break up initially makes sense, but more depth from the characters was needed to further justify additional break ups rooted in the same reasons.
That said, Natalia’s journey to figure out what kind of writer she wants to be is inspiring. She takes a difficult chunk of her personal history and decides to turn it into something that can be both a guide to others in similar situations and an exploration of being a parent, what people sacrifice out of love, and the American prison system. I hope that in the next book of the series we get to see what the finished product looks like, even if it’s just for a fleeting moment.
While this book didn't work for me, I think for readers looking for a structure that isn't typical, Coming in Hot could be a great option. In a world of formulaic romance books, this might be a welcome change of pace for some. For Formula 1 fans, this book gets a bit more into the behind the scenes of the sport since it doesn't follow a driver, and that's unique compared to others in the genre. I hope it paves the raceway for others to focus on these roles within Formula 1 romance books.
Thank you to Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this book through an eARC on NetGalley.