Review - - Coming in Hot

Coming in Hot

by Josie Juniper

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

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 only 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 their 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. 

PJ's Thoughts:

This book may not be everyone's jam but it sure was mine. First, I'm an F1 racing fan so anything set against the backdrop of that international race circuit is going to automatically have appeal for me. Second, Klaus and Natalia intrigued me as secondary characters in Juniper's Double Apex so I was already primed to discover the behind-the-scenes details of their story. Third, it's an age-gap romance (though only 10 years so is it really?) and since my own 25-year marriage was also age-gap... Enough said. ;-)

The book is told from Klaus' and Natalia's points of view in alternating chapters so right from the start we're privy to what's going on in their minds. I love the insight into their feelings, especially when things get messy. And, boy howdy, do they get messy. Juniper really puts these two through the wringer and she does it over an extended period of time with a lot of push and pull, and separations, during the process. 

The racing aspect of the series is still an important factor in this book though not as front and center as in book one. The relationship and character development definitely take center stage in this one. 

Some readers may get a bit impatient with both Klaus and Natalia but I didn't. Yes, they have incredible chemistry. And, yes, their physical relationship is steamy with a capital S. And yes, the feelings between them continue to deepen so why don't they just admit they love one another and have their happy ending? Well, sometimes things are a bit more complex. These two are each carrying some pretty heavy emotional baggage that needs to be sorted before they can even begin to consider a lasting relationship. They each make mistakes that derail their relationship progress but they also learn essential lessons that are necessary. They are multi-layered characters with realistic flaws, especially considering their past experiences. I appreciate that the author gives them the time and space to grow individually before allowing them to grow as a couple. And yes, they do finally get their hard-won happy ending, one I wholeheartedly celebrated. 

Review - - Double Apex

Double Apex

by Josie Juniper

Frontrunners - Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: October 8, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

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?

PJ's Thoughts:

I'm an avid Formula 1 race fan so you can imagine how excited I was to discover Josie Juniper was writing a series set in that wealthy, high-stakes, fast-paced world. Matching a new, hot shot, Romanian, playboy driver with his blunt, math-prodigy, socially-awkward, American team owner's daughter, race engineer? I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one.  

With this first book in her Frontrunners series, Juniper brings an intriguing, behind the scenes look at the world of F1 racing. I enjoyed the fact that the book takes place during the course of one season, with chapters set at different locations on the international circuit. It was also entertaining to watch team politics, adversarial relationships between drivers, the intense competitive nature of the sport, and Phaedra's role as a woman engineer in a predominantly male environment play out on the page. 

The romance is an enemies-to-lovers trope with plenty of friction between Cosmin and Phaedra that morphs into a singe-your-fingers, sizzling physical relationship before deepening into more. What I didn't expect was the incredible depth of emotion as well as the hidden layers within both main characters. I had some difficulties with both during the first part of the book - they were flat-out unlikable in spots - but that slowly begins to change with significant growth arcs over the course of the book. There's so much more to these two than is visible on the surface, with dysfunctional family dynamics, emotional baggage, and other issues contributing.

Juniper tackles some difficult topics through her characters including child abuse (in the past), sexual assault (not on the page), parental death, and grief. If those are triggers, this may not be the book for you.

While Cosmin - and Phaedra - both said and did things that I took issue with, those flaws made the evolution of their characters that much more satisfying for me. In the end, I was able to get on board with their relationship and cheer them on individually and as a couple. I'm looking forward to what Juniper has on tap for the next book in the series. There are some intriguing - also flawed - side characters I'm eager to learn more about.