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deeb_reads 's review for:
Crash Test
by Amy James
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
~~Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!~~
2.5 Stars, rounded down
When Jacob, a promising F2 driver, is severely injured in a racing accident, no one’s sure why top F1 driver Travis is thrown off his game. Unknown to everyone else, Travis and Jacob have been secretly dating for almost a year. However, their bond is tested as Jacob works to recover from his injury and wrestles with his homophobic parents, and Travis struggles to balance his personal turmoil and his fight for the championship.
As an F1 fan, I persist in my quest to find one Good Formula One Book. The concept sounded promising– a queer romance between an F1 and F2 driver, under strain when one of them is severely injured in a horrific accident. Crash Test is a pretty accurate portrayal of F1 and F2 racing that is sure to be enjoyable to fans and non-fans alike, with a cute romance and a fun cast of characters. It thankfully avoids the cringey cliches and inaccuracies of other books in the genre. However, it also suffers from some plotting and characterization issues, and I wasn’t always the biggest fan of the writing style.
In terms of the racing, author Amy James has clearly done her research. Fans will be thrilled to know that James includes details like wet race strategy, yellow flags, and mechanical issues. James also shows problems that drivers face away from the racetrack, such as contract drama and intrusive attention from the press. Her depiction of Jacob's initial F2 accident is gut-wrenching and unfortunately mirrors several real, severe crashes in F1 and F2. Despite recreating F1's complex world, I think that readers who are not already fans will still find the story easy to follow.
There are a few times where some events seem a bit exaggerated, such as Travis going from the pit lane to second place in Austria in the wet, in a bid to impress Jacob, or the seeming ease with which Travis wins his long-shot bid for the championship. I also wish that the races themselves were a bit more central to the book’s plot. Besides the initial crash, the racing itself largely takes a backseat. Most of the book takes place in the off-season or between races, with only cursory updates on Travis’ season progression– the fact that he comes from behind to win the championship passes like a mere footnote, when winning the championship is a BIG Fucking Deal to any athlete. More effort could have been taken to integrate the racing plot with the interpersonal story– ex. Travis could be fueled by his conflict with Jacob to train harder and devote himself to his career, even to the point of being unhealthy. I’ve had this issue with sports romance books before, where it seems that the romance must always supersede the sport, instead of the two plots complementing each other.
Overall, I am about middling on Travis and Jacob’s relationship. At times, I enjoyed their back-and-forth banter, but I wish that there was a bit more chemistry between them. Their meet cute and attraction seems to rely heavily on their looks, and less attention is paid to what about their personalities draws them together. I also had issues with some of the conflict in the relationship, which seemingly arrives out of nowhere about a third of the way through the book. Instead of building up to the conflict with clues in the flashbacksJacob breaking up with Travis, because of Jacob’s homophobic parents and commitment issues , the author starts adding the details and clues of the relationship’s issues into the flashbacks AFTER the conflict, which makes it feel like a retroactive addition. While Jacob's motivations are understandable, he also is the main instigator of conflict in the relationship, and I do feel like Travis ultimately let him off too easily in the end.
As characters, Jacob and Travis are solid for the most part. Jacob is fairly compelling, especially in the ways he takes out his physical and emotional pain from the accident on those around him. Travis was at times funny but could have used a little more fleshing out– he’s supposed to be quiet and dependable but comes off as a bit of an NPC. The standout characters are the side characters, such as Travis’ friends Matty and Heather, who are largely a hoot and provide some genuine pathos to the story. However, I didn’t really like Jacob’s family. I get that they’re supposed to be homophobic and overbearing, but they come across as somewhat two-dimensional antagonists, especially as the story progresses.
While I liked the overall story concept, I had issues with the pacing and felt that some sections could have been shortened. I also think that some plot moments were a little TOO convenient, and that there would be less contrived ways to accomplish the same goals in the plot.Ex. After they break up, both Travis and Jacob attempt to visit each other’s hometowns, but they just happen to visit each other's cities at the same time, narrowly missing each other. And then, Jacob only discovers that Travis tried to visit him because Travis happened to be spotted by some nosy neighbor kids on his street. Miscommunication plots feel really cringey to me if they're purely based on coincidence, instead of preexisting flaws with the characters.
I also think that the writing occasionally struggles with “showing, not telling,” especially when it comes to character arcs or complex emotions. For example, when Jacob is having conflict with his parents, or when Travis is getting closer to his friends, their narration just STATES these developments outright instead of showing them through on-page action or implying them through the way the characters act towards each other.
Overall, Crash Test is miles ahead of other F1 romances I’ve read in terms of accuracy and story, but I still have some issues with some of the writing and plotting. Unfortunately, it seems that the Wattpad and Ao3 girlies are still the gold standard when it comes to writing queer sports romance.
2.5 Stars, rounded down
When Jacob, a promising F2 driver, is severely injured in a racing accident, no one’s sure why top F1 driver Travis is thrown off his game. Unknown to everyone else, Travis and Jacob have been secretly dating for almost a year. However, their bond is tested as Jacob works to recover from his injury and wrestles with his homophobic parents, and Travis struggles to balance his personal turmoil and his fight for the championship.
As an F1 fan, I persist in my quest to find one Good Formula One Book. The concept sounded promising– a queer romance between an F1 and F2 driver, under strain when one of them is severely injured in a horrific accident. Crash Test is a pretty accurate portrayal of F1 and F2 racing that is sure to be enjoyable to fans and non-fans alike, with a cute romance and a fun cast of characters. It thankfully avoids the cringey cliches and inaccuracies of other books in the genre. However, it also suffers from some plotting and characterization issues, and I wasn’t always the biggest fan of the writing style.
In terms of the racing, author Amy James has clearly done her research. Fans will be thrilled to know that James includes details like wet race strategy, yellow flags, and mechanical issues. James also shows problems that drivers face away from the racetrack, such as contract drama and intrusive attention from the press. Her depiction of Jacob's initial F2 accident is gut-wrenching and unfortunately mirrors several real, severe crashes in F1 and F2. Despite recreating F1's complex world, I think that readers who are not already fans will still find the story easy to follow.
There are a few times where some events seem a bit exaggerated, such as Travis going from the pit lane to second place in Austria in the wet, in a bid to impress Jacob, or the seeming ease with which Travis wins his long-shot bid for the championship. I also wish that the races themselves were a bit more central to the book’s plot. Besides the initial crash, the racing itself largely takes a backseat. Most of the book takes place in the off-season or between races, with only cursory updates on Travis’ season progression– the fact that he comes from behind to win the championship passes like a mere footnote, when winning the championship is a BIG Fucking Deal to any athlete. More effort could have been taken to integrate the racing plot with the interpersonal story– ex. Travis could be fueled by his conflict with Jacob to train harder and devote himself to his career, even to the point of being unhealthy. I’ve had this issue with sports romance books before, where it seems that the romance must always supersede the sport, instead of the two plots complementing each other.
Overall, I am about middling on Travis and Jacob’s relationship. At times, I enjoyed their back-and-forth banter, but I wish that there was a bit more chemistry between them. Their meet cute and attraction seems to rely heavily on their looks, and less attention is paid to what about their personalities draws them together. I also had issues with some of the conflict in the relationship, which seemingly arrives out of nowhere about a third of the way through the book. Instead of building up to the conflict with clues in the flashbacks
As characters, Jacob and Travis are solid for the most part. Jacob is fairly compelling, especially in the ways he takes out his physical and emotional pain from the accident on those around him. Travis was at times funny but could have used a little more fleshing out– he’s supposed to be quiet and dependable but comes off as a bit of an NPC. The standout characters are the side characters, such as Travis’ friends Matty and Heather, who are largely a hoot and provide some genuine pathos to the story. However, I didn’t really like Jacob’s family. I get that they’re supposed to be homophobic and overbearing, but they come across as somewhat two-dimensional antagonists, especially as the story progresses.
While I liked the overall story concept, I had issues with the pacing and felt that some sections could have been shortened. I also think that some plot moments were a little TOO convenient, and that there would be less contrived ways to accomplish the same goals in the plot.
I also think that the writing occasionally struggles with “showing, not telling,” especially when it comes to character arcs or complex emotions. For example, when Jacob is having conflict with his parents, or when Travis is getting closer to his friends, their narration just STATES these developments outright instead of showing them through on-page action or implying them through the way the characters act towards each other.
Overall, Crash Test is miles ahead of other F1 romances I’ve read in terms of accuracy and story, but I still have some issues with some of the writing and plotting. Unfortunately, it seems that the Wattpad and Ao3 girlies are still the gold standard when it comes to writing queer sports romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident