Kiss and Collide by Amanda Weaver

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the paddock blog! We’re so glad you’re here for another installment of our PGP Book Club, where Formula 1 meets fiction and sparks fly both on and off the track.

This time we’re diving into Kiss and Collide by Amanda Weaver, a sports romance that had us clutching our hearts one page and wheezing with laughter the next. Huge thank you to Amanda and her team for sending us an ARC; we devoured it faster than a McLaren pit stop!

With sizzling chemistry, office politics, a dash of scandal, and the adrenaline rush of Formula 1, this book is the perfect blend of romance and motorsport chaos. In this post, we’ll be talking about what makes Kiss and Collide such a fun read, the characters who kept us turning pages, the themes that stood out, and how it stacks up for F1 fans.

What is Kiss and Collide About?

Our FMC, Violet Harper, is a powerhouse PR queen who’s ready for a fresh start. After leaving her old team, Lennox, she joins Pinnacle Motorsport as their new Head of PR… only to find out the team has just been bought out by Americans, the team principal has been fired, and oh yeah, one of their drivers suddenly retired.

Enter Chase Navarro, an F2/reserve driver whose Cinderella story might finally be coming true. With Pinnacle in chaos and Chase thrown into the spotlight, Violet finds herself navigating not only the world of motorsport drama but also the undeniable chemistry building between her and Chase.

Add in a fake PR relationship with a Hollywood actress, side characters who steal the show, and more than a few sexist old-timers standing in Violet’s way, and we’ve got a story full of sparks, sass, and heart.

First Impressions & Themes That Hit

• Genre: Sports Romance Tone: Sweet, Spicy, and a little chaotic

• Tropes: Friends with Br54=enefits, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating (with someone else!)

• Content Warnings: workplace sexism, cheating, and rough family dynamics.

Our first reactions? Kiss and Collide was a fun, quick read with characters we genuinely rooted for, but it also left us craving a little more. The setup had so much potential for drama, workplace politics, team upheaval, fake relationships, and forbidden chemistry, and while we enjoyed what was there, we couldn’t help but wish Amanda had leaned into it harder. We wanted bigger emotional stakes, more drawn-out yearning between Violet and Chase, and just a touch more racing action to balance the romance. Still, the moments we did get had us invested, and Violet and Chase’s chemistry carried the story.

One of the real standouts, though, was the side cast. Characters like Rabia, Leon, and Mira didn’t just fade into the background; they added layers to the story and gave Violet a sense of community in a male-dominated environment. Their presence made the book feel richer and more alive, sometimes even stealing the spotlight from the main couple, but in the best way possible.

When it comes to themes, identity and ambition are at the heart of this book. Violet is piecing her life back together after betrayal, heartbreak, and career shifts, proving to herself (and everyone else) that she deserves her seat at the table. Chase, on the other hand, finds himself living the dream he’s been chasing for years, but the reality comes with pressure, scrutiny, and the constant fear of not measuring up. Watching them navigate these parallel journeys gave the romance more emotional weight.

The book also isn’t afraid to touch on the sexism that still lingers in motorsport. Violet faces inappropriate comments and dismissive attitudes from men like Oscar, while Rabia and Mira, reflects that fight for space and respect. It’s subtle at times, but it struck a chord with us, especially as female F1 fans who see echoes of these struggles in the real paddock.

Characters We Loved (and Hated)

Let’s be real: this book had some standout characters and some we couldn’t wait to see gone.

• Violet Harper: Our FMC is a badass. Talking her way into the Pinnacle PR role was iconic, and we loved her grit, even if sometimes we wanted to shake her.

• Chase Navarro: Hot, ambitious, and surprisingly sweet. We loved his respect for Violet (especially compared to certain men in this book). That said… we wished for a bit more yearning from him.

• Ian: Hard pass. Slimeball vibes, but needed for the storyline.

• Oscar Davis: Don’t even get us started. Sexist, outdated, and giving off Helmut/Horner energy.

• Rabia & Leon: Absolute faves. Their friendship with Violet and their role in the racing subplot gave us so much joy. Rabia, especially. She’s a woman in STEM and an intelligent badass.

• Mira: Nepotism hire or not, her ride-or-die friendship with Violet was everything. Their “cone of silence” code word? Peak bestie energy.

  
  

As for side storylines, like the fake PR relationship between Chase and actress Madison Mitchell felt rushed, and Carter Hammond was… ugh. But overall, we found plenty of characters to love.

Let’s Talk F1 Parallels

So, how does this book hold up for F1 fans?

Honestly, it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, Amanda clearly knows her stuff (her husband even works in motorsport IRL, which shows in the details). On the other hand… we always notice the racing calendar and have now decided we just have to move on. Vegas before Texas? Summer break confusion? It had us laughing more than once.

But that’s part of the fun, and if we could rewrite the F1 calendar, we probably would too. The heart of the story felt authentic enough to satisfy fans, and we did love the racing descriptions, being realistic and possible in real life.

And for those wondering: no, none of the characters felt like carbon copies of real F1 drivers. We did get random flashes of Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and even IndyCar’s Pato O’Ward when picturing Chase, but to be honest, we love not connecting the character to a driver. Makes the story more open to all F1 Fans.

Final Thoughts & Ratings

So would we recommend Kiss and Collide? Definitely; especially if you love sports romance and need a lighter read between heavier books. This one isn’t just about the racing details; it’s about heart, ambition, and the messy, chaotic sparks between two people learning to trust each other.

It reminded us of watching Haas suddenly start getting points in races; you just had to keep turning pages to see what would happen next.

PGP Rating: 4 out of 5 helmets 🏁 

Overall: A fun, quick, and heartfelt summer read, with just enough drama sprinkled in to keep us captivated.

Have you read Kiss and Collide yet? Let us know what you thought! Did you love Violet and Chase as much as we did, or were you left wanting a little more action?

And don’t forget: you can catch our full review on the Paddock Girls Podcast, available wherever you listen. Until next time, happy reading!