𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 - 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐦

Dirty Air Series

So recently, as you're all probably aware, I got into Formula 1 and being a lover of books as well, the Dirty Air series by Lauren Asher was brought to my attention so the second that I got my Kindle, I downloaded 'Throttled'. Ever since, I've been addicted and so now I'm going to give you my full breakdown of my thoughts of each book and its characters.

Before we start, I highly recommend this series and although I prefer some books to others, I'm still rating each book five stars because anything less would feel harsh from my point of view.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

THROTTLED - MAYA ALATORRE AND NOAH SLADE

Throttled is the first in the series and what a way to start. I feel like I read this one ages ago so my memory of what actually happened isn't so great but I'll give it my best.

The story had an F1 twist on the forbidden love trope with Noah being the teammate and rival of Maya's older brother, Santiago (we'll come back to him because I could give him his own part). Not to mention that Noah is a total womaniser who has never been around love to know what it's like until he meets Maya and every norm goes out the window for him.

What I loved most about Noah was his awareness of how shitty his parents were and how he seeked therapy to work through his issues to be the man that Maya needed and deserved.

After reading it initially, I was fully in love and I wasn't sure that I wanted to continue with the series if it wasn't about Maya and Noah but after some convincing (thank you 1980STEACUP!) I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. After reading the rest of the series, Throttled is probably ranked 4th out of the 4 books in the series.

COLLIDED - SOPHIE MITCHELL AND LIAM ZANDER

Okay, I'm probably going to gush about Liam because I'm slightly in love. He gives me major Pierre vibes which is probably part of the reason why I love this book so much. I read this on the flight to Lamzarote and I remember getting butterflies and my heart breaking at times as I was reading this.

Sophie Mitchell is the daughter of Bandini team principal, James Mitchell. Bandini is the team that both Noah and Santiago drive for (they feel like the Ferrari in this world but with actual strategy). Liam Zander is a German driver for McCoy, the other giant team on the grid. After losing his best friend during the birth of his niece, Liam really struggles to open up to anyone after. He turns into a guy only interested in sex and the minute a woman gets attached, he cuts them off.

Sophie has a 'Fuck It List', a list of things that she compiled and decided that she wanted to do when she was drunk one night. Taking online classes, she follows her father on the F1 calendar and there she becomes best friends with Maya and befriends Liam after he discovers her list. He helps her tick off items, eventually getting to the dirtier ones.

I really loved Liam's character development and how, without necessarily realising it, he overcame such a huge obstacle in his life by letting Sophie in. I think falling in love was an added bonus and although he didn't realise at first, he made a lot of sacrifices to make sure that he got his girl in the end and prove to her that she's the one he wants above all else. I also loved the running theme of the list.

For me, this is my second favourite book in the series. It's a lot more light hearted than the next two books in the series which is another reason why I love it so much.

WRECKED - ELENA GONZALEZ AND JAX KINGSTON

This story quite literally wrecked me. I was a little hesitant going into this one because I feel like we didn't get to see an awful lot of Jax throughout the other stories but as usual, she did not disappoint.

Jax also drives for McCoy but this story is set after Liam leaves. Struggling with anxiety for a long time, Jax mistakenly mixes his Xanax pills with a night of alcohol and partying, landing him on the front page of every tabloid. The team hire Elena, a PR manager to keep Jax in line. She shadows him everywhere, even staying in the same hotel suite and staying with him during his breaks.

Jax's mother is battling Huntington's disease, a terminal illness that causes her to deteriorate over time. Being away from her makes his anxiety worse, not to mention that he has a fifty fifty chance of inheriting the gene.

Elena grew up without her parents after a home intrusion when she was just a child in which both of her parents were shot and murdered.

What starts out with them being each other's enemies, they help each other battle their demons and they both finally let someone new in to their lives.

This story made me shed a few tears (to put it lightly) but I adore the way that Jax is with Elena. He's so soft, caring and willing to protect her from anything that dares to threaten her happiness, even if it means destroying himself in the process. His love for her really is unconditional.

I feel bad for ranking their story third because it really is beautiful but it hurts me too much in the end. I'm a sucker for a proper happy ending.

REDEEMED - CHLOE CARTER AND SANTIAGO ALATORRE

I always knew that Santiago was my favourite. From the way that he is with Maya and eventually Noah and I just loved how he was never painted to be much of a womaniser like the others. He was always shown as this really caring person and it kind of reminded me of our Ferrari boys.

This is set in the future yet again after a horrible accident that resulted in Santi losing the bottom part of his right leg, halting his racing career.

Since then, he's lived in complete isolation in Como, Italy where he's been made a target by multiple media outlets, destroying his trust. But Chloe Carter crashes into his life.

Chloe is looking for her biological father and an ancestry kit leads her to Como. In fact, it leads her to the house next to Santi's but too afraid to face what she's been dreaming of since she was a child, she trespasses on Santi's property to spy on her father. She gets caught and loses her phone.

Going to retrieve her phone, Chloe breaks into his house only to be caught by Maya who is horrified. Santiago makes up a story of how she is his girlfriend and from then on, they're in a fake relationship, telling both their families and eventually the world but over time, lines start to blur as Santiago falls for a woman who accepts his leg, even though he doesn't yet and Chloe falls for a man who accepts her broken past.

These two are my ultimate favourites. I've adored Santiago from the get go and I was probably the most excited to read his story. It wasn't what I expected at all but I was just so damn proud of him and everything that he managed to achieve in the face of adversity. I just loved how both Santiago and Chloe encouraged and supported each other fully and never let the other back down from a challenge. Their story was just so incredibly beautiful and I was honestly sobbing for the last part of it because I love them so much. It wasn't about sex as much as the others were. For Santi and Chloe, it was about so much more. Sex was supposed to be intimate and they needed to trust each other first. They loved each other with everything inside of them and it really showed.

I'm not sure I even need to say it but this was my favourite book of them all.

FINAL WORDS

If you have the chance to read these books, do it!! There is some spice which I wasn't expecting (idk why tbh) so if you're not comfortable with that then maybe these books aren't for you but if you don't mind, then absolutely do it.

If you've read the books, please leave your thoughts and new recommendations here please! I'm starting the Fast Series by Kat Ransom now :)

Also, which boy from each book is who on the grid?

Everyone says Charles is Noah but personality wise, it's a hard no for me. Looks, yes.

Liam - Pierre
Santiago - Carlos (although I picture him as a dirty blonde for some reason?)
Jax - looks, definitely Lewis.
Noah - I honestly can't decide.