Book Review: Too Fast to Fall

There is something so funny and genuinely cute about starting a book with a POV from the dog we are apparently going to be nannying for the next several hundred pages. His name is Gus, and honestly, I knew from that first chapter that this dog was going to become one of my favorite characters. And I was right.

Photo Credit: Cristian Sorto

Too Fast to Fall is the second book in the Not So Fast series, and while I went into this one expecting another Formula One romance, I was not expecting the dog to essentially become the third member of the relationship.

But here we are.

Piper is our main character, and right away, I felt for her. She's a dog nanny who is trying to figure out what comes next after her ex-fiancé left her the day she bought her wedding dress. Rude, by the way. She sees herself as somewhat of a failure, but I actually liked that part of her character because she isn't introduced as someone who has everything figured out. She's dealing with a pretty major heartbreak while trying to rebuild her life, and then, naturally, that life gets turned upside down again when a Formula One driver needs someone to look after his dog.

Oh, and Piper and her dad bond over Formula One, and of course her favorite driver is the exact guy who needs a dog nanny. I’m pretty sure Emilio is supposed to look like Carlos Sainz, so obviously that was the face I had in my head for the entire book.

And Emilio, he’s a man who has his own baggage coming into the story. He’s trying to rebuild his Formula One career after taking a stand against sexual allegations within his former team, and I immediately liked that this wasn't simply a “hot F1 driver needs a dog nanny” setup. Emilio has his own reasons for being guarded and his own things to work through, and the more we get to know him, the easier it becomes to understand why he is so determined to keep Piper at arm’s length. Or at least try to. Because obviously, there is chemistry.

I really enjoyed the way Piper and Emilio first start getting to know each other. Their relationship doesn't immediately turn into some dramatic, all-consuming romance. Instead, they spend time together, talk, learn about each other's lives, and slowly start becoming important to one another. There is definitely attraction there, but there's also a friendship developing underneath it, and I appreciated that.

But there were multiple moments when Emilio was trying SO hard to be professional, and I was sitting there like, dude. We know. Piper knows. The dog knows. Please get over yourself.

The pacing of their romance was probably the thing I found hardest to describe. It's not exactly a slow burn, but it isn't particularly fast either. It feels more like watching two people develop a relationship at a fairly normal pace, which is actually kind of refreshing when you're used to romance novels where everyone is one misunderstanding away from ruining their entire lives.

And I liked that their connection wasn't based entirely on physical attraction. There are plenty of romantic moments as the story develops, but the relationship is also built through conversations, trust, and the time they spend together. That made me more invested in them as a couple because I could actually see why they liked each other.

And then there is Gus. I cannot talk about this book without talking about Gus.

This dog is basically the relationship's biggest supporter. His chapters were some of my favorite parts of the book because he's just wandering around observing these two humans and somehow becoming involved in every aspect of their lives. He is an escape artist, a social media star in the making, and apparently has a sixth sense for when Piper and Emilio need to be standing closer together. Every time Gus appeared, I knew I was going to get at least one moment that made me laugh.

Photo Credit: Cristian Sorto

I also loved how Gus helped show a softer side of Emilio. It's easy to see the Formula One driver first: the career, the pressure, the competition, the media, but watching him with his dog gives us a much better idea of who he is outside of the paddock. And Piper's relationship with Gus becomes important for the same reason. She isn't just taking care of someone's pet; she's becoming part of Emilio's world.

Which brings us to the Formula One side of the story, and I think this book does a good job of making the sport feel like an actual part of the characters' lives rather than just a backdrop for the romance.

We travel from race to race, deal with qualifying and race weekends, media attention, team dynamics, sponsorship opportunities, PR issues, and all the complications that come with dating someone whose entire career happens in front of cameras. As someone who watches Formula One, I obviously had a few moments where my brain went, “Okay, we're taking some creative liberties here,” but I also had to remind myself that this is a romance novel and not an FIA technical report.

If you don't follow Formula One, though, I don't think any of that makes the story difficult to follow. The racing is important without becoming overwhelming, which I think is a good balance for readers who are coming into the book specifically for the romance. One of my favorite additions to this story was actually the family dynamics. Compared to the first book, I felt like Piper's family played a much bigger role in helping us understand her. Her relationship with her parents and sisters gives us more context for the choices she makes, and Emilio's family gives us another look at him outside of his career.

His relationship with his grandmother in Spain was especially sweet. She's exactly the kind of character I wanted to meet in this book: warm, funny, a little chaotic, and completely herself. Those family relationships also make the story feel bigger than just Piper and Emilio. Their decisions aren't happening in a vacuum, and I liked seeing how the people around them influenced the way they approached their relationship.

I did have a few moments where I wanted to shake Piper, though. There were times when she was so determined to convince herself that she needed to leave or that she couldn't possibly stay that I wanted to reach through the book and be like, girl, please. We have already established that the dog loves you. We have established that the man likes you. We can all stop pretending now.

And honestly, that might be one of my favorite things about the book: it isn't particularly angsty. If you're looking for a romance with constant heartbreak, massive betrayals, or dramatic relationship-ending fights, this probably isn't that book. Too Fast to Fall is much more of a comfort read. It's about two people who meet at a point where neither of them is necessarily looking for the relationship they end up finding, and then slowly build something together.

There are still obstacles, of course. There's Piper's past, Emilio's career, the media attention surrounding him, family complications, and the fact that traveling around the world with a Formula One team isn't exactly the easiest environment for a normal relationship. But the story never felt like it was trying to manufacture drama just for the sake of having drama.

And honestly? Sometimes you need that. I also think this is one of those books that would translate really well to a movie. The Formula One setting gives it an automatic visual appeal, but then you have the traveling, the romance, the family dynamics, the Spanish grandmother, and obviously Gus. I could absolutely see this being one of those cute romance movies where you spend half the time invested in the couple and the other half waiting for the dog to appear again.

For me, the biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed the balance between the romance and the family storyline. The first book introduced us to this world, but Too Fast to Fall felt like it gave us more reasons to care about the people living in it. I felt more connected to Piper, I understood Emilio better as the story progressed, and I genuinely wanted to see what would happen to them beyond simply whether they would end up together.

And yes, I was also emotionally invested in Gus's happiness.

Final Thoughts

I’m giving Too Fast to Fall 4 out of 5 Helmets.

This is a really cute Formula One romance that I think works especially well when you're looking for something lighter. It has the racing, the travel, the romance, the family drama, and just enough spice to keep things interesting without becoming the entire story.

It's not the most angsty romance I've read, and I actually think that's part of its appeal. It's a fluffy break from books that make you question whether the characters will ever communicate like normal human beings.

And if you need one more reason to pick it up? Gus. That dog is absolutely carrying this relationship on his back.