In 2019, Lauren Asher began watching the first season of the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive. The show – which chronicles the globe-trotting, glamorous world of Formula 1 racing, filled with luxury-brand sponsors, teammate drama and European car manufacturers – captivated her in a way she was not expecting.

By the time she reached the final episode, she jotted down a late-night note on her iPhone with a quick idea for a novel: “A romance between a driver’s sister and his rival teammate would be fun,” she wrote.

Washington Post