Praise for The Unwritten Rule

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What a ride!

“Nikolaiken’s writing is fast, witty, and heartfelt the kind that makes you feel like you’re trackside, smelling the fuel and feeling the adrenaline. The pacing mirrors the world she’s writing about: moments of intense speed balanced with quieter, introspective laps that dig deep into character growth.” — Taylor, Amazon Reviewer (The Unwritten Rule)

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Love in the cockpit

“If you like steamy, then you are going to love this book…. Heather and Sydney’s romance is fast and furious… definitely a must read.” — Jean, Amazon Reviewer (The Unwritten Rule)

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This book is such a good read

“I fell in love with the main characters so much I wanted more!! Love that the book includes glossary to understand the slang. My husband is an F1 fan so this book was fun for me to read and it helped me understand the F1 world a bit which is plus! Can wait to read the rest of the books.” — Denise, Goodreads Reviewer (The Unwritten Rule)

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Editorial Review: Readers’ Favorite (The Unwritten Rule)

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The Unwritten Rule is the first book in The Racing Line series by Anne Nikolaiken. The story follows Formula 1 driver Sydney McKinnly as he fights to secure a third world championship. After a rough season filled with mistakes and pressure, his team demands he cooperate on a biography to restore his public image. He agrees, but things take a fascinating turn. The biographer is Heather Everett-Fortier. She is the woman he shared a steamy, no-strings-attached holiday fling with and never expected to see again. Heather, a talented biographer wanting to write romance novels, joins the racing circuit in the hopes of sparking her creativity. Instead, she finds herself working alongside the man she promised herself she’d forget. As they travel with the St-Pierre Racing team, their chemistry sizzles, blurring the line between work and desire. Both are determined to keep things professional, but their connection may threaten everything they’re trying to protect. Can they control their emotions long enough for Sydney’s championship dreams to come true and for Heather to achieve her career goals?

Author Anne Nikolaiken's fun, emotionally layered sports romance blends high-speed adrenaline with slow-burn tension. I loved the character-driven story and how intense it was at times. Sydney is more than a stereotypical playboy driver; he is surprisingly very charming and endearing. His struggles with pressure, reputation, and vulnerability make him human and relatable. Heather, on the other hand, is very sensitive. She longs to write romance, and her determination makes her the perfect protagonist. Their banter is sharp, their chemistry electric, and their internal conflicts believable. I love their character development, their attraction, and their exciting relationship. The worldbuilding is incredible, the plot is immersive, and the narrative style is just right for this story. The Unwritten Rule is the perfect start to the series, and I cannot wait to read the next novel.

— Rabia Tanveer, Readers’ Favorite

Editorial Review: Reedsy discovery (The Unwritten Rule)

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A contemporary romance fueled by motorsport adrenaline, emotional depth, and unforgettable chemistry.

Synopsis

They weren’t looking for anything serious, only a sizzling one-night stand. But once ignited, their hearts didn’t listen.

Sydney McKinnly needs a third world championship win to match his father’s record. But after a dreadful year in and out of the cockpit, the only way he’s keeping his driver’s seat is by agreeing to have his bloody biography written. It wasn’t supposed to challenge his decision of not getting distracted by love this season. Harder said than done when the biographer is none other than his Rockies holiday fling.

Heather Everett-Fortier is a successful biographer, yet each new book brings her further away from her dream of writing romance novels. After a bad breakup, travelling the world with the St-Pierre Racing team provides Heather with unparalleled opportunities for gathering romance story-setting inspiration. But it also brings Heather closer to her one-night stand. As strangers, they weren’t supposed to see each other again, let alone work together!

Anne Nikolaiken’s The Unwritten Rule kicks off the Racing Line Series and immediately throws readers right into a mix of fate, fast cars, and complicated feelings. Sydney McKinnly, a once-star race car driver trying to save his career, and Heather Everett-Fortier, a biographer who’s still searching for her own happy ending, meet unexpectedly during a holiday. Their attraction is almost instantaneous, and things heat up quickly. However, once their vacation is done, they part ways, leaving each of them unable to stop thinking about the other. When Sydney’s PR team decides his reputation needs fixing up with a biography, fate steps in and brings them back together—this time for an entire racing season—and neither expects the other to become such a personal distraction. Sydney’s fighting for redemption behind the wheel, and Heather’s determined to keep things professional, but it quickly gets hard to separate work from something that feels a whole lot like love.

What I loved most was how real these characters felt, especially as they tried (and failed) to keep things just about work. I was quickly pulled into their playful back-and-forth banter, which sizzles with undeniable chemistry, making not only their romance tick but their everyday scenes engaging as well. I loved the balance between the thrill of Sydney’s world—motorsport weekends, the noise of the grid, the heat of competition—and quiet, relatable moments, like Heather winding down after a tough day by simply going for a run or debating hotel coffee. Nikolaiken doesn’t bog the story down with racing jargon, and when technical terms come up, there’s enough context and a handy glossary to ease non-fans through. Secondary characters like Ross, Stephanie, and Brian add to the world without taking the spotlight—each has their own quirks and history, fleshing out the environment and giving readers more to root for.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, steamy romance with a twist of sports drama. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy dual-point-of-view stories, slow-burn chemistry, and characters facing significant life changes. There’s heart, humor, and a connection that everyone can root for, which made me want to spend more time with the Racing Line crew. If you’re after a romance that balances professional ambition with genuine emotion, this one fits the bill.

— Jennifer Senick, Reedsy Discovery

Editorial Review: The Wishing Shelf (The Unwritten Rule)

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“A captivating ‘sports’ romance with two unforgettable and wonderfully complex characters. A Wishing Shelf ‘highly recommended’ read.”

REVIEW

I’m a BIG romance fan. And I also happen to enjoy racing – the ‘car’ sort, not the ‘horse’ sort – so this well-written novel was right up my street. I must say, the author did a fab job, offering the readers (and me) two wonderfully complex and fun-to-follow protagonists in the shape of racing driver, Sydney McKinnly and Heather Everett-Fortier who is a successful biographer. There’s plenty of chemistry, plenty of will they/won’t they moments, and the novel also offers an insight into the racing world. As we all know, books of this nature (sports romance) are VERY popular. And I could see this book going down well with readers of that genre. I’m thinking fans of G. K. Brady who wrote the Playmaker books, or Ali Hazelwood’s Deep End – love that book. I think, like Brady’s and Hazelwood’s work, The Unwritten Rule offers readers the opportunity to dive into a different (very exciting) world. It is addictive stuff and as I understand it’s the first book in The Racing Line set, I’m going to be hunting out book two when it’s published. To sum up, there’s a lot to enjoy here, folks. The writing style is accessible, the plot is unpredictable, and there’s plenty of sizzling chemistry to keep readers turning the page. But, best of, put simply, the author is a good writer who seems to know what her readers want – you can’t get better than that. Enjoy!

— A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review, www.thewsa.co.uk