Fresh Fridays: Ashford Academy by Piper Lawson

Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:

Ashford Academy Series

Other books planned to be in the series:

Synopsis for Crash Course (from Goodreads):

An angsty, slow burn, spicy F1 academy romance about fast cars and family secrets from WSJ and USA Today bestselling author Piper Lawson.

Shay MacDonald was raised to avoid two things: race cars and the Ashford family. But when an injury puts her mechanic father on bedrest, she vows to save his career by covertly covering his shifts at the Ashford garage and enrolling at Ashford Academy–an elite school that trains aspiring drivers and engineers, like herself, for the lucrative F1 circuit.

Keeping a low profile is out of the question when she has a run-in with the Ashford brothers on day one. Theo and Jameson are racing royalty who know they can get away with anything. Theo, the charming and reckless playboy, tempts her to break every rule, while Jameson, the brilliant prodigy, unsettles her with a cold intensity that cuts deeper than she expects.

Shay will always be the adopted daughter of a mechanic, trying to survive unnoticed in a world that was never meant for her. But Theo and Jameson’s only reprieve from their father’s sky-high expectations is Shay. She’s a shiny new pawn in their old rivalry—or a prize worth risking everything for.

When a competition to work on the F1 circuit brings her further into their orbit, Shay is forced to work harder to protect her secrets. But the deeper she’s pulled into the world of the rich and famous Ashfords, the more she realizes everyone is keeping secrets.

Secrets that could shatter her past, her future…and her heart.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Favourite Author, Canadian Author
Author: Piper Lawson
Series: Ashford Academy
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: No
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: October 20, 2026 – ongoing
Source & Format: Netgalley–eARC

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

If Piper writes it, I read it. Nothing cures my reading slumps faster than a Piper Lawson book! So I’ve been eagerly awaiting the publication of this series since she announced it. I will admit, I was a little worried about the “live triangle” vibes I was getting from the synopsis. But Piper reassured her readers this novel wasn’t going to be a love triangle book so I went in open and ready!

What I Liked:

–Smart Heroine–

Piper does a very good job at writing intelligent heroines. Even if I don’t always agree with some of their choices, they are always so well written that I understand the why of that decision – which helps me still root for the character in the end rather than give up on them. Shay is strong yet vulnerable. It’s a delicate balance that is executed well here.

–Good Romantic Tension–

While the “love triangle” hinted at in the synopsis is important, it isn’t the sole plotline of this book which I appreciated. It works well to compliment the cutthroat academy setting of the book and the dramatic plotlines. It also adds a spark of intrigue as you try to figure out who she will choose to give her heart to. The banter is fun and the chemistry is palpable!

What I Didn’t Like:

–Friend Group isn’t as Fleshed Out–

One of the things I love most about Piper’s other books is her ability to write strong secondary characters. Most of her previous series has a solid friend group that really sells the idea that friends can be your chosen or secondary family. I didn’t find it was a prevalent element here. Shay has friends but they felt more passive to her story and not as involved as I’ve come to expect. Perhaps that will come more with the sequel(s) but for an academy-set novel, I just thought it would be more of a factor here.

–Pacing Slightly Off in Parts–

Now I read an early copy of this book before it went through the final proofing so perhaps the finalized published version will have tweaked a few of these elements. But for me, this book just felt a little choppy at points. This book is also the first in the series so it does have to set a lot of the groundwork for how the Academy works; who the Ashfords are and why they are important in the F1 circuit; and for those who aren’t overly familiar with F1, you have to explain that. So this book has a lot of work to do and it does it very well. I just think some parts could be refined to make it more engaging in some chapters.

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

So I have a good idea who the hero is going to be for the next book but I have no inkling about the heroine. There wasn’t a huge buildup (there are little teasers though) of what the next book will be so I’m curious to see what will happen next!