Q&A: Amy James, Author of ‘Crash Test’

We chat with author Amy James about Crash Test, which is a contemporary romance in which an F1 phenom battling for the championship is sent spinning after his secret love is involved in a massive crash.

Hi, Amy! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Absolutely! My name is Amy James—I’m a writer from the east coast of Canada. My debut novel was a contemporary romance called A Five-Letter Word For Love, which featured a grumpy/sunshine couple falling in love over the New York Times’ Wordle. My second novel, Crash Test, is a sports romance about a Formula 1 driver whose world is turned upside down when his secret boyfriend is in a life-threatening race crash.

You can find me online at @amyjamesbooks and www.amyjamesbooks.com.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve always loved reading, but I didn’t really start writing until my twenties. A lot of authors know that they want to write from an early age, which is amazing, but the great thing about writing is that it’s never too late to start! For me, writing started out as a fun hobby and gradually evolved into something I wanted to pursue full-time.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Your latest novel, Crash Test, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

An emotionally damaging F1 romance. 😂

What can readers expect?

High stakes and high emotion! Readers are dropped right into a very intense scene, and the tension continues to ramp up throughout the novel.

While the novel is set in the world of Formula 1, readers don’t need to have any knowledge of the sport to read the book. I’m a huge F1 fan, so it was tempting to cram the book full of racing details, but I wanted it to be accessible and enjoyable for both F1 fans and people who don’t know anything about it.

Where did the inspiration for Crash Test come from?

The first chapter just popped into my head one day and demanded to be written. I’ve been a motorsport fan for years (F1, WRC and MotoGP consume most of my free time), and my husband is a racer, so it was probably inevitable that I’d write a racing romance someday!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Travis Keeping is definitely the fan favorite character, and he was a joy to write, but I enjoyed writing Jacob’s POV just as much. I think Jacob has the most complex growth and development during the book, which made him really enjoyable to write.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Not many! The first chapter of Crash Test in the published book is nearly unchanged from how I wrote it on day one, and the rest of the book flowed out just as easily. That said, I have definitely struggled writing previous books, but unfortunately I don’t have any foolproof advice for overcoming writing struggles. Work hard and be patient with yourself, and if the book is meant to be written, you’ll eventually get it done.

What’s next for you?

I have several finished projects that I hope to find a home for, and another two currently in the works. Stay tuned!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

Some favorites from this year include The Rebel’s Guide to Pride by Matthew Hubbard, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, and A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland. My most anticipated read this year is All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles (coming October 7, 2025).

Will you be picking up Crash Test? Tell us in the comments below!