Romantic tension between ex–best friends rockets to new heights in this dazzling sports romance debut set in the fast-paced, interplanetary world of Formula Zero racing.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Formula Zero by Meredith Lanzer, which releases on July 7th 2026.
Madeline Clarke didn’t think her life would be all fun and trophies after earning her spot in the solar system’s most elite zero-gravity racing circuit, but she definitely thought it’d be better than this. Aside from being a female pilot in a male-dominated sport, her boss is a controlling jerk, her estranged father is a beloved figure from her team’s past glory days (and an absolute ass), and she’s performing so poorly she risks losing her contract. And worst of all, there’s Julian Casperi.
Julian was Clarke’s childhood best friend and is a rising star in the league. The dance between them has always been complicated, but when Clarke walked away from her feelings years ago and Julian didn’t stop her they became nothing more than competitors—until Clarke gets into a near-fatal accident on the track and Julian comes to her rescue.
Now back in each other’s orbits, the tension between them is at an all-time high. But navigating their relationship might be the least of Clarke’s problems. Things keep going wrong on the track, and she suspects there’s something shady at play. If she wants to come out on top, she needs to move fast and make bold choices—about her team, her future, and her heart.
There is a very specific way Julian holds himself when he’s about to do something that blurs the line between reckless and calculated, like he’s readying for a fight. He does it now, as he picks up his mic and says, clearly, “I just think it’s interesting that Clarke’s talking about how hard her team’s been working when anyone with eyes can tell Elemental’s incapable of building a ship that can keep up with her.”
Clarke drops from a peak of happiness into a fiery pit of anger and confusion so rapidly that she gets dizzy. Why is he doing this? What does he get out of criticizing Elemental so bluntly?
The reporters are all talking over one another as soon as Julian’s done speaking. Naomi makes a vicious hand movement at Clarke, who rushes to salvage this. “That’s not true.”
Julian fixes her with that stare, the one that makes journalists back off. “You’re saying you’re not outperforming your ship? We’re twelve races in and you’ve DNF’d five times, all due to mechanical failures. And even when you’re not DNF’ing, your ship’s falling apart. What was it at Rio, again, that made you lose pace? Or at Gale Crater?”
Clarke takes a slow breath, tries to get a grip on her rage. “We’re making improvements. Today showed that—”
“Today was a fluke. A miracle, really, that you managed to keep that brick in the air long enough to get across the finish line. You’re one of the best pilots of our generation, but you’re wasted at Elemental.”
Pride hits Clarke’s veins at the compliment, comes into contact with her barely restrained anger, and sets her blood churning. “Sounds like you’re spending an awful lot of time thinking about me. I’d say we should take this outside and settle it on the track, but I think we both know what would happen.”
Julian’s eyes are still locked on her. “Yeah. I’d win.” “Because you’re in a ship that’s got—what was it, again?”
She lands the phrasing deliberately, borrowing his words from a moment ago. “A thirty percent higher development budget than any of the mid‑pack teams? You’re right, Julian, your ship’s better than mine. Congratulations on having deep enough pockets to buy victories.”
Julian does the thing with the set of his shoulders again. “Fine. You and me, same machinery, any track you like. We can use last year’s Chronicle ships.”
“Fine,” Clarke snaps, already hungry for it. “Great,” Julian seethes. “Val?”
It throws Clarke, because she’d gotten so caught up in Julian that she’d all but forgotten they aren’t alone in the room. The reporters are watching gleefully. Delphine has pressed herself back into the couch cushions to get out of the way. Naomi looks like she’s trying to set Clarke on fire with her mind.
“Absolutely not,” Val says, and the adrenaline rushes out of Clarke’s body. A few reporters boo. “Yes, yes, I’m the wettest of blankets. The list of reasons we will not be endorsing an un‑ sanctioned duel using retired Chronicle hardware is so long that we’re going to run out of time in this press conference before we get through them all. Next question.”
Someone lobs Delphine an easy ask about Provenance’s plans for mid‑season break. When Clarke’s gotten herself pieced back together, she chances a glance at Julian. He looks completely un‑ affected. Unbothered. Engrossed in Delphine’s answer.
He sees her looking. He winks. Clarke’s gonna kill him.
Excerpted from FORMULA ZERO by Meredith Lanzen, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2026
