I was super excited for this as a fan of F1 and it didn't disappoint! This was a super cute, fluffy romance when Harper, an F1 rookie, joins grumpy Kian's racing team - this was sort of rivals to lovers and I was HERE for it.

Kian is at the peak of his career, fighting retirement rumours when playboy Harper steps in to be his team-mate, replacing his best friend. Harper is a very likeable character at first, he's fun and a rookie who idolises Kian. This is where the slow-burn starts as there is so much angst (and yet so much pining!!) as walls are broken down between the pair; the real turning point in their relationship comes when Harper gets sick and Kian steps in to take care of him. starting when Kian takes care of Harper when he is sick. I faltered in my love for Harper's character when he started being very non-commital towards Kian, blowing hot and cold, but rest assured, there is a HEA and it's perfect for this pair!

I you loved Red, White and Royal Blue (or if you just like a fun sports romance!!) make sure to add this to your TBR.

3.5/5

This book was cute and a nice, quick read. I didn’t even realize how quickly I blew through this book until it was done, and I wanted more! The MMCs, Kian and Harper, was a pairing that I didn’t think was going to work, but it somehow did to my surprise. Although at times they were a bit immature for their ages, especially Kian. I forgot he was supposed to be in his 30’s a lot, and the actions between the two of them frustrated me sometimes. The pacing at the end felt very rushed too, and things just randomly resolved perfectly, which was weird to me. Aside from this, Caffrey did a beautiful job of navigating the loss of a parent and how Kian and his family navigated the challenges that came with it. I love F1, so this book was a delight to read aside from when the MMCs made me want to rip my hair out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️2.5/5

Whoo boy. Let me first start by stating that this was a trek to get through. But I have a lot of thoughts that need to get pet down.

First and foremost though, thank you to One More Chapter for the ARC copy through NetGalley. I can’t thank you enough even to be selected for this opportunity.

We will start with the positives:

The Characters: The characters were well fleshed out, having their inner struggles and identities. I also did like the pro-recovery for mental health and self-sabotage for Harper, which is what I am currently going through myself. I also like seeing some of the characters grow as people.

The F1 Speak: I am not familiar with F1 Racing. I thought it would be like NASCAR, but it has different aspects. The author made it super easy to understand and follow along for people not familiar or acquainted.

But now, the negatives:

The Pacing: The Pacing of the story was all over the place and puzzling. When one thing was happening, it jumped to a completely different thing the next chapter. It gave my brain a bit of whiplash and was confusing. Especially towards the end when I thought it ended perfectly. Personally, it should have ended at the funeral.

But the true ending was more awkward and rushed to show that their relationship was still messy.

Plot Holes: So. Many. Plot holes.

We glossed over some back stories and plot points that needed to be there.

For Example, Johannes, he was still in love with him. They hinted at ‘ they didn’t know’ but they knew. The reader knew too.. It should have been addressed but it never was.


The ‘Relationship’ Itself: Harper and Kien did not have any chemistry nor did they have anything in common. They both just wanted steam and just kept hurting each other. There was no communication nor was there any passion to even be together. It only looked like they were just blowing off steam by having sex and trauma bonding. Especially when Harper flew to be at the funeral without permission.

The Outdated Gay Terms: From what I could gather, it seems like the author is a cis straight woman. I felt like she was fetishizing the gay experience with terms like ‘twink’, ‘bottom’, and ‘top’.

It is kind of insulting to the men-loving men community since there are way better words that could have been used. Furthermore, having the main gay/bisexual characters only think about sex puts the LGBTQ community as just about having sex constantly and not a sense of self. How it can change F1 Racing as a whole.

Having this book compared to Red, White, and Royal Blue is insulting. Especially when the book was written by a nonbinary queer person.


It was a try…but it fell flat on its face.

It took me a bit to get into this one but then it hooked me. I am currently obsessed with Formula 1 so this was majorly up my alley. The chemistry was top notch!! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. I have never watched F1, and I usually don’t love sports romances, but I liked the cover of this book and thought I would give it a try. When I then did pick it up, I really couldn’t put it down. “Pole position” was such a fast-paced book with the perfect amount of slow burn built up to the relationship. I really liked the multiple POV, so we got close to both characters and their back stories. It was a very wholesome read and the sport aspect of the book didn’t feel overwhelming but was the perfect amount for the plot. Overall, a great read if you need a quick fast-paced queer romance book where you will feel a lot of different emotions.

An F1 romance, but make it queer. That’s exactly what this book gave. As a seasoned Formula 1 fan, I loved that this story mixed real details of the sport into the romance.

Kian Walker, the champion veteran, and Harper James, the rookie playboy, made for a great pair of main characters. Both were messy in their own ways, and nothing is better in a book than a pair of messy characters that have to work through it to ultimately gain their happily every after.

This story ran the gamut of emotions which made the characters more real. Life is messy and so are feelings. Kian struggled with his age and should he or should he not retire, while also coping with a dying parent and the guilt of not being there. Harper struggled with abandonment issues and coping through unhealthy mechanisms. The age gap trope was prevalent and could be seen in the ways these teammates handled their life experiences.

Overall, it was a great story that played the long game and left our main characters with a happily ever after they both deserved.

2.5 stars

2.5 ˖⁺‧✮

it was my first time reading book by Rebecca and i didn’t have any expectations. i was just going with it

i liked the idea of the book🤷🏼‍♀️ in a way. it was fun to read, but all characters were annoying.

i still can’t really understand why Kian hated Harper so much at the beginning. and then harper started hating kian? too much hate and not really any tension.

i’m not an author, and i don’t like writing stuff like this, but story was just not it.

i’ll still try to read another book by Rebecca and will continue following her progress!

Pole Position was a fun palette cleanser with witty commentary and steamy romance. Kian Walker is a four-time championship F1 driver and might just be in the final season of his career. When his teammate and best friend ends up injured and out for the season, Harper James, the new, hot and cocky rookie, is brought up to the big leagues. Harper is known for his scandalous online presence and his reputation for breaking hearts and Kian couldn't be any more annoyed with his new teammate. However, as tensions rise and both men are forced into a friendship, feelings escalate to a new level for both Kian and Harper.

Contemporary romances can go one of two ways for me. I'll either blush and giggle or sigh and yawn. Pole Position was a cozy read that helped me out of a reading slump. While there were moments where I giggled and blushed at the witty banter or the steamy romance I still felt like I was missing a lot of Kian and Harper's growing relationship. The plot overall was well developed and flowed well but had a few missing plot points that were either easily skipped over or not addressed enough. I loved how there was no form of homophobia in this LGBTQ+ novel because sometimes when reading LGBTQ+ novels we want to escape the homophobia even if it is unrealistic. Much of the commentary was unserious but I enjoyed how some serious topics were discussed, like parental loss or past trauma. The spice was fun and brought more feelings into the book but it wasn't overwhelming which helped make it more enjoyable for people who wanted more plot and not a lot of spice but could make it disappointing to those who wanted more spice and romantic scenes. I would've liked the author to have built up the relationship[ a bit more so most of the book wouldn't be about them struggling in their relationship. Overall, I would recommend this to someone who wants a queer, cozy and easy read.

Racing books are the hottest topic right now and this one is up there. It was a great read and felt like it belongs. It had great character progression and connection and felt like the story moved with great pace. I really enjoyed it and hope that it does well for the author.

✰3.5 stars✰ rounded up

Enemies-ish to lovers plus Formula 1? Get me all over that. I think this book had a lot of potential, that unfortunately fell a little flat in the actual carry through.

Kian is a long-time F1 champion who is suddenly saddled with Harper, the rookie, who is a little bit of a hot mess express.
They butt heads immediately and it's very high tension between them for a while.

Where this story fell off for me a little bit was how certain character development moments felt like they happened really late and almost off page. There were things that were vaguely mentioned one second and then a few chapters later addressed as an offhanded comment and I kept thinking "that would have probably been useful moment to grow this character and relate to them more?"
It also fell off with how it felt like for every step forward, Kian and Harper would take two steps back not long after. It felt wishy washy in a way that made their connection hard to develop for me because it felt like it just wasn't growing on page.

Normally when I'm reading a book I can't wait to get home after working all day and pick it up, and there were just several days this week that I didn't want to pick this one up at all because I wasn't enjoying it as much as I hoped. Not to say that I didn't, because I did enjoy certain aspects of this book, and I do think that it has the potential to be enjoyed thoroughly by some readers. Overall, it was a quick read with a fun plot concept.
So, I still am giving this a 3.5 because I think I was attached to what I wanted it to be more than what it was, and in the end we ended up with happily ever after.

I really enjoyed the energy that Rebecca was able to capture in the F1 realm. This brought a lot to the story while also painting the picture of the emotions of the characters. I found myself rooting hardcore for the characters as if they were real life people. I heard that this was "Red, White, and Royal Blue" meets F1, and it definitely is. So all my F1 girlies, go check this one out!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca J. Caffery, and HarperCollins UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately I had to DNF at 32%

I was really looking forward to this book, it combines my 2 favourite hobbies: reading and Formula One! So I was understandably really excited to read this, especially as it’s a LGBTQ+ represented romance book!

Unfortunately I just didn’t connect with the main characters, for me it just felt like they were too cocky and a little bit childish at time, especially considering one of them was mid thirties, it really didn’t come across that way! I just found them, especially Harper, rather unlikeable as a main character, which was really frustrating, even more so when it came to his POV chapters.
I didn’t even find the 2 main characters tension between eachother enjoyable, I couldn’t see how they would ever be together, with such opposing personalities.

Also as a huge Fomula One fan I did see some inaccuracies when it came to the racing, some parts just weren’t accurate at all to the sport which kind of put me off a little bit. It might not bother some people but when you know the ins and outs of F1 it’s easily noticeable!

I did like the representation of Parkinson’s Disease in this book, it’s something that’s close to my heart after loosing my grandad to the disease. I wish I could have carried on reading to find out what happened to Kian’s mum but unfortunately it wasn’t enough motivation to carry on reading.

I have also since seen some reviews saying that the first time the 2 main characters were intimate, one of them was very drunk. Which I do not like in a book at all, it’s not hard to understand why readers wouldn’t like this and to not put it in the book!

So although this had promise, unfortunately the execution wasn’t there for me. The writing just didn’t flow and I found it very stiff!

I had so much fun with this book! The characters had clear voices, their romance and issues were engaging, and the grief was handled beautifully. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read!

F1 x Red, White and Royal Blue x everything you could want in an MM sports romance? Yes, please!! 🏎️ 🏁

♡ 4.25/5 (rounded to 4) ♡

This book took hold of me faster than a MV1 pole lap 🏎️ 🏁

I absolutely loved this book. It was grumpy x sunshine / enemies-to-lovers(ish), and I ate it up!
As an F1 girlie, I love that the essence of F1 was actually captured in the story – the excitement, stress, and fear – but it didn’t overshadow the emotional depth of the characters. There was enough detail to know it was a racing romance without drowning in the depth and complexities of the sport. There is a perfect ratio of on-track to off-track moments - I didn’t feel like I was reading too much of the racing compared to the actual sweet moments of Kian/Harper.
The two main characters, Kian and Harper, were great to follow. Their journey together was a perfect blend of growth, trust-building, and, of course, romance. I enjoyed reading the dual POV narrative—it let us experience the lust, love, and tension from both of them. The book was peppered with sweet and steamy scenes, and the banter between the characters was a great touch. I loved seeing how each character learned to let their guard down and grow in their relationship.
The ending felt slightly rushed, and some plots/details could have been expanded on more, but I still really loved it. It was an easy book to enjoy reading!
This is a must-read for F1 girlies, sports girlies, or just the gals looking for a sweet read in general! 🏎️ 🏁

I know I was born in the right generation because a gay F1 romance is what my dreams are made of!

🏎️ Rival Teammates to Lovers
🏎️ Age Gap
🏎️ Opposites Attract
🏎️ Fake Friendship
🏎️ Sharing a Bed
🏎️ Secret Romance
🏎️ Sunshine Rookie x Serious Veteran
🏎️ Daddy Issues vs Abandonment Issues

In this adorable and super steamy romance, veteran driver and World Champian Kian Walker is ready for another record breaking season until his teammate breaks a leg and is replaced by wild child superstar rookie Harper James who is everything Kian hates. They immediately clash heads, causing headlines and PR nightmares and are forced into a fake friendship to save their season. Kian and Harper are opposites in so many ways yet similar in so many others. They both have ambition and push each other to be their best on the track, but off the track Kian is controlled, calm, and anti-everything Harper enjoys - partying, drinking, hooking up. But as they start to compromise more and are forced to share a motorhome for months, they get to know each other, truly for who they are - which when it comes down to it they’re just two men who want to be loved but don’t quite know how to accept it.

Of course there’s incredible banter and steamy foreplay in the form of watching the man you’re crushing on grind on other men. They’re both a little possessive, a little jealous and a whole lot petty. In a cute way…until their communication issues crop up. Harper is skittish, his fear of abandonment paralyzing him and making him run from the one person who wants to stay forever. He wants to avoid ever getting hurt, but in doing so he causes that same hurt to the only person he’s ever loved. It’s as tragic as it is ironic.

But through some miscommunication and angsty pining, plus a grand gesture, these men figure out how to love and be loved. It’s fun and sweet and sexy.

I am in fact obsessed with this book! I was screaming the entire time hoping that these two idiots could just get over it!

I loved the little f1 facts in this, and I liked the romance aspects. I felt for Harper so much. I wanted to give him a hug for his abandonment issues and Kian with his mom's illness. I wanted to give them both hugs.

I loved this. I enjoyed this. I recommend this.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I became a fan of F1 about 2 years ago and was excited when I received this ARC from netgally!

I enjoyed this book so much, having a duel POV added so much to the story and made me connect to Kian and Harper so much more. There was so much good banter and spicy scenes within the book that had me kicking my feet and giggling. But, also had deeper back stories and things going on in their lives that made the story have more layers.

My favorite part was the love that each character had for each other. While they initially started as rivals, reading how they fell in love and their connection to each other made this story so heartwarming.

I'm a little conflicted about how I feel about Pole Position.

Overall I loved lots of things about it: Kian's stoic grown-up attitude to dealing with the life of a sports star in the spotlight (I don't think he's grumpy, just reserved), Harper's vulnerability and the way he shows it by exerting control where he can - and creating chaos for everyone else. Kian's wider family dynamic is also nicely done and I enjoyed reading about an MMC who is so close to his sister and family. Plus the F1 'world' felt realistic enough based on my small knowledge.

However, there were a few key moments which made me uncomfortable - around Harper's ability to consent during their first physical encounter due to being drunk, and how much of their coming together was driven by very emotional moments when one person was much more vulnerable than the other. It's an interesting dynamic as Kian is eight years older and, Harper openly admits to having idolised him as a teenager, I would expect thoughtful Kian to be more cognisant of that. Harper also behaves pretty atrociously a few times and while the excuse of his past which has led to current/future fears is eventually explained to Kian, it doesn't feel like an appropriate level of apology is ever given.

Despite these points (in fact possibly due to them as flaws like this make stories and characters seem more real to me) I did really enjoy Pole Position and felt very connected with the characters, even when I didn't always like their behaviour.

I received an ARC thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Start your engines and get ready to read “Pole Position” by Rebecca J. Caffery!

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book before its release. It’s perfectly timed to come out (pun intended) right in time for LGBTQ Pride Month here in the US.

The tag line of “Pole Position” claims it’s “Red, White and Royal Blue meets Formula 1,” so if that doesn’t catch my attention, nothing will! Casey McQuiston’s “Red, White, and Royal Blue” is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’m loving sports romances right now, especially hockey romance such as Emily Rath’s “Pucking Around” series. Give me an MM romance like “Him” by Serena Bowen and Elle Kennedy, and I can fall in love with that, too. But, after reading a lot of hockey romances in a row, I was really excited to see a book set in a new sport for me, Formula 1 car racing!

“Pole Position” is the story of Kian Walker, an experienced F1 champion, and Harper James, a rookie who joins his team after one of the other racers is injured. They start off as enemies; Kian is reserved, prefers yoga to partying, and is a bit standoffish, while Harper is pretty much the complete opposite. As they get to know each other - and more importantly, to trust each other - they succeed on the racetrack and form a lasting lust - then love - connection.

I think this book handled the challenges of fame, the burdens of family and loss, and forging a new relationship between two very different people in the public eye really well. It was well written and not predictable. I also enjoyed learning about Formula 1 racing, experiencing the feeling of speeding around the track, and I felt the book was very well researched.

“Pole Position” is a first-place finisher for me!

I had all the feels with this story, and while there are some complaints I have, I strongly recommend picking it up. I'll admit that I did shed a tiny tear or two for Harper James and my little heart broke for him and Kian Walker just a bit. However, with that said, I am struggling with the rating I want to give this book overall. Does the plot and storyline outweigh some of the issues that didn't sit well with me? I don't know...I'll have to think about it as I write this review.

Let's start with the story.
I want to begin with Harper, even though he is the second MMC that we meet. He is 25 years old, and he has been called up to the F1 big leagues from the lower levels. He needs to stand in this season for the #2 driver, who suffered an injury on the Hendersohm team. His teammate will be Kian Walker, a driver that he has admired since he was a young boy. Harper has multiple layers and a tough background. He was abandoned by his parents, raised by his grandmother until her death, and then bounced around multiple foster homes until he was no longer a minor. Through it all, he worked hard at karting and made his way up the motorsports world. Unfortunately, he has earned himself a reputation as a party boy, drinking and sleeping around all the time. He is openly gay, or at least he posts about his conquests on social media though he doesn't outright talk about his sexuality in interviews. He lives in the moment, takes life day by day, and risks everything that is in front of him without planning out any consequences. He has a tender heart but doesn't trust anyone so he guards it close to avoid getting hurt. This means that he only has one real friendship in his life, Johannes Muller, a fellow driver and past lover.

Kian is the older and "wiser" pro-F1 driver. He has been in the game for 15 years and claimed the championship cup 3 times in his career. His father was a great driver, too. However, he was a shitty father, a lousy husband, and was a bit of a party boy himself back in his day. Let's just say that there is no love between Kian and his father. However, Kian is a family man. His mother, twin sister (Elise), brother-in-law, and niece + nephew are everything to him. Unfortunately, the professional sports life means that he spends the better part of the year traveling, so he isn't around to take care of his family the way he would like. His sick mother depends on Elise for care, and this makes Kian feel guilty. Kian loves organization and structure. It helps him focus, something he has done his whole life to make it to where he is. He is serious about his career and knows it is a means to an end. He is less than thrilled when his teammate is injured and he is stuck working with Harper James. Kian is a private person because he grew up in the spotlight, having a famous and absentee father and a celebrity pop-singing mother. He speaks little about his private life and lays low whenever possible. This means that his sexual orientation is not public knowledge, and while he doesn't lie or hide that he is bi-sexual, he also doesn't flaunt it around. Kian is professional and polite to everyone on the team. They are like a second family to him, especially the principal, Anders. The only person he doesn't get along with (because he doesn't want to and his a judgemental fool) is Harper, due to the reputation he has built.

Their relationship doesn't start out easy. Harper is like an excited puppy who is thrilled to meet his idol, Kian Walker, and son of legendary Tyler Heath. Kian finds it hard to soften to Harper, especially in the beginning, as Harper is constantly badgering him with talk about Tyler (whom Kian hates) and constant chatter. Harper's feelings are hurt, although he would never admit it. So, instead of keeping his distance from Kian, he retaliates by trying to annoy him even more (very mature of him). This leads to some arguments between the two drivers, and the animosity is palpable to the media and the team sponsors, so both have been warned to behave in public or to hit the road and go home. Forced proximity means that, eventually, Kian and Harper need to learn to get along. Their sexual chemistry together really kicks up a few notches, and eventually, they give in to their body's cravings. However, Kian is not a hook-up type of guy, and when he starts to develop real feelings for Harper and wants to clarify what their status is, Harper freaks out. His childhood left him with the trauma of not being worthy of love, and he has a tendency to self-sabotage the good things he has in his life. He and Kian need to work past their trust issues and see if they can find a middle ground of moving forward with a relationship and in the public eye.

I don't want to give too many spoilers away so I will only point out a few moments or thoughts: (WARNING, THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILERS)
1. The race in Austria (I think) changed their relationship. I was heartbroken for Harper and felt for him. The insecurities from his childhood, the feeling of being unwanted and indisposable, the way he cried like a child that never received love or comfort from someone...it broke my heart. I'm glad that Kian was there and offered the olive branch to him; it all made me smile, and I saw the turning point. This moment and everything after with the relationship between Kian and Harper makes me want to rate this a 5-star book. It was beautiful to see how they found and needed each other and how Kian helped Harper focus.
2. The Johannes friendship was stressful. I'm glad that Harper has Johannes in his life, and although they didn't work out as a couple, they remained friends and supported each other's careers. I think they really could be lifelong friends. However, for that to happen, Johannes needs to start letting Harper in again. What is his problem? For a while, I thought his secret relationship was with Jackson, and he couldn't say anything because he was the competition. But later, I figured it couldn't be Jackson, and I don't understand what it could have been that would make Johannes so reclusive and distant from his friendship with Harper. Does this cliffhanger mean that this book is going to be a series? Will we get Johannes' story in the next book? I need to know what is wrong with Johannes!!
3. The chemistry between Harper and Kian. Ummmm. What to say? So their first kiss/make-out session came out of the blue. We knew that Harper found Kian attractive and that he had a crush on his idol since he was a teen. But Kian to Harper. I mean, we didn't even know he was bisexual until a few paragraphs before this first kiss even happened (okay, there were a few comments about Kian finding Harper attractive, but no real indication of any sexual attraction or even Kian's sexuality). It came out of left field and that was it. Then, when they finally did hook up, it too came at a strange and emotional moment, but there was literally no lead-up to it. They just jumped into touching. BUT THEN...we find out that they fell into a rhythm of being together and having sex without actual intercourse. They slept together every night, spooning and cuddling but we didn't see any of this unfold. I don't know. Their chemistry was there but I didn't actually start to feel it until the end. I wasn't really vibing off their attraction and the sexual tension throughout the story until I was well past 70% done with the book, and the first "sexual" encounter (not including the kiss) happened around the 55% mark.
4. The transitions and timing of the story were confusing. Some races were skipped over or we were given little information. Days and weeks would go by and we wouldn't really know. The characters would be on the track, warming up and getting into the cockpit, and then a sentence later, the race was over, and the characters were already back at their hotels. I felt like I was being dragged all over and pushed through wormholes/time jumps consistently. It's not a huge deal but I feel that the transitions in the timeline could have been better explained or demonstrated on the page differently. There were things that we are left to understand happened between the characters and conversations, but we didn't see any of it. Why? did we run out of pages? I think it is great that Harper decided to go to therapy to work out his childhood trauma, but when did this happen? Is it something he did because he wanted to or did Kian encourage him? At what point did Kian tell Harper about his relationship with his father, and Harper stopped idolizing Tyler Heath?

I started following F1 about 18 years ago, when I moved to Europe and my friends would watch the races. While I haven't been an avid fan this past decade, I still know enough about the sport to not feel lost while reading the book. I enjoy sports romances, and I am slowly branching out from hockey and football books, so this F1 story was a nice escape.

So here I am, again, debating what final rating I should give the book. The storyline....maybe a 4 or a 4.5 rating. The execution is a 2.5 or 3 rating. So...that leaves me at a 3.5 average? Do I recommend this book? Ultimately, yes. If the price is right or if you pick it up on Kindle Unlimited (or whatever other subscription service you use) or find it at your local library, yes. I think it deserves a read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy and the opportunity to give my thoughts on this story.