A nice LGBT book focusing around racing drivers. Nice being the key word here. I didn't love or hate it. I found the 2 main characters to be a bit predictable. The sex scenes were decent and added a different layer to the book.

I’ve read a lot of sport romances, and I’ve read a lot of queer romances, but this is the first F1 queer romance I’ve seen, and it did not disappoint!

This is an enemies-to-lovers with all the angst, buildup, and tension that you’d want. There’s a decent amount of spice, but that’s definitely not the central aspect.

This book was also a great story of queer joy. Both characters accept their identifies, and despite being a ‘manly’ sport, noone questions them and there’s no homophobia.

This book was definitely more in the weeds on the sport than many other sports romances I’ve read. If you don’t want the details of the race and the behind the scenes, this might not be the book for you. However, I really enjoyed this, and despite not seeing a single F1 race, I was able to quickly follow the season’s competition.

Pole Position was pitched as Red, White and Royal Blue meets Formula 1, and it definitely delivered. Kian Walker is practically F1 royalty: his father was a legend on the track and he himself has earned four Championship titles. When his friend and teammate has an accident, rookie Harper James gets called up to drive in the big league. Harper is cocky, has a reputation as a playboy, and is pretty much the opposite of Kian. But once the season starts, there’s no getting away from each other.

This sports romance was precisely what I was hoping for, but it had more depth than I anticipated. There are a few potential triggers, so check carefully before reading. The personalities of the two main characters clash perfectly, and there’s a lot of hostility and tension, ‘dick swinging and petty infighting’ between them before they finally get together. Kian writes Harper off on the basis of his reputation, and having been brushed off at the outset, Harper sets out to get Kian’s attention any way he can... Both Kian and Harper carry major baggage, and it takes a while for them to sort through these issues.
There were a few tweaks I would have liked to see. While Harper’s past is dealt with on page, I felt that Kian wasn’t forthcoming with his own issues and pretty much left Harper to work out that his relationship to his dad was a wrought topic by himself. A lot of their conflict stemmed from lack of communication, and out of the two, surprisingly Harper was the one who was more open about his baggage, while Kian remained a closed book to Harper.

There were definitely some elements that I’d have loved to see on the page. I’m low-key hoping there will be a bonus scene where Johannes tells Kian about F1 fanboy Harper watching his idol race for the first time… I’d definitely be here for reading another book in this world, particularly if it’s Johannes’ story.
Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have been a big sports fan, and sports romance fan for years, but only this past season have I gotten into F1 so this book was a no brainer for me to read. I personally found the little insights into F1 to be realistic to what I have seen this season watching the races, apart from maybe the motorhome they had to share at once point, I am not sure if that would be standard procedure for a team?
I found myself rooting for Harper so much. He was the perfect example of a broken boy and seeing Kian understand that and try to help him was so sweet. I loved when Harper finally pulled it together and was ready to fight for Kian.
I did want a little bit more spice and tension/build up scenes of Kian and Harpers; it ends up being a little abrupt when they go from hating each other to hooking up. I know the characters mention it felt like there was tension between them all season, but it wasn't really shown on paper, but just mentioned. I needed both of them to start communicating better. Their whole conflict stems from misconceptions they think the other driver has of them. But once they work those out, I think they are a great couple.
I did not want this book to end. I wanted another season of Kian and Harper racing together. But the epilogue was so sweet, it made me want to kick my feet up and squeal. I am hoping we get more books in this world, as I want to know about Johannes and who I think his love interest is. I will definitely be reading more by this author after this book and diving into their backlist of books.

SWOONING!! I cannot get enough of this book!! I’m slowly getting into sports romances and racing was totally new for me and I think I can never read another type of romance ever again! Give me all the sports racing romance books!

Kians teammate is injured and can’t partake in the f1 season. He’s replaced by a younger harper who has quite the reputation, not a good one.
Kian and harper don’t get along well at first and it creates a problem for the public images. They have to find away to at least appear friendly for the cameras.

But as the two of them get closer their relationship develops from friends to something more.

I didn’t enjoy the start of this book all that much. The relationship wasn’t interesting enough however after the 60% mark the drama and angst was really levelled up and made the story soooo much more interesting.

It’s quite a spicy book more than I was excepting, but some scenes weren’t well written but easy to skip as they were short.

Harper was my favourite I really enjoyed reading from his pov

Overall I give the book 3.75 stars

Enjoyable and quick.

Thanks to the publisher for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review

I love a good F1 romance, especially one that features complex and interesting characters. I couldn’t stand Harper for the first 40% of this book, I found him incredibly immature and irritating. However, Caffery developed him into a loveable main character that I found myself rooting for. The enemies to lovers was well paced and I adored all the “will they, won’t they” moments in this book. Emotional scenes were balanced well with the more romantic and charged moments, and the entire thing was so much fun to read!

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Pub Date: June 6, 2024 (UK Only!)

I've watched Formula 1 on and off since I was a kid - so when this landed on my Kindle, I knew I wanted to start right away! And I'm so glad I did because I truly did have fun with this. It also has an emotional depth that I wasn't necessarily expecting but I ate up. I LOVE Kian so so much - my heart really broke for him throughout the book. I loved his family and the support they showed him too. I was so glad that this was a dual POV book because had we not gotten in Harper's head, I think I wouldn't have liked him very much. But I did begin to like him more over time.

The enemie-d perhaps just a little too long and Harper was an asshole until about 75% of the book. I think I could have forgiven Harper a little bit more had his history been fleshed out a little more or had he been just a little more vulnerable with Kian. I think my biggest issue was just the pacing and the fact that quite a bit of the relationship happened off page. I think had the author shortened the length of time they were enemies and put more on the page of them being together and getting closer, this would have worked a bit better for me.

That said, I really did have a fun time reading this! This is my first F1 romance (though won't be my last!) and I love the high stakes of the racing and competition. I think the racing in this would also be pretty easy for non-watchers of F1 to understand.

I liked this book a lot the couple was cute the banter they had was so fun. Definitely a fun read
The f1 element was so fun and didn’t over shadow the romance

Ok I went into this knowing NOTHING about formula 1 but that didn’t take anything away from the book for me. Everything was easy to follow. I love Kian and Harper so much! This is the most perfect grumpy sunshine lgbtqia romance ever and I am obsessed. And the cover!!! Hot!!

As a huge formula one fan, I was thrilled to be given an advanced copy of Pole Position to read and review. The story follows two drivers: Kian, the experienced driver and Harper, the rookie team mate. With the story told from alternating perspectives, you really get to know both characters equally as well and find yourself rooting for them both!

This was a great book and I couldn't put it down. I was a bit annoyed when I fell asleep reading it and had to finish it the next day! I loved Kian and Harper and was rooting for them to get together from the very start. I'll definitely be recommending this to everyone I know.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book lives up to its hype. Seamlessly blending elements of romance, emotional depth, and the high-stakes world of Formula 1, it delivers an engaging and satisfying read. You'll find yourself fully invested in the protagonists' relationship, all the while experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. And though Harper may occasionally grate on your nerves, rest assured, his character adds depth and intrigue to the narrative, making the journey all the more rewarding.

This was so fun and cute!! As a recent Formula 1 fan and as someone who has recently delved into the queer romance genre, I can confirm this did the trick of combining my two current interests in such an engaging way. Is this the best book ever written? No, but it’s very entertaining, and I really liked the ease with which queerness was discussed, as opposed to others where it feels like the author and their LGBTQ+ characters are walking on eggshells for their audience. This romance had confidence and was a quick, enjoyable read for the beginning of summer! 3.5/5 stars!

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for my review. This is my honest review that I am leaving voluntarily. I loved it!! Duo POVs always get me! The plot and character development was phenomenal and I really enjoyed the writing style. Pick it up and you won't be disappointed! I honestly can't wait to be able to buy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for approving my request to read an arc of this book

Opposites attract in this enemies to lovers formula 1 racing novel. Kian and Harper don’t get off on the right foot when Harper is drafted onto the team to replace Kian’s best friend. Soon though, they realise they could be more. There’s bi representation and both characters are suffering from family trauma which they work through together. I’m giving this book 4 stars.

When I saw that this book was being recommended for lovers of Red, White and Royal Blue I was immediately intrigued. After finishing it I can confirm that if you are a fan of that book, you will love this one! Instead of politics and royalty though we have F1!

This book has all of the great troped: grumpy x sunshine, reformed playboy, pining, opposites attract. I was swooning, giggling, crying and basically feeling all of the emotions.

Kian is our resident grump. He is at the top of his career, but is one of the oldest. He hates that the media is spreading rumors that he is planning to retire when he is not. On top of this he is dealing with his mother having Parkinson’s and not being able to be there for her and leaving his sister to take care of their mother on her own. As a cherry on top, his best friends and teammate recently got hurt and will not be able to race that season. Enter Harper.

Harper is our goofball playboy who is a commitment phobe. He is a rookie this season and idolizes Kian. These two do not get off to the best start as Kian hates change and Harper is about as opposite from him as you can get. Slowly those those walls are broken, starting when Kian takes care of Harper when he is sick. What starts as an antagonitic relationship turns to one of comfort and love.

The relationship is not all easy sailing though. Whenever things start to get serious, Harper instantly pulls away but always comes back sweeter than before. This starts to wear away at Kian who is ready to fully commit. We learn that Harper is the way that he is because of his abandonment issues stemming from his past, but he works through it to be with Kian. When Kian needs him most, Harper drops everything for his to be there, even when they are not on the best of terms.

This was a really great book set in the work of F1. I loved the dynamics between the two and the story as a whole. the plot, characters and spice were all so great.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Rebecca J. Caffery for an e-arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was promised “Red, White and Royal Blue” meets Formula 1 and it’s exactly what I got and I’m so happy about it! It was fast-paced, hilarious and swoony with two main characters you can’t help but root for in spite of all their flaws that compliment each other so perfectly.

I enjoyed Caffrey’s previous novel “Olympic Enemies” but k struggled with the pacing of the main couple’s relationship but here with Kian and Harper the pacing was perfect— I enjoyed the tension between them with their rivalry with their sexual tension and then later when their relationship blossomed into more. It was just such an enjoyable and easy read that kept me entranced from the first page and I devoured so quickly. The banter was really fun without being too petty or immature, and their adorable moments just made me swoon!

This is perfect for fans of “Heated Rivalry” by Rachel Reid and “Red White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuinston!

I read this entire book before I realized that this is the same author who wrote Olympic Enemies which I also liked.

Kian is the rock solid veteran in F1 racing - son of another F1 driver who ended his career in disgrace and raised solely by his celebrity mom who is not doing well. She has Parkinson’s and dementia and all he wants to do is get this season done so he doesn’t miss out on any more moments with her. In comes Harper who has a wild reputation that Kian is unimpressed by and simply does not have time for.

Harper is a mess but he’s also kind of a doll and a lot of his terrible reputation was media spin. All his dreams are coming true when he gets called up and gets to meet one of his professional idols and Kian is super cold to him upon first meeting. He’s not great with being unwanted and all of his actions and self sabotage can be tied to that.

I don’t know a ton about Formula 1 racing so it was nice not to be buried in details or have the sport so far out of the plot that it didn’t matter. It was a nice balance. Watching these two but especially Kian lower his guard was nice because I wanted to shake him for most of the first half for being so inflexible and unaccommodating. They get there though.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK & One More Chapter for a copy in advance.

I loved this book! So angsty at times and also made me a little teary. I wanted more after it was over!! I really enjoyed the growth between both MCs and really liked seeing them compliment each others personalities in different ways.