I have been watching F1 since Zandvoort 2021 and I started reading again in januari 2021. Almost 3 years further and this is my first F1 book! I was so exited when I got accepted by Netgalley to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Some (F1 related) things are well written:

- The F1 calendar, Bahrain at the start (and testing), Europe in the summer (and Montreal), Qatar and Abu Dhabi as the last two races.

- That there is practice, qualification and the race.

- The shoey, but instead of a shoe a helmet (hahaha) “I once watched a video of Tyler Heath chugging a beer out of a racing helmet - a sweaty, used racing helmet. It was disgusting, but I loved it.”

- Yorris spinning out in front, just like Lando in Russia. :(

A few things that are neither good or bad (just personal preference):

- The names of the drivers. I understand that “Kian Walker” and “Harper James” have to be new names and that you can’t use the names of existing drivers. But why is there an Alonso that is over forty, which clearly is Fernando Alonso and then there is also a Yorris, which is clearly Lando Norris.

- “It’s a rarity in the sport for drivers on other teams to be so close, but we really do embrace it.” It’s not.


The things I didn’t like:

- Halfway the book there is a crash (a car careered into the barriers ending up on its side) and the yellow flag is up. How is it possible that Harper can overtake someone under the yellow, because “they must be distracted”. You can’t overtake under the yellow flag. Everyone has to stay in the same position and drive slower so the marshals can work safely to get the driver out of the car.

- They have to race every other weekend for nine months of the year, but in those months they are barely home?? I understand that for the story it is convenient that they have to be together on the road 24/7. Kian went home one time during the year. There was no summer stop or weekends where they didn’t race and went home. It wouldn’t be very good for your mental health.


Would I recommend the book? Yes and No. I would recommend it if you have no knowledge of F1 or won’t mind if there are some things that are not right. I wouldn’t recommend it if you watch a lot of F1.

MCs 25/33
Team mates/adversary to lovers
Secret relationship
Bisexual rep
Medium Salsa level spice

TLDR: If you’re a big F1 fan this may not be the book for you. If you know nothing about the sport you’ll like it.
——

I’m a F1 fan…I know a ridiculous amount about the sport and this book wasn’t written for someone like me.

I wish this was a hockey romance situation where things are different enough, names are changed to protect the innocent yada yada yada. But instead there’s name dropping in this book, so it’s meant to be our current existence, but so many inaccuracies and tiny give aways that highlight that the author may not know as much about the sport as they think they do. It feels like the author saw the hubhub surrounding F1 at the moment and said…”I can work with that”.

So much sport content... I don’t really care about qualifying I watch real F1 for that. I wan’t to know about the dudes falling in love.

Around 75% it starts to pick up. Maybe because it focuses more on the characters rather than racing?

CW: Parkinson’s, death of a parent, homophobia

——

**Harsher critiques**

3% and there is a foundation story line with disability rep that doesn’t track with the very first Google result…🤦‍♀️

Also dude is a 4 time F1 world champion but his sister is the full time carer for their mum…hire someone to do the job so your sister can enjoy not working working while spending time with her mum. Plus the author has suggested that his mum was/is a famous pop star. Let’s not pretend money is an obstacle for these people.

Give me all the sport romance especially the formula 1

This girl is in her formula 1 era and I regret nothing

These two are complete opposites in terms of character and somehow the pairing of them just works so well. I liked Kian but Harper has my heart - he seems like a lost puppy for so much of the book and he just needed someone to love him.

— 3.5 stars (rounded up)
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I fully expected to enjoy this book and I’m so glad to have proven myself right! Whilst it wasn’t my favourite romance book out there, I still had fun with it and would definitely reread in the future. The dynamics between our two main characters was definitely difficult to navigate at the beginning, however I was glad to see the development as things began to soften the more they opened up to one another. Difficult topics such as grief and loss are well explored and explained. The thing that let this book down for me was the little backstory or explanation as to why our main characters hated each to begin with, and the actual enemies-to-lovers wasn’t as well paced as I’d hoped.

Overall a still enjoyable read that I’d recommend and re-read in the future.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I do! Kian and Harper were impossible not to fall in love with.

Upon first glance Harper is the kind of character that I tend to grow tired of fairly quickly - He’s self destructive, a partier, and seems to lack awareness (or care) for how his actions affect those around him. The balance between Kian and Harper in POV really aided in my experience with these characters and it let me warm up to Harper at relatively the same time as Kian and let me tell you - like Kian, once I loved Harper, there was no turning back.

The romance in this was sweet - very hurt/comfort fic if you will, but that was a fantastic thing in my book as a connoisseur of the hurt/comfort tag myself.

I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc of this book! I am leaving this review voluntarily!

dnf

i tried so hard to give this book a real shot and see it through because i love formula one, but both mmcs just kept butting heads. i found harper to be particularly arrogant and unlikable.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but definitely unpolished.

I loved the main couple and the relationship they built towards the end of the book. I do think their early on interactions could’ve been better, the reasons they disliked each other early on felt superficial to me. Then they magically found everything out about each other.

I loved the F1 backdrop and the racing, I loved that it was accurate in terms of F1 domination and not forced drama. And all the representation was so good. I also liked that Harper was an actual play boy since he was described as such.

This was just soooooo cute. As an avid F1 fan and MM reader this was right up my alley and it delivered!! I can’t wait to read more of these two

Synopsis: Champion F1 winner Kian Walker struggles with the legacy of his father, a veteran F1 driver, and his pop star mother’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Rookie driver Harper James joins Walker’s team after driver Elijah is out from an injury. Pole Position follows them as teammates and enemies-to-lovers.

What I liked: Formula 1 was a major aspect of the book, and I appreciated how in-depth the races and lifestyles were described. Most times I cared more about the race outcomes than the romance outcome. I also appreciated that there were multiple subplots explored — not just sports and romance — such as parent loss and grief as well as complicated family dynamics.

What I disliked: I didn’t find the romance aspect believable. It’s not because they were teammates or started as enemies, but because the writing did not build up any chemistry between the two main characters. The enemies-to-lovers aspect was rushed and didn’t make much sense. It also wasn’t really explained why they hated each other so much. There was a surprising lack of dialogue in scenes and instead the author relied on telling, not showing, something many other reviewers mentioned. I’m not a fan of lengthy, what-if-type internal monologues in books.

Overall: This was a fast-paced, easy read for people who love predictable sports romances. Lots of people have described it as “Red, White and Royal Blue for F1,” and there are some similarities to that, but the characters are slightly less developed.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of #PolePosition.

Pole Position was my first step into F1 romance! I loved learning all the new terms of a sport I’m not familiar with and all the bonds the team had since even though the two main characters were competition, they were still happy and rooting for each other in each race. I really wanted to like this book but the chemistry between the main characters as competition was great, but as a romance, I didn’t really feel any spark. Also, both of the MCs have a lot of problems within their own selves that they should have really dealt with before getting involved and that would have solved almost all of the problems they were having with each other.

I really liked this booked and would recommend it to everyone.

Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley.

This was sadly a case of "it's not you, it's me" and I am definitely an outlier here.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. I am a huge F1 fan and was so excited to get stuck in, but I felt it to be very juvenile the writing was quite stiff. I found myself irritated at many things, in particular the ease in which Kian and Harper smash out world championships, winning a race by overtaking under the safety car - ermm NO, that is NOT within the rules, and despite their bad food and drink choices, missed training sessions and turbulent love life, that took over their minds, far more than the racing.

F1 drivers train incredibly hard and are uber focused; it doesn't come easily. These two behaved like 15 year olds, rather than professional sportsmen, likely in their mid-late 20's. Neither of them were particularly likeable and so at least I felt they deserved to be saddled with each other!

I do feel though that I am the wrong audience for this book and had I been a teenage boy, I would likely have loved it.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Rebecca Caffery's grumpy/sunshine contemporary F1 romance started as a funny clash of two completely different characters who have to get along, explored their background who led them to become the persons they are, and finished the "opposites succumb to mutual attraction" arc by showing how they overcome their insecurities.

An enjoyable ride with Kian and Harper, I would have loved a bit more F1 background (it was quite superficial), and I loved the door left open for a Johannes-centered sequel!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

I've been dreaming about a queer F1 romance where rivals become lovers! Harper, a rookie, is called up to be Kian’s teammate. Despite their opposite personalities, the forbidden aspect of being on the same team had me hooked. I loved how the story portrayed queerness — the characters were comfortable with their identities and their friends and family were supportive. It's refreshing to see such acceptance in a male-dominated sport, even if it's fiction. Watching their relationship and character development was heartwarming.

I didn't know I'd enjoy a book set in the F1 world until I read this book. It is such a heartwarming and light romance, I really enjoyed it!
The environment of Formula 1 and the characters personalities were certainly addictive, opposites certainly attract each other ✨

I heard this would be "Red, White and Royal Blue" meets Formula 1 and that is for sure what I got! I had so much fun reading it!

Thank you to Rebecca J. Caffery and One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read Pole Position via Netgalley 💖

Thank you so much to Harper Collins UK & NetGalley for the advance copy!

The ebook is available now!

F1 Romances have been my jam this year but this one is the first time I have read one that explored male/male and a teammate. And I absolutely loved it! The first half was a little bit slow but it helped build the tension between Harper and Kian.

"I try to slow down and just exist in the feeling of being enough. It's strange and unsettling. And also wonderful."

It's hard to say who I loved most because I have such a soft spot for both of the men. Their personalities couldn't be more different and yet somehow it worked out. I love that Kian brought out this homebody side to Harper. Harper had a lot of past trauma that played into his relationships and here comes Kian who just bulldozed his way into his life. Harper tried to deny those strong feelings until it practically ate him up inside. Kian is at the top of his game but is ready for life to just slow down a bit. He has such guilt for missing out on time with his niece and nephew and more importantly time with his mother who is battling Parkinson and is nearing the end. He has rituals and things that calm him. Harper is young and still in his party stage which is not where Kian is.

I love that we got both POVs as it helped to know what each character was thinking and feeling at the time it was happening. I did feel bad for Kian a few times because he just wanted Harper to be all in and it was just hard for Harper to do that. The 2nd half of the book it really all came together. Even when they had their little conflict, you knew that there was still so much love there. Kian had a lot going on and I was so happy to see that Harper stepped in and be his emotional support.

Overall this was such a fun time and you do not need to be an F1 follower to enjoy! I am curious if this would be a series because I would love to read a Johannes story.

PS - Who was driving the motor home?! That was my biggest question LOL

When I saw this book recommended for fans of "Red, White & Royal Blue," I was immediately intrigued. After reading it, I can confirm that if you enjoyed that book, you'll love this one too! Set in the thrilling world of Formula 1, it offers a fresh and exciting backdrop.

The story features beloved tropes like grumpy x sunshine, reformed playboy, pining, and opposites attracting. Kian, the grumpy protagonist, is at the peak of his career but faces challenges: rumours of his retirement, his mother's Parkinson's disease, and his best friend's injury. Harper, a playful rookie and commitment-phobe, idolizes Kian but initially clashes with him. Their relationship evolves from antagonism to love as Kian cares for Harper during a sickness, despite Harper's fear of commitment, causing ongoing tension.

Harper's abandonment issues from his past create obstacles, but he ultimately overcomes them to support Kian when it matters most. This book, set against the dynamic Formula 1 world

2.5/5. I struggled to get into this, but there was a solid chunk in the middle that was very readable as Kian and Harper went from enemies to lovers. I found the ending wholly disappointing - somehow both too tidy and not enough of a resolution. Overall the ship dynamic mostly worked, but it needed more substantial conflict for me to feel invested. I like this concept a lot and I wish it deeper into the world of F1 instead of existing mostly as a backdrop.

My favourite way to consume sports media is through queer sports romance, so it’s safe to say that this book was right up my alley. And such a fun read! I’ve been tangentially interested in Formula 1 racing for the better part of a year and so this was a fun way to learn a little bit more about motor sport and enjoy a slightly messy romance between the golden boy of racing and the rookie who annoys him. While the book is pretty focused on Kian and Harper, I love how Caffery included a lot of world-building for both, with lots of great relationship and character developments, and some more serious plotlines. Despite the fact that a majority of the conflict for this book is miscommunication, I think it’s written well and fits with the character’s personalities, and I loved watching them slowly then not-so-slowly fall for one another. There were a few times I was stressed reading about the two of them trying to make it work, but it was satisfying to see it all come together in the end, and it was so worth the read!

While this book isn’t super sports-heavy, I think it’s a good mixture of races and racing talk with romance and character development. Even when they aren’t racing, it definitely affects the way things happen instead of just being an extraneous detail. It was fun to immerse myself into this fake racing world (with some great similarities to actual F1) and a little bit of secrecy with two racers on the same team hooking up and falling in love. The characters really come into the book with some baggage, and racing and the world of the story add to these things, letting the story play out in a really interesting way.

Basically, if you’re here for messy queer sports romance, this is absolutely one to check out! It’s a great mix of sports, romance, and some really heartfelt/heartbreaking plot lines with Parkinson’s, terrible fathers, foster families, and more. If I had one critique, I didn’t love when the first two times they initially/almost hooked up, but I got over it pretty quickly. Otherwise, I highly recommend it!

Pole Position is a contemporary sports romance about racing (Formula 1) with rivals to lovers, MM relationship between a gay guy and a bisexual.
Just before the season starts, Kian Walker's teammate is injured and cannot race this season. So the team principal pulls in Harper James - a rookie from the lower class who is the best known for his bold personality and bad publicity. Of course, Kian Walker, the 4 time World Champion, does not want a new teammate, especially one that only parties and does not take anything seriously. Harper is excited to do his first year in the upper class alongside his childhood idol.
The rivalry between each other was blown up just because you have 2 broody males that make quick assumptions about the other person, have zero communication skills and enough of their own dark pasts. They start their season pretty much ignoring each other or poking the nerves.
Even though I really dislike when MCs have poor communication between each other, this novel included lots of inner monologues which "justified" their silence and actions. As both characters have had major issues in their childhoods, they both do not have the best coping skills and these inner monologues made me empathise with both of them. I also forgave their no-talking to each other when they opened up and showed their vulnerable sides. Neither of them are shy of tears in private and take their emotions pretty seriously (neither of them express their feeling in the best way, but they are learning throughout the book).
Oh the good good part starts when they reach the European leg of the season and they are forced to live with each other in a motorhome for 3 months - a lovely forced proximity for all kinds of shenanigans ;)

Overall this book comes with mixed feelings. It was a great time, good representation of the sport and a bunch of sexy characters. Oh - and Formula 1 has gay men? o.o However, the zero-communication part drove me slightly nuts, the weird bits and pieces about side characters that never was resolved... It kinda gave me a vibe that there might be books also about other guys. Let's see how it goes.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.