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.

DNF at 44%.

It kills me that this book just didn't do it for me. So much potential. But it got 3 strikes. Well, there's more, but 3 and you're out.

Strike 1: Harper is an arrogant POS with no sign of being on a path to being anything better than that. Yes, it's meant to be opposites attract, with him as a foil to uptight Kian, but nah, At 44 %, I'm over this guy. This dude doesn't deserve Kian.

Strike 2: Anna, the publicist, is *repeatedly* thrown under the bus for the sake of drama. As someone who has worked in PR, these two are never going to go into an interview blind. Gotcha's do happen, but Harper isn't getting in front of anyone without media training BEFORE sitting down with a journo. He'd have a clear idea of the goals of the interview and his role in it. So, nah. Team Anna. Because you know who's gonna get her butt handed to her and possibly lose her job? It's not the driver, it's the publicist. "Why did you let him do that? Why did you let the interview go on so long?"

Strike 3: Harper's backstory isn't believable. He bounced around the foster system and wasn't adopted by a family. But supposedly one of them ponied up the resources for him to get into karting and make his way up through the formulae? Nah. And btw, why keep using vague descriptors like "top-tier", just call it Formula 1, Formula 2. If you're using Constructors Championship, what's the issue?

I don't rate DNFs, so ignore the star rating.

Loved this book! I'm a huge F1 fan, and this book just ticked everything that I enjoy reading. If this becomes a series, I 100% volunteer as tribute to read each one.

Pole Position had just the right balance of sports and romance. The Motorsport side was fantastic, the romance sweet and fluffy. I did find the spice a little lacking, but that’s just personal preference. I loved the tension between them at the beginning, their rivalry turning to lust, the sweet caretaking when Harper was sick. There were just some unsatisfying holes in the plot here and there that kept me from giving this a five.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read Olympic Enemies by RJC I knew instantly I couldn't wait for her next book. And when it was announced it was an MM, enemies to lovers, F1 romance - SCREAMMMMING. There really is nothing better and Kian and Harper made me feel all the feels.

Kian is a legacy, much to his chagrin. His dad used to race but Kian has made a name for himself, without having to contact his sperm donor. When his teammate breaks his leg and Harper James, rookie, gets signed to the team, Kian isn't sure if he'll get his fifth championship. Harper is literally sunshine personified, but he has his own demons. And honestly, the way that these two both felt loneliness? GUH. They both hurt my heart for very different reasons.

And the way they come together and fall in love? And guys, Kian is such a SOFTIE. I cannot. This is definitely one of the best reads this year and I can't wait to see what RJC comes out with next!

Kian Walker is at the top of his game in F1. He is a 4 time world champion, the son of a legend, and on track to get himself another title. Just before the new season starts he gets a call his teammate has broken his leg and he is replacement is not who Kian expects.

Harper james is a champion of the lower tier, and also a huge party boy. He is getting a chance to race with the best, but his work hard, play hard attitude cause tension with his new teammate. It takes them a bit into the season to warm up to each other, and maybe even develop an attraction neither of them can ignore.

I am always down to read an F1 romance, and this is my first queer one. I did like that this book balanced the light hearted with some more serious topics. It definitely could have done a better job of building their chemistry more naturally. I had a good time and would read more from this author.

happy pride month !!! 🌈

prefacing this by saying i know very little about formula 1. that’s not new, i read quite a bit of sport romance books while knowing very little about the sport itself. and yet still with my very minimal knowledge, i enjoyed this so much. harper james may be one of my favourite characters of the year so far. the main relationship has it’s moments of chaos (it is rivals to lovers so, of course it does and i say that with love) but it has real moments of sweetness too. they are an extremely easy couple to root for, both within their relationship and as individuals on their own journeys. the epilogue itself was really lovely — i would happily read many more books about kian and harper.

Pole Position was even better than I expected! I know very little about Formula1, but the book gave good enough information about the sport that I wasn’t confused at all at the pacing and the events throughout. The romance between Kian and Harper is a wonderful slow burn/annoyances/teammates to lovers. The pacing of their relationship and the build up of sexual tension was written so well. Each characters’ personal lives were written in a way that gave them depth but didn’t take away from the focus of their journey through the story. There were a few spots near the end where things felt a bit confusing with information that the reader knew, but the characters hadn’t discussed together on page. But overall I really enjoyed this book and might even get into F1!
More racing romances please!

the inherent homoeroticism of driving fast cars

POLE POSITION follows two formula one drivers - one heading towards the end of their career, and one just starting out - as they go from butting heads to butting.. something else. kian & harper had fun chemistry and i enjoyed watching their relationship develop over the course of the book. i thought the book handled grief incredibly well, particularly in the latter half, and there were some really nice familial conversations between kian and his sister that made me quite emotional.

it was a little bit too insta-love for my tastes and i think harper was quite immature and actively annoyed me for quite a lot of the story, though those could both definitely just be a me thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book!

Pole Position is a MLM, Formula 1 romance! I finished this just in time for pride month, and I loved it! I have to be honest I don’t really watch F1 or know very much about it. 🫣 However, this book was still easy to read and very entertaining. Kian and Harper have my whole heart 🫶🏻

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sports romance, forced proximity, rivals to lovers, or MLM romances! 10/10 read!