Thank you to Harper Collins 360 and NetGalley for this e-arc!

Pole Position follows steady, world champion Kian Walker and rookie playboy Harper James as they navigate working on the same team in motorsport.

If you’re into motor sports and grumpy x playboy roms this might just be for you!! Nothing beats a reformed playboy trope for me so I did think that was a fun aspect of this book. And I really respect the representation Caffery strove for too. I also loved Kian’s relationship with his sister, it was truly tender.

Unfortunately, I found there to be too much prolonged hot and cold behavior from these grown men. Their romance just felt a little flat to me and at times the plot seemed illogical which took me out of it often. Not my favorite romance, but it was fun to be in the motorsport setting!

3 ⭐️ might rec if you’re into F1

I love love love a queer sports romance. I will eat it up EVERY SINGLE TIME. This book hooked me from the start and I finished it so quickly!

This book didn't take place in a queer-normative world, but it was really nice to see these two male athletes fall in love without the queer-ness being a major conflict.

We have the classic grumpy veteran (Kian) & goofy newbie (Harper) dynamic. This leaves room for great banter. The chemistry was strong between them but my goodness are they both so stubborn. Kian and Harper both had different childhood traumas that affected their views on relationships. They both really struggled to understand their feelings but I liked how they showed up for each other. Kian taking care of Harper when he was sick? *Swoon*

I don't know anything about F1, so I can't tell you if it was at all accurate, but I liked that this sports romance actually showed the sport. I enjoyed the on track scenes and the conversations with their teams.

Would I recommend this book? Yes! I hope there is a book 2 (Johannes & the owners son?)

I loved the progression of Kian and Harper’s relationship so much! 🥹

I hope this is the first in a series because I wanna know more about Johannes and Jackson. There was literally no hint that they were together but for some reason I get those vibes and I want to know if I’m right. 😏

Thanks to Harper 360 through NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF at 21%

I went to start the chapter where Harper’s watching Kian wait for him in the gym and I realised I just couldn’t take reading any more of either of their childish behaviour. I’m sure they sort their crap out eventually, maybe even soon, but I’ll never be able to forget how these two grown men behaved like children.

Harper’s behaviour is beyond ridiculous, really rich entitled white private school boy crap that I do not have the patience for at all.

Kian could have been likeable but I also really can’t stand people who expect others to read their mind. Harper has no way of knowing that bringing up your dad will upset you, dingus. And the way he expected the team to just tell Harper for him reeked of the entitlement he hates Harper for.

Thanks for the opportunity to read. I won’t be reviewing this outside of netgalley

What a ride—literally and figuratively! This book delivers a high-speed blend of Formula 1 intensity, sizzling romance, and just the right amount of angst to keep you hooked from start to finish. The enemies-to-lovers tension crackles on every page, making each interaction between the characters feel electric. There’s a perfect balance of heart-pounding racing action and deeply emotional moments, with a touch of heartbreak that makes the story all the more compelling. If you love a romance that brings the heat both on and off the track, this one is an absolute must-read.

The narration of the audiobook adds so much depth, making the characters feel even more alive and the emotions hit even harder. The layered performances truly enhance the drama, tension, and passion woven throughout the plot. Whether you read or listen, this book is completely binge-worthy, and I can’t wait to see what this author does next!

Giggling as I write this because I LOVED IT???

I might just start a countdown until March because I need to own this book RIGHT NOW.

I loved the characters and the how the relationship was developed. I loved the drama added and how it was handled.

I do wish, as an avid F1 fan, that there was more racing. But I’m not complaining because it’s a romance and everything else was handled almost perfectly.

I can’t wait to own my own copy.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite an exhilarating experience. To begin this review, I must mention that this particular type of romance is not what I typically gravitate towards—not because it features a male-male romance, but due to its focus on racing, a theme I usually do not engage with. Nevertheless, I found myself genuinely enjoying it. The concept and plot were well-developed, allowing readers to not only follow the narrative but also to visualize the story as if it were unfolding on screen. While I appreciated the character development, I believe it could have been enhanced further to create more well-rounded characters. One aspect I found less satisfying was the ending, which felt somewhat hurried, even though the content itself was strong.

I liked this one a lot overall! It starts out heavy on the miscommunication/misunderstanding/making assumptions track, which had me a bit skeptical. However, once we really got to know Harper and Kian, I grew to like them both individually AND root for them to be together. The end of the book was really sweet and the character development for Harper was truly perfect and so cute too. A quick and easy read, that doesn't require any detailed knowledge of F1!

this was a cute story!! self sabotaging playboy Harper and work focused black cat Kian made quite the pair. Harper had the biggest character growth throughout the book and Kian was the perfect person to pave that way for his journey of self discovery. so much drama happened, both between MMCs and in their own personal lives, but it wasn't overwhelming to the plot. their chemistry was spicy yet slow burning and i loved it!
do i see a book 2 in the future with Jo & Jackson?? they were both being super sneaky and what better pair than hooking up with your friend's partner's best friend. confusing, but im holding to them being a couple lol

I absolutely loved pole position. Rebecca Caffery so effortlessly captured the essence of F1. All I’ve ever wanted in my 5 years as an f1 fan is for a paddock romance. And Rebecca hit that on the head

"Yesterday is forgotten, today is a new day, I've got this."

I really enjoyed this one. Kian was a really fun character to read. There were certain things about Harper that were really frustrating, but I promise it's worth it to persevere.

Towards the end my enjoyment did flag.

3.5 stars rounded down.

I ended up not finishing the book. I just couldn’t connect with the book and it wasn’t for me. I didn’t review it on anything because I didn’t want to post a negative review.

It was a fun and quick read. It moves at a pace that keeps you interested. The characters are well written and their journey feels genuine. It is written in the first person perspective of the two main characters.

Read this entire book in less than 12 hours! It was really, really cute! Gave it a 4/5 only because there was some kind of repetitive miscommunication, like the same issue over and over, but I loved the characters (although Harper was a little Too Relatable with his abandonment issues) and how they eventually got over those communication issues! It was enemies to lovers (a trope I adore) with some open door romance scenes that were just spicy enough to give the story some kick! Even if you aren't a fan of F1 (or are newer to the sport like me!), this cute little queer sports romance is sure to keep you speed reading to the finish line!

This book was *everything*! From the *off-the-charts* chemistry to the *pulse-pounding* action both on and off the track, I was absolutely hooked. The dynamic between Kian and Harper had me flipping pages at lightning speed—*enemies to lovers*, *grumpy x sunshine*, *forced proximity*—it checked all my favorite tropes, and then some!

I *loved* the tension, the banter, and the sizzling slow burn that made every moment between them feel electric. The high-stakes world of Formula 1 was the perfect backdrop for their fiery connection, and the emotional depth woven throughout made this so much more than just a sports romance.

And can we talk about *the spice*? 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🔥 Absolutely *delicious*!

This was a *phenomenal* read—easily one of my favorite books of the year! If you're looking for something binge-worthy, swoon-worthy, and unputdownable, *this* is it.

If you want a book that will make you audibly gasp and cry while at work, then this is the book for you. This was such an amazing read and while I have read many Formula 1 romance books, this one will stick with me. The chemistry between the two main characters is very believable and the things that they go through are so real. Rebecca blends the world of F1 with a gay romance in the best way and while there are some aspects of the F1 world that aren't as factual as they are IRL it is used to further the story in the best way.

I loved the blurb for this book. As an F1 girlie, I was super excited to read this, so thank you to NetGalley the opportunity.

The vibes were good, I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were written really well, and the writing itself was easy to read/follow. However, there were a ton of inconsistencies throughout the book, quite a few plot holes, and kind of weird world building where "F1" doesn't exist, but major drivers and teams did. But like I said, the vibes were good and they kept me reading to see where things ended up. Overall, super cute read if you don't get too bothered by the inconsistencies and plot holes.

4.2 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Rebecca J. Caffrey for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Pole Positions was such an emotional yet fun ride! 🎧 If you enjoy romances (specifically sports romances) that have just the perfect amount of tension and spice then this is perfect for you! There were a few instances where the characters did something that gave me the “ick” but other than those few times, the story had me giggling and kicking my feet LOL I suspect there might be a second book in the future (🤞) and cannot wait!


Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Age Gap (25 & 33)
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Forced Proximity

This was such a beautiful story. I know nothing about Formula 1 racing but you didn’t have to to enjoy this story.

- Rivals to lovers
- found family
- MM
- spicy

There is parental death talked about on page so if that is something that triggers you I would definitely take caution

I went into this book knowing basically zero about motor racing, because it seems like it's not a real person sport (how does one start?). I still know probably very little, and I still had to look up what "pole position" means and how it fits as the title of this book.

However, I enjoyed reading this book! It was a good mix of competitive fun, conflict, and serious issues. The main characters are complex. Harper is so persistent and optimistic at the beginning, but with such strong abandonment issues that he thinks nobody could want to be with him long term. Kian is uptight and very serious, but also very open and loving.

I did get to the point several times where I thought "how are these two spending all this time together without having a proper conversation?!?!" But, I guess, men? So? Sure, it's believable.

Altogether, a fun, interesting read. It's my second Rebecca Caffery book, and I'll be looking out for more from her in the future.