"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.

Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery is a MM Formula 1 romance book. It's an enemies to lovers, age gap romance.
To be honest, I absolutely struggled through this book. The MMCs were highly unlikable and incredibly immature for their ages. I felt like I was reading about two high schoolers and petty drama. I truly didn't understand how Harper was still in the position he was in because he was a nightmare for his company and somehow placed on the podium every race even though he just made it to P1. Both Harper and Kian were clueless when understanding social cues.
The writing was very juvenile and overall unlikable. I had been excited over the premise of this book, but it fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars. I loved Kian but I found Harper to be lacking good character development and honestly, if I were Kian’s sister I would’ve kicked his fucking ass for what he did. Kian genuinely deserves so much better.

Kept me entertained during jury duty, though, so. Nice!

3 ★

i did like this story aside from some pacing issues.

i found myself relating to kian the most when it came to his struggles in relationships. i love his personality and i'm so proud of his decision by the end.

from someone who’s been in a situation similar to kian and harper’s relationship, it’s nice to get a bit of insight on how an avoidant attachment feels about getting close to someone. it helped me understand my own situation and learn how to better communicate with the person.

when it comes to the pacing, i think it’s very imbalanced and sometimes too fast. it goes from spending pages on a race to spending 2 paragraphs on romance or a night at the club. it started to get annoying. i think this story covers too much time. i don’t think this works as a standalone because there’s so much that needs to be written and talked about. i would’ve preferred this be a duology if it meant we really got to steadily develop the enemies to lovers plot. it just felt a bit too rushed. i don’t think the transition from them going from enemies to lovers was shown enough. from one chapter to the next, it seemed like more went on between kian and harper off-page that i would’ve liked to read about. i also would’ve liked to see their trips from place to place instead of it being quickly mentioned. one sentence, they're in one country then, by the next sentence, they're in another. i don’t mind reading about the process of going from one place to another.

it would’ve been nice to know more about why johannes’ behavior changed. it seemed to be a significant part of his character development. i also would’ve liked to see harper get more of what he wanted from kian. if you've read the book, you know what i'm talking about.

overall, i like the growth of both main characters. i appreciate the representation of those with an anxious or avoidant attachment style and i like the example set for better communication.

Pole Position brought plenty of heat on and off the track, but it wasn't quite a winner for me. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Kian and Harper had its moments, and the Formula 1 setting was fun and exciting. The high-speed tension and spicy chemistry were definite highlights.
That said, the emotional depth felt a little underdeveloped. I wanted more from Kian and Harper’s journey—both as rivals and as lovers. Some of the drama felt repetitive, and the resolution came a bit too quickly for the payoff.
If you’re here for fiery banter, forced proximity, and steamy romance in the world of motorsport, this one’s worth a quick and easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was kind of hard to read as an F1 fan because of there not being full correctness of Formula 1. It could be fun sometimes but overall I was bored.

this was a fun romp!! nothing too memorable to me, but i do love me some rivals to lovers goodness. i also liked the back and forth between harper & kian; the banter was really well done. the chemistry was sorely lacking though imo.

I’m a big fan of LGBTQ+ lit, and I wasn’t sure about this one going in because I’m not big on the sports romances. While racing did play a part in it, it felt easy to follow. I do understand from some reviews out there that it may not be faithful to F1 racing, but that doesn’t matter fully to me.

This book definitely gave me vibes of Red, White, and Royal Blue, which I am here for. I really enjoyed the enemies/rivals to lovers story, but more so how it made them both better people and athletes.

There was some spiciness but the build up to it was all the fun.

I also appreciated the portrayal of childhood trauma on an individual. Harper’s internal monologue toward the end about not being enough felt like my brain 99% of the time. So while I at first was upset with the slutty gay guy trope, I realized later it was less that and more the unhealed trauma at play.

One thing I wish was cleared up at the end was what the deal with Johannes is. Maybe another book?

I love the queer representation in this book and overall I love how the setting was well done. Lots of car race books have been coming out and in some books the details are wrong or it doesn’t even seem like they actually race but in this book it is very well done. I’m excited for the queer community to be able to get their hands on this book in March!

I liked this so much! The character development worked really well, and the backdrop of a character with dementia added a layer of seriousness that the story needed. I appreciate that the communication problems between the characters were rooted in their personalities, not external consequences that didn't matter.

Loved this! Not too many books in the F1 genre floating around and I love to see the sports romance genre grow!