Turns out that this was far more interesting than the Goodreads reviews would have led me to believe. I thought this was really interesting and smart and despite not knowing much about F1 the way this was written made it feel very interesting and there was just enough detail whether or not it’s fully accurate to make it feel like we were part of the world without overwhelming with too many details. I really liked both main characters and thought that they were equally complex in different ways but also had enough similarities that they were able to relate to each other and we’re also fairly relatable in their types of mental health struggles and traumas. I thought this was really good enemies to lovers because they really did hate each other at the beginning and it took quite a while for them to move past that animosity and finally start to see each other as the real people that they were. I also liked that the first time they hooked up, was not the turning point for their relationship, and they still kind of hated each other after that, but it was a true emotional conversation that they had that was the turning point because that felt more honest than a lot of enemies to lovers transitions. I did hate the third act breakup, but it was fairly well done and the way that Harper made up for it was pretty top-tier. I also love that in the epilogue when they’re engaged, Harper decides he’s going to take Kian‘s last name because Kian and his family have been so accepting of him and welcoming that he wants to be one of them. All in all this was really fun and really cute. I did think the pacing was a touch slow at the beginning and there were a couple stall outs throughout, but it wasn’t too bad.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance book! I love seeing the characters grow as individuals and in their relationship with each other. I really liked the voice actors that narrated both voices as well. I feel like they did a really good job of making their character three-dimensional in their narrations. I think this book is so cute and just an overall feel good story!

I surprisingly loved this book.. SORRY

As a huge f1 fan, is it unrealistic and unbelievable.. YES . Did I eat it up anyway.. YES lmao. Like in what word are the McLaren drives two Swedish brothers lol and Alonso, gtf out of here .. and the shared motor bus situation????

Anywho. I listed to this book (thanks Netgalley) and loved the narrators. They did a great job telling the story and I was hooked

Yes Harper was insufferable but come on, it makes for a good plot

I thought the characters were fine and loved the story line. I thought the spice was perfect, not too much but just enough and IMO, well written.

NEEEEED a Jo book asap!!!!

Thank you to the author and netgalley for an ARC, I loved it!

I enjoyed this one so much. Great F1 romance between teammates. Enemies to lovers which is one of my favorite tropes! Really enjoyed it! My only complaint is the narrator, it was hard to distinguish between the two characters based on his voice

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really love sports romances and the teammate proximity so this one was perfect for me. The voice actors were great and seemed well suited for the characters. I think one thing that was a bit irritating for me was how many times Harper went through the push and pull of what he wanted versus what he was afraid of with Kian, and I understand why it ended the way it did but I would have been a bit more satisfied if Harper had to do a little more to win back Kian's affections. Overall, very good book.

Oof I didn't like this. Lackluster chemistry, cheesy dialog. Needed more driving/racing content for me! Sadly underwhelmed.

Thank you netgalley and Harper audio for the ARC. I will start off by saying I am not familiar with anything F1 related however I feel like the author made this story very accessible to people like me and it even sparked my interest to learn more about the sport in real life. The narrators of this audio book were also amazing!

A true rival to lovers. I feel like the author did a good job of developing the characters. Kian is trying to get out from his father’s professional shadow while also dealing with guilt. Harper is trying to find his place in this world and show he is more than a party boy while also trying to recover from his trauma growing up.

I was so happy when they finally got together. The author did a great job at building tension between these two.

Pole position is an enemies to lover slow burn romance with hints of hurt/comfort and found family.

Oh my god this book, if you read no other book this year read this book this one right here I can not give it high enough praises, it is so well written and the characters are so well developed I even love the side characters .

I know I will be buying this book and reading it over and over and over again, I love this story I love the characters, I love the narrators and the Arther please get this book you’re really missing out on an amazing love story if you do not get this book.

Thank you Netgalley Harper Audio and one more chapter for this amazing arc

I really enjoyed the story and rivals to lovers in formula 1 racing. The narrators did an amazing job bringing the characters to life as well.
However there was an overuse of “intrusive thoughts” that felt insensitive to me and it kept taking me out of the story. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and literally make you feel like a disgusting person for thinking them. They’re not quirky and fun. And the context the author used the phrase in made me feel like it wasn’t taken into consideration how people who deal with intrusive thoughts daily would react. And the fact that as far as I’m aware neither of the characters are neurodivergent also makes me uncomfortable as someone with adhd and autism who actually struggles with these things. The story was there, I just felt like that should have been edited out or phrased differently.

Addictive. I could not stop reading. I honestly thought that Kian was going to be a tougher nut to crack, but when the walls fell he turned into a big softy.

Kian and Harper are the cutest couple. 🥰 Their journey togehter was a tough one but it was worth it in the end. Each of them had their flaws and they had to overcome so much along the way but together, they did it.

The audio for this book is amazing! I totally recommend checking this out if you're looking for:

✨ f1
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ rivals to lovers
✨ mm
✨ age gap

Thank you NetGalley, Rebecca J. Caffery and HarperAudio Adult for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was so fun, F1 with queer representation what was not to love! I also love the audio with the dual POV and the narrators were famous!

I can see why alot of readers say this is Red, White and Royal Blue meets Formula 1. Kian is super up-tight, got his routine and a winning champion, while Harper is a carefree, risk-taker. Both talented in the car, on the course, and both know how to push each other's buttons. What I loved is that Harper is wiling to be vulnerable to Kian from the outside in; versus Kian is willing to be vulnerable from the inside out. They are polar opposite of each other, and yet, when they do get together, fireworks goes off everywhere.

I may be ignorant to the true racing culture and therefore thinks that the setting of the race is great and exciting. I love that their racing team is very supportive from family leave to them coming out. I'm sure in real life that's a rare thing, but appreciate that kind of support for our guys. We go thru the ups and downs, we see their emotional turmoil, logic, and breakdown for both boys. And may I say, THANK YOU for not having a 3rd Act breakup..... their miscommunications were already tested, thank you for not doing a 3rd act. They let the boys grow in this relationship and be supportive for each other, and accept into each other lives, I just love that. My only complaint is that it is very difficult for women writer to write the spicy scenes in a MM relationship. Not having that first hand experience, I feel like those scenes lackluster, unlike the MF scenes where alot of women writer excel in the descriptions in those intimate scenes.

I had listed to the book, both Josh Chase and James Joseph did a great job narrating the book, showing those expressions and bringing those characters to life. Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC, it was really enjoyable and I had to finish as much as possible before putting it down.

𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 .𐦍༘⋆

i was super super excited for this one!
as a huge f1 fan currently going through the withdrawals of the 2024 season ending, i was so excited to get my hands on this arc.

i will say it did scratch the itch that i really needed from this book, a super quick f1 romance read. however it did fall a tiny bit flat for me in some areas.

joshua chase & james joseph were such great narrators for this book! i really loved that even when i wanted to speed up the audiobook to 2.5x all the wording was still super clear to make out and follow along with. i do feel like their voices are pretty similar though so it can be a bit confusing at times to tell who is saying which.

my main problem with this book was just how quickly the main characters went from not liking one another to just straight up hooking up. i also didn’t like the stereotypical trope of one love interest is so pure / has limited experience & the other being really into hookup culture and doesn’t “do” relationships. the miscommunications in this book was a bit frustrating like i get it, they have their own issues but this book would have been shorter if they simply communicated to one another.

4.25/5 🌟
Spice: open door


What to expect:
🏎F1 romance
🏁Enemies to lovers
🏎Loss of a parent
🏁Forced proximity

I've slowly been getting into F1 romance this year and this one is probably a favorite. I love these two together. They make each other better in every way. Both of their lives have such pain, and they learn to be there for each other. While at times I was annoyed with how Harper would handle his feelings, I am so glad he realized the issues and started therapy. Him showing up for Kian when he needed him most was everything.
The narrators were fantastic. I enjoyed the audio immensely.

**Please take note there is a loss of a parent.

Thank you to netgalley for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

Kian is a top F1 driver who might be close to retirement. His teammate gets injured and Harper James becomes the newest rookie driver. Kian’s father was a racer who left his family and was fired for alcoholism and he’s always working to not be his father. Harper idolizes Kian and his dad and doesn’t understand the bad blood. The first race doesn’t go well in the press and together they have to get along or they’ll both be off the team. Getting close might have more consequences than just staying on the team’s good side.

I listened to the audiobook and both narrators are fantastic! Great tension and angst, lasted just enough time so it was fun instead of annoying. Although the immaturity and miscommunication until almost the end of the book was still a little annoying. More details in the racing than some other F1 romances but some of it didn't really seem realistic, like why did they have to share a motorhome? Not really big things but kinda took you out of the story. Good spice and fun relationships. I am pretty upset that there wasn't even a hint of a resolution to the Johannes storyline though. I can't wait to read that book!

at first the sort of "enemies" part of this book was truly making me not want them to get together. i was lowkey like "yall clearly don't like each other and i just don't see how they'll get past it" like just full stop not even speaking/flirting/nothing! 😂 and then SUDDENLY it felt like 0 to 100 for me. and idk i maybe needed a little more banter and like flirty even in an "i hate you way"

overall this was a wild ride where sometimes i just wished there were more descriptions of things, like more descriptions of F1 and the races, or even more info about the competitors?

I listened to the audio book version of this story thanks to Net-Galley. As a Formula 1 girl, I'm always a little skeptical of reading (or listing to) books about F1, they have a habit of feeling a little cringe and pulling m out of the narrative. But this one did a really good job of accurately displaying what it feels like to watch a race.

This story read kind of like Max Verstappen fan fiction and I was totally okay with that.

Overall, I'm into it, the narrator's did an incredible job and the story itself was fun to listen to.

Thank you for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the premise and the F1 action and excitement in this book. We definitely need more MM F1 romances!

I'm all for an angsty story and while this book had plenty of angst, it seemed to lack some of the emotional depth that usually accompanies those types of stories.

I really loved the characters as individuals, but as a couple, it was a bit harder for me to buy their story. They seemed to be more in lust than in love.

The book also tackles heavier topics such as grief and abandonment issues, which I thought were approached in a respectful manner.

Overall, I think this is a great story, and if it had a bit more of the emotional aspect, it would be a perfect read.


3.5 stars - I alternated between the ebook and audiobook and I think the audiobook was a better experience. The narrators did a fantastic job and I loved their accents!

Kian Walker is a four time F1 championship driver. The son of a pop star and former F1 champ, he’s also a complicated man. With an ailing mother being cared for by his twin sister and her family, Kian feels the pull of family, calling nightly to feel connected. Just don’t compare him professionally or personally to his father, a ruthless, reckless man.

When Kian’s racing partner has a season ending injury, he finds himself paired with Harper James, a hotshot rookie with a reputation for being a cocky heartbreaking mess.

He’s the antithesis of Kian and it’s no surprise that the two instantly rub each other the wrong way.

Until they rub each other the right way, if you know what I mean. *wink wink*

But Harper thinks Kian is verging on grandpa territory with his rigid schedules and lack of fun while Kian thinks Harper is a spoiled party boy.

Both couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Kian is upfront with what he wants - a relationship - but Harper is too scared, too hurt from his traumatic past to allow himself to grab hold of happiness.

I’ve been looking for an F1 romance that does the sport justice, and after quite a few duds, this one ticked all the boxes.

It’s got all the best tropes: grumpy/sunshine, rivals to lovers, and instead of one bed, let’s just throw these two sexually frustrated guys into a motorhome together and send them off racing across Europe for a few months.

It’s sex positive, family centered, and embraces therapy fully. It’s told in dual POV - do yourself a favor and listen to the stellar audiobook - and each chapter is like a peek into each man’s inner fears and hopes and feelings. It’s got banter and frustration but a whole heck of a lot of heart. Damn. This one was a real winner. Guys. It’s a certified cerebral romance™️. I bloody love these two men.

De. Light. Ful.