Pole Position

What I expected: a Max Verstappen fanfic.

What I got: an engaging story about two drivers that was a great time for F1 fans and romance readers alike!

Yes, one of our MMCs was slightly Max-coded, but really not enough to be “distracting.” The M/M romance scene can fall into some stereotypes, but this did a really good job at avoiding any tired interactions. I was really refreshed by their whole journey.

If you’re even moderately an F1 fan, this book is for you, and if you aren’t, read it anyway and welcome to the show. You’ll soon be watching every weekend like the rest of us!

Thank you to Netgalley & The Publishers for the arc of this book.

4/5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book and wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. Kian and Harper being complete and total opposites really added to my enjoyment, the tension was also fantastic and I could not wait for them to kiss, I was on the edge of my seat literally waiting. This book made me want to get into F1 racing and actually sit down and watch it. I was a bit frustrated I won't lie with the miscommunication trope but I guess you cannot run and hide from anxious attachment not even in books. But I truly cannot wait to read more from this author!

This was my first F1 romance and I honestly enjoyed a lot of parts of this book.

Both Kian and Harper are just misunderstood babies who need love. We have Kian, a 33 year old grumpy F1 champion and Harper, a bratty, immature at times, 25 year old “reformed playboy” rookie ✨

As far as their connection goes, I didn’t really feel it hit how I wanted it too sometimes but their banter was 🔥 and when they got together *waggles eyebrows* it was 😮‍💨

TW: There was a scene where Harper was piss drunk and Kian still felt the need to grope and kiss him. Like sir, consent pls?

Butttttt apart from all that, it was definitely an enjoyable ✨ vibes ✨ read. I would definitely pick up Johannes story if he got one 👀

Thank you NetGalley, One More Chapter & to Rebecca J. Caffery for gifting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼

A cute, queer romance for all fans of motorsport! If you like the Dirty Air Series by Lauren Asher or Cross the Line by Simone Soltani, this book is for you!

This book is advertised as a Red, White, and Royal Blue-esque F1 romance; and that's definitely what it felt like for me! Kian and Harper were sooo dang cute together! They both have so much from their own lives that they struggle through and while Harper is a wildin' party boy, Kian is reserved and quiet. But together they are the perfect grumpy x sunshine pairing and I just loved their character growth together and apart (loooove Kian's positive take of mental health treatment).

Final Rating: 4.25⭐, 2.5 🌶️

Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360, for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Pole Position" by Rebecca Caffery delivers all the charm and tension of Red, White, and Royal Blue, but with the exhilarating backdrop of Formula 1. I’m fully here for it! I’d choose an F1 romance any day over the more saturated genres like hockey romances, which feel overdone, even after just one read.

What really stood out to me in Pole Position was its refreshing approach to M/M romance. It avoids the overused clichés and awkward phrases that often appear in the genre, allowing the characters to feel authentic and their lives relatable. I found myself genuinely enjoying the story and just soaking up the ride

When I saw that this book was being recommended for lovers of Red, White and Royal Blue I was immediately intrigued. After finishing it I can confirm that if you are a fan of that book, you will love this one! Instead of politics and royalty though we have F1!

This book has all of the great troped: grumpy x sunshine, reformed playboy, pining, opposites attract. I was swooning, giggling, crying and basically feeling all of the emotions.

Kian is our resident grump. He is at the top of his career, but is one of the oldest. He hates that the media is spreading rumors that he is planning to retire when he is not. On top of this he is dealing with his mother having Parkinson’s and not being able to be there for her and leaving his sister to take care of their mother on her own. As a cherry on top, his best friends and teammate recently got hurt and will not be able to race that season. Enter Harper.

Harper is our goofball playboy who is a commitment phobe. He is a rookie this season and idolizes Kian. These two do not get off to the best start as Kian hates change and Harper is about as opposite from him as you can get. Slowly those those walls are broken, starting when Kian takes care of Harper when he is sick. What starts as an antagonitic relationship turns to one of comfort and love.

The relationship is not all easy sailing though. Whenever things start to get serious, Harper instantly pulls away but always comes back sweeter than before. This starts to wear away at Kian who is ready to fully commit. We learn that Harper is the way that he is because of his abandonment issues stemming from his past, but he works through it to be with Kian. When Kian needs him most, Harper drops everything for his to be there, even when they are not on the best of terms.

This was a really great book set in the work of F1. I loved the dynamics between the two and the story as a whole. the plot, characters and spice were all so great.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Rebecca J. Caffery for an e-arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Queer F1 romance featuring opposing teammates, a golden boy who is a four time Championship winner out to prove he isn't ready to retire and this year's rookie who has a reputation for breaking hearts and setting new track records... forced to be teammates and yet despite how much they get under each other's skin there might be more to it. Kian Walker is the golden boy of motor sport, he's a four-time Championship winner with a father who was a legend on the track... just don't bring up his dad near him ever. Kian is determined to be nothing like his father who lied and cheated on his wife and destroyed their family, he wants to be reliable, to be amazing... yet he's getting older and everyone keeps thinking he is going to retire. Kian is determined to prove them all wrong and win another Championship, yet that all goes out the window when his teammate is injured and he is forced to work with a new driver, someone he absolutely dislikes, Harper James. Harper James is this year's rookie who is determined to make it big. Harper might have scandal after scandal, might be the most reckless, self destructive person who has abandonment issues ever since he was a child bouncing from foster home to foster him, but he is determined to chase his demons away, be it on the race course or with the various partners and parties he has. Harper has a reputation, yet he has always idolized Kian, yet to his shock Kian takes an instant dislike to him. Kian can't stand how reckless Harper is, they are complete opposites and yet the more the fight and argue the more they put themselves at risk and their team at risk of losing. Yet the more they argue and spend time together the more this underlining attraction between them begins to grow... yet can they make it work when they are complete opposites in every way??? With how Harper is afraid of being abandoned and is self destructive while Kian is dealing with family drama and seeing just where his future in F1 is or if this is his final year? Oh I had a blast with this one, as a fan of F1 this was such a delight to read. It definitely gave me Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid vibes and I had fun with it. I adored Kian so much and this book had me tearing up in the end with how much Harper grew and how he worked on his own mental health and getting the help he needed. This was a fun romance read and the romance was cute. It's definitely a fun book to add to your list if you love queer sports romances!

*Thanks Netgalley and Harper360 for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review:

Release Date: March 11,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

As someone who grew up in the world of F1 racing and in the car business in general, I just HAD to read this book. I don't read many queer romances like this but I really enjoyed it- I thought it was pretty cute and the setting was on par.

is really likeable, and Harper is really annoying, but I'm pretty sure that's the goal, he's supposed to be unlikeable, in the beginning at least. I loved all of the tension buildup. And though I know literally nothing about car racing, I found myself interested in that aspect of the book too.

4.5!

Pole Position has filled my F1-loving heart! I had such a blast with reading this and I could definitely tell that Caffery is a big fan of the sport.

Pole Position features Kian and Harper as they become teammates right before the start of a new Formula One season. Kian is the son of a racer legend but his father mysteriously left the sport abruptly a long time ago and Kian has never talked to or about him in Kian's own years of racing. Harper is the new rookie in town and gets called up from the Formula 2 (lower level) teams last minute when Kian's original teammate suffers an injury before the season begins. Kian is not happy about this change and Harper's attitude and off-track behavior mean they immediately don't get along.

I had such a fun time both with Kian and Harper as well as with the wide range of side characters. I loved seeing some traits and characteristics of people that *might* have come from some real Formula 1 adjacent people. Kian and Harper's fictional team felt real and seemed to be pretty fleshed out. For people who are aware of the sport, we see the various types of people that would hang out in the Paddock, Team Principals, Race Engineers, PR Managers, etc.

Kian was probably my favorite of the two main men mostly because I was super endeared to his personal life and his mental habits. Kian's mother has Alzheimer's and his twin sister is taking care of their mom while he is away. He faces guilt and worries over not being a part of the care process and his anxiety around his career was one of my favorite parts.

Harper was definitely a young twenty-year-old. He hadn't really needed to grow up before getting brought up to the F1 team and his growth is pretty visible. Harper has issues of his own in regards to relationships and that comes into play when Kian and Harper start fooling around. I think I was just mostly frustrated at a lot of Harper's actions and that made him a little less likable.


There were some plot points that were briefly mentioned throughout and then never really expanded that I wish were. There's a small thing for each of the main characters that seemed like it would play a MUCH bigger role than it did and I think the overall plot was lacking because of that. I expected more external conflict and instead, I feel like we see more internal and interpersonal conflicts.

A new take on a F1 romance! I really loved that this was a relationship journey between two drivers, it just really allowed for a fresh take on a romance in the sport. At times it wasn’t the most believable thing, but hey I had a heck of a good time reading it so I can’t complain too much. I really liked that it included really track locations, team names, and even a real life driver. I like when my sports romances have real life elements to them, I think it allows for other parts of the book to be able to be fictionalized more and still feel right? I don’t know, it creates a balance that really works for me. I loved getting to know Kian and Harper. I didn’t love them from the start it took me a bit to warm up, especially to Harper but I just knew they were going to have a great character journey individually and together.
The found family was everything and the emotional aspect really elevated this story for me. At times the writing felt a little clunky and the timeline jumps took a second to piece together but overall I really enjoyed it and would love to have a copy for my shelves!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early access!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. 4.5 stars and 3 chili peppers for spice. I didn’t know anything about racing before I picked up this book so I figured I’d give it a try. I honestly loved this story and the characters. The racing terms and logistics behind the sport were easy enough to understand. I kinda wish there had been a little bit more spice but it really was great as is, so that’s a personal preference. Definitely would read a second book if this is a series.

I loved this sweet and spicy enemies to lovers! I don't know the first thing about racing but the story was so good, it really didn't matter! This was one of my favorite reads this year!

Are you looking for an enemies to lovers, queer romance? This is the book for you. Pole Position is about two Formula 1 racers who don't see eye-to-eye. Kian Walker has been in the game for 15 years, while Harper James is just now entering the big leagues.

This is a good book, Kian is a grumpy guy in his 30's while Harper is a sunshine/bratty guy in his 20's. I was so wrapped up in this book. There were highs and lows, I was kicking my feet and giggling, and then I was fighting a lump in my throat.

This book also makes me want to watch F1 racing and learning about the rules! I feel like I dripped my toes in reading this and now I am ready to jump in the deep end!

Thank you Harper 360 and Rebecca Caffery for giving me an opportunity to read my first ARC book. Hopefully we have a Johannes book :)

What a sweet read!! This is a true enemies to lovers, and the first half can make the path to an HEA seem daunting — but the way these two fall for each other is lovely to see. For lovers of found family trope, hurt/comfort moments, forced proximity, and dynamic character growth, this fun and spicy queer sports romance is for you!

This was literal perfection. I have no notes just A HUGE NEED TO REREAD AGAIN AND AGAIN. Absolutely loved this one!

What a great palate cleanser type of MM/MM book. A Rookie driver and a cocky teammate have to race of their tension (literally). I read that if you enjoyed reading Red, White, and Royal Blue you'd like this.. and that was very true. Just replace politics with racing (my preferred cup of tea). A bit spicy, good banter, and fast cars. Read this one rainy day and it was perfect!

I enjoyed getting to read this book! I liked the push and pull dynamic Kian and Harper had with each other, especially as they were teammates. It added an interested dimension to their relationship. Their chemistry was also pretty good! I thought Caffery nailed the amount of Formula One references/information in this book! It was just enough that it was important to the plot and you knew you were reading a Formula One romance, but not too much that someone who isn't really into the sport might get lost or too little where you start to wonder why even include the sport it is about. This can be hard to nail but I think Caffery did a good job here.
However, I do think this bit could have been edited to be a bit shorter. Some parts felt like they dragged on or were repetitive, especially when Harper and Kian would have the same arguments over and over again. It didn't majorly effect my reading experience negatively, but it was something that stood out to me. I did really like the ending of the book! Harper and Kian's story was wrapped up really nicely and you can see them having a future together.

I look forward to what Rebecca Caffery writes next!

Handsdown, one of my favorite F1 books ever!!! I seriously loved this book so much and can't wait for the author to (hopefully) write more F1 smuts. This was super refreshing and such a fun, scandelous read.

This is a such a cute and great book at the same time. I truly enjoyed my time reading it. the story line is good, does not seem boring or unrealistic. Overall without not giving any of it away, I think you are going to fall in love with the characters. The banter, spice and story do not hinder from each other. its a great read.

This was so good! Like Red, White, and Royal Blue mixed with F1 romances and the characters were cute. I loved it and would read it again if I could read it for the first time again.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

This book was one of my favorite MM romances I have read. The enemies to lovers was on point if felt the tension it was amazing

Imagine if you took the characters Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt, changed their names, made them gay and/or bi, and made them F1 drivers. That is essentially Pole Position. The banter is on point and the spice is HOT.

The relationships were fantastic, especially between Kian and his family, and Harper and his bestie.

There is a miscommunication trope but it can be seen as more of a self-sabotage and it worked in the story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper 360 for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Harper 360 for the ARC of Pole Position in exchange for an honest review!

Kian Walker is a four-time Championship winner and someone who’s dedicated his life to motorsports. The sport, and heavy mantle of his father’s prolific history with the sport, has come at great wins and losses. He’s given up time with his family, and he’s possibly on the cusp of retirement, despite being in his early 30s. Ensuring his last season is an eventful one, his new teammate is the hotshot rookie and bad decision factory, Harper James. Harper is enthusiastic, undisciplined, and a total mess, and now Kian and Harper have to make something of themselves to bring home a victory.

Romantic and deeply character driven, Pole Position is light on the motorsports and heavy on the heart. For the uninitiated (like me), “pole position” refers to the benefit of getting to start a race at the front of the grid, allowing advantage over fellow racers. The euphemism is well placed; despite being a legend in his career, Kian definitely doesn’t have much of a head start in his personal life. While Harper is experienced in men, he’s not very experienced in love, so the real question is: does starting behind mean it’s ever too late to catch up? The writing and dialogue are a delight, and the end is deeply affecting. It’s enemies-to-lovers. It’s kicked-puppy-to-happy-puppy. It’s slow negotiation of needs and wants and FEELINGS.

And while there are many victories here, the biggest is how much this one won my heart. Get on top of that podium.

As a religious F1 race watcher, I was excited about the prospect of a teammate romance. I enjoyed the banter, the interactions, the exploration of competitors on different teams, and the friendships that can be broken during that separation. I wish more time was spent around the races or garages, but I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers!