I don’t even know where to start with this book. I’m still at a loss for words. Rebecca Caffery you absolutely killed it. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down. The tension between Kian and Harper was unreal and when they finally got together I was cheering out loud! This book was the perfect amount of sexy and sweet. Their relationship development was such a thing of beauty to watch and by the end I was crying right along side the characters. Thank you for this book I can’t wait until it releases to buy copies for everyone I know!

The new Formula 1 season is about to begin, and Kian Walker is ready to rise above the comparisons to his father and the rumours of his retirement, and win his fifth World Championship title. But then his longtime teammate and friend breaks his leg, and Kian finds himself racing alongside Harper James, a rookie whose off-track antics will prove even more of a distraction that Kian can anticipate…

I recently read my first F1 romance and vowed it wouldn’t be my last. Pole Position mainly unfolds over the course of a F1 season, and it provides enough on-track action to satisfy fans of the sport, but not so much that it will alienate readers who know nothing about it. I loved the way the heat between Kian and Harper is matched by their rivalry on-track, and the rising tension of the Championship battle. I also enjoyed some of the more mundane details that we get to see, such as the motorhome the teammates stay in for the European leg of their races, resulting in some of my favourite scenes.

Pole Position starts as a simmering, slow-burn enemies to lovers romance, with plenty of heat and flirtatious banter, before fulfilling its promise of spice, and even revealing a soft heart at its centre. I loved the characters of Kian and Harper, who felt so easy to visualise and empathise with, and I enjoyed the tantalising glimpses we get of other characters too, possibly (hopefully) hinting at a sequel. This one wasn’t quite a five-star read for me, but I found it a page-turning read that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance e-copy of Pole Position, in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca J. Caffery's 'Pole Position' is a fun novel that will immerse you in the thrilling world of Formula 1 racing, while weaving a heartwarming romance.
The novel's strength lies in its well-developed and relatable characters. Kian Walker, a rising star in F1, is a complex and driven individual. His determination and unwavering focus on success are balanced by moments of vulnerability and self-doubt. Harper James, his new teammate, is an equally compelling character. Strong-willed, intelligent, and fiercely competitive, she challenges Kian's established order both on and off the track.

Throughout the story, both Kian and Harper undergo significant character growth. They learn to confront their fears, embrace their flaws, and find strength in their connection. Their interactions feel authentic and believable, making their relationship feel both romantic and grounded.

The book maintains a steady pace, balancing the adrenaline-pumping action of race sequences with the quieter moments of character development. Caffery deftly captures the high-stakes environment of Formula 1, conveying the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The story unfolds smoothly, with unexpected twists and turns that keep readers engaged and invested in the characters' journey.

While the romance between Kian and Harper is a central element of the novel, it could have been developed more fully. The romantic tension between them is undeniable, but it often takes a backseat to the racing action. As a result, the emotional connection between the characters feels somewhat underdeveloped.

'Pole Position' will leave you with a sense of anticipation and hope for more. The world of Formula 1 is rich with potential for future stories, and Caffery has created a cast of characters that are ripe for further exploration. Would love a sequel to revisit Kian, Harper, and the world of F1 racing.

Stop this was actually so cute & I'm kinda in love with this book!

F1 racing romance? Come on, who could ask for more! No but really this was such a cute plot and the characters were kinda adorable. Their story was fun, cute, and had me giggling the entire time!

This was a super easy book to get into and really just turn off my brain to enjoy this book. It was simple and sweet, such a quick and fun read to get me feeling summery. I had so much fun reading this book! Definitely one I'll be picking up in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

pole position - rebecca j. caffrey
DNF

thank you to both netgalley and the author for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

if im being straight up honest, i read 48% of the book and then it gave me the ick. i love formula 1 romances don’t get me wrong but this one was just not it.

the writing was very stiff and felt like i constantly had stuff thrown at me. the main characters who were meant to be ‘romancey’ just kept head butting each other. the chemistry was just lacking in all sorts of ways. the miscommunication i had experienced from only being just under 50% in was just not it either.

This sports romance girly has only dabbled in F1, but after this ARC, I might need some more!

I knew very little about this book or author going into this, but the story sounded great, and it was! Kian and Harper are both lovable for so many reasons, but there's also a bunch of heartwrenching angst in this book that will have you screaming and crying for more!

Kian Walker is the lead driver for his team, and when his second driver is injured right before the season starts, Harper James is called up to fill in. To Harper, Kian is his idol! But to Kian, Harper is an annoying playboy who can't be expected to take anything seriously. Here's the thing though -- they don't actually know each other!

This starts off very enemies-to-lovers, with Kian acting very cold toward Harper and Harper unsure what he's done. But he's used to being on his own, so whatever, right? That is, until Harper becomes sick while they're traveling, and Kian is the only one around to care for him. This really is one of the sweetest parts and gets everything started!

The burn between these two is slow, and they've both got personal issues to work out as well. Kian is away from his family, who is going through a tough time, and he's not there to help. Harper really has no one in his corner and he's not using to trusting other people, which means he spends a lot of time pushing Kian away, despite their mutual attraction. There were definitely some moments that made me cry and moments I wanted to yell at both of them to get it together!

The push and pull between these two was incredibly enthralling, infuriating and beautiful all at the same time! Pole Position comes out June 6 and I definitely recommend it!

Actual rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐+0.5

Some of the tropes included:
- Sports romance: Formula One 🏎️
- Dual POV
- Gay/Bisexual MC's
- Rivals to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Family topics (siblings, parent issues etc)

When I saw "Red, White & Royal Blue meets Formula 1", I was sold immediately 😍
Although I didn't read RW&B but saw the movie, it is one of my favorites. And to have that kind of cute romance with a F1 theme... yes, that totally did it for me!

I think this might be one of the best F1 racing romance I've read actually! The racing aspects were seamlessly incorporated into the story and I really enjoyed how the races were described. Not everything was very realistic, but honestly it didn't bother me at all. It's fiction after all 😊

Kian and Harper were so cute together! They made me giggle so much 🥰 The switch of POV's throughout the book was also a very nice add-on, as it kept the pace of the story going. Loved the banter and tension buildup throughout the races too. Their story has once proven I'm a sucker for the forced proximity trope 😏
Some of the spicy scenes were a bit outside my comfort zone, but it's was just the first time I'm reading a book with a gay/bi couple - so it was all new to me.

I do have to say that the story line about Kian's family was one of my favorite things!
There were a couple of chapters where the tears just didn't stop from flowing, which caught me completely off-guard... 🥹 Didn't expect at all to be crying over their beautiful moments 💕

The only thing I disliked a bit was the choice of certain words/phrases, and that's why I'm not giving a full 5-star rating. It didn't happen that often that it was an obvious ick while reading. It was a few times were I had to reread a phrase, because I found it strangely written. As English is not my first langue, perhaps it was just some slang that I didn't get 😅 Anyway, like I said, it was a minor thing, and the overall book was amazing anyway.

So, if you love sport romances, Pole Position is highly recommended! 🏎️
I cannot wait to read more from this author. I hope there will be a sequel about Johannes because I definitely want more about his story.

Mein Leseerlebnis

In der m/m sports romance mit Formel 1 - Fahrern wird aus einem Rookie und einem erfahrenen Fahrer ein Paar. Dass sich die beiden Männer zunächst nicht gerade grün sind, kommt noch hinzu.

Die Umsetzung dieses im Genre durchaus verbreiteten Motivs hat mir phasenweise gut gefallen. Ich mochte den lockeren Schreibstil und war gespannt zu erfahren, was hinter dem Verhalten der beiden Helden steckte. Ich wollte vor allem Harper näher kennenlernen, um sein Verhalten besser verstehen zu können, da ich dieses teil verwirrend fand.

Dieses Kennenlernen der Hauptcharaktere hätte für meinen Geschmack gerne noch intensiver ausfallen können. In Bezug auf Harper hatte ich bis zum Ende ein paar offenen Fragen. Ich hätte auch gerne mehr Details zu seinem Wandel im Buch erfahren, dieser wurde eher in Nebensätzen erwähnt.

Beim Lesen konnte ich mich teils, aber leider nicht voll auf die Liebesgeschichte einlassen. Das lag vor allem an den Sprüngen in der Geschichte. Diese haben mich mehr als einmal aus meinem Lesefluss gerissen. Auch war ich kein großer Fan davon, dass erst ein trauriges Ereignis dazu geführt hat, dass sich die Beziehung der beiden Helden weiterentwickelt hat. Das hätte man anders lösen können.

Insgesamt fand ich die Liebesgeschichte ganz nett, man hätte meiner Meinung nach aber wesentlich mehr aus ihr und vor allem den beiden Hauptcharakteren rausholen können.

🖤🖤🖤 1/4

Für wen?

Wer m/m sports romances mag und gerne Liebesromane liest, in denen zwei Männer mit recht unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeiten zusammenkommen, für den könnte das Buch eine schöne Sache sein.

*ARC Book Review*
I love F1 romance so much especially with a grumpy x sunshine trope! This was my first MxM F1 romance and I ate it up! I loved the relationship Kian had with his family. The character development for Harper was amazing. I really didn’t like him at the beginning of the book but by the end I loved him. He was cracking me up. Also by the end I loved Kian and Harper’s relationship. The ending did feel rushed and would have wished for it to be longer but I still really enjoyed this book.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this ARC! ♥️

This is another one of those titles that delivers exactly what it promises. If you're going in looking for a fun, pacey, at times tense, at times sweet romance, this is THE book for you. The dynamic between the main characters was so interesting, and the underlying rivalry and ensuing mis-communications (aahh) make you keep turning the pages until you read the whole book in one sitting. I had a fantastic time, and if that's the kind of book you're looking for, I'd whole-heartedly recommend it.
(Because I can already see the criticisms, here a little caveat: do not buy this book if you are looking for literary fiction or detailed, accurate descriptions of the backworkings of an F1 team.)

DNF at 35%

I love F1 and I think because of that the teammate relationship made me really uncomfortable as this is something that I don’t think would ever be allowed in the sport.

This was an enjoyable read set within Formula one. Following Golden Boy, Kian Walker and the newcomer bad boy Harper James growing closer as the season continues. I loved the characters and learning about their pasts. Although, I felt this was a great read I felt the pacing was a little off as it did feel a little slow at times.

2.5⭐
"Pole Position" by Rebecca J. Caffery initially caught my attention with its intriguing premise, but unfortunately, it failed to live up to its potential. Although the main character, Harper, showed some promise, the inconsistent treatment he received from other characters, particularly best friend Johannes, undermined the overall narrative. The writing style created a sense of detachment, relying excessively on telling rather than showing. The romance between Harper and Kian felt rushed and lacked authenticity, with abrupt shifts in tone and pacing. Their connection seemed forced and unconvincing, lacking genuine chemistry and compatibility. "Pole Position" ultimately disappoints with its inconsistent character dynamics and underdeveloped romantic elements.

Received via netgalley as an arc copy

This book is sweet and Fluffy with some deeper moments, it was an enjoyable read and I would consider reading more if this develops into a series.

It didn't blow me away, it didn't let me down, it was just a comfortable short read to pass time

I received this book as an eARC from HarperCollins UK through NetGalley and this review is based on my own opinion.

tw: 18+ content, loss of a parent, panic/anxiety attacks

This book was everything, it's gonna be my new obession and it's one of my favorite reads of 2024.

For me it has the perfect amount of on track and off track stories and the racing chapters were so exciting and well written.

I was a bit on guard when I saw 'erotica' as a trope but it wasn't much more than some heavier spicy scenes and it was in perfect combination with fluffy scenes.

Normally a bigger age gap isn't really my thing but during the story I fell in love with both Kian and Harper and the growth that the both of them showed throughout the book.
I might have cried a bit at the end 🫣

Would really recommend this if you like sports/f1 romance, you can even easily understand it if haven't watched F1.

I really love any sports romance book, but especially one that features Formula 1 racing because there aren't enough of them! I was really excited for this book because the driver who has been racing for a long time falling for the rookie driver? What an awesome premise! I do think the book didn't live up to my expectations like I thought it would because one minute they hated each other and the next minute, they were so in love and I think that's unrealistic. I also do NOT like the fact that the first time these two are together intimately, one of them is really drunk and I think consent can't be given so I really didn't like this part. I loved the banter between them, and of course, all of the Formula 1 aspects of the book; the author did this so well! The cover is also super cute and reminds me of real drivers who race, so it drew me in. I know this isn't a debut novel, but it sort of read like one and I just wish I loved it more, but I didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter/Harper Collins, and Rebecca J. Caffery for the eARC of this book.

I received this book as an eARC from HarperCollins UK through NetGalley and this review is based on my own opinion.

tw: 18+ content, loss of a parent, panic/anxiety attacks

This book was everything, it's gonna be my new obession and it's one of my favorite reads of 2024.

For me it has the perfect amount of on track and off track stories and the racing chapters were so exciting and well written.

I was a bit on guard when I saw 'erotica' as a trope but it wasn't much more than some heavier spicy scenes and it was in perfect combination with fluffy scenes.

Normally a bigger age gap isn't really my thing but during the story I fell in love with both Kian and Harper and the growth that the both of them showed throughout the book.
I might have cried a bit at the end 🫣

Would really recommend this if you like sports/f1 romance, you can even easily understand it if haven't watched F1.

This book was the perfect response to my previously unanswered requests for a solid F1 romance. It was cute while having the perfect level of character growth and drama. And the racing background was so believable and well informed! I loved this one and am hopeful that the ending hints at a future installment to come?

Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 6, 2024

A queer F1 rivals to lovers romance? I hit request on this so fast, I think I took P1!

Impressed with the depiction of F1 in this book—the vibe, the schedule, the driver and team dynamics, the process, the drama—it takes an active role in this book instead of it just being about two guys who happen to be F1 drivers.

I struggled with Harper’s character so much at the beginning, I almost DNF—it wasn’t realistic to me that a driver of this caliber would be so undisciplined and reckless when given such a coveted chance. There was surprisingly substantial character growth for a steamy open-door read though, and I’m glad I continued on.

Maybe not the best writing it could be, but sometimes I can overlook that in the name of fun, and this was a classic race to the finish steamy romcom. It’s not without some issues (hookups when one person is inebriated, seemingly fujoshi-geared, the lack of closure with Johannes storyline—unless he’s getting his own book, because we all know he was hooking up with Jackson, right?!), but a great mindless easy read!

I have really mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to love the story, particularly as an F1 fan - but at times it felt like it reinforced some unfortunate stereotypes and the “will they / won’t they” aspects of the enemies to lovers romance got a bit old. It was really well researched and the atmosphere was really great, but the prose and dialogue often got in the way of a good story - lots of telling heather than showing.

Kian Walker is the seasoned professional, while his new teammate is rookie, and playboy Harper James. At times I found their relationship really difficult, as Harper came across as really juvenile and a bit of therapy (and some communication skills) would’ve solved a lot of issues early. BUT I thought Harper’s character growth was really profound and I feel like his character had the most satisfying arc.

The author has done a great job at creating the F1 atmosphere, sprinkling in enough important info so the reader understands what’s happening and understands the lifestyle, but doesn’t get you too bogged down in the technical information, which I appreciated.

There were some interesting sub plots that I would’ve seen fleshed out, like Johannes’ breakup and Kian’s dad, Tyler - we don’t even get to see Kian explain to Harper about why he dislikes his dad, and I feel like that would’ve been a really powerful part of the story.

I think this story had a lot of potential but missed the mark for me. However if you are wanting a f1 x red, white and royal blue crossover - with:
☑️ slow burn
☑️ forced proximity
☑️ super star x rookie
☑️ age gap
☑️ mm

Thank you to Rebecca J Caffery, One More Chapter (Harper Colins) and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to review.