"Isn't there a chance it might be anyone's last season? I could crash this weekend and never be able to drive again, or Hendersohm could choose not to renew my contacts with them and no other team picks me up. And the same is true for any of us. It is what it is, and I'll cross that bridge at the end of the season. But if I go it'll be my choice."

Firstly thank you to netgalley for the Arc and now...

DAM where to begin... this book was an absolute smash hit, I LOVED the way Rebecca writes and how easily I was able to dive into the story after the plot got going.

I loved loved loved Kian since the first chapter, he was such a real and lovable character who I just grew to love even more, my beautiful bi-disaster boy AND JAMES HARPER OMG I never would have thought I would grow to love him so much.

he was such a chaotic monster but always hilarious but his growth as a person and a racers was so god! Seeing him acknowledge his flaws and that he needs help was such a breath of fresh air.

I love the way the author made their relationship and bond grow, she did a fantastic job bringing them together and their happy ending was the best thing in the world.

*SPOILERS*

I CAN'T BELIEVE THE WAY SHE BROUGHT THE PLOT TOGETHER AT ONE POINT I EVEN WONDERED IF KIAN AND JAMES WOULD END UP TOGETHER AND SUDDENLY I WAS CRYING BECAUSE THEY WERE SO IN LOVEEEEEEE

I absolutely adored all the silly mishaps they got through and their banter was epic!!!

The way we Kians arc about retirement was handled was so so amazing and I was crying with joy at the end

Rebecca truly an applause from me because you wrote an incredible book

This is a cute feel-good story. I really enjoyed Kian and Harper's story. This was a good quick read but I don't think it's one that's going to stay with me.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! F1 racing? Steamy scenes? Hell yes!!!! Definitely worth the read!

As a Formula 1 fan who is fairly new (pandemic era) to the sport, I have been looking for books with this particular setting. It’s such an underrated sport setting, and I’m glad I found this. The author knows her stuff, and it was refreshing to read from the business side of things.
I found the characters to be well written and complex. Family life was a large theme of this story from many angles, and it was presented well. Spice level was about. 3/5. I feel like a lot of it was added because that’s the way Harper showed his love in the beginning.
7/10 stars for good writing, style and knowledge.

Who among us doesn’t love a teammates to lovers story? This one tells the story of F1 teammates Kian (the seasoned veteran) and Harper (the rookie wild-child). It’s grumpy/sunshine adjacent and has the one teammate gets injured and the other loses it in a way that makes people go “they’re just teammates?” trope, which gets me every time 😍😍 Sweet Harper is a real idiot who wouldn’t know his feelings if they punched him in the face (and they do, multiple times!), but Kian just kinda gets him so it works.

I’m only peripherally familiar with F1, so I can’t speak to the accuracy of what’s written here, but it does play a pretty prominent role in the story for a sports romance. I had no issue following what was happening despite not knowing the sport.

When Pole Position landed on my desk, I thought, "Oh great, another sports romance." Little did I know how much I would fall in love with these characters. Damaged and defiant Harper meets his Grand Prix hero, Kian—his complete opposite. Kian is organized and focused to a fault, while Harper is struggling to find his way. Both are fighting to win—not just on the track, but in life and love.

The racing scenes are so vividly written I could almost smell the hot rubber and petrol. The storyline is excruciatingly relatable and deeply heartwarming. I found myself cheering one moment and bawling my eyes out the next.

Pole Position takes first prize. 🏁🏆 4.8 ⭐

"Hearts collide in Pole Position, where love is the real finish line." - Arc Review

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for gifting me an eARC of this book.

This was my first race car romance and it’s gonna be hard for any other to live up. First of all, let me say that the information provided about the sport was so detailed and appreciated as someone who isn’t a big watcher of racing but finds it interesting. It is clear that a lot of research was put into also making this informative and that gets points.

Now to the romaaannccceeeee! Kian and Harper were a pain first (yes both of them) because Harper was being irresponsible but Kian was being uber judgmental. I’m glad that as the story progressed the plot line also became more developed and though there was a bit of a missing link for me in one instance, I really had a blast reading this one.

Actual Rating: 4.5⭐️

(4.5 stars) Pole Position hits several of the sweet spots in queer sports romance without feeling tired or dragging on too long. A satisfying quick read, will be looking at her other sports titles!

As an F1 lover and romance book girlie this one was right up my alley. Forced proximity and rivals mixed with personal growth kept me drawn in and engaged!

3.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

Publishers, stop comparing every MLM romance to RWRB: Impossible Mode.

I wanted to love this novel. I really did. There were parts that I truly enjoyed and once Harper stopped being such an absolute dick and Kian opened up for once in his life, the two characters actually had something good together.

But so much of the book had the antagonism and dumb fighting that I expect from characters much younger than what these two were supposed to be. I didn't feel like the sudden change in Harper was earned, it felt too rushed and out of character. We needed to see more of the actual work on himself to BE better. 80% of the novel was them fighting or breaking up, so we never truly get a sense of them actually like each other, let alone loving each other.

I am hopeful for more from this author, though. I do wonder if she's setting something up for a sequel...

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book. I never read any Formula 1 racing book before so this was my first. I was not sure what to expect. Kian and Harper are perfect character for this one thats been racing for 15 years and the other is newer to the race. They have a big difference about them but thats why i think they clash so well together. So i see where it is related to the idea os Red White & Royal blue but in Formula 1. The relationship that builds between them is so sweet and just makes you want more. I would say i would love to see them back again. I want to read more of these two. I recommend for fans of formula 1 racing and m/m romance.

I love LGBTQIA+ romances and I love F1, so this book was a no brainer for me. Unfortunately it didn't really catch with me. I thought the characters were to Gary Stu-esque. I truly didn't feel the connection between the two of them.

Besides that two guys being extremely hot and cold with each other, it was a good read.

What a delight this book was! It took a few chapters to get used to the writing style. As an American reader, some of the uk-specific phrasing or spelling took a bit to adjust to. But l once I got a good reading rhythm, I was IN! I’ve never read an F1 book, nor do I follow the sport. Rebecca’s writing made it easy to digest with a good balance of the F1 world and the budding romance between Kian and Harper.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4
1.5 🌶️

🏎️ Rivals to lovers
🏁 Age Gap
🏎️ Found Family
🏁 Forced Proximity
🏎️ Workplace
🏁 MM / LGBTQIA+

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to read this ARC. All options are my own.

Pole Position focuses on two race car drivers, one entering the highest level of the sport, while the other may be leaving. After a teammate is injured, they must learn to get along. This is easier said than done, as the younger driver reminds the older driver of someone from his past, someone who he hates. Will they be able to get past their issues and get along? Could they possibly become even more than teammates? 👀

There was a lot more emotion in this story than I was initially expecting. These two have a lot of history that makes them forming a relationship really tricky. I was anticipating more spice than what was there, but there is still some. Some things did not quite line up in terms of career trajectory, but that wouldn't be something that people who don't watch racing would notice. Still a quick and easy read!

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This book was a fast easy read that had a DELIGHTFUL amount of spice. It scratched the F1 itch that I've been having, AND it had been the perfect book to add to the "Blind Date With a Book" shelf because everyone loves F1 rn.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I really enjoyed this one. I read it in less than 24 hours on vacation and it’s a great pool or beachside read. I liked getting to know about racing as I don’t know much about it. I enjoyed seeing our two characters figure their shit out and learn to love each other.

Kian Walker is the repeating champion of F1 racing focused on outshining his absent father (F1 legend with a reckless reputation). Heading into a new season he is ready to prove he still has more to do in the sport amongst rumors of retirement when he gets shocking news that his teammate is injured and rookie Harper James is being called up to fill the slot. James and Walker couldn't be more different and the new season in on of the most dangerous sports is off to a rough start.

My experience with Formula 1 is limited to one conversation with an Italian who was attempting to help me build confidence in my barely passable conversational skills and what I have read in romance novels so please take this with a grain of salt. After reading Pole Position I am starting to better understand his enthusiasm for the sport. I loved the inclusion of the various aspects of F1: statistics, car development, team dynamics, and press. I felt like I have a better understanding of the work involved not only for the driver but also the logistics. Rebecca Caffery found a great balance between the politics and nature of racing with the romantic relationship and family dynamics of the characters. I really enjoyed the character development of both Kian and Harper, both have significant emotional stumbling blocks and over the course of the book we see how they develop skills to navigate challenges and loss.


Content Warnings
Graphic:Death of parent, Sexual content, Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Abandonment
Minor:Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail

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!