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!

Did I pick up this book because the title was a slightly dirty pun? Absolutely. Did I love it from start to finish? 100%. This is the second book I have read by Rebecca and both have been incredible. I absolutely ADORED Kian and Harper. Kian is such a grump at first and grappling with so much happening in his life both in racing and at home with his family. Harper is like an excited puppy at the start and he doesn’t understand why Kian hates him so much after he makes a comment about how amazing Kian’s father was as a racer. These two are absolute messes throughout this story but slowly start to pull it together. The chemistry between these two is off the charts and I could not wait for the moment they finally snapped and hooked up and it did not disappoint. Harper was my favorite character from the start because he clearly has some trauma and seeing his growth throughout this story was perfection. I loved how they pushed each other out of their comfort zones and gave each other the love they deserved. This book had me giggling like a fool with their banter, fanning myself when things got spicy, and then sobbing at emotional moments. I highly recommend it.

as an avid formula 1 fan, I was really excited to pick this up. most of the f1 romances involve a heterosexual pairing so this was going to be so exciting!

did I enjoy myself reading this book? yes and no. I don't think I was able to fall in love with the characters and their relationship. whether it was because of the dynamic or the fact that sometimes it felt like I was reading about teenagers insteads of adults. I just think that the book didn't have the best pacing and fell flat in some places.

I don't think it should lead people not to read it as I think it could be some people's cup of tea.

This has probably been my favorite F1 book I’ve read so far. I will say I’ve struggled to find one that I actually enjoy and Kian and Harper made it so enjoyable! I will say I didn’t expect this one to have deep undertones but I was called out so bad with Harper being someone who fears that everyone leaves him so he doesn’t necessarily stay and WOW that’s me, okay painful. I loved that these two were already confident in their sexuality and I just loved their overall dynamic. I will say the only thing that was a bit odd to me was when Harper was drunk and they began hooking up, I did like that Kian put a stop to it eventually but that’s something that might cause other readers to be uncomfortable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Adult Audio/One More Chapter, and Harper 30 for providing me with an egalley an audio arc of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I've been looking for a good F1 book. I'm a huge fan and follow pretty closely so I know a lot about the sport, the teams, some of the technology and engineering, even. This is not my first F1 book and so far they have all let me down in one way or another. I picked this one as it made sense to me to read a book in a male dominant field with the main characters as two males. Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations, either.
Let's start with the audio part of the book. I'm unsurprised the narrators use British voices but I will say Joshua Chase and James Joseph were similar enough that it was sometimes hard to tell them apart. This was annoying if I missed the title of the chapter saying who it was. I could usually pick it out once it got going as the narrators did make the voices of the characters unique enough with tone and inflection, plus the author definitely showed each personality of the characters. The narrator that did Harper's voice had a very low quality of his voice. Almost a whisper at times and I found myself having to rewind to hear what he said.
If the narrators not being to my liking wasn't enough, the entire story and plot line just fell short. I feel like the author needed to do a lot more research into F1. You can see some if it there, while at other times it's severely lacking. It's not believable that two F1 drivers would share a trailer for weeks on end while touring. It's not believable that a reserve driver is brought up and has zero understanding about how to talk to the media; he's getting his first trainings now? Seems highly unlikely. Finally, F1 is an expensive sport. You don't really see poor, orphaned kids who have zero support racing. Where is the money coming from? it just makes zero sense.
As I said above, the author did a good job making the two characters distinct. Kian as the stuck up, regimented driver who doesn't want to deviate from his schedule or be friends and Harper who is carefree and not caring who thinks what of him. He does as he pleases and has no inkling of how his actions hurt or injure others. This was truly the only part of the story that might be believable.
Did I feel the chemistry between these two? Not at all. Was their relationship (love/hate, I guess?) believable? Not really because the attraction they talk about (what the author tells us, rather than shows us) just didn't feel like it was really there. And, since this was the entire premise of the book, the growth of the characters felt stunted and overall underdeveloped. I felt zero connection or empathy for either of these characters. Even when the author gave us a bone and look into the background of the characters, which I would hope would help me connect, I just didn't care enough to feel badly for them in any way.
And the pacing was so slow! I just kept waiting for something to happen by even by 60%, when the characters have finally gotten together in some capacity, it was still just stunted. It dragged and I had to push and push and push to even care to finish it. Once I got annoyed enough with the narrators, I switched to Kindle version. But it did nothing to improve the story.
Overall, I'm completely underwhelmed with this title. There is a lot wrong and I feel like it needs another round of edits to point out where pacing could be picked up, characters could be developed, and story line could use some tweaks.

this was so stinkin CUTEEEEE but also angsty and smoldering
i was giggling so much
i've had terrible luck with racing romances but finally the curse is broken and oh what a perfect way to break it too
i will read anything rebecca writes 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

3.5 stars. While I loved the premise of this book, it fell a bit flat. Kian was just so nasty to Harper for so much of the book. Then it just flipped so fast. It is not a bad read by any means but I think could have been polished just a bit more. I would definitely read this author again as I think the writing has a lot of potential! Thank you so much for this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

If you enjoy a sports romance where rivals fall in love, then this is definitely a book for you. It was if course a fun romance to read with a bit of angst but I enjoyed the character development more. Both characters start off feeling a little lost and broken and work hard to become better versions of themselves.

This book had the tropes rivals to lovers, forced proximity, and hurt/comfort.

Alright I'm rating this one based on the romance and the vibes and my overall enjoyment.

I know nothing about racing and even I could tell that the author was a little shaky on the specifics. There is hardly any mention of the actual racing or terminology. We get "qualifiers" and "P2" etc and "cockpit" and one mention of the specific tires that I had to look up and thats... pretty much it. There are a few qualifiers and one, maybe two races on page. The focus is for sure on the romance with racing vibes for flavor.

As a grumpy x sunshine romance, this works well. Kian is so uptight and regimented, and Harper is so... not. He's kind of a dick and a playboy and every time he tries to get Kian (his idol) to notice him he shoots himself in the foot. It's kind of hilarious.

They do eventually work out their issues, which is fun, although I was disappointed to find certain scenes inexplicably missing that were imo really needed. Like when Harper finds out about Kian's dad and goes from worshipping him to hating him? That needed to be on page.

There's an obvious set up for a sequel about Harper's friend Johannes which I don't know if I'll read or not because it was so obviously left hanging? But I probably will check it out since I enjoyed this one.

I was happy that the author chose not to include too many spicy scenes, and the ones that are there are mercifully brief. I realize I'm in the minority but I read for the romance - not the spice.

I did appreciate the overall lack of homophobia in the book. Wasn't expecting that, and it was nice.

The audiobook was well done and the two narrators did a great job voicing their characters. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.

*Thanks to Harper 360, HarperAudio Adult and One More Chapter for providing an early copy for review.

While I didn’t love the characters in the beginning, I loved them by the end! Kian and Harper had great character development, and had such a heartwarming story. I loved the banter and found family elements!

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.

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.

📖 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐉. 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐲

“𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

I really enjoyed this F1 romance! There was plenty of spicy angst and tension between our two leading men, Kian & Harper.

Kian is nearing the end of his career and all he can focus on is his mother who is sick with Parkinson’s. He likes to be in control on and off the track but everything begins to fall into disarray when rookie Harper James becomes his new teammate.

Harper is a free spirit who has always idolized Kian and his famous family. Harper had a traumatic childhood and is still dealing with the aftermath of that. He has always crushed on F1 legend, Kian Walker, but their first encounter does not go as planned.

They get off to a rough start but once they got past their hold ups they were so good together! This was a spicy slow burn romance.

“𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?” 🤭❤️‍🔥

If you love F1 romances between two talented drivers, go add, 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐉. 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐲, to your TBR today!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🏎️ 𝘍1 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
🥇 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
🔥 𝘔/𝘔 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
💞 𝘖𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
🍷 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘱 (8𝘺𝘳𝘴)
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯