If you’re a fan of Heated Rivalry, definitely check out First to Finish by Rebecca J. Caffery!

I absolutely devoured Pole Position two summers ago, so I was super excited for book 2 in the series! This book brought me so much joy; I absolutely loved Caleb as the wonderful stud muffin loverboy for Johannes and the two of them together made my heart happy.

The story begins with F1 driver, Johannes, getting dumped by workaholic/soon-to-be principal of the rival F1 team, Jackson, who kept Johannes a secret and strung him along for two and a half years. Johannes is heartbroken and has no one to turn to since the relationship was a secret, but he’s really down in the dumps and his driving is also a disaster. Caleb is Johannes’s young new race engineer and makes it his goal to raise Johannes’s spirits, which soon causes Johannes to realize that Caleb is really sweet, thoughtful, and attractive - and the feeling is mutual!

I loved this absolutely bingeable book and Caleb is just the cutest sweetest man. There are so many amazing friendships and touching moments in this book, it just made me smile and feel good about the world!

Read for:
🏎️ F1 driver x Race engineer
🏎️ Secret relationship
🏎️ Bad at love
🏎️ MM romance
🏎️ Workplace romance
🏎️ Forced proximity
🏎️ Roommates
🏎️ He cooks for him
🏎️ F1 romance
🏎️ Acts of service

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360/One More Chapter for the ARC!

IG link will be added closer to release date when post is uploaded.

Such an unlikely choice for me as I am not typically a fan of racing but having recently watched the movie F1 I thought I'd give it a shot. This was a fun finding love after heartbreak romance, only within the macho world of racing. Of course, Johannes is not only a top athlete, but a model and a millionaire, and Caleb is the Ginger who loves him back to the top of the racing world. He's sort of like the girl in the movies with the glasses and when she takes them off suddenly everyone can see that she's beautiful, except in Caleb's case, it's when he takes off his baggy team logo polo shirt and reveals abs that he 'becomes' hot.

Actually, Jo was already falling for Caleb because for the first time in over 3 years, he was in the presence of an adult who actually cared for him, listened to him, anticipated his needs, remembered what he liked etc. Being seen that way, after being the 'dirty secret' in a gaslighting romance, is intoxicating.

I also enjoyed the fact that most of the racers were friendly rivals, rather than cutthroat bitter rivals, instigating crashes and what not. It was nice to read about a group of friends that supported each other, gave space when needed but also were willing to confront each other when needed.

This was a nice read.

I need everyone who loved Heated Rivalry to stop what they're doing and preorder this book immediately.

First to Finish is everything I want in a sports romance—rivals with history, tension so thick you could choke on it, and an enemies-to-lovers arc that earns every single beat. Caffery understands that the best rivalries aren't built on hate; they're built on obsession, on knowing someone so well it's almost intimate, on wanting to destroy them and wanting them in equal measure.

And she sets it in Formula 1. FORMULA ONE. The glamour, the danger, the egos, the insane pressure—it's the perfect backdrop for a romance this combustible. Caffery clearly knows the sport and uses it beautifully, weaving the racing world into the relationship so seamlessly that you feel the adrenaline of both.

The pacing is impeccable. The slow burn actually burns. The banter is sharp and genuinely funny, but when things get emotional, Caffery doesn't flinch—she goes there, and it wrecked me in the best way.
I was feral in the margins. I was kicking my feet. I was sending unhinged voice notes to friends who haven't even read it yet.

If you're a Heated Rivalry devotee, if you've been waiting for F1 romance to have its moment, if you just want a rivals-to-lovers that understands the assignment—this is the one.

Bottom line: Rivals. Racing. Yearning that made me lose my mind. An instant favorite.

I couldn’t put down First to finish and ended up reading it in a single day. From the start I felt drawn to the story and lost track of time. It was fast paced and had a good amount of spice without taking away from the actual plot.
My favorite scene was the music festival which felt so heartwarming and I could visualize it so well. I also loved how I could feel the anticipation building up during the world championship.
The characters were amazing and I especially loved their friendships. The only critique I have is it felt slightly flat and the story would’ve been stronger with more moments between the two main characters. Overall this was such a fun read and I’m excited to read more books in this series!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a big F1 fan, this was such a well done racing story!
I appreciated the level of research done about racing, from the different circuits, mentioning DRS (RIP), to tire compounds, it was very accurate and I felt like I was watching actual races.

Johannes is a good example of top tier F1 driver, and I loved his ending and character arc. He began as a character who had last their edge and zeal for their sport, but has great development. Being someone’s dirty little secret shattered his self worth and caused him immense pain, so I loved how Caleb came into the mix. I appreciated how Caleb took such good care of Johannes and noticed the small things about him. It was nice to see Johannes accept everything he’s worthy of and that he can depend on his racing family. 

I loved how close their inner circle was and how the different drivers were close friends. Having a lot of knowledge about the grid, I could picture other actual driving duos that have the same teammate chemistry and level of closeness. There was something cozy and endearing about the bonds between drivers in such a high tension and high stakes environment. In F1, every millisecond counts as drivers battle it out to be world champion. The drivers themselves have immense pressure on them, as their fans and teams depend on them to get great results. It was awesome to see all of the wins throughout the plot, from races to relationships!

Overall, this was a very bingable and enjoyable read! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

it was really cute and definitely different from Pole Position. I did think that romance was very quick and the one moment were they did break up so

First to Finish was a true treat from beginning to end. F1 is not a sport I often read about in sports romances, so being introduced to it through this book was honestly the perfect way to start. From the first chapter to the last, I felt completely pulled into the story.

This book was such a fun and adventurous read. The character development was amazing. I really felt connected to the characters and invested in everything they were going through. It had just the right amount of comedy to make me laugh, but also enough depth and emotion to keep it meaningful. The balance was perfect.

Overall, I would give this book a five out of five. I will definitely be recommending it to others when it releases. It was the perfect introduction to something new for me, and I am so glad I was given the chance to read it.

I could not put this book down. Read it in almost one sitting, with a small break for dinner. I loved the relationship between Johannes and Caleb. It felted honest and earned. I appreciated that they both acknowledged the potential perceived power imbalance in such a relationship and took steps to ensure that didn't happen. They were both hurt by relationships previously and it was sweet to watch them learn together what love can actually be and how to feel safe with each other.

My only complaint is that Caleb is American but clearly uses British terms. It took me out of the story a bit at first but I just chalked it up to him spending so much time traveling with the team that he picked them up.

Overall, this was a great read and I'll definitely be recommended it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Cheers to my first F1 read! I know next to nothing about this sport (other than the fact that they drive cars super fast. Duh.) so the whole team dynamic, schedule, point system, etc. was really cool to experience.

Johannes and Caleb don’t really know each other. Johannes knows that Caleb is the brains behind his car; the one who keeps it running at top performance. And Caleb knows that Johannes is one of the best drivers in the world… and he’s hot.

After after Johannes experiences an embarrassing bout of alligator tears and a subsequent devastating race, Caleb takes it upon himself to become johannes’s new “person”, and help get him back in the groove so the rest of his season doesn’t tank. Anything for the good of the team, right?

The more these two hang out and get to know each other, the more you can feel the tension.

I loved that I got to read their internal thoughts around the tension and yearning, especially when they both want the same thing. But for the sake of the team and both of their careers, they try to carry on without acting on it.

I would consider this a slower burn, but the buildup to it made it absolutely worth it. Seeing them become friends before anything else was so wholesome and healing.

Some of this story did feel a little drawn out and repetitive, but again, this ultimately made us want that electric and inevitable collision to happen even more.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebecca J Caffrey for this ARC opportunity ❤️

Did I download this and then devour it in one sitting? Maybe. Have I been frothing at the mouth for Jo's story since Pole Position ended? Maybe. Was it everything I wanted and more? One hundred percent.

I'm a huge F1 fan, so I am picky about which F1 romances I read. Some are too unrealistic, or seem like they've been written by someone who has never watched a race. First to Finish has none of those problems. Rebecca is clearly an avid F1 fan. It might seem little far-fetched that an F1 driver could come out without repercussions but the story is so well done it is at the point that it feels like we could almost dare to hope it could happen.

Like the first book in the series, this is a romance with lots of depth and emotional feels. I laughed and I cried along with Jo and Caleb, and felt their stress almost like it was my own. Rebecca's heart-wrenching moments can be achingly sad, but they do make the ending that much sweeter.

Please say Nils' story is next!

First to Finish was a fun read. The characters were sexy and relatable. The story was interesting and engaging. If you like lgbtq stories, you will definitely enjoy this novel.

I could not put this down. I loved the first one and this one is even better. Jo and Caleb’s slow growing relationship was so fun to read about. I loved the uniqueness of their forced proximity. The found family aspect is so good in this too. Their friend group are a fun bunch to read about. There were some inaccuracies in the verbage from the characters, but that didn’t impact my reading experience. I still enjoyed it a lot.

If you enjoyed Pole Position you’ll probably enjoy First to Finish, though the characters and relationship are different, the writing style and storytelling is still very similar. I remember think “what’s up with johnannes??” When reading Harper’s POV in the first book so I’m really glad we finally got his story as well. I really enjoyed both Johanne’s and Caleb’s POV and their blossoming relationship. I do understand the slight forbiddeness and the “we really shouldn’t” which makes the longing soooo good. I’m not gonna lie I was frustrated with the third act conflict and it also felt a little out of character for Caleb but I really quickly moved passed it.

This book was perfect to read during the start of the new F1 season! It’s always enjoyable to pop into a story that is behind the scenes and involved in a sport. The push and pull of the relationship and the decision to be together or not was done so well. Overall the story is well done and is very enjoyable. Had a great time and it left me wanting to know more about these characters and their lives.

First to Finish was such a fun and emotional read, especially as someone who loves both F1 and the romance genre. I was immediately drawn to this series when I saw the first book was Pole Position, one that's been on my TBR.

Seeing the world of racing woven into this character-driven love story was so amazing. I like that the tension between Johannes and Caleb builds in a way that also allows each of them to learn more about themselves as individuals along the way, and as they both navigate their individual heartaches. There's a fine line between healing from heartbreak in a new relationship and using that relationship as the sole means of getting over the heartbreak, and I thought Rebecca did a great job of striking that balance. Johannes learned to start choosing himself, and moreover, to choose someone that's going to do the same.

I did think there was going to be more of a conflict in terms of them coming out at all, but Hayden and Kian being out as gay made it seem like it's not a huge deal in F1, although I don't think that's accurate. But, I understand, for the sake of the series, that it needed to work out like that. I also did like that Johannes and Hayden had a history, because, in my experience, that overlap can be present in the queer community, so I found that to be accurate.

Johannes and Caleb's relationship was especially meaningful because it was something that was so new to both of them. Circumstances of their relationship aside, it seemed like they both had come from a place of feeling unlovable, or maybe not worth the effort. And, with their circumstances, they had to constantly show each other that they were worth the risk, and I think that went a long way for both of them. And, the inclusion of Johannes in Caleb's family while Johannes didn't have that much of a family presence, really warmed my heart. I also liked the elements of found family within their race team and friends. I liked the dynamic of Johannes and Hayden, and the way Hayden was able to be honest with Johannes and call him out the way a friend lovingly would.

I felt like overall, this was such a heartfelt romance with strong emotional beats, great tension, and compelling character arcs for everyone. Finishing up this book left me very excited to go back and read Pole Position, and seeing more love stories in this universe bloom.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

First to Finish was an entertaining and enjoyable read that kept me interested from start to finish. The characters had great chemistry and strong personalities. The pacing moved well and the book held my attention the whole time. Overall, it was a fun read and a really satisfying reading experience. 💗

Thank you NetGalley and Rebecca J Caffrey for this ARC opportunity.💗

I really enjoyed this book! I don't usually read MM romance books but this one really got me. My hear broke for Johannes in the beginning, I'm glad Caleb was there to bring him out of the funk he was in and give him the love he deserved. Thank you Net Galley and Harper 360 for allowing me to read this book!

OBSESSED DOESNT BEGIN TO COVER IT.

I think I liked this even more than Pole Position. This book follows formula 1 driver, Johannes, as he is coming off heartbreak that is impacting his driving. Enter his new hot race engineer, Caleb, one of the youngest engineers and still working on his PHD.

This book does such a great job bringing in a lot F1 aspects, not just the romance. On top of that I LOVED the romance, the banter, and everything about them. I loved seeing Jo believe in himself again after a secret ex put him in a terrible position. I loved seeing Caleb shine as an engineer.

Though probably not realistic of no consequences to this relationship, it was amazing. I also think the other strong part of this book was the found family. Seeing our friends Kian and Harper from Pole Position, as well as Cole, Ash, and newbie Nils was very fun and I felt like I got to know all of them so well.

If you love F1 and romance - pick up this queer gem!!!

I’m absolutely obsessed with this one! Just like in Book 1, Rebecca J. Caffery captures the drama of a Formula 1 season in a way that feels incredibly authentic for fans of the sport while still being easy to follow if you’re new to the genre. But what really stole my heart was the sweet domesticity between Johannes and Caleb.

Johannes has already done the whole torrid secret-affair thing—and it was miserable. After that heartbreak, falling for Caleb feels like the complete opposite. Their relationship is built on showing up for each other and genuinely appreciating how amazing the other person is. Jo is constantly thinking, “he’s the smartest person in this sport,” while Caleb looks at Jo like he’s the biggest star in the world. It’s incredibly sweet. Even with the real-life pressures of race weekends, their admiration for each other never fades.

They also build such a wonderful circle of friends along the way, which makes me even more excited to continue the series and see who gets their love story next.

I cannot recommend this enough.

I really enjoyed this one and ended up flying through it.

One of my favorite parts of the story was watching Johannes work through the emotional fallout from his previous relationship. His healing felt really genuine, and I appreciated that the book actually gave that process space instead of rushing past it.

Caleb was such a sweet counterpart to that journey. I loved the way he showed up for Johannes in small, quiet ways — the little gestures throughout the book made their relationship feel warm and supportive.

The only things keeping this from being a full 5 stars for me were a couple structural things. The third-act breakup didn’t totally land for me, mostly because it felt a little out of character for Caleb. Up until that point he’d been so patient and understanding that the conflict felt a bit forced compared to the rest of their dynamic.

I’ll also admit that some of the detailed racing scenes went a bit over my head — I’m definitely here for the romance first and the car racing second 😂

That said, I had a great time with this and will absolutely keep reading this series. If my guess is right and the next book is Nils’s story, I’ll definitely be picking it up.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY & REBECCA J CAFFERY for the opportunity to read this ahead of release for a honest review.
I just finished First to Finish and I honestly have zero complaints. I AM OBSESSED WITH JOHANNES & CALEB!!..I had so much fun with this book! It's the second interconnected book in the Pole Position series, following Johannes (a driver in a slump and a break up) and Caleb (the brilliant PhD student/engineer trying to save his season).
I was hooked from the very beginning. The growth both characters go through is so rewarding to watch. Even though they have an immediate spark, I loved that the author took the time to build the tension rather than jumping straight into "insta-love." It made the eventual payoff so much better.
This is a F1 romance. You get all the behind the scenes grit, and the races are described in such detail from both POVs. Whether you're a die hard F1 fan or just love a good romance, this is a 10/10 recommendation from me!

Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an eARC.

If you love spicy F1 romances, forced proximity, and a driver/engineer dynamic, this one absolutely delivers.

Johannes is having the season of his career, until suddenly he isn’t. The confidence that once made him unstoppable on the track starts slipping away, and his performance follows. Caleb is his race engineer and he’s determined to help his driver find his way back to the front of the grid.

Except somewhere between race strategy, late nights, and radio chatter, their tension starts turning into something a lot more personal.

I adored Johannes and Caleb and watching their relationship slowly shift from professional frustration to genuine affection. Their chemistry was fantastic, but what really sold the romance for me were the little things, like Caleb quietly delivering Johannes coffee with a sweet treat. Those small moments made their connection feel incredibly genuine.

The found family cast around them was also a highlight. The group dynamics were funny, chaotic, and supportive in the best way.

The post race watch moment had me giggling. If you know, you know.

Also, we all know I’m a little biased when it comes to drivers who wear orange

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this lovely eARC in exchange for an honest review. I had a great time reading this.

I really enjoyed this book a lot! Even though I didn't read Pole Position (the first book in this interconnected series), I was still able to get into the story pretty quickly. This was also my first time reading an F1 romance and I'm not very familiar with Formula 1 at all, but I was still able to get into the story pretty quickly and ended up really liking the world and the characters. This was such a cute, heartwarming romance and I loved the slow burn between Johannes and Caleb. Their relationship felt very realistic to me and I liked that it focused on trust and emotional connection instead of it just being the romance. It had some spicy moments too, but it never felt like too much and fit the story really well.

I really liked the found family. Even though I didn't read the first book, I still really liked all the side characters and the dynamics and friendships within the team made the story feel so realistic. Overall this was such a cute read and recommend this to anyone who loved Heated Rivalry! I definitely want to go back and read Pole Position now, and I'm really excited to read more from Rebecca J. Caffery. I really enjoyed her writing!

Tropes: slow burn, workplace romance, forbidden romance, found family, sports romance, friends to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract, queer romance, formula 1 romance, acts of service, friends to lovers

4.5 stars
2.5 chili peppers

As someone who knows next to nothing about F1, I really appreciated how easy it was to slot into this world and be consumed by the characters and plot. The technical aspect of the sport was written in a way that was easy to understand and it only enhanced the story.

As someone who reads a lot of sports romance books and MM romance books, I really enjoyed the fact that both of these characters were openly out at the start of this story. In my experience, most MM sports romance books usually involve one or both of the characters having their awakening as part of the central conflict. It was really refreshing to not have that be a part of the storyline.

The relationship that progressed between the characters was sweet and believable. Late stage miscommunication typically bugs me, but for this storyline, it made sense.

I do wish there was more spice in this book. It was listed on Netgalley under “erotica” and the description noted 4 chili peppers, but the spice that was in the book was mostly glossed over. It did not take anything away from the plot, it just was not what I was expecting as a reader.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I will definitely be adding it to my list of recommendations.

Simply lovely!!!

This book should be illegal for how cute it was!!!!
These two stole my heart with how sweet and flirty they were 😩, they made me scream and smile like a fool so many times.
Their relationship was so beautiful. They fell in love without pressure and when they least expected it 😭

Jo (f1 driver) has just gone through a breakup. His ex was someone who didn’t value him and slowly broke him throughout their relationship, affecting his performance on the track…Jo was devastated and angry because he never was a priority to his ex. And the…boom, Caleb (his race engineer) enters the picture and steals Jo’s heart, showing him that love does exist and that sometimes it’s just a matter of time before you find the right person. That sometimes you have to go through a few bumps before finding the one❤️‍🩹

This book shows that after someone who doesn’t value you, the right person will come along, someone who makes you feel whole, and who stands by you through the good and the bad❤️‍🩹

As for the f1 side, I think the author handled it really well, showing how intense the pressure is for drivers fighting to win the WDC, as well as the hard work of the race engineers.

Honorable mention to Harper!!! His friendship with Jo is one of the sweetest and most fun parts of the book. Oh and reading about Kian and Harper’s wedding made me miss them 😭 Also I’m very (very) intrigued by Nils, maybe he’ll get his own book?👀👀👀

thank you netgalley for providing this arc!

i had such a lovely time with this!! i really enjoyed the way their friendship developed and the tension of them trying to ignore the pull they have to each other. caleb was very sweet with his acts of service and really showing johannes that he’s being valued even when no one knew about their relationship. i didn’t connect as much to johannes but i felt for him throughout the book dealing with his ex and navigating the hurt he was left with. in the 3rd act conflict, i didn’t love how caleb reacted, i feel like he’d have a bit more sympathy instead of immediately lashing out, but once that was resolved (which luckily didn’t get drawn out) it was really great how they communicated. i’m also so glad this didn’t go a certain direction with the workplace “taboo” of it all and it was handled easily. another great book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebecca Caffery for the ARC!

I read the first book in this series a few months back and when I got approved for this one I was so excited. This book was so addicting and I feel like it really did justice to what F1 is like. It had a great balance of romance but also what reality is for people in sports. I also just love Johannes and Caleb together. They fit so well together and their relationship made my heart melt. ♥️

2nd in the series, but easily read as a stand alone - although now I want to read the first book.

Set in the F1 world, it follows a top driver and his race engineer as they navigate the racing world and romance. I like the focus on the made family within the teams that travel together. The characters are great, the storyline is solid - I wish the writer had a little more knowledge of the race world to make this seem more realistic. Easy, fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy!

This review contains minor spoilers.

When I first started First to Finish, I found it a bit confusing since the story jumps right into Johannes’s relationship struggles without much context. As someone who hadn’t read the first book beforehand, I do wonder if that initial confusion would have been less noticeable with that background.

That said, the story quickly pulled me in and became a fast-paced, engaging read. Once I got my footing, I was fully invested in the characters and their journey.

I really loved the relationship between Caleb and Johannes. Their dynamic was compelling and easy to root for, but I do wish we had seen their relationship develop over a longer period of time. At times, it felt like Caleb may have been more of a rebound given how heartbroken Johannes was at the start, and the almost-instant connection made me a little nervous for him.

However, the author does a great job adding depth later in the story, and the separation between them helped strengthen their relationship and made their connection feel more earned.

Overall, I really enjoyed both characters and was so happy to see they got their HEA. A fun, fast-paced romance that kept me engaged throughout!

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲

This is book 2 in the Pole Position series from Rebecca Caffery but can be read as a standalone.

This was an INCREDIBLE second book, with phenomenal emotional maturity and growth for our two main characters.

I was hooked right from the beginning, when we meet Johannes Müller during his truly gut-wrenching breakup from his ex in a secret relationship. His heartbreak felt so raw and real, and I really felt his devastation. Enter Caleb, Johannes’ new race engineer and a PHD candidate who shows up for Johannes and supports him through the initial devastation, and sets them both up for some immediate chemistry. The perfection of an acts of service man was so well done in this book, I loved Caleb from the beginning!

The F1 terminology was easy to understand even for someone who is not an F1 fan but felt natural and wasn’t overly bogged down. I really liked the elements of racing/engineering that were included!

And the romance!!! Chefs kiss all around, it was so special and the spice was good but I especially loved the tender moments between Caleb and Johannes, even just wanting to be together to spend the night and sleep next to the person they care about 🥹

"𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰. 𝘈 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭'𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦?"

Read if you like:
🏎️ F1 romance
🏎️ caretaking
🏎️ opposites attract
🏎️ friends to lovers
🏎️ forced proximity
🏎️ workplace romance
🏎️ forbidden romance

Many thanks to HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review ✨

This is a cute and quick one for anyone looking for a relatively low drama, easy read.

It's a slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance that honestly is just sweet. Everything about Caleb and Johannes just makes you feel good. It's been a long time since I have read a book where every character is just a giant green flag and I really needed that.

I really enjoyed the side characters here as well, I think the first book in this series is about Kian and Harper. I haven't read that one yet but I never felt lost or like I was missing anything here. Hopefully, the next book is about Nils because I fell in love with him and need more of his story.

This is full of mutual pining and sexual tension, and they're so goooood!

First to Finish is Johannes and Caleb's story.

These two are so good together - the unwavering support and admiration they have for each other just radiates off the pages. And they're so insanely attracted to each other (so much sexual tension!), which I love so much. And they're such an underrated power couple, both of them strong, independent, and insanely competent at what they do.

I will say that this book could be a standalone, but honestly it throws you in the deep end in regards to their friend group, the F1 organizations, and the racing terminology. From the first pages I felt like I was missing key stuff, so I stopped, read the first book, then came back to this one and felt a lot less lost and confused. The couple from the first book features a lot in this one too. So to get the most out of First to Finish, I'd recommend reading Pole Position first.

I'm looking forward to the next book, and I'm crossing my fingers for Jackson's story next! That idiot deserves some pain and suffering and I want to see him really have to work for his character growth and HEA.

I enjoyed this one even more than the first. Johannes and Caleb were perfect together. F1 driver X Race engineer who just get each other. Read if you enjoy: racing, found family, getting coffee as a love language, and workplace romance.

I loved Pole Position and so I was so excited to read this! I loved Caleb and Johannes. I felt the feelings part was a little rushed - but ultimately I was won over by their sweet connection! I definitely need Nil’s story.

This was it! After reading Pole Position the first book, and then hearing this was going to be the second book. I was thrilled, such a good read... absolutely enjoyed reading this.

First to Finish has it all:
Opposites attract
Forced Proximity
Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Sports romance

What more could want!

A big thank you to Netgalley, Harper 360 and One More Chapter for this arc.

I really enjoyed this book! I have no words! I can’t wait to read more books from Rebecca J. Caffery.

Thank you Harper 360 for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

ARC Review: First to Finish by Rebecca J. Caffery
Pub Date: October 20, 2026

Johannes Muller is a star Formula 1 driver but has been in a slump and is not performing as well as he can - his secret boyfriend (who also works for a different team) of the last 3 years breaks up with him and he hasn't been able to tell anyone about their relationship. Johannes' race engineer Caleb is determined to get Johannes out of his slump and back into the competition for the championship. What starts out as a genuine friendship turns into much more even though both Caleb and Johannes know the possible hurdles they will have to navigate.

One of the things I loved is how Caleb showed Johannes that he didn't want to hide him or their relationship away after he was so used to being ignored and hidden away. It was really sweet to see how Johannes realizes this is how he has always deserved to be treated. I really loved the domestic scenes of Caleb and Johannes staying at Johannes' apartment and Johannes' cooking for them. I also loved the inclusion of the racing scenes and having more insight into the Formula 1 world.

I was really really enjoying this book and the level of angst. And then...the third act breakup made me SO grumpy. All Caleb and Johannes needed to do was have a conversation and instead they wait multiple days only to have a 2 minute conversation and then be back together just like that. I needed either more angst or just a conversation and no breakup!

This book was so good, I highly recommend it and read it so fast. I messaged @djreadsbooks at 40% saying how amazing this book was and oh my gosh read it asap! I think this author does an amazing job getting realistic race chapters in while also having enough relationship story to have you really invested in the characters. I enjoy when both characters are in the race field, like this one was the driver and lead engineer because it lends to that balance because their story doesn’t stop at the track but continues on. I mean there was a on track scene that was so cute and heartwarming. At one point I looked at my husband with a huge grin and said “I have been reading what felt like a real race of these fictional characters for the past 10 minutes” and I was completely engaged, so for those who still need to read maybe this book will help you get through a empty month of races in April. I so hope for more on this series, there is a character introduced that I want his story so bad, he was such a wonderful side character. Check out this book!

i really enjoyed this! i think the dialogue could have been more natural and bantery, but overall, it was a fun read and i liked their relationship development

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC!

I don't even know where to begin, this book was amazing! I had high hopes after the first book and this one did not disappoint! Highly recommend picking up this book!

First of all, the coworker dynamic can sometimes be messy especially if one seems to have more power or pull than the other but the author did a great job addressing that issue and making it a real discussion the characters had. Caleb and Johannes were so cute together but their mutual respect for each others lives made them absolutely perfect. Separately they had so much to work through from past traumas but they really made each other stronger and help each other.

The setting of this book was great, it as fast paced but that made their quiet moments together all the more special. I especially loved their support system and all the friends they got to travel with. I'm so glad Jo and Harper expanded their group, everyone was amazing, but also loved that we still got to see moments of just Johannes and Harper being themselves like in the first book.

I have very few critiques of this book, most are so small that they aren't worth bringing up, but one issue I had was the timeline, I wish each chapter was titled with a month and year or that they were referenced in the chapters because I had such a hard time figuring out where this book took place compared to the first book and its epilogue. Once I thought I figured it out something would be mentioned that threw my timeline off, I could never tell if the book had inconsistencies or if I was just wrong and confused.

Overall, I can't say enough good things about this book, loved seeing Harper and Kian together and where Kian's life has taken him. All the side characters were so sweet, I need everyone's stories immediately!! Even if they are little prequel novellas! The first book was giving Heated Rivalry, Ilya and Shane, while this one gave Game Changer, Kip and Scott, and I loved every second of it. If you love the Game Changer series, pick up these books immediately!

Thanks again for this opportunity and please continue this series ASAP!!!