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kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Title: How You Get the Girl
Author: Anita Kelly
Series: Love & Other Disasters #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 13, 2024
I received a complimentary eARC from Forever, a division of Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Mature • Charming • Authentic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When smart-mouthed Vanessa Lerner joins the high school basketball team Julie Parker coaches, Julie’s ready for the challenge. What she’s not ready for is Vanessa’s new foster parent, Elle Cochrane—former University of Tennessee basketball star. While star-struck at first, soon Julie persuades Elle to step into the unfilled position of assistant coach for the year.
Even though Elle has stayed out of the basketball world since an injury ended her short-lived WNBA career, the gig might be a way to become closer to Vanessa—and to spend more time with Julie, who makes Elle laugh. As the coaches grow closer, Elle has a hard time understanding how Julie is single. When Julie reveals her lifelong insecurity about dating and how she wishes it was more like sports—being able to practice first—it sparks an intriguing idea. While Elle still doubts her abilities as a basketball coach, helping Julie figure out dating is definitely something she can do. But as the basketball season progresses, and lines grow increasingly blurred, Julie and Elle must decide to join the game—or retreat to the sidelines.
💭 T H O U G H T S
How You Get the Girl, the third book in the Love & Other Disasters series by Anita Kelly, was quickly added to my 2024 most anticipated list after I read (and absolutely adored) Something Wild & Wonderful last year. I was grateful to get access to an eARC ahead of release and went into it completely blind.
Written in dual POVs, this Sapphic romcom introduced the reader to realistic and flawed characters that felt like friends. As a sport fan, I enjoyed the sports content. But I would say it's more sports adjacent than a sports romance. The aspect is fairly present in the beginning, but slowly fades as the narrative progresses. I think my enjoyment level would have been a little higher if the team and school setting would have played a larger role.
Anita Kelly writes and explores depression, chronic illness (migraines), queer identity, and fostering with great care. Certainly lighter in tone than book two, it still unpacks a lot - insecurity, injury, job displeasure, neglect. The chemistry between the two main characters was believable and they were so supportive of one another. I love how there are some real (albeit hard) conversations throughout and the themes of self discovery and found family were both fantastic.
Overall, How You Get the Girl wasn't Something Wild & Wonderful amazing, but it was still a solid romance with depth and great characters. I enjoyed getting a little glimpse into the lives of past characters and I definitely think I will be picking up book one at some point. I will continue to keep my eye on what this author publishes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• women's basketball fans
• readers looking for queer romance
⚠️ CW: mental illness, anxiety, depression, addiction, alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorder, chronic illness, sexual content, addiction, foster care, injury/injury detail, abandonment, acephobia/arophobia, cursing
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"That labels weren’t meant to confine, only to bring comfort to those for whom they were useful. That Julie didn’t need to ascribe to any of them, if she didn’t want to"
"Any relationship that’s worthwhile, whether it’s friendship or romantic or sexual, only really works when you try."
Author: Anita Kelly
Series: Love & Other Disasters #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 13, 2024
I received a complimentary eARC from Forever, a division of Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Mature • Charming • Authentic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When smart-mouthed Vanessa Lerner joins the high school basketball team Julie Parker coaches, Julie’s ready for the challenge. What she’s not ready for is Vanessa’s new foster parent, Elle Cochrane—former University of Tennessee basketball star. While star-struck at first, soon Julie persuades Elle to step into the unfilled position of assistant coach for the year.
Even though Elle has stayed out of the basketball world since an injury ended her short-lived WNBA career, the gig might be a way to become closer to Vanessa—and to spend more time with Julie, who makes Elle laugh. As the coaches grow closer, Elle has a hard time understanding how Julie is single. When Julie reveals her lifelong insecurity about dating and how she wishes it was more like sports—being able to practice first—it sparks an intriguing idea. While Elle still doubts her abilities as a basketball coach, helping Julie figure out dating is definitely something she can do. But as the basketball season progresses, and lines grow increasingly blurred, Julie and Elle must decide to join the game—or retreat to the sidelines.
💭 T H O U G H T S
How You Get the Girl, the third book in the Love & Other Disasters series by Anita Kelly, was quickly added to my 2024 most anticipated list after I read (and absolutely adored) Something Wild & Wonderful last year. I was grateful to get access to an eARC ahead of release and went into it completely blind.
Written in dual POVs, this Sapphic romcom introduced the reader to realistic and flawed characters that felt like friends. As a sport fan, I enjoyed the sports content. But I would say it's more sports adjacent than a sports romance. The aspect is fairly present in the beginning, but slowly fades as the narrative progresses. I think my enjoyment level would have been a little higher if the team and school setting would have played a larger role.
Anita Kelly writes and explores depression, chronic illness (migraines), queer identity, and fostering with great care. Certainly lighter in tone than book two, it still unpacks a lot - insecurity, injury, job displeasure, neglect. The chemistry between the two main characters was believable and they were so supportive of one another. I love how there are some real (albeit hard) conversations throughout and the themes of self discovery and found family were both fantastic.
Overall, How You Get the Girl wasn't Something Wild & Wonderful amazing, but it was still a solid romance with depth and great characters. I enjoyed getting a little glimpse into the lives of past characters and I definitely think I will be picking up book one at some point. I will continue to keep my eye on what this author publishes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• women's basketball fans
• readers looking for queer romance
⚠️ CW: mental illness, anxiety, depression, addiction, alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorder, chronic illness, sexual content, addiction, foster care, injury/injury detail, abandonment, acephobia/arophobia, cursing
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"That labels weren’t meant to confine, only to bring comfort to those for whom they were useful. That Julie didn’t need to ascribe to any of them, if she didn’t want to"
"Any relationship that’s worthwhile, whether it’s friendship or romantic or sexual, only really works when you try."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Acephobia/Arophobia
anxiety, depression, foster careimstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Sexual content, Cursing, and Drug use
Minor: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Acephobia/Arophobia, Eating disorder, Grief, and Transphobia
jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
How You Get the Girl is a heartwarming sapphic romance between a high school basketball coach and the former WNBA star that she's had a crush on for years. The slowburn romance mixed with the practice dating had me hooked. I couldn't stop reading and rooting for them to get together. I absolutely, 100% loved that they both jumped to take care of each other while they were struggling. It was such a stunningly realistic portrayal of what romance should look like.
Like everything I've read from Anita Kelly, HYGTG hit me right in the feels. Julie's struggles with her sexuality and her inexperience with romance and sex was handled so well. She's a character that feels like a warm hug. Elle's journey through the foster care system as she takes care of her niece was also handled with so much care. I teared up at so many point in this book because of how deeply I loved the characters.
I'm sad to say goodbye to the Love & Other Disasters universe, but I am also so excited to see what's next for Anita Kelly!!
Like everything I've read from Anita Kelly, HYGTG hit me right in the feels. Julie's struggles with her sexuality and her inexperience with romance and sex was handled so well. She's a character that feels like a warm hug. Elle's journey through the foster care system as she takes care of her niece was also handled with so much care. I teared up at so many point in this book because of how deeply I loved the characters.
I'm sad to say goodbye to the Love & Other Disasters universe, but I am also so excited to see what's next for Anita Kelly!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I adored Julie and Elle’s sports romance with a bit of workplace romance (since they end up coaching together!) & “it’s-just-for-practice” — suuuuure Jan! 😊
It’s been eight years since Elle’s infamous departure from the WNBA, after being the shining star of UT (University of Tennessee), and she is now the foster parent of her niece Vanessa, while her cousin Karly takes care of a few things. Elle enrolls Vanessa into Julie’s East Nashville High Bobcats basketball program so she had an extra curricular activity to participate in after school, since Elle’s work in medical billing at Vanderbilt University kept her from picking Vanessa up at 3pm. The CPS employee advised Elle to keep a close eye on Vanessa, as she is deemed a flight risk during the beginning of this foster period. Elle has also been navigating migraines, and unfortunately, her meetcute with Julie ends with one🥺
I really appreciated the nuance with which Elle’s experience of being a foster parent is highlighted; Elle clearly rooted for Karly, yet still held space for grief when reckoning with the fact that Vanessa, a kid she deeply loves and cares for, will not always be living with her or under her care. The foster care system has a lot of work to do, but I felt that AK handled this topic in the book with much grace, care, and the nuance it deserves.
On the other hand, Julie has been grappling with her own purpose in life; she adores coaching this high school basketball team, but her day job of alumni relations at Vanderbilt seems to only suck joy and energy out of her. Julie has also watched her loved ones accomplish such exciting things, like London going on a food competition tv show & meeting Dahlia, or Ben hiking the Pacific Crest Trail & meeting Alexei, his long distance boyfriend. Julie is happy for them, but can’t help but notice she is no longer the first one either of them come to for any big news anymore.
Julie is wrestling with her own sexuality and feelings of incompetency and shame around her lack of experience with romance and sex. She desperately wants to *know* herself, but labels don’t fit quite right. I thought this journey of exploration was illustrated so lovingly and realistically! Goofy side note: when Julie describes only ever being attracted to Elle Cochrane and Manny Jacinto from The Good Place, I nearly lost it with delight and giddiness. That’s a perfectly valid sexuality babe! I GET IT 🤤
I find the plotline of “I’ll help you practice being romantic or sexual” to be absolutely hilarious! I eat it up every time because I am sitting here like giggling and kicking my feet into the air calling them “silly goofy babies” hahaha. You two have sizzling hot chemistry, are clearly deeply invested in the other’s welfare, and have so much fun together; but sure, it’s just to help and to practice 🫡 This was written perfectly and I loved these two stumbling their way towards the inevitable epiphanies that this was indeed not just practice, and instead, was the real spankin’ deal!
The lil epilogue was a beautiful way to tie things up for our three favorite couples and their happily for nows🥹 I really would love to see this group of characters featured on a sitcom! They’re so precious, relatable, and goofy. I love them your honor!
steam rating: 3/5
I adored Julie and Elle’s sports romance with a bit of workplace romance (since they end up coaching together!) & “it’s-just-for-practice” — suuuuure Jan! 😊
It’s been eight years since Elle’s infamous departure from the WNBA, after being the shining star of UT (University of Tennessee), and she is now the foster parent of her niece Vanessa, while her cousin Karly takes care of a few things. Elle enrolls Vanessa into Julie’s East Nashville High Bobcats basketball program so she had an extra curricular activity to participate in after school, since Elle’s work in medical billing at Vanderbilt University kept her from picking Vanessa up at 3pm. The CPS employee advised Elle to keep a close eye on Vanessa, as she is deemed a flight risk during the beginning of this foster period. Elle has also been navigating migraines, and unfortunately, her meetcute with Julie ends with one🥺
I really appreciated the nuance with which Elle’s experience of being a foster parent is highlighted; Elle clearly rooted for Karly, yet still held space for grief when reckoning with the fact that Vanessa, a kid she deeply loves and cares for, will not always be living with her or under her care. The foster care system has a lot of work to do, but I felt that AK handled this topic in the book with much grace, care, and the nuance it deserves.
On the other hand, Julie has been grappling with her own purpose in life; she adores coaching this high school basketball team, but her day job of alumni relations at Vanderbilt seems to only suck joy and energy out of her. Julie has also watched her loved ones accomplish such exciting things, like London going on a food competition tv show & meeting Dahlia, or Ben hiking the Pacific Crest Trail & meeting Alexei, his long distance boyfriend. Julie is happy for them, but can’t help but notice she is no longer the first one either of them come to for any big news anymore.
Julie is wrestling with her own sexuality and feelings of incompetency and shame around her lack of experience with romance and sex. She desperately wants to *know* herself, but labels don’t fit quite right. I thought this journey of exploration was illustrated so lovingly and realistically! Goofy side note: when Julie describes only ever being attracted to Elle Cochrane and Manny Jacinto from The Good Place, I nearly lost it with delight and giddiness. That’s a perfectly valid sexuality babe! I GET IT 🤤
I find the plotline of “I’ll help you practice being romantic or sexual” to be absolutely hilarious! I eat it up every time because I am sitting here like giggling and kicking my feet into the air calling them “silly goofy babies” hahaha. You two have sizzling hot chemistry, are clearly deeply invested in the other’s welfare, and have so much fun together; but sure, it’s just to help and to practice 🫡 This was written perfectly and I loved these two stumbling their way towards the inevitable epiphanies that this was indeed not just practice, and instead, was the real spankin’ deal!
The lil epilogue was a beautiful way to tie things up for our three favorite couples and their happily for nows🥹 I really would love to see this group of characters featured on a sitcom! They’re so precious, relatable, and goofy. I love them your honor!
steam rating: 3/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Addiction
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