Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Home Field Advantage

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE is another entry in the growing collection of YA books about embracing your queerness and your found family in red states hostile to queerness.
- I loved that both Jack and Amber were comfortable with their sexualities, if not both out and proud yet. I am also glad to see some butch representation with Jack, and also that this book is quite open about the characters' sex lives and urges: a lot of gay media in the past few decades has introduced gay characters but kept them quite chaste on screen, and that is not the case here.
- My one quibble with this book is that I just didn't feel like the characters talked like teenagers. They sounded much older, often using overly descriptive language in a way no real person does.

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bookstarbri's review

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hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a cute, fun read. It was actually 5 stars for me until the second half. That was when I started feeling weird towards Amber...I felt disconnected from her at the halfway point. It was difficult to find her likable after some of her decisions (in particular to how she treated Miguel and Jack at times). She was constantly trying to get ahead and I could empathize with her reasoning, but it made reading her POVs weird. I really liked Miguel a ton. He was cool and his character development was nice. He started off as an indifferent guy to how the team treated Jack until finally being able to stand up for what was right. In the end, Amber did as well, but her way there didn't feel as complete as his.

Overall, that was my biggest issue with this book: a lot of the issues brought up just sort of resolved without really feeling like they'd earned the resolution? Jack had some pretty big challenges in her life (her family, her friends, the team, etc.) and they all sort of seem like they're fixed after the big game. Yes, there was conflict and tension throughout, but there wasn't ever a moment for me where it felt like that was truly addressed adequately. Yet, at the end, it just sort of ended and everything was fine (not perfect, but suddenly everyone became better? Suddenly people at the school were finally starting to not completely suck? And I especially didn't like how Amber’s best friend suddenly regretted everything she'd done and apologized. It came so out of nowhere. Amber did what was right in the end, but it also seemed like she sort of just changed her mind one day to get there. That said, there was a lot I loved about this book that I have to point out: Miguel and Amber's friendship was beautiful, Amber was really great in the first half and then again in the last 3 chapters, Jack's POV was always fun to be in, and the entire story's concept drew me in immediately. The writing was fun, though I could've gone without so many pop culture references and some of the slang used felt dated. But I did enjoy this as a fun read with a lot going for it. Though it lacked some things for me, I'd definitely recommend this!

Thank you to the author, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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booksmellers's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was recommended on TikTok by one of my favorite booktokers, and of course I'm always down for a sapphic romance, so I was super pleased when NetGalley accepted my request. It came to me at a great time too, because I've been needing something light and cheesy to get a break from some of the long/dense/heavier material I've been reading lately. I was not disappointed.

This book is a fun, lighthearted YA sapphic romance between the new quarterback and a preppy cheerleader. Even though I'm not that into sports, I really liked the idea and I thought it was executed pretty well. I really loved the characters, and thought their relationships were written really well.

The places where this book lacked for me really just came down to personal preference. Jack and Amber's romance wasn't necessarily insta-love level, but it still felt like they got together pretty fast, without knowing each other that long. There are some people who might appreciate that and it did keep the plot moving along, but it's just not a thing I usually like in my romances (this is coming from someone who's super into friends-to-lovers fyi). There were also short periods where the drama either got 1.) Too repetitive (especially on Jack's end) or 2.) Slightly annoying (more on Amber's end - I understood her circumstances but I wanted her to be more honest with her friends).

Even so, I still really enjoyed this book. I read it in two sittings, and it would've only been one sitting if I didn't have other responsibilities. Definitely check this one out!

Thank you, NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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