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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an arc of this book!
All Amber wants is to become head cheerleader next year so she can get a scholarship to a school, leave town, and finally be out as queer. But her plans are interrupted when Jack comes to town as the new quarterback. Only problem? No one at their school will get behind a girl as quarterback. And to complicate things even further, Amber is attracted to Jack. She has to choose between being the perfect candidate for head cheerleader, and being true to herself and her new friend.
THIS BOOK WAS SO FLIPPING GOOD. Honestly this was everything I wanted going in---A Sapphic Sports Romance with a head cheerleader and football quarterback? A super supportive best friend "beard" to keep the town off Chloe's sexuality? An amazing Queer mother who is THE best parent? This book is perfect and I love it with every fiber of my being.
This book isn't even officially out yet and I'm already itching for a reread--it is that good! Amber and Jack are both amazing characters and I loved watching them grow both together and separately and learn more about themselves and their dreams!
Everyone go read this book!
All Amber wants is to become head cheerleader next year so she can get a scholarship to a school, leave town, and finally be out as queer. But her plans are interrupted when Jack comes to town as the new quarterback. Only problem? No one at their school will get behind a girl as quarterback. And to complicate things even further, Amber is attracted to Jack. She has to choose between being the perfect candidate for head cheerleader, and being true to herself and her new friend.
THIS BOOK WAS SO FLIPPING GOOD. Honestly this was everything I wanted going in---A Sapphic Sports Romance with a head cheerleader and football quarterback? A super supportive best friend "beard" to keep the town off Chloe's sexuality? An amazing Queer mother who is THE best parent? This book is perfect and I love it with every fiber of my being.
This book isn't even officially out yet and I'm already itching for a reread--it is that good! Amber and Jack are both amazing characters and I loved watching them grow both together and separately and learn more about themselves and their dreams!
Everyone go read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Abortion, Death, Abandonment, and Miscarriage
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
4.5
Their quarterback dies in a car accident and is replaced by the new kid Jack Walsh, Jack happens to be short for Jacklyn and having a girl replace their fav QB is a huge task. Jack's team and the cheerleaders are mad and try to take her down at all costs, Amber, a cheerleader aiming for captain next year tries to calm tension, her team mates make it clear that she will lose cheer captain if she helps jack.....the problem with that Jack and Amber are falling in love.
I WISH I HAD THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!! this was the sapphic cheerleader and QB romance I was dying for when I was younger and I was genuinely sad for this book to end; Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince did a fantastic job with the chemistry between the two characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how they brought them to life (I loved Natalie already). I didn't really get into any of the sports/cheer/popular kid scene in high school because of ✨bullying✨ so I was that kid who read all the books about the popular and cool kids to see what the 'ideal' high school experience is like and this was my fav trope so when I saw this on NetGalley i knew i NEEDED it. It defiantly lived up to the hype! It was fantastic writing and an adorable story.
Amber identifies as polysexual which I absolutely loved seeing a micro-label talked about, I generally really enjoyed the queer rep in this book; a line in particular I loved is when Jack talks about how amazing it was to hear Ambers mom mentioning being queer so casually. Ambers mom says something about having a bi bob and I know its a small thing but i totally would've picked up on that too, especially when i was younger seeing adults be queer casually was such a big thing and i loved that it was added in. the dynamics between Amber, Jack, and Miguel and them with their teams/other cheerleaders was also done well, although I do wish there was a bit more from the storyline between Amber and Cara(?I don't know spelling it was the audiobook), I think I would have enjoyed them discussing how Cara played into the bullying and hate the three of them faced a bit more, but it also isn't enough of a complaint for me to even think of lowering the rating.
This was such a beautiful story of queer love with the popular cheerleader and football QB trope done perfectly, and I cant recommend it more. Especially the audio book Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince crushed this!
*I received this as an audiobook arc from NetGalley, but these are my un-influenced thoughts*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Biphobia, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Classism, and Outing
Mentions of skipping meals, blackmailbrokenbodybitch's review against another edition
fast-paced
5.0
Their quarterback dies in a car accident and is replaced by the new kid Jack Walsh, Jack happens to be short for Jacklyn and having a girl replace their fav QB is a huge task. Jack's team and the cheerleaders are mad and try to take her down at all costs, Amber, a cheerleader aiming for captain next year tries to calm tension, her team mates make it clear that she will lose cheer captain if she helps jack.....the problem with that Jack and Amber are falling in love.
I WISH I HAD THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!! this was the sapphic cheerleader and QB romance I was dying for when I was younger and I was genuinely sad for this book to end; Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince did a fantastic job with the chemistry between the two characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how they brought them to life (I loved Natalie already). I didn't really get into any of the sports/cheer/popular kid scene in high school because of ✨bullying✨ so I was that kid who read all the books about the popular and cool kids to see what the 'ideal' high school experience is like and this was my fav trope so when I saw this on NetGalley i knew i NEEDED it. It defiantly lived up to the hype! It was fantastic writing and an adorable story.
Amber identifies as polysexual which I absolutely loved seeing a micro-label talked about, I generally really enjoyed the queer rep in this book; a line in particular I loved is when Jack talks about how amazing it was to hear Ambers mom mentioning being queer so casually. Ambers mom says something about having a bi bob and I know its a small thing but i totally would've picked up on that too, especially when i was younger seeing adults be queer casually was such a big thing and i loved that it was added in. the dynamics between Amber, Jack, and Miguel and them with their teams/other cheerleaders was also done well, although I do wish there was a bit more from the storyline between Amber and Cara(?I don't know spelling it was the audiobook), I think I would have enjoyed them discussing how Cara
This was such a beautiful story of queer love with the popular cheerleader and football QB trope done perfectly, and I cant recommend it more. Especially the audio book Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince crushed this!
*I received this as an audiobook arc from NetGalley, but these are my un-influenced thoughts*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Biphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Outing
mentions of skipping mealscaseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
3.0
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.
- 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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Misogyny, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Alcohol, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia
crystalx620's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexism, and Bullying
Moderate: Death and Car accident
Minor: Abortion and Alcohol
froggymoons's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
5.0
One of my favorite concepts is taking typical tropes and making them sapphic. So when I found out that Dahlia Adler was writing a sapphic cheerleader/football player book, I was super excited to read it. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for letting me read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is just as upbeat and cheerful as it is realistic and raw. There are themes of homophobia and misogyny throughout which makes sense considering the book is set in a small town in North Florida. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the romance between Amber and Jack. The book being dual pov definitely improved my experience with the characters and the overall plot.
There are also a lot of things I enjoyed on the side of Amber and Jack's romance such as Miguel's side plot and his friendship/ fake relationship with Amber for obvious reasons. I also loved the way the characters were able to be honest with each other about their feelings and have healthy communication. (It's honestly difficult to say everything I loved without giving too much away).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Homophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Car accident, Abortion, and Miscarriage
meganelise's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Home Field Advantage is the sweet, sapphic, YA sports romance I did not know I needed. Jack and Amber are characters who know what they want - or think they do - but sometimes can't quite figure out how to balance what they want with what others think of them. The question of when to come out, or whether to come out, when you think a dear friend might reject you for who you are, is executed brilliantly in Amber's arc. This book is a delightful read, and I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, and Misogyny
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Car accident
qace90's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.
Full review closer to release, but this is a delightful quarterback-cheerleader romance full of friendship and grand gestures.
Full review:
This is a delight, which I knew it would be after loving Dahlia Adler’s Cool for the Summer last year.
Amber has dreams of becoming cheer captain and being able to get a scholarship so she can go to college away from Atherton and be able to be out and openly date girls. But while she’s still in high school, she and her best friend Miguel are each other’s beard, especially after Miguel had been blackmailed, to make sure if the blackmailer tried to out him he could have Amber to alleviate suspicion. When Robbie, the quarterback at Atherton, dies suddenly Jack is brought on (but not recruited) because she has the skills that could finally get Atherton a winning season. Unfortunately everyone on the football team and the cheerleader squad is more concerned with the fact she’s a girl than the fact she has skills, which makes Jack’s experiences less than stellar.
I really enjoyed this book and the romance between Amber and Jack was overall really cute. I also adored Amber and Miguel’s friendship and the solidarity they’ve built to survive their closeted experience. I did find some of Amber’s selfishness and lying frustrating at the end but that could be a product of me being an adult reading the book because it definitely aligned with her character and motivations. If you want an overall fluffy contemporary quarterback-cheerleader romance this will absolutely satisfy!
Full review closer to release, but this is a delightful quarterback-cheerleader romance full of friendship and grand gestures.
Full review:
This is a delight, which I knew it would be after loving Dahlia Adler’s Cool for the Summer last year.
Amber has dreams of becoming cheer captain and being able to get a scholarship so she can go to college away from Atherton and be able to be out and openly date girls. But while she’s still in high school, she and her best friend Miguel are each other’s beard, especially after Miguel had been blackmailed, to make sure if the blackmailer tried to out him he could have Amber to alleviate suspicion. When Robbie, the quarterback at Atherton, dies suddenly Jack is brought on (but not recruited) because she has the skills that could finally get Atherton a winning season. Unfortunately everyone on the football team and the cheerleader squad is more concerned with the fact she’s a girl than the fact she has skills, which makes Jack’s experiences less than stellar.
I really enjoyed this book and the romance between Amber and Jack was overall really cute. I also adored Amber and Miguel’s friendship and the solidarity they’ve built to survive their closeted experience. I did find some of Amber’s selfishness and lying frustrating at the end but that could be a product of me being an adult reading the book because it definitely aligned with her character and motivations. If you want an overall fluffy contemporary quarterback-cheerleader romance this will absolutely satisfy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Minor: Miscarriage
- Past death of teen, off page - Past car accident, off page - Cisnormativity - Mention of blackmail - Masturbation (vague) - Underage drinking - Alcohol consumption - Casual ableismshybookstagramer's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Home Field Advantage is both a cute romance book and a serious topic book. I thought it was able to mix discussions of misogyny, the patriarchy, and homophobia with a cute romance between two amazingly strong women very well. Since the story is told from the dual POVs of Jack and Amber, it was fun to see how Amber and Jack felt about their relationship with each other and how they dealt with the issues at hand. I did get frustrated a bit here and there because of how certain characters handled certain situations, but because of this these characters felt more real and in the end I was happy with how things turned out. It was a roller coaster of a ride.
This book might not be for everyone but I think it's worth giving it a shot because it has a good story to tell.
Home Field Advantage is both a cute romance book and a serious topic book. I thought it was able to mix discussions of misogyny, the patriarchy, and homophobia with a cute romance between two amazingly strong women very well. Since the story is told from the dual POVs of Jack and Amber, it was fun to see how Amber and Jack felt about their relationship with each other and how they dealt with the issues at hand. I did get frustrated a bit here and there because of how certain characters handled certain situations, but because of this these characters felt more real and in the end I was happy with how things turned out. It was a roller coaster of a ride.
This book might not be for everyone but I think it's worth giving it a shot because it has a good story to tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Bullying, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Miscarriage, Car accident, and Animal death
phoebereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
A cute, queer YA with a lot of heart. I loved Amber and Jack and the way they grew individually over the story, but also the way their relationship evolved. I also absolutely loved Miguel as a side character and I loved the queer rep throughout the book. I also enjoyed the way the book tackled misogyny and homophobia in sports, for both football and cheerleading, and the ways in which these issues were dealt with by the characters. Overall, I found Home Field Advantage to be a fun quick read and an ode to queer girls kicking ass and getting their high school happily ever afters.
**thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!
**thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident