This book has what I want! More like having a Korean drama vibe also some She's the man movie. Do I have to say more? Because this is so sweet, very lovely a strong character and very well written stories.

Alice Bell, she's a very strong character and I love her personality and her strong attitude. Though she sounds like a bit selfish but hey, you want what you and you do need to be selfish a bit there.Anyway, Alice Bell - hockey is her life, hockey what she loves and enjoys doing it. Oh! She is a very strong player there and definitely has some tricks that no other players have. So, when her twin brother has to bail out from playing for the team, she made a decision to replace her brother not as herself but as her brother, Xander. Do you get what I meant, right?

The moment she disguises as her brother in the team not only she can play and shows that she is definitely the best hockey player but she also found love - a boy from the team named, Hayden Tremblay. A hard-headed guy, who is almost his passion to play hockey. Not after, he becomes best friend to Alice (he thought she is he when it is not!). He got closer to Alice and start to play as a team and constantly, winning the game.

I really enjoy the book right from the start. It has different contemporary romance vibe that is what I'm looking for. It is not only about the romance between the two main character but it is also has a story about family. Each of the characters is there and not in out of place kind of character. So, I'm literally satisfied with the book. But if I have to say, sometimes I do feel annoyed with Alice character because she does look very desperate!! Other than that, I love it!

I enjoyed the premise of this one. Alice was great. I warmed up to Hayden a bit as the book progressed, but overall I had a difficult time connecting with him. This was a cute and fun read.

Just One of the Boys was a super-cute, super-quick read that if you liked She's the Man, you'll absolutely love. (It's not quite as obviously a retelling of Twelfth Night as the movie is, but it's the same general idea. With hockey. So really, a win-win.) Like StM's Viola, Alice is told she can't play the sport she loves because of her gender; also like Viola, she takes her twin's place on the team, though for different reasons. All kinds of girl-pretending-to-be-a-boy hijinks ensue, and she develops a crush on the team's (formerly? maybe...) star player--but also becomes his best friend, which complicates things all over the place.

Meanwhile, her twin is hiding a secret, her mom is making extra demands on her time, and did I mention she's got a crush on her new BFF? Not quite everything that isn't right get fully resolved by the end (what is her coach's response to her news???) but the book still leaves you with a happy glow anyway.

Here's hoping the Ms. Ropers have plenty more books in them!

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This book was fun and entertaining, I love books from Crush. This book was funny and reminded me of a movie I watched when I was a kid. I can't wait to read more books from Crush.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

Ok…so here’s the deal. I’m the first one to admit that I don’t like YA contemporary. It’s not my favorite thing to read. HOWEVER every now and then a book crosses my radar that makes me question my dislike. Just One of the Boys by Leah and Kate Rooper is one of those books. It’s such a fun, cute read. Filled with humor, some steamy/angsty scenes, and a cast of characters that tug your heartstrings, Just One of the Boys is one of my favorite reads this year!

Alice Bell, or just Al to her teammates, has moved to the city of Chicago with her mom and twin brother and is so excited to be trying out for a Junior League hockey team. Al lives and breathes hockey, but when the coach passes her over for her brother simply because she’s a girl, she’s a little depressed and a lot angry. I can’t say I blame her there. Then her brother is injured and to keep his spot on the team, Al steps in and pretends to be him. Personally I found this aspect of the story slightly cliche. However it works and makes for a funny read. Al is a stubborn girl and looks enough like her brother to pass off being him. But their plan isn’t flawless. Neither Al nor her brother counted on Al’s attraction to the team’s star player.

Hayden Tremblay is the younger brother to a star NHL player and lives in his shadow. He’s angry and bitter most of the time but he has reason to be. He lost his parents in a car accident not even a year ago. Hayden tugs at my heartstrings almost immediately. He’s a lost boy in a man’s body. Losing a parent is like loosing part of your foundation, but Hayden lost both on one night. It’s like he’s a house built on sand. Hockey is all he has. He lets his aggression out on the ice and keeps himself closed off to everyone. Yet the new rookie breaches his walls and he finds himself with a new friend who understands him better than his own brother.

The story really revolves around Al and Hayden with the chapters alternating POV (which I loved!). It is about the relationship that builds between them and also Al’s deception. The characters are so well written that I fell right into their story and read it in one sitting. I loved reading the growth of the characters as Hayden learned to open up and Al learned that maybe their is more to life than just hockey. And if you are worried about the hockey, don’t be. I don’t watch hockey but found the way it was written into the story exciting. I couldn’t bring myself to set the book down once I started!

Overall, I really loved this book! It’s a sweet, funny read. Al is a fantastic character, even if a bit oblivious as her brother points out numerous times. If you enjoy contemporary YA romance, I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book. It does not disappoint!

This book was everything I wanted it to be!!!!

The book sucked me in right from the stars. A kick ass girl, who outplays lots of dude on the ice during tryouts and makes the team. Only, that she takes of her helmet and people realize that she's a girl and not a dude. GASP!!!! SCANDAL!!!! A GIRL. ON THE ICE. PLAYING HOCKEY. WHAT?????? So, of course. The only logical thing to do as a coach that just welcomend her on the team, is to make her understand he made a mistake and actually meant her twin brother. Who, well...sucked during the tryouts. SHOCKING, a dude who played mediocre got the place instead of a girl who played amazing. I could go on and on about this but I will stop right here...
Back to the story. Xander, Alice's twin brother actually breaks his leg. And Alice is ready to take his place on the team, acting like she's him. YES PLEASE!!!!!
Twin story: check.
Giving me She's The Man feels: CHECK!!!!

I loved the main characters.
Alice, I loved Alice so much. I loved her as Alice, I loved her as Al. She was amazing.
Hayden. Let's be real about him for a second here, I didn't like this dude at all in the beginning. He was just a mean jerk, who I couldn't care less about. Towards the middle it changed. He got more backstory and NO, the tragic things in his past didn't excuse anything, but towards the middle, he became a actual human being for me that I cared for. He was still a jerk from time to time.
Loved the minor characters.
Xander. Man, I loved him in the beginning, hated him in the middle and loved him again in the end. There is a lot going on for him in the story, once again that's no excuse for how he handles some of the things, but still, towards the end he really stole my heart again.
Madison. She showed up and I loved her. She was super supportive, she was just such a great friend to Alice. Ugh. She was amazing.

I got annoyed with the characters a lot of times, they made terrible decisions, the said a lot of awful things to each other. BUT I LOVED THEM.
I loved the story. I loved the writing.
I highly recommend this book.

The idea of a girl pretending to be a boy in order to fulfill some kind of a dream because her gender was being perceived as an obstacle isn’t a new theme but the Roopers managed to still write a fun book with it. There is an 80s movie titled Just One of the Guys, Shakespeare played with gender in 12th Night, Disney did it in Mulan and an Amanda Bynes movie She’s the Man added the sports theme.

Despite how often I’ve come across the ‘girl turns into a boy’ this book still felt exciting to read and I liked the hockey backdrop. Their character Alice is a hockey nut who is being denied access to her passion based on her gender not her ability. Now in 21st America normally this would’ve resulted in a lawsuit, protests and viral videos but that wouldn’t get us a decent story you want to read instead of rolling your eyes at.

They did use the interchangeable twin thing which I found a bit hard to believe because it’s a brother/sister instead of the same gender but they managed to make it work enough it didn’t feel too off particularly when you have the sister pretend to be a boy. Family dynamics were handled well and believably within the story as well as any conflict created between them.

You get other characters to bounce off of that were given good emotional leverage and felt appropriate for the age level, setting and plot. The Romance angle was sweet and reminded me of many Rom-Coms I’ve seen. I could see with a bit of editing this landing as a Disney Channel movie. The humor and lighthearted moments made this an enjoyable book to read and gave me what I would expect from Entangled Publishing which is a company I can normally count on for good reading material.

When the inevitable discovery gets made that Alice is a girl – let the fun play out. If you’re into Sports-Romances then add this to your Must Read List.

ARC provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for honest review.

This book was great. It was such a good read that I read it all in one setting (‘cause I mean, who needs sleep anyway? I can live off caffeine and books instead of sleeping).

The story was fun and witty, an easy and nice read; there was romance and friendship, the importance of family and A LOT OF hockey.

But let’s get into a bit more detail.

I loved Al and her sass throughout the book, her enthusiasm for everything and how she would just go for it when pretending to be a boy; that was a lot of fun. Sometimes she was a bit too oblivious and I wanted to shake her but she definitely was a really good character.

I loved the fact there was a dual POV because it helped understand better what both characters were thinking and feeling and it made everything more interesting.

To be fair, the first thing I though when reading the fist chapter with Hayden’s point of view was “ damn, what an asshole” and things didn’t improve right away because he was also painfully cocky. That didn’t last long though, I started to understand him better and he started to change. I think he was the character with the biggest personality growth making him very likeable.

I though it was odd his sudden change towards Al but whatever, the story was great and I loved the characters (although Al’s brother was starting to get a bit on my nerves).

Overall the book was really good, I like the author’s style because it was engaging and descriprive yet not too long with the descriptions.

If you’re looking for a fun, really nice romance sports book, this one is the right pick for you.

Review of "Just One Of The Boys" by Leah and Kate Rooper

ARC kindly provided by publisher on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute and charming story which will capture the hearts and minds of many teen girls - after all I was one myself once, and this book brought back some sweet, nostalgic memories of devouring all those "Sweet Dreams" romance paperbacks, lying in bed in the afternoon, back home from school.

However, I have to face the facts. I am over 30 years old, and not ALL books written for the teen market, especially romance, may hit all the right buttons for me.

So, yes... I may recommend this book to perhaps my teenage nieces and their friends, but not to my peers.

A sweet story all around, but not to my taste, but that has everything to do with my age!

Pro: A lot of She's the Man hijinks, and I loved them.

Pro: This was fun and fluffy and exactly what I wanted when I was reading it.

Pro: The friendship between Al and Hayden was one I really adored. It went from hate to a full blown bromance.

Pro: Christmas in Canada! The holidays with the Tremblay family was a special treat.

Con: Alice's boyfriend was just a horrible human being, and I did not like him very much.

Pro: Kevin, Hayden's big brother, was trying really hard to be there for Hayden, and though their sibling bond was a little strained at times, it was really strong. There were some beautiful moments we were lucky enough to be part of.

Con: The characters were pretty self centered with a lot of flaws BUT

Pro: The characters experienced a lot of growth over the course of the book.

Pro: There was actually hockey in this book. Seriously, they spend time on the ice.

Pro: Hayden was quite wounded, but he had such a big heart under it all, and there were times when he was bearing his soul that got me a little misty.

Pro: Madison was a fantastic friend and support system for Alice, and I also found her quite fun and amusing. She definitely added to the story in a good way.

Overall: An adorable and sweet romance packed with lots of laughs, where the hero and the heroine found themselves and each other.

When I started this book, I thought it was going to be some cheesy little book about ice skating and hockey. How Alice and Hayden were going to fall in love and it'll be all rainbows and sunshines. But I was wrong and I have got to stop predicting books like that.

This was so much more than a love story. Alice was such a desperate character. She tried so hard to show us she was this happy go lucky girl that wouldn't let anything bother her. But she couldn't keep that up for long. I saw the sad little girl who replaced feelings with hockey. With hockey, Alice reasoned, she couldn't feel the feelings she didn't want to feel anymore. This book was more than her trying to accomplish her goal. Alice was trying to find herself and I loved that. I can appreciate a good story arc like that.

Hayden was a mess and a jerk. I did not like him at first. I wanted to actually punch him a few times. But then we got to know him better, as Alice did, and I realized he was a just a hurt boy who didn't know how to express himself. And my hate slowly thawed and I found myself actually looking forward to his POVs. He was actually a rational guy, which is something I can appreciate.

Overall, this was a good introduction to me to sports romance, a genre I don't normally read. I was able to keep up with all the hockey gargon, despite having never played. The hate to love trope was used, which is always a plus to me because that is my favorite trope ever. Really, this was just a good solid contemporary.

*I received and e-galley copy in exchange for an honest review of this book. Thank you Entangled teen!*

I was completely addicted to this book. The main character is a really tough one and that is super good. I am a bit tired of those female protagonists that claim to be strong and independent and then, when they should be capable enough to overcome a problem, they are -oh what a surprise- rescued by the hero. In this case, Alice does not need it. She is her own heroine. And I loved her for that. She is dangerously sincere and passionate, which might get her into some trouble but, again, she handles it. Or not, but she bears the consequences as a grown-up.

There is nothing more important to her than hockey, so when she is not accepted in the Chicago Falcons just because she is a girl, she decides that maybe it is time to give up. However, her twin brother, Xander, has had an accident and now he will not be able to play for the Falcons. He is going to miss this big opportunity to prove himself... that is why Alice suggests playing for him. As they are twins, people usually cannot differentiate them and this time will not be an exception. She cuts her hair, she puts a bandage on her breasts and there she goes. A new and actually more talented Xander Bell. Still, there is a problem: Hayden Tremblay. Alice never paid attention to sweaty boys; in fact, she is very used to beating them on the ice but Tremblay... She cannot ignore him.

What a loved the most about this book is the relationship between Al Bell (Alice dressed up as Xander) and Hayden, and also the powerful bond between the two twins. Al changes Hayden in ways I could not possibly had imagined. Their conversations are deep and heartfelt, and suddenly I realised that I loved the pair and I had totally forgotten about Alice as a girl. I laughed, I suffered and I smiled because of them, which is rather complicated if we take into account that Alice had to pretend she was a boy in order not to be discovered. Boys and girls have different codes and ways of speaking, so at the beginning these conversations were a bit uncomfortable and ridiculous, as you may imagine.

I could not stop reading 'Just one of the boys'. Everything flows so well and the plot never lets you down as you read page after page. There is always something important happening, a conversation, a fight, a revelation or even a kiss (winks). The only one thing that did not convince me was the reencounter between the protagonists. I wish Leah Rooper and Kate Rooper had given us some more details regarding their feelings or thoughts. Not just an I-forgive-you scene.

To summarise, this is a wonderful YA story that I am sure everybody will love. It has romance, action, lies, and a Mulan-like protagonist. What else do you want? Furthermore, it has a handsome and rebellious boy that desperately needs to open up to or he will be lost. Give it a try!

This book was the cutest book ever!

If you have ever seen "She's the man" with Amanda Bynes this is almost like that but a Hockey Version.

I could not put this book down, It had me from the start.

(Source: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, Crush and Leah and Kate Rooper.)

<b><i>“It silly how there’s billions of people on Earth, and one person can make or break the world for you,”</i> I finally say. <i>“Maybe it’s stupid, but I sort of believe there’s only one real love out there for everyone.”</b>

Just One of the Boys was fun YA read, which means the heroine sometimes got to my nerves.
First of all it really reminded me of She's the Man, only hockey version. I loved the characters, I loved the chemistry and all.

The reason that admired Al is that she stayed famine but showed her strength. I loved both main characters, but I don't know why, sometimes Al just got to my nerves because of her selfishness, but that was just it. I can't say anything about Hayden, cause I liked his character.

The story was good, but some parts left me confused. One of the things, how she got to Canada, with her passport? Since Kevin bought her ticket. Whose name was used. It couldn't have been Xander's cause he was in Mexico...

I hope to see Maddison's story. I was really interested with her love interest. Which was unexpected, but I think it worked out pretty well!!

A fun sports romance teen read, one I nearly overlooked (so glad I took a chance). The story follows wannabe ice hockey player, Al Bell. The only problem is, we're talking Alice Bell, not her twin brother, Alexander Bell. Picked for the team during tryouts Alice is over the moon, sadly once the coach realises she's a girl he goes with her twin brother Xander. Fast forward and we have Alice aka Al disguised as her twin and playing in his place. This of course causes many a problem when her teammate, Hayden, a hotshot with a chip on his shoulder takes an interest in both Al and Alice both on and off the ice. A wonderful lighthearted read beautifully written in dual POV that had me second guessing how this book was going to end, what with all the lies and deceit between the siblings and also with her best friend. I mean it's obvious the truth is going to come out eventually, it always does. I was provided with an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Holy shmokes, I want to hug this book.

It’s a modern retelling of Twelfth Night - with hockey. Alice Bell knows she’s good enough to play for the Chicago Falcons and there’s no rules against a girl playing - she’s checked. But when she takes off her helmet, her brother is given her place on the team. When she gets the chance to play in his place, she grabs it with both hands. She never expected to fall for the star player, troubled Hayden Trembley.

I loved the characters - they’re all flawed, all selfish in their own way, but this little deception gives them all the chance to learn and grow. Alice learns to embrace all of herself and to find a world that isn’t all about her and hockey; Hayden learns to let people (mostly Alice) in and that he is more than his perfect brother’s shadow.

There was a plot thread with Maddy that I would’ve liked to see a little more of - and Xander, for that matter, but maybe that’s set up for another book. I liked there was no ‘gay panic’ on Hayden’s part (the ‘oh noes, I think I’m in love with my best friend am I GAY?’) because his relationship with Al in his eyes was just a really good friendship.

The hockey metaphors were fun and totally appropriate and while I would love to read more, the book finished in a good place. Go Falcons!

3.75stars
This one is sweet sports love story. And all is happening on the ice because both main characters are hockey players. It is cute and quick read. It is a story about hockey, growing up and finding yourself, what you like and what you must let go. Both Alice and Hayden are well developed characters. They are interesting and easy to love. It is hard to characterize Allie because we see her like she also is feeling in a few different roles/parts. They are both really young and have already a lot of them behind so they teach each other how to let go and find a way to live again. The few kisses that were shared were hot and I secretly wanted more.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

it's not a leap to realize what the plot of just one of the boys is going to be. i mean there is a very famous movie that outlines it perfectly and nearly shares a title with this book. but alice "al" bell is a delightful character.

her whole focus in life has been hockey. it's a spectacularly single-minded obsession that she has with the sport. and she's good. so good. and when she isn't added to the team strictly because of her gender she is heartbroken. but when her twin brother breaks his leg she sees an opportunity to play. disguising herself as her brother she takes his place on the hockey team. and she gets to shine.

especially as she develops a rapport with hayden tremblay on the ice. he's a star player with a huge chip on his shoulder and is initially steamed at the rookie who keeps showing him up. but as they start to work together, it becomes clear that together they are magic on the ice.

and the more time they spend together, hayden lets his guard down and lets someone in. and al knows this. and it kills her because she knows she's keeping a huge secret from hayden. he's her teammate. but more than that he's become her best friend.

and even more complicated, he might also be the guy she wants in her life. but he thinks she's a guy. and somehow she's broken his trust without meaning to. and when it all blows up, she's not sure how she'll ever be able to fix it.

but maybe hayden can help her out there. because as conflicted and angry and hurt as he is. he's not stupid. and even he can see that having al at his side on and off the ice makes everything better. and that makes for a very sweet young adult romance.

5+ stars
Loved this book!

A hockey romance book that was actually about Ice hockey. Shocker! It just doesn't happen that often.

Alice loves, breathes and lives for hockey. Her family have just moved to a new town. Alice and her brother try out for the local team. Alice knows she can't play in the NHL. This is her last chance to live her dream. After some confusion, her brother makes the team even though she is the better player. Unfortunately for her brother, an injury stops him making his first practice. Alice steps in to take his place until he's better. Alice and Alexander are twins. Even though they are different sex people get them confused all the time. Their plan seems to be working. The only problem is her fellow teammate, Hayden.

Hayden has a chip on his shoulder and struggles to control his temper. He is good at hockey but can't seem to stay focused. The new rookie, Al rubs him the wrong way right from the start. I mean who does he think he is!

Can Hayden get over his issues and do what is best for the team? His new teammate may just be the key he has been looking for.

I loved this book. I loved the hockey. I loved the twin swap and I loved the romance. Alice and Hayden's relationship holds the awkwardness of She's the man and never been kissed. It's funny and heartwarming. 5 stars plus I couldn't give more praise to this book. It was spot on.

If you like sports romances you'll love this one!

*ARC received in exchange for a fair review*