Because I can't quit Swoon Reads and because I actually really like this cover, I decided to read this book. I've not read any Cozzo before (one of the Swoon Reads contemporary authors I've completely missed), but I've seen some good things about her books, and now I see why. <i>The Game Can't Love You Back</i> is way better than the bulk of Swoon Reads offerings and actually quite good even outside its imprint.

I read this book in one day, without switching around. (For me, this is notable, because I read a bunch of books at once and switch between them.) That's always a good sign when I do that because it's a sign of an entertaining book that keeps your attention.

Eve and Jamie have very distinct POVs, and I quite liked reading both, aside from when Jamie's being a pervy guy. That maybe was a bit over the top or maybe I just want to think it is. I also thought the use of the newspaper articles and tweets was a good way to start the book off with a bang.

Jamie and Eve are competing to be the baseball team's star pitcher after two teams are combined into one after the surprise destruction of Eve's high school. Though it's definitely a hate to love sort of situation, I like that, aside from the usual macho bullshit pranks pulled on the whole team, Jamie doesn't ever dismiss her talent. Like, he pretty openly admits early on that the reason he loathes her is because she's good, which actually seriously threatens his ability to get into college. It also helps that Eve's friends are also reminding her that she's never been good at sharing the spotlight, so it's not like Jamie's trying to force her to hide her light under a barrel or anything, but to be a better team mate.

The ship is pretty cute actually. I liked their dynamics of mutual hatred to friendship to attraction to romancey feels. This one works because they do become such good friends, and they start to really support one another. It's not a relationship likely to continue past high school, but it could be a good one for the time that's left. The ending scene was super cute, and it very much fit their dynamics, rather than the more traditional narrative beat.

I'll definitely read more Cozzo books.

"And maybe if you'd pull your head out of your ass and stop feeling so personally offended by everything I do, you'd see that. You'd see that I love the game every bit as much as you do and deserve to be out there, too." (chapter 9)

Why haven't I been reading more sports romances? I think this every time I pick one up. I am a big fan of baseball, especially going to see games in person. However, not growing up in a sports-sleeping-eating-breathing family, I'm actually still learning every time I go to a game. I was THRILLED to discover that I understood every single term and phrase in this book aside from one, which I obviously looked up so NOW I know it--haha. Knowing the game made me feel way more immersed into the book, however, the terms and phrases weren't overly confusing, so someone who isn't as familiar with the game could still enjoy this story just as much!
The thing I love most about sports romance novels and sports movies is the passion and drive behind dedicated athletes. The inspiration that builds up seeing the characters work hard for something. It fills me with pride every single time. The thing I love most about hate-to-love romances (which it is very clear that this story is from the beginning) is seeing the characters learn about each other in a way that they wouldn't have if they didn't get under each other's skin, and learning that they actually like these aspects they discover.

A theme throughout the book, which is highlighted in the title, is what love looks like, and how it looks different for different things and people. There is a raw honesty to Eve's desire to fill her life with her passion and love for the game so that she doesn't have to explore the confusing and sometimes tricky path of loving a person who may or may not feel the same way. Cozzo does a great job of showing Eve's internal struggle with where to put her heart and whether it would be worth it to put it somewhere that may hurt.

A fun read. Nothing not done before, but I did enjoy the characters and had fun reading the story. Great for a quick read.

The Game Can't Love You Back is a perfect book that combines sports, romance, and competition. I love the characters in this book. Especially the two main ones, Eve and Jamie. Starting with Eve. I love how she doesn't play baseball instead of softball to prove a point. She plays because her brothers played and that's what she grew up with. Of course she has to prove herself to the boys on the team but so does every single new player that joins. Maybe her a little more then the others but she doesn't complain and she never backs down from a challenge. Despite being fierce, on and off the field, she's not afraid to admit she needs help.
Now Jamie is your stereotypical jock, arrogant and narcissistic. Except that's only a front. There's so much more to him then what meets the eye. He's actually quite caring, sensitive, and kind.
When you put them together you get some hilarious banter.
The title fits the book perfectly. It's a major concept throughout the book although it's not necessarily said or mentioned until you get toward the end.
This is such an amazing and heartwarming book. It's easily one of my favorites.

My favorite Karole Cozzo book to date, and the title, THE GAME CAN’T LOVE YOU BACK, might be the most perfect title ever — it perfectly sums up the themes of the story. When Eve’s high school suffers a freak accident, she and the rest of her Bulldogs are forced across town to attend school with the rival Pirates. And the school rivalry is only the beginning of her issues. As the only girl in a family of boys, Eve’s mom told her if she wanted to play sports, she’d play with her brothers, because she didn’t have time to start carting a child off to girls’ sports as well. So Eve plays baseball, not softball. Problem is, the boys’ baseball team at her new school doesn’t want her anymore than she wants to be there, particularly rival pitcher, Jamie. Jamie is all smooth lines and cocky smiles, everything Eve despises. Eve glares far more than she smiles and has an attitude to match, everything Jamie despises. So of course these two enemies are fated to become something more.

Plot
The story is about Eve and Jamie on and off the mound. Their romance is the main focus, but with both of them vying for the Cy Young award at the end of the season, there’s no way things in the primary plot are going to go smoothly. With Eve’s stubborn need to prove she’s one of the boys and Jamie quiet determination to prove she’s more than that means there’s plenty of conflict. There’s also Jamie’s history as a player, Eve’s inexperience in that area, jealous girls who see Eve as a rival, and an unwillingness to allow their relationship to come under the scrutiny of their teammates, meaning their tender relationship is clandestine at best. Cozzo executes all of this with moments of laugh-out-loud humor and even a few that made me tear up.

The Characters
I absolutely adore Eve. She’s a refreshing departure from many female protagonists I’ve read lately. She’s complex and relateable, tough, determined, but with a vulnerable streak she wishes she didn’t have. I love her naivete with a solid streak of street smarts that makes her anything but typical. Jamie has a lot more baggage that drives him, but his walls crumble around Eve, making him vulnerable in his own ways. Eve is ultimately torn between what she wants on and off the field, and her growth comes when she figures out what matters most in life. The other characters are mostly minor players, a supporting cast that basically exist to prop up the main characters. They do their job without coming across as too flat.

Top Five Things I Loved About THE GAME CAN’T LOVE YOU BACK
1. First kisses. One of the all-time best first kisses in the history of young adult fiction.

2. Eve. I loved her stubborn streak, her need to win, the way she doesn’t care about dresses or makeup. She was so easy to relate to.

3. Baseball. I’m a big fan of the game and the way it was woven into the story got me even more fired up to watch my sad Padres this season.

4. Witty banter. Eve and Jamie had some of the best lines in the book when they were baiting each other. The dialogue was one of my favorite parts of the book.

5. Jamie. He was perfectly flawed in all the best ways to make him a natural fit for Eve.

Bottom Line
A fantastic young adult sports romance with fabulous characters and sizzling dialogue.

Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Super cute YA romcom that is sports based, which is totally my jam. The writing isn't great, but I really enjoyed the story.

CW: references to domestic abuse

This one hooked me very quickly. Ambitious, single-minded female athlete vs cool player (in more ways than one), both vying for the same position on the baseball team? Yes please. I don't even care about baseball (sorry, I'm a rugby girl). I was just in it for the competitiveness.

There was something kind of ruthless about Eve. She was so focused on winning, and it wasn't even really about proving a point. It just was what it was: she played baseball because her older brothers played baseball. But even if proving a point wasn't her main driver for getting onto the boys' team, she still enjoyed facing up to them and winning.

Despite being terrible at sports myself, I could connect with Eve. She was in an all-male team, playing a sport seen as masculine, and while she could hold her own on the mound, she was still considered "other" by her team. This is a lot like being the only woman in an all-male team at work, doing a job seen as masculine (IT). It was almost a little painful to read about how hard she worked to try to earn a place amongst her teammates.

I say it wasn't about proving a point, but there was a point to be made when her school merged with Jamie's. These two hated each other. I don't know why I took so much delight in it. This was definitely on the angsty side of things. In the beginning, it seemed almost one-sided. Sure, Eve didn't like Jamie's attitude towards her, but most of the hate and actual acting on it came from his side. She just wanted to have a part in the team; he wanted her nowhere near the team. So I had a hard time buying into him as a romantic hero, especially at the beginning. She did eventually show her darker side, so it balanced a bit.

And their relationship was by no means perfect. But I liked the messiness of it, how it wasn't a fluffy HEA but a "we've got issues but we can work on this together" romance. It was a slow-burn, a more innocent YA version of the magic that Mariana Zapata can work. Their relationship revealed more nuance and vulnerability on both sides, particularly Eve's. The ending especially had its own unique appeal, acknowledging who they are instead of going the default route.

The Game Can't Love You Back was a slightly angsty sports romance, filled with competition, determination, and some serious hate-to-love messiness that just felt so real and imperfect. I loved it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

When I first heard about this book, I was all over it because I am a fan of the TV show, Pitch, and I love Karole Cozzo books. Needless to say, I devoured this book, starting and finishing it in the same day. It was fun, heartwarming, compelling, and swoony.

•Pro: Eve was a fabulous female. She was fierce, empowered, and passionate, and she went after what she wanted, but she wasn't just this hard, tough as nails woman. She had soft parts too, and I really liked seeing all those sides of her.

•Pro: There was more to Jamie than I thought. His home life was not all rainbows and unicorns, and his family was struggling, but he didn't hold pity parties. He pitched in by having a job, doing the shopping, and trying to help with his sister when possible. He had his "Ace" persona, the player and life of the party, and then there was Jamie, who was saved for a select few, and who I was really fond of.

•Con: There are a few loose ends, and though I did not feel they were major plot points, I would have liked to see these things tied up.

•Pro: The ending was cute and sweet, and so appropriate for these two characters, BUT

•Con: I felt like it was a little rushed, and I would have loved to have seen a little more of the "after".

•Pro: The school merger premise was something I thought worked really well. It presented Eve and Jamie with many challenges, and created a lot of tension in the story.

•Pro: Though I may not be athletic enough, I would love to be part of Eve's family. I adored her no-nonsense mom, who shot straight from the hip, and I thought their mother's day celebration was all sorts of wonderful. It was obvious how much Eve's family contributed to her success by just being supportive and present for her.

•Pro: I loved that Eve may shared a super strong friendship with someone so different from herself. Her bestie was her polar opposite, but she was really good for Eve, because she made her examine situations from different perspectives.

•Pro: I love me hate-to-love romances, and this one was super fun. It was great seeing the verbal sparring slowly turn from barbs to flirty banter, and as their attraction and affection for each other grew, we got to see more and more the real Eve and Jamie.

•Pro: I really appreciated that Cozzo addressed some the shortcomings of being a female playing a boy's sport. I had never really considered the "after" in this situation.

•Pro: I shipped these two. They had great chemistry, and were able to bring out the best parts of each other.

Overall: A wonderful, swoony romance, which filled that Pitch-sized void in my heart.

I love Karole Cozzo’s writing style and once again her storytelling did not disappoint. I really loved that The Game Can’t Love You Back has very honest and realistic characters. The two main characters, Jamie and Eve, are both competitive, independent, and are dealing with their own personal issues. But what I liked about Jamie and Eve is that they are both so authentic and don’t hold back their emotions. In some young adult novels, the lack of communication always causes the worst and most annoying drama, but when it comes to this book, these characters hold back very little and then burst with the most straightforward answers and opinions.

Additionally, I really enjoyed the romance that unfolds in The Game Can’t Love You Back. The story does have a “hate-to-love” feel, but once Jamie and Eve start connecting and interacting, there is no turning back from the heated chemistry between these two. The novel definitely reads like a teenage movie and I really enjoyed watching all the characters find their own paths.

However, I do wish there was more focus on family dynamics in the book. We get some brief encounters with both characters’ families, but after the speech that Eve’s mom gives to Eve on Mother’s Day, I was craving more interaction. Plus, Jamie’s sister is shadowed in the background and I would have enjoyed some more scenes between the two siblings. Overall, I think The Game Can’t Love You Back is a hit. If you love baseball, girl power, playful rivalry, swoons, and romantic gestures, definitely give this book a read.

4.5 stars!

I swear, I can’t get enough of these Swoon Reads titles, and this one might be my new favorite. I loved this adorable and sweet enemies-to-lovers story!  Enemies-to-lovers happens to be my most favorite trope and Cozzo did an excellent job with this one. I couldn’t put it down!

Jamie was a jerk at first (which I’m totally a fan of btw) but he ended up being a sweetheart and total book-boyfriend material. I LOVED him. Eve was badass, determined, resilient, and an all-around awesome female lead. I liked her a lot!

The romance between Jamie and Eve was slow building, which I adored. It made their journey so much more fun to watch because I can’t take the insta-love stuff. The chemistry between these two was on point and I found myself craving their interactions.

The Game Can’t Love You Back was such a super cute YA sports romance that I straight up devoured! I can’t wait to see what Karole Cozzo comes up with next! I would highly recommend this book to those who love YA contemporary, as well as enemies-to-lovers!

I think I’m slowly warming up to sports themed books and might just be my newest obsession. I didn’t really care for them that much before since I’m not into sports, but the books I’ve read in the past few months were pretty darn good. The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo was no exception and I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. I even had tears in the end and couldn’t stop smiling and swooning.

Enemies to lovers stories are just the absolute the best. I love the angst, the tension, the bantering, the build-up, and of course the romance. Karole Cozzo did fantastically and managed to create a genuine, realistic, and believable story about two rivals who end up falling for each other. Eve and Jamie totally had me going crazy with all the FEELS and I loved it! From their not so nice insults to their adorably cute bantering, they made me gush and root for them. I thought their story was beautifully written and devloped with plenty of sweet moments and swoony kisses.

Eve and Jamie were so frustrtingly cute together and their chemistry was amazing. They were both incredibly competitive and did not give up too easily. Eve was fiesty and ridiculously stubborn, but also incredibly hard-working, dedicated and smart. Jamie had a reputation of being a player and was sometimes a jerk, so it took a while to win me over. However, by the end of the book, I can honetly say that he’s more than earned his place in my heart. Underneath all his bravado, Jamie actually had such a big heart and was really a sweet guy. Together they were kind of a mess, but also pretty darn perfect.

The Game Can’t Love You Back was a heartwarming and delightful story about acceptance and taking chances. It’s funny and cute, but also genuine and wonderfully inspiring. I loved the writing, the characters and the crazy bantering that went from horribly sour to sugary sweet. This was definitely a home run for me and I cannot wait to read more books by Cozzo.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for participating in a Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this story so much… :)It’s one of those books that you can’t put down and I flew through it very fast.

Eve is very athletic and good at it. She is also extreme strong and independent, playing baseball with guys made her very tough. Because of fire in her school she had to move to another school and her team was combine with the team of that school. Incoming Jamie. He is star of the team and her direct competition. They butt head all the time. I love reading about the dynamic of their relationship. She is such a strong character, as strong as you get. And Jamie is player, but is also sensitive and sweet.

They are both very strong and stubborn. And the outcome is hilarious. But there is more than meets the eyes in bot of them, as the story progresses we learn about them, more and more. It’s not just a light story, it about life, friendship, love and finding balance. I just LOVED it … :) I re-read it almost right after I finished it… :)

4.5 Stars

As a fan of books about sports, the enemies to lovers trope, strong female characters, and Karole Cozzo, The Game Can’t Love You Back just screams recipe for success. This book is empowering and follows the story of the only female athlete on a school baseball team. It is both cute and significant, and it lived up to my every expectation.

This book tells the story of two school baseball teams who end up merging after an accident at one of the schools. Eve is especially unhappy about the situation, and she has to adjust once again to being the only girl on the team. Things get more complicated as she earns herself a new rival and a new competitor for a trophy. This is a story about sports rivalry but also teamwork, and it shows what baseball is truly about. I loved the alternating perspectives and the enemies to lovers trope. As well, I haven’t read very many books about female athletes, and this is absolutely something I would love to see more of. Overall, this is a story with a powerful feminist message that I would definitely recommend.

I adored Eve’s character throughout the book. She is so hardcore and doesn’t tolerate any sexism. As the only girl on the baseball team, she deals with a lot of oppression and people who consider her as less, but she works ten times as hard to prove herself. Honestly, she has some selfish moments, but that makes her more believable. Eve’s dedication to sports is admirable, and having her as a narrator was so enjoyable.

The Game Can’t Love You Back is a drama-filled sports book with a passionate main character. There is a great message, and Eve is so inspiring. I am so glad to report that Karole Cozzo has done it again!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
Ahh.. Baseball. Possibly the most romantic sport ever. No really. Since baseball season is so long that if you pay attention you can see this whole epic story of tragedy and triumph unfolding. Baseball is my favorite sport (even if I'm absolutely awful at it) so I jumped at the chance to check out this new teen romance novel centered around my favorite game. As usual I'm going to be reviewing both as a librarian and as a reader.
Librarian: First off let me get this out of the way: I won't be recommending that we purchase this book for my library. There's nothing inherently wrong with this novel. It's more or less your standard YA romance novel. And that's the problem. Because it's basically your standard YA romance novel I've already got plenty like it in my library, and frankly the ones that I do have don't circulate enough to justify adding another. Maybe if it had a theme that was particularly popular at my school it would be different, but no one here cares that much about baseball. Soccer is the sport of choice for students of both genders. I could see it fitting the collection at other libraries, but not here.
Reader: Boy and Girl meet. Boy and Girl instantly hate each other. Boy and Girl fight and snark and compete, all while falling in love without realizing it. Boy and Girl realize their feelings, then one of them does something stupid that almost destroys their relationship, but they come together in the end to live happily ever after. This is the plot of a fair number if YA romance novels. Including this one. The theme changes, but the plot remains mostly the same. This time the theme is baseball. Which is better than some, but worse than others.
The very predictability of this book makes it both a pleasure and an aggravation to read. It's an aggravation in that reading a book where you know every beat going in can be a bit, well, boring. Part of the fun of books comes in not knowing what's going to happen. When you go in knowing how it will go before you turn the first page, reading can get a bit tedious. On the other hand there can be something pleasurable and even comforting about knowing how everything is going to end.
The juxtaposition between tedium and enjoyment left me highly conflicted about the book. On the one hand I liked the general ideas behind it and wanted to know more about the circumstances surrounding the plot. On the other hand, I was not a fan of the predictability and I found both leads really, really annoying.
This is not a book that I would normally have chosen for myself. However, it was interesting getting to take a look at genres normally outside of my comfort zone. I can understand why many people enjoy this type of book. I just don't happen to be one of them.

This Young Adult Sports Romance is about growing up and adapting to changes. Not always easy when two people are vying for the same thing.

Eve is a star athlete and when an incident arises, her school is merged with another, threatening her position on the baseball team.

Jamie is the baseball captain of his team and very popular with the girls. The merging of the school happens on his territory and he isn't about to give up his field position to anyone else.

Jamie and Eve take an instant dislike to each other from the word go and neither of them makes the effort to hide this mutual feeling. He rubs her up the wrong on and off the field and she gives as good as she gets. She is used to being frowned upon as the only girl on the team, but she can stand up for herself. When the teams are integrated, they find themselves playing against each other until they face another team. This is the game changer as it's "them against us" and they want their team to win. They start off tolerating each other, then becoming friends before recognising the attraction between them.

Despite the obvious attraction, Eve is cautious about getting involved with someone who is renowned for being a player. Then again, they both want the trophy just as badly. Will their thirsts for winning get in the way of their feelings?

Jamie projects this bad boy persona, but he is good in his role on the team, he works hard and cares deeply for his family. Having to fight for her talent to be recognised, Eve projects this rigid personality, but underneath it all, she is sensitive and unsure off herself off the field. I like the way their relationship slowly builds up and how they solve their problems. Eve's action and her honesty towards the end are admirable. I enjoyed reading this story. It's different from any other new young novels that I have read. It's sweet, funny, sad in places and totally captivating.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

Eve has fought hard to be given respect as the only female on the baseball team at her school, but now that she is forced to attend her rival school she will not have it easy. Her new high school already has a pitcher for their team, Jamie aka Ace, and he is not interested in sharing the position or the glory. Jamie wants nothing more but for Eve to quit the team, to stop making a mockery out of the only thing that makes sense in his life. But Eve refuses to back down to the arrogant playboy and the two will but heads to find out who is the better player.

This is a purely character driven story, told from alternating points of view at chapters by Jamie and Eve. I am a fan of romances narrated by both characters so color me happy when I discovered I got to delve into the minds of both sides of the drama. And boy, drama it was! The story focuses on both the characters individually as in what life struggles they have to overcome such as being the only girl on a team or family dysfunction, and it also highlights the potential relationship dynamic between Eve and Jamie.

I was an instant fan of Eve, she was dedicated, determined and strong- both physically and mentally. She did her best to not get sent to a new school, she didn't back down to hazing, she was a gracious loser and willing to admit when she was wrong. Her speech to the coach at the end of the book was so freaking honorable and full of good sportsmanship I wanted to applaud. I also really loved her family dynamic, that she came to sports naturally and how she and her mom talked about sports and life (that was my favorite part, where her mom told her that "the game can't love you back"). She was a supportive friend and an overall interesting character to root for.

And then we have Jamie, who I pretty much despised from the start of the book. He was a complete player, totally unconcerned by what girl was giving him attention, could't be bothered to learn names as long as they would put out- and he wanted Eve to fail and cry or at least vanish. Yep, I was not feeling him at all. Finally he started to have depth and reveal things that made him a more well-rounded person- like caring for his sister, his job, cleaning off ice cream from his arch enemies car and replacing the ice cream sundae for her mom... little things that made him more relatable and less like the jerk he first seemed. Sure, he still had a lot of broken hearts and bad boy ways to recover from, but he was a more well rounded person. By the end of the book he was all feelings and hope and I just wanted him to get his happy ending because life had been rough for him.

I ended up enjoying this story more than I thought I would after the first few chapters of my Jamie bashing. That being said, Karole did a great job of turning my opinion in a complete 180 and making me like both characters. I found this to be an incredibly fast read that I flew through in one sitting, the writing engaging and the characters realistic, oh and the FEELS! I would gladly read more written by Carole...and maybe one set at this same high school (hint hint- a happily ever after for some of the side characters in the book would be super, like Marcella who had a rough time of it in this book but was the best friend a girl could ask for).

I am voluntarily reviewing an advance, complimentary copy of this book.

I absolutely adored The Game Can't Love You Back! I didn't want it to be over. Eve and Jamie had the most adorable chemistry even when they were hating each other. I wish this story continued, possibly with Eve's two best friends getting their own stories. I really needed this book after reading a dark novel. This one was fun and light-hearted, while also showing how strong women are and how they can play baseball just like men. We need more books like this to show female empowerment and equality. It's the perfect YA summer romance read!

5 stars!

*Thank you Swoon Reads and Netgalley for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Whew! This book has ALL the feels! I'm honestly not a huge baseball fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story despite that. :) Jamie and Eve are both the stars of their teams and when their forced to play on the same team, competing for the same trophy, it's hate at first sight. But as they get to know each other, they develop a growing respect for another another, and almost become friends...and then almost become more. But life is full of hard choices and the head sometimes overrules the heart. As Jamie and Eve try to navigate high school and the pressures of everyday life, they learn that some things in life are worth the fight.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a perfect contemporary "swoony" romance. Classic hate turn to love story within a sports setting. I would have liked the main character Eve to have a deeper interaction with her friends in the story - I felt like they were too surface level and could have been more of a side story. Overall I really liked it - it was cute and quick. Would recommend for ages 14 and up.

This was a cute, sports/romance book. It was a bit predictable at times, but it is sure to be a hit with teens.