This book was so cute!

This book follows Jack - aka Jaclyn-the new quarter back on the school football team, who replaces the star quarterback Robbie, who passed away. Jack is not accepted by her team mates, who are more likely to attribute her game winning plays to the ghost of their teammate than any actual skills on her part.

Jack meets Amber, aspiring captain of the cheer squad and sparks immediately fly between the two. They hatch a plan to try to get the team to come around with Jack, and along the way theres romance, secrets, a lot of drama and self-discovery, some painful moments, but also a lot of joy *

Overall, this was a really fun read and I’m looking forward to more by the author!

*It does handle really heavy topics alongside all of this, so trigger warnings for homophobia, bullying, misogyny

Thank you so much to Wednesday books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook! I loved it!

From my point of view, Home Field Advantage suffers from what I like to call mis-marketing. The blurb and cover photo posit this as a cute and funny queer romcom, but that’s not really accurate in my opinion. Judging from some of the reviews I’ve read on Goodreads, I’m not alone in thinking this was mislabeled, and its unfortunate because I think it might get the wrong audience as a result.

The main themes in this young adult novel are misogyny and queerphobia and these can get fairly graphic in the book, so I want to warn you beforehand. Basically the entire plot revolves around a new female quarterback who gets bullied, harassed, and shunned merely for being a woman. A great deal of this is also fueled by internalized misogyny as the cheerleaders are just as ruthless to Jack as the male football players.

The book is told through dual perspectives, switching between our leads every chapter. I wasn’t a fan of Amber’s perspective (mostly because I wasn’t a fan of Amber’s character), but I really enjoyed Jack’s story and personality. The romance begins early on in the book (which is something I prefer over slow-burn), but I did feel there was a lack of scenes featuring the two main characters developing their relationship. Of the few scenes where Jack and Amber are together, they’re mostly arguing or making out. It would have been really nice to watch them grow together as individuals and a couple.

A part of me wants to say that my favorite character was actually Amber’s mom, who is another queer woman featured in the story (she is bisexual). She had a nice healthy relationship with her daughter with open communication and trust. I always love when positive parent-child relationships are portrayed in YA as I think it’s something we don’t see enough of. On top of that, the side romance between Miguel (Amber’s beard boyfriend) and his boyfriend seemed so freaking cute. I would love to see a book (even a novella or short story) with them at its center.

There is a particular Trigger Warning that I wasn't aware of (my fault) when I started this book and that I'm currently not personally comfortable with at the moment. So I am setting this book aside (possibly temporarily) for now. From what I did read, Dahlia has written another fun but important Queer book. And I know many will absolutely adore it. I wish I had books like Dahlia's when I was a teenager.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a review copy.

FF coming of age, female QB and cheerleader high school romance- Yes please!

I just loved Jack's character but hated that no one on her new team or school was supporting her (but sounds about right). She was such a kickass player and was helping them win games and they just kept giving credit to other reasons. I'm sure there are so many accomplished female athletes for millennia that have had to deal with fragile male egos and homophobic females. Ugh I'm just so tired of that! I wanted to cheer for her!! I would have def been in that cheering section in high school!

It seemed these characters families for the most part were ok it was their community and school that they didn't feel comfortable with or they didn't trust to be ok and some were douches cause you know high school. But there are always going to be allies ones that are vocal and ones that will show up in your friend group even when some might disappoint you.

Amber the cheerleader was on track to be the next cheer captain but wasn't counting on Jack. I loved how she kept trying to get her involved but still it's so hard to see when your life long friends are just being cruel. Her grand gesture though was cheertastic!

I just loved the high school routine, the drama, the secret romances, the practice, cheer groups, even the underhandedness of the petty. With which that victory felt even sweeter.

Thank you stmartinspress and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Okay, first of all, can we talk about this cover? I absolutely love the colours, and I love the fact the girls’ school colours are the same as my old high school’s. As for the book itself…I enjoyed it SO much. I’ve been a fan of Dahlia’s books since her debut in 2014, and Home Field Advantage is one of my new favourites of hers.

Set against a backdrop of a conservative Florida town, this book follows Amber, a cheerleader whose goal is to make captain next year, and Jaclyn ‘Jack’ Walsh, who was recruited to be the Quarterback at Amber’s school after the death of their former QB. The guys on the team refuse to accept that not only is there now a girl on their team, but she’s also a better player than any of them, and could lead them to heights they’ve never known if only they could get over themselves. The cheerleaders are no more accepting than the footballer players, and the whole school is dead set on making Jack feel like she doesn’t belong…except for Amber, who can’t deny her attraction to Jack, but feels the need to stay in the closet because she knows she won’t be accepted by her class- or teammates.

I loved Jack and Amber, and really empathized with them. This book had a lot of issues I think many teens and young adults will relate to, like fitting in, feeling ostrasized, worrying about being different, finding a passion, figuring out the future, dealing with issues with family and friends. There was a great balance of humour and emotion, with fun, lighthearted moments, and also scenes that tugged on my heartstrings. The last few chapters felt so triumphant and made me so happy. All of the characters had a lot to overcome, and I loved how things worked out. This would make such a fun movie.

A huge thank-you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advance copy of Home Field Advantage. This book is out now and I hope you’ll add it to your TBR (and please be sure to check CWs before reading because there are quite a few).

Loved this book a lot! I found Jack and Amber incredibly believable and lovable — highly imperfect, making bad decisions, but they both had really satisfying character arcs and I loved where they ended up at the end of the story. I found the ending perfect. Overall just a really big fan!

"Isn't this a little cliche, the quarterback and the cheerleader?"

This book was good overall! I loved getting to know Amber and Jack through each of their perspectives and there was great character development throughout the story. I especially loved Miguel's character development even though he was more of a side character. This book has all the tropes that brought me right back to high school pep rallies - but also back to the cattier side of high school with gossip and secrecy. The only thing I didn't enjoy about this story was how Amber seemed to easily go along with her friends plans of excluding Jack, even knowing she didn't feel the same. Even though she eventually made the right choice, it took her a little too long to get there given how she supposedly felt. But in the end, she redeemed herself and felt confident in her true identity! This is a great read for anyone who loves YA rom coms and the jock/cheerleader trope.

Dahlia Adler puts out YA LGBTQ+ bangers and I love it.

Jack is the new quarterback for a school in which the former quarterback just died. This wouldn't be a big deal (or maybe it would) other than the fact that Jack is a girl, and no one at her new school, from the football team, to the cheerleaders supports this new announcement. Except for Amber, a cheer-captain hopeful, who is so kind but also so scared of being outted as queer that her and Jack don't hit it off at first. Until they do!

Super cute, and some well-written side characters (both good and not-so-good kids). I don't know who my favorite character was, but by the end, I was SO proud of Jack and her story arc. It's great, and I just want to hug her.

This would be a great late-summer read, or for football season!

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the e-ARC!

This is the cutest and sweetest sports romance I've read in a while. This sapphic romance tackles some challenging conversions relating to homophobia, misogyny, and living as a queer teenager. I had no idea that this book would get so deep when I started it.

Amber McCloud's dream is to be the cheer captain. Amber has it all planned out, and she has been playing the part to be offered this role. When the high school Quarterback Robbie is killed in a car accident, the team and squad are notified there will be a new replacement, Jack Walsh. Only the team and squad aren't prepared for Jaclyn Walsh, and they refuse to play or cheer for a girl, especially not the girl who replaced their beloved QB, Robbie. Amber isn't too bothered by this new development. She thinks Jack is kind of hot. Amber has two choices, make the team and squad love Jack like she is beginning to, or be on the outs and lose the opportunity to become cheer captain.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching jack and Amber fall for each other and find themselves. At first, I found neither Jack nor Amber to be likable characters. However, as I progressed further into the book, I developed a sweet spot for them. It was interesting to view both dynamics of this sports romance. We got dual POV where we gained insight into Amber and her role on the cheer squad and Jack's POV as the only female player on the football team. They both endured struggles that helped them mold their identity and find love. They both, in a way, were risking it all for one another, which made this romance altogether swoon-worthy and a top read on my shelf. Although this is a high-school romance, it doesn't feel that way. The writing was done so well and contained pop-culture references without seeming too cheesy or like an adult writing a high-school romance. This book comes equipped with steam and some fade-to-black because this is YA, but those scenes are still rewarding.

Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it.

Thank you, Dahlia Adler & NetGalley

Home Field Advantage is a story where the quarterback gets with the cheerleader, except this time they bend gender expectations. I appreciated how it examined how hard it can be to find yourself during high school, especially when you fear judgment.

I loved Jack and her determination to succeed. I thought that the emotions she was feeling about having to give up her family and friends to achieve her dreams came through authentically. Amber and Jack had moments full of banter and I appreciated the way they came together. I also appreciated the growth in Miguel, especially when it came to standing up for Jack on the football field.

This story explored how it can be challenging to be a young queer person whose story looks different from your peers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Dahlia Adler can do no wrong in my eyes and I will take no criticism at this time. She truly has a way to suck you into a story to the point you never want to leave. This is no different. This just makes your heart happy and I absolutely loved every single second of reading it. You can look at my other reviews of Dahlia's books, but I could just echo it again for HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE. It's a masterpiece and you should read it.

Home Field Advantage - Dahlia Adler

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year after loving Cool for the Summer last year, and this did not disappoint!! It’s a sapphic book featuring the quarterback and a cheerleader, and it was simply perfect.

This book is dual POV, and we follow Amber who’s a cheerleader, and Jack, who is the school’s new QB. Jack gets a lot of hate, being a girl and replacing their QB who died, and doesn’t get any support from the team or cheerleading squad. Amber wants to support her but doesn’t want to jeopardize her chance at being captain.

I really loved this book, it was such a quick read and it was so cute and so fun. I also love when YA books get messy and this one definitely did. I loved the friendships in this. Amber is fake dating a football player, Miguel, who is gay, and I really loved their friendship and the double dates they went on.

Jack is a lesbian but Amber isn’t sure how to label her sexuality. She says that she feels polysexual fits her best (attracted to multiple genders), and I have never seen that in a book so I really liked that rep!

Dahlia Adler can do no wrong and I’m so glad I loved this one. It’s out today so go pick it up!!

At first glance, Home Field Advantage is the age-old love story of a high school cheerleader and the football quarterback...except it's sapphic! Jack, the football team's new quarterback, has just moved to town to replace the former QB who died tragically, and the rest of the football team isn't making it easy for her. The only friend she really seems to have at school is Amber, one of the cheerleaders, who is doing her best to make Jack feel like a part of the team - at least, until both the cheer squad and the football team decide to take matters into their own hands.

I absolutely loved the idea of turning the quarterback/cheerleader trope on its head, and Adler does a fantastic job in its execution. The whys and hows around Jack joining the team do actually feel believable, which was my one concern when reading the book synopsis. I don't know much about football itself so I can't really speak on that, but I bought everything that was presented in the book as football facts, so Adler at least did a good job of convincing me.

Amber, Jack, and Miguel are all solid characters with their own desires and drives, and as a reader it's easy to see where they each are coming from and root for each of them in different ways. None of them are perfect protagonists, but they each undergo substantial character growth through the course of the story, which is exactly what I like to see with good characters.

The one thing that might be difficult for certain readers is the amount of angst in this book. They're teenagers, so it's to be expected to some extent, but because of the nature of the story there is definitely more than you'd expect from a rom-com. That being said, there is a good payoff at the end for sticking with it, and the angst that is there does lead to character growth, so I personally think it ended up being entirely worth it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

A wonderful spin on the quarterback gets the cheerleader, Home Field Advantage is a realistic and timely story of how three high school students struggle to deal with the misogyny and homophobia in their small, close-minded Southern town.

Amber, Jack, and Miguel are all wonderful characters. They are genuine and flawed. All three are doing their best to navigate challenging situations while figuring out what compromises they are willing to make to get what they want out of life. Ultimately, they realize happiness is being their true selves all the time and the rest will follow.

Having read Cool for Summer and Home Field Advantage, I’m officially a Dahlia Adler fan! Adler has a knack for crafting sweet and fun sapphic romances that deal with tough issues in a realistic way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a digital copy of this book. This voluntary review reflects my honest, unbiased opinions.

I have purposely held onto my ARC of this book until Pride month, wanting to wait until now to read the "high school quarterback and cheerleader cliche, but make it gay" book that the description on this one promised. And may I just say, Dahlia Adler 100% delivered!

I'm a sucker for a good YA love story; while I also love adult romances, there's something about all of the heightened emotions and hormones that make teen love seem so devastating and important--because it is! Finding people to love and to be loved by when you're figuring out who you want to be can be messy and wonderful, which this book does in spades. Football is everything to so many high schools (especially in the South), so having this queer story be a lady loves a lady story with a female football player -- and a quarterback at that -- is a stroke of feminist brilliance that I will always get behind.

Jack and Amber's story isn't a smoothly paved highway -- small towns are rarely bastions of tolerance and acceptance, after all -- but I loved how they did some hard work in trying to figure out what meant the most to them, and how to let the right people into your life. I also loved their real friends, and am a little bummed we didn't get more from Jack's friends from her old school.

I can't wait for everyone to be able to read this book! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up, specifically for chapter 12.

First and foremost thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy.

Listen. I wanted to love this book. I wanted this book to be the best book I read this year. But it fell short of my expectations.

The concept was so cute and I was so excited for it. I was expecting a WLW girl power book. But it didn’t feel like that.

I so truly wish some of the misogyny and homophobia where dialed back a bit in the book. The same emotions could’ve been felt at a 2 instead of a 10.

I do think I will try to give this book another shot down the line. But my first read it just didn’t hit.

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect sapphic ya romance with tons of rep and plenty of swoon worthy scenes. This book was a sports romance which I loved and it also took one of my favorite cliches, football player and cheerleader romance, but made it sapphic instead which I really enjoyed. The two main characters, Jack, a football player who is new in town, and Amber, a cheerleader who's dream is two become cheer captain, were both really likeable and relatable. This book touched on heavy subjects such as misogyny and homophobia and I liked how Jack's reactions to the misogyny and homophobia she was facing were realistic as well as relatable. I also really enjoyed Amber's character because I think that she is a very realistic depiction of a closeted gay girl in high school. Her internal conflict throughout the story was a really important aspect of this book and I really liked how it wasn't just glossed over because her thoughts and feelings about the different situations she was in felt very real to me. The only thing I would've loved in this book was a couple extra chapters just because I felt the pacing of the last two were very fast and I would've liked to see a little more of Jack and Amber before the book was over.

Home Field Advantage follows cheerleader Amber and new quarterback Jack when they form an unlikely connection. Amber McCloud has only wanted one thing since freshman year- to become cheer captain. When their quarterback dies in a car accident, new student Jack is tapped to play QB. Except Jack is short for Jaclyn, and the school revolts. Jack is forced to endure bullying and hazing from the team; while Amber must hide her crush on the incredibly cute new QB. With sexism and homophobia running rampant at the school, Amber and Jack decide to keep their growing relationship a secret. As the lies and pressure mounts, they must decide who and what they will risk it all for.

This is SUCH a sweet and heartwarming story. Jack and Amber are an adorable sapphic couple and I loved the LGBTQ+ representation throughout. Dahlia Adler’s writing is smooth and inviting. She effortlessly balances tense action scenes with swoony romantic moments. Home Field Advantage has a sapphic cheerleader and quarterback pairing, queer found family, and hilarious writing. Home Field Advantage addresses serious topics such as homophobia, bullying, sexism, and complicated grief. This felt realistic and handled well, especially the complex ways that imperfect people are mourned and remembered.

Home Field Advantage is one of my new favorite queer contemporary reads! I highly recommend it, especially for fans of The One True Me and You and I Kissed Shara Wheeler. Home Field Advantage releases June 7, 2022. Thank you to Dahlia Adler, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a sweet book with intriguing, 3-dimensional characters that kept me interested throughout the story. Amber in particular showed growth in this book and seemed to change over the course of the story in a way that I enjoyed, and the other characters were amazing as well. This book was interesting in a way that made it feel light and fun, even with the heavy conversations that occurred throughout. In all, this was an adorable and sweet LGBTQIA+ rom-com that I couldn't help but adore. 5/5 stars from me!

I was slightly skeptical of this book going in, as I always am with YA these days, but I couldn't resist the premise. I'm really glad I gave in to my impulse on this one, because this book was really cute, and surprisingly emotionally harrowing at the same time. The premise here is that Atherton's star quarterback died in a drunk driving accident over the summer, and the coach has found his replacement in Jack Walsh, who is to everyone's shock, a girl. She's extremely talented, and she just wants the chance to play football and be part of a team. That no one accepts her, and in some cases actively plot against her, is not a great feeling.

The only person who is even somewhat nice to her is Amber, a cheerleader who is gunning hard for Captain next year (they are both juniors) and who is a closeted queer girl in a fake relationship with her also queer friend Miguel, another player on the football team. Amber has spent all of high school trying her hardest not to rock the boat, especially since so many of her classmates are homophobic, including her best friend Cara, whose family is uber-religious but stepped in to be a sort of second family for Amber when her single mom needed the help. Just a soup of conflict up inside Amber. Of course, the two are drawn together and quickly fall for each other, in a very cute way. (Amber calls Jack's glasses cute, and can't resist flirting with her, then straight up telling her she was flirting, promptly and accidentally outing herself.)

I was mostly surprised by how intense the homophobia and misogyny is towards Jack, and surrounding Amber. All the queer characters are out to their families, but none want to take the step to come out to the community as a whole, lest they end up friendless and ostracized like Jack. Haunting the whole thing is the ghost of Robbie, the dead quarterback, who was an asshole (he was blackmailing Miguel about being gay, among other charming behaviors), but who is now being sanctified by his teammates, the cheerleaders, and the other students. They refuse to give Jack credit when they start winning games, and the fact that she's a girl has everything to do with it. And even Amber and Miguel don't feel like they can stand up for her, because of the perceive consequences.

I was a bit worried that the conflict Adler created was too much to be resolved in the book, but she made it work, with only a little bit of handwaving. Most of it was just well-constructed plot, and you end the book know that Amber and Jack have their Happily-For-Now.

I hadn't read anything by Dahlia Adler before this, but I would definitely consider reading more from her in the future, even though none of her previously published books are calling to me at the moment.