3.5

Overall, I think this book was really cute! I would've appreciated a bit of a longer build up into the relationship, but I still enjoyed it. I tend to prefer a slow burn romance, which wasn't the case with this, but I think a lot of people will still enjoy it. I also loved the friendships formed in this book and the bonds that already existed with the Amber and her best friend/fake boyfriend.

I didn't have too many issues with the book, however, the beginning was a bit too much info-dumping for me. Also the ending just felt a little too good to be true? There were some consistent elements within some characters throughout the whole book that did a complete 180 at the end. And lastly, although this could just be a personal preference, but there were just way too many pop culture references and it took me out of the story. I was not expecting Jack to start rapping Guns and Ships from Hamilton at any point within this book, and yet it happened.

This was a super cute sapphic romance that made my swoon! I love the cheerleader/football player trope, and the sapphic version was even better! It broke all the gender norms and expectations and I love that. If you like funny, somewhat predictable, and undeniably romantic YA books, this one is for you!

Ok Netflix where is my tv series? Because this is golden and so freaking good!! I need this book on my shelf before June! This was a wonderful story about going for your dreams no matter if someone else thinks you shouldn't. The romance was cute and light and I think this would be a wonderful story for this spring and summer. The conflict worked well and I can not wait to check out another book by this author.

I really liked the plot and the concept of this book. It really did draw me in and kept me reading. There was never really a moment where i wasn’t curious as to what would happen next and i absolutely love that it was based off of that one picture of the cheerleader helping her football player girlfriend tie up her hair. That was definitely a bonus.

That being said, i wasn’t a big fan of some of the stylistic choices as well as the way some things were worded. It also felt a bit unfinished and like things were being rushed to tie up at the end. Personally, I didn’t like how the teenagers were portrayed but I recognize that might just be the aroace in me reading a very allo book.

However, one thing i couldn’t really look past was the way Amber’s sexuality was described. There was a distinct separation between cis men and trans men that made me, a trans masc person, quite uncomfortable. Saying you would date a trans man and not a cis man implies that you can tell the difference which is absolutely not true in a lot of cases and the implication in that is just very iffy.

I did like most of the characters and where the story went as a whole and i am glad i got an arc of this even if i didn’t end up liking it as much as i thought i would.

I loved this one! I couldn't put it down. Amber McCloud has one clear goal, to get picked as cheer captain and earn a scholarship so she can get our of her small town. It should be straightforward but the school's QB is killed in a car accident and his replacement Jack Walsh is a girl. While the football team and the cheerleading squad are determined to make Jack's life miserable, Amber can't help but be attracted to the sexy new QB. As things escalate, both in her feelings and the actions of the cheerleading squad, Amber is forced to decide if her goal is worth hurting the people she cares about.

There was good chemistry between Amber and Jack, but their relationship did develop a bit quickly for me. All of the secondary characters were well developed as well. Overall, this was a fun lighthearted read and a nice take on the cheerleader dating the star QB trope.

Originally posted 1/27 on Goodreads and KidsAreAlrightReads instagram. Will repost on release week.

Cheerleader Amber 'Loud' McCloud is disappointed in her small-minded football team for not welcoming or following their new quarterback Jack (short for Jaclyn) Walsh. Things get interesting when the girls find themselves falling for each other, and author Dahlia Adler made the excellent choice to give us both girls' POV.

Excellent LGBTQIAP+ inclusive YA Contemporary read!

Can I just start out by saying that I am so jealous that there are now YA Sapphic romance novels? Don't get me wrong I am THRILLED that they are around now, but I definitely wish they had ben around when I was in high school. Especially on as cute as this one.

This was a fantastic wlw twist on the classic cheerleader X quarterback couple storyline. No, this was THE wlw twist on the classic cheerleader X quarterback couple storyline we all longed for as queer teens. This book made me tear up with how it tackled issues of misogny in general and internalized misogny from other girls. It was also deeply relatable with showing how it can be difficult to have unsupportive environments and friends who are only accepting of you when you fit their idea of you.

Hands down one of the cutest YA romances I have read in a while. I truly hope this becomes adapted for a series or a movie one day.

I can not thank NetGalley and the publisher enough for granting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A queer cheerleader/quarterback romance that celebrates the messiness and growth of teenagers? Sign me up. I was a huge fan of Adler's Cool for the Summer and loved this for similar reasons: teens exploring the complications of their sexuality and identity, sharp commentary about misogyny and internalized sexism, and swoony, sweet moments between the leads.

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 warning: misogyny, sexism, biphobia, homophobia, bullying, religious trauma/bigotry, car accident and death, mention of possible abortion, mention of a miscarriage, grief

Home Field Advantage takes the classic love story of future cheer captain & QB and makes it better. And by better, I mean queer!

When Jack (legal name Jaclyn) moves to Atherton to start as QB, the whole school is shook. A GIRL playing football?! Replacing our amazing (read male) former QB who died?! Despite the uproar, it's cheerleader Amber is the most shook. Her heart vibrates and her knees go weak each time she sees Jack. Amber thought she could make it through high school without making her sexuality the talk of the town.

Huge fan of Jack and Amber and the positive representation of characters within the BIPOC LGBTQ+ community. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Jack is definitely a character I was rooting for. Her relationship with Amber moved pretty quickly, but it didn't detract from the storyline. I was rooting for Jack and Amber, but the cast around them with the exception of Miguel didn't really register really much. Amber's complicated relationship with her friend Cara could have had a more lasting impression. I think where they ended was a bit too neatly resolved. What Adler does well is evoke the high school experience and I really enjoyed the homecoming game where Jack wins the game in spite of her team (with a few exceptions). Reading about a girl who is a talented quarterback was refreshing and I wish there were more of Jack playing football. This was a fun read and I rate it 4/5.

this was a quick fun, cute lgbtqia+ highschool romance, and i don't really have any negative feelings towards it. I enjoyed most of it even if I thought it was a little bit insta-love-y and that resolutions were just way too convenient and some of the 'romantic' conversations and thoughts could be so awkward, but I mean, that's highschool for the most part. i wish we got a little more general and background information on characters and the town, and I definitely would have liked some expanding on Robbie and Cara/Robbie ad the things to do with him in general. Still, overall an enjoyable and heart-warming read.

This book surprised me! I love a ~queering~ of the cheerleader/quarterback trope, and I’m impressed with how well Adler navigates the intersectional identities of her characters. I especially appreciated a moment in the story where one of the main queer characters is called out for their misogyny; it felt important to see this teen explicitly acknowledge and name the harm they caused. The dual POV also works really well, but I wish there had been a longer build-up within the central romance. Watching people fall for each other is the best part! This book rushes through the “falling;" the MCs’ great chemistry only partially makes up for that. I also wasn’t entirely sold on one of the bigger “reveals” at the end––I think the Cara thing could have easily been omitted. Overall, “Home Field Advantage” is a pretty solid queer YA novel! If you enjoyed “Felix Ever After,” consider giving it a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Home field advantage is a story about Amber and Jack. Amber is a cheerleader and desperately wants to become the captain, which will look good on her college applications. Jack moves to Florida to pursue her dream of playing football. The school is very excited by the thought of a new QB, however, are disappointed when they learn she's a girl. The cheerleading team seems hellbent on getting her off the team, which leaves Amber in a compromising position. Help her friends and secure that captain position, or help the girl that she may be falling in love with?

I really enjoyed this book. Jack was an interesting character and you could sympathize with her situations, both at school and within her family life. Amber was a character I highly related with, and I loved her friendship with Miguel. I also really enjoyed the romance between the two characters.

Dahlia Adler captured the essence of high school and figuring who or what is important to you at that time. She illustrated that aspect by having a few characters come to different realizations throughout the novel. However, I found the story a little bit hard to get into. I think that's more of a me problem, though.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this coming-of-age, queer, football romance. I will be reading more of Dahlia Adler's novels in the future based on my enjoyment of her newest work.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the concept but it was so hard to read. It’s just another book yet again falling into a world of homophobia and misogyny. Please look up trigger warnings before reading this book as it does deal with some heavy topics. I want a queer romcom where the two main characters don’t have to deal with all of this homophobia and misogyny. I’m not saying it’s not cute, and coming out stories are really important especially for young adults. But God, it’s hard to read for those especially that have gone through it before. I think my least favorite part was that she had a beard? And she was her beard? Like, we’re okay with reading about that in 2022? I’m also a queer Pastor’s kid, so I hated reading Cara’s character. I also hated that Jack was just hated on the entire book she couldn’t catch a break. It just made me sad. I would be willing to totally read a new adult sequel of this couple, out and proud in college or something. Where we could actually get spicy scenes and don’t have to deal with all of this homophobia and internalized misogyny. Like it would be amazing to have a novel where Jack’s playing college ball and Amber’s cheering her on. Or maybe she doesn’t cheer and she finds something else that she loves. I loved both of their characters a lot and wanted so much more out of this book. But I’ve read enough LGBTQIA books where the only plot is them coming out and I need more than that.

This is the dream come true book for all of the young questioning folk there. While certain plot points felt rushed, the sports writing is actually superb, if there was a new adult follow up to this it would fly off the shelves.

I so badly wanted to like this book! I'm queer. I'm a (former) athlete. My favorite genre is romance. But, I just couldn't get over the way the experiences and struggles of the characters of color were likened to Jack's struggles. The generalizations and comparisons made me really uncomfortable! Other thoughts on the book: I needed more specific examples of the adversity that Jack faced. I felt like I was just being told repeatedly how the teammates were being jerks without actually showing that. Also, Amber was really annoying. I know that the book was centered on her internal conflict, but her growth didn't feel believable. I really enjoyed Cool for the Summer, but this one was disappointing.

Very cute, very enjoyable romcom! I was definitely invested. Even those who are the farthest from sports fans will eat this up.

First off I want to say thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this book!

I don’t have much to say other than I love this book :) I loved the characters and the romance, This novel talks about internalized misogyny, being queer and feminism in such a beautiful way. This was such a fun story and everyone should go read it for when it comes out on June 7th!