A young adult romance with a bit higher stakes than usually found in the genre, but that still manages to have moments of levity, to be breezy in all the right places, and to have all the heat between the leads required.

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler is quite literally everything I look for in a book. Sports romance? Check. Sapphic? Check. That’s it. Those are my requirements. I’m easy to please.

This book started off strong, and Adler hooked me with the fun, carefree writing style that I don’t often see in YA contemporary romances. I will say that this book, the story it told, and the way it was written was very realistic. I had to stop and put it down on occasion just to stare at the wall and reflect over the fact that I’ve witnessed plenty of these scenarios happen in real life with my own two eyes.

However, the story became quite messy for me after the 30% mark, and I became unable to relate to the characters (most specifically, Amber’s desire to keep her homophobic, misogynistic best friend). Many of the conflicts seemed easily resolvable, and the romance didn’t have any of the razzle dazzle fireworks moments I was expecting.

The ending of the book was very cute, but that was just it: cute. Definitely a perfect read for young, sapphic girl, but it just lacked something I was looking for. Also, the pop culture references specifically made me cringe (a whole two pages were dedicated to the musical Hamilton, though I’m loathe to relive it). Overall, it was probably a 3.3 star read, with a very fun writing style, but nothing that I’m too obsessed with.

This was a really fun story with lots to keep me interested: a twist on the cheerleader/quarterback romance trope, a strong underdog to root for, a beautiful, complex friendship, and some important grappling with when to follow the crowd and when to follow your heart. Definitely a recommended read.
Home Field Advantage is the first Dahlia Adler book I've read, and it won't be my last!

Amber McCloud needs her junior year of cheerleading to go well if she has any hopes of being named cheer captain her senior year and possibly earning a scholarship to FSU, so she can escape the small conservative town of Atherton, Florida and be "out" and proud. Hiding who she is not easy, but it is a necessity if she wants to achieve her goals, especially as her best friend and fellow cheerleader, Cara, is the daughter of a preacher who is definitely not LGBTQ+ friendly, and Cara and many of their fellow students have similar closed-minded beliefs. Amber's efforts to hide who she is are aided by her fake romance with football player, Miguel Santiago, who is gay and who also feels necessary to hide his true identity.

Jack (Jaclyn) Walsh just wants to play football. She fell in love with the game as a young child and for much of her childhood, there was no problem with her being a female quarterback -- kids just wanted a chance to play and the summer football camps were open to anyone because it meant more funding. However, a girl playing high school football is a rarity, especially as quarterback, and female collegiate players are practically non-existent. Jack knows that playing on a high school team is likely her final opportunity, so when, at summer football camp, she is unofficially "recruited" to be the quarterback at Atherton High, she convinces her family to make the necessary sacrifices, and her and her mother move to Atherton.

Being quarterback at Atherton was never going to be easy. The previous quarterback, Robbie, died in a drunk driving accident last spring, and while he was not a star, he was definitely better than the team's backup quarterbacks, and due to his tragic death, he is remembered as a saint. Anyone replacing him was going to have a difficult time, constantly battling his memory. However, having the replacement be a girl is a nightmare, which is why the coach waited until the last possible opportunity to introduce Jack to the team.

Both the football team and the cheerleaders immediately are opposed to Jack's presence on the team, despite the fact that she is quite good and gives the team a chance to actually have a winning season, and many of them are actively rude or cruel to her; the rest of the student body is not much better, and the football coach pretty much reserves any praise for occasions when the other players cannot overhear him. The only person who is marginally friendly to Jack is Amber. That is both good and bad, because it does not take them long to realize that they are interested in each other romantically and that the feeling is mutual, although for a while Jack is confused about Amber because of the Amber-Miguel (fake) romance.

The story focuses on Amber's efforts to walk the fine line between being supportive of Jack (and eventually pursuing a secret relationship with her) while not being too open about her support and going along with the Robbie hero worship (though she has very good reasons, which she cannot share, for having a very negative opinion of Robbie), so she can protect both her and Miguel's secrets and so she can position herself to be chosen as cheer captain next year. The story also focuses on Jack's efforts to pursue her dream and make all the sacrifices she had to make worthwhile, while dealing with the lack of support and acceptance by the team and the school. Even helping them win games is not enough to get the team to accept her. However, as the mistreatment of Jack increases, and as Amber's feelings for Jack increase, Amber starts to question what she truly cares about and who she truly wants to be. Miguel is also starting to question whether he should continue hiding his identity. He would really like to be open about his boyfriend, Malcolm. When being part of the football team was something enjoyable, it was easier to justify hiding his true self; however, the football team's treatment of Jack has made the team experience much less enjoyable.

Will Amber choose the quarterback over the cheerleading team? Will Miguel choose his boyfriend over the football team? Will Jack ever get accepted by the team or will the pressure force her to give up? How much are they willing to give up (especially Amber)? How low will things get before they improve? You will have to read the story to find out. However, I think you will be pleased at how the story turns out.

"Home Field Advantage" has some tough moments, especially if you are LGBTQ+ and you have to read about mistreatment and discrimination that you may have faced yourself, but it also has some rather humorous moments and some very heartwarming and inspirational moments. The book is a definite "must read" if you like young adult novels with a "queer" theme.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

High school as an actual experience? Not so much my thing. High school romance in books? Almost always my jam. This is a spin on the cheerleader and quarterback romance. Amber is a cheerleader who aspires to be cheer captain. Part of this means she's hiding part of her identity. She also cheers for a football team that is terrible. Then a new quarterback shows up to take over after the starter is tragically killed in a car accident. Jaclyn (Jack) Wilson relocates to the town to take on the role. She is meant with lots of resentment and people who want to see her fail, except Amber who falls hard. The story is then one of budding romance, of fitting in, and just navigating all the high school things. Overall, it was just a delight of a YA read!

I absolutely adored Dahlia Adler's last book, COOL FOR THE SUMMER, because I related to it so much. While I didn't relate to HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE the same way, I think I enjoyed reading this one even more. It honestly surprised me, because I don't like sports and football is the one I understand the least, but I became so invested in the story. A romance between a female cheerleader and the school's new female quarterback? Heck yes, I'm here for it!

While I would have liked to see Amber and Jack's romance actually developed a little deeper on the page, I still rooted for them so hard to get together and be happy. This story dealt with some heavy topics, but it was also so fun and I really saw it play out like a movie in my head. I wanted both girls to succeed in their various sports, but I felt like Amber's struggles weren't exactly on par with Jack's. Not that it's a contest, but Amber was worried about how coming out would affect her position with the other cheerleaders, and I just wanted her to say, "This is who I am and screw you if you don't like it." I felt more for Jack, because the diversity she faced with her football team wasn't really about her sexuality. It was about not being accepted as a girl playing what's seen as a traditionally male sport. This made her story more interesting to me as a reader, only because I haven't seen this done as much.

Side note: I wanted to strangle Amber's best friend. I just thought she was awful. I'm sure you're supposed to feel like that until the end, and then you're supposed to understand what she's been through herself and forgive her. Well, I didn't. I have no tolerance for people whose religious views lead them to treat other people poorly. I know there was more going on with her character than that, but it was very hard for me to get past that part.

All-in-all, I flew through this book, and I already can't wait for the author's next one. (I'm pretty sure I said that after I finished COOL FOR THE SUMMER too.) HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE comes out June 7th. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very interesting to read, and i loved the cheerleader/quarterback trope! I enjoyed seeing the struggle that Jack went through with going to the new school and everything and I loved to see the story play out. The only things that made me feel a little weird about the book was the fact that Cara’s pregnancy with Robbie was very sudden. There weren’t many clues or anything, especially after Cara’s hard-core religious stances. Another thing was that Jack and Amber made a few too many comments about each other’s bodies. I understand that teens notice things about others bodies, but it just seemed a bit excessive. Overall, I still enjoyed the book and the main plot of it all.

A cute, queer YA with a lot of heart. I loved Amber and Jack and the way they grew individually over the story, but also the way their relationship evolved. I also absolutely loved Miguel as a side character and I loved the queer rep throughout the book. Overall, I found Home Field Advantage to be a fun quick read and an ode to queer girls kicking ass and getting their high school happily ever afters.

Dahlia Adler has become one of my few insta-reads—every book I’ve read by her has absolutely blown me away! Home Field Advantage was no different, with characters that are immediately likable, a plot that was predictably-unpredictable in the best way, and the perfect balance between escapist humor and honest discussions about real life issues. Above all, Adler brews this story with queer love, hope, and encouragement, making this world a complete joy to spend a few hours within.

I don't know anything about football (I’m not that kind of sports gay) but I thought this book was fantastic.

A sapphic YA quarterback + cheerleader, it is so sweet and funny and important. And also queer as all get out. With bi moms and nonbinary best friends and gay bff beards, this is a book that celebrates the beauty, diversity, and struggles of being a queer teenager. It treats teens like full humans with dignity and complexity and that's all I ever want from a queer YA.

And the romance! The romance between these two ladies. My goodness. It's written dual POV so you really get both of their emotional arcs and I really felt all of their feelings in my body. The romance (and the book as a whole) is heavy and silly and beautiful and profound and nuanced and hilarious and scared and hopeful and real and sparkling. I just want to shove it into the hands of every single queer teenage girl and every single person who has ever been a queer teenage girl.

And Jack is described as a “strong sad girl with incredible arms” and if that wasn't my type in high school (or, you know, now)....

I literally cheered at the end, I jumped up and down. I laughed and I cried. The whole book was a touchdown (I don’t know anything about football).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC.

CW: being closeted, drunk driving death, homophobic religion, blackmail, biphobia, homophobia, miscarriage

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler is a young adult contemporary novel about a cheerleader and a high school's first female quarterback and their undeniable attraction to each other.   Of course, things aren't quite as simplistic as that, and they get quite complicated as the story progresses.  It is set to be published on June 7th, 2022.  I rated it four stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

In this sweet and funny new f/f romance from the author of Cool for the Summer, a cheerleader and the school's newest quarterback are playing to win, but might lose their hearts in the process.
Amber McCloud’s dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but it’s an extra-tall order to be joyful and spirited when the quarterback of your team has been killed in a car accident. For both the team and the squad, watching Robbie get replaced by newcomer Jack Walsh is brutal. And when it turns out Jack is actually short for Jaclyn, all hell breaks loose.
The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie’s been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she's only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down.
Just one problem: Amber and Jack are falling for each other, and if Amber can't stand up for Jack and figure out how to get everyone to fall in line, her dream may come at the cost of her heart.
Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage is a sparkling romance about fighting for what - or who - you truly want.

I had so much fun reading this book.  When I started it, I was in the mood for something light and fun.  I needed something that would make for a really good escape from the world and this was perfect. It wasn't light and easy, but it was still a really compelling story.

I think the standout for this novel were the characters.  I loved our two main characters: Amber and Jack.  Both of the characters were really well developed.  I believed in their motivations and while I didn't always approve of their choices, I can understand why they did the things they did.  Neither of them were framed in an easy way.  They had flaws as well as strengths.  However, I also really appreciated that they grew over the course of the novel.  They didn't stay the same the whole time and by the end of the book they became who they truly were.  That's a really special experience.

The story line was really interesting to me as well.  I didn't know what to expect from a story about a female quarterback, but it was really very interesting.  I felt that the backlash she dealt with was realistic, albeit unfortunate.  I enjoyed the progression of the story.

Another stand out in the story was the romance between Amber and Jack.  I liked that while the attraction was quickly there, it wasn't exactly an instant love kind of thing.  Their feelings grew over the course of the story and the way that they saw each other had real nuance to it.

Overall, this is a super cute story and I highly recommend it.

I really, really did not like the main character (Amber) and that made it difficult to root for the main relationship or to enjoy the book! Jack's story was interesting and she deserved better!

3/5 Stars for Home Field Advantage!

This sapphic YA was absolutely adorable. All of the favored highschool jock+cheerleader tropes but make it sapphic!

Amber just wants to get out of their small town. Jack just wants to prove herself in her new position as quarterback. When these two come together—sparks fly!

This was exactly what I expected and more. A sweet highschool romcom with a band of sweet side characters and a charming duo to root for. I blew through this one easily. I did wish for more development all around, however. More in-depth relationships between friends and a deeper build-up between Amber and Jack would have been appreciated. The writing style was very simplistic and easy to follow. I'm sure to some, again, the concept of wanting *more* will come up where prose is concerned. I felt like some issues (ie: Robbie, grief, etc) weren't as highlighted as they could have been and while it's true everyone reacts differently to tragedy, there were times that serious issues felt thrown to the wayside. Though, I was surprised to see the exploration of internalized misogyny as well as judging people based on assumptions.

I enjoyed this book for what it was; sweet and fun, with dashes of serious themes thrown in. If that's up your alley, check it out in June 2022!

*My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for granting me this arc in exchange for my honest review.*

I have read a few of Dahlia Adler's books and I find them very enjoyable.

Jack (Jaclyn) moves to Aberton to be the quarterback after Aberton's quarterback passes away. No one makes her feel welcome except for the bubbly cheerleader Amber. Home Field Advantage is a classic love story between a quarterback and a cheerleader. The twist is that they are both female and trying to figure out how to be together in a community that they feel won't support them. I enjoyed reading it and watching the characters grow and deal with all sorts of problems you deal with in high school.

Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage was an emotional and provocative love story that fully captivated me.

It follows Amber, a high school cheerleader fighting to become captain next year, and Jack, the new quarterback. The school and the football team treats Jack horribly for being a girl and replacing the old quarterback after his death. While feelings emerge between Jack and Amber, this reputation tests their relationship, and an incredibly emotional journey unfolds.

There were so many things that I really loved about the book. The characters were incredibly real, and I found myself really falling for them. Amber is 100% human; she's alive to me. That, however, means that she makes a lot of choices that I absolutely hated. Jack is just so cool, and I really felt for her.

It should be noted that the plot heavily revolves around coming out and homophobia. The school is full of homophobic people, and we see a lot of that unfold on the page. For people that had a bad coming out experience or don't want to read about this kind of hate, this book might not be for you. The main reason why I could not give this book five stars, even though I absolutely loved it even more than some of my five star reads, is that there were some parts that I really struggled to get through. The prevalence of homophobia and the politics of coming out made it a little bit difficult for me, as a queer person, to fully enjoy. Sometimes, that's just not what I want to read about.

I would like to mention that there is so much drama going on in the background of this book, and that makes it pretty cool. It really doesn't sugar coat what high school is like. It's real, and it's gritty. I appreciated that.

The romance is obviously the main part of the book. While not all moments were the same, you could tell the characters had chemistry. I found it pretty enjoyable.

I cried quite a bit towards the end, so I was pretty satisfied with how the book and the character arcs wrapped up.

Overall, I recommend this book to people that like queer YA sports romances. I have found that I really enjoy this genre, and this book did not disappoint. Similarly, if you like gritty, realistic YA novels set in high schools, I think you would also like this one. For queer people, pay attention to the content warnings.

I love the themes and representation that this book explored. I enjoyed seeing the character growth and thought that this was overall a really cute story.

This was a great read!

Amber has a goal: she wants to be next year's cheer captain, which becomes more difficult than anticipated with the recent death of the team's quarterback and the announcement of a replacement quarterback. When the school finds out that the replacement QB, Jack, is also a girl, the team is outraged and Amber finds herself in the middle of it because she might just be falling for the new QB. The problem is, if she sides with Jack, it may cost her the captain position.

Jack just wants to live out her dream of playing football on a high school team, but it's hard to be on a team that is constantly trying to push you out and the crush she has on a certain cheerleader, who is the only person at school who has attempted to be nice to her.

I really liked this overall! I liked the main characters, Jack and Amber, as well as Miguel & Malcom. Even though Jack and Amber had an almost insta-love thing going on, it worked for this novel! Also, this book had supportive parents! Jack's parents supported her football dreams; while Amber's mom is always there for her (& also offers some bi rep).

I also liked how this book explored how people sometimes allow death to make saints out of people who really weren't that saintly in life. It also explored a lot of not so positive issues like homophobia and misogyny - especially in the sports world. Amber deals with people belittling cheering; while Jack has to deal with being the only girl on the team in a very male-dominated sport. And Jack gets stuck with a lot of negative comments because of her position and team deciding that the old QB was a saint. And I'm not going to lie, some of the things Jack is forced to endure aren't pretty - there's a lot of isolation and belittling that occurs, but Jack has a ton of perseverance.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and despite it's dark parts - it had a lot of rom-com elements, which was fun. This is my second Dahlia Adler YA novel (the first being Cool for the Summer) and she hasn't disappointed! Her sapphic YA novels are always a delight!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of Home Field Advantage! I really appreciate it!

3.5/5 stars

I requested this book without realizing it was the same author as Cool for the Summer. Once I realized, I was pretty hyped about this book. I did like Cool for the Summer better than this book and I liked the characters a little better but this book was fun and entertaining in it's own right.

I loved the dynamic between Amber and Jack and Miguel and I would've liked to see more character/relationship building interactions between them all. If the relationships had been better built, I would've found it easier to root for them at the end. I was not invested in Amber and Jack getting together because we barely saw their relationship forming.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

St. Martin's Press never disappoints me. I absolutely loved Home Field Advantage, even if I only respect cheerleading and am confused by football. Luckily you don't need to know anything about either sport. You only need to block out enough time to enjoy it unbothered. I made the mistake of just casually reading this and was increasingly annoyed in the last ten percent of the book because I had to stop reading to "go to work" and "socialize" and "watch the road when driving". Definitely a book to get for all of your friends. Sporty, queer, or otherwise.