I DNF'd this book.
The premise sounded so interesting to me. but to me it read like a very juvenile execution.

Laurel Cates is a journalist, and when she discovers concerning secrets about her university’s football coach, she vows to do something about it. When her article on the coach goes viral—something she had not been expecting—she must dig in and find enough evidence about his wrongdoings to get him fired, or submit to the pressures that are trying to stop her from getting justice.

WHISTEBLOWER was a book I could not put down. Once I started, I wanted to keep going until I reached the end. I loved Laurel—loved her determination and reluctance to give in even when everything seemed to be falling down around her. I loved how deeply she cared for the people hurt by the coach, and how she so deeply wanted to get justice for them. Her friends were another part of this book that I adored. They definitely felt like found family level friends and I adored that. Laurel’s relationship with Bodie was also so sweet, especially when he realised he’d been wrong about his coach and swore to help Laurel.

I suppose the one thing I didn’t quite like about this book is that it wrapped up very quickly in the end. We were given a rundown of what happened rather than being able to actually see that. It felt a bit rushed and I would have liked to experience some of what happened along with Laurel, rather than just being told what happened.

Regardless, I loved this book. It is so important, especially for young people. The message it sends needs to be heard everywhere and I am so glad Kate Marchant wrote this.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars.

i read this book for the first time on wattpad after i read float, another book by kate marchant, when it was originally posted there, and fell in love with laurel's character. the published version is somehow even better, with close to no important changes at all. i was on the edge of my seat throughout the course of reading this book, and finished it in just a few hours, since it was impossible to put down.

whistleblower follows laurel cates, a junior at garland university, who writes for the school newspaper: the daily. when she gets a tip from a source that might doesn't paint the university's football coach in the best light, she decides to investigate, and in the process uncovers even more disturbing information. she teams up with bodie st. james, a football player, as they both try to prove opposite points. laurel, that coach vaughn is guilty of the various allegations against him, and bodie, that this is all just a misunderstanding — all while having suspicions of his own.

i had gone into this book expecting it to be a romance, but what stood out to me the most in this book was laurel's determination and strength. marchant explores various themes of sexism and even racism in this book, which altogether made it a story with a very powerful message.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written story, it felt very immersive from the first pages all the way to the very end. Loved Laurel's relationships with Hannah and Andre, and the tension between her and Bodie was very satisfying. Overall the storyline felt fresh and new to me, reminded me a bit of the Veronica Mars tv-series in a good way!

I had a hard time reading this because the format of the ARC was not set up properly for a Kobo to scale the font, but in the end, I decided that I would give this one a try and see if eye strain prevented me from getting very far. I'm very happy to say that I was able to persevere, and that was a testament to how much I enjoyed it. Marchant has written another book that will likely translate very well if it gets picked up for a movie. I actually think Robbie Amell has more of the look of Bodie to him but he's already cast in Float so, oh well.

I genuinely liked the characters and felt that, after a bit of a slower start, the story moved along well. It was definitely less romance and more about Laurel figuring out who she is. Her friends were awesome and made the book, but I also think that Bodie was a good romantic lead. I know that we were supposed to be frustrated with how the women were treated in the school and it was definitely frustrating. I do think that maybe as a journalist, even if you are still learning the trade, you may want to wait for more connections to be made to put the story out there when it's this divisive. But maybe that's why I'm not a journalist but in public relations.

All in all, this moved well. The story was good and held your attention. And the characters were fun.

I will say that there was a lot of drinking and partying in the book, which wasn't my experience of university and made me also question how anyone ever gets their work done. But I digress.

Great concept for a book but execution could have been better. Character and story development lacking. However, still enjoyed reading it. I liked the college setting and main romance.

I don’t know what it was that made me request this ARC. I’ve been leaning more towards the lighthearted this year because that’s just where I am mentally right now, but the cover grabbed me, and the description grabbed me, and then this amazing book grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Wow. The characters are so well-written. The plot is unfortunately far too relatable. But Marchant took a horrible thing and wrapped it up with love, friendship, empowerment, and hope. It is a story that is serious and important but it is hopeful and it is broken up with moments of joy and love and healing. I loved this book so much. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the views and opinions expressed are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was a very poignant story which unfortunately still rings true and likely will for some time. The story line was gripping and Kate Marchant is able to write a story that has an important theme while also making it entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eArc of this book. I like the concept of the story and that it sheds more light on the struggles girl and women go through. I did not connect with the characters the way I would have loved to. A fairly enjoyable read, nonetheless.

Thanks NetGalley and Wattpad Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm giving 3,5 ⭐ cause my deadline on the app expired, and I didn't have the chance to finish the book on time, as far as i read the characters the characters had me hooked from start to finish making me crave for more and more. The pp is really nice and I'm looking forward to read the rest of this book as soon as possible. 🤩🤩🤩

“Like all the great female journalists who’d sunk their teeth into a forbidden story about a wealthy and well-connected man behaving badly, we were being shot down. Reprimanded. Exiled.”

Entre el 3 y el 4.

Thanks to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Voy a ser sincera: no pensaba que me fuera a gustar tanto. Allá por agosto me puse a mirar lo que había en NetGalley y me encontré con esta premisa estilo enemies to lovers: chica que quiere exponer a un señor como violador/chico que tiene al señor en cuestión como pseudo-figura paterna. Según cómo se desarrollase podía ir muy bien o muy mal, y yo tenía que saber cuál de las dos. Teniendo en cuenta ciertas cosas que se publican, tenía bastantes papeletas para lo segundo, así que me llevé una sorpresa muy agradable. Es literatura juvenil (new adult??) de la buena (eso sí, para quien no le guste: narración en primera persona).

Marchant es capaz de transmitir emociones intensas de forma muy potente y me hizo llorar en el último capítulo. Escribe con soltura, sentido del humor y poniendo mucho de sí misma en la página. Laurel es bilingüe y habla español en varios momentos de la trama. “La gente bilingüe no habla así”, dicen las malas lenguas; mentira, sí que hablamos así, lo que pasa es que es difícil representarlo por escrito y que quede bien. Y ella lo hace tan bien que ya mientras leía supe que tenía una experiencia muy cercana con el bilingüismo.

También supe que tenía que tener una experiencia muy cercana con México y la comunidad latina, porque la identidad de Laurel como mexicana de segunda generación permea en cada página y no se siente tokenizante (aunque de eso sabrán más las latinas que yo) ni como una capa de diversidad puesta sobre un personaje escrito blanco para ganar diversity points. La identidad de Laurel como latina blanca es uno de los aspectos que más definen sus experiencias y, por tanto, algo en lo que la propia Laurel piensa mucho. De hecho, tengo un pequeño problema con la portada, porque si bien Laurel se describe a sí misma como “white” (o lo suficientemente white-passing para que su jefa racista no se dé cuenta de que es medio mexicana hasta que la oye hablar español), en la ilustración de la portada no lo parece. Como bien muestra Marchant en este libro, la experiencia de una latina blanca y la de una no blanca son muy diferentes, y creo que no está bien hacer pasar a una por la otra en la portada.

Laurel es una protagonista muy buena para esta historia. Es una chica de 20 años cualquiera, tenaz y decidida, con algunos momentos de fragilidad. Los secundarios destacan mucho menos, entre ellos el interés amoroso. Quizás sea solo cosa mía, pero no conseguí conectar con él tanto como con Laurel. Hay algunas ideas sueltas, como que deja un examen en blanco, que sus entrenadores lo tratan como si fuera tonto, etc. que no se llegan a explorar nunca. Y en parte me alegro: la historia tenía que centrarse en desenterrar la verdad sobre el entrenador y en cómo Bodie tiene que enfrentarse a que alguien a quien le tiene mucho cariño haya resultado ser una persona horrible. Incluir el resto de conflictos suyos habría distraído nuestra atención de lo principal, y creo que la autora lo sabía.

De todas formas no creo que esté muy bien resuelto el saber que alguien a quien queremos ha hecho cosas terribles. Son sentimientos complejos y la respuesta que les da Laurel en el libro me parece bastante simplista. No es tan fácil sacarse de encima el amor. También hubo algunos capítulos que me parecieron un poco fuera de lugar en la historia, que no aportaban mucho o que no tenían que ver con el tema central.

Diga lo que diga la sinopsis, la trama romántica es secundaria en este libro. Lo que hace avanzar todo el argumento (incluso el romance) es la investigación del reportaje y todo lo que acarrea. Laurel y sus compañeras del periódico son atacadas y desprestigiadas por todos los frentes en cuanto publican el primer artículo. Es absolutamente descorazonador, porque cosas como las que salen en el libro ocurren en la vida real todos los días. “Miente”, “lo dice para llamar la atención”, “está instrumentalizando el movimiento Me Too”, el respaldo institucional del patriarcado que encubre misóginos y agresores. Pero también la indignación de las víctimas y de la gente que las apoya, la movilización, la esperanza.

No sé, chicas, me gustó mucho. Espero que si lo traducen al español lo traduzcan bien.

P. D. Ojalá antes de que salga cambien las referencias a margaret thatcher y a kanye… un poco desafortunadas 🥴

I was able to read this for free thanks to Net Galley, although that does not affect my opinion of the actual book. There were definitely some errors within the writing, but that may be changed by the time this book is actually published. It took me awhile to really get into the story and it wasn’t necessarily anything memorable, which is why it’s receiving a 3/5 for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Fast read and quite good. I saw a blurb about it and it looked interesting. Glad that I did read it. While it is set in a college setting (I’m way past that age) it was interesting to read. Laurel works at the school newspaper and gets a top of the head football coach no longer being sober and up to very bad things.

As happens with many stories things go awry fast. In getting people to believe what was being uncovered and seeing if people would go with the truth or protect the perpetrators.

So often you see powerful people being protected despite overwhelming evidence that those people have done wrong. This is instead seeing a different ending where the powerful do fall, yet you still see their supporters trying to justify what happened or that people who tell the truth are still lying.

Overall a good read and if you pay any attention to how the powerful get away with things, this book may give you a bit of solace seeing different choices made, especially when those who can make a difference actually take that responsibility on.

3.75/5 stars! I thought this Whistleblower premise was great and it really paid off in the story. Laurel and Bodie were a grumpy sunshine pairing that had enemies-to-lovers energy. What I appreciated the most was that the primary storyline was emphasized, which so many books fail at as they prioritize the love story element. The only part that was challenging for me was the different timelines within the story. It got confusing at times.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Firstly, thank you so much to Kate Marchant, Wattpad Books and Netgalley for giving me access to a free eARC in exchange for objective feedback prior to publication!

I'm glad stories like this exist, because we need them. The #metoo plot was great and multi-faceted, and I really liked the way it played out. Unfortunately, I couldn't fall in love with this one because of the romance and the characters since I never felt truly connected to the characters, even the main character. Additionally, I felt like the romance was lacking at times and didn't even need to be part of the book.

I hope people looking for books similar to Moxie and The Nowhere Girls check out this one!

OMG this book is AMAZING!! Kate knows what she;s doing! If you want a book that will make you love the characters and grab you from start to finish then this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for allowing me to read this ARC early.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story. I guess because I've seen juicier news about politicians that this football coach's drinking and subsequent actions didn't really seem all too exciting at the beginning of the book that it prevent me from really getting into it.

TW - Sexual Assault and Harassment

I read this book on Wattpad for the first time and well I did like it a lot. It was so good with its cliffhangers and jokes and who doesn’t love a college sports romance right?

I loved how the issues were dealt with in the book and all the conflicts just seemed a lot more realistic. I would have preferred a little bit more romance being completely honest. They had great banter but it was shown too less for my liking. One of the problems I had with the Wattpad original as well as the published version is the pacing. The plot seems to strech more than it should because in the start I loved it but slowly by the time I reached the end it felt like a drag.

Lauren and Bodie were well together ne if just a little more banger would be there I would’ve given this a 4 stars.

The Whistleblower is a fast reading story taking place at Garland University in Ca,, focused on a potential scandal involving the head coach of the school’s top ranked football team. Laurel Cates, a university student and writer for the school’s news site, tries to bring allegations to light but her efforts are immediately quashed by the university. The story then unfolds as she becomes part of a secret team tasked with investigating further. Complicating matters, Laurel has a crush on the quarterback, with whom she’s also partnered for a shared class project. The dynamic of Bodie as both a source and her crush leaves her conflicted throughout the investigation.
I enjoyed the spot-on references to collegiate life, parties, drinking and its consequences. I enjoyed the true friendships explored between Laurel, Hanna, and Andre, as well as the nature of more typical ones with her classmates. The relationships are all a step up from high school, angst ridden drama, but not quite complex adult relationships. Whistleblower protections are serious and important and although this is the title of the book, I didn’t think the story focused quite enough on that. Instead there was much description of the consequences of being a whistleblower for Laurel, Bodie, the Garland housewives. It took a lot of courage by the most influential character to step up and finally lend credibility to what had been uncovered, and at unknown cost to that person in the end. It goes to demonstrate, albeit fictitiouly, how empowered and untouchable those involved in multimillion dollar departments can be, especially in sports.
Laurel has the benefit of a loving family, a few good friends, and a few trusted workmates to carry her through but in real life the consequences can be much worse and longer lasting, I thought this book gave a good first look at what can be out there and how hard it is to find justice in these situations without whistleblowers, who often suffer as much as victims of the crimes being investigated.
Oh, and the will it or won’t it happen romance between Laurel and Bodie makes it that much more enjoyable!

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have such a soft spot for high school love story about cliques and how opposite attracts. This time, its stubborn, snarky high school journalist versus dreamy, popular star quarterback, swoon.