Zack is pretty focused on one thing only: soccer. He’s a rising senior and he’s most likely to be captain next year. The graduating senior Ryan, currently captain, basically guarantees Zack that he’s next. When Ryan does something stupid, Zack takes the fall for him. Ryan says his chance at college will be jeopardized if anyone finds out he was responsible for the prank. So, Zack claims it was him. He thinks it’s what’s best for Ryan and best for the team.

Zack gets assigned community service. He winds up working at seaside conservation center with his new crush Chip. If he must spend his summer doing community service, he can’t think of anything better than spending it with Chip.
But Chip won’t give him a chance at a date. Because Chip thinks Zack pulled the prank. And the prank involved a dead shark. And Zack idolizes Ryan, who Chip dislikes. Ryan is Chip’s cousin. He doesn’t like that Zack seems like Ryan’s go to.

In addition to things being rough with Chip, Zack finds out that the team is upset with him. Because of the prank and Zack’s community service hours, everyone has to do soccer practice at about six am every day all summer. This isn’t what anyone wanted.

And Zack doesn’t even know what matters to him beyond soccer because of the amount of pressure he feels from his parents about being a soccer star.

Poor Zack is feeling a lot of pressure from all directions. His parents aren’t happy that he’s devoting less energy to soccer, his friends are upset that he’s keeping secrets from them, his team is upset that he’s being selfish and also screwing up their summer plans, and even as things improve with Chip he still feels like he’s being kept at a distance. And nobody has even bothered to ask what Zack wants, even Zack hasn’t put any time towards his own happiness.

I thought Zack was a kindhearted guy. He has good intentions. He makes mistakes sometimes. But he’s lovable. I like Chip too and Zack’s best friends.

I also think the background character Foster could do with a story of his own. He seems like he’d have an interesting story.

I received an ebook arc of this book from NetGalley and won a physical copy of the book from BookishFirst. Thank you! I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

I have to admit I have some mixed feelings after finishing this one. There were some things that I just loved, but there were other bits that fell a little short for me. To start with the good. I loved the way how natural and unnoticed it was that the main character was gay and dated another boy. I loved everything about the Marine institute and everyone there. I loved Beckett and Meyers and their threesome friendship with Zack. I didn’t love Zack. I wanted to, he wasn’t a bad guy and he clearly wanted to be better, but I didn’t like him much and I didn’t think his growth trajectory through the book was as good as it could have been. I didn’t love the conflict in Zack and Chip (I also didn’t love that name)’s romance. I didn’t love Ryan and the whole prank that Zack took the blame for (and really where was the logic? It would ruin Ryan’s college career but not Zack’s?). I found I liked the second half of the book a lot more than the first half. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars but I rounded up for excellent queer representation and a great second half.

High school soccer star Zack takes the fall after a prank by the graduating captain could get the whole squad in trouble. After all, if Zack wants to be captain next year, he has to be a team player. But now, instead of summer days partying on the beach, he'll be doing community service at a local marine ecology center. Worse, cute intern Chip now thinks Zack is irresponsible.

Zack tries to be all things to all people. But he's overcommitted and letting people down. How can he be a good friend, a good teammate, and a good boyfriend—without losing himself along the way?

I loved this cute, gay YA rom-com. Zack has a good heart but doesn't always know how best to express it. I enjoyed the beach setting and the focus on conservation. The teenage angst is pretty low-key.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Gay? Sports? Count me in. I love love love this book! I think it will stand out against a lot of the others we have seen before because of its sports aspect as well!

I’m probably just not the right audience for this book. Makes sense, as it is YA. But the beginning was very slow, and the motivations for why Zack did what he did and didn’t make sense at all.

This is a good book! I know that’s a simplistic message, but it’s true! Soccer star, Zack had far different plans for how he was going to spend his summer. When the outgoing Captain of the team enlists him to take the fall for a badly thought out stunt… Zack ends up doing community service.

It’s not all bad, because Zack has met Chip who works at the marine center. Despite the fact that Chip seems to have the idea that soccer players may not all be work knowing… they manage to forge a tentative friendship.

The thing about this book is that it’s a lot more than just a YA romance. There are some pretty intense issues in this book that Robby Weber weaves into the story flawlessly. There’s the fall out from divorce, disagreements between friends, toxic-masculinity vs sports… and the list keeps going.

What could have just been a sweet summer romance book, is more. It’s engaging and funny, interesting and I loved it.

"I Like Me Better" by Robby Weber is a heartwarming and relatable coming-of-age story that explores the complexities of love, friendship, and self-discovery, and self-acceptance. The protagonist, Zack, experiences the gamut of emotions and situations over the course the story. I really enjoyed watching his personal growth, his developing relationship with Chip, and his friendships with Meyers, Beckett, and the rest of his soccer teammates.

Weber's writing style is accessible and engaging, making it an easy recommendation for young adult readers looking for a thoughtful and entertaining read. The romance was very PG, solely instances of kissing, so I could easily recommend this to any upper middle or high school age student, as well as anyone looking for a charming and uplifting story about growing up and finding oneself.

This book read very young to me. While yes this is YA, it didn’t read like that to me at all. I know a lot of people will Iike this one, but it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t understand why the main character would take the fall for a prank he had nothing to do with. Then it seemed like everyone around him was so mad at him for a…prank? It all didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

I Like Me Better is the story of young love, soccer, marine animals and finding yourself.

The first half of this book is absolute garbage. I almost DNF. The characters were so one dimensional...the whole plot surrounding the park was stupid...and I wasn't invested in anything that was happening. But I kept going and eventually the story picked up...the characters fleshed out and I actually cared about the outcome. But it was a rough start.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With the writing style being a breeze to go through, unfortunately the story was lacking. Parts were inconsistent at times. After reading the book, I just thought “that’s it?” It really made feel unfulfilled in the end.

I really wanted to like Zach as a character in the beginning, but his actions were pretty questionable. Though it’s understandable, given this is aiming towards a YA audience.

I Like Me Better is a sweet YA rom-com that focuses on Zack, a popular soccer star trying to enjoy his last summer before his senior year of high school. Zack thinks that in order to be happy, he must follow in his soccer predecessor’s cleats (Ryan) while also focusing on taking his soccer skills to the most elite level (Stanford, then the pros).

After Ryan (who is such an asshole- reader beware) pulls a cruel prank on an opposing soccer team, Zack takes the blame. Initially sentenced to community service at the library, he meets the adorable and captivating Chip and is able to finagle a change in his community service site to The Marine Institute (where Chip is head intern). With the weight of his lie starting to crush him, and a new found love of marine life (and Chip) starting to emerge, Zack’s world begins to unravel.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book. I’ve lived by the beach for a majority of my life so reading a beach-setting book felt like home. I also couldn’t get enough of the marine biology aspect and The Institute. I learned so much about marine wildlife and conservation. Zack was your quintessential high school kid trying to juggle the desire to be well-liked and popular while also trying to stay true to himself. I really enjoyed watching his self-growth journey. All of the characters (sans Ryan) were great. Chip was a ball of happiness, Beckett and Meyers were the best friends ever, and even Noel grew on me as his and Zack’s friendship evolved.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Look for I Like Me Better on May 2nd!

Robby was a great way of writing. He takes the summer and turns it into a summer loving romance. As a second novel this one takes the cake. This reminds me of Running with Lions by Juilian Winters.

I Like Me Better is the story of Zack and Chip- two high schoolers whose paths have never really crossed. When Zack ends up doing summer community service for a prank at the conservation center, Chip must reluctantly work with him. What Chip doesn’t know is that Zack is taking the blame for a teammate whose college future is on the line. As Zack and Chip get to know each other better, Zack tries to show Chip that he’s more than his reputation.

I Like Me Better is a sweet and engaging coming-of-age story. As they slowly become friends, Zack and Chip have a lighthearted and hopeful romance. Much of the tension surrounds the soccer team, as in who will be captain next year and whether their previous captain was truly that great. Zack must learn to stand up for himself and have confidence in his choices. I loved the setting of the conservation center, especially Daisy the dolphin! I Like Me Better is a joyful and relaxing YA read that I would definitely recommend to anyone.

I would especially recommend this for readers who enjoy Alice Oseman (Heartstopper), James Acker (The Long Run), and Julian Winters (As You Walk On By). Thank you so much to Robby Weber, Inkyard Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

I have such a book-crush on every single one of Robby Weber's characters. Is it Robby that I love? Probably. But are his characters phenomenally complex and fun to read about and I will root for them in every single way possible? Yes. I Like Me Better is actually an improved piece of work from Weber's debut, but it still has the heart and the core plot strength that his first novel had. I will recommend this book to lovers of sports, Ted Lasso, and people who accept believable and amazing love stories.

I have thoroughly enjoyed both of this author’s books. Let me tell you something that I LOVE about this one. The fact that the MC is gay is not an issue at all. For like anyone. And it was so cool how, as I’m just reading along, there comes this line: “I mean, I’ve kissed a few guys.” That’s it. No big reveal. No drama. It was so stellar. It’s a love story that just happens to be between two boys. I love that! I loved IT! The whole thing. Especially Meyers. He’s awesome. And I dug all of the friendship dynamics at play. Very cool. Very. 💜📚

I had my eyes on this book for multiple reasons: cute cover, ownvoice, soccer boy and nerd boy relationship, and so on. And it didn't disappoint me.

3.5 rounded up.

This does have a romance, but I don't think it was the point. Even if the romance isn't just a side story, the plot is really about how Zack needs to find his real self now his team's captain is graduating and he wants to be his successor. But what if he needs to pay a price too high for it? It starts with having to cover for the former captain and then being forced into community service for it. His team is not too happy with the change or with what they believe Zack has done either. And the worst of all, the cute boy he meets on the beach isn't at all in love with the persona Zack has given so much to build, but the real Zack might just be what he needs to attract him.

Meeting people's expectations, finding out what really makes you happy, what the important stuff in life are, that's the journey the book proposes. It is just another YA romance, but it's cute, heartwarming, and a fast read too. Also, a queer romance that doesn't talk about coming out has got to deserve bonus points.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Such a cute Summer cozy romance book! Absolutely fell in love!

In I Like Me Better, we follow Zack a soon to be senior soccer star, following in his captains footsteps becoming a shoe in to become the next captain. When he faced with a decision to take the fall for a prank his teammate did, in hopes to win the teams favor. He finds himself doing community service and meeting Chip a cute intern at the Aquarium and he doesn't seem so charmed by Zack's popularity and is not happy about the prank.

The character development for Zack was amazing throughout this book. Watching Zack find who he is and truly be happy with it all. The romance between Chip and Zack was adorable and as others say definitely "swoon worthy" I gave this book a 5 stars!

I got an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet, it was earnest, it was exactly the sort of book that I fall for. The MC was not the best person. A lot of his faults came down to his insecurities. He had no idea how to really be himself, so he clamped to to someone who had more social power than he did and then followed. He had no real direction, but he knew how to stay attached. Watching him grown and really come into his own was amazing.

I loved the love interest. He was nerdy, he was anxious, he was exactly the sort of guy that I want to read about and be around. He wanted to be an astrophysicist! Having such a driven character is refreshing. One that actually stands up for his beliefs and fights hard for those things even when he is terrified. He is really a great love interest. He sets boundaries and he speaks his mind.

The love story was really wonderfully done, but the story with the team was even better. Zack had to learn what it meant to be a captain, while he learned who he was as a person. He had to figure out if those two things could even work together. I adored that he learned that he was a selfish person. I loved how he learned how to be a better person. He is far from perfect even at the end, but the progress was so heartwarming.

My main issue with the book is the ending. I just did not like the ending. It felt like Zack violated some boundaries and that was perfectly ok. He didn’t have to work beyond that apology to get what he wanted again. I wanted that to have a bit more open ended, like he had work to do. I also really didn’t like the apologies. There was a lot of IFs in those apologies. “I’m sorry IF I did that”. Honey, there is no if. You did it. Own up to it. The apologies really annoyed me to no end.

I loved the premise of this book, but couldn't connect with it. I really enjoyed the relationship between Zack and Chip, and I loved that, overall, the choices the characters made felt like things teenagers would do. The plot definitely drew me in, and I kept reading for it, but ultimately found myself struggling enough to put the book down.
Zack's narration, in many ways, read like an adult to me, and it kept pulling me out of the book. His choices felt like the right age but the voice periodically read much older/much more sophisticated (like Zack, the soccer bro, knowing what gingham is and stating that the chairs are slipcovered in the narration--little things like that that, rather than rounding him out as a character, mostly made me confused, because he didn't really seem like someone who would know those things).
The way in which conflicts with Noel were handled felt very reminiscent of a boardroom to me--I did kind of like how easily they resolved things once they found common ground, but something about the ways it happened (the phrasing, especially) just very much put me in mind of adults in an office needing to maintain decorum, not teenage boys who are going through some shit.
I really loved the relationship, and wish I'd been able to finish so I could see how everything ended up, but ultimately the few issues I had were too much of a barrier.

I DNFd this after 15%.
I don't understand why the main character took the blame for the prank. He didn't even question it, or think about how it might affect him. I didn't really like or care about him or the plot from the start.