5 stars. Emotionally resonant, unexpectedly steamy, and melding together a coming-of-age story, philosophy, and a love story with all of my favorite tropes, Futbolista is a winning goal of a new adult romance that sets a new gold standard for this genre.

A huge thank you to Levine Querido, Jonny Garza Villa, and NetGalley for the ARC of Futbolista.

In Futbolista, we follow Gabriel Piña as he embarks on his freshman year of college, chasing his dream of making it big in the football world. He thinks he has everything under control. That is until he meets Vale, an openly queer boy, at his first college party. As fate would have it, Vale is also in his philosophy class and best friends with the girl Gabi has been seeing. What follows is a heartfelt friends to lovers and bi awakening story.

I found the pacing a bit slow at first, which made it take me a while to fully get into the story. However, once I did, I really enjoyed it. While the plot was somewhat predictable and had its slower moments, it was undeniably cute and Gabi and Vale deserve to be protected at all costs!

Overall, Futbolista is a fun and sweet read.

My first Jonny Garza Villa book and it will not be my last. Their adult romance debut was amazing!
In Futbolista we met Gabi Pina a futbol player entering college as a freshman and who is the lead goalie for this college underdog team. Fully thinking that at 18 he has life completely figured out what else is there to learn about himself ? Well there is a lot Gabi still needs to figure out.
This book was excellently executed I loved that although the characters in this book are young I never felt that they were immature. There are of course sexual comments and conversations but done in such good taste that it never feels immature or like you stereotypical jock talk.
The characters are diverse ! There is Spanish through out the entire book that made me so happy to read. This book is a GEM!

Thank you Netgalley and Levine Querido for the eARC.

This book gave me all the feels. It was definitely reminiscent of Bend It Like Beckham and Red, White and Royal Blue. From the very first page it hooked me, and I knew I was going to enjoy this read a lot. The MC, Gabriel (Gabi) Piña, is a character that is easy to root for and you just want to hug and protect him. He very much reminded me of Alex from Red, White and Royal Blue with his determination, ally-to-bi-awakening, and humor. I really enjoyed his relationship building with Vale from strangers-to-classmate-to-friends-to-lovers, I was smiling throughout their interactions. They were so sweet with one another, it felt so wholesome. The balance between slice of life and Futbol was well balanced. The scenes where he is training or at a game were fun. I also think the challenge in the plot was very clear and the resolution was realistic. Even the villain, as much as I hate him, had a bit of depth to him. The third act breakup was more heartbreaking than any I’ve read about, Gabi was hurting so much. I also thought the philosophy aspect weaved into the story was nicely done, as it was easy to consume and relate to, and it went well with Gabi’s growth.

As much as I enjoyed the book, there were some glaring flaws. We are first introduced to Leana, a woman in his apartment complex that he starts hooking up with. She got a lot of page time in the beginning but once she decided not to make their relationship official, she disappeared from the book and had a couple very minor appearances. The problem with this was she was very much used as a tool for no other reason than to show how much Gabi is into the opposite sex and that he falls fast, but if you take out her character, nothing would change. It was also interesting that their sex scenes were very closed-door and suggestive, but once the sex was introduced with Vale, it was open-door and had a lot more page time. Which brings me to my next point, once the sex was introduced and everything else seemed to be lacking. His relationship with his roommates were shoved in the trunk, except his friendship with Perez and Kat, but they took a backseat. The ending was a bit rushed to me and I feel like some things should have had screen time or longer screen time, but the sex took up most of the pages at the 70% mark.

Regardless, of those few issues I had, I really liked this book and it was my first Jonny Garza Villa book. I will definitely bump up his other works.

Have not read a bad book by this author. No exception here. Big foray into more adult content, so younger fans should be aware of this going into it. Not a bad thing; rather a refreshing take on a usual formula for the author. Story moves along at a good clip, fully developed main characters (and some underdeveloped side characters, but that's a minor quibble.
For fans of the author, a definite must.

I fell in love with this book immediately. I'm so grateful to Mx Garza Villa for writing it and the entire publishing team for getting this book into the world.

Futbolista is a tremendous and beautiful work that showcases kindness, queerness, and the author's growth as a writer.

It made me cry, laugh, and yell "a huevo" with joy. I hope every queer kid and adult who's struggling with becoming and fighting what can be in order to preserve what was finds and loves this book as much as I do.

Like grass drinking up a bright sunbeam, Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa is warm and irresistible. Intertwining a wonderful, digestible philosophy lesson with the weight of a world of cultural expectations, Futbolista questions if we have to sacrifice ourselves for something that we love, is that really living? (No, no it is not.)

I have never been so in love with a new adult book. Garza Villa’s writing is fluid and realistic, and it is an absolute joy to live inside Gabriel Piña’s head. A love letter to football, Mexican culture, and the young queer experience, this novel is unapologetic in its identity, even as Gabi questions his own. Hilarious and dumb, Gabi and Vale waltz around each other until neither of them can quite take it anymore. Their romance is captivatingly tender—push-and-pull, but not frustrating. Gabi is internal and aware, but still stupid and eighteen, thinking he knows everything about himself that will ever be. I think what I love most about this novel is that it feels real. Gabi is as much of a person as any of us could make him, and even though I’m a white girl from the Midwest, I see so much of myself in him. I am his overwhelming love for his friends, his growing attraction to Vale, his connection with his home, his fear that if he doesn’t hold on tight enough, it could all slip right through his fingers. A must-read for its genre, Futbolista is an integral building block of the safe space young queer people deserve.

this book changed the game for me. i consumed the whole thing in one day, because how could i not? i cant wait to see more from this author.

Jonny Garza Villa has done it again! Their books are so thoughtful, emotional, and heart wrenching. I was so excited to them jump to adult fiction with this one, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint.

Gabi is destined to be an MLS star, and nothing will stand in his way. That is until Vale offers to tutor him in philosophy. As their relationship evolves, Gabi is forced to contend with a shift in who he thought he was and navigate what it means to be his authentic self.

I absolutely adored this book - it mixes emotion, self-exploration, humor, and identity in such a thoughtful and authentic way. I loved both Gabi and Vale so much! I was rooting for them so hard throughout! I loved the intersectionality of Gabi’s Mexican heritage and his sexual identity exploration. It felt real, raw, and genuine. I felt so much joy reading this book. Definitely a lovely read that pulls on all your heartstrings; you simply won’t want to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the advance reader copy!

I've seen nothing but 5 star reviews for this, and I wish I felt the same way. I definitely get what people are coming from, because there's a lot to love, and I especially loved the ending, but it didn't fully work for me. This book was written with so much inner monologue from Gabi, and it made the story so slow. I felt like it was dragging for the majority of the book. I never felt like I was in situations with him, but rather like he was telling me about them and leaving a lot out so I couldn't fully experience them. This made it feel like not a lot was happening, and it made me feel removed from what did happen and from the characters, who I feel like we barely get to know. I did love Gabi and I loved the romance, but I felt like it didn't quite reach its full potential.

Futbolista is the story of freshman goalkeeper Gabi who learns to accept and embrace himself, even if it means it’ll make his dreams of becoming a professional footballer very tough. As someone who loves queer sports romances and a football fan, this is completely up my alley.

Gabi and Vale’s love story is very sweet and slowburn-y as Gabi slowly comes to realize he sees Vale as more than his tutor/friend. The chemistry between the two is great, and the yearning and little touches before they give in are very delicious.

The backdrop of a college football team at a Texas college also feels very lived in — I really enjoyed all of Gabi’s roommates/friends and his parents, even his first romance prospect, who I really liked because she stood up for what she wanted out of college even though when she pops up I wasn’t sure how Jonny Garza Villa would resolve that plotline. I also thoroughly enjoyed all of the cultural references from music to food to Texas food/grocery chains.

I do have a couple of quibbles about aspects of football that were wrong that really took me out of the plot. Towards the start of the book where Gabi and his team travel to an away game and it ends in a tie but the two sides decide to settle via penalty kicks for fun — there were two separate references to a penalty going over the defenders standing in a wall in front of goal. That’s what defenders do in a free kick, not in penalties. When a game goes to penalty kicks at the end, it’s just the penalty taker going up against the goalie one on one. Honestly it didn’t bother me too much in the grand scheme of the plot, but it definitely made me do a double take.

Such a heartfelt and powerful read. The story follows Gabi, a college goalkeeper with dreams of making it big.
What starts a dare and later as a tutoring session quickly evolves into a deep friendship that makes Gabi question his identity, challenging everything he thought he knew about himself. The book explores Gabi’s internal struggle with his sexuality, especially as a Mexican futbolista where queerness is so often stigmatized.

This story is important, especially for anyone who’s struggled with identity and culture like Gabi. It’s a perfect blend of self-discovery, love, and soccer, and I loved how it showed Gabi’s journey toward accepting all parts of himself. It’s both personal and relatable, with themes that are so needed in today's world.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange of an honest review!

Futbolista tells the story about Gabi, a Mexican-American college goalkeeper, and his friendship with Vale, his boy philosophy tutor, who awakens something very bi in him.
There is one particular thing I loved about Futbolista, and is the exploration of having a queer awakening when you are already an adult, and the struggles that come with that and the identity you very much thought was already settled. It hit very close to home. And all that, while bringing the conversation about the very real queerphobic environment surrounding football, specifically in Latin American countries.
I must admit I was having a little difficulty vibing with the writing style, but that is something pretty subjective. Nonetheless, this book was sweet, and funny, and so emotional. I definitely recommend it!

Jonny Garza Villa writes such excellent queer characters in such beautiful queer stories. I was lucky to find JGV through NetGalley with Ander & Santi Were Here and now I have fallen for Gabi and Vale, too. I love soccer and I love love so I was all about this. My only critique is the soccer terminology was not always authentic but I could look beyond it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was so excited for this book but it DRAGGED. Why is the plot so slow? The use of the philosophy class as a way for the main character to discover himself is way too cliche. The last straw for me was the inaccurate soccer scene - how is there a wall during a penalty kick?? Where is the editor???

Gabriel Piña is excited to start his freshmen year, where he is one of promising recruits for his college’s soccer team. Expectations for Gabi are high, but he’s determined to succeed and stay on a path to a professional soccer career.

But Gabi begins to wonder if there is more to college, and to him, when Vale, his philosophy classmate, offers to tutor him. As Gabi and Vale spend more and more time together, Gabi starts to realize he has feelings for Vale. While Gabi can’t deny he is powerfully drawn to Vale, he struggles with what this means for his life and his future, and whether his family or fans would accept him if they knew he is not straight. As Gabi has increasing success on the field and growing feelings for Vale, Gabi has to confront whether he can reconcile what are becoming the two most important parts of his life.

This is a terrific sports romance. Both Gabi and Vale are well-crafted characters, and the author does an excellent job of depicting both their developing relationship and their struggle to navigate the challenges they face. You can’t help but cheer both for Gabi’s success on the field and their relationship.

Highly recommended.

Did I cry? Yes! Did I laugh? Yes! Was I kicking my feet like a little schoolgirl? Yes! 😂 Do I want to personally fight Barrera? Hell yes! This was such a fantastic read, and the element of self-discovery throughout the book was evident. I love how Jonny used Gabi's Intro to Philosophy class as the driving force behind Gabi's journey of self-discovery and self-awareness.

This book addressed so many topics, from machismo to the expectations we often place on ourselves. It also captured what I believe is an interesting yet important aspect of sports: the belief that it's a straight man's game, and that queerness doesn't deserve to take up space.

I appreciated that, although the breakup was messy, they ultimately found their way back to each other without any major fanfare, which I believe is more realistic than a grand gesture. Overall, this book was SO, SO GOOD.

I have read every single book from
Johnny Garza Villa so far, and I can guarantee I will continue to pick up anything they write. Their stories are always so full of heart and make me emotional in all the best ways, plus these stories are always ones I’m so glad to see out in the world.

Gabi is such a fantastic main character and I loved the way his story was contained in the first semester of college. His journey to self realization alongside the tension of his shutout streak on the football field and friends and community he builds along the way all comes together so spectacularly. I love how, like Canto Contigo, this is a book that challenges machismo in hyper masculine spaces and shows boys being soft and loved and finding ways to be their true selves. I also love and appreciate that this is a book where Gabi is realizing his bisexuality, because more stories about realizing your identity later than as a kid are so necessary and appreciated. And Vale! The romance between Gabi and Vale is so sweet and emotional and I love them together so much, especially the secondary dynamics with Leana.

This is a book that does so many amazing things and made me laugh and cry and wanna clutch these characters to my chest in adoration. I love the friendships and the romantic arc and Gabi’s personal arc so much. This is such a great story, and I continue to be a reader who will read anything Johnny Garza Villa writes!

This was a very grounded story with a sweet emotional arc for it's characters and a solid teen angst situation. I don't know anything about soccer or how it is played, but it seemed fun.

I think my favorite thing about it is how grounded it is. It feels authentic and real. Love that.

A really sweet, queer sports romance.

Gabi is the cocky and loud, but sappy soccer star while Vale is just the most supportive nerdy boyfriend ever. There was a good balance between the romance, the sport and Gabi’s road to self discovery and I loved the philosophy talk in there.

The main flaw was the mix ups in football terms, which threw me off a few times. It’s goals not points and red card rather than red flag. Also at one point Gabi corrects Vale when he says “goalie” and says it’s “goalkeeper” - the term goalie is regularly used.