I’m so glad this book exists for queer teens. It was a bit of instant love but I thought the pacing and ebb and flow of the relationship worked. I don’t always prefer YA but I really enjoyed the voice in this book and thought the characters were insightful, mature and not dramatic. There was actually less teenage angst than in some adult books I’ve read lately! I found some things to be a bit repetitive and there were a lot of side characters to keep track of, but the climax gave me chills and made me teary in the best way. I liked the bits of religion Dahlia Adler wove in and the real world issues each character dealt with. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any queer teens, especially those dealing with “don’t say gay,” in Florida, which is where this takes place. I listened to it and Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince did a fabulous job bringing the story and characters to life.

Short summary: All Amber wants is to be cheer captain, until the new quarterback, Jack, rolls into town. But Amber doesn’t date Atherton girls because it would threaten the delicate hierarchy of everything she’s built. All Jack wants is to play football- not an easy thing for a girl in Florida to do, even harder when she’s taking the spot of a beloved teammate who died. The two work together to bring unity to the team, and discover along the way they might have something special of their own brewing.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐