“I care about you, okay? I like you, even though you’re prickly as hell and looking at me like you wish I would vaporize and you think ketchup is a vegetable.”

Home Field Advantage

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Amber’s dream is to become a cheer captain. But if she really wants the spot, she has to help her friends take Jack, the new female quarterback, down. The problem is that she and Jack are falling for each other, meaning she has to choose, stand up for the person she cares for or go after her dream.

Home Field Advantage was so hyped and definitely lived up to it. Adler managed to tell a story that handled complex topics like teen pregnancy and homophobia well while being lighthearted and funny.

Amber and Jack had great chemistry, and their witty banter was one of the book’s best parts. The cast was diverse, and the side characters, especially Miguel and Malcolm, were so well developed.

I loved the way football and cheerleading were woven through the story. Often with sports romances, the sport is either hardly mentioned or far too technical, but Home Field Advantage finds the sweet spot. As a person who struggles to have a base understanding of football, no matter how many times it’s explained to me, the football scenes were easy to digest and enjoyable to read. I also loved the representation of a female quarterback.

Home Field Advantage was a fun, fast-paced, coming-of-age romance that didn’t shy away from the messiness of being a teen.