Tag Archives: f/f romance

Review: Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

Home Field Advantage
Dahlia Adler
Wednesday Books
Published June 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Home Field Advantage

In this sweet and funny new f/f romance from the author of Cool for the Summer, a cheerleader and the school’s newest quarterback are playing to win, but might lose their hearts in the process.

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.

Dahlia Adler’s HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE is a sparkling romance about fighting for what – or who – you truly want.

My Review

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE is one of those books that every time I heard people talk about it, I couldn’t wait to read it. I’m not usually a big reader of football player/cheerleader romances, but I loved the concept of this one and its celebration of girls playing football.

The first chapter was a little bit rough for me because it’s really setting up how much Amber feels like she needs to become cheer captain the next year and why she’s so obsessed with that goal. As the story went forward, those early pages made a lot more sense, but I didn’t feel connected with her at the time I read that opening chapter. Once I got to know her and to see that even though she had very scripted goals and wants, she also had a lot of empathy and determination. Those things definitely made me fall in love with her.

As for Jack– I was a fan from minute one. Her passion, her fierceness, and even her guilt over the sacrifices her family made so she could have this one dream were so real and raw. Honestly, I couldn’t help rooting for her from the first minute to the last. I loved her so much.

My favorite part of the book was actually the part where Jack is on the field, the stakes are high, and she’s not at all sure she can get anyone on her team to come through for her. I feel like I read those pages on the literal edge of my seat, back straight, barely breathing as each play began. So, so good. I absolutely loved that scene (and the cheer immediately after the game, too…).

On the whole, I would say HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE is a total win for me. I feel like if you read LGBTQ+ fiction, you’ve probably already heard of Dahlia Adler from her blog, but if you haven’t– you’ll definitely want to check out both the blog and the book!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Amber identifies as polysexual (attracted to more than one but not all genders). Jack identifies as a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. References to making out.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some instances of bullying and some homophobic statements. References to one character who was blackmailing and bribing another character because he was gay and closeted.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at parties. One of the football players died in a car accident while he was drunk driving.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: She Gets the Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

She Gets the Girl
Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published April 5, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About She Gets the Girl

Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.

My Review

This one started a teeny bit rough for me. I don’t know if it was the writing or the fact that I’d just read two other books in which a parent was an alcoholic, so I was kind of worn out on that idea? It didn’t feel quite authentic in those opening chapters, but maybe that’s because at that point, Alex was her most inauthentic self.

At any rate, once I was three or so chapters into the book, I felt like things smoothed out and I started to really like both Molly and Alex a lot. I loved watching their friendship develop and watching Molly find her confidence and Alex find the ability to open up and let herself genuinely care about someone.

One of the things I think SHE GETS THE GIRL does really well is deliver complicated relationships. Natalie isn’t the perfect girlfriend, so Alex’s goal of reuniting with her isn’t as simple as it looks, and I found I had a lot of feelings about that, in a good way. I also thought the relationship between Alex and her mom was well done. At first I thought it would be kind of one-dimensional, but I liked that Alex began to unpack her feelings about her relationship with her mom and how she was responding to her mom’s behavior.

Molly also had a complex relationship with her mom. I felt like there was a good balance there, too, of giving enough time and space in the story to bring up some of those issues without it dominating or taking over the whole book.

On the whole, I can say this wife-wife duo delivered exactly the sweet romance I was looking for. I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Molly is half Korean American. Both she and Alex are self-described lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. References to sex between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Molly tries out for a rugby club and gets flattened when another girl tackles her.

Drug Content
Molly attends a party where people are drinking alcohol. Alex and Natalie get drunk after a show. Alex’s mom is an alcoholic.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SHE GETS THE GIRL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating
Adiba Jaigirdar
Page Street Kids
Published May 25, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating

Everyone likes Humaira “Hani” Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita “Ishu” Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl.

Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.

My Review

If you know me at all, it won’t surprise you to learn that I love the relationship between Ishu and her sister in HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING. I won’t spoil anything, but it definitely hooked me and really added a lot to the story, I thought.

I also liked that Hani and Ishu were really different from each other and had really different approaches to their lives and their connection to each other. At first I thought Hani’s relationship with her friends didn’t make a lot of sense– and then as I thought about it more, I started to see why it made sense. I liked the way that Ishu and Hani help each other see the holes or unhealthy parts of the relationships they have with the other people in their lives. That felt so real to me and totally drew me into the story.

Another thing that I liked was that it’s a faith-positive story. I feel like it’s easy to focus on negative experiences that people have with faith, and those stories are valid, those experiences do happen for sure. But I love that there are stories featuring teens who value their faith and ascribe to be better people because of what they believe. I think we need those stories, too.

Of course, fans of THE HENNA WARS will find lots to love in this book. I think it will also appeal to readers who enjoyed SAINTS AND MISFITS by S. K. Ali and MUSIC FROM ANOTHER WORLD by Robin Talley.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Hani is bisexual, Muslim, and Bengali. Ishu is a lesbian and Bengali. The story is set in Ireland.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Islam is really important to Hani. She references going to services and waking up to pray. Her father, who’s running for election, becomes more involved in their mosque, and Hani wonders if he’s doing it for the right reasons.

Violent Content
Some instances of bullying and racism.

Drug Content
Hani and Ishu attend a party where the girls are drinking alcohol. Hani doesn’t drink because of her faith.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING in exchange for my honest review.

Review: These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

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These Feathered Flames
Alexandra Overy
Inkyard Press
Published April 20, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About These Feathered Flames

When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates are decided at a young age. While Izaveta remained at court to learn the skills she’d need as the future queen, Asya was taken away to train with her aunt, the mysterious Firebird, who ensured magic remained balanced in the realm.

But before Asya’s training is completed, the ancient power blooms inside her, which can mean only one thing: the queen is dead, and a new ruler must be crowned.

As the princesses come to understand everything their roles entail, they’ll discover who they can trust, who they can love—and who killed their mother.

My Review

The plight of these two sisters drew me in immediately. Izaveta is caught in a world of politial intrigue where every word and look can be laced with meaning and danger. Asya, a gentle, loving girl is tasked with ensuring the price for magic is always paid by the people who use it. I felt like both sisters were easy to identify with, and both were in such desperate circumstances that I couldn’t help holding my breath and reading more and more to find out what would happen.

There were a couple moments toward the middle where I got a little bit impatient. Asya and Izaveta’s feelings of desperation came awfully close to self-pity, and it felt like the story might stall out. And then it did NOT. The action picked right back up, and things began happening pretty fast. I stayed lost in the story all the way until the end.

So… the end has one of those moments where there’s a quick setup for the second book. I totally get why books include those teasers, but they are not my favorite, especially when they feel like a hard right turn with little foreshadowing. Still, I enjoyed the rest of the book so much that I can’t imagine I won’t read the second one. I’m a huge fan of sister books, and this one is no exception.

Readers who enjoyed THE GIRL KING by Mimi Yu or SEA WITCH RISING by Sarah Henning will definitely want to check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The story features a romance between two girls.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some swears in another language.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. References to kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The people of Tourin worship gods and celebrated saints. Several religious celebrations and traditions are described and whether they go well or poorly is judged to be approval or disapproval from the gods.

Violent Content
When someone uses magic without paying the appropriate tithe, the Firebird appears and exacts a price. The magic price can be small, like a lock of hair, or deadly, requiring one’s heart. Several scenes describe the Firebird taking the required price.

Several scenes also include situations of peril, battle violence, and two scenes include torture.

Drug Content
Izaveta drinks an alcoholic spirit as part of a religious ritual.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THESE FEATHERED FLAMES in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Beetle and the Hollowbones
Aliza Layne
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published August 4, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Beetle and the Hollowbones

In the eerie town of ‘Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity.

Then there’s twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who’s caught in between. She’d rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle’s old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle’s quickly being left in the dust.

But Kat’s mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn’t escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she’s been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing.

My Review

Graphic novels are still a pretty new thing for me, but most of the ones I’ve read have been really cool, and Beetle and the Hollowbones is no exception. I really enjoyed Beetle– she’s awkward and quirky, loyal and brave. I didn’t realize reading it that she was supposed to be twelve, and I thought she seemed a lot older than that– maybe fifteen or sixteen, is what I had guessed?

The story world reminded me a little bit of The Nightmare Before Christmas, where things are all sort of dark and populated with sticky or undead magical creatures, and Halloween seems perpetually just around the corner.

I enjoyed Beetle’s journey to save her best blob pal and the sparks that reuniting with her childhood best friend caused. Beetle’s expressions and reactions to things often had me giggling.

All in all, I thought Beetle and the Hollowbones was a really entertaining and totally fun read. I’m so glad I was finally able to read it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
The story is populated with magical and undead creatures. Beetle has a crush on another girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kiss between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Most characters have or are learning magic. Undead characters must bind their soul to an object, like a heart, to stay alive.

Violent Content
One scene shows some depictions of verbal and physical cruelty toward a child.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of BEETLE AND THE HOLLOWBONES in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

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Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Melissa Bashardoust
Flatiron Books
Published July 7, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Girl, Serpent, Thorn

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.

A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse…

My Review

I went into this book a little nervously because I’d read some mediocre reviews, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The font on my ARC was also super small, so I worried that reading it might give me a headache.

Mainly I say all that to let you know that when I feel like I zipped through the book super quick and found it completely engrossing, you get the kind of obstacles it was up against. Ha.

First, the characters. I loved Soraya and her mom and the complicated relationship between them. The women in the cast absolutely shine, from Parvaneh and the sisterhood of pariks (winged demons) to Soraya and her mom, they were all complex and fascinating.

As far as the story, I enjoyed the story world, which is based on Persian mythology. Some of the titles are a little unfamiliar and confusing, but there is some explanation about them in the back of the book. I think a glossary would have been helpful, too. All in all, though, I as I got into the story, I was able to keep my bearings just fine.

The plot is very twisty. Less in terms of surprises (though every story has its share of surprises) and more in terms of the way things sort of loop back around, where the past connects to the present. I liked that a lot, and it gave the story a layered feel to it that I enjoyed.

One of the things that will stick with me, I think, is the way Soraya talked about making herself smaller early in the story– trying to keep others safe by shrinking herself as small as she could. I felt like that created this incredible picture of who she was at the beginning and showed such a contrast with who she became and how her courage changed her.

I feel like there are areas in our lives (especially as women) where we sometimes do that– make ourselves smaller to avoid conflict or hurt, even when it hurts us. So I loved reading this story about a young woman who comes into her own, learns to take up her space and be bold. It was both validating and freeing.

I think readers who enjoyed FOREST OF SOULS by Lori M. Lee or FORBIDDEN WISH by Jessica Khoury will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Based on Persian mythology.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very rarely.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
In this story, the world is ruled by two gods: the Creator and the Destroyer. The Destroyer releases demons, or Divs, into the world. Soraya’s family is protected by a feather freely given to them by a powerful bird.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. Battle violence and some brief gory descriptions of battle wounds.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of GIRL, SERPENT, THORN in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.