'Home Field Advantage' by Dahlia Adler

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

“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:
 
Cheerleader Amber 'Loud' McCloud is disappointed in her small-minded football team for not welcoming or following their new quarterback Jack (short for Jaclyn) Walsh. Things get interesting when the girls find themselves falling for each other, and author Dahlia Adler made the excellent choice to give us both girls' POV.
 
Excellent LGBTQIAP+ inclusive YA Contemporary read!  Available on June 7th.
 
#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'My Mechanical Romance' by Alexene Farol Follmuth

 5 stars!

 
Book Blurb:
 
“Nerds are so hot.
Especially battle robot building nerds.

Bel would rather die than think about the future. College apps? You’re funny. Extracurriculars? Not a chance. But when she accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s basically forced into joining the robotics club. Even worse? All the boys ignore Bel—and Neelam, the only other girl on the team, doesn't seem to like her either.

Enter Mateo Luna, captain of the club, who recognizes Bel as a potential asset—until they start butting heads. Bel doesn’t care about Nationals, while Teo cares too much. But as the nights of after-school work grow longer and longer, Bel and Teo realize they've built more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they’ve made space for each other and themselves.

This sharply funny, academic rivals to lovers romance explores both the challenges girls of color face in STEM and the vulnerability of first love with unfailing wit and honesty.”


My Review:
 
Really great YA Contemporary read!  Robotics, check. WOC in STEM, check. Smart main character and love interest, complete with witty banter, check. Parental and societal expectations causing realistic and relatable issues, check.  This one is lots of fun.

Available on May 31st.

#MyMechanicalRomance #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.