Home Field Advantage follows Amber and Jack—Amber is a cheerleader who wants to become cheer captain and thus has to stay closeted because people wouldn’t be accepting of her sexual orientation. When news spread that her high school has found a new quarterback—since their old one died in an accident—her cheer team gets excited about having someone new to cheer for—until they realise that the new QB coming to play for them is a girl. Jack has waited her whole life for an opportunity to play on a real team after being denied everywhere else because she’s a girl—and she’s not about to give up just because people are being mean. But both the team and the cheerleading squad rebel against Jack and suddenly, the only person who seems to be looking out for her is the very cheerleader that could lose it all if someone found out just how much she likes cheering for Jack…
Did someone say queer quarterback/cheerleader trope? So here for it.
What I love about Adler’s writing—and what was present in Home Field Advantage—is how easily you get sucked into the story. There’s something so effortlessly cool about Adler’s stories that always have me reading her books in one sitting because I never quite realise how long I’ve been reading, which is just the best feeling.
Amber and Jack had a great dynamic. From their very first interaction, there is banter and snark and the more time they spend together, the more you can’t deny their chemistry. I loved how their individual goals and fears worked so well in tandem. Amber wants to be cheer captain and thus is somewhat forced to remain closeted because her high school is not as progressive as she’d like it to be whereas Jack is facing constant ridicule and discrimination from her team who are still “grieving” after their late homophobic quarterback and won’t accept a girl being able to win them their games. It’s frustrating to see Amber and Jack both put so much effort into their individual goals while others are just trying to keep them down. There’s so much angst and anger packed into this short novel that you can’t help but be swept up and it will definitely make you want to shake your fist at antiquated gender roles.
What I will say is that the pacing of Amber and Jacks’ romance sometimes gave me whiplash—moments that I felt warranted a bit more depth especially concerning the relationship development were quickly over while other moments took center stage that could have been retold in a few sentences—but the undeniable chemistry between Amber and Jack definitely made up for it.
There’s also a lot of depth to the story. Beyond secrets surrounding the old quarterback’s death and his harmful influence on a few individuals in the story, there were also darker themes explored in Home Field Advantage. I also loved all the discussions surrounding peer pressure, being torn in different directions and changing the status quo the premise brought with it. Jack and Amber are already under enough pressure, but the way Amber has to toe the line when her cheerleading squad wants to bully Jack and the way Jack has to rely on herself because no one wants to help her out on the playing field (or off it) somehow perfectly captured what it means to be a teen and being part of a glorified bee hive where everyone follows the queen. Though there are allies later on in the book, there are also secrets, backstabbers and other things that drive up the tension and make you feel like you’re right alongside Amber and Jack. While I won’t spoil anything, both find ways to fight back and the climax of the story was as dramatic as it was reassuring.
A swoonworthy romance about breaking the glass ceiling and being true to yourself, Adler’s Home Field Advantage is a fun, queer twist on the quarterback/cheerleader trope that will suck you in from the very first page.
Home Field Advantage is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 7th 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
