4.25/5. Releases 4/15/25.

The Vibes:

—bi awakening

—nerd/jock, college-style

—coming out vs. staying safe

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Destined to be a star goalkeeper someday, Gabriel knows he can't be anything but straight. That doesn't stop him from longing for his new friend and tutor, Vale. Being publicly bisexual could ruin Gabi's future, but the closer he and Vale become, the harder it is to resist the pull.

The Review:

Aaaah, this is so very good. It's very easy for this kind of story to hit beats you'd call cliche, right? When I tell you, "This is about a kid in college dealing with the homophobia in soccer and directed at queer Mexican players in particular", you might think you know what's coming.

And it's not that there are any crazy twists and turns or deuxes of the machinas. There shouldn't be. This is a character piece romance, through and through. But it's doing the delicate work of tackling real issues—that are, if anything, more relevant than ever—while also completely selling you on the heady swoon of falling in love really hard as an emerging adult.

Gabi is conflicted about who he is and what he wants... but he's also funny, horny, obsessed with soccer, obsessed with being the best. Did I mention horny? That is very much true. He could very easily be this kind of sad, tragic figure. But here, his problems don't go away with the snap of a finger. He has to dig deep. It's not easy. However, he does consistently find joy.

And some of that joy is in Vale. While, as a this is a single POV book, we don't get quite as much insight into Vale's character, he's still full of depth and emotion. He's also super charming; it's easy to see why Gabi is head over heels.

Yet for all that they're romantically and physically drawn to each other, this is the rare novel that manages to build a realistic, believable friendship before they take it to the next level. I don't know if I'd truly call this "friends to lovers" because like.. there's always something going on between Gabi and Vale. The chemistry is electric. But you feel something true between them.

Yes; this book does deal with homophobia up close and personal. It offers an optimistic perspective, but a realistic one as well. Not everything resolves itself perfectly. There are a couple of deeply hurtful moments. But it's a romance, and it's a book we need for this moment. It's hopeful.

(And obviously, there is a full HEA.)

As a sidebar, I really appreciated the attention paid to supporting characters, including Gabi's parents and this really dimensional cast of friends. It adds not only to the world, but the stakes. Even when I know that Gabi may be overthinking things—not that I don't get why he does—I still believe his feelings.

The Sex:

This is a college romance, and both characters are over eighteen. There's a mixture of like... fumbling adorable sweetness and just full "rip each other's clothes off" desire. While it's explicit, it's more on the side of "passionate" than "anatomical". Appropriate for where the characters are in their lives, while still aligning with that "obsessive young love and awakening" vibe.

Futbolista is a super strong book, and you truly don't have to be this massive soccer fan to get it (I say as someone who really only watches during the World Cup). It blends confusion and love and desire and vulnerability so well. Would recommend to anyone in the mood for a character-heavy, well-written, happy-making romance.

Thanks to Levine Querido and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2025 reads: 82/300

i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.

gabriel piña knows exactly who he is: one of the best college goalkeepers in the country, a future professional footballer, and definitely straight. he’s starting college confident in these facts, and nothing will stray him from his path to greatness…that is, until he meets vale, the guy gabi briefly kissed at a party, who just so happens to be his new philosophy tutor. as he slowly begins to realize he just might have feelings for vale, he begins to wonder what being bisexual would mean for him, as a brown, mexican futbolista.

i adored jonny garza villa’s ander & santi were here and canto contigo, so i was very excited to read this book! i snatched it up as soon as i saw it in netgalley’s “read now” section. i loved this exploration of queerness in a college student. as i stated earlier, gabi started the book very sure of himself, but the rest of this book is, more or less, his identity crisis. it’s very hard for him to accept this part of himself considering the way his team, whom he considers his brothers, reacted to another team’s player being outed, as well as his parents’ and culture’s beliefs. all this emotional turmoil while he has playoffs to win. needless to say, this was not an easy journey for him, but luckily, vale supported him and was patient with him throughout it.

with all that said, this book was not all heavy. there were some lighter moments, and i found myself laughing and smiling at some points. overall, this was a wonderful young adult romance. i highly recommend this, and i can’t wait for more from jonny garza villa!