FROM ENDZONE TO FRIENDZONE... Senior Nick Moody is the second string quarterback on Roosevelt High School’s championship football team. He’s crushed on Mia for years, but she doesn’t know he exists. It’s time to come off the bench and into the game. Nick refuses to graduate without getting the girl or the glory. Mia Ashlock is the remarkably kind cheer captain. She’s a yes girl, and her penchant for people pleasing always leads to bad relationships. After being humiliated in a very public dumping, her teammates decide to break her bad habit with a ban on boyfriends. When Nick sees a poster, advertising cheer tryouts, he has a crazy quit football and become a cheerleader. It’s perfect! He can get close to Mia and steal the spotlight, using his true and hidden talent—gymnastics. Nick and Mia have instant chemistry, but it does him little good. If Mia’s zero dating rule weren’t bad enough, the team treats him less like boyfriend material and more like one of the girls. Breaching the friendzone will be much harder than he thought. This book contains kissing along with limited/mild swearing and minimal inuendo/crude humor. No explicit language or references to sex.
The most important thing to know about me is that I'm basically a sixteen-year-old trapped in an adult's body. It's why I feel such a great connection to all of my characters and why I love to write romantic comedy. The kid in me just wants to be goofy. Besides being a writer; I'm a wife, mother of five, volleyball enthusiast and home decorating guru. My list of favorites includes: reading, Christmas, pedicures, dessert, steak, Arizona winters and most importantly, Diet Coke.
This is one of those feel-good sweet high school romances that totally took me back in time. Daniels has a talent for creating a realistic teen scene with believable characters who my teenage self wants to be friends with.
Nick's football career doesn't seem to be taking in off the bench much, so he decides to try out for the cheerleading team, since he's a great tumbler. That and it will get him closer contact with his crush. Okay...what kind of high school boy has the confidence to break the social barriers and stereotypes? He's the first male to try out and it's pretty groundbreaking, especially as he deals with teasing a lot. So when you add that to the fact that when he is within range of his crush, he acts completely normal and starts as friends, well, wow! This guy is a man with some self control and knows just how to go after what he wants!
As for Mia, the co-head cheerleader...she's not your typical girl. In fact, this whole team is full of personality and loyalty, and although there is one who is a little brash, they're a group of kind, fun, and dedicated girls. I adored Mia and the way she grows from her experiences.
A slow-burn romance, all full of sparks and subtle chemistry, is my favorite and this story is definitely enchanting. I enjoyed the way everything played out and loved the secondary characters too, as they really added to the book. I hope Sean gets his own story, hint hint. This one was so much fun!
This is one of the more well rounded YA books I have read lately. Yes, much of the book occurs at school or at school functions, but we get the characters in home and family life as well. It provided a more realistic base for their motivations and desires.
These characters were so easy to like and so easy to root for. I really fell in love with Nick- how could I not? He is forging his own path through some pretty tough terrain. He's pushing against social norms, standing up to his grandfather and putting everything into getting the girl of his dreams. He is determined, resilient and patient. Oh, and he is kind. I am such a fan of kind boys. 💙
There is a slow burn romance here but I loved every minute of it. I could picture all the moments of this book in my head like a movie. (and some were really funny!) The story was engaging and I was really invested in everything from beginning to end. This was such a cute book! I can't wait for the next one.
Content (from the author): This book contains kissing along with limited/mild swearing and minimal inuendo/crude humor. No explicit language or references to sex.
What a HILARIOUS book :D I really laughed a lot during the book and Nick is a swoony guy for real.. So the story is about Nick and Mia, Nick has been in love with Mia since first year of high school but never talked to her, so when she breaks up with her boyfriend he snatches the chance to get close to her .. by joining the cheerleader team as the only guy *LOL* I liked that the story was so light and there was no drama at all, just sweetness and cuteness all the way through, the ending was really satisfying and cute .. it's just a guy who likes a girl and tells her he likes her :)
While it is sometimes overly dramatic, it is quite a fun, clean read. I enjoy when a girl attempts a sport that guys typically prefer in books and it was just as fun with a guy attempting a sport that girls are more likely to be drawn to. The narrator is one of the best male narrators I have listened to. It was a little rough-going when he was voicing a girl at times, but I enjoyed it overall.
Romance, clean; Y/A Some suggestive language and situations, so more PG-13 This was told from alternating points of view. Fun to see both characters as they dance around their attraction and try to work out their issues and problems. Sweet romance, some locker room mentality type situations, so not totally 'clean' per se. Mia and Nick were both genuine, honest characters, trying to figure out life, each other, and their athletic commitments and friendships. Cute and fun, some unique twists and turns, some beautiful 'moments' that made this a fun read. More of a 3.5 for me as a reader, but rounded up. This is well done, and fun read. While mostly lighthearted, there are issues, there are things that teens and other readers will appreciate as the characters struggle to find each other in the midst of high school social scene, classes, sports, and life in general. Chemistry is sweet, some humorous moments and scenes, and lots of wanting moments that make this a fun romantic read. I received an ARC from the author via I am a Reader, but all opinions are my own.
I really liked the slow burn and the time it took for the characters to establish a friendship first before a relationship. I also really liked that we got to see the family life of the characters and the work life as well, that not everything took place at school, giving the characters a balanced life that greatly appealed to me. I always enjoy first person narrative as it feels more personal and as though we can get into the person’s head, seeing their thoughts. The characters were great and varied. It wasn’t too long. It was engaging and moved at a good pace. I loved the originality of the storyline and I felt a personal connection as well since my daughter did cheerleading for five years with a special needs team with only one boy on the team as well. It was really great to read about a different sport other than football, baseball, or hockey... especially from this perspective!
When the second-string QB quits football to try out for the cheer squad...
... hilarity ensues! :) I loved this premise, and the story did not disappoint.
I adore Nick and Mia, and it's great to see them both learn to stand up for themselves. I love the supporting characters, too: Sean is a great - if slightly annoying - goofball of a BFF, and the cheer squad is a lot of fun to be around. I like both Nick's and Mia's moms, especially Nick's mom is one formidable lady!
One of my favorite quotes from Nick's POV: "I was now officially convinced that girls had no clue what they wanted or what they were feeling." Yep. You got that right. :D
This was a fun one. We commonly see a female athlete crossing over into male dominated sports, but I have not read too many books featuring males crossing over into female dominated sports. Loved Nick's mom and how she defied his dad by training him in dance as well as gymnastics. It was those tumbling skills that won him a place on his school's all female squad. Nick may not have been motivated to join for the best reasons, but it was great seeing him find his passion. The ending was perfect too.
The YA books I read typically have more depth than this one, which is a straight-out teen romance. I suspect I would have enjoyed this even more as a teen than as an adult.
Because Nick and Mia were such likable characters and the author captures so well the "does he/she LIKE-like me or not" angst of the teenage years, the story really grew on me. By the second half, I was eager to see Nick and Mia become a couple.
A clean read, but not in a saccharine way, including a bit of common teenage innuendo.
This book almost made me want to go back to high school. New to me author. All the wit and sarcasm that you’d expect in this genre, but plenty of heart and swoony moments. I appreciated the different perspective of football players and cheerleaders. Loved all the characters involved and completely enjoyed Mia and Nick’s journey. A great high school read for any age!
I loved this YA book and the way it looked beyond the surface to what deeper issues the teens were facing. Nick is not just a typical football player- he has hidden skills of gymnastics abilities that he enjoys more than being a benched quarterback, but even more importantly- he is a genuinely nice guy. Aren't those the best heroes? I loved watching him come out of his shell as he does his best to subtly pursue Mia and learn more about himself as he defies the social norms of his school and expectations of his grandfather/coach. Mia is a bit of a doormat in the beginning, but thanks to some overly helpful friends and new relationship with Nick, she also discovers her inner strength and experiences a good amount of growth. A fun book with dialogue and narration that felt authentic (several laugh out loud moments!) and kept me interested in the emotions of the characters.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Pretty great story overall. Dual perspective, and for sure some homophobic and misogynistic instances but since this was published two years ago I’ll be a little more forgiving. And while these instances are unacceptable they weren’t too horrible. I have definitely read WAY worse. I would read again while keeping in mind the parts that would not be ok by today’s standards. The relationship was quite cute and this is a light and fun read.
OMG I didn't know how much I needed to see a guy as a cheerleader until this book! I had so many laughs and Nick was so cute!
We have a commom "guy in love from afar with popular girl" story. The difference here is that he is actually athletic and kind of popular himself! Netherless, to get the girl of his dreams he needs to use all his abillities in ginastics to get a position in the team and finally get close to her!
I thought it was incredeble how he did't care if others talked about his sexuality... Do the nails? Chek! Use pompoms while cherring? Check! Becoming one of the girls? Eh... Check? Hahhaha
He wss cute (did I already say that?) In the way that he got nervous and timid only around her. I really liked how the story worked with all the expectations from his family and how he got over that.
On the other hand, Mia was not so charosmatic. Okay, a cheerleader beautiful, nice and that had problems saying "no" to others? Blah. But okay, I forgive her because she made our Nick happy. I also liked how she started to fall in love with him and all the times she described his abs hahba
The side characters appeared in a nice way. I would have liked to see more of nick and the other cheerleaders doing some girly things, but it was nice either way. I think some of them had a potential to be developted and have a book of their own, like Sean and Stacie (please, please I need this couple in my life)
In summary, i think it is a good light romantic read. Do you want cute boys, funny moments, and a guy with a smile to die for? This is your book!
Sadly I was never on the cheerleading squad in high school, but I was apart of the marching band and drill team, and what I fondly remember is the camaraderie. Reading One of the Girls made me feel nostalgic, bringing back some good memories and making me wish I could go back in time and relive that carefree time in my life.
From beginning to end, this book is utterly charming. Watching sweet, lovable Nick go from the football sidelines to the cheerleading squad, staying true to himself, and fighting all the naysayers, is refreshing, not to mention makes you fall head over heels in love with him. Sweet Mia might be his original motivation for joining the squad, but Nick's choice has a positive, yet unimaginable domino affect that brings about some interesting changes.
The dynamic between the characters is entertaining and made me wish I could've been apart of their group, especially at the football games. There was a little bit of tension, and a touch of drama, which was perfect and expected, and though predictable it was such a fun read and makes me excitedly anticipate the next book in the series!
*I have reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All opinions are completely honest, and my own.
Overall, this book is really cute! I enjoyed Nick and Mia as a couple—and I loved that Nick wasn't your typical alpha male. He definitely didn't fit the mold of most YA heroes, which I appreciated.
The book is written well and contains a few twists I wasn't anticipating. The romance is pretty swoony, and it was easy for me to root for Nick and Mia. I did wish that Mia wasn't such a doormat (not in regard to Nick, but pretty much with everyone else in her life). She did learn to stand up for herself, but it took her much longer than I'd hoped and involved a pretty major deception. There was also a little more mild swearing and innuendo than I was anticipating (the author helpfully includes a content note on both the Goodreads and Amazon listings; even so, I was surprised at the amount of innuendo). I would definitely rate this book a PG-13 and would hesitate to recommend it to many of the teens in my life. For adults, though, this is an enjoyable escape. 3-1/2 stars.
Disclosure of material connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.
This YA romance was super cute. Nick is a second-string football player who has crushed on Mia for years. She’s the head cheerleader and most popular girl at school. She’s also a complete sweetheart and pushover when it comes to guys and her friends. She isn’t able to stand up for herself. When her star-quarterback boyfriend breaks up with her, Nick yearns to swoop in to pick up the pieces of her heart. But he’s only an acquaintance and has no normal way to talk to her, without looking dumb. And he’s terrified of rejection. Then he gets a wild and crazy idea on how to get close to her—by trying out for the cheer squad. He’s had years of tumbling and gymnastics experience and hates sitting the bench each game. So he quits football to try out for a spot as a cheerleader…and he makes it.
This book was adorbs. I loved the funny situations Nick gets into by becoming a cheerleader and being “one of the girls.” I laughed, I sighed, I cheered! The characters were great. The story line was intriguing and fun. The romance between the two characters was top-notch. And there are a lot of fun twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. Awesome YA book.
I liked the premise of the story which is why I picked it up but The book didn't do much for me. The main protagonists felt bland and too perfect. They hardly had any flaws. Especially Nick.
He seemed to be good at everything and had almost no challenges to overcome which made the story boring.
Mia had nothing going on for her other than being the cheerleading captain. She had no personality and relied way too much on Nick. She seemed to love being mansplained.
A particular scene that made me shake my head was when Mia talks to two stoned guys in a restaurant and they start hitting on her. Nick tells her "you must have done something for them to behave that way" he literally tells her she asked for their inappropriate behavior. And that did not sit well with me!
The two protagonists did not have any chemistry and their romance was not enjoyable. Besides, there were so many unnecessary angles in the book like Mia being lady like that was irrelevant and made no sense!
I picked up this book because I thought it would break gender stereotypes. Instead, it reinforced them.
I was disappointed because the concept was so good but could have been executed so much better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Robin Daniels brings humor into the teen crush in this sweet high school romance. Full of angst, friendship and miscommunication this book is fun through and through. What happens when a second string quarterback joins the cheer squad? He becomes “One of the Girls”. Nick has been crushing on Mia for years. When he finds out cheer tryouts are coming up he decides to check it out. He’s done gymnastics his whole life so maybe this is his chance to get to know her. There are two problems—his Grandpa is the football coach and when he makes the team, he’s stuck in the friend zone. Mia has always been popular and never lacked a date. The problem is she’s a pushover and doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so she dates all the wrong guys. She’s never dated a guy like Nick, but she finds herself thinking she’d like to. Too bad she’s squarely planted in the friend zone. This book was given to me courtesy of the author through “Clean Wholesome Romance.” This is my honest review.
One of the Girls by Robin Daniels was so refreshing! It's been a while since I've read a High school romance that didn't involve cheating or petty stuff like that. Also, I surprised myself by loving this as much as I did. I mean, Mia and Nick's story sucked me in pretty much form its first chapter, and I've loved every second of it! I especially enjoyed their characters, and how they're not your (stereo)typical jock and cheerleader. I found myself rooting for Nick from the beginning, and can I say just Wow to his ability in gymnastics? It was amazing! As for Mia, I loved her being sweet and the captain of the cheer squad, but also her not being perfect (i.e. the need to ban her from dating till she could learn to say no). Plus, the side characters were just perfect and added sass, humor and a touch of drama when needed (Stacie and Cass for Mia, and Sean for Nick). Oh, and that ending was just perfect!! :3
Completely recommended! 4.5 stars. And believe me, this is way better than a cheerleader movie ;)
Opening line: "I'm in love with Amelia Ashlock--same with as a hundred other guys in Roosevelt High school."
Cute high school romance told from two points of view with a lots of humor. Nick's grandpa is the football coach--and Nick sits on the bench. What no one knows is that Nick is an amazing gymnast and pretty good dancer. He's tired of being the tackling punching bag. He's also had a crush on Amelia since they started high school. Mia is the head cheerleader and just got dumped by her quarterback boyfriend. Her friends won't let her date until she can prove she won't say 'yes' to every guy who asks her out. Nick decides to try out for the cheer squad to try and get closer to Mia. To everyone's surprise, he makes it. And the cheerleaders take him in as one of their own. Before too long, Nick and Mia develop feelings for each other, but neither knows it nor talks about it. It's a cute, slow romance.
My mother's voice rang through my head. "A lady would never throw herself at a boy." That was problematic, since every time he touched me, I forgot I was a lady.
I'm ashamed to say that I've read this many chick-flicks in so little time, but I care more about cataloging all my reads for my yearly goal than I do about my reputation.
She swatted me on the arm. In addition to texting, there'd been a lot more touching this week. Most of it was stuff like a light punch or gentle slap. I wasn't complaining, though. She could whack me over the head with her math book and my twisted libido would probably enjoy it.
Another funny and cute one!
"Get over the pillow fight thing already." Stacie huffed. "We have never, nor will we ever, have a pillow fight. In our underwear or otherwise." His face got serious. "Never say never. You limit your potential."
I thought this would be so-so, but it's actually really cute. Nick is a football player whose butt is glued to the bench, while having a huge crush on the beautiful cheerleader, Mia. Mia is a beautiful, kind cheerleader who is never single. To help his game with the girl and avoid the bench, Nick joins the cheerleaders. What could have been ridiculous ends up being sweet. Nick and Mia are both wonderful, kind, fun characters that manage to be realistic and relatable. There is some language and suggestive comments, but it doesn't get too bad (still only for teens, though). The story is predictable in a Hallmark-esque way, but it's still cute. Definitely one of the better rom-com-like books I've read. Robin Daniels, you've got a fan.
When I started this book I was expecting the same ol, same ol. Don't get me wrong I enjoy those books which is why I read them but never surprised and just use them as light reads in between heavier series. This one, however, was wonderfully unique and so very cute. I really fell in love with the characters and I loved how the story came together. I loved that Nick was genuine where most of the time it is someone trying a ploy to get the girl and then learns a lesson, but Nick did it all in. The characters were refreshing and sweet and it was a great read. I have to say I was not expecting much than the status quo when I started but quickly found it was a great story. Highly recommend.
I read Girl at Heart first, and I just had to read this one.
It didn't disappoint. It was cute, sweet and funny. Nick was an absolute doll. Strong enough to decide to do what he wants, instead of following in someone's shadow.
Mia was concerning though. With all her Miss Manners and whatnot her mother taught her, it really concerned me. She would literally go out with anyone, because they asked. Why on Earth would anyone teach their kid, boy or girl, to not have any kind of boundaries? Or how to say no? That's not really an strong endearing quality. As Mia's friends point out.
Regardless, the book was adorable and fun to read.
I absolutely loved this! It's funny and sweet and positive and upbeat, and will make you feel good all around. It might cause random giggling and reconnect you to your inner teenager (in case you aren't still one and thought you outgrew that. I apparently didn't.) I love how entertaining this was and it managed to keep me engaged without focusing on the drama, but on all the positivity instead. Yeah, there are some dumb comments and disappointment when the football player quits to join the cheer squad, but there is double the support and a lot of loyalty and I'm all for it. Also, thumbs up for promoting healthy and respectful relationships!
The main guy is a "nice guy" and he constantly has to remind us of this. Hes not like other guys he is the exception *rolls eyes*. This girl is so stupid for not realizing that what she needed was a "nice guy"
Its pretty sad because shes like "i never had a real guy friend before" but all this guy wants from her is to get with her and you can mask it by saying hes in love with her but he never even spoke to her before he decided he wanted to get with her. So honestly hes a creep thats manipulating and using her. making her think that he is genuinely interested in being friends when he really has an agenda/ angle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’ve read my fair share of books where the girl joins a typically male dominated sport, this was my first read about a male cheerleader, and I really enjoyed it. I thought Nick was great (as were his parents and best friend). Mia was a bit frustrating though also relatable (Perhaps that’s why she was frustrating, she reminded me of me with obsessively not wanting to hurt feelings). But she had a great group of friends. (Her parents were also great… This author did a great job characterizing the parents LOL) I thought the romance was cute/sweet and though there was some mild drama/tension/angst, I didn’t think it was overdone or prolonged needlessly.
Nick is a second string quarterback with a father and grandfather to follow in their footsteps. He’s secretly loves a cheerleader since his freshman year and watched her date the wrong guys. His friend jocks that he should try out for cheerleading instead of football since he’s done gymnastics before. But if he’s a football player her in the friend zone but doesn’t want to be. She likes him for along time but he’s in the friend zone but how can they come together to be more? Will he do football or cheerleading?